[Rockwell75]

I don’t believe this to be the case, at least not anymore. I think that ‘poor bass’ reputation (I call it a myth) was largely based on the 21 edition and/or not properly burned in units. By now there have been enough reviews and comments disputing that “issue” and many praising the Annihilator as the best they have heard, which they would not say if they found the bass lacking. I am sure there are still people who think it is lacking somehow, for whatever reason, but I don’t believe that is a majority (anymore).

I didn’t mean to imply a majority, just that there are a good number of people who still find the bass lacking, which there are. And the most consistent comment I’ve heard about the new model is about the quality of the bass. Time will tell.

 

[drftr]

I didn’t mean to imply a majority, just that there are a good number of people who still find the bass lacking, which there are. And the most consistent comment I’ve heard about the new model is about the quality of the bass. Time will tell.

I'm not exactly 100% sure I am the majority but I wouldn't mind if the bass focus would shift a bit further towards sub bass, as that may lead them to lower the thumpiness of the mid bass to compensate for that slight lack.

drftr

 

[iDesign]

I don't think this is quite true anymore. Ever since EA teamed up with Elysian they, along with the Diva, have been much more readily available than was previously the case. Musicteck regularly gets new stock and you continually see them floating through the classified market. STORM, on the other hand...

In perspective the Annihilator still exists in very limited quantities when you compare the production volume to the U18t or IE800— they’re examples of monitors always available in the classifieds and eBay and trading at 50% of their MSRP. The Storm is certainly rare but even they’re reportedly increasing production too.

 

[drftr]

The real deal for Trifecta owner crucifixions right here:

https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2...s-good-friday-with-crucifixions-and-whippings

I attended this a few years ago and yes, these crucifixions are with real nails instead of the funny talk we use around here.

Shocking to see this has become a mass media event though.

drftr

 

[Smirk 24]

I'm not exactly 100% sure I am the majority but I wouldn't mind if the bass focus would shift a bit further towards sub bass, as that may lead them to lower the thumpiness of the mid bass to compensate for that slight lack.

drftr

SpinFit Omni tips do exactly this, giving the sub-bass a significant lift. It slightly warm-tilts the entire FR while maintaining clarity and the special sauce of the Annihilator’s treble.

 

[Garney]

SpinFit Omni tips do exactly this, giving the sub-bass a significant lift. It slightly warm-tilts the entire FR while maintaining clarity and the special sauce of the Annihilator’s treble.

I picked up some Omni tips but I cannot for the life of me get them onto Anni's nozzles. I gave up for fear of breaking something. How they heck did you get them on??

 

[Smirk 24]

I picked up some Omni tips but I cannot for the life of me get them onto Anni's nozzles. I gave up for fear of breaking something. How they heck did you get them on??

It’s really difficult to be honest. I was also concerned about breaking something but I succeeded eventually.

Kind of difficult to explain the procedure via writing, maybe I’ll record a short video and share it one day.

 

[Garney]

It’s really difficult to be honest. I was also concerned about breaking something but I succeeded eventually.

Kind of difficult to explain the procedure via writing, maybe I’ll record a short video and share it one day.

Maybe I'll give it another go. I've considered heating them up with a blow dryer to see if that makes them more malleable but I don't want to over stretch or permanently deform the tip.

I have a fairly reliable method for getting other tips on. I "hook" a section of the tip bore onto one side of the nozzle and then stretch and pull the tip over to get it to mount. Works well with W1s and AET07s. No luck using that method with the Omni, though.

 

[Smirk 24]

I have a fairly reliable method for getting other tips on. I "hook" a section of the tip bore onto one side of the nozzle and then stretch and pull the tip over to get it to mount.

I do the same! It’s a good method. You can try combining this method with a slight twisting action which might help.

 

[Frankie D]

I don’t believe this to be the case, at least not anymore. I think that ‘poor bass’ reputation (I call it a myth) was largely based on the 21 edition and/or not properly burned in units. By now there have been enough reviews and comments disputing that “issue” and many praising the Annihilator as the best they have heard, which they would not say if they found the bass lacking. I am sure there are still people who think it is lacking somehow, for whatever reason, but I don’t believe that is a majority (anymore).

I for one believe the bass is still sub-standard, especially at its price point.

