ZiiGaat Arcanis

Ziigaat Arcanis

Disclaimer

I got a free review sample, and I can say whatever I want without any guidelines from Ziigaat or Linsoul.

All impressions are my own subjective thoughts after having used them for a good time. These are my thoughts at this moment, and as time moves I might change my opinion.
This is also a very subjective hobby where everything from experience, anatomy or age will affect what we hear. Also keep in mind that it is easy to use bold words when talking about differences, while it may be perceived as a small change for you.
While I can perceive something as natural sounding, I do believe we can never get a perfect performance similar to what is achieved live.

Ranking System:
1 Very bad or unlistenable
2 Listenable but not good
3 Average
4 Good
5 Exceptional or having a special sauce

My rating system highly values what is musical for me, so my rating will always be a subjective opinion.





So what is Ziigaat Arcanis

Ziigaat is one the brands under Linsoul store, it has a budget oriented price segment the cheapest Cinno up their new flagship Arcanis.

This review is about their flagship model Arcanis, it retails at $399. The Arcanis have a 2DD and 5BA configuration, compared to the new Lush model the Arcanis is much more costly. But it also has branded BA drivers, in fact it has 5 balanced armatures that are all from Knowles. The dynamic driver is also 10mm PET, but this is an isobaric style configuration. The whole drama about Isobaric is real or not does not matter for me, if it sounds good everything is good in my book.

The Arcanis have a 4 way passive crossover, with the 2 DDs working for bass until 200Hz where the BAs take over. 2 for the midrange and 2 for the highs, with the last Knowles 33518 taking care of the ultra high frequencies.

This model has a tuning that is close to Harman, with just a little less upper midrange emphasis.





The box is a branded sleeve with some information about the product, the inside has a black card box with foam insert. Nothing special but also enough so it feels like a good product, I also like that the box is not overly large.



The included storage box is of okay quality okay, just enough space for the IEM with a cable and some reserve tips or a small dongle.

Ziigaat has delivered this with everything you need to start listening, without feeling the need to upgrade cable or tips. The cable is a little thin and doesn't feel very premium, but for the sound it is okay. The tips are medium bore in S M L, the bore is also a little firm so it should work for most folks. There is also one pair of foam tips in medium/large, personally I much prefer silicon tips.

Since this is a mid tier model I would have liked it if Ziigaat has delivered it with one extra pair of different silicon tips and maybe a better cable in balanced or modular hardware.



The design of the IEM is minimalist and stylish, the black shell with the green faceplate is done well without being too much. You also get a serial number with the brand model on each earpiece, with the Ziigaat brand name on the face plate in a subtle silver that is almost a little hard to see.

The shells have a little less ergonomic curve than models from Kiwi Ears or Thieaudio, the size is similar but the ear grooves in the shell are smaller on Ziigaat models. The shell is also very light, and could be seen as a con or pro depending on the user. The nozzle is also of average length and width, measuring 6.2mm in width. Overall I think this is ergonomic shell, even though I prefer a little more aggressive curves on the shells.



Sound impression

Most of my listening has been with the Shanling M8T in transistor mode and ifi GO bar Kensei, which is to have a neutral source and one warmer.

Going to use the ranges here in review:


Details and soundstage

Detail in IEMs is down mostly to quality driver and how it amplitudes the frequencies, when the drivers is faster it increases the resolution you hear.

This is a nice step up in technical ability from the previous model I reviewed for ZiiGaat, the tuning is slightly elevated in the upper end to give some extra clarity. But tastefully so, the drivers are also all branded drivers from Knowles that I assume are of good quality hence the sound. So looking at the price point the Arcanis is slightly better than most average sets at picking up microdetails and giving good layering of the music. It will not win any competition for large and spacious soundstage, but it's still very accurate on instrument placement in the stage.

Timbre

So when I talk about timbre I think about how accurate it sounds like, for me the Arcanis is a little brighter than what I consider natural. But this is also a preference thing, overall the timbre is very correct sounding. We also need to take into account decay, transients and everything for what sounds realistic, and then it delivers something that sounds very realistic with a small hint of roundness to transients and having a textured bass response that decays naturally.

