I think Shanling M8 is currently the only high end DAP that is said to have no hissing with Andro 2020 with complete black background, all other excluding perhaps SP2000 have hissing issues with them.
Precog's IEM Reviews & Impressions
- Thread starter Precogvision
- Start date
Hi @Precogvision , nice impressions of the DX300. When do you plan on comparing it to Lotoo DAPs? I'd love to hear what you think of the two.
The PAW 6000 is one of the best DAPs I’ve used especially for the price. I love that thing.
Dx300 sounds like it would be great, a pity it might hiss with sensitive iems tho. I wonder how it compares with lotoo paw 6000, a very iem-friendly dap
Drafting the email right now:
seriously tho, if anyone wants to loan me a PAW6K for impressions, I’m all for it
seriously tho, if anyone wants to loan me a PAW6K for impressions, I’m all for it
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Might as well ask for Lotoo PAW Gold Touch and let meDrafting the email right now:
seriously tho, if anyone wants to loan me a PAW6K for impressions, I’m all for it
CK Moustache
100+ Head-Fier
Most of Cowon's higher-priced DAPs (such as the Plenue 2) are (almost) hiss-free, but with the major disadvantage of that listening quietly is just impossible (much, much, much louder at volume 1 than the iBasso DX220 at volume 7 - the iBasso DAP with the least amount of audible hissing that I have encountered so far is my DX90 (which allows for super quiet listening as well), but even though it is among the very best devices in this area, the Apple USB-C to Headphone Jack Adapter is even somewhat ahead (hiss performance), which really says a lot about this little and inexpensive DAC dongle's performance and price-performance-ratio).
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You'll never hear any hiss with any DAP unless you're listening quietly. How quietly depends on your tolerance and hearing ability, but I know many people who listen to music much softer than what I'd personally enjoy, even without getting anywhere near dangerous volume levels. So context is important, as is IEM sensitivity.
I am hearing a lot of praise for Apple USB-C to 3.5mm dongle, is it different then Lightning one? I am also using my Andro 2020 with 2020 M1 MacBook Air until I get a good DAP. MacBook gives a lot of hiss with Andro 2020, I doubt if Apple is using the same DAC chip here as well.
CK Moustache
100+ Head-Fier
It seems like the USB-C and Lightning DAC differ a bit from each other when it comes to hiss performance: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/precogs-iem-reviews-impressions.937468/page-34#post-16292371
l've only got the USB-C one (A5155). Great stuff, especially given its really low price - super low output impedance, hiss performance among the very best devices on the market, audibly transparent and surpasses the Red Book CD standard values.
Well, with strongly hissing outliers such as the Shanling M2 or iBasso DX50, it's nearly impossible to not hear the hiss (in combination with very/extremely sensitive IEMs) even without listening quietly. Those two are the probably hissiest DAPs that I have ever had my hands on, and I'm happy that the DX90 is quite the total opposite of the DX50.
ClarenceKyle
New Head-Fier
Just wanted to say that I purposely looked up @Precogvision here after reading one of your reviews on headphones.com and read the most recent ~12 pages. Reason was it's quite rare to find any IEM reviewer who calls out quite specifically heard weaknesses in IEMs. Most internet reviews even reading carefully between the lines it's hard to tell whether the reviewer had concerns. I presume it's because many manufacturers ship samples (and in some cases I read give samples) to reviewers.
I don't have any overlaps with IEMs with you yet (I have PEARs and Westone CIEMs) to assess our relative alignment, but have been debating a custom A12 and noting your liking of them suggests there may be overlaps. I mostly listen to classical and jazz so look for fairly neutral monitors though ideally with some bass for making orchestral music a bit more enjoyable. (My experience is that no IEM or headphones match floor standing speakers when it comes to orchestral music.)
Long way of saying thanks for your unvarnished reviews.
I don't have any overlaps with IEMs with you yet (I have PEARs and Westone CIEMs) to assess our relative alignment, but have been debating a custom A12 and noting your liking of them suggests there may be overlaps. I mostly listen to classical and jazz so look for fairly neutral monitors though ideally with some bass for making orchestral music a bit more enjoyable. (My experience is that no IEM or headphones match floor standing speakers when it comes to orchestral music.)
