Short answer: the ddHiFi Surface (E14D). Both are rated 3.6/5 for sound quality (#756 and #777 of 1369 in-ear headphones), and the ddHiFi Surface (E14D) costs $279.99 against $3,299 for the Elysian Acoustic Labs Annihilator, so with nothing between them on sound quality, price settles it.
The case for the ddHiFi Surface (E14D): A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 69 against the Harman target. Watch for: Treble about 3 dB below target from 3 to 10 kHz, which can sound dull or veiled next to brighter headphones.
What the Elysian Acoustic Labs Annihilator does well: A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 68 against the Harman target. The tradeoff: An uneven response, 2.1 dB standard deviation from target.
Buy the ddHiFi Surface (E14D). Both are rated the same for sound quality, and it costs $3,019.01 less than the Elysian Acoustic Labs Annihilator.
Still deciding? The full Headphones rankings cover every ranked option.
A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 69 against the Harman target.
Amazon $279.99 eBay
A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 68 against the Harman target.
Bloom Audio $3,299.00 eBayPrices on this page were last checked October 17, 2026 at 6:04 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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Specifications Side By Side
| ddHiFi Surface (E14D) | Elysian Acoustic Labs Annihilator | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $279.99 | $3,299.00 |
| Ranked | #756 of 1369 in In-Ear Headphones | #777 of 1369 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Harman Preference Score | 69 (median of 3 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 68 (median of 11 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.16 dB standard deviation | 2.13 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.79 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.84 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+0.4 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+2.2 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Connection | Wired (3.5mm / 4.4mm) | Wired |
| Driver Type | Dynamic | Tribrid |
| Drivers | 1 Dynamic (10mm dynamic driver) | 7 drivers (1 dynamic driver + 4 balanced armatures + 2 electrostatic drivers) |
| Frequency Response | - | 20Hz - 45kHz |
Frequency Response Compared
Both headphones’ measurements overlaid on the Harman target. Above the target sounds louder in that range, below it quieter. Each curve is the median of several independent measurements, shifted so its 500 Hz to 2 kHz average sits at 0 dB, so only the tuning is compared.
Measurement data: the ddHiFi Surface (E14D) from arn, flare and tonedeafmonk; the Elysian Acoustic Labs Annihilator from animagus, atechreviews, dchpgall, dl, elrics, jaytiss, precog, recode, soundignity, superreview and zerostresslevel, all via squig.link.
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