PULA Anvil 114

This is a mini review, to know more about this iem watch the video review



Before Starting the review I want to thank @gadgetgod for lending me this iem for a review.

The Pula Anvil 114 is a tribrid IEM featuring 1DD, 4BA, and 1 bone conduction driver, offering a warm yet expansive sound signature. Before diving into the details, a big thanks to Pulkit from Gadget Generation for lending me this unit for review.

Unboxing & Accessories​

The accessory package is excellent, including:

• Modular cable with a screw-type interchangeable termination for durability
• Multiple terminations for flexibility
• Wide selection of eartips, including Dunu Candy, double flange, and spring tips
• Premium carry case—one of the best I’ve seen at this price point, offering enough space for a dongle DAC and accessories

Design & Build​

The stabilized wood faceplate ensures each unit has a unique design, giving it a classy aesthetic. The resin shell feels high-quality, offering a reassuring heft.

Fit & Comfort​

Fit can be tricky due to the long, thick nozzle and custom-like shell. I had to size down my eartips for a secure fit. Additionally, proper shell contact is essential for the bone conduction driver to work effectively, so users with smaller ears should try it before buying.

Sound Performance​

Bass​

• Mid-bass-focused, delivering a solid thump
• Sub-bass has good rumble but less quantity than mid-bass
• Attack could be sharper—bass can sound slightly bloomy and one-note

Mids​

• Warm presentation
• Lower mids have good body, but upper mids could be slightly more forward for balance
• Vocals sound natural, with male vocals carrying weight and female vocals having slight huskiness
• Presence region can emphasize “ss” and “ch” sounds on poor recordings

Treble​

• Smooth yet well-extended
• Tastefully energetic mid-treble
• Dip around 10kHz, but the air region has great extension, enhancing openness
• Good treble bite, making fine details stand out

Technical Performance​

• Excellent micro-detail retrieval, capturing track nuances well
• Somewhat lacking in macro-dynamics, especially in bass impact
• Staging is exceptionally wide, likely due to bone conduction and treble tuning
• Great depth perception and imaging, with good instrument separation

​

Conclusion​

The Pula Anvil 114 stands out for its wide soundstage and warm-bright signature, making it an excellent choice under $200. However, its fit can be challenging, and dynamics could be better. If you love spacious, immersive sound, this is a great pick—especially as a complementary set to the Nova and Letshuoer Cadenza 4.

Packaging and Accessories
Let's start with packing and accessories. And here the anvil does deliver mostly: while the packaging seems to be a bit “no name” with incoherent style and no printing on the box, the accessories are really good. The carrying case is nice and sturdy, has a storage net on top… But looks like it’s not the best made, which is especially visible at the top where you can see how it’s glued together. Thankfully, it is felted on the inside, so the IEMs won’t scratch.

Other than that you get a good amount of ear-tips: double flange (which are useless with this IEM but ok), something that resembles the TRN ear-tips, something that resembles the Dunu Candy ear-tips and some random silicon ear tips on top. This is very good, the only thing I’m missing are the foam tips.

IEM Build​

If you have seen one semi-custom IEM at this price, you have seen most and the Anvil is no exception: resin shell with flush, well-integrated but not colour-matched 2-pin connector and a glued-in metal nozzle with a metal mesh that also looks like it is also looking like it’s integrated well. Everything seems to be put together well here and I see no problems anywhere. However, let me stress that my unit came with scratches on the faceplate right from the box and that isn’t anything I have ever experienced so far. The faceplate itself though looks nice, kind of “universe/Saturn gas spirals” optics, where unfortunately the left side is noticeably darker and therefore you miss most of the details in the faceplate if the lighting conditions aren’t that good.

What makes me most happy with the Anvil compared to the PA02 is that the 2-pin connectors are no longer “rocking around” and the cable just sits tight in it.

What makes me unhappy though it that my unit, purchased by me, came with scratches on both sides right from the factory, continuing the QC bad trend (here probably caused be the packaging though) of the PA02.

