ZiiGaat Odyssey
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- Introduction -
Hello friends, today in the review we will consider excellent hybrid headphones from the company ZiiGaat for 229$.
And they come in a small box with a very nice design, there is an image of the headphones themselves, at the top there is the company logo, and here is the name of this new model Odyssey.
And here are the technical specifications and for the sound in these headphones is responsible for the dynamic driver with a diameter of 10 mm, and three armature drivers from Knowles for mid and high frequencies, well, the sensitivity is 104 db and they received 18 ohm impedance, so I'll tell you right away that this is a very easy to swing headphones, they do not need any super powerful source and they will easily suffice any modern dac-amplifiers, for this you can not even worry.
- Let's take a look at what's included -
1.Branded case.
2.Basic cable with 2 pin connectors and 3.5 mm jack.
3.Set of silicone ear tips and one pair of foam tips.
4.IEM.
The headphones are made entirely of medical-grade resin and to my taste have a very nice appearance with a beautifully designed faceplate, and in this respect Zigaat are as good as ever because they all have their own unique look and feel.
Well, here they have a standard 2 pin connector for cable connection, and the only hole for compensation here is set back and protected by a metal mesh, and well inside there is an inscription Odyssey, channel marking and serial number of the model.
And their sound guide is metal, optimized in length and width, with a clear edge for a secure fit of the ear cushions and a protective metallic mesh.
And these headphones sit like all other models of ZiiGaat personally in my case perfectly, I had no problems with Odyssey as well as with other models of this company, it is a reliable and deep enough fit with excellent soundproofing, nothing when using the headphones does not press anywhere and does not rest on the ear, in general, in this regard, everything is good and it is a pleasure to use them, despite the fact that like any other modern hybrid headphones they are quite large, and protrude a little out of the ear, but I have not bothered for a long time.
- Tuning and Conception -
Now let's talk about how the ZiiGaat Odyssey hybrid headphones sound, this is what their frequency response graph looks like and these headphones have 8dB of bass boost, with a smooth transition to the lower midrange where there is a little extra boost to give more lushness and warmth in this range, and the emphasis in the upper midrange here will be even less than in my target, which makes the sound of these headphones in this range more neutral and warm, without any aggression or harshness in the pitch, and the high frequencies are very good they do not have any unnecessary peaks or deep dips and only smoothly fade after 15 kHz, which is a very good result, and now let's analyze the sound of these headphones in more detail.
- Low Frequencies -
The bass frequencies in the ZiiGaat Odyssey I believe are the true strength in these headphones.
Not only do they have good depth, but also a wonderful texture.The bass parts in these headphones sound very expressive, they are clearly delineated without getting lost in the overall mass of sounds. And most importantly that the necessary transparency and airiness in the lows is very much emphasized as the bass in these headphones is definitely not muddy and not dirty, but very clear precise and accurate, which allows you to hear even the smallest details in instruments that use low frequencies, especially fans of rock or orchestral music will definitely appreciate the capabilities of these headphones.
And what to say due to the fact that the punch we have not spared here, fans of electronics and modern pop music or hip hop will also be satisfied here, because the punch and the necessary percussion in the bass is present, and it is clearly visible in the percussion parts as a kick and 808 bass, while I like that these headphones retain excellent attack ability, bass does not sound sluggish and lightweight, it is dense with a clearly defined initial attack and the necessary focus on its impact, despite the fact that it uses only one dynamic radiator, but the most important thing is the result of the output, and it does its job believe me just fine!
- Mid Frequencies -
The midrange of the ZiiGaat Odyssey is, to me, a perfect balance between neutrality, warmth, and transparency. They sound very natural, neat and smooth, and at the same time have a characteristic warmth in the pitch, which gives the music the necessary liveliness and naturalness in the sound, but at the same time in these headphones managed to maintain the necessary neutrality in the pitch, with excellent saturation and dynamics, but I note that without any unnecessary and excessive aggression and sharpness, that is, there is a slight softening, but it is designed as correctly as possible. Therefore, musical instruments, especially acoustic, sound very organically and fully, without artificial simplification And guitars give you literally all their richness of overtones and aftertones, and the piano sounds rich and with a good sense of depth and body.
And despite its warm character, the midrange remains very transparent and airy, that is, we definitely did not spare it here. As the detail in this range is at a high level when listening to the headphones it is immediately obvious that the armature drivers here are very high quality, due to which every nuance, whether it is a slight trembling of the voice or the smallest vibrations of instruments, is transmitted without any loss. Music in these headphones sounds open and expressive, and a sense of airiness makes the presentation of this range is particularly expressive.
