This year has been a year of amazing releases in the Chi-Fi realm and especially with Ziigaat, their products have been well received for their premium quality in their build and of course, their spot on performance. IEMs such as Crescent, Luna, Lush and Odyssey 2 are products that show their dedication in pursuing perfection and all of those IEMs are special in their own way as they give out different sound profiles all at a fair price. Recently they decided it is time to release a product with a tribrid configuration and they have sent us a pair of the all new Horizon which consists of a rather rare setup of 1 dynamic, 2 balanced armatures and 2 planar magnetic drivers to produce a highly competent sound that has its own unique merits. So how will the Horizon fare in the market? We shall find out here.
A huge shout-out to the team of Ziigaat and Linsoul for the sample pair of the all new Horizon for us to have an honest take. We are not affiliated nor taken any form of monetary exchange for this review and this review is solely an honest view of the product.
Functions & Specifications
Before we start the review, here are the specifications of the new Ziigaat Horizon taken from their site;
- 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
The Ziigaat Horizon can be purchased directly from their website and Linsoul official site as they are the main authorised seller of the Odyssey 2.
Packaging & Accessories
The packaging has the same packaging similar to most of their products with a professional yet simple design and it comes in a paper box with a hard paper box inside that is similar to most of their products. Here’s what 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 The accessories here are high quality as usual of most Ziigaat’s products and the Horizon is ready to roll without really needing 3rd party cable and their liquid silicone eartips is superb
Design
The design is the usual standard ergonomic custom IEM mould that has a medium sized shell that fits most ears with good ergonomics. It has the usual 3D printed medical grade resin build and they are well casted with a perfect finishing as they are polished to a glossy perfection. The faceplate has a 3 tone handpainted coloured theme with black iridescent top part, white glittery middle part and a blue greenish bottom with their brand in the middle. They have a cosmic theme that is a staple of Ziigaat and they are painted beautifully. Every IEM head is serialized on the inner part of the IEM.
At the heart of the Horizon is a total of 3 types of drivers that consist of a 10mm bio-dynamic driver that is tuned for the job of asub-woofer as well as the whole bass region, while 2 custom ported Knowles 30263-163 balance armatures that is tuned for the midrange and 2 custom composite planar drivers that delivers a crisp, detailed high range with great energy and extension. They are a 3 way crossover tuned with the usual Ziigaat house tuning but with an extra touch of energy in the higher range with their custom planars.
The nozzle here is made from aluminum alloy and they are slightly on the bigger side with a 6.3mm diameter at the tip. They are fitted with a metal mesh to prevent moisture and dust from entering.
There is a vent that is closed by metal mesh on the top side of the IEM and they are to reduce pressure build up and also to provide some breathing room for the dynamic drivers. No flex is present which is great as they are a well vented IEM.
The Horizon has a standard flush 0.78mm 2 pin connection that is slightly tight and they are gold plated.
Cable provided is a high quality modular braided silver plated oxygen free copper in 4 cores which is similar to the ones that comes with Luna or Crescent. A 3.5mm and 4.4mm plug is included in the package. The cable is soft and pliable which makes them a practical cable suitable for everyday use. It is a well built cable with metal parts that has a neutral balanced sound and I do think that a 3rd party cable is not needed for the Horizon to perform to their best.
Gears Used for Comparisons
Ifi Diablo
Questyle M15
Qudelix T71
EPZ TP35
FiiO BTR7
7HZ Artemis39
Hidizs S8 Pro Robin
Ziigaat Luna
Ziigaat Crescent
Hidizs MS2 Pro
Kiwi Ears Astral
Kiwi Ears Septet
Tigerism Dark Magician Revised
Noble Django
Letshuoer EJ09
Songs list
Scorpion – Rock you like a Hurricane
Ella – Standing In The Eyes Of The World
Dakota – Avalon 6AM
Underworld – Born Slippy
Whitney Houston – I Will Always Love You
Siti Nurhaliza – Cindai
Tina Turner – Simply The Best
Josh Groban – You Raised Me Up
Slander, CRANKDAT & Asking Alexandria – Kneel Before Me
Greenday – American Idiot
Lorna Shore – Glenwood
Tone and Presentation
The sound presentation of the Horizon is a neutral with a slight boost in the bass region and a lifted, extended highs that makes them a mild U shaped sound with a lean towards a brighter side tonally. They have a slight warmth in their overall sound with excellent extension ls on both ends of the spectrum that gives a wide dynamic range possessing a great amount of air. The horizon has a musical sound presentation while having great technicalities that balances well between being technical and musical, making them a good all rounder IEM for a vast usage scenario. The overall clarity of this set is superb with a clean and clear sound profile that is detailed and mostly accurate.
Soundstage
The soundstage here is expansive with a decent width and height, very competent in their price range. The Horizon possesses a 3D holographic spatial soundstage that has great accuracy which makes them a good pair of IEM for gaming and movies as the sound placements are correct and directionally easy to distinguish. Immersion here is
great with a minor diffuse sound field that gives a well balanced sound of being intimate while still having an open sound signature with a decent headroom that isn’t boxy or too closed in.
