Reviews by ywheng89
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 ShenzhenAudio in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion. I thank her for the opportunity.
If you wish to purchase the said IEM you may head to the following site to do so.
https://shenzhenaudio.com/products/...diaphragm-dynamic-driver-iems-in-ear-earphone
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 ShenzhenAudio in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion. I thank her for the opportunity.
If you wish to purchase the said IEM you may head to the following site to do so.
https://shenzhenaudio.com/products/...diaphragm-dynamic-driver-iems-in-ear-earphone
SeeAudio Yume Review
Source
Tidal -> Venture Electronics Odyssey HD Dongle -> SeeAudio Yume
Cayin N3 Pro(Solid State Mode) -> SeeAudio Yume
Sound
I will do a breakdown as follows in describing how it sounds.
*Throughout this review, stock cable and stock eartips are being used to describe the nature of this IEM as accurately as possible based on my listening sessions without the attempt to alter the signature by cable rolling or tip rolling.
Bass
The presence of the bass is just enough in my opinion. I’m always going after quality rather than quantity. Sub bass extension is good as expected from Harman tuning, but of course the sub bass rumble is very mild and it is there to make the overall listening experience enjoyable. Personally, the presence is enough for me. No complaints about the bass.
Mids
The mids are smooth although the vocals seem to be quite prominent.
That is when it is running on VE’s Odyssey HD dongle. Switching it to Cayin’s N3 Pro and it kinda tone down a little probably due to the colorization from N3 Pro itself as the signature is not neutral to begin with, but it sounded good on both the dongle and DAP. It’s all down to personal preferences when it comes to the signature i suppose.
The timbre is also very realistic and does not sound metallic or cold.
Treble
As expected from a Harman Curved based tuning. The treble is well implemented and not sibilant at all. Jpop Anime tracks in particular such as Unravel(Tokyo Ghoul) by TK, Kaikai Kitan(Jujutsu Kaisen) by Eve they sounded very dynamic and with just enough sparkles to not cause it to be sibilant. These two tracks, if being played on a sibilant IEM, is a really horrible experience, but Yume nailed it!
Soundstage/Imaging/Separation
There is nothing much to shout out about the soundstage. I would say it is pretty average. Not too wide or nor too narrow that it made you feel “boxed” in.
Instrument separation is quite impressive in my opinion. I will usually play anime JPop tracks to test this as usually they have a lot of background instruments playing at the same time. KaiKai Kitan(Jujutsu Kaisen) - Eve, Unravel(Tokyo Ghoul) - Ling. Instrument positioning can be pinpointed accurately. Transition between left and right channel and vice versa is well implemented to give a good sense of separation and imaging.
Driveability
Tested on both the Cayin N3 Pro and VE’s Odyssey HD dongle, both of them can drive the Yume to its full potential without breaking a sweat. On the Odyssey HD plugged into Windows 10 laptop, volume level at 12 is good enough to enjoy Yume in its full potential. Cayin N3 Pro on the other hand is of course much more powerful than Odyssey HD, on medium gain and 35/100,it is enough to drive Yume for an enjoyable experience.
Specifications
Impedance 32Ω.
Sensitivity 106dB.
Frequency Response Range 20Hz-20kHz.
THD+N <2%.
Termination Plug 3.5mm.
Connector 2-pin 0.78mm
Driver 1DD+2BA
Cable 5N OCC
Final Thoughts
Overall an enjoyable IEM that puts a lot of emphasis on the vocals especially. Jazz, or tracks that focus solely on vocals is heavenly, for everything else, it is quite picky when it comes to genre. There are some tracks where it excels as I mentioned above, but some it just failed to meet the expectation. I wouldn’t say that this is an all rounder IEM, but if you are looking for something that you can just hook up and not EQ anything like i do, this might be for you. You need to look elsewhere if you are looking for an all rounder.
*Disclaimer
This unit is sent to me as part of Malaysia’s Yume Review Tour in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion. I thank SeeAudio again for this opportunity.
Source
Tidal -> Venture Electronics Odyssey HD Dongle -> SeeAudio Yume
Cayin N3 Pro(Solid State Mode) -> SeeAudio Yume
Sound
I will do a breakdown as follows in describing how it sounds.
*Throughout this review, stock cable and stock eartips are being used to describe the nature of this IEM as accurately as possible based on my listening sessions without the attempt to alter the signature by cable rolling or tip rolling.
Bass
The presence of the bass is just enough in my opinion. I’m always going after quality rather than quantity. Sub bass extension is good as expected from Harman tuning, but of course the sub bass rumble is very mild and it is there to make the overall listening experience enjoyable. Personally, the presence is enough for me. No complaints about the bass.
