7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2 IEM Review

[Tell]

Sounds like filter slippage/ gunk buildup to me. Get a torch and magnifying glass on the nozzles

I though I've cleaned it all, but did remove some small gunk from the small net and it did help quite a bit, but I still have some bass issues, it's almost like it doesn't seal properly anymore? Will try a different tip tomorrow.
Btw do anyone have any tips on tips for these? Maybe something foamy, I really do like them on my WF1000xm4.

 

[Berwhale]

I though I've cleaned it all, but did remove some small gunk from the small net and it did help quite a bit, but I still have some bass issues, it's almost like it doesn't seal properly anymore? Will try a different tip tomorrow.
Btw do anyone have any tips on tips for these? Maybe something foamy, I really do like them on my WF1000xm4.

I use Moondrop Spring Tips on mine. I've used foam tips a lot in the past, but I got fed up changing them every month for a new pair (I was commuting by train at the time and would ware them for up to 4 hours a day).

 

[OK1]

Can zero 2 match MP145/143 or not even close? Thanks

I do not own an MP145/143 but have put down a few thoughts on the Zero 2 and ARTTI T10, which has planar magnetic drivers, similar to the MP145/143.

In summary, my experience with the T10, is it possesses an extended frequency response, more accurately able to reproduce both very high, and very low frequencies. EQ can only add or subtract from what an IEM is capable of. If the Zero2 cannot reproduce certain frequencies accurately, EQ will have limited impact.

Hope you are ok with me sharing subjective opinions, as I am not one of the experts with tools to measure and describe what I hear, but that should not stop anyone of us from being a valid and valued member of this "science based" community, i.e my lack of possession of the scientific measuring tools.

I think each of the approaches deliver a different sound. Most likely due to how the technology works. In theory the planar magnetic(like T10, MP145, MP143), and the dynamic(like Zero 2), produce sound in somewhat different ways.

I think focussing on just the frequency response does not tell the whole story, of how different these IEMs are from each other.

Earlier today I was repeatedly struck with the impact of the ARTTI T10's planar magnetic driver, with the following improvements over the Zero 2.

But before I share these, permit me to state that our hearing is the result of a psychoacoustic illusion, for example a mono signal played back on a stereo set of speakers, appears to come from somewhere in between these speakers, i.e a phantom center, in spite of the fact that there is no such center speaker installed. Our ears recreate similar virtual perceptions, with IEM's in a way that I have found even more vivid than with speakers, especially one with a planar magnetic driver.

1. Stereo placement. So much easier to pinpoint exactly where each component of the mix is coming from. Was such a revelation to discover that lots of recordings I have heard for years, do not have the lead voice centered, but slightly panned to one side, ever so slightly. No other headphones or IEM's made this as apparent, and so easy to hear.

2. Clarity, like a veil has been lifted from the audio.

3. Transparency - reproducing the audio as is, without adding its own coloration.

4. Bass instruments are much more defined. Not about loudness, but about a perception of much better definition.

5. Much less volume adjustment, I tend to set the volume level at about the same place, yet quiet and loud music/audio plays back with such authority that the need to adjust volume levels, to hear better, is reduced.

6. Depth, that virtual sense that some instruments are in the foreground, and others are in the background in the distance. the Zero 2, in comparison, lacks such a virtual perception of depth, more just left and right, with no perception of distance from the listener.

7. Intelligibility - so easy to hear what is being sung, e.g. Rap music. Listening now to Kanye West on one of Beyonce's tracks, the remix of Ego. Shocking clarity of all of the points raised here, so easy to hear every single word he is saying. So easy.

I'm thinking that it should be possible to measure these things. My hunch would be, if I apply what has been done with speakers, 2 measures that give me a visual perception of how good I expect a speaker to reproduce audio. Waterfall plot + Impulse response. Wish I could measure these for every IEM, my hunch is that we'd have something that correlates with the listening experience, beyond just frequency response charts.

 

[Deckard01]

Thank you all for the answers, as I am not an IEM guy as I always after some time find the in ears to bother my ear canals.

But this is my feeling. I wanted to give a try to an IEM and not so expensive so as to find out if I can handle it or not. And as MP145 are a bit expensive I am afraid to spend that money. So I would like to give a chance and find out.

About Crinacle IEM do you think to give a try to Zero 2 Blue or Red (these IEMs I see that most users have)?

Thanks again

 

[drewdawg999]

I hear the KZ PRX is ok., costs less. You'll have to decide for yourself. The main distinction is the size of driver. PRX uses a 13+mm driver, the T10 uses a 14.2mm driver. The cable and packaging of the PRX are standard KZ fare, nothing special.