Long way of saying thanks for your unvarnished reviews.
The Elysian Annihilator arrived on loan today courtesy of a very generous Redditor. I'll try and get impressions up later tonight because this is an IEM that (I think) needs to be talked about. The Hidition Violet also arrived alongside the Annihilator; I'll try and drop some impressions on that one later this week.
Always wanted to hear that but to get it in the West is about impossible
Elysian Acoustic Labs Annihilator Impressions
This is an IEM that most people will probably not be familiar with, so I'll lend some quick background. Elysian Acoustic Labs is a Malaysian-based, one-man-brand. The Annihilator is the crown jewel of their lineup, a tribrid sporting 1DD/4BA/2EST that clocks in at roughly $3700 USD. Yes, it's very expensive. And also hard to find: Elysian Acoustic Labs has an arduous ordering process for international customers, and it doesn't help that they experienced a flood awhile back which put a stopper on production altogether. That hasn't stopped word of mouth from reaching my ears, though, with many listeners (listeners with opinions I actually respect, to be clear) calling it one of the best IEMs they've heard. Still, I'd given up hope of ever hearing the Annihilator, so imagine my shock when the Redditor who sent me the Hidition Violet casually mentioned he'd sent along another IEM as a surprise. In fact, to my knowledge, I'm currently the lone man in the US who's heard an Annihilator! But that's enough chit-chat: How does the Annihilator actually sound?
Well, in short? It sounds freaking amazing, and it (mostly) lives up to the hype that surrounds it. One of the first things you'll notice listening to the Annihilator is that it takes a considerable amount of power to drive. That's a good thing, and it means that the other drivers - specifically the DD and BAs - have been dampened to match the EST drivers' much lower sensitivity. In general, the Annihilator sports what I would consider a mild-V shape; it is a more colored, incredibly quick and engaging sound.
But surprisingly, the bass on the Annihilator is not really a selling point to my ears. I hear a healthy mid-bass tilt which lends to a considerable amount of punch. It sounds quite impressive out of the gate, especially because I've mainly been rocking my U12T for the past couple weeks. Closer listening, however, presents a couple of issues. The Annihilator's bass sounds...dry. Almost static, really, in a compressed fashion that I've often associated with cheaper DD offerings like the Moondrop Blessing 2. It's unmistakably DD bass - even good by most metrics - but for the price the Annihilator commands, I would expect nothing less than the best. Ultimately, it's nothing more than adequate and squeaks by with passing marks to my ears; points off for driver flex too. But it's all uphill from here. The quicker speed and upwards-compression of the Annihilator's bass serve to mask some of the transition into the midrange BAs. And what beautiful work has been done with the midrange. The lower-midrange is slightly scooped, followed by a largely upper-midrange oriented tuning. Midrange notes are thin, yes, but they don't sound shouty to my ears. The slight tonal quirks are a small price to pay for the sheer clarity and resolution that the Annihilator's midrange has. Midrange decay is clean, largely devoid of grain similar to what I hear with the UM MEST.
And we haven't even gotten to the best part. The Annihilator is lauded, above all else, for its implementation of the EST drivers. I'm happy to confirm that the Annihilator makes most other EST implementations I've heard thus far a laughing stock. Indeed, I've generally associated ESTs with a softer, almost mushy characteristic. But the Annihilator makes clear that the driver is capable of so much more. In fact, I'm reminded a good deal of the sharper transient attack that the ESR MK.II's treble exhibits - not that the ESR MK.II's treble is remotely in the same realm, of course. The Annihilator's treble is bright, no doubt. However, because it's smooth and linear, it's also not fatiguing; we see here one of the many benefits of tuning with precision. And gosh, the treble response of the Annihilator is quick, possibly the quickest I've heard, handling the treble rollercoaster that is Girls Generations "Into the New World" with deft precision. Stack on superb extension and you have one of the best treble responses in the game. Now, I don't think the Annihilator quite knocks the IER-Z1R for that incredible transient hardness and treble reverb, but...it easily competes as a whole, and there can be no shame in that.
