7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2 IEM Review

[TurtlePaul]

Based on the graphic of the frequency response of the ARTTI T10 in its marketing materials, those earphones have peaks at 4.5 khz and 8 khz that are as tall as the peak pinna gain region. Pretty much all IEM enthusiast and reviewer would consider that to be too bright. The sound you are hearing is bright.

 

[SuicideSquid]

Maybe this is what is responsible for the divergent opinions on the Zero 2, and any other listening device. Differences in how people hear. So is it worth commenting further? Guess not. Cos we do not hear the same things.

The Harman curve is an average of different listeners' preferences and how closely a large number of listeners perceive that preference curve to match the sound of "flat" speakers in a neutral room.

The shape of all of our heads and ear canals differs and we will all perceive the sound of IEMs slightly differently. This isn't a quality of hearing or measurement issue. For me, I've listened to a lot of headphones and IEMs that track closely to the Harman curve and they always sound good but not quite right - in order to get "neutral" sound I need a touch more mid-bass and a touch less around 5khz. I'm just one degree off of perfectly average on the curve. that's fine. 7hz Zero 2 sounds absolutely perfect to my ears for those reasons. If you are more significantly off of average in the shape of your ear canals and how IEMs interface with your ear, you may perceive harman tuning as more "wrong" than most listeners do. We don't need more research or more complicated measurements to understand this - it's already well-understood.

If this is the case, it can be easily fixed with EQ. The advantage of the Harman Curve and judging headphones by four factors - how closely they track the curve, how much distortion they have, how closely the two phones match each other, and how easy they are to drive - is that it gives you a consistent way to compare headphones and for you to judge whether headphones are for you. I know that an IEM that perfectly tracks the curve will need a small amount of EQ to sound right to me, and I know if it has low distortion it will take that EQ like a champ and sound perfect.

The Zero 2 is a great IEM not just because it closely tracks the Harman curve, but because it has extremely low distortion at normal listening levels, is easy to drive, and has good matching between drivers. If you want to continue to argue there's something wrong with it or it's somehow objectively "bad' because you have better hearing than everyone else, well I'm sorry, you're simply wrong.

 

[OK1]

Based on the graphic of the frequency response of the ARTTI T10 in its marketing materials, those earphones have peaks at 4.5 khz and 8 khz that are as tall as the peak pinna gain region. Pretty much all IEM enthusiast and reviewer would consider that to be too bright. The sound you are hearing is bright.

I would agree. It is bright. I have addressed this with EQ, 2 versions of EQ, and I like the result of either of these EQ adjustments.

1. One based on AutoEQ.app's corrections, from measurements done by Tone Deaf Monk,
2. Another using broad EQ, high and low shelves, which I defined manually.

I would caveat it with this opinion. Any frequency emphasis based on either the drivers and tuning, only emphasizes what is already there in the audio. If the audio is NOT bright, to start off with, I do not hear any such brightness in the T10. So to me, it still reflects what's in the audio/music, and for me I love the clarity.

What I cannot tell you is what exactly is responsible, for this, clarity, in my opinion. Is it the brightness, or is it the supposed more instantaneous response of the planar driver? Or something else. I do not know, but compared to any other single DD IEM I own, love the effortless clarity, and sense of limitless high frequency expansion, to the upper frequency limits of my own hearing.

I have using AutoEQ, made every effort to EQ the Zero 2 to exactly the same frequency response as the T10, i.e aiming at the same AUTOEQ default target. But the T10 just sounds so much clearer, on everything I listen to, and I can listen at lower volumes, with zero ear fatigue.

 

[OK1]

The Harman curve is an average of different listeners' preferences and how closely a large number of listeners perceive that preference curve to match the sound of "flat" speakers in a neutral room.

