This player looks and feels amazing, it also sounds great and has a large battery that lasts many hours. It has some flaws and I hope they solve in future fw releases. Interface is not very fluid as it was in the original R3 pro and it crashes occasionally. It claims to have gapless playback but I still get very short but noticeable gaps. listing by Album artist an then album is not possible. Still recommended for the looks, sound and portability
Bought these on a impulse because I have had kz zs10 pros for years and loved them. Got these and at first thought they were broken. The treble was like knives being driven into my ears and felt like there was no bass.
I figured I'd try to burn them in since they are plannar drivers. It seemed to do nothing. So I tried a different amp and the treble calmed down a lot but it's still to much for long listening to my ears. Very good detail retrieval tho otherwise.
On top of the treble death, these iem I find are lacking in the mids and vocal range. Vocals feel far away and have little impact.
Bass on the other hand once on a decent amp was impact full and fairly tight.
Package was typical kz. Lots of tips and a very meh cable.
Overall I'd give it a 3/5 just because it's way to much treble for me and it is somewhat amp dependent for getting the most out of it.
Great earbuds, the only thing is that they are a bit short, but I got a cable extender and I love them since.
Test setup: Fiio K9 Pro, TRI Clarion ear pads, GY-76 Snow Dragon cable
Headphone bass switch off.
Sound character:
Low frequencies with a CLEAR subwoofer effect!
However, the bass here doesn't overwhelm the entire frequency range.
It's in the right place, but doesn't interfere with the mids and highs.
The subwoofer is massive; fans of electronic music and live recordings will be delighted.
The lows are tactile, and vibration is transmitted well.
The mids are neutral, slightly softened.
The violin is smooth and deep, not harsh.
The acoustic guitar is extended, with a viscous, sweet sound.
The saxophone is soft and romantically singsong.
Instrumental music sounds richer, more nuanced.
Vocals are smooth and beautiful.
The highs are well-developed, with excellent control; sibilance is not present even when present.
Cymbal tails are long, with a platinum-hued brilliance.
Detail and clarity are also excellent.
These headphones clearly rank alongside the ZiiGaat Luna, ZiiGaat Arcanis, and ZiiGaat Horizon.
The ZiiGaat Arete II creates large images that extend across a fairly wide soundstage.
The soundstage is also longer than average.
By genre:
Metal - fat, meaty, epic.
Folk rock - romantic, melodious.
Soul - serious, rich sound.
Electronic - pumping, atmospheric.
Orchestra - large-scale, grandiose.
These headphones are interesting to listen to; they have a slightly romantic and quite punchy sound character.
All musical genres sound more appealing than they actually are.
ZiiGaat Arete II - headphones that are never boring to listen to!
Fast delivery from China to Europe in just 7 days with 0 delivery fees. Product in excellent condition. Was very skeptic and nervous about the quality of the product or the delivery process but everything turned out a 5/5 experience. Thank you Linsoul! The price for the same product is almost triple the price in my country.
The cable is beautiful quality, it has a nice sleek look with a beautiful cable that never tangles, although it is slightly short, but its not a huge issue
Honestly for the price its great but It has some trouble catching up on the more high demanding songs and also after a couple of time you dont really feel "in the song" and more like its backround noise
It‘s a nice product, sadly doesn‘t have a peq, and the battery seems hard to replace / take out (if not constantly only used wirelessly, the battery might stay at 100% for extended periods of time, making the battery degrade faster, while not being able to be replaceable, or take them out for cable usage)
Good cable, quite flexable and good ear-hook, can feel a bit heavy when walking an extended period of time
The termination prints can be a bit off center, but doesnt affect functionality
The 2 pin connector can seem a bit loose at times (not to the degree that they fall out on their own though, just not as tight a fit as some other cables)
Very happy with the first impressions. These earphones deliver a spacious presentation with excellent instrument separation, and although the bass is not the most impactful, it is articulate, textured, and beautifully controlled. Swapping the stock tips for my preferred ones helped improve the bass response and overall tonal balance.
