Truthear Zero

Intro/Disclosure​

Recently, I got the opportunity to A/B the Truthear Zero (Blue) and the Truthear Zero: Red. I purchased both these IEMs with my own money and all opinions are my own. My review is solely based on what I hear with my own two ears as this is a very subjective hobby. My ratings are based on how I think this IEM fares against other IEMs in its price range.

My primary litmus test when it comes to audio gear is whether or not vocals and instruments sound natural/organic. Regardless if the IEM has the biggest bass or the most technical treble. If it doesn’t sound natural to My Ears then it’s a red flag.

Packaging and accessories​

Pretty standard packaging at this price point. The Zero comes with a nice leatherette pouch with the cable and a decent selection of tips. 3 sets of wide bore, 3 sets of narrow bore and a set of sticky foams. Oh and don’t forget the Waifu as well.

Build, Comfort and Fit​

I really liked the look of the faceplate (which can be blue or purple depending on how the light hits it). The shell is somewhat bulky and protrudes quite a bit from my ears. The included tips seemed to work best for my ears but comfort is the elephant in the room with this IEM. Unfortunately, I started to notice discomfort after about 30-45 minutes of wear.

Sound​

Sources Used:
Truthear Zeros <-> Questyle M15 <-> MacMini M1 <-> Apple Music Lossless

Songs listened to:









Initial impressions: (before brain burn in)
I usually like to jot down my first impressions when it comes to listening to new gear within the first few minutes. Because whether you believe it or not, brain burn-in is a real thing.

Upon listening to the first few songs in my library, I was immediately impressed with the nice bass presentation, both sub-bass and midbass sounded full and impactful. The other notable feature was the sheer size of the soundstage both horizontally and vertically is quite impressive for an IEM at this price point. If you play lots of FPS games this is the set to get at the $50 mark.

Bass

• Hefty amount of bass. More mid bass slam than sub bass rumble.
• Not the most textured bass but well controlled
• Quantity could be too much for some

Mids

• Warmer tuning with organic timbre
• Lower mids are a bit recessed for my tastes
• Male vocals sound far away and quite lifeless.
• Female vocals fare a bit better but can appear shouty depending on the singer

Treble

• Laid back but still engaging
• Smooth and not sibilant
• Details could be better

Technicalities (Soundstage/Separation/Imaging)

• Depending on the recording, the Zeros can throw quite a large soundstage
• Imaging and placement of instruments in a wide stage is surprisingly good.
• Detail retrieval isn’t the best, busy tracks can sound congested.
• Excels in FPS shooters where you can pinpoint enemies at will.

Comparisons​

Compared to the Truthear Zero: Reds, I would pick the Zero Blue every time. The Blue just has more energy in the upper mids that improves detail retrieval and imaging. The Zero Reds have a quite relaxed treble thus leading to everything sounding blunted and congested. The Blue also has a more cohesive bass without the need for any impedance adapters. The Red’s bass is significantly less compared to the Blue without the 10 ohm adapter.

Conclusion​

The $50 price point in 2024 is an extremely competitive one. Does this 2022 release still compete? I think so, especially if you are after a harman 2019 sound that is tuned by Crinacle. If you are a gamer, I think this is a no-brainer at the $50 price point. I would also choose the Zero Blue over the Red any day of the week. The tuning is just better to my ears.

Ps. This was my first written review on Head-Fi, go easy on me. I look forward to sharing my thoughts on additional IEMs and headphones in the near future.

thaslaya's star rating system:
☆☆☆☆☆ - Best in class/buy it now
☆☆☆☆ - Highly recommended
☆☆☆ - Sound for thee, not for me
☆☆ - Can't see the appeal
☆ - Product is a failure

Disclaimer:
This product was purchased by me and all opinions are my own.

Gear used:
● LG v30+
● Samsung Galaxy s22 Ultra
● Hiby FC4
● Ifi hipdac 3
● Kiwi Ears Allegro
● Truthear x Crinacle Zero

Source:
Listening was done through Amazon Music HD or Ultra HD.


Introduction:
Back in 2022 the Truthear x Crinacle Zero burst on to the scene and made quite a splash. It was not Crinacle's first collaboration but it remains one of his most popular to date. The Zero received generally favorable reviews and nestled in to a nice little spot in the ~$50 budget tier. Then in 2023 Truthear and Crinacle got together again to release the retuned Zero:Red. Again, the hype train barreled through the audiophile community and the RED has been well received garnering favorable reviews. At the time of this review, the Zero is listed for $49.99 on Amazon and the Red is $54.99. Below I will break down these two very similar models and highlight their differences. This will serve as a dual review for both the original Zero (hereafter refered to as Zero:Blue or BLUE) and the Zero:Red. The star rating and pros/cons listed in this review are specific to the Zero:Blue. For continuity purposes, the Red is on the left and Blue on the right for all comparison photos.



