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Galactic Superstar - Elysian Acoustic Labs Diva 2023
If I wasn't hearing it with my own ears right now, I wouldn't believe it! We're talking about the new Elysian Acoustic Labs Diva 2023 IEMs, or rather the sound that comes out of these little things.
Does anyone happen to remember the movie "The Fifth Element" with Bruce Willis? There's a scene with a blue alien lady who is the best opera singer/diva in the galaxy and can do almost impossible things with her voice creates.
That's exactly the impression I have while listening to music with the Diva 2023!😱🤩😍
But before I go into more superlatives about the sound, as always a little unboxing -Photo session...
It's clear from the packaging that Elysian Acoustic Labs don't do things by halves: it's big, heavy and very high quality - it's really fun to unpack!
The two drawers contain the new Ares S Premium cable from Effect Audio and accessories such as cleaning cloth, various earplugs and a few other small items.
The IEMs themselves are hidden under the top lid and you have to remove the foam insert to find them. There is also a small carrying case here.
The Diva IEMs themselves are a real feast for the eyes and of course very high quality. (They are available in blue, red and black)
In general, the overall package exudes a premium feeling, which is otherwise reserved for significantly more expensive products.
There are clearly visible adjusting screws on the sides of the IEMs with which the Diva's bass can be individually tuned.
When connecting the cable, Elysian uses Pentaconn's proprietary Ear Connector, which provides a rotatable connection similar to MMCX. The connector can be changed thanks to the ConX system, meaning the cable can theoretically also be used with other in-ears.
Listening session
As I write these lines, I am listening to the sounds of the diva and reveling in the music. But first things first...
The Diva's playing partner was the new and excellent Hiby R6 Pro II DAP, which, just like the Diva herself, plays well above its own league or price range. I am sure that you can get even more out of the Diva in terms of sound with a player in the category Cayin N7, Cayin N8II or Hiby RS8 and also a Cable upgrade should bring even more here.
Nevertheless - what I'm listening to right now is simply wonderful - and the Diva aren't even recorded!
Details & Treble
The first thing that immediately strikes me when listening is the incredible clarity of the Diva IEMs - unusual in this price range. The only other IEMs in this category that sound similarly clear and high-resolution are the UM MEST II, another price-performance hit!
The divas go high with plenty of sparkle and the details shown are excellent. Here the MEST II can at best slightly trump the Diva, because they are perhaps a bit more natural. However, the difference is not very big.
Bass
I had completely wrong ideas about the Diva's bass reproduction capabilities beforehand. I thought that the bass range would be a bit underrepresented - i.e. thin... Far from it!
The first songs already convince me of the opposite and by the time Ana Tijoux's "1977" or Ice Cube's "Gangsta Rap made me do it" my jaw drops - those things The bass and sub-bass pump into your ears that it is a real joy and even the mid-bass, albeit less emphasized, is not neglected.
The bass quality is also good: none of the other frequencies are drowned out but are carried as if on a good foundation.
Spatial space (stage) & channel separation
Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire" and Nine Inch Nails "Hurt" are two good songs to test these two aspects and Diva owners won't be disappointed here either. The channel separation is very good. Individual instruments and voices can be clearly heard and located.
If you listen to Korn's "Freak on a Leash" (MTV unplugged), which was recorded in an intimate atmosphere against "Feel Alive" by Anneke van Giersbergen, the differences from club to concert hall immediately become clear - good job, Diva !
Of course the channel separation and stage display are not on the same level as an Oriolus Traillii or UM Multiverse Mentor, but they cost several times as much as the Diva and are therefore correct Price/performance here too.
Voices & Mids
But now let's get to the real highlight of the diva. This is, as the name (and my intro) suggests, the vocal reproduction.
A YouTube reviewer called the Diva 2023 the IEMs with the best vocal reproduction ever and although given some flagship IEMs, perhaps something If it seems exaggerated, I don't think he's entirely wrong.
Let me rephrase a bit: The Diva 2023 have one of the best vocal reproduction qualities on the market, regardless of price.
Singers are highlighted and emphasized a little from the ensemble without the entirety suffering. Voices indeed sound very natural, immersive and intense. This gives the listener some goosebumps. Great!
Conclusion
After reading various forum opinions, I thought the Diva 2023 was a one-trick pony - great for voices and selected music but definitely not an all-rounder. Wrong!
The Diva 2023 are veritable all-round IEMs that, in addition to their outstanding vocal reproduction, have many other qualities and achieve great results with most musical styles.
All in all, the overall package you get for your money is excellent - the DIVA (as well as the UM MEST II) play well above their price range. Therefore:
A must listen!
More blogs on the topic
Beauty & Beast in one: Hiby R6 Pro II
Flagship without flagship price - Cayin N7
The new naturalness - Hiby RS8 Flagship DAP
Into the Multiverse - UM Multiverse Mentor