The bass surprised me, as it's better than expected and what I remembered from the Estrella that uses the same driver. Since the balance between bass, mids and treble is better here, the bass gets to shine more than with Estrella. It has both great texture and great attack, the balance is done very right. It has more sub bass push than mid bass, or I could say it's very balanced between the two and it's just me who prefers more mid bass.

Midrange is clear and open, it has good bite on brighter vocals and instruments without being shouty. And the low mids is open and natural, not any muddiness from the bass. I never hear any sibilance on this set(unless music is already sibilant), but it also does it without sounding soft like the LUSH does.

Treble is also well extended, but without being aggressive and bright. Just giving music natural harmonics to sound airy and natural.



Comparisons with ESTRELLA and LUSH

When evaluating the sets I use each of them over longer periods and also some shorter sessions swapping back and forth, it takes a long time and is not done in one sitting. The most critical comparison is done on my desktop setup that is highly capable, together with volume matching to take away loudness variance.



The spider chart is slightly exaggerated on some points to show differences, this is a subjective evaluation and reflects what I prefer.





All of these are similar, in fact the ARCANIS and ESTRELLA have the same driver configuration with a 10mm double DD for bass and 4 BA. The other similarity is that ESTRELLA and ARCANIS have branded BAs, LUSH have unbranded custom drivers. The shells and accessories are the same, and are more correct quality accessories for an IEM of the price of the LUSH and can feel a little cheap for the price of ARCANIS.

The sound is different among all of them, we could say the LUSH is the most natural as there is almost not any coloration and the tuning is close to flat sounding. LUSH also sounds smoother and more relaxed than ARCANIS, and can sound a little boring after having listened to ARCANIS.

ESTRELLA is even more energetic and has a V shaped tuning, with much more bass and treble than LUSH and even more than ARCANIS. But it also needs that bass as it has much more treble as well, this comes at the cost of making the midrange a little scooped out.

ARCANIS is more in the middle of the ESTRELLA and LUSH, it has a neutral bright tuning. ARCANIS also has more full bass that can slam and rumble more. Midrange is also more forward with more energy and clarity on ARCANIS.

Bass quality is a small step up on ESTRELLA and ARCANIS, same for treble clarity and quality. The sound is a little clearer in general with both, the LUSH is instead more smooth on transients giving it a softer sound. ESTRELLA is borderline sibilant and shouty that ARCANIS manages fine, but this can also be a personal thing since I am sensitive.

Even if all of them are a little different, they have a similar quality to them. LUSH is just a small step behind.



Music

Click here for Audio with Leo playlist

When comparing IEM’s I have used the tracks listed here and more, I will also provide a few albums I have enjoyed during the review time.


https://tidal.com/browse/album/215328296?u

Austrian John Tejada is a favorite artist of mine within experimental electronica, the tunes are deep and advanced and love more technical sets. Arcanis is pretty detailed and has good clarity so it works excellent with techno, it also has good quality bass for all the low notes (that sound even more fun when EQed for this).


https://tidal.com/browse/album/363236461?u

I love to listen to some Billie Eilish, Billie and Finneas are some of the best pop creators of this time. Beautiful voice from Billie that is lovely on Arcanis, in general I find the tuning excellent for both male and female vocals as it has just enough warmth for darker voices and also not too much for bright voices.


https://tidal.com/browse/album/415961069?u

An experimental album I have kept coming back to since the EP was released, Arcanis I already mentioned it does well with female and male vocals. But here it's more of a digital style, the bass is often pushed in the record so it helps that Arcanis is not overly warm to sound more detailed.


https://tidal.com/browse/album/412355330?u

Djo (Joe Keery) is out with his new album, more indie pop with a style reminiscent of an older time. In general the Arcanis is good for pop music and also male vocal, sounds balanced and not husky/muddy at all.


https://tidal.com/browse/album/389622358?u

Opeth’s last album is awesome, more back to their old style many of us love. Arcanis has a tonality that works well at making metal sound open and not slow, it lack a little visceral power for drums and bass. But the sound in general very good overall.


https://tidal.com/browse/album/86653547?u

This London group has roots from the Caribbean, so the music has Jamaica and Caribbean vibes. The upper mids are pushed almost perfectly to sound clear on brass like this, if anything I would have loved even more bass to fulfil the lowest notes.



