CCA recently released the CRA which is a Single Dynamic Driver. They have kindly sent a unit to us for the purpose of reviewing it. In todays review, we will be taking a closer look at it. It currently retails for $22.99USD.
By now, everyone knows CCA and KZ are siblings. If you don't, congrats on your return to planet earth. KZ has been shaking up the whole Chi-Fi community recently with the release of the KZ ZEX Pro/CRN which is a collaboration product with Crinacle.
While I am not impressed with Crinacle's "Social Experiment", I have to admit the ZEX Pro/CRN is the best within the KZ and CCA Lineup...until the CRA was released.
Packaging:
I lost count how many years KZ has been around but literally their packaging has not changed at all. This is the traditional KZ/CCA packaging. If you bought the ZST many years back, you know what it will be like in here already. It's pretty identical.
Accessories:
1 Set of white ear tips.(S,M,L)
You have no idea how happy I was when KZ changed their cable. Finally that brown thing is gone. But the Y split is still half way down the cable so...please fix that.
That's all the accessories you get. Some might say it's little but we don't need that many ear tips.
Sound:
First I want to talk about the ZEX Pro/CRN. Crinacle has a thing for neutral with bass boost so he tuned the ZEX Pro/CRN with that in mind. the thing is that the ZEX Pro/CRN can get a little sibilant. There is an 8k peak which many owners have complained about. What you get is a very cold tonality. The CRA however has a warmer tuning. Despite having more treble also, it is not really sibilant. There is also more bass compared to the ZEX Pro/CRN. The CRA seems to be a U-shaped IEM.
Bass:
The Bass on the CRA is so clean. The CRA has a good amount of bass extension though probably not enough to satisfy bass heads. It is well controlled and has a natural decay. It is also fast and does not have issued handling complicated tracks. it exhibits no signs of bleeding into the mids. It's also tight, punchy and impactful and goes deep when needed. it has a really nice rumble and has got an appropriate amount of detail for the price of the CRA which is really impressive.
Mids:
The mids on the CRA are just fantastic. Vocals have a good amount of thickness for both females and males without being overly thick or thin. I never really found the mids on the CRA to be shouty but I agree that those sensitive might find it so due to the boosted upper midrange. Clarity on the CRA in the mids is way above average for the price. Mids can come across as recessed on tracks that are bass or has a lot of treble but overall it sounds really good.
Treble:
The CRA has an insane amount of treble. Extension is just how I like it. Instruments like cymbals just sound amazing. It is airy and just sounds good. Clarity here is fantastic and definitely above average. The most amazing part is that despite being so well extended, there is little to no sibilance here.( I did not experience any but other owners have so I stated little sibilance. It will depend on your treble tolerance.) The treble is so good I have trouble finding words for it. I suspect that this was possible because they used a Dynamic Driver alone. The moment you throw in a BA or Magneto static or Electrostatic Driver like the ZEX Pro, you will introduce sibilance even though there is less treble.
Technical ability:
Coherency is not an issue since it's a single DD. Detail and resolution are way above average for the price. Soundstage has got a lot of height due to the treble extension but depth is not as great but is still above average. It also has got good width. Imaging for the price is above average. I could easily point out where all the instruments came from with no difficulty. Speed on the CRA is also impressive.
Conclusion:
The CRA is a no brainer at it's price. It is fantastically tuned and is super cheap. If you have spare money or need an IEM for a daily driver, get the CRA. It's well tuned and cheap. If it spoils, just get a new one. No need to worry.
Where to buy?
The CRA is currently retailing at a price of $22.99 on the KZ Official Website Store. If you purchase it elsewhere it can be even cheaper too.
If you wish to purchase it from KZ's website, you can use the promo code DRCRA.