Technicalities on the Annihilator are generally top-notch. Dynamics are uncompressed with a good sense of macrodynamic punch and contrast. Staging is surprisingly out-out-of-head, particularly in terms of width, despite the more forward presentation. Of course, I'd like more soundstage depth, but it's a worthy sacrifice for the Annihilator's resolution. Indeed, on first listen, I told myself, "Damn, this thing is resolving". A short while later, I found myself asking, "Is this the most resolving IEM I've heard?". Really. And again, I cannot emphasize the importance of proper treble reproduction here. The speed of the Annihilator's ESTs means that it picks up any and every minutia in a track. Likewise, the excessive amounts of treble air lend to the perception of more "open" staging; the Annihilator's layering chops are among the best. No critiques you say? Not quite. Expectedly, the biggest issue would be coherency. The Annihilator has excellent transient response and speed all-round, but there is what I can only describe as a "rawness" to the Annihilator's presentation that I can't ignore; it lacks those last legs of refinement. I suspect timbre - so consistency of decay - is where something like the EE Odin might have it beat.
Now, I've made it clear in the past that I don't care very much for multi-kilobuck IEMs. I simply wouldn't feel comfortable recommending IEMs like this. But best of the best status goes a long way, and there's little question that the Annihilator has its place among the stars in the IEM world. The Annihilator, then, is a testament to David vs. Goliath. That a one-man team can swoop in and show all the big names in the IEM world how its done, create something that plays at the top, is the beauty of this hobby. And even more ridiculous? More than a year after its release, the Annihilator remains the best EST implementation I've heard by a good margin. Established brands better step up their game lest they wish to be annihilated by upstart brands like this.
Score: 8/10
This is an IEM that most people will probably not be familiar with, so I'll lend some quick background. Elysian Acoustic Labs is a Malaysian-based, one-man-brand. The Annihilator is the crown jewel of their lineup, a tribrid sporting 1DD/4BA/2EST that clocks in at roughly $3700 USD. Yes, it's very expensive. And also hard to find: Elysian Acoustic Labs has an arduous ordering process for international customers, and it doesn't help that they experienced a flood awhile back which put a stopper on production altogether. That hasn't stopped word of mouth from reaching my ears, though, with many listeners (listeners with opinions I actually respect, to be clear) calling it one of the best IEMs they've heard. Still, I'd given up hope of ever hearing the Annihilator, so imagine my shock when the Redditor who sent me the Hidition Violet casually mentioned he'd sent along another IEM as a surprise. In fact, to my knowledge, I'm currently the lone man in the US who's heard an Annihilator! But that's enough chit-chat: How does the Annihilator actually sound?
Well, in short? It sounds freaking amazing, and it (mostly) lives up to the hype that surrounds it. One of the first things you'll notice listening to the Annihilator is that it takes a considerable amount of power to drive. That's a good thing, and it means that the other drivers - specifically the DD and BAs - have been dampened to match the EST drivers' much lower sensitivity. In general, the Annihilator sports what I would consider a mild-V shape; it is a more colored, incredibly quick and engaging sound.
But surprisingly, the bass on the Annihilator is not really a selling point to my ears. I hear a healthy mid-bass tilt which lends to a considerable amount of punch. It sounds quite impressive out of the gate, especially because I've mainly been rocking my U12T for the past couple weeks. Closer listening, however, presents a couple of issues. The Annihilator's bass sounds...dry. Almost static, really, in a compressed fashion that I've often associated with cheaper DD offerings like the Moondrop Blessing 2. It's unmistakably DD bass - even good by most metrics - but for the price the Annihilator commands, I would expect nothing less than the best. Ultimately, it's nothing more than adequate and squeaks by with passing marks to my ears; points off for driver flex too. But it's all uphill from here. The quicker speed and upwards-compression of the Annihilator's bass serve to mask some of the transition into the midrange BAs. And what beautiful work has been done with the midrange. The lower-midrange is slightly scooped, followed by a largely upper-midrange oriented tuning. Midrange notes are thin, yes, but they don't sound shouty to my ears. The slight tonal quirks are a small price to pay for the sheer clarity and resolution that the Annihilator's midrange has. Midrange decay is clean, largely devoid of grain similar to what I hear with the UM MEST.
