Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Not sure why the CK7 has two different product listings on amazon, but these is a repost of my review under the other product listing
I'm somewhat of a headphone fan, and have amassed a few nice premium headphones, but I picked up a set of these on a whim when I was travelling abroad. I have owned IEM (in ear monitor) $200 headphone models from Shure, Etymotic Research, and currently use a very nice set of AKG K701 and Denon D2000 reference headphone for my home use. But I was looking for something good but still fun sounding for my portable use. I have used popular earbuds like the Sony EX70/EX71, but I wanted something good sounding and easier to use than standard IEM models
The ATH-CK7 is a premium earbud with some passive noise isolation (they isolate a bit of noise and leak less but without using a powered noise cancellation circuits. They basically seal into your ear opening and stay in your ear by a tight fit. You get three different sizes of rubber tips that you can use to find the right combination of comfort and sound quality. At first when I tried these earbuds, the sound was horrible, very harsh, no bass and vocals sounded garish. After some experimentation, I was able to get a better seal and the sound improved substantially. It still wasn't the best and I was mildly disappointed. I look on Audio Technica's site and noticed that the picture showed the headphones in the ear with the cable protruding forward instead of hanging down, and I tried this in my own ear. The sound was much better, but it took a bit more effort to put it into my ear and get a good seal.
So as far as ease of use, I would say that these earphones are a bit hard to use for me, as I have to really take some time to make sure they are fitted and sealed into my ear. Once I do so, the sound is nice.
As far as the sound quality, I'm really happy with these. Good tight detailed bass, but with still nice punch. Clear distinct vocals with lots of detail. Highs can get a bit much sometimes, but the highs sound detailed with good articulation, and never really harsh. Again, this is only after you get a good seal. Soundstaging quality, like most other earphones, suffers from the "all the music in your head" syndrome, but the good instrument separation makes it less annoying. They have some noise isolation but are not as good as the professional models from Shure or Ultimate Ears using foam tips or triple flange tips in that respect. All in all, these are a good compromise between the neutral sounding professional quality IEM's and the basshead models like the Sony EX71. Overall, their sound quality is more about "clarity" than outright "shake down the house" However, if you are finding they are shrill as some people are reporting, I'd suggest that you are not getting an adequate seal.
You get a vinyl pouch to store these which don't really protect the headphones against damage except for keeping the dust and moisture off them. The cables look average, fairly thin. Hopefully these will last a long time. The body of these headphones is thick and bulky and have a lot of heft to them. As you are handling them, and they are knocking around, you hear a distinct thud/clanking from the solid Titanium body. These headphones feel solid.
I'd rank these at the top of the under $100 earbuds I've heard, and I actually prefer these to all other IEMs except the triple driver models from Ultimate Ears. I now also own the Triple.Fi 10 Pro and although they are superior at 4x the price, I still find a special place in my heart for these CK7. My Etymotic ER6i, ER4S are collecting dust as I prefer the CK7 for everyday use (The Etymotic ones are great for air travel as they do isolate more). As for the popular earbuds, I'd rank the quality of sound in the following order:
1. Audio Technica CK7
2. Sony EX90
3. Panasonic HJE70
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Audio Technica Noise Reduction Ear Buds (ATHCK7)
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