Elysian Acoustic Labs Annihilator 2023 Review

Sound

The Annihilator 2023 is an IEM that has top-notch technical performance, together with an enjoyable sound signature. It certainly has colour and vividness in places, but the technical performance is so good that you can’t just specify this to be a fun IEM that lacks technicalities.

The presentation is w-shaped, with fantastic mid-range and treble performance. Despite being around for four years already, the Annihilator is still one of the best IEMs in the market for its technical prowess. Let’s dig deeper and understand why.

Bass

The bass response you get from the Annihilator 2023 is stronger than neutral, with distinctive sub-bass and mid-bass. That’s mainly why I consider this a coloured IEM. It’s certainly not neutral in this area, giving a thick, rumbling bass. The sub-rumble is very pronounced, which could’ve been less distinctive in my opinion, to achieve a more neutral presentation. 

The mid-bass impact, resolution and texture are all very impressive, and you get great control and body in that particular region. Simply put, the Annihilator has a ”big” bass that disassociates itself from technical flagship monitors, resulting in a very enjoyable but stronger-than-reference bass. 

In that case, if you like bass in flagship-level IEMs, the Annihilator would make you very happy. However, I wouldn’t go as far as to say that it’s a bass monster, or mainly a bass monitor. It’s not. But it certainly has a sub-bass focus that gives a strong rumble, so it goes very well with popular music. It’s not out of control or bloaty by any means, and I’m actually impressed by its control considering this strong bass focus.

Mids

If you’re in the market for a top-notch mid-range, the Annihilator 2023 is definitely worth considering. In fact, all Elysian IEMs I’ve tested to this point have great mid-range performances, and I think this has to be considered Lee’s speciality. 

The Annihilator 2023 offers exceptional mid-range resolution, which provides clear definition, impressive transparency, and remarkable layering. The tonality is vibrant and bright, giving your music great richness and energy. Moreover, it delivers in the dynamism and fullness departments.  The Annihilator 2023 delivers remarkable detail and clarity, thanks to its impressive level of openness. If you’re serious about experiencing the best possible mid-range sound, give it a try. 

The mid-range is also very engaging and lively, which makes you want to listen to music more, especially guitars and vocals. The amount of detail and overall clarity in the presentation impresses you every time you listen to the Annihilator. While the default sound is a bit bright, the exceptional detail in the mid-range and impressive overall presentation feel like you’re listening to one of the best available.

The mid-range performance is rich, especially when it comes to female vocals. It is well-separated from the rest of the sound spectrum, which allows for good space and airiness, giving it the room to truly shine. Overall, the mid-range performance is highly impressive and addictive.

Treble

Treble presentation is another strong suit of the Annihilator, and in fact, it’s the best part of it. The treble performance is simply TOTL with excellent articulation, definition and air. There’s no roll-off, no veil, no fatigue. This is one of the best treble performances in the whole IEM market, and you especially wonder how Lee managed to make a treble that extends incredibly well but stays non-fatiguing. The treble quantity is high, but the fatigue factor is low. 

The micro detail performance, definition, transparency and resolution are all at a flagship level, with no real weakness in my opinion. The highs also have great PRaT, making it one of the fastest-sounding IEMs in the treble range. This is certainly a treble that I’d call bright but with excellent refinement. 

The articulation performance in the treble region is also another noteworthy success of the Annihilator, as it gives great separation and imaging in the treble. High frequencies are rendered with excellent clarity and a sense of spaciousness. The layering and separation of the highs are successful, resulting in a cohesive and well-structured treble with a strong sense of rhythm and quickness.

Page 1: About, Packaging, Design/Build, Fit

Page 3: Technical Performance, Sources, Comparisons, Conclusion