Impressionist Avant Garde Performer – Sweear He-N7PRO IEMs
Sweear He-N7PRO is a $769 USD Hybrid Driver In-Ear Monitor with 7 Drivers in total, one 10mm dynamic driver, and 6 balanced armatures, for creating what we will reveal today to be a very different sound and tuning from the other IEM we’ve reviewed from the same company. Besides reviewing the He-N7PRO, we will also compare it with other similarly priced IEMs, including ThieAudio Origin (849 USD), YanYin Carmen (849 USD), and Sweear He-Live5 (899 USD).
Introduction
Sweear is a boutique company that produces high-end Earphones including the mighty He-Live5 that we have reviewed in the past. This company is set on creating some impressive shells, a comfortable wearing experience, and they have some of the finest workmanship and quality out there. Right now the company is adding the products they make to Amazon, so they should be easier to purchase globally, although using their website is very easy, and they ship globally.
As an Amazon Influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases, and using the purchase links in my reviews helps me maintain this website and Youtube Channel. Huge thanks to Sweear for providing us with the sample for this review.
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3ECx6Ds
Official Link – https://www.sweear.com/products/sweear-he-n7pro
Build Quality / Aesthetics
As a reviewer, I enjoy products with brief descriptions, where marketing doesn’t take over the actual quality of the product. This being said, HE-N7PRO is powered by a combination of 7 drivers, one dynamic, and 6 balanced armature drivers. We get a 3-way crossover design, with an IPP tech of 3 pipes, and a sensitivity of 112 dB.
High Sensitivity combined with a low impedance of 16 OHMs indicates that HE-N7 PRO is rather easy to drive, and the quoted official frequency response is between 9 Hz and 23 kHz. The company promises a new wave of engineering, with improved comfort and fitting, and a more extended frequency response, relying on the customized dynamic driver for the improved bass response.
Redesigned 3-Way Crossover with an Independent Pipeline Purify will smooth the response of the drivers and improve on the impact. All N7 PRO IEMs produced after September 2024 will come with an improved cable, but as far as I recall, our unit came in before, so you should receive yours with an even better cable.
Fit / Subjective Usage
While for most IEMs that I review, I feel the need to immediately replace the cable, eartips and to customize things to make them bearable, N7 PRO is actually really comfortable, if you go for the ddHiFi ST-35, but with the original cable. I took a couple of photos of the Sweear He-N7 PRO using an upgrade cable, but the default one is rather flexible, and also does not conduct microphonic noise, and best of all, it is modular. This means that for all practical usages, you should be ultra comfy using it.
There is no driver flex, no void, the ventilation inside of the IEM is very good, and overall N7 PRO feels comfortable, almost reaching the level of being one of my favorite IEMs in the whole world in terms of comfort. I recently had to sleep using ear plugs as I trying to cope with living in an apartment and planning to soon move to a house, so I am used to really comfortable fitting, but He-N7 PRO is actually more comfortable than the sleeping earplugs I am using.
Sound Quality
Pairings – To test the Sweear He-N7PRO, I have paired it with a selection of sources, including Rose Technics RT-5000, Shanling EH1, Dethonray Listening M1, Dethonray Clarinet, iBasso DX340, Lotoo PAW GT2, Sparkos Gemini driven by Fosi Audio ZD3, and Singxer SA-1 V2 driven by HIFIMAN EF500. You’re not likely to require this level of amplification and complexity, and HE N7 PRO can easily be driven using simple dongles, and portable solutions, including iBasso Nunchaku, of FiiO JM21. It is rather sensitive to source noise and you will have to get a good source, but as with most IEMS with an impedance of 16 OHMs, most sources will have just a faint hissing audible and this will not pose a big issue. Even with FiiO K9 PRO ESS, K17 and most desktop DAC / Headphone AMPS I cannot say I hear any kind of hissing, except for some of the DAc/AMPs that have a really high output impedance.
Overall Signature – Sweear He-N7PRO sounds rather bombastic, impressive, V-Shaped with a really thick, lush and delightfully thick bass, sharp treble spike to counter the heavy bass, with a thick and lush midrange. It is the most musical, most delightful presentation with a really warm take that I’ve heard in the price range. It really does not sound neutral or cold, it is warm, fun, lush, it provides the kind of signature analogue fans would instantly fall in love with.
Bass – Starting from the bottom-end, HE-N7 PRO is thick, lush, bombastic, huge, wide, warm, groovy, fun, and deep. Low-End Extension starts from 20 Hz, but most of the energy peaks around 40 Hz, and keeps peaking up to 120 Hz, with both impact and thickness. It manages to fill every song with a thick, lush substance, body and gives all music presence, richness and warmth. Truly magic, HE-N7 PRO is one of the most pleasing sounding IEMS I’ve ever heard in the low-end for groovy music, the decay is slow, sloppy and satisfying.
Midrange – The richness and lushness continues to the midrange, which inherits a rather thick, warm and delightful presentation from the thick bass, and He-N7 PRO emphasizes both male voices, but also female voices thanks to a peaky upper midrange and treble that manages to bring some energy and emotion into the mids. Most instruments are both shadowed by the rich bass and body, but also blessed with a sparkly, sharp treble that’s fun and exciting.
Treble – We also have a sharp, crisp treble, although the overall total treble energy only is within 5-10 dB lower than the bass energy, allowing all music to sound warmer than it sounds bright and sharp. Treble extension easily reaches 20 kHz, but most of the energy rolls off softly and smoothly above 14 kHz, so most of the treble energy is found between 9 kHz and 13 kHz. This gives music a specific type of air and crispness, but it is not the most versatile approach.
