Truthear x Crinacle Zero: RED REVIEW!
Summary
TLDRIn this Super Review, Mark Ryan explores the Truth Ear Cross Critical Zero: Red IEMs, a budget-friendly option with a sophisticated tuning by Critical. He discusses the physical form factor, sound signature, and compares it with other IEMs in its price range, including the original Truth Ear Zero, Moondrop Lan, Aria, and the Truth Ear Hexa. Mark highlights the Zero: Red's balanced sound with a sub-bass boost and its modest technical performance, concluding with a four-star rating and a recommendation for those seeking a refined frequency response under $100.
Takeaways
- 🎧 The 'Zero Red' is a budget in-ear monitor (IEM) by TRUTH and Critical, offering a sophisticated tuning at an affordable price of $55.
- 🎵 The IEM is tuned by Critical for a neutral sound with a sub-bass boost, aiming for a frequency response that is both sophisticated and balanced.
- 🔍 The Zero Red has a modest bass boost that is warmer and fuller compared to similar IEMs in its price range, such as the Moondrop Blessing 3.
- 👂 It comes with a variety of ear tips for a customizable fit, including foam tips and different sizes of silicone tips, and an impedance adapter for two different sound signatures.
- 📦 The packaging includes a simple carry case, spare filters, and an impedance adapter, providing good value for the price.
- 🔌 The cable is the same as in previous TRUTH IEMs, with a Y-split chin slider and 2-pin connectors, but might be a bit clunky with dongles and adapters.
- 👎 The Zero Red has some technical limitations, like soft transients and average imaging width, which might make it sound a bit dull compared to more technical performers.
- 🆚 When compared to other IEMs, including the original Zero, Moondrop Lan, Aria, and Hexa, the Zero Red stands out for its tuning but falls a bit short in technical performance.
- 🏆 The Hexa is highlighted as a more technically proficient IEM, offering a neutral sound signature with good micro-contrast and extended treble.
- 🔧 The Zero Red's build quality is lightweight with a plastic shell, and while it fits well for the reviewer, the wide nozzle might not suit all ear shapes.
- 🌟 The reviewer gives the Zero Red a four-star rating out of five, praising its sound tuning but noting its technical limitations.
Q & A
Who is the presenter of the video review?
-The presenter of the video review is Mark Ryan from Super Review.
What is the product being reviewed in the video?
-The product being reviewed is the TRUTH Ear Cross Critical Zero: Red, an in-ear monitor (IEM).
What is unique about the Zero: Red's pricing in the IEM market?
-The Zero: Red is unique because it offers a sophisticated tuning and sound quality at a budget-friendly price of $55.
What does the Zero: Red come with in the box?
-The Zero: Red comes with a carry case, three sets of ear tips (including foam tips and silicone tips in different sizes), spare filters, and an impedance adapter.
What is the purpose of the impedance adapter included with the Zero: Red?
-The impedance adapter allows the user to change the sound signature of the Zero: Red by providing a significant bass bump when attached.
How does the Zero: Red's tuning differ from the original Zero?
-The Zero: Red is tuned to have a neutral sound with a sub bass boost, which is a favorite tuning of TRUTH, whereas the original Zero was tuned to hit the Harman Target curve, which is not TRUTH's favorite response.
What is the issue with the Zero: Red's cable according to the review?
-The issue with the Zero: Red's cable is that it might be better suited for a straight Jack rather than an angled one, as adding dongles and adapters can make the connection to devices a bit clunky.
How does the Zero: Red compare to other IEMs in terms of sound signature?
-The Zero: Red has a neutral sound signature with a sub bass boost, which is different from the more contrasty sound of the original Zero and the mild v-shaped sound of the Moondrop Aria.
What are the technical performance shortcomings of the Zero: Red mentioned in the review?
-The Zero: Red has relatively soft transients, which leads to a somewhat dull listening experience despite its well-tuned sound signature. It also has average imaging width and separation.
How does the Zero: Red fit compared to other IEMs?
-The Zero: Red fits quite well, with a lightweight plastic shell and a unique shell shape that provides good fit security, although the nozzle design might not fit everyone comfortably due to its size.
What is the overall rating given by Mark Ryan for the Zero: Red in the review?
-Mark Ryan gives the Zero: Red an overall rating of four stars out of five.
