7Hertz Timeless

RoXor

New Head-Fier
7hz Timeless - A Planar Wonder
Pros: 1. Good bass resolution and quantity
2. Good laid back mid-range.
3. Smooth detailed highs.
4. Decent soundstage and good imaging.
5. Good build quality and accessories.
6. Good resolution and clarity
Cons: 1. Soundstage could have been wider
2. More natural presentation overall
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Disclaimer:

The unit has been sent to me from Hifigo as a part of a review circle. I am not working or affiliated to Hifigo or 7hz and I am not being paid or influenced otherwise to say anything positive or negative about this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Note: Please note that my opinions and ratings are based on price, category, market competition and personal expectations and are subjective in nature.

Link for more information: https://hifigo.com/products/7hz-timeless-14-2mm-planar-in-ear-earphone

Introduction

Timeless has been the talk of the town recently for being a special entry in the mid budget segment. It houses a planar magnetic driver, which is not something unique, we have seen various renditions of planar driver in IEMs at different price points by different brands. So why is the Timeless talk of the town? The reason being its performance, both in technicalities and tonality. All other planar IEMs that came out earlier, primarily in the sub 1000USD price range, including the hybrids, usually did well with technicalities (not all) but weren’t doing anything special with the tonality. Tin Audio’s P1 was probably the best ever to come out but needed powerful desktop grade setup to shine, even then might leave most craving for bass and/or listeners finding the signature bright. Tin P1 still have a good fanbase even today after years of its release.

We will discuss in detail what makes the Timeless special and what you can expect from it if you decide to spend your hard earned money!

Build Quality and comfort

Timeless has a unique shell. The inside part being smoothly shaped to fit our ear, whereas the faceplate being a flat circular plate. The shells are lightweight, black in colour, made of aluminium and have a smooth feel to it. Fit wise, with stock tips some might struggle but using after market tips like Spinfit CP100, AzlaSedna Earfit Light Short or JVC spiral dots – as per your preference, sorts the fit issues, if any. Timeless doesn’t fit with high isolation creating a vacuum inside the ear, for which I am thankful, not really a fan of that fit anymore. The cable is lightweight too, comfortable, doesn’t really speaks of strength but does the work without and microphonics and tangling. It comes with an assortment of tips- different sizes and shapes, comes with probably the most premium looking case ever made of brushed aluminium, an extra pair of filters, some documentation. Overall, Timeless package is rich in good quality accessories, specially the case, which is a looker!

Score: 9/10
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Lows
Probably the primary highlight of Timeless. I haven’t heard such good lows for a long time, most IEMs I tried till date, leaves me overwhelmed or underwhelmed with quantity or disappointed with quality. Timeless is none, its bass is tasty! You get the quantity in the most appropriate amount, followed by the excellent detail retrieval, just planar bass goodness. Bass have decent amount of slam and overall contributes to warmth and enjoyable sound signature of the timeless. On tracks like, Luka Chupi by A.R Rahman and Lata Mangeshkar from the movie Rang De Basanti, there is a bass line playing and coming up at certain intervals: 1:50-2:05, around and after 4:00, its clean clear with great details, most iems either miss it or overdo it making it overwhelming, some of them losing the texture, Timeless did it spot on. My library mostly consists of rock and a bit of jazz and blues and pop, for all these genres, bass plays an important role, it overall makes the music enjoyable, when done in appropriate quantity and quality, just like most things in life!

Score: 9/10

Mids
I’m not a fan of forward on your face kind of mids, mid forward signature probably isn’t suited for my music preference, hence I am always very particular of it. Too much laid back mids aren’t enjoyable either, the lows and highs turn out to be overwhelming when you crank up the volume since most people adjust volume with respect to mids. Timeless portray mids for me in an excellent way, its so appropriately staged, that even songs that sounds shouty on other IEMs were smooth on Timeless. It isn’t because the Timeless is aggressively laid back in mids, its because of the smooth and appropriately forward presentation of the mids. Looking back into time, I remember when I reviewed Blessing 2, it was an excellent IEM with great details, soundstage, tonality, all things done right but didn’t really suit my taste as it was little to mid forward for me. There’s a spike at the 2k region as per the graphs however with burn in, I feel it isn’t noticeable anymore.
Electric guitars, piano, brass instruments, flute etc sounds pretty good, good amount of details and layering in the mid frequencies, probably not the most natural I have ever heard but overall it’s a great balance.
Male vocals have good texture and depth whereas female vocals sound a little flatter, vocals in general sounds smooth with decent amount of texture, probably not the most natural tonality. Vocals doesn’t sound heavily focused at centre, rather smoothly dissipated. Tracks with multiple vocals as well as other instruments playing, doesn’t sound congested, vocals are able to stand out.

Score: 9/10

Highs
Timeless because of its peak at 2khz and 8khz might sound bright and peaky to some (even I observed it initially) but with time, probably with burn in (actual or mental) it smoothened out for me. It doesn’t sound like a peaky or bright IEM anymore, rather a smooth warm IEM with great detail retrieval across all frequencies. The highs are clean and clear, with good air and separation, this is evident from cymbal hits and hi hats from songs like Windowpane by Opeth. Acoustic guitars sound really clean and clear, for eg, the intro section of the song Luka Chupi and throughout the song.

Score: 9/10

Soundstage, Imaging, Separation

Soundstage is the only department where I feel Timeless could have done better, its fairly wide with good height but it could have been wider. Nevertheless, music never sounds congested even with tracks with busy sections like Luka Chupi starting from 4:30. Thanks to the separation and clean presentation, Timeless comes out on top. Imaging is great on Timeless, this can be observed on the song Thriller by Michael Jackson, where right at the beginning the door opens and the footsteps move from left to right, its so clear and can be pinpointed in both width and depth, speaks about the prowess of the Timeless in terms of imaging. Separation is another great aspect of the Timeless, all the above tracks, aren’t very well mastered yet sound clean, separated across all frequencies. This surely impresses me quite a lot.

The presentation here feels like a medium sized hall with the listener sitting probably at the 3rd – 5th row. There’s overall a holographic feel to it, air around the room with the sounds reverbing across the hall. Eg: Heaven (MTV Unplugged Version) – Bryan Adams

Score: 9/10

Tonality

Planar IEMs have almost been technically sound, but Timeless takes it to next level with its great tonality. It’s not, and need not be tonally correct, because it sounds great, with appropriate balance of being critical and fun sounding. It’s not the most natural IEM I have heard, its enjoyable and is a versatile IEM sounding equally good with all genres and better in some. I feel timeless has mild V shaped sound signature with warmth slightly laid back and non-fatiguing sound signature. Its not an IEM that will play the music on your face, rather it will just present the music in most humble way, you can go on hours without being exhausted, enjoying and rediscovering your music.

Score: 9/10

Source and drivability

During review, I have used the following setups:
Cayin N6ii with E02 (4.4mm balanced)
Cayin N6ii with A01 (4.4mm balanced)
Phi DecaDac + Sapphire amp (6.35mm single ended)
Timeless sounds great on N6ii and is fairly drivable. On E02 module, at Low gain the appropriate listening level for me is at 45/100. Its almost same as JVC FDX1.
On Phi DecaDac + Sapphire amp – its sounds the cleanest and best as Sapphire (based on RJMs Sapphire v4 diy amp) is a transparent amp, whereas Phi DecaDac (multi multibit DAC based on tda1387) is a smooth neutral sounding DAC.
It does scale up with cleaner source and power but sounds great even just out of the DAP.

