[Leto Dal]

If you love the Susvara, the Traillii is IMHO is the IEM that most closely resembles it. I have been using mine with a Holo Audio desktop setup and am amazed at the similarities. These similarities continue no matter the source, but it does scale. The new Traillii TI is very expensive and improves upon the bass, but not the mids and on occasion is not as good in the treble. It was still my favorite new IEM at CanJam though. I would suggest going for the OG.

Cant second this. Traillii is much closer to a ZMF like tuning, with very strong mids emphasis and analogish nature. What they share is great detail retrieval, but thats it.

While sounding thinner than Susvara, Jewel has similar airy tuning with its extended treble and bass.

 

[Frankie D]

Cant second this. Traillii is much closer to a ZMF like tuning, with very strong mids emphasis and analogish nature.

While sounding thinner than Susvara, Jewel has similar airy tuning with its extended treble and bass.

Well, I would disagree here. We hear it a bit different which is normal. I would also mention that over the years a number of headfiers have also mentioned the Trailli’s similarity to the Susvara.

I do agree though that Jewel is another potentially good choice.

 

[Scubadevils]

As someone who very rarely streams and has a bit of a DAP addiction, plus a real fondness for Shanling, this will be hard to resist! I’m seriously hoping it performs at M6 Ultra level minus Android.

 

[Leto Dal]

Well, I would disagree here. We hear it a bit different which is normal. I would also mention that over the years a number of headfiers have also mentioned the Trailli’s similarity to the Susvara.

I do agree though that Jewel is another potentially good choice.

I believe the analogy is more of - both are legendary totl headphones, that are around for a while, staying strong after all this years.

Idk the tuning is vastly different to my ear. Traillii is known for its calm warmish analog nature and good technicalities, not an airy analytical presentation with endless stage like Susvara.

 

[shabta]

Looking at some of what you have … and don’t mind spending, I’m going to go against the grain. And suggest exploring a two channel setup. It would adequately take the weight off your head ; be as open as you can afford to create with resolution to spare.

If there’s an audio specialist with an acoustic treated room and high tier speaker setup installed then worth a listen. It is the best thing I’ve ever heard.

I have a great two channel setup. It is very hot hear in the south of france in summer. I don't like air conditioning. And my amp gets too hot to run in the summer. So I need iems/headphones. Plus I travel around europe a lot, good to have an excellent mobile setup.

 

[shabta]

Mate if you have neck pain and tingling, I would stop using headphones right-away and speak to a medical professional.

These are usually classic symptoms of nerve entrapment somewhere. I would suggest seeing a very good orthopedic doctor and/or a physiotherapist.

Sometimes, these get worse, especially if you have muscle spasms in your neck / shoulder caused from prolonged sitting and/or poor posture with a weight on your noggin’.

Hope yours is not a serious issue of course but better safe than sorry.

And yes, the IEM world beckons!

I have really great doctors and a fabulous physiotherapist. But I appreciate the concern. I can use headphones but not for hours and not heavy ones.

 

[Frankie D]

I believe the analogy is more of - both are legendary totl headphones, that are around for a while, staying strong after all this years.

Idk the tuning is vastly different to my ear. Traillii is known for its calm warmish analog nature and good technicalities, not an airy analytical presentation with endless stage like Susvara.

I think we hear a bit different ( not always as I do agree with you on a number of occasions ). I see that you also have the Holo Stack. I do not consider my Susvara too analytical, but it will certainly let you know when listening to a less than stellar recording. However, Traillii will also provide the same information. Anyway……

 

[btwine]

CanJam NYC IEM Impressions (Part 3):




Finally, I wanted to share the 3rd and final part of my IEM impressions from the CanJam weekend. I demoed all IEMs using iBasso 320MAX Ti and Azla Sedna Short tips.

Note: The showfloor is quite loud so its difficult to ascertain the finer nuances of an IEM. I tried my best to understand the general presentation and problem areas of each set.


Symphonium Titan Prototype (Under $1000 USD)


Photo courtesy of Symphonium from the Symphonium thread.

Many of the show surprises at CanJam NYC this year were IEMs in the sub-$1000 bracket, and the Symphonium Titan was one of them.

The Titan has a huge sub-bass and mid-bass with a nice vocal tone and decent dynamics. It has a fun and generally inoffensive tuning.

Some nitpicks are that the mid-bass has a tiny amount of bloat and that the resolution is just okay. Otherwise, it was an addictive and fun listen and a great addition to the Symphonium line-up.

I may consider getting one myself.


Elysian Pilgrim ($400 to $500 USD)

Another sub-$1000 standout. Sounds like a baby Annihilator with slightly more bass weight and tactility.

Neutral/neutral-bright with good resolution and dynamics. Generally safe tuning but I hear some shout/upper-mid to lower treble sharpness.
Great techs for its proposed price point. Should be very competitive when it releases.


