Review on Top-quality CCA CKX In-Ear Monitors: 6BA+1DD HiFi Earphones with Zinc Alloy Shell and 0.75mm Cpin Wired Connection (No mic, Silver) by Gary Davis

The CCA CKX is a new multi-driver hybrid IEM featuring a 10mm coaxial woofer and six balanced armatures. BA: 3 x 30017 for mid/high frequencies and 3 x 30095 for high frequencies. The nozzle contains a BA 30095. Packaging is similar to that supplied by the CS16 and CA16, small white linen textured box with black CCA logo. Upon opening the box, the headphones are presented in a cardboard cutout beneath a small envelope with documentation. Below is another small box containing two pairs of replacement white silicone ear tips and a 2-pin cable (the medium-sized ear tips come pre-installed on the headphones). Some technical data are printed on the back. The IEM headphones are very compact considering the number of drivers inside, they're solidly made from CNC die-cast metal and look like they're going to last. They are teardrop shaped and quite heavy for their size. On the inner surface there is a rather long nozzle with a protruding edge and a small round hole for a dynamic driver. A cut-out CCA logo is in the center of the bezel, and there's also a raised slot for 2-pin QDC connectors. The cable provided is a standard 4 core braided cable used on various CCA and KZ models. From the thick Y connector to the QDC connectors to the missing chin slider, it takes a long time and gets tangled very easily. It terminates with a 3.5mm right angle plastic connector. The ear cups are quite curved, but sit well in the ear. The tests were carried out with the Xduoo X20 DAP and burned for 100 hours. Adequate volume was achieved without the need for additional amplification. I used the standard cable, but even the largest of the standard earbuds didn't seal well and lacked bass, so I experimented with different earbuds and finally settled on the JVC Spiral Dots, size L, which resulted in a good seal. and a comfortable fit, the headphones sit snugly on the ears and provide good isolation. The mid-bass was at a lower level and flowed smoothly into the mids. The mids were clear and not noticeably deepened, with good timbre. The highs were bright, extremely detailed, and well enhanced. There was an expansive soundstage with great separation and layering. The overall effect was neutral/bright and could be considered a "reference" setting. Bass The bass was deep and nicely structured, with good definition and weight. It was very balanced with the rest of the frequency range and the emphasis was on the lower basses while the mid basses were more neutral and didn't bleed into the mids. Space music maestro John Serry "Flow of Time's Arrow" from his "Thousand Star". The album opens with shimmering synth patches and sparkling electronic effects. The majestic melody is underpinned by a deep synth bass, and the CKX provides a weighty and powerful foundation with a spacious, airy feel that compliments the rest of the track beautifully. Tuonela" created the perfect dramatic atmosphere in a recording by Osmo Vanska and the Lahti Symphony Orchestra. Against a background of thin string shapes and a mournful cor anglais solo, the percussion section showed excellent separation and the individual drum sounds were clearly distinguishable. The BA sound deserves attention, it is neutral on the bright side with a very high level of detail.The upper mids became a bit brighter and smoothly transitioned into high frequencies.The beautiful "L'heure exquise" by Venezuelan composer Reinaldo Khan is a Contemplative piece for cello with piano accompaniment. In the version by Misha Maisky and Daria Govora, the timbre of cello and piano was very authentic and the interplay between the two instruments was skillfully worked out. The atmosphere of the recording location was accurately reproduced. The extraordinary clarity of the CKX helped separate the vocals from their backing tracks and keep the lyrics clear h to make audible. A good example of this was "Father and Son" " Kat Stevens. The narration was beautifully articulated, his voice stood out against the accompaniment of guitar, piano and drums, and every detail of the production was easy to follow, while the character was faithfully reproduced by Cat Stevens' voice. without annoying peaks or hardness. It was light and expansive, with an airy quality and great transition attack. "Petite Fleur" by Georg Deuter begins with a melody reminiscent of a music box. Accompanied by subtle and brilliant percussive elements, electronic effects and synths, the CKX produced an exceptionally clean performance with plenty of detail and precise mapping and separation. The whole work came together very musically. Sarah Chung's magical reading of Vaughn Williams' Rising of the Lark with the London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Bernard Haitink comes compellingly to life on CKX. The violin was presented delightfully in front of the orchestra with a bright yet natural timbre, and the delicacy of the highest notes was clearly transferred into an atmospheric acoustic space. The separation and layering in the strings was very clear, resulting in a satisfying musical performance. The CKX soundstage presented a wide, deep stage with excellent separation and layering, and the details of the production were revealed in the most authentic way. The sound design also convinced with stable and precise positioning of the instruments. Lyadov's "Magic Lake" opens with basses, tubas and bass trombone forming a foreboding intro, and on CKX there was a real sense of distance and depth. Conducted by Charles Gerhardt, the version had an expansive 3D image with horns on the right, a harp on the left and a string section in the middle, convincingly transporting the listener to a virtual concert hall. an album of minimalist electronic music by Michael Danna. A powerful piece based on a simple, repetitive motif, "Sky 10" reaches a majestic climax with distinctive electronic woodwind parts and deep bass underpinnings. On the CKX, it was spectacularly presented in a spacious acoustics with excellent dynamic range and a wide frequency spectrum, and was very impressive as each element was clearly audible. Comparison of KZ ZAX (1DD + 7BA) KZ so far. It's also V-shaped, but improves on the high-end tone of earlier models like the ZS10 Pro and the more understated delivery of the ZSX. It has bass that can be dominant and lower treble that can be harsh at times, but overall it's well balanced. The CKX corresponds to it in detail, but has a more neutral and perhaps more natural tone, especially in the mids, and sounds cleaner. Despite some analytics, it still manages to sound musical. CCA CA16 (1DD + 7BA) The CA16 has a warm, balanced profile with tight lows, well-balanced mids and soft, slightly puffy highs. This differs greatly from the newer C10 Pro and CS16, which are much brighter. The CKX is an improvement over the CA16 with better build quality, improved part recovery, clarity and accuracy. The CA16 on the other hand has a relaxed delivery that is rich, juicy and full bodied and is very easy to listen to. They are very different beasts and can be seen as complementary rather than rivals. TRN VX (1DD+6BA) The VX has a fully immersive and addictive V-shaped signature with powerful bass, slightly recessed mids and a very bright upper register. Once this is tamed a bit with the right lugs, it can go head-to-head with the CKX in build quality, detail extraction and bass impact, but its tuning isn't as natural or precise. It will appeal to high altitude lovers and can be called the ZS10 Pro on steroids. The CKX has excellent balance and tone as well as a more neutral profile. Conclusion After the release of C10 Pro and CS16, both of which showed a very flamboyant character, CCA is back in shape with CKX. With a combination of clarity, precision, wide frequency response and superb build quality, it reproduces music in an almost neutral and authentic manner with exceptional detail. They rightly deserve the title of "in-ear monitors" and can be warmly recommended to anyone looking for a quality, reference-tuned pair of headphones. I think CKX is CCA's best achievement to date.