Elysian Acoustic Labs - GAEA

So how is the s8 compared to the variation? For the record I have the variation and recently upgraded to the elysian gaea. An improvement in sound quality so far but their mmcx style keep fidget and no more pseudo ciem fit make me go nuts.

Photo 1: Focal Clear OG Photo 2: * (Top row) 7Hz Salnotes Zero, Elysian X Effect Audio Gaea, CCA CRA * (Middle row) Final Audio A4000, 64 Audio U4s, Sony IER-M9 * (Bottom row) Crinear Daybreak. Empty slot is for the 7Hz Timeless II Having reached "endgame" —a word thrown around loosely, but one I’m using with literal intent— I wanted to reflect on the journey that got me here. My first glance into the true potential of high-end audio began with the Moondrop KATO (i traded it away; something I regret a little). It fit my preferences so well that I that time, I couldn't find anything better near that price point. In attempt to "escape", I blind bought what many hailed as the most correct monitor, the Sony IER-M9. It was an impulse purchase I originally regretted, but at least it didn't sound bad. It just never sounded special. And thus, my exploration phase began. I went to various stores, trying out IEMs from mid-fi to summit-fi, and here I learnt my first major lesson: **know your priorities**. It look a long time for me to realize that timbre and vocals are my "north star". But the problem was not over. Many people assigned accurate timbre to more smooth, rounded sounds. To me, that was the opposite of what I thought is reality. Accurate timbre means preserving the edge in instruments, like the strike of the piano hammer , or the dark "scratchiness" of a violin bow. I eventually realized this is the divide between the musician and the listener. As a musician, my life was spent with my ear in close proximity to the instrument. It’s a "close-mic" sound. But listeners are spoiled with polished mixes from engineers and the acoustic treatment of concert halls, which favor a smoother presentation. With this realization, I bought the U4s and Gaea. Both had very good timbre and vocals. At this point, I hit a wall. I couldn't find better audio experiences anymore. Things just ended up being similar to what I owned: Annihilator (Gaea but less energy), RS10 (functionally like the M9, but with a poorer tuning), Etoile (U4s), IE900 (U4s). It was here that I realized how much of a monster the IER-M9 actually is. It is quite literally, perfect. When I tried to EQ it, everything made it sound worse, except a bass shelf. Of course if you A/B tested them, there would have been obvious differences, but it is not very relevant. My second lesson: **Gear that sounds objectively different but evokes the same feeling is still redundant**. If I were have gotten RS10, for example, it wouldn't have mattered. I would have just swapped between it and the M9 for the sake of it, not because I needed it. My new criteria became: *It must evoke a new feeling.* There was only one that achieved this: the HD600. But the bass extension was so poor it was a little unbearable as someone who has been spoiled by IEMs. This led me to the Focal Clear OG. Truthfully, I still think the HD600 is still better stock, but with EQ, the Clear OG has become the last missing piece of the puzzle. From here on, I only seek new interesting experiments that catch my ear, like the planar Timeless II (honestly not very good), or the new meta tuning from the Daybreak (actually quite decent). The best part of all this, is that I am enjoying my music more than ever.