Nightjar Duality (~$3000 USD)



Enormous yet controlled and distortion-free bass with great tactility and decay. This is definitely bass-head levels of bass quantity.

Like its younger sibling Singularity, Duality has a wonderful timbre, note weight, and is tuned very well. A very satisfying set to listen to.

I think there was just a touch too much bass for me, and the resolution was just decent at its price point.

Otherwise, there's nothing on the IEM market that sounds like Duality. One of my show favorites. I'd highly recommend a listen.


Subtonic Storm ($6000 USD)



A week prior to the show, a good friend of mine loaned me their Subtonic Storm to demo. A big thank you to him for his generosity.

With Mira 4W cable:

Very dynamic and textured bass with great slam. Great resolution, likely the best, if not one of the top few on the market.

Large image with natural, bodied vocals. Very linear treble with no perceived peaks. I've heard over 50 IEMs and I'm fairly certain that this is the all-around most technical IEM I've heard so far.

Some nitpicks: The bass is great but could use some more "bounce" and the soundstage is good but could be even bigger. I also think some people may find the sound signature too dry or unexciting.

With Sovereign Symphony 8W + Mass-Kobo 475 amp:



There are significant improvements to the soundstage, and the entire frequency is more warm-tilted and bottom-heavy.

I'm not sure which chain I prefer. I do appreciate the soundstage improvements and the generally more analogue sound but I might preferred the more balanced sound without the Mass-Kobo 465.

I'd love to try Storm again on just the Sovereign cable and without the MK465.


Dunu x Precogvision Mirai ($1100 USD)

As many in this hobby know, well-executed treble is somewhat of a rarity.

I can count on one hand the sets that I think do treble exceptionally well: Annihilator, AME Raven (not to be confused with EE Raven), Symphonium Helios + Helios SE. Mirai is one of them.

It has a wonderfully extended and articulate treble with a nice treble timbre and weight, especially on these "coffee" tips as recommended by Sam from the Headphones.com booth.

Mirai isn't just a treble set though. It has really clean and articulate bass, as well as a well-executed midrange tuning. Mirai's dynamics are good as well.

I think Mirai is an exceptional set. I'm just concerned Mirai may come off as a little too clean and slightly dry to some.


Ice Labs Prismatica + Prismatica Gold (~$900 to $1000 USD)




The Prismatica (top) has gained some popularity in the circles I run in, so I was excited to give it and its Gold edition (bottom) a demo.

Both the OG and Gold edition have healthy sub-bass and mid-bass quantities. I hear the OG has having a bit more mid-bass grunt and slightly more slam.

Both have a nice vocal tone and note weight, and a nice treble tone as well. I found the treble tuning largely unproblematic.

Both have good dynamics, average resolution (for the price), and a little fuzziness in the very initial stages of the transient attack.

I thought both Prismaticas were a fun, enjoyable listen. I can see people using it as an everyday carry type of IEM.


Letshuoer Cadenza 12 ($2300 USD)

The Cadenza 12 is an IEM that I think flies under the radar a bit. It's a set I think a lot of people would enjoy if they were to give it a demo.

The bass of the Cadenza 12 is really nicely bodied and very well-textured. It's very satisfying.

The Cadenza 12 as a whole has a nice note weight, so vocals sound full and natural. The midrange and treble tuning are very safely-tuned so I found no issues there.

Some nitpicks are that the resolution could be a bit better for its price range, and that the transient edges could use more definition.

Some might find the tuning a bit too safe. Otherwise, it's a superb set that does everything else well.

Letshuoer Prototype:

Letshuoer also had a prototype which I think is a different take/re-tune of the Cadenza 12.

It had all the strengths of the Cadenza 12 but sounded more W-shaped which gave it some of the excitement the Cadenza 12 was missing.


Soranik xMEMS Prototype (Rumored ~$2000 USD)



I was able to listen to Soranik's xMEMS prototype during a private demo. I don't know much about xMEMS technology but this IEM in particular used an energizer the size of a smartphone.

The bass on the prototype was pretty good, with some nice mid-bass quantity and texturing. The vocals had a slightly ethereal quality to it that I enjoyed and reminded me of the quality of electrostatic drivers.

The treble also had a pleasant electrostatic-like quality to it. It was enjoyable but I thought the treble could use a little more energy.

I was really grateful for this demo. It gave me a glimpse into what xMEMS technology can do and I'd be very interested to see more xMEMS IEMs in the market.


Fatfreq Grand Maestro ($3000 USD)

For the GM demo, I used the blue Noah module with the vocal switch both on and off.

GM has a huge, well-articulated sub-bass. The bass is sub-bass focused. I thought the vocals and treble were mostly fine, if unspectacular. Especially for a $3k set.

As expected, the vocals were pushed forward when flipping the vocal switch on. It was a little too forward for me so I preferred leaving the switch off.

