PRICE: $49

PROS: 

• Ergonomic and comfortable fitting
• Variety on the tuning switches
• Well-balanced Harman bass-boost sound signature
• Thick but clean and smooth bass
• Clean, open midrange
• Clean, open treble
• Good technicalities compared to its predecessor

CONS: 

• Occasional sibilance 
• Midbass tuck on UUUU might sound too lean for some people
• Not the most dynamic-sounding set

WHO THIS SET IS FOR: 

• People who want one of the best tuned budget Harman set
• People who want a clean but engaging sound
• People who want an improvement from the Rhapsody

WHO THIS SET ISN’T FOR: 

• People who hate midbass tucks
• People who are treble sensitive
• People who want a more dynamic sounding set

RECOMMENDED GENRES: 

• Pop
• Rock
• Soul

SHORT REVIEW: 

Arguably one of their best consumer tuned release today, the Trio embodies the famous Harman sound signature that has ravaged the market but does so in a way that replicates more expensive sets. A distinct tuck in the midbass and upper midrange energy while using 3DDs made the Trio arguably one of the best sets to get if you liked pure Harman. It’s not the most technical or most dynamic in the market and still has a long way from competing with the giants, but this is by far their best iteration of Harman by far. RECOMMENDED

FULL REVIEW: 

KZ and fam have been pushing the boundary of how good audio can be in the budget realm. Rhapsody is marked as their latest trend of following the Harman 2019 target and thanks to its success, you can almost hear the cash being made from them capitalizing on this. So how does their second entry fair into the KZ pandemonium? Let’s talk about the CCA Trio!

DISCLAIMER: The Trio’s were sent over by CCA in exchange for my honest impressions.  I am eternally grateful for the opportunity. I was not paid. Rest assured, my thoughts and opinions on this product will be of my own honest opinions and will not be affected by the facts beforehand. 

MAKE IT CCA, MAKE IT HARMAN PT.2

Their second release into the Harman-infused era, the Trio at first glance would seem like the upgrade to the Duo. But due to its radically different design and the Trio’s release being months after Duo, the former takes on their later sound trends that we’ll be discussing later. So now, one should ask whether the Trio being released so close to the Rhapsody is worth the money or is another sidegrade. 

UNBOXING

The unboxing experience of the Trio is very similar to other KZ/CCA sets with the box showcasing the illustration of the IEM and the inclusions being your usual KZ cable, Starline eartips and some paperwork. What makes the Trio special is that it comes in the special Chinese New Year outer packaging and a free voucher. Yay!

BUILD & FIT

Talking about the internals, the Trio features 3 8mm Dynamic Drivers. Not much information outside of that, but it’s interesting that they created a special 3D-printed slot just for the drivers which is not usually a very KZ/CCA move. 

This is probably one of the biggest changes on the Rhapsody that I genuinely appreciate they did. The fit of the Trio is considerably better than the Rhapsody both in how it fits and how it seals. 

The Trio features your usual aluminum faceplate and resin inner shell that we’ve seen in their sets before, but the Trio has a somewhat smaller profile that doesn’t completely fill up your ear like the Rhapsody did. I genuinely found the Trio to be a very comfortable set to use over long listening sessions without much fatigue in the ear (minus the cable). It’s very stable with a good seal, although not as good as Rhapsody, and it just looks and feels nice. 

I’m not a big fan of the Trio on the faceplate and I feel like putting it on the shell would’ve been more tasteful, but I could just erase that myself. I’ll choose not to, for now. 

SOUND

NOTE: As the Trio features tuning switches, I’ll be talking about the sound of the stock configuration of UUUU (all up) and comparing it to the other modes in their respective section.

Sound Signature:

The CCA Trio features a U-shaped sound signature with big but well-controlled bass, slightly tucked and open mids, and a forward, energetic but generously presented treble. It has just a very slight metallic tinge in the upper frequencies, but nothing that stands out too much. 

Source Pairing and Drivability:

The Trio is about average to slightly harder to drive compared to the usual sets I’ve tried. It’s not necessarily a tank in terms of how much power it needs, but using a dongle DAC does improve its sound quality, particularly dynamics and smoothening the top end. 