And the ZiiGaat Odyssey's vocal parts sound particularly good, too. Voices have the necessary body, saturation, and do not seem clamped or so to say muddy and dense at all. They remain as natural as possible, with good articulation and clarity, and at the same time you have a great sense of the stage, because when listening to the vocal so to speak, it does not stick to you, but sounds as if the singer is in front of you, but at a small distance slightly forward in the construction.
And to summarize, the midrange in ZiiGaat Odyssey is the perfect combination of neutrality, warmth and transparency. They sound natural, detailed, and dynamic, creating a lively and emotional, and certainly not boring, presentation where vocals, instruments, and atmospheric effects are delivered with excellent intelligibility and resolution, making these headphones versatile for a wide variety of genres.
- High Frequencies -
The high-frequency range of the ZiiGaat Odyssey is balanced, comfortable and very carefully tuned to maintain good detail and resolution, but without any harshness or excessive brightness, they are clean, comfortable, but at the same time open enough in their presentation to convey complex textures and nuances of music without any loss of information, as analytical and technicality these headphones can boast with pleasure.
And here there is good intelligibility and transparency and air, but at the same time the most important thing here is not lost naturalness in the presentation, that is, there is no sense of so-called artificial sound with some unnecessary coloration, that is this moment here is very well maintained and there is absolutely no armature timbre, and there is only extremely accurate timbral authenticity and most importantly that without any aggressiveness in the presentation. Moreover, microdynamics is also perfectly expressed here: you can easily catch the initial clicks of cymbal strikes, subtle nuances of percussion rustling or overtones of instruments in really complex and dynamic orchestral compositions.
And to me, one of the strengths of the treble in these headphones is their balance. They sound clearly detailed but not harsh, which makes them comfortable even when listening for long periods of time at high volume. And most importantly, there is no hint of sibilants or excessive ringing or sharpness in the cymbals, so female vocals, violins or cymbals in the tracks are transmitted as cleanly as possible, but without a hint of excessive aggression and obvious emphasis of all these moments, and fans of comfortable presentation will definitely appreciate it.
But it's worth noting that the treble also has a good attack and natural rather smooth decay. That is, the sounds here are not cut off as abruptly and do not sound dry, and are transmitted with a natural length and a little ease. This will be especially well heard on live instruments as the cymbals in drum kits sound natural, and the strings in acoustic guitar transmit to you literally all the smallest nuances of sound production, so if you like to take apart and carefully analyze musical compositions, with zigat odyssey you will definitely not be difficult to implement it.
To summarize: The ZiiGaat Odyssey's treble is a subtle combination of detail, transparency and comfort. They provide excellent resolution and micro dynamics, but do not overload the listener with excessive brightness or harshness. These headphones have no problem conveying all the necessary nuances of music, but they do it quite softly and naturally, without any harsh peaks or dryness.
- Sound Stage -
Well, the soundstage in the ZiiGaat Odyssey headphones creates a really impressive sense of space, with a good balance between width, depth and height. It doesn't feel artificially bloated, but it's still large enough that the sound doesn't feel like it's in your head like in simpler headphones, as the music in these headphones feels like a living and properly shaped space, not just sounds that are, so to speak, adjacent to your ears.
The width of the scene is also decent - instruments and effects are clearly arranged in the panorama, creating a good separation between the left and right channel. This is especially noticeable in tracks with a wide stereo panorama, where reverb and spatial effects are not “stuck” in the center, but distributed across the scene as naturally as possible.
The depth of the stage is also well expressed: the foreground remains clear and intelligible, and distant sounds have the necessary attenuation and volume. Vocals feel slightly forward in front of the listener, but not too close, and instruments are placed more in depth, maintaining a sense of proper three-dimensionality.
And to me, every element in the mix listening to these headphones clearly takes its place without layering on top of each other. As the separation of instruments in these headphones is very precise, which allows you to clearly distinguish absolutely all the layers even in the heaviest instrumental arrangement and it gives you a clear idea of where the elements are in space, so you can easily determine where a particular instrument sounds from. This is also particularly noticeable in live recordings or live albums, where the atmosphere of the room is conveyed very convincingly, creating the necessary effect of presence.
And just because of the very transparent mids and detailed treble, the stage sounds very airy and open. Sounds don't seem squeezed or crumpled, but naturally distributed and placed in a very wide and deep space. At the same time, the stage does not seem overly stretched or artificially bloated at all, as it remains natural and organic.
My conclusion on this headphones!
