Incredibly Beautiful Design – ZiiGaat Arcanis IEMS
ZiiGaat Arcanis is a $399 USD pair of professional IEMS with a Dual Dynamic Driver + 5 Balanced Armature Drivers setup, Hand Assembled and designed with an impedance of 12 OHMs. Today we will review the Arcanis, study how they compare with other similarly priced IEMS that we’ve recently reviewed, including Simgot EM10 (439 USD) and Xenns Mangird Tea PRO (359 USD).
Introduction
Linsoul continues their adventure of creating some of the most popular, high-performance IEMS in the whole world with the new Arcanis model. We’ve previously reviewed IEMs from ZiiGaat from other price ranges, including the ZiiGaat Arcadia (very similar name, different setup and price), ZiiGaat Arete, and ZiiGaat Cincotres. All of them had superb price / performance ratio, but very different sound signatures, so today we approach with excitement and joy the new Arcanis, looking at what ziiGaat brings to the market with their latest pair of earphones.
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 ZiiGaat for providing us with the sample for this review.
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/4khBY0u
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_oCF6X3o
Build Quality / Aesthetics
ZiiGaat Arcanis features a 7-Driver setup which includes Two Dynamic Drivers, ran in a Dual 10mm dynamic driver setup with an isobaric configuration, to provide a deep ruble and minimal distortion, promising a subwoofer-like experience with 9dB of extra punch at 20 Hz. Together with 5 Knowles Balanced Armature Drivers, and directed by a 4-Way Passive Crossover, the whole IEM is quite creative with the driver approach.
On the outer side, Arcanis is hand-assembled from 3D printed Medical Grade Resin, with individual painting and quality control checks to ensure high-end craftsmanship. ZiiGaat designed the Arcanis with a very low impedance of 16 OHMS, and a relatively high SPL of 106 dB, all with a low THD of 0.42%. Whole setup includes a Dual 10mm PET driver setup, two Knowles 29689 Driver, two Knowles 32873 and one Knowles 33518 driver.
Some of the drivers seen here are used in other IEMS too, including Arcadia, Mangird Tea PRO, Soundz Flame, ZiiGaat Cincotres, and IKKO OH10S. This is in no way a direct indication of how the Arcanis will sound like, and the driver needs to be fine tuned, each acoustic chamber will change the sound and so will the crossover, along with passive filtering along the way to your ears.
Fit / Subjective Usage
Like with most ZiiGaat IEMS, wearing comfort is excellent and Arcanis is made of a light resin, it is ergonomic in shape and design, and just feels super nice inside of my ears. Passive noise isolation is medium at around 15 dB of passive noise isolation, but while music is playing, you will not hear much from the outside compared to most IEMs.
Arcanis comes with a thin, but flexible cable, it conducts no microphonic noise, it is ended in a 3.5mm single ended connector, and it has a 2-Pin connector, being user replaceable. There is no void and no driver flex, it feels super nice, and it is relatively easy to drive, not being sensitive to source noise. The portable case is hard and protects the Arcanis relatively well.
Sound Quality
Pairings – To test the ZiiGaat Arcanis, I have paired it with a selection of sources, including Rose Technics RT-5000, Dethonray Listening M1, Dethonray Clarinet, iBasso DX340, Lotoo PAW GT2. You won’t really need much to properly drive the Arcanis, they are easy to drive and fun to use, so you can generally get by just fine by using iBasso Nunchaku, or FiiO JM21. Arcanis will not present source noise and hissing easily, it is free of sonic issues, and generally very fun to listen to and use. At most, it is a bit sensitive to source power and a bit easy to overpower with sources if you are using high gain.
Overall Signature – ZiiGaat Arcanis is an IEM that made me go WOW from the first moment I plugged it in my ears, they have a surprisingly revealing sound, with an excellent technical ability, wide soundstage bright and sharp treble, but with a strong punch in the bass, being balanced for a wide selection of music styles, from rock to EDM, Pop and Electronic, even Metal and Classical sounds excellent as presented by Arcanis. It is a really revealing, lightweight, snappy / crisp sounding pair of IEMS that show how finely tuned and high-quality Chifi really shines. The general sound of Arcanis feels a bit on the bright side of things, lightweight and airy.
Bass – Starting from with those dual dynamic drivers, Arcanis might have a dual 10 mm dynamic driver setup for the bass, but it is still almost neutral in the bass, it is barely V-Shaped or U-Shaped in the sound, having a rather lightweight signature that is fast, snappy. You can hear that the balanced armature drivers have a bit more impact and presence, more bite and bias in the sound, bass feels fast, while the dual dynamic driver setup provides a bit of extra warmth and body, but still won’t fully overtake the job, so while you have an extra 10 dB at 20 Hz, that stops quickly, and it still is not quite as present as the upper midrange / lower treble uplift.
