ZiiGaat - Lush

I like the Zigaat lush, it is indeed Luscious and very good for vocals and ASMR.

**Hello everyone!** Today I am going to review the brand new ZiiGaat Lush, a 1DD 4BA drivers IEM, that was sent to me by courtesy of Linsoul Audio in exchange for my honest review. Let's jump into it! TL;DR: Pros:  ✅ Neutral tuning with sub-bass boost, makes it easier to listen for long, with no fatigue, a neutral take on the "new meta", if you will. ✅ Bass sounds natural, where it is not too boosted, but not the most prominent. ✅ Mids are not too forward, makes it easy on the ears, but still give body and shine for vocal and instruments, and stay uncolored. ✅ The treble is well extended, open, and airy. ✅ Natural sounding in general, reference like, uncolored. ✅ Good imaging, soundstage and separation. ✅ Beautiful and comfortable shell, no pressure buildup or whatsoever. ✅ Large carrying case with secure place to keep a dongle or ear tips. Cons: ❌ The mid bass is not the most prominent here in terms of impact, but it does give body and depth for instruments and vocals, not Harman like. (that's what makes it sounds "natural" IMHO). ❌ You might find this tuning boring, as these are meant to be "studio monitors", be aware if you seek for a fun or V/U shape IEM. ❌ Treble might be spicey in some tracks (a rare case, it depends). ❌ Has slightly driver flex. **My goal in my reviews is to make it easier for everyone to understand the terms audiophiles often use, so even if you are a beginner and this is all new for you, you can feel comfortable understanding all the terms and make a better decision for yourself.** # A little bit about myself​ I thought it could make it easier for you to understand what I am listening to, and if we are audio soul mates, maybe this review will talk to you more personally  I mainly listen to pop music and instrumental music, such as Lindsey Stirling. I am also an EDM lover, who enjoys both sides of the spectrum: bass and treble. My favorite artist, for example, is Snail's House, and I also listen to a lot of monstercat releases. Are we audio soul mates? # A little bit about this IEM – ZiiGaat Lush​ This iem is a hybrid IEM, featuring 1DD and 4BA configuration, where the Dynamic Driver is being used as a subwoofer, 2BA for mids, 2BA for highs, in a three-way passive crossover. A passive crossover in IEMs is a passive electrical circuit that splits the audio signal coming from the amplifier into different frequency ranges, so each driver knows what it needs to play. So, in this case, the DD gets to play the bass, 2BA gets to play the mids, and another 2BA gets to play the highs. ZiiGaat (Zero In Ideas, Grow and Achieve All Together) market this IEM as a "Studio Grade Hybrid IEM". But does it deliver? Let's find out! **What's in the box?​** In the box you will find: * Large carrying case. * One type of silicon ear tips (S, M, L). * 2x foam ear tips * 3.5mm cable. * The IEMs themselves. # Carrying Case​ The carrying case provided here is large, and surprisingly pocketable. It has enough room to store the IEMs and has a secure place to house a dongle and/or ear tips. Moreover, it is branded with the ZiiGaat logo and feels premium. Overall, great case, I like it. # Ear Tips​ The silicon ear tips provided here are pretty good. That said, you get only one type of them, in 3 sizes, and that's it. But in my opinion, it is enough if they are good. And yeah, they are. The medium ear tips worked well for me. There are also 2x foam ear tips provided, which I tend not to like, but if you are into it – you are given this option. # Cable​ The cable provided here is good, beautifully branded with the ZiiGaat logo. Feels quality, with a working chin slider in the Y split. But I found it to tangle sometimes and to have memory. But I always say, this is something that can be replaced later, it is not the end of the world, but it does need to be mentioned. # Build Quality & Fit and Comfort​ The IEM is made of resin and has beautiful triangley, glittery and sparkly faceplate. They do not catch lots of attention but still look pretty. They have a vent on the top, and I did not notice any pressure build up while wearing them. But one thing I must mention that is they do have slightly driver flex, which means, when you wear them, they will make a plasticky noise. It is not loud but noticeable. Is this bad? Not really, you won't notice it while using it. The nozzle might be big for some, but for me, it wasn't, and I could wear them for long. Overall, except for the driver flex, they get a pass here. # In Terms of Sound​ ​You can find the graph [here](https://squig.link/lab/avishai/?share=ZiiGaat_Lush). As you might see from the graph, these IEMs are following the "new meta" tuning, which means, neutral with a bass boost, where the boost is more on the sub bass rather than the mid bass. To me, they do sound warm/neutral and uncolored. But as always, let's break it down. # Sub-Bass​ *The sub-bass, which covers the lowest frequencies and often delivers the rumbling sensation rather than distinct sounds.