Comparison

JVC FDX1 (blue filter+azlasedna airfit light short eartips) vs Timeless:
Yes, it’s an apple to orange comparison one being single DD vs Planar magnetic, but it fairs as both are around same price range and are probably best in their own little world. FDX1 is my favourite single DD IEM and I preferred it over Fiio FD5.
Timeless has more bass and better bass quality, while Fdx1 has an edge with the DD slam but low in quantity. Fdx1 sounds brighter and lean compared to Timeless which has a warmth and more note weight. Fdx1 however sounds cleaner comparatively with slightly more details. Both have similar extensions on both ends of the frequency spectrum. Timeless has better separation and layering. Vocals are more forward and natural on the Fdx1 whereas Timeless has laid back vocals. Fdx1 vocals texture is more noticeable probably due to its mid forward presentation. Fdx1 vocals sounded shouty at the busy sections of Luka Chupi after 4:30. Fdx1 has a neutral sound signature whereas Timeless has mild V shaped presentation. Fdx1 soundstage seems wider but loses in layering and separation to Timeless. Timeless handles busy and congested music better than Fdx1.
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Conclusion:

I have said enough about the Timeless so I will leave the conclusion to the readers. Timeless is priced 225USD and if you ask my opinion, is worth twice the price. Few areas you might want to look at before buying is fit, the mild V shaped sound signature with not so forward mids and the decent soundstage – these might be points of compromise for some whereas would matter for some. From my side, it’s a definite recommendation.

Overall rating: 9/10


Tracks used:
  • Luka Chupi – Rang De Basanti – A.R Rahman, Lata Mageshkar
  • Windowpane – Opeth
  • Thriller – Michael Jackson
  • Human (acoustic) – Rag ‘n’ Bone Man
  • Elephants On Ice Skates – Brian Bromberg
  • The Expert – Yello
  • Hotel California (2013 Remastered) – Eagles
  • Global Warming – Gojira
  • Highway to Hell – AC/DC
  • Sway – Diana Krall
  • Killing in the name – Rage against the machine
  • Tears in Heaven (Acoustic Live at MTV Unplugged) – Eric Clapton
  • Heaven (MTV Unplugged Version) - Bryan Adam
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PriyeshPatel

New Head-Fier
7z Timeless: A Timeless Masterpiece!
Pros: Bass , Satisfying Subbass Rumble
Vocals , Details , Resolution , pleasing trebles, fit , speed , soundstage , easy to drive
Cons: Slightly Soft elevated bass ,not punchy enough for me , Depth.
Disclaimer
Recently I got chance to audition 7z timeless planar iem which was organised by hifiGo.com in india. I m not affiliated or tied up with brand or seller ,all impressions are based on my own personal experience. And I m happy that I got chance to audition this beauty. Thanx a lot hifiGo for arranging this tour. I ordered my personal Unit with my own money on the same day I got unit in my hands after listening it briefly



Box, packaging and accessories
7z timeless planar iem came with small minimalistic box which contains iem itself , plenty of tips , very sturdy metal good-looking iem box with magnatic lid,cool isn't it ?and yeah very good supple 4.4mm balanced cable.3.5 mm cable also available as option in case anyone wants it .few papers ,and an extra pair of nozzle filters



Build quality and design and fit
7z timeless built with high quality aviation grade cnc machined aluminium shell in round shape which is very comfortable for my slightly larger ears :) Build quality feels solid and premium yet very light weight,no comfort issue at all.



Specifications
7z timeless built with 14.2mm Ultra thin diaphragm planar driver coupled with powerfull Double sided N52 Neodymium magnet.which has 14.8ohms impedance and 104db of sensitivity Resulting very easy to drive ,infact one of easiest planar magnetic iem available in market. I believe these drivers are derived from another planar iem PMV PP (very similar specs) which is not very popular imo



Sound impressions

Alright let's talk about sound , Despite of being closed back iem this beast sounds like open back overhead headphones, although not as spacious as some full size planar but still it feels like full size headphones. Bass is main USP of timeless , it produces kinda big hefty bass almost feels like sub woofer type , slightly faster than DD but but not as attacking and punchy as some very good dd iems out there but hey it's a planar not dd and you might alredy know producing good satisfying bass in a planar iem is very difficult and I mean it. also bass is slightly softer side ,subbass is very satisfying and we'll extended , though not thieaudio monarch level or basshead level but yeah it is enough for bass lovers.all over bass is elevated , emphasized but thats ok ,not annoyingly emphasised though. But yeah it's more thn my liking ,or more thn anyone can ask from a planar iem :-D .mid bass also slightly softer than my liking but bass details and cleanliness is on another level. Mids are very pleasing ,both male and female vocals are felt good and joy to listen, though vocals are slightly laid back, plays from little distance. not felt mid forward presentation. Mids clarity and details are very good. Highs are energetic, detailed and airy ,some says it's slightly bright but I didn't felt anything like that , string instruments felt true to nature and life like , resolution is on whole another level , yes very resolving , no surprises it's planar after all. Soundstage is above average not overly wide nor intimate , yes depth seems little bit lacking here but, imaging is more thn above average ,very good. I tried it with gaming and no complain in imaging , directional clues , foot steps everything cristal clear. Also dynamics are very good for it price segment no complain at all. Well tonality is v shape and timbre is very good ,no plasticy timbre felt despite of being planar , it's more like dd rather thn Planar. Though somehow slow rebound foam tips improves it's timbre a lot , also reduces depth problem. All over coherency is good. Not feeling disjointed on all over frequency spectrum response. No cohesion is not Andromeda or Solaris level ,don't expect that , but aren't we nitpicking here ?hehe ! Response to EQ is great ,I tried wavelet app for equing and it responded well , do we need equing here? well Nop.Not in most cases, But though I thought I must mention it here in case if any1 wants to EQ lower frequencies :-D I did it actually LoL and results is satisfying. Ok it's enough said now



Conclusion

Well some said timeless is best planar available In market ,Yes I would say it's best tuned Planar yet , which doesn't need EQ in most cases and with most genres.Easy to drive and Bass is its main USP. I tried it with my phone and voila! it's performs well with smartphones 3.5mm jack also but it's gets benefits from power , planars loves power afterall , I tried it with cayin n6ii t01, e01, fiio M11PRO , ifi micro idsd black label and Burson playmate 2 also ..given more power resulting better performance. Timeless is good for movie watching and for gaming also aswell . highly recommend from my side. I m happy with this purchase.



Note:- I burnt it for around 40-50 hours before posting these impressions.

Cable:- stock 4.4mm balanced with cayin n6ii t01,m11pro and fiio lc-c 3.5mm mmcx with smartphone and cayin e01.

Tips:- JVC spiral dot++ and Spinfit (L size yellow 1 i forgot model number lol) And flare audiophile foam tips.

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Reactions: Cat Music
daorenmi
daorenmi
Timeless is a easy drive and cheaper planar. If we talk about best, frankly speaking, long way to go!

