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PULA Anvil 114
- Added by Zerstorer_GOhren
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Donspektor
New Head-Fier
Pros: + Actually working BC driver (pressing the side of the Anvil against the temple bone in front of your ear does yield a result and when taking the Anvil apart, the driver clearly is NOT a simple DD)
+ Good tuning for the most part
+ Good stage size and imaging
+ Decent techs... But.
+ Good accessories
+ Good tuning for the most part
+ Good stage size and imaging
+ Decent techs... But.
+ Good accessories
Cons: - Big shell
- Way to long/ deep insertion making the BC driver more of a gimmick for most smaller or medium sized ears
- Poor dynamics
- Continued QC issues (basically continuing the story of the PA02: here mine came scratches right from the factory and under my review video with only a few hundred views at least one more viewer had the same issue, plus glue residues were on the cable and the cable came dirty...)
- Way to long/ deep insertion making the BC driver more of a gimmick for most smaller or medium sized ears
- Poor dynamics
- Continued QC issues (basically continuing the story of the PA02: here mine came scratches right from the factory and under my review video with only a few hundred views at least one more viewer had the same issue, plus glue residues were on the cable and the cable came dirty...)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
My measurements can be found here:
https://donspektor.squig.link/iems/?share=Anvil
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.
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.
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.
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=sharingIt 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.
MakeItWain
Previously known as SemperMalum
Pros: Sound signature is pleasant and balanced
Bass is punchy where it needs it
Special Sauce: implementation of the BCD is very immersive sounding
Treble is pleasant and airy
Mid range is detailed with solid vocal performance
Overall package of a release
Bass is punchy where it needs it
Special Sauce: implementation of the BCD is very immersive sounding
Treble is pleasant and airy
Mid range is detailed with solid vocal performance
Overall package of a release
Cons: Did I mention BCD experience is at an 11 in this case; you'll either like it or hate it
Mids could use more warmth, Male vocals are just a bit lacking. Female vocals could use a bit more air.
Bass could use more sub-bass for extra enjoyment
Not that it bothers me but, yes, there is like a springy/bouncy sensation to the IEM
Mids could use more warmth, Male vocals are just a bit lacking. Female vocals could use a bit more air.
Bass could use more sub-bass for extra enjoyment
Not that it bothers me but, yes, there is like a springy/bouncy sensation to the IEM
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:
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*
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.
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*
Last edited:

FreeWheelinAudioLuv2
I really like the Pula Anvil 114, but I have to be in the mood for it. Definitely a mood thing.

jeffwarder
Great review and great name, by the way! As Pula in the Romanian language has a very 'strong' meaning (to put is very mildly
), paired with Anvil hits home even harder. I listen to my pair almost daily and everything seems great, including comfort!

Robin Kyle Datiles
New Head-Fier
Pros: - Fun tuning
- Above average detail retrieval
- Great bass quality, well-textured and punchy
- Satisfying amount of treble energy and extension
- Balanced yet colorful mid-range
- Premium inclusions
- Well-built
- Above average detail retrieval
- Great bass quality, well-textured and punchy
- Satisfying amount of treble energy and extension
- Balanced yet colorful mid-range
- Premium inclusions
- Well-built
Cons: - Not that comfortable due to the large shell and nozzles that are slightly wider than average
DISCLAIMER
The review I'm about to share reflects my personal experience and provides an honest evaluation regarding this set. I am completely unaffiliated from the brands I review. I did not receive (or will receive) any financial or monetary incentives in exchange for writing this review, I wrote this review of my own free will and all of the opinions you'll read are my own.
INTRODUCTION
Before diving into the rest of my review, I want to point out that this is my first time trying an IEM with bone conductor drivers, so I didn’t know what to expect. From what I understand, Pula is also a relatively new player in the market, which made me even more excited to try their Anvil 114. After almost a week of using the Anvil, I can confidently say that my experience has been nothing short of amazing. Every time I switch to another IEM from my collection, I find myself wanting to go back to the Anvil. That’s how much this set has impressed me.
DAC/Dongle: Jcally JM7l, Fiio Q3 MQA, Fosi SK02, and Fosi PH05
Phone/Device: Either my iPhone XR or my laptop
Music player: Spotify, Tidal, and Apple Music
PACKAGING
Even at its price point of around $180, the unboxing and packaging of the Pula Anvil feels premium, giving the impression that you’re getting more than your money’s worth. The box itself is sturdy and provides reliable protection for the IEMs during transport. Inside, you’ll find a generous array of inclusions. The IEM case, crafted from what seems to be synthetic leather with a soft, faux-fur-like lining (though I’m unsure of the exact material), is spacious enough to fit at least two IEMs comfortably while still allowing room for ventilation.
One standout feature is the modular cable, offering connections for 3.5mm, 2.5mm, and even 4.4mm terminations. The cable itself is slightly thick but remains soft, flexible, and durable, with a design that feels as premium as it looks. Additionally, Pula has included a wide variety of eartips, providing ample options for tip rolling without the need to purchase aftermarket tips.
BUILD QUALITY, DESIGN, AND COMFORT
The shell of the Pula Anvil is crafted from resin and features a stunning deep blue faceplate. At first glance, it resembles wood, but upon closer inspection, it reveals a fur-like pattern with subtle hints of orange and purple details, adding a unique touch to its aesthetic.
While the shell design is relatively simple, it leans on the larger side, which could be a hit or miss in terms of comfort. However, despite having small ears, I experienced no discomfort during extended listening sessions, even though the nozzles are slightly larger than average. Additionally, there’s no pressure build-up, allowing me to wear the Anvil comfortably for 2-3 hours (or more) straight without any issues.
SOUND IMPRESSIONS
When analyzing the frequency response graphs, the Pula Anvil appears to have a very balanced tuning with a slight boost in both the bass and high-treble regions. The graph immediately reminded me of the Aful MagicOne's tuning—they look almost identical at first glance. Naturally, I was curious to test their resemblance in actual sound. Initially, I noticed quite a few similarities in their tuning, but the differences quickly became apparent. This is where I realized the significant impact that different driver types and configurations have on the sound that reaches our ears. Despite their similar tuning on paper, the Anvil and MagicOne deliver vastly different listening experiences.
Ultimately, the Pula Anvil 114 is on an entirely different level. It surpasses the MagicOne—which I deeply loved—in nearly every aspect, leaving a lasting impression on me.
Courtesy to Super Review for the frequency response graph
Bass
The bass performance of the Pula Anvil strikes an impressive balance—it’s not overwhelming, yet it feels incredibly satisfying. Thanks to the bone conductor technology, the bass resonates deeply, delivering a lasting sub-bass rumble paired with a snappy, impactful mid-bass punch. What sets the Anvil apart is its ability to combine fast and tactile bass impact with a unique sense of deep resonance that’s hard to describe. This synergy opens up textures and details in the bass region that I’ve never encountered in other sets, even those with significantly more bass emphasis.
The Anvil’s bass feels meticulously crafted and well-bodied, aligning perfectly with my preferences for bass-forward IEMs. It’s not just another sort of bass centric tuning—it’s detailed, textured, and musical. Without a doubt, this IEM’s bass region has become my favorite among every set I’ve tried so far.
Mids
The mid-range of the Pula Anvil is a standout, delivering a rich presentation packed with details and tonal color. Despite the lingering bass resonance I mentioned earlier, the Anvil does an admirable job of keeping mid-range details intact and unclouded. For those who prefer hyper-detailed or analytical mid-range tuning, the Anvil might feel slightly restrained in this area. However, I find the balance it strikes to be both tasteful and relatively clean, avoiding any sense of artificial sharpness. The lower mid-range carries a subtle warmth, adding body and depth without veering into muddiness.
One area for potential improvement lies in the upper mid-range, which could benefit from a slight boost to bring vocals more to the forefront. As it stands, vocals aren’t overly recessed, but they could use a touch more prominence to truly shine.
Treble
The upper frequencies of the Pula Anvil present a smoother and more relaxed character compared to the bass and mid-range. While it doesn’t reach the same level of detail or texture as the bass, it contributes meaningfully to the overall tonal balance. The treble region delivers just the right amount of energy and sparkle, giving cymbal crashes a satisfying shimmer and percussive instruments like snare drums a noticeable pop. Pula has tuned the treble to prioritize naturalness over exaggerated detail, making it sound tonally accurate and cohesive with the rest of the frequency range. Additionally, the treble’s excellent air and extension contribute significantly to the Anvil’s spacious soundstage, enhancing its overall presentation.
Though the treble isn’t the centerpiece of this IEM, it plays a vital supporting role, tying together the Anvil’s sound in a way that feels both intentional and harmonious.
Details, Imaging, and Soundstage
The Pula Anvil delivers an impressive level of detail, particularly in the lower frequencies, which stands out as a highlight of its tuning. The detail retrieval and overall resolution are above average, with micro-details and subtle nuances readily apparent when listening analytically.
The soundstage, in particular, feels notably spacious, thanks to a combination of factors. The bone conductor driver contributes to a sense of depth and dimensionality, the sub-bass extension enhances the sense of scale, and the well-implemented treble air adds an additional layer of openness. Together, these factors create a soundstage that feels wider and taller than what’s typically expected in this price range.
While the soundstage excels, the imaging is comparatively more modest. It performs adequately, allowing listeners to pinpoint the direction of sounds with ease, but it lacks the three-dimensional, holographic precision found in higher-end IEMs. Nonetheless, the Anvil's technical capabilities, especially in terms of spaciousness and detail, offer a compelling listening experience for its price.
CONCLUSION
I could go on and on about the Pula Anvil because of the sheer number of positive experiences I’ve had with it. It’s not just about the aesthetics or build quality—though it truly feels and looks like you’re getting more than what you paid for—it’s about the sound. The Pula Anvil delivers a premium listening experience that easily punches well above its price range, it just sounds so good.
This set is definitely an excellent starting point for anyone curious about exploring bone conduction technology. It offers an opportunity to experience an expensive-sounding IEM without straining your budget. With its stellar combination of performance, design, and affordability, the Pula Anvil is a gem in the market that stands out effortlessly.
The review I'm about to share reflects my personal experience and provides an honest evaluation regarding this set. I am completely unaffiliated from the brands I review. I did not receive (or will receive) any financial or monetary incentives in exchange for writing this review, I wrote this review of my own free will and all of the opinions you'll read are my own.

INTRODUCTION
Before diving into the rest of my review, I want to point out that this is my first time trying an IEM with bone conductor drivers, so I didn’t know what to expect. From what I understand, Pula is also a relatively new player in the market, which made me even more excited to try their Anvil 114. After almost a week of using the Anvil, I can confidently say that my experience has been nothing short of amazing. Every time I switch to another IEM from my collection, I find myself wanting to go back to the Anvil. That’s how much this set has impressed me.
DAC/Dongle: Jcally JM7l, Fiio Q3 MQA, Fosi SK02, and Fosi PH05
Phone/Device: Either my iPhone XR or my laptop
Music player: Spotify, Tidal, and Apple Music

PACKAGING
Even at its price point of around $180, the unboxing and packaging of the Pula Anvil feels premium, giving the impression that you’re getting more than your money’s worth. The box itself is sturdy and provides reliable protection for the IEMs during transport. Inside, you’ll find a generous array of inclusions. The IEM case, crafted from what seems to be synthetic leather with a soft, faux-fur-like lining (though I’m unsure of the exact material), is spacious enough to fit at least two IEMs comfortably while still allowing room for ventilation.
One standout feature is the modular cable, offering connections for 3.5mm, 2.5mm, and even 4.4mm terminations. The cable itself is slightly thick but remains soft, flexible, and durable, with a design that feels as premium as it looks. Additionally, Pula has included a wide variety of eartips, providing ample options for tip rolling without the need to purchase aftermarket tips.


BUILD QUALITY, DESIGN, AND COMFORT
The shell of the Pula Anvil is crafted from resin and features a stunning deep blue faceplate. At first glance, it resembles wood, but upon closer inspection, it reveals a fur-like pattern with subtle hints of orange and purple details, adding a unique touch to its aesthetic.
While the shell design is relatively simple, it leans on the larger side, which could be a hit or miss in terms of comfort. However, despite having small ears, I experienced no discomfort during extended listening sessions, even though the nozzles are slightly larger than average. Additionally, there’s no pressure build-up, allowing me to wear the Anvil comfortably for 2-3 hours (or more) straight without any issues.

SOUND IMPRESSIONS
When analyzing the frequency response graphs, the Pula Anvil appears to have a very balanced tuning with a slight boost in both the bass and high-treble regions. The graph immediately reminded me of the Aful MagicOne's tuning—they look almost identical at first glance. Naturally, I was curious to test their resemblance in actual sound. Initially, I noticed quite a few similarities in their tuning, but the differences quickly became apparent. This is where I realized the significant impact that different driver types and configurations have on the sound that reaches our ears. Despite their similar tuning on paper, the Anvil and MagicOne deliver vastly different listening experiences.
Ultimately, the Pula Anvil 114 is on an entirely different level. It surpasses the MagicOne—which I deeply loved—in nearly every aspect, leaving a lasting impression on me.

Courtesy to Super Review for the frequency response graph
Bass
The bass performance of the Pula Anvil strikes an impressive balance—it’s not overwhelming, yet it feels incredibly satisfying. Thanks to the bone conductor technology, the bass resonates deeply, delivering a lasting sub-bass rumble paired with a snappy, impactful mid-bass punch. What sets the Anvil apart is its ability to combine fast and tactile bass impact with a unique sense of deep resonance that’s hard to describe. This synergy opens up textures and details in the bass region that I’ve never encountered in other sets, even those with significantly more bass emphasis.
The Anvil’s bass feels meticulously crafted and well-bodied, aligning perfectly with my preferences for bass-forward IEMs. It’s not just another sort of bass centric tuning—it’s detailed, textured, and musical. Without a doubt, this IEM’s bass region has become my favorite among every set I’ve tried so far.
Mids
The mid-range of the Pula Anvil is a standout, delivering a rich presentation packed with details and tonal color. Despite the lingering bass resonance I mentioned earlier, the Anvil does an admirable job of keeping mid-range details intact and unclouded. For those who prefer hyper-detailed or analytical mid-range tuning, the Anvil might feel slightly restrained in this area. However, I find the balance it strikes to be both tasteful and relatively clean, avoiding any sense of artificial sharpness. The lower mid-range carries a subtle warmth, adding body and depth without veering into muddiness.
One area for potential improvement lies in the upper mid-range, which could benefit from a slight boost to bring vocals more to the forefront. As it stands, vocals aren’t overly recessed, but they could use a touch more prominence to truly shine.
Treble
The upper frequencies of the Pula Anvil present a smoother and more relaxed character compared to the bass and mid-range. While it doesn’t reach the same level of detail or texture as the bass, it contributes meaningfully to the overall tonal balance. The treble region delivers just the right amount of energy and sparkle, giving cymbal crashes a satisfying shimmer and percussive instruments like snare drums a noticeable pop. Pula has tuned the treble to prioritize naturalness over exaggerated detail, making it sound tonally accurate and cohesive with the rest of the frequency range. Additionally, the treble’s excellent air and extension contribute significantly to the Anvil’s spacious soundstage, enhancing its overall presentation.
Though the treble isn’t the centerpiece of this IEM, it plays a vital supporting role, tying together the Anvil’s sound in a way that feels both intentional and harmonious.
Details, Imaging, and Soundstage
The Pula Anvil delivers an impressive level of detail, particularly in the lower frequencies, which stands out as a highlight of its tuning. The detail retrieval and overall resolution are above average, with micro-details and subtle nuances readily apparent when listening analytically.
The soundstage, in particular, feels notably spacious, thanks to a combination of factors. The bone conductor driver contributes to a sense of depth and dimensionality, the sub-bass extension enhances the sense of scale, and the well-implemented treble air adds an additional layer of openness. Together, these factors create a soundstage that feels wider and taller than what’s typically expected in this price range.
While the soundstage excels, the imaging is comparatively more modest. It performs adequately, allowing listeners to pinpoint the direction of sounds with ease, but it lacks the three-dimensional, holographic precision found in higher-end IEMs. Nonetheless, the Anvil's technical capabilities, especially in terms of spaciousness and detail, offer a compelling listening experience for its price.

CONCLUSION
I could go on and on about the Pula Anvil because of the sheer number of positive experiences I’ve had with it. It’s not just about the aesthetics or build quality—though it truly feels and looks like you’re getting more than what you paid for—it’s about the sound. The Pula Anvil delivers a premium listening experience that easily punches well above its price range, it just sounds so good.
This set is definitely an excellent starting point for anyone curious about exploring bone conduction technology. It offers an opportunity to experience an expensive-sounding IEM without straining your budget. With its stellar combination of performance, design, and affordability, the Pula Anvil is a gem in the market that stands out effortlessly.

Robin Kyle Datiles
@jmwant Anvil is easier to drive, sounds better too
briantbrain
New Head-Fier
Pros: Excellent accessories.
Top-notch build quality.
BC driver delivers a unique "shaking" feel.
Punchy midbass, well-controlled.
Natural vocal presentation.
Energetic treble.
Outstanding micro detail and soundstage depth.
Great imaging and instrument layering.
Top-notch build quality.
BC driver delivers a unique "shaking" feel.
Punchy midbass, well-controlled.
Natural vocal presentation.
Energetic treble.
Outstanding micro detail and soundstage depth.
Great imaging and instrument layering.
Cons: Large shell size.
Subbass could be more forward for better immersion.
Mid-treble may be harsh for sensitive ears.
I prefer longer treble extension.
Not ideal for those seeking a very wide soundstage.
Subbass could be more forward for better immersion.
Mid-treble may be harsh for sensitive ears.
I prefer longer treble extension.
Not ideal for those seeking a very wide soundstage.
#Pula #Anvil114
Who doesn’t know Pula and their PA02 IEM? It’s a fantastic performer with a laid-back tonal balance, perfect for relaxing music sessions. This time, they’ve released a new IEM with an intriguing driver configuration: 1DD + 1BC + 4BA. Never experienced an IEM with a Bone Conductor (BC) driver? Now might be the time to try one, as I think the BC implementation here is excellent for the price.Here it is... Pula Anvil 114!
Who doesn’t know Pula and their PA02 IEM? It’s a fantastic performer with a laid-back tonal balance, perfect for relaxing music sessions. This time, they’ve released a new IEM with an intriguing driver configuration: 1DD + 1BC + 4BA. Never experienced an IEM with a Bone Conductor (BC) driver? Now might be the time to try one, as I think the BC implementation here is excellent for the price.Here it is... Pula Anvil 114!
Official Link:
- https://www.facebook.com/pulaaudio
- https://pulaaudio.com/products/pula-anvil114-1dd-1bc-4ba-drivers-iems
DISCLAIMERAll impressions were tested using my usual setup (listed below). So, if you have a different sound impression, it might be due to subjective hearing, a defective unit, or differences in the audio source used.All my impressions are subjective and guided by the principle: “I may lie to my savings account, but my impressions are always honest.” Agree? Great. Disagree? That’s fine too. I do impressions for fun, not because I have to. 
Important!! I recommend trying it out yourself because, who knows, maybe my ears need an ENT doctor—or maybe yours do (kidding!).
MY DAILY DRIVERS
- IEMs: Nostalgia Audio Camelot; Symphonium Crimson; 634ears Loak2 TX03; Fatfreq Maestro Mini; Ziigaat x Jay Audio Estrella
- DACs: Fiio Q15; Chord Mojo 2; XDuoo XD05 Pro
- DAPs: HibyDigital M300
- Cables: Effect Audio 24c; Verus Lavender 6; VJC Heirs and Heirs Black; Kinera Mia
- Ear Tips: Eletech Baroque; Penon Liquer; JVC Spiral Dot++; Azla Sedna Max ASMR; Kiwi Ears Flex; Spinfit W1 Premium
UNBOXINGPula is one of those brands that never skimps on accessories. Their packaging, for an IEM priced around $200, is impressive. Inside, you’ll find:
- The IEMs
- A large carrying case (soft material, great for holding a small DAP + IEMs)
- 4-braid cable with modular 2-pin connector and interchangeable jacks (feels solid and similar to DUNU cables)
- 4 types of ear tips in 3 sizes each, plus one type with 4 sizes (perfect for rolling ear tips)
- Manual
FITTINGWith a 1DD + 1BC + 4BA configuration, it’s no surprise that this IEM is large. When I received it, I was shocked—it’s huge! Comparable to (or the same size as) Monarch Mk2, with thick shells and a wide faceplate. The nozzle is slightly longer and wider than average. Despite the large plastic shell (similar to PA02), it feels very comfortable for me. However, those with smaller ears might need to reconsider due to its size.
SOUND IMPRESSIONS
Base testing with HibyDigital M300, stock cable and ear tips, and occasionally paired with XDuoo XD05 Pro.
Bass
The focus here is clearly on midbass rather than subbass. The midbass is thick, full-bodied, and delivers a punch with average speed. This character suits those who can’t handle overly dominant midbass but still want impactful and fun bass. Subbass has a similar thickness but offers only average rumble. However, the Bone Conductor driver adds a unique touch—it creates vibrations in the ear, enhancing the dynamic feel of the low frequencies. Unfortunately, subbass positioning isn’t very immersive, staying more on the outer edges rather than surrounding you.
Mid
The vocals are airy, with just the right weight for low, mid, and high notes—whether male or female. There’s nothing negative to say about the vocals here. The positioning is perfectly centered, making it suitable for all types of music. The vocals aren’t overly sweet or rich, but their natural timbre and airy quality are definite highlights, complementing both the lows and highs. Guitar plucks and snare drums sound natural and clean.
Treble
The treble is fun, energetic, and well-controlled. For my taste, the Anvil 114 delivers treble that strikes the perfect balance for extracting micro details in every song. The extended treble is sufficient for those seeking complete treble detail, though I personally prefer cymbal tails to linger a bit longer. The treble is on the borderline between aggressive and just right. It may feel sharp in some tracks for sensitive ears, particularly with sibilant sounds like “S” or “T.” Instrument timbre is natural.
Clarity
Clear overall, but mid-treble can be slightly harsh on certain tracks with sharp sibilants. Micro detail for this price range is among the best!
Soundstage
Not overly wide but offers excellent depth. The BC driver adds layering to the low frequencies, enhancing the sense of depth and creating a more immersive soundstage.