Outlines
🎧 Introduction to the Truth Ear Cross Critical Zero Colon Red Review
Mark Ryan introduces the video, highlighting the Truth Ear Cross Critical Zero Colon Red as the latest budget IEM (In-Ear Monitor) in collaboration with Critical. He discusses the evolution of budget IEMs and how they have improved in tuning over time. The Zero Red is positioned as a budget marvel, offering a sophisticated tuning achievement for just $55. Ryan outlines the review structure, including physical form factor, sound signature, and comparisons with other IEMs in the market. He also mentions a live stream for audience interaction and a shout out to Shenzhen Audio for providing the IEM for review.
🛍️ Unboxing and Accessory Overview
The paragraph delves into the unboxing experience of the Zero Red, detailing the simple yet effective accessories provided. These include a carry case, three sets of ear tips (one foam and two silicone in different sizes), spare filters for maintenance, and an impedance adapter that allows for two different sound signatures. Ryan also discusses the cable, which is the same as the one provided with the Truth Ear Hexa and the original Zero, appreciating its flat lay and functionality, but noting a minor issue with the angled jack that could have been better suited for a straight jack.
🎚️ Sound Signature and Tuning Philosophy
Ryan describes the sound signature of the Zero Red as neutral with a sub bass boost, which is Critical's preferred tuning. He contrasts this with the Harman target tuning of the original Zero, which is more v-shaped and contrasty. The Zero Red is praised for its sophisticated tuning at an affordable price, offering a warmer and fuller lower mid-range compared to similar IEMs. The paragraph also discusses the use of the impedance adapter to adjust bass levels to taste, emphasizing the versatility in sound that the Zero Red can offer.
🔍 Technical Performance and Sound Comparison
This section critiques the technical performance of the Zero Red, noting its soft transient attack and average imaging width. Ryan acknowledges that while the tuning is excellent, the technical aspects are not the IEM's strong suit, resulting in a somewhat dull listening experience despite its refined tuning. He then compares the Zero Red with other IEMs in its price range, including the original Truth Ear Zero, Moondrop Aria, and Moondrop LAN, discussing their respective sound signatures and technical merits.
🏆 Ranking and Form Factor Comparison
Ryan ranks the IEMs based on technical performance, with the Hexa at the top, followed by the LAN, and then the Zero Red. He discusses the form factor of each IEM, noting the lightweight plastic shell of the Zero Red and its good fit despite a potentially problematic nozzle. He also comments on the build quality and fit of the other IEMs, highlighting the metal shell and cable quality of the LAN, the handsome minimal look of the Aria, and the simple yet effective design of the Hexa.
🌟 Conclusion and Review Summary
In conclusion, Ryan reiterates the Zero Red's strengths in achieving a sophisticated frequency response target under $100 and its solid overall performance, despite not being the most technical performer. He gives the Zero Red a four-star rating out of five and provides a link in the description for those interested in purchasing the IEM. He also encourages viewers to like, subscribe, and join the Discord community for further discussions and live chats.
🎵 Closing with Music
The final paragraph of the script simply indicates the presence of closing music, denoted by multiple music note emojis, suggesting an end to the video content.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡In-Ear Monitors (IEMs)
💡Budget Market
💡Frequency Response
💡Target Sound Signature
💡Harman Target
💡Technical Performance
💡Impedance Adapter
💡Sound Signature
💡Fit and Comfort
💡Build Quality
💡Cable Quality
Highlights
Introduction of the Zero Red, the latest entry in the collaboration between Critical and TRUTH.
The Zero Red is a budget IEM that achieves a sophisticated tuning at an affordable price point.
The review discusses the evolution of budget IEMs and their improved tuning over time.
Unboxing the Zero Red and detailing its simple yet effective accessories package.
The inclusion of a carry case and multiple sets of ear tips for a customizable fit.
Discussion on the importance of choosing the right ear tips for optimal sound and comfort.
Inclusion of spare filters and an impedance adapter for customizable sound signatures.
Commentary on the cable quality and its compatibility with various devices.
The Zero Red's physical design, including its lightweight plastic shell and unique shell shape.
Aesthetic critique of the Zero Red's red panel and its comparison to the original Zero.
Fit and comfort discussion, including the unique nozzle design and its impact on fit security.
Technical analysis of the Zero Red's sound signature, focusing on its neutral tuning with a sub-bass boost.
Comparison of the Zero Red's sound signature with other IEMs in its price range.