And we haven't even gotten to the best part. The Annihilator is lauded, above all else, for its implementation of the EST drivers. I'm happy to confirm that the Annihilator makes most other EST implementations I've heard thus far a laughing stock. Indeed, I've generally associated ESTs with a softer, almost mushy characteristic. But the Annihilator makes clear that the driver is capable of so much more. In fact, I'm reminded a good deal of the sharper transient attack that the ESR MK.II's treble exhibits - not that the ESR MK.II's treble is remotely in the same realm, of course. The Annihilator's treble is bright, no doubt. However, because it's smooth and linear, it's also not fatiguing; we see here one of the many benefits of tuning with precision. And gosh, the treble response of the Annihilator is quick, possibly the quickest I've heard, handling the treble rollercoaster that is Girls Generations "Into the New World" with deft precision. Stack on superb extension and you have one of the best treble responses in the game. Now, I don't think the Annihilator quite knocks the IER-Z1R for that incredible transient hardness and treble reverb, but...it easily competes as a whole, and there can be no shame in that.
Technicalities on the Annihilator are generally top-notch. Dynamics are uncompressed with a good sense of macrodynamic punch and contrast. Staging is surprisingly out-out-of-head, particularly in terms of width, despite the more forward presentation. Of course, I'd like more soundstage depth, but it's a worthy sacrifice for the Annihilator's resolution. Indeed, on first listen, I told myself, "Damn, this thing is resolving". A short while later, I found myself asking, "Is this the most resolving IEM I've heard?". Really. And again, I cannot emphasize the importance of proper treble reproduction here. The speed of the Annihilator's ESTs means that it picks up any and every minutia in a track. Likewise, the excessive amounts of treble air lend to the perception of more "open" staging; the Annihilator's layering chops are among the best. No critiques you say? Not quite. Expectedly, the biggest issue would be coherency. The Annihilator has excellent transient response and speed all-round, but there is what I can only describe as a "rawness" to the Annihilator's presentation that I can't ignore; it lacks those last legs of refinement. I suspect timbre - so consistency of decay - is where something like the EE Odin might have it beat.
Now, I've made it clear in the past that I don't care very much for multi-kilobuck IEMs. I simply wouldn't feel comfortable recommending IEMs like this. But best of the best status goes a long way, and there's little question that the Annihilator has its place among the stars in the IEM world. The Annihilator, then, is a testament to David vs. Goliath. That a one-man team can swoop in and show all the big names in the IEM world how its done, create something that plays at the top, is the beauty of this hobby. And even more ridiculous? More than a year after its release, the Annihilator remains the best EST implementation I've heard by a good margin. Established brands better step up their game lest they wish to be annihilated by upstart brands like this.
Score: 8/10
luisdent
Headphoneus Supremus
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not sure about that 6k dip, but that treble really goes up high with no major peaks!Elysian Acoustic Labs Annihilator Impressions
This is an IEM that most people will probably not be familiar with, so I'll lend some quick background. Elysian Acoustic Labs is a Malaysian-based, one-man-brand. The Annihilator is the crown jewel of their lineup, a tribrid sporting 1DD/4BA/2EST that clocks in at roughly $3700 USD. Yes, it's very expensive. And also hard to find: Elysian Acoustic Labs has an arduous ordering process for international customers, and it doesn't help that they experienced a flood awhile back which put a stopper on production altogether. That hasn't stopped word of mouth from reaching my ears, though, with many listeners (listeners with opinions I actually respect, to be clear) calling it one of the best IEMs they've heard. Still, I'd given up hope of ever hearing the Annihilator, so imagine my shock when the Redditor who sent me the Hidition Violet casually mentioned he'd sent along another IEM as a surprise. In fact, to my knowledge, I'm currently the lone man in the US who's heard an Annihilator! But that's enough chit-chat: How does the Annihilator actually sound?