Imaging
The 3D holographic imaging is a standout, with complete details and easy instrument pin-pointing. Layering feels spacious without being cramped. The only downside for me is the slightly recessed subbass positioning, which reduces immersiveness.
SOURCE SELECTIONAvoid bright sources, as they may make the treble too sharp. I recommend warm or balanced sources. The IEM benefits from sources with a black background to maximize detail and soundstage depth.
EAR TIP SELECTIONThe included ear tips are plentiful, so you can roll them to find the perfect fit and sound. I used the wide yellow bore tips, which were very comfortable. If you’re sensitive to treble, try Dunu S&S tips. For enhancing vocals, consider Azla Max ASMR or Kiwi Ears Flex. To reduce low frequencies, use less sealing tips like Divinus Velvet Wide Bore.
CABLE SELECTIONThe stock cable is excellent in terms of sound quality, aesthetics, and modular functionality. If upgrading, I’d recommend pure silver cables (though they’re pricey!). I tried cables like Effect Audio 24c and Eros S, but they reduced subbass and widened the soundstage too much. For better depth, Verus Lavender or VJC Heirs are great alternatives.
COMPARISONFeel free to ask in the comments, and I’ll answer if I’ve tried the IEM you’re comparing!
"If I already own PA02, is it worth upgrading to Anvil 114?"Here are some key differences:
- PA02 is laid-back, while Anvil 114 is more energetic.
- PA02 focuses on subbass, Anvil 114 on midbass.
- PA02’s treble is slightly spicier.
- Anvil 114 has better detail, soundstage, and clarity.
- Vocals might be better on PA02 (if memory serves).
- I love the BC driver feel on Anvil 114—it’s a unique experience!
CONCLUSION
- After winning many fans with the PA02, the Anvil 114 is sure to attract attention too. Its unique driver configuration with 1BC offers a rare "vibrating" sensation that’s uncommon in this price range. High technical performance combined with a balanced tonal character makes it suitable for all genres of music.
- However, those sensitive to treble and the bulky IEM shells might need to think twice.
-
avishifi
Good review!!
atechreviews
100+ Head-Fier
PULA Anvil 114: Immersive
Pros: Premium accessories
Attractive wooden faceplates
Comfortable fit
Immersive and dynamic Sound
Textured and punchy mid-bass
Rich mid-range
Detailed treble
Outstanding soundstage
Technical performance
Cons: Chunky earpieces
Unboxing and Accessories
PULA has set a high bar with the Anvil 114’s packaging and accessories. Inside the box, you’ll find:
- A premium carrying case, which is not only practical but also aesthetically pleasing.
- Three types of ear tips: standard silicone tips, double-flange tips, and a third pair of soft stock tips for added comfort and fit options.
- A modular cable with 2.5mm, 3.5mm, and 4.4mm interchangeable terminations.
The modular cable is particularly noteworthy. It’s soft, non-microphonic, and doesn’t tangle, making it a joy to use. The chin slider is a bit tight and requires some force to adjust, but this minor issue doesn’t overshadow its overall premium feel. The thoughtful inclusion of these accessories provides a sense of value and quality right out of the box.
Build and Design
The Anvil 114 features a visually striking design that blends functionality with artistry. Each unit has a unique wooden faceplate with a glossy clear coat, creating a depth and texture that’s nothing short of gorgeous. My unit has purple highlights on the left earpiece and brown-and-black tones on the right, showcasing the unique nature of each earpiece.
While the shells are on the chunkier side, the nozzle diameter of 6.2mm ensured a comfortable fit for me. Despite the chunky earpiece, I found the Anvil 114 to be comfortable for extended listening sessions without any discomfort.
Sound Signature and Performance
The Anvil 114 features a unique driver configuration:
- 1 x 10mm Dynamic Driver
- 4 Balanced Armature Drivers
- 1 x 11mm Bone Conduction Driver
This combination results in a sound signature that is both balanced and dynamic, with an emphasis on mid-bass. The overall presentation is engaging and contrasty, immediately grabbing your attention.
Bass
The bass performance is a standout. Sub-bass is present and rumbling, though not the main focus. The real star is the mid-bass, which delivers a meaty, dynamic slam with strong impact. Despite its weight and presence, the bass remains clean and controlled, avoiding any muddiness or bleed into the midrange. The decay is particularly impressive, giving the bass a natural and satisfying quality.
Midrange
The midrange is where the Anvil 114 truly shines. Thanks to the bone conduction driver, it exhibits a unique sense of space and texture. Vocals and instruments are forward and immersive, with a rich and lifelike quality. The Anvil 114 has great mid-range texture that is noticeable on acoustic guitar strums, violins, and vocals.
Male vocals benefit from the added weight of the mid-bass, while female vocals and instruments like guitars, pianos, and saxophones are rendered with a rich texture. The presentation feels spacious and transparent, making you forget you’re listening to IEMs.
Treble
The treble is smooth, airy, and detailed. It’s not overly sparkly or incisive but instead delivers a wide and spacious presentation. This airiness complements the midrange and bass, creating a cohesive and atmospheric sound.
Soundstage and Imaging
The soundstage of the Anvil 114 is nothing short of breathtaking. It’s wide, immersive, and engulfing, giving a sense of space rarely found in IEMs. Imaging is precise, with instruments and vocals placed naturally within the sound field. This level of spaciousness elevates the listening experience.
Technicalities
The Anvil 114 has great detail retrieval and separation. It holds its own against similarly priced IEMs.
Comparisons
PULA PA-02
The PA-02 has better sub-bass, but the Anvil 114 outshines it in mid-range texture, and detail. The midrange of the Anvil is also more spacious. The soundstage of the Anvil also take things to another level, making it the more immersive option.
AFUL Performer 7
The Performer 7 has a tuning that better suits my personal preferences, but the Anvil 114 stands out in two key areas for me: soundstage and sheer enjoyment. Time and time again, I find myself listening to the Anvil 114, losing track of time as I immerse myself in the music. While the Performer 7 is more detailed and tonally accurate, there's something about the expansive soundstage of the Anvil 114 that makes the listening experience so captivating and keeps drawing me back for more.
Conclusion
The PULA Anvil 114 stands out with its immersive sound, premium build, and thoughtful accessories. Its dynamic sound signature has punchy mid-bass, detailed mids, and airy treble, making it versatile across genres. The bone conduction driver enhances spaciousness, while the wide soundstage and precise imaging offer an immersive and unique experience.
avishifi
Good review!
o0genesis0o
Good review, mate! You won lottery with the faceplate of Anvil. Mine is mostly blue without any hint of purple or orange.
avishifi
@o0genesis0o If you contact Pula I think you can ask them to match a color for you specifically, they offered me that. Don’t know if they are still doing that, but it was very kind of them
avishifi
100+ Head-Fier
Pula Anvil114 – A magic of bone conduction driver
Pros: Beautiful, and full midrange presentation.
Generous amount of silicon ear-tips.
Balanced tuning.
Modular cable, easy to replace.
Lively and textured vocals, instruments.
Bass is punchy, good quality, but not amount (may be also a con).
Large PU-Leather carrying case (but why green? just a nitpick).
Wide and open sounedtage.
Imaging is very good.
Easy to drive.
Great value for the money.
Cons: Sub-Bass is lacking in terms of amount
Treble is lacking to my taste
Fit and comfort is not the best, it took me long time to find the right ear-tips.
Disclaimer
The IEMs were purchased with my own money, and all opinions shared here are personal and based on my own experience using the IEMs. Additionally, this review was written by me in Hebrew for the website AudioKnights, and I used a translation tool to make the review accessible.
What's in the Box?
Pula didn’t skimp on accessories, and for good reason, as I’ll explain later in the review. Inside the box, you’ll find a wide variety of silicone tips (only silicone—no memory foam tips), four types to be precise. There’s also a modular cable with interchangeable connectors for 2.5mm, 3.5mm, and 4.4mm terminations, and a green carrying case (even though the IEMs themselves are blue—don’t ask why). Of course, the IEMs themselves are included, with a unique twist: their colors aren’t identical, and each pair comes in different, varied colors.
The cable is very comfortable; it doesn’t tangle, and it doesn’t have memory retention, which is super convenient. I’d even say it’s the highest-quality cable I’ve tried so far. There are clear markers for the right and left sides on the cable, and the IEMs themselves are also marked. If you’ve read my review of the Letshuoer S12, you know I really appreciate this attention to detail. The cable allows for swapping connector heads for different terminations, as mentioned earlier, and it’s implemented very well. The mechanism for rotating and detaching the connector head feels smooth and easy to use—not at all stiff. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the sliding ring at the cable’s split. It’s overly stiff to the point of being almost impossible to adjust. At times, I felt like I was going to tear the cable trying to move that ring. This is an area that needs improvement, as it’s not a pleasant experience. By comparison, the S12 cable’s ring didn’t grip the cable very tightly, but it was much easier to adjust, and it held the cable in place just fine.
The carrying case included by Pula feels very premium and comfortable to use. It’s not one of those that you can slip into your pocket—it’s quite large. But that size allows you to store extra silicone tips and even a dongle, which is very convenient. What I didn’t understand, though, is why they included a green carrying case when the primary color of the IEMs is blue. It might sound like a nitpick complaint, but I expected something that would match the IEMs’ color better. That said, the case is far too high-quality for this price range anyway, and it gets the job done. Overall, it’s an excellent accessory.
Remember When I Mentioned Pula’s Generosity with Silicone Tips?
Well, there’s a wide variety of silicone tips included, and it’s no coincidence. Finding comfortable silicone tips for these IEMs is no easy task, despite the extensive selection provided in the box. The nozzle is very wide, and the IEMs themselves sit quite deep in the ear, making it challenging to find a suitable pair of tips. It took me quite some time to find the ones that fit my ears well. Many other reviewers (and even Pula themselves) recommended purchasing third-party silicone tips despite the broad selection they include. After much trial and error, I finally found the pair that worked well for me. Overall, I’m satisfied with the variety offered, and that’s an important aspect. Pula also notes that without a proper seal, the bone conduction driver won’t perform as intended, so keep that in mind.
Build Quality and Design
The IEMs are made of plastic, but they don’t feel cheap in any way. When pressing on them, you can feel subtle vibrations and hear faint sounds, something I’ve never experienced with any other IEM. I’m not sure if the bone conduction driver is responsible for this or if it’s due to their design, but it’s a first for me. The color is unique, and each side has a different finish. The company claims they use wood engraving, which gives each IEM a distinctive texture. I must say, they look stunning—almost like jewelry. I absolutely loved their appearance.
That said, the IEMs are quite tall. This doesn’t affect their comfort, but if you’re not a fan of IEMs that stick out from your ears, these might not be for you—they do protrude significantly. Weight-wise, they’re relatively light, and I didn’t feel any heaviness or pressure on my ears. Once I found silicone tips that fit me, I could barely feel them in my ears, which is essential for long listening sessions in my opinion. Which again, it is not an easy task and take time for tip rolling. I must say, when I used them for long, it did not fit me well, so if you have small ears, this is something to consider. Do yourself a favor, and buy yourself soft eartips if you are getting them.
Sound Performance
The tuning of the Pula Anvil114 is relatively balanced, with a clear emphasis on the midrange, which feels present and full. Regarding the bone conduction driver—honestly, I’m not sure how much it truly impacts the sound. Often, I felt like I was feeling the music rather than strictly hearing it. The driver does produce vibrations, but it’s hard to pinpoint how significantly they influence the sound. Returning to other IEMs, I did notice the absence of this effect, though not overwhelmingly so.
Sub-Bass
The sub-bass is understated and only noticeable when emphasized in the track. Sometimes, it feels missing altogether, which was disappointing in many songs I listened to. On the other hand, in genres like lo-fi, where low frequencies are prominent, the sub-bass showed up clearly. The bass quality itself is clean and quick, which is equally important. If you prioritize quality over quantity in sub-bass, these might suit you. Personally, I found the lack of sub-bass presence to be a drawback.
Mid-Bass
Unlike the sub-bass, the mid-bass feels more present. You can feel its impact, though it’s not overwhelming. It’s well-textured and enjoyable, albeit slightly recessed compared to other frequency ranges. Additionally, the bass is fast, allowing subtle nuances to come through. The mid-bass feels dynamic, not like a monotone thump but rather a spectrum of tones. So, if you value bass quality over sheer volume, this IEM delivers nicely.
Midrange
Here’s where the magic happens. If I had to describe the mids in one word: full. Every vocal, every instrument—everything in the midrange feels alive and textured. No other IEM I’ve tried quite delivers this experience. Instruments like guitars reveal the intricacies of the strumming, pianos sound distinct and enjoyable, and violins have a body and depth that make them stand out. I’m not sure if the bone conduction driver contributes to this, but the result is incredibly satisfying.
In pop songs with many vocal elements, I had a blast—the voices felt vibrant, deep, and never blended into one another. If you’re looking for IEMs with a strong emphasis on the midrange (vocals, most instruments, etc.), these will likely be a fantastic fit.
Treble
The treble feels somewhat lacking. It’s gentle, balanced, and present but not prominent. In electronic music, instruments like synthesizers felt subdued, and high-pitched vocals also seemed underrepresented. I would have appreciated more treble to capture the subtle details that could elevate these IEMs further, especially in conjunction with their excellent midrange performance.
If you’re sensitive to treble, this might work for you. However, coming from the Letshuoer S12, I found the lack of treble here noticeable. While I didn’t expect the same level of treble as in the S12, a bit more would have gone a long way. It’s definitely an area where these IEMs could improve.
Technical Performance
Whether due to the bone conduction driver or the design, the technical capabilities of the Pula Anvil114 are impressive. The soundstage is vast—there’s a lot of space between instruments and vocals, and it never feels cramped or intimate. The separation between elements is also excellent; no frequency overpowers another, and everything is presented cleanly. The imaging is precise, allowing you to pinpoint the location of elements in the tracks. Detail retrieval is strong, with each element feeling rich and textured. This is a level of performance I haven’t experienced with many other IEMs. Overall, Pula has clearly succeeded in this area.
Comparison
Letshuoer S12
Compared to the S12, the Anvil114 feels slightly less bass-heavy, and the treble is significantly more subdued. Personally, I find the imaging on the S12 a bit better. In terms of comfort, I prefer the S12 due to its smaller, metallic build. However, the Anvil114 has a more expansive soundstage, with more texture and life in the midrange. The S12 feels more analytical, whereas the Anvil114 offers more richness and detail.
For genres like electronic music or metal, I would personally go with the S12. But for music featuring a lot of vocals and acoustic instruments, I find the Anvil114 to be the better choice. Overall, I feel the Anvil114 is a significant upgrade over the S12 in terms of technical performance and detail.
Bottom Line
My feelings about these IEMs are somewhat divided. They're not bad—quite balanced, with life in the vocals and midrange—but the lack of treble and bass is fairly noticeable. For the first time, I found myself needing to use an equalizer to truly enjoy the sound, instead of just experimenting with something else. These aren’t the easiest to recommend without trying them first, as they might not suit everyone’s taste. If you like heavy bass and treble, these may not be for you. But if you value quality bass (not necessarily quantity) and prefer a balanced tuning, they could work well.
The technical performance, especially the soundstage, really impressed me. It’s expansive, which adds a lot to the listening experience. I’m not suggesting you need to EQ them, but it’s something I personally enjoyed, and they responded quite well to it.
As for the bone conduction driver, it’s hard to say if it makes a significant difference. While I felt vibrations, I didn’t feel it was particularly impactful, though when switching to other IEMs, I noticed the absence of these vibrations. The vibrations are subtle, like placing your finger on a vibrating phone speaker, but it’s not the most pronounced effect.
One challenge to note is finding compatible ear tips. The nozzle is wide, and the IEMs sit quite deep in the ear, making it tough to find a comfortable fit with the included silicone tips. Personally, I didn’t immediately fall in love with these the way I did with the S12, which makes it harder for me to wholeheartedly recommend them without a trial period. I hope my review helps you decide whether these will be a good fit for you.
Price: $199.99 (available from HIFIGO).
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jbfps116
Yea... I'll stick with my PA02. If I want super nice mids, I have the Fan 3 and H60, both of which should be bassier for my preference [H60 is closer for sure.]
FreeWheelinAudioLuv2
Good review!
Zerstorer_GOhren
1000+ Head-Fier
PULA AUDIO ANVIL 114: Smithing and Forging Of A Potential Archetype One.
Pros: ● Solidly built resin shell structure.
● Despite the large size of its earpiece transducers, it still offers an excellent comfortable fitting and a good passive noise isolation.
● Aesthetically-pleasing irregular wood grain patterns on each faceplate.
● Premium quality stock cable with modular termination plug feature.
● Fully-packed with quality accessories like many types of ear tips and a large PU-leather carry case.
● Its contact-type bone conduction driver will work some wonders on the overall sound quality and also, listening experience.
● A likeable all-rounder type of its tonal profile.
● Rumbly, tactile and punchy bass response.
● Clean, transparent yet with ample warmth on its midrange presentation.
● Agreeable tonal colour reproduction on vocals and instruments as they sound almost organic and pleasant
● Smooth and lustre treble response with good amount of air.
● Impressive sound/speaker stage projection with excellent layering and an atmospheric-like stereo imaging presentation.
● Pretty well resolving on resolution capabilities.
Cons: ● Some users might feel unpleasant with those contact-type bone conduction drivers as it produces some springy effect and unwanted resonance whenever they touch the faceplate panel of its shells. (Not really my concern at all)
● Too coloured sounding for adherent neutral heads.
● A large size shell chassis might be an issue to some small-eared individuals.
● Some instances of a bit too energetic and hollow sound on the upper-mids up to presence section of the treble region.
The bone conduction principle is not a modern one as this one was allegedly conceptualised by Ludwig Van Beethoven, a famous composer and piano virtuoso in the late Classical period. It is said that when he lost his hearing gradually and not to be deterred with this auricular condition, he used his mouth to bite a rod with wire that was connected at the end of the rim of a piano.
PULA Audio is one of the rising audio companies in this year and it was established around in the early 2020's. I saw some of its products when I used to browse around Aliexpress to check some audio products way back a few years ago. Those models were HT100 and HT200, and I remember correctly, the latter model has a strong resemblance of a popular model from Tripowin, The Olina if my memory serves right and also, these sets were of a single dynamic driver.
And finally, I got their latest model and this one is quite different from their sets from the previous generation. This is PULA ANVIL 114 and has a hybrid driver configuration with three driver technologies that were implemented inside. The 114 name, if I'm right about this one, if the series of numbers were broken up separately, 1,1 and then 4, corresponds somewhat to the numbers of drivers from each type of driver technology.
The entire composition of its hybrid driver set-up is comprised of dynamic driver, balanced armature drivers and bone conduction driver in which I'm quite familiar with this kind of driver technology as I tested some IEMs with similar driver technology and also happens to own some sets with this driver (Even my current top favourite TOTL IEM set has this type of driver technology, the Unique Melody Mason Fu Sang).
The single dynamic driver has 10mm diameter with “biometric” diaphragm which offers a faster, more responsive and precise sonic performance with less possibilities of unwanted resonance and distortion for deeper and modulated bass. The dynamic driver is then supported by a 11mm contact-type bone conduction driver with high strength neodymium magnet in a copper chamber as it was able to transmit an ultrasonic vibration through a skull via cartilage as our outer ear is also type of connective tissue too add more “atmospheric” reverberation effect on low frequencies. The rest of the frequencies were handled by four “custom” balanced armature drivers with some composite materials on it, these new generations of balanced armature drivers will deliver a rich, detailed and clarity on vocals and instruments. Each driver is connected to an acoustic tube with a dampener insider.
The drivers were encapsulated in a 3D-printed medium-sized shell chassis made of imported resin material which is known for its hypoallergenic properties with a CNC-milled stabilised wood faceplate that also laminated with resin. Each shell's design has its own unique look with some variances on wood grain that makes it more differentiating on one another. The overall outline of its shell has a mould of a UIEM-style profile that offers more versatile fitting to all types of ear sizes and on its interlocking mechanism, it uses a 0.78mm bi-pin connector for fastening with its detachable cable.
When it comes to wearability, the ANVIL 114 offers a comfortable fitting as it sets well to my medium-sized Asian lug holes without any discomfort. Depending on the bore sizes and material type of the ear tips, it offers an excellent passive noise isolation on how it seals well against unnecessary external noises from the outside.
The ANVIL114's stock cable is quite premium as it is sturdy built with just the right amount of weight and pliable to hold. It is made of a high purity monocrystalline copper in a 4-core structure and braided with a modular termination plug on its end. The included interchangeable termination plugs are 3.5mm, 2.5mm balanced and 4.4mm balanced and all of them are gold plated to ensure better conductivity and offer some resistance against corrosion. I don't encounter any microphonic issues at all even when I move around.
The product packaging of this one is pretty well-accessorised as it was packed with inclusions in a quantifying amount in which this set will be even more useful to operate.
Here are the following contents inside of its packaging box:
- Pair of PULA ANVIL 114 IEM transducers.
- Stock cable
- A large leatherette storage case.
- 2 pairs of double flange silicone ear tips in different standard sizes.
- 3 pairs of narrow-bore silicone ear tips in different standard sizes.
- 3 pairs of balanced-bore silicone ear tips in different standard sizes.
- Modular termination plug (3.5mm SE)
- Modular termination plug (2.5mm Balanced)
- Modular termination plug (4.4mm Balanced)
- User's manual.
The ANVIL 114, despite its multi-driver set-up, when it comes to power scaling, this one is relatively easy to drive that it only needs a sufficient power requirement from devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops and basic dongle adapter which usually have a normal gain mode output. But putting it in a better source will assure more dynamics and fuller sound quality that this IEM is able to show its full potential compared to its rather satisfactory performance.
As for its tonality, the PULA ANVIL 114 has a U-shaped sound signature in which has more prominent lows and highs while the midrange is a bit scooped on its overall frequency range spectrum.
(FR graph was provided by @baskingshark , credits to him)
LOWS/BASS:
Apparently, it appears the bass quality of this one is quite well-balanced on both sub bass presence and mid bass consistency. Along it with the support of bone conduction driver, its adds some reverberating effect on its already rumbling sub-bass which are usually produced by instruments like synthesisers, drum machines, low tone bass guitars and double-basses on the punchy, tactual and slam on the mid bass texture.
