Canpur CP622B Ti

Canpur CP622B Ti
RRP: $4,399
6x BA, 2x EST, 2x BCD

 

Introduction

Canpur have been on my radar for a while as I often read very positive impressions and reviews of various models over the last few years. I did try the CP54E briefly at a meet-up a couple of years ago and was very impressed, even debated buying a few times but never quite pulled the trigger. The CP622B Ti (CPTi for the remainder of the review) caught my attention a few weeks ago, the lure of titanium and the ‘scarcity’ of something limited along with impressions I read led me to my first higher-end IEM purchase in quite a while.

I’ve had a few weeks now to become sufficiently acquainted with this set to put fingers to keyboard and share my thoughts.

I bought via Musicteck with a review discount. As always, all thoughts etc my own.

You can purchase a set HERE from Musicteck. At the time of writing there is still stock available but it is limited to 100 units worldwide – which doesn’t seem like a whole lot, but this is a set north of $4k…

 

About Me

I worked in the consumer electronics industry for a large part of my career and have been passionate about music and technology for as long as I can remember. Even as a small child, I would ask my mum to put records on the turntable (Abba, Supertramp, and Planxty if anyone is curious).

My music preferences are very varied—anything from classical to techno, indie rock to jazz, and everything in between. In my early teens, I was a big fan of bands like The Cure and The Smiths (still am all these years later). I was bitten by the dance music bug in the early 90s, becoming passionate about genres like techno, house, trance, and IDM. I amassed a huge collection of records and CDs, DJing at various parties and occasional pirate radio station slots. Although it remained a hobby, I still own thousands of records, and my trusty Technics 1210 turntables are still going strong 30 years later—a testament to Japanese engineering!

I am not a professional reviewer, just an enthusiast who loves music and the devices we use to listen to it. Over the last few years, I have become obsessed with IEMs and related gear. I’ve bought and sold many, and kept a select few—ranging from the $20 Moondrop Chu to kilobuck sets like the Aroma Jewel, Oriolus’ infamous ‘Traillii,’ UM Mentor, and various beloved single DDs. Through this exploration, I like to share my thoughts with the Head-Fi community, hoping they might be useful to others. However, remember that this is a highly subjective hobby, and your mileage may vary.

While I’ve been fortunate to own and try a variety of the TOTL sets on the market, I honestly enjoy lower-priced sets as much – especially as the gap continues to close, many much cheaper sets now offering significant value and further driving diminishing returns.

I’ll admit I do suffer from happy ears… rarely do I find an IEM that I genuinely dislike. At this stage, there are very few truly “bad” IEMs; it almost always comes down to individual preference. Since I listen to such a wide variety of genres, I nearly always find synergy with some part of my library. Where my scores reflect deductions is in areas like value for money, poor accessories, or an uncomfortable fit – things that genuinely detract from the overall experience, rather than subjective tuning differences.

 

About Canpur (from the Canpur website – an interesting read!)

 

It all started with the founder of the brand, Hans JAPM Witjes, a white-haired old man from the Netherlands, a professional band drummer from the 1980s, with nearly 30 years of experience in live performances and sound tuning. Even after leaving the music scene for 10 years, he never gave up providing cost-effective music equipment for other professional musicians, singers, and sound engineers. As a grassroots musician himself, Hans has always had a deep love for this field and understands the hardships of young musicians. So he decided to start his own IEM business, creating high-quality IEMs that sound good, work well, look good, and are affordable for all grassroots musicians.

In the spring of 2019, CANPUR IN-EAR TEC BV was established in the Netherlands, and the CANPUR brand was established in the same summer, inspired by “CAN PURE,” representing “restoration, purity, and auditory pleasure.” Shortly after the brand was established, CANPUR encountered COVID-19, and the live music market was almost paralyzed. Fortunately, with caution and perseverance, Hans and CANPUR survived the ordeal. During this time, Hans came together with his old friends, and CANPUR became better and better.

CANPUR’s tuning team consists of Hans and his old friends, all of whom are professional music producers, mix engineers, band leaders, or audiophiles. Together, they research how to combine the listening experience of headphones with professional work. To make sure that every musician, every music lover, can afford truly good-sounding, easy-to-use, good-looking IEMs, high-end but not expensive, this is Hans and CANPUR’s goal and ideal, as well as the firm belief that keeps the team going. “Restoration, purity, and auditory pleasure” are CANPUR’s design philosophy, always starting from a professional perspective to ensure that each headphone has excellent restoration while meeting the requirements of music appreciation.

