You’ll soon see that the hype was about just that, hype 
@nymz
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I hope the overall looks does not determined the end result of its sounds. as @VIVIDICI_111 said I do hope they turn to be the shit, and not shit
But hey, if it does turn out shit, at least they are being honest and giving us a heads-up of not buying it. 
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I think the Moondrop Aria Snow Edition is better than the OG Arias. Probably because of it’s better driver, more emphasis on the mids, better cable and the inclusion of Spring Tips as well.
Also I find my own set of OG Arias nowadays a bit boring, due to mids just lacking for me even though it should have been like the cheaper version of the Starfields, therefore I expected at least similar mids like the Starfield.
Yeah I think it’s safe to say this present day, the OG Arias are one of my buyer’s remorse due to the fact that I already have the Starfields and hell the T3 Plus to me is just better than the Aria and it’s cheaper. Not only that, the Chu have better tuning than the OG Arias, screw the technicalities of the Chu’s because it has no chance against the Aria, but the tuning and overall musical listening matters more.
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Salnotes Zero would like a word with you 
I been A/Bing it with the Starfields and Chu for the last few days and I 100% prefer it to those two. Tech wise it’s around the same as the Chu/a little better, and you can tell the Starfields is better when it comes to staging, imaging, and separation, BUT the Zero has better clarity than both of them. Idk what 7hertz did, but the tuning is pretty magical for $20. Heck, even at $100 I honestly prefer the tuning more than the ER2XR due to lesser uppermids around 4-8K. It feels like I can hear more of the frequency range without it destroying my ears. I know I sound like a broken record by now, but boy is the Zero C L E A R. Full review coming soon…
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I know, that’s why I am excited to try the Zeroes once I get home, for I am still here at my parents’ house just taking care of things before I go. And with you saying that it is CLEAR, that further gives me more relief that the purchase I have made on the Zeroes is a worthy investment and not something to have remorse. But I think it’s better to have it in my ears and listening to it, to have my own conclusion as well and see on what being said about it is true.
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Listening volume and library is also a huge factor. Dunno how the Zero will do for other’s use cases, but it floats my boat very well 
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At least try and let them enjoy their IEMs first guys
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TRUTHEar Zero - not again!!! - YouTube ajajaj, QC starts to become biggest issue in audio. Prices, tuning, technicalities are all there
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I suppose the question I have about Aria SE is whether the bass sounds like it graphs. Because my BIG problem with Aria is note weight. That’s what I think causes that boring feeling. The mids are pretty clean, just like with Zero or T3 Plus, but the latter two have more bass (notably more in the T3’s case), where the weight makes the mids more satisfying, IMO. Like I feel about hearing Olina now after hearing things I think are as good or better, if I had heard Aria first I’d be a bigger fan of it. Now I’m like “it’s fine, but it should be $50 tops, not $80”.
I enjoy that we have differing opinions here. I think Zero is a killer at it’s price and definitely messes up the market for sub-$80 sets. Last year’s good set is an afterthought because why pay for Aria (or Aria SE, I imagine) when you can get 90-95% of it at $20? Zero IS that good. BUT it is not magical at all. It’s very solidly tuned (though not perfect tuning even for neurtal-bright ish) with a competent driver, but it’s not taking on $100 sets. That’s why they put it at $20.
Olina and Aurora are a class (at least, maybe 2) ahead of Zero. And I know I’m being a little picky on Zero, because it steps on the same territory of sets I already have, and while I like it I’m struggling to justify keeping it. If I were just starting out, this would be the slam-dunkiest dunk ever. But I’ll get to more thoughts later…
In terms of technicalities no, the Zero is not magical by any means, but for my library the tuning competes and is sometimes better than most IEMs I’ve heard up to $100 including the ER2XR, Starfields, and Olina, depending on the song of course. IMO for $20 the tuning is indeed very magical.
