ZiiGaat Nuo

***The product was gifted to me by my friend is named here "theodyofil" to write an independent review of it.

Specs

--> THD < 0.5%(at 1KHz)
--> 10mm LCP Dynamic Driver
--> Rated power: 5mW Max:10mW
--> Freq response: 20HZ-20000HZ
--> Impedance: 32 ohms
--> Sensitivity: 107dB(at 1KHz/mW)
--> Plug: Detachable 0.78mm 2Pin



Foreword

Quite honestly, you get much more than your money. It's a special situation where you have nothing to say and a lot to say at the same time. Ziigaat Nuo easily beat the best budget product we had. We will talk about this in the end.

Build

I would say it is a successful minimalist approach. I like the design of this ultra-cheap iem, the cable is cute and the material is solid. The fit is really good, although the isolation is not perfect. The shells are not bad at all. Metal nozzles are a plus point.

Sound

This is the main part of what makes a review valuable or important. As usual, before I describe the sound, I'm going to do something I've never done before. If you're reading this review unsure whether to buy this iem or not, choose to buy it. Because given its capabilities, this device is being sold for free (24usd).

Nuo's sound profile is balanced, harmann and a bit U-shape. Just a few years ago, there was nothing but ear-splitting extra V-Shape iems for this kind of money. Nowadays, finding such good tones at these prices shows how much the market has improved.

When you listen to tracks that don't have too many instruments at the same time, you can hear great violins, very good guitars and decent vocals from Nuo. At this point, the only place where I find it appropriate to write something else is the treble. The treble is good but there is a little bit of mudding. Is that a problem? No.

It performed average in almost every genre of music I listened to, some above average and some below average. At this point, it can be said that it is a good device in technical terms. Resolution, imaging and detail reproduction are very good for the price. It has no disadvantages other than losing a little bit of microdetail and squeezing the dimanic range that has been worked on. Separation is good, layering is meh. For only 24 dollars, this is a great iem if you ask me. Because it's very cheap.

Comparison

Ziigaat Nuo (24usd) vs Kiwi Cadenza (35usd)

First of all, both iems are very good and close products.

Resolution: Nuo > Cadenza
Soundstage: Cadenza > Nuo
Imagine: Nuo > Cadenza
Bass: Nuo > Cadenza
Mid: Nuo > Cadenza
Treble: Cadenza > Nuo
Air Freqs: Nuo > Cadenza
Seperation: Cadenza > Nuo
Overall Technics: Nuo > Cadenza
Tonality: Cadenza > Nuo

As a result, Nuo performs better at a more economical price. This is not to say that Cadenza is bad, Cadenza is still good. It's just that nuo is better.

INTRODUCTION

The Nuo model is a budget offering from:

,a company that has been making a name for itself in the Chi-Fi world. The specimen I will present to you today was sent to me by the manufacturer himself ( thank you very much ) in exchange for an honest description of my impressions, which I do in the words below:



PRESENTATION



The headphones came to me in a small paper container, the smallest of all the headphones I had the opportunity to test. In the box is a mediocre cable, very rubbery, which after I tried to roll it up it unrolled by itself


.... very rubbery. It is still better than the cable we get with the iconic Blon BL-03 model, which with its tangling could drive the world's calmest man crazy. In addition to the cable in the box, you will also find a set of tips (S/M/L). During the period of listening and writing this review, I used the cable that came with the BQEYZ WIND, or some other upgrade cable made by the company whose name I just don’t remember now - both copper covered with silver crystals, and tips from the WHIZZER model SS20 (wide bore), or ePRO P00 which usually fit my ears very well. The conclusion that came to me while perusing the contents of the package was quite obvious: Ziigaat has taken the cost burden off the equipment, but has it shifted to the headphones themselves?

BUILD



The construction of the headphones is solid. The finish is simple and minimalist, with a total of only a white manufacturer's logo on a black background. The shape is ergonomic, and I had no problems locating them in my ear. I like such a minimalist finish.



SOUND

...That is what is most important. The very first sounds of the song being played made my eyes open wider. Full, clear sound, with great strength of notes. I didn't expect anything like this from a model in this price range. As I hadn't read any reviews before it was a very positive surprise. WOW! Well, it's now clear that the manufacturer has shifted most of the manufacturing costs from the accessories to the headphones themselves to deliver quality unparalleled in this price range, or at least to match the best in this range. I find the tuning balanced with a slightly forward midrange. The tonality is rather dark, so a rather warm sound is to be expected, but at the same time, I don't find the midrange registers bloated ( like the Blon Bl03, for example).