The development and design of each CANPUR headphone are strictly supervised by professional musicians and demanding audiophiles on the team. At the same time, all the universal-fit earphones of the brand are ergonomic products, using models that are designed based on ear canal data from thousands of people, which are derived from a large number of custom earphones and also aided by hearing aids.

Whether in a complex performance environment or in a high-intensity work scenario, the headphones can remain in good condition. In every process, we use the best materials and craftsmanship possible to ensure that each pair of headphones can accompany everyone for a long time.

 

 

Specifications:

 

I can’t find any specifications online to share here unfortunately. All of the drivers appear to be from Sonion however, and the cable by Eletech – which I absolutely adore, more on that later.

 

Unboxing

 

 

This is one of the most unique unboxing experiences I’ve ever encountered. I was on holiday in Florida when I ordered from Musicteck, adding even more excitement to an already amazing holiday with my family – although my wife was unimpressed when I mentioned I had to stay in and wait for the UPS delivery… she was absolutely flabbergasted and I quote “I can’t believe we are waiting in for an earphone delivery while on holiday” – thankfully the driver arrived shortly after, and I averted any further commentary or drama.

 

 

Anyway… where was I – yes, a unique unboxing experience – which by the way I’ve recreated in terms of the images here as I had already opened in Florida… oh and my wife was also unhappy about the weight of the box in our luggage – no more mentions of disgruntled wife from here on in… but to be fair, the packaging is very heavy!

 

 

Anyway… the unboxing!

 

The CPTi arrives in a heavy box that upon opening the outer fairly straightforward looking packaging, you are greeted with what looks like some sort of Perspex glass with the IEM, cable and case visible.

In order to access the contents, you have to unscrew four plastic screws that are perched in each corner.

 

 

Upon opening, you remove the CPTi by pushing from underneath out of a plastic mould – should you end up purchasing a set, I do recommend pushing from below rather than trying to pull out from the top as they are held quite securely in the mould.

 

Coincidentally, I just turned 49 recently…

 

 

The Eletech cable is wrapped in place and simply needs to be unravelled.

I’m a bit torn on this whole experience as while it is impressive initially, beyond that it will simply be stored away somewhere so it feels a bit extravagant for a brief unboxing.

 

 

Accessories

 

Not a huge amount of accessories but you get what you need really – a box of tips in two different varieties covering S/M/L, a cleaning brush, cleaning cloth, and of course a case.

 

 

Case

 

 

The case has a premium feel to it with a good secure zipper. It has an internal cloth pouch up top to store extra tips or the cleaning brush etc. A nice size that comfortably holds the CPTi and cable.

 

 

Cable

 

 

Let me start by saying I absolutely love this stock cable by Eletech. It is soft, lightweight, and incredibly easy to manage. I would be delighted if every cable was exactly like this. Minimal microphonics, incredibly comfortable, and looks slick. The only nitpick I have is that it lacks a chin-slider as I do often use these.

 

 

Design and Fit

 

 

The shells quite big and relatively heavy. I have read people having trouble with the fit and I can understand why – I am ‘fortunate’ in this case that having larger ear canals means these sit very nicely in my ears – they do take a bit of manoeuvring to get a secure fit… i.e. insert with a forward motion, and then twist back into place. Once in place, they are very comfortable and I have no issues in terms of fit for long sessions.

 

 

I love the somewhat minimal design and the overall titanium finish which I am always a sucker for. The shell design was done in collaboration with Eletech, so they had a role beyond the cable.

 

 

While the fit for me is fine, I must note that I did experience pressure build even though they have ports. I have found this issue with pretty much every set that features bone conduction – not sure why, and I’ve not heard anyone saying the same but I’ve encountered on a several occasions now so definitely not a coincidence. The solution for me is to use tips that reduce pressure build, and annoyingly I can’t remember the brand/model of the tips I’ve been using – will update when I do!

 

Listening Impressions

 

 

I came to the CPTi with a real sense of curiosity as to how it would perform versus other top tier sets I’ve tried over the years, and especially seeing as it has been a while since I dipped into these top-tier waters. I was sort of expecting a technical beast that might be perhaps too clinical and lack an emotive edge – my expectations were met on the former, but definitely incorrect on the latter – the CPTi performs unbelievably well on both counts, up there with the very best sets I’ve tried and perhaps even a longer term keeper in this category… it is very hard to find fault with, and so easy to love.

