Canal Works CW-L02/CW-U02 Review
A Hidden Gem?
The CW-L02 is a custom single balanced-armature driver IEM, made by Japanese company Canal Works. The CW-U02 is its universal fit variant. The specific model reviewed here is the CW-U02NJC, which is a special edition (of the universal variant) from of a collaboration with Idol group Niji No Conquistador.
Pricing & Packaging
The price of the custom version is of $600 USD (Japanese taxes already included). The universal version goes for $400 USD. The special edition costs the same as the universal fit, but also includes a brief handwritten note by a member of Niji No Conquistador, along with a signed Polaroid.
The packaging is barebones in a small brown carton box, with a letter of gratitude for purchasing the product and a hard case for carrying. Inside the case there are three pairs of tips of different sizes (S/M/L).
Every IEM, whether custom fit or universal, is hand-made in Japan.
Cabling & Fit
The cable is braided and is 127cm long (50 inches). The copper is protected by some sort of sturdy plastic and feels somewhat like a necklace. I cannot yet attest about its durability, all I can say is that it doesn’t feel neither premium nor cheap, although aesthetically, looks great.
The actual monitor is in a transparent shell that also feels very sturdy, the nozzle is made of aluminum. The universal version should fit leanly on most ears, without sticking out or looking too obvious. The insertion is not very deep compared to other IEMs, which makes it easy and fast to put in. The tips feel a little bit like velvet and Canal Works claims that it deforms with body heat, allowing it to take the shape of your ear. What I can say is that after prolonged periods of use, they are very comfortable and when taking them out, your ears feel “fresh” as if you haven’t been wearing anything at all.
Isolation is top notch, similar (if not equal) to Shure levels of noise isolation.
The cable is detachable with a 0.78mm 2pin connector. As for the tips, the nozzle is probably 5mm.
Branding, Market & Clients
Canal Works is mainly dedicated to custom IEMs, some of its custom models have universal variants. Its product line can be divided in three main categories:
- (Relatively) Low sensitivity with neutral character, for listening and studio use.
- High sensitivity with high bass sound pressure, for stage monitoring.
- Special use models, for drummers, guitarists, bass players, etc.
So they lean heavily towards a professional market, and a such they have a deal with NHK (Japan’s state broadcaster) and have been the provider of monitors for groups like Momoiro Clover Z, so their IEMs have been used and tested in Japan’s largest venues. Still, they are a small company, compared to other IEM brands in Japan.
Sound Quality
It’s clear why they don’t bother with fancy packaging and why they dare for their entry level IEM to start at $400. The CW-U02 sounds excellent.
Despite the use of only one balanced-armature driver, the frequency extension is amazing.
Bass is controlled and clean, while its sub-bass is potent and energetic. Mids are very detailed and allow vocals to breathe in songs. Treble is devoid of harshness and full of detail.
Most impressive is its soundstage, which provides great separation and imaging, and for hard-panned instruments, they can even sound as if they are coming from behind you. So the sound in general is very open and wide.
Another sign of its great balance is how it responds when the volume is increased. While other headphones get piercing in the higher frequencies as the volume is turned up or suffer other problems in the mids or bass, the CW-U02 increases in sound pressure level evenly and without distortion. In a way, it can be dangerous, since it sort-of invites to keep on increasing the volume, because the frequency response doesn’t suffer and no artifacts appear before getting to crazy volume levels.
It also responds really well to equalization. Playing around with a high quality parametric EQ, you can change the character of the sound drastically, without making the single armature driver sound like its getting pushed to places it should not. That being said, given the natural character of its sound, these IEMs do sound better with no EQ at all.
The only asterisks to its great sound is that:
- There is a slight emphasis on bass. With FabFilter Pro-Q 3, I managed to eliminate it by subtracting 3dB at 300Hz and a low shelf of only -1dB at 80Hz. That being said, the emphasis is not significant enough, so an equalizer of lower quality will most likely be detrimental.
- Above 10KHz any equalization becomes useless. I guess the single driver is being already pushed to its limits.
I had no idea what to expect from these IEMs when I bought them. My interest was mostly as a collectible item, however as I started to listen to different musical genres and experimented with it through FabFilter Pro-Q, I was astonished and they ended up becoming my main headphones for critical listening.
Being able to listen so clearly the almost hidden digital artifacts in Aphex Twin’s “Flim”, while the drum bass kicks with potency and the cymbals sizzle smoothly, without either element trying to overcome the other, not to mention the subtle stereo effects enveloping you, thanks to a soundstage that is the opposite of “tiny band inside your skull”, makes the CW-U02 a real joy.
To the Head-Fi Community
The only reason I bothered with a review is because there is very little info (even in Japanese) of these IEMs and I think the community might be missing on quite the hidden gem. I might be wrong and these could end up being actually average in a world where China is manufacturing great sound at a very low price, but I’m definitely interested in other people listening to them and most of all, measuring them.
Lastly, within all the product range of Canal Works, there are only two direct upgrades to the CW-L02/CW-U02, that go for the same neutral tuning: the CW-L52 (3way/6driver) and the CW-L72 (3way/8driver).
