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The middle finger: Elysian Labs Pilgrim: Noir
Finally the time has come and I am holding a Pair of Elysian Labs' new Pilgrim: Noir IEMs in hand. And I apologize right here and now for the somewhat provocative title, but as the blog progresses, it will become clear that it was not chosen by chance. 😉
Much was discussed in the forums prior to the release and the lucky participants of one of the major headphone trade fairs earlier this year, which presented Elysian's new models Pilgrim and Pilgrim:Noir already heard, agree: These things offer incredible musical value for money! Elysian Labs itself even speak of a "crazy low price".
We'll be taking a look at how the two Pilgrims fare in reality in the coming days and weeks. We'll start with the Pilgrim:Noir, because the "little" Pilgrim isn't officially available yet at the time of this blog, and we're also eagerly awaiting its delivery.
Due to the lack of original packaging for our demo units, we're forced to forgo an unboxing and content ourselves with a few snapshots...
The Pilrim:Noir features a black anodized aluminum body and the gold logos of Elysian Acoustic Labs and Effect Audio. The design is futuristic and distinctive, exuding elegance.
Our demo unit also comes with a pack of Spinfit Ear-Tips - the retail packaging should contain a few more small accessories.
The Pilgrim:Noir sits comfortably and securely in my medium-sized ears and is very comfortable to wear even over extended periods, as the Pilgrim:Noir are, by today's standards, pleasantly small.
Pairing
What would be a suitable partner for an IEM under CHF 800? Without much thought, I choose the new N3Ultra by Cayin, because the two products fit together perfectly visually.
Besides, I know that the little Cayin belies its price of CHF 599, it sounds much better than the price tag would suggest and easily beats some much more expensive DAPs on the wall.
Sound check
After a few minutes with my trusty testing playlist, I'm grinning all over my face: This rocks! I really don't know how else to describe it other than with this overused phrase. 🙌😅
The Noir starts like there is no tomorrow and pumps, supported by the N3Ultra, "fat" melodious sounds in my ears. 😵😍
You can see the relationship between Noir and its "bigger" siblings Diva 23 and Annihilator 23 Clearly: Vocals are wonderfully sonorous and slightly prominent, the detail reproduction is almost outrageously good for this price range, and the bass is deep, controlled, and forms a foundation for the other frequencies. Despite excellent highs, I didn't detect any sibilance during testing.
A highlight of the Pilgrim:Noir is definitely its spatiality and soundstage. Personally, I don't know of any other IEM under CHF 1,000 that sounds so three-dimensional and airy.
Of course there are differences to Diva 23 and Annihilator 23. The Diva 23 sounds even more natural and penetrating, the Anni 23 is unbeatably coherent and just sounds "right".
Nevertheless, what the Noir delivers for the money - especially in combination with the Cayin N3Ultra - is astonishing!
Conclusion
With the Pilgrim: Noir Elysian Labs delivered – and clearly showed the competition what is possible with a budget of under CHF 800 when passionate and experienced people are at work – Bravo!
When you consider how much sound you can get for under CHF 1300 with the Pilgrim:Noir + Cayin N3Ultra gets, then you can only call this an absolute bargain!
While listening to music and writing these lines, I've long since forgotten how affordable this combo is compared to other flagship combos, and it doesn't really matter. I'm sitting here just enjoying the music without thinking about it - that's how it should be! 🙌😊
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IEMs Most Wanted - Elysian Labs Annihilator 2023
Galactic Superstar - Elysian Acoustic Labs Diva 2023