Elysian Acoustic Labs PILGRIM
The PILGRIM blends textured, punchy bass with clean mids, airy treble, and unusually convincing spatial depth. Tone Deaf Monk highlights its musical microdetail and natural tonality, while Audio-In Reviews praises its dynamic-driver slam, controlled warmth, and precise imaging. This is an engaging hybrid IEM with strong sub-bass extension and refined technical poise.
WATT RECOMMENDS
Save your favorites. Compare them anytime.
Create a free HiFi Hub account to save products to your Wishlist and compare your favorites side by side.
Nicely Roasted
Sound Quality
92/100
Fit Comfort Isolation
80/100
Build Accessories
92/100
Value for Money
94/100
Pros
Textured, punchy bass combines deep sub-bass extension, fast decay, dynamic slam, and virtually no midrange bleed.
Clean, musical mids deliver natural tone, useful note weight, and warmth without muddiness.
Airy, detailed treble reveals microdetail and string texture while remaining controlled rather than sharp or peaky.
Strong imaging and instrument separation are supported by convincing stage height and depth.
Cons
The energetic upper treble can sound somewhat bright for treble-sensitive listeners.
Proprietary Pentaconn connectors limit cable-swapping convenience, and the short nozzles may require tip experimentation for an ideal seal.
WATT RECOMMENDS
Save your favorites. Compare them anytime.
Create a free HiFi Hub account to save products to your Wishlist and compare your favorites side by side.
What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 92/100
Reviewers describe a polished, engaging near-neutral-to-U-shaped presentation with unusually strong bass performance, clean mids, and airy but controlled treble. Its main trade-off is a notably energetic top end that can sound somewhat bright for treble-sensitive listeners, though the reviewers did not find it fatiguing or unruly.
Bass
95/100
Bass is a major strength. Reviewers praise the textured, tight and punchy low end, citing convincing sub-bass rumble, fast decay, strong slam, and virtually no bleed into the midrange; Audio-In Reviews calls it a favorite bass presentation below $500.
Midrange
92/100
The midrange is described as neutral, clean, resolving, and musical. Added lower-mid warmth and note weight give vocals and instruments richness without reported muddiness, while keeping the overall presentation controlled.
Treble
91/100
Treble brings strong extension, air, sparkle, and microdetail, with natural cymbals and convincing string texture. It carries substantial energy and can sound a little bright, but reviewers found it controlled rather than sharp, peaky, or fatiguing.
Resolution Separation
91/100
Both reviews highlight clear microdetail retrieval, while the presentation remains musical rather than analytical for its own sake. Instrument separation is also singled out as a strength, although one reviewer places overall detail roughly alongside the Performer 8 rather than far beyond it.
Soundstage Imaging
90/100
The stage is not portrayed as exceptionally wide, but reviewers praise its convincing depth and height for an IEM. Imaging, instrument placement, separation, and forward depth are all described favorably.
Dynamics Coherence
93/100
The dynamic driver is credited with tactile physicality, slam, and strong dynamic expression, while the bass remains controlled. Reviewers also praise the set's ability to reveal transients without losing its cohesive, musical character.
FIT COMFORT ISOLATION PERFORMANCE 80/100
The available fit reports are positive: one reviewer obtained a secure seal immediately with the supplied tips and found the lightweight shells comfortable. Tip choice remains important to the final impression, and the reviews provide little direct information about passive isolation.
Seal Stability
90/100
Audio-In Reviews achieved a good seal and secure fit immediately with the included SpinFit tips. Tone Deaf Monk stresses that fitment and tip selection are paramount, so listeners should still take care in finding the best tip match.
Comfort
90/100
The aluminum shells are described as relatively lightweight and very comfortable to wear. No reviewer reports pressure points, awkward insertion, or fatigue during use.
Isolation
50/100
The reviews say little about real-world passive noise attenuation. A secure seal is reported, but there is no direct comparison of isolation performance with competing IEMs.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Accessories
92/100
Reviewers describe robust yet lightweight high-grade aluminum shells with notably clean fit and finish, including smoothly aligned faceplates. The supplied SPC cable is praised as attractive, tangle-free, well matched, and durable-feeling, while the package also includes a case, cleaning items, and SpinFit CP100 tips.
