Will be receiving a demo Anima soon, it looks incredible and the description makes it sound right down my alley. Hype trainGreetings, everyone, and Happy CanJam SG Weekend! I hope those attending have a great time trying out some awesome, awesome gear. Sadly, for the first time since the event’s conception, I’m not able to attend myself. So, I’ll be waiting in the wings like all of you for the impressions and pics that will surely come through. To make up for that, though, over the next few days, I’ll be writing about some of the pieces that will be making an appearance at the show, the first of which is a new flagship - launching today - from a brand so near-and-dear to my heart: The Lime Ears Anima.
The Anima is a 13-driver tri-brid, and it takes the title further than anything I’ve seen in the past. Rather than your usual [DD low + BA mid + EST high] formula, the Anima’s is [DD and BA low + BA mid + BA and EST high]. Accompanying that config are a 6-way crossover, an acoustically-shaped, gradually-patina’ing, pure-silver nozzle, and big, shimmering, acrylic resin enclosures. They make for hefty IEMs for sure, but they’re manageable if you don’t mind a little weight. The stock cable, by the way, features graphene-coated SPC wires from none other than @doctorjuggles, himself, finished with gorgeously-matching hardware from Viking Weave Cables, pics of which will be on my final review.
Now, to cover sound, it’s worth taking a trip all the way back to the very first CanJam SG in 2016. (See how I’m keeping in theme here?) That was where Lime Ears founder, Emil Stolecki, as a speaker on the Custom IEMs panel, revealed the main inspiration behind his IEMs: Far-field monitors or loudspeakers. It was fairly audible spatially or positionally on his flagship Aether at the time, but it had a ways to go in resolution (or tactility) and extension.
To me, the Anima is a near-ideal realisation of that philosophy. Like most of Emil’s other in-ears, it carries a coherent, neutral-natural sig, with colourations we’ll touch on below. And, presentationally, it carries a lot of elements one’s sure to find in loudspeakers. It’s got a vast, towering stage with instruments just as tall. Then, it positions them not with the micro-precision or rigidity, one might say, of IEMs, but with a bit of a spread to them. It’s evident in how they come into frame too. Instead of popping in from darkness, the Anima’s notes swing into the air around you; a smoother approach that isn’t as hard-edged or aggressive. Razor-sharp definition is still maintained, though; the work of a unique top-end.
As I said several posts ago, the Anima’s hybridised treble shows off a lot of character, combining the tactile glitz of BAs with the light, ethereal mist of ESTs. The result is a treble that, while not elevated - it dips a bit from 6 to 8kHz, in fact - simply attracts attention through the clarity and air it brings. It lends the in-ear more headroom than it’ll probably ever need, it gives instruments big amounts of openness, and it highlights the tiniest of nuances ultra-effectively. It’s not the ideal IEM if you want less of that definition when you’re, say, listening to 50’s or 60’s records, and you want that dulled, rolled-off sound. But, if you’re a stickler for detail, then this is probably the most you’ll get from an in-ear this relatively-natural in colour.
This natural tonality first comes from its low-end, and what a low-end it is. It’s a lightly-lifted bottom-end that, as I say on my review, makes the absolute best of its hybridised design. The DD delivers endless extension for a solid, weighted thump, and the BAs complement that with a tone to match. DD woofers can sometimes get criticised for being felt and not heard, so this’s what the BAs are here for. From one acoustic kick drum to the next, or one electronic kick sample to the other, you’re able to hear their individual, identifying tonalities, or colours, or sounds. This adds a lot of character to what could’ve been anonymous, generic thumps, and it’s one of the Anima’s strongest suits for me. The DD also has a focused, precise hit, so it slams even at lower volumes. I use a pretty sick analogy to describe this on my review, so stay tuned for that.
The midrange treads that line between clean and organic fairly well, to my ears. It has the standard, linear climb from around 800Hz to 3kHz. But, because it’s a steady, concave rise, it does pick up a lot of low- and centre-mid energy to properly support its high-mid peak. Instruments are sufficiently rounded and hefty, which they’re allowed to be given the amount of air the treble provides. So, just in terms of colour, they strike those organic, analog notes with ease. For me, they’re a bit weaker in solidity or texture than an in-ear like the EXT, where the grit of its DD really comes through. But, it does exceed your typical BA in dynamic range (or explosiveness) and resolution. So, it’s only that last touch of vividness that it misses out on. Otherwise, it’s a nicely-resonant, sweet-sounding midrange with that cross-feed-like spread you’re sure to find on far-fields.
So, those are my broader thoughts on Lime Ears’ flagship Anima. It’s a huge-sounding in-ear that, much like its maker, doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s got a bit of a kick to it, as well as a lavishness to its imaging. But, I think it’ll be one of those that those who love will really, really love. I look forward to reading impressions from those who'll get to hear it tomorrow at CanJam, and look out for my full review coming in a week or two’s time, featuring comparisons against - I can say with confidence - its peers, like the one’s above. Cheers!
Also… look out for this bad boy’s long, long, long-overdue review tomorrow on THL.
Awesome, man. The Anima is upper-treble city, so I’m sure you’ll like that, at least.
I was just planning on proposing a US/EU demo tour to Emil. Maybe that’s something @Rockwell75 would be interested in arranging?
I re-read your analysis on this thread again. Hearing the Upper Treble city concerns me because I am sensitive to highs. Have you compared to the Odin?Awesome, man. The Anima is upper-treble city, so I’m sure you’ll like that, at least.
