Out of Ziigaat's 14 earphones, Horizon is the cat's whiskers

My partner is back to thinking that I'm making it all up. Since I started reviewing the best audiophile headphones, including the best budget-friendly in-ear monitors (IEM), we've had a few evenings where I've treated her to the subtle differences between this headphone and that IEM. And though she found it fun to pick over the contrast between the bassy Fiio FT1s and the treble terrorist Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pros, she soon cooled off when one safe New Meta IEM was followed by another subtle iteration.

I've got her back on side with the Ziigaat Horizon – my current favourite IEM. Although there are plenty better looking IEMs out there, they sound amazing, thanks largely to a bright-leaning, substantial mid range sound profile.

There may be more technical IEMs out there, but probably not at the $350 range, and few that offer technicalities and a welcoming sound like the Horizon.

Sound profile

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Overall the Horizon is an immersive, spacious and detailed set with a U-shaped sound profile. A solid sub bass and a thick-on-paper 150Hz–400Hz midrange offers the immersive bit, while an expertly balanced treble – cutting out a chunk of the sibilant 3kHz to 7.5kHz range, and offering detailed peaks at 8kHz and 15kHz – reframes the midrange as lean yet substantive. It also sprinkles everything with a dust of airy magic, creating a spacious, detailed sound.

And it's not just thanks to the frequency response. Two planar drivers that handle the treble also have a part to play. That detail you get on the Horizon is not the over-bright 8kHz peak parlour trick that some sets (the original 7Hz Timeless, and most things by Beyerdynamic) use to accentuate perceived detail. Instead, a touch of 8kHz and a fair bit more than that of 10kHz spotlight the detail and texture provided by the two micro-planar drivers. The result, for me at least, is detail without fatigue, and not at the expense of a full midrange. It's really impressive.

The bass: On the chart, Horizon has an elevated sub bass, and a measured upper bass. Personally, I didn't hear all that sub bass (which might be thanks to the treble - see below), and I only felt it get punchy on certain bass-heavy test tracks that I listen to. When I was skipping through my library and flicking through new music, the bass rarely struck me as the most prominent feature about this set. That doesn't mean it's not good. What I did notice here is good separation, and plenty of texture, it's just not the star of the show. It definitely doesn't have an upper bass that bleeds into the...

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Mids: Things are natural, almost clinical here, while retaining plenty of substance. Although the bass and the treble are the most accentuated on the charts, the mids are also elevated. A slight dip between 1.5-3kHz helps to define the difference between bass and mid range; it stops any warmth from the upper bass from colouring lower mids. With this distinction, we get a lower bass impact, a more measured upper bass, and then a clear, substantial mid range.

The treble of the Horizon is pretty close to perfect for me. For context, I'm not a treble-head. In fact, I'd rather a warmer set than not, and I find most neutral and clinical headphones and IEMs a little too cold. But because of Horizon's decent amount of bass, and substantial mids, Ziigaat crank up the upper treble and get away with it. I think they've done a fantastic job, and there's detail and crispness, but unlike other sets that lean on the bright side, I don't experience fatigue with Horizon. I've had multiple hour sessions with them, and I don't feel like my head has been dunked in bleach and then electrified. Which is nice.

But the Horizon will be too bright for some.

In fact, even though the lower treble is natural and balanced, the Horizon's airy treble doesn't actually pass the Billie Jean test. This brightly-mixed track, which I use to highlight if a set is too treble forward, is on the very edge of too bright on the Horizon. Ultimately, this IEM is not going to cover up a brightly mixed track.

Now, usually this is a good indication of whether I'm going to be able to use an IEM for a long time. As mentioned above, it didn't end up being accurate in this case. But it's close. Basically, if a reviewer said this was overly bright, I would totally understand. For me, it's as bright as I can go, and with the other frequency attributes, the whole sound profile remains incredibly enjoyable. But it's close.

Price, value, competition

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If you want a similar detailed/neutral sound, a comparison that I've seen other reviewers make is with Xenns Mangird Top Pro – which is $499. I haven't had the chance to hear these, but apparently the Horizon competes with this technical, natural sound signature well.

If you're looking to move away from warm/neutral to a more detailed sound, the Horizon is a good choice.

I see them as an upgrade from the New Meta kings, the Kiwi Ears KE4 ($199). Horizon have a similar take on bass, but more fuller upper mids and more crispness in the treble, resulting in more detail, better imaging and a wider sound. On the charts, it looks like the KE4 offers more bass than the Horizon's, but for me that's not the case. I think it's because the KE4 has a far more gradual slope of mid bass to mids, feeling a little more bloomy. In contrast, the Horizon's have a steeper slope, offering a clearer definition between upper bass and lower mids. That means the bass hits a little harder, and the mids come across as more their own thing. Add the fuller upper mids, and that sprinkling of 8kHz and 15kHz, and you've got a more resolving sound than the KE4, without sacrificing the full, natural sound of vocals and most instruments... the KE4 seem a little limp in comparison (though admittedly, they are $100 less).

There are plenty of other competing IEMs at the $300 price point, but you don't need to look further than another Ziigaat release. The Ziigaat Crescent is a more bassy, warmer set than the Horizon. They also have a 15kHz treble peak, but the way the bass and lower mids are handled, the Crescent comes across as more 'fun' than balanced. If the Horizon's treble is too much for you, and you're looking for more warmth and fun for less, I'd give the $280 Ziigaat Crescent a go.

Should you buy it?

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If you are after a resolving, treble-forward IEM that does spacial sound really well, while still having weight in the lower mids and bass, the Horizon is an easy recommendation. It's a set that I thoroughly enjoyed testing, and used well beyond my review time required.

However, if you are particularly sensitive to treble, especially the 8kHz and 15kHz frequencies, they won't be for you. Instead I'd check out Ziigaat's Crescent IEMs for $50 less at $279.

If you can handle the treble, the Horizon is an absolute treat.