Just scored the PRX a couple days ago, and so far... it's pretty darn spectacular. Also have the Zero 2 and I have to say the PRX thoroughly trounces it. The clarity is just so nice, and the open presentation, damn near orgasmic. I'm getting pretty decent bass quality too, planar bass, which I happen to love. These have been touted as KZ's best IEM to date, and I can believe it. 4th generation of tweaking and tuning the planar driver, its exact size remains a mystery, but the bass is not suffering any major deficiencies. The treble has been tamed a bit from previous models, but it's still there, sparkling and shimmering, wouldn't want any more of it. Wouldn't imagine the T10 or any IEM could sound much better than this, without EQ, think it might just come down to preference. Down side is it's not really portable to me, 94dB sensitivity, I'm driving it with a THX 789 using the stock cable, don't have a 4.4mm anyways, and at times I need to venture into high gain to achieve a slightly loud volume. Also, I'm a foam tip person, and the stock ones were too small for me to achieve a good seal. I'm using the New Bee L currently and getting that beautiful bass with the good seal and isolation.

So yeah, switching between the KZ PRX and the Zero 2, the 7hz is only better in bass quantity and punch, but just barely. I can be a basshead at times, prefer the Zero Reds with the Bass+ adapter, and also believe that IEM bests the Zero 2 in many departments, but at twice the cost. But still, the Zero 2 is outstanding stuff, a benchmark for value performance. I got it to drive it straight from my DAP and my laptop. The headphone out of my laptop is pretty weak, have to crank it to full at times, but they can drive the Zero 2 fairly well. Sounds great out of my DAP, so it was a nice and worthwhile purchase as far as I'm concerned, my portable solution.

 

[OK1]

Just scored the PRX a couple days ago, and so far... it's pretty darn spectacular. Also have the Zero 2 and I have to say the PRX thoroughly trounces it. The clarity is just so nice, and the open presentation, damn near orgasmic. I'm getting pretty decent bass quality too, planar bass, which I happen to love. These have been touted as KZ's best IEM to date, and I can believe it. 4th generation of tweaking and tuning the planar driver, its exact size remains a mystery, but the bass is not suffering any major deficiencies. The treble has been tamed a bit from previous models, but it's still there, sparkling and shimmering, wouldn't want any more of it. Wouldn't imagine the T10 or any IEM could sound much better than this, without EQ, think it might just come down to preference. Down side is it's not really portable to me, 94dB sensitivity, I'm driving it with a THX 789 using the stock cable, don't have a 4.4mm anyways, and at times I need to venture into high gain to achieve a slightly loud volume. Also, I'm a foam tip person, and the stock ones were too small for me to achieve a good seal. I'm using the New Bee L currently and getting that beautiful bass with the good seal and isolation.

So yeah, switching between the KZ PRX and the Zero 2, the 7hz is only better in bass quantity and punch, but just barely. I can be a basshead at times, prefer the Zero Reds with the Bass+ adapter, and also believe that IEM bests the Zero 2 in many departments, but at twice the cost. But still, the Zero 2 is outstanding stuff, a benchmark for value performance. I got it to drive it straight from my DAP and my laptop. The headphone out of my laptop is pretty weak, have to crank it to full at times, but they can drive the Zero 2 fairly well. Sounds great out of my DAP, so it was a nice and worthwhile purchase as far as I'm concerned, my portable solution.

Almost thought of getting the PRX, having owned the Artti T10 (planar) and the Zero 2 (single dynamic driver). More out of curiosity, and probably more out of the fear of missing out. But that kind of privilege has a cost. I'd have to buy the damn thing. And the worst thing about accumulating IEM's is, I'll end up using only one, the one I prefer, and all others would be in the drawer.

At some point in time, best to just get on with it, and enjoy what one already has, cos otherwise, one will never be satisfied. The IEM manufacturers are only to happy to feed the FOMO (fear of missing out), that every new product triggers., and it does not help when these devices are no more than the cost of a good or very good meal in a restaurant, for one.

There will always be one better out there, which we will never hear or own.

I think the time has come to declare that planar magnetics should be the minimum standard for an IEM, and dynamics serve the purpose only of showing us how far technology got to before planar magnetics were available at prices where almost anyone can now afford one.

 

[drewdawg999]

I think the time has come to declare that planar magnetics should be the minimum standard for an IEM, and dynamics serve the purpose only of showing us how far technology got to before planar magnetics were available at prices where almost anyone can now afford one.

