The last headphone in the quartet from MEElectronics I am testing this spring is the CC-51P. It is a member of the Clarity series with a focus on a clean and clear reproduction of the source material with a slightly enhanced bass. It is also one of the more expensive headphone sets from MEElectronics at $89.99. Visually it is almost a look-alike to the Apple In-Ear Headhphones. Apart from that clear visual resemblance they don`t have much in common.
The CC-51P has a ceramic housing that is lightweight. The overall design is quite sleek until you remove the silicone ear tips. The size of the end piece going into the ear is immense, and this is of course a problem for those with small ears. It gives a quite large sound chamber that the sleek ceramic back part couldn`t house by itself.
The sound of the CC-51P is clear as advertised. There is nothing disturbing the source material, and the dispersion is excellent. For listening to jazz, classical music or spoken word pieces it works really well. These can easily be used by a large eared connoisseur focusing on the trumpet or clarinet in a dark room with a bottle of scotch. The majority of consumers nowadays demand more bass than these provide though, and listening to some Beastie Boys or DangerDoom feels flat, and quite uninspiring to me. Metal, and most rock music works well enough. Blues needs a bit more low end to make me satisfied.
The microphone is placed quite low on the right cord below the neck. As it is quite heavy it keeps bouncing about slapping me when running or riding my bike. The low placement also means that I need to hold it with one hand to my mouth to make myself heard above ambient noise or wind. This kind of eliminates the hands-free function of the CC-51P. I also miss volume controls that should be standard in 2011 in my opinion.
The cord is a standard plastic cord in the same color as the housing. It is fairly long at 130 cm(51 inches), and has a shirt clip attached. The clip fails to cling to the cord very well, and tends to glide down during the day.
As with most headphones from MEElectronics these come with some extras such as a handy clamshell carry pouch, and three extra pairs of silicone tips. The sizes available are: small/medium/large and dual flanged. As the end of the earphone is large the small is really a medium when compared to other in-ear headsets.
The CC-51P is a good alternative for those looking for a crystal clear sound. $89.99 is an okay price when compared to other headphones in the genre looking for clear sound. When compared to more bass heavy headphones the CC-51P falls flat, and is way overpriced. If you are in the market for something to use for popular music, hip hop and metal you have better choices available from Monster Cable, Sennheiser, Bose and Urbanears. For the right consumer the CC-51P will be a great investment, and my final rating reflects this.
Final Rating
CC-51P at MEElec.com $89.99, available in black or white.
