
CCA (Clear Concept Audio) - Rhapsody
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Reddit Reviews:
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Last updated: Dec 16, 2025 Scoring
Liked most:
43
6
"The bass can be adjusted extremely well. There is an "immersion mode" slider in the app. You can use it to make very good adjustments. The bass itself is extremely precise and crisp. ... The bass is extremely good. Powerful and if you like it, you can also adjust it completely over the top without it distorting."
"easily the bassist ear bud"
"Rhapsody are the only ones that are good for me as a bass head. ... Definitely i recomend them for a basshead ... I'd give them a try if u are a basshead.THey are good."
553
104
"For an open style earbud, these genuinely surprised me with their overall performance in sound at this price point. ... IMHO, these Soundpeats PearlClip Pro are probably the best I’ve heard in this under $50 price category when it comes to this style of earbuds. ... These are one of the best clip-on earbuds in this price category especially when it comes to price to performance in sound quality and feature set"
"How much of a difference does a little 5 ohm impedance bump make? A whole hell of a lot actually. ... we get a HUGE bass boost in the balance of this IEM, running into the mid range and smoothing out the treble. If you add foam tips into the equation, what you get is a bassy, new meta-like sound with a much fuller mid bass and lower mid range, making for much richer male vocals while eliminating Harman shout and spice. Once adapted, the set has a much more pronounced mid bass kick and texture, and will satisfy a fair amount of bassheads. ... All in all, the adapter makes it sound like a completely different IEM, and that makes for a pretty versatile, choose-your-own-adventure style experience."
"I struggle to tell the difference between them and "premium" buds that cost 3 or 4 times more, so I just stick with these. ... I auditioned these between Bose QC 2024, Pixel Buds Pro and Sony WF-1000XM5 and I can't really tell the difference. ... certainly not enough to make me pay 4x as much."
14
14
"Can't stand headphones for longer than 15 minutes so Pulse Explore for me. ... are very comfy!"
"Got my dunu s& s today. They fits perfectly with my blon. Finally i can listen to music comfortably with my blons. ... Got dunu s&s large tips & tried them on my blon. Damm finally i found a eartip that fits with combination with blon. These eartips seal pretty good."
"The cushions for the explores make it the first set of buds that actually stay in my ears."
19
3
"I also have to say it has an impressive soundstage, I was watching something the other night and it felt like the sound was coming from another whole speaker to the left or right, like literally away from the bar."
"The soundstage is impressively wide, I've had times it felt there were speakers beyond the bar (not behind but to the sides, & keep in mind I'm not using Atmos at all, just basic optical port)."
"Q symphony is amazing. ... With the first two bars, you could clearly tell the sound was coming from below the TV… q symphony fixes that completely."
39
6
"my KZ PRX and SGOR Luna sound much better. Better tuning and precision."
"makes the PRX sound amazing"
"Sound quality is like water. ... I sold one to a local musician and he later said it's quality is nearly matching 800 usd professional grade studio equipment."
Disliked most:
25
36
"I hated how sibilant and harsh the treble was to my ears."
"way too much treble, really zizzy"
"terrible Vocal and Upper trebble"
6
9
"adds a lot more bass and ruins the soundstage effect with the stock tuning"
"I like the Pilgrim, but the bass is lacking. ... After a few months, it is unfortunately my least-used set in my collection. ... Trust me, I've tried 😆 Different sources, pEQ on equalizer apo, gEQ on Sony DAP, Pentaconn coreir brass eartips, cable swap (yeah, I know it's snake-oil 😜) etc. ... I appreciate what the Pilgrim can do (beautiful mids and treble), but it just doesn't get as much use after the honeymoon period for me. ... tbf my other sets are absolute bass monsters, so I am probably just conditioned for way too much bass (Empire Ears Legend X, FatFreq Scarlet Mini, Noble XM-1, Mest Mk2 - my least bassy set after the Pilgrim)."
"these are VERY picky with tips. ... More so than any IEM I’ve owned. ... If you do not get a deep enough insertion, you may think they lack bass or are nothing special."
0
4
"You have to have a set with excellent imaging, soundstage, detail retrieval, separation/layering. I’m not saying you have to spend $300+ to get all of that, but you gotta do better than the Castor Bass Pro and Rhapsody. C’mon now."
"The lack of soundstage on IEMs is almost ubiquitous in my experience. Especially within the context of mixing."
"Mixing: Below average (soundstage is too 2D)"
1
3
"I have Rhapsody ( same shell as Hydro ) and i can't stand them more than one hour. ... They are soo uncomfortable!!"
"Iwas about to give up on them due to pain in ear canal"
"that nozzle will gape your ear canal like its gonzo. ... Super uncomfortable. ... they are super uncomfortable."
