Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Occasionally you come across a budget item, which is very, very good. And you are thankful you took a chance on it. This would indeed be one of those times. I thoroughly enjoy the CCA-C10. It is quite good. Specs (from Amazon): 1. Product Name: Original CCA C10 In-ear Earphone 3. Model: CCA C10 4. Drive unit: 1 Dynamic 10MM woofer + 4BA 6MM Tweeter 5. Earphone type: In-ear 6. Impedance: 32Ω 7. Earphone sensitivity: 108dB/mW 8. Frequency range: 7-40000Hz 10.Plug interface: 3.5mm Gilded 11.Plug Type: Line type 12.Cable Length: 1.2m±3cm 13.Color: Green/purple/Black 14.Cable conductor: 1.25 4N oxygen free copper plating silver 15.Earphone interface: 2PIN 0.75MM interface 16. Whether with cable: Yes, with 2PIN 0.75MM cable 17.Whether with mic: No/with 18. Zinc Alloy shell + resin *utilizes four Knowles 30095+ 50060 moving iron BA units and one Titanium coated DD per side. Gear used/compared (all prices USD unless specified otherwise): TRN-V80 ($39) KZ ZSN ($18) RevoNext RX8S ($37) Thebit Opus #2 Shanling M3s/ w/ and w/o Burson Fun MacBook Pro/iFi Pro iDSD Songs used: Coldplay-All I Can think About Is You Coldplay-A Message Coldplay-White Shadows Dona Onete-Sonos de Adolescente Los Lonely Boys- Heaven (en Espanol) twenty one pilots-Trees twenty one pilots-Car Radio twenty one pilots-Heathens Damian Marley-Everybody Wants To Be Somebody Damian Marley-So A Child May Follow Damian Marley-The Struggle Discontinues Ziggy Marley-Lighthouse Ziggy Marely-See Dem Fake Leaders Mark Knopfler-Laughs And Jokes And Drinks And Smokes Santana w/ Mana- Corazon Espinado The new twenty one pilots album, Trench Unboxing/Fit-n-Finish: Coming in a very small white paperboard-sheathed box, the CCA is about the size of a deck of cards. Already I knew that there would be no case…sigh. With simple explanation on the front and back, you remember that CCA is a sister company to Knowledge Zenith (KZ) and as such, they put more into the product. Sliding the cover off, you are presented with a see-through plastic window highlighting the IEM (I chose silver/purple). Labeled with “10 units Hybrid,” you quickly realize that would be five per side. One 10mm Titanium coated Dynamic Driver, and four Knowles 30095 Balanced Armatures lie under the shell on each side. Reminiscent of a number of KZ units, the change would be the DD. Nice to have a hybrid set up, where usually the bass is more prevalent. We shall see… Under the plastic sheath and IEM lies the quick use owner’s manual, cable and tips. That is it. But the cable is quite nice. Of 2-pin variety, you get a VERY nice alloy connector with which to hold on to as you carefully insert the wire. Hold tight on the IEM, for it is slippery. Recessed with a protective plastic guide, the cable fits well into the slot, so no worries. Continuing, there is a good long sheath over the wire acting as memory wire for over-ear use. Giving a good hanging angle, I do approve. Tightly woven down to the Y-splitter, I do find that section too long without a cinch, and the wire can quickly snag on something unless you are aware. With strain relief coming out of the Y-splitter both ways, the cable is protected, and tightly woven. Of proper length, you work your way to a right-angle rounded jack with good grip. Excellent strain relief here in that critical area causes no problem. Good stuff. The IEM itself is a purple transparent composite material of two parts up front the nozzle and housing complete with small vent hole; while the backing is a layered alloy of silver color replete with CCA logo and the type/number of drivers. Small and unobtrusive, I think I would have left the driver information off. Connecting of the halves is seamless and good. No messiness here, there is an almost lip, which the alloy back sits in for that excellent fit. Overall, up to the KZ standards, and different enough to warrant a second look with nodding approval glances. This is one of the better-looking units I have hand on hand as of late. Sound: As per usual, upon receiving an item, I check to make sure all is in the box and give a quick listen to make sure all is well. After, I place the unit on my Shanling M1 for burn in. whether you believe in burn in or not, I do so since the critter will only sound new once. I feel people are interested more in how it will sound down the road after a few months. The unit in hand has had well over 170 hours on the Shanling. One of the reviews I read elsewhere mentions that they were totally taken by the KZ ZSN and called it quite the bargain in the sub-$50 market. Upon arrival of the CCA-C10 though, they realized that it had taken the place of the ZSN as better and well worth the price difference. I happen to have the ZSN and will get into that comparison in a bit. But I want