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There are ways to get this tuning (or what your ear will hear like it) through mods, at $20 and under, but it’s to 7Hz credit that they just put the OOTB tuning on a $20 set. Cheap (priced) sets don’t have to have shitty tuning, and this year is proof of that but the consequence of that is going to be either the $30-100 are going to trickle down better tech (like Olina did) to compete, or there’s going to be no tier in there.
Because Zero and Olina are too good and nobody will rec anything else, on price-to-performance. Like I could continue to scream that Aurora is a peer of Olina, at $130, but I’m yelling into the ether because Olina is such a good value and it is a really good set.
I’m still glad I didn’t go for Olina though, seeing the retuned SE is coming. Now that, I might not be able to resist
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Honestly can’t wait for tech from tribirds to start trickling down to the ~$300-400 range… if that ever happens 
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To be fair, Kinera Hodur is an attempt at what you’re talking about…
That Hodur is using an MST driver.
Not a Sonion EST like I assume @VIVIDICI_111 meant.
Otherwise tribrids are as cheap as 20 usd with the Senfer DT6.
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post 48ish hour burn in on 7hz zero
I’m able to listen to songs now that I couldn’t make it all the way through before so it seems to have tamed the spike a small amount
Caleb Hyles’s cover of toss a coin to your witcher on these is just 
(In my best DJ Khalid voice): AND ANOTHER ONE!!!
First impressions: it’s good, but I dunno if I’m impressed
Second impression (after hooking up a balanced cable to my hip-dac): OH….hi there
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7hertz Salnotes Zero Review & Comparison: The new king under $100?
It was only just a few months ago when Moondrop released the Chu and completed redefined the sub-$100 price bracket. Similarly, I believe 7hertz and the Zero has just pushed that boundary even more by building upon the Chu’s tuning by taming the uppermids from 4-8k, and the peak after 10K. However, better scaling is not the only improvement here; I don’t know what kind of magic 7hertz used, but the Zero to my ears sounds clearer than both the Chu, and its older brother the Starfields. Even though the Zero sits around the same technical level as the Chu, and is evidently behind the Starfields, it does sound the most natural and clear out of the three to my ears. In this review I will be comparing the Zero to the Modded Chu, Starfields (replaces Aria and KAI/Melee), as well as the $100 gatekeepers the ER2XR, and Modded Olina.
To start off, Traces of Time by Rainie Yang is used to test mids, and overall dynamics/details due to its amazing arrangement and mastering. Rainie’s voice transitions from low-soft to bright within the chorus has killed many IEMs (along with my ears) with uneven/spicy uppermid/treble.
Here I’m looking for:
- Cymbal crash air and decay starting from 3:11
- Clarity of Flutes at 3:11, Piano slide at 3:14, Guitar lick at 3:16
- Dynamics and openness of vocals and instruments at 3:29 (should not sound muffled or piercing)
- Clarity of Piano notes at 3:33, Violin strings at 3:35, Saxophone at 3:39, Piano notes 3:50
RESULTS:
- Zero (most natural and no sibilance)
- ER2XR (equally natural with great tech but can get hot)
- Modded Olina (most technical but not as open around 3:29)
- Modded Chu (same as Olina but not as technical)
- Starfields (a bit muffled during busier passages)
For low-end, Time by Hikaru Utada.
Here, I’m looking for:
- Impact at 0:19
- Bass texture and detail starting from 0:48
- Bass/Vocal separation starting from 1:17 (ER2SE couldn’t handle bass note)
- Drop at 3:32
- Any bass bleed from 4:10 to finish
RESULTS:
- Modded Olina (Hands down best control, texture, and extension)
- Starfields (Punchy)
- ER2XR (Controlled but not as punchy)
- Zero/ Modded Chu (lacks punch and low-end extension)
Next, Strangest Thing by War On Drugs is used to test the bite, detail/separation, and energy of electric guitars starting from 3:33; at 4:28, and 5:07.
