7Hz Legato

I had the chance to spend three weeks with the 7hz Legato, and four other IEMs, in return for my honest impressions. Thanks to @Damz87 as always for organising.

The 7hz Legato I received didn’t come in its full retail package, however did have the leather case which is quite nice. I can’t comment on the tips, packaging etc. (which is sufficiently covered in other reviews) however the case is quite nice (if not a little on the large size) and the IEM feels well built. The cable isn’t anything special but no complaints here. The IEM is a dual dynamic driver, retailing for $109 USD.

I tested these using Final E tips, driven through my FiiO Q7, with a wide variety of music tried out.

I don’t generally read through reviews before writing mine however I had to with the Legato, my initial thoughts after listening for a couple of hours were not good. Seeing that they have an average of four out of five stars on head-fi had me scratching my head.

I listened to many of the tracks that others called out, and could pick out some of what they were getting at, but they’re such a one trick pony, with that trick being average, that I still don’t understand the rating.

Onto the breakdown:

Bass: Average (C+). The one highlight, the texture and detail isn’t great, but you get some impact and slam on certain tracks which can sound nice. It has decent weight, and feel. For bass focussed tracks I could see why you may consider these. Sub-bass was my favourite part, however mid-bass was not too bad either.

Mids: Below average (D-). Due to the elevated bass anything that exists in the region sounds dull and lifeless if bass is present. Where there isn’t much bass it can sound nice, guitar focussed tracks in particular were decent. Vocals sounded OK but quite shallow.

Treble: Below average (D-). They have a dark feel, which I don’t mind, however they clearly haven’t been tuned with treble in mind. Overall very soft.

Technicalities: Below average (D). This isn’t designed to be technical at all, it’s a bass focussed IEM.

Personal Preference: Bad (E). Not for me at all. I didn’t mind some post-rock tracks, along with guitar only music, however it’s worth noting that none of it sounded like it actually should. It’s an extremely coloured IEM.

Overall: None preference score (Below Average – D+), Overall Rating (Below Average D-). This are not the IEM for me, and I don’t think they’d be the IEM for most people. If you have some IEM’s already, and are after something bassy and not too expensive, maybe. They don't get a recommendation from me.

My rating table for this IEM:



Edit: As Head-Fi works on 1-5 I've updated my rating sheet, and subsequently this review, to fit.

My rating system:

The7hz Legato Discovery Journey.


Who Builds the Legato? 7Hz was founded in 2012 as a team of engineers and audio enthusiasts who came together to test their skills in the realmof audio. 7Hz stands for the Theta Wave, a frequency that is often associated with meditation and harmony. We know the companies other IEMs well such as the Timeless planar and Timeless AE, Salnotes Zero And the new Salnotes Zero 2, the Dioko and recently the new Sonus.


The7Hz Legato is an earphone with a dual-dynamic driver configuration with a crossover design; a 12mm woofer is paired with a 6mm midrange tweeter. The Legato has incorporated its own technology to deliver adeep and controlled bass, while the driver design on the tweeter aims to enhance the precision and detail of midrange and high frequencies.The 12mm unit uses a high-power N52 Neodymium magnet that produces a powerful magnetic flux allowing for swift movement of the diaphragm coil enabling clean and precise sound. It is machined from aviation grade aluminium for strength and light weight and is comfortable to wear. Legato is also easy to drive.


When is a review not a review?


When you are listening to an IEM that's made with one purpose in mind. I'll let Larry Fulton


of7Hz explain. He said.


“ We didn't tune the Legato JUST to please bassheads. We tune the Legato with the single-minded objective to bring back the 1960s, 70s and early 80s vintage sound. “


Instinctively in this hobby we want to compare and contrast new IEM's with units


we are already familiar with, to get a sense of how the earphones sound.


For those of us that grew up in the age of home stereos blasting out 70's and 80's pop and rock, the Legato sound is familiar. Younger listeners will find this sound unusual and even perplexing. If they have been to live music venues then the sound might make sense. Bass frequencies require speakers to move large amounts of air to transmit low and impactful sounds to your ears. To reproduce this in an earphone small enough to fit in your ear is an engineering marvel. And to produce the levels of bass that Legato can without swamping the other frequencies is pretty impressive!


RayChan of 7Hz explains.


“We understand concerns that sometimes, in the quest for technical perfection, the musicality and overall enjoyment of music can be overlooked.


At 7hz, we recognise the importance of striking a balance between technical precision and musicality. We believe that true audio enjoyment is not solely defined by crystal-clear clarity and resolution or technicalities but also by capturing the emotional essence of the music.


In line with this sentiment, we have specifically tuned our Legato to bring back the musicality that may have been lost in some audio systems. The Legato aims to deliver a rich and engaging sound experience, emphasising the warmth, dynamics, and emotional connection that music can evoke."



Thesound


I enjoy my Legato for a different listening experience from Simgot single dynamic drivers or the Hidisz MP145 planar full frequency planar. Here is what I hear. Sub bass you can feel on your ear drums.Physical sound. Rumble that sits below the vocals and bass and midbass with punch and slap. Cymbals are present but subdued in the mix. Listen to Dancing by Night, SebastiAn & London Grammar.


“Did you know there's a tunnel under Ocean Boulevard” By Lana Del Ray presents a giant and immersive soundstage with Lana's voice clear and pure in the mix. Treble is smooth and engaging. Male voices have extra chestyness while female voices have clarity and


an enjoyable timbre. Switching to modern pop with “Don't date the teenager” by Australia's answer to Taylor, namely Gretta Ray, you will find punch snap and details galore. Ear candy!


Summary


So where does the 7Hz Legato sit in the mix? If you want refreshing change of pace from the Harman approach that dominates the IEM market, you will find a warm and engaging sound with thunderous bass, lively mids and a smooth treble that’s easy to enjoy.

You can read the full 7Hz Legato review by clicking the link.



Executive summary

The 7Hz Legato is a dual-driver in-ear monitor featuring two high-performance dynamic drivers on each side. The pair houses a 12mm and another 6mm dynamic driver where the 12mm one acts as a woofer and the 6mm driver is kept responsible for the midrange and treble response. The 7Hz Legato includes a unique crossover design along with 8 Japan-made audio-grade Tantalum capacitors to provide high precision and stable performance. The unique crossover is specially-developed in accordance with the characteristics of the dynamic drivers.

The 7Hz legato is lightweight and very comfortable albeit the ear-shells being a little bulky and protruding outside the ear. Sound isolation is not bad but not great either. The appearance is modern semi-industrial and the build quality is excellent.

The 2-pin detachable cable is well made, it is soft, it doesn’t get tangled and it doesn't induce microphonic noise.

The package includes plenty of ear-tips, spare wax filters for the nozzle and a very well made and luxurious carrying case which is too big for portable use.

The 7Hz Legato has plenty of emphasized bass and great sub-bass extension, reaching bass-head levels, but at the same time it manages to sound present and clear in the higher frequencies. The tuning is made to offer a bass-heavy listening experience without carrying too much about correct tonality and balance. The low end is too colored and mostly out of tune but it will greatly satisfy with all kinds of bass music.

The mid-range is darkish and warm with enough presence and acceptable clarity but not that well defined. The treble is smooth, a little subdued and forgiving. Not the last word in clarity and definition but suitable for easy listening and fatigue free sessions. The treble doesn’t sound artificial or too metallic and instrumental timbre is quite natural. The soundstage is spacious and wide enough with good positioning traces and without exhibiting congestion.

The 7Hz legato is going to satisfy everyone looking for plenty of shaking bass without overpowering too much the rest of the frequencies.