Summary

ZiiGaat has released a good mid-tier IEM with ARCANIS, depending on tuning taste I could say it's one of the best hybrids around the price that is delivered with branded Knowles drivers.

This set is food folks who need balanced sound with more vocal clarity than the popular meta tuning and less bite than harman, it has a little early push in the mids for clarity but is done tastefully so staying away from sibilance or being shouty. You cannot have a good midrange without well extended treble for the harmonics, this ZiiGaat has turned excellent in my opinion. It is well extended and airy, but also not overly much so it sounds piercing or unnatural.

But let's talk bass, the quality of the double DD that ZiiGaat use is excellent. It has an elastic quality to it that works really well with electronica, pop and more, while not super fast it's also not slow so it even works well for busy metal/rock. I have one con, and that is that it could have been tuned warmer to have more bass weight.

My rating of Arcanis will be 70/100, and a 4 stars on head-fi. I also should thank Linsoul for sending out the review sample, cheers.

Ziigaat Arcanis

Disclaimer

I got a free review sample, and I can say whatever I want without any guidelines from Ziigaat or Linsoul.

All impressions are my own subjective thoughts after having used them for a good time. These are my thoughts at this moment, and as time moves I might change my opinion.
This is also a very subjective hobby where everything from experience, anatomy or age will affect what we hear. Also keep in mind that it is easy to use bold words when talking about differences, while it may be perceived as a small change for you.
While I can perceive something as natural sounding, I do believe we can never get a perfect performance similar to what is achieved live.

Ranking System:
1 Very bad or unlistenable
2 Listenable but not good
3 Average
4 Good
5 Exceptional or having a special sauce

My rating system highly values what is musical for me, so my rating will always be a subjective opinion.





So what is Ziigaat Arcanis

Ziigaat is one the brands under Linsoul store, it has a budget oriented price segment the cheapest Cinno up their new flagship Arcanis.

This review is about their flagship model Arcanis, it retails at $399. The Arcanis have a 2DD and 5BA configuration, compared to the new Lush model the Arcanis is much more costly. But it also has branded BA drivers, in fact it has 5 balanced armatures that are all from Knowles. The dynamic driver is also 10mm PET, but this is an isobaric style configuration. The whole drama about Isobaric is real or not does not matter for me, if it sounds good everything is good in my book.

The Arcanis have a 4 way passive crossover, with the 2 DDs working for bass until 200Hz where the BAs take over. 2 for the midrange and 2 for the highs, with the last Knowles 33518 taking care of the ultra high frequencies.

This model has a tuning that is close to Harman, with just a little less upper midrange emphasis.





The box is a branded sleeve with some information about the product, the inside has a black card box with foam insert. Nothing special but also enough so it feels like a good product, I also like that the box is not overly large.



The included storage box is of okay quality okay, just enough space for the IEM with a cable and some reserve tips or a small dongle.

Ziigaat has delivered this with everything you need to start listening, without feeling the need to upgrade cable or tips. The cable is a little thin and doesn't feel very premium, but for the sound it is okay. The tips are medium bore in S M L, the bore is also a little firm so it should work for most folks. There is also one pair of foam tips in medium/large, personally I much prefer silicon tips.

Since this is a mid tier model I would have liked it if Ziigaat has delivered it with one extra pair of different silicon tips and maybe a better cable in balanced or modular hardware.



The design of the IEM is minimalist and stylish, the black shell with the green faceplate is done well without being too much. You also get a serial number with the brand model on each earpiece, with the Ziigaat brand name on the face plate in a subtle silver that is almost a little hard to see.