Ideal Listening Volume: 

Bass: 

The bass of the Trio is big, bouncy and deep. A similar story to the Rhapsody, it makes the music feel alive. Just not at the level of the Rhapsody. Nonetheless, it’s a very fun bass presentation that gives a lot of low-end instruments body and weight while not breaching and bleeding into the midrange which bass tuck lovers would absolutely love. If you look at the FR graph of the Trio, you can actually see how cleanly it tucks down at 200hz which is something you never see in this price range besides the DSP IEMs and the venerable Zero (we won’t mention its younger brothers as the way they do it isn’t as good as Trio)

Notable tracks that do really well with the Trio is Heart Don’t Stand a Chance which excels with big bassy sets. Especially with how well-defined that bass is, the track sounded real meaty and thick on the Trio without really intruding into .Paak’s vocals, for better or worse, made the mids sound quite clean. 

Probably my gripe about the bass here is, well, it’s not quite the tightest or most well-defined kind of bass. Now sure, you can argue that for this price range, it’s not really a con more than it is a nitpick. But as someone who wants budget gear to get better, I want to mention these things. The bass can sound a little sloppy at times with the attack on notes sounding a little soft and puffy sounding. The track Wake Up by SOS is a prime example of this as the bass in this track is big but a little bit loose. It does better than its older sibling, the Rhapsody. But it still lags compared to some of the more refined DD sets in the price range like the Simgot EW200. 

Mids:

Giving credit where credit is due, the mids of the Trio are genuinely clean and open-sounding. It’s not going to break any records for its price as there are sets that balance out the midrange just a little bit better than the Trio, but the Trio being able to tuck at 200hz is a feat on its own. This has the effect of making the lower mids sound clean and open while having a big bass. 

A track like Show You The Way by Thundercat is the perfect track to showcase this as this track has a lot of low-end energy that could potentially bleed and color the midrange. On the Trio, the vocals are largely untouched and there’s this sense of clarity and openness in vocals. 

What makes it even better is that the upper mids are just as equally as well balanced as it doesn’t overemphasize the vocals like other Harman-inspired sets. A track like Through The Fire by Chakra Khan, even in the last chorus where she goes really high up, it never gets harsh or sharp. However, there are certain parts where there’s a slightly grainy quality that I’ll be expounding upon in the treble section. 

My only nitpick about the mids is that it occasionally lacks character. It’s very clean and open-sounding, but there’s just not a lot of character. The lower mids don’t have that texture or engagement that I usually look for (but that’s probably just me not liking a tuck at 200hz that much) and the upper mids are forward, clean but generally safe without really bringing anything out. This is a good thing for most people, but I do prefer a little bit of spice in my vocals. 

Treble: 

Admittedly, the treble of the Trio is pretty good for its price. It’s generally inoffensive but can still provide a good amount of air and clarity. It brings out percussive and soprano vocals quite nicely with a really good amount of energy without really sounding overly bright or harsh. 

Fleetwood Mac’s The Chain is a great example of how nicely done the treble of the Trio is. It’s borderline getting too hot, but the overall presentation of the percussive instruments as well as the banjo guitar-sounding instruments is just perfect and presents them with a surprisingly nice timbre. 

However, there are definitely some instances of sibilance on certain tracks. Between The Sheets is a track that showcases this treble roughness, but is a generally great track to listen to in the Trio. It’s just that in certain passages, especially when there are S and T sounds some roughness is present. 

The air is pretty good, but nothing spectacular. You won’t expect vocals and instruments to sound airy and floaty, but it’s a generous amount of air that those sensitive to treble won’t find harsh and trebleheads such as myself would find adequate. 

Technicalities: 

The technicalities of the Trio are surprisingly decent for its price. 

Starting with the dynamics, it was definitely something that I both loved and hated about the Trio. In the context of the Rhapsody/Castor Bass style tuning, this is definitely a step up. However, it’s still not quite at the level of pure Dynamic sets, even the likes of the EW200, in terms of dynamic contrast. 

Headstage was definitely where I was most surprised as I didn’t expect it to sound that wide. It’s not out of your head, but respectable enough to separate itself from most sets in its price range. This also applies to the imaging that, while not holographic, allows me to pinpoint some instruments better than some IEMs in this price range. 

Separation and layering are still unfortunately not the cleanest or most accurate, but it’s respectable for its price. It separates simple tracks really well, but clearly struggles on more complex tracks.