While the mid bass quality on this one is sufficiently well-bodied as it affects the sound characteristics on some instruments whose notations are on the bass-clef and also, some low pitched male vocals. Bass guitars have a weighty and rasping sound while double-basses have broader and resonant sound on every bowing on its strings or plucking, bass trumpets have full and dark timbre on them and kick bass drums have thunderous and rumbling sound on every stroke. On male vocals, both bass and bass-baritones have a deep reverberating dark timbre on their voices with a full and dense sound.
MIDRANGE:
As I mentioned that the presentation on this particular frequency part is a bit recessed but good thing that it doesn't sound too lean and dry as it has an ample warmth, adequately rich, transparent and with just the right amount of energy for some vocals and instruments. The midrange tuning that affects the tonal colour of vocals and instruments to sound organic but it adds a bit of colouration.
On male vocals, baritones have a rich and plush sound that it add some fullness on Kavalierbariton baritone to sound more steely while both Verdi and dramatic types have full and warmer voice, tenors have brassy, clear and spiciness on their vocals, and countertenors have tender, smooth and emotive voices. As for female vocals, contralto have some good depth and volume on their vocals to sound strong, rich and smoky while mezzo-sopranos have a golden and fiery vocal characteristics on them, and then on sopranos, they sound sweet, crystalline and shimmering that lyric and coloratura sopranos will fare well.
The instruments sound somehow organic but it has some added colouration that affects the timbre on them. On strings, guitars appear to have a balanced and a bit bloomy sound on every plucking and strumming, cellos have full and sonorous sound and violins sound lustrous, lively and sweet. The brass instruments like the trumpets, trombones and horns sound rounded, powerful and velvety respectively. On the woodwinds, concert flutes sound mellow and poetic, piccolos sound clear and light, clarinets have lustrous sound and saxophones sound reedy and expressive. As for percussives, snare drums have hard, incisive and impactful sound, tom-toms have warm and resonant sound on every stroke, field drums have a hard and a bit booming sound on them, and kettledrums have deep, resonant and rumbling sound. Pianos sound on a balanced side as it has the right amount of warmth to sound a bit rich with some sweet and clear.
HIGHS/TREBLE:
The treble response of this one is rather balanced and smooth as it has a slight elevation on the upper mids then a noticeable scoop in the presence area to give that lustre and enough crispness and not to sound piercing, shrill-y or strident. Despite some scooping and dips on the presence area, it is still able to give a satisfactory clarity and definition of its overall sound that also bears on vocal details and attack on instruments in both rhythmic and percussive ones.
To think that the treble air extension of this set is rather moderate and acceptable in some regard but I wish that it augmented more of its airy presence volubly, at least it has a sufficient sparkle. Cymbals have a lustrous and resonant sound, hi-hats’ distinctive chick-y sound is a bit dull, glockenspiels have bell-like and lustrous (how many times I already mentioned this term) and celestas have a velvety and golden sound.
SOUNDSTAGE, IMAGING AND OTHER TECHNICALITIES:
Depends on what types of ear tips that will be pair on this set, it can project at least reasonably spacious sound/speaker stage up to the cavernous level as it has above-average to wide lateral span, excellent height and depth on its overall sound field dimension in which the bone conduction driver somehow added some roomy reverberations to add some illusory expansive sound.
On the stereo imaging, it portrays a soundscape in an atmospheric, 3-dimensional stereo presentation in multi-layered tones and dynamics of vocals and instruments that were orderly arranged in a clean, pitch-black sonic canvas where I can pinpoint and panned out the exact positioning of certain elements with some good separation on one another.
The cohesiveness of its multi-driver set-up is also excellent as all the drivers perform harmoniously without any out of phase or distortion issues as the tandem of dynamic driver and bone conduction driver to add depth and definition on its already fluid transient response while BA drivers delivers a detailed and clear sound output.
This one is also quite pretty resolving on resolution capabilities on both macro-dynamics and micro-detail capabilities as it has solid note compression on the former while a fairly sharp definition on micro-detail retrieval as it captures some nuances and details like notation attacks, vocal ends and instrumental reverb tails from an audio track.
PEER COMPARISONS:
BQEYZ WINTER
- While this set is considered as an IEM earphone with hybrid driver configuration, it has some differences from driver implementation and build materials.
- This one sports a larger 12 mm dynamic driver and a different type of bone conduction driver which is a piezoelectric-based one and the way of the BC driver configuration is more of an air conduction rather than a contact conduction as it supports the expansive and opened sounding of its high frequencies.
- While it's on par with the ANVIL 114 in terms of quantity and quality of inclusions on its product packaging , it also has a good quality stock cable but it doesn't have a modular termination plug feature unlike the ANVIL 114's stock cable.
- The Winter has a more balanced-neutral sound profile with some emphasis on the high frequencies.
- It has balanced bass response with rumbly sub bass presence and punchy mid bass, a well-balanced, linear, clean and a bit energetic midrange that highlights vocals clarity and instruments’ detail and definition and a shimmering and airy treble response.
- The Winter also has a capable technical performance as it can also project a spacious sound/speaker stage dimension in a concave-like stereo imaging presentation with some well-stacked of layers of tones and frequencies from certain instruments and vocals sections, and it also has a remarkable resolution capability but its focuses more on micro-dynamics.
BQEYZ WIND
- Another hybrid driver set-up model from BQEYZ with bone conduction driver on its internals but this time it uses a different type of this particular driver.
- Unlike its predecessor, The Winter, this one uses a copper-type bone conduction which will be a hybrid of air and bone conduction process in terms of operation, and it was encased in semi-open back aluminium alloy shell chassis.
- Like all BQEYZ sets, this one is pretty packed with quality and quantifying amount of accessories, and while the included stock cable is of a premium quality, it doesn't have a modular termination plug option.
- This set has a warmish-neutral sound profile that presents a well-balanced, neutral tuning with just a bit of warmth on its general tonal profile.
- It has a mid bass-focused bass response but it still has some sub-bass rumble on it, a well-textured, neutrally-tuned midrange that delivers a more accentuated vocals and instrument presentation, and then, a smooth and balanced treble with modest amount of air.
- On its technical performance, this set can project a roomy sound/speaker stage as it has a wide lateral span, good height and depth in an well-layered atmospheric-like stereo imaging presentation along with strong contrast on macro-dynamics.
KIWI EARS QUINTET
- KIWI EARS’ first hybrid driver IEM in the initial-level midrange segment and it equips more driver technology inside of its composite shell chassis.
- Aside from a piezoelectric bone conduction driver inside of its international, it also has a micro-planar transducers, balanced armature drivers and dynamic drivers.
- Unlike the ANVIL 114, the quantity of this unit's inclusions is rather sparse for its asking price.
- This one has a mild U-shaped sound signature with a more balanced yet almost neutral tonality.
- The bass response of this one is more of a sub bass-centric as it has sounds a bit tighter and precise, a bit recessed yet clean and energetic midrange presentation, and a tad brighter and airy treble response.
- On technical capabilities, while it has wide lateral span and height reach on its perceived soundstage, its depth is rather unremarkable as it presents a rather linear and shallow presentation.
The PULA ANVIL 114 is definitely one of the most enjoyable sets that I've tested this year. It performs with its bone conduction driver that I've only experienced on some TOTL flagships like from Unique Melody and the indication that it has contact-type bone conduction driver that wherever you tap lightly the shells, it will produce that springy effect. As an audio enthusiast happens to own some IEMs with bone conduction drivers, this device will truly deliver that bone conduction experience as if that you are centre stage in a perceived sound field in which bass-clefs instruments will produced those distinctive reverb tails with bit rumbling depth across the sonic spatial cues to even convey that notional roomy, atmospheric effect (as long as you will find a proper fitment on it).
With its tuning which sounds somehow balanced that all types of music lovers whether they are casual or experienced audio enthusiasts will enjoy its fun and engaging sound profile along with its well-packed with quality inclusions in a reasonable price, the PULA ANVIL 114 might one of the top contender of the IEM of this year.
The PULA ANVIL 114 is exclusively available in HIFIGO, Check out the unaffiliated link below:
★★PULA AUDIO ANVIL 114★★
SPECIFICATION:
MODEL: PULA ANVIL 114
IMPEDANCE: 16.5Ω
SENSITIVITY: 105dB
FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 5Hz – 40kHz
CABLE LENGTH: 1.2m
PIN TYPE: 0.78 2-PIN CONNECTOR
PLUG TYPE: MODULAR (3.5mm, 2.5mm, 4.4mm)
DRIVER UNIT(S): (1) DYNAMIC DRIVER + (1) BONE CONDUCTION DRIVER + (4) BALANCED ARMATURE DRIVERS
TRACKS TESTED: ( * = 16-bit FLAC, ** = 24-bit FLAC, *'* = MQA, '*' = DSD, *'= .WAV)
Alison Krauss -When You Say Nothing At All *
Jade Wiedlin - Blue Kiss**
Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks **
Mountain - Mississippi Queen *
Queen - Killer Queen **
Guns N' Roses - Patience *'*
Eric Clapton - Tears in Heaven '*'
Sergio Mendes- Never Gonna Let You Go '*'
Pearl Jam - Daughter **
Roselia - Hidamari Rhodonite *
Assassin - Fight (To Stop The Tyranny)*
Celtic Frost- Visual Aggression *
New Order - Blue Monday *
The Corrs- What Can I do (unplugged version) *
Jimi Hendrix Experience - Voodoo Child *
The Madness- Buggy Trousers *
Metallica - Motorbreath **
Mariah Carey- Always Be My Baby *
Destiny's Child - Say My Name *
Malice Mizer- Au Revoir *
Mozart - Lacrimosa *
New York Philharmonic Orchestra - Dvorak- Symphony 9 " From the New World." *
Eva Cassidy - Fields of Gold (Sting cover)*
Michael Jackson - Give In To Me *
Exciter - Violence and Force *
Diana Krall - Stop This World **
Debbie Gibson - Foolish Beat *'*
The Sisters of Mercy – Lucretia My Reflection**
Suzanne Vega – Luka **
Lauren Christy – Steep *
Ottoman Mehter - Hucum Marsi *
Diana Damrau - Mozart: Die Zauberflöte*
Type O Negative - Black No.1 *
Felix Ayo - Vivaldi: Presto **
Three Tenors - Nessum Dorma *
Mercyful Fate - Witches' Dance *
P.S.
I am not affiliated to PULA AUDIO nor receive any monetary incentives and financial gains as they provide me a review unit for an exchange of factual and sincere feedback from yours truly.
Once again, I would like to send my gratitude to Ms. Hermine Qiu and Mr. Kerwen Wu of HIFIGO for providing this review unit. I truly appreciate their generosity and trust towards me and other reviewers.
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o0genesis0o
Nice work
I like how detailed you are at describing midrange with different instruments .
Zerstorer_GOhren
@o0genesis0o well mate, aside from you and me, we are one of the few reviewers who loves to explain the intricacies of the sound characteristic on vocals and instruments.
FreeWheelinAudioLuv2
Excellent review!
FreeWheelinAudioLuv2
Headphoneus Supremus
This Belle of the Ball is a HEAVYWEIGHT (but light on it's feet)!
Pros: Excellent all-arounder
Cavernous soundstage
Sibilant free upper mids and treble
Transparent midrange
Punchy mid bass
Highly resolving bass with decent sub bass extension
Very good timbre and tonality
Floaty nature to the imaging and spatial cues and instrument placement
Cons: Very hard left right imaging and soundstage width
Not for bassheads
Not for trebleheads
Some folks might not like the BCD spatial cues effects
PULA ANVIL 114
Let's get started. So before I begin, I would like to thank HiFiGo for the opportunity to review this set. This absolutely does not sway my impressions in any way of this set, as I'm not one to be easily persuaded to part with his ethics or responsibility to the community. This is my first Pula product I've had the opportunity to listen to, as I never did purchase the PA02, so I was very excited to get the chance to try this BCD driver set out. So buckle your seatbelts and prepare for a 100% unbiased review with heartfelt observations and thoughts. now on to the fun stuff.
The unboxing experience was pretty nice. The front sleeve has Pula and then what appears to be the tuners autograph on it. The back of the box has all the pertinent specs. This is a 1 +1 + 4, or more clearly, a 1 DD + 1 BCD + 4 BA tribrid. The inner box is hard cardboard and makes a great storage box. Inside, we have the IEMs, and a large carry case. Inside, we have a very high quality and attractive modular cable (screw fastener), and a variety of stock silicone tips in baggies. The green carry case is rather large, spacious, and would carry the IEMs, cable, tips, and maybe a tiny dongle DAC rather comfortably. Now stock tips never work for me, as they are usually too small for my cavern ears, so I chose Spinfit CP100+ XL tips, and they provided the best fit and seal and sound. I liked them not just because of the seal and fit, but because they have a hard stem core, and the Anvil 114 likes this hard type of material to sound best. The shells are HUGE. Not going to play around here. These are very large shells, with long nozzles, so they will stick out of your ears (even caverns like myself), and it might take some shifting to get them to sit properly and comfortably? The resin shells are beautiful, and lightweight. That's a uniqueness of the Anvil 114. This thing is like an illusion, as it's packing 6 drivers inside, but it feels like the shells are empty. They feel almost weightless. This does help with the comfort once you've figured out how to properly set them in your ears. I had very few issues with fit once I used the Spinfits and learned the best insertion depth and positioning. I could have very easily left the stock cable on and used it, and for awhile, I did just that, but in the end, the desire to cable roll took over, and I ended up finding synergy sisters in the Pula Anvil 114 and Tripowin Altea cable 3.5mm SE. The Pula Anvil are easy to drive from any source, but definitely scale with power, and will optimize with higher power sources.
So now that we have the unboxing experience out of the way, let's move on to the sound? That's what you're all here for anyways!! It's time to get it on!!...but first, let me share with all of you some information about the IEMs themselves. Internals, specs, and a graph? fun times indeed!
THE SPECS :
Pula Anvil 114 :
Technical Information:
>Impedance: 16.5Ω.
>Frequency Response Range: 5Hz~40kHz.
>THD+N: ≤0.5%@1kHz.
>Connector Type: 2-Pin 0.78mm.
>Sensitivity: 105dB/mW.
PULA brings us the latest ANVIL114, a brand new multi-driver hybrid IEM packing a 10mm biometric diaphragm dynamic driver, one 11mm bone conduction driver, and four high-performance balanced armature drivers on each side. ANVIL refers to the equipment used by a Blacksmith to bend and shape metal into objects, it is a symbol of the universe being forged and created. PULA takes inspiration from the mighty Blacksmith's ANVIL, designing the pair with solid stabilized wooden face covers!! PULA ANVIL114 promises outstanding sonic performance with excitingly unique looks and a unique tribrid setup as well!!
>Six-Driver Tribrid Setup.
>1 Dynamic Driver, 1 Bone Conduction Driver, and Four Balanced Armature Drivers.
>10mm Bio-Metric Diaphragm Dynamic Driver.
>11mm Bone Conductor Driver Unit.
>Four-High-Performance BA Drivers.
>Solid Stabilized Wooden Face Covers.
>Unique Texture for Each Unit.
>Balanced, Smooth Sound with Natural Tone.
>Deep, Tight Bass Response.
>Crisp, Accurate Vocals.
>Precise and Detailed Treble.
>Four-Core High-Purity Single-Crystal Copper Silver-Plated Cable.
>Swappable Termination plugs(3.5mm+2.5mm+4.4mm).
Frequency response graph courtesy of @baskingshark.
PRICE : $199.00 (on sale for $189 - BFS)
Available for purchase at this location.
The Gear :
What did I use for my listening sessions for my review??
I source roll often, from the Little Bear B4-X, iBasso DC Elite, Hiby R3 II (transport for DCE), Sony NW-A15 (untethered) and Sony NW-A25 (+B4-X) as my primary sources. The most used was the Cayin N3 Ultra (Modern Tube mode, M gain, no EQ, slow roll off filter) and Hiby R3 II + B4-X + DCE.
Music used for the review and all my reviews in general?
Ezra Collective - Where I'm Meant to Be
Robert Glasper - Canvas
Alfa Mist - Antiphon
Hugo Kant - Far From Home
Alfredo Rodriguez - Coral Way
Bob Marley & the Wailers - Survival
Rob Van Bavel Trio - Dutch Weather
Junior Kelly, Bounty Killer, and Capleton - The Good, The Bad, and the Blazin'
Dominik Eulberg - Avichrom
Abysmal Dawn - Phylogenesis
Megadeth - Rust in Peace
Drive By Jehu - Self Titled
Cognizance - Phantazein
Metallica - 72 Seasons
In Aphelion - Reaperdawn
SOUND IMPRESSIONS :
Dynamics : 4.5
Resolution : 3.5
Details : 4
Instrument separation : 4
Imaging : 4.5
Sibilance : 1
Soundstage : 5
Overall score : 4/5
BASS/MIDRANGE/TREBLE :
The Pula Anvil 114 is unique. This is truly one of the most unique listening experiences I have heard in my life. I suspect 90% of it has to do with the implementation of the BCD. Now, I have experience with BCD thru the Penon Fan 3, but the sensations and the spatial cues presented here are so different and far advanced of what I hear in the Penon Fan 3, but more on that later. Instruments float, hover, and image around the ears, behind the ears, and on a vast stage, that places voices center and north of center. It's a fascinating aural treat.
The bass is noticeable for it's punch. There's an emphasis on mid bass punch and presence, so kick drums are authoritative, elastic, and pulsing. Now, this might make you say "umm...this might be too much for me?!" Not necessarily, as there is a tactility, resolve, and speed to the bass, so there isn't much in terms of lazy, lumbering, or lingering decay. So this means there's not a whole lot of sub bass. Not to say there isn't any, or that there's roll off, but the sub bass takes a back seat to the mid bass, and it's resolution, but again, when it's called upon, like in songs from Dominik Eulberg's Avichrom, it appears, it hits, and it's a very pleasurable and hard hitting bass, when called upon, but not a basshead bass response, or a bass that's ever overbearing or overly warm. It does not overstay it's welcome. That might be a detriment to some. Nor for others. Certainly not for me.
Midrange is clean, transparent, and has a touch of warmth, so never dry, but also not overtly wet either. There's enough warmth to provide some character and emotion when it comes to vocal delivery, piano timbre, and cello and stand up note weight, but it's not bloaty or dark. There's a transparency and space within the midrange that provides a vast soundstage that the midrange operates out of, and vocals are positioned not smack dab center in projection, but just north of center. So there's some height to the stage, as well as depth, so the midrange is not flat or narrow. Not this set. Just the opposite. Upper mids are quite restrained, but present. So what you get are incisive upper mids, but safely tuned, so there's a lack of bite or resolution as a tradeoff for lack of sibilance and crispiness or rough edges in notes. So there's a softness in the upper midrange that helps make these a strong all-arounder contender, because you can listen for long periods with a large library of music, and never run into sharpness or fatiguing tones, because that area of the frequency is reigned in, but make no mistake, it's not making for a dull listen, as there's enough incisiveness and clarity that we don't get bogged down.
In turn, the treble never gets strident or spicy. Timbre is fairly natural for BA highs, and there's enough shimmer and incisiveness that crashes, rides, and cymbals have authority and crispness, without being strident, unnatural, fatiguing, or metallic. There's air, but it's not the focus of the sound scene. The giant soundstage is obviously nudged by the BCD, but the air also pushes it along, so it's not blunted or rolled off, but it does go right up to the edge, and then comes back, so again, this helps with running into any fatiguing treble, but also keeps the resolution from being optimum, and it keeps the tone from ever reaching an ethereal texture (like say the Tri i3 MK III or the ISN EBC80). That's the word I'm looking for! Texture. There's a slight lack of texture in the highs and upper mids, but it's not something that effects the overall sonic presentation, but adds to the uniqueness of the tuning, and makes for great long listening sessions.
OVERALL :
The Anvil 114 excels with it's cavernous soundstage, with it's wide left/right projection, with instruments hovering and swirling around your ears, and information and details popping out from back of the ears and above your head. It's FULLNESS. It's cleanliness. It's a solely unique imaging that any audiophile worth his weight should take the opportunity to experience. For $199.00, the Pula Anvil 114 is providing sonics that are usually found in much more expensive sets, and honestly, this set should be selling for $500+ and this would be fair. It's not. It's in a range of affordability where anyone can experience this phenomenal stage, imaging, and bass presence, with a unique midrange that has to be heard to be believed. This is top 5 for me at the moment, and there will be a place in my rotation for the Pula Anvil 114 for as long as I'm capable of hearing sounds! This is TRUTH, and free of any hyperbole. I can listen to metal (The Anvil 114 does metal like a BOSS), reggae, jazz, hip hop, R&B, electronica, or pop, and handle it with precise aplomb! I kid you not! Feed the Pula tubes, and the tonal nature of this IEM becomes creamy smooth, with above average layering and instrument placement that stereophonic with stage that's capacious and precocious!! Say that three times fast!!
COMPARISONS :
Penon Fan 3 : So it's a natural comparison, but these IEMs couldn't be more night and day. They are tuned completely different, with the only commonality being BIG AND FULL STAGE! But the stages are constructed differently. The Anvil 114 has what I would call a wondrously FUN stage, while the Fan 3 has a 3D stage that is more traditional and sonically accurate (aka not as exaggerated). The midrange is warmer and more incisive with the Fan 3, with lower mids popping way more forward than the 114. The bass is more resolving and quick, despite having one less DD, as the sub bass is more impactful on the Fan 3, but gives away with a slower bass response, with much lighter mid bass punch. So pick your poison. Mid bass punch? Anvil. Sub bass thump? Fan 3. Midrange is cleaner and clearer by a country mile for the Anvil. It's also got a wider stage scene, and more depth of field, while the midrange of the Fan 3 is more musical, warm, and incisive, and as such, has a bit more traditional resolution and bite in the upper mids and treble, and a touch more air. Though I wouldn't call the Fan 3 safely tuned, I wouldn't consider it shouty or crispy or strident. On the contrary. It's just tuned a bit freer than the Anvil as far as letting the shimmer fly, and this might also be an effect of the BCD in the Fan 3, which is tuned to give the treble more wispiness than the Anvil? Timbre is advantage Anvil, as it's a bit more natural, with drums and percussion in particular standing out as full and natural, with excellent timbre. I didn't mention this before, but the drums and percussion presentation on the Anvil 114 is SPECIAL SAUCE! They are precise and ethereal, and at the same time crisp and elastic with a weightiness that's so fun and powerful. Yep, there's that fun word again! So it's pick your poison time again. Want incisive and bitey treble with a touch more air? Fan 3. Want more resolving bass with more elasticity, quicker note decay, and mid bass punch? Anvil 114. Ying and Yang of the BCD world. It's all about mood with these two, and with dueling midranges, the better one is a matter of how you feel on a particular day? I'd say advantage Anvil 114, but only because if that sways you to want to explore that unique special sauce sonic stage scene of the Anvil 114, that's quirky and voodoo magic, then I've done a good job in conveying just how cool this IEM is, and I think everyone should get the opportunity to walk into this room, take your seat, look up, and be in for one hell of a BCD ride. Advantage : Pula Anvil 114.