The shells have a little less ergonomic curve than models from Kiwi Ears or Thieaudio, the size is similar but the ear grooves in the shell are smaller on Ziigaat models. The shell is also very light, and could be seen as a con or pro depending on the user. The nozzle is also of average length and width, measuring 6.2mm in width. Overall I think this is ergonomic shell, even though I prefer a little more aggressive curves on the shells.



Sound impression

Most of my listening has been with the Shanling M8T in transistor mode and ifi GO bar Kensei, which is to have a neutral source and one warmer.

Going to use the ranges here in review:


Details and soundstage

Detail in IEMs is down mostly to quality driver and how it amplitudes the frequencies, when the drivers is faster it increases the resolution you hear.

This is a nice step up in technical ability from the previous model I reviewed for ZiiGaat, the tuning is slightly elevated in the upper end to give some extra clarity. But tastefully so, the drivers are also all branded drivers from Knowles that I assume are of good quality hence the sound. So looking at the price point the Arcanis is slightly better than most average sets at picking up microdetails and giving good layering of the music. It will not win any competition for large and spacious soundstage, but it's still very accurate on instrument placement in the stage.

Timbre

So when I talk about timbre I think about how accurate it sounds like, for me the Arcanis is a little brighter than what I consider natural. But this is also a preference thing, overall the timbre is very correct sounding. We also need to take into account decay, transients and everything for what sounds realistic, and then it delivers something that sounds very realistic with a small hint of roundness to transients and having a textured bass response that decays naturally.

The bass surprised me, as it's better than expected and what I remembered from the Estrella that uses the same driver. Since the balance between bass, mids and treble is better here, the bass gets to shine more than with Estrella. It has both great texture and great attack, the balance is done very right. It has more sub bass push than mid bass, or I could say it's very balanced between the two and it's just me who prefers more mid bass.

Midrange is clear and open, it has good bite on brighter vocals and instruments without being shouty. And the low mids is open and natural, not any muddiness from the bass. I never hear any sibilance on this set(unless music is already sibilant), but it also does it without sounding soft like the LUSH does.

Treble is also well extended, but without being aggressive and bright. Just giving music natural harmonics to sound airy and natural.



Comparisons with ESTRELLA and LUSH

When evaluating the sets I use each of them over longer periods and also some shorter sessions swapping back and forth, it takes a long time and is not done in one sitting. The most critical comparison is done on my desktop setup that is highly capable, together with volume matching to take away loudness variance.



The spider chart is slightly exaggerated on some points to show differences, this is a subjective evaluation and reflects what I prefer.





All of these are similar, in fact the ARCANIS and ESTRELLA have the same driver configuration with a 10mm double DD for bass and 4 BA. The other similarity is that ESTRELLA and ARCANIS have branded BAs, LUSH have unbranded custom drivers. The shells and accessories are the same, and are more correct quality accessories for an IEM of the price of the LUSH and can feel a little cheap for the price of ARCANIS.

The sound is different among all of them, we could say the LUSH is the most natural as there is almost not any coloration and the tuning is close to flat sounding. LUSH also sounds smoother and more relaxed than ARCANIS, and can sound a little boring after having listened to ARCANIS.

ESTRELLA is even more energetic and has a V shaped tuning, with much more bass and treble than LUSH and even more than ARCANIS. But it also needs that bass as it has much more treble as well, this comes at the cost of making the midrange a little scooped out.

ARCANIS is more in the middle of the ESTRELLA and LUSH, it has a neutral bright tuning. ARCANIS also has more full bass that can slam and rumble more. Midrange is also more forward with more energy and clarity on ARCANIS.

Bass quality is a small step up on ESTRELLA and ARCANIS, same for treble clarity and quality. The sound is a little clearer in general with both, the LUSH is instead more smooth on transients giving it a softer sound. ESTRELLA is borderline sibilant and shouty that ARCANIS manages fine, but this can also be a personal thing since I am sensitive.

