[gLer]

Hey buddy,

you weren’t lying about the orphy…can’t wait to receive mine next week.

Did you try the 1950s with the Bird btw? Don't recall seeing that in the comparo review.

 

[Damz87]

I wasn’t a fan of 1950s on bird when I had it. It became a little too bright/analytical, and it leaned out the bass a too much for my taste. But that’s probably just a preference thing.

 

[gLer]

I wasn’t a fan of 1950s on bird when I had it. It became a little too bright/analytical, and it leaned out the bass a too much for my taste. But that’s probably just a preference thing.

Makes sense, it does elevate and enhance both ends of the FR spectrum. Works better on the LX for that reason I guess.

 

[Damz87]

Makes sense, it does elevate and enhance both ends of the FR spectrum. Works better on the LX for that reason I guess.

For sure. It’s insanely good on LX and I also liked it on U12t

 

[toaster]

Did you try the 1950s with the Bird btw? Don't recall seeing that in the comparo review.

No, I haven’t.

I trust @Damz87 experience would be along the lines of what I’d hear.

Plan is to bolt the orphy onto the bird though, that’s for sure.

 

[SBranson]

In other words, in my and some other experiences, it is only when you go back to other IEMs that you realize how damn clear, detailed, layered, spacious and natural Traillii really is.

Yeah it’s a bit freaky this phenomenon. I tried the Isabellae and Elysium very briefly against the Traillii… I was wondering if in was getting a good seal will the others as the naturalness of the Traillii is remarkable.

 

[CL14715]

I long for the day that something comes along with depth of LX bass having a smidge more control and a Traillii type stage / signature. I only know of one company capable of it… I just hope it happens someday and is under $6600.

I conveyed these thoughts to them. They were receptive. I have hope.

 

[aaf evo]

I long for the day that something comes along with depth of LX bass having a smidge more control and a Traillii type stage / signature. I only know of one company capable of it… I just hope it happens someday and is under $6600.

I conveyed these thoughts to them. They were receptive. I have hope.

Kinda hoping this is what the Elysian X is going to be. Based off of what I’m hearing on the Annihilator it isn’t CRAZY far off. There are some differences though. I’ll do a proper detailed comparison probably later today.

 

[gLer]

Kinda hoping this is what the Elysian X is going to be. Based off of what I’m hearing on the Annihilator it isn’t CRAZY far off. There are some differences though. I’ll do a proper detailed comparison probably later today.

What's the X setting you back?

 

[aaf evo]

What's the X setting you back?

He did $3699 for his first 10 pre orders then I believe MSRP is $4500.

 

[gLer]

He did $3699 for his first 10 pre orders then I believe MSRP is $4500.

I'd like to say not bad...if it measures up to the Bird. Cable?

 

[aaf evo]

I'd like to say not bad...if it measures up to the Bird. Cable?

No idea to be honest… The one that came with the Annihilator isn’t anything special like PW but it’s tangle free/light weight/supple/no microphonics so I don’t really have anything to complain about. I mean I personally think the Annihilator can give the Traillii a good run when you factor in the costs of both IEMs but it is not on the same level that is for sure and it is also not going for the same type of sound, so this is purely down to my personal enjoyment and how I hear them both. I am about to type something up.

 

[toaster]

Looking forward to reading more of your thoughts on it, B.

 

[aaf evo]

So annihilator v traillii, I’ll try make this as easy to relate to as possible but it is a little difficult since they aren’t really going for the same type of sound.

The Traillii is obviously going for a natural/real and organic type sound whereas I hear the Annihilator to be going for a more fun and revealing signature. Now this doesn’t necessarily to me mean that the Annihilator isn’t real or natural sounding, it just doesn’t go for the tonal/timbre accuracy that the Traillii goes for. It still sounds perfectly fine to me and I think it would still be safe enough for a more “fun all rounder” type IEM whereas I think Traillii more about being very refined and is trying to replicate the music as is. The best way I can describe this would be like if you are showing these IEMs to someone who knows all about audio and what something should sound like, they will much prefer the Traillii. If you show both IEMs to anyone who doesn’t exactly care about perfect timbre or the most organic sound, they will prefer the Annihilator more than likely.

