In this review, we determine whether the 2nd coming of the 7Hz Timeless II IEM – selling for $223 USD – has fixed the drawbacks of the 1st edition.
Disclaimer: Linsoul is not related to Headfonia. They sent me the 7Hz Timeless II free of charge to be featured on Headfonia.com.
7Hz Audio
7Hz was founded in 2012 as a team of engineers and audio enthusiasts who came together to test their skills in the realm of audio. The enigmatic company name 7Hz stands for the Theta Wave, a frequency of neural oscillations found in most mammals.
7Hz mostly specializes in IEMs but has also released a number of dongle DACs. Their best-known work is the previous Timeless, which proved to be one of the better planar IEMs of 2021. The more affordable Zero IEMs offer a sound that’s very compliant with the Harman curve for an affordable price.
Enter the Timeless II
To better understand the context of the 7Hz Timeless II, we have to start at its predecessor – the original Timeless. It was one of the first affordable IEMs to use a proper large-format magneplanar driver. Before that, you’d have to shell out big bucks and get Audeze IEMs for similar tech and cope with the fact that they’re open-back.
The original 7Hz Timeless was well-received and soon other Chinese IEM makers rushed to embrace the relatively unusual driver technology. Hidizs MP145 and Letshuoer S12 are the well-known rivals to the 7Hz IEM which prompted the development of an upgrade to the Timeless. A special edition Timeless AE was released but the fans yearned for a proper upgrade which was slated for late 2023.
Come October 2023 and the first review units started rolling out for the 7Hz Timeless II. The first impressions weren’t too promising. Shouty upper mids and not enough of an improvement over the original were the main complaints. 7Hz took the feedback to heart and stopped the rollout to get back to the drawing board. More than a year later we have the erm… second Timeless II!
According to 7Hz they’ve implemented the world’s first planar diaphragm with both sides coated. The exact type of coating isn’t specified, however, the company claims that it improves the responsiveness of the diaphragm. Could it be that we now have voice coil traces on both sides? Could be. Both the inside and the outside of the driver enclosure have been redesigned as well.
7Hz have opted to bundle the Timeless II with a premium cable. It looks very similar to the 7Hz Bohea cable which retails for approximately $140. Not bad for a $223 IEM! Kitted together with the Timeless II are 10 pairs of various ear tips and 4 pairs of tuning nozzles.
Features:
- 14.5mm planar driver
- dual ported acoustic enclosure
- Impedance: 15.2 ohms
- Connector Type: 0.78mm 2-pin
- Sensitivity: 108dB/V@1KHz (90dB/mW)
- Connector: flush-fit 0.78mm 2-pin
- Weight per IEM: 5g
- Frequency Response 5 – 40 000Hz
Design, Build & Haptics
Casing
The 7Hz Timeless is shipped in a regular-sized cardboard box. The glossy sleeve shows off what’s inside and on the back we see the exploded view of the intricate planar driver. It lets me know that the Timeless 2 uses a push-pull design with the diaphragm sandwiched between two N52 neodymium magnets. There’s a small error in the spec sheet which claims the IEMs use an MMCX connection when in reality we have the more common 0.78mm 2-pin.
Getting the sleeve off is quite easy and the lid slides off to reveal the reason why the package seemed unusually heavy. Both the IEMs and the cable are kept in a massive aluminum cylindrical case. A separate tray displays the spare 3 pairs of tuning tips. While the case is undoubtedly solid, it’s also heavy, and unscrewing the lid makes a pretty grating sound of metal rubbing against metal. Forget about taking your IEMs out stealthily!
Under the foam cutout, we get a smallish paper box that holds a few plastic bags with ear tips. In total, we get 10 pairs of ear tips. I like that they’re stored in zip-lock baggies which makes closing them up effortless. A clear transparent bag hold three S/M/L pairs of rectangular flange tips whilst the other has 7 pairs of assorted rubber single-flange tips. I’d really like some more variation between the tips or maybe instead of 30 okay ones, manufacturers ought to just get three pairs of decent Spinfit tips.
Build Quality
Like its predecessor, the 7Hz Timeless II retains a large round faceplate which dominates the look of the IEM. It gives an illusion that the driver inside is that large, however looking at the ear side we see that a portion of the circle is just for the looks as the planar driver isn’t actually round.
The ears hell body is made out of a combination of cast and CNC-milled aluminum parts. It’s surprisingly light at 5g for an all-metal IEM. The black finish on the metal makes some parts feel a bit like polymer. The checkered knurling on the faceplate is a striking design choice and makes the 7Hz Timeless 2 a distinct standout from the rest. A similar pattern can be seen on the lid of the storage case.
The build quality of all of the metal parts is impeccable, with no sloppy machining or coating. A fitting addition to the whole package is the cable. It boasts 7N single-crystal copper wires in a paracord braid. After the Y-splitter, the cable uses twist braiding. Both the splitter and the jack are made of milled aluminum with a dark brown glossy finish. It looks great if a bit of a fingerprint magnet in daily use.
For connecting the source, we get a replaceable tip jack which is terminated in the usual miniature 4-pin connector. The tips of course are proprietary and are held on by the screw-on sleeve. In addition to the 3.5mm SE jack, we get a nice 4.4mm balanced tip as well.
Comfort and Ergonomics
In terms of optics the 7Hz Timeless II look huge. The large circular faceplate contributes to that even when the actual size of the ear shell is less grand. My ears are a bit on the large side and I can fit multi-driver flagships like the ThieAudio Monarch MK3 with relative ease. The Timeless 2 doesn’t feel particularly large in the ear, I’d call it M-sized. The nozzles are chunky and feature a retention lip to securely hold the tips. Petite ear canals might rather have problems with those.
I have no real qualms about the cable. It’s not too keen on tangling up and microphonics are very well controlled, so even on the go it stays out of the way of enjoying music. Being a 4-conductor, it keeps the weight down, so there’s not much strain on the ear hooks. When I tried other cables, I noticed that the faceplate circle makes it a bit hard to unplug the 2-in connectors.
When I put the Timeless II in my ears, I would hear some crinkle of the planar diaphragm flexing. The ports prevent high-pressure pockets from forming but I’d be careful about jamming them in with force lest you damage the driver. All of the included ear tips were able to provide a good seal with my ears as long as I used the M-size tips. With the right combo, I had no problem wearing the 7Hz Timeless II for a whole day.
Isolation
With the 7Hz Timeless II well-seated and sealed the isolation is about what I get from other ported IEMs. Without any music playing, some of the commute or office din will seep into your hearing, but all it takes is to hit play on your favorite tunes and the noise becomes a non-issue. I will only add that when I was eating with the Timeless 2, my chewing would create pressure changes in the ear canal that caused the planar diaphragm to flex audibly.
Sound Signature and Technicalities
My main testing system for the 7Hz Timeless II was the Topping x Holo Centuarus driving the DROP + SMSL HO150 and two portable rigs – the (trans)portable FiiO Q15 and the cheerful Qudelix 5K.
The article continues with the part on sound on the second page. Click here or use the jumps below.