Cable​

In short, I do like the cable of the Anvil although there are two smaller points I’d like to see improved. First, the ear hooks have a rather strong texture, making these not ideal for longer listening settings. On the bright side here though, the rubberization of the hooks isn’t too thick or bouncy so you don’t get that much pressure on your ears. And second, the connector and splitter became dirty to me. Yes, you read correctly, it came dirty directly from the box. The splitter had some “spots” on it that came from either glue or some other liquid and the connector itself, well I will have shown you the pictures in the video. It looked heavily worn at first but after contacting the support, they wrote Pula and Pula answered and I directly quote here: “They need some quick-drying glue during production. When the glue evaporates, the surrounding area will turn white. Wipe it with a cloth and it will be gone. Some places may not be wiped.” so yes, I tried using a wet cloth and wiping it and behold, it worked. In my I think four years or so in the hobby, this is literally the FIRST and ONLY time I got a cable with problems like that.

So yes, Pula keeping the trend of QC problems alive even with their second offering. But enough about the problems, let’s come to the positives.

The wires of the Anvil are thick, they look nice and the cable is pretty smooth in day-to-day usage. No tangle, no weird wrap-around or kincks, just smooth. Thereby, the cores themselves strongly remind me of the the Canon and a few other IEMs I have tried, but here you get the interchangeable connector whose implementation is also very well done. The 4-pin insides are not just “plugged in”, no. You do get an additional screw-on ring on the outside that keeps the connection secure at all times. However, there's small improvement potential here too: while the plug has a bit of contouring going on, I’d prefer a texture that is not “smoothly polished” because this is a bit difficult to grip, especially the screw-on ring. Oh and I also forgot: the strain-release here is slightly longer than usual and flexible enough, so it’ll probably even release some strain!

Further up the cable, the weaving is done well enough, not the most even or tight but good enough for the price. The splitter is the same, smooth, shiny polished aluminium without any markings and the chin slider is literally impossible to move… At least if you are not keen on breaking the cable.

And lat but not least the top of the cable: the ear hooks as stated before are a bit too textured, but at least not too springy. Their bending radius also is a tad too small and the connector used the same polished style the lower parts of the cable do. And unfortunately, Pula prints the R/L indicators on them in white and does not use a colour coding so you’ll struggle to read the indicators basically at all times.

All in all, the cable is good but has some improvement potential as described before.

Comfort & Fit​

As in my last reviews, I did list the dimensions and specs of the Khan my table of IEM measurements (which included the dimensions, some specs as well as the frequency response measurement): https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/140ptVfmNcFF2ItPFMi_QEqm_J1iilu3EgUZ9YyNdX50/edit?usp=sharing

It isn’t often that I start my review writing the comfort section. With the Anvil though I really NEED to do it. Not because any aspect of the Anvil in itself is a huge problem like it was with some other models (e.g. the nozzle angle of the Fan2) but because there are a few factors that taken together really make this a pain to wear.

Let's start with the facts: the nozzle is 6.2mm in diameter and has a length of 5mm. This is already on the medium-big side of things and not bad. Second, the shell itself does insert about 5mm into your ear, which in itself also is on the longer side of things and not a problem either. HOWEVER. Taking these two things together means the Anvil will insert a whopping 1cm (!) in your ear and that is a lot and among the longest insertion I have seen today. Adding insult to injury is the 6.2mm diameter at the end, which also feels wider the deeper it inserts and can make mounting smaller bore tips a bit difficult.

Also note, that the shell size itself is among the biggest I have seen today, making the IEM stand out pretty obviously in your ear.

In practice, these things combined mean that the Anvil will be at best a medium comfortable and at worst a painful to wear IEM that most people will struggle to get to fit well for longer amounts of time due to the problems mentioned before.

Isolation​

However, the facts stated before in the comfort chapter also mean the Anvil does isolate rather well: it is big, inserts deep and thereby not as “hollow” as cheaper IEMs are. Meaning, in practise this will isolate similarly well as the PA02 and therefore give you a good attenuation from basically all situations: tram, train, city, crying kids you name it.