Harisankar

New Head-Fier
A mini Sundara!
Pros: 1) Very good sub-bass extension
2) Great vocals and crisp treble
3) Great clarity and instrument separation
4) Creates a very immersive sound field though soundstage may not be the widest
5) Great fit with the stock silicone tips
6) Great metallic carry box provided in the package
7) Lot of reports suggest this to be very easy to drive
8) A great value for money planar iem
Cons: 1) Midbass may not be punchy enough especially for bassheads
2) Not very comfortable with the stock tips for long term listening though the fit is great
3) Apart from the stylish metallic carry box, the packaging is too spartan
4) Some of the included tips does not even fit for the iem!!
My Setup
DAP: Hiby R3 Pro Saber through 2.5mm balanced port
Stock cable changed for BQEYZ 8 core silver plated 2.5mm balanced cable (only because there is no 2.5mm stock cable option provided by 7hz)

The feedback on this iem by BGGAR and the unbelievable impressions of this by Crinacle made me take a leap of faith and purchase the 7hz timeless. Suffice it is to say that, my trust in these reviewers was not misplaced. For about 6 months now, I have been using a Hifiman Sundara on my desktop audiophile setup and have been loving its sound signature. When sufficiently powered ( I am driving the Sundara currently using the Xduoo XA10 Dac/Amp through the XLR balanced port), Sundara has a full sound signature with tight bass, forward and lush vocals and crisp but non-fatiguing treble. The sound stage is also immersive though not the widest by any means.

Running the 7hz Timeless from the 2.5mm balanced port of the Hiby R3 Pro Saber Dap in high gain reminded me a lot about the sound signature of Sundara. Similar tonality with the sound stage taken down a notch but still retaining its immersive quality. I am not sure what gives the Timeless its very immersive sonic qualities despite it being a closed-back iem. I take it to be an overall result of the combination of its sub-bass extension, forward vocals as well as great instrument separation and clarity. Not to mention the crisp and detailed treble. The width of the sound stage is comparable to something like the Fiio FD3 Pro. One can easily feel the musical notes travelling from extreme left to extreme right and vocals taking the central stage in various tracks. However, the soundstage limitations of this being a closed-back iem still applies. Tracks with a lot of instruments and atmospheric sounds work especially great with this iem.

However, this iem though it works great with all genres of music may not be great for everyone. For example, bass heads may want more mid-bass punch. Similarly, those who are fans of a warm and dark sound signature may not appreciate the crisp, forward and detailed treble on offer here. The comfort of this iem is also not the best even though the fit is great.

To conclude, this iem is great for everyone who can live with its slightly less mid-bass punch and find its comfort to be good enough. Of course, using a quality equalizer can help as well!!

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M
Musicoflife
I bought mine with stock 7Hz 2.5mm cable termination. Not all sellers offer this option for some reason.
H
Harisankar
In India , only 3.5mm and 4.4mm options are available. It is ok, however. The BQEYZ one I got is a thicker and more durable cable than the stock and the black colour of the cable complements the iem shell very well.
M
Musicoflife
Even so, few shops in the global Aliexpress platform offer Timeless with 2.5mm termination.

05.vishal

New Head-Fier
Timeless in the times of SIngle DD-based iems...A much needed change of pace.
Pros: 1. First and foremost, this is by far, the easiest driven Planar-based iem that I have come across.
2. The Bass is powerful enough…despite this being a planar IEM.
3. The treble is great as well. NO sharpness experienced at all.
4. Vocals are Natural and Mids have a full-bodied presentation.
5. Wide stage.
6. Excellent Fit.
7. Great Cable termination choices.
Cons: 1. The Stock tips…although in good numbers…do not do justice to this iem.
Single Planar-based IEM…this is one niche bracket of IEMS…not too many options. You can count them on fingers:

1.Tinhifi P1.
2.Tinhifi P2
3.Audeze IEMs
4.Monoprice M300, M350
5.Toneking P10
6.Simphonio P10
7.Harmonicdyne P.D.1
8.Dethonray Tender 1

That’s it…

So now we have Timeless. The following review is an effort to assess where does Timeless stands. The unit has been provided by hifigo.com in return of my frank views on this IEM. You can get the same by clicking here.

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Technical Specifications:
  • Large 14.2mm Planar Driver.
  • Ultra-Thin Diaphragm.
  • Powerful Double-Sided Neodymium Magnet.
  • A custom-developed high-quality cable.
  • Standard MMCX connectors.
  • Available in both 3.5mm/4.4mm termination options
Build and Fit:

7Hz Timeless
has a full metal build, utilizing aviation-grade aluminum, which gives it a sturdy yet light feel. The bundled cable is a high-purity cable made with a combination of single-crystal copper and silver-plated single crystal copper cores.

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The cable has an outer shielding with silver-foil wire for a warm sound. This cable has standard MMCX connectors. Users can choose between two different termination options while purchasing, 3.5mm SE or 4.4mm Balanced.

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The Fit is exquisite, and you will not feel the weight of iem over a span of large listening hours despite them being of bigger shell size.

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Source:
  • Ifi Nano BL.
  • Samsung Galaxy S10 paired with Samsung dongle DAC.
  • Nobsound TDA 1387.
  • Sony Discman
Sound Impressions:

Lows:

  • Raavan By Amit Trivedi (
    )
  • Cold Heart (PNAU Remix) By Elton John & Dua Lipa (
    )
  • Chandralekha By A R Rahman (
    )
  • Spirit Of Rangeela By A R Rahman (
    )
The Bass on Timeless has a sweetness to it. IT has both the quality and the quantity aligned to it. The texture the comes out when you play the first track will hook you to it and you will start the endless loop of the song. The mid-bass has an accuracy to it. The decay is swift and hard. The sub-bass is a bit lacking but the overall bass texture compensates for it.

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Mids:
  • Bombay Theme by A R Rahman (
    )
  • Wo Khat Ke Purze Uda Raha Tha By Jagjit Singh (
    )
  • Yeh Kya Jagah Hi Doston By Asha Bhosle (
    )
  • Dikhai Diye Yun By Lata Mangeshkar (
    )
  • Aye Dil-E-Nadan by Lata Mangeshkar (
    )
The mids are natural and magical with Timeless. The vocals are well-balanced as there is no bass-bleed observed. Although I noticed some peaks that was fixed by tips-rolling. Also, the unit was still not given the full burn-in period. The planar-timbre gives this item a bright feeling, although let me stress the fact that this is not a bright iem. But yes…the natural warmth will be missed. I would suggest using warm sources to compensate for this.

Highs:
  • Aaromale By A R Rahman (
    )
  • Sadda Haq by A R Rahman (
    )
  • Naadan Parinde By A R Rahman (
    )
  • In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel (
    )
Highs have a very good presentation…full of details and dynamics. The highs have extensions so good that you will hit your playlist on repeat mode. For me, the tracks mentioned above are amongst the best few to experience the highs in a track. The details are to die for and this is possible because of that sweet planar-timber.

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Soundstage:

The stage is wide enough to surprise you. It has a depth present as well. SO overall a near holographic feel is there. The complex tracks do not get cluttered. No notes are missed. No frequency overlaps. The more you feed power to this the more you get the stage and imaging.

Conclusion:

Timeless is a very necessary entry in the Single Planar-based iem. The ease to drive…the ease of fit…the ease of cable termination…This one does so many things right. If you want a planar-based iem, this should be in your consideration.