ISN H60 : The H60 come in at around $350.00. These are top two in my rotation for me, and it's my benchmark IEM. So bass isn't close. The dual DD isobaric bass of the H60 punches deeper, hits harder, has more mid bass punch, and presence. Now the Anvil does have more note resolution and quickness. It's more elastic than the H60, but this doesn't make up for the overall superiority of heft, warmth and dynamics. The H60 simply has more dynamic bass, and hence, more fun and engaging. Now the midrange of the H60 is similar to the midrange of the Fan 3, so what was stated about that IEM above, mostly slots for the H60. The stage isn't as full or wide, but there's more depth and less height, and less clarity. The instrument separation and detail retrieval pop more often and have greater spatial cues on the Anvil 114, but have less character and warmth, so it all depends on if you want clarity or character? Treble air and extension are advantage H60. There's also more incisiveness, crispness, and shimmer in the H60. There's more tactility, but this might offend some sensitive to treble? I've never run across that, but the Anvil provides high quality treble that's a safer option, while the H60 provides a more satisfying top end. Advantage : ISN H60 (but it's sooooo close).
AFUL Performer 5+2 : The P7 come in at around $285. Until very recently, this sat at the very top of my rotation. It ticked all the boxes for me personally. Bass, midrange resolution, treble extension, stage, and tonality. But to be fair, the Anvil 114 is a different flavor altogether, and it can't be beat when it comes to soundstage presentation and concert hall sound. The P5+2 sound downright congested when we compare the two. Ok, that's a huge exaggeration, but it's to stress the point that the Anvil 114 isn't going to win against the P7 when it comes to technicalities, treble, or resolution, but the AFUL is what I would consider a safe, traditional sonic deployment. It does a lot of things right, but it's not the most unique offering sonically. The Anvil is. The Anvil does. Bass wise, they come very close to being equals. Similar presentations from a technical POV. Midrange is more forward in the P5+2, and has more incisiveness, but with less echo and less spatiality and wide positioning. It's more closed in and centered. If you're a treblehead, or you love treble extension, then this isn't a fair fight. P7 wins hands down, but these are complimentary IEMs, and if you have to choose, that will come down to a personal preference and choice : Do you want traditional technical, or do you want BCD uniqueness that's also technical, but more concert hall positional? you're not going to get that over the top ear to ear detail retrieval from the AFUL. That distinction belongs to the Pula Anvil 114. Advantage : Pick Your Poison.
CONCLUSION :
Truthfully, I've had a blast with the Pula Anvil 114 since the day it arrived on my porch. I'm in love with the sheer size of it's sound scene, the way instruments and information float and hover around the side and back of your ears, and pop out of nowhere above your eyes, and just the uniqueness of that tall and wide stage. There's depth of field, but it's limited to the midrange centering, and then there's that punchy, resolving bass, that provides the fun engine to this wonderous soundscape. Now, would I prefer more treble extension and upper mids bite? Damn right I would, but this just comes down to my personal preference, because nitpicking, the Pula Anvil 114 is a beginner audiphiles dream! It's a $200 IEM that performs like a $500 IEM. It's an IEM that is not dull, that provides a POV that's unlike any other IEM, and it provides all-arounder ability, so it's not an IEM that will collect dust in your rotation due to changing tastes in music from month to month. It's the quirky, talented utilitarian brother that garners all the attention at family BBQ's, and you wish you were like! I cannot throw my recommendation forcefully enough towards the Anvil 114. It should be a staple in any self-respecting audiophile's rotation, and I have no doubt that when you do add it, you'll rave about it, get addicted to it's sonic characteristics, and come back to thank me later. Ok, you don't have to do that last part, but just remember who told you? 
RECOMMENDATION LEVEL : BOSS LEVEL - HIGHEST 10/10.
Thank you so much for reading and remember to be water with your audio luv! When you do...AUDITORY ZEN UNLOCKED!
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o0genesis0o
Great review and comparisons 
baskingshark
Headphoneus Supremus
Pros: Princely accessories
Comfortable fit despite larger shells and nozzles
Balanced tonality
Clean and textured bass, with tactile mid-bass punch from BC
Transparent midrange
Resolving treble which is sibilant-resistant
Good technical chops
Solid coherency despite mishmash of driver types
Cons: Like most BC sets, there are some echoes and microphonics from the shell if tapped
Needs a bit of amplification to scale
Below average isolation
Some BA timbre in treble regions
DISCLAIMER
I would like to thank HIFIGO for providing this review unit.
The Pula Anvil 114 can be gotten here: https://hifigo.com/products/pula-anvil114 or https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DLB9KN5D/pula+anvil114/ (no affiliate links).
SPECIFICATIONS
- Driver configuration: 1 x 10 mm biometric dynamic driver + 1 x 11 mm bone conduction driver + 4 x balanced armature drivers
- Frequency response: 5 Hz - 40000 Hz
- Impedance: 16.5 Ω
- Sensitivity: 105 dB/mW
- Cable: 2-pin 0.78 mm; single-crystal copper silver-plated cable; 2.5 mm, 3.5 mm and 4.4 mm modules
- Tested at: $199.99 USD
ACCESSORIES
Other than the IEM, these are included:
- 2 pairs of double-flange silicone eartips
- 4 pairs of wide-bore silicone eartips
- 3 pairs of narrow-bore silicone eartips
- 3 pairs of balanced silicone eartips
- Carrying case
- Cable
- Modules for 2.5 mm, 3.5 mm and 4.4 mm plugs
For something retailing at sub-$200 USD, the accessory line-up is generous. I've surely seen pricier IEMs with a stingier accessory spread. Other than the lack of foam tips, everything else is quite usable for the audiophile out-of-the-box.
We have a buffet of silicone eartips to choose from. Do explore to see what suits your needs sonically, but the narrow-bore ones boost bass the most (with some compromise in soundstage), whereas the wide-bore tips increase treble and staging. The balanced eartips are a mid-point between the two in terms of sound, whereas the double-flange tips have the deepest insertion (and isolation), though some might find them uncomfortable.
The stock cable is a 2-pin single-crystal copper silver-plated one, with 3 modules for 2.5 mm (balanced), 4.4 mm (balanced) and 3.5 mm (single-ended) terminations, depending on your source needs. This cable is well-braided with minimal tangling, though it has microphonics.
I appreciate that the modules have a screw-on design, so this prevents inadvertent disconnection of the cable from the module - this is something that happens not uncommonly, causing the connected DAP to drop to the floor!
We have a green leatherette case, which is spacious to hold the IEM and other acccessories. It has an inner velvety material and webbing to cushion the contents.
The rest of this review was done with the stock cable and stock balanced silicone eartips. No aftermarket accessories were used, so as not to add any confounders to the sound.
BUILD/COMFORT
The shells are fashioned from CNC-machined resin, with a solid stabilized wood faceplate. PULA says each faceplate is unique in terms of the grain pattern, so it is quite exclusive as such.
Despite the larger housing and nozzles, comfort is actually very decent. The earpieces are lightweight, and can be used for prolonged listening sessions without much issues. The insides of the shells are smooth, with a concha protrusion for stability.
Like other bone conducting units, there are some echoes and microphonics originating from the shell if this is tapped or moved, which is part of how the bone conduction tech works. Some might find this disconcerting, especially if you are a first-time BC tech user.
This is a heavily vented IEM, and isolation is hence below average. I did not encounter any driver flex on my pair.
INTERNALS
The Anvil is packs an eclectic configuration of driver types:
- 1 x 10 mm biometric dynamic driver handles the bass
- 1 x 11 mm bone conduction driver is a full-range driver
- 2 x balanced armature drivers take care of the midrange
- 2 x balanced armature drivers settle the treble
We have no information on the BA driver branding though.
DRIVABILITY
I tested the PULA Anvil 114 with the following sources:
- Apple dongle
- Cayin RU7
- Chord Mojo 2
- Fiio KA15 dongle
- Fiio KA17 dongle
- Khadas Tone Board -> Schiit Asgard 3 amp
- Questyle M15 DAC/AMP dongle
- Sony Walkman NW A-55 DAP (Walkman One WM1Z Plus v2 Mod)
- Sony Walkman NW WM1A DAP (Walkman One WM1Z Plus v2 Mod)
- Smartphone
This IEM is moderately difficult to drive, and would scale better with amplification.
SOUND & TECHNICALITIES
Graph of the PULA Anvil 114 via IEC711 coupler.
Tonally, the Anvil sports a balanced mild U-shaped signature.
Do note that bone conduction (BC) vibrations cannot be measured on a standard coupler, and hence its contribution doesn't show up on graphs. Additionally, the BC tech requires a snug fit so that the shells contact a surface area of the concha to transmit sound waves over a more dense part of the ear - so a poor contact would detract slightly from the experience. Essentially, the BC here adds a bit of lower midrange and bass vibrations, but overall it is not a massive determinant of the overall sound profile, which is still U-shaped, but you might lose some bass and heft if the fit is not proper.
The Anvil is sub-bass focused, with a good visceral rumble heard (assuming good contact with the BC is obtained). Bass is tight and nimble, with minimal bleed. Texturing is solidly done, and mid-bass punch is tactile courtesy of the BC.
The midrange has minimal recession and is pretty transparent. With a 8 - 9 dB ear gain, female vocals are just at the edge of forwardness without overly veering to shouty territory (this is also dependent on volume playback AKA Fletcher Munson curve).
The lower treble is quite resolving with minimal sibilance. The upper treble rolls-off thereafter, and while the Anvil is not a dark IEM, neither is it a very treblehead and airy set. Treble-sensitivity is once again quite subjective - dependent on hearing health, volume played at, sources, eartips, ear anatomy, fit for BC conduction counterpoint etc - but the Anvil in my book has quite a good mix of treble clarity without overstaying its welcome. Cymbals and highhats are not overly splashy, and fatigue is kept minimal.
The Anvil loses some marks in timbral accuracy in the higher registers - so called "BA timbre" where note weight is a bit hollow - which is not surprising for something utilizing 4 BAs. This may be more prominently displayed when acoustic instruments come out to play.
The Anvil has good technicalities for a sub-$200 multi-driver type. Instrument separation and layering keep up with complex and rapid riffs, and soundstage is above average in all 3 dimensions when amped well. Micro-details are captured well and imaging is accurate.
Other than the aforementioned BA timbre in the upper frequencies, the Anvil does coherency admirably for a Frankenstein hodgepodge mix of drivers; some rivals with a host of different drivers sometimes run into the bass driver being slower than the treble drivers for example.
COMPARISONS
The Anvil utilizes a very unique driver setup, with few rivals using the same configuration. Nevertheless, it will be compared against some multi-driver IEMs at around $200 USD.
ZiiGaat Doscinco
The Doscinco is a basshead hybrid. It has greater bass quantities, though this isn't as tight, with some bleed.
The Doscinco is a league behind in micro-details, imaging and soundstage.
Driver flex mars the fit of the Doscinco, which is not present in the Anvil. The Doscinco is also more sparsely accessorized.
KIWI Ears KE4
The KE4 is one of those new-age "META" type pleasant tunings, which has a thicker note weight and less treble/upper mids presence than the Anvil.
The KE4 has a more natural timbre, but loses in other metrics - such as treble extension, bass tightness, imaging, soundstage and micro-details.
The KE4 is also poorly accessorized, and glaringly, has driver flex, which may be a deal-breaker for some.
Penon Fan 2
The Fan 2 is a warm neutral set. It has a more lush midrange than the Anvil, but has less bass and treble extension.
The Fan 2 has weaker imaging, soundstage and micro-detailing, but is more laid back tonally.
The Fan 2 has polarizing long nozzles, which affects comfort and fit, so once again, this may be an issue for some consumers compared to the more ergonomic Anvil.
CONCLUSIONS
The PULA Anvil 114 is a solid entrant to the ultra-competitive sub-$200 market. It has a balanced tonality and does most departments well - consider it an archetypal jack-of-all-trades. We hear a clean and textured bass paired with a transparent midrange, coupled with a resolving treble that for the most part avoids fatigue. The added BC punches hard in the mid-bass to provide some tactile fun, and technicalities are done well.
For a ragtag assembly of drivers, cohesion is surprisingly done well, with the drivers working in tandem, though some BA timbre in the upper frequencies rears its ugly head when acoustic instruments are showcased - so perhaps timbre fastidious listeners might need to look elsewhere.
The Anvil has a generous provision of accessories, in addition to good comfort (despite the larger shells and nozzles). However, it does scale better with juice - so at least a dongle amp is recommended - and some may be unused to the BC types generating microphonics and echoes if the housing is tapped or moved.
All things considered, the Anvil 114 gets my recommendation for a solid sub-$200 set. You can do much worse for the money nowadays.
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cobrabucket
Cheers, my guy! I always appreciate your insight...
pk4425
Damn it: Anvil or Fan 3? Nice review, mate! You've made my decision more vexing!
o0genesis0o
Headphoneus Supremus
PULA ANVIL114 - Forging new value
Pros: + Impressive, uncanny soundstage and imaging
+ Tactile, agile, and impactful percussion reproduction
+ Good resolution
+ Generally good tonality
+ Well-controlled sibilant
+ Generous accessories
Cons: - The nozzles should be thinner and less protruding from the shells
- Flatter midrange could improve the reproduction of piano and cello recordings
The forth quarter of 2024 is full of surprise in the personal audio market. Today, the surprise continues with a new release from PULA, a tribrid IEM named ANVIL114.
Forewords
- What I look for in an IEM is immersion. I want to feel the orchestra around my head, track individual instruments, and hear all of their textures and details. I’m not picky about tonality, as long as it does not make the orchestra, violin, cellos, and pianos sound wrong.
- I rate IEMs within with a consistent scale from 1 (Poor) to 3 (Good) to 5 (Outstanding). An overall ranking of 3/5 or above is considered positive.
- Ranking list and measurement database are on my IEM review blog.
- The terminology for subjective impressions in this review is based on the Audio Wheel for reproduced sound defined in the technical report ITU-R BS.2399-0
- This review is based on a review sample from HiFiGo (Thank you Kerwen@Hifigo for arrangement!). I have no affiliation with or financial interest in PULA or HiFiGo.
- The unit retails for $189 at the time this review was published. Unaffiliated link: HiFiGo Web Store
General Information
PULA is another mysterious manufacturer from China whose IEMs are available via the retailer HiFiGo. That said, PULA is not without fans thanks to the success of previous releases, including the PA02 hybrid IEM. This time, PULA is back with ANVIL114, a 6-driver tribrid IEM equipped with an 11 mm Bone Conduction Driver (BCD) (For brevity, I’ll call this IEM Anvil in the rest of this article).
As the name implies, ANVIL114 has a 1+1+4 driver configuration, consisting of a 10mm dynamic driver (DD) with a bio diaphragm handling the bass frequencies, 11mm bone conduction driver (BCD) offering a full-range response, and 4 balanced armature (BA) drivers, 2 of which handle the midrange whilst the others handle the treble.
The star of the show is undoubtedly the new 11mm bone conduction driver. Unfortunately, no additional technical information is available about these drivers. Given that we know the diameter of the BCD, it’s likely that Anvil is equipped with a piezoelectric bone conduction unit, which operates similarly to the ones inside the acclaimed MEST series IEM from Unique Melody. The only indicator of the existence of the BCD inside Anvil is the unique “spring ping” sound whenever I tap the earpieces.
Non-sound Aspects
Packaging and accessories The box of Anvil is surprisingly less decorated than usual. It’s completely devoid of artworks and audio related motifs, thus reminding me of a tea box rather than an IEM box. Fortunately, it’s the content that count, and Anvil comes with quite hefty set of accessories that is unexpected given the price tag. In the box, you would find:
- The earpieces themselves
- 3 different types of eartips, including double-flanged ones
- IEM cable with interchangeable plug system. All three options (3.5mm, 2.5mm, and 4.4mm) are provided
- A roomy carrying case with felt lining. This is essentially the same carrying case that comes with some high-end IEMs like AFUL Cantor and Canpur CP54E.
Earpieces design This area is where I have quite a bit of problem with Anvil. Let’s talk about the positive aspects first: the faceplate of this IEM is absolutely beautiful. They are made up stabilized wood pieces, dyed in a purple paint, and covered with a thick layer of acrylic, polished to a glossy finish. This glossy layer is thicker than that of most IEMs landed on my review desks so far.
Where I have problem with Anvil is the design of the earpieces, particularly the nozzles. Simply put, Anvil has the most tricky combination of characteristics for the nozzles: thick and long. Whilst the metal tube that we call “nozzles” is not longer than average, we need to also account for the plastic part behind the metal tube, protruding from the base of the earpieces. Due to this design, the base of the earpieces do not sit flush against the concha area of my ears, which is not a good thing for BCD which relies on solid contact with the concha for optimal performance. Fitting the nozzles deeper into the ear canal is out of question for me, due to the thickness of the nozzle.
Fit, comfort and isolation I had to try quite a few types of eartips in my collection to find one that fits well and do not put too much pressure on the ears in long listening sessions. When finding the right eartips, I can achieve a stable and comfortable fit with Anvil. The noise isolation is quite good, yet I did not experience any pressure build up or driver flex problem during my tests.
In order to maximize the performance of the BCD, I gently press the back of the earpieces against the antihelix of my ears. I hear a slight but interesting change in the side channels of the soundstage when the earpieces have solid contact with the antihelix, so I guess that the BCD works as intended.
Ear tips recommendation: Quite tricky. Ideally, you need shorter and sticky eartips. However, I couldn’t get stable seal with my trusty Velvet eartips. Inthe end, I settled for Tri Clarion eartips.
Sonic Performance
Test setup:
- Sources: iBasso DX300, HiBy R3II
- Cable: stock cable with 4.4mm termination, Effect Audio CADMUS II
- Ear tips: Tri Clarion
The subjective impression is captured using the lexicon in the Sound Wheel below. I’ll clarify the terminology as I use them. If you want to see more details of the lexicon and related reference, please have a look at the technical report ITU-R BS.2399-0.
Timbre: It is helpful to think of an IEM as a filter that sits between the incoming audio signal and your ear drums. This filter makes some parts of the signal (frequencies) louder whilst other parts quieter. This effect can be measured objectively by the squiggly lines below, called Frequency Response (FR) graphs, which measure how loud an IEM is at different frequencies from 20Hz (bass) to 20kHz (upper treble). Ideally, an IEM should change the signal as least as possible (a.k.a., “flat tuning”) to avoid disturbing the balance between fundamental frequencies of instruments and their harmonics to ensure that they sound natural and life-like. Practically, IEM engineers can tune or “voice” an IEM to deviate carefully from the flat tuning to create interesting colouring and effects on the audio content. This voicing or tonal balance of an IEM can be denoted as its sound signature. Subjectivity is how your ears and brain interpret such sound signature and decide whether it is “enjoyable”
Figure shows the frequency response of Anvil against the Harman in-ear target. Measurements were done with an IEC-711-compliant coupler and might only be compared with other measurements from this same coupler. Above 8kHz, the measurement likely does not match the response at the ear drum. Visit my graph database for more comparisons.
The tonal signature of Anvil can be described as “refined V-shaped”, though as you would see, it does not really conform to the mould.
The midrange of Anvil demonstrates clear characteristics of a V-shaped tuned IEM, meaning there is stronger emphasis in both the lower and upper midrange. Practically, it means pianos and orchestra would not sound even across the range. Across my classical and acoustic library, I found that my recordings sound rather boomy and even slightly muffled in the lower midrange. I also found that female vocals are a bit more emphasised and pushed forward than my preference. In other words, there is a degree of “shoutiness” with Anvil. Fortunately, both boominess and shoutiness problems fade away quickly with repeated exposure. By the end of my testing period, it takes me only half a song get acclimated to the midrange tonality of Anvil and become unbothered.
Looking beyond the peculiars of V-shaped midrange, I would say Anvil still does a good job with the midrange. Ed Sheeran sounds rich and emotive without becoming too piercing or harsh, even with harsher recordings in the “=” album. John Denver sounds sweet and breezy. “Weeb” music such as Kiwi wa Boku ni Niteiru by See-Saw sounds clear, clean, and emotive without unbearable shoutiness or harshness. Rock bands such as Polyphia also sound great across the board. The only tracks where Anvil does only an okay job are cellos, pianos, and chamber musics.
The treble and bass region are where Anvil deviates from the V-shaped signature and earns itself the “refined” moniker. We will talk about bass in the next section. Here, let’s discuss treble. After peaking at the upper midrange, Anvil quickly rolls off the lower-treble, particularly the presence region around 4-6kHz to keep treble harshness under control. This tuning choice if particularly beneficial for Anvil to counter its upper-midrange boost and the difficulty to fitting Anvil deeply into the ear canal to smoothen the treble. The upper parts of treble of Anvil is also quite uneventful. Practically, it means you would find cymbals, hats, chimes, and higher brass instruments to be more quiet than usual with Anvil. On the plus side, the details and nuances of these instruments are reproduced very well and because they are less loud, it would be easier for you to hear those instruments. The more restrained treble response also ensure that Anvil handle sibilant recordings well, especially with tracks mixed with hotter 5-6kHz region.
