As tech enthusiasts and/or music lovers, we almost always read stuff about quality headphones and/or earbuds/earphones and we seldom hear or read stuff about IEMs or in-ear monitors.
This is partly because IEMs are usually used by professionals like musicians, audio engineers, and hardcore audiophiles. IEMs are usually used for audio monitoring more than music consumption in general.
Most of the time, IEMs have better overall sound quality than earbuds/earphones. These devices usually deliver greater clarity, higher definition, and punchier bass compared to the consumer-level stuff. They are also sometimes louder than earbuds and can isolate noise even better.
However, as stated earlier, most IEMs are usually used for audio monitoring, not consumption. So, sometimes without proper EQ tuning these devices might sound flatter than what the average consumer hears when they use earbuds/headphones.
In this review article, we will take a look at the CCA Lyra IEM and understand what it can deliver and where it can improve.
CCA Lyra IEM
First off, CCA (Clear Concept Audio) is the sister brand of Knowledge Zenith or much widely known as KZ audio. the CCA Lyra IEM is the first product in their Constellation series.
For the first part of the review, let us take a look at the product’s packaging and design:
What’s in the Box?
- A Pair of Lyra IEMs
- A Parallel, flat 4-core stock cable with an L-shaped 3.5mm plug (with a built-in mic)
- Extra ear tips of different sizes
- An instruction manual
Packaging, Aesthetics and Build Quality
- Packaging – The CCA Lyra is housed inside a small cardboard box with a sleeve that is made of thin cardboard. I think simple packaging is expected for the product price point of PHP 895 so there is nothing more to say here.
- Aesthetics – The first thing you will notice when you take the IEMs out of the box is their crystal clear polycarbonate plastic shell with a metal alloy supporting the frame. It also has a crystal-like pattern that is pleasing to look at. The see-through aesthetics really catches your eyes as you can see the internal parts of the IEM.
- Build Quality – As expected for this price point the plastic around the product feels really cheap same as the cable that comes with it which is, in my opinion, in need of an immediate upgrade to improve build quality/longevity and listening experience.
Sound Quality
Before proceeding, Since this is an IEM, we will tackle this part of the review using two different POVs, The first one is a more technical POV for the professional listeners while the second will look at it from an average consumer’s POV.
Also, while reviewing this product, I made sure to keep the technicalities in line with its PHP 895 pricepoint so please bare that in mind too.
Technical POV – The CCA Lyra is very responsive when it comes to amplification, meaning you can use almost any audio source and it will easily drive the IEM even with a power output coming from a smartphone or any other similar audio device with the same power output.
Overall the CCA Lyra’s sound signature has a more emphasized bass and treble with scooped mids but it is still fairly tuned to sound somewhat “balanced” even without checking/using an EQ app or adjusting your audio source’s settings.
Furthermore, Lyra’s lows are really refined and it has a well-defined bass response. It has a healthy amount of bass punch that also has decent depth. Mixing 808 kicks and sub-basses with this device is fun because you can clearly tell the separation of the sub-bass and the mid-bass ranges.
When mixing bass guitars, you can still hear the fingered string and clearly hear if it is fretless or not. As for listening to low or bass-baritone vocals, you can hear the richness of the vocal recording but of course recording with a high-quality condenser mic helps with this.
Going to the midrange frequencies, it is scooped and you can hear textures clearly. This is especially emphasized when listening to heavily distorted guitars sound when mixing metal or heavy rock music.
But overall, a lot can still be improved in its midrange as when you increase the volume it becomes quite muddy in some higher mid frequencies.
Next up, on to the highs/treble, This also can still be improved especially when listening to cymbals being played alongside heavy music but it still delivers brilliance in the upper mid frequencies which are good for mixing acoustic guitars.
As for the sound stage/imaging, When listening to a more simple mix you can clearly identify the positioning of the vocals and instruments. But when listening to more complex music like orchestras or big bands that has a brass section and a string quartet, it has a hard time accommodating the space for these instruments.
Average Consumer POV – For the average listener, this pair of IEMs delivers enough quality to enjoy a wide variation of music genres. For example, when listening to hip-hop/house or any other club music, you can definitely enjoy the punchy and massive bass the IEM delivers.
Moreover, when listening to heavier music like metal/hard rock/big bands, you can definitely enjoy the gritty-sounding guitars or the tasteful harshness of heavily distorted metal guitars. Massive metal drums are a treat to listen to with this pair of IEMs as you can feel the punch of the beater hitting the bass drum’s skin.
For big bands that have wind instruments be it brass or woodwinds, you can definitely hear the intricate textures these instruments bring to the table. The loudness of the brass instruments is clearly presented while the warmth of the string sections is still delicately handled.
Finally, just to be clear, the music used to test this pair of IEMs was in WAV or lossless format and MP3s with 320kbps bit rate.
Comfort, Microphone, and Gaming
Before ending this article with my verdict, Let me give you a quick list of some of the CCA Lyra’s additional features and comfort:
- Comfort – Using this pair of IEMs for a few hours has not resulted in any major discomfort as the given plugs and the overall shape of the IEM really sits well inside my ear. The length of the cable is also enough for me to have freedom of movement without worrying too much about the cable getting tangled.
- Microphone – The CCA Lyra that was provided to us by KZ audio has a built-in mic. It has fairly decent clarity to be used for calls or video chats. As for using it as a gaming mic, it is very impractical because you have to hold the mic and keep it in close proximity to your mouth in order to be heard clearly, especially with the game’s sound effects blasting away.
- Gaming – Using a fairly flat-sounding audio source for gaming will depend on what type of games you like to play. If you are a fan of FPS games like CSGO/APEX/CoD the audio clarity can help you detect enemy movement that can give you an advantage in these types of games. For RPG/MMO RPG/Open world players that like to indulge in the game’s BGM or environmental sound design, you might find this IEM dull because delivering complex sounds through a source with a fairly flat response may reduce the audio’s richness. Hence, I suggest using a gaming headset or headphones instead.
The CCA Lyra is priced at PHP 895 and can be purchased here.
Started his freelancing adventure in 2018 and began doing freelance Audio Engineering work and then started freelance writing a few years later.
Currently he writes for Gadget Pilipinas and Grit.PH.
He is also a musician, foody, gamer, and PC enthusiast.