They're available at amazing value. The Zero 2 was $23 + tax. The PRX was on Black Friday special, with tax and shipped from China... $36. Total score for well tuned planars. So happy with them so far, I believe they spank my LCD-2 pre-fazor, which need gobs of EQ, including 5+dB bass shelf. I was lucky to nab a B-stock of that for $650. Had to replace cable and pads, at additional cost. Man, looking back that is just not good value at all, IEMs are such the way to go if budget is not that large. I am amazed at the sound quality of the PRX, tough choice between it and my main system which consists of little Maggies, from the '90s, $500 at the time. The PRX were $33, so that's 15 times cheaper for a transducer of comparable quality. Amazing advancements in manufacturing techniques to be able to offer it that cheap.

 

[Grobbelboy]

I've used the Zero2 on and off for months now, but have been listening daily and extensively to them for the last two weeks or so. I'm using the EQ filters that Amir provided with some slight adjustments to personal taste (with a Qudelix 5K). I am astonished by the fidelity every time I put them in. In fact, I'm so impressed with them that I'm seriously contemplating to sell off my DCA E3. I honestly can't point at any factor that is being outclassed by the E3 (or any other over ear HP for that matter) when comparing them. I can tolerate the Zero2 in my ears for about three hours, which is about the same amount of time I can comfortably keep the E3 on my head. I continue to be amazed about what you can get for just a couple of bucks these days.

 

[OK1]

They're available at amazing value. The Zero 2 was $23 + tax. The PRX was on Black Friday special, with tax and shipped from China... $36. Total score for well tuned planars. So happy with them so far, I believe they spank my LCD-2 pre-fazor, which need gobs of EQ, including 5+dB bass shelf. I was lucky to nab a B-stock of that for $650. Had to replace cable and pads, at additional cost. Man, looking back that is just not good value at all, IEMs are such the way to go if budget is not that large. I am amazed at the sound quality of the PRX, tough choice between it and my main system which consists of little Maggies, from the '90s, $500 at the time. The PRX were $33, so that's 15 times cheaper for a transducer of comparable quality. Amazing advancements in manufacturing techniques to be able to offer it that cheap.

Unfortunately, there is an a fly in the ointment. The quality control for the budget IEM's can be a bit hit and miss., and not everyone who buys a supposedly "good" budget IEM, will experience their goodness. My Zero 2 is fine, thankfully, and by and large I have not heard any anecdotal accounts of faulty Zero 2's, but KZ products, and others like the Moondrop Chu's have tales of woe. Not wanting to generalise, since I do not have all the evidence to compare quality control, but my example of 1, a 10 year old AKG K702, that sounds as good as the day I received it, and will likely outlive me, may not sound as good as my current best IEM, an ARTTI T10, but I cannot fault it's durability.

I wish the budget IEMs would be more consistently made, and also be durable.

 

[BeeKay]

Unfortunately, there is an a fly in the ointment. The quality control for the budget IEM's can be a bit hit and miss., and not everyone who buys a supposedly "good" budget IEM, will experience their goodness. My Zero 2 is fine, thankfully, and by and large I have not heard any anecdotal accounts of faulty Zero 2's, but KZ products, and others like the Moondrop Chu's have tales of woe. Not wanting to generalise, since I do not have all the evidence to compare quality control, but my example of 1, a 10 year old AKG K702, that sounds as good as the day I received it, and will likely outlive me, may not sound as good as my current best IEM, an ARTTI T10, but I cannot fault it's durability.

I wish the budget IEMs would be more consistently made, and also be durable.

Can’t eat the cake and keep it.
Seriously, 25 bucks and Amazon return policy. This isn’t the most sustainable approach, but economically a rather acceptable risk. Also, does a higher price always come with better QC?

 

[OK1]

Can’t eat the cake and keep it.
Seriously, 25 bucks and Amazon return policy. This isn’t the most sustainable approach, but economically a rather acceptable risk. Also, does a higher price always come with better QC?

The QC control issue, goes beyond the manufacture, to the sales and support. I give my non IEM example.

I bought three Samsung dongle DACs- USB-C/A to 3.5mm stereo. One from Amazon in the UK, another from ebay, and a third from a local UK business. All three were fakes., including the one sold my Amazon. I returned the one from ebay, and got my money back, cos it was so obvious that there was something wrong with the frequency response. So obvious. and the product did not look exactly like the item on Samsung's web site.

Before I bought this dongle I read Amir's glowing review on ASR, and one well known Youtuber - Julian Krausse, who both gave high marks to the product. But I never experienced any of this.

