[jant71]

I have some experience with Cresyn. I have owned a total of five Cresyn products that I know of. The Denon P372, the the Audio-technica ATH-CM5 and I currently own the Cresyn EP300 earbuds, HP600 portable headphones, and now the C510E. I have liked what I heard previously so when I saw these became available at the beginning of May, I decided to grab a pair.
 
To quote some of the company info:
 
  "The Cresyn headphone brand was established in 2002; it is the top-selling headphone brand in South Korea. Originally founded in 1959 as Daehan Phonographic Needle Factory, Cresyn began making headphones in 1985 and is now one of the largest headphone manufacturers in the world. The company designs and manufactures headphones for a range of well-known brands, including Apple, Audio Technica, Blackberry, Denon, Hewlett-Packard, LG, Panasonic, Samsung and Sony. It also markets headphones under its own Cresyn brand and owns upmarket headphone specialist Phiaton."
 
I purchased mine from iheadphones UK: http://www.iheadphones.co.uk/cresyn-c510e.html They also have them an ebay for them as well. They cost US $38 and almost another $10 for shipping to the US. Fairly inexpensive upon release but good to note that they should be cheaper as they age and become more available. If you wait long enough great deals become available like the EP300 which was $2.99 shipped from Newegg and the HP600 which dropped to $14.99 shipped also from Newegg. Getting all three phones and spending around $67 shipped wasn't too hard on the wallet.
 
There is one unboxing video on Youtube...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uow_VqMFl9w
 
Specifications for the Cresyn C510E

Type - Half in-ear headphones
Construction -  Dual-chamber, semi-open back
Driver Size - 14.3mm
Impedance - 32 Ohms
Sensitivity - 101dB
Frequency Range - 15Hz-20kHz
Max Input Power - 40mW
Cord Length - 1.2m
Jack - 3.5mm
Weight - 6.8g (without cord)
Supplied Accessories - Four sets of silicon ear tips; one set of Comply
T-400 memory foam ear tips; carrying pouch
 
Pictures(mix of stock and mine)
 

 
Build Quality
 
For the price the build quality slightly above average. Nicely presented in an attractive box that splits in half to reveal windows showing the contents. The box is held together with magnets similar to other products using the little magnets on the flaps of the lids.
 
The phones themselves are well made. A nice glossy front housing and sound tube made of thick plastic and the rear chamber is something Grado would be proud of. Nicely polished Aluminum second chamber with metal mesh in the rear. The plug is also plastic with a rubber shrink tubing style relief coming out the rear of it. As in the pic above it is small an tries to be unobtrusive. The Y is heavy rubber with a small useful cord slider. The cable itself is neither thick nor thin. Right in between thick/thin and rubbery/plasticky. It seems fairly sturdy and fairly light so it is also fairly unobtrusive. The cables downfall is that is holding the bends from packaging so far and it does want to tangle a bit. Also right in between. Not bad like the SHE3580 cable nor as good as a CK10 cable.
 
The accessories are decent as well. 4 pair of nice quality silicone tips. A bit longer and more bullet shaped than standard tips. A pair of Comply's are included. The case is a pouch but is thicker and not cheap. Nothing special but a nicer thicker pouch than other cheap phones supply.
 
Overall, given the $38 cost, I am satisfied with the build, packaging, and accs. Better than most but not the best.
 
Design
 
The design is half in-ear with a dual chamber much in the way a more familiar phone(The CKS77) is. A rear Aluminum chamber looks to enhance the sound in some respect. The Cresyn housing is just nicer. Better plastic in the front, nicer aluminum in the rear, metal mesh screens, better strain reliefs. The CKS77 is cheaper in comparison.
 
Where the design differs is that the Cresyn is semi-open. So the rear is very reminiscent of Grado in both looks and behavior. You can flip Grado cans and listen backwards cause they leak. You can flip the Cresyn and listen out the rear as well. So, if you want isolation these are not for you. These fail the finger snap test with music playing vs. really good isolators w/o music playing. These are more like earbuds that stay in you ear. Comfort is very good due to the less invasive half in-ear design we have seen before in the Sony EX80's/90, Radius DDM2/Brookstone, CKS77 and on and on.
 
