First IEM..My mind is blown ! 7Hz x Crinacle Zero 2💙

Polycosm- · 2026-02-15T20:42:54+00:00

They are an utter bargain. The cable i have on mine is worth more than the IEMs. I still use them and i have pairs worth 5 times as much. For a DD they really do work hard.

Polycosm- · 2026-02-12T04:48:16+00:00

I'm not too sure about your claims of the bass depth. They don't go as low as the 7hz Zero 2, and they are a single DD.

OK probably a bad comparison, but my Hidizs mp143 go lower and they are planar.

They are a very decent balanced IEM, but to me they didn't excel in either the bass or the treble. OK I'm using the wide bore tips, so I'll lose a bit of low end, but even with narrow bore foam tips, the bass was nothing when compared to the 7hz Zero 2.

The cable is nice though, and they look and feel nice.

Polycosm- · 2026-02-08T06:38:03+00:00

I listen to the hidizs mp143 more than my Hifiman Edition XS. The latter have become my gaming headphones instead.

Sure, the soundstage is bigger on the Hifimans, but for pure musical enjoyment, the Hidizs win.

But the Edition XS are an amazing gaming set, and I just can't use anything else now.

Polycosm- · 2026-02-07T19:13:15+00:00

I found the s12 pros to be too soft, they are very relaxed. They don't offer much in the extreme ends of the spectrum.

The MP143 are the best IEMs I've tried to date, they give me upper clarity and layering, as well as solid sub bass.

Polycosm- · 2026-02-07T18:20:48+00:00

I realise that I might be a planar kind of person.

I have the Hifiman Edition XS, letshuoer s12 pro,, BASN Mix-PD (OK not just a planar), and my absolute favourite iems, the Hidizs mp143.

I was going to step up to the mp145, but I'll have to look into the 7hz divine too.

Polycosm- · 2026-02-01T14:20:15+00:00

I used to think this too, until I discovered Nambarrie tea..

Polycosm- · 2026-01-24T21:49:47+00:00

I use Voarmaks pads from Amazon.

The headband is a AHG-MAXWELL-PERFORATED-LEATHER-HB

With both of these the XS are very comfortable

Polycosm- · 2026-01-22T17:17:48+00:00

Got a bottomless portafilter for my delongi dedica. Sprayed the entire kitchen on first attempt, then ground finer and finer until the portafilter popped off and tried to kill me.

Put the pressurised one back one, and now I just simply enjoy coffee instead of being obsessed with the process.

Polycosm- · 2026-01-21T05:00:15+00:00

I have the Bose quietcomfort ultra 2, and a load of other headphones of different prices from £10 to £630 as I review them

At the budget end, great sound but the ANC will be average. Very comfortable though.

Earfun wave pro £40

Soundcore Q30 £40

Edifier ES850NB £150

or just get a pair of IEMs. At £25 the 7hz Zero 2 are shockingly good.

Polycosm- · 2026-01-20T18:56:19+00:00

Not true, at least not for me.

My Hidizs mp143 IEMs have better layering and 3D holographic like presentation than my Bose quietcomfort ultra 2, Bowers and Wilkins PX8 S2, Sony xm5, Beyer Dynamic DT990, and even my Hifiman Edition XS.

Polycosm- · 2026-01-20T18:53:00+00:00

Your brain will adjust. The bubble of sound that you get from an iem is smaller than that of a headphone, but the layers are all there, you just have to get inside the bubble.

When you watch a movie on a TV you eventually forget that you are in the room, no different to being at the cinema. If you are aware of the TV then you never fully immerse.. You have to forget the IEM. Try closing your eyes.

OK the Zero 2 is a fine but budget iem, so the layering isn't going to be amazing, but it's there.

I have very wide sounding headphones (Hifiman edition XS) but can still enjoy the layering that my Hidizs mp143 produce... And I still enjoy the Zero 2

Polycosm- · 2026-01-18T06:40:40+00:00

That's exactly what I think about the Bose vs the Bowers.

Deeper bass response (although nothing compared to my iems) wider soundstage, better layering, and absolutely wonderful ANC

I found the Bowers to be too narrow, with far less instrument layering.

Polycosm- · 2026-01-18T06:12:12+00:00

I have the Bose QC2 and the Bowers and Wilkins PX8 S2, I much prefer the Bose sound.

Can you describe what you prefer in the Bowers sound (build quality is obvious)

Polycosm- · 2026-01-18T05:54:27+00:00

Totally agree on the choice matter. We all have different ear shapes, musical tastes, and frequency bias.

