ZiiGaat - Arcadia

Never had the explorer but heard quite a few people recommend the ziigaat arcadia as an upgrade so I got them. Still not sure how it compares to the explorer but its 100% warm I can tell you that. FR wise seems like a bassier explorer, and yeah it definitely has really strong bass. Its not precise and technical bass but its more controlled than my 7hz legato. Mids are exactly what I looked for, warm and lush whilst still begin decent on female vocals. Treble is quite rolled of but its still very present, just never harsh. I think its plenty relaxed when you lower the volume but gets very fun when you crank it up. Hopefully someone who has both can speak more on this but I'm satisfied with my purchase. Especially since I got it 2nd used at less than what the explorer retails for.

So its not miles ahead of the supermix 4 then. I'm currently stuck in the budget-barely midfi price bracket with S12 pros, TE Nova, Ziigaat Arcadia and I can't convince myself if its evem worth going higher in price especially since I got all of these at big discounts.

I have the Arcadias. They bump. Great set for bass heavy genres.

I own the Explorer and Arcadia. The Explorer’s bass is warm and adds girth to the low end but don’t give me that subwoofer bass in the same way as the Arcadia do. I have A/B tested the two sets with my extensive hip hop library. The Explorers hold their own with classic rap but the Arcadia has that boom bap feel to them. “Check the Rhime” by A Tribe Called Quest is a prime example of the difference: the Arcadia bring in that subwoofer kick with authority. Funk, R&B, and Disco? Explorers all day. Rap, EDM, and Freestlye? Arcadia for the win. The one huge difference of note: quality. The Arcadia do feel less premium—despite costing more than the Explorers. Hope that helps!

Appreciate the honesty and candor. I agree with your core point: more money doesn’t necessarily equate to better. Lots of conversations on this subreddit have addressed diminishing returns—and where that diminishment happens varies from person to person, right? I personally found that my happy spot for IEMs is between $80 (Truthear HEXA) and $179 (ZiiGaat x HBB Arcadia). I tried several IEMs in the $300-$500 range but didn’t find them substantially better to my 56 year old ears. And I’m just not interested in spending more than $500 on IEMs at this point in my life. After testing 2 dozen IEMs (Read: A/B testing is the fun, “hobby” part of the deal for me), the five IEMs that remain in rotation all have very specific use cases. So, to each his own taste, budget, and bandwidth in this hobby. Hopefully we all remember to listen and enjoy the music when it’s all said and done. Thanks again for the post. Great convo.

the monarch mkiv can sound jarring if you’re coming from a warmer iem (i have the sa6 mk2 and it’s hard for me to categorize. sometimes it sounds warm, sometimes it sounds open and bright—not sure how you hear it). but, since it’s already in your hands, i’d give it some more time. just today, i put mine on and found them to be warmer than i remembered. sometimes it just depends on what you heard last, how tired you are, etc. otherwise, maybe the mega5est. it’s more vocal forward than the sa6 mk2 and more conventionally tuned, so it would complement your sa6 by giving you something that sounds a little more proper while being more laid back and natural than the monarch mkiv. you also don’t give up too much in terms of technicalities. coming from the monarch mkiv, the bass will definitely sound less defined, but i think it fits the overall sound signature well. some people call the mega5est boring, but musicality is subjective and hard to define. i’m a neutral head and the mega5est has a touch more warmth and bass than what i consider neutral, so in that sense, it’s musical to me. if you want to be risk-averse, the ziigaat arcanis has pretty much replaced the sa6 mk2 in my rotation. it’s what i expected the sa6 mk2 to sound like (and what i wanted the mega5est to sound like). a bit more sub bass and bit more satisfying bass overall. i find the upper mids and vocals of the sa6 mk2 to be too recessed and the arcanis addresses this by bringing them forward just a smidge (but not as much as the mega5est). vocals have a vibrant quality to them that you might consider musical. and there is just enough treble extension to give it air and sparkles. it doesn’t come across as technical as the sa6 mk2, but all of the details are still there. it’s unique and i actually like it more than the mega5est, but that comes down to how it fits in my collection penon/isn has been recommended a lot. i can vouch for the ebc80. its warm, has phenomenal sound stage, and is super fun. it isn’t fatiguing at all to me, but it doesn’t really fall under the category of laid back. their other iems might for the bill, though. these recommendations i think would be an “upgrade” to the sa6 mk2. however, my philosophy is that for a laid back sound, you don’t need to spend a lot of money. so personally, my warm, laid back iem is the ziigaat arcadia. it’s warm, punchy, has just enough treble, and with the right tips, can sound just as well-executed and beautiful as anything in the $200-$250 range. i prefer it to my penon serial and canon 2 for this purpose. i’ve also been going to the odyssey 2 a lot for a laid back listen, though it is not as warm. the punch audio martilo is also a good choice if you think you can tolerate a lot of sub bass. it sounds mostly normal and conventional, which, like the mega5est, could complement the sa6 mk2 well. when there isn’t a lot of sub bass in a song, it doesn’t sound like a bass head iem. but when there is, the bass sounds like you have a sealed subwoofer in front of your face.