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PereiraLucas
PereiraLucas
I liked ur Kinera Norn review that read before buy it (Thanks Norn is my fav).
Now i'm looking for the 7Hz. Could u tell the diference between Norn X 7Hz.
And u think that have both?
Thank you!
05.vishal
05.vishal
Norn is a much more capable IEM with a fun tuning that I loved. This is a pure planar experience, which so far has been the best of the bunch of the planar IEM that you have around. The ones which are really good are really expensive and then ones that are within reach come with compromises at the core. TImeless touches so many good things that it comes highly recommended. and This is not a hype train I am on. So, if you need a good Planar sound in an IEM you can go for the IEM.

RikudouGoku

Member of the Trade: RikuBuds
So close and yet so far
Pros: First good tonality on a Planar iem
Planar mids
Good bass
Power efficient
Fit
Accessories
Cable
Cons: Massively bottlenecked by almost zero soundstage depth and poor imaging
Compressed due to the depth
Micro-detail
Some unnatural timbre (mostly in the treble)

Reports on channel imbalance by users
Crap QC, shells that are falling apart and also different versions out there
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EDIT 2021-10-18: There have been reports from users about the channel imbalance that has been shown on pretty much all reviewer graphs.

EDIT 2021-11-08: Reduced the score from 3.5/5 to 2.5/5 to reflect the bad QC it has (reports on the shells falling apart and also that there are different versions out there, with either a tuning foam in the nozzle or just (what looks like) a regular mesh).

Disclaimer: I received this review unit for free from HifiGO. Thank you very much.

Price: 220 usd

Specifications:


Impedance: 14.8 ohm.

Sensitivity: 104dB.

THD+N: <0.2%.

Frequency Response: 5Hz-40kHz.

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Accessories:

S/M/L Acoustune AET07 (could be a fake)

S/M/L Acoustune AET08 (could be a fake)

S/M/L black wide bore tips

Carry case

1 pair of tuning foam and extra filter


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Cable: Very high-quality cable with great build quality and measures very well at 0.23 ohms. Has a working chin-slider.


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Build: Metal build and metal nozzle that has a lip. Although you can tell that the faceplate is its own separate metal piece by its line.

Fit: Very good, the faceplate is pretty huge but that does not affect the fit at all.

Comfort: Very good, since it is vented and has a good shape for my ears.

Isolation: Slightly below average.

Setup: Schiit Asgard 3 (low-gain, volume around 8-9 o´clock), Elecom EHP-CAP20 tips L, stock cable 4.4mm

Lows:
elevated bass and clean because of the speed/tightness. Texture is pretty good while extension/rumble could be better. Not for bassheads but should suit most people.

Mid-bass: Metallica – fight fire with fire (01:11-01:52), clean because of the speed but quantity could be higher and more textured, while it could be tighter as well because individual strikes aren’t very distinct. The (02:55-03:01) section with the chopper is hearable and clean.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (01:18-01:47), texture, speed and texture are very good, but quantity could be a bit higher.

Sub-bass: Djuro – Drop that bass (01:15-01:30), extension is decent and does rumble, although a bit lacking. Punch quantity could be higher, but is textured and tightness/speed are good.

Will Sparks – Sick like that (03:08-03:22), Texture, speed and tightness are very good so it is clean but quantity could be a bit higher.

Mids: Both male and female vocals are well balanced and quite good as you can expect from a planar. Although female vocals tend to be better due to the better tonality for them while male vocals can lack some warmth. Clean because of no bass bloat, although timbre is slightly unnatural (planar timbre).

Female-vocals: Hiroyuki Sawano – OldToday (01:25-01:52), vocal tonality, clarity and detail are very good although vocals can be a bit more forward and timbre could be a bit better. Instrument tonality could be warmer and more natural timbre, clarity and detail are pretty good.

Yuki Hayashi – MightU (01:58-02:55), vocal and instrument tonality are very good, clean and detailed. Timbre could be a bit better.

Evanescence – Bring me to life (01:18-01:35), not shouty but tonality is on the bright side so it is a bit fatiguing.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Crescent (02:07-02:26), shouty and peaky, fatiguing.

Male-vocals: Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (00:57-01:17), vocal and instrument tonality are very good, clean and detailed as well. Timbre is good.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Scapegoat (00:57-01:17), vocal and instrument tonality needs to be warmer and timbre needs to be better as well. Clean and detailed though.

Treble: Linkin Park – Shadow of the Day (03:24-03:42), electric guitars aren’t peaky but fatiguing due to the tonality and timbre could be better.

Deuce – America (03:03-03:16), very chaotic due to the poor imaging and peaky/shouty as well.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Lose (string version) (01:22-01:59), Cello tonality needs to be warmer, texture is lacking, timbre could also be better, but it is clean and detail is good. Violin tonality, treble-extension, clarity and detail are pretty good but timbre can be better.

Hiroyuki Sawano &Z (02:18-02:57), tonality, clarity and detail are good but timbre can be better.

Soundstage: Width is quite good BUT it has almost ZERO depth, makes the sound seem compressed.

Tonality: U-shaped, leaning a bit more towards brightness rather than warmth and is pretty versatile and will suit a lot of genres. Timbre is pretty good but treble timbre is a bit unnatural.

Details: Macro-detail is pretty good although micro-detail could be better.

Instrument Separation: Separation is good, but imaging is a mess due to the almost zero depth soundstage.

Songs that highlight the IEM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8JN3gFWm3c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pVj82EEglU https://soundcloud.com/djfusiont/djfusion-kingmalcolm-right-back-trance-rap-beats-yuri-kane-sample

Good genres:
Electronic

Bad genres: Everything else (soundstage depth and imaging are a BIG bottleneck for the rest of my library, even though tonality wise it is pretty versatile….)



Comparisons:

IEM: Tin Hifi P1, Radius Deep Mount Tips L, cable A9 4.4mm

graph (72).png

Bass: Djuro – Drop that bass (01:15-01:30), extends a lot lower and has actual rumble on the Timeless. Punch quantity is extremely lacking on the P1 as well as texture. Speed and tightness are similar. Tonality and timbre are a lot better on the Timeless.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (01:18-01:47), more quantity and a lot more texture on the Timeless. Faster and tighter on the P1. Much more tonally correct and better timbre on the Timeless.

Metallica – fight fire with fire (01:11-01:52), quantity is higher and more textured on the Timeless, but cleaner due to the faster/tighter bass, along with more treble (that has way too much upper-treble).

Mids: Hiroyuki Sawano – OldToday (01:25-01:52), vocal tonality (brighter and more forward) is slightly better, cleaner and more detailed on the P1 but timbre is better on the Timeless. Instrument tonality and timbre are a lot better on the Timeless, but cleaner and more detailed on the P1.

Evanescence – Bring me to life (01:18-01:35), peaky treble and more fatiguing on the P1.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Scapegoat (00:57-01:17), vocal and instrument tonality/timbre are a lot better on the Timeless. But cleaner and more detailed on the P1.

Treble: Linkin Park – Shadow of the Day (03:24-03:42), electric guitars are sharp and tonality is very fatiguing on the P1.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Lose (string version) (01:22-01:59), Cello tonality and timbre are a lot better on the Timeless but detail, clarity and texture are a lot better on the P1. Violin tonality, treble-extension, clarity, detail and texture are better on the P1 but timbre is better on the Timeless.

Hiroyuki Sawano &Z (02:18-02:57), tonality and timbre are a lot better on the Timeless, but cleaner and more detailed on the P1.

