[peter123]

Lol What exactly are you looking for in a pair of IEMs?

Lol, yeah i know I'm hopeless

First of all I'm really more into full sized open cans than IEM's. For this reason I've decided not to buy IEM's for more than $100 each and rather try out more of the sub $100 budget kings because I think it's fun.

I do enjoy the XE800, VSD3S, IM70's and especially the B3's a lot and is not particular impressed with the Tenores, KC06, S5 and SE215 for your example.

I'd guess that what I'm really looking for is the B3 with just a bit more subbass impact and hopefully this will be one of the B6 siblings, we'll see when they're eventually released.

The music I listen most to is The Passengers, Morrissey, Dire Straits, Eva Cassidy, Sade, Ane Brun and other similar artists. I do however also enjoy Robyn, Pharell Wiliams , Daft Punk etc as well as Alice in Chains, Foo Fighters, Celldweller etc so pretty diverse really.

I would guess that the biggest difference between the sub $100 crowd and other more expensive offerings is that the more expensive ones are (should be) better all rounders so I've decided to get one more expensive pair to bring along on my travels for all the time I spend alone in hotel rooms.........

I'm more afraid of an general sound signature that's to bright than to warm as long as the bass doesn't overshadows the other frequencies.

Since someone else is going to pay for these I'm gonna get the 10's to try something different and hopefully they're a better all rounder than anything I own today and I'll be a happy man not knowing what I might miss out from the 9's (or I get the 9's myself if I'm not happy with the 10's)

Thanks for all the input you guys have given me about these two!

 

[twister6]

  You should write a in-depth comparison, twister. 

 The CKR10's signatures seems to be aligned with my tastes. I'm tempted to purchase them now. 

 
For now I'm just listening and soaking it in, need to do more comparison with other headphones.  But definitely the plan is to publish a common CKR9/CKR10 review with a comparison (by the end of the weekend), though my opinion will not change beyond what I have already written above
 

  "Dry" sound lovers unite!!!
 
I find the ckr9s to be a balanced between warm and dry in my tastes. YMMV.

 
Oh, absolutely - in comparison to a lot of other headphones, CKR9 is smooth and warm.  I don't want people to think one is bright/peaky and the other one is smooth warm.  They are both at the top of their game with an excellent tunning of upper mids/treble.  My comment above was more as a relative comparison for Peter's and others benefits.  Well controlled enhanced mid-bass hump supported by sub-bass weight adds to a warmer and smoother full body tonality of CKR10 while CKR9 remains lighter and more neutral and still remains smooth and non-fatigue.  Not exactly in the same vein, but that's how I felt about VSD3 vs VSD3S or KC06A vs KC06 where my preference was always for VSD3 and KC06A in comparison
 

Thanks a lot for the comparison!

I just reread most of what I found around here about these two last night and was pretty much determined to go for the 9's but now I'm uncertain again

 
If you get CKR9, you will love it and really going to enjoy it, but you will not know what's missing until you compare it to CKR10.  Of course, this is a matter of personal taste because these is a clear difference in sound sig.  My individual impression of CKR9/CKR10 so far aligns with earfonia's, but my preference goes in a different direction where for the same reason he liked CKR9 - for it me it actually pushes CKR9 away in preference of CKR10  

 

[twister6]

My review of ATH-CKR9 and ATH-CKR10 is up: http://www.head-fi.org/products/audio-technica-ath-ckr10-in-ear-headphone-titanium-sonic-pro-dual-push-pull-drive-syst/reviews/12141
 

 

[ZapX629]

  My review of ATH-CKR9 and ATH-CKR10 is up: http://www.head-fi.org/products/audio-technica-ath-ckr10-in-ear-headphone-titanium-sonic-pro-dual-push-pull-drive-syst/reviews/12141
 

Awesome, Twister. I'm really glad you were able to get your hands on these and help spread the word about them. I'm on the other side as you and I find the CKR9 to fit me best, being a lean, detailed, and dry guy, but like you said, they're geared toward different types of people rather than being a step up or down from each other. I'm amazed to see how well they stack up to some of your other favorites. Nice review as always.