OTHER TUNING VARIATIONS

DDDD 

• This configuration is the opposite to the all up (duh) as it instead puts the emphasis on the low end while still keeping a U-Shaped sound. The treble hotness is tamed here which is the ideal configuration for those who found the treble of the all up to be too hot

UDDD

• This configuration boosts the bass further from the DDDD configuration which starts bleeding into the midrange, but further tames the treble region. Mids are less open sounding and it starts sounding like a basshead set

UUDD

• Simply, turn the trio into a basshead set. Mids are now drowned in the bass but is a more focused bass-centric set with still decent amount of detail

DDUD

• Tames the bass slighly from the UUUU configuration. Brings out the upper mids and treble slightly up, but oddly isn’t as sibilant sounding as the UUUU.

DDUU

• The brigthest, thinnest and coldest sounding configuration. Better suited for trebleheads because the tendency to be too hot is most evident here

REAL WORLD USAGE: 

Casual Use: 

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t use the Trio more while doing menial tasks than I wanted to. The Trio’s entire package from how it fits to how it’s tuned just makes it perfect for long wearing and listening periods. The tuning is honestly perfect for any kind of media thanks to the generous bass boost allowing for some content to sound more lively, vocals having a good body and clarity and the treble being generally fatigue-free. I genuinely loved using the Trio for casual use

Gaming Use: 

Just like its younger brothers, the gaming performance of the Trio is superb. Big bass to bring out immersion, clean mids to make sure there’s no smearing and the mids sound open, and a generous upper mids to treble to bring out the micro-nuances. Another solid gaming set from CCA, which since the release of the Castor-Bass has become my default gaming IEM and recommendation. 

COMPARISON:

VS CCA Rhapsody

• The older brother that continued what KZ has started, this is basically another step up from the formula. Improved dynamics, improve midrange timbre, better details and better separation. Heck, even the fit was improved as the Trio is considerably smaller than the Rhapsody and no longer has air pressure build-up. Overall, it’s just another improvement from a similar cloth

VS KZ Castor Bass

• Like the Rhapsody was to the Castor, the Trio is almost twice the step up from the Castor Bass. It improves basically everything the Castor had better than the Rhapsody did, but the Trio does tame the bass energy a little bit more compared to the Castor. But as whole, the Trio is two steps up from the 

VS Simgot EW200

• The fight is much closer here compared to the Rhapsody before, but the fundamental difference is still present. The EW200 is a more dynamic, brighter and more coherent set compared to the Trio’s more fun, engaging and forgiving sound. EW200 is still ahead in terms of overall clarity, detail and separation, but the Trio doesn’t lag behind, especially in headstage and overall fun factor. 

VS Truthear Zero: RED

• This is by far the closest comparison I can make with the Red in this price range so far. It’s still drastic to call it a “direct competitor”. But where the Trio added 1 more dynamic driver to the Zero Red, it also added more fun. The Zero has a darker, warmer, and more relaxed sound compared to the Trio’s more fun sound, but both sets take the boosted bass, clean mids and inoffensive top-end. Where the two divert is how much each end is boosted. The Zero has a less generous boost and a more linear midrange while also smoothening up the top end to be less “fatiguing” and more relaxed. This has the effect of the Zero sounding potentially more boring but also more neutral. 

VS Binary x Gizaudio Chopin

• Like the Chopin was to the Variations, the Trio is to the Chopin. Both sets follow an eerily similar Harman-infused sound with extra midbass, a slightly deeper tuck, and a sharp elevation directly in the ear gain. The difference is that, fundamentally, Chopin is still a more refined-sounding set compared to the Trio. Bass sounds deeper and more engaging on the Chopin while it sounds more single-noted on the Trio. The Trio lacks the technical chops and dynamic energy that Chopin has which, for almost 5x the price is almost to be expected. 

CONCLUSION

One could argue that the Rhapsody should’ve been given a little more time in the oven to become Trio, but we all know how KZ works. They’d rather make small incremental upgrades on pre-existing concepts rather than put all their eggs in one basket. The meme about KZ just making a pro version of their recently released set is justified when you look at their release patterns. 

However, I genuinely think that the Trio is a massive step up from those that came before it. It’s considerably more refined, more balanced, and more technical than ever. Heck, even if I’m not a fan of this tuning, I’d confidently say this is probably the best KZ out in the market if you’re looking for something fun and well-tuned. It’s not perfect, no IEM is. But this is probably the best you can get if you just want something that you’d enjoy in any listening session. And for that, I’ll give credit where credit is due and congratulate CCA for further improving the status quo.

Thank you for reading my review on the CCA Trio! If you would like to order one, consider using the non-affiliated link below: 

If you have  any questions, you may contact me on my Facebook page or at my email: obodioreviews@gmail.com

Enjoy music!