7HZ Legato IEM Review
7HZ Legato IEM Review
Introduction:
7HZ is a Chinese brand that has been established in 2012, which is located in Qingdao which is a province in Mainland China that has released some IEM’s like the 7HZ Timeless/Timeless AE and Salnotes Zero, which are highly praised in the audiophile community.
The Legato is the brand new In-Ear Monitor of the company that features a 12mm Woofer Driver + 6mm Tweeter/Midrange Driver that are part of a Dual Dynamic Driver setup. Moreover, it comes with a Unique Crossover, with 8 Japan-made Audio-grade Tantalum Capacitors, which are integrated in to a CNC machined Aviation-grade Aluminum Shell that offers a pretty comfortable shape. The Legato offers a 2-pin 0.78mm OCC+Silver-plated OCC Detachable Cable and a large storage case.
Disclaimer:
I would like to thank Linsoul for providing the 7HZ Legato sample for review purposes. I am not affiliated with Linsoul or 7HZ beyond this review and all these words reflect my true and unaltered opinions about the product.
Price & Availability:
The actual price of the 7HZ Leagto is 109.00 US$. More information’s can be found under the links below;
Package & Accessories:
The 7HZ Leagto came inside a fairly large and durable looking storage case with a pretty premium appearance that was located inside a cardboard box with some product related brandings on its surface.
The box includes the following contents/accessories;
- 1 x pair of 7HZ Legato Universal IEM
- 1 x 2-Pin Detachable Cable with 3.5mm headphone plug
- 4 x pairs of Semi Transparent Silicone Ear Tips (1x pair came pre-installed)
- 3 x pairs of Blue Silicone Ear Tips
- 4 x pairs of nozzle filters
- 1 x Storage Case
- 1 x Print Material (Quick Start Guide, Warranty Card, etc.)
Design & Build Quality:
The 7HZ Legato is a very durable looking In-Ear Monitor made from CNC machined Aviation-grade Aluminum metal shell that offers a pretty comfortable shape with a dark grey finish.
The Legato features a Dual Dynamic Driver setup a combination of 1x 12mm Dynamic Driver for the Lows + 6mm Dynamic Driver dedicated for the Mids & Highs, which are equipped with Fourth-generation DLC composite diaphragm.
The 7HZ Legato comes with a pretty Unique Crossover that has 8x Japan-made Audio-grade Tantalum Capacitors.
The faceplate of the IEM sports the same vinyl like patterned surface that we have seen with the 7HZ Timeless and Timeless AE.
The inner surface of the Legato has a slightly angled sound nozzle with a stylish looking metal mesh on the top, which is on the front to a filter that prevents the insertion of particles such like dust or earwax. Near the sound nozzle is a small vent to balance the pressure inside the monitor. Here are also 3 additional openings and the L (Left) & R (Right) markings.
On the top of each monitor are 0.78mm diameter 2-Pin female connectors that do offer a pretty tight connection with the male connectors on the detachable cable. Each monitor surface sports a Legato branding in white color.
The rear surface of the monitors has three large openings.
The 7HZ Legato comes with High-Purity OCC (Ohno Continuous Cast) + Single Crystal Silver wire detachable cable that features PVC insulation in brown color. The cable has a braided design and shows a low amount of microphonic effect.
The 2-Pin connectors do have a protective housings made from plastic & metal material with a slightly curved design that do have L (Left) and R (Right) markings on the top. Near the left and right connectors are heat shrink ear guides.
The cable sports a chin slider and y-splitter made from metal material with a finish in grey color, while the y-splitter sports the Legato branding on its surface.
The 7HZ Legato came with the 3.5mm headphone plug that features a straight profiled metal housing and a plastic strain relief for extra durability.
Fit, Comfort & Isolation:
The 7HZ Legato has a fairly ergonomic metal cavity that is comfortable to wear without any pressure or hurting of my ear channels, even after some long listening periods, while the noise isolation on an moderate level, efficient enough for the use in noisy environments like a bus or train.