Percussion, Bass, and perceived dynamic: In this section, my focus is the not just the bass, but rather the sense of dynamic of an IEM. Can it convey the sense of beat and rhythm? Can it reproduce transients, the fast and large jump of loudness in the music? Simply put, is this IEM toe-tapping? Creating this energy requires all parts of the frequency spectrum working together: treble energy around 4-6kHz conveys snappy attacks of stick hitting percussive instruments at the beginning of a beat, bass energy around 150Hz conveys the punchy sensation of the beat itself, whilst the subbass energy below 60Hz creates the physical rumble sensation that convey power and atmosphere. Weak treble response dulls the attacks. Weak bass makes beats hollow. Too much bass makes bassline blurry and dulls the sense of rhythm. Thus, “dynamic IEM” is a balancing art.
Percussion and dynamic are where Anvil flexes. But first, let’s talk about the rather strange bass of Anvil. Simply put, Anvil has less bass quantity that other recent releases with V-shaped or U-shaped tuning, yet it can convey a great sense of impact with each beat in the music. Practically, having less bass quantity means when I listen to tracks with strong low-pitched rumble, such as the opening theme of Skyrim, I found the rumble to be rather faint and de-emphasised. Moreover, the perception of bass impacts tend to happen at the “phantom centre” in the middle of my head or at the ear drums rather than being pushed down to the throat or even the chest like what I hear with sub-bass focused IEM.
The more restrained bass quantity of Anvil has an advantage: it makes the bassline of Anvil sounds dry, crisp, and “fast”. This dryer presentation is also aided by rather great quality of the bass. It means textures and details of the bass guitars, double basses, lower notes of cellos are well preserved and presented.
Where Anvil shines the brightest is how it presents drums and beats. The best way to visualise the presentation of Anvil is imaging the sound of a hammer striking a piece of red hot steel on an anvil. Anvil does a great job of scaling from a pitch-black background to the full drum hit and then come back to zero in an incisive and impactful way. As a result, Anvil sounds tactile and physical, despite not having a large amount of bass. This presentation is particularly suited for faster kick drums in Polyphia’s albums. At the same time, Anvil also conveys the energy of “epic” soundtracks from video games with finesse. Agile, tactile, and impactful. It’s a toe-tapping IEM.
Resolution: To me, “resolution” can be broken down into three components: (1) Sharpness, incisiveness, or “definition” of note attacks (see the figure below). (2) The separation of instruments and vocals, especially when they overlap on the soundstage. (3) The texture and details in the decay side of the notes. The first two give music clarity and make it easy to track individual elements of a mix. The last provides music details and nuances. Whilst IEMs can “force” clarity by boosting treble to unnatural level, it might still lack resolution as it cannot “peel apart” complex tracks with overlapping instruments
Anvil is a quite resolving IEM in the grand scheme and outright impressive if we consider its price tag. The incisiveness of its presentation, combined with the retrained bass quantity ensures that the midrange feels clean and present. The rather great treble quality that I described previous help Anvil conveys a great sense of details and nuances in the music. Whilst Anvil is not entirely “effortless” when handling complex recordings such as ABC feat. Sophia Black by Polyphia (meaning it takes some deliberate effort from my side to identify and track individual elements in the mix), it does a better job than the venerable Moondrop Blessing 2 in A/B tests, despite having thicker lower midrange. The overall sense of separation detail retrieval in this track is identical to, if not better than my Andromeda 2020, the “gatekeeper” of “great resolution” in my system.
Recordings with congested lower frequencies such as Now We Are Free performed by 2CELLOS does trip Anvil up as the presentation feels a bit too boomy and lacking definition for me. This result is somewhat inevitable due to the tuning choice of Anvil. On the plus side, sparse recordings such as Ciaccona from Bach’s Violin Partita No. 2 in D Minor, performed by Kavakos sound great with Anvil. I like the clean, dry tone of violin and the clear reproduction of reverberation.
Stereo imaging and soundstage: Stereo imaging or “soundstage” is a psychoacoustic illusion that different recording elements appear at various locations inside and around your head. Your brain creates based on the cues in the recording, which are enhanced or diminushed by your IEMs, your DAC, and your amplifier. In rare cases, with some specific songs, some IEMs can trick you into thinking that the sound comes from the environment (a.k.a., “holographic”)
Let’s face it: the expected “magic sauce” in the soundstage and stereo imaging is the main reason why you look for an IEM with BCD. Thus, the make-or-break of Anvil would be the soundstage illusion that it can convey. Despite some hiccups at the beginning, Anvil ultimately delivers on the soundstage front.
Before we talk about “soundstage of BCD”, let’s get two disclaimers out of the way. Firstly, no, this IEM does not sound like a pair of stereo speakers or Dolby Atmos spatial audio. It would not magically transport you to a concert hall. It does not push the singer outside the phantom centre in your head to place them in front of you. Secondly, the effectiveness of BCD relies heavily on the fit. Simply put, you need to have as much contact between the shells and your ears as possible. An additional point is that it is rather impossible to say with any certainty whether the soundstage effect I describe here is actually caused by the BCD, since there is no way to turn off the BCD and compare. So, it’s possible that it’s simply the case that the shell design and the tuning of Anvil gives it a nice soundstage.
With the disclaimers out of the way, let’s talk about Anvil’s soundstage. Spacious and uncanny would be two keywords that I use. Recordings feel expansive, as if there is no “wall” at the outer bound of the stage that limits the sound from travelling outward. This effect is the most prominent with spacious recordings such as Shadow of Baar Dau, which can trigger the illusion that the music expands outward to fill in the environment around me. Left-to-right extension of the soundstage is quite strong, as Anvil regularly triggers the illusion that the side channels of the mix come from outside the ears. The illusion of depth and layering is also strong, thanks to the clear contrast between the center of the soundstage and the background elements such as the string or choral section, generally placed further away at front-left and front-right of the stage. There are also instances when the sound elements seem to be placed behind my ears or towards the back of my head. The height illusion is not as prominent, but competent enough to complete an “orbital soundstage” illusion with the right recording.
Positioning of instruments in complex, 3D-sounding recordings like Original Sound Effect Track - Memory from Gundam Seed Destiny OST album or trippy recordings from Yosi Horikawa is also pretty good, though not laser sharp. In other words, Anvil can take advantage of the large soundscape that sometimes expand beyond the head to create an interesting, immersive IEM soundstage that is not commonly heard. It’s those moments when the sound pans to the sides or the “detach” of background elements from the foreground elements of the mix that makes the soundstage of Anvil more special than that of other highly competent IEMs.
Driveability
Anvil is quite sensible when it comes to sensitivity, clocking at 16.5ohm and 105dB/mW (likely at 1kHz, as the spec sheet did not elaborate on this detail). It is not too sensitive that it hisses with every DAC/amp, yet it is sensitive enough to avoid pushing portable DAC/amp to distortion. To put in context, Anvil requires almost the same volume level as the AFUL Performer5+2, much higher volume level than Andromeda 2020, and less volume level than AFUL Cantor with both my DX300 and HiBy R3II. I found that Anvil sounds competent enough with R3II and thus can recommend this pairing for a (relatively) affordable daily-driver setup. However, I do notice quite more incisive instrument separation and even more spreadout soundstage when pairing Anvil with my DX300 + Topping G5 (used as a pure amplifier). Therefore, I would say there is room for “scaling” Anvil, though such scaling is not necessary nor making “day-and-night” differences.
Comparisons
Vs AFUL Performer5+2:
- Performer5+2 is much more comfortable and easy to fit for me, thanks to the smaller shell and thinner nozzles.
- Performer5+2 sounds more even across the midrange, whilst Anvil sounds more boomy in the lower frequencies and more forward in the upper midrange. On the other hand, Anvil is more tamed in the 4-6kHz region. In short, Performer5+2 is less shouty but can be more edgy in the treble, whilst Anvil is can be more shouty but less edgy.
- Subjectively, Performer5+2 has an organic and “musical” tone in the midrange that works especially well with slower vocals and acoustic music, whilst Anvil does not give me that.
- Performer5+2’s bass has more bloom and organic decay whilst Anvil is dryer and crisper. Both IEMs render drum kits very well but in different ways.
- Both IEMs have the same degree of precision and control in terms of instrument placement in the soundstage, but the soundstage of Anvil expands further than that of Performer5+2.
- At a glance, Anvil feels more incisive and more “resolving” thanks to the more lively and dry presentation. However, when facing busy tracks, especially the ones with congested lower midrange, Performer5+2 pulls ahead in terms of how easy it is to track individual elements in the mix. These results persisted even when I pair Anvil with DX300+G5 and P5+2 with R3II.
Conclusions
As the year closes, I would like to direct your attention to the accelerated progress of “ChiFi” IEM world. Around this time last year, if you tell me something like Anvil would exist with the $200 retail price tag, I would say “keep dreaming.” It’s not dreaming anymore. It’s here, and it delivers.
So, should you add Anvil to your collection? There are but two questions you need to ask yourself. Firstly, do you have any problem with large and protruding IEM nozzles? It’s not only about comfort, but also about getting the most out of Anvil. Secondly, how much do you value an even midrange. Would you be listening to a lot of piano and string quartets with this IEM? If your answer is “no” for both, Anvil is worth consideration.
What I like about this IEM:
- Impressive, uncanny soundstage and imaging
- Tactile, agile, and impactful percussion reproduction
- Good resolution
- Generally good tonality
- Well-controlled sibilant
- Generous accessories
What could be improved:
- The nozzles should be thinner and less protruding from the shells
- Flatter midrange could improve the reproduction of piano and cello recordings
Absolute Sonic Quality Rating: 4.5/5 - Outstanding
- Timbre and tonality: 4/5
- Bass and dynamic: 5/5
- Resolution: 4/5
- Soundstage and imaging: 5/5
Bias Score: 4/5 - I like this IEM
Updated: November 16, 2024
ToneDeafMonk
Killer review wow the depth and time this must have taken
thanks.
alexandros a
Very comprehensive review adding me in the "wanna get this one as well among others" list for this year's last call purchases.............
(dear god i m gonna end up being real broke this time....)
domq422
Absolutely shame on me for missing the best reviewer on this site dropping another BANGER review.
I'm not even remotely interested in this IEM, but if you and Sharky write something, I'm all in.
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- https://www.facebook.com/pulaaudiohttps://pulaaudio.com/products/pula-anvil114-1dd-1bc-4ba-drivers-iemsDISCLAIMERAll impressions were tested using my usual setup (listed below). So, if you have a different sound impression, it might be due to subjective hearing, a defective unit, or differences in the audio source used.All my impressions are subjective and guided by the principle: “I may lie to my savings account, but my impressions are always honest.” Agree? Great. Disagree? That’s fine too. I do impressions for fun, not because I have to.
Important!! I recommend trying it out yourself because, who knows, maybe my ears need an ENT doctor—or maybe yours do (kidding!).
MY DAILY DRIVERS- IEMs: Nostalgia Audio Camelot; Symphonium Crimson; 634ears Loak2 TX03; Fatfreq Maestro Mini; Ziigaat x Jay Audio EstrellaDACs: Fiio Q15; Chord Mojo 2; XDuoo XD05 ProDAPs: HibyDigital M300Cables: Effect Audio 24c; Verus Lavender 6; VJC Heirs and Heirs Black; Kinera MiaEar Tips: Eletech Baroque; Penon Liquer; JVC Spiral Dot++; Azla Sedna Max ASMR; Kiwi Ears Flex; Spinfit W1 Premium
UNBOXINGPula is one of those brands that never skimps on accessories. Their packaging, for an IEM priced around $200, is impressive. Inside, you’ll find:
- The IEMsA large carrying case (soft material, great for holding a small DAP + IEMs)4-braid cable with modular 2-pin connector and interchangeable jacks (feels solid and similar to DUNU cables)4 types of ear tips in 3 sizes each, plus one type with 4 sizes (perfect for rolling ear tips)Manual
FITTINGWith a 1DD + 1BC + 4BA configuration, it’s no surprise that this IEM is large. When I received it, I was shocked—it’s huge! Comparable to (or the same size as) Monarch Mk2, with thick shells and a wide faceplate. The nozzle is slightly longer and wider than average. Despite the large plastic shell (similar to PA02), it feels very comfortable for me. However, those with smaller ears might need to reconsider due to its size.
SOUND IMPRESSIONSBase testing with HibyDigital M300, stock cable and ear tips, and occasionally paired with XDuoo XD05 Pro.
Bass
The focus here is clearly on midbass rather than subbass. The midbass is thick, full-bodied, and delivers a punch with average speed. This character suits those who can’t handle overly dominant midbass but still want impactful and fun bass. Subbass has a similar thickness but offers only average rumble. However, the Bone Conductor driver adds a unique touch—it creates vibrations in the ear, enhancing the dynamic feel of the low frequencies. Unfortunately, subbass positioning isn’t very immersive, staying more on the outer edges rather than surrounding you.
Mid
The vocals are airy, with just the right weight for low, mid, and high notes—whether male or female. There’s nothing negative to say about the vocals here. The positioning is perfectly centered, making it suitable for all types of music. The vocals aren’t overly sweet or rich, but their natural timbre and airy quality are definite highlights, complementing both the lows and highs. Guitar plucks and snare drums sound natural and clean.
Treble
The treble is fun, energetic, and well-controlled. For my taste, the Anvil 114 delivers treble that strikes the perfect balance for extracting micro details in every song. The extended treble is sufficient for those seeking complete treble detail, though I personally prefer cymbal tails to linger a bit longer. The treble is on the borderline between aggressive and just right. It may feel sharp in some tracks for sensitive ears, particularly with sibilant sounds like “S” or “T.” Instrument timbre is natural.
Clarity
Clear overall, but mid-treble can be slightly harsh on certain tracks with sharp sibilants. Micro detail for this price range is among the best!
Soundstage
Not overly wide but offers excellent depth. The BC driver adds layering to the low frequencies, enhancing the sense of depth and creating a more immersive soundstage.
Imaging
The 3D holographic imaging is a standout, with complete details and easy instrument pin-pointing. Layering feels spacious without being cramped. The only downside for me is the slightly recessed subbass positioning, which reduces immersiveness.
SOURCE SELECTIONAvoid bright sources, as they may make the treble too sharp. I recommend warm or balanced sources. The IEM benefits from sources with a black background to maximize detail and soundstage depth.
EAR TIP SELECTIONThe included ear tips are plentiful, so you can roll them to find the perfect fit and sound. I used the wide yellow bore tips, which were very comfortable. If you’re sensitive to treble, try Dunu S&S tips. For enhancing vocals, consider Azla Max ASMR or Kiwi Ears Flex. To reduce low frequencies, use less sealing tips like Divinus Velvet Wide Bore.
CABLE SELECTIONThe stock cable is excellent in terms of sound quality, aesthetics, and modular functionality. If upgrading, I’d recommend pure silver cables (though they’re pricey!). I tried cables like Effect Audio 24c and Eros S, but they reduced subbass and widened the soundstage too much. For better depth, Verus Lavender or VJC Heirs are great alternatives.
COMPARISONFeel free to ask in the comments, and I’ll answer if I’ve tried the IEM you’re comparing!
"If I already own PA02, is it worth upgrading to Anvil 114?"Here are some key differences:
- PA02 is laid-back, while Anvil 114 is more energetic.PA02 focuses on subbass, Anvil 114 on midbass.PA02’s treble is slightly spicier.Anvil 114 has better detail, soundstage, and clarity.Vocals might be better on PA02 (if memory serves).I love the BC driver feel on Anvil 114—it’s a unique experience!
CONCLUSION- After winning many fans with the PA02, the Anvil 114 is sure to attract attention too. Its unique driver configuration with 1BC offers a rare "vibrating" sensation that’s uncommon in this price range. High technical performance combined with a balanced tonal character makes it suitable for all genres of music.However, those sensitive to treble and the bulky IEM shells might need to think twice.avishifiGood review!!
atechreviews
100+ Head-Fier
PULA Anvil 114: Immersive Pros: Premium accessories
Attractive wooden faceplates
Comfortable fit
Immersive and dynamic Sound
Textured and punchy mid-bass
Rich mid-range
Detailed treble
Outstanding soundstage
Technical performanceCons: Chunky earpiecesUnboxing and Accessories
PULA has set a high bar with the Anvil 114’s packaging and accessories. Inside the box, you’ll find:
- A premium carrying case, which is not only practical but also aesthetically pleasing.
- Three types of ear tips: standard silicone tips, double-flange tips, and a third pair of soft stock tips for added comfort and fit options.
- A modular cable with 2.5mm, 3.5mm, and 4.4mm interchangeable terminations.
Build and Design
The Anvil 114 features a visually striking design that blends functionality with artistry. Each unit has a unique wooden faceplate with a glossy clear coat, creating a depth and texture that’s nothing short of gorgeous. My unit has purple highlights on the left earpiece and brown-and-black tones on the right, showcasing the unique nature of each earpiece.
While the shells are on the chunkier side, the nozzle diameter of 6.2mm ensured a comfortable fit for me. Despite the chunky earpiece, I found the Anvil 114 to be comfortable for extended listening sessions without any discomfort.
Sound Signature and Performance
The Anvil 114 features a unique driver configuration:
- 1 x 10mm Dynamic Driver
- 4 Balanced Armature Drivers
- 1 x 11mm Bone Conduction Driver
Bass
The bass performance is a standout. Sub-bass is present and rumbling, though not the main focus. The real star is the mid-bass, which delivers a meaty, dynamic slam with strong impact. Despite its weight and presence, the bass remains clean and controlled, avoiding any muddiness or bleed into the midrange. The decay is particularly impressive, giving the bass a natural and satisfying quality.
Midrange
The midrange is where the Anvil 114 truly shines. Thanks to the bone conduction driver, it exhibits a unique sense of space and texture. Vocals and instruments are forward and immersive, with a rich and lifelike quality. The Anvil 114 has great mid-range texture that is noticeable on acoustic guitar strums, violins, and vocals.
Male vocals benefit from the added weight of the mid-bass, while female vocals and instruments like guitars, pianos, and saxophones are rendered with a rich texture. The presentation feels spacious and transparent, making you forget you’re listening to IEMs.
Treble
The treble is smooth, airy, and detailed. It’s not overly sparkly or incisive but instead delivers a wide and spacious presentation. This airiness complements the midrange and bass, creating a cohesive and atmospheric sound.
Soundstage and Imaging
The soundstage of the Anvil 114 is nothing short of breathtaking. It’s wide, immersive, and engulfing, giving a sense of space rarely found in IEMs. Imaging is precise, with instruments and vocals placed naturally within the sound field. This level of spaciousness elevates the listening experience.
Technicalities
The Anvil 114 has great detail retrieval and separation. It holds its own against similarly priced IEMs.
Comparisons
PULA PA-02
The PA-02 has better sub-bass, but the Anvil 114 outshines it in mid-range texture, and detail. The midrange of the Anvil is also more spacious. The soundstage of the Anvil also take things to another level, making it the more immersive option.
AFUL Performer 7
The Performer 7 has a tuning that better suits my personal preferences, but the Anvil 114 stands out in two key areas for me: soundstage and sheer enjoyment. Time and time again, I find myself listening to the Anvil 114, losing track of time as I immerse myself in the music. While the Performer 7 is more detailed and tonally accurate, there's something about the expansive soundstage of the Anvil 114 that makes the listening experience so captivating and keeps drawing me back for more.
Conclusion
The PULA Anvil 114 stands out with its immersive sound, premium build, and thoughtful accessories. Its dynamic sound signature has punchy mid-bass, detailed mids, and airy treble, making it versatile across genres. The bone conduction driver enhances spaciousness, while the wide soundstage and precise imaging offer an immersive and unique experience.avishifiGood review!o0genesis0oGood review, mate! You won lottery with the faceplate of Anvil. Mine is mostly blue without any hint of purple or orange.avishifi@o0genesis0o If you contact Pula I think you can ask them to match a color for you specifically, they offered me that. Don’t know if they are still doing that, but it was very kind of themavishifi
100+ Head-Fier
Pula Anvil114 – A magic of bone conduction driver Pros: Beautiful, and full midrange presentation.
Generous amount of silicon ear-tips.
Balanced tuning.
Modular cable, easy to replace.
Lively and textured vocals, instruments.
Bass is punchy, good quality, but not amount (may be also a con).
Large PU-Leather carrying case (but why green? just a nitpick).
Wide and open sounedtage.
Imaging is very good.
Easy to drive.
Great value for the money.Cons: Sub-Bass is lacking in terms of amount
Treble is lacking to my taste
Fit and comfort is not the best, it took me long time to find the right ear-tips.
Disclaimer
The IEMs were purchased with my own money, and all opinions shared here are personal and based on my own experience using the IEMs. Additionally, this review was written by me in Hebrew for the website AudioKnights, and I used a translation tool to make the review accessible.
What's in the Box?
Pula didn’t skimp on accessories, and for good reason, as I’ll explain later in the review. Inside the box, you’ll find a wide variety of silicone tips (only silicone—no memory foam tips), four types to be precise. There’s also a modular cable with interchangeable connectors for 2.5mm, 3.5mm, and 4.4mm terminations, and a green carrying case (even though the IEMs themselves are blue—don’t ask why). Of course, the IEMs themselves are included, with a unique twist: their colors aren’t identical, and each pair comes in different, varied colors.
The cable is very comfortable; it doesn’t tangle, and it doesn’t have memory retention, which is super convenient. I’d even say it’s the highest-quality cable I’ve tried so far. There are clear markers for the right and left sides on the cable, and the IEMs themselves are also marked. If you’ve read my review of the Letshuoer S12, you know I really appreciate this attention to detail. The cable allows for swapping connector heads for different terminations, as mentioned earlier, and it’s implemented very well. The mechanism for rotating and detaching the connector head feels smooth and easy to use—not at all stiff. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the sliding ring at the cable’s split. It’s overly stiff to the point of being almost impossible to adjust. At times, I felt like I was going to tear the cable trying to move that ring. This is an area that needs improvement, as it’s not a pleasant experience. By comparison, the S12 cable’s ring didn’t grip the cable very tightly, but it was much easier to adjust, and it held the cable in place just fine.
The carrying case included by Pula feels very premium and comfortable to use. It’s not one of those that you can slip into your pocket—it’s quite large. But that size allows you to store extra silicone tips and even a dongle, which is very convenient. What I didn’t understand, though, is why they included a green carrying case when the primary color of the IEMs is blue. It might sound like a nitpick complaint, but I expected something that would match the IEMs’ color better. That said, the case is far too high-quality for this price range anyway, and it gets the job done. Overall, it’s an excellent accessory.
