CanJam NYC 2025

Effect Audio / Elysian Acoustic Labs

Again, I was not surprised to see Effect Audio and Elysian Acoustic tables together side by side due to their collaboration work with EA now lending a helping hand with the manufacturing and marketing of Elysian IEMs. Both tables had a lot to offer to their visitors with people gathered around. In there, I got a big bear hug from Sebastian and was happy to see Jordon able to make it to the show this time. Maybe SY or even Lee can make it the next year, my wishful thinking.

From the cable side of the table, the Effect Audio side, you have Signature Series II, which I have covered in my Dallas report, and as a refresher will repeat. If you are on a budget and looking for higher quality cables, the original Signature Series cables from Effect Audio were among the top choices, including the bonus of ConX connectors to use with 2pin, mmcx, and other IEMs. EA managed to improve it by doubling the wires of Ares S II and Cadmus II while offering each at a lower price than corresponding 8-wire versions of Ares S and Cadmus from the OG series and also offering Eros S II at the same price with other common improvements. The cable hardware was updated with a more elegant premium-looking Y-Split and new wire structure including a Central Solid Core like in their more expensive Code series, using a Solid Copper core in Ares S II and Cadmus II and a Solid Silver core in Eros S II. One of the highlights at this table was Ares S II x Cadmus II’s upcoming hybrid design, combining wires of both of these cables in one.

Also, to commemorate their 15^th Anniversary (in 2024), SY and his team released a new limited-edition flagship Beyond cable. EA went above and beyond, no pun intended, with this release, an 8-wire design with two 4-wire blends of exotic materials. Blend A features selected Premium UP-OCC Copper-Gold, Alloy & Pure Silver, and Gold-Plated Silver. Blend B features selected Premium UP-OCC Gold-Plated Silver-Gold Alloy, Palladium-Plated Silver, and Gold-Plated Silver & Pure Silver. These 24.5 AWG gauge wires have EA UltraFlexi insulation, keeping this 8-wire cable relatively soft and flexible. Also, it features EA’s signature ConX full interchangeable connector set and fixed Pentaconn OFC 4.4mm plug instead of TermX for the best sound quality. You will also find a very elegant all-new custom Y-Split to give this cable an exclusive look. In comparison, and relative to IEMs I used for testing, their other flagship Centurion has a more revealing, brighter tonality which enhances the retrieval of details without making the sound harsher or fatiguing. Beyond fine-tunes the sound with a natural tonality by adding more analog texture to the mids and making the treble a touch smoother. It doesn’t make the sound warmer but rather makes it more analog and textured while still enhancing the retrieval of details without making the overall sound too revealing.

Now, from the IEM side of the table, the collab work between Effect Audio and Elysian Acoustic, there was a line to hear highly anticipated DIO IEMs, referred to as TOTL – Trinity of The Legacy release. Aside from eye and mouth-watering price due to the exclusive release with only 25 manufactured pairs in combination with a custom high-end cable and designer accessories, I think by now all have been already spoken for. Perhaps it was the last remaining pair at the show, with many people lined up to hear it, including myself. I patiently waited and… had to walk away because I was afraid it would take forever before my turn while I had to cover many other tables. I truly regret not being able to hear Lee’s masterpiece, everybody has been waiting in anticipation for the last 2 years, and sincerely hope more units will be available soon, perhaps as part of a standard and more affordable rather than exclusive TOTL release.

In addition to a well-known Annihilator ’23, DIVA, and Pilgrim/Noir IEMs, the other new shiny release from Elysian Acoustic Labs is the Apostle IEMs. Referred to as baby-Anni, this DD/2BA/2EST solid-build eye-candy shell monitor with a customized 19awg copper, hybrid silver and gold-plated cable (including P-ears connectors), has a balanced natural detailed tuning with a very articulate bass punch, deep textured sub-bass rumble, natural resolving upper mids with extra definition in pinna gain to extract more details, and well-controlled airy treble sparkle to give the sound more clarity. Relative to Pilgrim Noir, another one of my more affordable favorites, Apostle has a faster and more articulate mid-bass punch, a touch more body in lower mids, more resolving upper mids, and Anni’s treble secret-sauce that brings more sparkle and airiness to the sound. Relative to Anni, Apostle has more balanced bass tuning since Anni’s low end emphasis is more on sub-bass rather than sub/mid-bass, and Apostle also has a fuller body mids and less emphasized lower treble in comparison to U-shaped Anni which puts more focus on sub-bass and upper mids and lower treble. Also, I was pleased to see a price tag under $1.8k.