Technicalities: Shiro Sagisu – Hundred years war (02:24-02:57), soundstage width is wider on the Timeless but has actual depth on the P1. Detail, imaging and separation are a lot better on the P1. Timbre is a lot better on the Timeless.

Overall: The Timeless has better tonality, timbre and more energy efficient, but technicalities are better on the P1. The Timeless is the one I would recommend over the P1 (due to how poorly tuned the P1 is) BUT, if you can use PEQ, the P1 is the better iem (except the timbre which is still slightly better on the Timeless). (The PEQ preset for the P1 is in my database.)

TimelessP1
Sub-bass+-
Mid-bass+-
Lower-mids+-
Upper-mids-+
Treble+-
Upper-treble+-
Soundstage-+
Imaging-+
Macro-detail-+
Micro-detail-+
Timbre+-


IEM: Tri I3 Pro, Elecom EHP-CAP20 tips L, stock cable 3.5mm

graph (73).png

Bass: Djuro – Drop that bass (01:15-01:30), extends and rumbles a lot more on the I3 Pro. Punch quantity is a lot higher on the I3 Pro as well as more textured, but tighter and faster on the Timeless. More tonally correct and better timbre on the I3 Pro.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (01:18-01:47), more quantity and texture on the I3 Pro but a bit tighter and faster on the Timeless. More tonally correct and slightly better timbre on the I3 Pro.

Metallica – fight fire with fire (01:11-01:52), similar bass quantity but more textured on the I3 Pro. Similar speed and tightness. But cleaner and more detailed on the I3 Pro.

Mids: Hiroyuki Sawano – OldToday (01:25-01:52), vocal tonality and timbre are quite similar but cleaner and more detailed on the I3 Pro. Instrument tonality, timbre, clarity and detail are better on the I3 Pro.

Evanescence – Bring me to life (01:18-01:35), more fatiguing due to the brighter tonality on the Timeless.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Scapegoat (00:57-01:17), vocal and instrument tonality/timbre are a lot better on the I3 Pro. Slightly cleaner on the Timeless but more detailed (micro-details) on the I3 Pro.

Treble: Linkin Park – Shadow of the Day (03:24-03:42), tonality is slightly better on the Timeless, but more textured and better timbre on the I3 Pro.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Lose (string version) (01:22-01:59), Cello tonality, texture, timbre, detail and clarity are better on the I3 Pro. Violin tonality is slightly better on the Timeless, cleaner and better treble-extension but more natural timbre with a bit more detail on the I3 Pro.

Hiroyuki Sawano &Z (02:18-02:57), tonality is better, more natural and more detailed on the I3 Pro.

Technicalities: Shiro Sagisu – Hundred years war (02:24-02:57), Soundstage is a LOT wider and deeper on the I3 Pro, much more holographic. Detail, imaging and separation are a lot better on the I3 Pro. Timbre is also slightly better on the I3 Pro.

Overall: The I3 Pro is the better iem for my library, with its tonality and a lot more technical with slightly better timbre as well.

TimelessI3 Pro
Sub-bass-+
Mid-bass-+
Lower-mids-+
Upper-mids==
Treble-+
Upper-treble+-
Soundstage-+
Imaging-+
Macro-detail-+
Micro-detail-+
Timbre-+


IEM: Blon BL-03 (mesh mod), Radius Deep Mount Tips L, cable B3 4.4mm

graph (76).png

Bass: Djuro – Drop that bass (01:15-01:30), extends lower and rumbles a lot more on the 03. Punch quantity is higher, while texture is similar but a bit tighter and faster on the Timeless. More tonally correct and better timbre on the 03

Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (01:18-01:47), more bass quantity on the 03 and more textured, but faster and tighter on the Timeless. More tonally correct and better timbre on the 03.

Metallica – fight fire with fire (01:11-01:52), cleaner on the Timeless due to the tighter, faster and a bit lower bass quantity and also because the separation can’t keep up on the 03.

Mids: Hiroyuki Sawano – OldToday (01:25-01:52), Vocal tonality is slightly better on the 03 and better timbre. Instrument tonality and timbre are a lot better on the 03. Macro-detail is better on the Timeless and a bit cleaner.

Evanescence – Bring me to life (01:18-01:35), vocal tonality is better and more natural timbre on the 03 but shoutier.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Scapegoat (00:57-01:17), vocal and instrument tonality and timbre are a lot better on the 03. Macro-detail is better on the Timeless and a bit cleaner.

Treble: Linkin Park – Shadow of the Day (03:24-03:42), electric guitars have similar tonality but better timbre on the 03.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Lose (string version) (01:22-01:59), Cello tonality, timbre and texture are better on the 03, cleaner and more detailed on the Timeless. Violin Tonality, timbre and texture are better on the 03 but better treble-extension and macro-detail on the Timeless.

Hiroyuki Sawano &Z (02:18-02:57), tonality, timbre and clarity are better on the 03.

Technicalities: Shiro Sagisu – Hundred years war (02:24-02:57), soundstage width is a bit wider on the Timeless, but has actual depth and is holographic on the 03. Imaging and timbre are a lot better on the 03. Micro-detail is similar but macro-detail and separation are better on the Timeless.

Overall: The 03 is better tuned, has a more natural timbre and soundstage has actual depth and not a messed-up imaging as a result of that.

TimelessBL-03 (mesh mod)
Sub-bass-+
Mid-bass+-
Lower-mids-+
Upper-mids==
Treble-+
Upper-treble+-
Soundstage-+
Imaging-+
Macro-detail-+
Micro-detail==
Timbre-+


Headphone: Hifiman Sundara, stock pads, stock cable 6.35mm

Bass:
Djuro – Drop that bass (01:15-01:30), extends lower and rumbles more on the Timeless. Punch quantity is also higher and more textured on the Timeless but tighter and faster on the Sundara with a lot more detail and clarity. Tonality is more accurate on the Timeless and a bit more natural timbre here.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (01:18-01:47), more quantity and texture on the Timeless. A lot cleaner, detailed, faster and tighter on the Sundara. More tonally correct with a bit better timbre on the Timeless.

Metallica – fight fire with fire (01:11-01:52), a lot cleaner and detailed on the Sundara due to the faster, tighter and lower bass quantity.

Mids: Hiroyuki Sawano – OldToday (01:25-01:52), Vocal tonality, detail and clarity on the Sundara is leagues above the Timeless, timbre is a bit better on the Sundara. Instrument tonality is better on the Timeless but similar timbre, while detail and clarity are leagues above the Timeless on the Sundara.

Evanescence – Bring me to life (01:18-01:35), more fatiguing and shoutier on the Sundara.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Scapegoat (00:57-01:17), instrument/vocal tonality and timbre are better on the Timeless. But a lot cleaner and more detailed on the Sundara.

Treble: Linkin Park – Shadow of the Day (03:24-03:42), electric guitars are a bit sharper and more fatiguing on the Sundara but has a more correct tonality and slightly better timbre.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Lose (string version) (01:22-01:59), Cello tonality is better on the Timeless but texture, detail, clarity and timbre are better on the Sundara. Violin tonality, timbre, treble-extension, detail and clarity on the Sundara is leagues above the Timeless.

Hiroyuki Sawano &Z (02:18-02:57), tonality is better on the Timeless, but detail and clarity are a lot better on the Sundara while timbre is similar.

