FIVE STARS 
4K resolution for your ears
Pros:
1, Authoritative Bass with both quantity and quality
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Natural timbre
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Smooth well extended treble
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great staging wide tall and deep when called for
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cohesive sound signature
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Build quality
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High quality cable with interchangeable terminations 3.5mm and 4.4mm
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Beautiful faceplates
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Good accessories with nice leather case
Cons:
1, Needs 100 hours burn in
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Not for treble sensitive people
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Might not be for you if want a super smooth relaxing set
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Can’t really find much to gripe about
The 7hz Aurora are different which is a good thing, too many iems released at the moment are almost carbon copies of each other chasing the Harmon target with only the shells being different. I’m tired of Harmon I want different.
7hz as a company have always been a company that dares to be different from the Timeless Planar, launching the planar deluge of iems chasing their lead. To the Legato a basshead iem that brought the big 2 channel speaker sound at an affordable price bracket. I’ll leave my thoughts on the new release 7hz FIVE the 5DD per side marvel for another time but spoiler its stunning.
How is the 7hz Aurora different? Well the driver configuration is not typical for starters with a tribrid setup with a 12mm Dynamic Driver, duel Balanced Armatures and a 6mm Micro Planar Driver. I think we all know that 7hz knows how to do bass and here on the Aurora we have bass that is profound, dynamic with a slight boost in the sub bass and beautifully balanced mid bass so not to miss out on the dynamic snap and attack. The bass is big but not overpowering with incredible quality. detail and texture. The special sauce of the Aurora is the blend between the driver types, its seamless, with resolution that exposes all the details while maintaining musical playback I’ve had countless moments of discovering nuances in songs that were not apparent till the Aurora.
I’d just like to say upfront I believe we are all biased when giving our subjective thoughts about IEMs be it a particular type of signature that works with our music library or how an IEM looks and feels in our ears. On the subject of ears everyone’s ear anatomy is different and this effects fit and seal which in turn effects the perception of bass response so I recommend finding the right ear tips that suit your ears to get the best of any IEM.
My review star ratings are linked to the price range of the iem eg a 5 star review of a $100 iem is not equal to one of a $500 iem.
I’m and audio enthusiast with a collection of over 200 iems, 30 different sources with a music collection that numbers over 100,000 tracks and 15 flathead buds I share my impressions as a way to share my enthusiasm for the hobby I approach from the premise of music first technology 2nd, what does this mean? For me the technicalities are not of prime importance but does the music move with this particular iem.
I’m a connoisseur of many different sound signatures. The only prerequisite is musicality I’m not a fan of analytical cold playback. My scale of success when it comes to evaluating iems is; do I get goosebumps when they playback my favourite tunes. There are many good iems but do they give me goosebumps? Unfortunately I have a draw full of just good iems.
I want the iem that I reach for without thinking because I instinctively know it will bring the thrill I’m seeking from my music. The Auroras bass and mids coming from the DD and BA’s gave me goosebumps from the first few bars of Norah Jones “Come away with me” the delicate playing of the piano with Norah’s crystal vocals full of emotion with gentle instrumentation floating in and out, outside my head literally making the hair stand up on my arms.
7hz have a super power with their ability to tune drivers to get the most out of them, the big bass and stunning mids with extended treble joining to create a mindblowing cohesive whole.
I have a love/ hate history with Planar drivers there speed and ability to provide great technicalities I like but the way they produce bass has always left me feeling something is missing 7hz’s master stroke is combining a 12mm Dynamic driver handling the bass with mids coming from the duel BA drivers and a 6 mm planar dealing with treble frequencies, you get the best of the strengths of all driver types.
I favour Dynamic Drivers for bass the tactility of the drums 7hz’s 12mm Dynamic Driver gives great sub bass and mid bass combining to give a really exciting bottom end that drives the music along. The Duel BAs supply silky smooth mids with great air, detail, and layering the timbre is just wonderfully natural with both male and female voices being rendered to perfection the amount of quality detail in voices is just remarkable you can hear every breath and nuance as their vocal chords produce the magic.
It is very important to my enjoyment that Instruments sound anologue, natural and organic Planars just don’t give me the organic feel of analogue instruments in the lower frequencies so Im very pleased to see they are handling the treble frequency range here and they perform admirably in providing the very detailed natural sparkling treble with good note weight. I didn’t detect any planar timbre after the 100 hours burn in process which really shows how well tuned this iem is.
Now I know there are those who don’t believe in burn in of iems, all I’m going to say is, with the Aurora straight out of the box, there was a hint of metallic sheen to the upper mids and treble with some tracks but this disappeared completely after the burn in process. For those, who will insist this is brain burn, I didn’t listen to the Aurora during the burn period , after burn in I noticed the sound was different, more cohesive and smoother with no metallic sheen.
Disclaimer
7hz was kind enough to give me a small discount on the Aurora with no pressure to review. I am not affiliated with 7hz and of course was not asked for any copy checking before publishing, they are seeing this the same time as you. All pictures taken be me. ALL opinions shared in this review are my subjective thoughts.
Make sure to research any iem before you buy!