Mids
The mids are smooth although the vocals seem to be quite prominent.
That is when it is running on VE’s Odyssey HD dongle. Switching it to Cayin’s N3 Pro and it kinda tone down a little probably due to the colorization from N3 Pro itself as the signature is not neutral to begin with, but it sounded good on both the dongle and DAP. It’s all down to personal preferences when it comes to the signature i suppose.
The timbre is also very realistic and does not sound metallic or cold.
Treble
As expected from a Harman Curved based tuning. The treble is well implemented and not sibilant at all. Jpop Anime tracks in particular such as Unravel(Tokyo Ghoul) by TK, Kaikai Kitan(Jujutsu Kaisen) by Eve they sounded very dynamic and with just enough sparkles to not cause it to be sibilant. These two tracks, if being played on a sibilant IEM, is a really horrible experience, but Yume nailed it!
Soundstage/Imaging/Separation
There is nothing much to shout out about the soundstage. I would say it is pretty average. Not too wide or nor too narrow that it made you feel “boxed” in.
Instrument separation is quite impressive in my opinion. I will usually play anime JPop tracks to test this as usually they have a lot of background instruments playing at the same time. KaiKai Kitan(Jujutsu Kaisen) - Eve, Unravel(Tokyo Ghoul) - Ling. Instrument positioning can be pinpointed accurately. Transition between left and right channel and vice versa is well implemented to give a good sense of separation and imaging.
Driveability
Tested on both the Cayin N3 Pro and VE’s Odyssey HD dongle, both of them can drive the Yume to its full potential without breaking a sweat. On the Odyssey HD plugged into Windows 10 laptop, volume level at 12 is good enough to enjoy Yume in its full potential. Cayin N3 Pro on the other hand is of course much more powerful than Odyssey HD, on medium gain and 35/100,it is enough to drive Yume for an enjoyable experience.
Specifications
Impedance 32Ω.
Sensitivity 106dB.
Frequency Response Range 20Hz-20kHz.
THD+N <2%.
Termination Plug 3.5mm.
Connector 2-pin 0.78mm
Driver 1DD+2BA
Cable 5N OCC
Final Thoughts
Overall an enjoyable IEM that puts a lot of emphasis on the vocals especially. Jazz, or tracks that focus solely on vocals is heavenly, for everything else, it is quite picky when it comes to genre. There are some tracks where it excels as I mentioned above, but some it just failed to meet the expectation. I wouldn’t say that this is an all rounder IEM, but if you are looking for something that you can just hook up and not EQ anything like i do, this might be for you. You need to look elsewhere if you are looking for an all rounder.
*Disclaimer
This unit is sent to me as part of Malaysia’s Yume Review Tour in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion. I thank SeeAudio again for this opportunity.
KBEAR Neon Review
Intro
KBEAR Neon is KBEAR latest IEM with a 1BA driver configuration. It is claimed to be F1’s successor. Equipped with a single Knowles 29689 Balanced Armature driver and it retails for $49usd.
Source
Tidal(Mixture of MQA and Hifi Quality Songs) -> iFi Zen Dac -> KBear Neon
*Disclaimer
-This review is done using stock cable and the ear tips are Sony's M Sized hybrid long silicone as I found that stock ear tips made the vocal sound very hollow and everything else seemed very boxed in. Hopefully KBEAR will take this into consideration and improve on this for the successor, also do note that i am wearing it with the deep insertion method.
Sound
I will do a breakdown as follows in describing how it sounds. I have had a fairly good experience using them for the past few days. I would describe Neon as a neutral and un-colored IEM.
Bass
The presence of the bass is just enough in my opinion. I’m always going after quality rather than quantity. The bass is what you will expect from a single BA if you ever heard a single BA before. It is fast, punchy and tight. Rumble and extension is nowhere to be found as this is a single BA after all. Basshead you should look elsewhere.
Mids
This is the part where Neon will shine in my opinion. Tonality and timbre is clean and good. Vocal doesn’t sound recessed nor too forward. Just right. It feels very natural albeit it has a slight tinge of BA timbre, but still good overall. No bass bleed as far as I listen to. Norah Jones’s Come Away With Me is very enjoyable as the vocal really stand out.
Treble
Treble doesn’t sound sibilant or piercing at all. Slight roll off to my ears. It also feels smooth and you can easily listen to it all day long without feeling fatigue. Detail and clarity is good but at times it will feel a little congested when there are a lot of instruments playing at the same time. Gurenge by Lisa for example, exhibited this behavior.
