TRUTHEAR x Crinacle Zero IEM Review

[Plumbus the Wise]

I'm sure there are better headphones out there than the little $50 Zeros, the question is which ones, and are they a sufficient improvement for their price.

I would also love to hear any experienced posters thoughts on this. Something in the same tuning ballpark as the zero. Would love to try the nova but they look the same quality build and comfort as the zeros which imo are lacking in that department.

 

[Somafunk]

It took me a while and multiple iem's over the past couple of years to find something that I liked listening to, i discovered/found that an old Sony XBA-N3 from 2014 (£120 in boxed mint condition from headfi classifieds) is my happy place coupled with an apple dongle so sold my Truthear Zero/Dunu Vulkan/few other iem’s and mojo2/poly

 

[nstzya]

Did I dream it or did I see someone posting oratory measurements of the zero and red on here recently? Can't find. Think was from a twitter post of his.

I can’t imagine why you’d have trouble finding that. Truthfully has ANYONE read all 2,800 posts? Poll?

 

[markanini]

I would also love to hear any experienced posters thoughts on this. Something in the same tuning ballpark as the zero. Would love to try the nova but they look the same quality build and comfort as the zeros which imo are lacking in that department.

1. Truthear Red is my most comfortable set out of roughly 25 IEM I've tried. 2. How do you decide something is lacking in build or comfort before trying it?

 

[Plumbus the Wise]

1. Truthear Red is my most comfortable set out of roughly 25 IEM I've tried. 2. How do you decide something is lacking in build or comfort before trying it?

I own the blue. Also the Nova appears to have the exact same shell design does it not?

 

[markanini]

I own the blue. Also the Nova appears to have the exact same shell design does it not?

Doesn't look like it.

 

[Plumbus the Wise]

Doesn't look like it.

Thanks for the pic that is certainly helpful side by side.

 

[GaryH]

Oratory has published his official measurement / EQ pdf for the Zero (the most accurate relative to Harman due to him using the exact same set-up as they did during the development of their target):

https://x.com/oratory1990/status/1721214709766950932?s=20

Dropbox

www.dropbox.com

As can be seen from the (red-colored) error response curve in the very top left, the Zero has a somewhat v-shaped tonality and bright overall spectral tilt (upward-sloping dashed logarithmic regression line), just as many have heard it to have. And as shown Oratory has calculated its predicted preference rating from Dr Olive's algorithm (which has a high correlation of 0.91 between predicted and actual blinded ratings given to IEM frequency responses) to be 79%, which is good, but definitively not the claimed "full-Harman" response it was (mis)marketed as based on inaccurate knock-off coupler measurements. This is why data from such couplers should never be trusted.

 

[Robbo99999]

Oratory has published his official measurement / EQ pdf for the Zero (the most accurate relative to Harman due to him using the exact same set-up as they did during the development of their target):

https://x.com/oratory1990/status/1721214709766950932?s=20

Dropbox

www.dropbox.com

As can be seen from the (red-colored) error response curve in the very top left, the Zero has a somewhat v-shaped tonality and bright overall spectral tilt (upward-sloping dashed logarithmic regression line), just as many have heard it to have. And as shown Oratory has calculated its predicted preference rating from Dr Olive's algorithm (which has a high correlation of 0.91 between predicted and actual ratings given to IEM frequency responses) to be 79%, which is good, but definitively not the claimed "full-Harman" response it was (mis)marketed as based on inaccurate knock-off coupler measurements. This is why data from such couplers should never be trusted.

Do you know how many units Oratory has measured though? You'd think he'd have to measure a fair few units, lets say 3+ before you can be more certain to compare something like Crinacle's measurement with Oratory's. Crinacle measured at least 10 units didn't he, if I remember rightly, that he published just when the Zero launched. I'm not saying you're wrong about the difference in couplers, but to compare Oratory will have to have measured more than one unit. Chances are the difference will still be seen because the Zero Blue had low unit to unit variation from Crinacle's measurements anyway.

