Zero to 100 In No Time Flat
NOTES
The Salnotes Zero comes from an offshoot company of 7hz who produces earphones such as the celebrated 7hz Timeless & Eternal. The small and attractive housing contains a single 10mm dynamic driver said to be constructed of a "Metal Composite" material with an "N52" magnet.
There has been some measure of hype surrounding the Salnotes Zero's release as there is much love for the other offerings from 7hz. All to often the resulting "Hype-Train" burns as the actual product falls far short of heightened expectations. Happily the Salnotes Zero does NOT follow this distracting trend, but actually in many respects surpasses the hype associated with its release.
For a $20 earphone, tip/cable rolling is a must to really dial in the Salnotes Zero. I settled on the Final Audio E tips and NiceHCK HPC Cable. Source selection is also critical, imho, with the Apogee Groove being a great synergy but finally settling on the EIDA 9038S G3 using the "Tube Emulation" preset which made the Zero sing.
Let's dig deeper into the Salnotes Zero.
SPECS
- 10mm Metal Composite Diaphragm
- N52 Magnet
- Sensitivity: 108db/V @1khz
- Impedance: ~32Ω
- Standard 0.78mm Connectors.
- Frequency Response: 10Hz-20kHz
- 3.5mm Termination Plug
- Cable: High Purity OFC Copper
EQUIPMENT
TempoTec E44 , Apogee Groove & EIDA 90398SG3 Dongles
Eartips: Final Audio E , Tanchjim T3-- T-A3B
Cable: Stock Cable 3.5mm SE, NiceHCK HPC
Sources: Flac Files From my Personal Collection / Apple Music
BUILD, QUALITY & FIT
Build quality is very good. The shells are made of a plastic/resin material with a decorative metal plate. Fit and finish overall are quite good with nothing to complain about.
The quality and selection of the included accessories in notable, in particular when the asking price of $20 USD is considered. The cable is actually of very good quality in addition the selection of tips is welcomed both for their variety and quality as well.
Retail presentation is a step above what many would find in this price range and was obviously not just an afterthought.
Fit is good as the Zero is a smaller earphone and extends just enough in the ear canal to remain comfortable for long sessions. Good tip selection is a MUST with the Salnotes Zero both from a sound quality perspective and to allow for a good seal.
:SOUND:
BASS:
The Salnotes Zero out of the gate will not be mistaken for a bass cannon or even a Bass-Head's type of earphone. There is much more to this story though.
Bass goes reasonably deep and is both well controlled with notable detail, texture and speed. What it may lack in absolute "slam" is more than made up for in quality, in particular with the sub-bass which is surprisingly well presented. Mid-Bass bleed is almost non existent as well.
"Circumstance" by Wayman Tisdale is a pleasure to listen to with the Salnotes Zero able to flesh out all the bass details and nuances. This is a track where more bass forward earphones fall flat with respect to separation and detail retrieval, sounding indistinct in this part of the frequency spectrum.
"Protection" by Massive Attack continued this trend of quality bass reproduction. The bass is reproduced with a taught and controlled poise usually reserved for earphones many times the very reasonable asking price.
Mid-Bass is also well controlled and not over emphasized nor does it bleed into the midrange in a way that becomes a distraction. The Salnotes Zero does offer a measure of warmth in its sound, but again this is not due to excessive mid-bass bleed.
"Informers Room" by the Incredible SGVO highlighted the sub-bass control speed of the Zero. No it won't put a dent in your chest, but it will sound fantastic with clarity and detail. I'll take that over a headache any day.
"Intelligent Hoodlum" by Manix! is a hard hitting track. The Salnotes Zero hit pleasantly hard with a snap and speed that was incredibly enjoyable.
MIDRANGE:
The Salnotes Zero offers up a midrange that is balanced with ample details, macro over micro, and good separation without harshness. Lower mids have a measure of warmth without sounding "thick" nor constrained.
"Tenderhearted Lover" by John Stoddart sounded immediate and detailed with the singers' emotional vocals really coming through.
"Sweet Love" by Anita Baker had the vocals sounding just slightly recessed but with a clarity and texture that was very satisfying.
One of my favorite tracks, "Just Between Us" by Norman Brown, sounded wonderful with his guitar, and track as a whole, reproduced with a clarity that was very satisfying. Many earphones imho do NOT reproduce this track well, either sounding congested and/or flat. The Salnotes Zero brought a liveliness to this track with ample air and separation. Fast driver? Good tuning? I'd say a combination with tuning taking the front seat here.