Pros
• Great bass quantity and quality
• Still versatile across many music styles – not a pure bass-only set
• Nicely implemented treble extension with good detail
• Mostly clean and enjoyable male and female vocals
• Good fit and seal
• Good accessory package for the price
• Easy to drive
• Very musical and fun presentation
Cons
• Might be too bassy for some listeners
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About the Portazo
The Punch Audio Portazo is a hybrid driver IEM featuring 1 dynamic driver and 2 planar magnetic tweeters. The dynamic driver is responsible for the powerful low end, while the planar tweeters provide treble extension and detail.
Dynamic drivers often deliver the most convincing bass impact and depth, while planar tweeters can add air, space and fine detail when implemented properly. Punch Audio combines these elements to create a sound that emphasizes strong bass while maintaining clarity in the mids and treble.
The Portazo’s mission is clear: deliver thunderous bass with around a 15 dB elevation while keeping mids clean and treble extended.
The name “Portazo” literally means slam in Spanish, which already hints at the intended sound signature.
After enjoying Punch Audio’s first release, the Martilo, I was very curious how their second model would perform—especially with such an ambitious bass tuning at this price point.
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Build, Accessories & Comfort
The Portazo features handcrafted resin shells with shimmering green faceplates, which stand out nicely against the black body. The shell size is medium and should fit most ears comfortably.
The included accessories are solid for the price. The cable is a thick, well-made oxygen-free copper cable and comes with modular 3.5 mm and 4.4 mm plugs, which is very convenient for switching between different sources.
The carrying case is also well sized: compact enough to remain pocketable while still offering enough space to store the IEMs, cable and some spare tips.
Comfort is excellent once the right tips are found. A good seal is essential with the Portazo because the bass performance depends heavily on proper fit.
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Sound Signature
The Portazo is clearly tuned as a bass-enhanced, fun sounding IEM, but it manages to avoid becoming overly dark or muddy.
Its overall presentation is slightly warm and U-shaped, with powerful bass, clear vocals and nicely extended treble that keeps the sound lively and spacious.
Despite the strong low end, the Portazo remains surprisingly versatile and works well with a wide variety of genres.
Bass
Bass is the star of the show.
Sub-bass reaches deep and delivers a satisfying rumble, while mid-bass provides strong punch and physical impact.
The bass has a slightly slower decay which adds weight and atmosphere to music. Only in extremely bass-heavy tracks can it occasionally linger a bit longer than ideal, but overall the quality is impressive for this price range.
Importantly, the bass rarely bleeds into the mids, allowing vocals and instruments to stay clear.
Mids & Vocals
The mids are clean, natural and slightly textured.
Vocals are forward without sounding shouty, and both male and female voices are reproduced with good presence.
Male vocals benefit from the warmer tuning, while female vocals remain clear thanks to the treble extension.
Treble
Treble is well extended and provides good detail and air without becoming overly sharp. As someone who is somewhat treble sensitive, I appreciate that the Portazo remains mostly smooth even at higher listening volumes.
There is enough energy to reveal details and create space between instruments, but the tuning still prioritizes musicality over analytical sharpness.
Technicalities
Soundstage is good for the price and benefits from the extended treble. Instrument separation and imaging are solid.
Overall the presentation is cohesive, energetic and engaging rather than hyper-analytical.
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Source Pairing
With an impedance of around 10 Ω, the Portazo is very easy to drive and works well with dongles, smartphones and DAPs.
It also responds to different sources. A slightly cleaner or brighter source can tighten the bass a bit and bring out more treble detail, while warmer sources emphasize the Portazo’s already strong bass presence.
Tip rolling can also slightly adjust the balance between bass and treble.
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Final Thoughts
The Punch Audio Portazo delivers exactly what its name promises: slam.
It combines powerful bass, clear vocals and extended treble into a very musical and enjoyable tuning that works surprisingly well across many genres. While technicalities are not the main star, the overall presentation is clean and engaging.
For listeners who enjoy impactful bass but still want a balanced and versatile sound, the Portazo offers excellent value at its price ...
Sounds is good at the price, and price is low enough that I wouldn't care if I lost them in the bus. Perfect commuter earbuds for me.
This would have been a fantastic IEM if it wasn't for the wild upper treble spike which totally ruins cymbals and any sense of natural timbre. When EQ'd out, this IEM is so close to great, so its really too bad this tuning decision was made.