Soundstage/Imaging/Separation
There is nothing much to shout out about the soundstage. I would say it is pretty average. Not too wide or nor too narrow that it made you feel “boxed” in, also depending on how you actually wear them, deep fit or normal fit, it will affect the soundstage in some way. Normal fit will make the soundstage a little wider, as for deep fit, the soundstage will feel a little boxed in. In my opinion it lacked the height, the soundstage feels rather like a straight line to my ears.
Separation is average and as mentioned above, it does get congested when there are a lot of instruments playing at the same time. The imaging is alright as well as the instruments can be pinpointed easily.
Specifications
Sensitivity: 105dB
Impedance: 14Ω
Interface: QDC (I have tested with 0.78 and it works as well, QDC is basically a 2 pin as well as far as i know)
Plug type: 3.5mm
Frequency range: 20-20kHz
Final Thoughts
Overall an enjoyable IEM that puts a lot of emphasis on the vocals especially. Jazz, or tracks that focus solely on vocals is heavenly, for everything else, it will do just fine except for EDM which is to be expected because of the limitation of the single BA in Neon. This is a very good IEM for its price. If the upper treble can be boosted just a little and the low extends a little, then this is definitely a killer for the price. Despite all that, I would still recommend this to someone who is looking for something smooth and easy where you can just plug in and listen. However, the stock eartips is recommended in order to have the best experience/performance out of Neon, i would suggest you to spend some time to tip roll and find one that suits you. Trust me, it makes a lot of difference compared to the stock eartips.
Intro
KBEAR Neon is KBEAR latest IEM with a 1BA driver configuration. It is claimed to be F1’s successor. Equipped with a single Knowles 29689 Balanced Armature driver and it retails for $49usd.
Source
Tidal(Mixture of MQA and Hifi Quality Songs) -> iFi Zen Dac -> KBear Neon
*Disclaimer
-This review is done using stock cable and the ear tips are Sony's M Sized hybrid long silicone as I found that stock ear tips made the vocal sound very hollow and everything else seemed very boxed in. Hopefully KBEAR will take this into consideration and improve on this for the successor, also do note that i am wearing it with the deep insertion method.
Sound
I will do a breakdown as follows in describing how it sounds. I have had a fairly good experience using them for the past few days. I would describe Neon as a neutral and un-colored IEM.
Bass
The presence of the bass is just enough in my opinion. I’m always going after quality rather than quantity. The bass is what you will expect from a single BA if you ever heard a single BA before. It is fast, punchy and tight. Rumble and extension is nowhere to be found as this is a single BA after all. Basshead you should look elsewhere.
Mids
This is the part where Neon will shine in my opinion. Tonality and timbre is clean and good. Vocal doesn’t sound recessed nor too forward. Just right. It feels very natural albeit it has a slight tinge of BA timbre, but still good overall. No bass bleed as far as I listen to. Norah Jones’s Come Away With Me is very enjoyable as the vocal really stand out.
Treble
Treble doesn’t sound sibilant or piercing at all. Slight roll off to my ears. It also feels smooth and you can easily listen to it all day long without feeling fatigue. Detail and clarity is good but at times it will feel a little congested when there are a lot of instruments playing at the same time. Gurenge by Lisa for example, exhibited this behavior.
Soundstage/Imaging/Separation
There is nothing much to shout out about the soundstage. I would say it is pretty average. Not too wide or nor too narrow that it made you feel “boxed” in, also depending on how you actually wear them, deep fit or normal fit, it will affect the soundstage in some way. Normal fit will make the soundstage a little wider, as for deep fit, the soundstage will feel a little boxed in. In my opinion it lacked the height, the soundstage feels rather like a straight line to my ears.
Separation is average and as mentioned above, it does get congested when there are a lot of instruments playing at the same time. The imaging is alright as well as the instruments can be pinpointed easily.
Specifications
Sensitivity: 105dB
Impedance: 14Ω
Interface: QDC (I have tested with 0.78 and it works as well, QDC is basically a 2 pin as well as far as i know)
Plug type: 3.5mm
Frequency range: 20-20kHz
Final Thoughts
Overall an enjoyable IEM that puts a lot of emphasis on the vocals especially. Jazz, or tracks that focus solely on vocals is heavenly, for everything else, it will do just fine except for EDM which is to be expected because of the limitation of the single BA in Neon. This is a very good IEM for its price. If the upper treble can be boosted just a little and the low extends a little, then this is definitely a killer for the price. Despite all that, I would still recommend this to someone who is looking for something smooth and easy where you can just plug in and listen. However, the stock eartips is recommended in order to have the best experience/performance out of Neon, i would suggest you to spend some time to tip roll and find one that suits you. Trust me, it makes a lot of difference compared to the stock eartips.