 

[chickenmcnug]

Anni 2023 bass is just ok for me. Just enough meat on the bones to not sound thin but the treble still overpowers bass and the mids.

Then again I’m here trying to make VEX treble smoother so I’m probably not the best to talk to in regards to that lmao.

 

[Rolu]

The best iems are the ones in your ears!

That's what I say to myself when on a United flight with these:

 

[Animagus]

I don’t believe this to be the case, at least not anymore. I think that ‘poor bass’ reputation (I call it a myth) was largely based on the 21 edition and/or not properly burned in units. By now there have been enough reviews and comments disputing that “issue” and many praising the Annihilator as the best they have heard, which they would not say if they found the bass lacking. I am sure there are still people who think it is lacking somehow, for whatever reason, but I don’t believe that is a majority (anymore).

I think Anni is too covered in the treble-king narrative that might also distract people to this focus when demoing them during Can Jams or other events.

Exactly! My Preference Target already has a 7dB bass shelf and Annihilator 2021 has a 11dB bass shelf while the 2023 version has even more, a 12dB bass shelf with much more mid-bass. Yes it has north of neutral mid and upper treble tuning to balance some of it out but an 11dB bass shelf is a fair bit of bass, reservedly speaking.



This is how it compares compensated to Diffuse Field, something that represents flat monitors in a reflective room. Isn't Anni's bass enough of bass in comparison?




Sure, I can imagine one wanting even more if one's a bass head/lover but I can't imagine this being a general opinion, where everyone thinks Annihilator lacks bass or is bass anaemic. Maybe if one's used to listening IEMs that have much more bass, especially a fat and thick bass shelf.

Well, I who loves and works on flat speakers in my studio room most of the day and then uses IEMs and headphones that are tuned more neutral, find Annihilator's bass more than enough for my liking.

 

[drftr]

it has north of neutral mid and upper treble tuning required to balance some of it out

Balancing out only works though if all those frequencies are called upon in the music. If it's for instance an acoustic trio with mostly mid and bass instruments then mids will all but drown. In my book if an IEM has to balance out things to keep everything in check then it fails for quite some music. But then again, if you have them as a specialist instead of an allrounder or if it perfectly fits your music, why not?

drftr

 

[TheMiddleSky]

Here are my listening impressions from the Amsterdam weekend
I have to say in advance that I have very little listening experience with different IEMs. I have owned the InEar Prophile 8 for about 7 years and am very satisfied with it. I now miss a little pressure in the bass range, which is why I started looking for an alternative...
I also realized that I am not able to approach the evaluation of my sound impression analytically. With every attempt like this, after a very short time I drift off again to follow the music. That's why my gut does the judging for me
I started with the Elysian Annihilator 2023 by @Leto_Dal, which I really liked, also because of the beautiful space. But I was quickly overwhelmed by the bass.
Afterwards I was allowed to try the VE Aura from @Alexzander: Less spacious than the Anni but very balanced. It has the bass that I miss with the PP8.
I can't remember the chronological order for the other sets. The Canpur CP622B from @MatW had too little bass and spatiality. I really liked the UM Mentor from @MSwiss, but unfortunately it lacked a little pressure in the bass. @MatW's Noble Ragnar was too bright for me. The Noble Kublai Khan was balanced with nice spatial depth, but lacked bass pressure (thanks to @oliveradr). I really liked the Fir Radon 6 from @Quartex without any reservations. The Oriolus Trailli Ti from @Tokpakorlo captivated me, but I still missed the bass feel. I gave @MatW my PP8 to demonstrate to him what level of development I was at (I guess he wasn't particularly impressed by either thing ) He recommended the EE Legend Evo to me. Unfortunately, this turned out to be too dark for me. When I asked about a neutral, referential IEM, he handed me the Aroma Jewel: I really liked it - I didn't really want to give it back to him.
Mentally overwhelmed/exhausted since the second set, I borrowed the VE Aura again. This was probably a mistake. The listener immediately drew me into the music. What followed was:

I'm probably the world's worst photographer.
I like it better with each subsequent listening session. This is probably called the honeymoon phase.

Perhaps due to limited edition, a bit hard to find Aura lovers. After heard practically almost everything in TOTL area, I still found Aura is one of the best out there. Very good in technicalities, airy and spacious, with meaty sounding and "natural" sweet vocal that what VE Phonix famous for (without being too dark and too much midbass like Phonix)