In May 2019 I came up with an idea that I had never seen anywhere before. It involved turning a KZ Starline silicone eartip inside out, in what I dubbed the “Flip Tip”. The process is very easy, and (other than a pair of Starline eartips) only involves a few tools you have around the house.

TOOLS NEEDED

To perform this mod, simply get something with a round shaft that goes through the core of the eartip, but also has a large head on it. I’ve had success using a screw, a nail, and a golf tee.

THE PROCESS

Here, the process is demonstrated using a screw:

1. Insert the screw through the bottom of the Starline eartip.

2. Now pull down on the screw, which pulls the center of the eartip core inside out.

3. Once the core is inside out, you want to pull the eartip skirt down around the eartip core, like the top of an unbrella. You can do it with your fingers, or using something like the screwdriver shown in the next photo.

4. The surface of the ‘flipped tip’ is made of a stickier silicone than the normal surface of the eartip. This alllows the eartip to grip the skin of your ear better, but it also attracts dust. Simply clean the dust off using a small amount of isopropyl alcohol and a lint free cloth (such as micro fiber).

RESULT

This is what the ready inverted eartip looks like. Pull it carefully off the screwdriver’s head…and bingo!

When the 2 ear tips are placed side by side, you can see that the flip tip is different in 3 ways:

A. The center core of the flip tip is longer than the stock Starline tip. This is particularly useful to use on earphones that have short or stubby nozzles.
B. The flip tip has a wider bore at the top, like the bell of a horn. This will allow the flip tip to sound different than the normal Starline tip.
C. The flip tip has a slightly wider profile, allowing a more secure fit in some ears vs the stock Starline tips.

The final shape reminds me of the shape of Comply foam tips. And the soft and sticky silicone feels very similar to Sony Hybrid tips.

The flip tips are very comfortable to wear. They seal well and the stickier silicone material grips the ear and stays in place. I also found that the flip tips do not need to be inserted as deeply as a regular Starline tips to get the same tight seal. Because of this, the flip tips should increase the maximum time you can comfortably wear your earphones.

Of course, depending on individual ear shape and size, YMMV.

FURTHER READING

Tweaking Tips – A Simplified Guide To IEM Silicone Eartips by KopiOkaya (2020-03-24)

The Iconic AZLA SednaEarfit Silicon Tips – Is Their Price Justified? by Jürgen Kraus (2019-12-22)

Announcing The Premium Eartips Project by Jürgen Kraus (2019-10-01)

You find an INDEX of our most relevant technical articles HERE.

The post The Flip Tip: Creating Big Widebore Tips From Reversing Starlines appeared first on Audio Reviews.

Cons:
– Thin cable gets tangled easily
– Large nozzles may cause fit issues with small ear canals
– 7kHz peak might bother some people

INTRODUCTION

Revonext is a Swedish company (located in Stockholm). They have a dedicated manufacturing facility in Dongguan, China. They’ve been making audio products for over 10 years, but usually as an ODM for other brands. They recently started offering earphones under their own company brand, starting with the QT2 and followed up by the RX8 and QT3.

Their products have always been excellent from a build quality standpoint, but sound-wise they’ve been a mixed bag. Let’s see how the Revonext QT5 stacks up.

You find more photos of the Revonext QT5 on this blog HERE.

SPECIFICATIONS

Drivers: 1xDynamic, 1xBalanced Armature per side
Crossover: Yes
Impedance: 16ohms
Weight: 24g
Sensitivity: 105dB
Frequency: 20-20,000Hz
Cable: 2-pin, removable, 3.5mm 90-degree plug, mic and no-mic versions available
IEM colors: Copper, Gunmetal
Tested at: $20
Purchase link: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32979413866.html

PACKAGING

The Revonext QT5 comes in a black cardboard box with full color graphics. The IEM shells are mounted in a foam layer, providing protection during shipping. The accessories (cable, spare eartips, and paperwork) are located underneath a cardboard lid.

ACCESSORIES

The included eartips are all silicone type – smooth silicone tips (translucent smoke color, single flange, medium bore). The included sizes are SML (M is pre-installed), and the silicone is a medium stiffness (not too soft but not too hard.