Separation and Timbre
Separation here is great and they have good separation of sound that gives a wide stereo sound with no crosstalk issues that is able to scale up better with balanced connectivity. This tribrid tuning here is cohesive that blends all the 3 types of drivers quite well without any major issues albeit the high range of the planar drivers does have some minor inconsistency. Timbre here is rich, brassy and piercy but in a good way and they have great energy especially in the high range. They do have a dash of colour in the midrange but it doesn’t interfere with the accuracy of the music while giving a more vivid sound for a more enjoyable sound.
Drivability
Rated at 24 ohms with a 102 db sensitivity, they are easily driven by any source as they don’t need much power to sound great with adequate amount of loudness. The Horizon does not pick up noise easily for their lower sensitivity making them a good pair of IEM for casual usage. Scalability here is average but they do perform better with a good matching especially with a warmer source but matching with some bright source will actually make the treble a little too aggressive for my taste. The Horizon has some revealing aspects and they are able to show some flaws in the recording, thus a good mastered track or higher bitrates files will actually give a cleaner sound but all these are rather marginal. They are able to pass as a monitoring IEM but there are plenty of better IEMs such as the Ziigaat Luna for these purposes.
The Bass (Low)
The bass has a mild boost that is a little north of being neutral that has the authority when called upon and the bass here is energetic with a good amount of meat with a tightness in their slam. The mid-bass lift here is actually spot on as they are present without any overpowering issues and they are indeed a fun bass that plays well across all genres. Details and clarity here is great with a well textured bass that is both clean and clear while having a superb nimbleness of a dynamic driver bass. Resolution and transparency here is great with a vivid and accurate bass typical of a good quality dynamic driver. The bass here has a good pace and they are able to handle busy tracks without being muddy or bloaty and also no bleed is present here. Extension of the bass is decent with a slow roll off that gives the bass a good amount of air that transitions seamlessly into the sub-bass. Sub-bass is also slightly lifted that blends well into the overall bass and they possess a strong, clean rumble that dives deep. Although the bass here is slightly boosted, I wouldn’t recommend this set for bassheads as the amount here isn’t enough to users who yearn for an earth shattering bass amount but great for casual listeners who want a slight boost of bass to prevent the overall sound from being too polite or boring.
The Mids
Midrange here has a mostly flat sound with a neutral sound that is quite balanced as it blends well in the lower and upper midrange to complete the whole midrange without any gaps or hollowness. The midrange here has a good amount of warmth that has a slightly thick body gives the midrange a full, rich sound that is lush and enjoyable but their accuracy isn’t their main takeaway albeit still competent. Details here are superb with good macro and micro details retrieval capabilities alongside great clarity that is typical of a good implementation of balanced armatures in the midrange. The midrange here is highly resolving with a dash of colour inserted for a sweet yet vivid sound that is still capable of preserving a decent transparent midrange that is both quite accurate and natural. Space here is also a good part of the midrange as their flat-ish presentation actually gives them a spacious sound that isn’t too forward nor recessed. Vocals’ presentation is on point as for their boosted highs and lows, they are able to give vocals adequate depth and have a good amount of brilliance that coupled with their vividness for a lively, lush and sweet vocals. Instruments sound mostly on point but for some high staccato, there is some minor unnatural timbre at the upper range.
The Highs
The high range in my opinion is the dominant part on the Horizon and they have a lively, energetic high range that is strong but still able to be refined without any major offensiveness. They are able to pass as a neutral as they don’t have any major peaks and the highs here extend all the way above the 8khz to 15khz region producing a superb, highly enjoyable airy presentation. Details here are top class with an ability to show high range nuances clearly almost on par with electrostatic drivers which is surprising but still isn’t as accurate on the timbre as there are some instances of a metallic sheen marginally. Sparkle here is clean and they possess a superb crisp decay that gives a more enjoyable highs that excels in realism. Treble here is certainly at tad intense with a good amount of energy giving a good bite into the music played. Treble sensitive or users who are looking for a laid-back sound may find the treble here a tad too aggressive or strong but for me, I find the treble here pleasing as they are exciting while able to be mostly inoffensive.
Comparisons
VS Ziigaat Luna
The Luna is the big brother of the Horizon that sports 6 balanced armatures from Knowles and Sonion tuned with Ziigaat’s house sound that adheres well with a professional IEM without any unappealing dry or thin sound. They are probably my favourite pair of IEM in 2025 and can be considered an all rounder IEM that plays well with a wide range of genres and usage scenarios. They are priced similarly with the Luna cost slightly more.
High range on the Horizon produces a more evident sparkle and they have a sharper, livelier sound with a crisper sparkle. The Luna is smoother with a more accurate timbre but clarity is better on the Horizon. The highs on Horizon have better energy and it is more fun to listen too versus the accurate neutral highs on the Luna.
Midrange on the Horizon is slightly thicker and lusher with a more intimate presentation. There is a mild coloration on the Horizon and they are more vivid but not as accurate as the Luna. The upper mids on the Horizon is more apparent and gives more brilliance in vocals.