* The sub bass on these IEMs is well boosted, but not too much, it goes to the point that you do get a lot from it, but it is clean and doesn't take all the attention from the rest of the frequencies. Overall, well done for a neutral IEM. # Mid-Bass​ *The mid-bass, where the bass becomes more distinct and perceptible, is equally well-executed. In this range, you hear kick drums and some male bass vocals more clearly.* The mid-bass here, in contrast to the sub bass, is not very boosted. It doesn't have that punch and impact that you might find in V-Shaped IEMs, but rather a relaxed and natural mid-bass. For example, kick drums and male/low vocals sounds full and natural, relaxed, and not shouty, very uncolored. It goes well with this tuning, as I found it makes it easy on the ears, and blends well with the rest of the frequencies. And at the same time, it gives a little warmth to the music, the little touch that makes everything sound very natural to my ears. One thing to mention, the mid bass here was fast enough to handle the crazy drums of BABYMETAL, this is something many IEMs I tried failed to do, and to me this is a test for how fast the mid-bass is (but still, it is not the most impactful and punch, I would say neutral). # Mids​ *The mids are the home to most instruments and vocals.* The midrange here is, act surprised, very neutral. Nothing stands out here in contrast to each other, vocals are not too forward, instruments sound full bodied and natural. Not shouty, has little warmth. It sounds reference like. For example, listening to the Wicked soundtrack was an experience, the soundtrack sounded so lively, so engaging, everything has body and depth, it was like sitting inside the concert and experiencing the movie again. The vocals sounded so natural, the vocals didn't stand out too much from the instruments, they blended so well altogether. It is not something that any IEM can deliver, IMHO. The neutral/warm midrange is well appreciated, as someone who likes U / V shape tuning more, it was a new thing to explore and made me love it. The ability to listen for a long time with no fatigue, no shouty, it’s a first for me. But I must warn you, if you are looking for a fun midrange, more V/U shape, it might not fit you well. The midrange here is very uncolored, reference like. But you might appreciate it if you already own a well V/U-shaped IEM, this could be a great addition to your collection. But still, I think you should be aware of what you are getting into. Neutrality is not for everyone, but something nice that I think is nice to experience. Well, I talked too much, but to sum up, the midrange presentation for no surprise do sound neutral and warm, nothing is too forward, very uncolored, great for instrumental music or live concerts. # Treble​ *The treble, which captures high-pitched sounds like cymbals, violins, and higher synthetic tones, adds brightness, sharpness, and sparkle to the music. However, excessive treble can lead to harshness or fatigue.* It might not seem like it from the graph, but the treble here is well extended. It is airy, open, but not too much. Cymbals crashes, violins, etc.... sounded natural and well separated from the rest of the frequencies. Surprisingly, I find these also to work well with Snail's house music, where he loves to put a lot of synth and lows. But for EDM, I would probably look elsewhere to a more U / V shaped IEM. But still, I am surprised that this IEM can be that versatile and play well with this complex, trebly tracks. There is a good contrast with the bass, so it doesn't sound bright overall. Again, the tuning of this IEM is intended to be neutral, and in my opinion, it does deliver that. A little warning, to anyone who is listening to music such as Snail's house, which has a lot of synths, and is sensitive to treble, it might be spicy, to my ears at least. I can handle it, but if you know you can't, then be aware. That said, **it is a rare case**, and if you don't listen to a lot of EDM and music that has tons of synths in general, you are good. Most of the other EDM music I listened to, didn't have this problem. # Technical Performance​ # Imaging​ *Imaging is the ability of the IEM to separate the left or right positions, put anything in the correct direction.* The imaging capabilities of this IEM are very good, you can pinpoint easily where everything is located within the stage, and it is well executed in this IEM and matches the performance expected withing its price range. # Soundstage​ *Usually in IEMs this term is overused, but in general the soundstage is the feel of openness and wideness of the sound. For example, if the IEM provides a congested feeling to the sound, everything sounds in the middle, this is bad soundstage.* The soundstage in this IEM is wide and open, in live recording it sounds very spacious and lively, a whole experience. # Layering & Separation​ *Layering & Separation is the ability to deliver you any piece of instrument or vocal in its own place, separately. The better it gets, the more resolving the IEM will be.