And the conclusion on hybrid headphones ZiiGaat Odyssey I got the following, for my taste guys it's just terrific headphones with very competent and neutral meta tuning, and when listening to them at all you can forget about any excessive brightness or sharpness or excessive vigor in the sound, as here you are facing the most comfortable and balanced tuning with a rather highlighted and textured bass, neutral and neat midrange with quite detailed and smooth high frequencies without any sharpness and sibilants, so from myself these headphones for connoisseurs of such a sound presentation I safely recommend to buy!
Buy this headphones on Linsoul Official Website: https://www.linsoul.com/products/ziigaat-odyssey
Also be sure to check out my video review on these headphones!
Hello friends, today in the review we will consider excellent hybrid headphones from the company ZiiGaat for 229$.
And they come in a small box with a very nice design, there is an image of the headphones themselves, at the top there is the company logo, and here is the name of this new model Odyssey.
And here are the technical specifications and for the sound in these headphones is responsible for the dynamic driver with a diameter of 10 mm, and three armature drivers from Knowles for mid and high frequencies, well, the sensitivity is 104 db and they received 18 ohm impedance, so I'll tell you right away that this is a very easy to swing headphones, they do not need any super powerful source and they will easily suffice any modern dac-amplifiers, for this you can not even worry.
- Let's take a look at what's included -
1.Branded case.
2.Basic cable with 2 pin connectors and 3.5 mm jack.
3.Set of silicone ear tips and one pair of foam tips.
4.IEM.
The headphones are made entirely of medical-grade resin and to my taste have a very nice appearance with a beautifully designed faceplate, and in this respect Zigaat are as good as ever because they all have their own unique look and feel.
Well, here they have a standard 2 pin connector for cable connection, and the only hole for compensation here is set back and protected by a metal mesh, and well inside there is an inscription Odyssey, channel marking and serial number of the model.
And their sound guide is metal, optimized in length and width, with a clear edge for a secure fit of the ear cushions and a protective metallic mesh.
And these headphones sit like all other models of ZiiGaat personally in my case perfectly, I had no problems with Odyssey as well as with other models of this company, it is a reliable and deep enough fit with excellent soundproofing, nothing when using the headphones does not press anywhere and does not rest on the ear, in general, in this regard, everything is good and it is a pleasure to use them, despite the fact that like any other modern hybrid headphones they are quite large, and protrude a little out of the ear, but I have not bothered for a long time.
- Tuning and Conception -
Now let's talk about how the ZiiGaat Odyssey hybrid headphones sound, this is what their frequency response graph looks like and these headphones have 8dB of bass boost, with a smooth transition to the lower midrange where there is a little extra boost to give more lushness and warmth in this range, and the emphasis in the upper midrange here will be even less than in my target, which makes the sound of these headphones in this range more neutral and warm, without any aggression or harshness in the pitch, and the high frequencies are very good they do not have any unnecessary peaks or deep dips and only smoothly fade after 15 kHz, which is a very good result, and now let's analyze the sound of these headphones in more detail.
- Low Frequencies -
The bass frequencies in the ZiiGaat Odyssey I believe are the true strength in these headphones.
Not only do they have good depth, but also a wonderful texture.The bass parts in these headphones sound very expressive, they are clearly delineated without getting lost in the overall mass of sounds. And most importantly that the necessary transparency and airiness in the lows is very much emphasized as the bass in these headphones is definitely not muddy and not dirty, but very clear precise and accurate, which allows you to hear even the smallest details in instruments that use low frequencies, especially fans of rock or orchestral music will definitely appreciate the capabilities of these headphones.
And what to say due to the fact that the punch we have not spared here, fans of electronics and modern pop music or hip hop will also be satisfied here, because the punch and the necessary percussion in the bass is present, and it is clearly visible in the percussion parts as a kick and 808 bass, while I like that these headphones retain excellent attack ability, bass does not sound sluggish and lightweight, it is dense with a clearly defined initial attack and the necessary focus on its impact, despite the fact that it uses only one dynamic radiator, but the most important thing is the result of the output, and it does its job believe me just fine!
- Mid Frequencies -
The midrange of the ZiiGaat Odyssey is, to me, a perfect balance between neutrality, warmth, and transparency. They sound very natural, neat and smooth, and at the same time have a characteristic warmth in the pitch, which gives the music the necessary liveliness and naturalness in the sound, but at the same time in these headphones managed to maintain the necessary neutrality in the pitch, with excellent saturation and dynamics, but I note that without any unnecessary and excessive aggression and sharpness, that is, there is a slight softening, but it is designed as correctly as possible. Therefore, musical instruments, especially acoustic, sound very organically and fully, without artificial simplification And guitars give you literally all their richness of overtones and aftertones, and the piano sounds rich and with a good sense of depth and body.
