Ziigat x Fresh Reviews Arete

 

General/Packaging/Comfort/Build

ZiiGat 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 Arete with me today which has the following configuration: 1DD+4BA. 

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 Doscinco and also the Cincotres. Packaging is rather minimal i would say, the stock cable, eartips, faux leather storage case and the IEM itself. 

In terms of comfort, the Arete 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, Arete 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

• Fiio M23

• Macbook Air M2

• 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, Arete sounds quite fun and smooth to my ears. I would say its quite natural overall with a boost on 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. Imaging is very impressive which is expected from a collaboration with Fresh Reviews.

Bass

• Fairly good speed and doesn’t sound bloated or muddy when listening to busy tracks such as Slipknot’s People’s = Shit!, 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 very 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

• The bass has good texture and doesn’t sound “loose”

• Despite having only 1 DD, the bass is very impactful and it is very fun when you are watching movies or gaming with it

Mids

• 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 Arete’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

• 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, Arete might not be the one for you, but its sibling (Cincotres) will be the right choice 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

Driveability

• Arete 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 Arete

Comparison (Letshuoer’s Cadenza 4) 

• Slightly cleaner sounding compared to Arete, 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 Arete, 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 Arete and Cadenza 4 are good sets, so at the end of the day, it depends on your preference

Final Thoughts

As ZiiGat is stepping up on their IEM game, their releases has been interesting so far, from Cinno, Nuo, to Doscinco and Cincotres which i have tested today, they’re very interesting in terms of sonic performance as well as the price point, the Arete reminds me of the Thieaudio’s Hype 4, in a way, they are quite similar except the treble on the Hype 4 is slightly more forward in the mix with better extension and slightly more energy. 

I would even go as far as saying the Arete is punching above its price point, at 249$, with the sonic performance as well as the build quality that it offers, i will not hesitate in recommending the Arete 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:

ZiiGat x Fresh Reviews Arete - Non affiliated