ZIIGAAT Fresh Reviews Arete vs Jays Audio Estrella

[@donglemadness]

Just to clarify, being analytical does NOT mean being cold sounding. There are tons of analytical sounding IEMs like the ultra-analytical Shure KSE1500 and FiiO FA19 (both more analytical than HiFiMan Susvara), but they are nowhere being cold sounding. Estrella is analytical, so does Arete close behind Estrella, and both are not cold sounding by any means

[@apollomoonlandings]

You make a very good point since my initial instinct is to assume that an analytical IEM would tend to be cold sounding. Thank you for reminding me that this does not have to be the case.

[@jayyaudio]

Thank you for the awesome review Andy!!! Glad you're digging it ✨

[@tanjimahmed5694]

Everyone is liking it even sharur lol

[@Mykeoguns]

It's such a gooooood set.

[@donglemadness]

No worries, it's a pleasure 🙏

[@Pauli2006]

@@tanjimahmed5694 jsjsjjss sharur

[@calvinyip364]

​@@tanjimahmed5694That's a surprise to me too.

[@apollomoonlandings]

Hello Andy. I love your videos not just because of your expertise in describing IEM performance, but also because of the wide variety of real world scenery which you randomly choose as filming locations for your videos. I get to hear your impressions about any IEM while enjoying the scenery of a place which I have never visited before. It is a riot of fun to watch each of your videos.

[@donglemadness]

Thanks. I enjoy doing them and constantly looking for ideas to make it chaotic fun haha

[@littlehaltedbee]

I received mine today, and after a quick listen, my impressions of the Estrella are as follow. I am no expert, so take the below with a pinch of salt. *Design:* Love the design. Black shells, and sparkly. Comfortable to wear. *Treble:* Detailed, sparkly, but not harsh. Not shouty or plasticky, very slight lean towards sharpness (depends on the song/recording). *Mids:* Full, sweet, satisfying. Male vocals sound natural and "round". Female vocals sound clean and has support. *Bass:* Powerful, has authority, has nice depth. Very satisfying if you like solid, powerful bass with rumble. Can be a bit too much for a "reference" sound, hence the tape mod that has been proposed. Personally, I love the unmodded sound. *Detail retrieval:* Clean, crisp. Good resolution, not too analytical. Not fatiguing. *Soundstage:* Good. Width-wise reaches 3/4 till the very tip of ears. Height-wise reaches hair roots. Best I could describe without using a generic term like "wide/narrow", "high/low" etc, which are very subjective. Overall sound image is that of "band-in-a-room". Intimate and satisfying, but not a "wow" for me. (EDIT: This is with a Hidizs S9 Pro.) *Packaging:* Nothing exceptional. Comes with 6 eartips, a carrying case, a booklet, stock cable, and the IEMs themselves. *Note:* I used JVC Spiral Dots eartips and my own cable for the test. Don't like the sound of the provided eartips, and the stock cable seems cheap and plasticky. I love the contrast between the gold cable and the dark, sparkly shells of the Estrella. *Overall:* I am very happy with my purchase, and I expect them to sound even better after being burned-in. Would love a bigger soundstage that reaches beyond my ear tips, but for $379 SGD, everything this IEM offers is exceptional for its price. The Estrella makes me excited for the future of IEMs.

[@fabien4489]

Just got the estrella and without any burning they sound pretty nice for metal band like aeon sulphur sounds very nice

[@jesh879]

Finally someone did this obvious matchup. I've been waiting!!!

[@kojimaa3545]

thanks for the review Andy!! saving some money soon to give the astrella a shot 🙌💯

[@des7royerz]

Great review as usual. The Estrella is on my list already ✨

[@christiharris292]

excellent comparison. it helps a great deal. thanks for all the work you put in for us

[@donglemadness]

My pleasure!

[@chewkenghong]

i like how you go to different parts of KL with your reviews. haven been to KL since 2009. now i feel like visiting again just for the nostalgia

[@LyuboA]

ZiiGaat is literally killing it with their last 4 iems i have the Doscinco and i like them so much i was tempted to buy a second pair just to have a spare one but i also got DaVinci and in terms of sound they are very close plus IEMs are released constantly so buying second pair makes no sense

[@jamesberryman9893]

Fantastic review, Andy! I have both of these IEM's on my wishlist! It's 100F here in Middle Tennessee in the US. 🔥 🥵

[@donglemadness]

🥵😅🤣

[@c.s.7749]

Hi Andy, this is exactly the review I was waiting for! Arrete has been tempting me for a few weeks now and I was planning to buy them soon. Estrella which has just come out is also tempting me and I was waiting for a review. Thanks to you Andy, I have even better, a superb comparison between these two IEMs. Thanks again for the quality of your work. Now my choice is made! I really like your outdoor videos, it's really nice to watch you in different environments, keep it up!