Bass quantity here goes to the Horizon with their boosted lows and a deeper sub-bass that gives a more immersive sound showcasing a true dynamic bass. Details are similar but the Luna bass does sound cleaner with better texture and accuracy.
The soundstage on both has similar width and height but due to the thicker overall sound of the Horizon, it is more intimate.
Verdict: The accuracy and smoothness of Luna is apparent and they do sound more natural but the fun aspect in sound does goes to the Horizon.
Vs Kiwi Ears Septet
The Septet is one of the top IEM from Kiwi Ears China and they are a quadbrid IEM with 1 dynamic, 3 balanced armatures, 1 micro planar and 1 piezoelectric driver. They are a unique IEM as they have an open back design alongside an all metal build that is robust. The tonal signature here on both are quite similar with their boosted lows and lifted highs but the Septet do sound a little brighter and they are harder to drive with their lower sensitivity. The Septet does cost slightly cheaper but the package included from the Horizon feels more premium.
The high range on both are similar in amount but the Horizon has a more forgiving amount and they are a tad crisper and the sparkle is smoother but the treble on Septet has no metallic timbre present. Details and clarity are similar with the Horizon possessing more air and extension. The treble amount is similar but the Horizon does sound more energetic while the Septet has a touch more aggression.
Midrange on the Horizon has a more balanced midrange with an intimate sound alongside more warmth and body. Details and clarity is better on the Horizon, but the Septet is more transparent with better accuracy. The Septet does have a more dominant upper midrange lift which gives them a more brilliance while the Horizon has a smoother transition.
Bass on the Horizon has a more apparent mid-bass lift with more immersion but isn’t as clean and accurate. The sub-bass amount is similar but the Horizon seems deeper with better extension.
The soundstage of the Septet has better width and possesses more air due to the open back design but only marginally.
Verdict: The Horizon is a more balanced option and they are more enjoyable although isn’t as accurate in certain areas but both are highly competent.
Synergy
Synergy wise the Horizon is a good match for warm or balanced sources from the likes of AKM, Circus Logic and Burr Brown to counter balance the strong treble alongside giving some extra musicalities making them a super enjoyable setup. On the other hand, bright sources may not match them well and for certain Sabre based sources, they tend to provide too much energy on the higher range and fatigue will set in pretty quickly.
Good matching: IFI Diablo, 7HZ Artemis39, EPZ TP35, Qudelix T71, Hiby FC6, Cayin RU7, Questyle M15, Hidizs S8 Pro.
Not so good matching: FiiO Q7, FiiO KA5, EPZ TP30.
Who Is It For?
The Ziigaat Horizon is a recommended pair of IEMs for those who love a strong treble while still having a full bass and a luscious midrange presence. They are more of a casual set that is suitable for those who want a fun, energetic sound but isn’t too great for professional or monitoring purposes as there is some minor colouration and some metallic sheen in their timbre albeit minor. This set isn’t for bassheads that seek a head banging bass amount as the bass is just mildly boosted. The Horizon can be used for gaming and movies for their immersiveness and accuracy but their strong treble might be too hot especially on higher volumes. Vocals on these sounded sweet and lush, suiting female vocals more than male vocals.
Suitable genres: EDM, jazz, hip-hop, classicals, pop, rock, acoustics
Not suitable genres: Jpop, metal, ACG
Final words
Well, Ziigaat has done it once again it seems as the Horizon has surpassed my expectations for this rather rare tribrid configuration. The tuning here is really on point with this set and the more I listen to it, the more I tend to appreciate the sound that the Horizon is able to push out, a full sounding presentation with superb dynamic bass, lush midrange and an energetic high range that mimics an electrostatic driver making them a solid contender in their price range and above. Though the rather strong treble might deter some users, I do find the highs are very well implemented as they are crisp, clean and do give the overall sound more a touch of life. They aren’t a pair of IEMs that place their priority on a meta, neutral reference tuning that is conventional, but instead they are a jovial set that brings emotions and music enjoyment forth, which is to me, the quintessential core of being a music lover. What a way to close the year of 2025 and I’m truly stoked on what Ziigaat will be cooking up in 2026. Kudos indeed!
I would rate this product a 4 and a half over 5 stars.
Pros
- Good technicalities
- Great build, design, fit and finishing
- High quality accessories
- Highly musical, great U shaped tuning
- Decent cohesion
- Superb separation with a wide dynamic range
- Wide, tall and airy soundstage
- Amazing overall clarity and details
- Resolving and transparent sound
- Dynamic, accurate, full bass with a deep sub-bass
- Luscious mids with a good amount of sparkly brilliance
- Energetic, extended highs that is crisp and lively that mimics electrostatic driver
- Superb details and clarity in the high region
- Intense treble with minor aggressiveness
- Easy to drive
- Competent price
Cons
- Cable thickness/looks can be improved (nit-pick)
- Not for bassheads, not for treble sensitive users
- Mids does has minor colouration
- Not a meta or reference tuning
- Treble might get spicy with bright source
- Need a proper source matching
- Timbre has some metallic sheen albeit minor