* The layering in this IEM is good, but it is doesn't stand out in my opinion. It is good, but not the most prominent point of this IEM. On the other hand, the separation is good, and you get good separation between the bass, mids, and treble. Vocals are not too forward in contrast to instruments, which makes it sound more neutral and natural, just how you are going to experience it in real life. Given this neutral tuning, you do get good detail retrieval. As it lets each frequency shine on its own, and no frequency steals the show from each other. # Comparisons​ *Comparisons could give you a better idea of where this IEM stands within the market.* **Kiwi Ears Aether​** The Kiwi Ears Aether is a 15.3mm Planar IEM. Well, well, well. This one is interesting for me. There is 10$ price difference, which might make it hard to choose between the two, so I will try my best to make it easier for you to choose between the two. The Aether in comparison to the ZiiGaat Lush is leaning towards being V-Shaped, it has better bass punch and impact, also has relaxed upper midrange and relaxed treble that is open and airy. I find the imaging on the Aether to be better than the ZiiGaat Lush, and stage a little more open, but not that much. For EDM and pop music, I ended up picking the Aether more, as it offered a more fun experience with its V-Shaped tuning, that was also not very shouty. But still, there is something special about this ZiiGaat Lush, the reference sound, that nothing stands out from each other, and made it fun to listen to live recording, or in long listening sessions with not fatigue. Do you want neutral sound? Relaxed sound? Experience the "new meta"? Do you listen to live recordings a lot? ZiiGaat Lush is for you, for sure. Do you want a more V-Shaped sound? Forward vocals? Impactful and punchy bass? Fun IEM for EDM? Then get the Aether, it will fit you better, and you will probably find the ZiiGaat Lush too boring to your preference. # Sliivo SL41 Mk2 ​ The Sliivo SL41 Mk2 is also an hybrid IEM, featuring 1DD and 4BA's driver configuration. Compared to the ZiiGaat Lush, it sounds more U-Shaped, where you get a lot of bass and a lot of treble. The midrange, especially vocals, sounds more forward in the SL41 compared to the ZiiGaat Lush, and the treble is much more boosted. The bass on the SL41 also goes deeper, but the mid bass feels recessed. I would say, the choose between the two is just as the Kiwi Ears Aether, you can ask yourself the same questions. The ZiiGaat Lush will offer you more neutral and relaxed listening experience, while the SL41 will be more fun to listen to. **There is still a question that hasn't been answered yet: Is it really studio grade IEM?** Just so you know, there is no clear definition of what "studio grade" is, but there are some standards that *most* of the professionals agree on: * Flat frequency response graph as possible. * No coloring to the sound. * Good separation and low distortion. So, to answer that I needed to ask my friend who is working in a studio and asked to remain anonymous. I described to him my feelings and impressions on these IEMs, and combining with their graph, he approved them to meet his expectations of being a studio grade IEM. Boring, doesn't try to impress you too much, just reveal the music with no added color. Reference like. So yeah, the ZiiGaat Lush indeed delivers what it promises to deliver. # To Sum Up​ The ZiiGaat Lush is a great IEM for anyone who is seeking for the most neutral, uncolored, IEM. With its well boosted sub bass, and neutrality from the mid-bass to the treble, the ZiiGaat Lush does stand out from its competitors, and take the crown of being a solid neutral option under 200$. I could easily listen to the music for a long time with no fatigue, even with complex tracks that has tons of energy, it was able to reveal all the details from them without sounding shouty, very reference like. That said, you might find the tuning of this IEM boring, as nothing really stands out. If you are used to U / V-Shaped IEMs, this will give you a different experience, as they do what they are claimed to do – being a studio grade IEM. Listening to live recordings, such as the soundtrack of the Wicked movie, was a whole experience; Very lively, natural, like I am in the concert. The technical performance of these IEMs are very good, and does meet the expectations from an IEM in their price range: good imaging and stage, good separation. That said, it should be noted that these IEMs do have slightly driver flex. Is that terrible? Not really. Except that, their fit and comfort was good for me, and I didn't feel any pressure buildup or whatsoever, and I could wear them for long. Overall, I think it is a solid option for a studio grade/neutral IEM under 200$, and if you already own many U / V-Shaped IEMs, it might give you another tuning to explore in your collection, something different. Listening to music with no added color is interesting but could be boring. Something to explore.  The ZiiGaat lush can be found in Linsoul Audio store for 179$ in [this following link](https://www.linsoul.com/products/ziigaat-lush) (unaffiliated) Big thanks to Linsoul for making this review possible, and thank you – the dear reader, for reading this review. I hope to see you in my next reviews! – Avishai (avishifi) ♥

