Elysian Annihilator 2023

[MusicalDoc8]

What an insulting price tag, this is insane... I'd never buy anything from this company.
BTW I've heard the Anni 2023 recently and frankly I was expecting something better, especially considering the hype around it.

Edit : I've just seen the "Berluti leather case" as a selling argument, for an IEM, really?? Sorry but this is pathetic

Been using the Anni23 as my main driver, i feel they can give me almost an LCD5 in portable form. What didn't you like and what did you compare them to?

Also, i'm starting to think they we hit more or less "peak audio" in last couple years and now the only limit is how much they can supercharge the price to sell to people who use them as jewels more than an audio device. like those multi kilobuck DACs.

 

[altib]

Been using the Anni23 as my main driver, i feel they can give me almost an LCD5 in portable form. What didn't you like and what did you compare them to?

Also, i'm starting to think they we hit more or less "peak audio" in last couple years and now the only limit is how much they can supercharge the price to sell to people who use them as jewels more than an audio device. like those multi kilobuck DACs.

My main concern was in the bass - not enough slam and texture. I'm not a basshead (I really don't like the bass presentation of the EE Legend Evo for instance) but I was expecting a tighter and more defined low end. My second concern was the treble, ok it's well defined with a lot of details but this is too much, it's disturbing from the music itself and it seems to reflect the measurements.
I've compared with the EE Raven - Kinera Loki (bright as well but amazing bass and details) - Alter Ego (Excellent) and UM Maven 2.
All of these were driven from a Fiio R9 so the lack of power was not the cause. BTW my Qudelix 5k was not able to drive the Anni 2023 properly.

Every of these multi kilobuck has their own pros and cons but the Anni 2023 wasn't as good as I was expecting prior listening to it and for me, does not worth its price tag.
Maybe too much hype kill the hype.

I totally agree with the multi kilobuck DACs - from a pure audio perspective it's useless, but here we are talking about a leather case to promote an IEM, this is insane

 

[sk57rus]

My main concern was in the bass - not enough slam and texture. I'm not a basshead (I really don't like the bass presentation of the EE Legend Evo for instance) but I was expecting a tighter and more defined low end. My second concern was the treble, ok it's well defined with a lot of details but this is too much, it's disturbing from the music itself and it seems to reflect the measurements.
I've compared with the EE Raven - Kinera Loki (bright as well but amazing bass and details) - Alter Ego (Excellent) and UM Maven 2.
All of these were driven from a Fiio R9 so the lack of power was not the cause. BTW my Qudelix 5k was not able to drive the Anni 2023 properly.

Every of these multi kilobuck has their own pros and cons but the Anni 2023 wasn't as good as I was expecting prior listening to it and for me, does not worth its price tag.
Maybe too much hype kill the hype.

I totally agree with the multi kilobuck DACs - from a pure audio perspective it's useless, but here we are talking about a leather case to promote an IEM, this is insane

Many people love Anni just for the high frequencies, despite not the best bass

 

[BJPromo]

Many people love Anni just for the high frequencies, despite not the best bass

I bought it for the treble, kept it for the bass. Still get loads of pleasure from this Iem tbh

 

[shabta]

My main concern was in the bass - not enough slam and texture. I'm not a basshead (I really don't like the bass presentation of the EE Legend Evo for instance) but I was expecting a tighter and more defined low end. My second concern was the treble, ok it's well defined with a lot of details but this is too much, it's disturbing from the music itself and it seems to reflect the measurements.
I've compared with the EE Raven - Kinera Loki (bright as well but amazing bass and details) - Alter Ego (Excellent) and UM Maven 2.
All of these were driven from a Fiio R9 so the lack of power was not the cause. BTW my Qudelix 5k was not able to drive the Anni 2023 properly.

Every of these multi kilobuck has their own pros and cons but the Anni 2023 wasn't as good as I was expecting prior listening to it and for me, does not worth its price tag.
Maybe too much hype kill the hype.

I totally agree with the multi kilobuck DACs - from a pure audio perspective it's useless, but here we are talking about a leather case to promote an IEM, this is insane

You have to play around with the tips. Since I switched to corier brass tips, the bass is really tight and well defined. It also requires the right amp...

