Introduction

ZiiGaat is a new IEM brand registered by Shenzhen Zijia Technology Co., Ltd. late last year. Never mind the part where the parent company seems to be known for its motors, the people behind ZiiGaat have been around for years making IEMs for other brands which are quite popular and well-known in the space. So this is a case of an OEM/ODM wanting to showcase what it is capable of and deciding now is the time to put out products under its own name. As typical with IEM brands from Asia, ZiiGaat isn't just an anglicized version of Zijia and stands for "Zero in on Ideas, Innovate, Grow and Achieve All Together".... On a more relevant note, the last couple of months have seen multiple ZiiGaat IEMs released and yet it all started with a collaboration set that is the subject of today's review.


Given there are seemingly a million IEM brands these days, a new entry has a huge marketing challenge ahead of it even if it has the technical prowess to put out great products. We saw what Truthear did two years ago by collaborating with IEM influencer Crinacle to put out its new product and that instantly got a lot of eyes on the brand. This time too we see a collaboration involving another IEM influencer—HawaiiBadBoy (HBB/BGGAR) who has several such ventures to his name already. Perhaps that led to the two coming together in a symbiotic relationship, as I understand HBB had a magnum opus of his own in mind and ZiiGaat with its OEM/ODM roots was just the right brand to do it with. This has led to the ZiiGaat x HBB Jupiter, a tribrid set that aims to offer a different listening experience from the "neutral + bass shelf" tuned IEMs that are becoming the norm lately. Thanks to Linsoul for providing a review sample to TechPowerUp as we begin this review with a look at the product specifications in the table below.

Specifications

Packaging and Accessories

The ZiiGaat x HBB Jupiter ships in a product box whose design might remind you a lot of ThieAudio IEMs, although that's more likely a result of Linsoul having its art team work on the packaging. It's a relatively smaller box that goes for an external decorative sleeve over the thicker cardboard inner box. On the outside are relevant brand logos and the product name as well as a render of the IEMs in front of a green Jupiter. Salient features are seen below with more on the back and sides where a sticker also confirms the termination of the cable inside. The inner box is predominantly black with the ZiiGaat logo and the top lifts off to reveal the IEMs neatly packed in a thick foam piece with machined cutouts.


The storage/carry case is placed below and this is one place where I felt perhaps ZiiGaat should have gone for something flashier given the cost of the set. It is a highly functional flat semi-hard case with a self-sealing zipper but a somewhat-stubborn zipper tag and obviously faux leather exterior to where I am not sure how well the case will last with time. On the other hand, opening the case shows where the money went with one of the best stock IEM cables I have used to date. There's enough room for the IEMs with the cable and a set of ear tips but not much more beyond that. The other accessories are in the separate compartment seen above, with two plastic zip-lock bags containing a total of six sets of ear tips—three sets in silicone with a standard bore opening and three using memory foam. The silicone tips with the gray flange and green bore are fairly unique looking with the green matching the IEMs too.