Same problem of bass shelf + air emphasis. You could get a 'Meta' set and EQ an inverse U-shape with low and high shelves, but if EQ isn't an option then there aren't that many good choices. I've heard praise for the ZiiGaat Lush for avoiding a U-meta, but its treble is contentious depending on fit.

Zigaat Lush would be a direct upgrade. ie more neutral warm. Xuan NV imo is better than the Red Zero. Better than Artii 10 as well.

Zigaat Lush with Moondrop spring eartips. Without those tips it's mid. With those tips, it's amazing. Tanchjim Origin / Tanchjim Fission (they look identical on frequency response graphs). Fission is pretty much the same but cheaper parts, cheaper price but almost the same sound. I've been using the Tanchjim Origin for critical editing for voiceover and mixing. Dunu Titan S (original)

I bought the Tangzu Wan'er Studio Edition about 4 days ago and honestly that thing is awesome. If I had to realistically choose a next step up above that...I'd say..Zigaat Lush (with moondrop spring eartips). I totally get what you're saying though. The Wan'er Studio I personally actually ranked higher than Hexa, ER2xr and IE200 for enjoyability. It sounds better than those 3 on vocals. It's quite an amazing IEM for only $20. This was my video review of the Wan'er Studio Edition. So you can definitely tell I was shocked at how good they were: https://youtu.be/ke0K9piq3jo

Zigaat Lush with Moondrop Spring Tips (large) is basically an HD600 for my ears. Even when I monitor with it — speaking into a mic and listening back — it’s dead-on with my voice. Crinacle Dusk (analogue mode) also sits right in that HD600 zone. ======================= Random and slightly crazy thought: grab a neutral mic like a RODE NT1 4th Gen or Austrian OC818, then monitor your voice through different IEMs. It’s kind of a trip — one will sound thin and bright, another warm, another exactly like you. I swear it lines up with their tonal balance The Truthear Pure with Tang Sancai balanced bore (green for me) is pretty close to Hd600 too. Don't use the stock eartips though. It's mud with stock eartips.

I feel like this is the cycle of Hexa. Cycle 1: Hi! I'd like a neutral sounding IEM. Cycle 2: (parrots) HEXA! (buys Hexa) Cycle 3: Oh no. I don't like Hexa. Cycle 4: Halp. I need another IEM. So a few alternatives to check out: \- You might like the Truthear Pure much better. Just use Tang Sancai balanced eartips with it \- You should check out the Zigaat Lush. A warm neutral sound. If you pair it with Moondrop spring tips it sounds really nice. Since you mentioned you have the Senn HD600, you'll feel right at home. When people say the Hexa is like an HD600, I actually don't agree with them and say that (this, the Lush) is closer to the HD600. \-You might like Explorer. It's a chill and sit back kinda IEM \-You might like the Celest Pandamon 2.0. It's currently about $9. It won't wow you right away but over time it grows on you. It's kinda like how the Explorer is. I recommend pairing it with Kiwi ears flex eartips since it really works well with the Pandamon 2.0.

It's pretty close with Moondrop spring tips (Large) imo :D. Definitely far far closer than Hexa for dang sure.

Sure thing! Right after Listener’s comment, I literally put both on just now :D Both the Pure (with Tang Sancai tips) and Lush (with Moondrop Spring tips) get much closer to the HD600 than the Hexa. I did a silly test — grabbed a mic, spoke into it, and switched between the headphones to hear how my own voice playback compared to the 600s. Started with the HD600, then tried the Pure and Lush — and honestly, both got pretty close. The Hexa though? Heck no. It sounded like I was talking through a scraggly RØDE NT1-A, haha. TL;DR: Both are way closer to the HD600 than the Hexa.