[@donglemadness]

Hey it's a pleasure. And thanks!

[@marksr12]

That was a fantastic review, Andy! I got to see a bit of Malaysia, very cool. The bad news is now I have to buy both.

[@donglemadness]

Lol, sorry for your wallet...

[@JAG3RmanJENSON]

I’ve been on the fence on these 2, as well as the Xenns Tea Pro. I want the best one for FPS gaming. Arete was made for FPS gaming but the Estrella seems like it could potentially compete while also having ENDGAME sound. Waiting for Fresh Reviews review the Tea Pro, then I will make a decision I think

[@blitz6167]

Awesome outdoor review , Jay definitely knows his stuff . Cheers .

[@donglemadness]

Cheers 🙏

[@bettakl3430]

Nice scenery and contents! Great job! I prefer scenery more than table view shaking left right non stop 😅 Next video should be at mamak with teh tarik and nasi lemak bungkus 🇲🇾

[@donglemadness]

Mamak next!

[@L_HOUSE]

Feel like you're on a trip to Malaysia! Quit smoking, I want to be with this channel for a long time. Try e-cigarettes. Stay healthy always!

[@donglemadness]

I hear ya, I don't want to die too soon 😅

[@chinmayrasam]

You seem have a very similar taste like me. Based on your review on the Sivga Nightingale, I also prefer a tuning that brings out the emotions in music. Considering that, how does the Estrella + Tapemod compare with the Simgot EM10, Volare, Mega5est. Maybe if you had a discord or something where could discuss this in detail.

[@donglemadness]

To me personally, SIVGA Nightingale remains my No.1 choice for Metal or practically anything if I am not using my Shure KSE1500 or FiiO FA19. I use Nightingale more than anything else, for the reasons you mentioned. I never use tape mod and didn't feel that Estrella needs it. To me Estrella aligns with the sound attributes of FA19, very well-tuned overall, but will I use it regularly?, my answer is no, because you have to consider the fact that I have more IEMs here with me that I can count, yet I will still use SIVGA Nightingale and Hidizs MP145 regularly. EM10, Volare and Mega5EST all are super amazing for what they do, yet you will not see me using them regularly. As far as I can tell, Estrella is a bit more appealing than EM10, not by much but enough. Volare and Mega5EST on the other hand will appeal for something that is closer to Harman tuning, perhaps both of them being the topmost reference for Harman type tuning, so you can expect top of the line performance from both, but to me personally I always pick SIVGA Nightingale non-conventional Mids Centric tuning over all of them. I hope you see my perspective here. Cheers 🤘

[@13.nadzreen73]

i already wait for this review but i lack on budget, so i pick ziigaat cincotres (since its on sale), which i can say similar to estrella sound signature.Good job Andy !

[@muhdzaki1909]

Nice video as usual and perfect to compare both product. Still don't know what to choose either estrella or arete hahaha both have their advantage, maybe both 😆

[@donglemadness]

😁🤣

[@arifrahmanafandi4251]

This is what I'm looking for 🔥 thank you for the review

[@donglemadness]

No problem 👍

[@mastalee]

Tarantino-directed IEM reviews, I'm here for it

[@donglemadness]

Now let the 5.6.7.8s music roll 🤣

[@blupantat3678]

your video making skill is getting better and better, its much more enjoyable than your first try at outside videos lol. and also great review as usual

[@donglemadness]

Lol thanks. I am so pumped up to do more contents like this and learning still to deliver something which is entertaining as it is informative. Cheers

[@Stoyakoff2024]

Вау! Какой необычный формат обзора, прямо из Матрицы! )) Но я выбираю THIEAUDIO Oracle MKIII

[@gabech2789]

Greatly respect your reviews as a new iem enthusiast 🤓

[@donglemadness]

I appreciate that!

[@Laowei1]

Thanks for the great tip on the affordable and appealing Venture Electronics Odo DAC, Andy! 😃👍🎶🎵 Take care!

[@donglemadness]

Any time!

[@archiekins82]

I have a 7hz Timeless AE, would Estrella be a good upgrade from it? - Thanks Andy! your the best!

