Come with me as I share my impressions on the CCA Pianist, another addition to CCA’s hybrid line-up with 2BAs and 1DD for the price of $40! With the abundance of hybrids in such a competitive price range, how can the Pianist set itself apart? Let’s find out!
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
- Barebones unboxing and accessories ala KZ style
- Decent fit, not as comfortable as the usual KZ fitting
- Bright U-Shaped tuning
- Light and thin low-end
- Thin midrange presentation
- Elevated, bright and revealing but fatiguing treble presentation
- Good technical ability
A set with a name befitting where it excels, the Pianist is a set with one goal in mind; to give you the most revealing and sparkly instrumental and upper vocal presentation without odd peaks or dips in clarity. It is so damn bright without ever sounding rough in the treble which makes instruments, particularly air and higher strings such a crisp and airy listening experience.
But when you put that many cards on a single deck, you’re bound to sacrifice some things. Particularly, timbre and vocal presentation. I have fewer qualms about the bass as there is a decent amount of rumble to keep you bopping. But going down to the midbass and lower mids is an absolutely thin mess with male vocals sounding intoxicated and dry and bassy instruments being barely audible with the treble region being so overemphasized. The treble being that elevated also means that for longer listening sessions, you’ll find yourself fatigued listening to how bright this thing is. It’s perfect for trebleheads, but most normal people will probably find this just a tad bit too bright. There’s also a rather considerable metallic timbre that haunts those who prefer a more natural timbre.
What it takes back in turn is its superb resolving and separation ability. This thing is textbook analytical with how it picks apart tracks so well with each instrument being presented in an almost black background. Separation is crisp as it does not struggle with more complex tracks, but definitely not for the faint of heart.
Coming from the Duo, the Pianist is a more unhinged set. Take the brightness that the Duo had and bring it to 11. It, unfortunately, takes away the body and note weight that the Duo barely had and turns the Pianist into the instrumental master that throws note weight out the window.
But that emphasis on the treble is what makes the Pianist such an interesting set. It’s no perfect treble set, even if I do hype it up to be as such. It’s far from being perfect. But for treble lovers who want an unhinged treble presentation and do not care about anything else, the Pianist is the instrument of choice.
STAY TUNED FOR THE FULL REVIEW!
Thank you so much for reading my impressions on the CCA Pianist. Big thanks to CCA for sending this product for my honest thoughts. If you would like to order one, consider checking the non-affiliated link below:
If you have any questions or concerns, you may contact me on my Facebook page or at my email at obodioreviews@gmail.com