Intro
I believe Moondrop is a company that needs no introduction as they’re well known for their anime style marketing and also harman-ish tuning.They have released several well known IEM that punches way above their price point in terms of performance. Which model you ask? I will leave that for you to find out.
*Side Note
- I am not using the stock eartips, instead I am using KZ’s starline eartips as I couldn't get the stock eartip to fit snugly.
- This review is based on my own opinion and i bought this unit off my own fund and not sponsored by Moondrop or any company.
Specifications
By looking at the specifications below, you might think that this little IEM is fairly easy to drive? Unfortunately, this IEM requires a lot of power in order to sound good. We will talk more on this in the later part of this in this review.
Nothing much to shout out here. The usual anime style character can be found on the box of the IEM itself. “Waifu” they call it. What you will get inside the box is the IEM itself, a fairly high quality Silver-plated 4N-Litz OFC cable, a small carrying pouch which is a bit small in my opinion, and also the standard S,M,L sized silicone tips. I have omitted to using the stock eartips as they do not fit me well. Thus I have opted for the KZ starline tips as mentioned above.
Build and Comfort
The build of the IEM itself is plastic, however it doesn’t look cheap at all. It is also very well built. The size of the IEM itself made you forget that you’re actually wearing one because it is so lightweight that you barely feel anything in your ears! I’ve had it on for several hours straight and I do not feel any discomfort from it. Thumbs up to Moondrop for designing this!
The 2 pin port on the IEM itself is very snug in my opinion. The stock cable that came attached with it was very tight to remove. I actually had to exhibit a little extra force in order to remove the cable, which is good, so that the cable doesn’t come out from the plug as it ages due to wear and tear from plugging in and out.
Source
Tidal(MQA/HiFi) -> UD130 DAC/AMP -> Moondrop SSP
Cayin N3 Pro -> Moondrop SSP
Cayin N3 Pro -> Moondrop SSP with pure silver 4.4 balanced cable
Bass
I do not have SSR to compare with so I am not sure what SSR”s bass is like. What I can say about the low end of this SSP is the quality and quantity done right. The overall presentation of the frequency range is fairly balanced based on what I heard from my setup. Load up The Weeknd’s Starboy and you can definitely feel the rumble on the opening of the song. It’s fun to listen to and sounds about right. It doesn’t get boomy nor bloated. It is punchy for sure but this will definitely not be categorized as a basshead’s IEM.
Mids
Now the interesting part of SSP, this is where a cable swap will make some difference and open up the sound. On the stock cable, the mids in my opinion is slightly boxed-in. It is okay, not that bad, acceptable, smooth and quite detailed. I have a pure silver cable in 4.4 Bal termination lying around, I’ve decided to cable roll it and boy, it definitely put a smile on my face, everything sounded so open and I got so much more fun out of it. Now that it is on pure silver cable, the boxy feel on the mids totally diminished. Everything is just smooth. The Cruel Angel’s Thesis by Yoko Takahashi, the vocals sounded fairly intimate, and the instruments can be heard clearly in this track as there are a lot of electric guitar strums going from left to right channel and also percussions playing at the same time. All of those can be identified clearly.
Treble
The treble presentation is good. Not sibilant at all and there is a slight emphasis on the brilliance segment to give cymbals and chimes enough sparkle to make the music sound alive such as RATM’s Killing In The Name. This is a fairly busy track in my opinion and all the cymbals are heard clearly on top of the drum roll and also the electric guitar. Impressive separation and layering.
Soundstage
I find the width of the soundstage is good. You are enveloped in live recording as well as orchestral tracks. Toto’s Africa(Live), a good demonstration on the capability of rendering a wide soundstage from SSP. Swapping it to the pure silver cable that i had made an even bigger difference on the soundstage, the width is further enhanced but the depth of it remains more or less similar. Overall, it has a very clean channel to channel transition to exhibit a good sense of spatial imaging.
Driveability
Playing it straight out from a smartphone is not a good idea as this IEM does require a fair amount of power in order for it to sound good. You can get listenable level from your smartphone but you will lose its dynamic, the bass and treble and mids will be off as it is not getting enough power. Amplification is required.
FInal Thoughts
Moondrop has consistently been releasing top value, top performing products in a massive and competitive market. Moondrop SSP is definitely one of them. Will I recommend them? A big YES. At this price point, 39.9 USD, it’s fair to say you will definitely get the best bang of your buck. For people who are new in this audio hobby and already own an entry level USB Dongle DAC AMP, grab this without any second thoughts!, it is a very good choice.