However, please note again due to the big shell, you really NEED TO insert it deep in order to get this attenuation. If you just wear it as most other IEMs, it will be a bit worse than average.

Drivability​

With only 16.5Ω at 105dB, the Anvil is pretty damn efficient and that is not only on paper: even my apple dongle did drive this absolutely fine without any issues. Going to the UP5 improved on bass and imaging and then going to my D50/A50 III didn’t give me much more. I’d say maybe I got still a bit better imaging but I’m not really sure, even in A/B comparison. In numbers, I’d say you get like 80-85% of what this is capable of on a random dongle.

Sound​

General sound characteristic​

The Anvil can best be described as V-shaped.

My measurements can be found here:
https://donspektor.squig.link/iems/?share=Anvil

Treble​

First things first, my unit has noticeably less upper treble than the other graph you can see at e.g. Gizaudio. However to my ear, there absolutely is a good amount of upper treble, helping to pronounce the splash and sizzle of most instruments very well. In fact, I’d say the upper treble region is overexaggerated more like Gizaudios graph shows.

Mid treble though comes off as slightly bright leaning without being too much. The reason for this is that the 3k peak is above the 5.5k peak which in turn is about on par with the 9k peak. That means, most instrumental music will sound rather good, and detailed and I did enjoy e.g. the Nier Automata soundtrack or even the Interstellar one based on the instrument representation.

Lower mids are also rather good, adding a good clarity to female vocals without losing too much body. Again, the Nier Automata soundtrack worked pretty nicely with the Anvil.

Mids​

Good things first. The mids have a good body and for the most part good tonality to them. They are not terribly recessed when compared to the bass and treble. That means that most vocalists sound rather good with the Anvil and they aren’t that lost in the mix. However, due to the bass bleed, the lower mids are rather warm and in busy passages you do lose the clarity you’d expect of a vocalist or even some instruments. If you like growls though, the Anvil will be your thing: those are pretty forward.

Bass​

The most disappointing thing about the Anvil is its bass. It is a bit “tame”, a bit bloated and not the fastest kid on the block. Adding to this is by graph a light sub-bass roll-off that isn’t bad, but also doesn’t help the overall tonality. To be clear: due to the V-shaped signature, the Anvil does come off as “full” in bass tonality which I’d like if I’d say I don’t like… It’s just not as tight and punchy as most other DDs I have heard even at cheaper prices. Especially “punch” is very lacklustre and going to the Quintet shows how “punch” should be done. Coming back to sub-bass though, in my benchmark track Mountains from Intersteller the Anvil manages 2.14min in the bass-drop that starts as like 80Hz or so and rolls all the way to 20Hz. This is average and not bad, but for the price is a bit disappointing.

Soundstage, Layering & Imaging​

Not even tackling the problem with the BC driver, the strongest point of the Anvil might be its soundstage and imaging. The Anvil comes off as rather big in terms of stage to my ear, having a good feeling of “room” that it combines with imaging that allows you to pinpoint instruments in the room easily. Also good is the most of the time 5 layers with some height to be had, making this an overall very well staging IEM. And I have to admit, that this is definitively the point that made me enjoy listening to music with the Anvil much more than its tonality and other technicalities.

Separation, Dynamics & Coherence (including timbre)​

Positive things first here, I do think the Anvil is a solid performer in terms of separation, giving most instruments room for themselves… But this is more due to the strength in the sounstage/imaging than anything else to my ear. But still, you will be able to enjoy busy instrument tacks with the Anvil without any issues.

Now coming to the weakest point of the Anvil, dynamics. I have no other words to say it, but the dynamic department of the Anvil is poor. It really forces details in your ear, which might help with the perception of detail at first glance but with this, you loose really all sense of dynamics and even quiet pulls over a string or light plucking noises come off as overly pronounced and misplaced in the mix. And mind you, I listened to a good amount of genres before writing this, but it doesn’t matter what, I noticed this trend over and over and over again: synthwave, jazz, fusion jazz, rock, metal, orchestral music, pop…

Thankfully, the coherence is rather good, just a tad of BA timbre on top but not bad at all. Although I’d say you will be able to tell the DD apart from the BAs but that might not be a bad thing depending on your taste.