Some Technical Specifications:
- Model : Legato
- Driver Configuration : Dual Dynamic Driver (12mm DD + 6MM DD)
- Diaphragm : Fourth-generation DLC composite diaphragm
- Frequency Range : 10 Hz – 20 kHz
- Sensitivity : 108dB/1kHz
- Impedance : 26Ω
- THD : <1%/1kHz
- Connector : 0.78mm dia. 2-Pin
- Cable Specs : OCC + Silver-plated OCC wire
- Cable length : 1.2m
Pairing & Drivability:
The 7HZ Legato is a pretty easy to driver IEM shows a pretty low impedance of 26Ω and a sensitivity of 108dB, which makes is compatible for sources like Mobile Phones, USB DAC/Amplifier Dongles and Tablets.
Equipment’s used for this review:
- IEM’s : 7HZ Legato
- DAP&DAC’s : HiBy R6 III, iBasso DC04 PRO
Albums & tracks used for this review:
- Adele – My Little Love (Spotify)
- Randy Crawford – On Day I Will Fly Away (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Hayley Westenra – Odyssey Album (Dezzer HiFi)
- Dionne Warwick – Walk On By (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Sarah McLachlan – Angel (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
- Sertap Erener – Aşk (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Edith Piaf – Non Je Ne Regrette Rien (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Diana Krall – So Wonderful (DSF)
- Aretha Franklin – I Say A Little Payer (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
- Sonya Yoncheva – (Giuseppe Verdi) II Trovatore, ActI (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
- George Michael – Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
- David Bowie – Heroes (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
- Elton John – Rocket Man ((Flac 24bit/96kHz)
- Barry White – Just The Way You Are (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
- Isaac Hayes – Walk On By (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Sting – Englishman in New York – (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
- Eric Clapton – Wonderful Tonight (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
- B. King – Riding With The King (Tidal Hi-Fi)
- Dave Gahan – Kingdom (Tidal Hi-Fi)
- U2 – Sunday Bloody Sunday (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Muse – Hysteria (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
- Rush – YYZ (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Red Hot Chili Peppers – Nobody Weird Like Me (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
- Bro Safari, UFO! – Drama (Deezer HiFi)
- Rok Nardin – Berserks (Spotify)
- Bear McCreary – Valkyries “God of War OST” (Deezer HiFi)
- Armin Van Buuren – Vini Vici (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Daft Punk – Doin’ it Right (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
- Jo Blankenburg – Meraki (Spotify)
- Lorde – Royals (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
- Massive Attack – Angel (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
- Toutant – Rebirth (Deezer HiFi)
- Gogo Penguin – Raven (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
- Gogo Penguin – Murmuration (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
- Portishead – It Could Be Sweet (Spotify)
- Max Richter – On the Nature of Daylight (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
- Charly Antolini – Duwadjuwandadu (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
- Ferit Odman – Look, Stop & Listen (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
- Chopin – Nocturn No. 20 In C-Sharp Minor (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Fazıl Say – Nazım Oratoryosu (Live) (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Vivaldi – Le QuarttroStagioni “The Four Season” (Deezer HiFi)
- Otto Liebert& Luna Negra – The River (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
- Lunatic Soul – The Passage (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Deftones – My Own Summer (Shove it) (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Metallica – Sad but True (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
- Opeth – Windowpane (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Megadeth – Sweating Bullets (Tidal Hi-Fi)
- Rush’s – Leave That Thing Alone (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Slayer – Angel of Death (Spotify)
- Liquid Tension Experiment 2 – Acid Rain (Spotify)
- Yosi Horikawa – Bubbles (Spotify)
The Sound:
The 7HZ Legato has a V shaped sound signature that shows a very strong and impactful bass response along with a fairly pounced yet fatigue-free upper midrange and treble presentation. The midrange is a bit recessed that offers in general a relative transparent & clear character.