 

I tend to prefer more neutral sets that have good technical competency. I don’t usually like sets that are too coloured or bass-heavy, nor indeed too mids or treble focused – hence my preference for more neutral! CPTi delivers a nicely rounded neutral performance, with phenomenal technical capabilities, and yet with a an overall smooth and wonderful emotive sheen. While there is no dynamic driver for low end, the BAs and I assume BCD perform a magic in this regard where I’d have never guessed a DD was absent in a blindfold test… while not massively powerful bass in either sub or mid, there is good presence here for both and with snappy, fast, and detailed performance. From a sheer ‘slam’ perspective when a kick drum lands, you do notice the difference between a well-tuned DD but it is marginal.

 

 

Listening to the latest album from Washed Out while I type, and the vocals (male) are perfectly lifelike with a spot-on to my ears central position – sat forward every so slightly but not at all overwhelmingly or dominant in the mix. There is an excellent sense of space with accompanying instruments with wonderful clarity and precision.

 

Going back to the technical/musicality balance, I actually wonder if CPTi performs better than anything I’ve heard to date – hard to validate with sets that I no longer own but it definitely sits in the Traillii, Mentor, Jewel etc league. There is a large holographic stage, ultra-precise imaging and layering, along with fantastic detail retrieval that remains musically immersive, not stepping into that clinical realm. There is a crisp sparkle up top that provides ample air and extension, yet shouldn’t upset anyone who is sensitive to uppers. Also, I love the sense of intimacy in the way the BCDs place music within my head, very immersive.

 

Tracks

I was debating skipping this section and jumping straight to the conclusion – the reason being and which I intended to note, the CPTi sound bloody incredible with basically anything I choose to throw at them. But that would be lazy, and indeed best to illustrate how wonderful they are through a selection of tracks that I’ve been listening to lately.

I’ve had them paired with a mix of the Sony 1ZM2, Lotoo GT2, and Astell & Kern CA1000T. I probably enjoy the most with the GT2 but wouldn’t be overly fussy on the source as easy to drive.

 

Henrik Melerkord – Springflowers

 

A wonderful modern classical composition and the sort of track/album that would usually have me reaching for one of my many single DDs as I tend to prefer how a dynamic driver renders music like this. However! – I’ve chosen the CPTi on a regular basis over the last few weeks when winding down in bed to either ambient or modern classical, really appreciating how emotive and captivating this set can be. I could honestly listen to an album like this forever with the CPTi, utterly mind blowing again in terms of that technical/musical balance – when I listen to a set like this I honestly do question my desire to continue with reviews as they are often a distraction from simply enjoying music, and being wowed by the performance of a set like this.

 

Saint Etienne – The Go Betweens

 

 

Moving up a notch to something more energetic and an opportunity to evaluate both male and female vocals. As noted earlier, and is the case again now, the vocals have excellent note weight and sit a touch forward in the mix but without overstepping the mark. The synths, bass, and percussion have precision and authority yet still cohesive and emotive – there is a soft edge or sheen that sits over everything that I would stop short of calling ‘colour’, yet does project a soft layer of sorts that provides an emotive umbrella to all that sits underneath… if that makes sense!

 

Virgo – Epic of Mana

 

 

Virgo is a Japanese electronic artist that following a hiatus since his original ambient techno works of the 1990s, thankfully resurfaced in more recent years and has now released a few new albums. This is again a very captivating performance on the CPTi where the intricate details are surfaced with that precision coupled with the emotive rendering – the kick drum does land with a touch softer edge versus a well-tuned DD, but again there isn’t a huge amount in it. I listen to a lot of music that sits in this category and I could comfortably quit the chase and just listen to this set forever more… I don’t say this lightly.

 

Arooj Aftab – Last Night

 

 

My initial impression here was to describe a somewhat intimate rendering, and thinking of that in the context of the set rather than the performance – but as the track progressed it dawned on me that the set is rendering an accurate depiction of the track. It sounds intimate, yet with again that incredible distinction in terms of the various instruments and vocals, still all in the overall cohesive presentation. Vocals yet again a touch forward, with excellent body and note weight and really beautifully rendered, the mids work magic. The bass sounds incredibly lifelike, likewise percussion and acoustic guitar – the clarity is fantastic, and I still have that ‘sheen’ of an emotionally captivating performance.