The 7hz Aurora retails at $399 which for this configuration is extremely competitive and are available for purchase from the Linsoul website see the non affiliated link below
7HZ Aurora | 1 DD+1 Planar +2 BA Audiophile IEMs (linsoul.com)
Details from the Linsoul website
Tribrid Driver Configuration: The Aurora boasts a tribrid driver configuration, optimizing a 12mm dynamic driver, two balanced armature drivers, and a 6mm planar driver for cohesive, high-quality sound across the spectrum.
12mm Composite Dynamic Driver: Explore the depths of sound with our newly developed 12mm composite diaphragm dynamic driver. Offering a wide frequency response and ultra-low distortion, this large dynamic driver ensures a rich, immersive audio experience with profound bass and pristine clarity.
Dual Balanced Armature Driver: Experience the perfect synergy of a custom-tuned midrange dual balanced armature driver, precisely developed for directional response. Paired with an accurate 3-way crossover circuit and the excellent cohesion between dynamic and planar drivers, it results in a smooth and flat frequency response curve.
Micro 6mm Planar Driver: Elevate your listening experience with the 6mm micro planar driver, delivering enhanced versatility, high-frequency detail, and an airy ambiance. Immerse yourself in a transparent and lifelike soundscape, where every nuance is captured with remarkable clarity and precision.
Custom Detachable Cable
The Aurora is featured with a detachable gold-plated single-crystal copper cable with 0.78mm 2-pin connectors, which is interchangeable. The cable has a modular 3.5mm/4.4mm interchangeable plug system to fit any of your devices.
Frequency response: 5 Hz - 40 kHz
Impedance: 30 Ω
Sensitivity: 105 dB/V @ 1 kHz
The Auroa is a quite big a iem, not huge but those with small ears may have issues with fit. The shell is a 3d printed medical grade resin with an absolutely beautiful faceplate the faceplates are composed of unique titanium filaments that create a one-of-kind design on each unit.
The frequency graph for those who like to see such things
What do they sound like?
The Aurora are tonally balanced with a U type signature 10db bass shelf with forward mids making vocals step forward, the overall signature is best described as high resolution, every detail is there but never at the expense of musicality.
Talking about resolution, when you get such a technically adept iem it is sometimes a little revealing of poor recordings and can expose certain types of music flaws. I found the best way to limit the jarring felling from less than well produced music was to use a source with a warmer playback. The sources I found the most synergy were the following; the Cayin N3Ultra, FiiO m15, onix X1 Alpha and the Shanling H5, H2 and M6 Ultra
I want to really enjoy my music. Something that releases the full scope of what the artist created in the studio. The Aurora certainly does that with that special something. The cohesion of the drivers ensuring to there’s no jarring transitions between the frequency range. The Aurora is unabashedly a bass driven signature, bass is textured, dynamic and layered, digging out details . The mids are slightly warm but don’t colour the vocals there is body to males vocals and female alike but no husky padding from the bass so there is no effect on the natural timbre of the vocals . The vocals don’t take a slight step back they are there front and centre with instruments placed exactly where they should be showing depth to the stage with natural unforced width. Hybrids can have coherence issues the Aurorasounds like a single driver no trace of Planar timbre just everything working together as one.
What do I mean by unforced width? Some IEMs give an impression of super wide stage which sounds unnatural throwing instrument placement off. With the Aurora the staging is reliant on the production of the music, if a song is intimate that’s how it is rendered if the song has wide deep and tall production values the Aurora steps up and reproduces that with elegance.
The mids are natural and organic slightly warm with just enough edge to add excitement to vocals and guitars causing me to be drawn into the music, Pianos and Guitars are given a really even treatment sounding exactly as you would expect if you were in the room with them as they were playing.
The Transition from upper mids to lower treble is boosted slightly but still sibilance free, even with songs that have sibilance bult into the recordeing. To be totally honest this is tip reliant I found with wide bore tips there was a touch of sibilance but with the Divinis Velvet tips that completely disappeared. On the subject of tips while 7hz give a generous selection of tips to choose from including their new tube style tips I couldn’t get a good seal with any of them, I have very big ear canals.
While the overall signature is slightly in the brighter realm there’s lots of detail. The upper treble has a pleasing amount of air and sparkle, without straying into fatigue levels. The very dynamic punchy bass with deep sub bass reach balances out the brightness.
The timbre and tactility of drums, strings, guitars and brass instruments is very natural all instruments find their own place never crowding or congested. Vocals both male and female are reproduced authentically with incredible resolution, every inflection, intonation is apparent as a singer climbs the scale to the crescendo is presented as well as the trailing transients, if a voice has gravel you feel it. If the vocalist slides off key its very apparent also.Pure female vocals like Norah Jones are imbued with emotion and sweet rounded clarity making an overall very satisfying vocals experience.
The sound signature as a whole is of big bass with warmish clear clean mids with a little edge in the treble, an overall satisfying feeling of immersion in the music
When I’m evaluating IEMs I have a play list of roughly 100 songs of mixed genres. With the ISN NEO 3 I again, like the NEO 5, I found myself listening to songs rather than analysing the different frequency ranges listening to albums in their entirety just loosing myself in the music. I found they worked across most genres both smooth and aggressive. I don’t listen to much EDM preferring real instruments playing together as a unit.
