7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2 IEM Review

[ronnzi]

If you have the original Zero, this seems like an "I'm bored and want something to play with" kind of buy. Not crazy about the looks either.

Does anyone have the Zero and Zero Red 2?

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.

 

[elvisizer]

I really wish it was easy to PEQ with the iPhone…

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

 

[markanini]

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.

This is useful feedback because I've owned more than a few budget sets in the last years and I'm pretty sure now my bases are already covered with Moondrop Lan. However the Zero 2 sounds like a great gift or starter IEM to recommend, especially now when Hola is discontinued.

 

[DanTheMan]

Isn't there an app you can use on your phone? For instance, on the iPhone, Onkyo HF Player has settings for different earphone types, one of which *might* help.

Not that I’m aware of on an iPhone. When I use my Qudelix 5K there is, but because it’s so easy to get what you want with that nearly any IEM is workable nowadays. I like to use my Apple dongle because it’s so small and can fit in a case with IEMs that will still fit in my pocket. I’m hoping that this one will do it. The Hola will do it, but the treble is just a bit too muted with foam sleeves. My ultimate goal would be to have an IEM that doesn’t require EQ and can fit Spiral Dots on them. The Spiral Dots are the most comfortable in my ears.

 

[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.

 

[GPJ]

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

Crin is a "man of the people", as is Amir.

Giving a boatload to the audio community while asking little in return. Good fellas. Real good fellas.

I enjoy the "shoving a red hot poker" element of their presentations .................

 

[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…