Even if all of them are a little different, they have a similar quality to them. LUSH is just a small step behind.



Music

Click here for Audio with Leo playlist

When comparing IEM’s I have used the tracks listed here and more, I will also provide a few albums I have enjoyed during the review time.


https://tidal.com/browse/album/215328296?u

Austrian John Tejada is a favorite artist of mine within experimental electronica, the tunes are deep and advanced and love more technical sets. Arcanis is pretty detailed and has good clarity so it works excellent with techno, it also has good quality bass for all the low notes (that sound even more fun when EQed for this).


https://tidal.com/browse/album/363236461?u

I love to listen to some Billie Eilish, Billie and Finneas are some of the best pop creators of this time. Beautiful voice from Billie that is lovely on Arcanis, in general I find the tuning excellent for both male and female vocals as it has just enough warmth for darker voices and also not too much for bright voices.


https://tidal.com/browse/album/415961069?u

An experimental album I have kept coming back to since the EP was released, Arcanis I already mentioned it does well with female and male vocals. But here it's more of a digital style, the bass is often pushed in the record so it helps that Arcanis is not overly warm to sound more detailed.


https://tidal.com/browse/album/412355330?u

Djo (Joe Keery) is out with his new album, more indie pop with a style reminiscent of an older time. In general the Arcanis is good for pop music and also male vocal, sounds balanced and not husky/muddy at all.


https://tidal.com/browse/album/389622358?u

Opeth’s last album is awesome, more back to their old style many of us love. Arcanis has a tonality that works well at making metal sound open and not slow, it lack a little visceral power for drums and bass. But the sound in general very good overall.


https://tidal.com/browse/album/86653547?u

This London group has roots from the Caribbean, so the music has Jamaica and Caribbean vibes. The upper mids are pushed almost perfectly to sound clear on brass like this, if anything I would have loved even more bass to fulfil the lowest notes.



Summary

ZiiGaat has released a good mid-tier IEM with ARCANIS, depending on tuning taste I could say it's one of the best hybrids around the price that is delivered with branded Knowles drivers.

This set is food folks who need balanced sound with more vocal clarity than the popular meta tuning and less bite than harman, it has a little early push in the mids for clarity but is done tastefully so staying away from sibilance or being shouty. You cannot have a good midrange without well extended treble for the harmonics, this ZiiGaat has turned excellent in my opinion. It is well extended and airy, but also not overly much so it sounds piercing or unnatural.

But let's talk bass, the quality of the double DD that ZiiGaat use is excellent. It has an elastic quality to it that works really well with electronica, pop and more, while not super fast it's also not slow so it even works well for busy metal/rock. I have one con, and that is that it could have been tuned warmer to have more bass weight.

My rating of Arcanis will be 70/100, and a 4 stars on head-fi. I also should thank Linsoul for sending out the review sample, cheers.

Hello dear readers! I am happy to see you here again in another review.
Today I am going to review ZiiGaat Arcanis, a 2DD + 5BA drivers IEM, that was sent to me by courtesy of Linsoul Audio in exchange to my honest review.
Let's jump into it!

Disclaimer​

I received the ZiiGaat Arcanis from Linsoul Audio in exchange for my honest review, but still – my opinions about the IEMs are personal and written based on my own experience with them, and I was not paid for this review.


My goal in my reviews is to make it easier for everyone to understand the terms audiophiles often use, so even if you are a beginner and this is all new for you, you can feel comfortable understanding all the terms and make a better decision for yourself.

A little bit about myself​

I thought it could make it easier for you to understand what I am listening to, and if we are audio soul mates, maybe this review will talk to you more personally
I mainly listen to pop music and instrumental music, such as Lindsey Stirling. I am also an EDM lover, who enjoys both sides of the spectrum: bass and treble. My favorite artist, for example, is Snail's House, and I also listen to a lot of monstercat releases. Are we audio soul mates?

