Anyone still using the CKRs in 2019???
Yes.
Great earphones.
Pros: Lively sound. Honestly, the sound it produces made me like it over akg k3003i, westone w60 (no experiences with w80), dunu dn1000s (no experiences with 2000), etymotic er4xr, massdrop plus
Bass and high notes. Bass quality is great. Treble seems to get everything right outside cymbals.
'W" shaped? Good bass. Amazing high notes with singers. Good mids. Low mids are its weak point.
The high notes outside cymbals are phenomenal. Absolutely phenomenal. Perfect with viola or high female voice.
Cons:
Lack of detail. This is not a detail IEM like the Etmoytic er4xr. So if you expect to hear "instruments" that you haven't heard before, this is not the IEM for you. But trust me when I say this, this was the first IEM that made me really appreciate music. It knows how to make a music lively.
Non-detachable cables.
Sounds 'muddy' from time to time with the bass notes. What I mean is, I feel the bass leaks towards the mids. Again, the low mids seem the weak point.
No one really knows about original CKR series here. And those who do generally seem to buy fakes so all those reviews in head-fi are quite questionable. Quite unfortunate in fact.
Not one of those IEMs you can listen all day and not feel fatigued.
I would say this personally:
If detailing is of important issue to you under $1k, opt Etymotic er4sr. Heck, I heard better details from er4xr than Shure SE846. I just wish I had opted er4sr instead. Seems er4xr to me has too much bass.
If you want to enjoy music (seems the sound style is great with OSU/Nightcore/Japanese anime music), opt CKR. The only IEM that I preferred it to CKR was the Shure SE846. I do not know about Campfire Andromeda but of the universals I have tried from Westone, Dunu, AKG, etc., those universals were all disappointments to me. In fact, the AKG K3003i made me wonder if those were $120 earphones. As for the Westone series, similar idea. The w60 felt like it should be priced $230 at most. The dunu just didn't match with me when it came to sound signature so no comments there.
I am now more hesitant with the advice in head-fi after listening to different IEMs myself. There seems to be a gravitation to rating 'popular' or more 'expensive' IEM as better.
Etymotic er4xr and CKR9Ltd led me to believe under $1000 at least, there really isn't a better overall product.
Etymotic er4 seems the best product for detailing in the universals section under $1000. It felt noticeably better than Shure SE846 so I'm not surprised Eytmotic boasts as being one of the most accurate IEMs in the planet scientifically.
CKR seems the best product for live style music listening (the Etymotic ). Though be warned, if you switch from er4 to ckr, the ckr bass will feel bloated. And if detailing is what you are aiming for, I heavily recommend the Etymotic er4sr.
Personally from what I have heard:
Clean/detailed sound:
Etymotic er4 >>> Shure SE846 > CKR 9Ltd
Everyday sound:
CKR 9Ltd > Shure SE846 > Etymotic er4
Bass sound:
Shure SE846 > CKR 9Ltd > Etymotic er4
Clean bass sound:
Etymotic er4 > Shure SE846 > CKR 9Ltd
Background cymbals or guitar notes:
Etymotic er4 > Shure SE846 >>> CKR 9Ltd
Soundstage:
Shure SE846 > CKR 9Ltd >> Etymotic er4
Sound signature wise, CKR has been the best sound signature I have heard to date. It shines with music sang by singers that is more high tone. However, if what you are opting is for clarity/detailing, opt for the Etymotic er4. Just note for me the Etymotic did sound dry from time to time (and feel dry in your ears cause of the drilling).