ATH-CKR10

I have these (is model) and they are absolutely end game iems. Came from the CKR10's which had the worst cable I have *ever* come across, especially for a flagship iem. The cable that comes with with the 100 isn't much better tbh but at least you can bin it, so definitely recommend upgrading it just for functionality reasons. Your review is perfect and is so nice to see a proper review here on reddit.

It opened to a new world. This was back in 2015. Audio-Technica ATH-CKR10 would be an awfully overpriced set now. But back in the days it was the best earphones I've ever heard. They had a finnicky build. Drivers could fail very easily, resulting in unbalanced volume between L/R phones. I've had two pairs and both had the same problem. My first pair had this problem within 4 years and my second pair had it within 2 years. My second IEM was even better. It's an airy set. Mee Pinnacle P1. The cable didn't have a plastic ear loop guard and cable became brittle due to the oil. Nowadays I always clean my ears before using IEMs. But it's too late, as both of the Pinnacle P1 cables that came with the package died. I think the connectors are proprietary and the replacement cables prices are too much. The ear meshes also detaches from too much moisture. You'll need to glue them back somehow, or they will detach. And speaking of moisture, they built up moisture just like the Moondrop Chu 2. I miss using those IEMs, but I also don't. It was nice while it lasted. I think it might still be my airiest sounding set even today. I returned to the IEM hobby in 2024 and things were looking quite different compared to back in 2017. I started out with cheaper sets then eventually moved my way up to more expensive (70+ USD) ones. I had Simgot EA500 LM but I wasn't really impressed with the tuning. Ended up selling it. I got a Kefine Delci AE and liked it. It was more relaxed than the LM with good tuning. Then I got Tanchjim Origin and it's been my favourite IEM since. Perfect for the genres/styles I listen to. I won't count Artti T10 as I got it for less than 50 USD, but it's the best IEM I own at its price category.

I own ATH-CKR10 in-ear and bought HD600 over-ear with Qudelix 5K after seeing praise for it. Using iPhone 15 Pro Max, CKR10 has stronger bass and louder sound than HD600. As a beginner, I don’t know how to adjust audio settings. How can I optimize HD600 and Qudelix 5K? Thanks! https://preview.redd.it/mmdrg8p47vmf1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=237e503836d7bbae0cf85d64734f1eb371d4493a

Actually just bought a brand new Japanese 12 ohm version of the ATH CRK100 on eBay today as a birthday self gift. I’d been looking for a pair of high quality, slightly audiophile leaning earphones to use on my commute with my iPhone through a Kiwi Allegro Mini DAC, and I honestly couldn’t believe it when I saw them listed for €200. I was also considering the CRK100is, but the only ones available were second hand and didn’t look to be in great condition. In the end, it didn’t feel worth it just for the inline mic and play pause controls, so I went with the original Japanese version. I originally came to Reddit out of curiosity to see if anyone had any experience with them, and then I found your post. Reading your post made me feel even better about the purchase. What really caught my attention is how you describe the separation and presentation, that sense of each instrument occupying its own clearly defined space while still feeling cohesive as a performance. That’s exactly what I’m hoping for. I’m especially curious about that slightly mid forward warmth you mention and how it translates across different genres. The first thing I’ll play is some Basement Jaxx to see how they handle dense, maximalist electronic production and layered percussion. I’ll also test them with Rei Harakami for more subtle, textural electronic work, Michael Jackson for vocal layering and groove precision, and some Miles Davis to evaluate dynamics, timbre, and spatial cues in jazz recordings. I really want to hear how they respond to different recording styles, dynamic contrasts, and stereo imaging approaches. Your comments about sub bass extension and separation in dance music are especially reassuring. That’s a big one for me. If they can combine musical warmth with strong technical separation and clean low end extension, they might be something special even by today’s standards. Since your post is about four months old now, I’m curious how they have held up after extended use. Any signs of wear, driver fatigue, cable issues, or small quirks that showed up over time? Has your opinion shifted at all after living with them for a while? I’ll come back and update this thread with my impressions once they arrive and I’ve had some proper listening time with them.

Thanks so much for the follow-up! Really useful to hear how the CKR100’s have settled in over time. Can’t wait to try them myself!

A little backstory for me and maybe this might help. I was in Japan for a month and a half at the end of last year and went hard on headphone hunting. I was at a large electronics retailer 2-3 times a week taking time with any headphone IEM that caught my interest and spending time with them I tried quite a lot. More than I can remember to be honest. Some days would be overears, some days IEMS, and Id be there till I needed a break. The IEMS that stuck out that I tried: KiwiEars Quartet KiwiEars Quintet ATH CKR100 ATH CKS1100 Moondrop Blessing 3 JVC HW01 Various SEE audio offerings I think the SImgot EA500's Final E5000/4000 Final A5000/4000 At the end of the first 2 weeks and about 6 or 7 visits I surprisingly ended up purchasing the Audio Technia CKR100's. Despite being the most dated of the bunch, they were the only ones that gave me that "wow" factor. With a fairly large sound stage, they presented in a way that the others struggled to do so. The best way to describe the way they sound really sounds like you are sitting in an acoustically tuned living room with really nice 2.1 floor speakers pointed at you. They have a very spatial feel to them which I really enjoy. They do have a warmer sound signature to them, where the mid and sub bass come through really well but stay very well in their lane unless listening to absurdly loud volumes. They are also mid and treble forward (I EQ more treble into them and they take it like a champ) and Instruments and both male and female vocals honestly sound pretty spectacular to my ears. They have a very organic and natural timbre to them. As a result not the snappiest, but I mainly listen to Jazz, Instrumentals, Classical, Downtempo rock, and old school hip hop and house music that are sample heavy. For these genres they are fantastic. They felt the "roomiest" out of them all with the presentation feeling the most spatial "3d" out of anything I sampled. Fairly large for IEM's 13mm dynamic drivers, huge titanium housings, and a very organic feeling timbre to them that can be felt through the whole range. It was a fairly easy yes for me. The reason why Im looking for new IEMS is to see if I can find anything that can match and improve upon the CKR100's sound signature within a $300 USD budget. After some hefty research, I discovered that the Simgot EA1000 and the Intime Miyabi Mk2 might have the spatial quality according to all the reviews I have read in both English and Japanese. Several Japanese review's indicate that they both have a natural timbre and tonality to them and are great for the genres I primarily listen to. I think Im going to start with the Intime Miyabi Mk2's as the sound profile and general DNA have some similarities and then possibility also get a pair of EA1000's. Both are described as having sparkly sound signatures with great lower and mid bass representation and having that "holographic" sound profile to them. Edit: As a side note, I have several ChiFi's, I have not gone overboard with buying them up I have a few of the staple ones. One pair that I own that goes pretty heavily under the radar but are cheap and I think absolutely stellar are the TRN MT1 Pros. They have a similar spirit to the CKR100's at a fraction of the price. They also EQ really well. I think they are 22 on Aliexpress at the moment.