Moving on to the details:

BASS

The bass is focused on the mid-bass, which provides great dynamics to the sound and allows for a solid impact. The sub-bass, although a bit withdrawn, is there and reveals itself when the song calls for it. The Bass is not overly boosted and I have never had headache symptoms from prolonged listening (Footnote: I mention this because I just happened to have a Kiwi Ears Forteza to test, which caused such an effect). The bass guitar is textured and sounds mature and natural. This is not a set for bass heads, but I also don't think it aspires to be such. The bass is soft and doesn't buzz, and for the price, it's as satisfying as can be and can go low, which is great.

MIDS

The mids perform brilliantly, which is not typical in this price bracket. In Nuo acoustic guitars, classical guitars, percussion elements, crackling of e.g. vinyl records, and of course vocals, both male and female, sound natural and true. I am very pleased that the price range of about $24 has gained a set that can impress with the quality of reproduction of sounds of the middle registers. A few minutes with the ASMR recordings provided me with waves of chills running down my spine, so if you're looking for a set that will provide you with such sensations, Nuo might be a good option. Occasionally, but only occasionally, there may be slightly irritating sibilants in the female vocals, which is not something for which this set should be crossed out, after all, the sibilant phenomenon itself occurs naturally during speech, and the moments when they bothered me were very sporadic, and if it weren't for the increased attention, I probably wouldn't have paid attention to them.

TREBLE

Treble in my opinion is the least well-taken care of register in this set, which is not to say that there is anything wrong with it, no, it's just that they could be cleaner and sound more natural, because, unfortunately, sometimes they are just unspecified hisses and snaps, not resembling real instruments. It also happens that sometimes the sounds of for example drum cymbals sound strange, so a little..... crackling and unpleasant when you listen to them. So, if your heart lies with the trebles, you might want to look somewhere else, but also I don’t want to exaggerate: there is no tragedy. It's just ok.

TECHNICALITIES

Imaging is adequate, and for the price at which the Nuo is placed, it is simply unprecedented. Sounds appear from different sides and instruments stay in place. The sound is presented in a holographic manner, although the stage is not deep and the presentation is rather close. Instrument separation is very good, and during listening one could also hear the constituent layers of a song more than once, so in terms of layering it is also very good.

PAIRING

Pairing the Nuo with various sources, I can confidently confirm that they sounded best when I played songs from the Sony A55 DAP (Mr. Walkman firmware), not via Bluetooth, but directly from the DAP, because despite the use of the LDAC codec, the quality, especially of the treble, could have been better. Playback through the Moondrop Dawn Pro dongle or the Musehifi M1 also gave very good results. Unfortunately, I didn't like the pairing with the Kiwi Ears Allegro, which I feel took away some of the dynamics and I just didn't find this pairing good. As for the tips, it was very well matched with the ePro Pr00 (of course it did), Spinfit CP100, and Whizzer SS20, but with the KBEAR 07, for example, which are famous for enhancing the bass, here they darken even more the already quite dark sound presentation, which can reflect negatively on the presentation.



GOOD EXAMPLES

In my reviews, I like to give examples of songs that caught my particular attention while listening in detail to the quality of the reproduced sound, in other words: when the headphones do something very well.

a. Francine Thirteen - Queen Mary

- Model genre: electronic music
- Female voice: penetrating and natural. You can hear wonderful speech sounds making the vocal sound more realistic
- bass low, very pleasant with a big (not too big) impact – these headphones can handle such low bass
- despite the strong bass impact, the other registers seem unaffected by it

b. Snarky Puppy - Grown Folks



- Model genre: jazz, fusion
- An example of good imagery: every 4 bars something new appears in a different place; sound fills the space around the head
- good separation of instruments; no feeling of sounds blending, even in the climax of the piece
- textured bass; you can hear the sound of the strings crunching against the frets; no buzzing - you can hear that this is a bass guitar
- Downside: sometimes the cymbals hiss unnaturally, but the cowbell and other bell-like sounds are clear and quite natural sounding

c. Bring me the Horizon - Sugar Ice & tea



- Model genre: rock, metal, etc.
- An example of a rather dense track, which Nuo handles quite well
- The drum cymbals are there, but rather muted and somewhere in the background
- added tracks can be heard slightly separated from the rest of the track - good layering
- bass as it should be in music of this type: audible and adding dynamics
- Vocal in the calming moment of the track (about 2:50 minutes) is intimate, but close and detailed - just the way I like them