And despite its warm character, the midrange remains very transparent and airy, that is, we definitely did not spare it here. As the detail in this range is at a high level when listening to the headphones it is immediately obvious that the armature drivers here are very high quality, due to which every nuance, whether it is a slight trembling of the voice or the smallest vibrations of instruments, is transmitted without any loss. Music in these headphones sounds open and expressive, and a sense of airiness makes the presentation of this range is particularly expressive.
And the ZiiGaat Odyssey's vocal parts sound particularly good, too. Voices have the necessary body, saturation, and do not seem clamped or so to say muddy and dense at all. They remain as natural as possible, with good articulation and clarity, and at the same time you have a great sense of the stage, because when listening to the vocal so to speak, it does not stick to you, but sounds as if the singer is in front of you, but at a small distance slightly forward in the construction.
And to summarize, the midrange in ZiiGaat Odyssey is the perfect combination of neutrality, warmth and transparency. They sound natural, detailed, and dynamic, creating a lively and emotional, and certainly not boring, presentation where vocals, instruments, and atmospheric effects are delivered with excellent intelligibility and resolution, making these headphones versatile for a wide variety of genres.
- High Frequencies -
The high-frequency range of the ZiiGaat Odyssey is balanced, comfortable and very carefully tuned to maintain good detail and resolution, but without any harshness or excessive brightness, they are clean, comfortable, but at the same time open enough in their presentation to convey complex textures and nuances of music without any loss of information, as analytical and technicality these headphones can boast with pleasure.
And here there is good intelligibility and transparency and air, but at the same time the most important thing here is not lost naturalness in the presentation, that is, there is no sense of so-called artificial sound with some unnecessary coloration, that is this moment here is very well maintained and there is absolutely no armature timbre, and there is only extremely accurate timbral authenticity and most importantly that without any aggressiveness in the presentation. Moreover, microdynamics is also perfectly expressed here: you can easily catch the initial clicks of cymbal strikes, subtle nuances of percussion rustling or overtones of instruments in really complex and dynamic orchestral compositions.
And to me, one of the strengths of the treble in these headphones is their balance. They sound clearly detailed but not harsh, which makes them comfortable even when listening for long periods of time at high volume. And most importantly, there is no hint of sibilants or excessive ringing or sharpness in the cymbals, so female vocals, violins or cymbals in the tracks are transmitted as cleanly as possible, but without a hint of excessive aggression and obvious emphasis of all these moments, and fans of comfortable presentation will definitely appreciate it.
But it's worth noting that the treble also has a good attack and natural rather smooth decay. That is, the sounds here are not cut off as abruptly and do not sound dry, and are transmitted with a natural length and a little ease. This will be especially well heard on live instruments as the cymbals in drum kits sound natural, and the strings in acoustic guitar transmit to you literally all the smallest nuances of sound production, so if you like to take apart and carefully analyze musical compositions, with zigat odyssey you will definitely not be difficult to implement it.
To summarize: The ZiiGaat Odyssey's treble is a subtle combination of detail, transparency and comfort. They provide excellent resolution and micro dynamics, but do not overload the listener with excessive brightness or harshness. These headphones have no problem conveying all the necessary nuances of music, but they do it quite softly and naturally, without any harsh peaks or dryness.
- Sound Stage -
Well, the soundstage in the ZiiGaat Odyssey headphones creates a really impressive sense of space, with a good balance between width, depth and height. It doesn't feel artificially bloated, but it's still large enough that the sound doesn't feel like it's in your head like in simpler headphones, as the music in these headphones feels like a living and properly shaped space, not just sounds that are, so to speak, adjacent to your ears.
The width of the scene is also decent - instruments and effects are clearly arranged in the panorama, creating a good separation between the left and right channel. This is especially noticeable in tracks with a wide stereo panorama, where reverb and spatial effects are not “stuck” in the center, but distributed across the scene as naturally as possible.
The depth of the stage is also well expressed: the foreground remains clear and intelligible, and distant sounds have the necessary attenuation and volume. Vocals feel slightly forward in front of the listener, but not too close, and instruments are placed more in depth, maintaining a sense of proper three-dimensionality.
And to me, every element in the mix listening to these headphones clearly takes its place without layering on top of each other. As the separation of instruments in these headphones is very precise, which allows you to clearly distinguish absolutely all the layers even in the heaviest instrumental arrangement and it gives you a clear idea of where the elements are in space, so you can easily determine where a particular instrument sounds from. This is also particularly noticeable in live recordings or live albums, where the atmosphere of the room is conveyed very convincingly, creating the necessary effect of presence.
