INTRODUCTION:
CCA, once a sub brand of KZ is now an independent firm that involves in manufacturing ultra budget in ear monitors that does deliver exceptional sound for its price. The Polaris being my favourite out of their budget lineups, PHOENIX is the product today in my hands for review. Let’s check out how good is this against the competition.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Driver: 10mm Dual-Magnet Dynamic Driver
Impedance: 33Ω
Sensitivity: 108dB
Frequency: 20-40000Hz
Pin Type: 0.78mm 2-Pin
Plug Type: 3.5mm/Type-C
DISCLAIMER:
This unit is provided by a CCA Official in exchange for my honest opinion. The views are subjective and does varies from person to person.
BUILD AND DESIGN:
For a budget set and being a product coming out of the house of CCA, my first thought was that build is going to be mediocre. Surprisingly! CCA as an independent brand improvised its aesthetics in all the ways. From packaging till the build, everything appears solid.
Phoenix is now presented in a bigger box with unique opening design and welcomes the user with a 3D branded card. Below them are the glossy full metal earpieces that strikes your eyes at the first glance. Ergonomics are on the point and feels premium on the hands.
Now the mediocre stock cable is thrown away, and a premium one is included in the package. As per the looks, they appear to be a 4-core braided SPC cable and gives a touch of luxury. A nice faux leather magnetic carry pouch is included along with the other accessories that feels practical and functional.
SOUND IMPRESSIONS:
Phoenix adopts a neutral signature with a hint of brightness for added clarity which goes completely opposite to the graph that brand advertises. Personally, I like this sort of neutrality with natural tone that allows the users to love the originality or EQ it to their preference.
BASS SECTION:
DISCLAIMER: The bass here is evaluated based on its neutral signature.
- Phoenix has a leaner and faster bass response that never congests the mid-section.
- Both the mid bass and sub bass shows up politely only when it is called upon.
- Faster attack and decay are appreciated here that leaves no room for the notes to linger around.
- The lean nature led to a cleaner bass but at the cost of average impact and weight.
MID SECTION:
- Phoenix represents a forwardly placed mid-section with massive sense of space between the notes.
- Though the mid-section lacks the fullness, the separation feels top notch showing its spectacular layering capability.
- Vocals got that natural tone with a hint of brightness for added sparkle.
- Upper mid elevation is neatly done with no hint of sharpness or rough edges.
TREBLE:
- Phoenix got decent elevation in the treble exhibiting needed brightness and shimmer in the top end.
- Cymbal crashes have precise attack and decay that sounds natural, giving a realistic listening experience.
- Phoenix gets the applause for keeping the sibilance under control with no sharp note edges.
- The massive scene in the Phoenix helped it to represent a open sounding treble with immense presence of air.
- Overall: A well extended treble that got adequate brightness and air to represent an openness to the overall presentation.
TECHNICALITIES:
STAGING AND IMAGING: Phoenix got a massive stage presence both in terms of width and height. The expansive stage led to precise imaging with smooth sweeping of notes across the channels.
DETAIL RETRIEVAL: Being a budget IEM, the phoenix got impressive micro dynamics. The essential nuances as well as complex details are brought out with ease. The added open sounding nature and neutral response paved way for the phoenix to bring the best in extracting the details.
VERDICT:
Phoenix, the latest release from the house of CCA doesn’t look like the usual budget offering. A complete metal forged IEM encased in a premium packaging with faux leather carry pouch is something that can’t be seen frequently in this budget segment. This being priced under 30USD, has a sonic output that’s way ahead of its competitors.
Phoenix gets a single 10mm Dual Magnetic Dynamic Driver with an impedance of 33ohms which can be driven fairly with dongle DAC/AMPs. The graph that brand puts out misleads the consumers showcasing its big bass profile with recessed mid and highs. While in real, it’s a whole difference story!
Phoenix adopts a well-tuned neutral profile with a hint of brightness that adapts well to EQ. Accompanied with the natural tonality, Phoenix in general exhibits a fast and clean bass response (Neutral). The mid-section is leaner but compensates with that spectacular track separation with impeccable layering capability. The treble sounds open enough showcasing adequate brightness and shimmer in the top end. The micro dynamics are handled well and are reflected in its above average detail retrieval and staging.
Phoenix sets a benchmark in its category by showcasing its versatile neutral tuning that responds well to EQ. This sets the platform for the upcoming budget contenders to bring out more neutral tunings amidst the crowded generic profiled sound.