Build, fit, ergonomics:
The Blue and Red obviously share a lot of similarities. Both feature dual dynamic drivers. The shell shape and size are almost identical although the Blue is just slightly larger. The shells are made of resin but are hollow. This makes them lightweight but they also feel a bit cheap. The nozzles are long and wide and they are identical on both models. Those with small ears may have fit issues though I personally found them to provide good seal and comfort. The overall packaging and accessories are basically the same as well. The stock cable is thin, feels cheap, and tends to tangle easily. It's the same cable that comes with the Truthear Hexa and I didn't really like it then either. I prefer a thicker more robust cable but the stock cable is serviceable and some will surely like it. The included tips consist of 6 pairs of silicone with 2 various bore sizes and 1 pair of foam. I really liked using the stock tips with both Zeroes. They provide a good seal and are comfortable for long sessions. There's also a small carrying pouch included (again, same as with the Hexa) that I don't really like. Sure it's small and pocketable but provides little protection and again feels a bit cheap.

Sound impressions:
I would describe the tuning of the Red as warm/neutral with bass boost and the Blue a bit more v-shaped with a little more elevated treble. The soundstage is average for the price bracket and basically identical on both. Detail retrieval, imaging, and instrument separation are also average and about what you'd expect to find at this price point. Both Zeroes veer more towards musicality rather than technical performance.They lack the high level of technicalities of something like the Simgot EA500LM but are also not nearly as bright.

●Lows - Both models sport a deep sub bass extension. The bass on Red is more balanced and cleaner sounding. Using the included adapter brings out a bigger bass response and fullness approching basshead levels although it doesnt quite get there. However, if you purchase a higher impedance adapter, say 200 ohms, and you have a good enough amplifier then the sub bass can get BIG (as seen in the graph below). The Blue has more midbass presence and punch which makes it sound overall fuller and more robust although I can hear a bit of bleed into the midrange at times.

Credit to HBB for the measurements.

●Mid - Vocals are slightly more forward on the Red. The Blue have more energy in the upper mids/lower treble region which means they can be shouty with certain tracks. I feel that the mids on both models are well placed and are a highlight of the tuning. The timbre is organic and both male and female vocalists sound great. Guitars and other instruments also have good presence and are well represented.

●Highs - The best word I have to describe the treble in the Red is "blunted". Claps and hi-hats lack a definitive edge and crispness. I actually like that quality as it aligns with my prefered warmer tuning preference. However, I do wish the treble and amount of air were extended just a bit futher. The Blue have more energy in the lower mids and contain just a hunt of sibilance at times with snares and such. The highs on both roll off just a bit early and, because of this, the treble loses shimmer, sparkle, and air.

Summary:
Red vs. Blue. Which one is better? Well just like everything else in this hobby, that answer is highly subjective. Both models are similar shape, size, come with almost identical accessories, and the difference in price is only about $5. The answer isn't so much which model is better but which tuning is preferential. The Blue has a bigger default bass impact and fullness and there is a slight elevation in the upper mids/lower treble. The Red has a more warm/neutral tuning with a small sub bass boost and relaxed treble. The inclusion of the 10 ohm impedance adapter is what ultimately pushes me to recommend the Red over Blue. Using the impedance adapter adds tuning variety; adding extra bass is quick and easy. Even the Red's stock tuning is closer to my preference and is better suited for long listening sessions. Ultimately both models offer great value in the sub $50 price bracket. I think Truthear and Crinacle have created two great products that many would be glad to own.

Introduction

Truthear probably does not need any introduction. Starting off with a bang with the Zero, then the Hexa and then the Hola, neither of these IEMs can be outright called bad or a poor start, as all three sold quite well and with the advent of the Red, it seems that so far, Truthear is on a winning streak. But how does the old Zero now fare in the current market? If you've seen the star rating, in my opinion, it's lost a bit of that luster it needed to last.
This unit was passed down to me. Packaging will be as such absent from this review, as half of it is missing. Ah, the woes of being poor.

Look, build and comfort

Truthear Zero with the Letshuoer DZ4 cable and puck case.
I cannot deny that the Zeros look quite appealing. That color-alterating resin is always wonderful to look at, and the shells are overall quite light, with a slightly recessed 2-pin connector that might be polarizing, depending on opinion. I unfortunately had to swap the hefty but otherwise excellent DZ4 cable for the Tripowin Zonie, as the connectors on that one were too stubby and were prone to popping out. The shells are quite large and my already slightly smaller-than-average ears had to get used to the feeling of these sizable fellas. There is a bigger problem, however; the nozzle is quite wide and that restricts not only some of my tips being used, but also long-term comfort. On the other hand, the tips that fit on the nozzle ensured a very good seal and fit security (my usual test is vacuuming with an industrial Kärcher at the same time, and these passed the test quite well). For those with smaller ear canals, these might be problematic (and anything else with larger nozzles, such as the Blessing series). Overall, I cannot complain about the looks, but the fit is more polarizing.

