ZiiGaat Horizon IEM Earphones Review – Edge Of Universal Balance
ZiiGaat Horizon is a $329 USD pair of IEM In-Ear Monitors with a Tribrid Driver combo, 1 Dynamic Driver, 2 Balanced Armature and Two Planar Drivers powering this awesome looking, awesome sounding pair of earphones powered by Linsoul. Today we review the Horizon and also compare it with other similarly priced IEMS including Kiwi Ears x HBB Punch (449 USD), ZiiGaat Luna (379 USD) and Punch Audio Martillo (329 USD).
Introduction
ZiiGaat is not a new brand for us, and they are slowly climbing in popularity, having launched a couple of earphones that can be considered FOTM or Flavor Of The Month, products with extreme popularity at the moment of launch, and with how Linsoul has been supporting ZiiGaat, I can confirm that they are slowly reaching for the skies with those, although there is no clear brand direction, each product being a surprise with a surprise tuning.
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Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/4oddVBB
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c3NmIEpt
Build Quality – Design
ZiiGaat Horizon reached us before the moment of their official launch, so it is interesting to be the first to hear a tribrid IEM that blends a powerful bass, natural mids and airy treble, advertised by the company. We also see the driver configuration which sports one 10mm dynamic driver, and two balanced armature drivers, both being a custom 30262-163 BA designed for the Horizon. To top it off, ZiiGaat includes two planar magnetic drivers for the Horizon, and they manage to deliver a pair of IEMS 3D printed medical-grade resin shells, and with custom hand-testing and channel matching.
Cable is custom made for ZiiGaat Horizon and also modular, with an interchangeable Jack connector, and with an IEM-side 2-Pin connector with 0.78mm pins. This is an ultra-pure grade silver-plated oxygen-free copper, with an even braiding to remove handling noise. Horizon comes with one year of warranty, and has an average SPL of 102 dB, but a rated impedance of 24 OHMs. This being said, Luxsin X9 detects the impedance of the Horizon to be 32 OHMs, but I don’t know if this isn’t actually a limitation of X9 of being able to either detect an impedance of 16 OHMs or 32 OHMs, and no in between, but I thought it is worthy to mention. Audibly, Horizon acts as a 32 OHM impedance IEM in sensitivity and noise rejection.
With a THD of 0.55%, Horizon comes with both 3.5mm single ended and 4.4mm balanced jack plugs, and 6 pairs of silicone IEMS, including transparent silicone that is sticky, for better bass and seal, and one pair of black foam eartips. Horizon also coms with a beautiful brown transport case.
Fit – Subjective Usage
Although comfort is not mentioned that much on the page of the ZiiGaat Horizon, it is a super comfortable pair of IEMS, with a really light weight for the shells, but also an ergonomic shape. That 3D printed medical-grade resin works really well for my ears, and the whole IEMs feel super comfy. Cable comfort is also outstanding. This is a cable that feels lightweight, flexible and conducts zero microphonic noise thanks to the somewhat loose braiding and specific cover PU material.
Passive noise isolation is average to good, between 15 dB and 22 dB, depending on the frequency, and Horizon does not leak a lot, plus it has no driver flex, no void and wearing comfort is top notch. Transport case is a big bonus as it is nice and offers actual protection for the Horizon and this is one of the few IEMS that has quality enough sticky eartips that I can use them.
Sound Quality
Pairings – To test the freshly released ZiiGaat Horizon, I have paired them with Rose Technics RT-5000, Dethonray Clarinet, iBasso DX340, Lotoo PAW GT2, FiiO K15, FiiO QX13. ZiiGaat Horizon does need a bit of power, but it is a little bit easier to drive than IEMS with a similar SPL and 32 OHM impedance, so it is likely that the 24 OHM impedance is correct. Happily, they are rather resistant to source signature and noise, so you can easily pair the Horizon with most dongle DAC AMPs on the market, and since they won’t need the kind of power that a desktop DAC AMP delivers, you’ll have a good experience with most portables. They scale with source quite a bit so you might want to use a high-end DAP like Surfans f35 or Shanling M7T.
Overall Signature – ZiiGaat Horizon is unique compared to other ZiiGaat IEMS, this one is rather airy, atmospheric, but also vocally engaging, has a deep punch and a bright, airy treble. Overall, it is the only ZiiGaat IEM that sounds this way, most other options being more traditionally tuned. Horizon has a really wide soundstage but enough bass impact to make up for the space. Overall tonality temperature is neutral – slightly cold, while texture is natural-fast, edging on dry.
Bass – Starting at the low-end, Horizon reaches around 30 Hz down below, with most energy being rendered between 40 Hz and 120 Hz for the bass, it has a bit of extra thickness, a bit of extra warmth and bloom, but it is not muddy nor uncontrolled. Bass hits are fairly powerful while voices are crisp, airy, and mostly separated from the bass. There’s a more clear outline in that sub bass and mid bass, with a less present upper bass.
Midrange – Despite the less present upper bass, lower midrange has quite a bit of strength, male voices are emphasized slightly above female voices, and deeper female voices are more present than thinner and brighter sounding female voices. This being said, the tonality color is neutral-cold, the overall tonal balance is brighter due to the lower treble having quite a bit of strength. Horizon reveals quite a bit of information in the lower treble, but information in the midrange is softer, more gentle, those two balanced armatures are tuned for smoothness to compensate for the usually fast and dry sound of BA drivers.
