7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2 IEM Review

[DanTheMan]

It’s so insane to me that I’m this spoiled to want extreme fidelity that fits in a case small enough to be completely comfortable in my pocket… and yeah, I want it for under $35. LOL, what a great time to be an audiophile music lover.

 

[AudioSceptic]

I have them both, though I haven’t had much time with the Zero 2’s yet. I love my original Zero’s - I use them with my iPhone/Apple Dongle combo and Apple Music mostly.

I always thought the original Zero’s were a little bass shy, but love how they do female vocals in particular. My first impression of the Zero 2’s are that they’re perhaps a litttttle too bass heavy and vocals aren’t quite as satisfying. After some back and forth, I do think they’re an overall improvement, but the new ones do seem to neuter a bit about what I really liked about the original Zero’s.

All this said, I can see why Amir eq’d the 2’s the way he did. I really wish it was easy to PEQ with the iPhone…

These are my first impressions of course. I’ll have to listen to the 2’s more and then switch back to see if I still feel this way.

Have you tried Onkyo HF Player, a free app on iPhone? It has settings for different earphone types.

 

[SuicideSquid]

My pair just showed up and I'm testing them now - I have to say this are the most "right" out of the box IEMs I've ever heard. I find the Truthear x Crinacles (original, not reds) to be just a bit bright, and I have trouble getting a solid seal for good bass performance.

The Zero 2 seems to be fitting better with the default tips and the balance and tonality just sounds perfect to my ears. I'm very sensitive to the 5-8kHz energy where these are a little recessed relative to the Harman curve (and the Truthears) and that suits me just fine.

Definitely prefer the cord on the Truthears though. The Salnotes cord is fine, the Truthears is top-notch.

Incredible to get this kind of performance for $25.

 

[AudioSceptic]

My pair just showed up and I'm testing them now - I have to say this are the most "right" out of the box IEMs I've ever heard. I find the Truthear x Crinacles (original, not reds) to be just a bit bright, and I have trouble getting a solid seal for good bass performance.

The Zero 2 seems to be fitting better with the default tips and the balance and tonality just sounds perfect to my ears. I'm very sensitive to the 5-8kHz energy where these are a little recessed relative to the Harman curve (and the Truthears) and that suits me just fine.

Definitely prefer the cord on the Truthears though. The Salnotes cord is fine, the Truthears is top-notch.

Incredible to get this kind of performance for $25.

Are the cables interchangeable between the various (confusing) versions of these?

 

[amirm]

Are the cables interchangeable between the various (confusing) versions of these?

They seem to be.

 

[half_dog]

I agree. I also love the TCZ Red, but while it is absolutely listenable without EQ, I do think it benefits from a couple mild tweaks. I've been listening to these pretty much all day today and I have yet to feel it needs any kind of adjustment.

At first I had this impression. 2dB less on on the 8kHz peak was enough for me. But after I put some foam tips (from a generic brand which copies the Comply T400), no more complaints.

 

[enricoclaudio]

yeah, outside of roon I don't have anything else on iOS that does it

Out of my local network I just use Roon ARC to get access to Muse so I get full unlimited PEQ bands

 

[elvisizer]

Out of my local network I just use Roon ARC to get access to Muse so I get full unlimited PEQ bands

right that's still roon, though. I didn't say I couldn't listen to roon out and about, I said I wasn't aware of any iOS playback software that does PEQ outside of (aka other than) roon. . . . maybe onkyo HF?

 

[pkane]

right that's still roon, though. I didn't say I couldn't listen to roon out and about, I said I wasn't aware of any iOS playback software that does PEQ outside of (aka other than) roon. . . . maybe onkyo HF?

Try Neutron Music Player. Tons of options and settings. Even has automatic pull of headphone PEQ profiles from AutoEq repository.

 

[Palladium]

I’ve noticed there is very little talk regarding the Zero2 on headfi which i figure is down to the low cost and lack of exclusivity, Crin should put the driver into a fancy shell with stardust sprinkles and a cable that could pass for a sub sea intercontinental telecommunication cable with interchangeable jacks, limit the production to 1000 units at £1000 and they’d be wetting their pants over the sound quality whilst gushing over the staging, tonality and ability to scale with all musical genres.

He’s really missed a nice little earner here

I'm definitely expecting a lot of rationality from a site with a DBT-free cable subforum.

 

[IAtaman]

Unfortunately I was not able to make this work for me.

It's too bright, almost chirpy, to such level that I can not use it for more than 5-10 mins.

No matter what I did, I was not able to fix it. Different tips; spin fits, comply foam tips, original tips, tips from other IEMs; different filters, high Q, low Q, high shelf - nothing worked.

If you had a similar problem and was able to find something that worked for you, please let me know. I do have this problem with some IEMs (I had it with the original Salnotes Zero as well) and would love to figure out what is going on.

 

[raif71]

Unfortunately I was not able to make this work for me.

It's too bright, almost chirpy, to such level that I can not use it for more than 5-10 mins.

No matter what I did, I was not able to fix it. Different tips; spin fits, comply foam tips, original tips, tips from other IEMs; different filters, high Q, low Q, high shelf - nothing worked.

