Salnotes Zero Ltd. Ed.

Again jus because of too much hype around online community tempted me to buy this zero

Some reviews and comments said it's better than Moondrop CHU

7hz zero sounds good , balanced sound signature but tone and timbre is not natural (metallic) like CHU and BASS is also less...overall i feel CHU is better , so if u have CHU jus be happy and dont get tempted like me to buy this

7hz zero pros - detachable cable but no mic,
weight less so better comfort, funky colour options

CHU pros - with mic , but fixed cable, well controlled bass , Good tone and Timber

in 2k budget segment if ur priority is Bass with decent treble go 4 BLON 03 or CCA CRA .

and if ur top priority is comfort Go 4 MOONDROP QUARKS

if u want clean balanced sound signature i still prefer CHU...yes as am already said 7hz zero sounds good , but its overhyped by the online community..seems like a new marketing strategy

So No need to board this hype train if u already own CHU or even Blon 03 , CRA

P.S : checked via Poweramp , Spotify, redmi k50i

Sound was really awesome, but manufacturing defect found. In the right side. Right side metal plate suddenly fell out in front of our eyes.

Why the Zero?
1. I wanted to experience Harman tuning (on the cheap, LoL)
2. The Zeros are also known for being well extended on both ends of the frequency spectrum

7hz Salnotes Zero vs. Final E3000
**Sound Aspects only**

Yes, the E3000 costs 50% more, has a darker tuning but hey, that's the only IEM I have right now to compare it with LoL... And there are some some going crazy over how the Zero is a Giant-killer belonging to the $100 tier, so $35 should be easy prey?!

Background / Review context
I have been in the hobby for over 9 years now. Have owned or briefly auditioned (and given away to family/friends) a bunch of IEMs; E10c, Re-400a, Dunu Titan 1 (aka Fiio EX1), Beyerdynamic Byron, Audio Technica IM-70, Blon BL-03 and the Final E3000.
I listen to Jazz, Rock, Classical, R&B, Pop and Bollywood.

The findings below are after volume-matched comparisons across the aforementioned genres.
Burn-in: About 70hrs. (I'll update the review if I notice an improvement, say after 200hrs of use).
Sources: Spotify (non-premium), Samsung M30s and Asus G14 gaming laptop.

Zero wins when it comes to...
1. Being easier to drive. 70% on my phone is very loud. The E3000 needs 80-100%.
2.Transparency and extended upper frequencies. The e3000 is clearly a darker, somewhat veiled (this applies to tuning, not resolution!) and a more relaxed presentation. On tracks like 'Shape of my Heart' by Sting, or 'May it be' by Enya the Zero sounds less bloated for sure. In 'Paul's dream' you can hear a LOT more hidden details compared to the E3000 (Is it necessarily more enjoyable on a track like that? NO!). Basically on any track that is somewhat dark sounding the Zero will extract more detail simply because of greater extension in the upper frequencies. While the E3000 is trying to perpetually save you from harshness (even when none exists!), but it also helps you keep focus on the core - The coherence and musicality of it all!
3. Doesn't require fiddling with the Equalizer (may be you'd want to pull down 8k hz a tad?). The e3000 definitely needs EQ, without which it can sound bloated / congested particularly on low powered sources
4. Better sub-bass extension. In 'Smooth Criminal' you can clearly 'feel' the heartbeats on the Zero, whereas with the E3000 you can 'only hear' them, faintly. This is a Big difference.

E3000 wins when it comes to...
1. Being much smoother and refined (no artifacts) without sacrificing detail in vocals or bass (though yes, sub-bass is missing). For the same level of detail the Zeros seem less refined, not because of more treble energy but because of more artifacts (a hallmark of cheaper gear). Just to be clear, the tuning is excellent on the Zeros not harsh at all (except a tiny spike in the upper treble)
2. Better timbre on all instruments, after EQ. Keep in mind the Zero doesn't require EQ. Though if you are obtuse to EQ you'll definitely find everything a little drowned out on the E3000, on a phone without a dedicated DAC/Amp attached.
3. Bass texture/quality and quantity for sure! The bass frequencies dig deeper and are hence more separated in the Zero, But it's got poor texture and timbre. The bass on the Zero is of the unnatural/metallic kind while it's 'wet' and more life-like on the E3000.
4. Treble quality and timbre. Same as above. The treble (again, though not as extended) on the E3000 is definitely more real, less artificial/metallic sounding.
5. Vocal quality. With the E3000 you can really feel emotion in tracks like 'Unbreak my heart'. The Zero on the other hand has lifeless vocals, there's good amount of detail for sure but 'Zero' life when compared to the E3000. See what I mean by detail is NOT the be-all and end-all?
6. Much much wider soundstage on the E3000! Better depth too. Generally more holographic. This is a night and day difference compared to the Zeros which are fairly intimate and 2d sounding.
7. Better dynamics. Quieter instruments and voices don't get lost or drowned easily (post EQ), unless they are outside the E3000's inherent frequency range of course.
8. Better Instrument separation. The Zero's thin instruments, more artifacts can make things sound mashed together at times. This may come as a surprise to some. We assume a more transparent (colder) IEM will have better separation.

