ZiiGaat x Fresh Arete II IEMs Review – Is it Fresh And Airy
ZiiGaat x Fresh Arete II is a $279 USD pair of IEMs with a 2nd generation dynamic driver, 4 balanced armatures and two color options available for you today. In our review, we will explore Arete 2 and how they compare to the market, including BQEYZ Winter II (319 USD), Noble Knight (319 USD) and ZiiGaat x Jays Audio Estrella (299 USD).
Introduction
ZiiGaat are still up to their good old game, launching IEMs with a fairly friendly price point, good design, but in collaboration with reviewers. This is how just in the past month I’ve had the chance to explore two such IEMS, the Arete II and Estrella, both with a fairly midrange price point. While I maybe secretly wish I had such a collaboration, I have many questions about what does the reviewer part actually do in such a collaboration, is it branding, tuning, or more. At any rate, ZiiGaat has multiple collaborations, and all of them tend to still sound around the same ZiiGaat house sound.
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Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/4sszaBw
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c3cDQqgj
Build Quality And Design
Arete II is built around a 5-Driver design, with one 2nd gen 10mm DD driver for the sub-bass, 2 Knowles ED29689 Midrange BA drivers and 2 Knowles SWFJ 31736 drivers for Treble. This is all complemented by the lightweight aerospace grade aluminum housing, and Arete II comes with both silicone and foam tips, and in two colors, either blue or red.
While the original Arete was made in collaboration with Fresh Reviews, the Arete II is also made in collaboration with Fresh Reviews. I have little experience with other IEMS made in collaboration with Fresh Reviews, but usually when an IEM is made in a collaboration with reviewers that have a more specific tuning, most of the time it is interesting and literally fresh.
The full package includes the IEMS, 6 pairs of silicone eartips, 4.4mm and 3.5mm jacks, for the modular cable, a storage case, one pair of foam eartips, 4 pieces of filter mesh and a silver plated OFC modular cable. Technically, Arete II has a SPL of 104 dB, an impedance of 24 OHMs, THD of 0.04%. This indicates that it will be moderately hard to drive, and might also be slightly sensitive to source noise. But we shall further study this in the subjective usage and sound quality parts of the review.
Subjective Usage
Arete II feels sturdy and solid, and comfortable inside of my ears. Shells are on the light side, they are medium in size, not super large, so they will also fit really well with smaller ears too. Cable is kinky, it has bends and parts that will not straighten after the IEMs have been stored, but that cable does not really conduct much microphonic noise.
Although on the back part Arete II has switches to fine tune the sound, those are really hard to actuate, and the effect they have on the sound is mild at best. This being said, I will take what I can get and having the option is always nice. Default ear tips are the sticky type, but they do not work with my ears, and they make the IEMs feel like the fit is never proper, so I reverted to ddHIFI ST-35 almost immediately after trying Arete II.
With a medium-strong passive noise isolation, you can theoretically use Arete II for both listening and also live performing. Cable is super flexible, which would also help, but it is not very thin nor easy to hide. IEMs themselves are nice, and the shallow-medium fit is great for taking them out when you need, without having to cringe your face because they are too deep inside of your ear canal. You may notice that the IEMs feel quite cold if it is really cold outside, but otherwise you shouldn’t have problems.
Sound Quality
Pairings – I have placed the Arete II through it paces testing it with all the sources I do nowadays, including FiiO K17, Audioengine HXL, Shanling Onix Beta XI2, Surfans F35 Music Player DAP, Shanling M7T, iBasso D17 Atheris, Burson Playmate 3, Rose Technics RT-5000, Douk Nobsound P10 Pro and Luxsin X9.
Arete II is super easy to drive, and will sound really good with most sources. Despite its rather low quoted impedance, I cannot really hear hissing or background noise with most sources, regardless of the price range. Arete II is great with both brighter and warmer sources. It does not scale a lot with sources, so you don’t have to worry about driving it.
Overall Signature – I have to start by saying that the electronic switch at the back has a very mild effect and you’re not likely to notice the changes it has on the sonic signature of the Arete II. Sonically, Arete II is a warmer, smoother, bassier IEM but with a clean midrange and fairly present, yet fatigue-free treble. In fact, with a couple hours of burn-in, the bass opens up so much that it can be easily considered one of the bassiest basshead IEMS in the entry-level range. This makes it a universally good pair of earphones for listening to EDM, Pop, ACG, but also rock and metal. I find it really universal and I like that it is not fussy at all, just sounds good, cohesive and fluid with all music styles. It is on the slightly relaxed type, not quite that exciting for rock and metal.
Bass – Arete II has a super strong deep-end with a ton of kick and punch. Bass starts down from 20 Hz, and it has an incredible raw power, deep impact and presence. With a strong bump of about 10 dB starting from 20 Hz, this emphasis lasts up to 75 Hz, giving bass depth, power, and kick without smear or boominess. It is quite full, almost like being inside of a night club with good acoustics. You can classify Arete II in the basshead class of IEMS for sure.