If you had a similar problem and was able to find something that worked for you, please let me know. I do have this problem with some IEMs (I had it with the original Salnotes Zero as well) and would love to figure out what is going on.

I had this problem with the original Chu...not for me as it was too bright. Gave it to my son, no complains from him.

 

[IAtaman]

I had this problem with the original Chu...not for me as it was too bright. Gave it to my son, no complains from him.

I think it is hitting a natural resonance in my ear canal or basilar membrane or something. It is really irritating.

 

[raif71]

I think it is almost hitting a natural resonance in my ear canal or basilar membrane or something. It is really irritating.

You're referring to the Chu, right? I've never had any bad experience with any iems like the Chu. My son used it like for a period of more than 6 months before one of the monitors became silent.

 

[DanTheMan]

Unfortunately I was not able to make this work for me.

It's too bright, almost chirpy, to such level that I can not use it for more than 5-10 mins.

No matter what I did, I was not able to fix it. Different tips; spin fits, comply foam tips, original tips, tips from other IEMs; different filters, high Q, low Q, high shelf - nothing worked.

If you had a similar problem and was able to find something that worked for you, please let me know. I do have this problem with some IEMs (I had it with the original Salnotes Zero as well) and would love to figure out what is going on.

I have a similar problem. The original Zeros were murder for my ears. I tried several tips but couldn’t tolerate anything for more than minutes. My JVC FDX-1 are nice, but I can’t get that 1-2kHz transition to sound right and the bass bottoms out fairly easy and it’s recessed to begin with. The transition is easy to fix with EQ, but that goes against my goal and the bass impossible. Maybe I’m just too picky…

 

[IAtaman]

You're referring to the Chu, right? I've never had any bad experience with any iems like the Chu. My son used it like for a period of more than 6 months before one of the monitors became silent.

No, I was referring to Salnotes Zero:2. I haven't tried Chu.

 

[Art of sound]

This is a review, listening tests, EQ and detailed measurements of the 7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2 IEM. It was kindly donated to me by a member and costs US $24.99.
View attachment 335107
The cable is soft and longer than typical which I like. They take fair amount of effort to push it but then they make a reassuring soft click. The tips look cheap and are quite soft. You may need aftermarket ones. I tested and listened using the default red ones you see in the review picture.

Compared to 7Hz Zero IEM that I reviewed recently, these supposed to have a bit more bass and less treble. Let's measure to find out if that is the case.

7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2 IEM Measurements
Let's start with our standard measurement on GRAS 45CA measurement fixture. I was pleased that they fit instantly and generated the predicted results:
View attachment 335108
At high level, this is excellent compliance with our target leaving enough room for manufactures to tune and owners to decide based on their taste. Getting specific, ignoring sub-bass, we have a bit of lift between 100 and 300 Hz and some short fall from 4K to 8K. So overall I expect these to have a bit more bass and more closed in/less sparkle than the original Zero. Here is the relative response for EQ development:
View attachment 335109
While the differential is not great, developing precise filters may be bit challenging due to their shape. Then again you may not need to modify the response anyway.

The distortion measurements made my jaw drop:
View attachment 335110
As you see, even 114 dBSPL generates negligible distortion by transducer standards. It was so low that I decided to zoom way in. You see noise on the blue 94 dBSPL indicating corruption due to measurement noise. So in reality performance is better than that (SINAD of nearly 80 dB). This is one clean sounding IEM.

Absolute levels also show the same:
View attachment 335111

Group delay shows no news which is what we like to see (and is typical of IEMs):
View attachment 335112

Impedance is flat and low which is as expected:
View attachment 335113

Combined with average sensitivity, just about any source can drive it:
View attachment 335114

7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2 IEM Listening Tests and EQ
First impression was that familiar sound I hear from accurate transducers with two differences: the highs were a little recessed and at times I was hearing bass I didn't even know was there! I went after the former with EQ:
View attachment 335115
The measured shortfall in treble is 5+ dB. I started there and while that brought fantastic amount of detail and great improvement in spatial qualities, after some listening, I realized it is too bright. I pulled it down to 3 dB. Listening to bass heavy tracks I started to be bothered a bit about the extra upper bass. I dialed in a filter for that which solved that but them made the sound bright. I took down the treble EQ to what you see and reduced the amount I had taken down the Bass. These values are basically 40% of what measurements indicated. AB tests of EQ and no EQ showed preference for EQ.

Then I sat back and listened. That deep, impressive sub-bass is there and is now so clean. The highs are to die for. I have no immediate comparison but I kept getting surprised by the clarity up high in tracks that I have listened to hundreds of times for review. As much as I have had the pleasure of listening to some really great headphones and IEMs, I continue to be startled by moment to moment level of fidelity as I continue to listen to them. I think this IEM will likely make you not like your regular speaker system unless it is of highest caliber! The sound is just so good.

Also amazing is the level of instrument separation/spatial qualities. So, so satisfying. I can't say enough good things.

Conclusions
You have to shake your head when you see and read about the performance of this $25 IEM. It displays a level of performance with a bit EQ that is world class. Feed it some well recorded music and you are there: the pinnacle of high fidelity sound. I don't care if you don't want to use an IEM. Get one of these (or the original Zero) and get calibrated on what good sound is.

