Sound – Sources
The portable sources selected for this chapter are the AK SP2000, the Cayin N8II and the Luxury & Precision L&P P6 PRO. The portable DAC/AMPs of choice are the Chord Electronics HUGO 2 and the Fiio M17.
The Astell&Kern SP2000 (with ddHiFi DJ44B adapter) is a neutral and precise player that doesn’t add anything to the sound. The result is an ANIMA that sounds clean, clear, precise, and fast. Bass is tight and speedy and reaches down low. With the SP2000 you don’t get big bass body or huge sub rumble, but it’s all about quality bass and that’s exactly what you get here. Layering, precision, and detail retrieval in this combo are excellent and that from top to bottom. The mids have good separation, with natural vocals and the top end is energetic and lively without ever becoming aggressive or harsh. A precise and musical combo.
With the Cayin N8II, I prefer the ANIMA in solid state mode in CLASS A. Here you get a fuller sounding ANIMA compared to the SP2000. It’s a little less clear/clean, but it still has excellent detail and precision. ANIMA is a little slower with the N8II, but you get a smoother and warmer delivery, with softer vocals. It’s perhaps a more musical and vibrant ANIMA in this combo, especially because it here shows what the bass drivers really can do. The top end is softer, easier on the ear and it won’t annoy anyone. It’s a good combo if you prefer a weightier, smoother presentation and softer top end.
From the Luxury&Precision P6 PRO (probably the slowest library updating DAP in the world) the ANIMA sounds excellent and that shouldn’t come as a surprise as L&P know what good sound is. Here you get the biggest and fullest bass, but also the most airy and spacious, open presentation. The staging, left-right balance and 3-dimensionality in this combo are in a league of their own. Note extension, decay, timbre and layering are all at their very best as well. This player sounds fuller and has a bigger bass presence and a warmer/smoother less clear delivery, but it also shows what the ANIMA really is capable of from a technical point of view. This is a super impressive setup that combines a high technical level with pure musical bliss. An end-game portable setup.
The Chord Electronics HUGO 2 surprised me. It makes ANIMA sound quite fast but also full and precise. I expected it to deliver a livelier sounding ANIMA but it actually is fuller and softer, with a good bass punch and good weight from top to bottom. You get a clean sound, but the clarity here could be improved. Depth, layering, mid timbre and bass punch are impressive. The HUGO 2 and ANIMA are a good combo, especially of you like bass and rumble, but for me the synergy isn’t the very best. The top end isn’t exciting enough for me here and the focus is too much on weight and bass. But that might just be what you’re after.
The Fiio M17 combo excels when it comes to PRaT, clarity and energy. It’s maybe not the most spacious and airy sounding combo, but it is precise, detailed and lively. The vocals here are a bit more to the front and the bass depth and rumble are impressive. I really like the M17, and I think it’s the best sounding Fiio device ever, but with the ANIMA it leaves me with mixed feeling. The technical strengths of the ANIMA are less apparent here and the focus is too much on the bass rumble. It just doesn’t work well enough for me as nothing really stands out, especially after listening to the ANIMA with so many sources that do work well/better with it.
Conclusion. The Lime Ears ANIMA plays nicely with almost every source or amplifier you hook it up to. ANIMA is always transparent so you will hear what your source brings to the party (or not). Make sure there’s a good synergy with the ANIMA and your source. Of all the devices I tried the ANIMA with, the L&P P6 PRO is the most impressive one out there.
Comparisons
This comparison part was done with the dCS LINA setup, the comparisons chosen are the Vision Ears’ EXT, 64 Audio U18S. It’s not easy to put up the ANIMA against other universal IEMs at this (price) level, and on top of that almost none of the other IEMS on the market have such a high level of different technology inside.
The €2.650 Euro Vision Ears’ EXT size-wise is super small when compared to the ANIMA and it fully disappears in your ear. On the inside you don’t find any BA, only two DD and quad EST drivers. Sound-wise the ANIMA and EXT are very different. The EXT (silicone tips) is more extreme with its bass and treble presentation as it has a more V-shaped signature than the W-shaped ANIMA. Both monitors have an impressive bass and top end presentation. For me the bass presentation and especially the (sub) rumble is bigger in the EXT, and it has that typical dynamic driver bass. The treble presentation is excellent in both IEMS, but it’s also different. In the EXT it are some precise frequencies that are lifted more than others and in the ANIMA reaches a more expanded area with its EST drivers. The vocals in the ANIMA have more focus than in the EXT, and overall, I feel the ANIMA is the softer, smoother sounding one.
The first IEM that came to mind when I was listening to the ANIMA was the 18-driver 64 Audio U18S, which is selling for $2,999 USD. The fulness and overall presence just reminded me of it. Of course, the U18S is a full BA driven monitor, so it sounds quite different. I still think the U18s (Comply Foam tips) is a great IEM, but it isn’t as spectacular sounding as the ANIMA with its super impressive DD bass and EST highs. The ANIMA sound more clear, more exciting, more energetic, and more spacious/open. The U18S sounds softer in the vocals. In the ANIMA they carry more energy and they’re more to the front. Bass is great in both IEMS but it’s the typical DD vs BA bass. The top end of the 6A Audio IEM compared to that of the ANIMA is “simple”, as the ANIMA sounds a lot more spacious, extended, and energetic here. I do love EST treble though, I have to say. The mids are a lot more comparable in this combo.
Conclusion
Knowing Lime Ears and Emil, I was expecting the ANIMA to be good, but it isn’t just good, it is super impressive!
I in general am not the biggest fan of universal IEMs, but when a monitor like this comes along, I can only be happy about it. The ANIMA doesn’t come cheap, but you get an excellent high-end monitor in return that impresses over the full board. It’s a vibrant, detailed, extended, spacious and energetical IEM, with a very high technical level and a lovely musical presentation.
The Lime Ears ANIMA is a transparent IEM, so it is very important to get a good synergy with your choice of source. Next to that it is also hyper important to find the right tips for you. But get it right and you will be highly impressed with what the ANIMA can do.
If you’re not on a budget and looking for a high-end universal IEM that is a great all-rounder, the ANIMA must be on your shortlist. It has impressed us enough for us to give it our Recommended Buy award, and the ANIMA is now featured on our Best Buy UIEM list!
Page 1: Lime Ears, ANIMA, Features
Page 2: Design & Build quality, Comfort & Isolation, tip selection, specifications,
Page 3: Cable, Price & Accessories, Sound Part 1, Sound Part 2, Part 3, Sources, Comparison, Conclusion