A little bit about this IEM – ZiiGaat Arcanis​

This iem is a hybrid IEM by ZiiGaat, that houses 2DD, and 5BA drivers. The dynamic driver here described as:

"Dual 10mm dynamic drivers in an isobaric configuration deliver deep, rumbling bass with minimal distortion, offering a subwoofer-like experience and a powerful 9dB output at 20Hz."

Click to expand...

Which means, both drivers are working together to deliver a deep bass response.

The BA drivers used here are from Knowles, an American driver manufacturer who known as making high quality BA drivers, that tend to me more "premium" and expensive than a regular BA you could find in cheaper IEMs. They are used to reproduce the mids and highs.

The drivers are sorted into a 4-way passive crossover, which means, the distribution of the drivers is more spread out over the frequency range, which gives lower range to each driver to be at, and this in theory should be better than the usual 3-way we usually see in hybrid IEMs.

A passive crossover in an IEM splits the audio signal to send different frequency ranges to the right drivers, using resistors, capacitors, or inductors — no power needed.

But does it deliver? Let's find out!

What's in the box?​

In the box you will find:

• A carrying case.
• 3.5mm cable.
• 3x silicon ear tips.
• 2x foam ear tips.
• User manual.
• The IEMs themselves.

The accessories of the Arcanis are very similar to the accessories that come with the Lush. To be honest, in a 400$ set, I would love to see a step up in terms of accessories. But it does not mean the accessories are not good, but still, it could be a nicer touch.

Carrying Case​

The carrying case provided here is large, and surprisingly pocketable. It has enough room to store the IEMs and has a secure place to house a dongle and/or ear tips. Moreover, it is branded with the ZiiGaat logo and feels premium. Overall, great case, I like it.

Ear Tips​

The silicon ear tips provided here are pretty good. That said, you get only one type of them, in 3 sizes, and that's it. But in my opinion, it is enough if they are good. And yeah, they are, but I would love to see more selection of them in this price point. The medium ear tips worked well for me. There are also 2x foam ear tips provided, which I tend not to like, but if you are into it – you are given this option.

Cable​

The cable provided here is good, beautifully branded with the ZiiGaat logo. Feels quality, with a working chin slider in the Y split. But I found it to tangle sometimes and had memory. Usually, I say that this is something that can be replaced later, but at the 400$ price point we used to see higher quality cables, and even modular cables. Despite that, it gets the job done.

Build Quality & Fit and Comfort​

The build of the Arcanis is pretty good, it has a nice shape that sits very well on the ears, like all the ZiiGaats. The shell is made of resin and has hand-made glittery faceplate. I really liked the faceplate, it is like a love letter from ZiiGaat, each faceplate is unique. I appreciate the effort the ZiiGaat team put on the design of it, it could be hard to get each faceplate correct and match the second.

With all that good, sadly there is something else that needs to be mentioned, which is the driver flex. When you put the IEM in your ears, you might hear some plasticky noise. You can read more about it here. Is it the end of the world? No, it doesn’t affect while listening, but it is exist.

Despite that, comfortable shell, nozzle might be big for some but wasn't for me, cool looking green faceplate.

In Terms of Sound​

You can find the graph here.

The ZiiGaat Arcanis to me is a bright neutral set, with good bass, uncolored midrange, and safe treble performance. Let's break it down!

Sub-Bass​

The sub-bass, which covers the lowest frequencies and often delivers the rumbling sensation rather than distinct sounds.

The sub-bass of the Arcanis is well textured and presented, it does rumble, and is good quality, but it doesn’t have a lot of volume compared to the rest of the frequencies. Which means, it is well balanced, but it is not going to be for bass-heads, it is more on the safe side here. Though, it is well separated from the rest of the frequencies, doesn’t bleed or whatsoever. It works great for balance and keeping things neutral.

Mid-Bass​

The mid-bass, where the bass becomes more distinct and perceptible, is equally well-executed. In this range, you hear kick drums and some male bass vocals more clearly.

