Review on CCA CST Silver HiFi In-Ear Earbuds - Compatible with Computer & Laptop, Noise Isolating Earphones for Android, Wired Headphones with Mic (CCA CST Silver) by Kimberly Sanders

CCA CST is a new single dynamic IEM from a subsidiary of KZ. It features a 10mm driver with dual magnetic circuit. It has a fixed cable, is made of wood and metal and is CCA's first single dynamic model. Diaphragm material not specified. The CST comes in a very small, flat, white, rectangular box. There is a color image of the headphone on the front and brief features on the back. The headphones are packaged in a plastic case with documentation and two pairs of Starline ear tips (S, L). The earbuds come pre-installed with medium-sized earbuds. The body of the headphones is made of light wood. There's gold-colored metal trim at each end and a large vent grille at the back, but no branding or duct identification. The angled nozzle exits a domed cap with a raised lip to secure the tip and a small round vent at the base. The headphones are reminiscent of the VJJB K4S, which are also made of wood and metal. They are light and very comfortable. The cable is made of rubber and ends in a 3.5mm plastic connector that is angled at 90°. There is noise in the cable. The tests were carried out with the Xduoo X20 DAP and recorded for 100 hours. Preselected tips were used and while I didn't get a perfect fit, after experimenting with various other tips, the medium Starlines proved to be the best compromise. First Impression The CST presented a warm, well-balanced U-shaped profile that was very easy to hear. The low frequencies were boosted with strong sub-bass, noticeable mid-bass and some mid-range leakage. The mids themselves were a bit sunken and warm at the bottom end, but had a good timbre. The upper mids were brighter and more forward, and this trend continued in the highs, which were above the mids but not the lows and with a slight hint of harshness. Detail was good but transients were a bit dull. The soundstage was one of the best features, wide, deep and roomy with a good treble impression. This was probably due to the ventilated back of the headphones. Overall, this relaxed and natural presentation was very impressive for the price. Bass The CST's bass was forward and powerful, warm in tone and slightly soft in attack with midrange emphasis and a good sense of weight. The sub-bass faded somewhat, and the lowest frequencies lacked clarity. The texture was good and there was a good reproduction of the recorded atmosphere. Jennifer Galatis' "Io" soundtrack features an arsenal of keyboards. "Interstellar Voyage" begins with an anthem theme of synth strings backed by deep sub-bass tones. They showed good texture on the CST, but lacked some of the impact due to the limited expansion. Where the mid-bass was the focus, the effect was very satisfying. Mark Duane's series of mystical MIDI guitar albums are always very well recorded and produced. "Siren's Song" from "Archives 2" is based on a fast bass riff with wordless female vocals and electronic effects. The bass notes had good texture and reasonable impact, but mixed up a bit with some blurring due to blunted transients. This is a serious test and to be honest the CST did quite well considering the price. The lower mids were less pronounced than the upper mids, which were brighter. Benny Andersson's solo album Piano contains his own compositions. The beautiful "Jug Khor" received a measured performance from CST. It sounded great in the soft passages, with good clarity and definition, but in the more powerful sections, the dynamic range was somewhat compressed and the atmosphere of the recording area was rather flat. Sometimes the highlights had a harsh tone with subtle notes. Pachelbel's famous 'Canon in D major', played by JF Paillard's orchestra, was also played very clearly, with well-defined split string sections and a clearly audible harpsichord continuo. But even in the livelier passages the timbre of the strings became less natural with a slightly harsh edge and there was some blurring of detail. Treble The CST's treble was mostly noticeable, especially on less complex tracks and at low volumes. With more energetic pieces, the separation suffered somewhat, the tonality became lighter and less clear. Overall, however, the reproduction of details was very good. "Pyramid" from Andreas Vollenweider's "Behind the Gardens" features his signature electric harp and complex percussive arrangements. The harp's high notes were clear and the complex percussive accompaniment was bright and well structured. There are a few cymbals towards the end, and there is some noise and merging of detail in the loudest sections. The BBC Philharmonic version of Hubert Clifford's "Kentish Suite" is a fine recording by Chandos. Movement 5, 'Greenwich', offers a dynamic full orchestra performance with outstanding strings, brass and percussion. There was much commotion and attack on the CST, and the disposition of the orchestra was well portrayed. The brass and percussion tended to dominate, being too bright and pushing forward, affecting balance, and the violins exhibited somewhat thin timbre in the loudest passages. In contrast, the slow "Pastoral" part was more to CST's liking: the woodwind solo floating over the harp and string accompaniment most appealingly demonstrates a more natural tonality. Images, layers and subdivisions. The sense of space has been well reproduced, allowing you to clearly hear the atmosphere of the recording location. In dynamic and complex passages, the staging became flatter and details merged. Vangelis' song "Elsewhere," off his album Direct, begins with an electronic percussion element that swirls left-to-right, followed by another right-to-left element that weaves and weaves. comes out as an eight. It has been very well reproduced by CST. A solo voice high in the middle plays the main theme and the climax has been very well crafted with a stunning presentation of the full range of keyboards available to Vangelis. CST was very impressive in this piece. Malcolm Arnold's wonderful Cornish Dance No. 3" in a classic Lyrita recording with an LPO and a composer on the podium produced an extensive production on the CST with bass drum base, brass fanfare. and the bright, sharp cameo of the tambourine combine to create a breathtaking performance. The atmosphere of the concert hall was particularly well reproduced. Only a hint of cymbal noise could be heard at the climax. Comparison For comparison, I selected several fixed cable dynamic control headphones that are similarly priced to the CST. own in this area with two customization options. With a gold nozzle, the sound is similar to the CST with powerful bass and a strong V-shaped signature, but loses detail and refinement. The brass nozzle gives a more neutral and transparent sound with better detail and staging, which is exceptional for the price. The vented back gives the stage a roomy quality. The Cambridge SE1 The SE1 started with a starting price of around £70 but recently popped up on Revain for a bargain price of £20. These are spherical headphones with an 8mm dynamic driver and a beryllium-coated diaphragm. The headphones are made of aluminum and have a fixed cable. It has powerful and punchy bass, smooth, well-defined mids and clear highs. It improves CST with superior transients and better separation. The overall profile is U-shaped, but the mids are more pronounced than the CST. High frequencies are smoother and more refined, but without loss of detail. Lindy Cromo IEM-75 Another Revain deal that was originally priced at £70 but has been reduced to £12.99. These are dual-drive headphones with a 15mm bass unit and a 7mm tweeter, a metal body and, again, a non-detachable cable. The bass from the large driver is very deep and effortless. The mids are a little less forward than the CST and the highs roll off earlier, so the overall sound is quite dark and creates an L-shaped profile, but it's very smooth and attractive. In detail, it loses some CST, but doesn't suffer from compression or liveliness. Conclusion The description says "natural sound" on the front of the box and I would disagree. Overall, CST presented the music in a fun, unassuming, and engaging manner, with the only downsides being somewhat thin tonality at high frequencies and a lack of clarity in complex or dynamic works at high volumes. It is well made, looks good and has a balanced sound quality. If you don't mind hard cables and are on a budget, this might be the perfect choice.