TRUTHEAR x Crinacle Zero IEM Review

[Vacceo]

I’ve become addicted to the damn things. Super comfortable and you can rest your head against a pillow with them in. I fall asleep every night with them in. Put some chill rhythm stuff on and sleep great. Sound is pretty good with the 5k to flavor to taste. This will be my 6th IEM. Favorites so far are Blon-03 $20 bucks and has great bass and clarity best 20 bucks ever spent on audio gear. Step up to the MEE AUDIO PLANAMIC $70. Better fit and comfort slightly better sound range. The best so far is the MOONDROP KXXX IEM $150. This is my favorite so far. Really great bass and comfortable and can take EQ without distortion setting in. A couple others that were waste of money and time. Just another rabbit hole but I get my money back from enjoying them.

Any recommendations for a Bluetooth adapter for IEM's? Fiio? TRN?

 

[Jimbob54]

I’ve become addicted to the damn things. Super comfortable and you can rest your head against a pillow with them in. I fall asleep every night with them in. Put some chill rhythm stuff on and sleep great. Sound is pretty good with the 5k to flavor to taste. This will be my 6th IEM. Favorites so far are Blon-03 $20 bucks and has great bass and clarity best 20 bucks ever spent on audio gear. Step up to the MEE AUDIO PLANAMIC $70. Better fit and comfort slightly better sound range. The best so far is the MOONDROP KXXX IEM $150. This is my favorite so far. Really great bass and comfortable and can take EQ without distortion setting in. A couple others that were waste of money and time. Just another rabbit hole but I get my money back from enjoying them.

It pains me to say my IEM collection now exceeds the over ear headphones. They are bloody addictive. Still to find the perfect one though.

 

[MZKM]

Is the cable microphonic at all, is the cable stiff and kinky or soft and pliable, like silicon cable or plasticky? What is the length?

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.

 

[Doodski]

RightO. Got it!... lol.. first line no less.

 

[Garrincha]

Combine an IEM with a good Bluetooth device, and you have one of the most convenient combos ever.

Well, why not take a TWS then, the AKG N400 or the Galaxy Buds2 Pro are very Harman, especially the AKG is also not expensive, provides a good seal and is very comfortable.

 

[amirm]

Answering earlier question, I use my regular GRAS 45C that I use for headphones. The unit was inserted into the artificial ear with the aim of getting tight fit.

 

[amirm]

I added the tips used for review in the OP:

As for response with other tips, let's pester @crinacle to provide. I have more IEMs and other gear to test.

 

[F1308]

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.

We need Cloud Correction.
The device will connect to the appropriate service, compute the data delivered by the recording (instrument, scenario, etc) and adjust the curves accordingly.
2080 ?

 

[Vacceo]

Well, why not take a TWS then, the AKG N400 or the Galaxy Buds2 Pro are very Harman, especially the AKG is also not expensive, provides a good seal and is very comfortable.

With separate bluetooth units like the UTWS you can choose any IEM you fancy and use it wired or unwired as you please.

 

[Harryharryharry]

What do you mean by "proper headphone amp?" What do you mean by "work on a phone?"

What kind of mobile phone do you have?

I mean a dedicated external headphone amp like those reviewed on here.

I have a generic smart phone, one plus 8.

 

[F1308]

For all the impulsive buyers who still want to save some money, there is the 7Hz Salnotes Zero (incidentially), costs about $25 and is almost as close to Harman as the Truthear. It has more subbass, but a bit more "smear" in the upper bass/ lower mids. I can recommend it.

Also ordered.
Thank you.

 

[monkeyboy]

The Truthear measurements provide a great datum for comparison in larger databases. The BlON BL03 and BL05 look similar, the Samsung's are super cheap

 

[Jimbob54]

I mean a dedicated external headphone amp like those reviewed on here.

I have a generic smart phone, one plus 8.

The OP8 doesnt have a headphone jack, does it?

But if you had a decent dongle, yes that would be fine.

 

[AdamG]

Any recommendations for a Bluetooth adapter for IEM's? Fiio? TRN?

Qudelix 5k is usb and Bluetooth. And allows PEQ with 20 slots you can customize. Also has access to a full library of PEQ settings for hundreds of headset/IEMs.

 

[Bel Canto]

Tried these but found the nozzle too long and therefore uncomfortable for me.
Sound was good but not the most natural sounding and technically not as good as some other iems.

 

[Art of sound]

So why would one get the expensive Moondrop Variations etc (also very Harman) over this? I am genuinely asking, with all the cheap iems coming out now that have coherent graphs and low distortion. Why spend 500 - 700 on Thieaudio, Yanyin and all the rest of them. Will the Moondrop S8 sound better?

as someone who owns the variations, S12, OH10 and listened to Kato, i can clearly make out the superior spatial qualities, unmatched timbre esp with vocals and sub bass thump on the 550 $ IEM vs sub 150 $ IEM's. I don't have B2 to compare but id recommend getting one of the newer planar magnetic IEM's under 200 USD as they do have the technicalities of the expensive IEM's maybe without the bass of a dynamic but clearer sub bass any day.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Nearly the whole ASR:

https://imgur.com/xihg38M

I will stick to Etymotics

 

[Robbo99999]

Youve no doubt seen it said before but a snug fit/seal is key (from correct size tip for your ears) . This is a handy test if you have it right- low and high sounding roughly the same volume..(i prefer alternating tones) https://asiaudio.com/pages/audio-seal-test

This test has shown me even when I thought I had the proper seal (internal voice sounds like when you cover your ears), I still didnt. The bass was a bit lower on the test. Went up a tip size, brought the bass right up.

Bookmarked! Thanks very much, that will be useful to me as an IEM noob! (It's obviously a bit dependant on the stock frequency response of the IEM, but it's worth trying and it might show glaring faults in seal - I suppose you could sanity check by doing the same test on a Harman EQ'd over ear, although I realise there's slightly more bass in the IEM target.).

That would be lovely. I commented on @crinacle ’s YouTube video on the Zero’s asking which ear tips he used for his measurements but alas, no response. Hoping @amirm can provide the measurements and info.

I'm sure I'll measure them anyway, to check the channel balance too, and I'll post back in this thread with the results, but it will be a few weeks as it's at least a couple until it's even delivered. Since we had our convo, Amir has now responded with the tips he used - to me it looks like the narrow internal diameter tip option. (If Crinacle comes back to you re which internal diameter tips he used, then let us know.)

It pains me to say my IEM collection now exceeds the over ear headphones. They are bloody addictive. Still to find the perfect one though.

Ha, do you find IEM's have any strengths or weaknesses or differences vs OverEars?

I added the tips used for review in the OP:

As for response with other tips, let's pester @crinacle to provide. I have more IEMs and other gear to test.

@Zim and other's, that looks like the narrow internal diameter ones were used. The narrow internal diameter ones will be my starting point then.

 

[Vacceo]

Nearly the whole ASR:

https://imgur.com/xihg38M

I will stick to Etymotics

Now, Crin has to collaborate on a planar that gets this level of approval and get toe to toe with Audeze...

 

[Garrincha]

Tried these but found the nozzle too long and therefore uncomfortable for me.
Sound was good but not the most natural sounding and technically not as good as some other iems.

Hm, following closely the Harman curve but not natural sounding? How should this be possible? What exactly are these "technicalities"? Crinacle talks also a lot about these, but especially for IEMs, who don´t have a real soundstage anyway, I come to doubt if they really exist as something separat from FR. "Detail" is probably nothing else then elevated treble. And "Speed" maybe nonexisting.