ZIIGAAT HORIZON TRIBRID EARPHONES REVIEW
ZiiGaat Horizon Tribrid Earphones are a £150 in-ear that feature a dynamic driver, balanced armatures and a planar in the same shell. Oscar Stewart takes a listen for HiFi PiG.
ZiiGaat have been making earphones for a few years now, with a few of their models offering up excellent sound for a very reasonable price. I’ve heard a couple of their models over the years at CanJam London; however, this is my first full review of one of their earphones.
BUILD QUALITY AND FEATURES OF THE ZIIGAAT HORIZON
Starting off with the build quality, these have a fairly conventional resin shell; it is 3D printed here, whilst the rather pretty faceplates are handcrafted. The earphones themselves are then hand assembled, so pairing and placing of the drivers and faceplates are all done by hand for consistency. The housings are very well finished, they have the build you would expect of a premium product, yet these are relatively affordable in “audiophile” terms.
They come with a twisted silver-plated cable that uses standard 0.78mm 2-pin connectors on the earphone side, and an interchangeable jack plug on the other (with both 3.5mm and 4.4mm included in the box). The cable is lightweight, soft, and flexible – which is great for comfort.
In the box, you get the earphones, cable, a neat carry case, and 7 pairs of eartips (3 pairs of black silicone, 3 pairs of clear silicone, and 1 pair of foam). The overall package is complete, and most people should be able to get a good fit with at least one type of eartip included.
Driver-wise the ZiiGaat Horizon have a single 10mm dynamic driver for the bass, 2 x custom ported Knowles balanced armatures for mids/highs, and 2 x custom composite planar drivers for the ultra-high region of 20-36khz. This is an interesting configuration, as many companies opt for EST drivers over planar for the ultra-high frequencies; according to ZiiGaat these custom drivers do not deviate by more than +/-4dB from 20-25kHz, allowing for improved soundstaging and air without harshness.
In terms of comfort, the Horizon have a very ergonomic design that fit well in my ears. I found them to be extremely comfortable for long listening sessions once I had settled on the right eartips. The cable helps in terms of ensuring they are comfortable for long listening sessions, and I found the passive isolation to be quite good too; they block out a fair amount of outside noise.
From a build and feature perspective, the ZiiGaat Horizon are a well thought out pair of earphones, with a good accessory set and great comfort.
SOUND QUALITY
I have been using these with my reference Fiio M15s DAP, I did also use them with the Topping DX5 II DAC/Amp.
This time, I decided to start out with something a little more upbeat than my usual music, Afro-Left by Leftfield. This is a track that wanted me to turn the volume up a little. The spatial cues in this track were very well placed, with plenty of space and air surrounding each individual element. The bass beat does a great job at driving this track, and the Horizon handles it very well, with great depth and articulation. These are not in any way bass-heavy; they are incredibly well balanced, allowing detail to shine through whilst the dynamics prevent them from sounding boring. The drivers are working in harmony here, the dynamic driver doing a great job at delivering a full and punchy low end, whilst the mids and highs shine through with clarity and control. The treble is very airy and extended, this gives the whole sound a sense of space, and they never sound congested. These do a fantastic job at delivering technicalities in the form of excellent detail retrieval and transient response, whilst also sounding engaging.
Next up, I listened to Into Oblivion by Funeral For A Friend. This is such an anthem from this Welsh post-hardcore band, and I love this song. The ZiiGaat Horizon deliver this track with huge scale; there is a rumbly sub-bass presence that isn’t lost on these in-ears. The vocals are impeccably placed, and there is never any bleed from the bass region. Every element of the band is well separated without losing coherence; the bass really comes out when called for without impacting the rest of the spectrum. Cymbals have great presence and tonality, without standing out or becoming irritating, the guitar lines have power and crunch and it all comes together in a big, bold sound that is both detailed, and energetic.
Over to some heavier progressive metal, and Master’s Apprentices by Opeth. Once again, the Horizon show that they can separate heavier mixes with ease whilst delivering a powerful, yet well-balanced sound. The double-kicks are well-controlled with great body and impact, the bass line is articulate and easily distinguishable, the guitars centre stage, guttural vocals cut through, and crisp treble is without hard edges. Snares are especially well done, with snappy transients and crisp attack. This song has a darker ambience to it, and that is easily portrayed by the Horizon. I think what I appreciate here is the level of transparency of these; they get across what the artist intended, yet they are also not a studio monitor; they are deliberately engaging and enjoyable whilst still allowing plenty of insight into the recording.
