7Hz Aurora's Review

 

General/Packaging/Build

7Hz is a company that needs no introduction in the Chi-Fi space.Whenever anybody mentions the OG Timeless,they are well aware that 7Hz is the company that produces them. Aurora is their 1st tribrid with a configuration of 1DD+1 Pla+2BA. The packaging screams premium and complements with the asking price. Within the box, the IEM is stored in a white faux leather looking hard case, a single crystal copper cable with modular plug(3.5 and 4.4), upcoming 7Hz’s eartips as well as the silicon tip all arranged within the bundled eartips storage case. The shell is 3D printed with medical grade UV resin, whereas the design of the faceplate is achieved through a unique manufacturing process, hence every unit will have a different design on the faceplate.

In terms of comfort, i have no issues with the fitting, using the new 7Hz’s barrel shaped eartips, i have a good fit and seal, no discomfort throughout the listening sessions.

Gears used for this review

• Earmen ST-Amp

• Aune S9c Pro

• Fiio’s M23

• 7Hz’s Artemis 39

• 7Hz Aurora Stock Cable and Eartip

Foreword

My review is solely based on what I hear via my equipment and I never consider my reviews to be objective in any way rather a subjective approach. Do take into consideration that everyone’s ear anatomy is not the same, so the psychoacoustics perception might be different as well, but i believe it will not stray too far

Sound Impression

Out of the box listening impression, Aurora does have a very noticeable BA timbre, hence I put it through the burn in session and left it running for approximately 50+ hours with some breaks in between. The BA timbre is very minor after the burn in session, the Aurora is very resolving and very fun to listen to. The note weight is quite balanced to my ears, i rarely find them to sound thin from the songs that i listened to in my library

Bass

• Bass on the Aurora has good texture to it and has good slam and punchy

• Sub bass rumble is good and very rumbly when the track calls for it, this is even more evident when i am using the Aurora to watch some movies/tv series

• Bass is fast,tight,clean and not at all muddy,very good quality bass i would say

• I like the bass presentation on Aurora overall,of course your experience might vary

• The bass is done just right to my ears,balanced transition from sub to mid bass

Mids

• Both male and female vocal has got good texture and not thin sounding at all

• Vocal positioning is not laidback and not too intimate sounding. Just nice for my preference.I would put it as “not so in your face” kind of positioning

• Mid range is slightly recessed but still retain plenty of details in this range

• Upper mids are slightly forward but remained pleasant even at higher volume,hence it will not give you that kind of sensation “shouty”, this is based on my tolerance, again, depends on your sensitivity in this range, you might hear otherwise if you are very sensitive in this region

Treble

• The treble is generally non offensive, but on certain tracks and higher volume, it may be a little hot, i find that this can be mitigated by pairing it with a warmer source, or swapping out the stock cable, also, Final Type E eartips works well if you are sensitive to this

• Detail retrieval is good, micro details can be picked up easily even without boosting the volume

• Good amount of air and instruments doesn’t sound congested

Soundstage/Imaging

• The soundstage is wide and big, with a good width, depth, and height perception

• Imaging is good as the instruments can be picked up easily due to good separation

• The overall technicalities is very good for Aurora

Drivability/Dac Amp Pairing

• The Aurora is not hard to drive, but it does benefit and scale with better source

• The upcoming dongle from 7Hz, Artemis39 can drive the Aurora without any issue, and seems to have good synergy with it as well, i noticed slightly better note weight

• With a desktop setup, Aurora’s potential is driven to its max, better control in terms of bass, tighter, even wider soundstage and better imaging capability, on the Aune’s S9c Reference

Comparison (Tangzu Nezha)

• Although sporting a different configuration(6 BAs), i put it up for comparison due to the price point which is quite close to each other

• The shell of the Nezha is slightly smaller and in terms of fitting, it offers a custom like fit and seal with the proper eartips

• The sound signature overall is warmer, the overall tuning is rather safe sounding, detail retrieval and imaging is good, but soundstage is rather 2D-ish

• Sub bass rumble is there when the track calls for it, but being a full BA setup, don’t expect the sub bass to dig deep, mid bass is punchy and fast, but slightly lacking in terms of texture compared to Aurora

• Mids are slightly forward compared to Aurora

• The treble is very safe sounding overall, even when you pump up the volume

Final Thoughts

All in all, Aurora is definitely something different in the current market, it offers musicality yet it comes with good technicalities. It works quite well across various genres in my library (Jpop, MandoPop, Oldies, Pop, Rock, Metal and Classical), based on my experience, it is also fairly sensitive to source and eartips and indirectly will affect how it sounds, so try out and see which setup you prefer, also cables. Do I recommend the Aurora? Certainly, if you are looking to step up from your current budget set up, or you are in the look out for something different yet versatile, grab the Aurora.

*Aurora was sent over by Linsoul for this review.I am in no way compensated/influenced in any way to produce this review.All thoughts and words are of my own.

If you are interested in getting one,head over to Linsoul’s store below:
7Hz Aurora - Non Affiliated