I'll be done with my review soon. In the meantime, here's a sneak peak into how it graphs...
At least you are not shilling. Well played! Put into the perspective of its price tag for evaluation.Looks like teams are being split on Lime Ears Anima.
I've used Harman Target as reference because Anima's bass shelf follows Harman Target's bass shelf (but has a bit more gain) and it makes for a good indicator of how Anima's FR graphs relatively. I have them all matched at the bass shelf (250Hz to be exact) instead of the usual 1kHz to give a better idea and comparison of FR relative to each other.
Just a heads up, Anima's signature is very tip dependent. Its well designed long silver nozzle with a groove in the middle allows for heavy customisation of fit and insertion depth as you can either fit the tip all the way onto the nozzle or restrict it till the first groove, which results in different fits and substantial changes in FR. You can see how differently it graphs with the stock eartip options - Symbio W and Spinfits. It's sparklier and airier with one and not as much with the other. For the same, I'll be doing a sound comparison section with a couple of different 3rd party eartips in my review.
Well, the high-treble is a region that can’t really get harsh. It’s 12kHz and above, and all it really affects is the air around instruments, rather than the instruments themselves. You won’t hear cymbals getting louder or edgier if you boost that region, for example. The air around them will just get crisper and cleaner. So, in shrillness or harshness, it's not something you should be worried about.
Wow didnt expect such a comprehensive and also technical response. Appreciate it. The peaks were an issue (for me) on the Odins. I was satisfied with the Odins bass but I like the idea of a fuller lower end. Looking forward to hearing it at Canjam.Well, the high-treble is a region that can’t really get harsh. It’s 12kHz and above, and all it really affects is the air around instruments, rather than the instruments themselves. You won’t hear cymbals getting louder or edgier if you boost that region, for example. The air around them will just get crisper and cleaner. So, in shrillness or harshness, it's not something you should be worried about.
Now, whether or not that boost sounds good is another matter entirely. Like I said on my post, it’s not ideal if you want older records to maintain that warm, rolled-off sound, because the upper-treble boost does give everything that hi-fi clarity. In my review, I talk about how it makes the backdrop of the in-ear a bit misty as well, rather than pitch-black. But, we’ll get there when we get there.
My ODIN was a loaner, so I haven’t been able to compare the two. From memory, I reckon the Anima has more air and openness to it, while the ODIN had peaky-er attacks. But, the main difference would be the bass. The ODIN's more neutral quantity-wise down low, and it tends to sit behind the upper-mids as well, so there isn't as much low-end to pillow the treble there. Whereas, the Anima's low-end is clearly more present, and it's pretty level with its midrange, so it'll do a better job cushioning its highs. Here are their measurements compared from my rig, and I measured the Anima with wide-bore Spiral Dots. As @Animagus said, these are pretty tip sensitive, and the Spiral Dots gave them a bit more sparkle than, say, SpinFits.
The Anima is light blue, and the ODIN is dark blue. I tried to normalise them as best as possible:
So, the Anima should give you a fuller lower-half, a less forwardly or aggressive upper-midrange, and a more upper-treble focused high-end vs. the ODIN's low-treble bias. I personally find the ODIN capable of getting shrill with certain material, while that isn't an issue on the Anima. Crispiness - especially with material that's supposed to sound mellow - is more the "risk" there, especially with the aforementioned tips.
Hi Ricky,Nice shells but questionable sound. It's a pass for me. The soundstage is narrow. The price is 3400€/3755USD. With this price tag, the sound is simply unacceptable and I will not recommend it to anyone. Save the money to get other IEMs.
Obviously not as I still hold the Aether in high regards. I still recommend the original Aether as it sets a benchmark back then. It is that good. Period. I recommend to re-release an Aether MKII.Hi Ricky,
I’m wondering if your opinion haven’t been influenced by the fact that we have declined your proposal of reviewing Aether and Model X universals back in 2020?
As far as I remember you demonstrated strong disconcent regarding this fact.
Adding that you will be „happy to not review any of LE IEMs” (it seems that you have changed your mind regarding the latter).
Since then you shared unequovically negative opinions about Aether R and Pneuma that I found hard to confirm with other people (reviewers and non-reviewers).
And now Anima seems to be on the crosshair.
Please, correct me If I’m wrong.
All the best!
Emil
P.S. I would ask this question privately but since you voiced your position publicly I thought both your readers and the witnessing community might have been interested if it’s not the case?
I, personally, would be happy to know if I’m reading honest opinion on the product or rather private innuendos towards particular people involved in its making.
Both are fine but I would like to have this clarity.
Hi Ricky,
I’m wondering if your opinion haven’t been influenced by the fact that we have declined your proposal of reviewing Aether and Model X universals back in 2020?
As far as I remember you demonstrated strong disconcent regarding this fact.
Adding that you will be „happy to not review any of LE IEMs” (it seems that you have changed your mind regarding the latter).
Since then you shared unequovically negative opinions about Aether R and Pneuma that I found hard to confirm with other people (reviewers and non-reviewers).
And now Anima seems to be on the crosshair.
Please, correct me If I’m wrong.
All the best!
Emil
P.S. I would ask this question privately but since you voiced your position publicly I thought both your readers and the witnessing community might have been interested if it’s not the case?
I, personally, would be happy to know if I’m reading honest opinion on the product or rather private innuendos towards particular people involved in its making.
Both are fine but I would like to have this clarity.
Awesome, man. The Anima is upper-treble city, so I’m sure you’ll like that, at least.