The result is one of the bigger more open sounding earphones. A phone that really does great with live recordings. They are also Grado like in that they are good for rock music and are more in your face. A big stage but not distant in the way an IE8 is.
 
So, like the title says, these are unique and a bit niche. You can read on to the next post for upcoming sound impressions if a semi-open in-ear with a unique musical presentation interests you! 

 

[jant71]

Sound
 
Basic signature: The basic signature is on the dark side with a bass focus. The bass is the dominant and focused area but the mids and treble still have quality and presence. With stock tips the sound balance is much akin to the Mee CC51, Xeport 5010, and even the familiar Portapro/KSC35. They also don't fall fall from there own CS-HP600 except the 600 is not as dark. The bass reaches impressively low regardless of price. The treble lacks that reach that the bass has though it is comparable to my CN40 and is quite good for less than $40. The treble reach will fall short of the big boys like the GR07 and many good armatures but will be there with most every well regarded $50 phone. 
 
The sound signature or sound balance is as I describe above but not the whole story. Being semi-open, the C510E doesn't hold the signature as well as other isolating phones and it becomes more variable with added external noise. Allowing more bass frequencies to be cancelled out tends to balance them a bit more when on the go. Depending on use they become more balanced sounding then when used in a quiet room. The balance may shift evening them out more but they always remain fairly dark. The mids and treble are airy and well separated and posses good dynamics so they help the C510E keep up with most music speed-wise and contribute to their airy open sound.
 
The detail is quite good bearing in mind how rich and dark they are. A big rich sound like with the ASG-1 does not preclude from good detail and articulation though they won't have as good clarity or true timbre as with the Aurisonics driver. In the same vain though with a rich natural sound, If you wanted a back-up to the ASG-1.2 you could be happy with the C510E. Quite similar approach though a bit more shimmer on the treble for the C510E
 
Staging: Being semi-open helps them have a large soundstage. While big from top to bottom and left to right they place you only about 3-4 rows back. The imaging comes in as very separated and airy. It does a great job of up close and intimate and also placing things out further behind the usual distance. Same for left right panning. Basically a circular stage that can be exceeded in any direction a bit if the recording calls for it. Always slightly  
there fairly close but open and airy and shoots things here and there every now and again. Good to pick things out.
 
Strengths: Quite good with low level listening, acoustic stuff, live recordings, and very good with guitar based music. Sounds good with most players but seems to pair well with neutral stuff. C510E through my Rocoo P is an excellent match. Seems to be a bit more picky with EQ as on my iriver E300. Should pair well with a Cowon but reveal any artificial sound that others phones are forgiving of.
 
Driving Them: Not the easiest to drive but plenty of headroom left. They shouldn't present any problems straight out of any typical player. They take 22 of 30 on my S639. They take 23-24 out of 31 on the Rocco P. They take 30 out of 40 on my iriver E300(which brings back the old Action chipset for great SQ and also a slow UI, lol). About 4 notches more volume than my ASG-1 is to drive and about 4 less than my Sony-Ericcson HPM-78 is.
 
Overall: No problem recommending the Cresyn C510E esp. at a $37 price that should only get lower. The only things of concern are not related to audio quality. Do you like the half-in ear style? This will be one of the lower isolating in-ear phones. You need to spend a week with them. The cord needs to relax a bit and it will behave better. The driver needs hours to layer out even out the response which can behave oddly at first. Trying tips can tweak the phone so you could spend time doing that. The longer stock tips may not be for you esp. if you want more balance toward the treble. Just like the ASG-1 this is a phone that is better to spend more time getting to know.

 

[dweaver]

These interest me as they might be a good option for a bit less isolation and the mid oriented spuns appeals to me. How is the isolation?

In regards to treble can you give a few IEM's as reference points to describe the treble?