Technicalities: Shiro Sagisu – Hundred years war (02:24-02:57), Soundstage isn’t even a comparison the Sundara is leagues above the Timeless. Detail, imaging and separation on the Sundara is leagues above the Timeless. Timbre is similar.

Overall: The Sundara is the better planar, a lot more technical and is capable of handling a ton of EQ to fix what issues you have with the stock tonality (for me, a lack of bass). Timeless has better bass in stock and is more energy efficient.

TimelessSundara
Sub-bass+-
Mid-bass+-
Lower-mids+-
Upper-mids-+
Treble-+
Upper-treble-+
Soundstage-+
Imaging-+
Macro-detail-+
Micro-detail-+
Timbre==






Conclusion: If you are looking for a planar iem, this is pretty much your only option as far as I know with a good tonality without EQ. Although the soundstage depth is very poor and as a result of that, the imaging as well and makes the sound very compressed. So, if you are looking for a good “iem” rather than a good “planar iem” there are plenty of other options for you.

Graph:
graph (78).png

Cable source:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...zTm4ei7HEfP8AI1zxswrMw2ho/edit#gid=1801072063

Reference/test songs:
Last edited:
RikudouGoku
RikudouGoku
H
Harisankar
Ok. In that case, I think I got one of the best 'Timeless' out there. Ya, QC is something a lot of chifi seems to have a problem with.
NeonHD
NeonHD
@Harisankar Well tbf, there was one review down below that said (and I quote): "those familiar with planars would know that they have less-than-stellar soundstage, even for full-sized headphones like Sundara. The Timeless is no exception here and shares this unfortunate trait that comes with the planar bloodline. Sounds seem to come from one single point."

kin HGD

100+ Head-Fier
A real planar
Pros: the timbre of planar
sweet highs
smooth vocals and mids
Cons: bass is not well tasted
the mids has a little blank
I have two planar IEMs here. Dethonray Tender 1 and 7hz timeless.

I will not talking about Tender1 today because I wanna release a detailed review of it. Last week I met Anson, my H1 has some problems so I borrowed dtr1 and tender1. As for timeless, perchased it to have a try. so my opinions will be more subjective.
P10917-165235.jpg


When I listened timeless at the first time, the timbre of planar is so obvious so I pay more attention to the pros of planars. Yes, as you know, the highs is so sweet and ariy. They are shinning and well-extended, I like them very much.

The timbre of planars in highs always drive me crazy. not like the highs from EST, EST provide a thinner highs and more overtone, planar will be thicker and more vivid. So I think EST fit BA better, and planar fits DD.

TRI i3 pro have thres units: a DD, a planar and a BA, they are very great and more tasted, but I said that taking away the BA may be better.

The mids is smooth and vocals is clear, when I focus on the imaging of mids, I would say they are good in many ways. But when I try to feel the hole sound, here comes a problem, the mids is a little blank, the vocals are well tasted but why the mids aren't.

The reason is that the bass is not enough, or to say, the upper bass and the bass is not enough, the sub bass is ok but not perfect. we all know the planars need more area to work well, and this unit of timeless is big enough, the area is twice bigger than tender1, but the bass,,,,,,I personally don't like too much bass, so luckly.

Why I give 4 stars to timeless after I pointed the cons, because they are really nice. since there is not too much bass and the highs is sweet, so I can listen it for more than a hour, very long time to me, usually 20 minutes is my limit.

Not too much to say, timeless is worthy to buy, at this price.
ChrisOc
ChrisOc
I normally do not read reviews for a product I want to review, but after resisting for a few days, I gave in and read your review. Yes, brief but to the point. More importantly, you give us a clear indication of the sound signature and the tuning of each frequency. Nice short review.
kin HGD
kin HGD
@ChrisOc Thank you.

To me, I think the review could be short or be long, but the point is to make myself understood.

Many times I don't want to say too much about the cons, I prefer guessing the reasons why there are the cons, it will be helpful.

OspreyAndy

500+ Head-Fier
7Hertz Timeless – Smooth Operator
Pros: -
- Easy drivability
- Strong and richly textured Bass
- Smooth, detailed and well extended Treble
- Neutral Mids, neutral vocals
- Holographic imaging
- Wide soundstage
Cons: -
- Highly dependent on tips rolling
- Peaky upper Mids occasionally
- Stock Bass configuration may be a tad too strong for DF Neutral listeners
- Stock Tips slightly V-curved sounding
20210907_150609.jpg

PROLOGUE

It was pure impulse buy for me on this one the moment pre-orders were made available on HiFiGo. Cashing in on my “loyal customer” discount, I blindly confirmed my order in split seconds. As a big fan of TIN HiFi P1, I was already craving for some exciting addition to my Magnetic Planar collections.

The very thing that convinced me to get this 7Hz was actually the curiously intriguing look that oozes with “Blade Runner” futuristic design and the lovely anodized black shells. Yes, I know it’s kind of stupid as I never even bothered to check what are the exact specifications, I worry about that later ahahaha.

The Build:

7hz Timeless is a Double-sided Array N52 Neodymium Magnet, Ultra-thin Diaphragm 14.2mm Magnetic Planar Driver, with astonishing 104dB of sensitivity at 14.8 Ohm. I believe this specification alone makes Timeless the most “easily” driven Magnetic Planar IEMs in the market now.

The shells are made of aviation grade aluminum, CNC machined to resemble a spaceship. The choice of material has a lot to do with sonic tuning as it is for aesthetic reasons. Nonetheless the result is a beautifully constructed IEM that impressed me a lot.

The stock cable, made of hybrid single-crystal copper and silver-plated single crystal copper cores. The cable has an outer shielding with silver-foil wire. This recipe I believe is intended to provide balance in sound signature. My unit comes in balanced 4.4mm Pentaconn configuration with MMCX connectors.
20210908_131131.jpg


The Wear:

With the rather odd spaceship construction, many were made wary, fearing that this Timeless would look out of place or quite possibly having fitment issues. I am just glad those were unfounded. It is not as big as how the picture suggests. The dominant circular outer shell has been designed not to intercede with proper anchoring of the inner shell to fit the ear concha. It is as comfortable as it can be, and I have worn my Timeless for up to 6 hours on several occasions. The cable, aside from being beautifully made in white, offered great flexibility with very useful chin slider to eliminate microphonics.

The rest of the package include 4 sets of tips of different sizes and material. However, I was a bit disappointed they did not include foam set as would normally be found with other IEMs. Instead, Timeless came with interesting rubber tips that reminded me a lot of reversed KZ Starline tips. I will talk about this more later.
Me BW 21.jpg


PLAYING IT RIGHT

This being a magnetic planar I am quite aware of the need to pair it with beefy sources, and I have opted to use the following gear selected from my arsenal of DAC/Amps
  • Samsung Galaxy S20 (USB 3.0 Power Delivery)
  • Sony Xperia Z5 Compact (USB 2.0 Power Delivery & 3.5mm)
  • TempoTec Sonata E44 (4.4mm BAL)
  • VE Odyssey HD (4.4mm BAL)
  • Ovidius B1 (3.5mm SE)
  • VE Run About Plus 5 (RAP5 16.8v Amplifier)
  • HiBy Player (USB Exclusive Mode)
  • EQ: Always OFF (I never use EQ)

Up until this point of writing, my 7Hz Timeless has undergone no less than 60 hours of Burn-In. The last 24 hours being actual usage and listening sessions. For the most part I left my Timeless on Burn-In loop on my laptop.