The shape of all of our heads and ear canals differs and we will all perceive the sound of IEMs slightly differently. This isn't a quality of hearing or measurement issue. For me, I've listened to a lot of headphones and IEMs that track closely to the Harman curve and they always sound good but not quite right - in order to get "neutral" sound I need a touch more mid-bass and a touch less around 5khz. I'm just one degree off of perfectly average on the curve. that's fine. 7hz Zero 2 sounds absolutely perfect to my ears for those reasons. If you are more significantly off of average in the shape of your ear canals and how IEMs interface with your ear, you may perceive harman tuning as more "wrong" than most listeners do. We don't need more research or more complicated measurements to understand this - it's already well-understood.

If this is the case, it can be easily fixed with EQ. The advantage of the Harman Curve and judging headphones by four factors - how closely they track the curve, how much distortion they have, how closely the two phones match each other, and how easy they are to drive - is that it gives you a consistent way to compare headphones and for you to judge whether headphones are for you. I know that an IEM that perfectly tracks the curve will need a small amount of EQ to sound right to me, and I know if it has low distortion it will take that EQ like a champ and sound perfect.

The Zero 2 is a great IEM not just because it closely tracks the Harman curve, but because it has extremely low distortion at normal listening levels, is easy to drive, and has good matching between drivers. If you want to continue to argue there's something wrong with it or it's somehow objectively "bad' because you have better hearing than everyone else, well I'm sorry, you're simply wrong.

When I spent time with measurements for speakers, several years ago, there were two measurements that complemented frequency response, which together with frequency response correlated to what one hears.

These were impulse response and the waterfall. I think the overt focus on frequency response and harmonic distortion(based on very little standardisation), is beclouding the measurement arena, for IEMs/Headphones, in certain circles. There is a lot more than frequency response and harmonic distortion, when evaluating the behaviour of a listening device.

I would love to see the measured impulse response and waterfall for many headphones and IEM's, and highly suspect that, in a similar manner to speakers, this would, in addition to frequency response, provide a better predictor of what one should expect an IEM or headphone to sound like.

But this is also a reflection of the different areas of focus of two different audiences. The professional audio and the audiophile/hobbyist

The impulse response and waterfall are almost compulsory additional measurements, in any detailed review of a professional speaker, e.g. one used in a music studio, but in the audiophile/hobbyist audience, these are not given much regard - with the primary focus being on frequency response and distortion.

 

[SuicideSquid]

When I spent time with measurements for speakers, several years ago, there were two measurements that complemented frequency response, which together with frequency response correlated to what one hears.

These were impulse response and the waterfall. I think the overt focus on frequency response and harmonic distortion(based on very little standardisation), is beclouding the measurement arena, for IEMs/Headphones, in certain circles. There is a lot more than frequency response and harmonic distortion, when evaluating the behaviour of a listening device.

I would love to see the measured impulse response and waterfall for many headphones and IEM's, and highly suspect that, in a similar manner to speakers, this would, in addition to frequency response, provide a better predictor of what one should expect an IEM or headphone to sound like.

But this is also a reflection of the different areas of focus of two different audiences. The professional audio and the audiophile/hobbyist

The impulse response and waterfall are almost compulsory additional measurements, in any detailed review of a professional speaker, e.g. one used in a music studio, but in the audiophile/hobbyist audience, these are not given much regard - with the primary focus being on frequency response and distortion.

No offense, but this clearly shows that you have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.

A waterfall graph shows how sound propagates and decays in a room. You cannot have a waterfall graph for a sealed chamber a centimetre long.

Likewise, impulse responses related to how sound produced by a driver interacts with a cabinet and a room.

Not only are these not relevant for IEMs, they literally do not exist.

 

[staticV3]

they literally do not exist.

They certainly do.

Headphone Test Lab test results in ear iem

Headphone Test Lab test results in ear iem

headphonetestlab.co.uk

Even Amir measures them from time to time:

 

[SuicideSquid]

They certainly do.