 

[blazer78]

Ahh Cresyn, I remember their signature earbud the E700 with the long colourful sticks many years back. I still own the Cresyn E5xx earbuds =)
 
But these look interesting, perhaps an impressions comparison with the CK10?

 

[jant71]

Quote:

These interest me as they might be a good option for a bit less isolation and the mid oriented spuns appeals to me. How is the isolation?
In regards to treble can you give a few IEM's as reference points to describe the treble?

 
The isolation is actually a little bit less than the other half in-ear style earphones such as the DDM2, Sony EX 85, and the like. Probably slightly less than if you got a just barely seal with your Denon C560.
 
Hard to talk about the treble at this point in case it might change. That and I don't have any familiar reference points in my collection. With the phone possibly still changing and from memory impressions you'd have to take it with a grain of salt. Having recently had the Hawkeye as well, the Cresyn has more air, sparkle and livelier treble. Sounds like it may be a bit better than the IL200 esp. as being better on the dynamics on the higher end. Doubt it will be much better unless the bass lessens to shift the balance more towards the treble. It does a good job against a powerful low end so it will be closer to just enough than bright but the quality of the treble is very good with decay, tone/timbre, dynamics, and imaging/positioning. I would like to see what a bunch more hours does though.
 
 
Quote:

Ahh Cresyn, I remember their signature earbud the E700 with the long colourful sticks many years back. I still own the Cresyn E5xx earbuds =)
 
But these look interesting, perhaps an impressions comparison with the CK10?

 
My CK10 is long, long gone but open and airy with good separation is all they have in common. The Cresyn would be so thick in comparison and the bass is as dominant as the treble is on the CK10 both unamped. You'd probably think the CK10 was thin and metallic sounding if you listened to the C510E first and think the Cresyn was boomy and dark if you listened to the CK10 first. Classic case of those phones whose signatures don't mesh and end up making both sound weird if you listen to them back to back. The old buds Cresyn made for AT like the CM7 are CK10 sounding but these start with a foundation of strong well layered low reaching bass that mimics being amped without the amp. The C510E is pretty rich and textured but will never have the clarity or refinement/resolving power of a good dual armature. Of course what you'd expect with a $200 price difference.

 

[ericp10]

Nice first impressions jant71. Thank you for the good work.

 

[jant71]

Okay, maybe a bit too much ASG-1, but doing a quick comparison with my Maxell CN40 shows just how dark the Cresyn are. As a reference, the CN40 is similar in brightness to the GR07. The Cresyn are rounding into shape and all three bass/mids/treble have quality above the asking price, you need to know they will always be on the dark side. As I mentioned before it may just help when using them out and about. Comparing at home just shows that they are dark, weighty, rich and a bit syrupy though not muddy or cloudy.  If we look at the exploded...

 
They did really dampen the heck out of them including dual in the front and in the canal. Of course this is where the unique behavior and the signature being dark and heavy but still detailed and fairly dynamic. Darker than a CKS77 yet the mids and treble aren't as lackluster.
 
Still safe to say I need to give them their full long burn since it is a bigger driver and with the design I couldn't tell you how they will change. I might say the bass with layer out but the damping will keep them darker and powerful sounding.
 
I'll probably tell dweaver that he probably wants something brighter on the high end regardless of the quality.
 
Funny though that they come with Comply tips. Just for added comfort?? They are negligible at adding isolation.

 

[jant71]

Post #2 impressions updated with a more dedicated sound section.

 

[kanuka]

thanks for the review. 

do you still prefer the cn40 ?

 

[jant71]

Well the trusty old forgotten gem that is about 80% of the GR07 and the C510E are neck and neck in how well they perform though they sound different. Thing is the Cresyn will get more hours to be certain. With the added hours since the previous post the difference in the brightness of the CN40 and C510E has diminished some. CN40 have clear single flange flange tips and not stock and the Cresyn have black medium size MEE M11 bi-flanges on them. I prefer the Cresyn with the Rocco P, I prefer the Maxell when using my minidisc. My iriver E300 has tons of presets so that it seems to find something to make any phone sound excellent(Jazz for the CN40, Power Drum for the C510E) and I really can't say prefer one yet. My S639 does well with both and I have no real preference here either. But the Cresyn has clearly caught up to the Maxell since out of the box. Something the CKS77 hadn't done when I sold them.

