TRUTHEAR x Crinacle Zero IEM Review

[MKreroo]

Too bad this is likely too big, as with most iem for me.

 

[DavidEdwinAston]

Please forgive this dumb question. Could these be plugged into my hifi, instead of the Beyerdynamic DT770's?
The latter use a full size rca pin, is it? I suppose I'm asking what is the plug on these iem's?
And, would there be any point, sound qualitywise? Thank you.

 

[AudioSceptic]

This is a review, listening tests and measurements of the Truthear Crinacle Zero IEM review. It was sent to me by @crinacle as he has been a consultant on the project. It costs US $50.
View attachment 230789

I like that it has a bit of "bling" but not too much. The cord is just the right length for me (many IEMs are too short for my use). It is super flexible with very little microphonics. You get two sets of silicone pads in three different sizes which suites me fine. I wear the largest one and it stays nicely put.

The claim to fame of this IEM is that it complies with the Harman target. Let's see if that is the case.

Truthear Crinnacle Zero IEM Measurements
Let's start with our frequency response measurement:
View attachment 230790

I must say I was not prepared for such a tight fit to our target! Other than a hair droop at 20 Hz and a bit deviation here and there, the response hugs our target a wet towel! Very nice. This renders our difference frequency response kind of useless:
View attachment 230791

Distortion is good enough at lower levels but gets a bit much at maximum SPL:
View attachment 230792
View attachment 230793

Group delay is not revealing for IEMs and such is the case here:
View attachment 230794

Impedance shows evidence of some tuning in bass frequencies:

View attachment 230795

The low impedance means many amps and sources can drive it but it is very low. Sensitive is on the low side as well for an IEM:
View attachment 230796

Truthear Crinnacle Zero IEM Listening Tests
As usual I start with my female vocals. My first reference track had excellent warmth courtesy of proper low frequency response. This continued from track to track with tonality that was just delightful. It not only sounds "right" but also enjoyable. The sound you get is like the best speaker in best room with no room modes. Of course there is no tactile feedback so deep bass doesn't sound the same but you get the picture.

I cranked up the volume on it and it kind of gets loud but I thought the bass started to gradually get distorted. Not a practical problem as you are not going to want to listen at those unsafe volumes.

I am sitting here typing this review and listening to it and marveling how nice every track sounds!

Conclusions
What on earth are you doing reading the rest of this review? Go and buy one of these! I don't care if you don't listen to IEMs normally. You want this IEM so you know what correct tonality is, when you listen with other transducers such as headphones and speakers. Think of it as the tuning fork that a musician uses! This IEM needs to be in your arsenal.

For those of you who use IEMs as I do in summer months (headphones wear too hot), you are in for a treat for peanuts out of your pocket. The science works. Kudos to @crinacle for advocating this execution. We are indebted to you for your contribution here.

I am happy to strongly recommend the Truthear Crinnacle Zero IEM. It brings that incredible harmony of technical excellence and superbly low purchase price.

----------
As always, questions, comments, recommendations, etc. are welcome.

Any donations are much appreciated using: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/how-to-support-audio-science-review.8150/

Impressive. I'm tempted even though I don't really need them. Searching for this took me to this ranking list of many, many IEMs. I can't believe the price of some of them! <https://crinacle.com/rankings/iems/>

 

[Jimbob54]

Please forgive this dumb question. Could these be plugged into my hifi, instead of the Beyerdynamic DT770's?
The latter use a full size rca pin, is it? I suppose I'm asking what is the plug on these iem's?
And, would there be any point, sound qualitywise? Thank you.

Yes if you have one of those (usually gold) 3.5 to 6.35mm plugs that come with most headphones. These will come with the smaller 3.5mm plug- dunno if they ship an adapter but unlikely but they cost £1 or so from amazon.

SQ wise, depends on the output impedance of your headphone plug on the hifi. With these being low impedance there might be some interplay affecting the frequency response- for better or worse depends!

 

[Phorize]

OK, purchased on Amazon. Opinions please: do these need a dedicated headphone amp? With low impedance and sensitivity, would the headphone jack on my TEAC AI 301 DA do them justice?