Headphone Test Lab test results in ear iem

Headphone Test Lab test results in ear iem

headphonetestlab.co.uk

Even Amir measures them from time to time:
View attachment 414486

What is a waterfall graph for an IEM even measuring / how could it be relevant to how the IEM sounds? That makes absolutely no sense to me. I understand you can make an impulse response measurement for an IEM but it also doesn't seem like it's going to tell you very much.

 

[OK1]

What is a waterfall graph for an IEM even measuring / how could it be relevant to how the IEM sounds? That makes absolutely no sense to me. I understand you can make an impulse response measurement for an IEM but it also doesn't seem like it's going to tell you very much.

If an impulse response and a waterfall plot provides ample information that helps to determine the expected quality of a speaker in a room, why would such measurements become irrelevant or not applicable to a headphone or an IEM?

You are the one who is proposing that it makes no sense, for these to be relevant to an IEM, so could you kindly support your assertions, with reasons.

You are of course entitled to your opinions, but if you want others to join you in your conclusions, it would help if you provided justification for your assertions.

 

[musichunter1x]

Hey there! I was reading this forum for some time and after a few years I went back and finally registered. Some tests helped me sell most of my stuff and allowed me to stop seeking new things for a long time.
I bought this one and they sound quite good, but there is still a lot of room for more expensive stuff, unfortunately.
Stereo / space effects / scene are limited. it can be rly noticeable in something like Space Boy (New Generation Remix) from Initial D, Ludens - Bring Me The Horizon.
Sound, epsecialy after EQ is still good, or even great enough for me, but I spoiled by my another headphone which layed in a drawer fora long time...

Some sidestory...
After selling most stuff, I switched to speakers and outdoor headphones for podcasts, but I kept Sony mdr-ex1000 + Qudelix 5k + refined EQ. In last weeks I stared to listen them again, coz I tested it befor listing it for sale... Which brought up willingness to find something smaller and cheaper. I tried doing it 4-5 years ago, exchanging headphones with others, without good results... Beside Sony MDR-Z7 + PHA3, but it was even bigger, more expensive and rare
I wish there were tests of ex800 / ex1000, but I quess I need to make a topic for my search to not offtop this one.

I am somewhat happy with sound of Zero2, beside not being 1:1 of ex1000, but probably I can not get over space effects and maybe some dynamic stuff, but it was first day of listening. them on shorter tracks. Too bad we can not measure this scene / sapce effects quality. Probably I am not going to sale mdr-ex1000, coz I am afraid that I am not going to find experience like it somewhere else.

 

[Tell]

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.

Well you have a point, many people actually have a really hard time hearing what's considered high distortion. Klippel.de have a distortion test where the average audible level is around -30dB, and that is when people are concentrating, so just imagine random people the really looking for distortion, they can take really much without caring! So if someone prefers the tuning on the Sundara I can get why someone would like those, though I'd still say they cost way to much for that, I mean just EQ a pair of cheaper lower distortion headphones to the same curve and you'll have as good as the same experience.

And about the fact that you prefer the T10 over the Zero 2, yeah others have already said why; you prefer the tuning of the tuning of them, but that's what EQs for. I mean I'm not fully happy with my Zero 2 out of the box, but some tweaking and they sound frakkin amazing!

 

[OK1]

Hey there! I was reading this forum for some time and after a few years I went back and finally registered. Some tests helped me sell most of my stuff and allowed me to stop seeking new things for a long time.
I bought this one and they sound quite good, but there is still a lot of room for more expensive stuff, unfortunately.
Stereo / space effects / scene are limited. it can be rly noticeable in something like Space Boy (New Generation Remix) from Initial D, Ludens - Bring Me The Horizon.
Sound, epsecialy after EQ is still good, or even great enough for me, but I spoiled by my another headphone which layed in a drawer fora long time...

