[TheDreamthinker]

found the thread:

The successor of the ck100p is the im03. it doesn't has the peak in the treble due revised drivers.
The sound sognature is exactly the same. however the size of the 03 is roughly twice the 100s.
The im02 is not better in the treble section it just a smoother. What you prefer is up to you.

 
Now I haven't heard both CK100 Pro and IM3 at the same time, but as far as sound signature goes, they can't be further apart. CK100 Pro is fairly neutral and balanced while lively and bright, where iM3 is stage monitor tuned, thick, warm and smooth.

  I wonder why the price gap are so far among this 2 model, IM03 and CK100PRO when it first released..

 
When one looks at Audio Technica's iem offering one can roughly discern to lines of products:
 
On one hand there is the CK___-line of products which are meant to be high end, boutique collector's items. They usually employ exotic materials/design and may have an artisanal approach to tuning which to some may appear unusual /special. Good examples for this are the CK100pro (titanium), CKM1000 (titanium/titanium+wood, which nobody seems to own). Also the cheaper models in this line like the CK70pro are still Made in Japan, with a rather 'special' design and a boutique appeal.
 

- nobody seems to own the CKM1000 -
 
On the other hand there are the more use oriented lines, among which sits also the IM__-line. These products are often built and designed with an utilitarian, no-nonsense approach, using hard plastics, removable cables and an ergonomic design. Often for monitoring purposes.
 

 
All in all, I do not think that the IM03 was meant or is being marketed as a CK100pro replacement. I just think that the philosophies behind the design and execution of these iems is too different.
 
My 2cents.

 

[Whaleshark12]

Guess that is written really well! Thanks for the Info! CKR10 too use titanium, the R stands for resolution,reality. Btw, the first picture is CKW1000, which have only 2500 unit, Limited. CKM1000 is the regular version.

 

[TheDreamthinker]

  Guess that is written really well! Thanks for the Info! CKR10 too use titanium, the R stands for resolution,reality. Btw, the first picture is CKW1000, which have only 2500 unit, Limited. CKM1000 is the regular version.

Thanks.
 
I forgot that they gave the Limited Edition CKM1000 a different name. I do know that the picture I posted was of the LD version - just think it looks fancier. 
The points still stands though...
 

 
Another issue AT (and other Japanese manufacturers) need to tackle, is the extreme price deflation of their high end products over time.
 
...becomes...

 

[Lightless]

ck303 breaks your theory.

 

[Whaleshark12]

  Thanks.
 
I forgot that they gave the Limited Edition CKM1000 a different name. I do know that the picture I posted was of the LD version - just think it looks fancier. 
The points still stands though...
 

 
Another issue AT (and other Japanese manufacturers) need to tackle, is the extreme price deflation of their high end products over time.
 
...becomes...

Yeah, agreed on that. The other day when i was searching for CK100PRO in E earphone store. I came across the CKW1000, second hand price is around 15k Yen. Btw, CKR10 when it first came out. it's around 22k Yen. Now it have skyrocket to 31k Yen.. Weird..

 

[TheDreamthinker]

  ck303 breaks your theory.

Spoiler: Nothing to see here...please move on...

 
 

*cough* just role with it *cough*

  Yeah, agreed on that. The other day when i was searching for CK100PRO in E earphone store. I came across the CKW1000, second hand price is around 15k Yen. Btw, CKR10 when it first came out. it's around 22k Yen. Now it have skyrocket to 31k Yen.. Weird..

 
Before I actually auditioned the CK100pro, I really wanted to purchase it. But the price fluctuation was quite off-putting.

 

[recarcar]

found the thread:

The successor of the ck100p is the im03. it doesn't has the peak in the treble due revised drivers.
The sound sognature is exactly the same. however the size of the 03 is roughly twice the 100s.
The im02 is not better in the treble section it just a smoother. What you prefer is up to you.

 

Quote:

   
Now I haven't heard both CK100 Pro and IM3 at the same time, but as far as sound signature goes, they can't be further apart. CK100 Pro is fairly neutral and balanced while lively and bright, where iM3 is stage monitor tuned, thick, warm and smooth.

I have compared the CK100Pro with an IM02 I used to own and a friend's IM03 (auditioned at length) and to my ears, the IM03 is nothing like the 100Pro or the IM02 for that matter. Like ClieOS mentioned, it is very smooth and warm. Nothing like the 100Pro IMO. I found the IM02 is much closer to the CK100Pro but also fairly different in many ways. The IM02 and 100Pro are mostly similar in that they are both a bit on the brighter side and decently balanced IMO. It seems that Audio Technica never planned to have a successor to the CK100Pro and I believe that it was apart of the limited issue products associated with their 50th anniversary. 

