[ls20]

Hi
 
My history:  Shure E2 --> E4 --> SE110 (yuck) --> ER6i --> ER4p
 
as you can see , i like the portability and isolation of IEMs.  I liked the ER4p much , but unfortunately i've lost them.  2 pairs of them, actually.  so im looking for something new for kicks.
 
according to this terrific master thread http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/478568/multi-iem-review-105-iems-compared-phiaton-ps210-yamaha-eph-50-pioneer-clx50-added-09-08#post_6492059 , the ATH-CK10 seems nice
 
what i like:
-good isolation
-good build quality
-good cable (no microphonics, not too stiff, etc)
-comfort (i actually had no comfort with ANY iem given correct tips)
 
CK10 appealed to me for what looks to be good design, perceived solid quality, good isolation. 
 
not so big on sound quality anymore.  mostly use them for airplanes and just want good tunes.  im willing to spend up to 200$ on them. 
 
can i still get the CK10 somewhere? (new or used) or what alternatives should i consider?

 

[yello131]

CK10 cost  more then $200 and are difficult to get unless order from Japan.
You might find a used unit on Head-fi
 
How about DBA--02
 
Good dual BA from Fisher Audio and overall meets your desire for under 200

 

[ls20]

i found a source selling (i suppose old-stock) CK10 for 230$. 
 
those Fischer do look intriguing from the photos.  I must note I tried the RE0 for a week and was not impressed at all.
 
Now its time to waffle back and forth between CK and DBAs I suppose.   (they will run unamped from ipod classic)

 

[yello131]

Where did you find CK10 for $230?
I want them too...

 

[Flounder]

Ditto on the place to find the CK10

 

[ls20]

guys
 
i just placed an order at compu-america.com
 
shipping charges run an extortionate 25$ up to a madoffinate-100$
 
my total price was 260$ via ups ground.  they better be all theyre made out to be. 

 

[Flounder]

Cool,
 
I'll go check it out.  BTW, they also have had some on ebay for around $260 (but without shipping added and located in Japan).  I've been comtemplating it but have had bad experiences on buying out of country stuff through ebay/half.com.

 

[germanturkey]

they also discontinued the CK10.  its a sad time...  of course this could be old news.. haha

 

[jant71]

Quote:

they also discontinued the CK10.  its a sad time...  of course this could be old news.. haha

A sad time? Depends what AT fills their slot with

. Should work out well in the end.

 

[germanturkey]

if they bump down the ck100s to ck10 pricing, then release the ck1000, i may have to bite the bullet for the ck100s.  haha  but that's super wishful thinking

 

[rawrster]

AT will probably replace it with something nice and expensive

It just better be built as well as the CK10.
 
@germanturkey: They do sound pretty different however. I liked the CK10 better when I had the CK100 for a little bit to try but both are excellent.

 

[tacomn]

dba seems like a great replacement... if you search around you can find comparisons between the ck10 and dba

 

[mvw2]

There isn't much of a replacement for the CK10.  The DBA-02 is not like the CK10.  I did slightly prefer the RE252 over the CK10 though.  It was a little more direct, a little more true to the source.  The CK10 has more micro detail, more realistic sound, and arguably more capable overall.

 

[Narc]

There isn't much of a replacement for the CK10. The DBA-02 is not like the CK10. I did slightly prefer the RE252 over the CK10 though. It was a little more direct, a little more true to the source. The CK10 has more micro detail, more realistic sound, and arguably more capable overall.

Hey man, interested to know if you have modified your CK10 replacement preference over the last 10 years? I'm a big fan and unfortunately my last pair bit the dust recently and I'm looking for another IEM (or even headphone, it doesn't mater) that can provide a close likeness of the CK10 sound. I know the CK10s were unique sounding so this might be a difficult task. Everything about their sound is golden to my ears (had multiple pairs for 10 years or so) and I've not found even $1K IEMs yet that I like better. But I'm willing to throw down decent money for the right replacement.

 

[mvw2]

I certainly haven't listened to everything or there. I know Audio Technica is a special brand, special in the sense that they kind of have their own magic sauce and seem to do things other brands can't quite achieve.

Want to know the best bass IEM I've ever heard? A CK100 Pro. It's known to be a bright IEM based on is tuning, and the driver setup on paper is boring. But, they lathered it with their special sauce, and holy moly the bass quality is outstanding, and if you EQ it, the quantity too. Like it shouldn't be capable of beating dynamics at their own game. Body, presence, clarity, control, extension to lower notes, and even output, isn't really believable. But there it is spanking something like a IER-M9 dynamic at the bass game.

Want to know the best treble IEM I've ever heard? The CK100. Well, this is biased. I say this because of the character. It's warm and sweet. It's detailed but pleasant. It's also one of my favorite IEMs for brass instruments because it sounds like metal like an actual brass instrument. Want to know what IEMs don't get that right? Pretty much everything I've ever owned. Again, special sauce.

To me the CK10 is kind of a tech demo. It's a showcase of where they were going early on, and it did some really good things. But I can listen to their future products and consider that evolution better. Their products just got better, albeit different too.

Unfortunately, I haven't used anything newer. There's 15 years of Audio Technica products I've never heard. I do want to give their ATH-E70 a try, but I also hear their tuned pretty warm. I don't know how I feel about that.