I think GM is an okay set overall but I think it's technicalities could be better for its price point.


qdc 8PRO ($1500)



The 8PRO has a 3-way switch, H/S/L which stands for HiFi, Studio, and Live. I tried the S and L switches.

S switch:

Nice sub-bass quantity, could use a touch more mid-bass.

Good resolution and great staging. Very good dynamics with a well-defined transient attack. Nice treble presence, and a good sounding treble overall. Very good dynamics.

Vocals have a nice note weight but sound a touch cold. The 8PRO is very technical, among the best in its class.

L switch:

The L switch kicks up the bass quantity. Huge sub-bass and a large mid-bass which has some bloat. Possibly some male vocal bloom. Techs are the same, and everything above the lower-mids sound about the same.

Overall, I feel as though the 8PRO, while very technical, lacks some emotion. It checks all the boxes for the things I index for and yet it's not a set I'd reach for personally.


Eletech Prototype (Rumored ~$3k USD)



Apparently there were two Eletech prototypes at CanJam, a Romeo, and a Juliet.

I'm not sure which one I heard but the photo is above, and here's what I heard:

Decent sub-bass quantity but could use more sub-bass and mid-bass. Nice vocal tone, slightly ethereal. Nice treble timbre as well. Decent transient attack, with okay dynamics and decent resolution.

I thought it was a decent set overall but I'm not convinced it's $3k good.


MusicTeck Leo's Prototype (Rumored $1.5k to $2k)



Nice sub-bass/mid-bass quantity and weight with a sub-bass tilt.

Very resolving set overall with a balanced vocal placement (neither recessed nor too forward). Nice transient attack with a hint of lower treble sharpness that toes the line. Good dynamics and a slightly colder timbre.

I think Leo's prototype did a lot of things well and shows promise. It kind of sounds like his open-back headphone prototype I heard a few months back.

I'm excited to hear more refinements to the prototype down the line.


Last but not least:

InTime Miyabi MKII ($230)



Chang brought over a bunch of IEMs that are difficult to find in the West, including the InTime Miyabi MKII.

The Miyabi MKII has a nice lush timbre with a pleasant thickness to notes, and a tuning without any problem areas. It's obviously priced as an entry level set and its techs reflect that, however it's a very pleasant and non-fussy set.

It was my only purchase during the CanJam weekend and I intend to use it during travel and on-the-go situations. Thanks to Chang for the demo!

Thanks for all the impressions you shared. You covered a lot of ground and hit on a lot of lesser-known IEMs here on WC at least, super valuable reference points for all here. And I appreciate you don’t give away raves.

 

[theintention]

I can use headphones but not for hours and not heavy ones.

I am here as well, I started an intensive PT course and I cannot use my LCD-2C for the time being… really sucks. IEMs win again.

 

[Sebastien Chiu]

I think they're both quite different. If you're after more of a generalist tuning and don't care about DD bass then Diva is probably a better choice. I like the Pilgrim precisely because for me it's more of a top-end-clarity-&-treble-detail specialist with the bass firmly in the back seat. It's a masterclass of Lee's renowned tuning chops and and quite versatile that even though something of a specialist (YMMV) I suspect it will have a very wide appeal.

I've always had a romantic fascination with words and I love discovering new ones and experiencing the joy in finding exactly the right word for a given purpose. All of this to say you more than any other person often pull words out of your quiver that I haven't seen before or which compel me to run for a dictionary, so cheers for that.

I would say the same for the mid-bass region, for very similar reasons. It feels safer to talk about this publicly right now than it was a couple years ago but there are decided regional tuning preferences out there, crudely often classified as "eastern" and "western", with one being more sub-bass focused with more emphasis on the upper mids and treble, and the other being known for more presence in the mid-bass and lower mid region. Hence shoutiness is as much of a deal breaker for some as muddiness is for others-- even though what might be shouty or muddy for one person, will not necessarily be so for another. All of this to say, as others have said, there is not and should not imho be a single standard tuning protocol that applies to all people at all times. Just like with food we should celebrate the bewildering diversity in flavors and textures as this is the best way to assure that, in a world where no two snowflakes-- or any two people's tastes- are completely alike that there will be the perfect IEM out there for everyone.

Pilgrim was very good, a prototype, supplied to MT without cable. Leo paired with something that is what we heard. He thinks the tuning is final expects only nozzle refinement, and choose a cable for it. It sounds like 2K plus, technically Annihilator is better to me though the Pilgrim is easier to listen to and does have a similar tuning, at the proposed price of 4-5 hundred it is a “no brainer” and a “why not”. Looking massively forward to hearing it again in its final iteration.

Happy Saturday my friends! Re: Pilgrim, is there an ETA for availability - given the strength of praise here I will buy it blind…just, when?!

