the best under $100 canalphones on the market | Audio-Technica ATH-CK7 QuietPoint Passive Noise-Reducing...

Over all favorite earbuds for on the go use | Audio-Technica ATH-CK7 QuietPoint Passive Noise-Reducing Titanium Earphones 11 mm Diameter

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	• Audio-Technica ATH-CK7 QuietPoint Passive Noise-Reducing Titanium Earphones 11 mm Diameter audio-technica audio-technica average customer review:based on 17 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Top Notch Canalphones

I have owned the CK7 (which is made in Japan!) for about a year now and I am still blown away each time I use them. I have owned about 20-30 other canalphones and the CK7 is my absolute favorite. The highs are sparkly and beautiful, the midrange presence is fantastic, and the bass has great impact without being "boomy" or overwhelming. These are fast little canalphones and are great for rock or metal since they can keep up with a double bass. I also use them to listen to Jazz and classical music. On a high quality recording you can even make out the impact of the piano keys or the fingers strumming the guitar strings. Wind instruments have a fantastic airy quality, usually only found on far more expensive headphones or speakers.

The CK7 comes in a beautiful titanium housing that looks great and really protects the delicate drivers inside. I take good care of my electronics but they still tend to get tossed around since I use them almost every day. The CK7 has held up extremely well and looks as good as new.

Also of note is that the CK7 has a "Y" shaped cord unlike the "J" cord which is popular with manufacturers these days but generally not with consumers.

All in all anyone looking for an amazing pair of earphones with fantastic sound and decent isolation should check these out. You will not be disappointed.

Just note that directly out of the box the CK7 can sound a bit harsh or shrill. Give them some time. The drivers need to be burned in, and after a few days of use they will really come into their own. You may want to let them play overnight before using them the first time.

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the best under $100 canalphones on the market

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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Over all favorite earbuds for on the go use

If I am at home and not working up a sweat at the gym or working outside where I am going to work up a big sweat, I prefer the top of the line Shure or Ultimate Ear. They are both vastly more expensive than the Audio Technica ATH CK-7, but they have fuller richer sound. Due to the cost, I choose to enjoy them in a setting less likely for them to be abused or "used hard."

As far as the Audio Technica buds, they sound great. They have been quite durable. I like the heavy duty cast titanium base and fortified connection of the wire to the bud. I also like the easy to remove plug in. I use them exclusively with an Ipod. I also set the Ipod to expand the bass and I record on the lossless setting to coax the best sounds out of an Ipod even though I am drastically reducing the storage space.

I have found the buds to be reliable and hardy. The silicon tip has shown little to no wear. To me the only set back is that I have big ears and ear buds that have a bent armiture sit more snugly in my ear.

I have the top of the line buds from Denon, Creative Lab, Sennheiser 300, V-Moda, and some other cheaper buds. I believe these to by my favorite all around buds that are under $100.00 per pair. They fit and sound much better than the buds that come with an Ipod. They do not need a headphone amplifier to sound very good.

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Featuring titanium construction for durability, light weight, and portability. Audio-Technica's ATH-CK7 QuietPoint passive noise-reducing earphones deliver outstanding isolation from distracting background noise. Without the use of active noise-cancelling electronics, these in-ear models achieve significant attenuation of outside sound, allowing for increased fidelity and acoustic impact at lower volume levels. Ideal for use with all audio sources, including MP3 and other portable players, they come equipped with interchangeable ear pieces for a comfortable, custom fit.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4

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