The Horizons excel when it comes to good quality recordings, and they do show up less than stellar tracks, they also may be on the verge of brightness with tracks that are recorded on the hotter side. This is more a source material issue though, as any revealing system will come with the same caveats.
Playing songs like Scatterbrain by Radiohead, though, and the above doesn’t apply. You get impressive air and space within the soundstage, with vocals dead centre and effortlessly portrayed. The panned guitars sound natural, the bass beat is exactly where it needs to be, and the treble is crisp and airy. There is no harshness here, just a coherent and complete-sounding earphone that allows you to get lost in the music.
On that note, they are also fairly source sensitive! Giving them a good source like the M15s or DX5 II really does bring out the best in them, though pairing them with something leaner could also upset the balance. The same applies for eartips; carefully ensuring you have a good fit is critical for getting the best sound out of any earphone, and these are no different. It is also worth experimenting with some 3rd party tips to see how they change the sound.
Lastly, I listened to 26 by Paramore, and wow! Just wow! Hayley’s vocals come across so lifelike, whilst the guitar is full and controlled. These handled the delicacy of this song perfectly. As the song builds, so does the sound of the Horizon, sounding as big as they need to, then going back to a more intimate sound without skipping a beat. They give the recording space to breathe, strings scale with ease, everything comes across natural and effortless here – a captivating song through these.
QUIBBLES
They can be a little picky when it comes to the source, source material, and choice of eartip.
CONCLUSION
Now, £250 is a lot for your average headphone user, but in the grand scheme of things it is affordable in the earphone space for “audiophiles”, and the ZiiGaat Horizon give you a lot of sound for this price. The fit and finish are akin to more premium models, and the tuning is more mature and refined than quite a few other models around this price. All three driver technologies work in harmony here to give you an engaging and dynamic sound that excels in both space, air, and detail retrieval.
Give them a less than stellar recording, and they will show it up, give them a good one and you will be rewarded by a well-balanced sound that has energy, and clarity. These are not a smooth, warm, relaxing listen, instead they deliver what’s on the recording with great dynamics and scale. For me, this is a winning sound signature, and one that I find to be highly enjoyable – and I have enjoyed putting these through their paces with a variety of music.
AT A GLANCE
Build Quality And Features:
Solid build quality
Interesting driver setup
Sound Quality:
Clear, balanced, and spacious
Energetic and bold when needed
Value For Money:
You get a very refined, and technically proficient sound wrapped up in a pretty shell, for not a lot of cash. I’d say they are very good value for money
We Loved:
The look and feel of the earphones
The comfort, and the engaging sound quality
We Didn’t Love So Much:
Their transparency is a blessing and a curse, they won’t flatter poor sources or source material
Elevator Pitch Review: If you enjoy earphones with a more engaging and detailed sound, then the ZiiGaat Horizon are worth an audition. They give you a surprisingly refined and big sound for not a lot of money, and they have a great level of transparency that allows both punch and clarity to shine through, though they won’t flatter poor sources or recordings. There is plenty of bass on tap when needed, with a clear midrange, and crisp, well-extended treble – the separation and soundstaging are top-notch for the price too.
Price: £254 / $329
Oscar Stewart
SUPPLIED SPECIFICATION
- Driver: 1DD + 2BA + 2 Planar
- Driver Details: 10mm bio-diaphragm + Knowles 30262-163 + custom composite dual planar drivers
- Sensitivity: 102dB
- THD: 0.55%
- Impedance: 24Ω
- Frequency Response: 20Hz–35kHz
- Inside the box:
1 × Pair of ZiiGaat Horizon IEMs
1 × Detachable 4-Core Cable (0.78mm 2-pin)
1 × 3.5mm plug
1 x 4.4mm plug
3 × Pairs of silicone ear tips (S/M/L)
3 Pairs of Transparent Silicone Eartips
1 Pair of Black Foam Eartips
1 × Premium carrying case
1 × Wearing diagram/user instruction card
1 × Warranty card