Thanks for Reading and I hope my insights will help you make some decisions in purchasing this IEM.
*I am by no means a pro reviewer, what I wrote is solely based on what I heard and my own interpretation of it. Audio is fairly subjective, thus what I heard that sounded good to me might not be the same to you.
I believe Moondrop is a company that needs no introduction as they’re well known for their anime style marketing and also harman-ish tuning.They have released several well known IEM that punches way above their price point in terms of performance. Which model you ask? I will leave that for you to find out.
*Side Note
- I am not using the stock eartips, instead I am using KZ’s starline eartips as I couldn't get the stock eartip to fit snugly.
- This review is based on my own opinion and i bought this unit off my own fund and not sponsored by Moondrop or any company.
Specifications
By looking at the specifications below, you might think that this little IEM is fairly easy to drive? Unfortunately, this IEM requires a lot of power in order to sound good. We will talk more on this in the later part of this in this review.
- Impedance: 16 ohms @ 1kHz
- Sensitivity: 112dB/Vrms @ 1kHz
- Frequency Response: 20-40,000Hz
- Driver: Beryllium-coated diaphragm with PU suspension ring
- Cable: 0.78mm Silver-plated 4N-Litz OFC
- THD: ≤1%
Nothing much to shout out here. The usual anime style character can be found on the box of the IEM itself. “Waifu” they call it. What you will get inside the box is the IEM itself, a fairly high quality Silver-plated 4N-Litz OFC cable, a small carrying pouch which is a bit small in my opinion, and also the standard S,M,L sized silicone tips. I have omitted to using the stock eartips as they do not fit me well. Thus I have opted for the KZ starline tips as mentioned above.
Build and Comfort
The build of the IEM itself is plastic, however it doesn’t look cheap at all. It is also very well built. The size of the IEM itself made you forget that you’re actually wearing one because it is so lightweight that you barely feel anything in your ears! I’ve had it on for several hours straight and I do not feel any discomfort from it. Thumbs up to Moondrop for designing this!
The 2 pin port on the IEM itself is very snug in my opinion. The stock cable that came attached with it was very tight to remove. I actually had to exhibit a little extra force in order to remove the cable, which is good, so that the cable doesn’t come out from the plug as it ages due to wear and tear from plugging in and out.
Source
Tidal(MQA/HiFi) -> UD130 DAC/AMP -> Moondrop SSP
Cayin N3 Pro -> Moondrop SSP
Cayin N3 Pro -> Moondrop SSP with pure silver 4.4 balanced cable
Bass
I do not have SSR to compare with so I am not sure what SSR”s bass is like. What I can say about the low end of this SSP is the quality and quantity done right. The overall presentation of the frequency range is fairly balanced based on what I heard from my setup. Load up The Weeknd’s Starboy and you can definitely feel the rumble on the opening of the song. It’s fun to listen to and sounds about right. It doesn’t get boomy nor bloated. It is punchy for sure but this will definitely not be categorized as a basshead’s IEM.
Mids
Now the interesting part of SSP, this is where a cable swap will make some difference and open up the sound. On the stock cable, the mids in my opinion is slightly boxed-in. It is okay, not that bad, acceptable, smooth and quite detailed. I have a pure silver cable in 4.4 Bal termination lying around, I’ve decided to cable roll it and boy, it definitely put a smile on my face, everything sounded so open and I got so much more fun out of it. Now that it is on pure silver cable, the boxy feel on the mids totally diminished. Everything is just smooth. The Cruel Angel’s Thesis by Yoko Takahashi, the vocals sounded fairly intimate, and the instruments can be heard clearly in this track as there are a lot of electric guitar strums going from left to right channel and also percussions playing at the same time. All of those can be identified clearly.
Treble
The treble presentation is good. Not sibilant at all and there is a slight emphasis on the brilliance segment to give cymbals and chimes enough sparkle to make the music sound alive such as RATM’s Killing In The Name. This is a fairly busy track in my opinion and all the cymbals are heard clearly on top of the drum roll and also the electric guitar. Impressive separation and layering.
Soundstage
I find the width of the soundstage is good. You are enveloped in live recording as well as orchestral tracks. Toto’s Africa(Live), a good demonstration on the capability of rendering a wide soundstage from SSP. Swapping it to the pure silver cable that i had made an even bigger difference on the soundstage, the width is further enhanced but the depth of it remains more or less similar. Overall, it has a very clean channel to channel transition to exhibit a good sense of spatial imaging.