PRaT / Textures / Dynamic – All textures are heavily thick, lush and organic, rich. This is because the heavy body that bass brings to the table will coat all textures, except for the upper midrange and the treble, which is much quicker and snappier. This works well for metal, rock and fast music that sounds both heavy, deep but also quick and detailed. For slower music, you don’t really notice that upper midrange / lower treble speed increase, so it all ends up sounding rather lush and fun.
Volume Control – This is rather unexpected, but He-N7 PRO has perfect volume control and loudness gradient. This means that it will sound fairly similar across all volume levels, THD does not increase significantly at higher or lower volumes, and it is versatile, with a huge headroom. Dynamics are high at both high and low volumes, music becomes a bit more vivid at higher volumes, but only slightly, it is generally really consistent.
Soundstage – He-N7 PRO is slightly intimate, bringing voices and lead instruments close to the listener, allowing for a special moment with each song. This works really well for slower music, Jazz, Classical and musi that is typically too scattered for its own good, and He-N7PRO cannot ever sound distant or vague. This being said, the effect can feel a bit too intimate for rock and metal, which usually has a very limited staging.
Comparisons
Sweear HE-N7PRO vs Sweear He-Live5 (769 USD vs 899 USD) – The comfort is improved on the HE-N7 PRO, it has less void, the shells are smaller and lighter, while the cable is still modular. While both IEMs are on the easy to drive side of things, He-N7 PRO is harder to drive, requires more power but it is less sensitive to noise than the pricier HE-Live5. Sonically, He-Live5 is really neutral, bright, has a sharp treble, more precision, but far less grooviness and less bass, while HE-N7 PRO is far more versatile, more bombastic, fuller, warmer, more impactful, it is basically the He-Live5 if it had a ton of bass impact, a big and boofy bass. Overall, if you like a warm sound, you will be delighted with the HE-N7 PRO, while if what you seek is utmost precision, clarity and a brighter, neutral sound, He-Live5 is more of a monitoring IEM, perfect for stage and music work.
Sweear HE-N7PRO vs ThieAudio Origin (769 USD vs 849 USD) – While on paper Origin and He-N7 PRO look similar, Origin has a heavier, bigger shell that feels less comfortable, while the cable of the Origin is much thicker and sounds a bit better, the cable of the HE-N7PRO is much more ergonomic, and easier to use. Transport case is mostly equal, and so is the build quality. Overall, Origin is a bit easier to drive, but also more sensitive to noise and hissing. Sonically, Origin is more neutral, less warm, has more sub-bass, a colder, more precise midrange, and a brighter, sharper treble. Overall, Origin is closer to the source sound, sounds wider and expands the sound more. By contrast, HeN7PRO sounds more intimate, music and voices feel closer to you, bass is warmer, fuller, and more analogue-like, midrange is warmer, while the temperature of the sound is much warmer. He-N7 PRO sounds more romantic, does not reveal quite as much detail, but sounds richer, with more body.
Sweear HE-N7PRO vs YanYin Carmen (769 USD vs 849 USD) – Carmen is a bit larger, with a slightly heavier shell, but comes with a thicker, yet similarly ergonomic cable when compared to HeN7 PRO. Carmen is quite a bit more sensitive to source noise, but also a bit easier to drive. Sonically, Carmen is bassier, fuller sounding, but lacks the treble edge that He-N7 PRO has, which makes it less detailed, to the point of sounding a bit veiled. In contrast, He N7 PRO has better volume control, sounds better both at quiet and at loud volumes, has more details, sounds richer and it is generally a better IEM following a very similar signature compared to Carmen.
Value and Conclusion
Even though the new He-N7PRO is a more affordable option than the He-Live5 that we’ve reviewed, it is more versatile, and more comfortable too, resulting in a better experience. Compared to the overall market, He-N7 PRO has one of the most vivid, most dynamic, punchiest and most engaging sonic signatures, providing us with a sound that’s both fun but also rich in details, clear and clean. The company includes a rich set of accessories, one of the best cables and one of the best transport cases in the package, creating what I consider to be an exceptionally high value product considering the current market.
At the end of the day, If you are looking for a pair of IEMs / In-Ear Monitors with an exceptionally vivid sound, V-Shaped signature, large, wide and warm bass, sharp and crisp treble, and with a rich presentation, including a natural voicing, Sweear He-N7 PRO will add an exceptional package, and excellent comfort, resulting in a mix that should provide to be delightful and fun to use for years to come.
PROs
- Excellent comfort, much better than most of the competition
- Lightweight and beautiful
- Bombastic bass, rich midrange, crisp treble
- V-Shaped signature that is really versatile, combines well with everything
- Wide soundstage
- Modular cable
- Excellent Price / Performance ratio
Cons
- Very thick and warm sound is an acquired taste
- Can sound too warm at times
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3ECx6Ds
Official Link – https://www.sweear.com/products/sweear-he-n7pro
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Full Playlist used for this review
We listened to more songs than those named in this playlist, but those are excellent for identifying a sonic signature. I recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new music! The playlists are different for Spotify, Tidal and Youtube, and based on the songs I enjoy and are available on each!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_cjBXGmwSHSdGcwuc_bKbBDGHL4QvYBu
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5J3oloz8Riy9LxEGenOjQ0?si=979ba4f082414be7
https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/330fd544-8e5b-4839-bd35-676b2edbb3d5
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