Overview

The ZiiGaat ODYSSEY 2 is a wired hybrid in-ear monitor released in September 2025 as a collaboration between ZiiGaat and Singapore-based Hangout.Audio. It uses a 1DD + 3BA driver arrangement: a 10 mm bio-cellulose dynamic driver for low frequencies, two Knowles 32873 balanced armature drivers for midrange, and one Knowles 33518 balanced armature driver for treble. The current sale price is 224.10 USD. In-box accessories include interchangeable 3.5 mm and 4.4 mm source plugs, silicone and foam eartips, replacement tuning filters, and a carrying case [1].

Scientific Validity

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Frequency-response traces from multiple independent measurement databases show a Harman-adjacent response: sub-bass elevated approximately 6 dB relative to mid-frequencies, a pinna-compensation rise of approximately 6.3 dB at 3 kHz, and a notable elevation of roughly 3–4 dB in the 5 kHz region above the Harman IEM target. Significant treble roll-off is apparent above 10 kHz, with the response approximately 6.5 dB below mid-level by 15 kHz [2]. No single published deviation figure exists from any source; cross-source shape analysis places overall FR deviation conservatively in the ±2–3 dB range. The manufacturer specifies THD at 0.19% with no test conditions published [1]. No independent THD or S/N ratio measurements were found from any third-party source. With FR deviation in the middle range and manufacturer-specified THD at 0.19% — neither excellent nor poor for this product category — both available metrics land in the average region.

Technology Level

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The Odyssey 2 is built entirely from established, off-the-shelf components. Its three balanced armature drivers are Knowles 32873 and 33518 units — components from a supplier whose balanced armature technology dates back nearly 70 years [1]. The bio-cellulose diaphragm material has a heritage traceable to Sony’s 1988 MDR-R10. No proprietary patents, unique acoustic mechanisms, or novel design elements appear in the official product page, launch press release, or brand documentation. ZiiGaat’s own statements describe a decade-plus OEM/ODM background and co-engineering with Hangout.Audio, making sole in-house design credit unsupportable. The driver specification is unchanged from the original Odyssey — the same Knowles 32873 ×2 and 33518 ×1 part numbers — while the manufacturer-published THD regressed from 0.05% to 0.19% [1]. Any manufacturer can replicate this configuration by ordering the same Knowles components from the open catalog. As a fully passive analog IEM with no digital integration of any kind, the product cannot benefit from software, DSP, or connected-technology advances.

Cost-Performance

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This site evaluates based solely on functionality and measured performance values, without considering driver types or configurations.

The Odyssey 2 current sale price is 224.10 USD [1]. The Truthear GATE, available at 21.99 USD [3], provides equivalent user-facing functionality: passive wired in-ear audio playback with standard 3.5 mm analog connectivity and no ANC, DSP, app control, or streaming functions.

Measured performance comparison (provisional — band-mapped from mixed data types):

• THD: Odyssey 2 at 0.19% manufacturer specification (no test conditions) vs GATE measured by Audio Science Review as distortionless up to 104 dBSPL with negligible change at 114 dBSPL — both in the same middle performance band, with GATE indicating equivalent or better distortion performance [4]
• Frequency response deviation from Harman IEM target: Odyssey 2 estimated at approximately ±2–3 dB from cross-source synthesis [2] vs GATE described by Audio Science Review as having very small target deviation — both in the Standard compliance band [4]

CP = 21.99 USD ÷ 224.10 USD = 0.0981 → 0.1

Reliability & Support

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ZiiGaat provides a 1-year warranty on the IEM body and only 3 months on the included cable [1]. The 1-year IEM warranty falls below the average 2-year bracket. The aluminum alloy shell is a simple, robust construction with no mechanically fragile components in the IEM body itself; the detachable 0.78 mm 2-pin connector design limits cable-related failure exposure on the IEM side. Support is available globally through both ZiiGaat’s direct channel and the authorized global distributor Linsoul. No statistical failure data — RMA ratios, MTBF figures, or recall records — exist for this model. ZiiGaat launched its independent brand in 2024, providing a limited two-year brand-level track record as of this review.

Rationality of Design Philosophy

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ZiiGaat publishes numeric specifications for Odyssey 2, but the product narrative prominently foregrounds collaboration identity, craftsmanship aesthetics (hand-poured faceplates), and subjective tuning descriptions such as “deep/controlled bass,” “smooth/airy treble,” and “emotional engagement” — none of which are supported by an official independent measurement report or engineering white paper [1]. This does not constitute a measurement-focused development approach. Model progression from the original Odyssey to Odyssey 2 is stagnant: the driver configuration is unchanged (same Knowles part numbers), and the manufacturer-published THD figure regressed from 0.05% to 0.19%, with no independent same-rig comparison demonstrating measurable improvement in any area [1]. The design approach is conservative — a standard hybrid IEM topology using catalog components with no novel acoustic philosophy, proprietary crossover innovation, or documented tuning methodology. As a passive IEM the product fully justifies its existence as dedicated audio equipment, but the combination of stagnant model progression and a conventional approach prevents a higher evaluation.

Advice

The Odyssey 2 is a passive hybrid IEM at 224.10 USD whose measured performance on the available evidence is average for its product category — not poor, but also not approaching high fidelity — and whose construction relies entirely on off-the-shelf components with no proprietary differentiation. The Truthear GATE at 21.99 USD has been independently measured by Audio Science Review to provide equivalent functional capability and equivalent-band performance [3][4]. Buyers who specifically value the Odyssey 2’s accessory package — dual-plug bundle, replaceable tuning filters, aluminum shell aesthetics, and the Hangout.Audio collaboration tuning — should understand that no measured performance advantage over far less expensive alternatives has been established. For listeners whose priority is verified measured fidelity per dollar spent, alternatives in this product category represent substantially more efficient choices.

References

[1] ZiiGaat - ZiiGaat x Hangout.Audio: Odyssey 2 - https://www.ziigaat.com/products/ziigaat-x-hangout-audio-odyssey-2 - accessed 2026-06-11

[2] Super* Review Squiglink - Ziigaat Odyssey 2 frequency response traces (representative of 9 independent databases) - https://squig.link/?share=Ziigaat_Odyssey_2 - accessed 2026-06-11 - IEC 711 coupler clone; REW V5.31.3; 256k log swept sine; 500 Hz normalization

[3] Truthear - GATE product page - https://truthear.com/products/gate - accessed 2026-06-11

[4] Audio Science Review - Truthear GATE IEM Review - https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/truthear-gate-17-iem-review.61784/ - published 2025-03-28, accessed 2026-06-11 - GRAS 45CA; distortion measured to 114 dBSPL

(2026.6.14)