One of my benchmark tracks, "Vanston Place 12am" by Ronny Jordan, really demonstrated what the Salnotes Zero is capable of. Great air, separation and control with a level of organic sound that is hard to come by and almost unheard of in this price range.
A newly found track for me is "Nowhere (I Can) Go" by the prolific Atjazz featuring vocals by Clara Hill. Incredible track and the Zero really made it enjoyable. Smooth and controlled from start to finish.
I regularly listen to the earphone I'm writing a review of as I am tapping away at the keyboard. When this track came on, I had a strong urge to have a time out and just listen to some music.
The upper mids are also ripe with clarity and macro detail. Female vocals are full sounding with , broken record statement here, great clarity. While listener dependent, the only thig I would have possibly preferred is a very slight reduction in the 4-6khz range on the order of 1db to 2db as some may find this area a tad pronounced. Thankfully this isn't usually an issue as the overall tonality is held in balance by a well done treble and a very accomplished bass. This can also be significantly mitigated by tip rolling and proper source selection.
The Zero is not the last word in organics or timbre, but offers up a level of these two critical metrics usually unheard of in this price range and even at twice or three times the price.
Treble:
Treble has good extension and well done without overemphasis or other "embellishments" other earphones in this price range may use to "fake" clarity or extension. Treble energy is just right with again, great clarity and detail.
IMAGING & SOUNDSTAGE
The Salnotes Zero is about average with respect to imaging and soundstage. It does not sound restrained of claustrophobic, but lacks that measure of expansiveness, in particular with respect to depth, that some much more expensive earphones may bring to the table, well we hope at least. That being said the soundstage is stable.
"Stimela (The Coal train) Live" by the legend Hugh Masekela sounded intimate but lacked the level of spaciousness I have heard in other earphones, usually costing much more though.
VERSUS:
- HZ Sound Heart Mirror
The Heart Mirror is still regarded as one of the benchmarks below $100 and for good reason, although with each new earphone release that title sticks less and less.
The HM and Zero offer similar tuning but overall the Salnotes Zero is the better sounding of the two. Bass quality is comparable but the Zero has more of it with clearly better note weight as we move up the frequency range. They are about equal with respect to imaging as well. When switching between the two, the HZ sounds thinner and less involving.
- Tanchjim Tanya
The Tanya has great organics for the price and an easy going sound that directly compared to the Salnotes Zero seems dark and less involving. The Zero sounds more alive while not being overdone. Bass is definitely better on the Zero being more controlled and detailed while at the other end of the spectrum, the Zero having better extension with superior air and sparkle.
- Astrotec Vesna
Another favorite of mine the Vesna offers a warm coherent sound with good technicalities and organics. The Zero is a more lively performer with better controlled sub-bass. Further up the spectrum the Vesna offers a good measure of organic midrange reproduction with the Salnotes Zero sounding a little sharper and less warm. The Vesna has treble that rolls off earlier and lacks that measure of air and sparkle that the Salnotes Zero enjoys.
IMHO, both are keepers and are tuned differently enough to actually compliment each other on ones collection of earphones.
- Moondrop CHU
Another recent darling. The CHU offer a brighter more forward sound with good detail but falls short when organics and balance is brought more into focus. The Salnotes Zero bests the CHU on both of these metrics while offering comparable technicalities. The Salnotes Zero also lends itself to more musical genres than the CHU with a better fleshed out bass and less forward upper midrange.
CONCLUSION
Let me get right to the point. Salnotes has a winner with the Zero.
The do require and deserve time spent finding that synergy that makes them sing. The listener will be rewarded with an earphone that really moves aside and lets the music just play.
Time and time again I had to remind myself that this is a $20 USD set. After a while I just didn't bother thinking about that and just enjoyed the music.
The Salnotes Zero gets a definite recommendation for SiliconSoundz and we can comfortably state that it is the new Benchmark in not only its price range but it competes very strongly in the sub $50 range as well. It can even facepalm some earphones around the $100 price mark if time is spent to find the right synergy.
It is incredible what $20 can get you these days with respect to sound quality. The Salnotes Zero will put a lot of manufactures on notice. Expectations have been raised and there is no going back.
Sometimes the hype is real.
*Purchased from www.linsoul.com
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