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7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2 IEM Review

Rate this IEM:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 7 1.7%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

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

    Votes: 52 12.3%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 351 83.2%

  • Total voters
    422
i have been searching for a full sized closed headphone with very good passive isolation for some time.
very nearly pulled the trigger on the DCA noire x in last few days, then i stumble across this review.
never used to like iems and have not used any for over 10 years, but looking at the price and this review , i figured i would try one last time.
should be here tomorrow
 
i have been searching for a full sized closed headphone with very good passive isolation for some time.
very nearly pulled the trigger on the DCA noire x in last few days, then i stumble across this review.
never used to like iems and have not used any for over 10 years, but looking at the price and this review , i figured i would try one last time.
should be here tomorrow
Just ensure you have good fit and seal. Once you find the best tips for you try the alternating tone test here. If bass isn't roughly same volume as the higher pitch you either haven't got a good enough seal or (unlikely) they are busted.

Without good seal they will sound screechy with minimal to no bass. They should have meaty and punchy low end
 
Just ensure you have good fit and seal. Once you find the best tips for you try the alternating tone test here. If bass isn't roughly same volume as the higher pitch you either haven't got a good enough seal or (unlikely) they are busted.

Without good seal they will sound screechy with minimal to no bass. They should have meaty and punchy low end
Forgot the link. Sorry! https://asiaudio.com/pages/audio-seal-test
 
Yeah, with the zero 2 you don't need to add any bass eq, they punch hard and deep out of the box.
Personally I've always found it easy to know when I've got a good seal even before you play anything just from the isolation and that you start hearing your voice through your bones rather than externally!
 
with these being so cheap it begs the question......
what is the most you would ever spend on an iem?
is the "dimminishing returns" worse than with over ear phones?
 
with these being so cheap it begs the question......
what is the most you would ever spend on an iem?
is the "dimminishing returns" worse than with over ear phones?
To that I would say "don't ask" lest I suffer a chronic attack of hipocricy induced cognitive dissonance ;-)

Alls I will say is my favourite iem is not the cheapest. But nor is it worth anything like the gulf between say the Zero 2 and it. Feels helluva lot nicer in my ear though which is worth a lot.
 
with these being so cheap it begs the question......
what is the most you would ever spend on an iem?
is the "dimminishing returns" worse than with over ear phones?
My somewhat arbitrary limit is/was £500 and no intention of ever needing to buy another iem Symphonium Meteor, anything above that in my opinion is marketing fluff and possibly chasing that last .1%. Perhaps you’ll get nicer packaging etc but I’d rather my stuff came in a simple bag/box as I couldn’t give a toss regarding the “unboxing experience”.

The supplied eartips that come with the zero 2 are absolute guff as they are so flimsy and ineffective at getting a good seal. Order yourself something like below and experiment with a few sizes to ensure a good seal,

 
My somewhat arbitrary limit is/was £500 and no intention of ever needing to buy another iem Symphonium Meteor, anything above that in my opinion is marketing fluff and possibly chasing that last .1%. Perhaps you’ll get nicer packaging etc but I’d rather my stuff came in a simple bag/box as I couldn’t give a toss regarding the “unboxing experience”.

The supplied eartips that come with the zero 2 are absolute guff as they are so flimsy and ineffective at getting a good seal. Order yourself something like below and experiment with a few sizes to ensure a good seal,

I've got no problems with the supplied eartips for the Zero 2, though I have issues with swapping said eartips. But I've got no problems with the supplied (red) eartips as regards bass seal or isolation.
 
My somewhat arbitrary limit is/was £500 and no intention of ever needing to buy another iem Symphonium Meteor, anything above that in my opinion is marketing fluff and possibly chasing that last .1%. Perhaps you’ll get nicer packaging etc but I’d rather my stuff came in a simple bag/box as I couldn’t give a toss regarding the “unboxing experience”.

The supplied eartips that come with the zero 2 are absolute guff as they are so flimsy and ineffective at getting a good seal. Order yourself something like below and experiment with a few sizes to ensure a good seal,

just ordered those, so thanks for the tip!! (unfortunately the pun was intended :p)
 
just ordered those, so thanks for the tip!! (unfortunately the pun was intended :p)

They’re cheap enough to experiment with :)
 
They’re cheap enough to experiment with :)
They're much better than I expected. Good bass, deep but not hyped. And, as the measurements indicated, distortion free.
 
is the "diminishing returns" worse than with over ear phones?
I don’t think the diminishing returns curve is “worse” for IEMs, but you may need to "recalibrate" yourself for the IEMs prices: you can buy a KZ EDX-lite for less than $5, and some random brand IEMs for a couple of bucks. So, the curve starts very low and, at $20, the Zero:2 can be considered “mid-range”, or in the “sweet spot”. To me, there is not much justifying an IEM priced beyond $100-150… unless it’s an exceptionally good fit & comfort for your ears (priceless !!!).

I maintain a list of all the IEMs I bought over the last ~10 years: 153 IEMs… :rolleyes: plus two dozen of duplicates and some I probably forgot… :facepalm:
(and yes, I only have two ears...)
  • Median price: $29
  • Average price: $44
  • The 5 cheapest (all KZ's): KZ EDX Pro $2.69, KZ EDX $3.00, KZ D-Fi $4.49, KZ ZSE $4.69, KZ Libra X $6.17
  • The 5 most expensive: Qudelix T71 $220, Etymotics ER4XR $198, Audeze iSine 10 $180 (used), 7Hz Timeless $175, Vsonic GR07 Bass Edition $160
 
i can be such a plank at times.

just having 1st listen with the zero2 and thought sh1t these things are bassy!
after a couple of nearly unbearable tracks , i turned off the eq set for HD800. :facepalm:

lets just say , they improved somewhat.
got a good seal with the tips that came fitted too.
surprised by the fact i am using high gain on the midgard though.

cannot complain about anything at the price, theyre a bargain imo.
 
i use the E50 (atm) and its in "dac" mode, so should be maxed on output.
And whatever is feeding that ? Full signal ?
 
have tried measuring the output voltage from my dac , assuming this is possible with a multimeter.

not sure of the accuracy of my meter (fluke 114) but i'm getting just 0.2 vac

could it be my dac is goosed?
 
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