The Elysian Acoustic Labs Annihilator 23, Anni in short, needs little introduction, as it is one of the most talked about IEMs. It may not be as divisive as Campfire Trifecta, but there is a variety of opinions with regard to its abilities.
Just to establish a bit of background, the driver configuration is 1DD, 4BA, 2EST. The clear resin shells are of a beautiful simplicity and even after all these years, they remain, in my eyes, one of the best-looking IEMs. With a weight of 7,95 g they are heavier than X (6,41g) and they sport the same general shape. The nozzle is rather large, but much to my delight is protected by a metal mesh. Comfort is not an issue, I was able to enjoy them with a variety of tips (see below) and wearing them for hours was no problem at all.
There is something magical about these transparent, perfectly clear shells
In terms of packaging, the box is identical to the one of another Elysian Labs famous creation, the Elysian X, to the point they could be interchangeable.
Elysian X box on the left; Elysian Annihilator 23 on the right
The cable provided in the package is the Liquid Links Martini. It is not surprising, since Elysian used another Liquid Links cable for their equally acclaimed Elysian X. The good news is that it is a very comfortable cable, soft and pliant, with reduced (but existent) microphonics. Also, it turned out to be one of my preferred cables for this set.
Tips
My favourite has always been Divinus Velvet (this is not my first encounter of Anni 23), which is also my default tips for X. But starting from the massive bass, I wanted to see what happens if I try to move to wide bore tips, so I changed to Divinus Velvet wide bore (talk about lack of imagination, huh?!). I went down a couple of sizes compared to my regular and surprise: the bass is a lot calmer, the stage is a bit larger (the fit is less deep with these tips) and overall it sounds more balanced.
Following this wide bore trend, I’ve tried Clarion Tri and Eletech Baroque. Both were comfortable, with Baroque being bassier, while Clarion seemed to lift the veil off the mids to some extent, losing some note weight in the process. I counter-balanced this with the Teac 1bit DAC or the excellent MUB5 (R2R).
Sound
Anni has an unforgettable sound signature with huge, mid-bass centered, bass, slightly depressed mids and airy and detailed treble.
Bass takes a quantity over quality approach. It may have been a good bass back in the days, but modern IEMs are in general characterised by better control. For all its muscular, large bass, Anni is not the most impactful IEM. Without being slow, the fast double-kick drumming tends to sound a bit unimpactful, the edges are not as clear as, for example, X. The rumble is present, but in terms of slam, it’s not the latest cry. It works very well for prog rock, where the bass guitar is forward and well-articulated; it is less suited, however, for extreme metal. Once the right balance found, via tips, sources and cables, the bass develops into a less boomy version, a bit snappier and tighter.
Mids are usually not cited as Anni strongest suit, but that is only because they are overshadowed by its treble. To me, the mids sound smooth and polished, with good note weight and a tasteful slight warm tilt. The voice is pushed back in the stage, which depending on the mix could be perfect or completely out of place. It depends on luck and personal preferences. In terms of texture, there is some, but overall, Anni is the opposite of X, which is raw and gritty. Anni has a relaxed approach, polite I’d say, meaning that never is something too loud or too dirty in any way.
Anni’s treble is something to behold. First is the air, then is the perfect ephemeral life of a cymbal note with Anni. Fast transients and perfect control, means that the notes reach maximum amplitude immediately, and while they have a lot of texture, the notes remain localised in space, in a very coherent manner. While X has an intrusive energy that seem to dissipate everywhere, Anni has fast, full-bodied notes that appear, rise and decay with mathematical precision and stay put, as in a box. This quality makes the treble notes very focused, very clear, and this is certainly the highlight of Anni 23. Other IEMs might have a richer texture (Storm), others are more energetic (X) and others more excited (Pentara), but what Anni brings to the table is a good combination of all these properties, in a mix that, although coloured, it is very pleasant to listen to.
Many things can be said about Anni, but one thing is clear: this is a “fun” tuning IEM, not a neutral one. Starting from the bass and ending with the romantic treble, this is a coloured IEM. However, there is an important distinction to be made here, while Anni tends to impose its character on the source, it is relatively transparent to the music.Listening to Iron Maiden’s The number of the beast, Anni keeps more of the punk vibe that transpared on the whole album, while other IEMs, like Pentara, tend to make it sound more modern, this bigger, larger sound that has become the trademark of modern music.
Source pairing
I find Anni to be very source dependent. First of all, it needs power. Pair it with a “lower output” player and it will have a bloaty bass, lacking control and a general presentation lacking clarity. Take Astell&Kern SP3000, for example, it has just enough power to bring the treble to shine, but the bass control is not quite the same as what I heard with other sources. Add an amp, like Brise Tsuranagi, and the situation changes dramatically. The bass is suddenly more disciplined and this clears up the overall presentation.