[@donglemadness]

To me yes, Estrella is a step up from 7Hz Timeless AE

[@CJ-usa]

Hi Andy :)Im kinda Tansio Mirai fanboy and their new set " Shock" looks very interesting. So many great products!!!!

[@donglemadness]

Yep, so many indeed

[@dawiddabrowski3279]

Great review!!!!!

[@j.w.s.743]

Fantastic review Andy!

[@donglemadness]

Thank you kindly!

[@MrDomq22]

Yo, this blog style review is dope af. It reminds me of the old digital rev days, for the people who know what I’m talking about. I think getting a clip on mic would be dope tho, kind of hard to hear you, on some parts Andy!

[@donglemadness]

Thanks, I do a have a lavalier clip for my RODE, so I will use it next time. Cheers

[@MrDomq22]

@@donglemadness looking forward to it!

[@Hijynx87]

I'm still wondering if its worth getting if I own Doscinco and hype 4?

[@gadgetgenerationspulkit]

The Estrella is definitely getting good reviews bro. I would love to try the detailed sound of that one. Thank you for your review bro.

[@donglemadness]

No problem 👍

[@LonE_woLf07]

Sir can you also add Kz ZAS to your list and review it for us, and a little help i need is that i want to buy a dongle specifically to use it with smartphone under 12-15 Dollars. Really loved your Dongle madness videos very helpful💫💫

[@donglemadness]

Thanks for the support but very unlikely I will review any KZ soon because KZ keeps on making new IEMs faster than users can count. There's tons of other options available if I may say even from KZ and CCA, especially the Hydro or ZVX/DF-i or PR2

[@LonE_woLf07]

@@donglemadness and about the dongle can you suggest any please i have to use it with smartphone!!

[@KaibillKaan]

wow what a great review, love the comparison. which of the two has the better vocals? as in natural sounding and clear. and which one presents them more forward?

[@donglemadness]

Thanks. Both are equally great with vocals, just that Arete a little more lush warmth and Estrella a bit more transparent

[@rag3r17]

I'm surprised with your conclusion (not that I mean it in a bad way). I've been watching Fresh Reviews and he is focused on fps games. So i'm surprised that Estrella is more holographic and is better at pinpointing things at the background. I'm having second thoughts what to buy. Thank you!

[@raphaelldsantos]

good job as aways!

[@Pauli2006]

I really love Estrella 🔥

[@statoskop]

обзор на ifi go bar kensei обещали сделать)

[@EricJorgensen1]

thanks!

[@rajZ772]

Plz suggest a few IEMs under 40 or 50$ which had considerable sub-bass with audible rumble effect. But not too Boomy.

[@donglemadness]

KZ Castor Bass version

[@rajZ772]

@@donglemadness i have it.. Any better option you know about..?

[@chinmayrasam]

How's the Estrella with the Tape Mod? Can you do a separate review with the Tape Mod?

[@syedrehanfida]

What does tape mod mean? And how it affects iems?

[@quadrannilator]

​@@syedrehanfida Almost all IEMs have a vent hole somewhere on their shells for the air to flow freely and for their drivers to move that air to create the sound that they do. The vent helps to relieve air pressure in the IEM shell as well as your ear canal as you insert the IEM in the ears. And equally, it is responsible for the tuning and sound characteristics of that set as well. A Tape-mod refers to using a small cut piece of a very thin sticky tape (usually the transparent type to stick pieces of paper/packaging together), found in most households to totally or partially covering up the vent hole. It TYPICALLY results in boosting the base, dampening it up a bit, shiting resonance peaks, blocking air movement so as to make the treble feel a bit less free/airy/heady etc, while also potentially boosting the effect of soundstage and 3D-ness due to the bass shelf that it creates. You have to try out the tape-mod on your particular model to hear exactly how it changes the sound profile, but it can be effectively used to increase bass/lower upper treble to shift the over balance of neutral-bright IEMs to a more preferable tuning.

[@Hijynx87]

​​@@quadrannilatorI think it lowers the bass actually. It depends on the vent/iem , but the way these are placed it lowers it.

[@quadrannilator]

@@Hijynx87 Im sure it depends on the implementation, but I actually used the tape mod on the EW200 to improve the level of the mid bass because that set is pretty anemic in the bass dept. and give it a slight boost. In fact, with the tapemod it actually became muffled and felt pressurized, so I found the best balance by doing the tapemod, and then puncturing the tape over the vent with a safety pin to only partly block the area.