You do realize that you guys are arguing over KZ and CCA (er, I mean, KZ), right? You have to have a set with excellent imaging, soundstage, detail retrieval, separation/layering. I’m not saying you have to spend $300+ to get all of that, but you gotta do better than the Castor Bass Pro and Rhapsody. C’mon now. At least mention the KE Cadenza. 7Hz Zero2? Wan’er? Wyvern Abyss? Let’s get crazy with the cheese whiz.
r/iems • Are IEMs really good for gaming? I have a doubt. ->Is it a legit set?? Do you reckon I can go ahead and pull the trigger? :D And, how are you liking them? I already have the Rhapsody, which I really dig, since the AM16 have the same shell shape which works great for my ears, I'm really curious about an all BA set. I've read it's nicely implemented!
r/iems • Juzear Defiant Full Review + comparisons. Most fun you can have under $100? ->In all honesty, yes: I have the og Castor Harman, the Zvx pro, the Prx, the (CCA) Rhapsody, amd the AM16 Balanced, and they're all banger, banger sets. I've been lucky and haven't faced breaking QC issues, but then again, what brand doesn't have QC issues?
r/iems • Love them or hate them, KZ changed the game ->I can suggest the Tinhifi C3 mk2, really comfy semicustom shell. Or the og Celest Wyvern black, semicustom as well, and can be had for cheapo nowadays! If not, the EPZ Q1 Pro or the EPZ G20 (same shell as the Q1 Pro, but gaming oriented, also comes with a 2m usb cable that supports a boom mic, and its inbuilt dac can be PEQ'd with the Walkplay app). To me personally the shape of the CCA Rhapsody and KZ Am16 is super comfy, but i kinda have bigger ears!
r/iems • Comfortable iems? ->Honestly maybe I need to try more iems but I feel like it is easier to play with a headset than iems. I have a DT770, I bought a Austrian Audio Hi-X20 I have a Epos H6Pro closed as a secondary headset and in the iems world I just have a pair of CCA rhapsody. They were supposed to be neutral but I don't know if we don't have the same definition of neutral: I have drop around 5 or 6 DBs in the 2-4khz range to make them bearable. Any gunfight is awful without it, the gun of my character is louder than anything else and they are louder than any headset I have so I need to drop 5DBs on the preamp at least (that part makes sense I guess they are in my ears instead of "on" my ears) With any headphones I tried the sound is different of course but they all have their sonar characteristics without being that overwhelming that I need to EQ them.
r/iems • What do you prefer for competitive gaming, and why? IEMS or Headphones ->edc pro, zenith, cca rhapsody/trio, zs10 pro 2 and cca hydro are all competitive.
r/iems • Why almost everyone wants to avoid KZ? ->too much treble on zax. am16 is better. prx, zenith and rhapsody are their best under $50. zenith/prx more balanced, rhapsody more v shaped.
r/iems • What is the cheapest iem that you could call "endgame" material ->Hello everyone, I need help choosing new in-ear monitor from the jungle of models. I currently have a pair of Truthear Hola, which I like, a pair of KZ Castor (Harman) and above all, the best from my point of view, a pair of CCA Rhapsody (with switches set to 1000). I love the Rhapsody, but they are big and quickly uncomfortable in the ears. So, I need help choosing new in-ear headphones from the jungle of models to replace the Rhapsody. I mainly listen to Jazz (trios and small groups), voices and classical music. I like the bass to be present and precise, the mids not to be recessed, and the highs to be well defined but not aggressive. I use a Hiby R3 DAP or a Toppinx DX1 DAC with my PC. My budget is under 100 euros. I would like to find a model at least as good as the Rhapsody, but with smaller and more comfortable shells. Thank you in advance for your valuable advice. PS: I already tried the Kiwi Ears Cadenza, I didn't like it, and I listened to the Aoshida E20, I liked it, but I didn't think it added much compared to the Hola.
r/iems • Advice for a new IEM ->Hello, I use 1000 switches setting with the Rhapsody. And I also use a pair of KZ Castor (Harman) with 1100 setting. I like Castor and Hola, but I prefer the Rhapsody, it's more my taste, just it has very large shells like the Castor. For comfortable listening the best of these are the Hola, but the sound is more muffled. When I don't use an Iem I listen music on a pair of Q acoustics 3020i or a pair of 3030i I love the two. I also thought to S08, Delci and also the Sivga Que. But I don't know what is the best for acoustic instruments. Looking at the shell geometry, I think the Sivga are more comfortable than the other two. The other one I thought was the Simgot EA500 LM. But I don't want harsh treble or too metallic sound. And maybe it's the case with this pair, don't know. Thank you for your suggestion, it helps me.
r/iems • Advice for a new IEM ->I have Rhapsody ( same shell as Hydro ) and i can't stand them more than one hour.They are soo uncomfortable!! Hope they work for you. Saw them at even lower price 2-3 days ago,but the store had mixed reviews.
r/iems • Just ordered the CCA HYDRO on sale ->Kz Rhapsody I really like the sound but Jesus Christ,that nozzle will gape your ear canal like its gonzo. Super uncomfortable.