As far as bass goes, the Annihilator uses a single DD for the low end and presents bass with a quick/snappy mid bass presentation. The Traillii is more sub bassy to me with adequate mid bass presence. I personally feel if you’re using a DD for a low end then you need to get some good sub bass extension from it so you can get all that deep air into the sound, which isn’t the case here. Now it doesn’t sound bad to me at all, but I do think it is missing some sub bass extension/rumble/depth/texture/blah blah blah. The bass just simply comes and goes as the track plays it. The Traillii here to me is the winner, not in quantity but in how the bass is presented and tuned. It simply goes deeper and is capable of hitting the deeper sub bass rumbles and sounds more detailed to me also. The extra sub bass depth on the Traillii literally makes it feel like there is a proper vibration/reverb going on inside also, which is something I love.

In lower mids I’d say the Annihilator has this recesssed compared to everything else in the signature. Again, they don’t sound bad or wrong to me. There is still enough body in the lower mid range to not come off anemic or too thin, I’m not entirely sure how well it’ll go with certain instrument timbre but for my tastes it is fine. The lower mid range also is free from any bleed from the bass. Again, here the tonalities of the IEMs are still present. Traillii lower mid range to me is more natural and organic and the Annihilator goes for a more revealing sound.

Now in the upper mids is where things got interesting to me, and it wasn’t something I noticed immediately. I mean, it literally took me about 15 hours of listening to start noticing this. The sheer level of clarity in the Annihilator upper mid range is quite unlike anything I have ever heard. The closest that comes to mind to me like this is probably the Erlkonig, which also has a very clean sounding upper mid range. Except I’d say Erlkonig’s is more bodied whereas this is more of an airy type upper mid range. Going from Annihilator to Traillii in an A/B on the same passages of songs where female vocals are, the Traillii almost sounds veiled in comparison. Now, it obviously isn’t veiled by any means, both of these IEMs are capable of top class resolution, it’s just the more revealing type tonality of the Annihilator here is quite noticeable when you compare it to the more organic sound of the Traillii. This personally doesn’t cause me any fatigue due to just how clean the sound is and I can’t really see it being an issue for anyone, but that’s just my 2c. The Traillii sound here is definitely easier on the ears and does sound more natural to the recordings to me, but both of them sound flat out amazing.

Just to add more about the mid range, the Traillii does manage to layer and separate the sounds on a better level. It’s is noticeable on things like vocals where you will hear the main vocal passage and then you can hear the “echo” type vocals playing in the background, the Traillii manages to split those apart and lets you hear both a little better than you can on the Annihilator. The vocals on Annihilator are drier and more crisp to me relative to the wetter type and emotional vibes I get from the Traillii.

This track is a perfect example of where the Traillii just gives more room to breathe between all the sounds. The echoes around JT Roach’s voice are easier to hear and follow on the Traillii, the Annihilator can do it just fine too, which I’m sure other IEMs can as well, it’s just a different level on the Traillii.



The treble on these are easily the two best treble presentations I have heard but they are drastically different. Once you get to the upper mid range on the Annihilator the sound does not drop off whatsoever, it’s all gears go on the highs but they stay linear throughout so it works out quite well. This was honestly something I was quite worried about and is why I even requested a demo to begin with (along with the shell size). But it sounds fine to me, the only “problem” I’d say here is that since it is linear from upper mid range all the way to upper treble, the treble is presented in a “flat” type plane where its all equal rather than having any dips or peaks which can help layer the highs a little better here. So I’d say the Annihilator kinda throws all the treble out there but does it equally, the Traillii picks and chooses what part you will hear but doesn’t make anything inaudbile due to how detailed and refined the treble presentation is. Both IEMs can bring out the small nuances in the highs with ease. The Traillii treble has a bit more of a “wow” factor to me because it makes certain sounds sort of pop out of thin air whereas the Annihilator just plays everything in the recording all together. I don’t think I can say that one here necessarily sounds right or wrong, they both just sound very very good. Both treble presentations are smooth and free from any harshness or spikes, it doesn’t get better than what I am hearing between these IEMs as far as the highs go. Pick your poison.