d. Beastie Boys - Live At P.J.'s



- Model genre: instrumental hip-hop, the 80s
- Instruments beautifully separated and distributed around the head: guitar on the left, keyboard on the right, a little behind the bongos; Vocals and bass in the front; drums in the back
- All instruments audible and clear throughout the song
- Natural sound of instruments, good dynamics, and strength of notes
- Vocals here withdrawn a bit, but this is more a result of the way the track was recorded

e. Eugene Ruffolo - Poor Lonesome Me



- Model genre: Country, Folk, Acoustic guitars
- Two acoustic guitars, quiet but warm bass and vocals - everything sounds beautiful
- The vocals have warmth in them
- Clear and melodic guitars with natural timbre



CONCLUSION:

With practically every genre of music, the Nuo perform very well. In rock and metal music, thanks to the emphasis on the middle registers, the guitars do not lack claw, and the substantial bass adds dynamics to the tracks. In acoustic tracks, the sounds of metal strings shine through, and vocals sound natural and pleasant. In electronic music, the good dynamics and capabilities of the driver, which is capable of generating very low sounds without distorting the other registers, make themselves known. Only for those who like to sink into the sounds of clicks of drum cymbals, I would recommend looking for something else, such as the Tanchjim Zero, but if this is not your main area of interest, I think the Ziigaat Nuo can confidently serve as a budget entry-level - allrounder for any genre of music.

SOUND SUMMARY

As a summary of the sonic capabilities of the Ziigaat Nuo, they emit a balanced sound in which all registers are sufficiently audible. Reviewing the frequency graph and comparing it with the HARMANN curve, you can see that there are a few more decibels in the midrange registers (especially low), which results in a warmer presentation but also translates into increased strength of notes, which can be heard and is worth appreciating, as it is not common for this price range. If one were to add the HBB target curve to the graph, one can see that the Nuo almost perfectly coincides with it, so those familiar with the tastes of the Bad Boy from Hawaii can guess what to expect.

As for the objections I put forward above, especially regarding the treble, please note that they are the result of critical listening, i.e. the kind where I look for flaws in a product without paying attention to the price range, which in the case of the Ziigaat Nuo is nothing more than nit-picking, because the set itself is great in my opinion, and I can in good conscience recommend it as an entry point into the world of IN-EAR headphones.

In my opinion, Ziigaat has revolutionized the price range around $25, and by releasing the NUO, they have raised the bar well above what can be expected for such money.
Highly recommended.

The Nuo is Ziigaat’s entry level IEM and entries the market in the super competitive sub $30 price range (currently $24 ).



So, if you are interested in an excellently tuned IEM, the Nuo may well be one to add to your collection.

Read on to find out why …

What is in the box​

The Nuo comes in a fairly simple box, typical of this end of the IEM market.



I do like the way the Nuo’s are presented to you once you open the box.



It is a little hard to get them out but once you do, you can then easily access the cable and the accessories.

Overall it is a well-designed package. The accessories are a bit limited with just the usual L/M/S sized ear tips. The cable is reasonable quality for this price and finally a user guide is provided.

Design and Build Quality​

The Nuo IEM shell itself boasts a sleek, minimalist design, appealing to those who appreciate subtlety and elegance in their audio gear. The build quality is impressive for its price bracket, featuring a durable body that feels robust yet lightweight. The attention to detail in the finish and the choice of materials raises it above similar priced IEM’s like the Salnotes Zero 2. a pleasant surprise in this cost-effective segment.




One minor thing, was it is a pity that the Nuo doesn’t have a recessed 2-pin connection, as I do worry that eventually the 2-pin connector will bend and ultimately break.

Here is a short video:

Comfort and Fit​

I found Ziigaat Nuo comfortable (though it’s ‘sister’ the Ziigaat Cinno’s was more comfortable). I think it has much better shape than similarly priced competitors like the Moondrop Chu 2 (too small) or the Salnotes Zero 2 (too blocky) or even the Tanchjim One (too small). I spend 4-5 hours one day without any discomfort, with an excellent seal and almost forgetting I was wearing them.

That said I did find the angle of the nozzle wasn’t quite right for me, this is where I think the Ziigaat Cinno has the more comfortable fit, but this especially will be very subjective and it was only a concern when trying the longer fitting Ear tips (like a triple flange).

My advise is to try allot of IEM’s and once you discovery the shape and nozzle angle that suits you best, use a video like the one I provided above to find the best IEM for comfort and fit and then look into the sound signature.