I have since discovered that contrary to about a decade ago, today's ebay, is the wild wild west, and best avoided unless you are purchasing a very complex product that is impossible to fake, such as a computer/laptop. Dongles, as I have discovered can be faked, and are being faked.

So the product itself is only the beginning. I am aware that Amazon, can repackage returned products and resell them as new, anecdotal accounts, not sure how true, but it would not surprise me, these are products fulfilled by Amazon, from its own warehouses. Should be impossible for this to happen, without them letting the buyer know, but $hit happens. I've been sold a full size professional digital piano, which was the demo copy in the shop, and they simply packaged it and sent it to me, at home, as new - it was the last of it in the country, so I had no choice but to accept their lie, and live with it. But there was payback day. Within about 3 years, the keybed went faulty, and the store had to replace the entire keybed, which costs almost as much as the keyboard, for free.!

So the buyer also has to implement their own QC. Decide where to buy from. Amazon, Ebay, Ali-Express, Linsoul, HifiGo, Headphones.com, and in the multi-seller online stores like Ali-Express, also consider the store cos many stores sell the same product.

If a Samsung DAC Dongle can be faked, with three different copies, all fake, how farfetched is it to think that IEM's are also NOT being faked. I bought a CCA Polaris, and it was the worst thing I have ever listened to. I'm suspecting it may be fake, cos it's impossible for a standard dynamic driver device to sound so terrible, like completely distorted., totally dead on arrival.

My point being, the supply chain may have become compromised for many of these popular budget IEM's. And the fault like my Samsung fakes, may have nothing to do with the manufacturer.

We the buyers now need some wit, to avoid the risks in the supply chain. This is not just about IEM's. Any product that has become trusted, a good example being the Shure SM58 and Shure SM57 microphones, that are like the air of the music industry, everyone owns one, are also the most faked microphones. So one has to purchase these from the most trusted suppliers, whose distribution chain is watertight.

 

[Tell]

So an update on my Zero2 and it's unbalance. Did some janky measurements with an UMIK-1, and while of course I won't get any accurate absolute measurements of them at all I can still get the relative difference between the buds. I did several measurements with both of them reseating them on the mic between each go and then average those measurements lessen any seating errors and this is what I got. The left bud is the purple and the blue/green is the right one. Yeah it sounds sort of like this, the highs works okay but the lower in frequency it gets the more off the left one gets. Unclear of why this would happen?
Getting any kind of replacement or money back from Aliexpress seem quite hard though..

 

[OK1]

So an update on my Zero2 and it's unbalance. Did some janky measurements with an UMIK-1, and while of course I won't get any accurate absolute measurements of them at all I can still get the relative difference between the buds. I did several measurements with both of them reseating them on the mic between each go and then average those measurements lessen any seating errors and this is what I got. The left bud is the purple and the blue/green is the right one. Yeah it sounds sort of like this, the highs works okay but the lower in frequency it gets the more off the left one gets. Unclear of why this would happen?
Getting any kind of replacement or money back from Aliexpress seem quite hard though..

View attachment 411695

Sure this looks concerning.

Please what are you using to measure this?

I am familiar with measuring and correcting speakers, but have nothing to measure headphones or IEMs. Definitely am interested in learning how to measure headphones and IEMs.

 

[staticV3]

Definitely am interested in learning how to measure headphones and IEMs.

Here's some info on measuring IEMs:

How to measure IEMs cheap for use with AutoEQ?

Hey all, I was wondering if anyone could give me some tips on measuring IEMs/earbuds for use with AutoEQ.app I have a dayton imm-6, and i saw that its quite common to use that and a tube to get measurements for not too much money. I don't need the measurement to be perfect, just good enough...

www.audiosciencereview.com

For headphones, you can use a miniDSP EARS if you only care about measuring channel balance or matching one headphone's response to another.

If you want to gather useful, absolute frequency response data, be prepared to spend some $300-500 on AliExpress for a 711 clone coupler and KB500X clone pinna (same shops as listed in the link above).

 

[OK1]

Here's some info on measuring IEMs:

How to measure IEMs cheap for use with AutoEQ?

Hey all, I was wondering if anyone could give me some tips on measuring IEMs/earbuds for use with AutoEQ.app I have a dayton imm-6, and i saw that its quite common to use that and a tube to get measurements for not too much money. I don't need the measurement to be perfect, just good enough...

www.audiosciencereview.com

For headphones, you can use a miniDSP EARS if you only care about measuring channel balance or matching one headphone's response to another.