So I actually kinda bought a ton of IEMs to answer this question too. I was trying to find something that works for voiceover, for mixing, for critical editing, and for checking how mics sound in reviews. If I had to choose under $300, here’s my categories: * Mixing: Neutral enough to translate well on different setups (HD6xx, speakers, etc.) * Critical editing: Can it expose bad audio or does it hide flaws? * Monitoring: How good it is for hearing your own voice accurately. * Enjoyment: Just how fun it is to listen to. Letshouer Galileo Mixing: Excellent Critical Editing: Excellent Monitoring: Excellent (voice literally sounds just like me when monitoring) Enjoyment: Low Moondrop Blessing 2 / Blessing 3 Mixing: Excellent Critical Editing: Excellent Monitoring: Excellent Enjoyment: Low (pretty harsh, basically MDR-7506s in IEM form) Zigaat Lush Mixing: Excellent Critical Editing: Below average unless you crank the volume on sibilant spots Monitoring: Excellent Enjoyment: Good

Etymotic ER2XR / ER4XR Mixing: Below average (soundstage is too 2D) Critical Editing: Excellent Monitoring: Excellent Enjoyment: Okay Crinacle Daybreak (surprisingly) Mixing: Depends—more “Meta” neutral than Etymotic-style Critical Editing: Excellent (picks up sibilance like crazy, great for catching issues) Monitoring: Excellent Enjoyment: High Xuan NV (big surprise) Mixing: No, too much bass Critical Editing: Excellent (vocals are super accurate for both male and female) Monitoring: Iffy—low impedance can be weird with interfaces like the MOTU M2 Enjoyment: High Thieaudio Legacy 2 Mixing: Excellent Critical Editing: Excellent Monitoring: Excellent Enjoyment: Decent Cadenza 4 Mixing: Excellent Critical Editing: Excellent Monitoring: Excellent Enjoyment: Excellent Orchestra Lite Mixing: Excellent (surprisingly neutral—not bright like Blessing 2/3, not warm like Dusk or Lush) Critical Editing: Excellent Monitoring: Excellent Enjoyment: Excellent Basically the Studio4 but more revealing with sibilance instead of smoothing it out. Hexa I don’t really recommend it—too many fit issues and inconsistent impressions. If you do try it, use wide-bore tips (not narrow). Video explaining why: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9x-T8el9fbs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9x-T8el9fbs) Hope this helps.

Either Ziigaat Lush, Odyssey 1, Luna, or Arcanis. I have tried Lush and Odyssey, and I think they are both punching way above their price point. Lush is honestly too good to skip for around $150 (based on local pricing) and Odyssey 1 is just a crazy set for about $200 (again, local pricing). As for Luna and Arcanis, unfortunately I haven’t had the chance to try them yet but hoping to tho.

One reason is unique sound signature. Example - my ZiiGaat Lush. There's literally no cheaper IEM that has the same kind of sound signature. Yes, there's Pure, but it's shoutier. Yes, there's Explorer, but its much bassier and fuller in 1.5khz region. And although the latter 2 are good IEMs, the sound signature that I can confidently call my endgame is Lush's. Second reason is tecnhicalities. Better attack is a thing, multiple drivers is a thing - it all improves dynamics and separation if applied correctly. Yes, the differences are insignificant, more so to an untrained listener, but they do exist and some people feel like they're not satisfied unless their gear satisfies their image of what good technical performance is.

Hi, thanks for providing your input on the Lush! I actually blind-bought these since I have been exploring more of the smoother/tamer IEMs. It took me a while to gett used to them since they were a tad bit darker than what I could expect. Although, they did work well as a remedy while I was sick these past few days and I think I suffer from a case hyperacusis (extra sensitive to noise while having a flu or fever even). I also noticed that you have provided your own frequency response graph! Would you be kind to share your process on setting one up? Thanks!