 

[MusicalDoc8]

Many people love Anni just for the high frequencies, despite not the best bass

I am pitting them against my trifecta, and while the trifecta is a FUN IEM, the Anni are a much more corret IEM that always suprises me in how much i end up underestimating its bass. To me, it feels just "right".

 

[AboveNBeyond]

What an insulting price tag, this is insane... I'd never buy anything from this company.
BTW I've heard the Anni 2023 recently and frankly I was expecting something better, especially considering the hype around it.

Edit : I've just seen the "Berluti leather case" as a selling argument, for an IEM, really?? Sorry but this is pathetic

They must be so happy being the first item on the first page of musictek iem page as the most expensive item.

 

[Denosha]

My first post on this thread after being late to the game and reading thru 81 pages of prior posts. I had auditioned the Anni against the EE Ravens and Odin, which I had shortlisted as they were around the same price range and from various reviews, seemed like IEMs i might like. Anyway, based on my tonal preferences and library (90% metal, 9% jazz, 1% others) the Annis ticked the most boxes for me. I would say at this price range it's really more about preferences rather than one IEM being definitively "better" than another. More of just different flavours i feel.

Anyway, I collected my Anni23s the day after Xmas after a 3 week pre-order wait. It could have been in time for Xmas but i was in hospital when they notified me. Yeah, i collected the Anni while nursing a broken left arm . And it was totally worth it!

I'm still in the honeymoon period trying to figure out which sources and tips work best. So far i like the synergy with the RU7 best as it injects some warm and analog musicality to balance things out. On the DC Elite i feel the sound is rather cold and digital sounding though the perceived detail level seems higher. A better pairing for specific genres / songs / mood i suppose.

Tips wise i didn't like the stock W1s even though those work the best on my Pilgrims. I'm currently running the Anni on Azla SednaEarfitLight tips (not the shorts) which supposedly have a larger bore and it does fit on the Anni's nozzle a lot easier than the W1s. Fit and sound is better than the W1 for me but comfort could still be better as i feel some pressure when i jam them in my ear holes, though they are ok once in. I have some slightly smaller Velvet wide bores coming in so i'm hoping that may be better comfort wise. May also try out the Baroque tips (currently my fav on the MTW4) and Moondrop String Tips (currently my fav on the Monarch Mk3) as i also find those tips very comfortable for me and are also short and wide bore.

 

[phiemon]

My first post on this thread after being late to the game and reading thru 81 pages of prior posts. I had auditioned the Anni against the EE Ravens and Odin, which I had shortlisted as they were around the same price range and from various reviews, seemed like IEMs i might like. Anyway, based on my tonal preferences and library (90% metal, 9% jazz, 1% others) the Annis ticked the most boxes for me. I would say at this price range it's really more about preferences rather than one IEM being definitively "better" than another. More of just different flavours i feel.

Anyway, I collected my Anni23s the day after Xmas after a 3 week pre-order wait. It could have been in time for Xmas but i was in hospital when they notified me. Yeah, i collected the Anni while nursing a broken left arm . And it was totally worth it!

I'm still in the honeymoon period trying to figure out which sources and tips work best. So far i like the synergy with the RU7 best as it injects some warm and analog musicality to balance things out. On the DC Elite i feel the sound is rather cold and digital sounding though the perceived detail level seems higher. A better pairing for specific genres / songs / mood i suppose.

Tips wise i didn't like the stock W1s even though those work the best on my Pilgrims. I'm currently running the Anni on Azla SednaEarfitLight tips (not the shorts) which supposedly have a larger bore and it does fit on the Anni's nozzle a lot easier than the W1s. Fit and sound is better than the W1 for me but comfort could still be better as i feel some pressure when i jam them in my ear holes, though they are ok once in. I have some slightly smaller Velvet wide bores coming in so i'm hoping that may be better comfort wise. May also try out the Baroque tips (currently my fav on the MTW4) and Moondrop String Tips (currently my fav on the Monarch Mk3) as i also find those tips very comfortable for me and are also short and wide bore.

