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TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Myer Audio CKLVX D41
The title of this review on my Spanish YouTube channel said that this is a “Fortunate accident” and the reason behind this is that I was never supposed to receive these IEMs.
About a month ago I received a set of IEMs which show the name “CKLVX D41” on the box and I had absolutely no idea what they were or who sent them. I searched online and found next to nothing about them, except for a couple of reviews (that I didn’t watch) and the mention of them on Reddit saying that they could be found under the brand “Myer Audio”.
After going through the pending IEMs I have for review, I realised that I was missing the Tanchjim 4U that I had been sent by HifiGo. After some more research, it turned out that they had been shipped to me by mistake. I am happy that the mistake was made and that has led to the title of “Fortunate accident”, something that I will discuss as we move forwards.
So, to recap, the Myer Audio CLKVX D41 have been sent to me by HifiGo, no comments or requests have been made by them, and you can find them via HifiGo here: https://hifigo.com/products/cklvx-d41
As always, this is a non-affiliate link.
Apart from the above backstory, I really don’t know much more about these IEMs. I know that they are priced at around 150€ (on HifiGo), that they feature a 10mm dynamic driver along with 4x balanced armature drivers.
Other than that, I know as little about these IEMs as you do, possibly even less.
Presentation…
The packaging and presentation of the D41 is nothing special. It is a simple black box with Cklux on the front and “High performance In-ear monitor” underneath in smaller letters. On one side there is a white sticker with a frequency response graph that simply states Ckvlux model:D41. On the back there is a smaller sticker that shows the address of the manufacturer (Shenzhen Meier Technology Co. Ltd). There is no reference to Myer Audio anywhere on the box.
An even simpler black box slides out from the external cover, also black but with no markings at all, and opens to reveal the IEMs, along with a round storage/transport case, both sitting in sponge cutouts, a user manual and a quality control card that says it is for a Juzear 41T.
At first, as I couldn’t really find any info on the CKLVX D41, I also tried searching for the Juzear 41T, which is a different IEM but coincidentally also uses a single dynamic driver and 4 balanced armatures. I don’t know anything about the 41T but it seems they are made, or at least packaged, in the same factory.
Build and aesthetics…
Once we discard the packaging and start focusing on the product itself, things definitely take a turn for the better. The included storage/transport case is a round faux leather style with a zip and is really quite nice. Inside the case we find the cable which is also much better than I expected, sporting quadruple weave and metal hardware. The cable seems to be of good quality and, while I wouldn’t rush out to buy the cable on its own, I have no issues with it.
Also inside the case we find 3 sizes of silicone tips, in two different styles, along with a single set of red foam tips, plus the ones installed on the IEMs. The tips are not great, especially the red ones that have some stray bits of silicone here and there, but the clear ones are not terrible and I have had no issue using them for this review, opting for the medium size.
The IEMs themselves are a 3D resin printed shell in black, with a polish brown faceplate that actually looks quite nice. While the IEMs are certainly not small, I found them to be comfortable and enjoyed them for long listening periods.
Honestly, while the build and aesthetics are not going to win any prizes, they do look good and seem to be well built.
Sound…
All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, etc.)
Here is where I was pleasantly surprised. I obviously had no idea what to expect when I put the D41 in for the first time as I wasn’t even sure of the brand, let alone what it was going to sound like. This is definitely one of those times when I had no preconceived opinions 😁
Before getting to my usual subjective opinions, here is the graph of the D41 in relation to my preference target that I always use for reference. As said many times in the past, this is just a guide and does not mean I will like or dislike a product based on its proximity to my preference on paper.
Starting off with the subbass, it has a very nice presence to it which remains controlled for the most part, although the “Chameleon” test does prove to be a little much for the D41. It is not that it loses control or sounds terrible, but it is not quite as clear as it could be. However, as we know, “Chameleon” is really a torture test and when moving to something more tolerable, like “No Sanctuary Here”, things are a much more defined. It is still not the clearest of subbass ranges, or midbass really, but it is pleasant and gives things a bit of a rounded texture in the lowest ranges.
Speaking of midbass, my fatigue test with “Crazy” again reveals that it is not the cleanest of low ranges. It not overly boomy in the reverb to the point of it irritating me but I would prefer either a bit more clarity or a little less midbass.
As we move into the midrange, things start to improve quite a bit. I find vocals to have a nice body to them, both male and female, with acoustic instruments having decent enough timbre, maybe just slightly too rounded on the lower notes (midbass) with certain recordings.
The thing that is different about the D41 is how it deals with the presence of vocals. There is that thickness in the lowest ranges, such as with Leonard Cohen in “Happens to the Heart”, but in the upper mids, the vocals are not lost but they are not spotlighted either. There is no real boost to the presence of the vocals and they manage to be slightly back but without getting lost. They could be referred to as being slightly dark, yet they are still clear enough to not feel like they need boosting.
The upper ranges are very smooth, especially for a set that is using 4 balanced armature drivers without being more specific about how they are using them. I would have expected the upper ranges to have some of that harshness that is found on so many balanced armature upper ranges when not done properly, but that is not the case. I suppose some could find them a little lacking in the upper frequencies but, to be honest, I grew quite fond of the smoothness for a lot of music.
There is no issue at all with sibilance or other harsh appearances and, while the details are not really the forefront of the show, they manage to provide a sensation of things being tied together and nothing really taking a front seat.
I enjoyed listening to a lot of tracks that feature strings and/or brass sections, songs that are not the easiest to listen to on other sets became a smooth and enjoyable listen on the D41.
Conclusion…
I didn’t even know what these IEMs were when I first listened to them but I am glad I did. I can’t say that they are the best IEMs I have ever heard and that everyone should run out and buy them (I would never say that anyway) but I have found them to be an unexpected pleasurable experience.
There are many reasons why I would not recommend these IEMs, in fact, there are many reasons why I would say that they aren’t for me, yet I have really enjoyed listening to them. They are not the best in the bass department, they are not the best in the vocals department, they don’t excel at details and they aren't exactly great in the treble, but for some reason… I really like them.
I had no idea who Myer Audio were before these IEMs, I still don’t to be honest, but if this is their first set of IEMs, colour me impressed at them managing to do something a little different that just works. It shouldn’t, but it does.