And just because of the very transparent mids and detailed treble, the stage sounds very airy and open. Sounds don't seem squeezed or crumpled, but naturally distributed and placed in a very wide and deep space. At the same time, the stage does not seem overly stretched or artificially bloated at all, as it remains natural and organic.
My conclusion on this headphones!
And the conclusion on hybrid headphones ZiiGaat Odyssey I got the following, for my taste guys it's just terrific headphones with very competent and neutral meta tuning, and when listening to them at all you can forget about any excessive brightness or sharpness or excessive vigor in the sound, as here you are facing the most comfortable and balanced tuning with a rather highlighted and textured bass, neutral and neat midrange with quite detailed and smooth high frequencies without any sharpness and sibilants, so from myself these headphones for connoisseurs of such a sound presentation I safely recommend to buy!
Buy this headphones on Linsoul Official Website: https://www.linsoul.com/products/ziigaat-odyssey
Also be sure to check out my video review on these headphones!
General/Packaging/Comfort/Build
ZiiGaat is a relatively new brand which is sold by Linsoul exclusively. The brand has released several IEMs, namely the Cinno,Nuo, Doscinco and also the Cincotres which I have also tested and reviewed previously and found them to be really good for the asking price. I have the Odyssey with me today which has the following configuration: 1DD+3BA.
Build quality is very solid and features beautiful faceplate as well, metal nozzle, it is neither short nor long for my ear anatomy. The shell size is similar to most of the brand’s hybrids. Packaging is rather minimal i would say, the stock cable, eartips, faux leather storage case and the IEM itself which is almost identical across their hybrid lineup.
In terms of comfort, the Odyssey does not have any sharp edges and I use them for several hours a day and I did not feel any discomfort throughout my listening session, the shell is quite identical to both the Doscinco and Cincotres that i have reviewed as well
Prior to writing this review, Odyssey has been run in for roughly 20 hours, and in my opinion, the DD does benefit from the burn in.
Equipment and Software used
- Aune S9C Pro
- Fiio JM21
- Apple Music/Tidal/foobar2k
- Dita Navigator
Foreword
My review is solely based on what I hear via my equipment and I never consider my reviews to be objective in any way rather a subjective approach. Do take into consideration that everyone’s ear anatomy is not the same, so the psychoacoustics perception might be different as well, but i believe it will not stray too far
Sound Impression
Upon first listening impression, Odyssey’s sound profile is leaning towards U shaped. Sounds quite fun and smooth to my ears. I would say it's quite natural overall with a boost in the sub bass region, treble has sufficient details but not offensive. Slight warmish tonality with fairly natural timbre, still a slight hint of BA timbre is there if you pay real hard attention to it.
Bass
- Fairly good speed and doesn’t sound bloated or muddy when listening to busy tracks such as Slipknot’s People’s = crap!, Metallica’s Lux Aeterna, it handled the speed drumming and kick flawlessly, without sounding muddy nor bleeding into the mids
- Sub bass has good extension and rumbly when the track calls for it
- The transition from sub to mid bass is very good, the mid bass doesn’t lack punch and the sub and mid bass complement each other very well, transition is quite linear
- The bass has good texture and doesn’t sound “loose”
- The mids are neither too forward nor recessed, just right to my ears,
- Vocal positioning is just nice, just imagine the artist is probably 5-6 steps away from you
- Male and female vocal has good texture to it and doesn’t sound thin, i would prefer the female vocal to have a little bit more bite, but given the overall smooth nature of Odyssey’s tuning, this is understandable
- The bass doesn’t bleed into this range which is good
- Pinna gain is rather safe and never shouty even when the volume is being cranked up
- Treble is smooth and non offensive, but retains enough energy to not sound dark
- Despite having a smooth treble response, treble extension is quite good for this set depending on your personal preference, if you are someone who wants to hear every single detail in the track, Odyssey might not be the one for you
- Amount of air and presence is average but this is understandable as it is the tuning that they strive for
- Detail retrieval is good enough, but not for critical listeners
Soundstage/Imaging
- Soundstage is slightly out of your head with good width, depth and height perception is good
- Separation is good for the asking price, i would say it is above average for the price point
- Imaging is very good as the instruments can be pinpointed easily even during busy track, certain complex orchestral track might not perform that well
- Odyssey is not hard to drive but it does scale well with more power, in terms of dynamics and bass control
- Most of the entry level/mid range dongles will do just fine but desktop setup will squeeze every bit out of the Odyssey
- Slightly cleaner sounding compared to Odyssey, in terms of tonality
- Treble is smooth but resolution and detail retrieval capability is slightly better than Arete
- Soundstage is rather 2D-ish and narrower compared to Odyssey, imaging is not as good
- Mids has good body and vocals are not too recessed nor forward in the mix, it is the star of the show for Cadenza 4
- Upper mids are not perceived as shouty as well
- Very natural timbre overall and note weight is neither thin nor overly thick
- Lesser bass quantity but good quality bass, and the focus of bass is more on the mid bass rather than sub bass, whereas Arete has a smooth transition between the sub and mid bass, hence both the sub and mid bass is very good, also, slightly more in terms of bass quantity
- Overall, Cadenza 4 is tuned differently and targeted at different audience, both the Odyssey and Cadenza 4 are good sets, so at the end of the day, it depends on your preference
As ZiiGaat is stepping up on their IEM game, their releases has been interesting so far, from Cinno, Nuo, to Doscinco and Cincotres, and Odyssey which i have tested today, they’re very interesting in terms of sonic performance as well as the price point, I would even go as far as saying the Odyssey is punching above its price point, at 229$, with the sonic performance as well as the build quality that it offers, i will not hesitate in recommending the Odyssey to anyone who likes this sort of sound signature that i have described in this review.