RESULTS:
- Modded Olina (Most tech, and strikes a perfect balance between bite and note-weight)
- ER2XR (Detailed but a little too much energy at times)
- Zero/ Modded Chu (A bit too light, and not as detailed)
- Starfields (Good note-weight but fuzzy at times)
Model by Li Rong Hao is used to test cymbals, stage air, and vocal sibilance. Here, I’m looking for energy from cymbal splashes starting from 3:28, and sibilance/air at 3:56 where Li’s vocals and instruments join together. This is another track that has killed many IEMs with spicy uppermids/treble.
RESULTS:
- Zero (Most natural and sitting on the edge of being spicy)
- Modded Olina (Most 3D and not sibilant but not as natural)
- ER2XR (Equally natural as Zero but can get spicy)
- Starfields (a bit muffled)
- Modded Chu (a bit muffled + can get spicy)
To test strings, The Four Seasons: Summer 1 by Vivaldi (recomposed by Max Richter) is used. Starting from 3:00 I’m listening for the dynamics/soulfulness of the strings and details from the lingering notes.
RESULTS:
- ER2XR/Modded Olina (Perfect balance of note-weight and distance with great details)
- Zero/ Modded Chu (A bit light)
- Starfields (great note-weight but maybe too forward)
For drums, All Of The Lights by Kanye West is used starting from the drop at 0:27 to test for energy, any plastic-timbre, and speed/decay of drum-beat.
RESULTS:
- Modded Olina (best detail, extension, and energy)
- Starfields (good energy but lacking speed)
- ER2XR (good speed, but not as engaging)
- Zero/ Modded Chu (a bit light and lacks rumble)
As for vocal timbre, U by Kendrick Lamar is used. Starting from 2:25 Kendrick is cry-rapping in a druken state; here we’re looking for how natural he sounds as well as the bottle clanks starting from 3:46.
RESULTS:
- Modded Olina/ER2XR (most detailed and natural)
- Starfields (good note-weight but too forward)
- Zero/ Modded Chu (lacks detail and a bit light)
For imaging & separation, the first minute of Bubbles, and Letters by Yosi Horikawa is used to test attack, decay, accuracy, as well as the movement of sound from left, right, up, and down.
RESULTS:
- Modded Olina (Clearly above the rest)
- ER2XR/ Starfields (Still good, but not 3D and not as accurate)
- Zero/ Modded Chu ($20, what did you expect?)
CONCLUSION
Although the Zero is not replacing the $100 gatekeepers from a technical standpoint, it does however trade punches with them in tuning on certain songs like Traces of Time, and Model. The Zero to me is a better version of the Chu, and Starfields depending on the genre. For hiphop and songs with lots of low-end and bass the Aria and KAI will still be the better choice (or if you want something with a heavier note-weight), but for rock/pop/ballads/alternative I’d take the Zero over them any day.
Overall I’m very very satisfied with the Zero’s tuning regardless of the price. Aside from the Dunu Titan S that I have not heard of yet (due to reviews of bright treble), I can say for me at least the Zero is currently the king under $100. Now, I just need a company to release a similarly tuned IEM but with more/better drivers… EJ07 but more on that later 
Thanks for reading!
Final Ranking: B-
Deeper breakdown here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1dndFGgeDaRB1gxdnbHu3U7xXgBeSNI5xU30iJZXH07A/edit#gid=0
12 Likes
So I had another trip to my local audio shop and demo-ed 2 IEMs today. The Monarch MKII and the Acoustune… googles IEM name… HS2000MX ‘Sho’. The 2000USD IEM.
My main purpose for the visit today was to try out the Shanling M6 Pro again and asked for suggestion about upgrading from the Fiio Q3 DAC/AMP. I went out from the shop with a clear answer.
I first used the Monarch MKII on my M3X. I gotta say, during my first listen, it’s like a cleaner bassier version of the Variations. Imaging definitely is slightly better but not too much for me.