Discussion on the Zero Red's technical performance and its place among competitors.
The use of an impedance adapter to modify the bass response of the Zero Red.
Final thoughts and rating of the Zero Red, emphasizing its value and sound quality.
Invitation for viewers to join the live chat for further discussion and questions.
Link to the Zero Red for interested viewers and a call to action for likes and subscriptions.
Transcripts
hey folks I'm Mark Ryan this is super
review and this is the truth ear cross
critical
zero colon red and as the name implies
this is the latest entry in the story to
Kingdom Hearts franchise I'm sorry this
is the latest I am collaboration from
critical and well it is kind of a Marvel
of a tuning achievement in the budget
Market okay when I first got into the
hobby you kind of had to spend a lot of
money to get an I am that was designed
to hit a very intentional Target sound
signature but nowadays regardless of how
you feel about it it kind of can't deny
that the average budget I am is just
it's tuned better than than I am's used
to be okay but even now there are
certain aspects of frequency response
certain tuning targets a little
sophisticated with like a flat mid-range
and a boosted sub bass that you still
got to spend a little bit to get except
well spoiler
the zero red here it does it and just
for 55 bucks but is it enough to have a
an I am that Nails a very tasteful
Target frequency response or is there
more to an I am than a graph can tell us
well for the past few weeks I've been
listening to the zero red and comparing
it with some other IMS in its price
range I'm ready to let you know what I
think
and uh I guess no spoilers for that
right now but like all my other reviews
this is a live stream if you have
questions about the zero red that I
don't answer in this review please leave
them in the live chat and at the end of
the review we'll spend some time having
a back and forth conversation and
hopefully answer all of your deep dark
well maybe not the dark questions we'll
stick to the good questions
um but with that said I guess a quick
shout out to Shenzhen audio for sending
in the zero red for review if you want
to check out this I am I do have it
linked in the description
but with that out of the way let's go to
the table let's start talking about the
physical form factor this I am what
comes inside the box then we'll get into
talking about the sound it's down
signature what I like what I don't like
about it and then we'll bring in a
handful of direct compare competitors
for comparisons so you just kind of know
exactly where I feel the zero red fits
into the market so what do you get
inside the Box this is what you get here
is the Box itself it is a cute little
box and um the accessories package is
actually not too bad it's a little bit
on the the simple side but that's
actually pretty good little accessories
package for the price
um you do get a little carry case here
and this is what truthier has been
including with the original zero as well
as I believe the hexa
um pretty simple Bare Bones it's not
like a hard shell so it's not going to
be super protective but it is enough to
hold your IMS in place and uh keep them
tidy and it'll actually fit in a pocket
which is something I appreciate on top
of that you also get
actually three different sets of ear
tips which is more than you really need
but it's nice to have the options you do
have one set of foam tips and you've got
three different sizes of two different
styles of silicone tips and if it's not
obvious how these things are different
these tips over here have a slightly
narrower bore than those ones I would
say just experiment around with it find
that your tips that fit you the best
that's generally what I do but it's nice
to have that option then generally I
would say these also kind of fit the
same but again still nice to have the
option but we're not done there's even
more here in the Box I didn't even
realize this until I was pulling
everything out for this video but they
included spare filters which is a nice
touch
the filters on any IM can get gunked up
with ear stuff I know not nice to think
about but it is true and so it's nice
that they include some of those so you
can do a little bit of self-servicing
and then they also include this which is
an impedance adapter we'll talk a little
bit more about what this does later but
basically what this does is it lets you
get two different sound signatures out
of the zero red just by throwing this
thing onto the end of your cable the one
thing I will say right now as we're
going to get into talking about the
cable
is that it's a maybe a slightly uh I
don't know bummer is it feels like a
strong word but it feels like this would
definitely have been a better fit on a
straight Jack rather than an angled a
right angle Jack right whether or not a
cable ends in a right angle or a
straight termination I've kind of gotten
an opinion that I don't know I'm fine
with either one but once you start
adding dongles on it and impedance
adapters plugging this into the bottom
of a phone into the bottom of a dab or
in the side of a laptop is a little bit
clunky whereas plugging a straight Jack
is a little bit less clunky so that
would have been nice but I don't know
I'll we'll call that a relatively small
complaint because the rest of the stuff
about this cable well it's the exact
