Current testing methodology is v1.2
April 19, 2020
Price not available
3.98 oz
4.7 x 3.2 x 1.6 in
I stumbled upon the CVJ CSA through a YouTube review by Prime Audio Review, and a lot of people have been mentioning how good this set was for the money.
Since I’d never heard of this set, let alone the brand CVJ, I got curious and decided to get them.
Honestly speaking, I have mixed feelings about these IEMs and I’ll tell you all about them in this in-depth review.
CVJ CSA
Well-built and brightly tuned IEMs.
TL:DR;
When the CVJ CSA was first released in 2020, it gained a lot of attention for its quality and natural tonality, which was surprising for a set that was worth $20.
Even with newer IEM releases in the same price range, these IEMs can still stand out.
Their bright tuning, an impressive level of detail and clarity, and solid build quality for such a low price make the CVJ CSA worth checking out.
The Specs
- Driver: 1 Balanced Armature + 1 Dynamic Driver
- Cable: 3.5mm plug/ 0.75mm pin
- Frequency: 7-40000Hz
- Impedance: 22Ω
- Sensitivity: 113db
What’s in the Box?
- CVJ CSA Pro earphones
- 3 x pairs of silicone ear tips
- Small fabric pouch
- 2-pin detachable cable
- User guide
Stuff I like
- Warm and slightly neutral tuning
- Good timbre
- Great vocal presentation
- Instruments sound natural
Stuff I like less
- Lack of bass
- The bass sounds dark and lacks detail
- Lack of overall body
Where to get it
Comparable products to consider
A great sounding pair of IEMs that offer a warm sound signature great for casual listening.
The CCA CSN is one of the latest budget IEM options in the market that features a hybrid driver.
The upgraded version of the KZ ZSN, the ZSN Pro, has a refined V-shaped sound signature that’s more balanced and controlled.
First Impressions
The CVJ CSA comes in packaging that’s similar to brands like KZ and CCA, but with a slight difference.
The way that the IEMs and the silicone ear tips were presented is one of the main differences that I noticed.
When I was doing some research about these IEMs, I learned that they were using a kind of wooden material for the packaging so I was surprised that the ones I ordered come in a typical carton-like material commonly used for other budget sets.
It turns out that they’ve updated the packaging to cut costs.
It’s a bummer because the old packaging box for the CVJ CSA uses was excellent, even though the current one does its job of protecting the IEMs.
The unit itself looks phenomenal even if it has a generic shape and form. The CVJ CSA looks simple but very professional, and I was impressed with how they’re designed.
Of course, I have to consider that these IEMs cost around $20, so I can’t complain much about the packaging. Plus, it’s the sound quality that matters the most.
Build Quality
Regarding building quality, the CVJ CSA didn’t disappoint.
Even though these IEMs are made of plastic material, they still feel robust and they didn’t feel cheap at all. The design aesthetics, although simple, look clean and crisp.
I like how they implemented a false carbon print on the face plate, adding a nice touch and texture to the IEMs’ appearance.
On the other hand, the cable is of average quality. They look generic and thin and have nothing special going on with them. I feel like this is unjustifiable as similar-priced IEMs nowadays come with a better set of cables.
Fit and Comfort
The fit and comfort of these IEMs were excellent, and I’ve encountered zero problems even when I was using them for extended periods.
The CVJ CSA follows an ideal shape and size, resulting in an excellent fit and comfort with no adjustment time needed. Once you find the perfect size of ear tips to use, you’re good to go.
The ear tips are of average quality but are comfortable, and I didn’t experience any discomfort when using them.
The pre-molded ear hooks were also comfortable enough for my ears, but this may vary depending on the shape and size of your ears. I have a relatively medium-sized ear, and the ear hooks were perfect for my ear size.
Since the CVJ CSA has an all-plastic construction, it’s lightweight, so you can wear them for long periods without worrying about experiencing any form of strain or discomfort.
Sound Quality
When first testing these IEMs, I thought they were pretty bright in tuning and had some lovely shimmer.
Since I love warm and more subdued tuning, it took a while for me to get used to the reasonably trebly timbre of this IEM.