I'm using an Apple dongle with these and it's plenty loud.

 

[hmt]

I also ordered them. Dont have any real use for them (I use airpod pros for the sake of comfort) but for 50€ it was too tempting even if just to use them as a reference.

 

[F1308]

Distortion is good enough at lower levels but gets a bit much at maximum SPL:

94...104...114 dB...?

Seriously...?

 

[DavidEdwinAston]

Yes if you have one of those (usually gold) 3.5 to 6.35mm plugs that come with most headphones. These will come with the smaller 3.5mm plug- dunno if they ship an adapter but unlikely but they cost £1 or so from amazon.

SQ wise, depends on the output impedance of your headphone plug on the hifi. With these being low impedance there might be some interplay affecting the frequency response- for better or worse depends!

Thanks Jimbo

 

[Keened]

A shame it's 2 pin

 

[Spocko]

This is a review, listening tests and measurements of the Truthear Crinacle Zero IEM review. It was sent to me by @crinacle as he has been a consultant on the project. It costs US $50.
View attachment 230789

I like that it has a bit of "bling" but not too much. The cord is just the right length for me (many IEMs are too short for my use). It is super flexible with very little microphonics. You get two sets of silicone pads in three different sizes which suites me fine. I wear the largest one and it stays nicely put.

The claim to fame of this IEM is that it complies with the Harman target. Let's see if that is the case.

Truthear Crinnacle Zero IEM Measurements
Let's start with our frequency response measurement:
View attachment 230790

I must say I was not prepared for such a tight fit to our target! Other than a hair droop at 20 Hz and a bit deviation here and there, the response hugs our target a wet towel! Very nice. This renders our difference frequency response kind of useless:
View attachment 230791

Distortion is good enough at lower levels but gets a bit much at maximum SPL:
View attachment 230792
View attachment 230793

Group delay is not revealing for IEMs and such is the case here:
View attachment 230794

Impedance shows evidence of some tuning in bass frequencies:

View attachment 230795

The low impedance means many amps and sources can drive it but it is very low. Sensitive is on the low side as well for an IEM:
View attachment 230796

Truthear Crinnacle Zero IEM Listening Tests
As usual I start with my female vocals. My first reference track had excellent warmth courtesy of proper low frequency response. This continued from track to track with tonality that was just delightful. It not only sounds "right" but also enjoyable. The sound you get is like the best speaker in best room with no room modes. Of course there is no tactile feedback so deep bass doesn't sound the same but you get the picture.

I cranked up the volume on it and it kind of gets loud but I thought the bass started to gradually get distorted. Not a practical problem as you are not going to want to listen at those unsafe volumes.

I am sitting here typing this review and listening to it and marveling how nice every track sounds!

Conclusions
What on earth are you doing reading the rest of this review? Go and buy one of these! I don't care if you don't listen to IEMs normally. You want this IEM so you know what correct tonality is, when you listen with other transducers such as headphones and speakers. Think of it as the tuning fork that a musician uses! This IEM needs to be in your arsenal.

For those of you who use IEMs as I do in summer months (headphones wear too hot), you are in for a treat for peanuts out of your pocket. The science works. Kudos to @crinacle for advocating this execution. We are indebted to you for your contribution here.

I am happy to strongly recommend the Truthear Crinnacle Zero IEM. It brings that incredible harmony of technical excellence and superbly low purchase price.

----------
As always, questions, comments, recommendations, etc. are welcome.

Any donations are much appreciated using: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/how-to-support-audio-science-review.8150/

BUYING IT NOW, thanks @amirm

 

[Phorize]

Do we know if there will be duty and or VAT to pay on these? (Plus shippers processing fee)?

£50 is an impulse buy £70 not so much.

To the UK, no.

 

[yahrightthere]

Unfortunately there are some people that do not like anything put in their ears, of which I am one, I equate it to a rectal suppository/enema experience...I avoid it at all & any cost!

 

[poeb]

I have had these for a month now and they are definitely worth 50USD. I would also love to see a review on the Moondrop Variations and the ThieAudio Monarch Mk2. I have the Variations and I think they are the next step in tonality, however they cost much more than the Zero.