I don’t really care to elaborate too much on technicalities, the Traillii has a slightly wider stage and can layer/separate sounds better but the Annihilator isn’t really going to leave you wanting anything more either.

This is probably the first IEM that I have heard since I got the Traillii that I don’t find myself listening to and being like “oh, I dislike this part of the sound” or “oh that treble is too bright, the bass is too bloated” or where I think things literally sound wrong. The only thing I’d really change about the Annihilator is that it needs some more sub bass extension, which is apparently what the upcoming model “X” fixes, that’s why I am going in blind on that. So hopefully that works out for me.

So a wrap up:

Traillii = the most organic/natural/realistic sound I have heard that plays music in a jaw dropping type presentation and leaves virtually nothing to be desired for me. The laid back nature and what I consider to be virtually a perfect sound is irreplaceable for me.

Annihilator = the best take I have heard on a V shape which is going for a more fun/out there type sound without neutering the mid range in the process (for reference, I thought the Z1R mid range was quite average). Definitely a more forward sound that may not be for everyone, but for my personal tastes and what I was looking for to complement the Traillii without literally going to something opposite, this is it for me (but give me some sub bass in the X please )

If there’s anything I missed, and I’m sure I did, let me know. I should have this IEM for another 2-3 weeks on demo as I don’t have to send it back until my X is ready to be shipped. Happy to answer whatever.

Some of the tracks I listen to to test my IEMs, I’m not a believer in using typical “reference” tracks as that is pointless to me. I want to know how the music I listen to sounds, not other stuff:

 

[Calfredo826]

So annihilator v traillii, I’ll try make this as easy to relate to as possible but it is a little difficult since they aren’t really going for the same type of sound.

The Traillii is obviously going for a natural/real and organic type sound whereas I hear the Annihilator to be going for a more fun and revealing signature. Now this doesn’t necessarily to me mean that the Annihilator isn’t real or natural sounding, it just doesn’t go for the tonal/timbre accuracy that the Traillii goes for. It still sounds perfectly fine to me and I think it would still be safe enough for a more “fun all rounder” type IEM whereas I think Traillii more about being very refined and is trying to replicate the music as is. The best way I can describe this would be like if you are showing these IEMs to someone who knows all about audio and what something should sound like, they will much prefer the Traillii. If you show both IEMs to anyone who doesn’t exactly care about perfect timbre or the most organic sound, they will prefer the Annihilator more than likely.

As far as bass goes, the Annihilator uses a single DD for the low end and presents bass with a quick/snappy mid bass presentation. The Traillii is more sub bassy to me with adequate mid bass presence. I personally feel if you’re using a DD for a low end then you need to get some good sub bass extension from it so you can get all that deep air into the sound, which isn’t the case here. Now it doesn’t sound bad to me at all, but I do think it is missing some sub bass extension/rumble/depth/texture/blah blah blah. The bass just simply comes and goes as the track plays it. The Traillii here to me is the winner, not in quantity but in how the bass is presented and tuned. It simply goes deeper and is capable of hitting the deeper sub bass rumbles and sounds more detailed to me also. The extra sub bass depth on the Traillii literally makes it feel like there is a proper vibration/reverb going on inside also, which is something I love.

In lower mids I’d say the Annihilator has this recesssed compared to everything else in the signature. Again, they don’t sound bad or wrong to me. There is still enough body in the lower mid range to not come off anemic or too thin, I’m not entirely sure how well it’ll go with certain instrument timbre but for my tastes it is fine. The lower mid range also is free from any bleed from the bass. Again, here the tonalities of the IEMs are still present. Traillii lower mid range to me is more natural and organic and the Annihilator goes for a more revealing sound.