A DAP that drives Anni effortlessly is the Nipo N2. The sound is very clean, with the bass well kept in check and the treble crystalline and detailed. Another one that I liked, although I have only heard it briefly, was the Hiby RS8 II. Equally detailed sound with large, but not bloaty bass and energetic and detailed treble.
Driving it with a desktop setup is even better, much of my gripes with Anni disappearing or being significantly diminished. I included here the Teac UD-507 (where the DAC does a wonderful job at adding a bit of body to the notes) and the MUB5 powered by 12V to unlock its full potential.
Cable pairing
LL Venom (the Elysian X’s stock cable) amplifies a bit the bass, but it adds more edge to it. I have the feeling that the treble is a bit capped though, some air is lost. Overall, not a huge difference, but one that I am not entirely sure is an improvement.
Ultron adds more focus to the voices, but is it an improvement over Martini? Combined with Clarion Tri tips, I’d say it is. The bass is better controlled, the stage larger and while the treble loses a bit of its magic, the entire presentation is more balanced. When pairing this with MUB5, in 12V High Gain mode, the Anni sounds wider, bolder, with the bass having a more precise response, with a clearer edge to drums and the voice pushed gently forward.
Without further ado, let’s see how Anni compares with Elysian X and NGaudio Erebus. I have listened to a lot of music, from extreme metal, to soothing Melodie Gardot or Adele, classical and a lot more.
Anni 23 vs Elysian X
X has a raw sound, it is brighter and with less bass in pure amount. But talking about quality, I tend to prefer the nimble, less powerful bass of X. One notable change is the lack of roll-off on X. There is less mid bass energy, but also a less important drop below 30Hz. Personally, I never understood the complaints about Anni 23’s bass. The quantity is more than enough, heck it is more bassy than many of my IEMs. In fact, this is a bit of a sore point for me. I love Anni’s treble, I can live with the mids, but there is too much mid bass in certain combinations.
Right off the bat, X sounds brighter, more raw, aggressive even. It also sounds more open, think of it as an Anni with a lower bass shelf, a more aggressive pinna gain and less air. It is also the grainiest of the bunch. It appears less coloured than Anni 23 and Erebus. Drums have more impact, edge, and tactility than its brother.
While Anni has a more sculpted mid bass, X still matches my preference better, due to the delicate balance of mid bas/ sub bass. X has more granular mids, noticeable in particular in the upper mids. Anni, by contrast, is more polished, with lusher mids than X.
The thing with Anni is that, like X, it requires listening at higher than my usual volume. With a “weaker” DAP, things start to fall apart and the whole presentation lacks a bit of body. With a powerful one, like the aforementioned N2, or SP3000K combined with Tsuranagi v1, the bass tends to become borderline overwhelming for some albums. Nothing wrong with this presentation, but on the long run I find it tiring. In particular with fast metal, the double kick can be too much after a while. This can be counterbalanced with tips and cables (see above).
In terms of treble, Anni 23 comes across as more detailed and basically carrying another layer of information. The cymbals have great thickness, that is very similar to live music. By keeping the notes short, the energy is perfectly controlled, the attack is fast and the driver is always ready to render the next note perfectly. One particular positiveis the hi-hat closing, that fssss has a very satisfying sound. I can almost see it.
Listening to rap, Ichon’s Elle pleure on hiver, X has a large sound with good sub bass extension, and unexpected rumble, in particular audible at 1:47-2:00 mark. Nice, clear forward voice with good treble energy that is never too much. Anni has better defined treble, and with its mid bass focus sounds just a bit less engaging for me. Despite the bass being more in quantity, I still hear X to have more details and a better reach, while with Anni the bass is just a bit less expansive, dryer.
Anni passes “All eyez on me” test with flying colours – meaning I can listen to 2Pac’s excellent All Eyez on Me album, which is produced with too much treble (according to my taste), without any worries. Many IEMs have problems with this album ranging from too spicy to almost unlistenable. Not Anni, though, Anni is faultless, with a strong bass line and good control of treble energy. It clearly surpassed Elysian X, which is too spicy up top.
Coupling both Anni and X with the same cable, FA Ultron, does not make them sound the same. Both benefit from the cable swap, but in different ways, Anni gets an improved focus on the vocal range, which appears pushed forward slightly, especially since the bass is tamed down, while X has better control of treble, bringing it one step closer to Anni, but in a less coloured guise. Both sound more clear than with their stock cables.
Anni 23 vs Erebus
Compared to Erebus, Anni 23 is more open, more forward and brighter. There is certainly not only more energy, but also more air to the treble. However, this forwardness is partially masked by the very muscular mid bass. Mid bass tends to shadow the surrounding elements, to the point I wish I’d eq-it down a little. Another notable difference, while the Erebus has less energy in the upper mids, with its lower bass shelf it sounds more balanced. In addition, Erebus has more grittiness, making it more suitable (for me) for distorted guitars, trumpets and even violins to some extent. Guitar solos sound have an easier time getting on top of the mix with Erebus.