 

[charleski]

Do we know if there will be duty and or VAT to pay on these? (Plus shippers processing fee)?

£50 is an impulse buy £70 not so much.

Amazon UK has them for £50, delivered by Shenzenaudio (so coming from China), but this will include all fees.

 

[sharock]

Well, I guess reproduction of sounds is basically trying to imitate reality. If Steinway Grand piano does not sound like Steinway Grand piano, then this is false interpretation of reality.

Aren't they reproducing a recording rather than reproducing reality? What if the recording doesn't sound like a real Steinway? #circleofconfusion

 

[RichT]

Hello Amir, yes another fantastic review of an amazing product. Begin the feeding frenzy. Can't save any money if you don't buy, regards

 

[Orion76]

For $50, it is time to hear what the Harman curve sounds like! Ordered.

 

[HarmonicTHD]

Aren't they reproducing a recording rather than reproducing reality? What if the recording doesn't sound like a real Steinway?

Yes and then the problem is with the recording and not with the reproduction device. Plus there is no way that any reproduction device can add information which hasn’t been captured by the recordings. That would be magic or also called snake oil.

 

[jae]

Well, I guess reproduction of sounds is basically trying to imitate reality. If Steinway Grand piano does not sound like Steinway Grand piano, then this is false interpretation of reality.

I think this is a common misunderstanding. It's late and I'm running out of steam, but if I can explain it simply the reproduction of sound fundamentally really has nothing to do with "imitating reality" even if that is yours, mine, and many other's expectation. It is about reproducing a recorded/contrived/mixed/mastered/whatever signal so that the response of said signal is identical or as close to identical at a certain point in space, or at least the intended response at a certain point under certain conditions.

If it was as simple as recording a piano with a microphone and pressing play, a lot of sound engineers would be out of a job right now. What microphones are recording said Steinway piano? How many mics and what are their responses, and how is the instrument or ensemble mic'd? What is the phase relationship of the mics? How is the signal processed after it's recorded and what if any magic are these engineers doing to bring it to life or add dimension to the composition? Would you be able to tell it's a Steinway if the entire passage was played pianississimo? How might we both that we're both able to tell it's a Steinway even though the frequency response at our ear drums are not the same? We are not in the recording studio listening to said one-off performances or recordings, and further humans do not really "hear" and process sounds like microphones do. We also don't know the artists or producers musical or artistic "intent" so we can only assume the intent is the signal we are presented with and need to reproduce. But, most recording studios have good, accurate speakers in a controlled room setting so we can replicate that sound easily. Further, most music is meant to be played, and generally is produced and sounds best played on good speakers in those conditions (as confirmed by other psychoacoustic research), which we can also replicate and it's historically how we've reproduced music in the home and other settings since their invention.

Whether or not something is going to imitate reality or have "soundstage", "imaging", "clarity", "resolution" etc. (or other audiophile buzzwords) or simply sound "realistic" starts well before we even listen to it, starting with a recording and the eventual signal. FR is one very important aspect of the whole equation that ties it all together, and reliably the only one we have some control over. The subtleties of whether or not is it "correct" or close to correct is very much based both objectively and subjectively on the individual, and although everyone is different, the science says we are more alike that different. That's the only reason Harman "works" to some degree and can be applied as it is. If a Steinway is not sounding like a Steinway to you with Harman at the volumes you're listening at, by all means the response where it does if that is your goal. There may be tradeoffs. The major rub with IEMs is that you lose important acoustic cues from no interaction with the pinna (on top of what you already lose from a having no room), so if the FR does not appreciably compensate for some of these aspects then there will always be some sense of a "false reality".

 

[charleski]

A shame it's 2 pin

This is the one thing making me think a bit before buying them. The problem with MMCX connectors is that they're fragile and easy to break unless you use a tool to pry it off (and people have broken them even with a tool). But at least it's standardised and universal. 2-pin connectors come in at least 4 different flavours: 0.75mm, recessed 0.78mm (which is most common and seems to be the one used here), shrouded (QCD, rounded corners) and shrouded (TFZ, square corners).