same cable that we had with the uh the
truth ear hexa as well as the original
zero and I like it as you can see it
lies nice and flat and now it is not a
plush cable it is very you know it's
thin it's just simple
but it gets the job done
um and I really don't have any
complaints about it okay well I could
probably come up with some complaints
but what I like about this thing is
you've got nice small Hardware as you
can see here at the Y split you've got a
very functional chin slider that stays
in place which I dig of course you've
got your pre-formed ear hooks up here
and then you've got your two pin
connectors which are standard and make
this so that you could replace the cable
if you need to swap it out with
something else but generally again I
think this is a pretty good cable
um in general but also for the I am
maybe if I'm being picky with these
particular earpieces it does tend to
tangle up a little bit more so than it
does on the hexa and why exactly I
couldn't tell you but the mild point
that I would mention
um all right anything else worth talking
about the cable no we'll talk about the
ear pieces now instead and as you can
see these earpieces are well if you're
familiar with the last zero these are
almost exactly the the same earpieces
they've just changed out the the panel
on the outside so rather than having a
blue panel with a slightly different
pattern they've got this red panel with
well this pattern and
I think it's
you know it's a slight aesthetic twist
but it is kind of just a big slab of
color that I feel like could use a
little bit of something else it's not a
bad looking I am by any stretch of the
imagination but it is also just maybe a
little bit on the plain side it needs
something but without going too
overboard I don't know I'm being picky
um as far as the build quality again
same build quality as before which is a
fairly lightweight actually relative
very lightweight plastic shell and as
you can see this the shell shape is a
little bit unique here it kind of is
reminiscent of something that you would
expect from 64 audio
and we'll get into talking about how it
fits in a bit but for me it actually
fits I would say quite well the one
thing that's worth talking about here in
terms of fit and this is you know gotten
a little bit notorious at this point is
the nozzle on this IM
um the length on it is one thing all
right it does stick out fairly long here
and then the other thing is going to be
the diameter of the nozzle which I don't
know here on camera might not seem like
much but it is pretty wide as far as
nozzles go now it does have notches on
it so it will hold the ear tips in place
and that's the thing I appreciate but it
does come with the risk that it might
not fit your ear incredibly well
depending on how large your ear canals
are for me this is a very good fitting I
am and I'll demonstrate it real quickly
as I talk about it in a little bit more
detail as you can see yeah it fits in my
ear really easily like the Ingress
egress is really easy it is smooth edges
all the way around so I have no issues
with long-term comfort and yeah the
nozzle is a little bit on the the girthy
side but I don't know I don't really
have any issues with it in terms of
comfort
maybe the only thing that it does
contribute is that it fits a little bit
more shallow than I would love like I
would love it for this entire earpiece
to get in past the uh the little
anti-tragus nub in here we call that the
nubbin uh that's the scientific term but
some people just call it the antitragus
um but yeah I would love it if it would
fit in a little bit past that but I
think partly because of the somewhat
long nozzle and partly because of the
fact that the nozzle is a little bit
wide it doesn't usually fit that that
deeply for me but still again fit
Security on this thing is actually
pretty pretty solid in fact I would say
this fit security is stronger on this
than it is on a lot of just like single
Dynamic driver Iams which is interesting
I didn't even really talk about the
driver config on this this is a double
Dynamic driver configuration the same as
the original zero
um but the the shell shape and design is
kind of almost more like hybrid in in in
in its attempts but uh yeah generally I
dig it I dig the the physical form
factor here on the Zero red again if I'm
being picky about it uh it doesn't look
like it could use a little bit something
extra to make it a little more
interesting looking and um I don't know
maybe it feels a little bit heavier it
would feel a little bit less cheap I
suppose but I don't know those are
pretty pretty high complaints for a
product that costs just 55 bucks let me
wrap this thing up
and uh start talking about the sound
let's see that's handsome enough
yes real quick check my notes make sure
I'm not missing anything else and I
think
yeah we nailed it all all right let's
talk about the sound and like I
typically do we will start by describing
the sound signature on this I am and
shocker
this is critical neutral with a sub bass
boost I mentioned this is tuned by
critical and that's also true of the
truth here zero
the original I am but with that iron he
was very specifically going after the
harman Target which he admits is not his
favorite frequency response this one
however is going for his favorite
frequency response which is basically
neutral with a sub bass boost the bass