The cable is a 2-pin removable design (it looks like 0.75mm), with copper conductors in a 4-wire ‘rope’ style braided configuration. The Revonext QT5 is available with and without an in-line microphone (mine being the no-microphone version). The microphone version has a single control button, providing music and phone call control (but no volume control). The plugs that attach to the IEMs have clear L and R indicators.

The cable itself is pretty thin, but then again many stock IEM cables are. It’s replaceable, so if you don’t like the stock cable it is an easily issue to resolve. The 3.5mm end is a 90-degree L style plug, with good strain reliefs at the 3.5mm end. The Y-split has no strain reliefs, but the cable does have a functional chin slider. This is critical to eliminate cable microphonics and to keep cable tangling to a minimum. The cable also has pre-formed ear guides, which are secure yet soft and flexible.

BUILD

The Revonext QT5 has a very original and striking shell design. The shell is made of a zinc alloy, which gives it a hefty and premium feel. The most prominent feature is the circular grille, which combined with the 3 stainless mounting screws gives the QT5 a very steampunk-inspired design. It comes in 2 finishes – copper and gunmetal grey. 

As mentioned above, the QT5 feels substantial – no cheap plastics that feel like they’re going to fall apart after a few weeks of use. The QT5 shell is devoid of sharp surfaces, with all edges rounded and smooth. It’s very comfortable to wear, even for extended periods. The overall fit and finish is excellent, with no mismatched seams or odd gaps.

In addition to the channel indicators on the cable, the QT5 shells have pronounced channel indicators. This makes it a snap to attach the cables. Simply match up the R on the cable with the R on the shell, and the L on the cable with the L on the shell and you’re done! Good job Revonext!

The Revonext QT5’s nozzle is 6mm wide, which might give people with very small ear canals trouble. The nozzle itself is made of translucent grey plastic, which is a feature I’ve personally never seen on a metal IEM. It allows a clear view of the single BA driver in the nozzle. There’s also a retaining lip on the nozzle, allowing the eartip to stay securely on the IEM nozzle with little risk of falling off or staying behind in your ears while removing the earphone.

SOUND

The gear used for testing included: Radsone EarStudio ES100, xduoo X3 (with Rockbox firmware), iPhone SE, and FiiO E12A Mont Blanc headphone amplifier. All testing was done single-ended (not balanced).

The Revonext QT5 has an overall slight V-shaped sound tuning. It was easy to drive directly from a phone, although I did notice it required a higher volume without an amp than with. I am skeptical of the manufacturer’s 16ohm rating, and I suspect it is actually higher. The bottom line is the QT5 works fine with just a phone, but if you have higher powered sources available use it. 

Bass

The Revonext QT5 has good low end extension and weight, without boominess or bleed. The low end is very linear. Sub-bass is on tap only when present in the music, vs being artificially boosted to overpowering levels like Beats or Rock Zircons. Bass on the QT5 isn’t ultra-detailed, but it has a clean and natural presentation.

Midrange

Midrange on the Revonext QT5 is my favorite part of the overall sound signature. Vocals (especially male) are spacious, realistic, and natural sounding. There’s nothing worse than your favorite artist’s vocals sounding unnatural and ‘off’. The QT5 has none of that. The midrange has excellent clarity and resolution, with no bleeding from bass registers. Upper mids are slightly accentuated, which give extra body and presence to acoustic guitars and vocals. I know a lot of people dislike too much upper midrange. If you’re one of those people, you can rest easy knowing that the QT5 isn’t completely overdone in that area. It’s simply a slight bump that’s done very tastefully. 

Treble

Treble on the QT5 is detailed, with above average clarity, good extension, and no sibilance. The BA driver is matched well with the dynamic driver, as the natural tonality I liked so much in the midrange carries right over throughout the treble region. This provides a consistent and coherent presentation to instruments that have wide dynamic range. On many budget hybrids, you can actually tell that there are different drivers, with the dead giveaway usually being the BA driver sounding ‘off’. Not so with the Revonext QT5 – if someone told you this was a single dynamic IEM, you’d believe them. My only complaint about the QT5’s treble is a sharp peak at 7kHz. It only becomes evident with instruments that hit that 7kHz spot, such as some cymbals, certain violin or trumpet notes, etc. In the grand scheme of things, this is a very minor niggle, and doesn’t detract from an otherwise excellent earphone.  