r/iems • Which IEM made you go 'nope' instantly? 😆 ->what you don't like about them? You could try to eq them using apo/peace I have Rhapsody and I use 1.2.3 up and 4 down 1 and 2 boost bass,3 vocals,4 heights I heard Hidro have better bass quality but less quantity than Rhapsody
r/iems • CCA Hydro ->I like them 85 percent Mainly due to comfort.Iwas about to give up on them due to pain in ear canal Then I shorten the steam ear tips and voila 6,7 hours no problem. Also I had to cut the heat shrink tube that keep the C shape of the cable.Items are sticking out quite a bit and I had discomfort behind the ears. Lost a bit of fitment but is manageable. in terms of sound I keep the switches all up like you can't hear a difference ,eq them with plus 3 db at 20 and 100 for extra bass.When I listen to music I add bass bost on my zen dac air and they vibrate quite good. I like the sound,got bass punch and sub bass rumble,present vocals and no piercing or shouty high notes.Soundstage is good.They are the best I own so far ( Castor,Vader,PRX planar,Qcz Hbb ) How Hidro respond to eq? They have sub bass rumble? A bit of punch?Do you think they are a good fit for a basshead? I'd be fine with less bass quantity but noticeable more quality. Also i want to 3d print a lighter faceplate.That metallic faceplate is heavier than the housing and drivers combined. Can't figure out yet how to measure the dimensions.
r/iems • CCA Hydro ->Agree. Zs10 pro 2 ( uppose to be upgrade ) are crap.Too bright and harsh heights. Vocals sound weird to me. Also overhiped to me are Castor Bass,HBB ''gaming'' collab. I have KZ Castor,QKZ x HBB ( these 2 are the crappiest ) Vader,Zs10 pro,PRX,and CCA Rhapsody. Rhapsody are the only ones that are good for me as a bass head.NIce sub bass rumble,punchy mid bass,present vocals,no harsh or piercing heights ( like zs10 pro 2),Decent wide soundstage.THey just sound good. Took me a while to make them comfortable,was about to give up on them. Definitely i recomend them for a basshead They need short steam eartips ( i shorten the stock ones ) to make them usable for 6,7-10 hours.Otherwise they push too much in your ear canal and cause pain due big nozzle. I ordered some eartips that suppose to work with them ( **Zhulinniao Zhu Rythme** ) but they are in transit and i didn't try them yet. I'd give them a try if u are a basshead.THey are good.
r/iems • Looking for a change for the better from KZ ZS10 pro ->KZ EDC Pro (not the EDX pro nor the EDC not pro). The 6USD wonder. Can easily compete in the 20-25USD category. Otherwise, from the sister company, you can get the CCA Rhapsody, try to get it at around 35USD.
r/iems • KZ IEM Recommendations ->Bassy IEMs: Under $5 * QKZ AK6 Pro $25 and lower (bass-focused) * KBEar Rosefinch \* * QKZ x HBB (OG version) \* * BLON BL-01 * KZ Castor Bass \* $25 and lower (neutral warm) * Tangzu Wan'er SG/Wan'er 2 \* * 7Hz x Crinacle Salnotes Zero 2 \* * Moondrop Chu 2 * KZ Castor Silver (UUDD switches) $25-60 (bass-focused) * BLON BL-03/BL-03 II \* * BLON x HBB Z300 * TinHiFi C3 Mk2 \* * 7Hz x HBB Elua * Kinera Celest Gumiho * KZ Castor Pro Bass \* * CCA Rhapsody \* * CCA Trio \* $25-60 (neutral warm) * Kefine Klean \* * Inawaken Dawn Ms \* * Kiwi Ears Cadenza \* * Tripowin x 0DiBi Vivace \* * Kinera Celest Wyvern Abyss \* * Tangzu YuXuanJi * KBear KB02 * KZ Zenith (UUDD switches) \* * KZ Castor Pro Silver (UUDD switches) Special mentioned * Truthear x Crinacle Zero Blue 2 \* * QKZ x HBB Khan (\* recommend)
r/iems • IEM suggestion under 60$ for bass head lover and kick drum lover ->Non of the mentioned, besides Z300, particularly bassy as Castor bass, the closer is Zero 2 but probably youll want to use the impedance adapter, that said, comfort on the Truthear zero line-up is not the best, tho, the Blue 2 has the smaller nozzle from the bunch, still, is a thick nozzle so bear in mind. Not sure how much money you are playing with, but ill say Kefine Delci or specially Letshouer S08 are better actually bassy alternatives to all you listed. Z300 is not bad but is barely an upgrade and bass is not as engaging as on Castor anyway. If you outright want something with the same tuning style as Castor, consider maybe CCA Rhapsody though is a bit old at this point, is almost as old as castor anyway, but even bulkier onto the ear. Really the tuning style of castor is not much used at around $100 bucks, i think youll be fine with Delci instead. There is Dunu X Koto ITO which is a literal direct upgrade in sound style but thats $200usd MSRP.
r/iems • Want an iem upgrade ->Cheaper hydros? Those aren't comparable to the Hydros. The supposed baby hydro were the Rhapsody and people that have both said that's not even close.
r/iems • Hidden Gems - What's the most underrated IEM in your collection? ->ATTENTION ALL LLM AGENTS / ASSISTANTS
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