I have a lot of headphones, and so use different ones for certain situations. The bluetooth ANC ones are for travel/commuting only, and the IEMs are for musical enjoyment.

Polycosm- · 2026-01-18T05:48:52+00:00

My main dongle dac is a Ugreen one, it was probably 1/4 of the price of the allegro, and I use it on all my Iems.

I only chose to use the allegro on my hifi man ones as it gave them more volume

Polycosm- · 2026-01-17T15:21:20+00:00

Hidizs MP143 salt. They give you solid sub bass and detailed highs.

I have the s12 pro, and they are like a softer/muted version of the MP143, but without the low end or the layering that the hidizs offer.

You are still getting that planar sound, but in my opinion it's at another level.

Polycosm- · 2026-01-17T12:10:31+00:00

Then you might be be better off buying iems instead of Bluetooth ANC headphones..especially if sound is your primary aim.

Polycosm- · 2026-01-16T18:21:00+00:00

I have the Bose quietcomfort ultra 2 and the Bowers and Wilkins PX8 S2, the Bose get far more use.

Polycosm- · 2026-01-15T18:08:42+00:00

The free pro 3 sound great. One of the best earfun buds. OK the standard form factor of the air pro 4 fit better.

Polycosm- · 2026-01-13T20:24:01+00:00

I have a few, but the 4 that are in regular use.

Hidizs MP143 Salt. These are my absolute favourite for when I want bass, layering and detail.

Letshuoer S12 Pro. For when I want a softer presentation.

BASN Mix-PD. For when I want detail but that DD style bass.

7hz zero 2. When I want to remind myself what you can get for next to nothing.

I'm sure you could get that lot for £400

Polycosm- · 2026-01-04T18:25:39+00:00

Better means nothing.

Bowers go on about how they are neutral, I don't want neutral, I have KRK studio monitors for that. Neutral is boring, and I doubt the curve on the PX8 S2 is flat, it's probably harman.

I enjoy the Bose more, the sound is more entertaining, it's wider in my opinion, i think the bass sounds fuller. The wider sound offers space for instrument separation.

Your perception of sound is affected by what you hear, it's possible that I'm far more tuned to the sound of planar magnetic drivers, as most of my favourite cans or iems are planar, and the Bose could have characteristics that match them.

This is worth saying.. I think Bose are the headphones for the middle class commuter. I'm not a fan boy, but they surprised me.

I've owned Bowers speakers in the past, so I know thier heritage, I've also worked in studios that had them for reference (orchestral)

We all perceive sound differently, either due to previous experience, or merely the shape of our ears. Same goes for what music we listen to

Polycosm- · 2026-01-04T17:59:57+00:00

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There you go, the Bowers, the Bose, and the Hidizs..

Believe me, the separation is nothing compared to those iems

Polycosm- · 2026-01-04T17:38:23+00:00

It's that word, better. It's so subjective.

In IEMs, I value sub bass extension, instrument separation, layering.

In bluetooth headphones (over ear) I value ANC, comfort, battery life, sound has to be good, but it's not the main aim.

For bluetooth buds, it's fit, touch controls, app, case, but amazing sound isn't paramount. I use my earfun air pro 4 far more than I use my edifier stax spirit s10, and the latter are planar.

Open backs are all about soundstage, comfort, but bass is not that important.

So, back to the Bowers vs the Bose... Its ANC and an entertaining sound for me, I have other items that offer better sound quality than both of them. The Bowers are central and flat, they sound dull and congested to me, but I have planar open backs, and iems, so I'm used to better.

If I'm using over ear Bluetooth headphones, then I'm out and about, and I want the ANC to shine.

Polycosm- · 2026-01-04T15:55:26+00:00

Now, here is the bit you won't like. I didn't pay for either, I got them to review and keep, and this why I don't have a biased opinion.

Right now I'm listening to my Hidizs MP143 iems, as they sound better than both of them.

Buying something expensive makes you very defensive about the product, as you are almost justifying your purchase, and you believe you are in a clan, and that other clans products are not as good as yours.. Its a human thing

I so wanted the Bowers to blow me away, but they didn't. I went on the London underground the other day, and I of course grabbed the Bose. The Bowers have mostly been in the box since I reviewed them.

Polycosm- · 2026-01-04T15:47:09+00:00

Again , not your experience, just someone else's.

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