Sep 4, 2024 at 3:01 PM Post #947 of 1,019
Variations is quite v shaped with a very Harmanesque elevated upper mids, which the noir doesn’t have.

I much prefer the Noir, and have owned the variations previously, but that’s just my subjective opinion.

To me the Noir is smoother, but also more refined and resolving.
I find variations to be more of a u shaped signature than V - shaped. I also liked noir more, but i like the incisive treble that est drivers provide on variations. Else in every way i like pilgrim or pilgrim.
 
Sep 5, 2024 at 2:27 AM Post #948 of 1,019
This song is amazing with noir.
IMG_20240905_142617.jpg
 
Sep 9, 2024 at 8:22 AM Post #951 of 1,019
For me its pilgrim and alpha omega ra. Ra for fun and pilgrim for daily.
I'll go next :) For me it's Pilgrim OG for jazz / quiet music where I want to hear all the nuances, Symphonium Audio Meteor for everything else where I want fuller sound.
 
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Sep 24, 2024 at 8:37 AM Post #954 of 1,019
Initial impressions revisiting the Elysian Pilgrim and Pilgrim Noir courtesy of @Damz87 and the Australia Head-Fi tour.

Small, light and comfortable. Pentaconn Core-Air Aluminium tips. Stock cable. SP3000.

Pilgrim

The Pilgrim is an interesting entry point. Where there is much competition from a chi-fi and mainstream mass market offerings. I'll be honest and say I don't love the pilgrim. But at the price point it would be on par. Compared to the ubiquitous AirPods Pro there is no TWS option. They are not easy to drive. On deeply complex orchestral pieces or acoustic acapella vocals, the timbre is not entirely natural. Nor technically excellent. Then again they are sub $500.

Where the Pilgrim are fun are trance/dance. Thump Thump. That DD bass is very satisfying for the price point. The slightly intimate staging evokes images of an intimate, crowded dance floor. There's a rich, full low mids. Treble is present and pleasant. Nothing harsh, sibilant or jarring.

What don't I like? It's not Elysian X or Annihilator. Not a fair comparison. But it's not even close. Pure vocals can be somewhat thin. The micro-detail and air/seperation and techs are what they are. I wouldn't think Pilgrim as a "jack of all trades" and there is a modest low end bump to satisfy the mass market Dr DRE/Beats/Bose/AirPods Pro modern music crowd.

Noir

Tuning seems more balanced with a modest forward mids presentation. Almost bright and borderline shouty. Bass is tighter. There is more air and separation. The detail, placement and coherence of individual notes are technically superior to Pilgrim. Significantly so. Seems faster paced. There's less of the low mid bloat than Pilgrim. It's personal preference whereas that makes it more or less engaging and fun. I am yet to roll the Noir Cable onto Pilgrim to see how much of it may be due to the cable alone, all other things being equal.

They are quite different. In their own way.

Out of curiosity I wonder what the sales ratio for Pilgrim v Noir is.
 
Sep 24, 2024 at 11:33 PM Post #955 of 1,019
Initial impressions revisiting the Elysian Pilgrim and Pilgrim Noir courtesy of @Damz87 and the Australia Head-Fi tour.

Small, light and comfortable. Pentaconn Core-Air Aluminium tips. Stock cable. SP3000.

Pilgrim

The Pilgrim is an interesting entry point. Where there is much competition from a chi-fi and mainstream mass market offerings. I'll be honest and say I don't love the pilgrim. But at the price point it would be on par. Compared to the ubiquitous AirPods Pro there is no TWS option. They are not easy to drive. On deeply complex orchestral pieces or acoustic acapella vocals, the timbre is not entirely natural. Nor technically excellent. Then again they are sub $500.

Where the Pilgrim are fun are trance/dance. Thump Thump. That DD bass is very satisfying for the price point. The slightly intimate staging evokes images of an intimate, crowded dance floor. There's a rich, full low mids. Treble is present and pleasant. Nothing harsh, sibilant or jarring.

What don't I like? It's not Elysian X or Annihilator. Not a fair comparison. But it's not even close. Pure vocals can be somewhat thin. The micro-detail and air/seperation and techs are what they are. I wouldn't think Pilgrim as a "jack of all trades" and there is a modest low end bump to satisfy the mass market Dr DRE/Beats/Bose/AirPods Pro modern music crowd.

Noir

Tuning seems more balanced with a modest forward mids presentation. Almost bright and borderline shouty. Bass is tighter. There is more air and separation. The detail, placement and coherence of individual notes are technically superior to Pilgrim. Significantly so. Seems faster paced. There's less of the low mid bloat than Pilgrim. It's personal preference whereas that makes it more or less engaging and fun. I am yet to roll the Noir Cable onto Pilgrim to see how much of it may be due to the cable alone, all other things being equal.

They are quite different. In their own way.

Out of curiosity I wonder what the sales ratio for Pilgrim v Noir is.
Are you sure you didn’t swap OG and Noir when you review 😂 Just swap the OG and Noir and you have my impressions of these two.
 
Sep 24, 2024 at 11:38 PM Post #956 of 1,019
Are you sure you didn’t swap OG and Noir when you review 😂 Just swap the OG and Noir and you have my impressions of these two.

I'm glad you said it because I echo that 😂
 
Sep 25, 2024 at 3:20 AM Post #957 of 1,019
Are you sure you didn’t swap OG and Noir when you review 😂 Just swap the OG and Noir and you have my impressions of these two.
Having owned the OG and currently own the Noir, I was sitting here yesterday scratching my head whilst reading that thinking the same!
 
Sep 25, 2024 at 10:22 AM Post #958 of 1,019
Having owned the OG and currently own the Noir, I was sitting here yesterday scratching my head whilst reading that thinking the same!

I want to do the Skinner "no, it's the children who are wrong" meme here but, at the same time, maybe that just is their experience. Different ears for sure.
 

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