CVJ KONOKA – AN UPHEAVAL

CVJ KONOKA INTRODUCTION:

CVJ, the brand based out of China is an uprising brand in the ChiFi industry with its exclusive products in the budget arena. The brand continuously emerges with its sound signature and their products are testimony for it. CVJ Konoka is their new budget product but it’s implemented with a new in segment vibration driver along with a hybrid configuration. In the following sections let’s dive in detail about this innovative CVJ Konoka.

DISCLAIMER:

The brand CVJ provided me with this unit in exchange for my honest opinion about the product. The views might differ from person to person based on the source and pairings with this product.

Unaffiliated link of the product for your reference: Here!

SPECIFICATIONS:

Impedance: 22Ω

Sensitivity: 116dB

Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20KHz

Pin Type: QDC-Type 2 Pin Connector (0.75MM)

Plug Type: 3.5mm

Driver Unit(s): (1) Dynamic Driver, (1) Balanced Armature Driver, (1) “Haptic Motor” Driver

CVJ KONOKA OVERVIEW:

The Konoka adopts a hybrid driver configuration with an added vibration driver for providing the reverb effect to the bass notes. The drivers are the 10mm Dynamic and a high frequency Balanced Armature. The drivers are connected through a frequency board that accompanies the tuning switches providing a versatile experience to the consumer. 

The tuning switches enable four different modes namely: Music Mode, Monitor Mode, 3D Movie Mode and the 3D ESports Gaming Mode. The vibration drivers get enabled in the 3D mode to provide the reverb when the sub bass comes to play.

All my impressions below are based on Monitor mode since it gave an overall balanced output while the other modes felt either bright or too V shaped.

CVJ KONOKA IN DEPTH ANALYSIS:

BASS:

1. The sub bass is authoritative over the mid bass providing some nice rumbles when the sub bass drops.
2. Mid bass stands behind the sub bass yet it has enough quantity to represent itself as well mannered throughout the presentation.
3. The speed and decay is precise and gets the proper separation and clarity in the low end section.
4. A clear distinction between the sub and mid bass section feels evident which helps in delivering a controlled bass response.
5. The quantity appears precise with above average technicalities in the low end profile. 

MID SECTION:

1. They make the vocals sound upfront onto the face by delivering the presentation slightly forward.
2. Due to the mild V signature the instrumentals hinders slightly behind the vocals yet shows its gracious presence.
3. The lower mid section feels cleaner and fuller making the male vocals sound lush. The snare drums hide behind the male vocals yet show its presence.
4. Someone sees the upper mid elevation, making the female vocals sound a bit sharper.and occasionally reaches the point of sibilance.
5. The elevation also makes them sound more open and dynamic with its wide enough staging which leads the high hats to shine.

TREBLE:

1. The extension evidently gives the Konoka adequate brightness.
2. The cymbal crashes and the trumpets have good presence with precise attack and decay. The guitar strings have a natural timbre with a hint of brightness.
3. The high hats however tend to have an extra touch of splash which might disturb the listener while replaying complex metal tracks.
4. Detail retrieval appears pretty good while extracting some good amount of nuances but still needs improvements.
5. The shimmer and brilliance seems to be present in an elegant manner delivering an open and clean treble response.

TECHNICALITIES:

TONALITY AND TIMBRE: Konoka have a neutral tone with a hint of brightness added to it. Despite the presence of BA, the timbre doesn’t have any metallic taste.

STAGING, LAYERING AND IMAGING: Konoka has good width and height in the staging with precise placement of the instruments leads to above average imaging.

Neatly laying out the notes with different weights delivers some impressive layering capability.

The detail retrieval is not the strongest aspect of the Konoka yet it brings out essential nuances out of the tracks.

VERDICT:

Konoka, a hybrid product from the house of CVJ, has revolutionized the budget arena by introducing a vibratory driver into their product to give the consumers a real life bass experience. The product houses a 10mm Dynamic Driver and a Balanced Armature Driver for delivering an incredible sound in this segment.

The Konoka has a mild V shape sound in the Monitor Mode while it has Bright and Deep V shaped sound in Music and 3D modes respectively. The vibration drivers only get activated in the 3D modes and all these technical actions are carried out by a PCB and the tuning switches. The vibration driver is nicely suspended alongside the two drivers that can be felt by tapping the faceplate of the IEM.

Based on the Monitor mode, the Konoka has a nice reach in the bass section where the sub bass takes authority over the mid bass delivering a controlled and precise bass response with realistic decay. The vocals come upfront pushing the instrumentals slightly back yet they represent themselves adequately throughout the presentation. The lush male vocals accompanied with sparkly female vocals gives a nice engaging experience to the listener. The upper mid has a touch of sparkle that stands on the verge of sibilance. Sufficient brightness is displayed with the treble feeling open and airy. Detail retrieval may not be the strong aspect yet they deliver the essential nuances. This have a neutral tone with a touch of brightness and a realistic timbre to the instruments. Stage feels big enough with acceptable imaging and layering.

For the price of 20 USD, the Konoka is not only impressed with its innovative approach but also with its strong sound output. Konoka definitely is AN UPHEAVAL to the budget arena and does get its attention from the competitors.

POSITIVES AND NEGATIVES:

Pros:

1. Innovative Vibration Driver for Reverb effect
2. Practical tuning switches
3. Neutral tone with hint of Brightness
4. Precise Bass Response
5. Energetic Presentation 
6. Monitor Mode – Most suitable for listening (Mild V Shape)
7. Price

Cons:

1. Upper Mid Emphasis (Occasional Sibilance)