$100 vs $1200 Headphones - 7hz x Crinacle Salnotes Dioko & Audeze Euclid Review

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Airpods are expensive and will only last you a few years. Well, that's true of all wireless earbuds. So why do we keep buying them? Convenience probably. But when you are spending tons of money on something, you want it to last right? Well that's a big reason why WIRED headphones are making a comeback. We take a look at some entry-level planar magnetic earbuds, the 7hz x Crinacle Salnotes Dioko and compare them against the flagship Audeze Euclids. Just how good can $100 dollar headphones be?

Purchases made through some store links may provide some compensation to Linus Media Group.

FOLLOW US
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MUSIC CREDIT
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Intro: Laszlo - Supernova

Outro: Approaching Nirvana - Sugar High

CHAPTERS
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0:00 Intro
1:13 What is Planar Magnetic?
3:39 Unboxing Audeze Euclid
5:17 Unboxing 7hz Salnotes Dioko
7:38 Objective Sound Analysis
9:01 Subjective Sound Analysis
10:35 Some Complaints
11:25 Why $1200?
12:33 Wireless problems
16:02 Outro

[LinusTechTips]

Correction: at 4:11 We used the wrong take where we mistakenly referred to the 4.4mm Balanced connector as a 6.35 mm connector. We will post the fix ASAP. Sorry about the mistake!


Have you tried Planar Magnetic earphones or headphones before? Let us know below!






Purchases made through some store links may provide some compensation to Linus Media Group.

[crowonthepowerlines]

If you dig into Crinacle's spreadsheets, you'll see there are really competent IEMs as low as $20. Huge props to this guy for the research and documentation he does on audio gear.

[sketchyforlife]

I love Crinacle. He was the first person I found when researching high end audio and his stuff is so accessible.

[KeyTch]

Crinacle is a national treasure at this point, protect his ears at all cost!

[infinitywulf]

I went for some IEM's recently and am super happy with them. The ones I ended up on were QKZ x HBB Khans, which have two drivers in each earbud (one dedicated bass driver) and give some great sound overall with super punchy bass. Only around 40 bucks and well worth it according to my ears.

[ghostsword]

I love how sustainability and reparability has become a big element of this channel

[Some-guy-on-the-internet]

Thank you for mentioning that good headphones never go out of date. In an industry where it's become the norm to expect something to become obsolete and need replacing after just a few years, far too often do I see people making the mistake of dropping hundreds on new audio gear because they can't grasp the idea that audio is one of the few things where there is no correlation between age and functionality.

[Symba_Lysm]

Small correction: the included extra cable is a 4.4mm Penticon *NOT* a 6.35mm plug. It's used for a balanced connection on an amplifier as opposed to a single ended connector. Benefits being that more power is able to be transferred to the IEM/headphone/speaker as opposed to a normal single ended connection.

[beenjammin]

The fact that you guys can give a data driven answer rather than just an opinion is absolutely amazing. Linus' idea of transitioning to this data driven front is amazing and I could completely foresee LTT becoming a company that certifies products with good quality.

[JollyRanchersGrandma]

I started using wireless headphones in 2017, it's incredible how far behind Bluetooth was for so long until 5 or so years ago. We've gone from my headphones cutting out when I squat down and the signal not being able to get through my body to my current headphones being able to go 60ft away when unobstructed before cutting out

[lucas_vlanc]

7hz also makes the Salnotes Zero which is also a Crincle Collab (they didn't specify that it's a Collab but Crinicle later on confirmed the fact) but at a much lower price (around $15) albeit only using dynamic drivers

[AAllinsonNN]

My production mentor is sponsored by Audeze, so he got these pre-launched and they’re pretty insane. He did have to alter the eq curve a bit for both low & high end response on far ends of the EQ spectrum, but the midrange quality is unmatched for earphones.

[justuslm]

For turning wired IEMs wireless, you can also get something like the Fiio UTWS3 or UTWS5, which is much closer to a TWS on account of having a separate thing for each ear and no cable.
It also comes with a case that will fit not only the bluetooth adapter itself, but also most audiophile IEMs, so you can actually carry and use them just like a TWS (albeit a bit more bulky).

[rustyshakelford]

Linus was talking about 2-pin being a downside but honestly it's widely considered the preferred connector in the hobby and is the most used one in new releases these days. The rotation of mmcx usually doesn't contribute in a positive way to fit and in my experience are more used in sets that have a bad fit anyways and need the extra rotation to properly get in your ear canal. mmcx is also really prone to disconnection issues and compatibility problems, whereas 2-pin will just work as long as the pins fit and they almost always do because the spacing is standardized.

[OotoriKyouya]

My heart warms when I see LTT finally get serious about headphones and iems. I can't wait until they go full out with Labs support

[ROFLWAFFLELAWL]

Easy solution for BT. Fiio UTWS5. Grab an MMCX with an MMCX to 2pin adapter and you're set for any IEM including Moondrops (which have recessed access points, reason you want the adapter. Makes it so you can have a TWS pair of IEMs at any price range you decide. It can power even some decent headphones and make those BT.


Really surprised to see Diokos here. My first entry into Plana and definitely like it, shell is the only issue with it not fitting my ear well (don't mind the design).


edit: Also PLEASE don't pull MMCX cables out by the cord (don't pull anything out by the cord really). MMCX aren't that durable and aren't meant for constant removing. I've broken some nice IEMs this way not knowing. If you don't want to get the tool you can use your nails to pinch between the connector and let it pop out. If you tug on it or move it too much you can break the connector inside as most can be fairly fragile.

[BrokenKeybored]

LTT x Crin would be an interaction that I'd pay for to watch.

[lout]

As with the deadmau5 tour it’s so cool to me to hear such in depth breakdown of the frequency spectrum and understanding of how peaks/dips affect sound. Only recently changed career to something more IT orientated but have always been a musician/producer so these cross overs are so welcome!

[gregcapps]

It comes with a 4.4mm pentaconn not a 1/4 trs, there is a difference, 4.4 is balanced to reduce feedback noise. This only makes a difference if you have a balanced amp to plug it into 4:12

[matthewcummins]

On the recommendation of an audiophile friend, I started using the Beyerdynamic Beat Byrd. They're one of the best earphones I've ever used and you can swap out the silicone tips to change the bass response. I frequently find them on sale for $19 AUD, so I buy in bulk in case I lose or break them (I usually wash them). Highly recommend if you look for good quality on a budget.