I found the weight and balance to be excellent, again at an almost ‘goldilocks’ level where it was not too light and definitely not too heavy but just about right for long sessions.

The cable was good especially at this price point, it was mostly tangle free and kept its shape well so did not get in the way.

Sound Quality​

The sound quality of the Ziigaat Nuo is remarkably neutral, nicely following the ‘Harman Target’ target. The only concern I had was with the upper treble but lets get into the details.

Bass​

The bass is well-balanced, providing enough punch and depth to satisfy bass enthusiasts without overpowering the mids and treble. It’s tight and controlled, offering a natural and accurate representation of low frequencies. I did find a sub-bass roll off when listening to a frequency sweep, so a deep subwoofer rumble when watching movies might not always happen but for listening to music I never found the bass wanting. With Massive Attack’s Angel the bass kicked in after a second or 2 and was appropraite balanced for the whole track, no ‘boomy’ bass but also nothing missing from the bass.

Mids​

Midrange performance is a standout feature, with vocals and instruments rendered with clarity and detail. The neutrality in the mids ensures a true-to-life representation, making it ideal for a wide range of music genres. I loved the tonality on all of my usual midrange tracks for example on “Baby plays around” by Elvis Costello and Anne Sofie van Otter, Anne’s voice was just stunning.

Treble​

Treble frequencies are mostly handled with care, delivering crisp and clear highs without any sibilance or harshness. But I did feel occasionally there was slightly too much upper treble though some people will simply call this its ’technicalities’ I would have thought its slightly more than appropriate at least in my reference songs. But if you want to hear treble detail without sibiliance this makes a great choice at this price point. My own preference would be for slightly ‘brightness’, so I used a Foam eartip ultimately which as you will see in the Measurement section does lower that treble region slightly.

Soundstage and Imaging​

The soundstage is surprisingly expansive for an IEM in this category, providing a good sense of space and positioning. Imaging is good for this price point, with a clear distinction of instruments and vocals, allowing for an immersive sound experience.

Specifications and Measurements​

Specifications​

The important specifications:

Measurements​

Background to these measurements​

So new in this review I decided to standardise on a set of measurements which I will use in all future reviews. The idea is to do measure the frequency response of the standard tips (typically the Medium size) but then also measure a typical selection of ear tips which can easily be used to adjust the sound signature. So, I have choosen the following extra measurement options, a narrow bore ear tip, a wide bore, a ’tall’ shaped ear tip, a normal foam tip, a large ‘comfly’ foam tip, a double flange and finally a triple flange.



Because a double and triple flange are typically used by people who have larger than average ear canals so I have adapted these eartips slightly to allow a ‘deeper’ fit my IEC711 ‘clone’ coupler, basically try to simulate a longer ear canal in ‘standard’ coupler. I believe this technique will allow people to select both the best IEM for a specific tonality for them (does not always have to be ‘harman’) and then fine tune it with some ’ear tip rolling’ and for those who find it hard to get good seal this technique might allow them to experiment with alternative eartips and have a reasonable understand of how those alternative eartips alter the frequency response of their ideal IEM.

All measurements will go up on the Pragmatic Audio Squiq.link

So now onto the measurements…

L/F Balance and Distortion​

Good Left/Right balance and tonality is very close to Harman:

Very low distortion

Various Ear tip Frequency Responses​

Showing all the ear tip variatons shows you can alter the treble regions significantly in the 4kHz to 8Khz region depending on the tip:



Given how close this is to Harman depending on if you want a more Air

Comparison with IEM’s​

Some comparisions (lots more on my squiq website ):



Overall you can see the Nuo is an excellent Harman Neutral IEM.

Rating​

The Nuo gets a pragmatic score of 4 stars, it is one of the best IEM’s in this price range (if not the best), it is comfortable, measures well and most importantly sounds great.

Conclusion​

Note: I would like to thank Lillian @ Linsoul for providing the Ziigaat Nuo - if you are interested in purchasing it here is a non-affiliated link to their store: here

The Ziigaat Nuo IEM is a stellar offering in the budget IEM market, especially for audiophiles seeking a neutral sound signature. It’s adherence to the Neutral ‘Harman Target’ frequency response, combined with a single dynamic driver design, results in an authentic and balanced audio experience. The build quality, comfort, and sound performance make it an excellent choice for both casual listeners and audio enthusiasts.

The Ziigaat Nuo stands out as a high-value proposition, offering a premium listening experience at an accessible price point.