Moondrop Aria’s Review
Into
Moondrop is no stranger when it comes to creating a high price performance ratio product. Aria is one of them. A single dynamic driver configuration with a high performance LCP diaphragm touted by Moondrop
Packaging/Build
The box that housed Aria is Moondrop’s signature “Waifu” design. Beneath the Waifu’s cardboard, Aria is seated in an exquisite designed black colored box. The housing of Aria feels very premium. However it does feel a little less grippy/slippery and if you are not careful you might drop the unit. It came with a set of eartips as standard, a faux leather carrying case and also replacement filter and a precision tweezer. One caveat that I have is the cable. It gets tangled up so easily and every time when you want to use the earphone, you have to spend some time untangling it. An upgrade cable is a must if budget permits.
Source
Tidal MQA/Hifi -> Zen Dac - Moondrop Aria
Sound
For the sound part, I will do a breakdown as follows. Do take into consideration that my setup will somehow affect the final output. This review is done based on my setup and whatever I wrote is based on my listening experience with my setup. Prior to writing this review, I have completed the 100 hours burn in time as suggested by Moondrop. The overall sound signature of Aria is very smooth and it offers a realistic timbre. The tuning is fairly on the safe side in which I believe it will be suitable for a lot of people.
Bass
The quality of the bass is good for its price point. The extension is good and it does give off an ample amount of rumble when the track calls for it. The bass offered is of quality as well as quantity. It also feels very full bodied, but the bass is nowhere near basshead level of course.
Mids
The mids are smooth and expressive,nothing much to shout out here. Well rounded is how I will describe the mids of Aria. Nothing too luscious nor thin. Pretty balanced.
Treble
The treble is also tuned pretty safe. Nothing much to shout out here. It offers enough sparkles and air without being sibilant. Enough for it to be energetic when the track requires it to. Occasional peakiness, but only on certain tracks where it’s treble heavy. Most of the time, it doesn’t exhibit that.
Soundstage/Imaging/Separation
The soundstage is average, it is not too wide or narrow, but the imaging of Aria is what I would say is the spotlight here. Separation is on point where instruments can be pinpointed easily even when the track is busy. Left and right transitions on certain tracks such as Hans Zimmer’s Why So Serious offers a very good sense of spatial separation.
Driveability
Aria does not need an extra amp to unleash its full potential, it can be driven off a smartphone or even a basic DAP. However, to get the best out of it, it’s best to pair it with a good source of course.
Final Thoughts
I will definitely recommend this to someone who is looking for an all rounder IEM. However, one thing that I would like to highlight is that although the quality of the stock cable is very good, the constant tangling situation with the cable is quite a turn off, at least to me. Everything else is good except for the cable. At this price point, I believe Aria offers a very huge value for its performance, unlike a more higher priced Yume which is quite genre picky in my opinion, of course there will be times where Aria will struggle, but then again, at this price point, it is just nitpicking. If you’re after an IEM that will offer you a smooth experience throughout your listening session, just get this. It will not disappoint you, also, at this price point, why not?
*Aria is provided to me by Cloris from Moondrop in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion. I thank her for the opportunity.
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