This review has been written after a burn-in period of 50 Hours. I have used the Stock Semi Transparent Silicone Ear Tips and the stock cable that are included to the package. My sound impressions below are mainly based on pairings with sources like the HiBy R6 III and iBasso DC04 PRO.
Bass:
The lower frequency region that is created by the 12mm large DLC diaphragm Dynamic Driver is the star of the show. It is produced in a pretty punchy and energetic manner, which gives the overall presentation a quite dynamic character.
The subbass region of the 7HZ Legato is shown with an excellent level of depth, rumble and extension, while the decay is on a moderate level that was audible while listen to songs like Massive Attack’s “Angle of Lorde’s “Royals”. The subbass tuning of the Legato is ideal for genres like Pop, Electronic, Trance and RnB, which makes to a good choice for bass-heads.
The midbass on the other hand is slightly less pronounced compared to the subbass region and shows a punchy, dynamic and full bodied character. Instruments like cross and snare drums are bassy, while bass and electro guitars are reproduced in a warmish tonality and full bodied manner. The lower frequency area of the 7HZ Legato is moderately fast and relative controlled, while it shows some muddiness in complex passages.
Midrange:
The midrange of the 7HZ Legato sounds a bit recessed due to the V shaped sound signature. The midrange has a soft, smooth, musical and mildly bold tonality, while the level of transparency, airiness and definition is on an average level, which is quite ok for an IEM at this price range.
The lower midrange of the 7HZ Legato has a good level of depth, intensity and warmness, which is the main reason why male vocals like Dave Gahan or Barry White and instruments like toms, violas or guitars do sound fairly musical. The sense of clarity and resolution of this area is pretty fine for an IEM at this price level.
The 7HZ Legato has a moderate highlighted upper midrange tuning. The transitions of this area are quite soft and controlled without to show any remarkable sibilance or harshness, while listen to female voices such like Adel, Aretha Franklin of Diana Krall. Instruments on the other hand such as the violins, pianos or flutes are reproduced with a sufficient grade of clarity and intensity. The extension of the upper midrange is a bit short and I would wish a bit more dynamism in this area.
Treble:
The 7HZ Legato shows a relative smooth treble tuning with a slightly warmish tonality, which sounds neither too hot nor too bright. The treble region is in general quite controlled and musical in its presentation. The lower treble region of the Legato is less pronounced compared to the upper treble register, which has an audible roll-off around the 4 kHz region. This area shows a sufficient sense of clarity, presence and definition when I do listen to guitars, violins and pianos.
The upper treble region on the other hand is more highlighted and detailed compared to the lower treble register. The level of airiness and sparkle produced in this area is pretty good. The 7HZ Legato shows a slightly warm and bold instrument presentation, while listen to strings and percussions. Instruments such like hi-hats do come slightly from the background, while the hits are lively and pronounced. Crash cymbals on the other hand are shown with an adequate grade of intensity and sharpness, while the extension is on an efficient level.
Soundstage & Imaging:
The 7HZ Legato shows an adequate performance in terms of separation and placement of instruments and vocals. The soundstage is shown with a good sense of depth, while the wideness of the stage is on an average level.
Conclusion:
The 7HZ Legato is a solid looking In-Ear Monitor with a very good build quality, which comes with a decent detachable cable and a rich set of accessories. The V shaped sound signature with its very strong and impactful bass response and the fairly pounced yet fatigue-free upper midrange and treble presentation makes the Legato do an excellent choice at this price point for genres like Pop, Electronic and RnB.
Pros & Cons:
- + Powerful yet nicely controlled Bass Response
- + Clean and Fatigue-Free Upper Midrange and Treble Presentation
- + Solid Build Quality
- + Rich set of Accessories
- – Average Technical Performance
- – Slightly Roll-Off in the Upper Midrange & Lower Treble Register
- – Wideness of the Stage
Thank you for the Read!