It is undeniable though that the 8EST in the Erebus are no match for the Anni’s 2ESTs. While the cymbals are perfectly fine with Erebus, there is none of the greatness of Anni. There is a catch though. As detailed and textured the treble is on Anni, it is clearly coloured. Romanticized, in a way. Boosted to stand out, which it does, but not only in details and structure, but also with a slight coloration. While Erebus is much calmer, one could even say dark, compared to Anni, this more balanced approach is closer to my personal preference.
While Erebus has a pretty elastic bass, the drums still seem to have more edge than Anni 23.
When it comes to staging and holographic imaging, I hear Anni as a great treble with some support underneath, such is the domination (in terms of quality, not quantity) of the treble. While there is good separation of the treble from the rest, floating on top of the music, with no discernible ceiling on top, the remaining elements tend to be less clearly separated. The distance between floor toms is almost non existent, bass drum is everywhere and occasionally the mids are catching my attention. So I’d say that Anni 23 is a victim of its own success. That treble is devouring the rest.
Anni’s stage is ok by today’s standards. Since I am more interested in having high sound density rather than a Swiss cheese of a stage, I am perfectly fine, but I would not call it impressive. It’s reasonably wide, but the height seems to be compressed to two layers: the infinite treble and…the rest.
Erebus, as discussed elsewhere, has a fairly narrow stage. However, what it does like nothing else is the height of the stage and the way the instruments are separated, not only on the X axis, but on the Z too. My favourite cable, LL Venom tends to enforce a bit this tall, narrow stage. So, even if Annihilator has a slightly larger stage, I still prefer Erebus in this regard.
With a simple change of cable, from LL Venom to Nightcraft Spectre, Erebus gains some stage width, while maintaining the height and depth and has more bite in the treble, thus being the perfect combination of Anni and X. The voice is pushed back a bit, enlarging the impression of space.
Songs
Adele – Don’t you remember
Listening to Adele’s Don’t you remember, with Anni/wide bore tips, the bass is no longer overwhelming, but it lends a nice body to the lower register of her voice. However, the upper register is slightly harsh and a bit thin. The energy of the cymbals is exemplary controlled, even where X struggles. By comparison with X, the voice sounds a bit less natural and less emotional. Maybe the fact that it’s further back…
X has its share of hardship with this track, starting around the 3 minute mark, where everything is all of a sudden too loud. In this case, the loud and clear cymbals are not an advantage, as they tend to cover a bit Adele’s voice. The hard consonants are a bit harsh, even though most of the time they remain in the “lively” and natural realm, not crossing into shoutiness. The voice pushed forward makes it a more compelling listening for me. Even if occasionally the same splashiness I love with metal is a bit of a handicap here, I do prefer this more engaging presentation.
Erebus brings the voice even further forward, but with the most natural sound of the bunch. There is perfect noteweight in all registers, with the treble being a combination of X’s splashiness and Anni’s control. Basically, each cymbal has the attack of X and the decay of Anni. The bass is more present than with X, but it’s tight and controlled, not distracting from the singer, but supporting her.
Sabaton – Impaler
Anni sounds bassy and a bit closed in. However, the amount of details in the cymbals is astonishing. Unlike X, where the high energy hides some microdetails, Anni is expert at highlighting all of them. Joachim’s voice is natural enough, but it comes across a bit overpolished, I am used with a bit more grain in his voice. Drums sound in general ok, but with a softer edge than X.
Sabaton’s Impaler opening riff sounds dirty on X, the impact of the drums making it impossible not to headbang. The guitars are detailed and sound aggressive, while remaining tastefully separated from the voice. Speaking of the voice, the texture is clear, natural timbre, central in the mix, hard to find any negatives. During the guitar solos, the underlying bass remains well articulated.
Erebus bridges the gap between the other two, with X-level details in the treble, so not quite matching Anni 23. The same story holds true for bass, with Erebus being more articulated than X, but not as overwhelming as Anni. It has more grit than Anni, but less than X. In other words, it successfully represents the golden middle way.
Amon Amarth – Saxons and Vikings
A throwback at Priest’s Painkiller era, this song has it all, fast double bass drums, gritty guitars and furious solos. All well-seasoned with the duo of Biff Byford and Johan Hegg voices. The dialogue between them is very enjoyable, and a good showcase of an IEMs abilities. The two voices are at the opposite sides of the spectrum, yet each of them is clear, nothing out of line. Even when they overlap, Erebus shows total control, keeping the presentation balanced and dynamic.