 

[twister6]

 
Awesome, Twister. I'm really glad you were able to get your hands on these and help spread the word about them. I'm on the other side as you and I find the CKR9 to fit me best, being a lean, detailed, and dry guy, but like you said, they're geared toward different types of people rather than being a step up or down from each other. I'm amazed to see how well they stack up to some of your other favorites. Nice review as always.

 
Exactly!  I think a choice between CKR9 and CKR10 is easier to make because they offer almost identical design with a different tuning without overlapping.  Just have to figure out your sound priorities.  Regarding comparison, I put that together in the last minute and it was a bit rushed and not as detailed.  But just wanted to give some idea in comparison to other multi and single driver BAs, dynamics, and hybrids.  I do have a lot of IEMs, a lot of which are review samples I was allowed to keep for an extended listening and comparison (some are on borrowed time), but if I will have to go through everything and choose only 2, that would definitely be CKR10 and A83 to cover my warm/balanced bases and detailed/analytical bases.
 
Also want to point out again, both CKR9 and CKR10 are fantastic IEMs!!!  There is no such thing as one is better than the other.  They are just tuned differently and preference will be based solely on your taste.

 

[rontant]

  you will not know what's missing until you compare 

 
 
Great advise! It applies to many situation in life as well... marriage, jobs. 

 

[Whaleshark12]

Do you any of you experience volume of one side of the CKR10/9 suddenly is lower than the other? Mine happen while i was using it. Then after awhile it goes back to normal. Does it related to the ear tip collapse inside my ear canal? Sometimes after some adjustment it goes back to normal too. The ear canal sore issue probably is solved now as i found myself wearing it too slanted. 

 

[senzen]

I am ready to pull the trigger on the ckr9, even though the ckr10 also sounds intriguing; it's going for about $206 + expedited shipping ($20?) on amazon.com; on amazon.co.jp I see they are going for about $150, but not speaking japanese I don't know if the sellers are authorized and reliable, or if that's the real price... So my question is what's a fair price for the ckr9? Is the price difference worth going with Tenso or not worth the hassle?
 
Given the differences in price (I also compared the mdr-ma900 and mdr-EX1000) in Japan now I understand why so many people can try so many headphones...

 

[ZapX629]

  I am ready to pull the trigger on the ckr9, even though the ckr10 also sounds intriguing; it's going for about $206 + expedited shipping ($20?) on amazon.com; on amazon.co.jp I see they are going for about $150, but not speaking japanese I don't know if the sellers are authorized and reliable, or if that's the real price... So my question is what's a fair price for the ckr9? Is the price difference worth going with Tenso or not worth the hassle?
 
Given the differences in price (I also compared the mdr-ma900 and mdr-EX1000) in Japan now I understand why so many people can try so many headphones...

sub $180 shipped is a fair price. I paid $168 for mine. Not sure how much Tenso would save, but if you're paying around $180 shipped or less you aren't getting shafted.

 

[senzen]

 
sub $180 shipped is a fair price. I paid $168 for mine. Not sure how much Tenso would save, but if you're paying around $180 shipped or less you aren't getting shafted.

 
Thanks!

 

[jant71]

If it is a $20 or twenty something dollars difference and you get the US two year warranty and it gets to you faster as well, then buy from an authorized U.S. dealer. $200 vs. $180 is not a huge gap. If BLT is authorized they are ~$197 shipped with stock in CA and PA so quick if you are in the US.

 

[audionewbi]

With linum vocal cable

How did you manage to do this? 

 

[senzen]

  If it is a $20 or twenty something dollars difference and you get the US two year warranty and it gets to you faster as well, then buy from an authorized U.S. dealer. $200 vs. $180 is not a huge gap. If BLT is authorized they are ~$197 shipped with stock in CA and PA so quick if you are in the US.

 
Thanks, yeah I was ready for a small difference but it seems more like a $40-$50 difference, from Japan, with no warranty... Although some of that is expedited shipping. BLT doesn't appear to be an authorized dealer and they're closed for the holidays.

 

[jambul]

Hi audionewbi,

With extra carefull and patient, since the cable it self is really hard to deal with, super tiny cable and fragile..and the cablibg on ckr9 is beyond ordinary..push pull with isobaric place of driver..

But i really like the recable, in term of sound and the look..

 

[audionewbi]

You are very talented.