Midrange – Arcanis is magical in the mids, where it has a snappy, crisp midrange, a slight bias towards female voices, giving all songs an emotional, clean presentation, very pleasing musicality, and above everything, the kind of resolution , clarity and revealing ability that is usually heard only with flagships. I absolutely love the way it reveals information that most IEMS under 1000 USD will still not reveal, Arcanis has a special uplift in presence between about 5 kHz and 9 kHz, which has a mountain shape, so there’s a lot of emotion, and a bit of extra softness, emotion and magical brilliance added to most music. It is generally a good fit for music with a female singer, pianos, violins, classical and music that has a bit more information in the upper midrange, think symphonic metal instead of brutal slam.
Treble – We have a sharp, bright treble with an excellent presence, extension and sparkle, which gives music a ton of detail, but can also be aggressive. Ideally, Arcanis sounds best with slower, more relaxed music, EDM, Pop and rap, and will sound quite hot and aggro with metal, especially deathcore, death metal and black metal. This treble is very useful for pop and commercial music as it helps reveal details and information, but it can be a bit too sharp and a bit too aggressive for metal in particular. Rock sounds ecclesiastical, it is beautiful if you seek a light and snappy, crisp sound.
PRaT / Textures / Dynamic – All textures are characteristic of BA drivers, fast, sharp, precise, crisp and snappy. You hear how those bass drivers add a bit of body, bloom and bass to the bass, how they can slow the sound a bit, but still Arcanis sounds quick and will reveal textures, micro textures, micro details with ease. This includes sharp and fatiguing information in music, Arcanis would be perfect for music production, mixing, mastering and all the work where you would need this kind of resolution.
Volume Control – Arcanis sounds best at medium and low volumes, it becomes more punchy and more energetic up loud, but it is more balanced in general at lower volumes. The sound is warmer too when loud, becoming more v-Shaped the more you increase the volume, and more airy, easier on the ears and more fun at lower volumes. Female voices sound more vivid, more present, more musical and more pleasing to the ear at all volume levels, they really become alive, especially soprano, high pitched female voices are absolutely beautiful regardless of the volume level.
Soundstage – Arcanis has a wide, well defined sound. Instrument separation is top notch and so is the layering, as Arcanis has a really vivid presentation, soundstage size is natural – large, depth is very good, and above everything Arcanis has the tendency to separate instruments with surgical precision, so it will define each layer, each instrument, each zone, everything has its own space and is precisely presented.
Comparisons
ZiiGaat Arcanis vs Simgot EM10 (399 USD vs 439 USD) – Simgot EM10 is a bit heavier, with larger shells, but comes with a slighlyt better cable, both IEMs have what I consider to be excellent comfort. EM10 offers a higher degree of passive noise isolation, while Arcanis feels lighter for longer periods of wear. Sonically, EM10 is a bit warmer, bloomier, heavier and bassier, while Arcanis is much lighter, snappier, reveals more information in songs, but can get aggressive and fatiguing more quickly than EM10. If you need the ultimate resolution in the price range, and a highly technical sound, Arcanis should be your top choice, while EM10 still has top resolution, with a slightly more balanced approach, having a fuller body, more bass and a higher impact / bass amount.
ZiiGaat Arcanis vs Xenns Mangird Tea PRO (399 USD vs 359 USD) – Tea PRO is a much heavier, larger IEM that makes Arcanis the more comfortable, more ergonomic IEM out of the two. Sonically, Tea PRO is a mid centric pair of IEMS, with a thicker, smoother sound, more presence for male voices, less upper midrange bias and a more mid driven sound. In contrast, Arcanis has a higher resolution, reveals more information, especially in the upper midrange and treble, has a snappier, more crisp sound which feels lighter, Arcanis has a more aggressive presentation, both IEMs are quite good at revealing details in music, but Arcanis will be less laid-back, more engaging, more forward and more punchy in general.
Value and Conclusion
Even though we’re looking at a pair of IEMS priced higher than what ZiiGaat usually does with their IEMS, and Arcanis is now priced at 399 USD, they still have an excellent price / performance ratio thanks to the outstanding engineering from ZiiGaat, excellent technical performance, and Arcanis offers a brilliant, detailed and clean sound with an exceptionally wide and holographic soundstage. Combined with the outstanding comfort, they are a killer deal right now, and the outer beauty of the shell is simply a bonus added to the excellent sound.
At the end of the day, if you’re looking for the ultimate resolution, a crisp and detailed sound with a sharp and bright treble, natural midrange and a strong punch in the deepest sub-bass, ZiiGaat Arcanis is my top choice in the price range, and an offer I absolutely loved taking photos of and listening to.
PROs
- Beautiful shells, ergonomic fit, and high-quality resin used in the build keeping the IEMS lightweight and comfortable
- Flexible cable that’s trusty and reliable
- Detailed, highly resolute sound
- Beautiful female voicing
- Fast, snappy and crisp sound
- Excellent for a wide selection of music
Cons
- Competition offers modular cables in general, while Arcanis comes with a 3.5mm single ended cable
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/4khBY0u
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_oCF6X3o
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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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