Linsoul 7hz Timeless Ae 14.2mm Planar Hifi In-Ear Earphone With Cnc Aluminum Shell, Detachable 2pin
Linsoul 7HZ Timeless AE 14.2mm Planar HiFi in-Ear Earphone with CNC Aluminum Shell, Detachable 2PIN Cable
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Brand : Linsoul
Category : Electronics,Headphones, Earbuds & Accessories,Headphones & Earbuds,Earbud Headphones
Rating : 4.4
Price : US $259
Review Count : 285
SalesRank : 0
Linsoul 7HZ Timeless AE 14.2mm Planar HiFi in-Ear Earphone with CNC Aluminum Shell, Detachable 2PIN Cable
- I\'m going to start with the negatives so right off the bat I have to say they look horrendous. Not only are they relatively big, oval and purple but they had to add glass so you can top it all off with the sun blazing out the sides putting your fingerprints on blast. You also need something with power or your experience will suffer. I have been using it with the Tempotec Sonata V to get the best portable experience. My normal dongles seemed to struggle giving power to the bass and would lose control if turned up. The Sonata V seems to be about what you need to get everything out of the Dioko without sacrifices being made. The cable looks great in pictures but it\'s incredibly cheap feeling. The material feels incredibly cheap and the metal parts feel like they are as thin as the walls of a soda can but filled with plastic. It looks much less nice in person. To be fair it is a perfectly fine cable listening wise. Its resistance is the same as my after market cables and I notice cables that measure the same tend to sound exactly the same. The included tips are just a mind bender. Random colors, random sizes and not a single complete set. Not only are the accessories a mess in my opinion but its packaged poorly. The iems are free to roll around banging against each other in the packaging so who knows what happens during shipping. My last complaint is the case specific sibilance.Despite all those complaints the Dioko is an easy 4 stars at $100. Out of the iems I tried close in price like my favorite the Tin T3+, Olina, Aria, Titan S, Simgot er2 and a couple others it\'s clearly a category above. The only reason I didn\'t score it above those here is because it can be prone to sibilance. Right out of the box it was just tolerable with those preinstalled \"sticky\" tips. Those \"sticky\" tips even seemed to add a hint of sibilance to other iems I tried them on. Much like the T3+ the tips can make a noticeable impact on the sound. The yellow ones with the small bore brought the bass up but didn\'t do much if anything for the sibilance. The red medium bore tips helped a lot. The red tips seemed to knock a couple db off that 8k peak making the majority of the music I listen to perfect or at least close. Imo tips with a medium to large bore and a short stem are what is needed to make these shine without having to tolerate sibilance as often. Long stem tips seem to increase the treble and makes sibilance a problem while small bore tips seem to make the bass somewhat uncontrolled.Outside of that 8k peak the Dioko sounded very different than the graphs or reviews that I have seen. I constantly seen things like thin, bright, safe, boring and lacking bass. Looking at the few graphs out there it made sense but that isn\'t what I am getting most of the time. Maybe one out of ten songs I will get that experience where the volume seems to be much lower and all dynamics disappear. It\'s odd because those cases will sound like they are overly warm with the treble completely smoothed over. Despite the warmth the bass will be weak. Most of the time though I get an exciting presentation with tons of dynamics and plenty of body in the vocals. The graph made me think some vocals would sound thin or artificial but that couldn\'t be farther from the truth. That was a pleasant surprise and even with the tips that boosted treble I didn\'t notice the vocals losing body, so I am not sure what some are hearing.Hip hop, EDM, Trap and pop sound amazing on these. Songs that have a lot going on under 100hz become powerful exciting moments. You get this powerful textured rumble with impact that\'s allowed to stay separate from everything giving the rest of the action its own space. The rumble from some old Dre songs is just ridiculous. As long as you have the power you can try to rattle your fillings out and still get crispy detailed treble with full bodied textured vocals shining through clearly. Imo if you like the type of music I mentioned above you will love the Dioko. Its subbass focus gives a different take on what you may have heard a thousand times on other iems. A lot of rock or heavy metal sounds amazing as well but of all the categories those seem to be the ones I notice the lack of midbass with the most. You lose the power of the drums and focus seems to go to the bass guitar. It isn\'t always the case, but it is more common than with other genres. Even that can be engaging though. You can easily hear the plucks of the strings and it\'s another interesting take that\'s different from the norm.For me the $100 and below range was dominated by the T3+, ER2, Olina, Titan