Verdict​

Between great and bad is how I titled the video and that’s also how I feel about it after writing this review. Some parts like the soundstage and imaging are really, really nice, as is the treble tonality for a treble-head like me. Adding to this are the very good accessories and a nice cable. Until here, the Anvil is off to a strong recommendation… But then the bad starts to creep in and it is really bad: first, the insertion is just way too deep and this is bad for multiple reasons. First, this can prevent the actually working bone conduction driver from making contact and therefore invalidate it. And second, if you insert it deep, it will be really uncomfortable. Adding to this is the tame and not really that technical bass and the QC problems that Pula still didn’t seem to have fixed.

I wish, I could recommend the Anvil, especially because Pula is one of those companies that does really well in terms of price/performance… But I just can’t as it is.

TL;DR: Want something that's familiar yet drastically different? The Anvil will hammer (teehee) home conventional sound mixed with in your face Immersion

Overview/History
Hi all.

Back again with another review - this time I'm going to be giving my subjective take on the Pula Anvil 114. Gosh, this has been along time coming. Thank you so much Hifigo for your patience with me.

What's interesting about the Pula Anvil 114 is that it's during a time where BCD is really starting to take a foot hold in the market place after a lot more TOTL implemented it or used it. I've heard a varying amount of IEMs that utilize BCD but I can, honestly, say that the Anvil has one of the more aggressive implementations of BCDs I've heard in an IEM (unless we're talking ZEMPIRE, that's another level).

So, what is the Pula Anvil 114? Named provided by @ToneDeafMonk , I believe he helped forge (teehee) the Pula Anvil with it's tuning as well. The Anvil is a 1 DD, 1 BC, 4 BA driver IEM. Not much info about the drivers, so to speak, but there is some details about size in the drivers used. It has a 10mm Bio-Metric Diaphragm Dynamic Driver along with a 11mm Bone Conductor Driver Unit.

Specifications so you don't have to look:

• Impedance: 16.5Ω.
• Frequency Response Range: 5Hz~40kHz.
• THD+N: ≤0.5%@1kHz.
• Connector Type: 2-Pin 0.78mm.
• Sensitivity: 105dB/mW.

Links:
Direct from Hifigo: https://hifigo.com/products/pula-anvil114
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DLB9KN5D/pula+anvil114/

Disclaimers: I received this set from Hifigo in exchange for my own subjective review. I was not given any directives or instructions and the following are all my own take.

Build Quality, Comfort and Accessories
Photo dump time!









The total package for the Anvil is pretty good. You get a very good modular cable, some tips, a very robust carrying case.





The shell for the Anvil is nice; it's a bit on the larger side in ear but it's not distractingly big. Nozzle lip measures at: 6.1mm. The one thing that is noticeable, especially that first time handling the Anvil, is that it definitely does have that springy'ness/bounce when you tap it. But, when it's in ear, it's not really an issue.













Tip Rolling
With the Anvil having a more traditional nozzle/nozzle lip (Y'all, I'm getting so tired of smooth nozzles), it made tip rolling easy to go through. They also include a metric ton of tips to really dial in. None of them really made a great impression on me but there's a lot of variety.



My top favorite tips were:

Final Type E - Clear/Red: Clear/Reds tend to really work well for my ears and provide a good balance of bass performance with the other parts. Highly recommend this combination.
Dunu S&S: Actually, S&S also worked very well with the Anvil and helped make it sound a bit more punchy and open sounding.
Fiio HS20 A great combination as well, similar to the Type E Clear/Reds with maybe a bit more deepness in the sub-bass.

Cable
The cable is actually very, very nice.



It's modular which is great for the price, it's soft yet substantial feeling. Probably one of the better stock cables that I've used. Kudos to Pula for including a very nice cable with the set.



