The PLA13 CCAs are the company’s first IEMs with planar magnetic drivers. It is entirely possible that the PLA13 has just been rebranded PR1 by CCA’s sister company KZ. At just $65, the PLA13 is one of the cheapest planar IEMs you can get today, which is quite an achievement since just a few years ago you would have had to spend hundreds of dollars for the same privilege.
In this review, I’m going to look at the audio quality of the PLA13 and consider whether it’s worth getting on the planar hype train in this price range.
Project
The PLA13s have a somewhat typical CCA/KZ design with sturdy earpieces made of transparent resin. I personally like this chunky shape as it makes it easy to grip when inserting or removing the earphones and they don’t protrude much from the ears.
The earphones are also very comfortable; the shape felt perfect for my ears and they are also very light. The silicone ear tips are soft and create a great seal. I could wear them for hours if I wanted.
The earphones have a standard 2-pin connector for connecting the cable. The cable is pretty good quality for this price. It’s light, flexible, and reasonably long with an L-shaped connector at the end. The curves for the ear hooks are a little stiff but not uncomfortable. The cable does not hold kinks and microphonics are minimal. The Y-split is a little lower than I’d like with no way to adjust it, but other than that I haven’t had any complaints.
You can get the earphones with or without a microphone. There is a single button on the microphone cable for answering or ending calls and for playing/pausing. If you get the mic cable, make sure your amp supports the TRRS connector, but this shouldn’t be a problem with most DACs and USB adapters. I’ve tried with a Shanling UA2 and Apple Lightning to 3.5mm adapter and had no problems, although the mic only works if the adapter also has an ADC or is passive.
Performance
Planar magnetic drivers are known for their superior performance. Passing the voice coil through the diaphragm and then suspending it within a magnetic field with magnets on one or both sides causes the entire surface to vibrate evenly removing any driver flex that can occur on dynamic drivers. It is also very light, making it extremely fast. In fact, planars are to dynamic drivers what OLEDs are to LCDs. On paper, they’re just better.
However, the basic design of the driver is one thing and how it is built and tuned is another matter entirely. It is possible to have a dynamic driver that sounds really good and poor planar. And that’s pretty much what we see with the CCA PLA13.
Whatever technical superiorities the PLA13 driver might have in theory, they are drowned out by the typical V-tuning of CCA/KZ. The low end is bloated and often boomy, and even the speed of a planar can’t compensate for it. The midrange is fine but is often drowned out by the bass. The highs are easily the worst part; it’s overly high-pitched and hissing, and can make some content downright unbearable.
More than the tonality, it’s the overall sound that feels strangely compressed and muffled. Compared to my 7Hz Zero, an IEM with dynamic drivers that costs half the price, it makes the difference day and night. The Zero, in addition to being masterfully tuned, also sounds open and airy with clear instrument separation and vocal clarity. The PLA13 on the other hand sounds like listening to an FM radio broadcast of that same track with boosted bass and treble.
Anyone familiar with tuning CCA and KZ knows what it sounds like. It’s a shame the brands can’t get past their obsession with this aggressive V-shaped setup even in the modern IEM landscape. There is a way to make a V-shaped sound, but this isn’t it. It’s just too aggressive and the equivalent of adding too much salt to bring the flavor.
Powering the PLA13 was no problem despite the planar drivers. You can easily drive them from any phone that still has a 3.5mm port or Apple 3.5mm adapters.
A quick word into the mic: It’s not very good. It seems terribly quiet, and voices don’t sound much better than most good Bluetooth headsets.
Conclusion
The CCA PLA13 is a great product in theory. $65 for planar IEMs would have been unheard of not too long ago. Unfortunately, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and in practice PLA13s are disappointing. I highly recommend the aforementioned 7Hz Zero if you like a more balanced tuning or the ever popular Moondrop Aria if you want to hear what a good V-shaped tuning sounds like.
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