CVJ KE-S & CVJ TXS: How are these so cheap?

September 09, 2023

Pros

Very affordable
Comes with a decent set of ear tips
Lightweight, comfortable fit
Fun tonality
Fun bass with decent qualities
Very engaging and forward female vocals
Treble is bright and sparkly
Decently smooth treble with only mild peaks
Tuning switches (TXS)

Cons

No included pouch or case
Cheap, plasticky build
Somewhat recessed midrange
Female vocals can be harsh and veil
Thin note weight and density at lower midrange
Subpar technicalities
Tuning switches doesn't change the sound much (TXS)

Disclaimer
Huge thanks to CVJ for providing the opportunity for me to review the CVJ KE-S and CVJ TXS. I really do appreciate it. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own, and are not influenced in any way.
Both of the IEMs sound quite similar. Therefore, I decided to write about both in the same article, as I think it is a little redundant to release 2 very similar articles.

Price(MSRP)

CVJ KE-S: $10
CVJ TXS: $12

Source(s)

Jcally JM6 Pro
Truthear Shio

Ear tips

Dunu S&S

Packaging

CVJ KE-S

Comes with a barebone set of accessories

IEM.

Attached to 1 pair of silicone ear tips (M sized)

Decent selection of ear tips.

2 pairs of silicone ear tips (S, L)

The stock ear tips are actually quite comfortable for me, they are soft and sounds pretty decent.

4N OFC cable woven with Kevlar fiber

Feels cheap but it is soft and doesn't tangle often.
Ear hooks are soft as well.

CVJ TXS

Comes with a barebone set of accessories

IEM.

Attached to 1 pair of silicone ear tips (M sized)

Decent selection of ear tips.

2 pairs of silicone ear tips (S, L)

The stock ear tips are actually quite comfortable for me, they are soft and sounds pretty decent.

High purity OFC cable

Decent at first look, but they feel surprisingly cheap. I did not like the feel of them.
Ear hooks are stiffer than the ones in KE-S

Switch control tool

Build Quality

Plasticky, lightweight shell. Feels and looks very cheap.

Fit

KE-S

Nozzle width and length is quite average.
Fit is quite comfortable for me, very lightweight so I don't feel much on my ears.
Ear hooks shape is a bit weird and long but it is soft so it doesn't actually bother me too much.

Nozzle width and length is quite average.
Fit is decent, lightweight but isn't super comfortable like the KE-S.
Ear hooks shape is a bit weird and long, but in this case, the ear hooks are stiffer than the one in KE-S, therefore irritating me a bit more.

Tonality

V shaped.
For the TXS, I don't hear a very apparent difference for the tuning switch settings. Therefore, I go with the default setting for both being down.

Bass

Quite balanced between the sub bass and mid bass, but mid bass is slightly more prominent here.
Fun and impactful. Have good slam, rumble and decent depth.
Bass texture and definition are average as expected, plus the speed and decay is a little on the slower side, which makes it a little harder to keep up with very busy tracks.
Not the most well controlled bass too, bleeds a little into the midrange.
Surprisingly, for KE-S, it has decent sub bass extension for the extra rumble.
The TXS is lacking a little bit of that extra rumble.
Quantity of bass is quite huge, may even be sufficient for some bass heads!

Midrange

Midrange is somewhat recessed, making it quite scooped after the initial bleed.
Male vocals and instruments in the lower midrange are pushed back, sounding a bit too distant to my liking.
Higher female vocals and instruments in the upper midrange on the other hand, are very forward and energetic, but it is a little too aggressive for me, making them sounding too veil and shouty.
The TXS isn't as bad as the KE-S in this aspect but still suffers from similar issue.
Timbre is not the most natural as there is some bass bleed and veil-ness but is decently acceptable for a V shaped signature at this price range.
Note weight and density are decent everywhere else other than the lower midrange which is kind of thin.

Treble

Treble is on the brighter side.
Not the smoothest treble as it comes with some sibilance but far from the worst I've heard.
Treble extension is ... subpar. Basically no sense of airiness. However, the KE-S is a touch better in terms of treble extension if I had to pick one.
Details in treble are subpar, cymbals sound blunted and smeared but this is to be expected from something in this price range.

Technicalities

Resolution

Resolution and detail retrieval are average. However, I think this is fairly acceptable considering that this only costs $10 - $12.

Soundstage

Soundstage is somewhat cramped, doesn't sound wide or deep in any way.

Imaging

Imaging is also subpar, sound can be distinguished for left and right but struggles in other directions.

Separation

Separation and layering is average.
Suffers a bit during busy tracks but generally does alright for not-so-busy tracks

Comparison

CVJ KE-S & CVJ TXS

Accessories: While the TXS stock cable may seem a bit more premium at first sight, KE-S has a softer cable with softer ear hooks, and the KE-S fits better on my ears. The TXS on the other hand has tuning switching but those are more of a gimmick.
Bass: KE-S has better sub bass extension, which gives a little bit more rumble. Other than that, there isn't much noticeable difference between them.
Midrange: Both are also quite similar in this aspect, while still being a little aggressive, the upper midrange on the TXS is slightly less veil and shouty.
Treble: While both are bright and sparkly, having a similar smoothness as well, the KE-S has a slightly better upper treble extension.
Technicalities: Both are very similar in this aspect.
Overall, I would personally KE-S due to its better fit, cable and sonic presentation. However, the difference between them are not day and night.

Conclusion

Despite all cons, these only cost around $10, therefore I think most of the cons are forgivable because of the price.
As a conclusion, I think both are actually quite good for the price. They are fun sounding IEMs with some spiciness to it but lacks quite a bit in terms of technicalities.
Personally, I would go for the KE-S as it is cheaper, has a softer cable with softer ear hooks, and a better fit for my ears.
However, if you're looking for a more relaxed or neutral signature with good technicalities, I suggest looking for something else.

Non Affiliated Link