S and the Aria. The CCA CA16 should be in those talks but I don\'t think people gave them a fair shot. The T3+, ER2 and CA16 were my favorites but they all now feel like a category below the Dioko. The ER2 is the only one that gets close to the Dioko with resolution but from the lower mids down it falls below the Dioko noticeably. The T3+ and Olina are technically identical to me with the only difference between the two being tuning. They both feel a category below in resolution but both can stand toe to toe in small specific categories. The T3+ and ER2 actually sound equally as good as the Dioko with EDM. I can actually see many preferring the ER2 here. It might be the second best technically of the group and does some amazing things with EDM and hip hop. The T3+ actually surprised me considering how much difference I noticed with other genres. I didn\'t expect it to step up in one particular genre like it did. The Olina doesn\'t have the same punch and is slightly brighter making it incapable of having that shining moment with EDM. Acoustic stuff was very competitive between the Olina and the Dioko although I would probably argue this is also where the Titan S shines more and might even be a better option than the Dioko for some. The resolution isn\'t close but the tuning and sound stage fits acoustic perfectly.Hip hop is where things fall apart a bit and become preference. The T3+ is good for hip hop. If you are a hip hop head and own the T3+ you are in a great place. It doesn\'t do anything bad with hip hop at all. Imo it is competent with everything. With that said the ER2 is arguably better with maybe a hint more texture in the bass and clearer more exciting treble. Despite the KZ/CCA driver \"scandle\" the CA16 was my favorite for hip hop. Much like the Dioko the CA16 needs something with power. Idk if it is a voltage thing or a current thing but they can become tight and detailed when properly powered. When powered properly they are like the Tripowin Mele except with much more detail and nothing lost in the treble. The amount of bass those things put out while still keeping everything controlled and separated is impressive.They are super engaging with the big powerful bass and full bodied vocals. The more power I give them access to the more natural they sound and the more detail achieved. They are pure enjoyment if you are a basshead that likes a warm natural sound that keeps all the detail and separation of a bright set. Out of everything here they are the least fatiguing having nothing offensive at all.Since this is already the longest review ever, I might as well ramble on and go for broke. Compared to the iems I mentioned there really isn\'t any competition for the Dioko. The only area where the Dioko loses to all of those other iems is with the layering of instruments. There just isn\'t much depth to the imaging. There are songs where it can surpass all of them but more often than not the layering isn\'t really present in comparison. It seems to make up for that deficit by making the left to right sound stage wider and precisely placing instruments within that 2D plane. Much like its resolution the imaging left to right is astonishing for the price. The fact that instruments are very detailed and given its own space almost makes up for the lack of depth. It is song specific at times so don\'t be surprised when you do get that depth and it becomes a holographic experience. Like the title says the Dioko can make magic at times. It doesn\'t always execute perfectly but when it does you can\'t do anything but be appreciative of the way it presented the music. The Dioko has faults like most things, but those faults help it give you some amazing new experiences with music you have heard a thousand times.If you are someone who doesn\'t mind using eq then you have to buy the Dioko. Every fault it has can be easily fixed with eq. It responds really well and seems almost limitless in potential. If you have the power to give it you can bump up that mid bass, pull down the 8k peak and remove any argument against the Dioko being a category above the current $100 options. With eq I actually prefer the Dioko over the OH10 which says a lot for me. Strangely when you bump the midbass up and adjust for that 8k peak the depth shows up and layering becomes more apparent making the Dioko sound even better technically then it already was. It becomes incredibly clean, detailed, powerful and engaging unlike anything I have heard in an iem. Keep in mind that the Oh10 is the most expensive iem I own and my personal favorite. Its frequency response fits what I like, it\'s very technical and you aren\'t missing out on a better experience without eq. I can listen to everything on the OH10 without eq and without something above a cheap dongle to power it. For portable those are a must so the OH10 remains my go to when the setup needs to be simple. I absolutely love that set but power and eq can make the Dioko better so your experience with the Dioko kind of depends on you. Finding the right tips will get you the best iem at $100 but eq will get you thinking that at $200.
- BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT:While I take issue with certain aspects of its tuning, from a technical standpoint, the 7Hz Salnotes Dioko is better than any other IEM that I can think of at the $100 dollar price point. For me, the biggest issue with the Dioko is the shallow and insecure fit. My recommendation comes with a warning that buyers should prepare to tip-roll extensively.SOURCES:I have used the D13 with the following sources:Qudelix 5KHidizs S9E1DA 9038DPACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES:The 7Hz Salnotes Dioko comes in a white cardboard box. The packaging features pictures of the Dioko and lists 7Hz\'s corporate address on the back of the box. There is also a large sticker on the side of the box highlighting the collaboration between 7Hz and Crinacle.Inside the cardboard box is a large zippered carry case which takes up the entire volume of the box. The exterior of the carry case is covered in black synthetic leather and has a red \"7\" emblazoned across the top lid. The stitching is also red. \"SAL♪NOTES\" is inlaid in gold text near the bottom of the lid. The bottom of the case is lined with felt and features dedicated cutouts for the IEM housings and cable. The case also has a large mesh pocket on the top lid for storing accessories. The case is exceptional in terms of build quality, especially for the price point. However, the sheer size is excessive and requires the use of a sling or backpack if you intend to bring it with you on your commute.In addition to the IEMs and detachable 2-pin cable, the Dioko includes seven pairs of silicone eartips in several varieties. The dark grey pair with red cores feels similar to AZLA SednaEarfit Crystal eartips. This pair aggravates my ears less than other non-foam eartips. The red, blue, and orange pairs are squatter and more conical in shape and feature wider nozzles. The light blue and yellow eartips are more round with narrower nozzles. The pink pair is also round but with wider nozzles than the other round eartips. The Dioko includes a product information card and a user manual written in English and Chinese.BUILD QUALITY AND DESIGN:The 7Hz Salnotes Dioko has large aluminum housings with purple tempered glass faceplates. The faceplates have an ovular cross-section. \"SAL♪NOTES DIOKO\" is printed in white at the bottom of each faceplate. There is one circular vent at the base of the nozzle and three more in a line along the outer circumference of the inner housing. \"L\" and \"R\" indicators are printed in white on the inner faces of the housings. The nozzles have metal and paper nozzle covers and extruded lips to secure eartips.The included 2-pin cable is wrapped in a quad-braid below the Y-split and double-helix patterns above the Y-split. The wire used in the cable\'s construction punches above the Dioko\'s price point.The cable uses gunmetal aluminum hardware. The cable jack has a straight form factor. \"SAL♪NOTES\" is printed in white along the length of the jack housing. There is strain relief above the jack housing but none at the Y-split. The cable has pre-formed earguides without memory wire and a metal chin-adjustment choker. The 2-pin connectors fit flush with the surface of the IEM housing body. The curved 2-pin housings have faintly raised \"L\" and \"R\" markings. The cable is moderately microphonic.COMFORT, FIT, AND ISOLATION:The 7Hz Salnotes Dioko is intended to be worn cable-up. The earpieces have a very shallow insertion depth. I found the Dioko to be very comfortable. However, secureness of fit is very poor and the housings required frequent readjustment. I had to use the Dioko with the largest Misodiko foam tips I own in order to minimize the housings\' tendency to migrate out of my ear canals. Isolation is also quite poor.SOUND:The 7Hz Salnotes Dioko features a sub-bass boost concentrated entirely below 200 Hz, a midrange tuned to Crinacle\'s IEF Netural target, and an extended treble response with a distinct lower treble peak at 8 kHz as well as a noticeable upper treble boost.The Dioko\'s bass is fast, cleanly articulated, and adequately textured, but lacking in sustain and impact. As a result, the bass is somewhat limp in its delivery. There is also less rumble than the Dioko\'s frequency response plot would suggest. On the other hand, bass detail retrieval is very good.The Dioko\'s lower midrange is slightly recessed and the overall midrange timbre is on the thin side. I would prefer if male vocals had a bit more body and warmth. The Dioko\'s pinna gain region is correctly centered for my preferences, between 2.5 and 3 kHz. There is less pinna gain than I generally prefer, but it works well with the Dioko\'s overall tuning. There is not as much separation between vocals and midrange instrumentation as the average Harman-ish IEM, but neither do vocals overshadow midrange instrumentation, as is often the case with such tunings. Vocal intelligibility for both male and female vocals is still excellent despite the restrained amount of pinna gain. The presence region is just emphasized enough to deliver an impressive amount of midrange clarity without straying into harshness or sibilance. Aggressive male vocals could use a bit more bite, but I am happy with the level of presence overall.Like a lot of other planar-magnetic IEMs released in the last year, the Dioko has a prominent lower treble peak around 8 kHz. While this peak generally did not bother me, this is not an IEM for the treble-sensitive. Overall detail retrieval is excellent. The Dioko\'s treble transient delivery is also more realistic than the significantly more expensive Raptgo Hook-X. Upper treble extension is spectacular for the price point, but this region is overemphasized relative to the rest of the Dioko\'s frequency response. This creates an artificial-sounding sheen over the rest of the sonic presentation. The Dioko\'s soundstage extends just slightly outside of the head. Imaging is very good, and instrument separation is excellent.AMPLIFICATION REQUIREMENTS AND SOURCE PAIRING:The 7Hz Salnotes Dioko needs a moderately powerful source to achieve usable volume levels. I did not notice hiss with any of my devices.
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