Remember When I Mentioned Pula’s Generosity with Silicone Tips?
Well, there’s a wide variety of silicone tips included, and it’s no coincidence. Finding comfortable silicone tips for these IEMs is no easy task, despite the extensive selection provided in the box. The nozzle is very wide, and the IEMs themselves sit quite deep in the ear, making it challenging to find a suitable pair of tips. It took me quite some time to find the ones that fit my ears well. Many other reviewers (and even Pula themselves) recommended purchasing third-party silicone tips despite the broad selection they include. After much trial and error, I finally found the pair that worked well for me. Overall, I’m satisfied with the variety offered, and that’s an important aspect. Pula also notes that without a proper seal, the bone conduction driver won’t perform as intended, so keep that in mind.
Build Quality and Design
The IEMs are made of plastic, but they don’t feel cheap in any way. When pressing on them, you can feel subtle vibrations and hear faint sounds, something I’ve never experienced with any other IEM. I’m not sure if the bone conduction driver is responsible for this or if it’s due to their design, but it’s a first for me. The color is unique, and each side has a different finish. The company claims they use wood engraving, which gives each IEM a distinctive texture. I must say, they look stunning—almost like jewelry. I absolutely loved their appearance.
That said, the IEMs are quite tall. This doesn’t affect their comfort, but if you’re not a fan of IEMs that stick out from your ears, these might not be for you—they do protrude significantly. Weight-wise, they’re relatively light, and I didn’t feel any heaviness or pressure on my ears. Once I found silicone tips that fit me, I could barely feel them in my ears, which is essential for long listening sessions in my opinion. Which again, it is not an easy task and take time for tip rolling. I must say, when I used them for long, it did not fit me well, so if you have small ears, this is something to consider. Do yourself a favor, and buy yourself soft eartips if you are getting them.
Sound Performance
The tuning of the Pula Anvil114 is relatively balanced, with a clear emphasis on the midrange, which feels present and full. Regarding the bone conduction driver—honestly, I’m not sure how much it truly impacts the sound. Often, I felt like I was feeling the music rather than strictly hearing it. The driver does produce vibrations, but it’s hard to pinpoint how significantly they influence the sound. Returning to other IEMs, I did notice the absence of this effect, though not overwhelmingly so.
Sub-Bass
The sub-bass is understated and only noticeable when emphasized in the track. Sometimes, it feels missing altogether, which was disappointing in many songs I listened to. On the other hand, in genres like lo-fi, where low frequencies are prominent, the sub-bass showed up clearly. The bass quality itself is clean and quick, which is equally important. If you prioritize quality over quantity in sub-bass, these might suit you. Personally, I found the lack of sub-bass presence to be a drawback.
Mid-Bass
Unlike the sub-bass, the mid-bass feels more present. You can feel its impact, though it’s not overwhelming. It’s well-textured and enjoyable, albeit slightly recessed compared to other frequency ranges. Additionally, the bass is fast, allowing subtle nuances to come through. The mid-bass feels dynamic, not like a monotone thump but rather a spectrum of tones. So, if you value bass quality over sheer volume, this IEM delivers nicely.
Midrange
Here’s where the magic happens. If I had to describe the mids in one word: full. Every vocal, every instrument—everything in the midrange feels alive and textured. No other IEM I’ve tried quite delivers this experience. Instruments like guitars reveal the intricacies of the strumming, pianos sound distinct and enjoyable, and violins have a body and depth that make them stand out. I’m not sure if the bone conduction driver contributes to this, but the result is incredibly satisfying.
In pop songs with many vocal elements, I had a blast—the voices felt vibrant, deep, and never blended into one another. If you’re looking for IEMs with a strong emphasis on the midrange (vocals, most instruments, etc.), these will likely be a fantastic fit.
Treble
The treble feels somewhat lacking. It’s gentle, balanced, and present but not prominent. In electronic music, instruments like synthesizers felt subdued, and high-pitched vocals also seemed underrepresented. I would have appreciated more treble to capture the subtle details that could elevate these IEMs further, especially in conjunction with their excellent midrange performance.
If you’re sensitive to treble, this might work for you. However, coming from the Letshuoer S12, I found the lack of treble here noticeable. While I didn’t expect the same level of treble as in the S12, a bit more would have gone a long way. It’s definitely an area where these IEMs could improve.
Technical Performance
Whether due to the bone conduction driver or the design, the technical capabilities of the Pula Anvil114 are impressive. The soundstage is vast—there’s a lot of space between instruments and vocals, and it never feels cramped or intimate. The separation between elements is also excellent; no frequency overpowers another, and everything is presented cleanly. The imaging is precise, allowing you to pinpoint the location of elements in the tracks. Detail retrieval is strong, with each element feeling rich and textured. This is a level of performance I haven’t experienced with many other IEMs. Overall, Pula has clearly succeeded in this area.
Comparison
Letshuoer S12
Compared to the S12, the Anvil114 feels slightly less bass-heavy, and the treble is significantly more subdued. Personally, I find the imaging on the S12 a bit better. In terms of comfort, I prefer the S12 due to its smaller, metallic build. However, the Anvil114 has a more expansive soundstage, with more texture and life in the midrange. The S12 feels more analytical, whereas the Anvil114 offers more richness and detail.
For genres like electronic music or metal, I would personally go with the S12. But for music featuring a lot of vocals and acoustic instruments, I find the Anvil114 to be the better choice. Overall, I feel the Anvil114 is a significant upgrade over the S12 in terms of technical performance and detail.
Bottom Line
My feelings about these IEMs are somewhat divided. They're not bad—quite balanced, with life in the vocals and midrange—but the lack of treble and bass is fairly noticeable. For the first time, I found myself needing to use an equalizer to truly enjoy the sound, instead of just experimenting with something else. These aren’t the easiest to recommend without trying them first, as they might not suit everyone’s taste. If you like heavy bass and treble, these may not be for you. But if you value quality bass (not necessarily quantity) and prefer a balanced tuning, they could work well.
The technical performance, especially the soundstage, really impressed me. It’s expansive, which adds a lot to the listening experience. I’m not suggesting you need to EQ them, but it’s something I personally enjoyed, and they responded quite well to it.
As for the bone conduction driver, it’s hard to say if it makes a significant difference. While I felt vibrations, I didn’t feel it was particularly impactful, though when switching to other IEMs, I noticed the absence of these vibrations. The vibrations are subtle, like placing your finger on a vibrating phone speaker, but it’s not the most pronounced effect.
One challenge to note is finding compatible ear tips. The nozzle is wide, and the IEMs sit quite deep in the ear, making it tough to find a comfortable fit with the included silicone tips. Personally, I didn’t immediately fall in love with these the way I did with the S12, which makes it harder for me to wholeheartedly recommend them without a trial period. I hope my review helps you decide whether these will be a good fit for you.
Price: $199.99 (available from HIFIGO).Last edited:jbfps116Yea... I'll stick with my PA02. If I want super nice mids, I have the Fan 3 and H60, both of which should be bassier for my preference [H60 is closer for sure.]FreeWheelinAudioLuv2Good review!Zerstorer_GOhren
1000+ Head-Fier
PULA AUDIO ANVIL 114: Smithing and Forging Of A Potential Archetype One. Pros: ● Solidly built resin shell structure.
● Despite the large size of its earpiece transducers, it still offers an excellent comfortable fitting and a good passive noise isolation.
● Aesthetically-pleasing irregular wood grain patterns on each faceplate.
● Premium quality stock cable with modular termination plug feature.
● Fully-packed with quality accessories like many types of ear tips and a large PU-leather carry case.
● Its contact-type bone conduction driver will work some wonders on the overall sound quality and also, listening experience.
● A likeable all-rounder type of its tonal profile.
● Rumbly, tactile and punchy bass response.
● Clean, transparent yet with ample warmth on its midrange presentation.
● Agreeable tonal colour reproduction on vocals and instruments as they sound almost organic and pleasant
● Smooth and lustre treble response with good amount of air.
● Impressive sound/speaker stage projection with excellent layering and an atmospheric-like stereo imaging presentation.
● Pretty well resolving on resolution capabilities.Cons: ● Some users might feel unpleasant with those contact-type bone conduction drivers as it produces some springy effect and unwanted resonance whenever they touch the faceplate panel of its shells. (Not really my concern at all)
● Too coloured sounding for adherent neutral heads.
● A large size shell chassis might be an issue to some small-eared individuals.
● Some instances of a bit too energetic and hollow sound on the upper-mids up to presence section of the treble region.
The bone conduction principle is not a modern one as this one was allegedly conceptualised by Ludwig Van Beethoven, a famous composer and piano virtuoso in the late Classical period. It is said that when he lost his hearing gradually and not to be deterred with this auricular condition, he used his mouth to bite a rod with wire that was connected at the end of the rim of a piano.
PULA Audio is one of the rising audio companies in this year and it was established around in the early 2020's. I saw some of its products when I used to browse around Aliexpress to check some audio products way back a few years ago. Those models were HT100 and HT200, and I remember correctly, the latter model has a strong resemblance of a popular model from Tripowin, The Olina if my memory serves right and also, these sets were of a single dynamic driver.
And finally, I got their latest model and this one is quite different from their sets from the previous generation. This is PULA ANVIL 114 and has a hybrid driver configuration with three driver technologies that were implemented inside. The 114 name, if I'm right about this one, if the series of numbers were broken up separately, 1,1 and then 4, corresponds somewhat to the numbers of drivers from each type of driver technology.
The entire composition of its hybrid driver set-up is comprised of dynamic driver, balanced armature drivers and bone conduction driver in which I'm quite familiar with this kind of driver technology as I tested some IEMs with similar driver technology and also happens to own some sets with this driver (Even my current top favourite TOTL IEM set has this type of driver technology, the Unique Melody Mason Fu Sang).
The single dynamic driver has 10mm diameter with “biometric” diaphragm which offers a faster, more responsive and precise sonic performance with less possibilities of unwanted resonance and distortion for deeper and modulated bass. The dynamic driver is then supported by a 11mm contact-type bone conduction driver with high strength neodymium magnet in a copper chamber as it was able to transmit an ultrasonic vibration through a skull via cartilage as our outer ear is also type of connective tissue too add more “atmospheric” reverberation effect on low frequencies. The rest of the frequencies were handled by four “custom” balanced armature drivers with some composite materials on it, these new generations of balanced armature drivers will deliver a rich, detailed and clarity on vocals and instruments. Each driver is connected to an acoustic tube with a dampener insider.
The drivers were encapsulated in a 3D-printed medium-sized shell chassis made of imported resin material which is known for its hypoallergenic properties with a CNC-milled stabilised wood faceplate that also laminated with resin. Each shell's design has its own unique look with some variances on wood grain that makes it more differentiating on one another. The overall outline of its shell has a mould of a UIEM-style profile that offers more versatile fitting to all types of ear sizes and on its interlocking mechanism, it uses a 0.78mm bi-pin connector for fastening with its detachable cable.
When it comes to wearability, the ANVIL 114 offers a comfortable fitting as it sets well to my medium-sized Asian lug holes without any discomfort. Depending on the bore sizes and material type of the ear tips, it offers an excellent passive noise isolation on how it seals well against unnecessary external noises from the outside.
The ANVIL114's stock cable is quite premium as it is sturdy built with just the right amount of weight and pliable to hold. It is made of a high purity monocrystalline copper in a 4-core structure and braided with a modular termination plug on its end. The included interchangeable termination plugs are 3.5mm, 2.5mm balanced and 4.4mm balanced and all of them are gold plated to ensure better conductivity and offer some resistance against corrosion. I don't encounter any microphonic issues at all even when I move around.
The product packaging of this one is pretty well-accessorised as it was packed with inclusions in a quantifying amount in which this set will be even more useful to operate.
Here are the following contents inside of its packaging box:
- Pair of PULA ANVIL 114 IEM transducers.
- Stock cable
- A large leatherette storage case.
- 2 pairs of double flange silicone ear tips in different standard sizes.
- 3 pairs of narrow-bore silicone ear tips in different standard sizes.
- 3 pairs of balanced-bore silicone ear tips in different standard sizes.
- Modular termination plug (3.5mm SE)
- Modular termination plug (2.5mm Balanced)
- Modular termination plug (4.4mm Balanced)
- User's manual.
The ANVIL 114, despite its multi-driver set-up, when it comes to power scaling, this one is relatively easy to drive that it only needs a sufficient power requirement from devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops and basic dongle adapter which usually have a normal gain mode output. But putting it in a better source will assure more dynamics and fuller sound quality that this IEM is able to show its full potential compared to its rather satisfactory performance.
As for its tonality, the PULA ANVIL 114 has a U-shaped sound signature in which has more prominent lows and highs while the midrange is a bit scooped on its overall frequency range spectrum.
(FR graph was provided by @baskingshark , credits to him)
LOWS/BASS:
Apparently, it appears the bass quality of this one is quite well-balanced on both sub bass presence and mid bass consistency. Along it with the support of bone conduction driver, its adds some reverberating effect on its already rumbling sub-bass which are usually produced by instruments like synthesisers, drum machines, low tone bass guitars and double-basses on the punchy, tactual and slam on the mid bass texture.
While the mid bass quality on this one is sufficiently well-bodied as it affects the sound characteristics on some instruments whose notations are on the bass-clef and also, some low pitched male vocals. Bass guitars have a weighty and rasping sound while double-basses have broader and resonant sound on every bowing on its strings or plucking, bass trumpets have full and dark timbre on them and kick bass drums have thunderous and rumbling sound on every stroke. On male vocals, both bass and bass-baritones have a deep reverberating dark timbre on their voices with a full and dense sound.
MIDRANGE:
As I mentioned that the presentation on this particular frequency part is a bit recessed but good thing that it doesn't sound too lean and dry as it has an ample warmth, adequately rich, transparent and with just the right amount of energy for some vocals and instruments. The midrange tuning that affects the tonal colour of vocals and instruments to sound organic but it adds a bit of colouration.
On male vocals, baritones have a rich and plush sound that it add some fullness on Kavalierbariton baritone to sound more steely while both Verdi and dramatic types have full and warmer voice, tenors have brassy, clear and spiciness on their vocals, and countertenors have tender, smooth and emotive voices. As for female vocals, contralto have some good depth and volume on their vocals to sound strong, rich and smoky while mezzo-sopranos have a golden and fiery vocal characteristics on them, and then on sopranos, they sound sweet, crystalline and shimmering that lyric and coloratura sopranos will fare well.
The instruments sound somehow organic but it has some added colouration that affects the timbre on them. On strings, guitars appear to have a balanced and a bit bloomy sound on every plucking and strumming, cellos have full and sonorous sound and violins sound lustrous, lively and sweet. The brass instruments like the trumpets, trombones and horns sound rounded, powerful and velvety respectively. On the woodwinds, concert flutes sound mellow and poetic, piccolos sound clear and light, clarinets have lustrous sound and saxophones sound reedy and expressive. As for percussives, snare drums have hard, incisive and impactful sound, tom-toms have warm and resonant sound on every stroke, field drums have a hard and a bit booming sound on them, and kettledrums have deep, resonant and rumbling sound. Pianos sound on a balanced side as it has the right amount of warmth to sound a bit rich with some sweet and clear.
HIGHS/TREBLE:
The treble response of this one is rather balanced and smooth as it has a slight elevation on the upper mids then a noticeable scoop in the presence area to give that lustre and enough crispness and not to sound piercing, shrill-y or strident. Despite some scooping and dips on the presence area, it is still able to give a satisfactory clarity and definition of its overall sound that also bears on vocal details and attack on instruments in both rhythmic and percussive ones.
To think that the treble air extension of this set is rather moderate and acceptable in some regard but I wish that it augmented more of its airy presence volubly, at least it has a sufficient sparkle. Cymbals have a lustrous and resonant sound, hi-hats’ distinctive chick-y sound is a bit dull, glockenspiels have bell-like and lustrous (how many times I already mentioned this term) and celestas have a velvety and golden sound.
SOUNDSTAGE, IMAGING AND OTHER TECHNICALITIES:
Depends on what types of ear tips that will be pair on this set, it can project at least reasonably spacious sound/speaker stage up to the cavernous level as it has above-average to wide lateral span, excellent height and depth on its overall sound field dimension in which the bone conduction driver somehow added some roomy reverberations to add some illusory expansive sound.
On the stereo imaging, it portrays a soundscape in an atmospheric, 3-dimensional stereo presentation in multi-layered tones and dynamics of vocals and instruments that were orderly arranged in a clean, pitch-black sonic canvas where I can pinpoint and panned out the exact positioning of certain elements with some good separation on one another.
The cohesiveness of its multi-driver set-up is also excellent as all the drivers perform harmoniously without any out of phase or distortion issues as the tandem of dynamic driver and bone conduction driver to add depth and definition on its already fluid transient response while BA drivers delivers a detailed and clear sound output.
This one is also quite pretty resolving on resolution capabilities on both macro-dynamics and micro-detail capabilities as it has solid note compression on the former while a fairly sharp definition on micro-detail retrieval as it captures some nuances and details like notation attacks, vocal ends and instrumental reverb tails from an audio track.
PEER COMPARISONS:
BQEYZ WINTER
- While this set is considered as an IEM earphone with hybrid driver configuration, it has some differences from driver implementation and build materials.
- This one sports a larger 12 mm dynamic driver and a different type of bone conduction driver which is a piezoelectric-based one and the way of the BC driver configuration is more of an air conduction rather than a contact conduction as it supports the expansive and opened sounding of its high frequencies.
- While it's on par with the ANVIL 114 in terms of quantity and quality of inclusions on its product packaging , it also has a good quality stock cable but it doesn't have a modular termination plug feature unlike the ANVIL 114's stock cable.
- The Winter has a more balanced-neutral sound profile with some emphasis on the high frequencies.
- It has balanced bass response with rumbly sub bass presence and punchy mid bass, a well-balanced, linear, clean and a bit energetic midrange that highlights vocals clarity and instruments’ detail and definition and a shimmering and airy treble response.
- The Winter also has a capable technical performance as it can also project a spacious sound/speaker stage dimension in a concave-like stereo imaging presentation with some well-stacked of layers of tones and frequencies from certain instruments and vocals sections, and it also has a remarkable resolution capability but its focuses more on micro-dynamics.
BQEYZ WIND
- Another hybrid driver set-up model from BQEYZ with bone conduction driver on its internals but this time it uses a different type of this particular driver.
- Unlike its predecessor, The Winter, this one uses a copper-type bone conduction which will be a hybrid of air and bone conduction process in terms of operation, and it was encased in semi-open back aluminium alloy shell chassis.
- Like all BQEYZ sets, this one is pretty packed with quality and quantifying amount of accessories, and while the included stock cable is of a premium quality, it doesn't have a modular termination plug option.
- This set has a warmish-neutral sound profile that presents a well-balanced, neutral tuning with just a bit of warmth on its general tonal profile.
- It has a mid bass-focused bass response but it still has some sub-bass rumble on it, a well-textured, neutrally-tuned midrange that delivers a more accentuated vocals and instrument presentation, and then, a smooth and balanced treble with modest amount of air.
- On its technical performance, this set can project a roomy sound/speaker stage as it has a wide lateral span, good height and depth in an well-layered atmospheric-like stereo imaging presentation along with strong contrast on macro-dynamics.
KIWI EARS QUINTET
- KIWI EARS’ first hybrid driver IEM in the initial-level midrange segment and it equips more driver technology inside of its composite shell chassis.
- Aside from a piezoelectric bone conduction driver inside of its international, it also has a micro-planar transducers, balanced armature drivers and dynamic drivers.
- Unlike the ANVIL 114, the quantity of this unit's inclusions is rather sparse for its asking price.
- This one has a mild U-shaped sound signature with a more balanced yet almost neutral tonality.
- The bass response of this one is more of a sub bass-centric as it has sounds a bit tighter and precise, a bit recessed yet clean and energetic midrange presentation, and a tad brighter and airy treble response.
- On technical capabilities, while it has wide lateral span and height reach on its perceived soundstage, its depth is rather unremarkable as it presents a rather linear and shallow presentation.
The PULA ANVIL 114 is definitely one of the most enjoyable sets that I've tested this year. It performs with its bone conduction driver that I've only experienced on some TOTL flagships like from Unique Melody and the indication that it has contact-type bone conduction driver that wherever you tap lightly the shells, it will produce that springy effect. As an audio enthusiast happens to own some IEMs with bone conduction drivers, this device will truly deliver that bone conduction experience as if that you are centre stage in a perceived sound field in which bass-clefs instruments will produced those distinctive reverb tails with bit rumbling depth across the sonic spatial cues to even convey that notional roomy, atmospheric effect (as long as you will find a proper fitment on it).
With its tuning which sounds somehow balanced that all types of music lovers whether they are casual or experienced audio enthusiasts will enjoy its fun and engaging sound profile along with its well-packed with quality inclusions in a reasonable price, the PULA ANVIL 114 might one of the top contender of the IEM of this year.
The PULA ANVIL 114 is exclusively available in HIFIGO, Check out the unaffiliated link below:
★★PULA AUDIO ANVIL 114★★
SPECIFICATION:
MODEL: PULA ANVIL 114
IMPEDANCE: 16.5Ω
SENSITIVITY: 105dB
FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 5Hz – 40kHz
CABLE LENGTH: 1.2m
PIN TYPE: 0.78 2-PIN CONNECTOR
PLUG TYPE: MODULAR (3.5mm, 2.5mm, 4.4mm)
DRIVER UNIT(S): (1) DYNAMIC DRIVER + (1) BONE CONDUCTION DRIVER + (4) BALANCED ARMATURE DRIVERS
TRACKS TESTED: ( * = 16-bit FLAC, ** = 24-bit FLAC, *'* = MQA, '*' = DSD, *'= .WAV)
Alison Krauss -When You Say Nothing At All *
Jade Wiedlin - Blue Kiss**
Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks **
Mountain - Mississippi Queen *
Queen - Killer Queen **
Guns N' Roses - Patience *'*
Eric Clapton - Tears in Heaven '*'
Sergio Mendes- Never Gonna Let You Go '*'
Pearl Jam - Daughter **
Roselia - Hidamari Rhodonite *
Assassin - Fight (To Stop The Tyranny)*
Celtic Frost- Visual Aggression *
New Order - Blue Monday *
The Corrs- What Can I do (unplugged version) *
Jimi Hendrix Experience - Voodoo Child *
The Madness- Buggy Trousers *
Metallica - Motorbreath **
Mariah Carey- Always Be My Baby *
Destiny's Child - Say My Name *
Malice Mizer- Au Revoir *
Mozart - Lacrimosa *
New York Philharmonic Orchestra - Dvorak- Symphony 9 " From the New World." *
Eva Cassidy - Fields of Gold (Sting cover)*
Michael Jackson - Give In To Me *
Exciter - Violence and Force *
Diana Krall - Stop This World **
Debbie Gibson - Foolish Beat *'*
The Sisters of Mercy – Lucretia My Reflection**
Suzanne Vega – Luka **
Lauren Christy – Steep *
Ottoman Mehter - Hucum Marsi *
Diana Damrau - Mozart: Die Zauberflöte*
Type O Negative - Black No.1 *
Felix Ayo - Vivaldi: Presto **
Three Tenors - Nessum Dorma *
Mercyful Fate - Witches' Dance *
P.S.
