7Hz Salnotes Zero IEM Review

[Matias]

A neutral response would be a flat line across the frequency spectrum. The curve we have to work with is not neutral at all. It's a common scooped listening curve (aka the smiley face).

(This is the curve I aim for when mixing live, more or less, so I'm not knocking it at all)

Here's a test to try. Listen to Bob Katz's mastering job of Future of Forestry's "Life Begins Today" on a pair of Beyerdynamic DT990 Pros, and see if it sounds as terrible as the review suggests it might. My hypothesis is that it will sound pretty darn good. Even if you don't have corrective EQ and a pair of these, try it out. Does it sound horrendous?

Level 1: a speaker response has to be flat.

Level 2: speaker's off axis response also count on the perceived response, so that a good speaker has a tilted down linear slope.

Level 3: with headphones and earphones the sound is shaped by the ear shape, a linear response has an ear gain to be considered flat sounding.

Level 4: a translation of a sloped linear speaker into earphones would be a sloped ear gained response.

Now you are up to speed.

 

[SteveL]

I can't confirm that.
I once had the opportunity to hear a well-known violinist with his famous violin, which was over 250 years old, in a dealer's showroom. There was no difference to his recording, which was played on a good system.
He had also played another, current concert violin in the mid-five-figure range, different, but also good. But a normal violin, around €1500, sounded broken and squeaky in direct comparison. But the violinist confirmed that it wasn't a bad instrument for this price range.

I'm talking about orchestral violins sections. I'm a Cleveland Orchestra subscriber and I play the violin in a community orchestra.

 

[markanini]

IMO it's worth trying them with a blocked front vent. This will be an improvement over Zero 2 in terms of detail, while similarly satisfying low end. Not bad for a risk free mod requiring only a sheet of tape. If that doesn't satisfy, and the stock response didn't, then this IEM is not for you. I like this IEM after front vent blocking and it made me go on with refining it with Y8 tuning paper instead of tape, and ultra light 200 mesh added to the nozzles.

Measurements of front vent blocking: https://hobbytalk.squig.link/?share=7hz_Zero,7hz_Zero_Tape

 

[mc.god]

IMO it's worth trying them with a blocked front vent. This will be an improvement over Zero 2 in terms of detail, while similarly satisfying low end. Not bad for a risk free mod requiring only a sheet of tape. If that doesn't satisfy, and the stock response didn't, then this IEM is not for you. I like this IEM after front vent blocking and it made me go on with refining it with Y8 tuning paper instead of tape, and ultra light 200 mesh added to the nozzles.
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Measurements of front vent blocking: https://hobbytalk.squig.link/?share=7hz_Zero,7hz_Zero_Tape

Intriguing, it would be interesting to see the effects on distortion, isolation and eardrums pressure. I thoroughly enjoy them as they are, but owning two pairs maybe I can keep one stock and one modded, this could be more suited to be used on the go in noisy environments (bus, crowded streets, etc...) where a bit more bass is welcomed.

 

[LevityProject]

If you have a Mac, this setting with Sound Source based on the Freq analysis provided by @amirm is as close to any set of expensive headphones I've ever tried, ESPECIALLY after I covered the tiny ports by the ear pieces (extreme sub bass came to life).

*note that I made some slight subjective adjustments because this 10-band EQ didn't quite grab all the right places to my subjective ears.

 

[xaon60]

I can't get a proper balance with the provided ear tips. They end up shifting, and the bass disappears. I've ordered a set on Amazon, so I'll see how that goes. It's a shame because the sound is really good.

For those who have trouble inserting the ear tips, first completely flip them inside out, then insert the stem slightly at an angle and use a left-right motion.

 

[LevityProject]

I can't get a proper balance with the provided ear tips. They end up shifting, and the bass disappears. I've ordered a set on Amazon, so I'll see how that goes. It's a shame because the sound is really good.

For those who have trouble inserting the ear tips, first completely flip them inside out, then insert the stem slightly at an angle and use a left-right motion.

A set of ear tips that fits your ears well is a good investment, no matter what IEM you have

 

[SteveL]

A year and a half now since I bought these. They continue to sound spectacularly natural with very minimal (and optional) EQ. They look like new even including the supplied red tips which I have been using all along. Really amazing value.

