Elysian Acoustic Labs Pilgrim Review – Distinguished Everyman

Pros –

Excellent build quality, Strong tonal transparency, Defined yet forgiving midrange, Awesome sub-bass rumble and power, Easy source pairing

Cons –

Niche cable connectors, Lacks mid-bass detail, Treble could do with more air, Slightly strained female vocals

Verdict –

The Pilgrim caters best to those wanting awesome bass depth and power set to a Harman-style tuning that gently tones down intensity.

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About Elysian Acoustic Labs –

Elysian is a Singaporean audio company founded in 2015. Lee Quan Min, the man whose dreams gave rise to the brand, found himself dissatisfied with the IEM market and decided to undertake the challenge head-on. With a mechanical engineering background and years of experience re-shelling IEMs as a hobbyist, Lee was able to take home the number one spot at the Fujiya Avic x Foster Alliance Program IEM making competition in 2019 with his Dive Pass system; the very same that now lies at the core of his world-renowned flagship, the Annihilator. Carrying his victory forward, Lee exclaims “Watch Me” as he challenges convention and pushes the boundaries of IEM technology with his own designs.

Introduction –

Elysian Acoustic Labs proved with their flagship model that the company could compete at the very highest standard of performance. Yet, with this came an asking price to match meaning Lee’s successes were inaccessible to the majority. The DIVA offered a more accessible package and with the introduction of the new Pilgrim, Lee further improves upon this; bringing his acoustic designs to the masses. The goal was to take the core qualities and tuning of the company’s high-end models and distill them into a more compact and affordable package. To do so, the Pilgrim implements a hand-picked hybrid driver array with a customized LSR dynamic driver and 2 types of custom-tailored Sonion BA’s. Furthermore, the Pilgrim sports a premium steel/aluminum shell and 3D-printed internal chambers balancing durability and consistent audio performance and quality control.

The Pilgrim is available for $399 at the time of writing. You can read more about it and secure one for yourself at Elysian, HiFiGO and Minidisc (AU)!

Disclaimer –

I would like to thank Ivy from HiFiGO very much for reaching out to organize a review of the new Pilgrim. All words are my own and there is no monetary incentive for a positive review. Despite receiving the earphones free of cost, I will attempt to be as objective as possible in my evaluation.

Contents –

• Page 1: Intro, Unboxing, Design
• Page 2: Sound and Source Pairings
• Page 3: Comparisons & Verdict

Specifications –

• Drivers: 9.2mm LSR DD, 3x Customised Sonion BA
• Crossover: 3-Way
• Frequency Response: 10 Hz – 20 kHz
• Impedance: 9 ohms
• Sensitivity: 101 dB

Behind the Design –

Durable Metal Shell

The Pilgrim uses an aluminium shell with 304 stainless steel bores that resist corrosion and contribute to the sound output of the IEMs. A metal mesh filter further contributes to excellent longevity, easy cleaning, and sustained performance.

LSR Dynamic Driver

Elysian set out to deliver super low-end extension and have chosen an LSR driver in order to do so. Liquid silicone rubber refers to the driver surround, which provides superior excursive movement and lower modal distortion. The diaphragm is made from magnesium-aluminium alloy, which is durable, light and rigid. In addition, Lee experimented with various driver sizes, eventually settling on a 9.2mm unit which had his desired balance of power and speed.

Sonion BA Drivers

Lee has personally tuned the Pilgrim both through the customised woofer and customised BA drivers made in collaboration with Sonion. The Sonion 2300 has been chosen for the midrange while dual E50 ultra-tweeters offer extended and brilliant highs. These drivers are united through a custom 3-way crossover.

Internal Design

An often-overlooked part of IEM production, Elysian promises each and every driver matches within 1dB, so each unit and earpiece delivers identical sound. Each unit houses a 3D-printed acoustic chamber and sound tube array that ensures minimal signal distortion and phase coherence.

Unboxing –

The Pilgrim leaves a positive unboxing experience with a clean cuboid hard box that opens to reveal the earphones within a card inlet. Beneath are the papers and at the bottom of the box is the carrying case that contains the remaining accessories. The Pilgrim comes with three pairs of CP100 Spinfit tips and they have a customised black stem that provides a clean aesthetic. The included cable is a nice 2-wire internally braided unit with a clear TPU jacket.

The user has the choice to order with 3.5mm or 4.4mm balanced termination at purchase though the cable doesn’t feature a modular design. Elysian also offers a bundle with the Effect Audio Cadmus for $169 USD, representing a small discount off RRP. The carrying case has a pleasing design with a hard skeleton and soft velvet interior. It has an elastic mesh pocket that enables storage of smaller accessories such as extra tips or a cleaning tool. Finally, the company provides an Elysian branded microfiber cloth to keep the metal shells spotless.

Design –

The Pilgrim has a generic shape and form mated to a striking and unique faceplate design that sets it aside from the crowd regardless. It doesn’t have the pizzazz of the high-end Diva and Annihilator of course but leaves little to be desired in terms of look and feel, especially for a midrange produce. The shells have an all-metal construction and sport tough steel nozzles with three bores and a mesh filter on top. This provides a nice sense of solidity, and the shells are also surprisingly lightweight for a metal IEM which contributes to wearing comfort. The faceplates are the main attraction with that striking mirror finish “rolling hill” pattern. Six atmospheric vents contribute to an aesthetic that equally espouses style and functional performance.

Perhaps a controversial addition, the Pilgrim uses Pentaconn ear connectors. It’s a rotating connector that is similar to MMCX but feels a lot more solid with tighter tolerances too. Though I am a fan of the mechanism, the downside is that it is not widely adopted and therefore, cable replacements will be limited to more expensive boutique options. The stock silver-plated copper cable is pleasing in all aspects but nothing that stands out from the ordinary. Of note are matching sandblasted grey hardware with mirror-finish accents that wonderfully complement the earpieces. The TPU jacket is pliable, and boasts minimal memory and spring but is slightly tacky feeling. The pre-molded ear guides are nicely shaped and comfortable.

Fit & Isolation –

With a smoothly formed pod-style shell, the Pilgrim achieves a comfortable and relatively low-profile fit within the outer ear. I experienced no hotspot formation during my testing due to the rounded shell design. Conversely, this isn’t the most locked-in and isolating IEM as a result of its conservative shaping. Still, the fit is stable due to its over-ear design and the well-angled nozzles contribute to the fit and comfort. They are on the shorter side, however, which makes the longer-stemmed Spinfits a wise inclusion. Depending on your ear anatomy, using other tips may require sizing up as it will result in quite a shallow fit.

The Pilgrim offers below-average noise isolation due to its copious venting in exchange for improved comfort via reduced wearing pressure and a lack of driver flex. This is great for spatial awareness and there is plenty of bass presence to combat external noise during daily use and commute. However, in especially noisy environments details and balance tend to get lost meaning the Pilgrim isn’t suitable for those valuing strong noise attenuation.

Next Page: Sound Breakdown