Sources used
The usual stuff on my end. For those familiar with my reviews, my usual equipment is my interface (M-Audio AIR 192|4), the FiiO BTR5 2021 and my phone (Poco X3). I tried plugging them into the Moondrop Click for a bit and just stopped as that felt like a very compromised listen. An Abigail dongle or Apple dongle would be far more fitting in this case. All sources needed very little effort to get the Zeros to a high listening level; more so than my previous Tripowin Leás. There were no issues with hiss on any source involved. As this does not fit great into most other sections and would disappear in the Comfort section, my testing involved the KBear 07 tips being used, alongside the stock tips. The 07 tips provided a better grip and fit security for my ears. Your mileage may vary.

Sound performance:
Bass
The bass is absolutely the stand-out performer on the Zero, thanks to the dual dynamic driver setup, with one serving for sub-bass frequencies only. The stock bass performance is quite solid and a great performer in the range; there is plenty of impact, a decent slam and texture is also overall decent. That is not to say that the bass quality is flawless, however; I found the crossover point at ~170Hz to be noticeable in listens and an EQ point placed there resolved that tiny issue. For a typical basshead, this is surprisingly quality bass. Budget sets keep getting better.
Bass rating: 80/100
Mids
This is where it falls apart a bit. As I have mentioned in the quick bullet points at the top of the page, they are kind of drowned out. This is a little unfortunate, as I am a big fan of vocals and this set does them quite an injustice with its stock tuning. Even something more instrumentally-focused such as Battle Tapes kind of sucked listening to, which is a big shame. Vocals feel a bit grating, and overall are not pleasant to listen to, there is no reserved feeling, only aggression. This sort of brings me into the treble...
Mids rating: 50/100
Treble
I hate Harman treble in general. That probably would've been better to state at the start, but given my star rating, I felt it wouldn't have been hard to figure that out. There is, however, a good point about this treble before I go off tearing it a new one, and that is that electric guitars with these mids and treble feel genuinely striking, aggressive and kinda rad to listen to. That's my only good point about the treble. It is simply a bit too overboosted and needs to be about 5dB lower for my tastes. Truthear and Crinacle seem to have agreed with that, as the Red has quite more tame treble, at least on squigs. One other thing to note is that the treble has no grain, which would've been a complete death knell to the stock treble performance otherwise.
Treble rating: 40/100

Imaging and staging
As with many budget sets, staging and imaging is not great. I feel that with these, the Tripowin Leás were slightly better, as the staging felt decent on those even at the $27-odd bucks they used to cost. Imaging is decent, but that is mostly due to the fact the stage is already set so small, that vague imaging would have been quite annoying.
Imaging and staging rating: 50/100
Instrument separation
Just like with the Leá, the instrument separation lacks a certain degree to sound good. Busy passages can get smoothed over, which is a little disappointing, but not to be unexpected in this price range.
Instrument separation rating: 45/100

Versus: Letshuoer DZ4 and Tripowin Leá
A little bit of a weird comparison, given that the latter is impossible to acquire and I have recently lost one of them! However, I have had a couple moments with the DZ4 of my brother's, and let me tell you, does that completely stomp on the Zero in most qualities. It is a polarizing set from what I have been led to believe, but the DZ4 has superior treble and mids, and considerably better technical performance as well, for about $25-30 more. It is definitely a set to consider if you're doing EQ often and wanna add just a tiny bit of a thump to your signature the DZ4 otherwise lacks. The comfort is also way, way better.

The Leá is a bit more interesting as it was nearly half the price during its release. I would say that tuning-wise, the Zero wins out on the bass, whereas the Leá wins out on mids and treble (where it is still slightly hot and might need a slight tempering-down). Technical performance is actually kind of neck-and-neck, though Leá has slightly better staging. It is also way easier to fit into your ears.

Overall rating and conclusion
It is difficult to say the Zero is worth getting in the current market. If you feel that Harman IE is a thing you wanna try out, I think this is one of the few sets in the range that does that reliably, given my reservations to this target. The bass is also quite nice, but there is one massive problem: The Red exists. At five bucks more, you're getting the same body, but with superior sound performance. I'd say at that point you might as well cop the Red. If you don't like this price range at all and maybe you're welcoming towards some EQ..the DZ4 is also here to stay for a while. I'm not disappointed with the listen at all, especially after EQ, which the Zero takes surprisingly well to. You can temper the treble by a large enough margin where the mids have a chance to breathe and perform with a decent amount of effort.
Overall rating: 60 (without EQ)
The keep rating is a new thing I am adding to my reviews. Simply put, on a scale from 1-10, how much is it worth it to keep this set? Under 6, I would not suggest to keep most sets unless they appeal to someone in a certain funky way.
Keep rating: 5.5/10
The Zeros still have potential, but the Reds just blow them out the water in many aspects nowadays.

In conclusion, Zero alright, Red better. Quite a competitive price range, this.