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7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2 IEM Review

Rate this IEM:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 7 1.6%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 12 2.8%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther)

    Votes: 53 12.3%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 359 83.3%

  • Total voters
    431
Or a tactile identifier like the little dots on the left headphone as on some Sennheisers.
I long ago put one on my Ety HF5 with a dab of superglue. The faintly printed L and R on the shells have worn off long since.
 
I just blind ordered these based on the review. For $25, not much risk. This will be my first pair of real IEM's if you don't count Airpods or some small Beats headphones my son gave me.
 
So I highly recommend this IEM and I'm happy with it, but there's one thing to note. It uses quite an output. I don't believe in stories like amp-matching. It's a kind of demand output.
I use DX3PRO+ and E50+L70, G5 for headphones. (Everyone, high gain mode). And when I used them, I had to use about L70 to turn up the volume as crazy as I wanted. Dx3pro+ was kind of hard. What I'm saying is that it's a 3.5mm direct line, so it'll be hard to drive if you just use it. I recommend using at least one headphone amp kidnda.
 
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So I highly recommend this IEM and I'm happy with it, but there's one thing to note. It uses quite an output. I don't believe in stories like emp-matching. It's a kind of demand output.
I use DX3PRO+ and E50+L70, G5 for headphones. (Everyone, high gain mode). And when I used them, I had to use about L70 to turn up the volume as crazy as I wanted. Dx3pro+ was kind of hard. What I'm saying is that it's a 3.5mm direct line, so it'll be hard to drive if you just use it. I recommend using at least one headphone amp kidnda.
This seems odd... I don't own Zero:2 but original Zero, they are pretty similar in impedance and sensitivity, and although not my most senstive iems, for me they are pretty loud at 30% on my Ugreen Hifi Pro dongle (running in low gain mode at 30 ohm). Ok, I normally listen at moderatley low volume, but all the gear you mentioned should be tremendously overpowerd for this iems already in low gain mode, in high gain should blow them away...
 
This seems odd... I don't own Zero:2 but original Zero, they are pretty similar in impedance and sensitivity, and although not my most senstive iems, for me they are pretty loud at 30% on my Ugreen Hifi Pro dongle (running in low gain mode at 30 ohm). Ok, I normally listen at moderatley low volume, but all the gear you mentioned should be tremendously overpowerd for this iems already in low gain mode, in high gain should blow them away...
Believe it or not, most of the Zero:2 users I know by seizing them should use headphone amplifiers. (Of course, I tend to listen very loudly.)
In my experience, it was similar to the Jenheiser hd600 (when trying to match the Amp Gain nov similarly)
It's more like a headphone than an IEM... :rolleyes:
 
I've been spending quite sometime playing around with these IEMs alongside FreeDSP cable and I think I've found the best sounding EQ for me. Target EQ is based on Harman 2019 IEM curve but adapted to FreeDSP cable since the PEQ adjustments of the cable is limited 1dB increments with max gain of 3 dB each filters with no preamping ability. I used AutoEQ to generate the EQ profile. Here's what I ended up with:

Preamp: 0 dB
Filter 1: ON PK Fc 40.0 Hz Gain -2.0 dB Q 0.60
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 40.0 Hz Gain 1.0 dB Q 1.00
Filter 3: ON PK Fc 180.0 Hz Gain -2.0 dB Q 1.50
Filter 4: ON PK Fc 320.0 Hz Gain -2.0 dB Q 3.70
Filter 5: ON PK Fc 840.0 Hz Gain 2.0 dB Q 1.70
Filter 6: ON PK Fc 1200.0 Hz Gain -4.0 dB Q 0.50
Filter 7: ON PK Fc 2140.0 Hz Gain 1.0 dB Q 2.80
Filter 8: ON PK Fc 10000.0 Hz Gain -3.0 dB Q 0.50
 
I've been spending quite sometime playing around with these IEMs alongside FreeDSP cable and I think I've found the best sounding EQ for me. Target EQ is based on Harman 2019 IEM curve but adapted to FreeDSP cable since the PEQ adjustments of the cable is limited 1dB increments with max gain of 3 dB each filters with no preamping ability. I used AutoEQ to generate the EQ profile. Here's what I ended up with:

Preamp: 0 dB
Filter 1: ON PK Fc 40.0 Hz Gain -2.0 dB Q 0.60
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 40.0 Hz Gain 1.0 dB Q 1.00
Filter 3: ON PK Fc 180.0 Hz Gain -2.0 dB Q 1.50
Filter 4: ON PK Fc 320.0 Hz Gain -2.0 dB Q 3.70
Filter 5: ON PK Fc 840.0 Hz Gain 2.0 dB Q 1.70
Filter 6: ON PK Fc 1200.0 Hz Gain -4.0 dB Q 0.50
Filter 7: ON PK Fc 2140.0 Hz Gain 1.0 dB Q 2.80
Filter 8: ON PK Fc 10000.0 Hz Gain -3.0 dB Q 0.50
Hello.
You can try this one see if you like it, no pre-amp and all filters 3dB or less.

Screenshot 2024-01-12 at 00-12-37 In-Ear Fidelity – IEM Graph Comparison Tool.png

graph(5).png

Edit. If the DSP doesn't accept 1Hz increments the first filter should be 20Hz/-3dB/Q 0.5.
 
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It's been a while since I've been listening to songs all day today, and I think Zero:2 need L70 with 4.4cable is the right choice to turn up the volume whenever I want. lol o_O
 
Believe it or not, most of the Zero:2 users I know by seizing them should use headphone amplifiers. (Of course, I tend to listen very loudly.)
In my experience, it was similar to the Jenheiser hd600 (when trying to match the Amp Gain nov similarly)
It's more like a headphone than an IEM... :rolleyes:
I use the lowest or next to lowest possible volume level on my ipad, and I sometimes wish I could go lower.
 
With me it becomes deafening even when piloting it from my smartphone...
I use Topping G5 when I connect to my smartphone. Other than Zero:2 iem, Apple's Earpods also have a low sound without an headphoneAMP...

I use the lowest or next to lowest possible volume level on my ipad, and I sometimes wish I could go lower.
In fact, I respect you because the volume you listen to can vary depending on your preference!
But I originally enjoy listening to it loudly. The right response is that it doesn't matter if you turn up the volume as much as you want...
And while users don't have to intentionally adjust to fit the loudspeaker curve, our ears feel differently by volume.
I don't want to care about it by applying EQ every time, so I listen to it by increasing the volume as much as I can.
 
I use the lowest or next to lowest possible volume level on my ipad, and I sometimes wish I could go lower.
I'm using an Apple dongle on a battery powered pi zero and I'm using a negative pre gain just so I'm not restricted to using the first quarter of the available volume on the UI.
 
I'm surprised how this IEMs is holding so much power. I did something that until today I regret: accidentally played a 1kHz tone into a Moondrop Kato by a L30 II with everything maxed out (the own file with -0.05dBFS, Winblows volume, Foobar2000, potentiometer and high gain. Less than sec was enough to hear it distorts and soon after the volume decreasing - at the moment I didn't know if was my ear either the IEM failing. Luckily was the Kato. Surprisingly it stills plays and kept its impedance closer to its specs. But now there's a valley around 1kHz in this frequency response.
 
With me it becomes deafening even when piloting it from my smartphone...
Yeah, I wouldn't pay much attention to what that guy is saying (maybe even overall), it's completely nonsensical to think you need any kind of special headphone amp to drive IEM's and particularly not this IEM.
 
Well, I am very sad to say that I have not been able to match the astounding performance of Zero and Zero Red. I enjoy them both on a daily basis.

7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2 is too bright for me. It is not suitable for my work at the keyboard. I cannot spend more time testing them, sorry.

Zero Red is my choice for composing at the keyboard.

Please, see that I am just reporting performance in my system, my keyboard, nothing else.
 
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7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2 is too bright for me. It is not suitable for my work at the keyboard. I cannot spend more time testing them, sorry.

Zero Red is my choice for composing at the keyboard.
With a complete seal, the Zero:2 should have more bass than the Zero Red:
graph.png

Have you tried different eartips? Perhaps the ones from your Zero Red?
 
With a complete seal, the Zero:2 should have more bass than the Zero Red:
View attachment 341401

Have you tried different eartips? Perhaps the ones from your Zero Red?
It is also true that Zero2 has a peak in the treble compared to Zero Red.
Those curves demonstrate why I find Zero2 better and Zero Red boring.
However, I wonder why the step in the Mid-Low area...
 
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