Now in the upper mids is where things got interesting to me, and it wasn’t something I noticed immediately. I mean, it literally took me about 15 hours of listening to start noticing this. The sheer level of clarity in the Annihilator upper mid range is quite unlike anything I have ever heard. The closest that comes to mind to me like this is probably the Erlkonig, which also has a very clean sounding upper mid range. Except I’d say Erlkonig’s is more bodied whereas this is more of an airy type upper mid range. Going from Annihilator to Traillii in an A/B on the same passages of songs where female vocals are, the Traillii almost sounds veiled in comparison. Now, it obviously isn’t veiled by any means, both of these IEMs are capable of top class resolution, it’s just the more revealing type tonality of the Annihilator here is quite noticeable when you compare it to the more organic sound of the Traillii. This personally doesn’t cause me any fatigue due to just how clean the sound is and I can’t really see it being an issue for anyone, but that’s just my 2c. The Traillii sound here is definitely easier on the ears and does sound more natural to the recordings to me, but both of them sound flat out amazing.

Just to add more about the mid range, the Traillii does manage to layer and separate the sounds on a better level. It’s is noticeable on things like vocals where you will hear the main vocal passage and then you can hear the “echo” type vocals playing in the background, the Traillii manages to split those apart and lets you hear both a little better than you can on the Annihilator. The vocals on Annihilator are drier and more crisp to me relative to the wetter type and emotional vibes I get from the Traillii.

This track is a perfect example of where the Traillii just gives more room to breathe between all the sounds. The echoes around JT Roach’s voice are easier to hear and follow on the Traillii, the Annihilator can do it just fine too, which I’m sure other IEMs can as well, it’s just a different level on the Traillii.



The treble on these are easily the two best treble presentations I have heard but they are drastically different. Once you get to the upper mid range on the Annihilator the sound does not drop off whatsoever, it’s all gears go on the highs but they stay linear throughout so it works out quite well. This was honestly something I was quite worried about and is why I even requested a demo to begin with (along with the shell size). But it sounds fine to me, the only “problem” I’d say here is that since it is linear from upper mid range all the way to upper treble, the treble is presented in a “flat” type plane where its all equal rather than having any dips or peaks which can help layer the highs a little better here. So I’d say the Annihilator kinda throws all the treble out there but does it equally, the Traillii picks and chooses what part you will hear but doesn’t make anything inaudbile due to how detailed and refined the treble presentation is. Both IEMs can bring out the small nuances in the highs with ease. The Traillii treble has a bit more of a “wow” factor to me because it makes certain sounds sort of pop out of thin air whereas the Annihilator just plays everything in the recording all together. I don’t think I can say that one here necessarily sounds right or wrong, they both just sound very very good. Both treble presentations are smooth and free from any harshness or spikes, it doesn’t get better than what I am hearing between these IEMs as far as the highs go. Pick your poison.

I don’t really care to elaborate too much on technicalities, the Traillii has a slightly wider stage and can layer/separate sounds better but the Annihilator isn’t really going to leave you wanting anything more either.

This is probably the first IEM that I have heard since I got the Traillii that I don’t find myself listening to and being like “oh, I dislike this part of the sound” or “oh that treble is too bright, the bass is too bloated” or where I think things literally sound wrong. The only thing I’d really change about the Annihilator is that it needs some more sub bass extension, which is apparently what the upcoming model “X” fixes, that’s why I am going in blind on that. So hopefully that works out for me.

So a wrap up:

Traillii = the most organic/natural/realistic sound I have heard that plays music in a jaw dropping type presentation and leaves virtually nothing to be desired for me. The laid back nature and what I consider to be virtually a perfect sound is irreplaceable for me.

Annihilator = the best take I have heard on a V shape which is going for a more fun/bashful type sound without neutering the mid range in the process (for reference, I thought the Z1R mid range was quite average). Definitely a more forward sound that may not be for everyone, but for my personal tastes and what I was looking for to complement the Traillii without literally going to something opposite, this is it for me (but give me some sub bass in the X please )

If there’s anything I missed, and I’m sure I did, let me know. I should have this IEM for another 2-3 weeks on demo as I don’t have to send it back until my X is ready to be shipped. Happy to answer whatever.

Some of the tracks I listen to to test my IEMs, I’m not a believer in using typical “reference” tracks as that is pointless to me. I want to know how the music I listen to sounds, not other stuff:

Man this makes me excited for the X as well.