If you want to gather useful, absolute frequency response data, be prepared to spend some $300-500 on AliExpress for a 711 clone coupler and KB500X clone pinna (same shops as listed in the link above).

Thanks.

 

[OK1]

Here's some info on measuring IEMs:

How to measure IEMs cheap for use with AutoEQ?

Hey all, I was wondering if anyone could give me some tips on measuring IEMs/earbuds for use with AutoEQ.app I have a dayton imm-6, and i saw that its quite common to use that and a tube to get measurements for not too much money. I don't need the measurement to be perfect, just good enough...

www.audiosciencereview.com

For headphones, you can use a miniDSP EARS if you only care about measuring channel balance or matching one headphone's response to another.

If you want to gather useful, absolute frequency response data, be prepared to spend some $300-500 on AliExpress for a 711 clone coupler and KB500X clone pinna (same shops as listed in the link above).

Had a brief look at the costs of either option. Definitely not a small expense. With speakers, about 2016, cos I already had the audio interface, all I had to buy was a $100 Dayton audio EMM-6 measurement mic, with a downloadable calibration file. My ambitions to measure IEM's/headphones will have to wait.

 

[CedarX]

Had a brief look at the costs of either option. Definitely not a small expense. With speakers, about 2016, cos I already had the audio interface, all I had to buy was a $100 Dayton audio EMM-6 measurement mic, with a downloadable calibration file. My ambitions to measure IEM's/headphones will have to wait.

For IEMs, you could use one of these 711 “clones” available in AliExpress (elsewhere?) for less than $100.

IMO, they are ‘good enough’ to do comparisons between IEMs, visualize EQ impact, and better understand what kind of IEM FR works for you—differences-type measurements, not “absolute”…

 

[Tell]

Sure this looks concerning.

Please what are you using to measure this?

I am familiar with measuring and correcting speakers, but have nothing to measure headphones or IEMs. Definitely am interested in learning how to measure headphones and IEMs.

I did say in my comment that you quoted. "Did some janky measurements with an UMIK-1, and while of course I won't get any accurate absolute measurements of them at all I can still get the relative difference between the buds". IE I have unfortunately nothing to learn to you.

 

[threni]

You can use https://autoeq.app/ to calculate EQ parameters with custom GEQ values.

However, you'd have to find out which Q value Shanling use for their GEQ implementation.

If you'd like, give my Zero:2 EQ preset a try as well. To my ears, a clear step up compared to Amir's settings:

7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2 IEM Review

OMG I got them recently and they were just ok but with these EQ settings they are fantastic.. BASS ftw!

www.audiosciencereview.com

This is a great EQ - thanks for that. I tamed the higher frequencies slightly as they were a bit sharp when playing certain recordings loudish, but that's it. tbh I'm a bit surprised at how many of the EQs I see don't boost the treble. Most (especially old) jazz/classical recordings seem to be lacking a little up there.

 

[OK1]

I think its time to be a little frank about the Zero 2. It's ok, for the price, if you get it on a discount/sale. What I would hope to see is proper comparisons, with listening devices that are accepted as being oustanding, cos for me that's what counts.

How good is the Zero 2. Simple, not How good is the Zero 2, for the price.

Then there is the issue of how translatable are the measurements. Based purely on measurements, one would expect the Zero 2 to sound better than a HifiMan Sundara (or something in the below $500 bracket) cos in the measurements of HifiMan's here, we see lots of distortion. I have never heard a HifiMan planar magnetic myself, but I wonder can they really sound that bad, or is there something wrong with the measurement of harmonic distortion, by Amir, that needs some further explanation. Could it be the measurement protocol? No disrespect to Amir, this is a labour of love, I think. And I value what he does. But no one is perfect, the is always a margin for error.

From my own listening, once you hear something better, you do not go back to listen to the Zero 2. Period. My daily driver is the ARTTI T10, yes more expensive, but in a whole new league, above the Zero 2.

It begins to beg the question, where does one draw the line, below which we should not bother. Having heard the T10, I would wish everyone in the world could hear this, or better, which opens up a whole new engagement with audio and music, that the Zero 2 just does not do, and no amount of EQ will fix it's weaknesses.

I have no regrets buying the Zero 2, it's part of our "education", but there is so much better to be heard on other IEM's.

Particularly with IEM's I get the impression, that the measurements may not tell us that much. Cos the Zero 2's exceptionally low harmonic distortion measurements, which made me buy it, have NOT translated to a spectacular listening experience.