The discovery thread!

[EnigmaFotos]

Mail call:
I know I am late to the party by a whole year, but ... anyhow ... I reached the state of buying Monarch MKIII now. Beautiful in person (as it was on every picture I have seen so far) !

Already on Cadmus 8W "Z" edition cable; tips are the EPZ M100 "M" (thin, but works for me). Tip rolling will follow, but cable rolling will not: maybe I try the OCC849 but not any other (as I do not see the point). I have no pure silver cable (yet ?).

I have to thank:
- @nikbr for selling me the Hype 4 earlier (as a part of a trade). Without that I never dared to buy the Monarch MKIII.
- @easylive to sell me this actual unit (and his/her friend @Golyatx for encouraging me)

First tests ? Bass rumble like the Hype 4 (no surprise here, same config) and air very close to the Voltage: a very good combo for me !

Test tracks:
- Metallica: Master of Puppets concert: whole track is jolly good but the intro is the bee's knees !
- A very special track: Gloriae Templum: Haunted Orphanage (from the album "Voices") WARNING: not for everybody ! Whole album is special.
- Tineidae: Dreams Of The Void : a 1 hour long track I really adore.

Only caveat ? The upper side of the IEM pushes my ear; I hope I can accomodate to it. This part is less protruding on the Hype 4.

Easy to drive ( 34 on Onix Alpha XI1 is enough; I can not imagine to go to 50 or higher ever ).

Congrats and enjoy. One of my favorite iem’s.

 

[domq422]

You're not missing the mid-bass with impedance adapter? I just feel like a 150Hz tuck is too early. Everything else looks amazing though.

The Sub-bass rumble separation from the rest of the FR must be insane with the 75ohm adapter... honestly, with a little more later treble, I feel like that would be my ideal IEM, from just looking at the graph of course.

Mail call:

Big time congrats!

That's an awesome purchase. they sure are pretty shells. I've always been such a big fan of the Thie House sound, but my problem is I started with the Monarch MK2 and now the rest of the lineup just doesn't wow me anymore. Regardless, they make some slammin' IEMs!

 

[Nealz]

Hey everyone! I just uploaded my first ever review on my new YouTube channel, and I’d love for you to check it out. In this video, I review the Celest IgniteX Beast and the CD-20 Dongle.

Here’s a quick summary:

• Celest IgniteX Beast: This IEM features a mid-centric tuning with great detail, treble extension, and technicality. It’s not super bass-heavy, so it’s best suited for genres like Pop, RNB, Acoustic, Live Performances, Rock, and Afro. If you’re into bass-heavy genres like Rap, Hip-Hop, or EDM, this might not be the one for you.
• CD-20 Dongle: An excellent-sounding DAC with a natural, neutral, and transparent sound signature. It delivers clean, raw power with a dead-silent background, making it a solid choice for audiophiles.

Check out the full review here:


Let me know what you think, and don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe!

 

[fidgeraldo]

GrApHs TeLl Me EvErYtHiNg

Mirror, mirror on the wall...

Cheers!

 

[activatorfly]

Parcel arrived earlier - I was thinking this was gonna be a boomerang set....Delci 2.0 etc....err how wrong was I ??

Two words to sum up the Klean : WOWSERS !!
DISRUPTOR !!

 

[mrsergey]

Hello guys.
So, i received today the aful explorer and it sound great.
There is only one small problem.
Only the right earphone is working, the left earphone not working at all.
For the first time, i received defective iems.

 

[activatorfly]

Parcel arrived earlier - I was thinking this was gonna be a boomerang set....Delci 2.0 etc....err how wrong was I ??

Two words to sum up the Klean : WOWSERS !!
DISRUPTOR !!

Forgot to add...they're MUSICAL af. Their fit is is comfortable as anything - it's totally immersive cos you're not aware of wearing any iems whatsoever.
They even up the ante on my beloved WGT-1. So just PTT on one set = a successful 11/11 methinks (without costing an arm & a leg!)
Also their stage is way better than Delci - cos they're perfectly tuned!...Believe the hype !!

 

[Ineras]

Hello guys.
So, i received today the aful explorer and it sound great.
There is only one small problem.
Only the right earphone is working, the left earphone not working at all.
For the first time, i received defective iems.

Have you tried with a different cable? Or maybe the source connection isn't lining up properly, so trying giving it a little push or pull. I get this problem sometimes on some 4.4 cables with the DX180, I think Explorer cable is one of them. Need to give it a little tug.