Driveability
Playing it straight out from a smartphone is not a good idea as this IEM does require a fair amount of power in order for it to sound good. You can get listenable level from your smartphone but you will lose its dynamic, the bass and treble and mids will be off as it is not getting enough power. Amplification is required.
FInal Thoughts
Moondrop has consistently been releasing top value, top performing products in a massive and competitive market. Moondrop SSP is definitely one of them. Will I recommend them? A big YES. At this price point, 39.9 USD, it’s fair to say you will definitely get the best bang of your buck. For people who are new in this audio hobby and already own an entry level USB Dongle DAC AMP, grab this without any second thoughts!, it is a very good choice.
Thanks for Reading and I hope my insights will help you make some decisions in purchasing this IEM.
*I am by no means a pro reviewer, what I wrote is solely based on what I heard and my own interpretation of it. Audio is fairly subjective, thus what I heard that sounded good to me might not be the same to you.
Just sharing a classic revisited
Final Audio Adagio iii - A Classic Revisited
Intro
Final Audio is a japanese audio company that needs no introduction. They are well known for producing high end audio gears and also great performance audio gears at a price point that is accessible to the majority of consumers. This series that i will be reviewing today is a model that was launched way back in 2012. Fast forward back to year 2021, is it still relevant today now that Chi-Fi is storming its way with each brand offering their product at a very good price/performance ratio?
Let’s find out.
Specifications
Housing: ABS
Driver: 8mmΦ dynamic
Sensitivity: 100dB
Impedance: 16Ω
Weight: 10g
Cord length: 1.2m
Judging from the specifications, this unit is fairly easy to drive with any source. However, it does benefit from amping it and pairing it with a good source in order to maximise its potential.
Packaging
The packaging is fairly simple and quite similar to Final’s newer E series. It comes with the E type ear tips as well as A type ear tips.
The box is similar to E series’s box. I used to have the Adagio when it was launched way back at 2012/2013 and the packing is different and also they only gave one type of ear tips back then. It doesn’t come with any sort of carrying case/pouch. You only get the unit itself and two types of ear tips.
*Throughout the review i am using the stock ear tip which is the A series tip as i find E series tip made it more boomy than it already is.
Build Quality
The housing of the driver is ABS which is plastic in general. It does look a little cheap but definitely not filmsy. However, i can’t say the same for the cable. It is thin and it does look like it will break if it’s accidentally pulled too hard,so extra care must be exhibit when handling the IEM.
Source
Here’s the setup that i used throughout this review:
Tidal on iPad Air 4 -> UD130 -> Final Audio Adagio iii
Cayin N3 Pro(Tube Mode - Triode Signature)Medium Gain -> Final Audio Adagio iii
Sound
Let’s talk about the sound of this Adagio iii. The star feature that this IEM has is the BAM mechanism (Balancing Air Movement) which Final developed for their Balanced Armature drivers. It works by optimizing the airflow in the housing, thus what you get is a huge and naturally bass and a very 3D soundstage and imaging coming from this 8mm’s driver.
Bass
Adagio iii is definitely bass focused IEM done in a proper manner.
To test the low end of Adagio iii, I played Radiohead’s 15 steps. The opening of the song which consist of various electronic beats, i can literally feel the beats in my face. The mid bass is big and warm, they deliver rather fast and quick blows. It is not the tightest I’ve heard and, sometimes it does get a lil bloated especially when you are using the stock E type tips. I tip rolled to KZ’s star line ear tips and it definitely helped to tame the bass. However as mentioned earlier, this review is done solely on its stock A type tip which is not that bassy compared to E series tip.
As for the sub-bass, this is something that is implemented differently compared to other IEMs that I have heard, it could be due to the way BAM is implemented and also the vents on the housing. It feels very different, but in a good way. I fired up The Weeknd’s Starboy, immediately i can feel the presence of the sub bass, it is not the usual rumbling kind which kinda vibrates/shakes your ear, rather i would describe it as the bass air that output from a HiFi system’s subwoofer vent port. That kind of experience i am getting from this mere 8mm driver. Impressive.
Mids
I would definitely categorise this earphone as V shaped tuned earphone. The mids are sometimes a little recessed on certain track as the bass and treble is always peaking over them.
The mids are smooth and airy. Billie Eilish’s Your Power is a track that i used to test the mids of Adagio iii. Billie’s vocal is thick and luscious. It does not suffer from any bass bleed as far as I heard. I noticed that when plugging Adagio iii straight into a smartphone, the mids feels a little lack of energy and not as lively as it would sound when it is powered from UD130. Amping this unit is definitely necessary in order to get the best experience out of it.