Muse - 2nd Law album sounded Immense with thunderous bass. Matt Bellamys voice was crystalline and floated, ducking and diving through the mix bringing more depth to the vocals along with the searing guitar enhanced by the planar speed a very exciting experience.
Lorde - Royals with its throbbing and droning subass really digging deep into the depths with great effect, her higher range voice sibilance free again with with air allowing it to find a perfect counterpoint to the big bass textures.
Joni Mitchell – Blue, the acoustic guitar sounding detailed with the strings resonance reproduced well. Joni’s vocals can sound a bit shrill on lesser iems not here the note weight and roundness to her upper register was very pleasing. At no point with the Aurora did I experience any form of veiling in the mids and treble the bass while big, dynamic and powerful just doesn’t encroach.
Steely Dan’s - Aja, one of the best produced albums in my opinion was played with musical deftness’, hi-hats and cymbals were natural with excellent decay staging was good with height, depth and width enabling me to pick out instruments in the mix, with little to no added warmth this album did feel very open with the layering of the instruments in a class above its price bracket very enjoyable.
Michael Schenker Group – Rock Me to the ground this is one of my favourites the big swinging bass line with powerful drums starting the song, then the gravely shout of Graham Bonnet every ounce of his powerful voice comes screaming through as the guitars are take over. The Aurora nails this with aplomb genuinely causing the hairs of my neck stand to attention. The separation and layering worked really well here on the 1980’s dry production style giving a sense of a more “real” organic presentation while being quite possibly the most dynamic playback I have experienced with this track.
Fish – Man with a stick from the ex Marillion singers last album Weltshmerz the album is incredibly well produced with this track the percussion is incredible with lots of drum sticks on rims then a timpani drum its skin resonance faithfully reproduced then a low drone as the Vocals come in with a clear separation from the prominent low end the way the Aurora allows this to be rendered is just mesmerising. The progression from the sticks to full on drum and Synth filled sound rich and complex with the vocals never overpowered is just a triumph.
Lady Black Bird - Blackbird the subtleties of the interplay between vocals and instruments are played well, her voice warm and intoxicating. The space around the components of the song outstanding. Black acid Soul is superb Acid jazz/soul mix produced and mastered to perfection and the Aurora does an incredible job of drawing you into the music with a great sense in intimacy. This is possibly my favourite listening experience with this song at any price.
Iron Maiden -Rhyme of the ancient Mariner - the dynamics of this track are reproduced with pin point accuracy the driving rhythms are dynamic and punchy , I did not perceive any congestion in the guitars, bass and drums they were reproduced with finesse. Bruce’s vocals were on point and unveiled just good headbanging fun
The Aurora is relatively very easy to drive for an iem with a planar and I had no issues using them with Daps, Dongles. I will say they do like a bit of extra power and need a high resolution source to get the most out of this highly resolving iem.
They sounded good with my warmer sources. This is not an iem that needs an expensive source but it does scale impressively.
I’m not a fan of analytical sounding IEMs that force details into your ears like a photograph with HDR and sharpening set at max a decidedly digital representation. I’m more Vinyl on a turntable, Leica manual focus, sumptuous colours on kodak colour gold film, kinda guy, where if you look really close all the details are there but it’s the whole image you appreciate rather than just how sharp it is. The Aurora gives me all the details available without falling into the above pitfalls remaining musical, with natural timbre when paired with a warmer source.
Sources used:
IBasso dx170
Shanling H5
Shanling M6 Ultra
Sony Nw-WM1A
HiBy R6 111
HiBy R8
Cayin N3 Ultra
ONIX X1 Alpha
FIIO M15
Comparisons
Kiwi Ears Quintet
The First comparison was obvious the Kiwi ears Quintet an iem with a similar driver configuration with the addition of a PZT driver. The Quintet is an interesting iem, the playback is on the dry side with less bass impact and noticeably less detail and texture the mids are clean but lacking that magical layering and air of the Aurora. The treble is metallic in timbre and can be quite fatiguing the Aurora is a easily a couple of tiers above the Quintet.
FiiO FH9
Now this comparison is interesting as It a DD with 6 ba and one of my favourite iems. The FH9 has big dynamic bass and smooth clean mids the treble is rolled off even with the included green treble filters. The Fh9 is smoother and more relaxed in presentation while the Aurora is not fatiguing for me, more treble sensitive listeners may prefer the smoother playback of the FH9. Where the Aurora trounces the Fh9 is in the resolution, layering and spacious treble. The Auroras technicalities are on another level not to say the FH9 is bad in this area its just the Aurora is better.
Conclusion
The up to $400 range is full of great sounding iems with more released it seems on a weekly basis the Aurora more than competes it’s sets a new standard. It’s fun and exciting sound signature. The design of the shell does help its move up the ranks as I found it one of the most comfortable iems on the market. The Aurora is the most technically adept iem I have experienced in this price bracket I would say you have to spend a lot more money to get this kind of resolution.
CABLE