 

[Dz1]

Voted "not terrible". They are ok but they lack bass and overall don't compare to my favourites, the Hifiman HE400S.

 

[Mr Swing King]

Voted "not terrible". They are ok but they lack bass and overall don't compare to my favourites, the Hifiman HE400S.

If you feel they’re lacking bass compared to the HE400se, I suspect that you are not getting a proper seal. You should definitely experiment with different tips in order to get the bass out. The Zero is a bit bassier than the Hifiman (at least from a subbass perspective)

 

[SATB]

I think this headphone's bass response depends more on the headphone amp than one would assume. I use a Topping E2x2 with these often and when I use the high-gain mode carefully I get the bass support I am missing on the normal gain mode, which even gives transients more support to pop. I had avoided even attempting to use the high-gain mode on these for fear I would damage them somehow, and sadly I was missing out on what these could do.

I don't know if seal even comes into play with the higher power headphone amp in the equation, at least in my case. That said, the blue tips of both of the Zeros I have worked for me immediately, so I may not be struggling with it as much as others have.

 

[Mr Swing King]

^No amount of power is going to override a lack of seal when it comes to bass in a closed transducer design. This is true for closedback headphones just as it is for iems.

 

[SATB]

^No amount of power is going to override a lack of seal when it comes to bass in a closed transducer design. This is true for closedback headphones just as it is for iems.

I have to wonder how loosely people are defining "seal" then, since these are definitely loose in my ear and I got a massive improvment in bass with the high-gain mode in this headphone amp.

 

[Mr Swing King]

I suspect you’re just listening at a much higher volume which can make the bass feel more ‘palpable’. If you have some form of decibel meter you’ll probably see that you are listening at a louder level than what you do over low gain
If they’re loose in your ears you’re most likely missing out on subbass content, but then again if you’re listening to very LOUD music, it can be very hard to judge.

 

[markanini]

To be fair 7Hz Zero 1 is lean in the bass even with good seal. It's just a characteristic of the IEMs tuning. But I don't know if this is DZ4's first IEM, I can be hard to know if you have got good seal as an IEM newbie, especially on the 7Hz Zero with its shallow fit.

 

[Mr Swing King]

Perhaps…but turning up the juice isn’t going to change the tuning in some magical way

 

[Dz1]

To be fair 7Hz Zero 1 is lean in the bass even with good seal. It's just a characteristic of the IEMs tuning. But I don't know if this is DZ4's first IEM, I can be hard to know if you have got good seal as an IEM newbie, especially on the 7Hz Zero with its shallow fit.

I haven't tried IEMs in many years. I tried three different ones today and none of them had any spatial qualities that a typical open back headphone has. Because of that, I found them all boring to listen to. So they are not for me.

 

[Oso Polar]

spatial qualities that a typical open back headphone has.

Except typical open back headphone has different spatial qualities. For example, famous Sennheiser HD 600/650 have awful spatial qualities, worse than most of the IEMs. You can try TRUTHEAR x Crinacle Zero (Blue, may be Red as well - I never tried them) - IMHO they have very good spatial qualities for an IEM. Also, in my experience foam ear tips kill these qualities as well and usually result in "dark and closed" sound.

 

[markanini]

The best spatial qualities I've heard in an IEM so far is of Moondrop Lan. But most will not like the tuning style.

 

[Rednaxela]

I used not to hear with earphones as the poor wearing comfort absolutely prevented me from enjoying it. After 20 min the latest the ears began to hurt.
The problem of a reliable seal came on top of this.
Only recently I found the solution for me. Instead of using silicone or (hard) foam tips as they come with the earphones I make my own from super soft ear plugs with a hole punch, a piece of wood with 12mm bore and the sharpest kitchen knife I have.
It takes maybe 3-4 min to produce a pair and much of this is waiting for the foam to unfold again.
With these I sometimes actually forget that I wear earphones, never happened before. And I can get a seal without feeling pressure in/on the ear.
For me the wearing comfort of earphones is now on par with the best headphones.
pro: much lighter
con: the closed ear canal does seem to sound a bit unnatural
Foto story:
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Absolutely brilliant.

I just tried this with Ohropax Yellow plugs and a hole puncher that came with my belt. The second pair I got it right.

They are amazingly comfortable and the sound is wonderful. I'm surprised they stay on the nozzle so well, but they do!

Thank you so much for sharing.