Submitted by SavageSam1234 t3_zab9l2 in headphones
You read that right. I have settled on the Crinacle Truthear Zero as my endgame IEM. (for now, lol). Just some background info, I have owned many IEMs including:
Moondrop Variations
Moondrop B2
Moondrop Kato
Moondrop Chu
Moondrop Quarks
Tin T2
BLON BL-03
Etymotic ER2SE
Etymotic ER2XR
Etymotic ER3SE
Salnotes Zero
FiiO FH3
KZ ZS10 Pro
Galaxy Buds
Galaxy Buds+
Galaxy Buds Pro
Galaxy Buds 2 Pro
AirPods (eww)
WF-1000XM3
Liberty 2 Pro
Other random TWS sets
And many other over ears.
​
So, what do I think about the Zero? Spectacular for $50. I have two of them, if that tells you anything. (one permanently wired, another I plan to use with a FiiO UTWS5.)
As for the non-sound aspects, they are great for the money. Tip selection is excellent, the carry pouch is nice, and the cable is decent. Not the best cable but passable. It kind of coils up sometimes and is not the most durable, as the cable from my older Zero has started to fall apart a bit. (2 months approx.) Cables are cheap though.
Sound is where it excels. Near complete compliance with the Harman target. I really have no complaints until the upper treble, where it is not as smooth as I would like it. Not bad by any means though. Everything just sounds..... right. I have never been this happy and unoffended with an audio product, ever. This review from ASR highlights the sound well, it fits the target and is nearly the IEM counterpart of the $4K DCA Stealth. And yes, I do know that many people here are not particularly fond of Amir, but I personally love his work and this review is spot on.
Out of everything I have heard, including all over-ears, these have the best frequency response and tonality that I have heard. I can't stop listening to them. The Harman target just seems to click with me. Compared to my previous daily drivers, the Variations, the area between 3.5k - 7k is slightly more in compliance, which I personally love. I know that many people have a problem with this particular area of Harman in particular, but I personally love it. Also, the overall less bass that the Zero has compared to the Variations, especially below 50Hz and around 150Hz give it a "cleaner" sound to my ear. The bass on the Variations could be a bit overpowering and "pillowy" for my tases. This lack of bass and higher clarity in the upper mids also contributes to a more "open" stage with the Zero. Elements in the mix feel more distinct and spread out.
However, I feel that the Variations was superior in some tracks where the 3.5k - 7k area caused some sibilance and harshness with the Zero. This is a minority of cases, but still worth mentioning.
Overall, these are stupid good for $50, and will probably remain my daily drivers until something better comes out. The Quarks DSP look tempting, but they have problems. (build quality, attached cable, being DSP, aka no 3.5mm)
KilgoretheTrout55 t1_iylhdph wrote
It's not your end game. You're addicted to IEMs and you're going to buy more!