Isolation

The isolation (inwards) and sound leakage (outwards) is above average, which I attribute to the QT5 zinc alloy shell.

Soundstage

Despite what the circular rear grille might imply, the soundstage is average in both depth and width. Imaging and instrument separation are both good, particularly the separation which is impressive for a single hybrid earphone. I’ve heard worse instrument separation on some 4 and 5 driver earphones, so kudos to Revonext.

CONCLUSION

The steampunk-inspired Revonext QT5 has head-turning good looks, as well as the sound performance to back up its bold design. The build quality and overall fit and finish is typical of earphones many times the price. The stock cable is thin and tangles easily, but if you don’t like it the problem is easily remedied with hundreds of available 2-pin upgrade cables. I liked the original Revonext QT2, but it was sibilant and I knew it could be improved. The Revonext QT5 is that improvement, being a noticeable upgrade over the QT2. So if you have the QT2, do yourself a favor and upgrade to the QT5. 

DISCLAIMER

I would like to thank our friends at Miss Audio on Aliexpress (https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32979413866.html) for providing the Revonext QT5 for my independent review.

The post Revonext QT5 Review – Get Your Steampunk On! appeared first on Audio Reviews.

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Cons:
– Mid bass bleed
– Male vocals somewhat recessed
– Cable can get tangled without chin slider
– Might be a side-grade depending on your current ownership

For more images, check my accompanying Audio Porn.

INTRODUCTION

Our old friends at Knowledge Zenith (KZ) made waves in late 2018 with the release of the ZSN. The ZSN was a major upgrade from Knowledge Zenith’s (KZ) very first hybrid IEM, the ZST.

But to understand where we are now (the ZSN Pro), we need to look at where we came from (the ZST and ZSN non-Pro).

The ZST was a single hybrid IEM, with 1xDynamic, 1xBalanced Armature per side. It had a medium-sized full acrylic resin shell, with a removable cable. It was a leap ahead of previous Knowledge Zenith (KZ) earphones, but it had serious flaws. The overall tuning was sloppy because there was no crossover. The treble was too sharp and sibilant for many people. So sharp, in fact, that I modified my BA drivers with a piece of acoustic foam (creating the ‘ZST Foam Mod’ on Head-Fi).

Fast forward to 2018, when Knowledge Zenith (KZ) announced a major upgrade to the original ZST (called the ZSN). The ZSN was based on the ZST shell, and maintained a single hybrid design – 1xDynamic, 1xBalanced Armature per side. However that’s pretty much where the similarities ended. Everything was redesigned and upgraded from the original ZST:

• Revised shell, using better quality resin material
• Aluminum IEM nozzle and rear faceplate
• Revised 2-pin jack (now known as the Para C plug)
• Upgraded cable (braided, thicker, no more memory wire)
• Upgraded dynamic drivers (titanium plated)
• The addition of a passive crossover circuit

The ZSN was a major hit, and Knowledge Zenith (KZ) sold loads of them. In my opinion it was one of the best values in ChiFi for 2018. I still enjoy my ZSN to this day, and even handmade carbon fiber back covers for it.

However, nothing is perfect, and ChiFi is always evolving. The biggest complaint some people had was the upper midrange could be harsh/sibilant at times, most noticeable with female vocals. Despite this minor flaw, I didn’t think the ZSN was so bad that it needed emergency attention (quite the contrary in fact). This is why it was a surprise when barely ~6 months later Knowledge Zenith (KZ) released the ZSN Pro.

So what’s different about the Pro version, and is it better than the original ZSN? Let’s dig deeper and find out.

SPECIFICATIONS

Drivers: 1xDynamic (10mm), 1xBalanced Armatures (1×30095) per side
Crossover: Yes
Impedance: 24 ohms
Weight: 29 g
Sensitivity: 112 dB
Frequency: 7-40,000 Hz
Cable: 0.75 mm 2-pin, removable, 3.5 mm 90-degree plug, mic and no-mic versions available
IEM colors: Black, cyan, purple
Price: $14 (at the time of this review)
Purchase link: ZSN Pro at Miss Audio

PACKAGING

The ZSN Pro comes in a small cardboard white box that is standard if you are familiar with Knowledge Zenith (KZ) earphones bought in the last few years. It’s nothing special, but it’s perfectly adequate and serves its purpose. You buy IEMs to listen to, not because they have a great box, right? The inner box has a clear plastic cover that shows off the ZSN Pro shells. And I know it sounds trivial, but I appreciate the small lip cut into the cover for easy removal. The IEM shells are mounted in an EVA foam layer, providing protection during shipping. The accessories (cable, spare eartips, and paperwork) are located underneath.