Well, in short? It sounds freaking amazing, and it (mostly) lives up to the hype that surrounds it. One of the first things you'll notice listening to the Annihilator is that it takes a considerable amount of power to drive. That's a good thing, and it means that the other drivers - specifically the DD and BAs - have been dampened to match the EST drivers' much lower sensitivity. In general, the Annihilator sports what I would consider a mild-V shape; it is a more colored, incredibly quick and engaging sound.
But surprisingly, the bass on the Annihilator is not really a selling point to my ears. I hear a healthy mid-bass tilt which lends to a considerable amount of punch. It sounds quite impressive out of the gate, especially because I've mainly been rocking my U12T for the past couple weeks. Closer listening, however, presents a couple of issues. The Annihilator's bass sounds...dry. Almost static, really, in a compressed fashion that I've often associated with cheaper DD offerings like the Moondrop Blessing 2. It's unmistakably DD bass - even good by most metrics - but for the price the Annihilator commands, I would expect nothing less than the best. Ultimately, it's nothing more than adequate and squeaks by with passing marks to my ears; points off for driver flex too. But it's all uphill from here. The quicker speed and upwards-compression of the Annihilator's bass serve to mask some of the transition into the midrange BAs. And what beautiful work has been done with the midrange. The lower-midrange is slightly scooped, followed by a largely upper-midrange oriented tuning. Midrange notes are thin, yes, but they don't sound shouty to my ears. The slight tonal quirks are a small price to pay for the sheer clarity and resolution that the Annihilator's midrange has. Midrange decay is clean, largely devoid of grain similar to what I hear with the UM MEST.
And we haven't even gotten to the best part. The Annihilator is lauded, above all else, for its implementation of the EST drivers. I'm happy to confirm that the Annihilator makes most other EST implementations I've heard thus far a laughing stock. Indeed, I've generally associated ESTs with a softer, almost mushy characteristic. But the Annihilator makes clear that the driver is capable of so much more. In fact, I'm reminded a good deal of the sharper transient attack that the ESR MK.II's treble exhibits - not that the ESR MK.II's treble is remotely in the same realm, of course. The Annihilator's treble is bright, no doubt. However, because it's smooth and linear, it's also not fatiguing; we see here one of the many benefits of tuning with precision. And gosh, the treble response of the Annihilator is quick, possibly the quickest I've heard, handling the treble rollercoaster that is Girls Generations "Into the New World" with deft precision. Stack on superb extension and you have one of the best treble responses in the game. Now, I don't think the Annihilator quite knocks the IER-Z1R for that incredible transient hardness and treble reverb, but...it easily competes as a whole, and there can be no shame in that.
Technicalities on the Annihilator are generally top-notch. Dynamics are uncompressed with a good sense of macrodynamic punch and contrast. Staging is surprisingly out-out-of-head, particularly in terms of width, despite the more forward presentation. Of course, I'd like more soundstage depth, but it's a worthy sacrifice for the Annihilator's resolution. Indeed, on first listen, I told myself, "Damn, this thing is resolving". A short while later, I found myself asking, "Is this the most resolving IEM I've heard?". Really. And again, I cannot emphasize the importance of proper treble reproduction here. The speed of the Annihilator's ESTs means that it picks up any and every minutia in a track. Likewise, the excessive amounts of treble air lend to the perception of more "open" staging; the Annihilator's layering chops are among the best. No critiques you say? Not quite. Expectedly, the biggest issue would be coherency. The Annihilator has excellent transient response and speed all-round, but there is what I can only describe as a "rawness" to the Annihilator's presentation that I can't ignore; it lacks those last legs of refinement. I suspect timbre - so consistency of decay - is where something like the EE Odin might have it beat.
Now, I've made it clear in the past that I don't care very much for multi-kilobuck IEMs. I simply wouldn't feel comfortable recommending IEMs like this. But best of the best status goes a long way, and there's little question that the Annihilator has its place among the stars in the IEM world. The Annihilator, then, is a testament to David vs. Goliath. That a one-man team can swoop in and show all the big names in the IEM world how its done, create something that plays at the top, is the beauty of this hobby. And even more ridiculous? More than a year after its release, the Annihilator remains the best EST implementation I've heard by a good margin. Established brands better step up their game lest they wish to be annihilated by upstart brands like this.
Score: 8/10
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