Select Comparisons
Vision Ears EXT (EUR 2650)
Compared to the EXT – an in-ear with tighter, more cutting, more jab-like hits, as well as a deeper sorta dig – the Anima is a lighter, breezy-er-sounding in-ear with more of a swing to it. Transients aren’t as pointed and precise as they are on the VE hybrid. They have a bit more of a spread and a sway, which results in larger, more enveloping instruments. You’ll get to see more of the instrument’s “face”, if that makes sense. So, horns and singers will feel closer to you, and they’ll reside in a wider, taller image as well. Another contributor to that is the Anima’s airier, more vibrant profile. Its upper-midrange and high-treble tuning illuminates instruments a little more, and it coaxes more projection out of them too; a bit more vibrance or sweetness. By comparison, the VE IEM will seem a bit more subdued, a bit earthier and a bit weightier; denser, in lieu of the light-footedness of the Anima. The EXT ooh’s, while the Anima ahh’s, so to speak. So, take the latter if your needs are glowing female vocals, clear guitars and vibrant horns, while the former is for solid, earthy voices and tight, edgy attacks.
Down low, you’ll get a textbook contrast between the EXT’s pure-DD low-end and the Anima’s DD+BA blend. The former goes all-in on rumble and physicality; verve over warmth. And, this, again, plays into the IEM’s tighter, more attack-driven sound. Conversely, the Anima’s bass has a much clearer, more audible tonality. Listening to Snarky Puppy’s Gemini, which has two drum kits panned left and right, you can hear the pitch each kick drum is tuned to, as well as their unique colours or tones. Whereas, the EXT isn’t as capable at bringing out those nuances, but it will give you a deeper, more visceral dig. The phenomenon exists to a lesser degree up top. The EXT’s treble has that drier, sandier, washier, e-stat feel throughout, while the Anima’s has more of that BA glitz. I find the former a bit quicker and sharper, which gives the IEM the precision I mentioned in attack. Whereas, the Anima’s BA-infused treble give cymbals and hi-hats a bit more body and integrity. So, again, it comes down to preference; whether you want something audibly-sweeter in tone, or palpably-earthier in texture.
Vision Ears PHöNIX (EUR 3500)
Overall, both the Anima and the PHöNIX have linear, well-flowing, neutral-natural signatures. Where they differ is where they choose to deviate for colour. Down low, the Anima’s emphasis is earlier in its sub-bass, while the PHöNIX’s is in the mid-bass. The trend follows to the midrange, where the former rises again around its lower-mids, while the latter’s lift is at its centre-mids. This results in slightly different tonalities. The Anima has fuller, meatier notes with less smoke around them, while the PHöNIX has slightly tighter, more compact instruments encased in a warmer, mustier air; a darker decay to them. It gives the PHöNIX a more romantic tone with a warmer aura; akin to a jazz club. Whereas, the Anima’s lighter, punchier and contrasty-er with denser, cleaner-cut notes; more akin to a concert venue. That’s further reflected up top, where the Anima’s upper-treble rise gives it that airy, crisp, PA-system-like, hi-fi sound. Whereas, the PHöNIX’s relaxed upper-treble comes off a bit more analog, opting instead for a lower-treble rise to sharpen only its instruments’ attacks.
Technically, you’ll get different things from either monitor. The Anima will give you more interesting textures, especially around its extremes. Its extra DD woofer is capable of a more tactile thump, as well as a more visceral rumble. And, its electrostatic tweeters add that airy, wispy, almost-sandy texture, which you won’t get with the PHöNIX’s all-BA set-up. The advantage the latter has will obviously be a more uniform, more cohesive timbre from top-to-bottom. So, it’s up to whether you want a profile with more colour (or character), or one that’s more even-keeled. In imaging, the PHöNIX has the more evenly-spherical stage. The Anima, because of its light w-shape, as well as its high-mid rise, can have certain elements dotting forward in its space, depending on the mix. So, again, a tidier image, or a slightly more engaging one? In resolution, I’d say it’s neck-and-neck, though the Anima has crisper images for the reasons we outlined above (at the cost of a less analog sig). Lastly, the PHöNIX has the more composed sound, while the Anima’s is livelier; more riled-up.
Verdict
The Lime Ears Anima is an unapologetic distillation of Emil Stolecki’s goldilocks sound. From the acoustic novelties, to the oddball driver blends, it’s the culmination of every IEM he’s conceived in the past, taken to the nth degree. The end-result is a tribute – a dramatization, even – to that far-field, bookshelf-speaker sound; huge, enveloping and crystal-clear, warts and all. As if laughing in the face of strict, clinical correctness, the Anima basks in playful expression; rumbly, yet melodic down low, expressive and vibrant in the midrange, then animatedly airy and crisp up top. Is it an in-ear for all? If its MSRP, tonal colourations or chunkier silhouette have anything to say about it, probably not. But, in a market segment sometimes criticized for being “tuned by committee,” perhaps an oddball is exactly what it needs. If what you need in a flagship is a hodgepodge of tones and textures delivered with clarity, holography and size, Anima deserves no less than a good ol’ go.