 

[pk4425]

Parcel arrived earlier - I was thinking this was gonna be a boomerang set....Delci 2.0 etc....err how wrong was I ??

Two words to sum up the Klean : WOWSERS !!
DISRUPTOR !!

More impressions and specifics, please!

Edit: Saw your follow-up post. Thanks!

Hello guys.
So, i received today the aful explorer and it sound great.
There is only one small problem.
Only the right earphone is working, the left earphone not working at all.
For the first time, i received defective iems.

Man, that's a bummer, Sergey. I don't read many QC problems with AFUL.

Hope you can get a replacement quickly. It's a special set.

 

[Hypops]

Hello guys.
So, i received today the aful explorer and it sound great.
There is only one small problem.
Only the right earphone is working, the left earphone not working at all.
For the first time, i received defective iems.

Have you tried with a different cable? Or maybe the source connection isn't lining up properly, so trying giving it a little push or pull. I get this problem sometimes on some 4.4 cables with the DX180, I think Explorer cable is one of them. Need to give it a little tug.

Same. The 4.4 connection on my desktop amp can be super fussy and will drop a channel on certain plugs if it's not set juuuust right.

 

[pk4425]

Speaking of reviews, and no shill zones...

I've spent a little under 24 hours with the Elysian Pilgrim and the Elysian Pilgrim : Noir, and what a fun experience so far, because they are not the same in any way. It's two different flavors, but two really good flavors of ice cream. I still need to formulate my impressions officially, and really dig in, but on the surface, here's some quick thoughts....

OG Elysian Pilgrim : So while doing some background on these (they did not come with their box, but only case, cable, and IEM. No tips), I found out they originally come with Spinfits. So the lightbulb went off, and I pulled out my trusty new Spinfit CP100+. BINGO!! This was almost a perfect seal and fitting. So after a bit of tip rolling and originally landing on the Divinus Wild boars, I ended up using the CP100+ on BOTH these IEMs, so no extension rings needed, or fidgety fit. Comfy fit and solid seatment for both IEMs (so those of you who own the Pilgrim, and were complaining about fit (I know that was most of you), immediately look into CP100+. It'll fit that issue for most of you. Anyways, the OG Pilgrim is a fun set, but definitely a bit bass shy. Now it's not bass light, or devoid of bass, but it's certainly lacking in mid bass presence, and the sub bass doesn't hit very deep, but it's linear. Think KZ ZS12 Pro X bass or ZS10 Pro 2 bass. Very similar. Treble can be just a touch strident with it's extension, but overall, it's a clean, clear, fun, and open sound that does not leave for detail want. As mentioned before, this would be a direct upgrade to the Tangzu YuXuan Ji, as they both share similar engagement.

Elysian Pilgrim Noir : What I seldom heard from my teachers while in school..."what a pleasure to have in class." These are a pleasure to have in ears. The Noir is sophistication. Control. immersion. So the bass hits harder, there's more mid bass presence and warmth into the midrange, so a more noir presentation than the OG without it being a dark sound. So you get a sublime vocal presentation that just pulls you in. Female vocals have a warmth and presence that's just creamy and emotive. Male vocals aren't the fullest, so not much grunt, but there's still enough to provide engagement and notice. Unlike the OG, the treble never ventures into stridency. It's controlled, incisive, with a beautifully rendered tonality, that's natural and sophisticated. There's enough extension, but it's not in your face, but hide n seek. Think AFUL Explorer. The soundstage is immersive and details will hit you from all angles, so I'd label it as orbital and full. So I'd say for anyone looking for a true direct upgrade to the AFUL Explorer, and I know many have asked this question, the Elysian Pilgrim : Noir is that direct spiritual upgrade that's going to give you the glads. Too bad it's a case of diminishing returns due to the price gap, but the upgrade would be satisfactory to the ears for the immersiveness alone.

Very interesting, detailed impressions, as always! Thanks.

I still don't understand why Elysian charges so much more for the Noir. Yeah, cable -- I know. Cable, schmable. Elysian would have sold a lot more Noirs if they were the same price as the Pilgrim or maybe $50 to $100 more. But the current price difference is a joke.

I see where Musicteck has dropped the price of the Noir to $639 from $799. That's a positive step, but the Noir should be $499, tops -- $100 more than the Pilgrim.