[@donglemadness]

No I didn't and I never use tape mod on any IEMs. Estrella and Arete sounds great as they are and how they are intended to sound like, so I never feel the need to tape mod them

[@brandon2001]

I love this video style. Also great review! Thank you, Andy.

[@donglemadness]

My pleasure. Cheers

[@jamez77.]

Great review as always, Andy! When Sivga Que.....?🙏

[@donglemadness]

No idea yet, soon I hope

[@nmatheis]

Def more interested in Estrella

[@Divionist]

The Arete seems like my pick. I like that smooth, organic, warm. I'll be on the lookout for a sale 👀 What chapter are you on wukong btw? I'm on chapter 4 and the game's been GREAT so far

[@donglemadness]

Still finding my way on chapter one, taking slow and easy to savor everything.

[@predatorltd2222]

Hi, great review I recently purchased a Simgot supermix 4 as an upgrade to the EM6L. It's a good iem but I have sometimes to use EQ because the sound is a bit bright thin/skinny on treble. Listening to Jay's I'm wondering about Ziigaat Estrella which is supposed to be a $500 killer, but wouldn't FatFreq Deuce or Reference be a better choice? Can I ask for a suggestion?

[@donglemadness]

I haven't tried any FatFreq IEMs so I have no idea how they compares. Suggestion? you want excellent all rounder, Estrella is one of the many options to pick from

[@RaeErn-g1r]

Hi Andy, how does the sound of Arete compared against the Nightingale? TIA

[@donglemadness]

Nightingale is a lot more Mids centric and outright smoother, more organic. Warmer even. Nightingale being a magnetic planar, also offers more airy decays. But Arete performs better for Subbass

[@EGxSenSei]

Should stop smoking advise , next part proceed to smoking while listening to music 😂 , love your type of review Andy

[@donglemadness]

I hear ya, 😁

[@davidCreator97]

Your review on tanchjim origin with copper cable sealed the deal for me purchasing it. Ive yet to unbox it in the event of needing to return it in exchange of estrella. May i know your input between tanchjim origin and estrella? My playlists are usually clasical, worship songs, vocal centric acoustics. Thank you so much.

[@donglemadness]

Thanks, what you have already in hand is one of the top performers for 2024. Origin and Estrella literally sitting on equal footing with overall score as far as I am concerned, the main difference, Estrella does a little bit better with spatial imaging which suits gaming and binaural music, also I do feel Origin hitting it closer to transparent neutrality over the dynamically energetic Estrella. Ponder on these and you would know which one suits your needs

[@davidCreator97]

@@donglemadness thank you for the aptly response. Appreciate it

[@benchanification]

I guess it's time for me to check Ziigatt out. How's the bass quality on both of these, bro?

[@donglemadness]

Bro, the Estrella has fast and well balanced Bass (equal Midbass and Subbass focus), the Arete has slower but smoother lows transient speed and a little more dense with Subbass. So in short, Estrella is crisper, Arete is smoother

[@Crashboomwallop]

Hope you get to hear and review Aful Cantor, much praised tech champ.

[@donglemadness]

I hope too

[@petrpulpytel]

Great review Andy, many thanks, how close or far is Estrella to Monarch mk3? they have very similar FR..

[@donglemadness]

Thanks. Unfortunately I have never tried MK3 so it will be hard for me to describe the differences for an IEM I haven't personally tried. Just FYI, I don't read FR graphs so I am a complete noob when it come to that subject

[@Fort1T00]

Hi Andy, as a fellow metalhead, would you say Estrella is good for metal? I want to buy the best IEM for metal under 600 USD. Would you say Estrella will be it? Thank you and keep up the good reviews :)

[@donglemadness]

Yes absolutely, from Lo-Fi Extreme Metal to highly technical Avantgarde Metal, Estrella handles them all really well

[@07sergei1]

Please make a comparison of noise suppressors 1more SonoFlow SE UGREEN HiTune Max5C

[@donglemadness]

I take note of that

[@FourWasHere]

what would you say is the best dac amp under 100? (doesn't matter if its a doggle or a desktop)

[@donglemadness]

AKLIAM PD6

[@KillWija]

Do you think the arete would pair well with Dx3 pro+?

[@donglemadness]

It should, Arete is very versatile pairing with any type of partners

[@user-ph6lk7eq5s]

Hi andy do you have any plans for hiby fd5??? I am planning to buy this now

[@donglemadness]

Yes, I will be reviewing FD5 soon

[@user-ph6lk7eq5s]

​@@donglemadness Thank you always Andy my music master

[@wiesolos]

So, which one should I go for it? Arete or Estrella?

