Disclosure: The 7Hz x HBB Elua was provided by Linsoul for this review. Please read more about our product review disclosure here.

The 7Hz x HBB Elua represents something truly special in the budget IEM market. Why? Because it absolutely surprised me. This IEM is a collaboration between 7Hz and HBB (Hawaii Bad Boy) and is marketed to deliver a balanced sound signature utilizing a dual dynamic driver configuration. At $30 USD you’d be forgiven for thinking that there’s not much to expect here, especially since brand collaborations are all the rage lately. So is there something special and unique here? What exactly surprised me? Read on to find the answers to these questions.

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• 7Hz x HBB Elua
• 3.5mm cable
• Set of 6 silicone ear tips
• Manual

The accessory package includes six pairs of silicone ear tips, offering an impressive variety for finding an optimal fit. While the cable’s flat design helps with storage and handling, its very thin construction left me wanting more substance. It has an L shape 3.5mm connector, which I actually like, but the microphonics when moving the cable are noticeable. Otherwise, it’s the type of cable you’d expect to get at this price range. And that’s all the accessories the Elua comes with, pretty bare bones here.

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The 7Hz x HBB Elua features thoughtfully implemented contrasting textures on the faceplates, making it look like it’s made of metal. The 7Hz logo and Elua name are featured on the faceplate, and overall I really like this aesthetic. Contrast that with the clear plastic shells that allow you to see the dual driver design inside the IEMs. The clear shells and unique faceplate present an overall understated aesthetic that is nice to see.

On the nozzle is a metal flower-patterned filter, similar to that of the 7Hz G1 I recently reviewed, unlike the G1 though the nozzles of the Elua are plastic. They seem to be average length as well.

Comfort is good here, I had no issues with fit or physical ear fatigue. After hitting the 2-hour mark I started to encounter comfort issues, which is usually the case with me and IEMs. Isolation is between average and above average, which I would consider a positive for a budget IEM.

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The 7Hz x HBB Elua uses a dual dynamic driver setup. The 10mm driver supports the bass and lower midrange, and the 8mm driver is utilized for the upper midrange and treble.

The Elua doesn’t necessarily demand high-end sources, but it truly opens up with proper amplification. I found I had to increase the volume more than you would think for an 18-ohm 107 dB SPL IEM. That volume is needed for the Elua to achieve its balanced sound signature. I recommend a dongle DAC such as the iFi GO Link/GO Link Max, Qudelix 5K, FiiO BTR13, or similar.

The sound signature sounds V-shaped but definitely favors the low end. The reason good volume headroom and amplification opens up the sound of the Elua is that without that headroom or amplification, the midrange becomes very recessed and completely throws off the balance of emphasized bass and extended treble.

See what I mean about surprising?

Bass

I’ll be direct, I’m not a bass guy, but I love the low end on the Elua. The sub-bass elevation delivers an authoritative punch, creating a subwoofer-like experience in my ears that I rarely encounter at this price point. Play any track from Massive Attack’s album Mezzanine and you’ll hear what I mean, the bass hits with impressive weight while maintaining clarity. This kind of bass control usually demands much higher prices.

Midrange

As I mentioned before, if you don’t have the volume headroom or amplification from your source, the midrange is going to suffer. It will become too recessed where vocals and guitars will sound veiled and thin, and then bass and treble sound too overpowered.

If you have a decent source though, then wow. The midrange tuning surprises with a clean sound, a little warmth, and great vocals. Make and female vocals sound just great here. The breathiness and cinematic feel of Lana Del Ray’s voice in Blue Bannisters really comes through, as does Mark Lanegan’s rough and grovely voice Deep Black Vanishing Train.  The Elua maintains exceptional clarity and natural timbre throughout here.

Treble

Unlike many budget IEMs that artificially boost treble for perceived detail, the Elua takes a more sophisticated approach. Critical listening sessions with well-recorded jazz reveal pristine cymbal decay and string harmonics without any harsh peaks or artificial emphasis. Detail and resolution are excellent for this price, as is the fun aspect that doesn’t sacrifice accuracy.

The treble nicely balances the emphasized bass without sounding too bright or sharp. It’s actually quite smooth for a bright IEM, which means little to no listening fatigue.

Soundstage and Imaging

The soundstage is more wide than deep, though I would put them as above average for an IEm in the price point. Nothing sounds big or around you, but it’s also not intimate. Imaging is very good and accurate. Tracks like Yosi Horikawa’s Letter always help to see how well an IEM does, in this regard, and the Elua performs great.

Gaming

The gaming performance caught me off guard. When playing through Call of Duty multiplayer, the directional audio cues were reasonably precise. Enemy footsteps and gunfire were positioned accurately. Skyrim sounded good, though you lose the atmospheric immersion when the soundstage isn’t large. Half-Life 2, which I’ve been playing a lot of since the recent update, works really well with the Elua and makes for a fun yet accurate audio experience.

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The 7Hz x HBB Elua is a unique IEM due to how good it sounds in relation to its price. The sound profile won’t be for everyone, especially those looking strictly for a harmon-sounding IEM. In fact, it took a while for my ears to get used to the sound of the Elua simply because many IEMs being released right now are sticking close to the Harmon target.

In this regard, the Elua stands out. The price of $30 USD makes it a very cheap and low-risk IEM for those looking for something different. If you look at my audio testing playlist (click here or see above at the beginning of the Sound Quality section) and you find you have similar musical tastes to me, I can definitely recommend the 7Hz x HBB Elua to you as it performs extremely well for them. For other music genres, the Elua is also well suited, just keep in mind if the overall sound profile suits your needs.

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I’m not always able to cover all the details of a product, both hardware and software, in our reviews. If you have any specific questions you’d like answered about this product please feel free to leave a comment or contact me directly.

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