Pilgrim is a terrible name but it's nice to hear it's supposedly really good for the price. It seems like the bar of diminishing returns is generally coming way down in the last year despite some absurd prices on the top end.

I don’t think the Pilgrim is a bad name at all. And I take that this is part of the relationship with EA now. I’m just happy to see some lower price stuff do and review well.

Will we be able to purchase Pilgrim at MT?

When I heard the name Pilgrim for the Elysium prototype at CanJam, I too thought at first that it was a bit of a strange name for an IEM.

But it kind of makes sense. A pilgrim is going on a spiritual journey ultimately. I think the Pilgrim's spiritual journey for some people will be 'wow, we are getting ripped off at some of these price points today when this can do this for $499'

Actually I'm quite sure they will and really looking forward to it. Props to Elysium if the Pilgrim releases as it sounds at the already mentioned price point. The moment I heard it I was like, I'm getting one 100%.

Am I the only one who thought the pilgrim sounded a little rough around the edges? Kinda crackly in the treble? I much preferred the Dita Project M. I guess we will see.

I felt the treble was a tad spicy myself but it was also one of those things that given what all was at offer for the price that I couldn’t really hear it as a problem either.

Thank you, guys, for the entire Pilgrim discussion. Please keep it coming.

To clarify a few things that I can talk about:

1. Yes, the Pilgrim is part of Elysian's new relationship with Effect Audio.
2. We are helping with marketing, scaling up the manufacturing process, and QC to prepare for the demand.
3. Yes, the Pilgrim will be available at Musicteck.
4. It will launch sometime in May.
5. The final price point will be $399, adjusted once more from the $499 at the show.
6. There will be "other things" coming from Elysian this year that we can't talk about yet, and they're coming sooner than you think.
7. Your feedback is being noted. We are unsure if it will go through one more retune or if what you heard at the show was final.
8. Leo's comments about build changes and cable were correct; those are being finalized now.

If you have any questions, let me know, and I'll hopefully be able to clarify them as I am able to say more.

If you're willing to spend the $, I'm not sure anything tops the treble of the Annihilator. It's the best I've ever heard and I've tried many TOTL.

I would recommend the Elysian annihilator based on what you’re looking for

For sheer airiness, headroom and HD800-like bite, I’d recommend the Aroma Audio Fei Wan. I’d second the Annihilator recommendations if you want a silkier type of treble (whilst being just as open), but it’s also known for not having the best bass quality in the world. The Fei Wan is stronger in that regard.

Thank you guys for all recommending the Anni to OP, it's spot on for his preferences. We appreciate it

 

[stacey]

1. The final price point will be $399, adjusted once more from the $499 at the show.

WOW

 

[Sebastien Chiu]

WOW

That was fast

 

[theintention]

Thank you, guys, for the entire Pilgrim discussion. Please keep it coming.

To clarify a few things that I can talk about:

1. Yes, the Pilgrim is part of Elysian's new relationship with Effect Audio.
2. We are helping with marketing, scaling up the manufacturing process, and QC to prepare for the demand.
3. Yes, the Pilgrim will be available at Musicteck.
4. It will launch sometime in May.
5. The final price point will be $399, adjusted once more from the $499 at the show.
6. There will be "other things" coming from Elysian this year that we can't talk about yet, and they're coming sooner than you think.
7. Your feedback is being noted. We are unsure if it will go through one more retune or if what you heard at the show was final.
8. Leo's comments about build changes and cable were correct; those are being finalized now.

If you have any questions, let me know, and I'll hopefully be able to clarify them as I am able to say more.

wow, this is awesome. the added communications like this after the show are a huge plus in my book as well, i like to see that. very excited for pilgrim.

 

[1oad3r]

Thank you, guys, for the entire Pilgrim discussion. Please keep it coming.

To clarify a few things that I can talk about:

1. Yes, the Pilgrim is part of Elysian's new relationship with Effect Audio.
2. We are helping with marketing, scaling up the manufacturing process, and QC to prepare for the demand.
3. Yes, the Pilgrim will be available at Musicteck.
4. It will launch sometime in May.
5. The final price point will be $399, adjusted once more from the $499 at the show.
6. There will be "other things" coming from Elysian this year that we can't talk about yet, and they're coming sooner than you think.
7. Your feedback is being noted. We are unsure if it will go through one more retune or if what you heard at the show was final.
8. Leo's comments about build changes and cable were correct; those are being finalized now.

If you have any questions, let me know, and I'll hopefully be able to clarify them as I am able to say more.





Thank you guys for all recommending the Anni to OP, it's spot on for his preferences. We appreciate it

Fantastic update and great to see this kind of engagement - bravo!

 

[Sebastien Chiu]

Fantastic update and great to see this kind of engagement - bravo!

It is why I exist (and why more brands need to hire people like me because I’m just one person and can’t make enough of an impact no matter how many brands I have).