Voicing And Midrange – Voicing is sweet, ever so slightly recessed, but I feel like that is what the little switch at the back can change the most, either pulling back or bringing the voices a bit more forward. This being said, in both positions, vocals are slightly smoother, recessed, with a sweet and natural tonality. This kind of tuning works best for a wide selection of music styles, pop, edm, rock, and basically anything you can imagine including trancecore or classical. Midrange has a bit of extra weight and thickness, the way you’d expect a basshead pair of IEMS to behave. Because the mid is not very forward, and the bass is quite forward, with bands like rings of saturn, you will feel compelled to pump the volume much more than with most IEMs.
Treble – Top end is smoother and chill, laid-back and relaxed. This being said, it is not completely rolled off or absent, and it has enough sparkle and air to it, to keep music exciting and interesting. Top end extends up to about 14 kHz, but most energy rolls-off around 8 kHz, so upwards from 8 kHz it is a downward slope in presence and energy. This is great if you don’t like a bright or sharp top end as it tones down on the fatiguing elements in all songs.
Dynamics And Textures – ZiiGaat tuned Arete 2 to sound rather engaging and dynamic, and it has a smoother, more relaxed texture. This implies that resolution is not technical nor focused on revealing micro bits of information, but I don’t see it as an issue, because Arete II works really well with most modern music, it has plenty of detail for the price range. It will be better for worse recordings as it does not show mistakes as much as a more analytical or technical pair of IEMS would.
Loudness Saturation Gradient – One of the most surprising aspects of Arete II is the low THD and volume handling, as it can easily push 110dB and 120 dB with no audible distortion, which is usually reserved for very expensive flagships. This being said, it has a somewhat uneven loudness gradient saturation, and sonic character changes quite a bit with volume. At lower volumes, it is smoother, more relaxed and the true basshead nature of the IEMS comes out only at higher volumes, above 90 dB.
Soundstage – Arete II is a natural sounding pair of IEMS, not too wide nor too small, it handles most tracks well thanks to a natural instrument separation and good imaging. You will hear lateral separation and effects well, but it won’t sound grand or very big. It is just in general well-rounded.
Comparisons
ZiiGaat x Fresh Arete II vs BQEYZ Winter II (279 USD vs 319 USD) – Winter II is different in design, but what matters most is that fitting is similar, and Winter II is a bit heavier, but has a more straight cable. You do not hear your own breathing with Winter II but you do with Arete II. Winter II is harder to drive and scales more with the source. Sonically, Winter II is a natural sounding pair of IEMS, much faster, wider and with a bit less bass than the Arete II which sounds more focused, less bright, less revealing, but much bassier and with more depth. Out of the two, Winter II wins hands-down for resolution, and for a deep bass, while Arete II is far better for a basshead, deep and impactful listening experience.
ZiiGaat x Fresh Arete II vs Noble Knight (279 USD vs 319 USD) – Noble Knight brings the fight to Arete II as it is a basshead vs basshead IEM now, comfort is similar enough, as is cable quality that it really won’t matter much. You will make the choice based on sound, and Knight is much more V-Shaped, ahs more energy in the treble, more air, sparkle and sounds more detailed, while Arete II sounds far bassier, smoother, less bright and less aggressive. While I can say that I love both, Knight is often a more universal choice for me as it renders more micro details in rock, metal, EDM and most music really. Generally, if you are basshead, you will prefer Arete II.
ZiiGaat x Fresh Arete II vs ZiiGaat x Jays Audio Estrella (279 USD vs 299 USD) – Estrella is interesting, as it has a lighter shell than Arete II, but a similar fit and comfort. Cable is very similar, if not exactly the same cable. At the end of the day, both are ZiiGaat IEMS, so sound will be important and Estrella is V-Shaped, reveals more details, but still has a basshead end, with a lot of boom and kick, it is more natural in the soundstage, and can extract more details in the Chifi style, while Arete II sounds smoother, more refined and cleaner, with a more basshead presentation. Go with Arete II for less treble and more bass, and go for Estrella for a more balanced, even sound.
Value and Conclusion
When considering that Arete II is one of the most affordable high-quality basshead IEMS with an enjoyable tuning, that it comes with a nice transport case and has good comfort as well as a reliable build quality, it has a high value, it offers top performance for the money paid and it is generally easy to justify as a purchase.
If you want to have all the bass, all the warmth, depth but stay free of fatiguing elements and also stay on a budget, ZiiGaat x Fresh Arete II is a top choice I can recommend, with a pleasing sound, modular cable and basically everything you could desire for the money paid.
PROs
- Beautiful shells that are actually comfortable
- Shallow-medium fitting makes them a reliable choice for most people
- Medium-strong passive noise isolation works well for most environments
- Basshead low-end with a bold and clean vocal
- Soft and smooth treble that has no grain
- Can be super enjoyable at higher volumes
- Strong price performance ratio
- Modular cable
- Nice transport case
- Excellent choice in general for a basshead
Cons
- Default eartips don’t work very well for my ears, they need immediate replacement with something else
- Default cable has kinks and does not return to a straight shape right away
- Sonic switch has a very mild effect
- Sound changes significantly with volume
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/4sszaBw
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c3cDQqgj
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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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