Some sidestory...
After selling most stuff, I switched to speakers and outdoor headphones for podcasts, but I kept Sony mdr-ex1000 + Qudelix 5k + refined EQ. In last weeks I stared to listen them again, coz I tested it befor listing it for sale... Which brought up willingness to find something smaller and cheaper. I tried doing it 4-5 years ago, exchanging headphones with others, without good results... Beside Sony MDR-Z7 + PHA3, but it was even bigger, more expensive and rare
I wish there were tests of ex800 / ex1000, but I quess I need to make a topic for my search to not offtop this one.

I am somewhat happy with sound of Zero2, beside not being 1:1 of ex1000, but probably I can not get over space effects and maybe some dynamic stuff, but it was first day of listening. them on shorter tracks. Too bad we can not measure this scene / sapce effects quality. Probably I am not going to sale mdr-ex1000, coz I am afraid that I am not going to find experience like it somewhere else.

Welcome to ASR.

It makes sense that mankind, moves on and improves, with the development of new science, and better understanding of what it takes to make a good sounding device (speakers, headphones, IEMs, etc).

In the same way that every few years (sometimes not so few years), we have to change our cars, our smartphones, computers, tablets, and sometime clothes, cos they have become obsolete, the same unfortunately applies to listening devices. There is every likelihood, that the newer listening devices, will either be better, or be as good but cost less than they used to.

The only area where I think we have reached a limit, that there really is not much further that is needed to improve, is in the area of DAC's. Today's DACs are very very good, and many DAC's have been pretty decent and good enough, for at least about 10 years. I have some DAC's from about 15 years ago, and they are audibly as good as the DAC's I bought recently. Sure there will be DACs that measure even better, over time, but it may not improve what we hear, in any significant or noticeably significant manner.

With that exception, things like speakers and headphones, and IEM's have had, and continue to have, so much room for improvement. And that is where we have to separate ourselves from nostalgia. Many of the speakers made in recent times, are either cheaper, smaller or better (or all of the above), compared to some of the speakers made many years ago. And the same thing applies to headphones and IEMs.

I think one should not sell all old gear. But keep one or two of the best examples, so that when we compare them to what is new, and current, we can appreciate the improvement.

I love the Zero 2, for only one major reason, it helps me appreciate how good, the alternative like the ARTTI T10 is. And how much better the Zero 2 is, compared to some other inferior IEMs like the KZ ZVX. In the same way that we have museums, that make us appreciate the progress of humanity, by keeping a record of the past, I think it is important to keep some example from the past, to appreciate how much better, things can be.

 

[OK1]

Well you have a point, many people actually have a really hard time hearing what's considered high distortion. Klippel.de have a distortion test where the average audible level is around -30dB, and that is when people are concentrating, so just imagine random people the really looking for distortion, they can take really much without caring! So if someone prefers the tuning on the Sundara I can get why someone would like those, though I'd still say they cost way to much for that, I mean just EQ a pair of cheaper lower distortion headphones to the same curve and you'll have as good as the same experience.

And about the fact that you prefer the T10 over the Zero 2, yeah others have already said why; you prefer the tuning of the tuning of them, but that's what EQs for. I mean I'm not fully happy with my Zero 2 out of the box, but some tweaking and they sound frakkin amazing!

When I 1st heard the T10, I wanted to keep the info to myself, like my own secret. It was a HUGE improvement on anything I have ever heard, and more so when some appropriate EQ and what I would consider are tips that fit my ears, and the sound signature I like to hear - open and all frequencies, are applied. To take was was already very good to even better.

I wish it was just the tone and tuning. As I'm really aiming to get across is that - ALL The EQ in the world, cannot bring the Zero 2, the one I have, anywhere near the kind of clarity that the T10 produces, straight out of the box, with the stock eartips. I have tried, and it's something beyond just the tone. My personal wish, everyone deserves to hear and own a decent planar magnetic IEM, like the T10, or at the very least, if this is too expensive, I understand that there are now two good planar magnetic IEM alternatives, that also deliver a respectable result.