Highs
As for the highs, it is a little bit of a let down in my opinion. The highs added a lot of dynamic and sparkles to the overall package in order to prevent it from sounding dark. It is energetic, it is never sibilant, however they do have the tendency to be quite sharp sounding and harsh on certain track especially when the volume is turned up. One good example is Skrillex’s Bangarang, on my UD130’s volume pot at 1 o’clock, it sounded alright with less energy, once you turn it up pass 1 o’clock, say at 2, it starts to get harsh and a little in-tolerable, but that is just me, so treblehead might like it, so it all boils down to personal preference.
Soundstage
The soundstage of Adagio iii is also it’s strong point as marketed by Final. “A BAM mechanism that delivers bass tones and deep, three-dimensional spatial reproduction”. What I can say is it definitely delivered what’s being marketed. Listening to Toto’s Africa(Live), it made me feel as if i am there at the concert itself. The sense of spatial imaging that you get from this little dynamic driver is very impressive. Any high quality mastered live recording songs that you throw at it, you will never fail to get a smile in return.
Imaging/Separation
Instruments separation is also another strong point from the implementation of BAM on Adagio iii. Hotel California Live on MTV 1994 for example, the layering of the instruments are rendered accurately as they do not overlap each other. Percussions can be heard clearly on top of guitar strums and also the spectator’s clap. At the very end of the track, the whistling and the clapping sound of the spectators is very well rendered and layered. It is very impressive for an earphone that was launched 8/9 years ago.
Driveability
Adagio iii is definitely not hard to drive from the spec. In order to get the best out of it, it is recommended that you pair it with a decent DAP or DAC/AMP. As mentioned in the early part of this review, i am powering it via Stoner Acoustics UD130 DAC/AMP.
Switching to a DAP that is quite powerful, Cayin’s N3PRO. I re-listened to the tracks that i mentioned in the earlier part of my review,the harshness is definitely tamed due to the tube mode in the Cayin. The bass is also a little tighter compared to when it was on UD130. I guess it is safe to say that Adagio iii is quite source sensitive.
Conclusion
No doubt there are a lot of Chi-Fis out there with much better technical capability than Adagio iii. Is it still relevant in year 2021? In my opinion, i still think it does. It is a very enjoyable pair of earphones despite having some shortcomings, but that can be overcomed by pairing it with a neutral-slightly warm source and you will have a very enjoyable experience. Will i recommend this earphones? No doubt i will. This is a pair of earphones meant to be fun, if you are expecting it to be clinical and have very strong technical capability, Adagio iii is not for you. If you are looking for fun and occasional dance to the beats, Adagio iii will definitely deliver.
*Above written review is solely based on my listening experience and i wrote based on what I heard. I do not have access nor do I have any knowledge in operating and measuring the FR of this unit.
Final Audio Adagio iii - A Classic Revisited
Intro
Final Audio is a japanese audio company that needs no introduction. They are well known for producing high end audio gears and also great performance audio gears at a price point that is accessible to the majority of consumers. This series that i will be reviewing today is a model that was launched way back in 2012. Fast forward back to year 2021, is it still relevant today now that Chi-Fi is storming its way with each brand offering their product at a very good price/performance ratio?
Let’s find out.
Specifications
Housing: ABS
Driver: 8mmΦ dynamic
Sensitivity: 100dB
Impedance: 16Ω
Weight: 10g
Cord length: 1.2m
Judging from the specifications, this unit is fairly easy to drive with any source. However, it does benefit from amping it and pairing it with a good source in order to maximise its potential.
Packaging
The packaging is fairly simple and quite similar to Final’s newer E series. It comes with the E type ear tips as well as A type ear tips.
The box is similar to E series’s box. I used to have the Adagio when it was launched way back at 2012/2013 and the packing is different and also they only gave one type of ear tips back then. It doesn’t come with any sort of carrying case/pouch. You only get the unit itself and two types of ear tips.
*Throughout the review i am using the stock ear tip which is the A series tip as i find E series tip made it more boomy than it already is.
Build Quality
The housing of the driver is ABS which is plastic in general. It does look a little cheap but definitely not filmsy. However, i can’t say the same for the cable. It is thin and it does look like it will break if it’s accidentally pulled too hard,so extra care must be exhibit when handling the IEM.
Source
Here’s the setup that i used throughout this review:
Tidal on iPad Air 4 -> UD130 -> Final Audio Adagio iii
Cayin N3 Pro(Tube Mode - Triode Signature)Medium Gain -> Final Audio Adagio iii
Sound
Let’s talk about the sound of this Adagio iii. The star feature that this IEM has is the BAM mechanism (Balancing Air Movement) which Final developed for their Balanced Armature drivers. It works by optimizing the airflow in the housing, thus what you get is a huge and naturally bass and a very 3D soundstage and imaging coming from this 8mm’s driver.