The mid-bass of the Arcanis is good, with good weight and impact, it is impactful and tight, but not too much. Like the sub-bass, it helps to keep things neutral but still provides good quality and show. It is safe bass, with good quality, and safe amount. It doesn’t bleed or whatsoever. Moreover, while being well presented, it doesn’t add any warmth or coloration to the sound, which is well appreciated.

Overall, the bass performance of the Arcanis is good, with high quality, but not too much quantity. It is tight, impactful, but doesn't steal the show. Well executed for a neutral set.

Mids​

The mids are the home to most instruments and vocals.

The midrange of the Arcanis is crystal clear, where you get good presents of instruments and vocals with not a lot of coloration. That said, there is an upper mids boost (where usually the vocals are), which gives the vocals some energy and put them forward. Here is the thing, you might like that or might not. It is the fun factor of this IEM, forward vocals with good separation from the rest of the frequencies. After listening to an IEM like the Lush, it took me some time to get used to it. But by the end, this makes this neutral a bit on the fun side. A fun neutral set.

Apart from that, all the other instruments sound pretty good, neutral, well separated and have good weight. They don’t get warmth from the bass, which makes them a little bright and less “full”, but they don’t sound thin by any means. It is good for anyone who is seeking a bright-neutral set, and doesn't want to sacrifice too much bass for it. You get a decent performance here.

Overall, the midrange here is well made, with forward vocals and being neutral overall, with no hint of warmth. I would call it a bright neutral.

Treble​

The treble, which captures high-pitched sounds like cymbals, violins, and higher synthetic tones, adds brightness, sharpness, and sparkle to the music. However, excessive treble can lead to harshness or fatigue.

The treble of the Arcanis is done safely, while sounding smooth overall, it is not too prominent or forward here. It adds a lot to the balance while remaining tamed and not fatiguing. The treble might be too safe for all of those who are looking for treble magic and sparkle. While being good and airy, it feels more neutral than engaging. For example, those who listen to EDM and would like to listen to the synth playing a bit more forward, this might not be for you. But for anyone else who likes his treble to be not fatiguing, no shouty, it could be a good fit.

One thing that I would like to mention is that when I put them in my measuring coupler to generate their graph, no matter what I did, I couldn’t find any 8Khz peak. Which means, ZiiGaat has done here a decent job in tuning the treble here, and it is well appropriated. It helps vocals to sound more natural, with no sibilance or whatsoever, which many IEMs could fail to do.

Overall, the treble here is well presented for a neutral set, while not sounding bright and sparkly, but remains present. No shouty, no fatiguing.

Technical Performance​

Imaging​

Imaging is the ability of the IEM to separate the left or right positions, put anything in the correct direction.

The imaging performance of the Arcanis is top notch, you can easily and very accurately pinpoint where everything is located within the stage. This is a high level of imaging in my opinion, it is very precise, where you can hear with good volume what happens in the left, and what happens in the right, what happens up and what is down. In my opinion, it is outstanding.

Soundstage​

Usually in IEMs this term is overused, but in general the soundstage is the feel of openness and wideness of the sound. For example, if the IEM provides a congested feeling to the sound, everything sounds in the middle, this is bad soundstage.

The stage of the Arcanis is very wide and open, where you get high level of space and distance. You can clearly tell where something is far away from you, and what is close to you. It puts you in the center, and you enjoy the show. The imaging helps the stage to sound even more surround. This is kind of soundstage that feels very dimensional, like watching a movie in 3D. ZiiGaat has done an excellent job here.

Layering & Separation​

Layering & Separation is the ability to deliver you any piece of instrument or vocal in its own place, separately. The better it gets, the more resolving the IEM will be.

The layering of the Arcanis are also top notch, you can clearly select each element of the song and follow along with it. Everything sound very clear, crystal clear, really good. The separation is also good, nothing bleeds to another, and the presentation is very clear and neutral. Which all this good stuff leads to high level of resolution and detail, like listening to music in 4K.

Comparisons​

Comparisons could give you a better idea of where this IEM stands within the market.