Value for Money
94/100
At approximately $399, Tone Deaf Monk calls the PILGRIM an incredibly strong value, and Audio-In Reviews highlights it as Elysian's least expensive release. The exceptionally praised bass performance and mature overall tuning make it especially compelling among sub-$500 competitors.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
Online Reviews & Mentions
YouTube Reviews
Forum Mentions
No forum mentions found yet
Specifications
- Driver
- 4 Drivers Hybrid Configuration 1 X 9.2mm LSR DD 1 X Sonion 2300 BA 2 X Sonion E50 BA
- System
- 3 Way Crossover
- Technology
- LSR Bass Driver
- Frequency Response
- 10hz~20khz
- Sensitivity
- 101db @1khz @100mV
- Impedance
- 9 Ohms @1khz
- Cable
- Default Silver-Plated Copper Stock Cable
Manufacturer's Description — Elysian Acoustic Labs
Founder's Cable Recommendation:
EFFECT AUDIO's Cadmus II was Lee's choice of pairing with the PILGRIM. Part of the renowned Signature Series II, this cable features a Silver-Plated Copper solid-core material build, for crisp treble performance without the harshness, whilst keeping the bass bold but controlled.Experience Elysian’s Award-Winning House Tuning
Heard all the rave about the legendary ANNIHILATOR and its sister DIVA? We’ve unpacked what makes these 2 products special and cramped them into a small compact starter IEM. This is what exceptional Lows, Mids and Highs should be like, no compromises should be made even at a lower price point.
That’s it. That’s our PILGRIM.Featuring a purposeful hand-picked hybrid setup with 1 customized LSR Dynamic Driver, 2 different types of Balanced Armatures, the PILGRIM provides for authentic Elysian House sonic experience. Coupled with premium aluminium and precision 3D printing for its internal chambers, one can expect perfect consistency with high durability.
Naturally Coherent and Harmonious Sound
PILGRIM is tuned personally by Lee using 2 distinct types of custom-tailored Sonion Drivers to extract the unique strengths of each driver. The aim is to deliver an incredible and harmonious listening experience, achieving technical excellence. The Sonion 2300 for mids ensures a versatile, smooth midrange response, creating a well-balanced, natural sound across various music genres. Complementing this is the Sonion E50 series, a dual ultra-tweeter balanced armature driver. It extends high frequencies with unprecedented technical capabilities, offering clarity and brilliance. A custom 3-way crossover is used. Each frequency band perfectly blends into the next for a smoothly coherent sound.
Technology
Instead of using vibrating bone conductors or traditional PET drivers, we took a different approach, developing a custom-made 9.2mm dynamic driver featuring Liquid Silicon Rubber (LSR) technology. The LSR is capable of reproducing low frequencies that reach an impressive 10 Hz, compared to the standard 20 Hz of traditional PET drivers. This contributes to a strong sub-bass rumble. After numerous stages of R&D, we were able to optimize the size of the LSR to ensure a powerful kick without sacrificing speed in sound delivery. The material (Magnesium-Aluminum alloy) for the diaphragm was also chosen to deliver optimal performance for a prolonged period of time. This design results in remarkably fast, deep, and precise performance with minimal distortion in the output signal, creating a natural and detail-rich full-frequency connection.
Perfectly Consistent
Consistency is one of our greatest focuses for PILGRIM, going the extra mile to ensure impeccable consistency across every single unit. Using the latest cutting-edge technology, our master-crafted internal chambers and sound tubes undergo precision 3D printing, ensuring both structural integrity and quality while providing for minimal signal distortion and accurate phase coherency. Each driver is carefully handpicked to ensure the utmost consistency and standards of performance. Moreover, stringent tests are conducted to ensure that every single driver is within a +/- 1 dB range.
Aesthetic Design
The PlLGRlM lEM's design takes inspiration from the serene topography of knolls, with each subtle and purposeful tier mirroring the gentle, rolling hills.
Unparalleled industrial materials
PILGRIM's shell is crafted from high-quality aluminum, offering the benefit of lightweight durability, while the bores are made from 304 stainless steel known for its corrosion resistance. This combination ensures longevity and maintains the exceptional sound quality you expect.
Founder's Cable Recommendation:
EFFECT AUDIO's Cadmus II was Lee's choice of pairing with the PILGRIM. Part of the renowned Signature Series II, this cable features a Silver-Plated Copper solid-core material build, for crisp treble performance without the harshness, whilst keeping the bass bold but controlled.
Find out more on EFFECT AUDIO's Cadmus II below
Verified Dealers
Online Dealers
All Dealers
Zoom out the map to see more dealers
Authorized dealers for Elysian Acoustic Labs PILGRIM
- Audeos — online and in-store — Żywiec, Województwo śląskie (website)
- Audio essence — online and in-store — Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland (website)
- Bloom Audio — online and in-store — Gibbsboro, New Jersey, United States (website)
- Elise Audio — online and in-store — Paddington, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Headphone Zone — online and in-store — Laxmi Industrial Estate, Maharashtra, India (website)
- HiFiGo — online and in-store — Kowloon, Hong Kong (website)
- KMR — online and in-store — London, England, United States (website)
- milk audio store — online and in-store — Roma, Lazio, Italy (website)
- Music Store — in-store — Köln-Kalk, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany (website)
- Star Picker — in-store — Sea Park, Selangor, Malaysia (website)