In-Ear MonitorOverreview

7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2

Nearly everyone agrees it's the safe $25 starter. The argument is about the treble, the short nozzle and how long it lasts.

50 sourcesUpdated
$25Typical US price

Score aggregates reviewer opinions across topics.

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7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2

The short version

What to know.

The 7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2 is a ~$25 single-dynamic-driver IEM, the Crinacle-tuned sequel to the 7Hz Salnotes Zero. Reviewers broadly agree on a warm-neutral tuning that sits close to a Harman-style target with more bass: 37 measurement rigs put it about 1.5 dB over Harman IE 2019 in the bass and 4–5 dB under it at 4–6 kHz, and the same rigs show about 3 dB more sub-bass than the original Zero. The midrange is the most consistently praised part, value is near-unanimous, and imaging and dynamics are rated good for the price while resolution is called average. Opinion splits on the treble (smooth and fatigue-free to some, short of air and a measured weak point to others, and a little edgy in the lower treble to a few), on soundstage (spacious for the money vs narrow), on comfort (feather-light for most, but the short nozzle won't seal or stay in for a sizeable minority) and on build: reviewers call it fine for $25, while owners report thin cables and channels failing within months.

About this product

The 2023 Zero:2 (also sold as the Salnotes Zero 2): one 10 mm dynamic driver in a translucent plastic shell with a metal faceplate, in silver, orange, blue and pink, with 3.5 mm, 3.5 mm-with-mic and USB-C cable versions. Not the leaner 2022 Salnotes Zero, not the 2026 7Hz Zero 3, and not the Truthear x Crinacle Zero / Zero:RED / Zero:BLUE2 dual-driver sets.

The 7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2 is the November 2023 follow-up to the 7Hz Salnotes Zero, the roughly $20 single-dynamic IEM that became a default first-IEM recommendation on the strength of a near-target tuning. For the sequel, 7Hz and reviewer Crinacle kept the angular shell and the price, fitted a new 10 mm driver and a softer cable, and re-tuned it with about 3 dB more bass and a calmer top end.

Nearly three years on it is still one of the most-recommended budget sets around: the top IEM by Reddit sentiment, a 4.2 average across thousands of Amazon ratings, and the set reviewers reach for when someone asks what to buy first. The disagreements are narrower but real: whether the smoothed treble is a comfort win or a shortfall, whether the short nozzle seals, and whether the cheap build holds up past the first few months.

A good fit for

  • First-time IEM buyers who want a safe, well-tuned set for about $25
  • Listeners who want a warm, bass-forward sound that stays smooth and fatigue-free
  • People who found the original Zero lean or too bright up top
  • Casual listening, commuting and budget gaming, where its imaging is rated well for the price
  • Anyone happy to EQ: measurers show it responds well to a small treble lift

Think twice if

  • You want air and treble sparkle out of the box: the 4–8 kHz region is measurably dipped
  • You need a deep insertion to get a seal: the nozzle is short and fits shallow
  • You want something built to last: owners report thin cables and channels failing within months
  • You already own the original Zero or a similar budget set and want a real step up, not a re-flavour
  • You prioritise resolution and stage size over tuning

The reviewer consensus

Agreement &
disagreement.

4 / 12topics divide opinion
midsbasstonalityimagingdetaildynamicsisolationvaluetreblesoundstagecomfortbuild
1 Strong agreement7 Mostly agree4 Divided opinions

Common ground6

  • A warm-neutral, Harman-style tuning with extra bass: measured about 3 dB more sub-bass than the original Zero on 23 rigs.
  • Clean, natural, un-recessed mids, the most consistently praised part of the sound.
  • Bass is the headline upgrade: deep rumble and punch without going basshead.

Points of contention5

  • Treble: smooth and fatigue-free (45%) vs recessed and short of air (44%) vs edgy in the lower treble (11%), all hearing the same measured 4–8 kHz dip.
  • Build: fine for $25 on loan units (40%) vs flimsy cable and channels failing within months for owners (60%).
  • Comfort: feather-light and all-day for most (71%) vs a short nozzle that won't seal or stay in (29%).