ACCESSORIES

The included eartips are all silicone type – 1 (pre-installed) pair of smooth silicone tips (black color, single flange, medium bore, M size), and 3 pairs of ‘Starline’ tips (black color, single flange, medium bore, SML sizes). Starline tips are one of my favorite tips, as the black ones are made of soft and flexible silicone, and they fit well enough for all day comfort.

The cable is a removable design, with 4-wires in a braided configuration. The ZSN Pro is available with and without an in-line microphone (mine being the no-microphone version). The microphone version has a single control button, providing music and phone call control (but no volume control). The plugs that attach to the IEMs are clear plastic, with L and R indicators (very difficult to read). The termination uses a 2-pin (0.75mm) design, with a new raised design not seen on any previous Knowledge Zenith (KZ) IEMs. This new 2-pin plug type is officially referred to as ‘Para C’ or ‘Paragraph C’.

In case you aren’t familiar with Knowledge Zenith’s (KZ) 2-pin nomenclature:

• ‘Para’ A is for ZS3, ZS3E, ZS4, ZS5, ZS6, ZS7 (and others)
• ‘Para’ B is for ZSR, ZST, ZS10, ED12, ES4, ES3, CCA C16 (and others)
• ‘Para C’ is for ZSN, ZSN Pro, CCA C10, ZS10 Pro (and others)

The cable itself is a good balance of being not too heavy/thick, but not too light/thin either. It’s brown in color, and has good strain reliefs at the Y-split and 3.5mm end. The 3.5mm end is a 90-degree L style plug. The cable also has pre-formed ear guides, which are secure yet flexible. This is a welcome departure from the annoying bendy memory wire Knowledge Zenith (KZ) has been using for years. Thank you Knowledge Zenith (KZ)!

It is one of the nicer ‘upgrade’ cables I’ve seen on a stock Knowledge Zenith (KZ)/CCA cable, and the pre-formed ear guides alone make the cable worth it. My only gripes with the cable are the lack of a chin slider and how low the Y-split is located, both of which can make the cable prone to tangling. I’d love to see a factory-applied chin slider at some point in the future, but for now you can add one of your own. A small rubber o-ring works well as a makeshift chin slider, which helps prevent tangles considerably.

BUILD

The Knowledge Zenith (KZ) ZSN Pro has an acrylic (polymer resin) shell that comes in 3 transparent colors – black, purple, and cyan. You can see the internals of the ZSN Pro through the shell, although the BA driver is located in the nozzle and can’t be readily seen. The back cover is made of a zinc-aluminum alloy, and has a matte finish (silver or black depending on the shell color selected). The cover has 3 raised zig zag lines, 1 small bass vent, and 1 mounting screw.

The ZSN Pro features a substantial and premium feel. The resin shell is very smooth, and there are no sharp edges. It’s very comfortable to wear, even for extended periods. The overall fit and finish is excellent, with no mismatched seams, gaps, or excess glue.

The shells have no channel indicators, and the only thing written on the side is “ZSN-PRO Classic Upgrade”. While it would have been nice to have channel identifiers on the IEM shells, here’s a handy guide showing the correct orientation of the shells and cable:

1. Hold up the IEM so that the ‘pointy’ part of the shell is facing down.
2. Now look at what direction the nozzle/eartip is pointing towards.
3. If the nozzle/eartip is pointing to the LEFT, then that’s the LEFT IEM shell.
4. If the nozzle/eartip is pointing to the RIGHT, then that’s the RIGHT IEM shell.

The ZSN Pro’s nozzle is 6mm wide, and is what I would consider an average/medium length. This allows either a shallow or deep insertion, depending on the eartip used. There is a retaining lip on the nozzle, allowing the eartip to stay securely on the IEM nozzle with little risk of falling off or staying behind in your ears while removing the earphone.

