[keanex]

 
 
Pros: Inline microphone, microphone offers good voice quality, bass carries weight cleanly.
Cons: Fit isn’t intuitive, bulky IEM shape, microphonics, comfort is mediocre, highs are sibilant, mids are recessed, poor for low volume listening.
Style: Cable down shallow to medium insertion IEMs
Tonal Balance: V-Shaped
Listening Set-Up: Sansa Clip Zip (Rockboxed), Sansa Clip+ (Rockboxed), Musicbee (Wasapi) -> Oppo HA-1
Cost at Time of Review: $50 MSRP, found on Amazon ranging from $20 to $75
 

Reviewing Process

Before listening I played music through the CKX5iS for 10 hour periods over the course of a week, an estimated 70 hours of pre-listen burn-in time. I have put an estimated 30 hours of use in various settings from quiet walks to home usage. I feel that I have gained a good understanding of the overall sound and feel of the CKX5iS and feel comfortable sharing my opinons on them. The thoughts expressed in this review are simply my opinions and I urge readers to consider other opinions and use their own ears (when possible) before making any purchases.
 
The review is written as listened through the Oppo HA-1 on my desktop set-up.
 

Headphone Background

The CKX5iS are the first of three IEMs in the SonicFuel series CKX models. The SonicFuel series have been designed with those living active lifestyles in mind. The SonicFuel CKX series features a movable nozzle and a rubber C-tip that sits in the outer ear to ensure a stable fit as well as an inline microphone, remote and volume rocker.
 

Build & Fit

 

 
 
TLR
The CKX5iS fall into the middle of the pack for the price range when considering the build quality. I question the points of assembly on the housing as they are heavy stress areas and the cable feels a bit cheap, but I have no immediate concerns. As for the fit, this seems to be one of their selling points and I’m not buying it. The CKX5iS feel bulky and look it also. Comfort is average at best as is isolation and ease of insertion.
 
Build
The CKX5iS are built of plastic which help keep the weight of their bulk down, while giving them a rather cheap look and feel. Plastic isn’t inherently bad though, nor is it my cause for concern with the build quality of these. The housing seems to be assembled with 3 pieces along area of the IEM that are susceptible to stress when inserting or positioning an IEM. I worry that they could come apart during heavy exercise in a humid and hot environment. I have no idea how they are held together though, maybe my concerns will be unfounded.
 
The cable seems rather standard fare for a budget IEM, a tad thick, coming off a tad rigid. The cable terminates at a 90 degree angle and seems to be protected from stress rather well on both ends. The cable features a remote, mic and volume rocker directly at the y-split. I’ve been using it on and off and have had no issues with the button or volume rocker. The housing is a bit bulky, but seems to be held together decently.
 
Fit
The fit of the CKX5iS seems to be Audio Technica’s selling point for this series. Audio Technica boasts that the CKX5iS are designed to stay in the ear and in position even while being active. I used to go to the gym, so I understand how annoying it can be to have the IEMs lose their seal when the sweat gets heavy. Unfortunately I haven’t had the time for an active lifestyle so I can not fairly put Audio Technica’s claims to the test. I can comment on how they fit in a general sense as an everyday listener though.
 
The CKX5iS are rather bulky in the ear. This is by design due to the rubber C-tip that nestles into the outer ear. At first this was a big pain in the butt for me, not only when inserting them but they felt awkward in my ear. I got used to it and since then I’ve found that they do a great job of staying in place. The CKX5iS have a somewhat shallow insertion which could cause an IEM to fall out when active, but the C-tip helps keep the IEM in place. The nozzle swivels to help ensure a better fit, and I believe that it’s necessary to get a good fit with these since they are so bulky.
 
Once in the ear the CKX5iS provide only mild isolation and comfort is average at best. They don’t bother me within the ear, but I do notice that they are there. Microphonics are mild, on short walks and jogs I’ve not had any issues with them at all and the shallow insertion keeps internal body noises, like breathing, at bay.
 

Sound Quality

 
TLR
The CKX5iS are a v-shaped budget IEM that provides a clean bassy sound that I find myself enjoying greatly given the right music. The highs are a bit sibilant, the mids strident and grainy, but I find that the bass is controlled nicely and provides a satisfying presence for dance music.
 
Bass
The bass is the highlight of the CKX5iS. A big problem that I find with v-shaped budget IEMs is their inability to control the bass, often coming off as loose and bloated. The CKX5iS control the bass rather nicely, reaching deep with a strong mid-bass presence. The sub-bass is extended nicely, imitating a weak sub-woofer on occasion, and plods along nicely. The sub-bass lingers a moment, but I don’t feel that it necessarily lags. The slightly slow decay time adds some weight to the sub-bass in a pleasant way.
 
The mid-bass has a hump to it, enough to overshadow the mids, but strangely enough I don’t feel that it bloats into the mids. It’s more like the vocals are a few steps back on the stage while the mid-bass is up front. The mid bass is clean and rounded with tons of energy, making these fun to listen to for electronic dance music. I find myself nodding my head often while listening to stuff like ODESZA or Disclosure for instance.
 
Overall the bass is great in terms of quality and quantity for a budget IEM if your primary music listening is for electronic dance music.
 
Mids & Highs
The mids seem to find themselves lost in the mix at times, with the bass overshadowing them. The fault of the mids is not due to the bass being overly present though. Even on acoustic tracks I find that the mids have faults enough for me to not enjoy them. I find that the lower mids have a sense of intimacy, but it’s a narrow band. As the mids transition upwards in the frequency range the highs become thin, nasally, and grainy. Higher pitched vocals have a tendency of coming off harsh if not perfectly recorded, pianos and guitars have an artificial tone about them, and the upper mids enhance sibilance. The highs are a tad grainy, but extended nicely. The upper mids are a bit peaky though so they tend to push the highs a bit towards the background causing some loss in detail.
 
Overall I find that the mids and highs have too many faults for me to enjoy them. I feel that the brightness of the upper mids works well for electronic dance music, but I’ve found very little outside of that broad genre that I fully enjoy.
 
Presentation
The soundstage is rather typical of a budget IEM; not entirely cramped, but there’s little room to breath. There is little depth or imaging qualities that stand out. The music is simply presented flat with a bit of width to it. One thing I can say is that I feel that instrument separation is good enough to, generally, discern most instruments.
 
Overall you know what to expect if you’ve used other budget IEMs.
 

Conclusion

 
Initially I hated the CKX5iS. Harsh highs and recessed mids aplenty. Over the course of my use the highs have mellowed and I grew used to the fit of them. When I finally gave them an unbiased chance I found that I enjoyed all sorts of electronic music on them the most. The bass is punchy and the highs give the CKX5iS an exciting sound. My biggest complaint with these, sound wise, is that they do not excel at low volume listening, I find myself with my Sansa Clip+ at a rather high volume, even in comparison to my InEar StageDiver 2.

In the end I feel that the CKX5iS are a worthy buy for those who want a pair to exercise with while enjoying upbeat electronic music. I’ve found them ranging from $20 to $50 on Amazon, and even in the upper spending range I feel that these are worth considering.
 
Come see more photos here.