[baskingshark]

Impressive writeup bro. Vented Bass BA's hmmm sounds interesting. Have you tried the Flipears Artha? I wonder how the FA19 will compare with that beauty.

Yeah I auditioned the Artha, but IIRC there are 2 versions right? There's a metal shell version which is more technical/resolving, and an acrylic or resin version which is smoother though with some slight dampening in resolution.

I don't trust aural memory as I don't have the Artha physically with me now, so I can't really compare it via A/B testing to the Fiio FA19 as such. I think the FA19 is definitely smoother and less edgy than the metal Artha for sure. Better timbre on the FA19 also. But technicalities wise I can't recall what the Artha can do, just remembered it was quite technical with a big soundstage.

 

[superuser1]

I had no idea the Pilgrim Noir would be so much more expensive than the Pilgrim...

 

[pk4425]

Must admit I'm sceptical if Moondrop is the brand to make this work, with the removal of headphone jack from almost every phone it can be market for this.

Does anyone really want to trust the build quality of such an essential daily device as a phone to Moondrop? I sure as f*ck don't.

 

[activatorfly]

Does anyone really want to trust the build quality of such an essential daily device as a phone to Moondrop? I sure as f*ck don't.

Exactamundo !!

 

[baskingshark]

I had no idea the Pilgrim Noir would be so much more expensive than the Pilgrim...

Yes the Noir is way more expensive and less resolving IMO. But the Noir version is basshead compared to the more balanced OG version, so perhaps this caters to the basshead crowd.

Internal driver config is the same, just the tuning is different between the 2, but I would take the OG Pilgrim any day as it has superior price to performance.

 

[ToneDeafMonk]

Yes the Noir is way more expensive and less resolving IMO. But the Noir version is basshead compared to the more balanced OG version, so perhaps this caters to the basshead crowd.

Internal driver config is the same, just the tuning is different between the 2, but I would take the OG Pilgrim any day as it has superior price to performance.

Good to hear thanks for sharing.

 

[kaeswiss]

I had no idea the Pilgrim Noir would be so much more expensive than the Pilgrim...

Yes the Noir is way more expensive and less resolving IMO. But the Noir version is basshead compared to the more balanced OG version, so perhaps this caters to the basshead crowd.

Internal driver config is the same, just the tuning is different between the 2, but I would take the OG Pilgrim any day as it has superior price to performance.

Yea, the $400 USD price difference is a bit much between the two since it's 2x the price of the OG.

The Noir does come with the $300 Effect Audio Eros S cable, but I think the Noir should be priced at least $100 lower. They'll probably sell more units of the OG than the Noir because of this. The $400 cost of admission to Elysian Acoustics tuning is just way more manageable.

Personally, If I'm looking for basshead IEMs at the Noir's price point, I'd go with the FatFreq Scarlet Mini or pay a bit more for the Symphonium Titan.
Oh yeah.. I have the Titan and the bass is glorious!

 

[InvisibleInk]

A second iteration of a unit called Timeless?? Impossible.

Chuck Norris is so smart he once counted to inifinity...

Spoiler: ?????

twice

 

[rawrj]

If the special Eros S cable is the only reason the Noir is that much more expensive they need to sell it sans-cable as well.

 

[domq422]

The Fiio FA19 is a 10 KNOWLES BA IEM.



Very comfortable, easy to drive, with no amplification requirements.

Accessories are fit for a king.



It has 1 tuning switch. In stock form (with the bass switch turned off), the FA19 sounds warm neutral. Very studio monitor-like, in furnishing a pleasant soundscape. Extremely technical, massive soundstage beyond the ears, with pinpoint imaging. And this is without needing to resort to a steroid boosted treble to garner "fake clarity".



Bass is nicely textured and clean with no bleed. Upper mids are only 6 dB - ie no shout - which was a complaint of the previous FX15 predecessor. Smooth treble, with minimal sibilance, but still very resolving.

Interestingly, the FA19 has a vented sub-woofer, so the bass sounds quite close to a DD bass. It isn't exactly 100% similar to a DD bass as there's just a slight lack of decay in the final tail of bass notes, but this improves on the vast majority of unvented BA bass drivers that sound unnatural in terms of movement of air.



For folks that want a bit more "fun" in the signature, toggling the switch converts the FA19 to a bass boost mode, as seen from the graphs. This is a bit warmer than the stock tuning, but the bass is more impactful. Sub-bass extension is even better with the switch on.

The FA19 does have a tinge of BA timbre, but isn't the worst offender in multi BA sets I've tried. Note weight is just right.

The FA19 uses MMCX but the MMCX seem of high quality and snap on and off without issues. BTW I spoke to a custom maker before, and MMCX comes in a variety of grades, from cheap ones seen in ultra budget CHIFI that give a bad rep to the connector type due to being too tight or spinning like a wind-vane, whereas we have higher quality ones that are rated for thousands of swaps.

I bought the FA19 at a discounted price from Fiio, but I think the full retail price is around $1K USD. This pure BA set is well suited for stage monitoring in view of the solid ergonomics and technical chops, and I do think it competes with other TOTL multi driver transducers. Think of something that has good layering and soundstage but not being overly fatiguing.

Will do some A/B testing against other pure BA sets like the Sony M9 etc and report back. Will also test out the QC of the MMCX.

This graph looks surprisingly fantastic. I'm not opposed to an all BA set at all, with the stuff from Symphonium and the Elysian Diva having some of the best bass I've heard to date, not to mention the STORM. BA bass can definitely be good.

Thanks for sharing, Basky!

 

[thaslaya]

Cross posting from Watercooler thread:

A friend is looking for a warmer iem with great subbass and intimate female vocals in the $800-1200 range. Definitely outside of my usual budget tier so any suggestions would be great for me to pass along. Thanks!

 

[theintention]

Cross posting from Watercooler thread:

A friend is looking for a warmer iem with great subbass and intimate female vocals in the $800-1200 range. Definitely outside of my usual budget tier so any suggestions would be great for me to pass along. Thanks!

you already know…

 

[kaeswiss]

If the special Eros S cable is the only reason the Noir is that much more expensive they need to sell it sans-cable as well.

Here's what Jude had to say about the differences with the Noir in the Canjam Singapore video.

Elysian Pilgrim Noir
- Upgraded version
- 1DD+3BA (4-way crossover instead of 3-way on regular Pilgrim)
- More full bodied tonality
- Further refined treble
- Comes with an Effect Audio Eros S cable in new colorway

So with the Noir, you get different tuning, an upgraded cable, and a different color.

 

[Jaytiss]

If the special Eros S cable is the only reason the Noir is that much more expensive they need to sell it sans-cable as well.

Very possible. I think they are pushed at different markets with a slight tuning difference. I'm getting the normal Pilgrim, but would be interested in the comparisons. The fact is a a lot of items are overpriced with a fancy cable so an iem being more expensive is a very distinct possibility. I do like the black Noire more, do I like it 400 dollars more? Not necessarily.

 

[theintention]

Here's what Jude had to say about the differences with the Noir in the Canjam Singapore video.

Elysian Pilgrim Noir
- Upgraded version
- 1DD+3BA (4-way crossover instead of 3-way on regular Pilgrim)
- More full bodied tonality
- Further refined treble
- Comes with an Effect Audio Eros S cable in new colorway

So with the Noir, you get different tuning, an upgraded cable, and a different color.

this would be a killer package... at 599. 650 if we are getting a little fancy.

Excited to see full on impressions comparing the two.