SOUND

The gear used for testing included: xduoo X3 (with Rockbox firmware), iPhone SE (with both headphone jack and Apple lightning adapter), and FiiO E12A Mont Blanc headphone amplifiers.

The ZSN Pro was easy to drive with any source, and I did not really notice any improvement when using an amplifier. This makes it ideal to use on-the-go with nothing other than your phone. 

Bass

The ZSN Pro uses a new double-magnet (tesla) titanium plated dynamic driver. KZ claims this improves the control as well as the dynamics of the driver. And I agree with this statement. The most obvious improvement with the ZSN Pro over the original ZSN is the sub bass. It both extends deeper and is more powerful than the original ZSN. If you listen to bass-oriented genres you’ll definitely appreciate the change. The low end has a satisfying rumble, which you’ll appreciate if you’re a basshead. There is some bleed into the midrange however.

Midrange

Overall, the ZSN Pro’s midrange is pleasing and warm. The midrange is recessed, and as a result male vocals aren’t as strong as they could be. However, this is no surprise given the ZSN Pro’s v-shaped sound signature. The upper midrange (~3kHz) have been somewhat dialed down and smoothed out compared to the non-Pro ZSN, which I feel was KZ’s attempt to address the complaints of midrange harshness some people had with original ZSN. While I definitely notice the difference this tuning change made, I never really had an issue with the midrange tuning of the original ZSN to begin with.

Treble

Treble on the ZSN Pro is pretty bright overall, with some airiness. Knowledge Zenith (KZ) actually added some additional treble to the ZSN Pro (vs the non-Pro ZSN), which does a nice job to balance the increased low end of the new double-magnet dynamic driver. If you’re extremely treble sensitive, you may have issue with the ZSN Pro. Otherwise, the increased treble adds extra clarity compared to the non-Pro ZSN. There is some minor sibilance, but I found it track dependent as opposed to being inherent in the drivers or tuning.

Isolation

The isolation is above average, which I attribute to the combination of the ZSN Pro’s heavier zinc alloy rear cover and single vent hole (vs 3 vents for the non-Pro ZSN).

Soundstage

The soundstage is average in depth and above average in width, both of which are improvements over the original ZSN. Imaging and instrument separation are both good, especially given the ZSN Pro’s price.

CONCLUSION

The Knowledge Zenith (KZ) ZSN Pro definitely makes some improvements on the original ZSN. However, the improvements are not massive, but rather subtle and incremental. Whether or not you should get it depends on if you already own the original ZSN or not. If you don’t own either, I’d recommend going with the ZSN Pro. It builds upon its predecessor, with an upgraded driver, improved dynamics, more treble clarity, wider soundstage, and better isolation. However, if you already own the original ZSN you may want to consider the ZSN Pro only if you’re one of the people that felt the upper midrange was too harsh, or if you wished the ZSN had a more elevated low end.

You find an INDEX of all our earphone reviews HERE.

DISCLAIMER

I would like to thank our friends at Miss Audio on Aliexpress for providing the Knowledge Zenith (KZ) ZSN Pro for my independent review.

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Cons:
– No nozzle lip for eartips
– Cable can get tangled without chin slider
– Could have better instrument separation

You find a second opinion on the CCA C10 by Loomis Johnson HERE.

INTRODUCTION

If you’ve never heard of CCA until recently, you’re not alone. CCA stands for Clear Concept Audio, but we’ll just refer to them as CCA. They came out of nowhere in 2018, and have steadily been releasing a number of budget earphones. They are generally built well, have appealing tuning, and are priced at a budget friendly price.

Well, as it turns out, CCA is a sister company of the budget earphone kings: Knowledge Zenith (KZ). This has both pros and cons. On the one hand, Knowledge Zenith (KZ) has a long history of producing solid performing earphones. They’ve perfected their manufacturing practices, providing killer bang for the buck value. And parts, technology, and engineering experience can be shared between the 2 companies. However, at the same time this creates additional saturation in an already saturated ChiFi market. And there is a risk of ‘side-grades’, caused by overlap of similar models with similar tuning between the 2 companies.

With that said, let’s take a closer look at the C10 and see what it has in store for us.