boost on this I would say is modest it
doesn't have the same like bass presence
um as the bass boost on something like
the critical dusk if you're familiar
with that that said I did expect this to
sound a little bit leaner than it does
kind of like the dusk does and kind of
like the moon drop blessing three does
right they are kind of similar in in the
tuning and that they have that kind of
flat lower mid-range with the sub bass
boost but I feel like this has just
subtly and meaningfully warmer and
Fuller lower mid-range than those iems
the mid-range is otherwise it's very
clean it's got a slight forwardness to
the vocals the treble tuning I would say
is fairly safe but extends pretty well
and in a way it's exactly what you would
expect coming from critical but in
another way this is exactly what you
would not expect in an IM that's costing
this price again
the the sophistication in this tuning is
not something that you we used to get in
I am this price okay and that is pretty
cool so what do I like about the sound
here on the Zero colon red well
that tuning honestly is pretty excellent
I recently reviewed and
had a lot of praise for the 320 Moon
drop blessing three I love that it's
tuning and if I'm honest I think the red
is actually kind of better in some ways
right so the issues I had with the
blessing three was it was a little bit
too lean in that mid base and the zero
just has a slightly Fuller low end that
I think improves on that thinness that I
didn't love about the blessing three and
as I mentioned it's just a very
sophisticated tune at this price range
which is
stand out in its own overall I think it
is a very well balanced sound signature
compared to a lot of v-shaped sound
signatures that you typically get at
around this price range the mid-range is
very very well focused on this set but
it still has a pleasant base presence
that you can dial up with the impedance
adapter if you choose and I mentioned
that it comes with this impedance
adapter basically what this does is you
plug this thing onto the bottom of your
truth you're red and you get a very
significant base bump I would say yeah
speaking of it I think it's this I am
actually honestly sounds good both with
and without the impedance adapter
without I would describe it again it's
kind of a nice clean mid-range with a
satisfying low end punch with the
impedance adapter I don't know that bass
necessarily bass head level but I do
think the base height are going to have
more bass to Bob to without much shift
in the mid-range tonality which is
what's important to me right people that
like me they're a little bit shy of
having too much Bass the risk is that it
impedes the rest of the mid-range and I
don't think you get that at all and then
if you've got your own impedance
adapters right this is a 10 ohm adapter
if you've got your own at home and I
actually do you can throw even more
impedance on this thing to increase the
bass to silly levels if that's your your
jam and I did if you want to see the
frequency responses I've got that on
squig.link Linked In the description but
that is what I like about the sound here
on the Zero red
what are the things that I don't love
about the sound on this I am to be
honest there really is not much to
critique about the tuning of this I am
but it gets into the question that how
much of sound quality really is
determined by frequency response and the
zero red I think is kind of a strong
indicator that it's it's not everything
because I think the technicalities on
this are pretty mediocre okay overall I
think that the zero red has some bit of
a soft character to its transient attack
so just like the Leading Edge of
instruments like the thwack of a kick
drum or like the bite the initial bite
of an acoustic guitar string pull it's
just a little bit soft on the truth ear
zero red
um it's because of that I think it's got
kind of weak separation between sounds
the Imaging is fine but it's just not as
cleanly delineated as you will get on
some other sets that favor technical
performance over necessarily a amazing
Target adherence as this and just
because of that I do think that the zero
red does come across a little bit dull
to listen to despite the fact that it is
tuned exquisitely and I do think that is
not exaggeration there so those are my
general thoughts here on the truth ear
cross critical zero colon red but how
does it compare directly with some other
items in its price range because
ultimately that's what matters right so
let's pull in some other Iams in fact
we've got here the original truth ear
zero which we'll talk about how it
Compares here we've also got the truth
ear hexa which I know is a more
expensive I am but I think people are
interested in this comparison
speaking of more expensive items for
comparison I've got the moon drop Aria
which I know a lot of people are
familiar with and I think this would be
kind of a good reference point but then
just to keep things more fair we've also
got the moon drop Lan
um for comparison so these are the items
that we will be talking about here and
um yeah so the the zero red is 55 bucks
here on this table it is a five dollar
up charge over the original zero but
still both of these I think are pretty
competitively priced let me Rudy wrap
this thing and put it here for your
viewing pleasure apologize for the delay
um but yeah the original zero um also a
double Dynamic driver I am 50 bucks a
