7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2 IEM Review

[gcompari]

I refuse to believe that these £25 IEMs can perform as well as they undoubtedly do, so I'm going to bin them and go back to relying on expectation bias (AKA my ears) only.

I like the ASR approach: only objective measures can give useful information about the quality of a device.
Subjective impressions often lead to coarse errors of evaluation.
Here the problem is to understand if the measures take into account all the factors at stake.
Perhaps the artificial ear is rigid and not flexible so the measures do not take into account the contractions/deformations of the auditory duct?
From my tests, there are clearly noises/distortions in the 12Hz <-> 30Hz range which are perfectly audible by everyone.
This does not happen with all IEMS (but only with some) and does not happen with headphones.
We must understand how to measure these artifacts because they are audible differences from to the original sound.

 

[raif71]

I like the ASR approach: only objective measures can give useful information about the quality of a device.
Subjective impressions often lead to coarse errors of evaluation.
Here the problem is to understand if the measures take into account all the factors at stake.
Perhaps the artificial ear is rigid and not flexible so the measures do not take into account the contractions/deformations of the auditory duct?
From my tests, there are clearly noises/distortions in the 12Hz <-> 30Hz range which are perfectly audible by everyone.
This does not happen with all IEMS (but only with some) and does not happen with headphones.
We must understand how to measure these artifacts because they are audible differences from to the original sound.

artificial ears are also artificially clean and sterilized unlike human ears containing wax that could affect sound

 

[gcompari]

You'd think it wouldn't be a distortion problem associated with Zero 2 because Amir measured effectively 0 distortion down to 20Hz even at 114dB. Maybe it's some kind of resonance happening that is non-harmonic in nature and therefore not being captured by Harmonic Distortion measurements. In a practical sense though, does it matter, have you tried listening to some very heavy bass music that doesn't have much going on elsewhere, because as you know we don't listen to sine tones as the main reason for having an IEM/headphone/speaker, etc?

Big pipe organs generate low notes up to 16Hz and in some rare cases up to 8 Hz. In HiFi, any sound must be reproduced as it is: it doesn't matter if it is a single note or a set of notes. The fact that the context makes it more difficult to identify the defect does not eliminate it. Masking with other sound the distortion makes it difficult to understand its origin, but it makes the result unpleasant for the ear. If any sound comes and reproduced impeccablely, the result will be impeccable. If even a single sound is not reproduced properly the result will be different from the original. This I believe is the sense of tests in the domain of the frequencies of linear systems.

 

[Gio]

I own both 7Hz Salnotes and Truthear Zero and I definitely prefer the Truthear.

 

[gcompari]

artificial ears are also artificially clean and sterilized unlike human ears containing wax that could affect sound

All my friends hear the same noises. The problem does not happen with other IEMs. So if some IEMS create listening problems with the human ear we have to know.

 

[gcompari]

I own both 7Hz Salnotes and Truthear Zero and I definitely prefer the Truthear.

The problem also happens with the Truthear...

 

[TurtlePaul]

These IEMs are vented to achieve the bass tuning. Vents on all sorts of audio devices behave poorly below their tuning frequency. I suspect you may be hearing that.

 

[gcompari]

These IEMs are vented to achieve the bass tuning. Vents on all sorts of audio devices behave poorly below their tuning frequency. I suspect you may be hearing that.

This type of problem should generate measurable distortions in the Amirm tests... A distortion of 0.02% measured at 20Hz is not compatible with an effect of this type.
Perhaps, to exclude audible non harmonic noises, it could be interesting if Amirm could publish the SINAD vs. frequency graph of the 7Hz x Crinacle Zero: 2...

 

[Robbo99999]

Big pipe organs generate low notes up to 16Hz and in some rare cases up to 8 Hz. In HiFi, any sound must be reproduced as it is: it doesn't matter if it is a single note or a set of notes. The fact that the context makes it more difficult to identify the defect does not eliminate it. Masking with other sound the distortion makes it difficult to understand its origin, but it makes the result unpleasant for the ear. If any sound comes and reproduced impeccablely, the result will be impeccable. If even a single sound is not reproduced properly the result will be different from the original. This I believe is the sense of tests in the domain of the frequencies of linear systems.

Hmm, I'd be surprised if it's a widespread problem with this IEM as it measures well and people are enjoying it including Amir. It could be something to do with your unit, maybe faulty in some way, or as another poster said something happening with your own physiology. Don't use it or send it back for a replacement if you're not happy with it.

 

[TurtlePaul]

This type of problem should generate measurable distortions in the Amirm tests... A distortion of 0.02% measured at 20Hz is not compatible with an effect of this type.
Perhaps, to exclude audible non harmonic noises, it could be interesting if Amirm could publish the SINAD vs. frequency graph of the 7Hz x Crinacle Zero: 2...