*A big thanks to Linsoul for sending this over for the purpose of this review. Thanks for the support and opportunity as always
Head over to their store if you are interested in getting a pair:
Ziigaat Odyssey - Non affiliated
DISCLAIMER
I would like to thank Linsoul for providing this review unit.
The ZiiGaat Odyssey can be gotten here: https://www.linsoul.com/products/ziigaat-odyssey (no affiliate links).
SPECIFICATIONS
ACCESSORIES
Other than the IEM, these are included:
- 3 pairs of silicone eartips (S/M/L)
- 1 pair of foam tips
- Cable
- Case
The accessory line-up disappointing - usually gear at the $200ish mark incorporate modular cables or a wider array of eartips.
Nevertheless, the eartips are serviceable from a sonic and fit perspective - the foam tips improve isolation, but tame treble and compress soundstage, whereas the silicone tips are less isolating, but are more balanced-sounding.
We have no information on the stock cables' materials, but suffice to say, it is a 3.5 mm (single-ended) one. The cable is on the thinner side and tangles a bit, though microphonics are thankfully negligible.
Last but not least, we have a squarish semi-rigid case. It's nothing to write home about: it has inner webbing and is mostly functional, other than for the smaller size.
The rest of this review was done with the stock cable and stock silicone eartips. No aftermarket accessories were used, so as not to add any confounders to the sound.
BUILD/COMFORT
The housings are fashioned from resin, with a purple and black marbled faceplate. The shells are lightweight and ergonomic, with no awkward protrusions to stab the ears for prolonged listening sessions.
The earpieces have a big vent on each side, so isolation is bang average. There is no driver flex though, which is a sign of good air flow design.
INTERNALS
The Odyssey is a 4-driver hybrid, packing the following drivers:
DRIVABILITY
I tested the Odyssey with the following sources:
- Apple dongle
- Cayin RU7
- Chord Mojo 2
- Fiio KA15 dongle
- Fiio KA17 dongle
- Khadas Tone Board -> Schiit Asgard 3 amp
- Questyle M15 DAC/AMP dongle
- Sony Walkman NW A-55 DAP (Walkman One WM1Z Plus v2 Mod)
- Sony Walkman NW WM1A DAP (Walkman One WM1Z Plus v2 Mod)
- Smartphone
This IEM is easy to drive, and amplification is not required.
SOUND & TECHNICALITIES
Graph of the ZiiGaat Odyssey via IEC711 coupler.
Tonally, the Odyssey sports a neutral with sub-bass boost profile. This is quite balanced overall, yet neither does it sounds sterile or lacking fun.
As above, this IEM has an elevated sub-bass. This descends deeply to 20 Hz, with a nice rumble felt on bass heavy genres. The mid-bass is quite textured and nimble, albeit with slight bleed. Some so-called basshead sets just go for an outright ton of bass quantity but totally neglect quality, and I appreciate the Odyssey - though still on the bassier side - equilibrates these areas by not veering to an extremist tuning that bleeds everywhere.
The lower midrange sounds a bit recessed in comparison to the bigger bass, and it is warmed by the bass heft. The upper mids climax at 7 dB ear gain. This is relatively soothing, and the anti-pinna gain gang shouldn't have much to complain about here.
The Odyssey has a decent sparkle at the lower treble, but the upper treble tails off thereafter. Essentially, this IEM has a relatively safe treble, with minimal sibilance. It isn't a dark transducer by any means, but should still be well-suited for those who are treble-sensitive.
Timbre is surprisingly decent for a set packing 3 BAs aside. For a self-processed timbre-freak, I've definitely heard way worse suspects in this department, and instruments do not sound unnatural on the Odyssey.