 

[jant71]

Continued burn-in shows some change. Best for 100+ hours minimum. I did decide to try removing the front dampers. First, they are held together with a small ring of double sided adhesive tape. A second double sided ring holds that to a small ledge inside the sound bore. You can carefully remove them both and place them on wax paper or stamp/address label backing paper for further use like I have.

 
They sound lighter and brighter and they extra lushness due to increased decay is gone. The pace of the C510 has been picked up which I like. Less lush now and not as dark. Detail comes through easier to discern. The added decay down low gave them some help with the sub-bass extension and that takes a hit. Still very good but not quite up with the best on low reach anymore. What I like better is "harmoniously balanced audio" as claimed on the box is now more harmonious and in balance as the mids and treble have more equal focus than before. The Cresyn midrange that I like from my other two models has shown up. Removing the dampers has made them a bit less 3-D than before and they are a couple rows more forward forward now. very immediate and in your face. With their open nature and Grado looks and now more forward and balanced sound, these are really what the Grado iGi should have been. Don't think the dampers are going back on. I like the sound signature more now; even more than my ASG-1. I might say my favorite signatures go Sony HPM78 edging out the C510E and the C510E edging out the ASG-1 and the CN40 now out of the rotation altogether as the C510E driver is better once it is freed up. The tables sure are turned from out of the box When the dark and smoothed over C510E couldn't keep up with the bright, airy, and crisp CN40. You really can enjoy these if you want a CKS77 like sound or take the dampers out and have more balance with a nice amount of bass more like an EX600 balance.  Have to get theses to Eric or someone who has things like the CKM500 to see just how they stack up.
 
The C510 do have a sister/brother earphone model the C500E...

Interesting but with very little isolation and a more stable fit, I'd say the C510E is the way to go. A bigger stage perhaps on the bud but they are identical from the driver back. But they should be a very good bud for the price if you so choose.
 
Found the Cresyn Asia site which is good for checking out the models...http://www.cresyn.asia/category/in-ear-earphones/
The clip on you may recognize as an AT-EQ500 and the new C555H or S might be a solid portable.
 
EDIT: Okay, I have the ability to change the tuning of my ASG-1 with cables and it will change the presentation and some of the technical aspects. The Sony and Cresyn have demanded a change to a different cables with a more enjoyable signature and not quite the most technical ability. So, I'll change my rankings from above to the C510E edged out by both the Sony Ericsson and ASG-1. More time needed to settle which signature between those two but the Cresyn comes in third now. That talk in the ASG-1 thread about losing the sweet mids rang a bit true with what I was hearing so a tweak was in order.

 

[5u5m1t]

Could somebody compare these to the SoundMagic ES20 please. They have very similar looks and I feel the sound will be similar too.

 

[jant71]

To be honest, it is not 2012 anymore. Buy a pair of Xiaomi Piston's and you'll do fine. ES20 are not well regarded. People say buy the ES18 instead. Penon has these http://penonaudio.com/HZSOUND-HZ-EP001 which are a nice package with that sound signature and accessories better than either the Cresyn or ES20. Others you might want to look into as well like the Ttpod, Brainwavz S0, etc. depending on the price you want to spend.
 
Also, the Phiaton PS20 are a good price right now. They are the higher end branch of Cresyn and would be the better sounding phone similar in design and signature to those two.
 
Hope that helps!

 

[5u5m1t]

Thanks very much (for the quick reply and the info)! Where is the best place to buy the Piston 2's, there's a lot of fakes going around in the market at the moment.

 

[jant71]

Penon would have the real Xiaomi available to ship most anywhere. http://penonaudio.com/index.php?route=product/search&search=xiaomi