Disclaimer: I formally thank Kaitlyn Wu from Linsoul for providing us with a unit in exchange for an impartial and honest review. On behalf of the team at the Headphone List, we thank her for her generosity and patience.
Summary
The Ziigaat Odyssey 2 is a ‘safe’ IEM that travels well for day-to-day listening. Iterating on the JM-1 target and the 2019 Harman response curve, the Odyssey 2 provides a solid baseline in technicalities, bolstered by a well-controlled sub-bass shelf and detailed upper-treble.
However, its safe-adjacent tuning lacks mid-treble energy, limiting its resolving capabilities and overall resolution. Nonetheless, I find myself gravitating towards the Odyssey 2 for longer listening sessions without crapping out on overall sound quality.
That’s the mark of a good IEM.
Score
8/10 – Build Quality
8/10 – Comfort
7.5/10 – Sound
Pros:
+ Excellent aluminium build
+ Warm-adjacent neutrality with good bass-treble balance
+ Above-average imaging
Cons:
+ Safer tuning doesn’t stand out
+ Smoothened transients with a pillowy bass impact
+ Not necessarily a con, but this isn’t technically tuned by Crinnacle himself.
Introduction
Ziigaat, whose parent company is Linsoul (a distributor whose glowing reputation precedes itself), is a semi-premium brand targeting the mid-market demographic in the IEM space.
The sub-$500 segment is evidently the most saturated; that’s because consumers are after practical products promising the ‘best bang for buck’. Not everyone has thousands of dollars to dish out every month.
Ziigaat understands this very well, offering derivatives of the vaunted ‘new meta’ curve, crafting ‘safe’ flavour of the month tunings with high-quality transducers (e.g. Knowles balanced armatures). Popular personalities like Super Review and Jaytiss also know this fact very well.
Many influencers populating the IEM space have capitalised on this paradigm shift. Hence, the product we’re reviewing today is a sensible product borne out of a shared belief.
The Ziigaat Odyssey 2 was designed in collaboration with Hangout Audio, the business venture of Crinnacle, whose gargantuan contributions to this hobby cannot be understated.
On paper, it ticks all the right boxes: it features a generous 5-driver array (including a novel biodynamic woofer), it’s priced under $250 and it’s encased in a fully-machined aluminium shell. Crinnacle’s stamp of approval would certainly appeal to the measurebator community.
So what’s the catch? Let’s dive deeper into what the Odyssey 2 has to offer.
The Odyssey 2 can be purchased directly at Linsoul’s official website.
Specifications
- Drivers: 0mm 2nd-generation bio-cellulose diaphragm dynamic driver, 2 × Knowles 32873 balanced armature drivers, 1 × Knowles 33518 balanced armature driver
- Sensitivity: 105 dB
- Total Harmonic Distortion (THD): 0.19%
- Frequency Response Range: 20 Hz – 25 kHz
- Impedance: 20 ohms
Unboxing
Note: Unfortunately, due to the chaos of preparing for my own wedding and honeymoon, the package’s original box was accidentally thrown out. We apologise to Kaitlyn from Linsoul and our readers.
The Ziigaat Odyssey 2 is no different to its predecessors, packaged in the same endearing outer sleeve, replete with accompanying copy and branding.
Inside the box, you’ll find the following accessories:
- 1 × ZiiGaat x Hangout.Audio Odyssey 2 IEM
- 6 × Pairs of silicone ear tips (S/M/L, black and transparent)
- 1 × Pair of foam ear tips (S/M/L)
- 1 × High-Performance 4-Core OFC + Silver Litz Cable
- 2 x Pairs of replaceable filters
- 1 × Premium carrying case
- 1 × 3.5mm plug
- 1 x 4.4mm plug
- 1 × Warranty card
- 1 × Wearing diagram/user instruction card.
As expected, we are provided with a surplus of accessories, including enough eartips to secure a snug fit.
Design and Build
The Odyssey 2 flips the standard resin/metal composition on its head. Instead, its faceplates are fashioned from acrylic and the main body of satinised aluminium. Like its previous releases, the Odyssey 2’s faceplates have a speckled design, embellished with teal and silver leaf.
The shells themselves are fashioned from satinised black aluminium. Hardy and lightweight, it’s an economic choice that even sub-$1k IEMs defer to. The nozzle itself adds a splash of visual contrast, with a stainless steel stem to cap things off.
Crinnacle has made his disdain for plastic shells very apparent after the doors to Hangout Audio were swung right open. So it’s no surprise that the Odyssey 2 is finished to such a fine degree.
Comfort and Ergonomics
Honestly? There’s nothing much for me to critique here. The Odyssey 2’s shells sit flush against my outer ear, leaning comfortably against my concha.
There are no discernible hotspots, nor are there any issues with the mid-sized stem/nozzle. It doesn’t let in an egregious amount of wind noise or air, but it’s still a persistent issue in windy conditions.
The nozzle/stem width isn’t out of the ordinary, with a raised lip to secure the tip of your choice.
True to the title of this review, it’s a comfortable and easygoing affair. What’s not to like?
Cable Quality
The Odyssey 2 comes shipped with a striking teal/black, strewn together from 4-core oxygen-free copper (OCC) + silver litz wire cores. Aesthetically, it isn’t my cup of tea. The Odyssey’s faceplates are already gaudy enough, so there’s no need for an extra dash of green.
More importantly, the cables themselves are excellent. They exhibit little to no memory, meaning it doesn’t bend or twist into a heaping pile of knots. They’re also soft and malleable, with a cable sheath that’s still easy to grab.
I also appreciate Ziigaat for including their now-signature swappable terminations in 3.5mm and 4.4mm (balanced). A handful of boutique brands beyond the $500 segment have yet to include this feature.
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