d m41n man
100+ Head-Fier
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Sharing my insights and impressions on the Pilgrim here in my review - https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/elysian-acoustic-labs-pilgrim.27121/review/34004/
Elysian Pilgrim
- Thread starter atechreviews
- Start date
jhbaban
New Head-Fier
I am not sure to purchase the pilgrim anymore due to several mixed reviews.
SUBJECTIVITY OF TREBLE.
So we frequently see on forums that person A says "this IEM is sibilant and shouty like a banshee", whereas another person B says, "no, this same IEM is as smooth as silk".
Actually, both may not be wrong. We all hear differently in the treble due to these reasons, so it is really a case of your mileage may vary (YMMV):
1) Hearing Health
Generally the treble frequencies are first to be lost with older age (presbycusis > 50 years old).
I work in the medical line and perform and sign off on audiometry tests daily - please see the graphs below on the general hearing for each age band. It is a physiological phenomenon to lose the higher frequencies as one gets older, sadly. A 17 year old is gonna hear treble very differently from a 70 year old.
To complicate matters, some hobbyists suffer from noise induced hearing loss (from occupational or leisure induced), and they lose the 4/6 kHz areas first, as the hair cells that transmit these frequencies are found nearer to the outer ear and are the first to die with prolonged loud noise.
2) Fletcher Munson curve - aka volume played at
https://ehomerecordingstudio.com/fletcher-munson-curve/
Music is perceived to be more V shaped (ie boosted treble and boosted bass) at louder volumes. The treble is less pronounced at lower volumes.
Consumers and reviewers hardly mention the volume they use their gear at, so this may be a huge area that affects how we perceive treble.
3) Sources
Some sources are not neutral, and are brighter or warmer, which can influence treble.
4) Eartips
Like sources, some tips boost or tame treble. For example, stuff like the Final E Black tips or foams tame treble.
Not everyone uses stock tips with the Pilgrim for example.
5) Ear anatomy
Different ear anatomy may influence sound at the upper mids (pinna gain) in addition to affecting how eartips affect the sound.
There's an interesting post from Precog about this if you are interested: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/precogs-iem-reviews-impressions.937468/page-94#post-16524009
So in summary, treble is subjective for the above reasons, and how someone hears the same IEM may be drastically different from you.
It would also be helpful if you could follow a reviewer or fellow hobbyist who you know shares the same hearing impressions as you do.
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wolfstar76
Headphoneus Supremus
Not sure how many hours Pilgrim needs to fully settle down, but right now, it at least not a all-rounder to me, and I am not sure I would like to keep it in my collection since I can image that I will reach out fro Pilgrim less and less as majority of my library is heavily bass/beat based.
In that regards, the difference between Anni 23 and Pilgrim is huge to me. I can totally accept Anni 23 as my only IEM, but definitely not Pilgrim.
In that regards, the difference between Anni 23 and Pilgrim is huge to me. I can totally accept Anni 23 as my only IEM, but definitely not Pilgrim.
Same. While I like Pilgrim, I find it for main stream audiences. I feel newer audiophiles like the brightness and air and the Pilgrim is a good pickup. Anni 23 just has crazy detail and I love it. Although I do find myself liking an iem with a dark signature at times. We'll see how things goes with a few upcoming iems, but right now that FF GM for me.
voicemaster
Headphoneus Supremus
Just got my Pilgrim. Seems to be very smooth to my ears. I am using the included Medium Spinfit tips.
The bass is pretty punchy with enough rumble. Mid is not recessed but not too forward either. Very detailed in my brief listening.
The treble is very smooth to my ears. No harshness whatsoever.
The bass is pretty punchy with enough rumble. Mid is not recessed but not too forward either. Very detailed in my brief listening.
The treble is very smooth to my ears. No harshness whatsoever.
voicemaster
Headphoneus Supremus
Btw, I made a mistake and ordered the Pilgrim using the 4.4mm connector. Luckily, I have my Hiby R6 to use the 4.4mm. Is there any pentaconn cable that is 3.5mm for under $100?
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wolfstar76
Headphoneus Supremus
Thanks for your post, I realized that there are stock tips that I haven't opened yet. I put on the L size stock tips, and the sound of Pilgrim significantly changed (to much better, especially in the bass I guess I never achieved a good seal before). I will need more time to write any impression.Just got my Pilgrim. Seems to be very smooth to my ears. I am using the included Medium Spinfit tips.
The bass is pretty punchy with enough rumble. Mid is not recessed but not too forward either. Very detailed in my brief listening.
The treble is very smooth to my ears. No harshness whatsoever.
ToneDeafMonk
Previously known as TheDeafMonk
IVIPQ will sell you a serious cable for a additional $5 put on Pentaconn Ear terminations
https://a.aliexpress.com/_ms2VJpu
voicemaster
Headphoneus Supremus
I am using this tips that I forgot the brand.
This tips allow me to insert the nozzle deeper into my ear canal and very easy to get good seal. The spinfit is good too, but since the material is quite tacky, inserting it deeper is quite a challenge.
voicemaster
Headphoneus Supremus
I've ordered "Effect Audio Signature Series ARES S 4 wires with ConX" cable thru Hifigo and the pentaconn connector. I hope this is a good cable as it is quite expensive.