As to whether to get the zero or zero:2, I would say that with the above EQ, Zero:2 sounds more to my liking than the original 7Hz Zero. That one though sounds more correct without EQ. Your opinion may vary.

I am happy to recommend the 7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2 IEM.

------------
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/

All the reviewers on youtube have their iem target much different from the Harmon diffuse field wrt 4hz peak bu 3db or less and some boosted lower mids 100-500Hz by 2db or so. most reviers landed on their targets after testing 100's of iem's and happen to agree mostly with some variation.
squig.link can be used to check these out

 

[IAtaman]

All the reviewers on youtube have their iem target much different from the Harmon diffuse field wrt 4hz peak bu 3db or less and some boosted lower mids 100-500Hz by 2db or so. most reviers landed on their targets after testing 100's of iem's and happen to agree mostly with some variation.
squig.link can be used to check these out

Or just convert their favourite IEM's FR response on a random rig to a target, but thanks for sharing anyway.

 

[Berwhale]

Are the cables interchangeable between the various (confusing) versions of these?

Yes, they have standard 0.78mm 2-pin connectors on them. I'm using the cable from my Truthear x Crinacle Blues on my Zero:2's. The stock cable is OK considering the price, but the barrel on the 3.5mm plug is a bit wonky on my one.

 

[Nango]

This is a review, listening tests, EQ and detailed measurements of the 7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2 IEM. It was kindly donated to me by a member and costs US $24.99.
View attachment 335107
The cable is soft and longer than typical which I like. They take fair amount of effort to push it but then they make a reassuring soft click. The tips look cheap and are quite soft. You may need aftermarket ones. I tested and listened using the default red ones you see in the review picture.

Compared to 7Hz Zero IEM that I reviewed recently, these supposed to have a bit more bass and less treble. Let's measure to find out if that is the case.

7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2 IEM Measurements
Let's start with our standard measurement on GRAS 45CA measurement fixture. I was pleased that they fit instantly and generated the predicted results:
View attachment 335108
At high level, this is excellent compliance with our target leaving enough room for manufactures to tune and owners to decide based on their taste. Getting specific, ignoring sub-bass, we have a bit of lift between 100 and 300 Hz and some short fall from 4K to 8K. So overall I expect these to have a bit more bass and more closed in/less sparkle than the original Zero. Here is the relative response for EQ development:
View attachment 335109
While the differential is not great, developing precise filters may be bit challenging due to their shape. Then again you may not need to modify the response anyway.

The distortion measurements made my jaw drop:
View attachment 335110
As you see, even 114 dBSPL generates negligible distortion by transducer standards. It was so low that I decided to zoom way in. You see noise on the blue 94 dBSPL indicating corruption due to measurement noise. So in reality performance is better than that (SINAD of nearly 80 dB). This is one clean sounding IEM.

Absolute levels also show the same:
View attachment 335111

Group delay shows no news which is what we like to see (and is typical of IEMs):
View attachment 335112

Impedance is flat and low which is as expected:
View attachment 335113

Combined with average sensitivity, just about any source can drive it:
View attachment 335114

7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2 IEM Listening Tests and EQ
First impression was that familiar sound I hear from accurate transducers with two differences: the highs were a little recessed and at times I was hearing bass I didn't even know was there! I went after the former with EQ:
View attachment 335115
The measured shortfall in treble is 5+ dB. I started there and while that brought fantastic amount of detail and great improvement in spatial qualities, after some listening, I realized it is too bright. I pulled it down to 3 dB. Listening to bass heavy tracks I started to be bothered a bit about the extra upper bass. I dialed in a filter for that which solved that but them made the sound bright. I took down the treble EQ to what you see and reduced the amount I had taken down the Bass. These values are basically 40% of what measurements indicated. AB tests of EQ and no EQ showed preference for EQ.

Then I sat back and listened. That deep, impressive sub-bass is there and is now so clean. The highs are to die for. I have no immediate comparison but I kept getting surprised by the clarity up high in tracks that I have listened to hundreds of times for review. As much as I have had the pleasure of listening to some really great headphones and IEMs, I continue to be startled by moment to moment level of fidelity as I continue to listen to them. I think this IEM will likely make you not like your regular speaker system unless it is of highest caliber! The sound is just so good.

Also amazing is the level of instrument separation/spatial qualities. So, so satisfying. I can't say enough good things.

Conclusions
You have to shake your head when you see and read about the performance of this $25 IEM. It displays a level of performance with a bit EQ that is world class. Feed it some well recorded music and you are there: the pinnacle of high fidelity sound. I don't care if you don't want to use an IEM. Get one of these (or the original Zero) and get calibrated on what good sound is.

As to whether to get the zero or zero:2, I would say that with the above EQ, Zero:2 sounds more to my liking than the original 7Hz Zero. That one though sounds more correct without EQ. Your opinion may vary.

I am happy to recommend the 7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2 IEM.

------------
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/

Would be interesting to know what kind of different transducer they use other than those used in 1k IEMs, if any.