7Hertz Eternal

7Hz Eternal

Disclaimer:

I received the 7Hz Eternal from Hifigo as a part of a review tour. The impressions shared in this write-up are based on my usage of the IEM and are based on my preference and perception. The 7Hz Eternal can be purchased from Hifigo:

https://hifigo.com/products/7hz-eternal

Introduction:

7Hz made a splash in the IEM scene with the Timeless, an affordable planar magnetic IEM which was simple in terms of aesthetics but had some bold sound for the price point, especially in terms of bass response. I was quite impressed by Timeless, hence, was naturally excited when I got a chance to try out the 7Hz Eternal.



Unlike the Timeless, the Eternal is quite bold in terms of aesthetics. The earpiece houses a humungous 14.5mm LCP (Liquid Crystal Polymer) diaphragm dynamic driver in a CNC Aluminium alloy cavity with sapphire-coated glass faceplates. The angled cuts which resemble the blades of a turbine placed underneath the reflective sapphire-coated tempered glass faceplate, give the Eternal a distinctive and elegant look. Kudos to 7Hz for coming up with such a bold and classy design. Although the earpieces are large, they’re surprisingly lightweight, weighing at 6g a piece (as per the specifications). In terms of fit, I personally didn’t have any issues, though it may be a concern for someone with smaller ears.

The unit I received, didn’t come with the retail packaging, so I can’t talk much about the unboxing experience or the accessories included. The brushed aluminum storage case is color matched with the IEM, and so is the MMCX cable. The IEM can be purchased with either a 3.5mm SE cable or a 4.4mm balanced cable or a 2.5mm balanced cable. The unit I received, came with a 3.5mm SE cable. The cable is an OCC + Silver Hybrid cable which seems to be quite durable and is free of microphonics.



Sound Impressions:

The Eternal is relatively warm sounding with a mid-focused tuning. In terms of bass response, the Eternal emphasizes the mid-bass region, with a tad bit of sub-bass. While this makes the bass sound somewhat natural, it lacks the oomph factor in the low end, which is especially evident in tracks like Adagio for Strings (Tiesto) or Beat 1 (Nucleya). However, what the Eternal lacks in terms of quantity, it more than makes up for it in terms of quality. The mid-bass emphasis of the IEM is very coherent with the mid-focussed tuning and the resulting tonality is very pleasing and inoffensive.

The mids on the Eternal are clean and vocals, both male and female, sound quite pleasant. Notes have a fair amount of weight, which is slightly accentuated due to the warm signature. Bollywood tracks, which are predominantly mid-focused, sound very good on the Eternal. It is a delight to listen to Mohammed Rafi sing Khoya Khoya Chand (Kala Bazar) or listen to the mesmerizing voice of Lata Mangeshkar in Aapki Nazron Ne Samjha (Anpadh). I couldn’t help but get lost in the emotion of these tracks while listening to them on the Eternal.

The highs on the Eternal are quite smooth. While the treble is perceivably rolled off, it doesn’t sound dull or claustrophobic. Again, the top end is inoffensive and has been rolled off, primarily for the sake of tonal coherence.

The Eternal has a fairly wide soundstage but mostly stays within the head, with minimal stage depth. The separation is good and imaging is acceptable. One thing I’d like to mention though is that the Eternal sounds significantly better when amped. While it doesn’t require a desktop amplifier, it sounded lackluster off the BTR3K. Given how good it sounded off the M11 Plus LTD and the Xduoo XD05-BAL, I’d say the Eternal requires a fair amount of power to be driven to its potential.



Conclusion:

The 7Hz Eternal is an elegant IEM with a fairly mid-centric, warm, and inoffensive tuning. The lightweight earpieces and smooth treble make it comfortable for longer listening sessions. I’d recommend this for those who prefer mid-centric or vocal-based tracks and/or Bollywood aficionados (like me ). Bass heads and Treble heads are likely to be disappointed.

Reference Tracks:

Disclaimer
This review unit was provided by Hifigo and views presented in the review are my unbiased take on the iem and no monetary compensation was provided for it.

You can purchase the iem here https://hifigo.com/products/7hz-eternal and https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09S3LMQ1F/7hz+eternal/

Introduction

7hz broke intothe iem scene with the timeless and Planar hype which still is a craze. Recently they even launched a $99 Planar Dioko in collaboration with (in)famous reviewer Crinacle. With all the hyped launches their ‘normal’ DD iem the Eternal which came along with the timeless was a bit overshadowed.

