by Mike Shea on 13 July 2024
I've been a low-grade audiophile since the late 90s. My love of audio stuff came back to me during Covid when I started building out my home office. My current favorite audio system includes
I have a lot of other stuff as well, but that's my best audio stack in the house. It runs about $2,500 and it sounds amazing.
What if I could tell you you can get a comparable sounding system that fits in your pocket for about 1/100th of that?
Enter the 7hz Zero 2 Crinacle. These in-ear monitors (IEMs) run about $23 and can be powered with an Apple dongle DAC (either lighting or USB). They fit in a tiny pouch you can throw in your pocket and they sound amazing.
I still love my Dan Clark stack because I prefer over-ear headphones and the power output gives it tremendous headroom. The Dan Clark stack is also not as bright as the 7hz Zero 2s, which I like.
But for $32, including the Apple dongle DAC (which, by the way, replaces $1,100 of hardware for $8), it's amazing.
It's rare for Audio Science Advisor to agree with YouTube pundits on audio gear but on the 7hz Zero 2 Crinacles, they agree. Here's what Audio Science Advisor had to say.
You have to shake your head when you see and read about the performance of this $25 IEM. It displays a level of performance with a bit EQ that is world class. Feed it some well recorded music and you are there: the pinnacle of high fidelity sound. I don't care if you don't want to use an IEM. Get one of these (or the original Zero) and get calibrated on what good sound is.
So if you're looking for great sound for dirt cheap, pick up the 7hz Zero 2 Crinacle and an Apple dongle DAC for under $40.