 

[Whaleshark12]

  I have compared the CK100Pro with an IM02 I used to own and a friend's IM03 (auditioned at length) and to my ears, the IM03 is nothing like the 100Pro or the IM02 for that matter. Like ClieOS mentioned, it is very smooth and warm. Nothing like the 100Pro IMO. I found the IM02 is much closer to the CK100Pro but also fairly different in many ways. The IM02 and 100Pro are mostly similar in that they are both a bit on the brighter side and decently balanced IMO. It seems that Audio Technica never planned to have a successor to the CK100Pro and I believe that it was apart of the limited issue products associated with their 50th anniversary. 

i don't think CK100Pro is consider limited like the CKW1000 along another woody headphone (I'm not familiar with headphone)

 

[recarcar]

  i don't think CK100Pro is consider limited like the CKW1000 along another woody headphone (I'm not familiar with headphone)

Yeah I don't think it was limited in production necessarily but it might have been produced along side the other 50th anniversary products like the CKW1000 which were meant to be one off type of models. Has been a long time since I was reading the Japanese AV watch blog on the CK100Pro but if I remember correctly it was produced in the same vein to be a one off boutique type thing. It definitely might not be the case though. 

 

[Whaleshark12]

  Yeah I don't think it was limited in production necessarily but it might have been produced along side the other 50th anniversary products like the CKW1000 which were meant to be one off type of models. Has been a long time since I was reading the Japanese AV watch blog on the CK100Pro but if I remember correctly it was produced in the same vein to be a one off boutique type thing. It definitely might not be the case though. 

But one thing that actually bug me is that. The CK100PRO is made in Japan. While the CKW1000 (limited edition) is made in China instead. Maybe. Since the CK series have already ended.

 

[TheDreamthinker]

  Yeah I don't think it was limited in production necessarily but it might have been produced along side the other 50th anniversary products like the CKW1000 which were meant to be one off type of models. Has been a long time since I was reading the Japanese AV watch blog on the CK100Pro but if I remember correctly it was produced in the same vein to be a one off boutique type thing. It definitely might not be the case though. 

As I said earlier, I think that AT walks that dual path with one line being high end boutique, Japanese craftsmanship, while the the other lines are directed toward the average/pro consumer market.
And imo it is quite obvious that the CK100pro is part of the boutique lineup (titanium, unique design, etc.)

  But one thing that actually bug me is that. The CK100PRO is made in Japan. While the CKW1000 (limited edition) is made in China instead. Maybe. Since the CK series have already ended.

Yes this is indeed quite strange. Producing a high end limited edition product and China and producing a normal production iem in Japan.
AT produces many more insignificant products in Japan (some mid-tier AIR line headphones for example).
 
Sorry but I didn't get your last sentence there, to my knowledge the CK line is still under production...they can still be purchased freely on the internet.

 

[Whaleshark12]

 
Yes this is indeed quite strange. Producing a high end limited edition product and China and producing a normal production iem in Japan.
AT produces many more insignificant products in Japan (some mid-tier AIR line headphones for example).
 
Sorry but I didn't get your last sentence there, to my knowledge the CK line is still under production...they can still be purchased freely on the internet.

What i meant is, they are no longer using CK in naming. Which newer model have the Line up of CKR, CKS(which i believe those are solid bass, consumer oriented iem), CKX and etc. Yes, other CK model are still available to purchase of course.

 

[recarcar]

  As I said earlier, I think that AT walks that dual path with one line being high end boutique, Japanese craftsmanship, while the the other lines are directed toward the average/pro consumer market.
And imo it is quite obvious that the CK100pro is part of the boutique lineup (titanium, unique design, etc.)
Yes this is indeed quite strange. Producing a high end limited edition product and China and producing a normal production iem in Japan.
AT produces many more insignificant products in Japan (some mid-tier AIR line headphones for example).
 
Sorry but I didn't get your last sentence there, to my knowledge the CK line is still under production...they can still be purchased freely on the internet.

Definitely agree. Missed your recent post on that one but this definitely seems to be the case. I've heard that AT recently discontinued production for the CK100Pro at least. They can still be easily bought online in the US though. I have not seen major Japanese retailers carry them for quite some time. 

 

[TheDreamthinker]

  What i meant is, they are no longer using CK in naming. Which newer model have the Line up of CKR, CKS(which i believe those are solid bass, consumer oriented iem), CKX and etc. Yes, other CK model are still available to purchase of course.

Oh, I wasn't aware of the fact that AT completely abandoned the CK name.

  Definitely agree. Missed your recent post on that one but this definitely seems to be the case. I've heard that AT recently discontinued production for the CK100Pro at least. They can still be easily bought online in the US though. I have not seen major Japanese retailers carry them for quite some time. 

The discontinuation happened some time ago.
Comes to show how small the demand for the CK100pro originally was. 

 

[recarcar]

  Oh, I wasn't aware of the fact that AT completely abandoned the CK name.
The discontinuation happened some time ago.
Comes to show how small the demand for the CK100pro originally was. 

Yeah it was surprising to me after owning them and seeing much praise for them by respected reviewers that there were very few owners. They never caught on anywhere and I wonder how many unsold units they are floating around. Or how many were produced to begin with.