little bit cheaper uh the moon drop Lan
it's actually just 40 bucks and it's a
single Dynamic driver uh the moon drop
Aria also a single Dynamic driver I am
at 80 bucks and then finally over here
we've got the truth ear hexa um also 80
bucks but for this one it's actually a
hybrid configuration you've got three
balanced armatures and one Dynamic
driver so how do they compare in terms
of sound signature all right
zero red like we just got done talking
about that is it's raison Detra this
thing is a tuning Beast this is neutral
with sub bass boost it sounds a little
bit warmer Fuller and less contrasty
than I might expect given its frequency
response and I think that maybe comes
from just a little bit Fuller of lower
mid-range versus something like the
blessing three again I think this thing
is pretty spot on uh in comparison with
the original zero this is effectively
Harmon neutral sound signature which you
could also just kind of describe as a
tasteful v-shaped sound signature it's
got noticeably bigger bass more forward
vocals especially in like the the
edginess of the vocals and just overall
gives it a more contrasty sound versus
this which is a little bit more on the
mid-range e side
the moon drop LAN
I think versus the red actually comes
across as somewhat of a bright neutral
or maybe even you describe it as a
mildly shaped sound signature that's
favoring more of the vocals and a little
bit in the treble
now this is just more of a more vocal
forwardness I think adds a little bit
more contrasty sound to the Lan versus
the zero red whereas the ARA the Arya I
think it's also kind of a mild v-shaped
sound signature but it's got more of a
warm low end right so if the Lan is
slightly V with a little bit of a bright
tilt the Aria is kind of the obvious
opposite it's like a mild v-shaped sound
signature with a warm tilt so it's got a
thicker base Fuller lower lower end and
more pulled back and more relaxed upper
mid range the switch where you would
expect the vocals to lie and then
finally hear the truth ear hexa
I would just describe this as neutral I
mean this basically hits my neutral
Target which just means that to me it
sounds plainly neutral
um it has got somewhat of a warmer low
end versus the red or the land it's a
little bit low on macro contrast so
where I described like this one
especially both of these are fairly
contrasty this one's a little bit low on
that kind of big macro contrast but it
does a pretty good job with the micro
contrast because the treble is very well
extended here on the hexa
um so that's kind of the general lay of
the land like which one of those is
better is really going to depend on your
personal preferences now my personal
preference the hexa is again it Nails my
target so I'm biased there this is my my
preference for sound signature but
you want something with a little bit
more distinct of a bass boost you're
gonna the the zero red is a nice little
little change there whereas the original
zero is just a lot more bass and a lot
more vocals to give you a more contrasty
sound and then these are just kind of
they are what I described yeah
um so now how do they compare in terms
of technical performance which is where
again I said the zero red is not its
strength
I think the zero red has relatively soft
transients which just kind of gives you
a smoothed over textures
um I think that's also gives you average
Imaging width which average is not
necessarily bad but it is you know
somewhat lackluster in comparison to the
quality of its tune the bass has a
decent punch but it's not super super
incisive and again just the technical
qualities of this IM are really not
where its strengths are which is
interesting because comparing it with
the original zero I would say also not
like a technical standout
um but I think because you have that
more contrasty sound it gives the sense
of just more separation between the
sounds a wider stereo image and even
sharper transients it can sound maybe a
little bit loose at times but I think
it's also it's pretty fun and a little
bit more engaging in the technical
department than the new zero Red is
because of that the LAN
is actually I don't know
I haven't listened to this honestly in a
while until I started doing this
comparison and it is surprisingly tight
and controlled it's got just enough
treble bite to add some nice definition
to transients and the base is well the
bass is super polite but it has a nice
decent a little cute punch to it that I
find actually pretty surprisingly
satisfying
um in comparison the aura I think the
base attack on this one again this one's
like tuned more toward the base but I
think that the base attack on this one
is just a little bit soft and pillowy
and the elevation of that also just kind
of affects the rest of the sound makes
it a little bit stuffy
um somewhat below average in terms of
image separation but honestly I think
that these two the the Aria and the and
the zero red while they're very very
different in terms of their tuning and
technicalities and Technical
performances they're actually kind of
similar um so if you're familiar with
that you're probably going to be pretty
familiar with the technicals here on the
Zero red and that'll bring us to the
hexa which again maybe this isn't a fair
comparison because of the price but I
think that the Imaging on this is pretty
decent
um it's good with the finer details and
