Closer Examination

The cable that ships with the ZiiGaat x HBB Jupiter is one of the best IEM cables I have ever seen and used. This is the Linsoul Loops upgrade cable that ships for $249 separately and is flashy without going overly blingy. It's also lighter than you'd expect and thus almost fades away once installed. There's no microphonics in use and no kinking or memory retention either to make for an extremely smooth and pliable cable. You get a choice of 3.5 mm single-ended TRS or 4.4 mm balanced TRRS connectors from the source—I have the former here—leading to a smooth polished CNC-machined aluminium housing with good strain relief on the other side. The cable has four strands with each having wires of pure silver and gold-plated high-purity OCC (Ohno Continuous Cast) single-crystal copper conductors making for a gold and silver aesthetic. While these metals are heavier than copper, what helps keep things light and pliable is the use of thin insulation in the form of Kevlar 200D fabric, which also makes for a relatively strong and durable cable. The splitter is similar to the other metal hardware in design and the metal cable cinch is extremely functional in helping keep the cable where it is situated, whether it is on the back of your head or under the chin. There are pre-formed ear hooks on the IEM side which are far less stiff than most others and thus can be more easily and naturally positioned around and behind your ears. On the IEM side we see 0.78 mm 2-pin connectors on housings which have blue/red rings to help identify the left and right channels, respectively. These connectors have a clear plastic extension meant to be used with recessed connector spacings in the IEMs themselves and the metal plugs on either end are gold-plated for oxidation resistance.


There's not a lot of information available about the design of the ZiiGaat x HBB Jupiter shells or even why it is called Jupiter in the first place. That said, it is fairly obvious the shells are made of resin in an opaque black color. The shells also have an ergonomic shape to better fit the human ear and are branded with HBB's logo on one side with the serial number and product name on the other. The face plate is decorative but the use of a black background and some excellent finishing + polishing means I can't really tell where it is glued in place on the shells. The black shells with the gold/silver cable is a fairly classic aesthetic choice employed by many luxury brands and I get why the Jupiter is being paired with the Linsoul Loops cable to try and provide a similar premium feeling despite the shells themselves not being much out of the ordinary.


Here's a closer look at the face plates in action where we see the shiny green specks spread around. The nature of such an application is such that no two face plates will be exactly the same but they should all look nice by themselves or as part of a set of two on the IEMs. There are also some blue-pink specks that I only realized after seeing the Jupiter in person and this helps add some contrast to the green which itself comes in different shades depending on the viewing angle. On the bottom is a vent for the dynamic driver inside and there is a mesh filter on top to prevent any dust going through. The 2-pin connectors are on the side and recessed into the shell to better fit the cable connectors themselves. The shells have an indent at the top which can ideally fit snugly in the helix of the ear concha but can also disrupt some from getting a good fit. The shells are about average in thickness for a tribrid set and actually thinner than most that have two or more EST drivers. The nozzle is made of steel, glued to the resin shells, is fairly stubby and has an insertion angle that should work for most ear canals based on my time with it. What may not be as conducive is the nozzle being 6.2 mm wide at the very end which may not fit those with smaller ear canals. As with the vent, there is a metal filter on the end of the nozzle to prevent contaminants from entering the acoustic chamber and this would be accounted for when tuning the set too.


Fitting the provided ear tips is easy enough because the bores of these ear tips are sized appropriately for the metal nozzle which in turn has a retaining notch (5.4 mm thick) to help keep the tips in place. Seen above are both stock ear tips in size M installed on the Jupiter. Try out the various sizes provided as well and keep in mind that both ear canals won't necessarily have the best seal with the same size or set, either. You may also end up going for some aftermarket silicone or foam tips if none of these work for you or to try and get a different sound signature in the highs.


Regardless of which tips you pick, the next step is to connect the cable by carefully identifying the matching channels and orienting the ear hooks around your ear when connecting the IEMs. Doing so is simple, as you just push the 2-pin connectors in place and they remain there via a friction fit with the recessed connector also helping to an extent. The IEM connector housing is thankfully not too long so, despite it not being angled, the cable should not jut out too much from the shells before the ear hooks come into play. It would have been nice to see a modular cable but ultimately with the two popular terminations available to choose from at the same cost I can't complain too much.