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TRUTHEAR x Crinacle Zero IEM Review

Rate this IEM

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 13 2.2%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 21 3.5%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther)

    Votes: 73 12.2%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 493 82.2%

  • Total voters
    600

GaryH

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We have no idea how they use the rating scale. Some may score everything between 8.0-10.0 for example. It could be that your expectation for how the ratings should work differs from how they use it.
If that's the case it's terrible scaling then. Either way this means their ratings aren't useful. Does this sound like 9.2/10 sound? :D
Sounding kind of hyped on both ends of the frequency spectrum, the Pixel Buds Pro greatly exaggerates the bass and treble response, though it roughly follows the idea of our target curve. Bass (below 500Hz) receives a notable increase in volume, and sub-bass below 100Hz is over amplified by more than 6dB, relative to our preference curve. Treble receives a big bump between 4-8kHz, with up to 10dB of extra emphasis, and then rolls off above 9kHz. This can cause fricatives to verge into ear-piercing territory on a given “s-” sound, especially during a phone call or a meeting with those loud untamed “s-“ sounds. It also can mean that cymbals will play back louder than you expect. The emphasis on the highs and sub-bass occasionally overwhelms the mids.
 

Jhify

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They tested them before those presets came out. The point was though the very high rating of 9.2/10 Soundguys gave them for sound was not only at odds with their measurements showing large deviations from their own target, but also at odds with their less than glowing subjective description of them in the review, so I don't think they can be trusted.

I highly doubt an average of the response of studio headphones would somehow produce a curve that is exactly flat all the way from 20 Hz to 800 Hz...Plenty of studio headphones have Harman-level bass shelves e.g. probably the most ubiquitous the Sony MDR-7506 (at least down to ~30 Hz). None of their methodology makes much sense at all and the targets they come up with are pretty suspect. As for Crinacle, these reviewers love to say the Harman in-ear target isn't for them, but when you actually look at their reviews you'll most often find they do actually highly rate IEMs that follow it. Just look at the highest-rated TWS model on his site - the AKG N400, which closely follows the Harman target and as far as I'm aware has the highest predicted preference rating of all IEMs at 90/100 (calculated from its adherence to the target). And his highest-rated wired IEM? (For 'tonal grade', because the 'technical grade' is mostly just a meaningless proxy for pricing bias). The ThieAudio Monarch MKII, which...has a Harman-level bass shelf and follows the target fairly well elsewhere too, with a predicted preference rating of 81/100 (the same as the Truthear Zero by the way). So it's best not to trust much of what these reviewers say they like or is the best target, because they're not even self-consistent with their own reviews, and look instead at the science that has the best evidence behind it in the form of double-blind listening tests, producing targets free from the influence of sighted cognitive bias.
My guess would be that half of studio headphones are open back designs that can't produce as much bass.

IDK man the only other IEMs I ever used before are my beloved airpods pro I use almost everyday for my workout and I always thought they were kinda bassy and their measurements show they've got petty much the same bass bump as the Zero but anyway I can't use either of them for over a hour before I get sore. I assume it's just how my ear canals work cause harman target based headphones don't give me as much bass. To my ears the zero has kinda the same amount of bass than the Sony MDR-XB500 I bought when I was 15 cause all I wanted is bass. Anyway it's still a great product and I can eq them :)
 

ob1

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I usually refrain from posting on ASR, since I can't provide anything of real value to the community. Here, I could not resist, please excuse me.
-A thousand thanks (merci mille fois ;) @Maiky76 ), your EQ is fantastic. So, that is Harman tuning!? Finally, I get to experience it. I have had AKG K371 and even with EQ, stock/brainwavz pads, I was left a little unsatisfied, not with the Zeros.
-I second @GaryH advice to insert it properly : holding your helix, stretch it a little, pulling at about 30-45 degrees up (clock wise, ref. 0 deg would be up) and open your mouth, then push on the IEM. This should favor full insertion. I have a formal training in hearing aid dispensing and that is how we were thought to teach our patients to insert their internal aids. Of note, I am NOT an audiologist. Before perfoming non diagnostic audioscopy, we would do the streching trick every time...
-It has been said again and again, but if you feel you're lacking bass or tonality is off with the Zeros, you do not have a proper seal or you've used a tip with a larger diameter.
-Huge thanks to Amir!!!
 

Jhify

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My guess would be that half of studio headphones are open back designs that can't produce as much bass.