I thought you said you were testing below 20 hz…

 

[gcompari]

Hmm, I'd be surprised if it's a widespread problem with this IEM as it measures well and people are enjoying it including Amir. It could be something to do with your unit, maybe faulty in some way, or as another poster said something happening with your own physiology. Don't use it or send it back for a replacement if you're not happy with it.

I have personally tried two different examples of the 7Hz x Crinacle Zero: 2 and two different examples of the Truthear x Crinacle Zero:RED and they all show the same problem.
My ear with the Sennheiser CX 1.00 and CX 2.00g IEMs do not hears the same problem.
Several of my friends, who bought the same earphones, hear the same problem.
olieb who responded to my post before, hears the same problem.

 

[gcompari]

I thought you said you were testing below 20 hz…

The problem starts (very evident) from 24Hz to lower frequencies.

 

[Robbo99999]

I have personally tried two different examples of the 7Hz x Crinacle Zero: 2 and two different examples of the Truthear x Crinacle Zero:RED and they all show the same problem.
My ear with the Sennheiser CX 1.00 and CX 2.00g IEMs do not hears the same problem.
Several of my friends, who bought the same earphones, hear the same problem.
olieb who responded to my post before, hears the same problem.

Do the Sennheiser's have the same Harman bass level extension as the Zero's? As if they don't then it might be something related to a physiological effect, because if the Senn's are deficient in bass in comparison then they're not loading your ear in the same way.

 

[gcompari]

Do the Sennheiser's have the same Harman bass level extension as the Zero's? As if they don't then it might be something related to a physiological effect, because if the Senn's are deficient in bass in comparison then they're not loading your ear in the same way.

I tried different levels of volume to compensate the sensibility of the IEMs: the problem doesn't happen.

 

[hege]

The problem starts (very evident) from 24Hz to lower frequencies.

Not hearing anything funny on mine. REW for generator, all clean from 50hz down to ~8hz which is barely perceptible.

 

[mds]

The same thing happens to me. Even the different positioning of the Zero Red or the 7Hz x Crinacle Zero: 2 in the ears substantially changes the sound performance. If I simply put them on, without pushing them into the ear, I hear little bass but no strange noises when I lower the frequency. However, if I push them deeper I can hear the low frequencies better but, at very low frequencies, I can also hear other noises and, moreover, I can hear my heartbeat. Using the Senn instead, none of this happens. They fit well and easily into the ear and, when the frequencies are lowered too much, the sound simply disappears.

 

[Robbo99999]

I tried different levels of volume to compensate the sensibility of the IEMs: the problem doesn't happen.

Hmm, don't know what to tell you. Not everyone is experiencing your problem. Don't use them if they're no good for music listening!

 

[Matias]

To me these tips work very well with the Zero 2, if anyone is interested: KBEAR 08.

https://a.aliexpress.com/_mMkRAPS

 

[Chromatischism]

I am comparing 7Hz Zero 1 and Zero 2 to my reference Truthear Zero Red.

Zero 2 x Red: Zero 2 more subbass, more high treble than Red. Red more mid centric and better balanced.

Zero 1 x Zero 2: Zero 1 has less bass, vocals more forward. Zero 2 lots more bass, less vocals and again that extra high treble.

Zero 2 is closer to the Red but with a few more distracting things like the extra bass and treble, making it slightly U shaped imo.

Zero 1 is leaner and more vocal forward, more distant from the Red, but if it fails by omissions at least it does not have anything distracting.

So imo Red still reigns supreme, and both Zero 1 and 2 are a step below in different directions. Between both, it's hard to say yet. Each has its flaws, hard to choose which is the "least worst". Anyway the Red for 55 usd full price, not counting sales prices, is still cheap enough to just get the best one and have it all good.

Comparing all 3 using 4.4 balanced on Tanchjim Space and Tidal high-res fwiw.

I think you're on to something, however, as someone with an equalized Truthear Zero (before the Red was released) all I'm looking for is something that fits my ears better. Maybe an equalized Salnotes Zero 2?

 

[Matias]

I think you're on to something, however, as someone with an equalized Truthear Zero (before the Red was released) all I'm looking for is something that fits my ears better. Maybe an equalized Salnotes Zero 2?

It is smaller, lighter and the nozzle thinner. If the Truthear fits you alright, chances are that the 7Hz might be too loose. But sound quality is as I have described, ime, without EQ. Who knows how it will suit you after EQ? Still cheap enough to try and if you regret just gift it to someone else and he/she will probably be floored by it as still it is soooo good.