THE SOUND

Timbre and Tonality
. Okay this can get a bit tricky. I have found out that this Timeless is very dependent on the choice of tips being used. The stock tips that it came with, silicone type, offered what I consider as Neutral Balanced timbre with a tiny hint of V-Curve. Evidently warm-ish tonality that seems to have some hump in upper Mids. To my ears this setup has somewhat dense Mids, fenced by commanding bass responses and sparkly highs. This sounded almost like a DD rather than a Magnetic Planar! Then at later stages I rolled the tips and was pleasantly surprised with less colored presentations offering Neutral Balanced sound with Misodiko Foam tips. But it does not end there, when I swapped in the narrow stock rubber tips, the entire spectrum of timbre presentation now edges very close to Diffused Field Neutral! Ahahahaha, I can’t hide how happy I was with that. Being a DF Neutral junkie since forever, I totally digging the sound with that tips. It is freakishly close to the timbre and tonality of my Shure KSE1500 now in that configuration, the TOTL reference sound that I madly adore.

For a magnetic planar, 7Hz Timeless offers good airy timbre as compared to TIN HiFi P1 (which sounded almost airless), FOSTEX T40RP MK3 and Monolith M565c. Again, I am hearing something which is more common to Dynamic Drivers or Electrostatics (true Electrostatic). But of course, not as much but enough to feel the sensation of air between the notes.

Dynamics. 7Hz is a very vibrant unit for a Magnetic Planar IEM, as simple as that. I believe the large 14.2mm diaphragm has a lot to do with this. Compared to the 10mm of P1, which can be quite lifeless and lean if not powered properly, 7Hz is quite the opposite. Even my old Sony Phone 3.5mm was able to drive the Timeless with impressive output offering wholesome dynamic range that is coherent and engaging. There’s ample density and note weight to not sound lean, recessed or anemic, which is practically impossible for P1 and T40RP MK3 on that same Sony phone. When powered properly, I am greeted with rich dynamics density and note weight with lots of headroom.

Mids. As noted above, this is also influenced by the choice of tips. I honestly was not very fond of the stock tips presentation as it exhibited some peaky moments on upper Mids section especially with male vocals and guitars. While it sounded natural for the most part, that “hot” zone forced me to notch the volume 1 or 2 clicks down. But then perhaps this is due to my Timeless being still at early stages of Burn-In. My P1 needed at least close to 200 hours to behave properly and not exhibiting any hot spikes. Not forgetting the somewhat unnaturally “honky” vocals I get on some songs (Morrisey & Nick Cave), at least this is how I interpret it with my own hearing.

With the foam and rubber tips, all the issues stated above, all gone. The Mids sounding a LOT more neutral and less aggressive. No longer obstructed by the annoying thick overlay, details and textures started to emerge audibly. Proper natural sounding attack and decays, be it vocals, instruments, or percussions, all sounding correct and realistic.

Treble. At least this section is a bit more consistent regardless of which tips I use. With proper pairing of sources, Timeless did not disappoint on Treble quality. I am very satisfied with the smooth, crisp, AND airy Treble presentation, offering rich details, texture and extensions which is only outclassed by my Shure KSE1500 and VE Duke. Otherwise 7Hz Timeless assuredly score slightly better against TIN HiFi P1 and Etymotic ER4SR (OMG I am admitting something is better than my longtime love ER4SR). Going back to the tips selection, while with the stock silicone, it is a lot crispier. With the Misodiko foam and stock rubber tips, it has slightly less sparkle replaced with smoother decays. In current configuration that I am hooked with, Treble is addictively creamy smooth and polished with very clean realistic decays expected of a well-tuned planar. This is better than most DD Treble presentation which to my ears sometimes can get a bit too “exciting” – which in turn translates into listening fatigue. Yes, no Treble fatigue from 7Hz Timeless.

Bass. This is the best part. 7Hz has lots of respectable bass body mass. But not too much that it would upset a DF Neutral lunatic like me. I am actually shocked finding myself enjoying the deep, greatly textured bass responses. This was sorely missing from my P1, I wouldn’t deny it. With the stock silicone tips, Mid-Bass offered visceral commanding punch and speed. However, at times I found it to be overbearing especially when listening to Alison Krauss & Union Station’s “Lonely Goes Both Ways”. Several tracks on that album has pronounced bass layers that sounded unnaturally strong to my ears. Not forgetting that the commanding Mid-Bass presence also meant that the Sub-Bass extensions seemingly drowned from audible hearing. To attune to my taste, again the Misodiko foam and stock rubber tips fixed that for me. Now Mid-Bass has been tamed admirably with less punch, allowing the Sub-Bass to be presented audibly with sweet seismic sensations. I know that the current configuration is the correct one, I spent hours calibrating the tips to match the bass presentation as close as possible to KSE1500, serving as my reference.

Details & Transparency. 7Hz Timeless is a very competent performer in details retrieval. The more technical the sources, the better the performance. There’s pristine clarity in the handling of Macro and Micro details. This was proven with Sinne Eeg song “We’ve Just Begun”, one of the most complex jazz masterpiece in my collection. Saxophone, Trombones, Piano, Cello, etc. the whole composition of that song has lots of details all over the place – it just need a competent listening device to hear them all. And 7Hz Timeless didn’t miss anything.

On the subject of transparency, this is where I have slight mixed feelings. Timeless offered great transparency to the point of revealing recording and mastering artifacts especially in the Treble section. On some recordings I was slightly annoyed by grainy edged Treble decays contained in the songs. The only way to mitigate this is to limit the usage of 7Hz Timeless to decently recorded/mastered songs. So, no listening to Burzum or any toilet-fi quality Black Metal with my 7Hz Timeless – unless I pair it with slightly less clinical sources that offered a bit of warm smoothness like the VE Odyssey HD ahahaha.

Speed & Transients. This is mandatory for me, no exceptions. 7Hz Timeless did not disappoint. The speed is nothing short of exemplary. Even with breakneck fast songs from “Snowstorm” by No Point in Living, classic Black Metal with intense guitar tremolos laced with equally nerve wrecking blast beat drumming exceeding 200 BPM, 7Hz handled them all without even blinking. With more civilized music, again taking Sinne Eeg and Diana Krall as examples, transients were handled deftly with great dexterity. Notes attack and exchanges seamlessly presented without any hint of congestion. 7Hz Timeless exhibited great competency equaling the speed of Etymotic Balanced Armatures.

Soundstage & Imaging. What can I say? I am floored with this 7Hz Timeless. The staging is wide, spacious and with great depth and height for a magnetic planar IEM. Such a stark contrast vs the narrow-ish TIN HiFi P1. At times the 7Hz even made my FOSTEX T40RP MK3 sounded confined in! But this largely depends on the prowess of the source and amplification. On my Sony Phone, there’s nothing to talk about, the soundstage is rather almost “meh”. However, it is a different story with the combo of TempoTec Sonata E44 feeding 4 Vrms of Line-In AUX to VE RAP5 amplifier and driving the 7Hz Timeless. The headstage offered headphone like experience with lots of air and sense of space. What remained consistent, spatial imaging is very holographic especially for song that are optimized for such listening experience. Power it right and there’s great soundstage awaiting.