ZiiGaat Lush (FULL REVIEW HERE)​

The ZiiGaat Lush is a 1DD + 4BA IEM. This is in my opinion the most interesting comparison, both have been released at the same time, and have different approaches. Both are neutral, but in different ways. The Lush is leaning towards being warm, while the Arcanis is brighter. For me, the Lush has the better sense of realism, with body and depth for each vocal and instrument, less forward vocal, it is leas energetic and more “boring”, you could say. The Arcanis is more energetic, mote detailed, has much better stage and imaging, high level of layering, a huge step up in terms of technical performance. The bass of the Arcanis is also better than the Lush, it is more impactful and punchier, more controlled.

And here is the big elephant in the room, the biggest question, what do you prefer more: tonality, or technicality? It is a hard question to answer. For me, I prefer the tonality of the Lush more, but the Arcanis is way more technical. The Arcanis is much easier to love, but the Lush needs to grow on you, the more time I spend with the Lush, the more I love it. It is hard to choose between them. I see myself picking up the Lush more when I just want to relax and listen with no coloration added, and the Arcanis for more critical listening with touch of fun and energy and forward vocals.

To sum up, Lush is more of a warmer neutral, and the Arcanis is more bright neutral. While the Lush might be boring at first, the Arcanis is much more fun and easier to love. The technical performance of the Arcanis are huge step up above the Lush, and so does its price.

Kiwi Ears Aether (FULL REVIEW HERE)​

The Kiwi Ears Aether is a single planar IEM. The Aether, compared to the Arcanis, is slightly more V-Shaped. The Aether is even more fun than the Arcanis, it also has punchy and impactful bass, but not as the Arcanis, though not too far off. The midrange is a bit more forward, and the treble is much more present, sparkly and fun. If you are looking for an IEM for EDM, then sure, I would personally save some money by going with the Aether. But if you are looking for a less sparkly treble and want a way more technical IEM with better imaging and soundstage, better layering and resolution. Like comparing 1080p to 4K in detail.

TSMR Feat (FULL REVIEW HERE)​

The TSMR Feat is a 2DD 2BA hybrid IEM. The TSMR Feat is a bass-head IEM, which has in my opinion better bass response and texture, and good clarity overall. It might fit better for those who are looking for deep bass response, and cheaper than the Arcanis. Though, the technical performance of the Arcanis is some leagues above the TSMR Feat, and you get better sound stage, better imaging, better resolution. The Arcanis is more bright-neutral, while the TSMR Feat is a bass-head harman-ish set. Personally, as a person who truly love bass, I think the Feat is a very fun set, but after a while it might be fatiguing. The Arcanis on the other hand is never fatiguing, it is a much more neutral and safe set.

To Sum Up​

The ZiiGaat Arcanis is a neutral set with fun midrange energy, where you get forward and energetic vocals. There is no hint of warmth to be found, the balance is very good here. The bass and the treble are very tamed, and not taking a lot of attention from you, but rather trying to stay safe, natural and neutral. The effort ZiiGaat put in the tuning of the Arcanis is well appreciated, and not finding the usual 8Khz peak is unique and well handled. The technical performance of the Arcanis is very good, you get high level of imaging, stage, and layering, that leads to also high resolution, and it is a strong point of the Arcanis. Is it worth 400$? Well, from the packaging alone, I would love to see a better cable, and a greater variety of ear tips. But ok, maybe they had to cut off some corners and focus on providing good sound quality (which they did). But except the accessories, you get 10 branded BA drivers (5 each side), Knowles drivers have their price and quality, and isobaric 2DD system (which the cheapest IEM with it that I know starts from 300$). You get here high level of technical performance, and neutral tuning with fun energy. I will leave you to decide whether it worth it or not. As much as I try to put it into words, the experience of listening to the Arcanis is something that needs to be heard to be fully appreciated. There’s a level of refinement and naturality here that words just don’t do justice to.

You can find the ZiiGaat Arcanis from this following link (unaffiliated)

Big thanks for Linsoul Audio for making this review possible, and I will see you in my next reviews !

– Avishai