 

[activatorfly]

Forgot to add...they're MUSICAL af. Their fit is is comfortable as anything - it's totally immersive cos you're not aware of wearing any iems whatsoever.
They even up the ante on my beloved WGT-1. So just PTT on one set = a successful 11/11 methinks (without costing an arm & a leg!)
Also their stage is way better than Delci - cos they're perfectly tuned!...Believe the hype !!

Klean are very special indeed. As I stated in May: I'll always add any future Kefine release...cos they've proven now that they never blatantly repeat things. Right from when you first hit play, you notice something magical (sauce) happening: it's instantly very addictive. Once more the sense of "lifting a veil" prevails (veils ??)

 

[cagix]

He 1000 se is still best headphones for me. Diference between it on gsx mini with gustard a26 and timsok with dc elite isnt that dramaticaly big. Bigest diference isnt staging or simply say staging no it is overall sound dimension every iem for me at the moment is smaller in sound scale. Like headphones big sound iem smaller sound. At the moment i dont go for he 1000 se because need another amp best for it is gsx mini. Together is on 2500 dolars minimal at is too much for biger sound.

 

[mrsergey]

Have you tried with a different cable? Or maybe the source connection isn't lining up properly, so trying giving it a little push or pull. I get this problem sometimes on some 4.4 cables with the DX180, I think Explorer cable is one of them. Need to give it a little tug.

Yes, it's indeed the cable.
I tried to replace the cable and it's working.
What should i do now? Could the seller give me replacement cable?

 

[Nealz]

Speaking of reviews, and no shill zones...

I've spent a little under 24 hours with the Elysian Pilgrim and the Elysian Pilgrim : Noir, and what a fun experience so far, because they are not the same in any way. It's two different flavors, but two really good flavors of ice cream. I still need to formulate my impressions officially, and really dig in, but on the surface, here's some quick thoughts....

OG Elysian Pilgrim : So while doing some background on these (they did not come with their box, but only case, cable, and IEM. No tips), I found out they originally come with Spinfits. So the lightbulb went off, and I pulled out my trusty new Spinfit CP100+. BINGO!! This was almost a perfect seal and fitting. So after a bit of tip rolling and originally landing on the Divinus Wild boars, I ended up using the CP100+ on BOTH these IEMs, so no extension rings needed, or fidgety fit. Comfy fit and solid seatment for both IEMs (so those of you who own the Pilgrim, and were complaining about fit (I know that was most of you), immediately look into CP100+. It'll fit that issue for most of you. Anyways, the OG Pilgrim is a fun set, but definitely a bit bass shy. Now it's not bass light, or devoid of bass, but it's certainly lacking in mid bass presence, and the sub bass doesn't hit very deep, but it's linear. Think KZ ZS12 Pro X bass or ZS10 Pro 2 bass. Very similar. Treble can be just a touch strident with it's extension, but overall, it's a clean, clear, fun, and open sound that does not leave for detail want. As mentioned before, this would be a direct upgrade to the Tangzu YuXuan Ji, as they both share similar engagement.

Elysian Pilgrim Noir : What I seldom heard from my teachers while in school..."what a pleasure to have in class." These are a pleasure to have in ears. The Noir is sophistication. Control. immersion. So the bass hits harder, there's more mid bass presence and warmth into the midrange, so a more noir presentation than the OG without it being a dark sound. So you get a sublime vocal presentation that just pulls you in. Female vocals have a warmth and presence that's just creamy and emotive. Male vocals aren't the fullest, so not much grunt, but there's still enough to provide engagement and notice. Unlike the OG, the treble never ventures into stridency. It's controlled, incisive, with a beautifully rendered tonality, that's natural and sophisticated. There's enough extension, but it's not in your face, but hide n seek. Think AFUL Explorer. The soundstage is immersive and details will hit you from all angles, so I'd label it as orbital and full. So I'd say for anyone looking for a true direct upgrade to the AFUL Explorer, and I know many have asked this question, the Elysian Pilgrim : Noir is that direct spiritual upgrade that's going to give you the glads. Too bad it's a case of diminishing returns due to the price gap, but the upgrade would be satisfactory to the ears for the immersiveness alone.

For me the Elysian Pilgrim tuning was too safe and boring. While I can understand why others would like it, personally I like a more engaging sound with a "wow" factor at this price point. None of that mature crap for me, thanks