>My computer headphone jack, I do know that I had to increase the volume on the Zero's to have it the same sound quantity as the S12 Pros

Your motherboard's headphone output likely has high output impedance, so I recommend trying an Apple USB-C dongle if you'd prefer less bass without relying on EQ. You can use a USB-A to USB-C adapter if your motherboard lacks a USB-C port.

It may be easier if you compensate (flatten) the graph, as comparing curved lines is inherently harder. You can do this by pressing the little squiggle line next to the target on squig.link

You'll notice that once flattened, the S12 has more emphasis in the treble than the Zero.

One thing to note with these IEM graphs is the 8khz peak is a resonance from the coupler itself, and the following dip and secondary peak are also due to the coupler, so the treble above 8khz on these graphs are not always representative of what your hear in your own ear

Yeah that's what I am learning. I do really like the S12 Pro's from the fit, the cable and just the overall quality I feel like I could wear these long periods of time without issues.

I really need to start understanding the graphs better, I am not sure what to look for with the "down tilt" you speak of. I would like to understand this better for sure. Thank you for responding and helping me figure this out.

Just the headphone jack on the front of my computer. Here's a screenshot of the amp that's build into the motherboard if that helps any. https://imgur.com/a/sQDD84L

I am at the ground floor with learning about this hobby. Is there a program people like to use to EQ headphones? I use windows 11 if that helps.

What are you driving them with? The Zeros’s frequency response is pretty amp-sensitive

no problem! Do give them a try for a couple of days, you'll probably get used to them. if it's still not to your liking, then you could return them or try some EQ.

My computer headphone jack, I do know that I had to increase the volume on the Zero's to have it the same sound quantity as the S12 Pros.

Not sure if this helps? https://imgur.com/a/sQDD84L

The overall balance of the two IEMs. The treble boost of the S12 pro could tilt the tonal balance towards more treble emphasis, while the darker tone of the Zero could lead to a down tilt in the response making is sound more bass focused

>I even tried to tip swap the ear tips from one IEM to the other and it made no difference, the Zero's just sound like they have more bass.

What are you connecting your IEMs to? The Truthear Zero are sensitive to output impedance, given their impedance curve.

Thank you for responding and helping me understand this a bit better. I guess I was naive thinking "higher" on the frequency chart meant "better" but I was mislead by my own understanding.

I think I will listen to the S12 Pro's for a few days and try to get adjusted to them more. My initial impressions were just "these don't have more bass, but the graph says they should"... so I knew I was missing something.

Thank you again for explaining it to me so I can understand it better.

Thank you for your response and it makes total sense. I guess I was guilty of just thinking "higher up" on the frequency was "more bass" but as you said that's not the case.

I do really like the feel, shape and cable of the S12 Pro's so I will take your advice and just give them a better shake for a few days. I do like the way they sound but I guess I am so use to the thump that I was taken back a bit.

Thank you again for helping me understand this better.

tons of factors at play here.

A major common mistake when reading these graphs is taking each part individually as their own section, when in fact, it is all related. Treble can influence bass perception, and you should take into account the whole FR instead of just focusing purely on amplitude at certain frequencies

There's also your music choice that might influence how bass is perceived. Bass covers quite a wide range of frequencies, and different genres will emphasize different frequencies.

imo, the truthear zero has noticeable bass presence because of its elevated upper midrange combined with a midbass tuck. This creates a sense of contrast with the clear midrange/treble of the iem, which makes the bass seem more prominent.

the s12 (not the pro) had more note weight and midbass in my experience, but that does come with a lack of bass separation/impact that the zero has.

I think you should try using the S12's for at least a couple of days. You might find out after getting used to them that you actually prefer them over the Truthear Zero. Of course, if you don't you can always just return them.

On a separate note while graphs can give you the general idea of how a headphone/IEM sounds, they really are not the complete story. Head shape, and ear shape also play a huge part in how you hear a headphone/IEM. You might hear more bass on the Truthear Zero because they seal better in your ear canal.

Furthermore, even if someone has the same head/ear shape as someone else they might still hear a headphone/IEM differently because each person has a unique HRTF which will emphasize certain frequencies

TL;DR: graphs are good, but don't always expect to hear something exactly how a graph shows it

Well that answers that now I feel dumb not understanding the graph. I just saw the S12 Pro outshining the Zero's in the area's I wanted and figured they would be the better sounding IEM.

In your opinion should listen to the S12 Pro's to get adjusted to their sound, or since I enjoyed the bass better from the Zero's I should just return the S12's?

probably because the S12 uses a planar driver while the Truthear Zero uses a dynamic driver. from what i understand dynamic drivers inherently have more punchy bass than planar drivers while planar drivers are better at delivering more linear/faster bass

I am new to IEM's and trying to understand what I am missing. I even tried to tip swap the ear tips from one IEM to the other and it made no difference, the Zero's just sound like they have more bass.

Plugging them into the computer port: https://imgur.com/a/sQDD84L

Bass Boosted Song, The Weekend - Hills: https://youtu.be/T6szBIcBAd8

Game 7.1 Tested: https://youtu.be/jnv8lIq7pOM

Binural Car Racing Test: https://youtu.be/0fZ2tj9Idgo

All That Remains - Chiron: https://youtu.be/dqw2WAcv8Tw

Connor Maynard - Nothing but you https://youtu.be/SD5EwigRcNg

Final Countdown - https://youtu.be/9jK-NcRmVcw

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>I honestly don't know why so many audio products have QC issues these days.

Gotta maximize those profits and cut every corner you can lol.

It seems my case is not very common, but if you purchase a pair of these (or ANY audio product), I highly recommend purchasing from a seller with a good returns policy. I honestly don't know why so many audio products have QC issues these days.

It's probably the unit. I tested with the stock cables and my custom ones. I'll probably return them and pick up another pair.

Mine is fine, could be your unit or the cables itself.

Just focus on enjoying the new hardware. Don't worry about anticipating another purchase for a while... You and I hope.

Leave him alone and don't be anal about it.

Gotta imagine the squeeze isn’t worth the juice