I am not affiliated to PULA AUDIO nor receive any monetary incentives and financial gains as they provide me a review unit for an exchange of factual and sincere feedback from yours truly.
Once again, I would like to send my gratitude to Ms. Hermine Qiu and Mr. Kerwen Wu of HIFIGO for providing this review unit. I truly appreciate their generosity and trust towards me and other reviewers.
Last edited:o0genesis0oNice workI like how detailed you are at describing midrange with different instruments .
Zerstorer_GOhren@o0genesis0o well mate, aside from you and me, we are one of the few reviewers who loves to explain the intricacies of the sound characteristic on vocals and instruments.FreeWheelinAudioLuv2Excellent review!FreeWheelinAudioLuv2
Headphoneus Supremus
This Belle of the Ball is a HEAVYWEIGHT (but light on it's feet)! Pros: Excellent all-arounder
Cavernous soundstage
Sibilant free upper mids and treble
Transparent midrange
Punchy mid bass
Highly resolving bass with decent sub bass extension
Very good timbre and tonality
Floaty nature to the imaging and spatial cues and instrument placementCons: Very hard left right imaging and soundstage width
Not for bassheads
Not for trebleheads
Some folks might not like the BCD spatial cues effectsPULA ANVIL 114
Let's get started. So before I begin, I would like to thank HiFiGo for the opportunity to review this set. This absolutely does not sway my impressions in any way of this set, as I'm not one to be easily persuaded to part with his ethics or responsibility to the community. This is my first Pula product I've had the opportunity to listen to, as I never did purchase the PA02, so I was very excited to get the chance to try this BCD driver set out. So buckle your seatbelts and prepare for a 100% unbiased review with heartfelt observations and thoughts. now on to the fun stuff.
The unboxing experience was pretty nice. The front sleeve has Pula and then what appears to be the tuners autograph on it. The back of the box has all the pertinent specs. This is a 1 +1 + 4, or more clearly, a 1 DD + 1 BCD + 4 BA tribrid. The inner box is hard cardboard and makes a great storage box. Inside, we have the IEMs, and a large carry case. Inside, we have a very high quality and attractive modular cable (screw fastener), and a variety of stock silicone tips in baggies. The green carry case is rather large, spacious, and would carry the IEMs, cable, tips, and maybe a tiny dongle DAC rather comfortably. Now stock tips never work for me, as they are usually too small for my cavern ears, so I chose Spinfit CP100+ XL tips, and they provided the best fit and seal and sound. I liked them not just because of the seal and fit, but because they have a hard stem core, and the Anvil 114 likes this hard type of material to sound best. The shells are HUGE. Not going to play around here. These are very large shells, with long nozzles, so they will stick out of your ears (even caverns like myself), and it might take some shifting to get them to sit properly and comfortably? The resin shells are beautiful, and lightweight. That's a uniqueness of the Anvil 114. This thing is like an illusion, as it's packing 6 drivers inside, but it feels like the shells are empty. They feel almost weightless. This does help with the comfort once you've figured out how to properly set them in your ears. I had very few issues with fit once I used the Spinfits and learned the best insertion depth and positioning. I could have very easily left the stock cable on and used it, and for awhile, I did just that, but in the end, the desire to cable roll took over, and I ended up finding synergy sisters in the Pula Anvil 114 and Tripowin Altea cable 3.5mm SE. The Pula Anvil are easy to drive from any source, but definitely scale with power, and will optimize with higher power sources.
So now that we have the unboxing experience out of the way, let's move on to the sound? That's what you're all here for anyways!! It's time to get it on!!...but first, let me share with all of you some information about the IEMs themselves. Internals, specs, and a graph? fun times indeed!
THE SPECS :
Pula Anvil 114 :
Technical Information:
>Impedance: 16.5Ω.
>Frequency Response Range: 5Hz~40kHz.
>THD+N: ≤0.5%@1kHz.
>Connector Type: 2-Pin 0.78mm.
>Sensitivity: 105dB/mW.
PULA brings us the latest ANVIL114, a brand new multi-driver hybrid IEM packing a 10mm biometric diaphragm dynamic driver, one 11mm bone conduction driver, and four high-performance balanced armature drivers on each side. ANVIL refers to the equipment used by a Blacksmith to bend and shape metal into objects, it is a symbol of the universe being forged and created. PULA takes inspiration from the mighty Blacksmith's ANVIL, designing the pair with solid stabilized wooden face covers!! PULA ANVIL114 promises outstanding sonic performance with excitingly unique looks and a unique tribrid setup as well!!
>Six-Driver Tribrid Setup.
>1 Dynamic Driver, 1 Bone Conduction Driver, and Four Balanced Armature Drivers.
>10mm Bio-Metric Diaphragm Dynamic Driver.
>11mm Bone Conductor Driver Unit.
>Four-High-Performance BA Drivers.
>Solid Stabilized Wooden Face Covers.
>Unique Texture for Each Unit.
>Balanced, Smooth Sound with Natural Tone.
>Deep, Tight Bass Response.
>Crisp, Accurate Vocals.
>Precise and Detailed Treble.
>Four-Core High-Purity Single-Crystal Copper Silver-Plated Cable.
>Swappable Termination plugs(3.5mm+2.5mm+4.4mm).
Frequency response graph courtesy of @baskingshark.
PRICE : $199.00 (on sale for $189 - BFS)
Available for purchase at this location.
The Gear :
What did I use for my listening sessions for my review??
I source roll often, from the Little Bear B4-X, iBasso DC Elite, Hiby R3 II (transport for DCE), Sony NW-A15 (untethered) and Sony NW-A25 (+B4-X) as my primary sources. The most used was the Cayin N3 Ultra (Modern Tube mode, M gain, no EQ, slow roll off filter) and Hiby R3 II + B4-X + DCE.
Music used for the review and all my reviews in general?
Ezra Collective - Where I'm Meant to Be
Robert Glasper - Canvas
Alfa Mist - Antiphon
Hugo Kant - Far From Home
Alfredo Rodriguez - Coral Way
Bob Marley & the Wailers - Survival
Rob Van Bavel Trio - Dutch Weather
Junior Kelly, Bounty Killer, and Capleton - The Good, The Bad, and the Blazin'
Dominik Eulberg - Avichrom
Abysmal Dawn - Phylogenesis
Megadeth - Rust in Peace
Drive By Jehu - Self Titled
Cognizance - Phantazein
Metallica - 72 Seasons
In Aphelion - Reaperdawn
SOUND IMPRESSIONS :
Dynamics : 4.5
Resolution : 3.5
Details : 4
Instrument separation : 4
Imaging : 4.5
Sibilance : 1
Soundstage : 5
Overall score : 4/5
BASS/MIDRANGE/TREBLE :
The Pula Anvil 114 is unique. This is truly one of the most unique listening experiences I have heard in my life. I suspect 90% of it has to do with the implementation of the BCD. Now, I have experience with BCD thru the Penon Fan 3, but the sensations and the spatial cues presented here are so different and far advanced of what I hear in the Penon Fan 3, but more on that later. Instruments float, hover, and image around the ears, behind the ears, and on a vast stage, that places voices center and north of center. It's a fascinating aural treat.
The bass is noticeable for it's punch. There's an emphasis on mid bass punch and presence, so kick drums are authoritative, elastic, and pulsing. Now, this might make you say "umm...this might be too much for me?!" Not necessarily, as there is a tactility, resolve, and speed to the bass, so there isn't much in terms of lazy, lumbering, or lingering decay. So this means there's not a whole lot of sub bass. Not to say there isn't any, or that there's roll off, but the sub bass takes a back seat to the mid bass, and it's resolution, but again, when it's called upon, like in songs from Dominik Eulberg's Avichrom, it appears, it hits, and it's a very pleasurable and hard hitting bass, when called upon, but not a basshead bass response, or a bass that's ever overbearing or overly warm. It does not overstay it's welcome. That might be a detriment to some. Nor for others. Certainly not for me.
Midrange is clean, transparent, and has a touch of warmth, so never dry, but also not overtly wet either. There's enough warmth to provide some character and emotion when it comes to vocal delivery, piano timbre, and cello and stand up note weight, but it's not bloaty or dark. There's a transparency and space within the midrange that provides a vast soundstage that the midrange operates out of, and vocals are positioned not smack dab center in projection, but just north of center. So there's some height to the stage, as well as depth, so the midrange is not flat or narrow. Not this set. Just the opposite. Upper mids are quite restrained, but present. So what you get are incisive upper mids, but safely tuned, so there's a lack of bite or resolution as a tradeoff for lack of sibilance and crispiness or rough edges in notes. So there's a softness in the upper midrange that helps make these a strong all-arounder contender, because you can listen for long periods with a large library of music, and never run into sharpness or fatiguing tones, because that area of the frequency is reigned in, but make no mistake, it's not making for a dull listen, as there's enough incisiveness and clarity that we don't get bogged down.
In turn, the treble never gets strident or spicy. Timbre is fairly natural for BA highs, and there's enough shimmer and incisiveness that crashes, rides, and cymbals have authority and crispness, without being strident, unnatural, fatiguing, or metallic. There's air, but it's not the focus of the sound scene. The giant soundstage is obviously nudged by the BCD, but the air also pushes it along, so it's not blunted or rolled off, but it does go right up to the edge, and then comes back, so again, this helps with running into any fatiguing treble, but also keeps the resolution from being optimum, and it keeps the tone from ever reaching an ethereal texture (like say the Tri i3 MK III or the ISN EBC80). That's the word I'm looking for! Texture. There's a slight lack of texture in the highs and upper mids, but it's not something that effects the overall sonic presentation, but adds to the uniqueness of the tuning, and makes for great long listening sessions.
OVERALL :
The Anvil 114 excels with it's cavernous soundstage, with it's wide left/right projection, with instruments hovering and swirling around your ears, and information and details popping out from back of the ears and above your head. It's FULLNESS. It's cleanliness. It's a solely unique imaging that any audiophile worth his weight should take the opportunity to experience. For $199.00, the Pula Anvil 114 is providing sonics that are usually found in much more expensive sets, and honestly, this set should be selling for $500+ and this would be fair. It's not. It's in a range of affordability where anyone can experience this phenomenal stage, imaging, and bass presence, with a unique midrange that has to be heard to be believed. This is top 5 for me at the moment, and there will be a place in my rotation for the Pula Anvil 114 for as long as I'm capable of hearing sounds! This is TRUTH, and free of any hyperbole. I can listen to metal (The Anvil 114 does metal like a BOSS), reggae, jazz, hip hop, R&B, electronica, or pop, and handle it with precise aplomb! I kid you not! Feed the Pula tubes, and the tonal nature of this IEM becomes creamy smooth, with above average layering and instrument placement that stereophonic with stage that's capacious and precocious!! Say that three times fast!!
COMPARISONS :
Penon Fan 3 : So it's a natural comparison, but these IEMs couldn't be more night and day. They are tuned completely different, with the only commonality being BIG AND FULL STAGE! But the stages are constructed differently. The Anvil 114 has what I would call a wondrously FUN stage, while the Fan 3 has a 3D stage that is more traditional and sonically accurate (aka not as exaggerated). The midrange is warmer and more incisive with the Fan 3, with lower mids popping way more forward than the 114. The bass is more resolving and quick, despite having one less DD, as the sub bass is more impactful on the Fan 3, but gives away with a slower bass response, with much lighter mid bass punch. So pick your poison. Mid bass punch? Anvil. Sub bass thump? Fan 3. Midrange is cleaner and clearer by a country mile for the Anvil. It's also got a wider stage scene, and more depth of field, while the midrange of the Fan 3 is more musical, warm, and incisive, and as such, has a bit more traditional resolution and bite in the upper mids and treble, and a touch more air. Though I wouldn't call the Fan 3 safely tuned, I wouldn't consider it shouty or crispy or strident. On the contrary. It's just tuned a bit freer than the Anvil as far as letting the shimmer fly, and this might also be an effect of the BCD in the Fan 3, which is tuned to give the treble more wispiness than the Anvil? Timbre is advantage Anvil, as it's a bit more natural, with drums and percussion in particular standing out as full and natural, with excellent timbre. I didn't mention this before, but the drums and percussion presentation on the Anvil 114 is SPECIAL SAUCE! They are precise and ethereal, and at the same time crisp and elastic with a weightiness that's so fun and powerful. Yep, there's that fun word again! So it's pick your poison time again. Want incisive and bitey treble with a touch more air? Fan 3. Want more resolving bass with more elasticity, quicker note decay, and mid bass punch? Anvil 114. Ying and Yang of the BCD world. It's all about mood with these two, and with dueling midranges, the better one is a matter of how you feel on a particular day? I'd say advantage Anvil 114, but only because if that sways you to want to explore that unique special sauce sonic stage scene of the Anvil 114, that's quirky and voodoo magic, then I've done a good job in conveying just how cool this IEM is, and I think everyone should get the opportunity to walk into this room, take your seat, look up, and be in for one hell of a BCD ride. Advantage : Pula Anvil 114.
ISN H60 : The H60 come in at around $350.00. These are top two in my rotation for me, and it's my benchmark IEM. So bass isn't close. The dual DD isobaric bass of the H60 punches deeper, hits harder, has more mid bass punch, and presence. Now the Anvil does have more note resolution and quickness. It's more elastic than the H60, but this doesn't make up for the overall superiority of heft, warmth and dynamics. The H60 simply has more dynamic bass, and hence, more fun and engaging. Now the midrange of the H60 is similar to the midrange of the Fan 3, so what was stated about that IEM above, mostly slots for the H60. The stage isn't as full or wide, but there's more depth and less height, and less clarity. The instrument separation and detail retrieval pop more often and have greater spatial cues on the Anvil 114, but have less character and warmth, so it all depends on if you want clarity or character? Treble air and extension are advantage H60. There's also more incisiveness, crispness, and shimmer in the H60. There's more tactility, but this might offend some sensitive to treble? I've never run across that, but the Anvil provides high quality treble that's a safer option, while the H60 provides a more satisfying top end. Advantage : ISN H60 (but it's sooooo close).
AFUL Performer 5+2 : The P7 come in at around $285. Until very recently, this sat at the very top of my rotation. It ticked all the boxes for me personally. Bass, midrange resolution, treble extension, stage, and tonality. But to be fair, the Anvil 114 is a different flavor altogether, and it can't be beat when it comes to soundstage presentation and concert hall sound. The P5+2 sound downright congested when we compare the two. Ok, that's a huge exaggeration, but it's to stress the point that the Anvil 114 isn't going to win against the P7 when it comes to technicalities, treble, or resolution, but the AFUL is what I would consider a safe, traditional sonic deployment. It does a lot of things right, but it's not the most unique offering sonically. The Anvil is. The Anvil does. Bass wise, they come very close to being equals. Similar presentations from a technical POV. Midrange is more forward in the P5+2, and has more incisiveness, but with less echo and less spatiality and wide positioning. It's more closed in and centered. If you're a treblehead, or you love treble extension, then this isn't a fair fight. P7 wins hands down, but these are complimentary IEMs, and if you have to choose, that will come down to a personal preference and choice : Do you want traditional technical, or do you want BCD uniqueness that's also technical, but more concert hall positional? you're not going to get that over the top ear to ear detail retrieval from the AFUL. That distinction belongs to the Pula Anvil 114. Advantage : Pick Your Poison.
CONCLUSION :
Truthfully, I've had a blast with the Pula Anvil 114 since the day it arrived on my porch. I'm in love with the sheer size of it's sound scene, the way instruments and information float and hover around the side and back of your ears, and pop out of nowhere above your eyes, and just the uniqueness of that tall and wide stage. There's depth of field, but it's limited to the midrange centering, and then there's that punchy, resolving bass, that provides the fun engine to this wonderous soundscape. Now, would I prefer more treble extension and upper mids bite? Damn right I would, but this just comes down to my personal preference, because nitpicking, the Pula Anvil 114 is a beginner audiphiles dream! It's a $200 IEM that performs like a $500 IEM. It's an IEM that is not dull, that provides a POV that's unlike any other IEM, and it provides all-arounder ability, so it's not an IEM that will collect dust in your rotation due to changing tastes in music from month to month. It's the quirky, talented utilitarian brother that garners all the attention at family BBQ's, and you wish you were like! I cannot throw my recommendation forcefully enough towards the Anvil 114. It should be a staple in any self-respecting audiophile's rotation, and I have no doubt that when you do add it, you'll rave about it, get addicted to it's sonic characteristics, and come back to thank me later. Ok, you don't have to do that last part, but just remember who told you?
RECOMMENDATION LEVEL : BOSS LEVEL - HIGHEST 10/10.
Thank you so much for reading and remember to be water with your audio luv! When you do...AUDITORY ZEN UNLOCKED!Last edited:o0genesis0oGreat review and comparisonsbaskingshark
Headphoneus Supremus
Pros: Princely accessories
Comfortable fit despite larger shells and nozzles
Balanced tonality
Clean and textured bass, with tactile mid-bass punch from BC
Transparent midrange
Resolving treble which is sibilant-resistant
Good technical chops
Solid coherency despite mishmash of driver typesCons: Like most BC sets, there are some echoes and microphonics from the shell if tapped
Needs a bit of amplification to scale
Below average isolation
Some BA timbre in treble regionsDISCLAIMER
I would like to thank HIFIGO for providing this review unit.
The Pula Anvil 114 can be gotten here: https://hifigo.com/products/pula-anvil114 or https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DLB9KN5D/pula+anvil114/ (no affiliate links).
SPECIFICATIONS
- Driver configuration: 1 x 10 mm biometric dynamic driver + 1 x 11 mm bone conduction driver + 4 x balanced armature drivers
- Frequency response: 5 Hz - 40000 Hz
- Impedance: 16.5 Ω
- Sensitivity: 105 dB/mW
- Cable: 2-pin 0.78 mm; single-crystal copper silver-plated cable; 2.5 mm, 3.5 mm and 4.4 mm modules
- Tested at: $199.99 USD
ACCESSORIES
Other than the IEM, these are included:
- 2 pairs of double-flange silicone eartips
- 4 pairs of wide-bore silicone eartips
- 3 pairs of narrow-bore silicone eartips
- 3 pairs of balanced silicone eartips
- Carrying case
- Cable
- Modules for 2.5 mm, 3.5 mm and 4.4 mm plugs
For something retailing at sub-$200 USD, the accessory line-up is generous. I've surely seen pricier IEMs with a stingier accessory spread. Other than the lack of foam tips, everything else is quite usable for the audiophile out-of-the-box.
We have a buffet of silicone eartips to choose from. Do explore to see what suits your needs sonically, but the narrow-bore ones boost bass the most (with some compromise in soundstage), whereas the wide-bore tips increase treble and staging. The balanced eartips are a mid-point between the two in terms of sound, whereas the double-flange tips have the deepest insertion (and isolation), though some might find them uncomfortable.
The stock cable is a 2-pin single-crystal copper silver-plated one, with 3 modules for 2.5 mm (balanced), 4.4 mm (balanced) and 3.5 mm (single-ended) terminations, depending on your source needs. This cable is well-braided with minimal tangling, though it has microphonics.
I appreciate that the modules have a screw-on design, so this prevents inadvertent disconnection of the cable from the module - this is something that happens not uncommonly, causing the connected DAP to drop to the floor!
We have a green leatherette case, which is spacious to hold the IEM and other acccessories. It has an inner velvety material and webbing to cushion the contents.
The rest of this review was done with the stock cable and stock balanced silicone eartips. No aftermarket accessories were used, so as not to add any confounders to the sound.
BUILD/COMFORT
The shells are fashioned from CNC-machined resin, with a solid stabilized wood faceplate. PULA says each faceplate is unique in terms of the grain pattern, so it is quite exclusive as such.
Despite the larger housing and nozzles, comfort is actually very decent. The earpieces are lightweight, and can be used for prolonged listening sessions without much issues. The insides of the shells are smooth, with a concha protrusion for stability.
Like other bone conducting units, there are some echoes and microphonics originating from the shell if this is tapped or moved, which is part of how the bone conduction tech works. Some might find this disconcerting, especially if you are a first-time BC tech user.
This is a heavily vented IEM, and isolation is hence below average. I did not encounter any driver flex on my pair.
INTERNALS
The Anvil is packs an eclectic configuration of driver types:
- 1 x 10 mm biometric dynamic driver handles the bass
- 1 x 11 mm bone conduction driver is a full-range driver
- 2 x balanced armature drivers take care of the midrange
- 2 x balanced armature drivers settle the treble
DRIVABILITY
I tested the PULA Anvil 114 with the following sources:
- Apple dongle
- Cayin RU7
- Chord Mojo 2
- Fiio KA15 dongle
- Fiio KA17 dongle
- Khadas Tone Board -> Schiit Asgard 3 amp
- Questyle M15 DAC/AMP dongle
- Sony Walkman NW A-55 DAP (Walkman One WM1Z Plus v2 Mod)
- Sony Walkman NW WM1A DAP (Walkman One WM1Z Plus v2 Mod)
- Smartphone
This IEM is moderately difficult to drive, and would scale better with amplification.
SOUND & TECHNICALITIES
Graph of the PULA Anvil 114 via IEC711 coupler.
Tonally, the Anvil sports a balanced mild U-shaped signature.