SPECIFICATIONS

Drivers: 1xDynamic (10mm), 4xBalanced Armatures (2×50060, 2×30095) per side

Crossover: Yes

Impedance: 32ohms

Weight: 29g

Sensitivity: 108dB

Frequency: 7-40,000Hz

Cable: 0.75mm 2-pin, removable, 3.5mm 90-degree plug, mic and no-mic versions available

IEM colors: Black, cyan, purple

Price: $41.99 (at the time of this review)

Purchase link: Better Audio

PACKAGING

The C10 comes in a small cardboard white box that is standard if you are familiar with Knowledge Zenith (KZ) earphones bought in the last few years. It’s nothing special, but it’s perfectly adequate and serves its purpose. You buy IEMs to listen to, not because they have a great box, right? The inner box has a clear plastic cover that shows off the C10 shells. And I know it sounds trivial, but I appreciate the small lip cut into the cover for easy removal. The IEM shells are mounted in an EVA foam layer, providing protection during shipping. The accessories (cable, spare eartips, and paperwork) are located underneath.

ACCESSORIES

The included eartips are all silicone type – 1 (pre-installed) pair of smooth silicone tips (black color, single flange, medium bore, M size), and 3 pairs of ‘Starline’ tips (black color, single flange, medium bore, SML sizes). Starline tips are one of my favorite tips, as the black ones are made of soft and flexible silicone, and they fit well enough for all day comfort.

The cable is a removable design, with 4-wires in a braided configuration. The C10 is available with and without an in-line microphone (mine being the no-microphone version). The microphone version has a single control button, providing music and phone call control (but no volume control). The plugs that attach to the IEMs are knurled aluminum with color coded indicators (blue=left side, red=right side). The termination uses a 2-pin (0.75mm) design, with the same ‘keyed’ design shared with other Knowledge Zenith (KZ) IEMs. This ‘key’ has a flat end and a curved end to help indicate what the proper orientation of the plug is. The cable itself is a good balance of being not too heavy/thick, but not too light/thin either. It’s iron grey in color, and has good strain reliefs at the Y-split and 3.5mm end. The 3.5mm end is a 90-degree L style plug. The cable also has pre-formed ear guides, which are secure yet flexible. This is a welcome departure from the annoying bendy memory wire Knowledge Zenith (KZ) has been using for years. 

It is definitely one of the nicer ‘upgrade’ cables I’ve seen on a stock Knowledge Zenith (KZ)/CCA cable, and the pre-formed ear guides alone make the cable worth it. My only gripes with the cable are the lack of a chin slider and how low the Y-split is located, both of which make the cable quite prone to tangling. I’d love to see a factory-applied chin slider at some point in the future, but for now you can add one of your own. A small rubber o-ring works well as a makeshift chin slider, and this helps prevent tangles considerably.

BUILD

The CCA C10 has an acrylic (polymer resin) shell that comes in 3 transparent colors – black, purple, and cyan. You can see the internals of the C10 through the shell. The back cover is made of a zinc-aluminum alloy, with a matte silver finish and the CCA logo with “BAx8 DDx2” printed on it.

Zinc alloy is heavier than aluminum, but the zinc alloy back cover gives the CCA C10 a premium heft, without being overly heavy to wear. The C10 body shares the same shell as the Knowledge Zenith (KZ) ZST, ZSN, and ZSN Pro. The only differences with the shell are:

• The ZST has an acrylic shell, acrylic nozzle, and acrylic back cover. It is the lightest of the 4 IEMs, partly due to the 100% acrylic construction, and partly due to only having 1xDD and 1xBA drivers.
• The ZSN has an acrylic shell, aluminum nozzle, and aluminum back cover. It is heavier than the ZST, mainly due to the aluminum nozzle and back cover.
• The ZSN Pro has an acrylic shell, aluminum nozzle, and zinc alloy back cover. It is heavier than the ZSN, mainly due to the zinc alloy back cover.
• Finally, the C10 has an acrylic shell, acrylic nozzle, and zinc alloy back cover. It is heavier than the ZSN Pro, mainly due to the 3 extra BA drivers compared to the other ZSx models.