IDK man the only other IEMs I ever used before are my beloved airpods pro I use almost everyday for my workout and I always thought they were kinda bassy and their measurements show they've got petty much the same bass bump as the Zero but anyway I can't use either of them for over a hour before I get sore. I assume it's just how my ear canals work cause harman target based headphones don't give me as much bass. To my ears the zero has kinda the same amount of bass than the Sony MDR-XB500 I bought when I was 15 cause all I wanted is bass. Anyway it's still a great product and I can eq them :)

I dowloaded SourceSound (great app for mac BTW) that allowed me to get presets eq for heaphones I own from oratory1990 for exemple to make them sound as close as possible to the harman curve and... They where all sounding neutral to lean. So now I'm pretty sure there's something wrong with my ears and IEMs..
 

jhaider

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Tripowin Grace is a lightweight cable, it has a mic with a call button.

Great name, and thanks for the tip!

I ordered a pair on my flight back from Vienna last week, and they arrived yesterday. I didn't buy them for me - our eldest needs earbuds for school - but I wanted to give them a listen first.

I didn't feel like grabbing my Quedlix 5k from a travel bag, so I plugged them into my personal laptop for this evaluation. N.B. this is my first time using the onboard headphone amp on the 14" M1 Pro MBP. It's actually quite good - the MBP's headphone blows the doors off of what passes for a headphone amp in my work thinkpad. There's plenty of drive even on battery power, without noise, for these IEMs.

Stupid ergonomic issue - Truthear's cable connectors (which came separately, packed in the little coin purse-style case) are symmetrical. So you can put them in with the wrong polarity and ruin your fit.

Initial impression is they're the third-best IEMs on hand, both in sound and ergonomics. Sound IMO goes AKG N5005 -> AKG N400NC -> Truthear -> AirPods Pro v1. They're also the second-best value - N400NC was purchased when Harman marked them all the way down to $47. One advantage of Truthear over N400NC is Truthear can get a good bit louder when driven from the MBP (and presumably any halfway decent external box). N400NC is a little too limited by the internal amps on recordings with high dynamic range and low average levels.

One thing that puzzles me - the "soundstage" seems a little more closed in than on either AKG. I'm not at all sure why that would be the case with IEMs. Perhaps I am imagining it.
 

GaryH

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I dowloaded SourceSound (great app for mac BTW) that allowed me to get presets eq for heaphones I own from oratory1990 for exemple to make them sound as close as possible to the harman curve and... They where all sounding neutral to lean. So now I'm pretty sure there's something wrong with my ears and IEMs..
I believe SoundSource scrapes AutoEQ's presets, which while using Oratory's measurement data, are not actually his EQs. His can be found here:


Note AutoEQ does not actually EQ to the Harman target, but instead its target has ~2 dB less bass (for over-ear headphones, and ~ 3 dB too little for IEMs). This would explain why you found the sound 'lean'. So, find some headphones you own in Oratory's list above, and EQ to his settings which target the actual Harman curve. And with the Truthear Zero, try Maiky's EQ, because despite that bringing up the sub-bass, it actually lowers the mid-bass (where most musical bass signals lie), as the Truthears actually have a mid-bass hump above the Harman target in stock form, which could explain why you find them bassy.
 
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GaryH

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Initial impression is they're the third-best IEMs on hand, both in sound and ergonomics. Sound IMO goes AKG N5005 -> AKG N400NC -> Truthear -> AirPods Pro v1. They're also the second-best value - N400NC was purchased when Harman marked them all the way down to $47.
I'm curious, as an N400NC owner myself (nabbed them for $47 too!), in what way(s) would you say the N5005 sound better? And which nozzle for the N5005 are you using (reference, bass boost, mid high, or high)?
 

Pattern

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Just got mine. Dead driver in the left ear piece
I received my replacements today. these definitely live up to the hype, I am absolutely thrilled with this purchase.
 

jhaider

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I'm curious, as an N400NC owner myself (nabbed them for $47 too!), in what way(s) would you say the N5005 sound better? And which nozzle for the N5005 are you using (reference, bass boost, mid high, or high)?

Very nice of @Sean Olive to publicize that deal! :)

The biggest step up is much, much greater dynamic range. N400NC just don’t have enough output for high dynamic range recordings. They sound fantastic until they’re don’t and refuse to give you more. N5005 has clean dynamic headroom to make you deaf with enough power, or to play softer recordings at comfortable volume. Truthear seems closer to N5005 than N400NC there, in my couple hours with them on the MBP.