 

[GaryH]

Do you know how many units Oratory has measured though?

At least 5.

Chances are the difference will still be seen because the Zero Blue had low unit to unit variation from Crinacle's measurements anyway.

Exactly.

 

[Robbo99999]

At least 5.

Exactly.

That seems like good information then!

 

[derKoekje]

Interesting IEMs, I like their neuteality. I'm curious if there any low to medium budget headphones with a similar tuning. It would be great to have a reference unit around.

HD600's?

 

[staticV3]

Interesting IEMs, I like their neuteality. I'm curious if there any low to medium budget headphones with a similar tuning. It would be great to have a reference unit around.

HD600's?

If for your ears, IE2019v2 is a good match for OE2018, then some headphones that get close to the Truthear Zero's tuning are the Shure SRH440 and SRH840 (not the newer 'A' versions!), as well as the Sennheiser HD 560S.

They're all slightly bright-tilted versions of Harman.

Oratory's PDFs are attached below.

 

[julian_hughes]

Interesting IEMs, I like their neuteality. I'm curious if there any low to medium budget headphones with a similar tuning. It would be great to have a reference unit around.

HD600's?

Yes, get the HD600 or Massdrop x Sennheiser HD 6XX (US $199 at the moment at drop.com)

 

[Robbo99999]

Interesting IEMs, I like their neuteality. I'm curious if there any low to medium budget headphones with a similar tuning. It would be great to have a reference unit around.

HD600's?

Yes, get the HD600 or Massdrop x Sennheiser HD 6XX (US $199 at the moment at drop.com)

I'd say the HD560s is the better choice over the HD600 & HD6XX. The new version of HD560s out at the moment (which is the only one you can buy now, the one with shorter cable), is a fair bit warmer than the old version HD560s that had the longer cable, and the bass is also better extended. At stock I'd say the new HD560s is better than the HD600 (I have both). HD560s has better extended bass, and is lower distortion, it also images better and a slightly bigger soundstage - the HD560s also responds to EQ better and you can EQ up the bass without fear of distortion issues, which is not the case for the HD600.

Note: the cable length on the HD560s does not change the sound signature, instead the New Version of HD560s just happens to have a shorter cable, but they have made the earpads softer and potentially changed the drivers a little so that's why the New Version HD560s is warmer and with better extended bass than the Old Version HD560s.

 

[sweetchaos]

I've made a GIF comparison with the recently reviewed 7Hz Salnotes Zero IEM is here. Enjoy!

 

[kevinlathrop]

Could someone please recommend where I can find a set of replacement eartips for the Truthear Crinacle blue zeros?

A friend gifted me a pair of the earphones with no tips and none of my comply tips seem to fit the wide opening.

I'd be interested in both the foam and rubber tips. Thanks!

 

[Oso Polar]

SpinFit CP155 fit these huge nozzles perfectly: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078RF1YLY
Note that the eartips themselves are significantly smaller than original eartips - the large size is even smaller than original medium (and they don't have size XL).
Also, I asked Shenzhen Audio this question on Amazon and they answered this: "Yes, we have the tips for this earbud in our store, you can buy it directly." I guess this means that the tips can be ordered using their own website (may be by contacting the support on their website?) but not on their Amazon store.

 

[kevinlathrop]

SpinFit CP155 fit these huge the nozzles perfectly: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078RF1YLY
Note that the eartips themselves are significantly smaller than original eartips - the large size is even smaller than original medium (and they don't have size XL).
Also, I asked Shenzhen Audio this question on Amazon and they answered this: "Yes, we have the tips for this earbud in our store, you can buy it directly." I guess this means that the tips can be ordered using their own website (may be by contacting the support on their website?) but not on their Amazon store.

Thanks a bunch. I will order the mediums on Amazon of the CP155. Hope they fit well!

Kevin

 

[Jason]

For what it is worth I am using the CP100 (XL) and they fit fine and work beautifully.