[keanex]

 
Pros: Secure in ears, in-line mic/remote, clean bass, powerful upper mid-range, soundstage and imaging
Cons: Microphonics are below average, bass lacks impact, recessed lower mids, can't find a source to buy these.
Style: Cable down shallow insertion sport IEMs.
Tonal Balance: V-shaped
Listening Set-Up: Musicbee -> Oppo HA-1, Sansa Clip Zip
Cost at Time of Review: $80, I can not find a reliable source though.
 

Reviewing Process

The CKX7iS have had at least 40 hours of burn-in time with music playing through them. I have given them at least 20 hours of actual use in a variety of environments from light neighborhood walks to desktop usage. I feel that I have used the CKX7iS enough to understand their sound and share my opinion on them with you. Despite that, I encourage the reader to seek out other opinions and to audition them, when possible, before making a purchase.
 
The review is written from my Oppo HA-1.
 

Headphone Background

The Audio Technica CKX7iS are the second entry in Audio Technica’s SonicFuel CKX series. The SonicFuel CKX series are designed with active users in mind. They feature a swiveling nozzle to help with fit, an outer “C-tip” to help keep the IEM in place, an inline mic and remote as well as a wide array of accessories and are available in a wide array of colors.
 

Accessories

 
Included with the CKX7iS are S/M/L C-tips, 4 varied silicon mushroom tips, 1 universal Comply tip, and a carrying pouch.
 

Build & Fit

 
 
 
Build
From the top, the CKX7iS are built from plastic and are assembled from at least 4 separate parts that I can see. These points of assembly are located in areas that receive stress when inserting and removing an IEM so naturally this worries me. In the past I have had experiences with IEMs coming apart at these areas and while I have no reason to believe the same will happen here, it is a worry on my mind. Despite that, the housings, while bulky, are light and seem to be held together with confidence.
 
The cable is flat and Audio Technica claims this reduces tangle and stress. I’ve had mixed experiences with flat cables in the past, but so far I haven’t seen any hard to manage tangles. The cable feels moderately flexible with acceptable build quality. The cable meets at a y-split where the inline mic and remote are. The inline mic/remote is plastic but it feels like it is held together confidently. The cable terminates at a 90 degree angle with, seemingly, adequate stress relief on both sides.
 
All in all the CKX7iS feels and looks cheap, but I feel that it will hold up to the exercise it is designed to be worn for.
 
Fit
The CKX7iS take a bit to get accustomed to putting them in but accustomed to their design I find that they are rather easy to insert. The CKX7iS sit shallow in the ear and are reinforced into their position through the outer C-tip design. I find that they sit comfortably and firmly in my ear. Since the CKX7iS sit rather shallow I find that their isolation is only average and since the cable is worn down I find microphonics to be noticed, though not to an annoying level.
 
The CKX7iS sit firmly and comfortably in the ear. Isolation and microphonics are average though, so those looking for high isolation or no cable noise should look elsewhere.
 

Sound Quality

 
TLR
Overall the CKX7iS exhibit a v-shaped signature to my ears. The bass and upper mids seem to be the most prominent frequencies with lower mid frequencies receiving the brunt of the recession. The sound is immediately pleasing to the ear and I find that I can enjoy many types of music through these from Bob Dylan to Esperanza Spalding to Disclosure, but I find that I enjoy danceable electronic music, metal, warm jazz and electronic music with big plodding sub-bass lines the most.
 
Bass
The sub-bass of the CKX7iS comes off strongly and well textured, but I feel that it rolls off slightly towards the lowest frequencies while also exhibiting sub-par decay times. Fast sub-bass passages aren’t the CKX7iS’s forte, though the lingering sub-bass is welcome on some bass heavy low BPM tracks. The mid-bass also comes off a bit slow as well, though not as badly as the lowest frequencies. The mid-bass comes off a bit soft at times, kick drums certainly have some punch to them but they feel mildly rounded or softened. The bass guitar seems to outshine the kick drum as well, coming off as slow and near one-note. Bass guitars seem to lack detail and come off a bit boomy.
 
The bass has its pros and cons, but I feel that the CKX7iS show their best when paired with a smooth atmospheric drum and bass track like Alaska and Seba’s Back From Eternity or the bass heavy electro pop track Hey Mami from Sylvan Esso.
 
Mids & Highs
The mids are going to honestly put off many from wanting to buy these. The lower mid-range frequencies find themselves lost in mixes of complex songs while upper mids have a tendency to come off as harsh and overly forward. When by themselves I find that the mids are rather well done, in-fact the acoustic track Landlocked Blues from Bright Eyes almost gives me goosebumps when listening through the CKX7iS. There’s a sense of intimacy and realism that darn near gives me a sense of being in the room with them.
 
As I said the lower mid-range frequencies find themselves lost in the mix while those towards the upper ranges will seem more balanced or even bright. This makes vocals an interesting thing to comment on as some sound fantastic while others I don’t enjoy. I find that when listening to Between the Buried and Me that the vocals are perfect, the slight recession in combination with the powerful electric guitars really works. Meanwhile I find that Esperanza Spalding’s voice can seem hidden behind her band, depending on how she’s presenting her voice, though I also admit that is not always a bad thing.
 
The upper mids come off aggressively forward giving distorted electric guitars a sense of power and immediacy that really brings metal to life. The upper mids are certainly not for everyone though, they come off a bit too strongly at times even for me, someone who enjoys a brighter sound. I must say that distorted guitars sound wonderful though. Due to the aggressiveness of the upper mids though, I find that sibilance is certainly more present than recordings convey by themselves, Sara Bareilles, for instance, is hard to listen to.
 
The highs can come off a touch dull after the brightness of the upper mid-range, but all in all they are extended nicely with no immediately noticeable signs of distortion. I find that the highs are well integrated into the sound.
 
The mids and highs are lovely if you prefer aggressive upper mids and prefer a bright leaning sound signature. The mids are rather aggressive and the possibility of fatigue setting in is possible if listening to a lot of brash electric guitars in one sitting. I think that the mids are suited very nicely for guitars, but for vocals you’re running the risk of being disappointed.
 
Presentation
A soundstage worth talking about is rarely found in a v-shaped IEM in my experiences, the CKX7iS provide one worth praising though. When listening to Esperanza Spalding’s Wild is the Wind I found myself pleasantly surprised by the imaging capabilities, and depth of the soundstage. Overall the soundstage is rather intimate, coming off as small during more complex passages, but the instrument separation is good enough to keep things from sounding congested in my experiences. The weakness of the soundstage is the width, but even so I find the width to be above average for an IEM of this price. The bright upper range of the signature even gives a mild airy presence throughout.
 
The presentation is cohesive and more than acceptable for the price range, I find myself impressed by it with each song I hear.
 

Conclusion

As I went through my daily listening of the CKX7iS I found myself at a loss on how to describe these. I was immediately impressed by them which progressed to me disliking them and here I am now writing a review that is rather glowing. The more I listen, the more I am finding that the CKX7iS are a more versatile IEM than I initially thought. From jazz to metal I have really found a deep liking for their sound.

At $80 I feel confident recommending the CKX7iS to those who want a v-shaped sound with an aggressive upper region and one heck of an impressive soundstage that could hold up to any headphone in the $100 range, in my experiences. These are a natural upgrade in every way from the CKX5iS I reviewed recently.
 
Come see more photos here.