I would also look at the Kiwi Ears KE4 and the ZiiGaat x HBB Arcadia, they are both on sale for around 170 dollars, and recommend both of them.

If you’re looking into the Arcadia, I suggest you also consider the Dunu x Koto Ito. The Ito has more bass (not a whole lot but noticeable) but has better build and accessories BY FAR. But I think you should probably look at something else, and I say this as an owner of not only those two, but the Explorer as well. I was interested in getting the Martillo after the Explorer but found the Arcadia at a good price and liked it. Unfortunately, it feels cheaper than the Explorer and perhaps that kinda made me not enjoy them as much. Probably a stupid reason but oh well. Decided to go after the Martillo for real but the Ito was released and since it was considered a “Martillo Lite”, I went and got them on the last Amazon sale. I love it and it’s the only set I use apart from the Explorer. But if you’re looking for something better than the Martillo then perhaps there are better options for you. I’m perfectly satisfied with my sets and still want to get my hands on the Martillo; really interested in knowing what you get next.

I will share my head-fi signature below (it’s long). I have/had most iem’s that are mentioned. I wanted also to buy the DaVinci but it was recommended not do buy them. For example I like the Ziigaat Arcadia (186,-) more than the Punch (449,-). Prices, and even graphs, don’t tell the whole story. It like someone said, most important question is if you enjoy them. Also Doscinco is very good. Headphones: Fiio FT1, PSB M4U, Corsair HS70, Grado SR60X (rebought). IEM’s: Cambridge Audio Melomania 1+, NiceHCK Himalaya, Hidizs MP145, Artti T10, Aoshida E20, Ziigaat X HBB Arcadia , Tripowin X HBB Kailua, QOA Adonis New, HifiMan RE2000S Pro, Faaeal Iris 2.0, Faaeal Anchestor, Aful Explorer, CCA Trio, CCA Hydro, 7Hz Five, Kz EDC Pro, QKZ MDR, Kbear Rosefinch, Yincrow X6. DAC/Amplifier: Hiby R4, Fiio Q3 MQA, Ifi hip dac 3, BGVP T01s , Olaf dual Bocheng chip dongle, NONAME 4.4mm dongle with Apple C101 chip, Aqua Nexum. Tested but send back: Inawaken Dawn-MS, Fiio Q11, iBasso DX180, Joyodio Shine, Fiio Q3, Kz X Libra, Fiio JD3, Sony WF-C500, JBL Tune 130NC, Sennheiser HD 650, Simgot EW200, HiFiMan Sundara, Philips Fidelio X3, Philips Fidelio X2HR, Dali IO4, QOA Vesper (DOA), BeyerDynamic DT 900 Pro X, Beyerdynamic DT 990 32Ohm, HiFiMan Deva Pro wired, Moondrop Kato, Moondrop Blessing 3, Truthear X Crinacle: Red, Tangzu X HBB XuanNV, 7Hz Timeless, Simgot Supermix 4, Tangzu Wan’er SG, Austrian Audio HI-X15, XSL X-One MK4, Sony WH-1000XM5, ThieAudio Hype 2, Owned but sold: SMSL C200, Fiio JM21, 7Hz Timeless AE, Tripowin X 0DiBi: Vivace, Simgot EW-300, Denon AH-D5200, Artti R1, Aful Performer8, Jabra 75T Active Elite, TRN Conch, Ikko oh300, Fiio FP3, HiFiMan HE400SE Bilateral (China edition), Kefine Delci, iBasso SR2, Koss PortaPro, Ziigaat Nuo, Ziigaat Doscinco, Ziigaat X Jay Audio Estrella, Ziigaat Odyssey, Ziigaat Cinno, Ziigaat Cincotres, Grado SR60X(rebought), Kiiboom Evoke, Kiwi Ears Quartet, 7Hz Legato, 7Hz Salnotes Zero, 7Hz Sonus, 7Hz Timeless II, Etymotic ER2XR, Fatfreq X HBB Deuce, Blon BL-03 II, Kiwi Ears Crinacle Singolo, Faaeal Poppy, Qkz Cl8, Faaeal Rosemary, Sennheiser ie200, Fiio FH7S, Fiio JD7, Fiio FF3S, Fiio FF5, Fiio FD3, Hidisz MS3, Hidizs Mermaid MS2, Kiwi Ears Cadenza, Qkz X HBB, Meze 99 Neo, Moondrop Chu 2, Grado SR325X, HiFiMan RE800 Silver, HiFiMan RE400i, Kiwi Ears X HBB Punch, Kiiboom Evoke, 1more Penta P50, Artti T10 Pro, Kz ZEX, Kz ZVX, Kz PR1 balanced edition, Kz X HBB PR2 (first batch), Kz PR3, Kz Castor bass edition, Moondrop Chu, Kz Krila, Kz ZEX Pro, Kz LingLong, Kz DQ6, Kz ZS10 Pro X and Denon AH-C620R🤮 (Worst IEM ever, possible AE imitation). Sources: Tidal, Ipad Pro M4 13’, iPhone 16 PM, Hiby R4 Wishlist: Ziigaat Lush, Ziigaat Arcanis, Fiio M21.