I use N5005 with the mid high filter to balance out the Comply tips, and crossfeed usually in Quedlix 5k or RME ADI-2, but sometimes with the Bluetooth cable.
 

PaPoMusik

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This is a review, listening tests and measurements of the Truthear Crinacle Zero IEM review. It was sent to me by @crinacle as he has been a consultant on the project. It costs US $50.
View attachment 230789

I like that it has a bit of "bling" but not too much. The cord is just the right length for me (many IEMs are too short for my use). It is super flexible with very little microphonics. You get two sets of silicone pads in three different sizes which suites me fine. I wear the largest one and it stays nicely put.

The claim to fame of this IEM is that it complies with the Harman target. Let's see if that is the case.

EDIT: These are the included tips and the ones used for measurement and listening tests:
View attachment 231027

Truthear Crinnacle Zero IEM Measurements
Let's start with our frequency response measurement:
View attachment 230790

I must say I was not prepared for such a tight fit to our target! Other than a hair droop at 20 Hz and a bit deviation here and there, the response hugs our target a wet towel! Very nice. This renders our difference frequency response kind of useless:
View attachment 230791

Distortion is good enough at lower levels but gets a bit much at maximum SPL:
View attachment 230792
View attachment 230793

Group delay is not revealing for IEMs and such is the case here:
View attachment 230794

Impedance shows evidence of some tuning in bass frequencies:

View attachment 230795

The low impedance means many amps and sources can drive it but it is very low. Sensitive is on the low side as well for an IEM:
View attachment 230796

Truthear Crinnacle Zero IEM Listening Tests
As usual I start with my female vocals. My first reference track had excellent warmth courtesy of proper low frequency response. This continued from track to track with tonality that was just delightful. It not only sounds "right" but also enjoyable. The sound you get is like the best speaker in best room with no room modes. Of course there is no tactile feedback so deep bass doesn't sound the same but you get the picture.

I cranked up the volume on it and it kind of gets loud but I thought the bass started to gradually get distorted. Not a practical problem as you are not going to want to listen at those unsafe volumes.

I am sitting here typing this review and listening to it and marveling how nice every track sounds!

Conclusions
What on earth are you doing reading the rest of this review? Go and buy one of these! I don't care if you don't listen to IEMs normally. You want this IEM so you know what correct tonality is, when you listen with other transducers such as headphones and speakers. Think of it as the tuning fork that a musician uses! This IEM needs to be in your arsenal.

For those of you who use IEMs as I do in summer months (headphones wear too hot), you are in for a treat for peanuts out of your pocket. The science works. Kudos to @crinacle for advocating this execution. We are indebted to you for your contribution here.

I am happy to strongly recommend the Truthear Crinnacle Zero IEM. It brings that incredible harmony of technical excellence and superbly low purchase price.

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As always, questions, comments, recommendations, etc. are welcome.

Any donations are much appreciated using: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/how-to-support-audio-science-review.8150/
Thanks to Amirm for this review and his effort to keep this website active, which is of great value to many of us who enjoy this hobby. Thanks also to everyone who contributes ideas and collaborates with their comments.

Judging by the reception this IEM is having, it seems is going to become in a reference product and best of all, at a very reasonable and affordable price.

I have also ordered it and it is supposed to arrive between September 28 and October 1.

In the meantime, I've been listening to the songs that many of you have posted and I just made a Playlist, on Apple Music, (of the songs that I could find) So enjoy it!

TrutHear x Crinacle Zero IEM
Audio Science Review - User Playlist
https://is.gd/hRNfco

(If the use of the ASR name in this Playlist description is inappropriate, please let me know and I'll remove it)
 

Cote Dazur

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Thank you @amirm for the review and the recommandation. I have received my truthear IEM.
I am glad I ordered them, they play great music.
They can play loud, they are always in control, a lots of details.
Played, among many, the Boys for pele from T. Amos, there are a lot of “noise” in that wonderful recording, at the beginning of the first track, "Beauty Queen", the switch of the Leslie effect speaker can be heard (together with the noise of the rotating speaker), and the Leslie effect is made obvious as it is switched on and off during different parts of "Horses", itself a continuous piano piece, allowing for a clear comparison in the piano's sound with and without the cabinet. Those are not always heard, with the Zero, it is all there and the voice of Tori is as beautiful and mesmerizing as ever.
Those are not my first IEM, but they are the first I like and I like them a lot. I took a little time choosing the tips, very important step, the sound quality is also very dependent on setting them right in the ear, from very unimpressive to mind blowing.
To get that level of reproduction for that amount of money is quite impressive. To have a gentleman like Amir, take the time to review them professionally and point us in the right direction is priceless.
 
