I think the Truthear Zero Red is too large for gym workout, and too expensive even at 55 usd to risk sweat damage.
Instead I would get a 7Hz Zero 2 for that purpose imo.
Instead I would get a 7Hz Zero 2 for that purpose imo.
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Truthear x Crinacle Zero:RED IEM Review
- Thread starter amirm
- Start date
I'm going to be a contrarian here, I've bought the 7Hz Zero 2 and these Truthear Zero Reds, and although I can understand why some would consider the Truthear's to be the better set, this is not my opinion (so I'm returning them and keeping the 7Hz, while still looking for a higher end studio IEM).
Here's what disturbed me:
1) The fit, took me a lot of experimenting to get them to sit deep enough for a seal, but not too deep where all I had was bass. Only the foam tip worked for me in the end, but it was always a little painful to wear.
2) The bass, touted as great, but to me it's just (a lot) of quantity with little quality. Plus I'm pretty sure I can hear something going on at around 150Hz, maybe it's the crossover, but everything around there was just played louder than it was. Add to that, it felt like very slow bass, lingering around and pushing everything above it down, vocals were super recessed. Even notoriously lean records sounded bassy, I don't believe they have much to do with the tuning of the 7Hz collab. That one has better quality bass, a little less sub but better transients and just a feeling of a very "correct" amount of bass.
3) Recessed mids and high-mids. This is the "break" for me in my few days testing, I cannot judge anything that's happening around 2-5kHz because it just sinks beneath that wall of misplaced lows. If I turn it up to the point in which I cannot work with audio anymore a few weeks later, maybe it evens itself more out, but that's irrelevant because the detail is just missing. To me they are worse than my good WF-C500 set (which only suffers from insane unit variance, one set was awesome and the other one had no lows and was super spiffy) as far as details go and quality of bass.
Naturally tested it with a 0.1 Ohm output in the studio, while working. I can understand and judge the mids and highs much better on the 7Hz one, and my impressions were almost always confirmed by my other references here. I could sort of make out some bass issues with them, but since the amount and quality is still rather unusable for critical listening, they're a hard pass for me. Kind of like a 90's boombox sound...
Here's what disturbed me:
1) The fit, took me a lot of experimenting to get them to sit deep enough for a seal, but not too deep where all I had was bass. Only the foam tip worked for me in the end, but it was always a little painful to wear.
2) The bass, touted as great, but to me it's just (a lot) of quantity with little quality. Plus I'm pretty sure I can hear something going on at around 150Hz, maybe it's the crossover, but everything around there was just played louder than it was. Add to that, it felt like very slow bass, lingering around and pushing everything above it down, vocals were super recessed. Even notoriously lean records sounded bassy, I don't believe they have much to do with the tuning of the 7Hz collab. That one has better quality bass, a little less sub but better transients and just a feeling of a very "correct" amount of bass.
3) Recessed mids and high-mids. This is the "break" for me in my few days testing, I cannot judge anything that's happening around 2-5kHz because it just sinks beneath that wall of misplaced lows. If I turn it up to the point in which I cannot work with audio anymore a few weeks later, maybe it evens itself more out, but that's irrelevant because the detail is just missing. To me they are worse than my good WF-C500 set (which only suffers from insane unit variance, one set was awesome and the other one had no lows and was super spiffy) as far as details go and quality of bass.
Naturally tested it with a 0.1 Ohm output in the studio, while working. I can understand and judge the mids and highs much better on the 7Hz one, and my impressions were almost always confirmed by my other references here. I could sort of make out some bass issues with them, but since the amount and quality is still rather unusable for critical listening, they're a hard pass for me. Kind of like a 90's boombox sound...
I don't think the tips are the problem, I actually reached into a tin can I have here with another bunch, and realised they have to be the wide bore kind, but the nozzle is nonetheless so thick that if it doesn't fit, there's no top that will help. The black foam was the best for me.
That's fine, everyone won't like the same IEM. The bass boost is maybe 1dB too high for me, nothing crazy, but the treble needs to balance out the bass for overall balance. So the weak point to me is the overly relaxed treble. EQ can make Red sound competitive still IMO.
I found that the factory tips were uncomfortable, but SpinFit W1 tips made them very comfortable, with a good seal.
Sound is excellent. Very natural sounding. I prefer w/o the resistor.
Sound is excellent. Very natural sounding. I prefer w/o the resistor.
I will take the Kato off you if you are in the EU.
Dazerdoreal
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The Red has lower distortion but both should be easily below the listenable threshold.
I’m in the United States sorry man.
Yeah it’s gotta be the peak around 7800hz.
Really fatiguing and ruins the timbre. Our ears are quite sensitive in that area
they are going back unfortunately.
I’ll probably try the Meze Alba, or just get a second pair of over ears since I doubt anything IEM can best the soundstage of over ears. Plus EQ is needed in almost all headphones to perform optimally. ( or to taste )
The Meze 109 look good but have too much distortion down low.
Dazerdoreal
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Did you try some different ear tips?
Also foam? That is to me always effective at taking ear canal resonances.
Got the Red a bit ago and will fire them up later.
I also got the Kiwi Ears Cadenza to try.
I must say and no offense to anyone ( because people for whatever reason tend to take offense to these things ).
I’m pretty disappointed in my first bout with IEMs.
The cadenza has noticeable distortion. The Kato are ok with EQ but slow. Slow as in attack and decay. I mean it’s noticeable. I primarily listed to classical and it’s so easy to tell from things like cellos. They lack the attack they are supposed to have and smear. Not distort. Completely different thing. The Kato do have a good soundstage.
Both the Cadenza and Kato desperately need EQ in the high registers because they are both stingingly sharp without it. I’m 55 but still hear well into 16khz. I didn’t think it would bother me so much up there. Maybe because of the way they enter the ear canal and don’t have reflections as over head headphones.
I’ll try the Red and see how those are. But I’m pretty disappointed so far. Maybe I just don’t like IEMs.
Cheers
I also got the Kiwi Ears Cadenza to try.
I must say and no offense to anyone ( because people for whatever reason tend to take offense to these things ).
I’m pretty disappointed in my first bout with IEMs.
The cadenza has noticeable distortion. The Kato are ok with EQ but slow. Slow as in attack and decay. I mean it’s noticeable. I primarily listed to classical and it’s so easy to tell from things like cellos. They lack the attack they are supposed to have and smear. Not distort. Completely different thing. The Kato do have a good soundstage.
Both the Cadenza and Kato desperately need EQ in the high registers because they are both stingingly sharp without it. I’m 55 but still hear well into 16khz. I didn’t think it would bother me so much up there. Maybe because of the way they enter the ear canal and don’t have reflections as over head headphones.
I’ll try the Red and see how those are. But I’m pretty disappointed so far. Maybe I just don’t like IEMs.
Cheers
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