It took the better part of an year but here we are with what can be seen as a different version of the Truthear x Crinacle ZERO from Aug, 2022. I will not say the newer ZERO:RED is a v2 or even an objective upgrade, think of it more as a different flavor of sound—or a different color, if I may be so punny. The Truthear x Crinacle ZERO:RED addressed the two main issues I had with the original ZERO and I quite like it.

Let's talk more about why, since I know many would have skipped the previous pages to come here directly. You see, the original Truthear ZERO was a market disrupter by having a new brand come out of nowhere with nice accessories and build/aesthetics alike combined with a then-rarely-seen dual dynamic driver configuration that had one driver solely catering to the lower frequencies like a subwoofer. It also provided a close approximation of the Harman target that a few people clearly love, and resulted in many other brands following suit with their own take on the same formula. I do not agree that the Harman in-ear target is representative of the tastes of the general populace however, especially when it comes to the ear gain in the upper mids which are likely to result in an overly bright sound as well as potentially nasally and shouty vocals that take away from the general idea of presenting elevated bass with clean mids. The crossover in the ZERO also seems relatively rudimentary compared to what's implemented here in the ZERO:RED, and I had some issues with imaging as well as instrumental prominence there.

The Truthear x Crinacle ZERO:RED now gives you tunable bass, going for a lower amount of bass by default which results in a cleaner sound overall and one that I prefer. Those wanting more bass can simply plug in the included 10 Ω impedance adapter—one that is hard to purchase, by the way—and get a bassier, warmer, slightly less resolving set. There is no bass tuck anymore and the sub-bass extension also goes throughout the lower frequencies rather than having that dip in the ZERO which I still think was an overblown issue given the lack of any significant music under 50 Hz. Then there's the part where the ear gain is reduced to a far more manageable level and there is no upper mids elevation to help avoid sibilance. This is one of the best tuned sets I have ever used with some no doubt seeing similarities to other, far more expensive IEMs such as the ThieAudio Monarch MK.2. At the same time, there are several other IEMs in the price range of the ZERO:RED, or even slightly below, which can give you a similar tonality. Where the ZERO:RED makes its mark is with the dual DD implementation which makes for a very different sound compared to those single-DD sets, and we end up with an impactful bass, clean mids, and decently extended treble response too.

There remain some concerns I have still and I don't think the ZERO:RED would have competed favorably against $150-200 sets on the market, be it planar, dynamic, or hybrid in design. It's not as resolving as I would have liked and, more importantly, the thick nozzle is still present here to be challenging for those with smaller ear canals. The shells are relatively thick too so anyone who tried the Truthear x Crinacle ZERO and walked away due to a fit/seal issue will find the same here. The impedance adapter is also a compromise overall, and yet I suspect we will now see other brands ship such adapters in the box to try and appeal to their audience. The new Truthear x Crinacle ZERO:RED has a lot of hype behind it owing to the two brands involved as well as the time taken to fine tune the set. I am glad to report that the final version is likely to shake up the market once again, and does so while costing all of $5 more than the original ZERO. Given the impedance adapter in the box is already an extra accessory and the overall changes are to the better as far as I am concerned, this gets an easy recommendation.