Adaptability and Scalability. As has been mentioned repeatedly above, 7Hz Timeless is a very versatile IEM. Just by swapping the tips and the sound would behave differently. I haven’t even done any cable swaps. I am satisfied with the sonic characteristics of the stock cable, but perhaps sometime down the road I will be curious enough to explore that. On the subject of tips, I have included a photo describing the sonic differences as noted by my ears. For different person perhaps different shape, sizes and material offering completely different experience.
20210910_013103.jpg


Scalability wise, 7Hz Timeless turned out to be a quite an efficient magnetic planar IEM, way more efficient than any other in this segment perhaps? (I know it is more efficient than P1). Sounds great straight out of my Sony Xperia Phone 3.5mm jack, considering that Sony Xperia has always been known to be on the weaker side of things when it comes to driving power, this is impressive.

Paired with Ovidius B1 and TempoTec Sonata E44, 7Hz Timeless really sing with exuberant dynamics and refined guile. Paired it with VE Odyssey HD, warm smooth Hi-Fidelity on the go in the most compact form factor. Paired it with a dedicated amp and my brain melted. Enough said.
20210910_012324.jpg

EPILOGUE

Well, if you have been reading this far, there’s no hiding how impressed I am with this 7Hertz Timeless. It exceeded my expectations and with the tune up I have done to my own unit, I can confidently say that it will take a LOT for me to consider upgrading to another Magnetic Planar unit, especially if their asking price is above $200.

7Hz Timeless officially replaces my longtime TIN HiFi P1 and quite possibly Etymotic ER4SR too. P1 while sounding great, took me a lot of tuning to get it sounding great – not forgetting the crazy tips rolling of over 20 pairs before finding the one that fitted to my taste and usage, the demand on power for it to sound decent, cable swaps etc. Yes, my P1 sounds great still, but it is a lot easier for 7Hz Timeless to achieve similar results and offered a bit more. In contrast the reasons that I will still use my P1 is when I want to indulge myself in organic, analogue, warmer presentation. It’s good to have choices.

7Hz Timeless is a very refined magnetic planar unit that has it all. Technical competencies, musical presentations, excellent scalability, ease of drivability and most importantly, a great value offering near TOTL sonic qualities that is hard to achieve by most magnetic planars in this form factor. I will actually use my 7Hz Timeless for my daily driver.

20210910_012834.jpg

Tuning calibration done to match as close as possible to Shure KSE1500 characteristics
Last edited:
OspreyAndy
OspreyAndy
@drftr I bought that separately for my other IEMs. Any slow rebound memory foams should do the same
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holsen
holsen
I havent heard the Misodiko tips, but I've got a set of Tennmak Strong Foam on my Timeless and its a perfect pairing. They're inexpensive, last forever and muddy the bass or clip the highs.
donkashyap
donkashyap
Would really like to hear your views for this vs the tri i3 pro

etlouis

100+ Head-Fier
Timeless planar iem
Pros: - Planar timbre, especially mids
- Instrument separation
- Good bass for a planar
- Easy to drive
- Lightweight cable and build
Cons: - Restrained soundstage
- Bass texture
- 2dB bumped off 3kHz would be perfect
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Introduction

Timeless is a single driver planar iem. There aren't many contenders in this arena. The most prominent being Audeze iSines. Some would remember the Tin Hifi P1.


Sound
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Tonality (8.5/10)

Planars have been notorious for having poor tonality out of the box. Most require some form of EQ to become acceptable. Although the Timeless is no exception, it strike pretty close to home. I'd say Timeless is about 90% correct out of the box. It is totally listenable. The whole curve is calm as a lake, if not for that dual-peaked hill jutting out of 2-3k that makes female vocals and cymbals shreaky to my ears. It looks like a little fedora hat compared to the V14.

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le petit fedora hat

The hat is the only thing I have to take off with EQ. Two dBs off 3kHz thank you.

Point to note is that vocal timbre is the specialty of planars. I have yet to hear this level of creaminess coming from any other type of drivers. It's something different from DDs and BAs... a "larger than life" experience that I think every audiophile should hear at some point. Planars feature a heavier note-weight in the mids that is satisfying to hear.

If I had to nitpick on timbre, the bass isn't as dirty as I want it to be. Fast drivers tend to have this issue. The bass seems to decay just half a second too fast, or there is lack of echo. Having said that, I'm grateful enough for the fact there IS such a good helping of bass and sub-bass on a planar.


Resolution (8/10)

Surprisingly clean presentation. It definitely sets a high bar for subsequent iems coming after the Timeless. I've always thought that if someone manages to tune a good planar it's going to beat all the single dynamic drivers out there. At $200, the Timeless is clear a bracket king in terms of resolution.



Soundstage (6/10)

Those familiar with planars would know that they have less-than-stellar soundstage, even for full-sized headphones like Sundara. The Timeless is no exception here and shares this unfortunate trait that comes with the planar bloodline. Sounds seem to come from one single point. Although the focal imaging for vocals is excellently within the head, I find myself thirsting for more separation during the faster and busier tracks.

The Timeless is good enough for my library such as pop and country, but those with a great selection of music from rock/metal, or classical such as complex orchestral where positional cues and brute-force resolution matters a lot to you... then you may need to look at high driver count iems.

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Comparisons:

Tin Hifi P1


- Fit and comfort is miles better than P1
- Soundstage is much wider and not as claustrophobic
- Resolution is likely better due to the decluttered soundstage
- Trebles are less stabby stabby, and way easier to fix
- Bass is better both quality and quantity
= Mids are about even

In general I can conclude that Timeless is a total upgrade to the P1. It's fixed the fit and the bass. Now the trebles are still having some issue. (See diagram of Fedora Hat.) But at most it is 2-4dB away from other iems and it isn't a huge difference. It has the P1 mids but also better in everything else.


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Source:
Rog phone 5
WM1A 4.4mm
Aune B1S
Little Bear B4X + muse opamp
BTR5 wireless


Cables:
Stock seemed to do fine.

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Conclusions:

It's quite a convincing product from 7 Hertz. Solid sound performance. Decent build and quality. Easily driveable from smartphones. A real portable planar at an affordable price range. Finally we get to enjoy the taste of planar on the go. It's 2021 people, no one's going to stacked amps around with a fanny pack.


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Music:

Aoi Teshima - Tokyo



Julie Lundon - Cry me a river

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holsen
holsen
Ordered Mine! L O V E Planars when done right. I've owned lots of them and still have a few and bar none - they all benefitted from hours of burn-in. All of them (6 sets now) have improved upto and beyond 150 hours. I suspect that as your hours mount that 2-3K peak will settle down. With every planar I've had so far, with use the bass became more controlled, layered and textured, mids became creamy yet articulate, and the treble extended out while "smoothing" out. It'll be interesting to see how these perform. When I get get them, I'll listen exclusively to them for a week, so I'm not having any "brain burn" trickery going on in my head and I'll let them run on my desktop rig 24x7 when I'm not listening to them. Burn-in is a very real phenomenon with planars and I can't imagine these Timeless being any kind of exception. I'm excited to get them and thanks for this review!
abheybir
abheybir
Wow, the more I read the more I want to get this, its amazing that there is good bass on B1s. Request you to please check grain and soundstage on Bx4.
powergeek
powergeek
I just got them this week and since then they are not leaving my Sony WM1A. What a pleasure. Two thumbs up!
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