In conclusion
The Zero is a fantastic product "for the price". The linearity, presentation, detail and extension on both ends are commendable. When pitched against a higher tier it WILL begin to show flaws. The soundstage is confined/intimate/narrow, instrument separation is mediocre, layering is poor, metallic/artificial timbre on instruments, generally less refined sounding (artifacts can be noticed when you compare against a higher tier like say, the E3000). I know that's an unfair comparison but just goes to show these are NOT giant-killers by any stretch of imagination!
All said, they definitely deserve 5 stars "for the price".
If these were $50 they'...

You will not get a honest review than this anywhere
First things first after trying many IEMs under 2k rupees like CCA CRA and CRA+ Blon Bl03 KZ EDX Ultra And Moondrop CHU and every earphones under 1000 rupees
The 7Hz Salnotes Zero sounds better than them all
Only earphones that sounds better than 7Hz Salnotes Zero is the Sennheiser CX 180
Yes Sennheiser CX 180 sounds better than 7Hz Zero I'll explain later
I have KZ ZSN Pro X And ZST X they are bad and they sound worse than CRA they have too much Treble
Coming to 7Hz Salnotes Zero fit is okay hurts the ear after 1-2 hours a bit cable is fine
7Hz salnotes zero has okay sub bass or mid bass it's lacking somewhat but it's fine
Bass is clean and soft but has rumble in low end
Mids in this Zero Are excellent everything sounds excellent and vocals sounds perfectly fine
In some songs like Zaalima the Instruments separation is bit weak but in other songs instruments separation is good
The instruments separation could've been bit better but it's okay no need to worry about its fine
Coming to treble yes it has one of the best treble Perfomante under 2k there are no sharp peeks or anything like that
Treble in 7Hz Salnotes Zero is clean smooth detailed and overall good treble performance
But treble lacks little bit of sparkle sometimes the sparkling lacks there's a drop in frequency near 10 Khz that's the reason
You will not hear background Instruments sounds like sparkling background sounds
That's not a problem at all
Overall 7Hz Salonates Zero sounds excellent for its price nothing to complain about
Only if it had little more fuller bass it would've destroyed any earphone or headphones under 2k or 10000 rupees
Coming to Sennheiser CX 180 yes it sounds much better than 7Hz Salnotes Zero
CX180 got much better sub bass it's clean and hits hard and CX180 mids are much better they sound natural
CX180 bass is fuller clean and low end punch hits hard in EDM songs it sounds so good
And mids in CX180 are excellent as well much better than any of those earphones above
CX180 mids is bit boosted but it's clean natural and perfect for listening to any genre of song
And Treble in CX180 is just perfect much nicer treble and you can hear all of those ambient instruments Which was lacking in 7Hz Zero
CX180 has sparkle in treble and it sounds natural clean and bass is just like a subwoofer so good
And CX180 has widest soundstage here and best imaging
CX180 sounds so good in Zaalima song and every other song Classical EDM hip hop rock jazz any song will sound good in CX180
Overall Sennheiser CX 180 got harder hitting low end clean bass better mids better nicer treble
7Hz is just excellent soft clean bass clean mids and also good treble
I hope you understand review and buy as your needs
I would even suggest if you don't have enough money Buy JBL C100Si it's 599 rupees and sounds good for the money
JBL C100Si got good bass bit Recessed mids but excellent treble
C100Si is bit Boomy tho realme buds 2 is similar sounds bit similar but it has better build quality
Your money you choose bye

(old gears - bl03, cca c10, trn v90,80)( >= 2 years)

After rough usage one side of blon's metal popped open(wires intact and worked great), fixed it with Fevikwik. For bl03 I cut(carefully!) the memory wire, fixed fit issue for me.(my old blon pic below).Thought to rebuy blon but considered other options in 2k inr budget.
Skipped Chu - non removable cables, and Lea feels little big to wear(like c10), uncomfortable for long use. Not a fan of KZ or Tin hifi stuff, so skipped. Ordered 7hz Zero, delivered in 2 days.

1. damm zero is really really comfortable to wear. Used default red tips fits perfectly for me.
2. Cable is soft and removable, but there is no mic.
3. Zero's Sound is well balanced, tight bass(adequate imho) and detailed unlike blon which has more bass(fun & punchy), less details.
(initial 5 hr approx. use thought)Zero maybe boring after long usage coz of safe tuning but blon is fun to use if you don't mind details.
Tonality I like both(also c10), stopped using v80/v90 coz of robotic tuning. Do check other website reviews for more technical details and graphs.

Now Zero/blon? get Zero and eq it for bass, got money? buy both. really vfm no brainer sets.

Thanks.