X sounds open and direct, the bass drum with great tactility. The sound is rather on the thin side, but the organic gritty texture compensates for it. There is an unequalled clarity, and a perception of speed more than with the other two. Also, by the virtue of improved texture, I would say there are more details in the mids. It also has the largest stage. But, in a direct comparison, it is obvious that X aims for a rather neutral tuning, with the leanest bass of this trio, while Anni 23 is the fun one.
Anni 23 has the most impressive presentation, with a deep growling bass, a lot more presence in mid bass and its usual flurry of cymbals. The smoothness of its mids section is not necessarily what I am looking for here, it sounds a bit veiled and soft. The machine gun drumming does not have enough definition, and the guitars sound as if the tone has been turned down a bit. Both voices are pushed back, but not dramatically. During the two solos, my attention is drawn by the cymbals, not because they are too loud, but because they are clear and detailed, offering an immediate hook for my attention.
Muse – You make me feel like it’s Halloween
…also known for me as “the Storm song”, as listening to this exact song was the moment I decided I want the Storm. Anni is sublime for my taste. The amount of bass is just right and the speed and definition are also satisfactory. The voice and guitar make a good pair, while the cymbals act as a counterbalance to the synth sound. It may not be the thickest sound, but everything falls into place nicely. Good display of bass control towards the end of the song.
X sounds leaner, the bass is less present, but more impactful, seemingly reaching deeper, especially in the second verse, while the cymbals clearly more energetic. Almost too energetic. The guitar is a bit piercing, but this is a minor inconvenient. What is amazing here is how small the gap in bass between Anni 23 and X is really.
Erebus sounds neither open like X, nor closed like Anni. It’s warm, but not dark, with average stage width, but good depth and height. While it does everything perfectly, Anni and X are tough acts to follow. Erebus is my favourite tuning, but necessarily my preferred pick for this song. While technically it is perfect, emotionally the other two felt more…engaging.
Playing Mozart’s Requiem on Anni 23 is an immensely pleasurable experience. The stage may not be great, but it is large enough. There is better layering of voices than expected after the rest of the tracks with Anni. In this case, the slightly pushed back voices works great, giving more breathing space to the presentation and there is not even a trace of that overwhelming bass. It’s a good example of situations where a weakness becomes as advantage.
X has better textures, especially in the string instruments, but it can be too forward. It scores extra points with its sense of immersion, making me forget I am at home and not in the concert hall. X is very good at highlighting the contrast between the light and the dark parts of this masterwork. Also, the holographic imaging is marginally superior to Anni’s. The forward voices make it more difficult to focus on the syncopated rhythm of the instruments.
Erebus manages, thanks to its better separation, to portray both the voices and the instruments with better focus. I get a better sense of trepidation, more dramatic buildup of tension in the chorus. It’s impossible to choose a favourite and I feel privileged to have had the chance to experience all three of them at once.
Conclusions
Does Anni 23 remain the king of treble? I believe so. There are IEMs with more detailed treble, there are also IEMs with even better control of the energy, but Anni manages to find a particular balance between these elements that makes every listening session a pleasure.
From my point of view, there is a paradox built into Anni. The highly detailed treble, makes it perfect for rock and/or metal. However, its large, sometimes too exuberant, bass, make it less suited for high speed endeavours. There are genres where Anni is end-game without any further customizations. Rap, jazz and classical music are such examples. For others, careful pairing with tips and sources can be beneficial. It is not unexpected for me to like different albums with different pairings, but Anni has proven to be more sensitive to such changes than other IEMs. While with X it was easy to settle for Divinus Velvet tips and its stock cable, with Anni things are more nuanced. I preferred FA Ultron for some genres or even albums inside a genre, while for others I had to revert back to the stock cable. Speaking of which, credit where it’s due, I find the Martini cable to be a very good pairing for Anni, and I think part of Anni’s reputation is due to the way it sounds with this cable.
Who might like it? First of all, treble heads, as long as they are not totally opposed to bass. Then, everybody else who wants a fun tuned IEM.
Who isn’t Anni for? Those seeking a dead-neutral set. Anni is unapologetically coloured, so if a flat response is your thing, you might as well look somewhere else. Another category that might be disappointed is the adepts of a huge sound stage. While not exactly intimate, Anni is a far cry from the likes of GMA, Storm or Mentor. I liked the fact that the stage has decent height and depth, but other than that, it is just correct for the category.
And so, the answer to the question in the title is Yes, Anni 23 is still the king of treble!
This unit has been kindly lent to me for a long time by a good friend, to whom I am forever grateful. Once I am done with it, I will return it to its owner. No money exchanged hands, and my only compensation for this review is the time I got to spend with the Annihilator 23. While I understand that my views may be, and most probably are, biased, the biased is only internal, stemming from personal preferences and past experiences and not financial obligations. As it is usually the case with audio gear, Your Mileage May Vary (YMMV).