Sound
So, how do the Pula Anvil 114 sound?



Engaging. Different. The BCD implementation is very, very aggressive in this case compared to a lot of other IEMs I've tried that utilize BCD. It felt like they really struck while the iron was hot (teehee). It feels borderline untamed or unruly but that is definitely a unique characteristic with the Pula Anvil 114. Everything is, overall, good. Nothing stands out from a tonal or sound character wise. But, the good sound performance mixed with a very fun BCD gives the Anvil a lot of character.

Gear Tested On: Primarily streamed music via either dedicated Streamer, Laptop or Phone
Phone chain: Pixel 8 Pro -> Abigail Pro
Phone chain: Pixel 8 Pro -> Muse Hifi M5 Ultra
Streamed Music Chain Workstation: Raspberry Pi4 w/ Volumio -> JDS Labs Element 4
Streamed Music chain: WiiM Mini -> JDS Labs Atom DAC+ -> JDS Labs OL Switcher -> Geshelli Labs Archel 3 Pro

*My Audio Preference and Score Disclaimer*: To preface my breakdown, here's my sound preference. I tend to prefer warmer sound. I enjoy good sub-bass extension with enough mid-bass to feel the music. I prefer more fuller sounding mids to match my library. My preference is for smooth treble extension; while I'm not treble sensitive, I'd probably lean more towards 'safer' treble tuning for longer listening. I also tend to listen at either medium to louder listening volumes (reasonably loud).

In addition, all scores listed below are typically (unless otherwise stated) rated/scored as it relates to it's peers in the same price group.

Lows/Bass: Bass for the Anvil is solid with a caveat.

A lot of the emphasis on the bass is really based around the mid-bass. The bass ends up being very punchy though the attack can come off as soft at times. Decay of notes is slowed enough to allow some enjoyment of it but it's not particularly the most detailed nor textured bass.

Sub-bass isn't the deepest sounding but it's not disappointingly bad or anything.



That being said, similar to the Aful Explorer, the Pula Anvil does open up with higher volume listening so if you do turn the volume up a bit, the bass is more engaging and fills up more.

Bass Score: 8.25/10 - TL;DR: Bass is punchy, adequately deep. Detail and texture isn't the best but it's fun especially at higher volume listening.

Mids: The mids for the Anvil work very well with the BCDs.

They're not perfect. Male vocals tend to need some more warmth. Female vocals don't necessarily have enough air (though they're not husky sounding). They're not recessed back nor extremely forward to my ears. Details and texture of the instruments are good with guitar strings and piano notes.

But, what makes the mids work out well is the BCD that's implemented that provides a very deep, satisfying note weight to everything. There's a sense of immersion that happens with the Anvil to another level over many other IEMs that are utilizing BCDs. It's one of the more aggressive implementations(?) of BCD where they're looking to be more subtle or raise levels of the mid-range while the Anvil is cranked to 11.



Mids Score: 8.5/10 - TL;DR: Male vocals are lacking a bit of warmth, female vocals are lacking just that extra hint of air but, otherwise, mids aren't recessed and have good detail especially due to the BCD implementation. I think they really nailed (teehee) it.

Treble: Following in the footsteps of the mid range performance for the Anvil, the treble comes off very well with smooth playback.

It's not energetic at all, there's not a lot of incisiveness or bite to the treble. Likely, it's going to be very inoffensive to most ears.

That being said, it's not necessarily too smooth or 'safe' sounding where it's fully missing anything. It works with trying to provide some balance and help make the mids shine.

Treble Score: 8.5/10 - TL;DR: Comfortable, airy where it needs to be, not harsh

Detail, Separation, Imaging, Overall Soundstage, Etc.: Likely the biggest standout for the Anvil is how it nails technical performance mixed with the overall balanced sound signature.

Imaging and separation for instruments is very well done here and likely due to the drivers being used. Details come off very well from bass to treble though it's not the most technical set amongst a lot of the competition.