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DanielT

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Maiky's EQ is not designed to be used with the wide internal bore silicon tips, nor designed for use with the foam tips, but it is designed to be used with the narrow internal bore silicon tips - so it's not really valid for you to comment on Maiky's EQ unless you use the right tips (that were measured).


Yeah, I don't regret my purchase either, I could still try the foam tips......and even if I end up not being able to use them often due to discomfort & ear irritation then it doesn't matter because I can still use them just once in a while out of interest/education comparison to my other headphones. Lol, when I eventually get around to measuring them on my miniDSP EARS, assuming they will fit in the rig ok, then I'll be able to EQ out the differences that the foam tips create vs the silicon tips, which I'd also share on this site so that people can use the foam tips whilst still being able to retain the sound signature of the measured silicon tips. I have still got the foam tips to try before I rule out any prolonged use of this IEM due to creating ear itchiness and irritation/soreness.
Now I've tried different tips and I have to say...superb, the black plopps/ tips work for me really well. :) Sits nicely and firmly in the ears. I was even out walking briskly for an hour yesterday. They remained seated as they were supposed to. No discomfort in the ears and I pretty much immediately forgot that I had IEMs in my ears. The latter is the most important for me.:)

An example of how I think they sound really good. This old recording, to hear the bass passages clearly, yummy I must say::)


 
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fastleo63

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Arrived today!
Surprisingly, it's my first pair of IEMs that fits in my ears with stock tips (size L, narrow bore).
Very first impressions are positive; I found them a little brighter in the 2/3-5kHz region, if compared with my other two earphones (CCA CRA+ and Moondrop Chu), but still very balanced and enjoynable.
Separation between subbass/bass and lower midrange are excellent, due to the presence of a well made crossover network.
Thanks a lot to @amirm for this accurate and comprehensive review.
 

charleski

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Not sure if this was mentioned already but Crinicle's graph tool (https://crinacle.com/graphs/iems/graphtool/) can be used to export Graphic EQ files for use with Wavelet on Android.
Furthermore, you can adjust the output for Wavelet by changing the values in the parametric EQ fields after pressing the AutoEQ button. So it’s easy to tune the target curve if you want to change some aspect of it. Any changes you make to the parametric EQ are reflected in the EQ curve shown in the graph, which lets you see the effect of your changes. Pretty nifty.
 

GoMrPickles

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Received mine a week or two ago; ordered Moondrop MIS T55 tips (M) to go with them; really pleased with the combo! I'm using @Maiky76's EQ, which - even though it wasn't made with the memory foam tips - does a nice job of mellowing out the sound and boosting the bass a bit. Cymbals still feel a little bit up-front compared to vocals, so there's some room for changes for personal preference, but these may become my daily drivers. And at $50, I'm not going to sob if my toddler throws them into the garbage disposal.

I'm driving them with a DX3 Pro+; I often find myself listening at -40 dB on low gain. I do not need to turn the volume up at *all* to hear detail or bass. Good stuff!
 

Jimbob54

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Furthermore, you can adjust the output for Wavelet by changing the values in the parametric EQ fields after pressing the AutoEQ button. So it’s easy to tune the target curve if you want to change some aspect of it. Any changes you make to the parametric EQ are reflected in the EQ curve shown in the graph, which lets you see the effect of your changes. Pretty nifty.
Daft question. Is the wavelet /auto eq function only for premium on crinacle's site? Or am I just missing it on the free options?

My issue with wavelet /auto eq was always that you couldn't fine tune but the ability to program an eq in parametric on the site then export to wavelet might sort me out!
 

charleski

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Daft question. Is the wavelet /auto eq function only for premium on crinacle's site? Or am I just missing it on the free options?

My issue with wavelet /auto eq was always that you couldn't fine tune but the ability to program an eq in parametric on the site then export to wavelet might sort me out!
Screenshot 2022-09-29 182213.jpg
I get it on the free version.

[Edit] I should add that the full-fat version of AutoEQ actually comes with a ton of options to modify the target to taste: bass-shelf, spectral tilt, hf gain, as well as the ability to apply personal target adjustment across the full spectrum. But that does mean running it from a terminal, and Crinacle’s web tool is easier.
 
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