The KZ PRX and the Sgor Luna, which can each be had for $35( or less), when on sale. My point is that, for not much more than the cost of the Zero 2, is a sonic quality produces by IEM's like the KZ PRX, Sgor Luna, and ARTTI T10, which sound so much better. Nevertheless, I think every one should own a Zero 2, to appreciate the difference when they hear something better. How do we know something is bright, unless we have something dark to compare it with.

As usual, there is also a bit of human inertia, we stick to what we know, and are familiar with - single DD's, cos that's what most of the world listens to - Dynamic Drivers. But this inertia may be holding may back. I posit that 30 minutes, actually not more than 5 minutes, with a well fitted planar magnetic IEM, no need to EQ, should convince most, to retire their Zero 2. So rather than theorise, if we put this to the test, I fully expect those who have been singing the praises of the Zero 2, to immediately desire better, after they have heard better.

I think gear should no longer be reviewed unless, one references it to something everyone else knows well.

This is the value of products like the Apple Dongle and the Zero 2, bargain basements of what is acceptable and also affordable to most people, as the start of their audio journey, and I would hope everyone would own both of these, for use as backups, and also as a reference, so that when one owns better, one can hear and appreciate the difference/improvement, of better gear, cos the improvement is audible.

 

[Palladium]

God you just keep making these wild assumptions and leap to bizarre conclusions in incoherent posts that, whilst elaborate, still manage to be extremely vague and unspecific. You can't get along with the stock tuning of the Zero2 and so far haven't managed to fix it with EQ, that's all the content I get out of what you're writing over multiple posts so far.

I myself just put up my DCA E3 for sale, for which this and other dirt cheap IEM offerings are mainly responsible. Unbelievable what fantastic fidelity is within everbody's reach these days.

Personally I wouldn't bother with any headphone setups costing more than a Zero2 and a KA11 dongle. If I want to spend big I rather have speakers with built-in room calibration like the newest iLouds first.

 

[OK1]

Personally I wouldn't bother with any headphone setups costing more than a Zero2 and a KA11 dongle. If I want to spend big I rather have speakers with built-in room calibration like the newest iLouds first.

For many years, I never bothered with IEMs and rarely used headphones for critical listening. It was speakers + EQ based calibration. Then moved into a new residence, where my home studio/listening room, now shares a wall with my neighbour, in a very quiet neighbourhood. So really doing my best to be considerate, with noise levels. especially when listening to music/audio late at night/early in the mornings, as well as during the day. Which is where headphones and IEM's provide a most welcome solution.

It's a smaller room than I had before, so the reflections from walls, has a shorter delay, from the direct sound, from the speakers, blurring the sound more than in my prior larger room. Smaller room also not the most fantastic for adding acoustic panels, cos they take up so much precious space making the room even smaller. Which is where IEMs and headphones, which are devoid of any wall reflections, have their own value.

I would from my own recent experience, still push the sweet spot for the better sounding better value IEM's/headphones, to somewhere between $50 and $350, rather than hope to snag something quite good, below $50.

There is also the possible argument. If one was ready to spend several hundred or even thousands of dollars on speakers, then spending $50 to $350 on each headphone/IEM, is negligible investment, especially when it can sound better than speakers, in my opinion., for a lot less money.

And unlike speakers, where I could only afford one or two different models, with IEM's I can build a collection of a few more different flavours in IEM., for relatively not much money.

 

[DeineVatti]

For fun and because I like spending money, I bought the IO Audio Volare and compared it with the Zero2. There is simply a world of difference between them. The Zero2 sounds like two mono speakers in comparison. You get better sound for more money. Everything else is a lie!

 

[Tell]

When I 1st heard the T10, I wanted to keep the info to myself, like my own secret. It was a HUGE improvement on anything I have ever heard, and more so when some appropriate EQ and what I would consider are tips that fit my ears, and the sound signature I like to hear - open and all frequencies, are applied. To take was was already very good to even better.