The shell is very smooth, and there are no sharp edges. It’s very comfortable to wear, even for extended periods. The overall fit and finish is excellent, with no mismatched seams or excess glue gooped everywhere. Each shell has its own channel indicators, written on the side as “C10-Right” and “C10-Left”, along with “10 Hybrid technology”.

CCA really wants to make sure you didn’t forget that the C10 has 10 drivers, as they wrote it not once but twice. As much as I can joke about it though, just 4 or 5 years ago this would have only been a pipe dream when speaking about budget earphones. It really shows how far things have progressed, and we are very fortunate to have access to this level of earphones nowadays.

The nozzle is 6mm wide, and is what I would consider an average/medium length. This allows either a shallow or deep insertion, depending on the eartip used. Speaking of eartips, there is no eartip lip on the nozzle. This is a peeve of mine, because the eartips can slide around on the nozzle (making the eartip crooked and affecting fit). Or even worse, the tip can pop off and stay behind in your ears when you remove the earphone. I don’t know why manufacturers don’t just put a lip on every single earphone without fail. There is absolutely no logical reason notto have a lip on every IEM nozzle.

SOUND

So how does the sub-$50 CCA C10 sound? In 1 word, impressive. But let’s see what that means exactly.

First I’ll mention the gear used for testing: xduoo X3 (with stock and Rockbox firmware), iPhone SE (with both headphone jack and Apple lightning adapter), iPod Classic 5G with Rockbox (with both headphone jack and line out dock adapter), FiiO E12A Mont Blanc and FiiO A5 headphone amplifiers.

Despite being 32ohms, the CCA C10 is easy to drive without using an amplifier. In fact, I really didn’t notice any improvement when amped. It sounded fine on all sources, including right from my iPod and iPhone SE.

As far as the sound profile, the C10 are definitely not as v-shaped as most Knowledge Zeniths (KZs). 

Bass

The sub bass hits hard when called upon, and has deep extension. But at no time is it overwhelming. The dynamic driver’s bass is smooth and linear, but I wish it had the kind of instant speed possible from balanced armature bass drivers (required for genres like Heavy Metal and Industrial). Luckily there’s no mid-bass bleed, which is a common issue with a lot of budget ChiFi (not so with the C10). Overall, the bass has a warm presentation, which is meaty and satisfying.

Midrange

I was relieved when I first heard the C10, as I was expecting the deeply recessed midrange that’s all-too-familiar. Not so with the C10. We get a nice thick midrange with forward vocals. Brass instruments and acoustic guitars sound great, and are perfect for jazz, folk, and country genres. Just like the bass, we get nice warm mids without the tinniness that can often ruin otherwise good midrange.

Treble

Although the treble of IEMs like the ZS6 never bothered me, I get the feeling the folks at CCA/Knowledge Zenith (KZ) learned their lesson with regards to aggressive treble. There is plenty of sparkle and air, without treble being harsh or fatiguing. There’s also no ssssibilance, thanks to a dip between 6-7kHz. Upper treble does roll off, which is apparent in crash cymbals for example. Treble that’s good without being bad can be a fine line to walk, and the C10 pulls it off nicely.

Isolation

The isolation is excellent, with minimal sound leakage. There are vents on the C10, but they are both facing inwards against the ear. The isolation isn’t as extreme as the Knowledge Zenith (KZ) ZS3, ZS3E, or ZS4, but you have to really crank the volume on the CCA C10 for external users to hear your music leaking out.

Soundstage

The soundstage is average in both width and depth. It reminds me of a larger-than-average night club venue vs a cavernous cathedral. Sorry, no 3D holographic ‘in your head’ feeling many people look for. However, imaging is good. I would have liked to have slightly better instrument separation.

CONCLUSION

If you’re sick of the typical deeply v-shaped budget ChiFi, and are looking for something a bit more balanced with vocals that shine, the C10 is a great option. With a warm and smooth presentation, it’s relaxing and easy to listen to (especially with low-fi sources like music streaming apps on a phone). Amping is not necessary to get the best out of the C10, which makes it an easy choice for on-the-go mobility. Midrange is forward without being dominating. The low end digs deep, with an authoritative rumble. And treble has sparkle without being harsh or too aggressive. It’s excellent for genres such as EDM, pop, jazz, and country.

DISCLAIMER
I would like to thank Sunny at Better Audio for providing the CCA C10 for my independent review.

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