[@donglemadness]

Watch the video and understand what each of them deliver. Decide which one you like more based on your preferences

[@blackwhit]

which of those two would be more suitable for hard rock / heavy metal / sympho metal / speed and trash metal and little portion of classical music? also, would it be significant step up from letshuoer s12 pro? My dongle is onix alpha... and, btw. thank you for your wokr!!

[@donglemadness]

Both of them really. You go for Estrella if you want a bit more of sparkle and energy with the upper registers and fast lower frequencies, Arete if you want something not too spicy up there in the Treble region, suitable for harsh sounding Extreme Metal genre, and smoother lows. Depends on how you prefer them to sound like

[@Helmond2017]

Talking of Fa19, are you going to review the Aful Cantor?

[@naze8554]

Wow. Placed Top 10 ranking. Suitable for metal?

[@donglemadness]

Absolutely

[@wahidtafsir33]

hello Andy , can you review the Ziigatt Doscinco and between estrella and arete which one would you recommend for immersive gaming with good bass and great soundstage

[@donglemadness]

I would do that if I have Doscinco to test. Thanks

[@wahidtafsir33]

​@@donglemadness thanks Andy , another question, is an open back headphones more immersive for gaming than an iem ?

[@masterbeef92]

Does the estrella do similar to the arete in that it keeps the bass fun but without bleeds to the mids? I love the organic sound that's coming from my arete but may want something with the same characteristics as the arete but have a slight more colour in the treble.

[@donglemadness]

Both does not bleed either Midbass or Subbass, so that's a relief. Both are clean, just that Estrella is faster with transient speed and Arete smoother

[@masterbeef92]

@@donglemadness ouuuuu! i really like that! thanks andy 🤠

[@TheVeganVicar]

Selamat, Andy!

[@donglemadness]

Sama-sama!

[@bourjuva]

FiiO FH19 review plz

[@donglemadness]

That's in my wish list

[@jill4470]

How's the vocals of the Estrella compared to Tanchjim Origin?

[@donglemadness]

Quite comparable, both being transparent with Mids with Origin being more neutral and Estrella a hint of coloration (in a good way)

[@jill4470]

@@donglemadness Thanks for the quick reply Andy!

[@AndreDario-q5c]

Andy, for games as main use, like FPS and Immersive. Witch ones is the best? Arete or Strella?

[@donglemadness]

FPS I would pick Estrella, immersion Arete does it better as mentioned in this video

[@AndreDario-q5c]

@@donglemadnessTks for answer. I have de Tangzu Heyday. One of Them (Arete or Estrella) is closing to Heyday or have similarities?

[@MarjorieSidney-m2n]

Mariana Field

[@calvinyip364]

For the Estrella How does it sound with kpop and female vocals?

[@donglemadness]

I don't listen to Kpop but Estrella being versatile and transparent it handles all type of genres and male/female vocals really well

[@calvinyip364]

@@donglemadness if you compare it to the aune ar5000 headphone is the iem Better or aune ar5000 better I know it's IEM Vs headphone. Just wondering how the sound fair.

[@Flo-ge9db]

how does the estrella sounds compared to the mp145?

[@donglemadness]

Different. MP145 offers faster transient speed and more airy with the decays, Estrella is more holographic and crisp edged

[@jondandavekinanahan7488]

How do these compare to the simgot ew300?

[@donglemadness]

Superior to EW300 in every way, not by much but enough

[@dakenoctora1860]

Estrell is V shape or W shape ?

[@donglemadness]

Closer to W

[@CJ-usa]

Andy :)

[@donglemadness]

🙏

[@TheNEOONE1]

These or Fh19?

[@donglemadness]

Haven't tried FH19 yet

[@alexanderac1097]

Needs burn in?

[@donglemadness]

Just basic ones, I subjected both to at least 50 hours of pink noise before making this review and it settled already

[@jamesdonaghy6758]

Hard to hear what you're saying at times....the traffic noise is a pain.

[@donglemadness]

Noted, I try to do better noise control going forward

[@miscwork-qb7pd]

Andy is trying to improve his hearing by lighting up and destroying his smell and taste. Jk, please try to quit

[@morbidsoy]

You cant go wrong with that smooth warm rich taste of marlboros

[@donglemadness]

😅