I gotta say that the Monarch MKII is HUGE! I am able to fit the Variations in my ears quite comfortably but this one… this one is probably the first time that I’m having a bad fitting issue cause of how big it is. It does able to snug into my ears but I’ll feel uncomfortable after a few tracks. It’s unfortunate but I’m glad I was able to demo it.
I then tried the Shanling M6 Pro with my Variations once again. Even on first listen, I’m able to tell that it’s almost 80% night and day difference in terms of sounding coming from the M3X. Everything felt fuller sounding, more spacious in the soundstage and imaging and also more detailed. From this point on, I knew I’m good with the variations and in need to look out for an upgraded DAP.
While I love the Shanling M6 Pro but deep inside, I knew there’s the M6 Ultra and M7 coming soon and also the M6 Pro is running on the old Android 7.1. I asked the shopkeeper and he said, yes they are coming to sell them but not sure yet. He did gave me a pretty decent discounted price on the M6 Pro, but I declined at the moment.
I ended my IEM demo with this Gundam looking-IEM, the Acoustune HS2000MX “Sho”. I tried it on the M6 Pro cause might as well. I don’t know how I should say this, coming from the Variations, this IEM is definitely more detailed, soundstage and imaging is damn good, but the bass felt kinda off? I’m sorry I couldn’t explain this properly or maybe cause I can’t A-B well but something just felt a bit off for me.
Maybe I’m not used to this tuning and still couldn’t wrap my head around it so it could be a “me” problem. It fits weirdly to my ears as well and not in a comfortable way. It’s really amazing to look and hold but after putting it in my ear, I felt a lil uncomfortable. Not Monarch MKII uncomfortable but it’s there. Maybe when I have a lil more time, I’ll demo it again next time.
And now came the final piece. I demo-ed the Shanling UA5 dongle. I was ready to leave, but then I asked the shopkeeper for an opinion on what is good for me to upgrade from the Fiio Q3 DAC/AMP. Cause I didn’t want a desktop dac/amp but something I could bring it out as. a portable device and for office use. He then introduced me the dongles. He showed me the RU-6 and the UA5.
From the IEMs that I have and when I told him that I mainly used the Variations, he instantly recommended me the Shanling UA5. He told me that the dongles really came a long way this year and boy how right he was.
I went to demo it on my phone and oh my lord, how is this little dongle much better than the Fiio Q3!? it’s even able to excel the M3X to a certain extend! Coming from the M3X, it’s not exactly night and day different but the sense of the upgrade is there. Imaging is clearly better and more detailed. It made my Variations sang even more, that’s for sure. There’s even a mini battery inside too! He said with the battery, it will be able to run for about 3 hours under high gain. It does help to reduce the distortion under battery mode but not by much.
So yeah! That’s about it! Oh!
I did tried the Kato for a while, I was also looking for an IEM for my Sony A55 to make it as a “Back-up” player if I need it but not important right now. I gotta say, for the price, the detail retrievel is pretty good. It’s still your usualy Moondrop sound but because it’s been a long time since i’ve listedned to the starfield, I find the Kato to be pretty good for the price and can be a casual listener’s end game. Female vocals is amazing in it!
That’s truly about it! Apologies for the very long post but I hope you guys enjoyed reading it!
Can I say how much I appreciate @hawaiibadboy , @nymz , @Rikudou_Goku , and other IEMs reviewers out there? Having to constantly AB-ing IEMs almost every few days and weeks and abiding to the audience’s requests, I now know how incredibly hard it is to tune your own head to remember what kind of tuning of certain IEMs. I tried AB-ing today with these 3 IEMs and failed miserably. Seriously, huge respect to all of you. This hobby is something else but also fun too.
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You summed it all up in this paragraph. It aint easy, but sometimes it’s fun!
Good write-up 
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If you struggle with remembering your impression. You could write notes down while you are listening or even use a temporary score that u can then compare with.
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