The Odyssey fares well in technicalities. We hear an above soundstage in all 3 dimensions, with pinpoint imaging. It copes well with complex tracks with competing riffs in the areas of instrument separation and layering. Micro-details are also done well for a low-$200 USD pair.
COMPARISONS
The Odyssey will be compared against other hybrids residing around the $200ish USD mark. Single DDs, tribrids, BAs and planars are left out of the conversation, as the different transducer types have their own pros and cons.
Juzear Dragonfly 81T
The Dragonfly is balanced tonally, but has less sub-bass and more upper mids than the Odyssey. As such, it sounds a bit thinner in overall tone. Bass bleeds less - ie it is tighter - but there is more sibilance and fatigue in the top end with the Dragonfly.
In technicalities, the Dragonfly is ahead in soundstage, with imaging and micro-detailing about on par.
The Dragonfly is better accessorized, but has a more unnatural and metallic timbre.
Kiwi Ears KE4
The KE4 boasts of one those flavour-of-the-moment "META" type pleasant - but boring - tunings. The KE4 is darker in the treble with inferior resolution. Notably, the KE4 is a league behind in technical chops (in imaging, micro-detailing and soundstage).
The KE4 is also poorly accessorized, but has driver flex, which may be a deal-breaker for some consumers.
CONCLUSIONS
The ZiiGaat Odyssey is a safe recommendation for an entry midFI hybrid. Utilizing prized Knowles BAs, it bestows a neutral with sub-bass boosted profile, which is generally quite all-rounded for most music genres. It doesn't lack the fun element - with the huge bass shelf on tap - and technicalities are good, with imaging a highlight in particular.
Many self-professed basshead sets come across as a one-trick-pony as they pursue bass quantity at all costs - and are clumsy with non-bassy genres - or worse still, said basshead types lack the technical chops to back up the big bass. I'm happy to report that the Odyssey doesn't commit these 2 cardinal sins! Neither does it have the classic sawtooth CHIFI peakish upper midrange and sibilance-stabbing treble, so this has a leg up from some of the competition in terms of tonality.
The Odyssey has commendable timbral accuracy for something packing 3 BAs on each side, and it definitely does better here than most of its hybrid peers. Additionally, this IEM is ergonomic with no hard amplification requirements.
Not everything is perfect though. The Odyssey is quite lacking in accessories for the $200ish price, and there is some mid-bass bleed - which is inevitable for a bass boosted pair.
These are small nitpicks overall, and the Odyssey is a dependable Steady Eddy type hybrid; it may be an IEM for folks who are looking for something that performs well in most arenas.
I would like to thank Linsoul for providing this review unit.
The ZiiGaat Odyssey can be gotten here: https://www.linsoul.com/products/ziigaat-odyssey (no affiliate links).
SPECIFICATIONS
- Driver configuration: 1 x 10 mm topology dynamic driver + 2 x Knowles RAF 32873 balanced armature drivers + 1 x Knowles RAD 33518 balanced armature driver
- Frequency response: 20 Hz - 23000 Hz
- Impedance: 18 Ω
- Sensitivity: 104 dB
- Cable: 2-pin 0.78 mm; no information about cable materials; 3.5 mm termination
- Tested at: $229 USD
ACCESSORIES
Other than the IEM, these are included:
- 3 pairs of silicone eartips (S/M/L)
- 1 pair of foam tips
- Cable
- Case
The accessory line-up disappointing - usually gear at the $200ish mark incorporate modular cables or a wider array of eartips.
Nevertheless, the eartips are serviceable from a sonic and fit perspective - the foam tips improve isolation, but tame treble and compress soundstage, whereas the silicone tips are less isolating, but are more balanced-sounding.
We have no information on the stock cables' materials, but suffice to say, it is a 3.5 mm (single-ended) one. The cable is on the thinner side and tangles a bit, though microphonics are thankfully negligible.
Last but not least, we have a squarish semi-rigid case. It's nothing to write home about: it has inner webbing and is mostly functional, other than for the smaller size.
The rest of this review was done with the stock cable and stock silicone eartips. No aftermarket accessories were used, so as not to add any confounders to the sound.
BUILD/COMFORT
The housings are fashioned from resin, with a purple and black marbled faceplate. The shells are lightweight and ergonomic, with no awkward protrusions to stab the ears for prolonged listening sessions.
The earpieces have a big vent on each side, so isolation is bang average. There is no driver flex though, which is a sign of good air flow design.
INTERNALS
The Odyssey is a 4-driver hybrid, packing the following drivers:
- 1 x 10mm topology dynamic driver handles the bass.