Bass
Adagio iii is definitely bass focused IEM done in a proper manner.
To test the low end of Adagio iii, I played Radiohead’s 15 steps. The opening of the song which consist of various electronic beats, i can literally feel the beats in my face. The mid bass is big and warm, they deliver rather fast and quick blows. It is not the tightest I’ve heard and, sometimes it does get a lil bloated especially when you are using the stock E type tips. I tip rolled to KZ’s star line ear tips and it definitely helped to tame the bass. However as mentioned earlier, this review is done solely on its stock A type tip which is not that bassy compared to E series tip.
As for the sub-bass, this is something that is implemented differently compared to other IEMs that I have heard, it could be due to the way BAM is implemented and also the vents on the housing. It feels very different, but in a good way. I fired up The Weeknd’s Starboy, immediately i can feel the presence of the sub bass, it is not the usual rumbling kind which kinda vibrates/shakes your ear, rather i would describe it as the bass air that output from a HiFi system’s subwoofer vent port. That kind of experience i am getting from this mere 8mm driver. Impressive.
Mids
I would definitely categorise this earphone as V shaped tuned earphone. The mids are sometimes a little recessed on certain track as the bass and treble is always peaking over them.
The mids are smooth and airy. Billie Eilish’s Your Power is a track that i used to test the mids of Adagio iii. Billie’s vocal is thick and luscious. It does not suffer from any bass bleed as far as I heard. I noticed that when plugging Adagio iii straight into a smartphone, the mids feels a little lack of energy and not as lively as it would sound when it is powered from UD130. Amping this unit is definitely necessary in order to get the best experience out of it.
Highs
As for the highs, it is a little bit of a let down in my opinion. The highs added a lot of dynamic and sparkles to the overall package in order to prevent it from sounding dark. It is energetic, it is never sibilant, however they do have the tendency to be quite sharp sounding and harsh on certain track especially when the volume is turned up. One good example is Skrillex’s Bangarang, on my UD130’s volume pot at 1 o’clock, it sounded alright with less energy, once you turn it up pass 1 o’clock, say at 2, it starts to get harsh and a little in-tolerable, but that is just me, so treblehead might like it, so it all boils down to personal preference.
Soundstage
The soundstage of Adagio iii is also it’s strong point as marketed by Final. “A BAM mechanism that delivers bass tones and deep, three-dimensional spatial reproduction”. What I can say is it definitely delivered what’s being marketed. Listening to Toto’s Africa(Live), it made me feel as if i am there at the concert itself. The sense of spatial imaging that you get from this little dynamic driver is very impressive. Any high quality mastered live recording songs that you throw at it, you will never fail to get a smile in return.
Imaging/Separation
Instruments separation is also another strong point from the implementation of BAM on Adagio iii. Hotel California Live on MTV 1994 for example, the layering of the instruments are rendered accurately as they do not overlap each other. Percussions can be heard clearly on top of guitar strums and also the spectator’s clap. At the very end of the track, the whistling and the clapping sound of the spectators is very well rendered and layered. It is very impressive for an earphone that was launched 8/9 years ago.
Driveability
Adagio iii is definitely not hard to drive from the spec. In order to get the best out of it, it is recommended that you pair it with a decent DAP or DAC/AMP. As mentioned in the early part of this review, i am powering it via Stoner Acoustics UD130 DAC/AMP.
Switching to a DAP that is quite powerful, Cayin’s N3PRO. I re-listened to the tracks that i mentioned in the earlier part of my review,the harshness is definitely tamed due to the tube mode in the Cayin. The bass is also a little tighter compared to when it was on UD130. I guess it is safe to say that Adagio iii is quite source sensitive.
Conclusion
No doubt there are a lot of Chi-Fis out there with much better technical capability than Adagio iii. Is it still relevant in year 2021? In my opinion, i still think it does. It is a very enjoyable pair of earphones despite having some shortcomings, but that can be overcomed by pairing it with a neutral-slightly warm source and you will have a very enjoyable experience. Will i recommend this earphones? No doubt i will. This is a pair of earphones meant to be fun, if you are expecting it to be clinical and have very strong technical capability, Adagio iii is not for you. If you are looking for fun and occasional dance to the beats, Adagio iii will definitely deliver.
*Above written review is solely based on my listening experience and i wrote based on what I heard. I do not have access nor do I have any knowledge in operating and measuring the FR of this unit.