Single DD iems have been in the market for a long time and are a still an attraction to a few audiophiles who are ‘Timbre’heads to say. Personally I have tried few TOTL iems and found the often maligned BA timbre to be an issue for me. I own a couple of DD iems, the neutral benchmark Etymotic ER2 and a fun V shaped Fiio FD5. In this review I’ll try to compare these iems to see where the Eternal stands among the purist DD iems.

Build and design

I didn’t receive the retail packaging of the unit and only got a metal box, a cable with the iem. The box and cable match the chocolate brown colour of the iem and aesthetically looks good.

The famous sibling Timeless lends its coin like metal shell to the Eternal just that the face in the Eternal is a glass faceplate which shimmers with a Dynamic driver looking mould behind it.

If you had issues with the fit of the timeless you may face it with the eternal too as it’s literally the same shell design which I feel isn’t that ergonomic.

Sound and Comparison

Like I mentioned in the intro, I’ll be comparing the Etymotic ER2XR and Fiio FD5 against the Eternal in this review. Yes, there’s a price difference among the above but I feel the Sound performance are at a similar level between these iems.



The ER2 is well known for its neutrality, the XR variant adding a bit of sub bass boost to sound a bit fuller. The other end FD5 is a shamelessly fun sounding V shaped iem with a big midbass and a zingy upper mids/treble. I feel the eternal tries to balance the extremes with a slightly toned down but boosted bass and bit shelved down treble.

ER2 has a 2D and limited stage which sounds within the head (Also the deep insertion is not comfortable for many) while the FD5 has a considerably bigger stage and slightly better separation than the Eternal. Do note the Multi driver and planar iems in similar price range provide a better technical sound than the DD iems I’ve mentioned. But if you are a ‘Timbre’head you can neglect all the technical advantages for the realistic Dynamic driver sound these offer. These are no slouch to the multidriver iems in performance but may lag behind them in complex and busy passages where you may find the single driver limiting.

Conclusion

Some iems try to follow a neutralish sound profile while some tend to go full monty on V shaped consumerish sound. I feel the Eternal tries to balance these two extremes and to say sound ‘normal’. Is there a market for Dynamic driver iems? Yes, definitely the tech is still relevant, though all the hype about is planar and multidriver iems, the purists support and still view dynamic driver iems special.

7Hz Eternal : Enjoyment Ensured!



Summary:

Launched in May'2022, 7hz launched their latest Single DD IEM named Eternal. It comes with a 14.5MM Dynamic driver which is larger than most found in similar price range and promises extraordinary performance. Based on our impressions, we can confidently say that they have achieved much of what they had promised.

Disclaimer: These came to me from @shenzhenaudio for the purpose of comparative review & impressions, and I will ensure that I cover that below.



Introduction:


Let's quickly dive into what the 7hz eternal has to offer. The 14.5mm Dynamic driver should provide excellent dynamic range and bass performances while requiring a bit more power than usual for a dynamic driver IEM of similar price range.

The 7Hz Eternal is priced at $224.




Design & Build:

The shells look very different than most Single DD IEMs and look quite premium I must say. Despite the larger sized shell, owing to the design of the shells they fit quite nicely into the ears and are very comfortable to wear throughout longer listening sessions and I have tried them for 3+ hours of listening at a single stretch and seemed very comfortable the whole time.

It is described as the following on the website: The pair features a large 14.5mm LCP diaphragm dynamic driver enclosed in a specially designed acoustic cavity structure. Apart from its outstanding acoustic presentation, the pair has an elegant design with premium CNC machined Aluminum shell housings and sapphire glass face covers. Now enjoy your favorite music with great clarity and elegant designer looks of the latest 7Hz Eternal






Specifications:


The 7Hz Eternal comes at $224 price tag and the specifications are as below:

https://shenzhenaudio.com/products/...-detachable-mmcx-cable?variant=42387218235635





The Box & Accessories:



The Accessories:

The Euclid package now includes…

• Eternal
• 4.4mm balanced cable
• Aluminum case
• 5 Pairs of different ear tips
• Certificate of Authenticity

NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT THE SOUND....

Items Used for this Review:

DAC/AMP & Dongles: @Questyle M15 Dongle DAC/AMP, Cayin RU6
Portable Players / Sources : Cayin N8ii, Cayin N6ii with R2R motherboard, @Shanling M3X & M7, A&K SP1000M
Streaming Source: QOBUZ



Ear Tips:



I've tried tip-rolling with a variety of tips such as: @Final Audio E series red & black ones, JVC Spiral dots, Spiral Dots+, @SpinFit Eartip CP500, CP155. Out of all of these I have found the Azla Sednafit to be the best fit for my ears in terms of overall fit, isolation & comfort.