The soundstage and immersion aspect is probably the biggest selling point. It's not the absolute widest sound stage that I've heard but it's very engaging and almost three dimensional with how the Anvil presents the music. This is by far the stand out part for the Pula Anvil.

Technicalities Score: 8.75/10 - TL;DR: Great detail and separation. Soundstage is very spherical and enveloping.

Comparisons:
So, how does the Pula Anvil 114 stack up? Let's put it up against other similar priced IEMs.

Penon Fan 3: Where the Anvil tends to amp up the BCD effect to another level, the Penon Fan 3 plays it more subtly. Bass isn't the strong suit for either necessarily but I think the Fan 3's bass sounds deeper while the Anvil has a bit more punch to it.

Mid range tends to come down to taste; are you looking for something more warm and musical or are you looking for something with more aggressive note weight and detail?



There really isn't a wrong answer here and I think they both do something different. If I was to choose between the two, I prefer the warmth that comes from the Penon Fan 3 that tends to make music sound more pleasant to my ears. Penon Fan 3 > Pula Anvil 114

Performer (2^2)+3: Another interesting comparison would be the Performer 5+2 vs the Pula Anvil 114. They're graphing similarly overall but the difference really comes from either a conventional listen vs a more unique form of listening.

I think there is more bass quantity and quality with the Performer vs the Anvil. Vocals and instruments tend to come off more natural. Treble is more incisive. The Anvil stands out with a bit more of that sound stage and note weight. This makes the Anvil actually come off as more 'unique' sounding.

Really, similar to the breakdown with the Fan 3, it comes down to a matter of preference. 7/10 times I would probably pick the Performer 5+2 but there is something that can be fun with the Anvil. Overall, though, I think the Performer 5+2 wins over the Pula Anvil.

Apevoix Grit: This is a more interesting breakdown. Why?







There's a lot of similarities in build quality with just some subtle differences (like 3 pressure vents vs 4 in the Anvil) and some tuning changes where the Grit is bassier with more of a treble roll off. If you are more treble sensitive, the Grit may be the easier choice but it does come off as a darker, bassier version of the Anvil. It's not a bad thing at all!

I would probably say I enjoy the Anvil 6 times out of 10 for a more balanced sound when using BCDs but the Grit is right there.

Other Things to be aware of:
So, nothing really else to note beyond this is a straight forward IEM. It comes in a very good package overall and I think can be a great addition to anyone's library.

Volume Listening: So, one thing that I feel about the Anvil is that it works way better with the volume pot being on the higher end. Moderate volume listening will make the bass sound a bit anemic on the sub-bass. but the ability to really crank up the volume and not suffer from any harshness or sharpness with the treble makes moderate high/high volume listening the more ideal playback volume. That would be my recommendation.



Source Synergy: My personal opinion is that the Pula Anvil works well with most sources. Adding tubes really thickens the mid range but it's not as drastic as others I've heard. Still, I think added that extra bit of warmth really amps up the characteristics to another level. That being said, there wouldn't be anything lost with a more neutral, clean set. I would definitely encourage playing around to find an ideal synergy.

Special Sauce/Personal Bias Score: 8.5/10 - TL;DR: Unique sound, great packaging - works as an addition to a library but not for everyone and not a great 'first' IEM.

Conclusion: The Pula Anvil 114 stands out as being one of the more aggressive implementations of BCD found in a sub $500 range IEM.

The sound signature is balanced, the sound performance is very engaging, and the overall special sauce is just how immersive the Anvil sounds.

I think the Anvil isn't going to be for everyone. Some people may think that it doesn't sound too special while others may find the engagement(?) factor well worth the price of admission.

Overall, Pula did a great job of really testing and giving music lovers something that stands out amongst the competition. I think there's just enough striking (teehee) character in the Anvil to warrant consideration.



Final Weighted Score: 8.5/10 - As this is on the line of rounding up, I don't necessarily quite feel like the Pula Anvil 114 deserves the full extra round up. But, this is still a great set. This earns a 4/5.



Thanks for reading!

Here's the video review!



*For those counting, Teehee pun counter: 5*