The Duece is a good bass head set, but fair warning they have a very large nossel 6.9-7mm. I personally prefer the Doscinco, Arcadia and Odyssey to the Duece but that's just my preferences.

You might just like the bass of the QKZ x HBB. The more expensive sets you bought don't have an emphasis on bass. If you want an upgrade that emphasizes bass, move to something like the Ziigaat x HBB Arcadia. That should be quite the upgrade, in my opinion.

I like the ziigaat x hbb arcadia, honestly the entire ziigaat lineup is insanely impressive

Obligatory Punch Audio Martilo recommendation. These will do you nicely. Ziigaat Arcadia too, this can hit pretty hard, but they don't bring the shimmering treble the Martilo is capable of, but if you're after an out n out fun, bassy set with a smooth treble and general warm of neutral set, these will do it.

I'm in danger of being a Ziigaat shill here, but maybe stretch that budget just a bit and check out the Arcadia. I'm assuming (wrongly no doubt) we all have access to Amazon, as it's often on sale there.

Good one, Doscinco are a great set, forgot about them. Arcadia are like a Doscinco lite, but still with great bass.

There are others, Aful Explorer has some decent bass, the S12 can get there with some EQ, but the Arcadia has this lovely, warm bass that hits when it needs to. Kick drums sound great, bass drops dound great. It's not a detail monster, but it is definitely a fun listen.

That's not easy to get in this price range. The Arcadia are good. Next level up is Punch Audio Martilo (brilliant these things), or perhaps Fat Freq, or Kiwi Ears HBB Punch.

The odyssey 2 are amazingly well built, but the Arcadia is my favorite of the bunch

Odyssey best allrounder. Very good for music and gaming. Arete is more for gaming but for like competitive and arcadia is for only music but I still would pick odyssey for music over Arcadia. You might need a basic dongle, but nothing fancy the ka13 might be overkill. Ka11 is more than enough or even the basic apple dongle is good.

Depends on what you’re using them for. Arete was tuned with gaming in mind. The arcadia is a darker bass leaning IEM and the Odyssey is basically the new meta with elevated bass. You should be able to drive all 3 off of a dongle

Gaming is what they were tuned for. They can be used for music as well, but it will depend on whether or not u like the tuning of the arete for music. The Odyssey is the best all arounder for any type of music. The Arcadia is good if u like darker tuning or less treble. They would probably be the worst for gaming though

The Ziigaat Arcadia is currently on sale around $170. Proper bass head item, great mids & smooth (if somewhat recessed) treblif you want more airy sparkle in the highs then the Ziigaat Odyssey/Kiwi Ears KE4/Aful Performer 5, all are around $180-200 on sale right now.

Ziigaat Arcadia I got them around 125$, as a budget Basshead alternative. They do need a touch of EQ to not sound super veiled but with very minor adjustments they open up and sound fantastic for most genres. The sub bass is subwoofer material, just awesome

I have the Arcadia and I would definitely say that they do have a subwoofer like quality to them in terms of the low end. I also think that the Knowles drivers are very good and make vocals sound quite nice. It is dark on the treble though. I apply a very mild EQ to boost some upper mid lower treble frequenciea by like 1 or 2db, nothing too drastic but makes them more enjoyable to me. But since you want some meat on your bone I would definitely recommend them for that. Since 11.11 is coming, wait to see if there are good sales for them.