- 2 Knowles RAF 32873 balanced armature drivers take care of the midrange
- 1 x Knowles RAD 33518 balanced armature drivers settles the treble
DRIVABILITY
I tested the Odyssey with the following sources:
- Apple dongle
- Cayin RU7
- Chord Mojo 2
- Fiio KA15 dongle
- Fiio KA17 dongle
- Khadas Tone Board -> Schiit Asgard 3 amp
- Questyle M15 DAC/AMP dongle
- Sony Walkman NW A-55 DAP (Walkman One WM1Z Plus v2 Mod)
- Sony Walkman NW WM1A DAP (Walkman One WM1Z Plus v2 Mod)
- Smartphone
This IEM is easy to drive, and amplification is not required.
SOUND & TECHNICALITIES
Graph of the ZiiGaat Odyssey via IEC711 coupler.
Tonally, the Odyssey sports a neutral with sub-bass boost profile. This is quite balanced overall, yet neither does it sounds sterile or lacking fun.
As above, this IEM has an elevated sub-bass. This descends deeply to 20 Hz, with a nice rumble felt on bass heavy genres. The mid-bass is quite textured and nimble, albeit with slight bleed. Some so-called basshead sets just go for an outright ton of bass quantity but totally neglect quality, and I appreciate the Odyssey - though still on the bassier side - equilibrates these areas by not veering to an extremist tuning that bleeds everywhere.
The lower midrange sounds a bit recessed in comparison to the bigger bass, and it is warmed by the bass heft. The upper mids climax at 7 dB ear gain. This is relatively soothing, and the anti-pinna gain gang shouldn't have much to complain about here.
The Odyssey has a decent sparkle at the lower treble, but the upper treble tails off thereafter. Essentially, this IEM has a relatively safe treble, with minimal sibilance. It isn't a dark transducer by any means, but should still be well-suited for those who are treble-sensitive.
Timbre is surprisingly decent for a set packing 3 BAs aside. For a self-processed timbre-freak, I've definitely heard way worse suspects in this department, and instruments do not sound unnatural on the Odyssey.
The Odyssey fares well in technicalities. We hear an above soundstage in all 3 dimensions, with pinpoint imaging. It copes well with complex tracks with competing riffs in the areas of instrument separation and layering. Micro-details are also done well for a low-$200 USD pair.
COMPARISONS
The Odyssey will be compared against other hybrids residing around the $200ish USD mark. Single DDs, tribrids, BAs and planars are left out of the conversation, as the different transducer types have their own pros and cons.
Juzear Dragonfly 81T
The Dragonfly is balanced tonally, but has less sub-bass and more upper mids than the Odyssey. As such, it sounds a bit thinner in overall tone. Bass bleeds less - ie it is tighter - but there is more sibilance and fatigue in the top end with the Dragonfly.
In technicalities, the Dragonfly is ahead in soundstage, with imaging and micro-detailing about on par.
The Dragonfly is better accessorized, but has a more unnatural and metallic timbre.
Kiwi Ears KE4
The KE4 boasts of one those flavour-of-the-moment "META" type pleasant - but boring - tunings. The KE4 is darker in the treble with inferior resolution. Notably, the KE4 is a league behind in technical chops (in imaging, micro-detailing and soundstage).
The KE4 is also poorly accessorized, but has driver flex, which may be a deal-breaker for some consumers.
CONCLUSIONS
The ZiiGaat Odyssey is a safe recommendation for an entry midFI hybrid. Utilizing prized Knowles BAs, it bestows a neutral with sub-bass boosted profile, which is generally quite all-rounded for most music genres. It doesn't lack the fun element - with the huge bass shelf on tap - and technicalities are good, with imaging a highlight in particular.
Many self-professed basshead sets come across as a one-trick-pony as they pursue bass quantity at all costs - and are clumsy with non-bassy genres - or worse still, said basshead types lack the technical chops to back up the big bass. I'm happy to report that the Odyssey doesn't commit these 2 cardinal sins! Neither does it have the classic sawtooth CHIFI peakish upper midrange and sibilance-stabbing treble, so this has a leg up from some of the competition in terms of tonality.
The Odyssey has commendable timbral accuracy for something packing 3 BAs on each side, and it definitely does better here than most of its hybrid peers. Additionally, this IEM is ergonomic with no hard amplification requirements.
Not everything is perfect though. The Odyssey is quite lacking in accessories for the $200ish price, and there is some mid-bass bleed - which is inevitable for a bass boosted pair.
These are small nitpicks overall, and the Odyssey is a dependable Steady Eddy type hybrid; it may be an IEM for folks who are looking for something that performs well in most arenas.