Try the Divinus Velvets: great synergy and comfort.

 

[FunnyMark]

My first post on this thread after being late to the game and reading thru 81 pages of prior posts. I had auditioned the Anni against the EE Ravens and Odin, which I had shortlisted as they were around the same price range and from various reviews, seemed like IEMs i might like. Anyway, based on my tonal preferences and library (90% metal, 9% jazz, 1% others) the Annis ticked the most boxes for me. I would say at this price range it's really more about preferences rather than one IEM being definitively "better" than another. More of just different flavours i feel.

Anyway, I collected my Anni23s the day after Xmas after a 3 week pre-order wait. It could have been in time for Xmas but i was in hospital when they notified me. Yeah, i collected the Anni while nursing a broken left arm . And it was totally worth it!

I'm still in the honeymoon period trying to figure out which sources and tips work best. So far i like the synergy with the RU7 best as it injects some warm and analog musicality to balance things out. On the DC Elite i feel the sound is rather cold and digital sounding though the perceived detail level seems higher. A better pairing for specific genres / songs / mood i suppose.

Tips wise i didn't like the stock W1s even though those work the best on my Pilgrims. I'm currently running the Anni on Azla SednaEarfitLight tips (not the shorts) which supposedly have a larger bore and it does fit on the Anni's nozzle a lot easier than the W1s. Fit and sound is better than the W1 for me but comfort could still be better as i feel some pressure when i jam them in my ear holes, though they are ok once in. I have some slightly smaller Velvet wide bores coming in so i'm hoping that may be better comfort wise. May also try out the Baroque tips (currently my fav on the MTW4) and Moondrop String Tips (currently my fav on the Monarch Mk3) as i also find those tips very comfortable for me and are also short and wide bore.

I've been using the velvets wide bore on my anni 23 and found it to work best for me. The velvets wide bore has the widest soundstage among the tips I've tested and refines the bass a little. The regular velvets changed the sound too much for me, making the sound a little weird. The baroque is good but makes the bass more boomy and tames the highs a little. I tried putting the moondrop spring tips but it is impossible to fit. An alternative to the stock w1 can be the omni. I found it to give a very balance sound and modest soundstage. But I've not been using the stock LL cable, so this might have an effect too.

Another observation I had is the anni really shines on desktop amps. Even thou my iBasso dx320 max has a good amp circuit, when connecting it via line out to a desktop amp, the anni just levels up in terms of soundstage and dynamics.

 

[Denosha]

I've been using the velvets wide bore on my anni 23 and found it to work best for me. The velvets wide bore has the widest soundstage among the tips I've tested and refines the bass a little. The regular velvets changed the sound too much for me, making the sound a little weird. The baroque is good but makes the bass more boomy and tames the highs a little. I tried putting the moondrop spring tips but it is impossible to fit. An alternative to the stock w1 can be the omni. I found it to give a very balance sound and modest soundstage. But I've not been using the stock LL cable, so this might have an effect too.

Another observation I had is the anni really shines on desktop amps. Even thou my iBasso dx320 max has a good amp circuit, when connecting it via line out to a desktop amp, the anni just levels up in terms of soundstage and dynamics.

My wide bore velvets will be arriving today! Hope they work well for me too then i probably won't bother with the baroque and spring tips based on your feedback.

I've the same observation of desktop amps as I'm also finding the Annis are quite good out of SMSL SP200 + SMSL SU-8s stack. This is quite a neutral/analytical pairing for my cans so i was quite surprised it sounded somewhat less digital and more engaging than the DC Elite. I've yet to try on my other desktop amps but i'm not sure if they would be too noisy for IEMs though. Especially the hybrid tube amps. And also not too sure about the output impedance on those other amps, as the SP200 is said to be "near 0ohm" so it doesn't change the tonal characteristics of the IEM drivers. I'll need to do some research first before trying them out.

 

[AboveNBeyond]

Velvets across all sizes had very loud mushy sound even with slightest jaw movements and the seal was not isolating enough sometimes because they have minimal grip. Baroques are very similar in comfort, adapt to ear canal shape, don't collect dirt and don't have these issues velvets had for me. And they look better. My 2cents.