to discern the C10 on its own terms, first. Using the included silicon tips, the seal is quite good, almost completely isolating you from your surroundings. Not too much though, as that tends to bother me too much. This is a good start, and the unit lies comfortably within my ear. Starting with the MBP/iFi set up, I change to the Shanling M3s/Burson Fun set up for a change. Roger Daltrey’s Always Heading Home is a ballad of traveling home. A wonderful song with which to judge piano staccato, string instrument representation and his piercing (in a good way) voice this is a good judge. The C10 gives a really good representation of the song. Very good layering detail with a decent amount of air between the note belies the price of this purple wonder. I am impressed with the depiction presented. Moving on to As Long As I Have You, a MUCH different song full of verve and complications, Roger’s voice still hold powerful, penetrating and true. The drum line gives a good baseline for judging bass and supporting of his vocals. Support singers sound good and placed well. Even though the song is complicated, there is little congestion present. Details exist in sufficient amounts to keep you involved and tapping your toes. Yes, the Burson with an excellent amp section and the Shanling with its warmer note give aid, but without the IEM bestowing the note, all would be lost. Sticking with Roger because, well why not, How Far could be code for how far inexpensive SE Asian IEM’s have come in a very short time. With a bit of recessed mids (to me), and a slight amount of sparkle up top, the C10 is looking pretty good against the competition. A good wide sound stage with very good height gives an expansive sound to the song, only aiding that hard-hitting instrumentation that comes in often. Solos by the acoustic guitar ring intricate and again true. There isn’t a hint of artificiality here like you may find on some hybrids, which compensate for a lack of detail. Nope, all good. If I had to nitpick, I would like a bit more bass and better control of that bass. While good, there isn’t quite enough rumble and it seems to be a bit loose, bleeding over into the mids, slightly. Again, this is a nitpick and I am truly enjoying the sound emanating from the C10. Comparisons: CCA-C10 ($46) vs TRN-V80 ($39): The TRN is one of the latest flavor of the months, and the hype or attention is warranted. It is quite good, and one of my current favorites in the sub-$50usd bracket. It has clarity, details, width of sound stage and separation. There is more sparkle up top with the V80 as well. This is one fine unit. With three BA’s and one DD, the two match up well. Where the C10 may outshine the V80 though, is in a warmer sound, which pervades what I will call “soul” for lack of better verbiage. There is something a bit intoxicating about the C10 when compared. Kind of like driving a 5-spd manual versus the latest CV transmission, even though both are new. I won’t make the call here for you. Details, clarity and sparkle versus a bit more moxy. Both are good. CCA-C10 ($46) vs KZ ZSN ($18-24): Looking at the boxes and the units themselves, they are both identical. Same shape, same plastic Barbie-cover, same shell shape and housing cover. They are identical. But it is once you plug in that the difference is heard. While the ZSN is again good, there is a shrillness to it, almost like compressing the sound that is unavoidable. A more intimate sound is the result. Here the expansiveness and honest representation wins out. The ZSN would be a very good replacement for your Smartphone bud. The C10 is better. All around. CCA-C10 ($46) vs RevoNext RX8S ($37): The RX8S probably comes closest to the sound of the C10 of those listed here. Harder to drive somewhat, and with less layering, it is still quite admirable in sound. Bass of about the same amount, but with a more laid-back mid-section, vocals can tend to get lost in the shuffle. Less push up top as well can lower the sound stage ceiling as a result. It isn’t bad mind you, just not as open to the forefront as the C10. Call it intimate sitting at the bar, and you have the crowd between you and the show. At this price it could very well be a case of too few balanced armatures. Maybe… Le Grand finale: So, what does a price of sub-$50usd get you? In this case, you get a sound, which almost belies that price. One of open honest reproduction of the sound. One that can give you a bit of soul with that sound and dig almost as deep as you would like. That is where changing tips can aid in that segment. I did not, but feel free to do so, for you will have the money left over from this affordable IEM to do so. And sometimes that is half the fun. A good value, and a good sound are the result of the existing package and it is well worth a listen.