Do note that bone conduction (BC) vibrations cannot be measured on a standard coupler, and hence its contribution doesn't show up on graphs. Additionally, the BC tech requires a snug fit so that the shells contact a surface area of the concha to transmit sound waves over a more dense part of the ear - so a poor contact would detract slightly from the experience. Essentially, the BC here adds a bit of lower midrange and bass vibrations, but overall it is not a massive determinant of the overall sound profile, which is still U-shaped, but you might lose some bass and heft if the fit is not proper.
The Anvil is sub-bass focused, with a good visceral rumble heard (assuming good contact with the BC is obtained). Bass is tight and nimble, with minimal bleed. Texturing is solidly done, and mid-bass punch is tactile courtesy of the BC.
The midrange has minimal recession and is pretty transparent. With a 8 - 9 dB ear gain, female vocals are just at the edge of forwardness without overly veering to shouty territory (this is also dependent on volume playback AKA Fletcher Munson curve).
The lower treble is quite resolving with minimal sibilance. The upper treble rolls-off thereafter, and while the Anvil is not a dark IEM, neither is it a very treblehead and airy set. Treble-sensitivity is once again quite subjective - dependent on hearing health, volume played at, sources, eartips, ear anatomy, fit for BC conduction counterpoint etc - but the Anvil in my book has quite a good mix of treble clarity without overstaying its welcome. Cymbals and highhats are not overly splashy, and fatigue is kept minimal.
The Anvil loses some marks in timbral accuracy in the higher registers - so called "BA timbre" where note weight is a bit hollow - which is not surprising for something utilizing 4 BAs. This may be more prominently displayed when acoustic instruments come out to play.
The Anvil has good technicalities for a sub-$200 multi-driver type. Instrument separation and layering keep up with complex and rapid riffs, and soundstage is above average in all 3 dimensions when amped well. Micro-details are captured well and imaging is accurate.
Other than the aforementioned BA timbre in the upper frequencies, the Anvil does coherency admirably for a Frankenstein hodgepodge mix of drivers; some rivals with a host of different drivers sometimes run into the bass driver being slower than the treble drivers for example.
COMPARISONS
The Anvil utilizes a very unique driver setup, with few rivals using the same configuration. Nevertheless, it will be compared against some multi-driver IEMs at around $200 USD.
ZiiGaat Doscinco
The Doscinco is a basshead hybrid. It has greater bass quantities, though this isn't as tight, with some bleed.
The Doscinco is a league behind in micro-details, imaging and soundstage.
Driver flex mars the fit of the Doscinco, which is not present in the Anvil. The Doscinco is also more sparsely accessorized.
KIWI Ears KE4
The KE4 is one of those new-age "META" type pleasant tunings, which has a thicker note weight and less treble/upper mids presence than the Anvil.
The KE4 has a more natural timbre, but loses in other metrics - such as treble extension, bass tightness, imaging, soundstage and micro-details.
The KE4 is also poorly accessorized, and glaringly, has driver flex, which may be a deal-breaker for some.
Penon Fan 2
The Fan 2 is a warm neutral set. It has a more lush midrange than the Anvil, but has less bass and treble extension.
The Fan 2 has weaker imaging, soundstage and micro-detailing, but is more laid back tonally.
The Fan 2 has polarizing long nozzles, which affects comfort and fit, so once again, this may be an issue for some consumers compared to the more ergonomic Anvil.
CONCLUSIONS
The PULA Anvil 114 is a solid entrant to the ultra-competitive sub-$200 market. It has a balanced tonality and does most departments well - consider it an archetypal jack-of-all-trades. We hear a clean and textured bass paired with a transparent midrange, coupled with a resolving treble that for the most part avoids fatigue. The added BC punches hard in the mid-bass to provide some tactile fun, and technicalities are done well.
For a ragtag assembly of drivers, cohesion is surprisingly done well, with the drivers working in tandem, though some BA timbre in the upper frequencies rears its ugly head when acoustic instruments are showcased - so perhaps timbre fastidious listeners might need to look elsewhere.
The Anvil has a generous provision of accessories, in addition to good comfort (despite the larger shells and nozzles). However, it does scale better with juice - so at least a dongle amp is recommended - and some may be unused to the BC types generating microphonics and echoes if the housing is tapped or moved.
All things considered, the Anvil 114 gets my recommendation for a solid sub-$200 set. You can do much worse for the money nowadays.Last edited:cobrabucketCheers, my guy! I always appreciate your insight...pk4425Damn it: Anvil or Fan 3? Nice review, mate! You've made my decision more vexing!o0genesis0o
Headphoneus Supremus
PULA ANVIL114 - Forging new value Pros: + Impressive, uncanny soundstage and imaging
+ Tactile, agile, and impactful percussion reproduction
+ Good resolution
+ Generally good tonality
+ Well-controlled sibilant
+ Generous accessoriesCons: - The nozzles should be thinner and less protruding from the shells
- Flatter midrange could improve the reproduction of piano and cello recordingsThe forth quarter of 2024 is full of surprise in the personal audio market. Today, the surprise continues with a new release from PULA, a tribrid IEM named ANVIL114.
Forewords
- What I look for in an IEM is immersion. I want to feel the orchestra around my head, track individual instruments, and hear all of their textures and details. I’m not picky about tonality, as long as it does not make the orchestra, violin, cellos, and pianos sound wrong.
- I rate IEMs within with a consistent scale from 1 (Poor) to 3 (Good) to 5 (Outstanding). An overall ranking of 3/5 or above is considered positive.
- Ranking list and measurement database are on my IEM review blog.
- The terminology for subjective impressions in this review is based on the Audio Wheel for reproduced sound defined in the technical report ITU-R BS.2399-0
- This review is based on a review sample from HiFiGo (Thank you Kerwen@Hifigo for arrangement!). I have no affiliation with or financial interest in PULA or HiFiGo.
- The unit retails for $189 at the time this review was published. Unaffiliated link: HiFiGo Web Store
General Information
PULA is another mysterious manufacturer from China whose IEMs are available via the retailer HiFiGo. That said, PULA is not without fans thanks to the success of previous releases, including the PA02 hybrid IEM. This time, PULA is back with ANVIL114, a 6-driver tribrid IEM equipped with an 11 mm Bone Conduction Driver (BCD) (For brevity, I’ll call this IEM Anvil in the rest of this article).
As the name implies, ANVIL114 has a 1+1+4 driver configuration, consisting of a 10mm dynamic driver (DD) with a bio diaphragm handling the bass frequencies, 11mm bone conduction driver (BCD) offering a full-range response, and 4 balanced armature (BA) drivers, 2 of which handle the midrange whilst the others handle the treble.
The star of the show is undoubtedly the new 11mm bone conduction driver. Unfortunately, no additional technical information is available about these drivers. Given that we know the diameter of the BCD, it’s likely that Anvil is equipped with a piezoelectric bone conduction unit, which operates similarly to the ones inside the acclaimed MEST series IEM from Unique Melody. The only indicator of the existence of the BCD inside Anvil is the unique “spring ping” sound whenever I tap the earpieces.
Non-sound Aspects
Packaging and accessories The box of Anvil is surprisingly less decorated than usual. It’s completely devoid of artworks and audio related motifs, thus reminding me of a tea box rather than an IEM box. Fortunately, it’s the content that count, and Anvil comes with quite hefty set of accessories that is unexpected given the price tag. In the box, you would find:
- The earpieces themselves
- 3 different types of eartips, including double-flanged ones
- IEM cable with interchangeable plug system. All three options (3.5mm, 2.5mm, and 4.4mm) are provided
- A roomy carrying case with felt lining. This is essentially the same carrying case that comes with some high-end IEMs like AFUL Cantor and Canpur CP54E.
Where I have problem with Anvil is the design of the earpieces, particularly the nozzles. Simply put, Anvil has the most tricky combination of characteristics for the nozzles: thick and long. Whilst the metal tube that we call “nozzles” is not longer than average, we need to also account for the plastic part behind the metal tube, protruding from the base of the earpieces. Due to this design, the base of the earpieces do not sit flush against the concha area of my ears, which is not a good thing for BCD which relies on solid contact with the concha for optimal performance. Fitting the nozzles deeper into the ear canal is out of question for me, due to the thickness of the nozzle.
Fit, comfort and isolation I had to try quite a few types of eartips in my collection to find one that fits well and do not put too much pressure on the ears in long listening sessions. When finding the right eartips, I can achieve a stable and comfortable fit with Anvil. The noise isolation is quite good, yet I did not experience any pressure build up or driver flex problem during my tests.
In order to maximize the performance of the BCD, I gently press the back of the earpieces against the antihelix of my ears. I hear a slight but interesting change in the side channels of the soundstage when the earpieces have solid contact with the antihelix, so I guess that the BCD works as intended.
Ear tips recommendation: Quite tricky. Ideally, you need shorter and sticky eartips. However, I couldn’t get stable seal with my trusty Velvet eartips. Inthe end, I settled for Tri Clarion eartips.
Sonic Performance
Test setup:
- Sources: iBasso DX300, HiBy R3II
- Cable: stock cable with 4.4mm termination, Effect Audio CADMUS II
- Ear tips: Tri Clarion
Timbre: It is helpful to think of an IEM as a filter that sits between the incoming audio signal and your ear drums. This filter makes some parts of the signal (frequencies) louder whilst other parts quieter. This effect can be measured objectively by the squiggly lines below, called Frequency Response (FR) graphs, which measure how loud an IEM is at different frequencies from 20Hz (bass) to 20kHz (upper treble). Ideally, an IEM should change the signal as least as possible (a.k.a., “flat tuning”) to avoid disturbing the balance between fundamental frequencies of instruments and their harmonics to ensure that they sound natural and life-like. Practically, IEM engineers can tune or “voice” an IEM to deviate carefully from the flat tuning to create interesting colouring and effects on the audio content. This voicing or tonal balance of an IEM can be denoted as its sound signature. Subjectivity is how your ears and brain interpret such sound signature and decide whether it is “enjoyable”
Figure shows the frequency response of Anvil against the Harman in-ear target. Measurements were done with an IEC-711-compliant coupler and might only be compared with other measurements from this same coupler. Above 8kHz, the measurement likely does not match the response at the ear drum. Visit my graph database for more comparisons.
The tonal signature of Anvil can be described as “refined V-shaped”, though as you would see, it does not really conform to the mould.
The midrange of Anvil demonstrates clear characteristics of a V-shaped tuned IEM, meaning there is stronger emphasis in both the lower and upper midrange. Practically, it means pianos and orchestra would not sound even across the range. Across my classical and acoustic library, I found that my recordings sound rather boomy and even slightly muffled in the lower midrange. I also found that female vocals are a bit more emphasised and pushed forward than my preference. In other words, there is a degree of “shoutiness” with Anvil. Fortunately, both boominess and shoutiness problems fade away quickly with repeated exposure. By the end of my testing period, it takes me only half a song get acclimated to the midrange tonality of Anvil and become unbothered.
Looking beyond the peculiars of V-shaped midrange, I would say Anvil still does a good job with the midrange. Ed Sheeran sounds rich and emotive without becoming too piercing or harsh, even with harsher recordings in the “=” album. John Denver sounds sweet and breezy. “Weeb” music such as Kiwi wa Boku ni Niteiru by See-Saw sounds clear, clean, and emotive without unbearable shoutiness or harshness. Rock bands such as Polyphia also sound great across the board. The only tracks where Anvil does only an okay job are cellos, pianos, and chamber musics.
The treble and bass region are where Anvil deviates from the V-shaped signature and earns itself the “refined” moniker. We will talk about bass in the next section. Here, let’s discuss treble. After peaking at the upper midrange, Anvil quickly rolls off the lower-treble, particularly the presence region around 4-6kHz to keep treble harshness under control. This tuning choice if particularly beneficial for Anvil to counter its upper-midrange boost and the difficulty to fitting Anvil deeply into the ear canal to smoothen the treble. The upper parts of treble of Anvil is also quite uneventful. Practically, it means you would find cymbals, hats, chimes, and higher brass instruments to be more quiet than usual with Anvil. On the plus side, the details and nuances of these instruments are reproduced very well and because they are less loud, it would be easier for you to hear those instruments. The more restrained treble response also ensure that Anvil handle sibilant recordings well, especially with tracks mixed with hotter 5-6kHz region.
Percussion, Bass, and perceived dynamic: In this section, my focus is the not just the bass, but rather the sense of dynamic of an IEM. Can it convey the sense of beat and rhythm? Can it reproduce transients, the fast and large jump of loudness in the music? Simply put, is this IEM toe-tapping? Creating this energy requires all parts of the frequency spectrum working together: treble energy around 4-6kHz conveys snappy attacks of stick hitting percussive instruments at the beginning of a beat, bass energy around 150Hz conveys the punchy sensation of the beat itself, whilst the subbass energy below 60Hz creates the physical rumble sensation that convey power and atmosphere. Weak treble response dulls the attacks. Weak bass makes beats hollow. Too much bass makes bassline blurry and dulls the sense of rhythm. Thus, “dynamic IEM” is a balancing art.
Percussion and dynamic are where Anvil flexes. But first, let’s talk about the rather strange bass of Anvil. Simply put, Anvil has less bass quantity that other recent releases with V-shaped or U-shaped tuning, yet it can convey a great sense of impact with each beat in the music. Practically, having less bass quantity means when I listen to tracks with strong low-pitched rumble, such as the opening theme of Skyrim, I found the rumble to be rather faint and de-emphasised. Moreover, the perception of bass impacts tend to happen at the “phantom centre” in the middle of my head or at the ear drums rather than being pushed down to the throat or even the chest like what I hear with sub-bass focused IEM.
The more restrained bass quantity of Anvil has an advantage: it makes the bassline of Anvil sounds dry, crisp, and “fast”. This dryer presentation is also aided by rather great quality of the bass. It means textures and details of the bass guitars, double basses, lower notes of cellos are well preserved and presented.
Where Anvil shines the brightest is how it presents drums and beats. The best way to visualise the presentation of Anvil is imaging the sound of a hammer striking a piece of red hot steel on an anvil. Anvil does a great job of scaling from a pitch-black background to the full drum hit and then come back to zero in an incisive and impactful way. As a result, Anvil sounds tactile and physical, despite not having a large amount of bass. This presentation is particularly suited for faster kick drums in Polyphia’s albums. At the same time, Anvil also conveys the energy of “epic” soundtracks from video games with finesse. Agile, tactile, and impactful. It’s a toe-tapping IEM.
Resolution: To me, “resolution” can be broken down into three components: (1) Sharpness, incisiveness, or “definition” of note attacks (see the figure below). (2) The separation of instruments and vocals, especially when they overlap on the soundstage. (3) The texture and details in the decay side of the notes. The first two give music clarity and make it easy to track individual elements of a mix. The last provides music details and nuances. Whilst IEMs can “force” clarity by boosting treble to unnatural level, it might still lack resolution as it cannot “peel apart” complex tracks with overlapping instruments
Anvil is a quite resolving IEM in the grand scheme and outright impressive if we consider its price tag. The incisiveness of its presentation, combined with the retrained bass quantity ensures that the midrange feels clean and present. The rather great treble quality that I described previous help Anvil conveys a great sense of details and nuances in the music. Whilst Anvil is not entirely “effortless” when handling complex recordings such as ABC feat. Sophia Black by Polyphia (meaning it takes some deliberate effort from my side to identify and track individual elements in the mix), it does a better job than the venerable Moondrop Blessing 2 in A/B tests, despite having thicker lower midrange. The overall sense of separation detail retrieval in this track is identical to, if not better than my Andromeda 2020, the “gatekeeper” of “great resolution” in my system.
Recordings with congested lower frequencies such as Now We Are Free performed by 2CELLOS does trip Anvil up as the presentation feels a bit too boomy and lacking definition for me. This result is somewhat inevitable due to the tuning choice of Anvil. On the plus side, sparse recordings such as Ciaccona from Bach’s Violin Partita No. 2 in D Minor, performed by Kavakos sound great with Anvil. I like the clean, dry tone of violin and the clear reproduction of reverberation.
Stereo imaging and soundstage: Stereo imaging or “soundstage” is a psychoacoustic illusion that different recording elements appear at various locations inside and around your head. Your brain creates based on the cues in the recording, which are enhanced or diminushed by your IEMs, your DAC, and your amplifier. In rare cases, with some specific songs, some IEMs can trick you into thinking that the sound comes from the environment (a.k.a., “holographic”)
Let’s face it: the expected “magic sauce” in the soundstage and stereo imaging is the main reason why you look for an IEM with BCD. Thus, the make-or-break of Anvil would be the soundstage illusion that it can convey. Despite some hiccups at the beginning, Anvil ultimately delivers on the soundstage front.
Before we talk about “soundstage of BCD”, let’s get two disclaimers out of the way. Firstly, no, this IEM does not sound like a pair of stereo speakers or Dolby Atmos spatial audio. It would not magically transport you to a concert hall. It does not push the singer outside the phantom centre in your head to place them in front of you. Secondly, the effectiveness of BCD relies heavily on the fit. Simply put, you need to have as much contact between the shells and your ears as possible. An additional point is that it is rather impossible to say with any certainty whether the soundstage effect I describe here is actually caused by the BCD, since there is no way to turn off the BCD and compare. So, it’s possible that it’s simply the case that the shell design and the tuning of Anvil gives it a nice soundstage.
With the disclaimers out of the way, let’s talk about Anvil’s soundstage. Spacious and uncanny would be two keywords that I use. Recordings feel expansive, as if there is no “wall” at the outer bound of the stage that limits the sound from travelling outward. This effect is the most prominent with spacious recordings such as Shadow of Baar Dau, which can trigger the illusion that the music expands outward to fill in the environment around me. Left-to-right extension of the soundstage is quite strong, as Anvil regularly triggers the illusion that the side channels of the mix come from outside the ears. The illusion of depth and layering is also strong, thanks to the clear contrast between the center of the soundstage and the background elements such as the string or choral section, generally placed further away at front-left and front-right of the stage. There are also instances when the sound elements seem to be placed behind my ears or towards the back of my head. The height illusion is not as prominent, but competent enough to complete an “orbital soundstage” illusion with the right recording.
Positioning of instruments in complex, 3D-sounding recordings like Original Sound Effect Track - Memory from Gundam Seed Destiny OST album or trippy recordings from Yosi Horikawa is also pretty good, though not laser sharp. In other words, Anvil can take advantage of the large soundscape that sometimes expand beyond the head to create an interesting, immersive IEM soundstage that is not commonly heard. It’s those moments when the sound pans to the sides or the “detach” of background elements from the foreground elements of the mix that makes the soundstage of Anvil more special than that of other highly competent IEMs.
Driveability
Anvil is quite sensible when it comes to sensitivity, clocking at 16.5ohm and 105dB/mW (likely at 1kHz, as the spec sheet did not elaborate on this detail). It is not too sensitive that it hisses with every DAC/amp, yet it is sensitive enough to avoid pushing portable DAC/amp to distortion. To put in context, Anvil requires almost the same volume level as the AFUL Performer5+2, much higher volume level than Andromeda 2020, and less volume level than AFUL Cantor with both my DX300 and HiBy R3II. I found that Anvil sounds competent enough with R3II and thus can recommend this pairing for a (relatively) affordable daily-driver setup. However, I do notice quite more incisive instrument separation and even more spreadout soundstage when pairing Anvil with my DX300 + Topping G5 (used as a pure amplifier). Therefore, I would say there is room for “scaling” Anvil, though such scaling is not necessary nor making “day-and-night” differences.
Comparisons
Vs AFUL Performer5+2:
- Performer5+2 is much more comfortable and easy to fit for me, thanks to the smaller shell and thinner nozzles.
- Performer5+2 sounds more even across the midrange, whilst Anvil sounds more boomy in the lower frequencies and more forward in the upper midrange. On the other hand, Anvil is more tamed in the 4-6kHz region. In short, Performer5+2 is less shouty but can be more edgy in the treble, whilst Anvil is can be more shouty but less edgy.
- Subjectively, Performer5+2 has an organic and “musical” tone in the midrange that works especially well with slower vocals and acoustic music, whilst Anvil does not give me that.
- Performer5+2’s bass has more bloom and organic decay whilst Anvil is dryer and crisper. Both IEMs render drum kits very well but in different ways.
- Both IEMs have the same degree of precision and control in terms of instrument placement in the soundstage, but the soundstage of Anvil expands further than that of Performer5+2.
- At a glance, Anvil feels more incisive and more “resolving” thanks to the more lively and dry presentation. However, when facing busy tracks, especially the ones with congested lower midrange, Performer5+2 pulls ahead in terms of how easy it is to track individual elements in the mix. These results persisted even when I pair Anvil with DX300+G5 and P5+2 with R3II.
Conclusions
As the year closes, I would like to direct your attention to the accelerated progress of “ChiFi” IEM world. Around this time last year, if you tell me something like Anvil would exist with the $200 retail price tag, I would say “keep dreaming.” It’s not dreaming anymore. It’s here, and it delivers.
So, should you add Anvil to your collection? There are but two questions you need to ask yourself. Firstly, do you have any problem with large and protruding IEM nozzles? It’s not only about comfort, but also about getting the most out of Anvil. Secondly, how much do you value an even midrange. Would you be listening to a lot of piano and string quartets with this IEM? If your answer is “no” for both, Anvil is worth consideration.
What I like about this IEM:
- Impressive, uncanny soundstage and imaging
- Tactile, agile, and impactful percussion reproduction
- Good resolution
- Generally good tonality
- Well-controlled sibilant
- Generous accessories
- The nozzles should be thinner and less protruding from the shells
- Flatter midrange could improve the reproduction of piano and cello recordings
- Timbre and tonality: 4/5
- Bass and dynamic: 5/5
- Resolution: 4/5
- Soundstage and imaging: 5/5
Updated: November 16, 2024ToneDeafMonkKiller review wow the depth and time this must have takenthanks.
alexandros aVery comprehensive review adding me in the "wanna get this one as well among others" list for this year's last call purchases.............(dear god i m gonna end up being real broke this time....)
domq422Absolutely shame on me for missing the best reviewer on this site dropping another BANGER review.
I'm not even remotely interested in this IEM, but if you and Sharky write something, I'm all in.
I'll get all my blacksmith puns ready for the next go.