These look like Eletech Baroque tips.I am using this tips that I forgot the brand.
This tips allow me to insert the nozzle deeper into my ear canal and very easy to get good seal. The spinfit is good too, but since the material is quite tacky, inserting it deeper is quite a challenge.
voicemaster
Headphoneus Supremus
You are correct. It is my current favorite tips. I usually use Moondrop Springtips as my main tips, but sometimes it is too flimsy and can't be inserted too deep into my ear canals although it still give a good seal.
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Danx3k
500+ Head-Fier
You can also order the actual 3.5mm cable that comes with the pilgrim (if selected) from Hifigo:
https://a.aliexpress.com/_ExkWctd
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My initial reaction to Pilgrim was at CanJam NYC 24 where I got to demo a pre release version. When I heard the impossible news that Elysian was going to price this at $399, I thought, "there goes the ChiFi market" ...those moondrops and dunus were about to get pulverized by Elysian.
However, while awfully good, it still sounded a little bright and thin in the mids for me and my snobby tastes and criticisms. But by just a little, and honestly not enough to care if they were truly going to sell at $399, because something I also heard was a similarly engaging tuning as I heard on the Anni and Diva 23, but somehow with better bass. So at $399, I thought that was like the entry point to the Elysian tuning, a gateway Elysian!
As I waited for release, CanJam Singapore happened, and low-and-behold, another Pilgrim appeared at a rumored 2x price with similar internals but a different finish and tuning, and an EA cable. Rumor and talk around these threads, combined with news from Singapore, was that this was an Elysian/EA collaboration version, with some influence from EAs founder in the tuning. They were going to finish it in black, as opposed to the stainless steel look of Pilgrim, and give a minor retune to add bass, reduce brightness, and thicken mids while still sounding inherently like Pilgrim. This was going to be called the Pilgrim: Noir as everyone now knows.
At first I thought, "that's confusing", but I also thought those retuning tweaks might work for me even better than the OG did based on my initial impressions. And since this would still be an Elysian gateway drug under a kilobock, I was definitely in on the Noir the day I read about it.
Thanks to the awesome folks at EA and Hifigo, and the whole EA support staff, which has probably grown tired of me by now, I have been listening to Pigrim: Noir for several days now since receipt and burn in last week. I bought it that very day I read about it, blind with my own cash because I had a feeling that any improvement on the Pilgrim would be worth it, and a good EA cable with the package would be icing on the cake.
Tldr, I was (luckily) not wrong (this time!) as the rumored tuning changes and included EA cable were true, to a fault. The EA Eros 8w cable in its matte black finish matches perfectly with the Noir, not only aesthetically but sonically as well. This is a high grade cable, certainly no average stock cable. And the returning...wow, exactly what was rumored and reported from Singapore, thicker mids and especially deeper bass. What a package!
I have also recently received a tour unit of the OG Pilgrim from HiFiGo, and will begin listening to it to try and discern if these differences are really there or if I've got some good, old confirmation bias
Very exciting times for the sub kilobuck category! Was everyone ready for Elysian to do this!? I was, so thanks Elysian, EA, and HiFiGo!
However, while awfully good, it still sounded a little bright and thin in the mids for me and my snobby tastes and criticisms. But by just a little, and honestly not enough to care if they were truly going to sell at $399, because something I also heard was a similarly engaging tuning as I heard on the Anni and Diva 23, but somehow with better bass. So at $399, I thought that was like the entry point to the Elysian tuning, a gateway Elysian!
As I waited for release, CanJam Singapore happened, and low-and-behold, another Pilgrim appeared at a rumored 2x price with similar internals but a different finish and tuning, and an EA cable. Rumor and talk around these threads, combined with news from Singapore, was that this was an Elysian/EA collaboration version, with some influence from EAs founder in the tuning. They were going to finish it in black, as opposed to the stainless steel look of Pilgrim, and give a minor retune to add bass, reduce brightness, and thicken mids while still sounding inherently like Pilgrim. This was going to be called the Pilgrim: Noir as everyone now knows.
At first I thought, "that's confusing", but I also thought those retuning tweaks might work for me even better than the OG did based on my initial impressions. And since this would still be an Elysian gateway drug under a kilobock, I was definitely in on the Noir the day I read about it.
Thanks to the awesome folks at EA and Hifigo, and the whole EA support staff, which has probably grown tired of me by now, I have been listening to Pigrim: Noir for several days now since receipt and burn in last week. I bought it that very day I read about it, blind with my own cash because I had a feeling that any improvement on the Pilgrim would be worth it, and a good EA cable with the package would be icing on the cake.
Tldr, I was (luckily) not wrong (this time!) as the rumored tuning changes and included EA cable were true, to a fault. The EA Eros 8w cable in its matte black finish matches perfectly with the Noir, not only aesthetically but sonically as well. This is a high grade cable, certainly no average stock cable. And the returning...wow, exactly what was rumored and reported from Singapore, thicker mids and especially deeper bass. What a package!
I have also recently received a tour unit of the OG Pilgrim from HiFiGo, and will begin listening to it to try and discern if these differences are really there or if I've got some good, old confirmation bias
Very exciting times for the sub kilobuck category! Was everyone ready for Elysian to do this!? I was, so thanks Elysian, EA, and HiFiGo!
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