7HZ Timeless Creator Released A Sequel, 7HZ Eternal
7Hz gained massive attention with its release of the Timeless in September 2021. Hailed as the “best planar on the market,” the Timeless quickly became the talk of the community and subsequently the new benchmark IEM at just under $250. Today, a follow-up to that masterpiece, the single dynamic driver IEM, the Eternal. Coming in at $249, how will it fare against its predecessor and the market as a whole.
Sound Signature: Neutral leaning dark.
Bass
Starting with the bass, the Eternal is modest in overall power and focuses more on the sub-bass region. That combination delivers a smoother bass experience with less impact but more rumbles. Bass control is clean, not bleeding or bloating. Overall, a decent bass experience, and while I can see most would prefer a bit more power, the implementation is still solid.
One thing for sure, it’s not for bass heads or those who like a more impactful bass experience. The Eternal is for someone looking for bass, but smoother and more organic in delivery.
Midrange
The lower-mids up to 1.5khz is more or less “good.” The clean separation of lower-mids and bass makes sure that instruments and vocals are clearly defined and unveiled by the bass frequencies. All that is nicely executed. However, the problem starts beyond this point. There’s an apparent unevenness in the upper midrange region. In male vocals, it’s less noticeable, but as you introduce female vocals and higher range instruments, the Eternal starts to sound weird. The peak at around 5khz adds a strange extension to the midrange instrument that can only be described as “unnatural.” It feels like a touch of energy in the wrong place. In addition, there’s also a slight shoutiness. The combination of the two flaws makes the upper-mids overall feel messy.
Treble
Treble on the Eternal is “tamed,” to put it extremely lightly, and most would actually call it “dark.” The treble is, in essence, very light and provides little to no sparkle or extensive properties to the sound—the Eternal sound overall devoid of energy in this region. There are some benefits to this alongside the apparent flaws. One good thing is there is no sibilance or peakiness. If you’re sensitive to treble and you rather not have treble in your life, the Eternal got you covered. The bad outweighs the pros though, as the treble is essential for the audiophile experience. While some prefer more treble than others, most agree you need a certain amount to achieve a natural listen. In the case of the Eternal, it’s simply too dark. Another con here is that without sufficient treble, the micro nuances of each song are not highlighted or veiled compared to more neutral treble IEMs.
Timbre
Being a dynamic driver IEM, the timbre is more or less natural and perfect. That’s the draw of a dynamic driver, and the Eternal is no different.
Technical Performance
Details
Detail-wise, the Eternal does a decent job at this price. It’s not one of the top contenders, but also not the bottom ones. I guess one can say, average. I also need to add that the Eternal would rank higher if the treble details were better.
Soundstage & Imaging
Imaging and soundstage are average at best, which is a good thing. Most IEMs are below average. The stage on the Eternal feels more tall and grand than wide and spacious. Overall, competent, no complaints from me here.
Comparisons
Here we’ll explore some closely priced competitors to see where the Eternal fits in.
Eternal VS. Timeless
The Timeless, as mentioned above, is a beast of an IEM at any price below $500. It is truly a unicorn creation that we’re all lucky it landed in the market. That being said, the Eternal is not close to the Timeless and does not compete. The midrange is natural on the Timeless, and the treble is also energic nuanced and adds to the overall expansive feeling stage of the Timeless. Timeless is also more detailed and speedier than the Eternal. Overall, if you’re looking for a dynamic driver version of the Timeless or an upgrade, the Eternal is not it.
That aside, how are the rest of the frequency differences? The Timeless has more mid-bass and bass impact while Eternal is more sub-bass focus. Bass-wise, the Timeless is more fun, and the Eternal is more organic.
Eternal VS. Moondrop Kato
These two are pretty different. Like the Timeless, the Kato focuses more on the mid-bass region, giving it more fun slams and dynamic listen. The Eternal again is more natural in the bass. The midrange on the Kato is more realistic than the Eternal. While the Kato is also not an energetic IEM, it’s still more pleasing and even sounding. Treble wise, the Kato is tamed but not as tame as the Eternal and still has treble presence and apparent details, unlike the latter. Detail-wise, Kato is overall more resolving.
Summary
There are more IEMs to compare this to, but I think everyone gets the big picture. The Eternal is, unfortunately, not a competitive IEM in this highly competitive price category. Nothing more or less to say.
Bonus: The Fix
Now, I forgot to mention how beautiful the Eternal looks in person. It is one of the most elegant-looking IEM I’ve held in a while, and because of that, some might still want to grab one, and I don’t blame you at all. I love how it looks, so here’s a quick fix to the sound if you still want to pick these up. Watch this video by Crinacle on EQing IEMs and headphones. This video will help bring the tuning of the Eternal up to neutral. It won’t fix details and soundstage, but at least you’ll have a naturally tuned Eternal to enjoy along with its glorious faceplates.
