The fact remains that the ZiiGaat Lush are an outstanding entry-level IEMs. They’re the easiest recommendation I can make for someone who wants to enjoy most music without discerning details, no strings attached. ZiiGaat knocked it out of the park with these IEMs.
When I think of lush-sounding audio, I think of easy listening. Perhaps something cushy, broad, or even warm. Neutral, possibly. Maybe even smooth. It’s not often I hear the phrase “lush” thrown around as something to describe an audio product, but when I do, I cannot help but consider the designer to be making a very bold move.
The ZiiGaat Lush lives up to its name in multiple ways. Naming this pair of IEMs “Lush” definitely paid off, Cotton.
If you’re unfamiliar with ZiiGaat or Linsoul, don’t worry. They’re more of a known quantity on Reddit, HiFi forums, and a few other niche spaces where audiophiles discuss how to push their headsets, in-ear monitors (IEMs), and other audio tech to the fullest potential. Better yet, Linsoul has been pushing out affordable IEMs and other HiFi audio products over the past few years, making it easier for new consumers to treat their ears with a lush pair of wired earphones. Earlier this year, I was blown away by the ZiiGaat Aretes, Linsoul’s collaboration with Fresh Reviews; now, a new competitor enters the HiFi fray: The ZiiGaat Lush.
ZiiGaat has packed the Lush with multiple elements to deliver precision and accuracy essential for high-performance audio. Specifically, they’ve included a 1DD+4BA configuration of five drivers, with an additional dedicated 10mm dynamic subwoofer. Taking all of this together, the Lush have been tuned to emphasize a neutral acoustic profile.
For $179.99, the Lush are an impressive set of entry-level HiFi IEMs. Now you’re probably thinking, “$179.99 is entry-level?” Yes. IEMs tend to be pricier than regular gaming headsets (that are often priced anywhere between $100 and $300); IEMs can be priced anywhere from $100 to $1000(!!), sometimes far higher. I usually advise against entry-level IEMs because of compromises made by manufacturers to bring prices down, such as narrow soundstages, overly punchy base, and questionable build quality. However, if you’re in the market for your first set of IEMs, you should definitely consider the ZiiGaat Lush as a main contender.
Opening the Lush’s box was a similar affair to opening the ZiiGaat x Fresh Review Aretes. The Lush comes with ZiiGaat’s pleather carrying case (which, once again, is a smidge difficult to open), a set of black cables, and some standard silicone eartips. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the Lush’s accessories; the carrying case feels unnecessarily hard to open (even after I have opened and closed the case multiple times over the past few weeks), the cables feel too flimsy for my liking, and the eartips aren’t the most comfortable.
What’s in the box is actually the only set of downsides for the Lush, which should give you a sense of relief if you’re worried about what ZiiGaat has done in the designing process to keep the Lush affordable. The cables and eartips can easily be swapped out with a pair of your favorite cables/eartips, and you can easily put the Lush in your Nintendo Switch case or another carrying case you use.
The Lush have a pretty standard design for an IEM featuring a glittery exterior, resin encasing, and a black color scheme. The ZiiGaat logo blends in well with the sparkly faceplate, too, ensuring that the IEMs avoid looking gaudy or flashy. I like how the Lush look – by avoiding being overly flashy, I was able to blend into the crowd and not have folks interrupt my music listening to ask questions.
As for their size, the Lush are larger than most IEMs I’ve tested. I have large ears, so I don’t see this as an issue, but if you have smaller ears you may feel like the Lush don’t fit correctly. You may need a set of third party eartips if this is the case. The Lush feel quite light despite their size, surprisingly. I kept expecting heft when I put the IEMs in my ears and was pleasantly surprised by their lack of heft. Their resin construction is definitely to thank for this.
On the durability front, the Lush feel durable enough to take on trips. I took my pair with me when I was flying across the country and on a road trip, and I never felt like they were too fragile.
Now for the important part of this review: the sound quality! I knew going into this review process that the Lush would have a neutral sound profile, but what I didn’t expect was how that neutral would translate in practice. The Lush fared excellently well in making most music sound well. Here’s what I mean by that:
When I think of a neutral sound profile, I envision a pair of IEMs that are middle-of-the-road IEMs that make just about all kinds of music sound good. Put simply, neutral can be thought of as versatile, good for folks who like to listen to a broad spectrum of music genres. It’s even better for those who simply want to enjoy music in its purist form.
Starting with the bass, the Lush handles most bass-heavy tracks with good precision. There’s very little muddiness I would expect from other IEMs in this price point. On the other hand, though, these IEMs lack the punchiness compared IEMs who have been tuned for bass-forward music. This isn’t to say that you won’t “feel” the sub-bass, but you’ll notice a difference when you transition from a set of IEMs or headphones that have a more premium driver. Still, the bass is enough to enjoy and doesn’t overshadow the mids/highs.
The midrange is balanced. When listening to female pop vocalists like KiNG MALA, Lady Gaya, and Marina, their voices were distinct and properly separated from the bass and treble. The level of detail present shocked me time after time, as I kept thinking that the vocals would blend together with the treble and sound congested. The Lush’s soundstage, then, should be considered to be pretty wide.
Moving onto the trebles. I enjoyed how the Lush handled treble in a smooth and pleasant fashion. While I wasn’t able to discern some of the finer details of some songs (such as live jazz or acoustic versions of my favorite pop/EDM tracks), there was enough airiness that let the music breathe. Open soundstages are important, folks – the Lush’s soundstage is impressive for its price point.
The only drawback on the audio side occurred when I attempted to listen to live music, such as Doechii’s Tiny Desk Concert and Little Boots’ Hands: Unplugged. There was a lack of punchy tactility I have come to enjoy from live music. It’s nice to hear the bite of individual instruments alongside unmixed vocals; if you like the “bite” you would expect from jazz, funk, or even live music, you might not get that from the Lush.
Here’s the thing, though: I wouldn’t expect someone looking at an entry-level set of IEMs to care that much about the one area where the Lush falls short. If anything, I would imagine that someone on the market for IEMs, not knowing what they want from a pair of IEMs or their favorite genre of music, would put these IEMs in their ears and be blown away from how well they sound.
The fact remains that the ZiiGaat Lush are an outstanding entry-level IEMs. They’re the easiest recommendation I can make for someone who wants to enjoy most music without discerning details, no strings attached. ZiiGaat knocked it out of the park with these IEMs.
Linsoul provided DigitalChumps with the ZiiGaat Lush for the sole purpose of this review.
