Elysian Acoustic Labs PILGRIM -Shiny on the Outside, Fun on the Inside

[@gadgetgenerationspulkit]

Interesting Take Paul!!, it's a beautiful sounding IEM(and one of my current favourite as well).

[@PaulWasabii]

Many thanks!

[@snailjob09]

As always Paul..I'm welcomed back..with another well done review..furthermore..you mentioned doing a FF Scarlet review..still waiting my friend

[@PaulWasabii]

Ah yeah, I need to borrow that one. Thanks

[@esperla123]

That tuning you describe is really appealing to me. I don't want a boring IEM at that price point.

[@PaulWasabii]

Correct, kinda why I went over it first. I love listening to Cadenza4, but that was the complaint, too reserved. Pilgrim is not the opposite, but it grabs you upfront. Two different styles.

[@Devil1836]

As always best, detailed and unbiased review on a big brand like elysian❤️👌🏻👍🏻✌🏻

[@PaulWasabii]

Thank you brother. This one is harder than it appears if you try to review it rather than hype it. $400 is a tough price, no matter the brand name.

[@oxyoxi3213]

Wow, what a nice review! You've got interesting points, and you explain them well. Thanks, subbed

[@PaulWasabii]

I try. Pilgrim is a tour set so I have been watching the reviews as it makes its way to each person. On one hand, it is an expensive set, and on the other, the tuning is hitting people differently. It has nice bass, but seems to struggle competing in other areas.

[@keiz_]

Thanks for the review of the Pilgrim! If you were to pick between Pilgrim and Dusk (analog 3.5mm cable) which would you go with? Especially in terms of details, soundstage and imaging?

[@PaulWasabii]

Dusk is hard to beat on techs. The biggest issue is the analog tuning isn't the same as the usb tuning so I EQ it. Dusk is a killer driver config.

[@BlueAR16]

Your review is very similar to my impressions of Pilgrim. The bass was great, but everything else wasn't as great and I felt the stage was a bit small, so I sold it and ordered a similarly priced Hype4. Anyway, thank you for the great review.

[@PaulWasabii]

That set was on a tour so if I had more time, I might have spent more time on EQ. The drivers are good, should have been technically better but the tuning seemed not perfect for the drivers. I still like the DD but would have done the same as you, let it find another home.

[@starx68]

OMG, Flo Rida- Low sounds freaking amazing man. Just got my first IEM and blind bought the Pilgrim. It definitely is very nice. I seem to like U shape signature. I demo tested Pilgrim and the Hype 4 but I tend to go towards the Pilgrim.

[@PaulWasabii]

To be fair, Low is a good track. Pilgrim is a good bass set, magic combo. Since you just got it, make sure you push the shells into your head a bit, don't want to lose any bass.

[@JohnClarkW]

The graph seems a lot like the OG Tea, which was a fun set and really delivered on the full sound without fatigue.

[@PaulWasabii]

Yep, same idea, DD response probably a bit different. Nothing wrong with having a fun set in the collections.

[@CandiceSongpcb]

Thank you for the detailed review.

[@PaulWasabii]

Thank you as well.

[@J-Reyez]

Thanks again!!

[@maxt.1726]

Great review as always. I listen to classic rock, pop, classical symphony… How do you compare Pilgram to RSV? Thank you Paul!

[@PaulWasabii]

RSV is reference, all in balance. Pilgrim is shifted or colored compared to RSV, a lot of subbass. If you like RSV, look at the way the subbass dips, that is what you would want in Pilgrim. Treble level is a bit of the same, RSV is a bit different. That set is great, helps to have a couple more custom BAs too.

[@maxt.1726]

@@PaulWasabii Thanks again Paul!👍

[@DJHaworth]

Will a wide bore tip, eg TRN T counter the sub bass and open the sound up more?

[@PaulWasabii]

I don't know as I don't know if I have used TRN T tips much, even on TRN sets. Second, the fit is harder for some people so your tips might be limited. Pilgrim is a tough set, I think people like it for the bass but as I watched the impressions from our tour, everyone kinda touched on the same issues. Some of it is just the price though, $400 expectations.

[@MinhTran-ol6tf]

What is the verdict between this and szalayi? Local shop running promotion so both sets are at the same price

Hello. What Shop?

[@PaulWasabii]

The two aren't that close. If you want crazy bass, still szalayi. Pilgrim bass is slightly boosted and if you don't get the fit right like I see in people's impressions, it sounds like an even slighter boost. Szalayi is more of a special set but that tuning isn't for everyone, Pilgrim is much closer to something you can give anyone.

[@MinhTran-ol6tf]

@@PaulWasabii thank you so much! Went with the szalayi. Your review was right on.

[@xamui]

Thanks for the review. How does it compare with Thieaudio Hype 4?

[@PaulWasabii]

Never heard Hype 4 but just gazing at the graph vs Pilgrim, less fun, but addresses most of the nitpicks I had on Pilgrim. I will also almost always take a recent 2DD over a 1DD.

