5. Customer Service
Cosmic Ears always had a great customer service but CE is growing and it quickly became clear Phil alone couldn’t handle all the communications himself anymore. If you get in touch with CE now, there’s a big chance Amelia will get in touch with you. I myself added CE Support on Skype and always get in touch with her there. If you need a fast answer, Skype is the way to go.
Ordering a pair of monitors from their site is pretty easy. Just follow the different steps, select your options et voilà. For specific requests you better get in touch with them first.
Cosmic Ears still offers the online tracking system so you can keep track of in what production stage your monitors are at the moment. Once they’re done they’ll be shipped out to you immediately by DHL. European countries even have an overnight delivery, impressive.
6. Driveability & Sources
The CE5P is easy to drive and even your smart phone can make it sound really good. I personally never use my phone as DAP and I have used the CE5P straight from the AK120II, the Fiio X5SG and the discontinued iBasso DX90. The DX90 and Fiio DAP sound more or less the same and give the CE5P a good amount of bass, more so than the AK120II. The CEP5 from the AK sounds more detailed with a better separation and clarity.
I haven’t automatically been pairing the CE5P with one of my portable amplifiers as I was very happy with the result without amp. When I did use an amp I mostly ended up with the CypherLabs Picollo. The only time I heard the CE5P pick up a little hiss was when I connected it to balanced out of the Duet amp.
My personal favorite source with the CE5P is the Astell & Kern AK120II as it complements the CE5P’s characteristics best: clarity – detail – dynamics.
7. Sound
A lot of custom inear companies develop monitors that focus on one particular area like bass or vocals or treble. What I love about Cosmic Ears is that all their monitors are great all-rounders with generally good bass and especially good mids. The CE5P is no different in that regard. CE’s website says the CE5P is “an amazing earphone for a solid performance across the frequency range” and that’s exactly the feedback I gave CE. To be honest I received the CE5P a couple of months ago already. They didn’t even have it on their website back then if I remember well.
When listening to the CE5P there’s nothing really specific that stands out, unlike in the previously reviewed 5 drivers. The Stage 5 had big bass and the VE5 had a upper mids and treble focus. This isn’t the case with the CE5P. It’s a more linear and very balanced monitor where bass, mids and treble get equal focus and it’s this balanced sound that makes it such a pleasure to listen to. I’m not sure Phil agrees with me but I told him before I find the 5 to be most balanced monitor from their product line.
The first characteristics that come in to mind when listening to the CE5P are: clarity, tightness and speed. Apart from the Stage 5 both the CE5P and VE5 sound very clear from bass to treble. The CE5P is a reasonably fast sounding monitor and its attack is very good. I never felt it sounded slow and that it couldn’t keep up. Even with complex and fast passages the CE5P held up without problem. Everything on the CE5P sounds tight and precise and it does that effortlessly.
More on sound, after the click HERE
Alexander
Amazing review! I wonder how they compare to the Jomo 5.
Headfonia_L.
Thanks. check back in a month or 2 😉
Headfonia_L.
January!
digitldlnkwnt
I lost one of my BA4F’s on the bus coming home from work – fell right off my Plus Sound cable (grrrrr! pissed!), but as we say in the car tuner world, breaks are just chances for better fixes, so I am considering coming back to CE for a 5 driver model. Needless to say I will NOT be using a Plus Sound cable this time around.
Headfonia_L.
Wow! Did you have recessed sockets? Scary story, did you tell plussound?
digitldlnkwnt
here’s the thing, they gave me the wrong ends once, and the second time they gave me these long flush mount ones and said they were “better” and that they didn’t have the rec. sockets – i even sent a picture of the CE factory ends. Horse crap. Never again, i’ll go back to Effect. Don’t wanna be a thread jacker – great review – i think i’ll consider these or the Campfire Audio Lyra as my next purchase.
Headfonia_L.
What did you and up with?
digitldlnkwnt
I ended up with Lyra. I thought it would be nice to have set of good dynamic drivers in my quiver and the Lyra provide to be just the ticket. I almost like them better than all of my full size head phones mostly beause of the bass response. They’re so natural sounding, not overly articulate like my BA CIEMS
digitldlnkwnt
I ended up with Lyra. I thought it would be nice to have set of good dynamic drivers in my quiver and the Lyra provide to be just the ticket. I almost like them better than all of my full size head phones mostly beause of the bass response. They’re so natural sounding, not overly articulate like my BA CIEMS
barbafet
Saying the monitors start from £425 is misleading, they cost 25% more than that… With £89 VAT and £20 Delivery the cheapest you can get them is £534.
Headfonia_L.
That’s not really correct as it depends on where you are. so prices do start at 425 seeing some don’t pay taxes…
barbafet
So registered businesses picking up from the store can get it for £425… Does your readership mostly come from that background? Just think it’s bad practice to list some prices ex VAT (from sponsored brands no less) and draw comparisons on price to other manufacturers. They are not £400 monitors, they’re £500 monitors, which puts them in the arena of a lot more serious competition.
Headfonia_L.
No, all non EU citizens don’t pay taxes. For them the price actually is 425. Not fair, I know, blame the EU government. Sucks being an EU citizen for these kind of things, but for a lot of people prices are 425. I have mentioned this so many times before, but it won’t change anything. Long story short: Price is 425 for most readers.