Ziigaat x Jay Audio Seraphim Review

 

General / Packaging / Build / Comfort
The Seraphim is the latest collaboration between ZiiGaat and Jay Audio. It is a 2DD + 3BA hybrid and retails at $259 over at Linsoul.
The drivers are two 10mm PET polymer dynamic drivers for the lows, two Knowles RAF 32873 balanced armatures for the mids and one Knowles RAD 33518 for the treble. Impedance is 9Ω with 105dB sensitivity. ZiiGaat calls the dual DD setup isobaric, but take it with a pinch of salt. I am not going to pretend I can tell from the outside, and what matters is what comes out of it.
The shell is full metal, small and light. The design is minimalistic and clean, and it looks more expensive than $259. The edges are not rounded off like a high end set, but that is purely me nitpicking. ZiiGaat also added a front vent this time to ease the occlusion effect. I had no driver flex or pressure buildup during my sessions.
Fit is mostly good. The shell is small and sits easily, but the nozzles are short (6mm). So tip rolling is needed. The stock clear tips sit a little shallow and gave me less bass, while the stiffer black ones were better. A grippier or longer tip will lock the seal in properly and you will hear the difference in the low end straight away.
Accessories are what you expect from the recent ZiiGaat sets. You get 7 pairs of tips (black and clear), 4 spare filters, a leatherette case and the detachable cable with 3.5mm and 4.4mm plugs. The cable is the highlight. It is thin, light and matches the shell perfectly, and it has very little memory. But it feels a little too light, and the modular plug is a bit loose. It tends to stay in the amp if you do not hold it right when pulling it out.

Gears Used for This Review

• Burson Conductor Stellar

• FiiO M33 R2R

• xDuoo Link3

• FiiO K17 R2R

• Laiv Crescendo Verse

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
I ran the Seraphim on my burn-in rig for approximately 40 hours before any serious listening. The bass became slightly more controlled over that time and the treble settled down a little.

To my ears the tuning sits between natural and mild V-shaped. Sub bass gets a healthy boost, there is a slight scoop in the lower mids, and the treble is tuned smooth. It is vivid without being tiring. I would call it funalytical, leaning on the fun side. It is not trying to be a reference set, and for the asking price it does not need to be.

Bass

• Sub bass is deep and well textured. The quantity is fun, and it reaches low enough that Billie Eilish's Bad Guy has real rumble and not just a hum.

• Mid bass is punchy and has good body. It is not the hardest slam I have heard, but it is not lacking either.

• The decay sits between slow and fast. There is a bit of linger on the notes, but speed is still fine. Slipknot's Duality stays controlled and the double kicks do not smear.

• The bass doesn't bleed into the mids at all. This is where the scooped lower mids help, because the bass stays in its own lane.

• Purely nitpicking, but the transition from bass to mids is not perfectly coherent. A little more fill in the lower mids would make the low end sound fuller and more connected.

Mids

• The midrange is clean, open and non-offensive. It is also a little thin.

• Female vocals: Faye Wong is smooth and clear. Picture the artist 4-5 steps away from you, slightly forward of the instruments. There is no shout and no sibilance.

• Male vocals: This is the weaker side. Zhao Peng is clean but lacks that chesty weight, so low baritones sound a little lean and less engaging.

• The midrange is on the safe side. Good for long sessions, but it will not pull you in the way a lusher set does.

Treble

• Good BA treble is pleasant, and the Seraphim is another example. The RAD 33518 is clear and focused without being incisive.

• Cymbals and brighter female vocals come through clean, with no strain and no harshness. Extension is great for the price.

• Air is decent, with a tinge of shimmer. It is not a sparkle monster.

• The upper treble is on the safer side. Treble heads might want a little more bite, but that is purely me nitpicking.

Soundstage / Imaging

• Staging is wider and deeper than most mid-fi sets, and a step above average at this price. It is out of head, though not quite a hall like effect.

• Imaging is accurate. Instrument placement is easy to pinpoint, which also works well for gaming.

• Layering on Hans Zimmer's Why So Serious is good. Instruments have their own space, and the bass is clearly separated from the mids.

• Technicalities are decent. There is nothing wrong with the detail, but it will not run circle around the more technical sets in the price range.

Driveability

• FiiO M33 R2R: A great match. The R2R adds a touch of body to the lower mids and takes some of the leanness away. This was my favourite pairing for male vocals.

• Aune S18 Evo + S17 Pro: The cleanest and most controlled bass of the lot, with the best staging. The noise floor is pitch black.

• xDuoo Link3: It drives the Seraphim fine at 9Ω and sounds good straight out of the dongle. No loss in the tuning, just a little less control in the low end.

Entry level or mid range dongle will do just fine, but a proper source will get more out of the staging and bass control.

Comparison
vs ZiiGaat x Hangout.Audio Odyssey 2 ($249)

Build first. Both have metal shells and share the same Knowles armatures, two 32873 for the mids and one 33518 for the treble. The Seraphim is lighter and sleeker, while the Odyssey 2 uses a CNC aluminum shell. Both have short nozzles, so tip rolling applies to both. The Seraphim has the thinner cable, and the Odyssey 2 comes with a heavier 4-core copper and silver litz cable. The difference is in the bass drivers. The Seraphim uses two PET polymer DDs, while the Odyssey 2 uses one bio-cellulose DD. Impedance is also different, 9Ω against 20Ω.

• Bass: Both go deep with excellent texture. The Seraphim slams harder in the mid bass and the decay is slightly faster, so it copes better with fast, intense tracks. The Odyssey 2 sounds more authoritative on cello and drums, thanks to the fuller lower mids.

• Mids: The Odyssey 2 is lusher and more romantic, with more weight on male vocals. The Seraphim has more separation and a cleaner, leaner presentation. It is easier to hear the gap between bass and mids.

• Treble: Very close. The Seraphim is a hair brighter with a bit more sparkle, but it is hard to separate them blind.

• Soundstage: The Seraphim has the edge. It is a little more open and spacious, with slightly more micro details.

Verdict: This is close, and neither is a bad choice. For the asking price I would personally go for the Odyssey 2 as an everyday pair, because it is more coherent from bass to mids and does male vocals better. But if you want more slam, more space and a cleaner stage, the Seraphim is the better pick.

Final Thoughts

The Seraphim is a much more refined and mature collaboration than the Estrella. The tuning is more natural this time, with just enough V-shaped flavour left to keep it fun. The bass reaches low with good texture and body, the treble is smooth and well extended, and the staging is wider and deeper than most sets around $259. The build is light, clean and classy, and the thin matching cable with modular plugs is a nice touch, even if the plug is a little loose.

It does have its flaws. The lower mids are thin, so male vocals lack weight, and the bass to mids transition is not perfectly coherent. The nozzles are short, so budget for some tip rolling. And the upper treble is on the safe side. None of these are deal breakers, but they are why it does everything alright and stops short of being exceptional.

The Seraphim was sent over by Linsoul for the purpose of this review. Big thanks to the Linsoul team for the support and opportunity as always.

Head over to their store if you are interested in getting a pair:

• ZiiGaat x Jay Audio Seraphim, Linsoul — Non Affiliated