 

Slowdive – Sugar For the Pill

 

 

I loaded up this track and was ready to listen and type, yet I had to stop and just listen – reminded again of how much I adore this song, and the album overall. I’ll say It again, I could live happily ever after with this set when it comes to choosing a genre like this. I’m super impressed by how Canpur have tuned the CPTi to work so seamlessly across basically any genre, and allow a spectacular balance of technical prowess and musical finesse to shine. If I were to nitpick, I might flag a slight preference for how a DD renders guitars from a timbre perspective but it is truly marginal and likely a product of my most frequent listening habits.

 

Wilco – Spiders (Kidsmoke)

 

 

A rather epic masterpiece at almost 11 minutes long, and a track that really evolves as it progresses before the ultimate guitar climax. It has again a sort of intimate rendering but I think in part due to being an older recording, and one that on some sets could come off a bit flat but the performance here is excellent – albeit not quite as dynamic as a more modern recording. It is a busy enough song with a lot of competing instruments, especially in the more climatic moments but I never hear anything harsh or a sense of congestion – all instruments have ample space and as such wonderful clarity and again precision. Immensely enjoyable to revisit this as it has been a while.

 

Shpongle – How the Jellyfish Jumped up the Mountain

 

 

Psychill always tends to have top-notch production and a delight to listen to on a competent set, especially with BCDs as there tends to be a vast amount of layering and detail. I listen to quite a lot of this genre and frequently a test for a new set. It will come as no surprise that it works incredibly well on CPTi – the stage sounds vast and that wonderful clarity so evident with every tiny bit of detail shining through. The kick drums land with excellent authenticity for a BA and I honestly could be fooled to have thought a DD in action… albeit again just falling a tiny bit short of the DD impact, but I stress this is marginal. The mids are lush and captivating and at the same time render details with excellent precision – you can really hear this on the strings that come in later in the track, puts shivers through me. Sub bass has decent extension and rumble but purists may seek more, and especially if a DD is a must. It is a real treat to listen to Shpongle on this set, perfectly suited in terms of the technical performance with an abundance of musicality.

 

Comparison

 

DITA Ventura

 

 

Ventura on switching immediately sounds like a dynamic driver (which of course it is), and this is evident in the mid-bass slam in particular. There’s a touch more physicality and rumble, and the sub-bass reaches deeper. It also projects a more spacious and airy presentation, with a sense of sound coming from outside my head. That usual reference to a 2-channel speaker system springs to mind again with Ventura, where the single DD creates a more traditional stereo-like experience.

CPTi by contrast has a more intimate rendering, and I’ve consistently noticed a sensation of sound being more inside my head. I suspect this is in part due to the bone conduction drivers, which seem to anchor the sound internally. It’s not congested or closed-in, but it does feel different to the expansive staging of something like Ventura.

Treble extends further on Ventura, where upper mids occasionally flirt with my danger zone but never quite cross it. CPTi stays well clear of any harshness, with what I’d consider a very safe and smooth tuning across the board. Mids on both are lush and captivating, though CPTi adds a subtle sheen that sits wonderfully across the FR and lends a slightly more coloured presentation. Sub-bass is more evident on Ventura, with a deeper rumble and a bit more weight.

Ultimately, CPTi feels more intimate and emotionally immersive, while Ventura leans toward a more dynamic and spacious presentation. Two incredible sets that lean in different directions, and both offer something special depending on mood and genre.

 

Conclusion

 

I have no choice here but to hype the absolute heck out of this set, as I’ve loved every single interaction since I first plugged them into my ears in (mostly) sunny Florida about a month ago. Work and life more broadly has been chaotic lately, and I’ve had far less time for the hobby as a result, but finding moments where I can step away and load up an album along with a set like the CPTi has been a huge opportunity to switch off and recharge.

The CP622B Ti is up there with the best sets I’ve ever heard, especially in how technicalities and musical engagement are balanced. Incredibly immersive and highly engaging IEMs that work with pretty much anything I throw at them. My first experience of Canpur has blown expectations out of the water, and I’m absolutely hooked.

The question as always for me is how they’ll stack up over time versus my DD obsession…