HiBy Zeta - First Impressions
This IEM took me by surprise, not because I didn’t know HiBy was in the IEM business, but because, until now, their efforts were mostly lower-priced companion IEMs for their outstanding range of DAPs.
Zeta is far more than that. It’s a premium tribrid flagship IEM that combines 9 drivers in each titanium-steel earpiece, including four of Sonion’s newly-released third-generation electrostats. It also features a five-way crossover and five independent tubes that connect and conduct the mix of DD, BA and e-stat drivers, to great effect I might add.
To be honest, I’m quite surprised there hasn’t been more fanfare about this IEM, but perhaps what I hinted at earlier – that HiBy is better known for its DAPs – is the reason why. I think Zeta has the potential to change all that, or at least put HiBy in the mix when it comes to choosing a modern kilobuck IEM.
Package, design and fit. Everything about Zeta, from the unboxing to first impressions, feels premium. The multilayered box contains clever cutouts for the IEMs and different compartments for accessories, and it’s obvious that quite a bit of thought and preparation went into the unboxing experience.
The accessories themselves are premium too. HiBy includes a round (faux?) leather case in a similar blue-green colour to the leather case supplied with the flagship RS8 DAP. Inside the case is a very well-made, fully balanced (4.4mm) 8-wire, 2-pin pure OCC cable, sheathed in a soft and supple PVC that contains the exotic Lapis Lazuli compound (which gives it its blue hue). Also included is a full set of three different types of tips: medium silicone, soft silicone
(for a deeper fit) and silicone-wrapped foam (for better isolation).
Titanium seems to be flavour-of-the-month for premium products, and Zeta continues the theme with precision-milled titanium and stainless steel earpieces. Titanium is a lightweight metal, so despite their size, the earpieces are very light, ergonomic and silky smooth to the touch. Even with slightly thicker nozzles, I found fit to be very comfortable indeed, although there’s no way I’m getting a deep fit with these.
One thing to note is that the nozzle bores are quite large, and covered by a fine mesh to prevent dirt and wax from getting in the tubes, so I’d recommend a wide bore tip to maximise sound quality (I settled with JVC Spiral Dots after working through my armory of third-party tips).
Sound impressions. I’m not sure why I was expecting a lean and balanced sound; Zeta is anything but. The first thing I noticed was the bass power – it’s massive, and visceral. If you’re sensitive to big, rumbly, reverberating bass, you should probably stop reading now. This is basshead level for sure, although to be fair, I don’t find the bass overwhelming the other frequencies either. It’s a bouncy, weighty bass, just as I like it, with an even mix of sub-bass and mid-bass that probably leans a
touch too much mid-bass.
I’ll need to spend more time with these to properly evaluate the bass-midrange balance, but I’d say the midrange sits slightly behind the bass, with a cut to the lower mids to keep the bulk of the midrange frequencies away from the bass shelf. There’s a generous rise into the upper-midrange pinna gain, and while on the whole I think this benefits vocal clarity, I do occasionally find it harsh in the upper-mid registers with some busier, brighter tracks.
There’s definitely a dip in the lower treble that keeps any sort of sibilance at bay, but also serves to contrast the upper-mid transition. The benefit here is lack of any sort of lower treble or female vocal harshness, but the downside is some evident grain in the trailing edges of female vocals where there’s an obvious mid-treble rise.
On balance I think it’s quite well done, and at reasonable volume levels is bordering on excellent, but I did find that turning the volume up on some bright, energetic music with lots of metallic instruments or effects to be less than ideal. Thankfully I don’t hear any overly-ethereal treble from the quad e-stats, and no doubt some will want even more treble energy than what’s available here.
Technically it’s probably too soon to tell if Zeta matches higher-end monitors, especially since I find the overall U-shaped/leaning V-shaped tonality quite chilled. Resolution is very good, and stage is fair though not the largest I’ve heard by any measure. There’s a good sense of instrument placement and layering throughout, although I question if the background is totally black given Zeta’s ultra-low 9-ohm rating and super high sensitivity (seriously, these are
very easy to drive, so beware of setting he volume too high on first listen).
Summing up. Zeta was initially surprising and continues to surprise me with every listen. It’s one of those IEMs you can’t wait to try other parts of your library with, and even though I’ve come across the occasional blip, it’s easily keeping up with other monitors I’ve heard at this price and beyond in terms of engagement.
There’s no question HiBy has a flair for well-made, well-designed products, and Zeta is no different. For a medium-size, large bore design, I find them super comfortable, and the skin feel of the smooth titanium shells is nothing short of luxurious.
My initial feeling is that Zeta is going to be one of my go-to bassy IEMs, especially when I want the size and grandeur of well-designed, visceral dynamic drivers in my ears. I personally don’t find the bass overwhelming, though the lack of ear pressure relief a-la 64 Audio or FiR will probably render these unusable for anyone with big bass sensitivity.
If you’re in the market for a fun, bouncy, warm sound with plenty of clarity and the occasional upper-midrange zing, made with premium materials and fitted with premium accessories, for a price that doesn’t raise too many eyebrows at this end of the market, Zeta should be at or near the top of your list to audition.
Check back soon for the full review, complete with track notes and comparisons. 