music again I mentioned that extended
treble contributing to the map the micro
contrast so it's good with like detailed
texture and stuff like that
um it's not gonna wow you with you know
stage width or incisiveness or anything
like that but it is subtly very very
good if I were to rank these in terms of
technical performance this is a little
bit easier I would say that the hexa
would be my my preference for sure I'd
actually say that the Lan would probably
be
next best
um and then following it behind that
would be the zero and then these two are
kind of kind of pulling up the rear in
terms of the technical performance just
in terms of that engagement Factor uh
and then finally let's talk about how
these things compare in terms of form
factor well the zero red we just got
done talking about a lightweight plastic
shell that you know it doesn't feel or
look particularly outstanding but it
actually does fit surprisingly well
um just be warned about that that nozzle
which could be an issue from you for me
it's actually perfectly fine uh and that
is ditto exactly the same here for the
original zero again the the main
difference in terms of form factor well
the only difference really is data
static
so there you go the Lan in contrast
you've got these nice small shells which
are actually all metal I think this
thing is actually pretty surprisingly
handsome it's kind of a mature look and
a really excellent cable I haven't
Unwound these cables but look this is
the moon drop SSR cable
um just with a little bit of extra class
on it and I dig it a lot
um so yeah I generally quite like the
the form factor here on the Lan the Aria
I think has also got kind of a handsome
minimal look to it it's also got a metal
shell on it but I have seen more issues
with this thing in terms of longevity
maybe it's just paint and certain humid
environments here as you can see as I
don't use mine a ton it has held up
quite well the fit though on this thing
is not super stable um I mentioned you
know the the zero fitting better than
your average Dynamic driver I am and
this is your average Dynamic driver I am
or fit and it's perfectly comfortable
it's fine
um in terms of that but in terms of fit
stability I think it's a little bit weak
here on the Aria and the other thing
that is worth pointing out is a little
bit weak is the cable which I actually
don't mind the aesthetic on it but if
you can't tell this is a cloth covered
cable it's a little bit memory prone and
I have seen it I don't know fall apart
in kind of spectacular fashion for some
people depending on how they wrap it so
if you've got an aria and you haven't
already ruined it please do be Roadie
wrapping your cable to make sure that it
does not fall apart in spectacular
fashion as mentioned and that will
finally bring us into
the truth here hexa which is actually
using the exact same cable as we see
here on the less expensive zero red
as far as the earpieces I think the
these are actually I don't know it's a
very simple I mentioned that the zero
red looks a little bit plain and and you
would think that an all black shell is
maybe even plainer but just having that
you know these subtle edges to it these
angles and then that that slight
difference in
angle there I think it just it's it's
handsome right I mentioned you don't
need a lot to make to to break up the
monotony of a design like this just a
little subtle touch like adding a screw
in the X the outside and a little a
little angle I think really does help
the hexa look pretty next level
um in terms of build quality you have a
metal shell on the outside here and
you've got these solid resin shells here
in terms of fit and comfort you know
this thing actually fits a little bit
small
um if you can see here versus the zero
red I would describe this as kind of a
medium maybe a slightly medium large but
we'll call that medium-ish this I would
call kind of a medium small and it might
not seem I don't know maybe you can tell
a little bit there the difference but
really the difference is felt a lot when
you put them in your ears and I really
do find the Comfort on this I am
quite good I love the build quality here
on the hexa so
that is going to do it for my thoughts
here on the truth here cross Chronicle
zero colon red and um look if you're
after an IM that is nailing
a very sophisticated frequency response
Target
under 100 bucks look you've got like the
the hexa I think is very very good but
in a lot of ways this is kind of more
sophisticated and
yeah if you're looking for the most
technical performer I think there are
other options out there but overall I
think this is a very very solid I am if
you want to check it out well I've got a
link in the description and oh yeah it's
a four star out of five
um yeah check it out I've got a link in
the description and uh while you're down
there if you found this review helpful
if uh you're having a good time please
hit the like button subscribe to the
channel the YouTube Bell and um join me
on Discord you know I'm about to stick
around and have a chat with the people
here live
um but if you have any questions that I
don't get to or you just want to
continue the conversation in between
streams join me on Discord Linked In the
description and otherwise I'll catch you
on the next Super review
a week
[Music]
[Music]
[Music]
[Music]
huh
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)