Bass
CVJ needs to improve the bass frequency aspect of these IEMs, as it’s one of its most significant disadvantages.
The lack of body and bass presence on the CVJ CSA heavily punishes the other significant aspects of these IEMs.
Mids
The midrange is as expected for a V-shaped sound signature IEM – it’s pretty recessed, but the CVJ CSA still manages to present a good amount of clarity on the mid frequencies.
I haven’t encountered any sort of mid-bass bleed on the CVJ CSA, which is a plus.
One thing I liked about the mids on these IEMs was how well they presented the vocal and instrumental layers. It featured a good amount of audio separation that can help you distinguish the different instruments in the mix.
All in all, the mids sounded good on all the songs I listened to during testing.
Treble
The treble is the main highlight of these IEMs. It has a natural timbre, and although it’s bright and suffers from treble peaks, I haven’t encountered any sibilance.
The tonal clarity of vocals and instruments in this frequency is beautifully presented.
I was surprised with the treble presentation of the CVJ CSA as I have some experiences with IEMs that are brightly tuned or have more vocal-focused tunings, and these experiences weren’t that good.
What I like about the CVJ CSA treble is the level of detail and clarity you get for just $20.
Test Tracks
I have tested the CVJ CSA on different genres of music to get a proper understanding of how these IEMs sound and here are my findings.
- Metal/ Rock – The guitars sounded natural and were presented accurately. I liked how the guitars sounded in a mix, as they were forward. All the details and clarity were definitely there. I noticed the lack of bass presence, which resulted in a lack of thickness on the notes. Still, the tracks were presented quite well. Tracks used: Brain Stew (Green Day), Reverie (Polyphia), That’s What You Get (Paramore)
- Pop – The vocals sounded clear and had a lovely timbre, plus the sound separation was exceptional. The soundstage was small, but I found it sufficient. I’ve experienced harsh treble frequencies when listening to unpleasant tracks but was occasional. Overall, the vocals have good detail retrieval and definition, which I didn’t expect for an IEM at this price point. Tracks used: Bad Boy (Red Velvet), OMG (NewJeans), Everybody Wants to Rule the World (Tears for Fears)
- Hip-hop – The tracks I’ve listened to suffered heavily from the overall lack of bass that the CVJ CSA has. Although it could present a decent amount of weight in the bass, the tracks lacked body and girth. I wouldn’t recommend this set to bass heads for that reason. Tracks used: Amen (Shanti Dope and Pricetagg), Cash In Cash Out (Pharell Williams ft 21 Savage & Tyler the Creator)
- Indie – The soundstage was small. This could’ve worked better with the Indie tracks I’ve used, especially on songs like Space Song, which contains a variety of instruments layering on top of each other. The experience could’ve been more immersive and this was a deal breaker for my taste. Tracks used: Show Me How (Men I Trust), Space Song (Beach House), Queen of Disaster (Lana Del Rey)
- R&B/Soul – Again, its bright tuning helped a lot in placing the vocals pretty forward in the mix, and not only that, it presented the instruments and vocals quite well, as the definition and sound separation worked wonders on that part. This is evident, especially on tracks such as Devil in the Details by Mac Ayres. Tracks used: Devil in the Details (Mac Ayres), Get You (Daniel Ceasar), Telepatia (Kali Uchis)
After testing the CVJ CSA, I’ve discovered that its bright and slightly warm timbre highlights the higher frequencies in a mix.
Conclusion
The CVJ CSA has its fair share of good and bad features, which makes it easy to dismiss because the current IEM market is very competitive even at this price point.
There are better options out there that I can recommend.
However, its bright tuning is what stuck with me. The CVJ CSA was one of the first brightly-tuned IEMs that I liked, even though the bass and mids could be better.
A man of many interests, Querho is passionate about discovering new things that stimulate the mind. When he is not writing about the things he is passionate about, Querho can be found making music at his home studio.
This post was last updated on 2024-11-06 / Some images from Amazon Product API & some links may be affiliate links which may earn us a commission from purchases.