Tracks Used:
The tracks I have used can be found from the below playlist that I have used and generally use for most reviews...




Pairing Performance with different sources:

Dongle DAC/AMPs:

Eternal had the best pairing with @Questyle M15 and Cayin RU6 dongles.



Portable Players:

Obviously the Eternal had the best pairing with the Cayin N8ii as that comes with Class-A amplification and a new DAC which is super resolving and not to forget the Nutubes! But that's the $3500 range also and out of reach for most people!
But it performs well with each and every player including @Shanling M3X and M7.



Eternal Sound Impressions in Short:

The BASS:

The Bass of the Eternal is just great starting from the small micro details coming from the sub-bass region to the meatier mid-bass and I must say that the 14.5mm DD has it's benefits. In tracks like: "Fools Paradise (LP Version) – Donna Lewis" and "Chocolate Chip Trip - Tool" you can feel the bass attack and also hear all the tiny nuances' of the sub-bass.

The MIDS:

The midrange of the Eternal comes with ample texture, muscle and transients and seemed quite open. Vocals are very immersive and both male and female vocals come with ample amount of details and feel very real. Instruments felt very natural and real with high accuracy. In tracks like: "Anchor - Trace Bundy", "A dog named Freedom – Kinky Friedman" and "Ruby Tuesday – Franco Battiato" it’s really easy to get lost into the music as it comes with ample detailed transients, texture, excellent vocals and details.

The TREBLE:

The treble feels a bit laid back and inoffensive. Despite what other people said - I haven't come across that peak in the FR graph and the performance was quite enjoyable and Cymbals sound very life-like and real in tracks like “Chocolate Chip Trip – Tool”.

Treble in tracks like: "Paradise Circus – Massive Attack", "Mambo for Roy – Roy Hargrove” and "Saints and Angels – Sharon Shannon" feel smooth & creamy with the right amount of air and texture and just feels very buttery smooth.


The SOUNDSTAGE:

The Staging capabilities of the Eternal is the best I’ve come across in a Single DD IEM in similar price range. It comes with the right amount of width, height, depth and is well defined and just as much as the track requires. Tracks like: “The Secret Drawer – Bela Fleck and the Flecktones” or “She Don’t know – Melody Gardot” or “Bohemian Rhapsody (live aid) – Queen” sound amazing & enjoyable. This is amongst the strongest trait of this IEM.

Imaging & Timbre:


The Imaging on the Eternal is spot on with very accurate sense of direction and life-like natural Timbre performance. Tracks like: “Rotterdam (Or Anywhere) - The Beautiful South “or “Hello Again - Howard Carpendale & The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra” just shine through. Separation however is not the best I've heard but nothing much to complain really.



Comparisons:

No review is complete without comparisons. So here we are - with the 7hz Timeless, Eternal and the Raptgo Hook X.




Eternal vs Timeless vs Raptgo Hook X:

All of these 3 IEMs fall in similar price ranges and hence the comparison as requested by many people.


Bass: While the Eternal has more refined Bass performance with details from the sub-bass, the Timeless has slightly less details and thump but interestingly the hook X had much less details but more prominent mid-bass & thump and slam. I felt like the Eternal has the most refined performance and thus preferred.

Mids: The Hook X here had the most intimate performance with meatier and more textured midrange. The Timeless had enough room and better staging & separation in the midrange and the most balanced performance in this category. The Eternal despite slightly recessed mids was a good performer with open sound and texture and nice vocal and instrument representation.

Treble: This is where the Timeless just loses due to its sparkles and peaks, while the Eternal is quite nice & inoffensive. the Hook X also comes with enjoyable treble performance.

Soundstage, Imaging and Separation: This is where the Hook X lags behind owing to it's very narrow staging and lack of separation and imaging not good also. The Timeless has great staging just like the Eternal - however the Eternal has slightly better imaging while the Timeless has slightly better separation.



Conclusion:

The 7Hz Eternal ensure quite enjoyable experience and pairs well with most sources. It is quite comfortable to wear through long listening sessions and that's what makes it an ideal daily driver for people who just want to hear superb sound performances all day, every day. For people who love the Single DD sound like me - this would be an easy recommendation.