 

[warrenpchi]

Anyone here try Anni with OTL? If so can you share some impressions?

You've probably gotten that answered by now, but I just did that this weekend and it was surprisingly great!

 

[novance]

I've been using the velvets wide bore on my anni 23 and found it to work best for me. The velvets wide bore has the widest soundstage among the tips I've tested and refines the bass a little. The regular velvets changed the sound too much for me, making the sound a little weird. The baroque is good but makes the bass more boomy and tames the highs a little. I tried putting the moondrop spring tips but it is impossible to fit. An alternative to the stock w1 can be the omni. I found it to give a very balance sound and modest soundstage. But I've not been using the stock LL cable, so this might have an effect too.

Another observation I had is the anni really shines on desktop amps. Even thou my iBasso dx320 max has a good amp circuit, when connecting it via line out to a desktop amp, the anni just levels up in terms of soundstage and dynamics.

Try hooking up to mass kobo 475, the stage is really big. using just the stock tip.

We should have a anni 32 sg club or something to count the victims.

 

[amrishmaggu]

Elysian Annihilator Gold​

Pros
Behemoth detailing
Ultra resolution
outstanding bass Quality
crystal clear highs

Cons
Recessed Vocals


First of all I would like to give a big shout out to Audio Geek india for letting me have a pleasure of listening to Elysian Annihilator as part of the Audio Geek India Tour. All these impressions are my own and not under influence of neither the brand nor the Audio Geek. I am not associated with the brand in any way. Audio Geek you Rock!!

Intro
Elysian Annihilator gold Features state-of-the-art tribrid set up - 1 Dynamic Driver, 4 Balanced Armatures and 2 Electrostatic Drivers.
The body consists of a very high quality transparent shell which gives a clear view of the internals. The faceplate is of Golden color which give reminiscent of a nice jewelry u can put up on your ears. The shell is made of resin that makes it a. Finger print magnet. I had to wipe the faceplates after every use.

Sound impressions

first impression i had when i first put on these was "wow how fast and energetic this beast is". It extracts loads n loads of the details out of that regular song you have been listening to day in day out.
Its an energetic sounding iem with a bit of emphasis on upper treble.
Its imaging is amazing. Gives you pin point position of the instruments not only in width but in depth as well. I mean especially in the depth coz it gave me a very good experience of layers of music

Bass
Ohh bass bhai bass....bass is the area where it shines the most. And i mean real real quality bass. It has expansive feeling to it and that punch like u feel it on ur chest. It gives that sealed enclosure sub bass kond of feel. Sheer quality bass.Awesome tactile and agile bass response with super detail and control. Bass has nice punch and edge to it. Its not basshead iem But i think it can fulfill the requirements of those who dont look for skull cracking bass from every thing that makes sound. Bass has good feel of rumble in it. It never overpowers and bloat things

Treble
Good air and extensions. Strings sound a bit thin and lacks the warmth and countriness in it...it has beautiful top end sparkle. Tried Nils Lofgren Very famous track "Some must dream" on it. The accoustic guitar listened so fresh, full of sparkles and crystal clear. The sound of strings was sharp and had a sense of edge to it. But it lacked the depth and acoustic guitar bass in the notes in the guitar lead. It felt like Nils was strumming strings right next to the bridge but he was not actually. Anni added a bit of crispiness to the somewhat airy and bassy sound of strings. But i still enjoyed it and it presents a feeling like strings are being played live right your ears.

Vocal
Female vocals are good and male vocals could be a bit more bulky. Vocals have good extensions and u can hear the fine details of echo and decay of voice. Vocals are a bit recessed taking a back seat that brings the music nuances more prominent. But transparency is good so everything gels up very nicely with each other. Just a little bit of more intimacy would have done wonders. Effects of the taps on tabla was so natural and lifelike that it felt like it is gatting played live close to my ears...

Instrument separation is very good and wide with pin point imagining

Conclusion
Its an outstanding capable flagship IEM that will fill your appetite with details, resolution and very good quality bass. If someone can rest with slighhtly backseat vocals then its the best piece of gear money can buy