Treble – At the top end, ZiiGaat Horizon delivers a fast, sharp and bright treble, it is sharp and has more detail, more information revealed than in the midrange and the bass. It is rather sharp and has a peaking range between 11 kHz and 17 kHz, which creates an acute, airy and atmospheric sound for the Horizon. Treble is quite good for POP and EDM, as it gives music a strong special effect and synth rendering, without making the midrange fatiguing. This being said, it can be a bit peaky for certain aggro metal, although for Deathcore and Death Metal, it works just fine.
Dynamics And Textures – Zii Gaat gave their Horizon a smooth texture in the midrange, a slightly harder texture in the bass, and a sharp, edgy, fast response for the treble, resulting in a uniquely detailed sound without the harshness. You really notice the difference in impulse response of each set of drivers. Horizon has a slight compression effect which further enhances the detail revealing ability of the Horizon, most instruments and music tend to sound similar in volume, which we usually call compression.
Loudness Saturation Gradient – Given all of the above, Horizon is very enjoyable at low and medium volumes, and it gets more aggressive, more compressed at higher volumes. Given that most people listen to more aggressive music at higher volumes, this is a fun combo where the IEMS get more punchy, more colorful the louder you go.
Soundstage – With a wide and airy soundstage, Horizon extends nicely in both width and depth. Separation is natural, if slightly blended. Instruments are not cut apart from each other and instead Horizon sounds open and atmospheric, music blends naturally, soundstage is relaxed and slightly scattered.
Comparisons
ZiiGaat Horizon vs Punch Audio Martillo (329 USD vs 329 USD) – Horizon feels lighter, is more ergonomic and fits better in my ears than Martilo. It also has a lighter, more flexible cable that pulls less on the IEMS while Martilo has a heavy, thick cable that pulls on the IEM and also conducts more handling noise. Both are similarly easy to drive, but Martilo is more sensitive to source noise, and Martilo isolates a bit more from the ambient noise. Sonically, Martilo is extremely thick, heavy and basshead, while Horizon sounds far more balanced, more natural, voices are where they ought to be, treble extends more, resolution is higher for Horizon while soundstage is also wider and deeper for Horizon. Overall, the choice is simple here, if you want a basshead warm and devastatingly bloomy experience, Martilo will deliver that, while if you’re looking for a universal, balanced sound, you’ll get the Horizon.
ZiiGaat Horizon vs Kiwi Ears x HBB Punch (329 USD vs 449 USD) – Although Kiwi Ears Punch markets its basshead signature, it is rather balanced actually, but physically, both IEMS are lighter, more comfortable. Punch feels more compact, a bit heavier, and the cable is also a bit less flexible, so Horizon ends up being more comfortable, has a lighter cable, lighter shells, and more comfortable fit. Sonically, both are rather balanced, with a mostly full bass, both are clean and fun, Punch has a slightly thicker more compact sound, while Horizon sounds lighter, more airy, more atmospheric and more snappy. While I am having a good experience with both, they are also similar, but Horizon has a slightly more universal signature and it is priced less than the Punch.
ZiiGaat Horizon vs ZiiGaat Luna (329 USD vs 379 USD) – Luna is made by ZiiGaat, it features a similar comfort, although Horizon seems to sport a better, thicker, more reliable cable. They have similar noise isolation, but Luna is more sensitive to source quality, signature and noise levels. Horizon sounds fuller, deeper, has more impact and while Luna is closer to the ZiiGaat Neutral Tuning, Horizon is atmospheric but deep, more controlled and more universal / more versatile.
Value and Conclusion
Although ZiiGaat Horizon is not cheap, it plays fair and square, and wins against the competition that is pricier, delivering an engaging, vivid, punchy sound. With an excellent comfort to match the quality cable and nice transport case, ZiiGaat Horizon has strong inherent value but also is helped a lot by the technical sonic performance it delivers at the asking price.
At its core, ZiiGaat Horizon is incredibly balanced to work well with all music styles and if you’re looking for the Magic Of Chifi, or for a pair of earphones that will deliver exceptional resolution, but be musical and versatile enough to not be called mid centric, nor analytical, if you’re looking for that magical sweet spot that exists only at the edge where all other signatures meet, you have to give ZiiGaat Horizon a chance and let it be the IEM you always dreamt of.
PROs
- Artistic design with really interesting shells
- Lightweight and comfortable shells built using medical-grade resin
- High-Grade cable with modular jack connectors
- Universal 2-Pin connectors at the IEM side
- High quality transport case
- High quality eartips included in the package
- Universal signature with a wide and deep soundstage
- Strong bass kick down to 30 Hz
- Strong air and treble presence up to 19 kHz
- Detailed signature without sounding dry and analytical
- Balanced in general, versatile and above everything, very universal sound
Cons
- Can be slightly sensitive to source quality and noise levels
- Needs a high-end source to truly reach its potential
- Atmospheric and Airy midrange is unique to it
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/4oddVBB
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c3NmIEpt
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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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