[@KmtS9]

Hey Paul! The Sonus squiggy seems to line up with this. How do they compare? Gonna have to make a big decision later this year: Mega5-EST, Pilgrim, Da Vinci, or maybe even Hype 4. My 3 favorites i own so far are probably P1 Max, Sonus, S12. 😅

[@PaulWasabii]

Oddly, it is closer than I thought but the tilt is everything. Pilgrim is a bit darker, more bass, less upper treble. Personally, I am a 2DD fan for 2024 also. In hybrid format, you don't lose anything but gain better bass quality with 2DD.

[@KmtS9]

@@PaulWasabii thanks Paul! Yes, i'd imagine it's a bit darker, but also why I'm interested in it. Gonna be a fun fight in this price bracket this year.

[@Py687]

Paul, what's something that you *would* recommend with more resolution and still sounds fun enough? Thinking around the $300-700 range.

[@PaulWasabii]

More resolution and fun is hard. Pilgrim DD makes it fun, so the first thing that comes to mind is a 2DD set like Hype 4. Maybe DaVinci but haven't heard it. If you are ok with EQ, Variations or one of those tribrids. The tribrids are the resolution sets at that price, but finding a fun one is harder as they are all tuned similar at this point.

[@kr33k00]

❤

[@alexeiboukirev8357]

Thanks Paul. Judging by the images on the Web these have A2DC connector on the shells, right? Also, at 9 Ohm and 101 dB sensitivity - do these require power to show their character?

[@PaulWasabii]

They call it Pentaconn. Not so much hard to drive, but that is also a measure that they will sound different at higher impedance. Makes sense for a hybrid. I would pay more attention to your source's warmth and treble extension. But first, get the fit right.

[@jy5925]

Great review! How does it compare with IE600?

[@PaulWasabii]

Sorry, never heard that one

[@fuzail3379]

Between this and Hype 4?

[@apothecy4011]

This. But Dusk claps both

[@fuzail3379]

@@apothecy4011 not interested in Moondrop

[@justanotheraltaccount5644]

Hype 4

[@zblus]

Moondrop garbage QC

[@PaulWasabii]

I haven't heard Hype4, but it is closer to a refined Hype2 and closer to what I would pick. A bit less fun, but more balanced. Plus their 2DD is very good.

[@kenjikodai]

man I gotta find a way to get one :C then again I feel like this might be redundant since I already own a Variations

[@PaulWasabii]

Not quite the same and Variations is up there in sound quality. You have a killer set and Pilgrim is upper range tilted down which is a bit different than Var. I wouldn't say they are redundant but you would end up with two very nice sets.

[@SoulDSoundscapes]

I found the Pilgrim upper shimmer to be just a hair too intense for me. And vocals have a little unnatural sound to them, not bad, just off to my ears. Overall it's a nice iem, would have kept it, but that shimmer was just too much.

[@PaulWasabii]

If you had kept it, I'd say switch tips or push them in. The fit is quite tricky and it should make that intensity go away. You are seeing variations of boring to slightly bright and that is mostly a fit issue.

[@leonardlandicho7491]

which is more fun? Studio 4 or the Pilgrim?

[@PaulWasabii]

I never heard Studio 4, but I have heard other Softears. They tend to be more serious than fun. But someone who might answer that question is AWSMDanny as he now has that Pilgrim and he has Studio 4.

[@GarethHailes]

Interested to see how the pilgrim noir reviews are

[@PaulWasabii]

Me too. There are some barebones description like "thicker" but seems like it should be different enough and possibly appealing to a different set of people.

[@rustyshakelford1466]

Damn I was interested in this set but it seems the approach would not fit my music tastes at all. Also fit seems like it could be a problem.

[@PaulWasabii]

Yeah the fit is something you need to be aware of if you buy it. You will look at the graph and wonder why it doesn't have much bass. That set is a tour set, so you will get more opinions on what music works, how the others find the fit. Music is a big part of it for me too, if I had run across some tracks that blew me away or took me deeper into the set, I would have been happier. Like Cadenza4, doesn't engage you, but when you drill into the mids, they did some nice tuning at that price point. It leads you down the path of hearing where that set stands out. Pilgrim was harder in that respect for me.

[@alberk77]

The graph is similar to CKLVX-41, they both sound similar in tonality?

[@PaulWasabii]

First, apparently my CK-41 was an old version and I would say Pilgrim is 10x better than my version. I can't really answer to the current version, but Tonedeafmonk talked about the Pula I believe.

[@TonkyTronicus]

Looks like a bass-y-er Yume 2 to me

[@PaulWasabii]

Sort of, different balance.

[@yellowcam1422]

FIRST

[@Wei_03487Ghq]

Nice review!! How does it compare with TimsokTs-316?

[@PaulWasabii]

Timsok is quite V-shaped compared to Pilgrim. I prefer a bit more upper treble so Timsok's more bass, more treble works for me. If you don't like energetic V, Pilgrim is closer to that

[@Wei_03487Ghq]

@@PaulWasabii Thanks!!