I wish it was just the tone and tuning. As I'm really aiming to get across is that - ALL The EQ in the world, cannot bring the Zero 2, the one I have, anywhere near the kind of clarity that the T10 produces, straight out of the box, with the stock eartips. I have tried, and it's something beyond just the tone. My personal wish, everyone deserves to hear and own a decent planar magnetic IEM, like the T10, or at the very least, if this is too expensive, I understand that there are now two good planar magnetic IEM alternatives, that also deliver a respectable result.

The KZ PRX and the Sgor Luna, which can each be had for $35( or less), when on sale. My point is that, for not much more than the cost of the Zero 2, is a sonic quality produces by IEM's like the KZ PRX, Sgor Luna, and ARTTI T10, which sound so much better. Nevertheless, I think every one should own a Zero 2, to appreciate the difference when they hear something better. How do we know something is bright, unless we have something dark to compare it with.

As usual, there is also a bit of human inertia, we stick to what we know, and are familiar with - single DD's, cos that's what most of the world listens to - Dynamic Drivers. But this inertia may be holding may back. I posit that 30 minutes, actually not more than 5 minutes, with a well fitted planar magnetic IEM, no need to EQ, should convince most, to retire their Zero 2. So rather than theorise, if we put this to the test, I fully expect those who have been singing the praises of the Zero 2, to immediately desire better, after they have heard better.

I think gear should no longer be reviewed unless, one references it to something everyone else knows well.

This is the value of products like the Apple Dongle and the Zero 2, bargain basements of what is acceptable and also affordable to most people, as the start of their audio journey, and I would hope everyone would own both of these, for use as backups, and also as a reference, so that when one owns better, one can hear and appreciate the difference/improvement, of better gear, cos the improvement is audible.

If it's not tuning then it's distortion (there's really not much else that can affect sound quality on IEMs). I haven't seen any measurements of the T10, but considering how very low the distortion of the Zero 2 are my guess would be that the T10 have higher distortion that might "spice" it up in a way that you prefer, though objectively that would make them have less clarity.
Though I'm pretty sure the tonality of the the Zero 2 and T10 do differ as well, so then I guess it's a combination of both frequency response and distortion.

 

[Tell]

For fun and because I like spending money, I bought the IO Audio Volare and compared it with the Zero2. There is simply a world of difference between them. The Zero2 sounds like two mono speakers in comparison. You get better sound for more money. Everything else is a lie!


View attachment 415395

Again I can only guess since I haven't seen any measurements of the Volare, but you most probably prefer the tuning of them compared to the Zero 2, and this subjective difference can very much be EQed. So of course you get better subjective performance for more money if you're not interested in tweaking anything yourself, but on an objective scale there's really hard to get anything better by spending more than the Zero 2

 

[DeineVatti]

The sound stage, the clarity and the spatial representation cannot be adjusted with EQ, that is not possible! It is always the same bla bla from the people here.. I can't take the forum seriously.. it is an "ASR Cult".. nothing more.

 

[Tell]

The sound stage, the clarity and the spatial representation cannot be adjusted with EQ, that is not possible! It is always the same bla bla from the people here.. I can't take the forum seriously.. it is an "ASR Cult".. nothing more.

Considering that you got each earbud stuck in one ear each two pair of IEM cannot in any way differ in their sound stage or spatial representation, that's in the recording. Of course a bad frequency response can have some apparent affect on this, and when it comes to clarity that's distortion and again frequency response.
So my previous point still stands.

Biggest question is though what you are even doing here on ASR if you think it's a cult? I hope you're hear to seek knowledge and that you are open to it instead of just wanting to somehow "infiltrate" the cult to inject some of that magical subjectivism, because unfortunately you won't come far if that's the case

 

[Jimbob54]

The sound stage, the clarity and the spatial representation cannot be adjusted with EQ, that is not possible! It is always the same bla bla from the people here.. I can't take the forum seriously.. it is an "ASR Cult".. nothing more.

Well , that's a one way ticket to ban town .bye