Technical Performance and Sources
For its price tag, Gaea has great technicalities, and the best factor here is the soundstage. The spacious and vast staging performance is very impressive with the Gaea. You feel like you’re in a concert hall, where there’s great air and space for every instrument and vocal to blend in.
In addition to that, the imaging is spot on. The delivery is very sharp in terms of positioning, and there’s absolutely nothing to cloud the positioning of the elements, it’s perfectly crisp and clear. There’s great micro-detail in every second, where you have excellent transparency in the whole spectrum.
Despite these excellent strengths, the Gaea is not the most cohesive IEM. As I mentioned, the mid-bass section is a bit behind, and the upper mid-range/lower treble part is elevated. So if you’re looking for a very coherent IEM, there might be more options around. However, with this resolution performance and technical strength, it might not be easy to find.
For sources, I can say that you need to have a full-sounding device, with plenty of mid-bass presence. It wouldn’t be desirable to pair this IEM with a sharp and bright-sounding source. You need to have something like a HiBy RS6, Sony WM1Z, or SE180 with the SEM3 module.
Actually, I found the synergy with the SE180 SEM3 module interesting. When I switched to the AKM SEM4 module, the synergy got worse, whilst it sounds great with the SEM3 (ESS). It makes sense though, as the SEM3 gives more mid-bass with a longer decay.
Comparisons
The Sennheiser IE 900 is an excellent single dynamic IEM. Priced around the same as the Gaea, it’s a reliable option. It has good packaging as the EA offering, it’s a well-built IEM, and it has the size advantage since it’s significantly smaller. I’ve had my fit problems with it because of the short nozzle though, but that’s subjective.
For sound, the IE 900 leans to the more neutral and flatter side. The Gaea is shier in the mid-bass, and more focused on the slam and rumble of the sub-bass. One can say the IE900 has the more coherent bass response.
However, the Gaea puts the IE900 in its place when it comes to the midrange. I find the IE900’s midrange quite dull and dry, whereas the Gaea produces a fantastic mid-range with more space, livelier tonality and sharper positioning.
The treble is good on both, but the Gaea is a bit sharper at times with a certain aggressiveness, whilst the IE900 produces a similarly definitive treble but with a bit less lower-treble presence. Both are crisp-sounding IEMs with great brightness and openness. Of course, the production volume of the EA Gaea is no match here, so it’s basically a reliable mainstream option vs. a very niche one. But I’d go with the EA simply because of its mids.
Another special and exclusive IEM, the Baldr 2 is also an impressive IEM for the Asian market. The unboxing experience of the Baldr 2 is superior, and the special wooden design is an eye-catcher. The Gaea is also quite special in design, so it’s just a matter of taste really. Both have a bulky chassis but they fit comfortably.
The sound of the Baldr 2 is warmer, with a definitive mid-bass when compared to the Gaea. It sounds fuller on the lower mid-range as well. The Gaea has more spaciousness and air in the mid-range with more detail and transparency though.
Treble is impressive on both. Kinera uses the EST drivers from Sonion, whilst EA sticks to the Sonion BAs. The Gaea has more brightness in the lower treble, whilst the Baldr 2 is a bit more balanced. It’s not easy to choose one here. Both are great IEMs, but the Gaea has a wider and deeper soundstage and that can be addicting.
Conclusion
The last time Effect Audio released an IEM, they went with their own design and tuning. The business decisions were questionable, and the unit, although sounding good with the MU sound module, had its ups and downs.
Now, they chose to partner with Elysian Acoustic Labs, which has great tuning experience and craft. The result is miles better than the Axiom, and once again Elysian proves itself to be a reliable audiophile brand for high-calibre IEMs.
The Effect Audio x Elysian Acoustic Labs Gaea is a great performer. In fact, I think it sounds better than what the price suggests. Are there many IEMs out there that can give this much resolution and technical performance for this price? I’m not sure, to be honest. So, Gaea enters our Best Universal IEMs page as a result.
Page 1: About the Brands and Gaea, Packaging, Design/Build, Fit
Page 2: Sound Quality