Like most folks here, the Odyssey and the Horizon is what I would say that I prefer from Ziigaat. I like the continued use of knowles BA drivers in a lot of these sets. I really liked them in the Arcadia.

I have the Arcadia, Deuce and Martillo. All 3 are great but personally I love the Arcadia the most. I may be putting the Deuce up for sale soon… haven’t decided yet. If you’re in the US, Amazon has the Arcadia for $170 and during the sale a little while back used units $99. So, easy 30 day returns if you decide you don’t like them.

Side note… I’ve also tried Explorer, Defient, Doscinco, Odyssey, Quatio and T10 pro. Arcadia still wins.

Great separation, bass guitars don’t get lost in drums and chunky rhythm guitars. Cymbals are natural and not bright or ringy. In my opinion everything is placed perfectly. I have no desire to EQ it. It’s not as large of a soundstage as the Odyssey and slightly warm. This set is very overlooked and under appreciated. It sits perfectly between the Explorer and the mega bass sets like Martillo and KE Punch. HBB kinda did himself a disservice when he said the Odyssey is better than Arcadia, It’s different…. Not better. Anyone who enjoyed the Explorer should immediately buy Arcadia.

I’ve been preaching the Arcadias for months!👍🏻

Still love my Arcadia

For metal you’re looking for midbass over sub bass because for some stupid reason all the engineers mix it out. I have the Ziigaat Arcadia and it’s the best kick drum and chugging guitar I’ve heard so far (though it is over budget). Check back with me next week and I can let you know how the Artti T10 Pro and Kefine Quatio are (graphs looks promising)

I'm probably in the minority here, but I have no complaints about a company releasing a ton of options with branded Knowles or Sonion BAs instead of bellsing crap. People have no idea the price difference in branded BAs is sometimes an increase of 10X over drivers companies like Aful use. If you are at all familiar with graphs and how an IEM diverges from JM-1 (neutral), plus the different properties of certain driver types (Dynamic vs. BA vs. Planar etc) you can usually guess 90% of what it sounds like. I like options. My only complaint is their shell shape creates a pressure point on the top/back of my ear. Ziigaat's shells are the only ones I've ever had a problem with. CHANGE UP THE SHELL SHAPE GUYS.

Ya there is amazing stuff in the 200 to 300 dollar space, really, like the latest run of Ziigaat stuff, Odyssee comes to mind.. And Doscinco.. There is also the Dunu Davinci.. Juzear 61t..we are having our little brains blown out the ear holes at this point. Going up further in price, the tuning seems to get very specific and unique. You really need to know very well what you want. I think most people could stop at something like Odyssee

there are 5-10 great IEMs in 230-530 price range which I wouldn't say one of them is better than the others, rly depends on your tuning preference, actual difference to these would be 800+ IEMs, those Ziigaats fall behind a bit in soundstage compared to Volume S, Tea Pro, maybe not Variations but they are all still good just there are better ones for that

Funny I come across this post as I'm on my way home from an audiophile store after trying their entire price range of IEMs, as well as their expensive DACs and DAPs. Like from $20 IEMs all the way to a $4000 Forte Ears Macbeth they had. Here's what I concluded as a non-audiophile just gaining interest in this hobby. Diminishing returns for IEMs kicks in hard after $300. Sweet spot seems to be around $200-$250. I really liked the Moondrop Kato and a lot of the Ziigaat IEMs they had. Fit and sound quality felt much better than the Zero Reds I currently have. I feel like once you go above into the upper hundreds into thousands USD range it's more personal preference tbh. Favourite one I tried today was a Campfire Audio Clara. With DACs I felt that as long as it could sufficiently power the IEM, it really didn't make a noticeable difference. Couldn't notice a real difference between my JM6 Pro dongle and their $200 ifi DACs, even on the expensive IEMs. And the Apple dongle is pretty bad. It couldn't drive most of the IEMs I tried. Even the ones it could drive they didn't sound good. Just use a JM6 Pro it's even cheaper than the Apple dongle (at least it is in my country). I did notice a quality difference with DAPs though only with the expensive IEMs. It sounded kind of cleaner but honestly not too big from my perspective. For most people you could probably just go up to around the $200-$300 range with an IEM that fits you comfortably with a preferable sound signature, and get an entry level DAC-AMP dongle and just leave and save the rest of your wallet.

I was in a similar boat as OP and bought the tea pros, ziigaats and et142s. After lots of comparison the et142s were the clear winner and surprisingly the cheapest of the three. They’ve been my daily driver ever since and have never felt the need for anything better. Frankly I have a hard time imagining how they could be improved on. Very, very pleased with my simgot et142s. They are endgame for me for now.