Silver-packed and delicate inner Anshun ES-CTI300 headphones

Less than a year after the introduction of the first headphone products ES-FC300 and ES-HF300 from Onkyo, there is a new face ES-CTI300 debuted in the past year. The body design is the same as before, but it is transformed and draped. With the silver-white armor, it is still fresh in memory. The introduction of this headset not only represents another bold attempt in the style, but also indicates that it actively joins the smart phone peripheral market. The new thing of "Silver" is the design, and the familiar taste!

Since the launch of ES-FC300/HF300 and other earphone products, Onkyo has determined its color offensive. Black and white is no longer just a patent for mobile phone color matching. The headphones are also a big deal. But it is not all consumers can hold it. Its bold purple model, with its angular structure and a single color, always feels too clean. Therefore, the ES-CTI300 is more distinct in appearance and more acceptable to users.

The most popular part of this earphone is not only the silver-white outer casing. The silver luster reflected by the metal brush on the earmuff is the highest-profile side of the CTI300. Except for the earmuffs, the rest of the structure is mostly made of plastic material. The workmanship is more general, the mold splicing is not very delicate, especially the head-adjusting part can obviously feel a little loose. But the silver-white body with the brown soft leather pad ensures the overall texture of the earphone, if ES-FC300/ If the appearance of the HF300 is more enchanting, the CTI300 is more elegant, no matter which age group is suitable for wearing.

Having said that, except for some changes in appearance, CTI300 is still the foundation of HF300. At present, the cavity units of the three headphones of Onkyo are the same, the only difference is the wire used. The sound quality is better. Using 6N oxygen-free copper (99.9999% purity) HiFi wire ES-HF300 and ES-CTI300 earphones, high-purity oxygen-free copper helps to reduce the distortion of signal transmission, while the material of the wire surface has anti-winding function. CTI300 The wire can also be replaced, and the universal MMCX interface allows the wire to be compatible with each other.

ES-CTI300 further adds wire-controlled operation to the wire of ES-HF300, but only supports iOS devices. In today's environment where more and more headset brands support multiple devices, some are regrettable. In fact, Onkyo In the field of headphones, it seems that taking a step-by-step gesture, such as positioning the lower ES-FC300, and then to the higher-quality ES-HF300, until the latest ES-CTI300 supporting smartphones, then it is not impossible to be compatible with Android in the future. In the actual experience, the position of the remote control is relatively high, and the button on the remote control cannot be observed with the naked eye, which is inconvenient to use.

The 40mm large-size titanium membrane unit is used in both sides of the CTI300, claiming to be able to achieve an ultra-wide range, but not a fully enclosed but semi-closed structure, so it cannot cover the ears in an enclosed manner. The disadvantage of this design is that The sound insulation of the street is slightly worse than that of the full enclosure, but the feel of the chuck is much lighter than that of the ES-FC300. The improved leather cushion is more comfortable and the wearing is acceptable. The advantage is that it is easy to form a loose and natural sound in the sound. The atmosphere is felt, and the CTI300's tuning concept tends to be fresh and natural, so the semi-closed design is also reasonable.

As mentioned above, ES-CTI300 is actually the shell-and-wire version of ES-HF300. The diaphragm unit and HiFi cable are the same, and the sound quality is also the same level. As the highest-end earphone product of Onkyo, CTI300 The quality is natural, but the merit is that the smart, sound-resistant tuning, and the same price of headphones in the music understanding.

Since popular music, especially electronic dance music, has become more and more focused on bass in recent years, many headphone brands have played big bass cards to show that they are the best performers of popular music. But CTI300 does not pay too much attention to the effect of so-called heavy bass. It can be clearly felt that it is more focused on the performance of the middle and high frequency, the sound is delicate and pure, the voice of the vocal, especially the female voice is very soft and beautiful. If your player is filled with the iconic European and American pop of Katy Perry and Lady GaGa. Music, then the CTI300 may not blast your heart, because this type of music has a very solid bass range, which is not the specialty of the CTI300.

But in all fairness, although the bass of CTI300 is light, it is a kind of rare tranquility, because its low-frequency sound such as drums is not artificial, and it is the same as its tuning style--fresh and natural. In this atmosphere, the listener can calm down and enjoy the song. The singing or instrumental performance of the CTI300 is more abundant in the middle and high frequency. It has high-spirited and meticulous sound performance. To a certain extent, it is also very interesting for the interpretation of electronic music and rock style. And as a Japanese brand. CTI300 has a very high degree of fit with Jpop and ACG. The style of Japanese pop music can be described as "clear and smart". The arranger does not add strong bass. CTI300 will make Japanese singers lively and changeable. The singing style is very popular. This is something that many other brands of headphones can't do. After all, Jpop and European and American pop music have different styles. Even the Japanese brands of Sony and the Iron Triangle are sometimes dull in sound. The pursuit of strong, but not the CTI300's agility and resonance in the interpretation of Japanese folk instruments.

If you use a color to describe the style of the CTI300, its own "silver-white" is the most suitable, fresh and without a trace of pollution. Some people may be worried that this "alternative" tuning is not acceptable, but the CTI300 is very easy to drive. An iPhone is enough to get a full voice. And under the iPhone, the CTI300's low frequency is more full and easy to be accepted by ordinary consumers. After switching to the high-end music player such as Sony F885, the sound tends to be balanced and delicate. .

Under the circumstance of today's headphones to promote the bass and trend shape, Onkyo ES-CTI300 once again proved that it has not drifted with the flow, the bright and bright shape of silver and white is complemented by clear and delicate tuning, which can be described as a breeze in the earphone industry. This is a The return of rationality not only looks at the appearance of the bloggers, but also highlights the exquisiteness in the design, and strives for natural reality in the sound. However, the CTI300 also leaves some regrets, that is, only supports the iOS device remote control operation, and the headset work is more general. If Onkyo really is stepping into the headset market and pushing a new product line a little bit, then supporting Android devices is also a matter of time. The CTI300 is not officially released yet, the price is pending, or you want to experience this headset first. You can also apply for a free trial on the official website of Onkyo. For users who like Jpop, ACG and like to listen to songs with mobile phones, CTI300 is worth a try.