A closer listen.

12 topics · 4 divided
Left: criticalRight: positiveTighter lines: more agreement

Treble

Leans criticalDivided opinions
Reviewer sentiment36 supporting sources
CriticalNeutralPositive

Band: opinion spread · Dot: weighted average

Sources split three ways on the same measured shape. Every rig shows a dip through roughly 4–8 kHz and the original Zero's top-octave peak gone. The largest camp, mostly editorial reviewers and Head-Fi members, hears that as smooth, laid-back and fatigue-free. An almost equal camp, led by the two heaviest measurers (ASR and Resolve), calls it the set's weak point: recessed, short of air and extension, and better with a little EQ. A small third camp hears the opposite problem, a lower treble that can get shouty or metallic on busy tracks.

Measured

Median of 36 squig rigs vs Harman IE 2019: −3.0 dB at 3–4 kHz, −4.7 dB at 4–6 kHz (range −2.7 to −6.3), −3.0 dB at 6–8 kHz, back to target at 8–10 kHz; above 10 kHz rigs scatter by ±4 dB. On the 23 rigs that also hold the original Zero, the Zero:2 sits 2.3 dB lower at 4–6 kHz and 2.8 dB lower at 12–16 kHz. ASR's GRAS rig measures the 4–8 kHz shortfall at '5+ dB' and amirm preferred a treble-lifting EQ in AB tests. Tips move the top octave by several dB (foam tips cut 12–16 kHz by up to ~5 dB on IEM World's rig), and two units on Tone Deaf Monk's rig differ by 2 dB at 4–6 kHz.

vs. listeners — Same measured dip, opposite verdicts: the camp that likes it hears a fix for the original's peak, while ASR and Resolve (whose ranking note reads 'Treble is still a problem') mark it down. The small 'edgy' camp sits against the graphs, which show nothing above target until 8–10 kHz; fit depth and tips, which move that region, are the likelier cause.

Where it splits
Smooth, laid-back and fatigue-free: the original Zero's harsh peak is gone and enough detail survives.45%

“This results in a more laid-back treble, stepping back from the limelight while still unravelling sufficient details.”

Prime Audio
The weak point: recessed, short of air and extension, a measured 4–8 kHz shortfall worth EQing back.44%

“the highs were a little recessed and at times I was hearing bass I didn't even know was there!”

Audio Science Review (amirm)
Edgy rather than dark: the lower treble can turn shouty or metallic on busy or bright recordings.11%

“The overall tuning favors lower treble a bit, so it can get shouty with the right kind of music.”

Headphonesty
Link to this topic

The hardware

Specifications.

Checked

Design

Type
In-ear monitor
Drivers
1 × 10 mm dynamic (dual-cavity, PU+Metal composite diaphragm)

Electrical

Impedance
32 Ω
Sensitivity
108 dB/V≈ 93.1 dB/mW
Frequency response
10 Hz – 20 kHz

Connection

Cable
Detachable
Connector
0.78 mm 2-pin (not recessed)community-sourced: socket depth

Manufacturer-published figures, not measurements · from linsoul.com, thehificat.com. Socket depth not published by the maker — community-sourced from hands-on reviews: headphonesty.com, docs.google.com.

Follow the evidence

Sources 50

1–6 of 50 sources

Read with context

Limitations & method.

As of

What to keep in mind 5

  1. This is a read of where reviews and owners land as of October 2026. The ultra-budget field moves fast, and 7Hz has since released a Zero 3; the Moondrop Chu 2, Tanchjim Bunny, Simgot EW200, Blon Z300 and the original Zero are the usual cross-shops.

  2. How it sounds depends heavily on fit: the nozzle is short, so tip size and insertion depth change the bass, the seal and the top treble more than with most sets. Many 'no bass' complaints turn out to be a poor seal.

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