Thanks for the Delci review. I had been about to order one as the next step on from my EW200 and Artti T10. I like both of them and find the treble on the EW200 a bit sharp - hence looking at the Delci. Your review has got me wondering about the EA500LM again after I previously decided against it as I was worried about the treble. Trying to spend less than $100 on the next step
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Honestly I would save and bump to $200. Especially because it’s not like you could sell the 200 to make up some of the cost
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If you find the EW200 a bit sharp, the same goes for the EA500LM. As the LM is a direct upgrade and pretty much near identical in tonality to the EW200. Consider the EM6L instead of the EA500LM, as the treble on the EM6L is buttery smooth yet airy af.
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Save up man, lots of stuff coming out 
If you can’t wait EM6L is good as well, but there’s some unit variance just a heads up
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Did you see that they are making a phone now? I can’t imagine a company I trust less on software.
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I thought the same thing when I saw the photo of the phone. Didn’t even read into it because of all issues with Moondrop in general. Big No Go for myself
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Dude I LOVE when Hulk and Macho Man did that handshake. Shit always makes me crack up laughing, Macho Man was the GOAT 
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Macho Man Randy Savage sounds way cooler 
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I was randomly watching something on YT before a fell asleep and it was talking about when sting turned from the good ole stinger to the crow,nwo. Love watching old wrestling stuff
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I liked it as a child until I realised it was fake 
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Tea vocal magic is still there after all these years 
This is making me rethink my other tunings uh oh
Never letting these go ever again LOL
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If you’ve already given a take sorry that I missed it and you can direct me to it - what do you think of the Pandamon 2.0?
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Review next week, but so far, it’s a dark signature with vocal focused
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I won’t pronounce anything definitively on IEM cables (although I suspect I would be able to discern differences if given the chance to audition and compare a few more ambitious offerings against cheaper alternatives on a relatively resolving set)
However, I will plant my flag and die on the hill of speaker cables and interconnects having different levels of performance 
Shouldn’t be any different with IEMs
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7Hz Aurora Review:
So 7hz is back with their flagship and… I’ve got mixed feelings about the Aurora, but let’s start with the pros first.
Overall Sound
The Aurora is very detailed, resolution is great, it’s a slight bump over the Dusk, and it’s very OCD in the treble, especially with hi-hats and cymbals. The imaging is sharp, and the attack is fast and tactile, giving you that sparkly treblehead presentation as you’re bombarded with lots of micro-details and the imaging makes it feel like you’re getting hit by information all around you - it’s very trippy. There is a lot of dynamic contrast as well, giving you that energetic, slight v-shape feeling where the separation of the higher frequencies stands out over the low-end.
Now, that doesn’t mean the low-end isn’t good, because it is, and for once the marketing actually checks out. Like 7hz claimed the “driver provides well-textured and powerful low, but in a controlled and professional tuning”, and it does. The low-end isn’t boomy, it doesn’t bleed, it’s not anaemic, but the detail and texture is there, and it’s still satisfying enough. The decay and reverb in the bass isn’t as prolonged as some of the basshead sets, but it’s not warm either and has enough body and fullness to the sound, not the thickest, but it doesn’t distort the vocals - it’s just good quality bass.
The main star of the show however is in the uppermids and treble where the Aurora really delivers on that sparkly and OCD/trippy presentation - it’s like a mini MEST. I would say the Aurora does indeed have quote on quote “special sauce” like the MEST in the treble, aggressive, in-your-face details… BUT, there are issues.
Issues
For starters, these are definitely a mid-volume set around 70dbs or so depending on the song (or lower) - do not blast these unless you want hearing loss, I mean unless if you already have hearing loss, sure go for it, but for the vast majority of people do not crank these up - they will hurt. There is planar timbre here as the Aurora has a sharp/metallic element to it with certain tracks that emphasize the upper frequencies. And although the peaks and dips give the Aurora that contrast with the highs and lows, this does mean it’s not very smooth, and doesn’t scale very well. Energetic genres like kpop and jpop needs to be listened at lower/mid-lower volumes as the peaks around 3K,5K, 7K, and 10K combined does get too much on songs like Butterfly by Loona, and Say It by Yorushika
#2, the contrast also means there’s masking in the dips shadowed by the higher peaks, and doesn’t give you that powerful lockout in the vocals. For example the vocals on the Aurora isn’t fully extended, and it feels like there’s a hole or blockade somewhere in the uppermids on songs like Hello, Pasan Los Dias, which checks out because looking at the graph, yup, there are literally multiple dips in the uppermids. Now, 7hz tries to counter this by boosting the 1.5K more to give the listener that feeling of extension by pushing the vocals more forward, but this instead just makes the vocals sound shouty with more energetic tracks, and a bit congested on bassier songs because it is more forward.