Empire Ears

I was hoping that the Vang family would continue their CanJam NYC ’24 tradition by being together at the show again, but in 2025 I had to settle just for Jack :), while Dean and Catherine couldn’t make it. I’m not complaining, it is always a pleasure to see and to chat with him, and I look forward to that every year. But I also know that many CanJam visitors want to talk to Dean, the man behind the tuning of Empire Ears IEMs collection, especially when he lets visitors listen to his latest prototypes as part of EE’s “crowd-tuning” process of collecting the feedback. As one can imagine, something new is always cooking in EE labs!

At the EE table, you can still find one of their greatest hits, the Odin IEMs, which is still quite relevant based on hearing visitors stopping by and complimenting it as I was chatting with Jack. You can also find their later releases, the Raven and Triton. While Empire Ears has been busy with A&K collaborations, Odyssey a year before, and Novus last year, they got back into the original swing with new Triton IEMs. As EE mentioned in their release notes, the Triton name represents three phases, the Past – referring to their Olympus series, the Present – Valkyrie’s Dragonhide faceplate and Legend X compact shell design, and the Future – introduction of new dual Bone Conduction Drivers, assuming the same dual Sonion BCD as implemented in Novus. Also, as part of a Limited Launch Edition, Triton came bundled with a new EE Monarch cable, designed using 5 different precious metal conductors.

Triton is an L-shaped tuned IEM, so expect a warmer tonality with a powerful bass. The soundstage has more depth/height with the sound extending more out of the head and having a more intimate center-focused imaging. I found Triton to have a deep elevated bass with a boosted sub-bass rumble and a strong visceral mid-bass punch. Mids are very smooth, warm, and organic. Treble is also smooth, and organic. The main focus of the tuning here is on the bass, followed by very smooth organic mids. While listening to Triton, it reminded me of Legend X’s, just with a smoother (in upper frequencies) sound performance.

I thought I took more close-up pictures of the EE table but later realized that I didn’t. One picture I missed taking was of Jason (well-known A&K rep) sitting at the EE table and enjoying listening to their IEMs including A&K collabs. A&K didn’t make it to the CanJam NYC show this year, and I was happy to see him finally being able to relax and enjoy the show from the perspective of a visitor instead of working the table.

AZLA

A huge surprise at the CanJam for me was seeing Azla eartips booth. These eartips gained their popularity while being featured in many of the latest premium IEM releases, with many familiar with their Xelastec and Crystal models. At the show, they had the next-gen Xelastec 2, Crystal 2, and new Foamax eartips. One thing in common with all these new eartips was the introduction of a new proprietary precision filter. This original hexagonal flexible wax-guard filter was thin and supposed to have minimum effect on the sound changes. Of course, the sound perception using different eartips is very subjective and will depend on your ear shape and earcanal anatomy. As I always say, get yourself a collection of different eartips and use them all to find which one yields the best results with your ears and IEMs.

Azla Foamax uses a high-density foam with an ultra-thin coating, creating a perfect and secure seal which also assists in passive noise canceling. While testing these eartips, relative to Crystal 2, I hear smoother mids, bringing vocals more forward, and having a bit more relaxed treble. The fit was very comfortable, and it felt like the foam was a bit denser at the core around the stem/pillar. The sound isolation was very good, making the background even blacker.

Azla Crystal 2 uses hypoallergenic German premium Liquid Silicone Rubber (LSR) with a secure grip, is washable, and has good shape retention. Crystal 2 also features the new silicone thin filter. Relative to the original Crystal, v2 felt a little softer while the sound was very similar to the original eartips. But I also noticed a bit more sparkle in treble and a slightly more expanded perception of the soundstage. Maybe a softer material of the eartips umbrella/cap relaxed the seal or the filter prevented the eartips from sliding down the nozzle of the Jewel iems I was using for testing. Every little change will affect the sound.

Azla Xelastec 2 also features the new precision silicone filter, and the same as in the original, a silicone (TPE) material, which transforms under body temperature to fit the earcanal shape better. In comparison to the original, I also found Xelastec 2 to have a bit more revealing sound, and crisper treble, but all this depends on the insertion depth and how far down the nozzle of the IEM you can push the eartips. Due to the silicone filter, there is a limitation.