Depends on price budget. When you say neutral, its going to have way less bass/sub bass than the APP2s. And "exciting" sorta contradicts neutral. Neutral suggestions: Hexas, Supermix 4, Ziggat Lush, Orchestra Lite

ok great, my question was related to it's app. Basically if u don't like the default tuning (which is close to JM1 or meta tuning) you can change it via presets or make ur own tuning. That tuning gets saved on the cable of the IEMs (hence my recc for DSP) That app is only available on type C DSP versions and that preset thingy works only on Android (iOS doesn't allow changing EQ thru that app). You'll just need it when you wanna change not always so it's not important. If you don't have any major issues with iems then I'd again recc u to get something like the Kefine Klean or if u have more budget, Ziigaat Lush, Kiwi Ears Astral etc

I would recommend either: * Ziigaat Lush, $179 * ~~Ziigaat Arcanis, $399~~ * ~~Xenns Mangird Tea Pro, $359~~ You can also check [**Fresh Reviews**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DV6_EGFkctI&list=PLe5kg74M7JA89aON_iM2ezsylxPNEE9tG) as he tries to find the best IEM for gaming, and includes the pricing as well, he is really focused on **IEMs for gaming**. He did kinda also rated these sets at the A tier level, though his preference is Tea Pro as best. https://preview.redd.it/m7e8qjhtrhxf1.png?width=2400&format=png&auto=webp&s=709c28e6d03b1cc080104222dc72ea945f79ea7b This is based on your WF-1000XM5, they will sound fairly close, maybe more details?

Truthear Hexa at 80-90$ ; Truthear Pure (warm-neutral) at 100$ ; Tangzu Xuan Nv at 70-80$ ; 7hz Sonus at 50$ ; Tanchjim bunny dsp at 20$ ; Zigaat lush (warm neutral )at 180$;

I do not agree that it is neutral, I have listened to many iems, but the Etymotic setting is not neutral, their gain in the upper midrange is much higher than the low frequencies, you hear more how the vocals and snare drum stand out than the bass, of which there is very little, a neutral set is Ziigaat Lush, but not Etymotic

Out of thise listed, it's the Aether for me. I think they are more than capable of being fun and analytical. I have the MP145 too, they are still in my rotation, but the Aether are used more. Ziigaat Lush perhaps, pretty neutral sounding, (I actually thought they had a rather warm bass going on), I liked them alot. My set had driver flex though, but I'm not sure how common that is. Tanchjim Fission might do the job, that has different tuning options.

$150-200 hybrid iems like the Ziigaat lush, truthear nova, simgot supermix 4, or something on sale right now like the Ziigaat arete

Ziigaat lush is the number one IEM under $200 for gaming. Don't listen to the people recommending the EM6L because that one is likely to have manufacturer defects. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/0/d/1sHR4QwC1-YprWbjDEHtrz9qCQskY_uuOsAo-Amjznts/htmlview That link shows a reviewer that ranks iems for gaming. Lush is at B+ tier. Good imaging and soundstage while offering good instrument separation which translates to the ability to make out different sounds while there's a lot of action going on all at once. They have a very natural tune so videogames will sound more immersive.

Excellent answers! I came to recommend daybreak, lush, and pure and saw you recommended all of them! I'd add in Ziigaat Horizon as well. Cheers!

Good points! There's a lot of variation in what sounds neutral in ear and a single iem target can't apply to everyone! The only way to get truly neutral sound with IEMs is to compare by ear with studio monitors like the ones you've listed and try to EQ to get the iems to sound similar. Some iems will come closer to true neutral than others. Personally I try to compare my iems by ear to my own monitors (8341s and kh80s) and the Ziigaat Lush actually comes pretty closer than most iems, as does the Ziigaat Horizon and Truthear Pure.

Hi there — I am by no means a video reviewer but was so desperate for information on the ZiiGaat Lush I put up a little review and comparison myself. Please let me know if you've tried it yet, would love to hear some more opinions :)

I've tried Cadenza, Pure, S12, EM6L, Kiwi Ears Astral and ZiiGaat Arete. The jump from cadenza to em6l is larger than em6l to astral/arete. So something in that 125-175 will be good. I use fresh reviews tier list as a rough guide. Everytime I have put more money in and gone higher up tier list I generally find meaningful improvements and I've settled now on the Aretes. The highest scoring one in your budget is the ZiiGaat Lush. (I can't link the spreadsheet but its in his youtube description)

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.