Genres
However, it’s actually very enjoyable with slower indie, acoustics, and even some ballads - Taylor’s new album actually sounds great on the Aurora as the extra bit of energy brings more color and liveliness to the tracks that’s mostly smooth with acoustics and not a lot of energetic elements.
Classic Rock, and rock bands also sound good on these since there’s enough midbass for the drum section. You can’t blast them, but the Aurora highlights the cymbals and hi-hats nicely, giving you that sparkly OCD experience with the imaging. Hiphop also sounds fine on these, it wouldn’t be my first pick, but it’s actually less fatiguing than the Titans in the snares because of the 5-8K dip, but imo something like the Doscinco or Hype 4 would work better here, especially if you want something warm/bassy the Doscinco is the better fit and buy value wise.
versus DUSK
Now versus the Dusk I would actually take the Aurora because even though it’s not as safe and smooth as the Dusk, it’s also not as boring and unoriginal either. The Dusk is still a good IEM, and it would be the better pick here as an all-rounder, especially for kpop and jpop since the uppermids are tamer, but imo if I wanted an all-rounder, I would just grab the Nova that’s not only 2x less but also does the all-rounder sound better because it has that iit’s more flexible due to the uppermids extension, and then as an alternative I would then grab the Aurora as a contrast to the Nova since it brings a different type of presentation to my music.
versus HYPE 4
Versus the Hype 4, the Aurora is a lot more energetic, sharper in the note transients, it feels more detailed, and again has that sparkly sauce to it, but the Hype 4 is a lot smoother, scales the best out of the 3, and in-terms of bass the impact and texture is more pronounced on the Hype 4, it sounds fuller, and would be my recommendation for rock, Hiphop, r&b, and even pop stuff, it’s just a more engaging version of the Dusk without sacrificing the mids and separation. IMO the Hype 4 is a better Dusk because again, the Dusk is too safe in the low-end to be fun and engaging like the Hype 4, nor is it sparkly enough like the Aurora, nor is it flat enough in the bass to be a true “clean/neutral” set like the Performer 8. So the Dusk just doesn’t really stand out, and it just becomes a jack of all trades, and master of none.
vs Performer 8, Studio 4, Tea 2
If you wanted something clean and neutral but still has good treble extension you can go for the Performer 8, it’s still a solid set, and it’s pretty much a just straight line with a slight emphasis in the cymbals, clean, with good resolution, and a “true neutral” if you will. The downside is that the imaging is a bit flat, lacking in “3D”, as well as the vocals are too tame and laid back for my liking.
So for vocals, the Studio 4 and Tea 2 would still be my choice there. If you listen at mid-volume and like that harmanish sound then the Studio 4 would be better - it’s more open, clean, not shouty and sharp, and well-balanced with no major holes or dips like the Aurora - it’s not as fun and OCD like, but more traditional in its vocal presentation. On the other hand, if you like more forward vocals and listen louder, then the Tea 2 sounds more intimate, fuller, and more immersive, but likewise it’s not sparkly or treble focused like the Aurora, but more balanced as both the Studio 4s and the Tea 2 will not be as resolving and detailed .
Worth it?
As for those looking to upgrade, if you’re coming from the Phoenixcall, you know something with a slight v, or a bright-leaning sound, then you’re going to like the Aurora as it’s pretty much just that but a better version of it, as you’re getting more of what you like. So all in all the Aurora is for those who do like that OCD/treble presentation, and kinda worth it in certain scenarios since it’s more of a niche/speciality set due to its uppermids and treble, because the special sauce is there, however, it’s just up to you whether or not you want to give it a shot.
Here are the Final Rankings:
Tonality: A- (6/10)
Tech: S- (8.5/10)
Overall: A+ (7.5/10)
Thanks for reading
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Great review. I love how you try to help people find who a product is for. Well done.
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