Moondrop KXXS

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Introduction

Hey all, it’s your favorite Moondrop shill here back with another review! Yeah, I’m also real late to the party on this one. The original Kanas and Kanas Pro IEMs put Moondrop on the map; the KXXS is one of many spinoffs they’ve released since. I’ve put well over a couple hundred hours on my unit, and to this day it remains a personal favorite despite having moved onto more expensive, better IEMs. Let’s talk about what Moondrop got right and why this IEM is probably my best blind buy minus my purchase rational.

Yes, yes, we all know why I blind-bought it.


Going forward, I’ll refrain from the waifu meme-ry that plagues some of my other Moondrop IEM reviews.

The KXXS retails for $189.99 and can be purchased here. Seriously though, save yourself some money and buy the Moondrop Starfield instead. It’s basically a KXXS with a slick paint job at almost half the price.

Sound Analysis

You can find my reviewing methodology, test tracks, and more here.

Frankly, newbie me thought it was endgame from a technical standpoint. I’d never heard my music so clearly before. But the KXXS is…really nothing special here. The IEM’s attack transients are of decent speed; however, I find that it struggles to keep up on quicker tracks. To this effect, it too often congests, and there’s a general lack of micro-dynamic detail. Imaging comes across as decidedly average, even bordering on fuzzy at times because of this, and the soundstage is nothing to write home about.

I’d posit that Moondrop’s new SSR is faster, cleaner, and easily gives the KXXS a run for its money from a technical standpoint. The SSR’s technical performance is simply stellar for a single dynamic driver, all at a quarter of the cost. But enough shilling the SSR, let’s talk about the KXXS’s excellent tonality. First, I’m not going to lie, there’s definitely some reservations one should have going into the KXXS:

• The upper midrange will be too pronounced, too thin for some. I suffered dearly my first couple days listening to the KXXS, coming from the dark, muddy mess that was the Massdrop Noble X. Hell, I thought the Noble X was the better IEM at first.
• The bass’ attack isn’t very clean, particularly in the midbass. The punch is somewhat fuzzy, and just in general, the low end lacks some authority.
• Overall, the KXXS is a warm, bright IEM which won’t suit everyone’s tonal preferences.

That said, I’ve mentioned more than once that I’m sensitive to timbre coloration. Pick any of my previous reviews, I take points off for timbre issues left and right. For example, I absolutely roasted the Thieaudio L3 for it’s smothered timbre. And yeah, the KXXS is also fairly colored. The usual weaknesses of an IEM with this much coloration apply; the KXXS’s resolution and detail retrieval are a far cry from many of the multi-BA IEM’s I’ve listened to. Furthermore, it no doubt contributes to the aforementioned congestion. But it’s not a bad type of color – no, no. This is a warm, blanket type of coloration that gives the KXXS an engaging and, dare I say, musical quality not dissimilar to the Sony IER-Z1R.

Honestly? I hate to use that term – it’s too often used as a cop-out for why an IEM sounds good. Still, there’s something really agreeable about the KXXS’ tonality, and it’s like greeting an old friend every time I pop them in for a listen. Like so, I occasionally find myself reaching for them over even my Moondrop Blessing 2.

Select Comparisons

Moondrop SSR [3/10]: The SSR is a very technical IEM for its price point, easily trading blows with the KXXS. But a prominent peak at 3K hampers the tuning by throwing female vocals to the front. This makes it a niche IEM, although a very good one if that’s your thing. The KXXS will better appeal to most listeners.

Moondrop Blessing [4.5/10]: The KXXS has a livelier, more colored signature. The Blessing is a much better technical IEM, but suffers from its analytical, closed-in presentation. This is only exacerbated by the shoddy bass response, and I’d imagine most would find the KXXS a more enjoyable listen.

Moondrop Blessing 2 [7/10]: Once again, the KXXS is more lively and colored while Blessing 2 runs closer to neutral. KXXS has more bass, but comes off as flabby relative to the Blessing 2’s low end presentation. The Blessing 2 also has a safer tuning and significantly better technicalities. It’s a clear upgrade from the KXXS.

The Verdict

The KXXS has ruined a lot of IEMs for me for better or worse. As much as I harp about its technical performance being underwhelming, that’s relative to more expensive IEMs. The tonality also really, really hits my sweet spot. Will the same hold true for others listeners? Who knows – everyone has their own preferences.

But I have no reservation asserting that the KXXS is a very solid IEM for the sub-$200 range. And that’s not even throwing the Moondrop Starfield, a pseudo-KXXS at nearly half the cost, into the mix. The price to performance on the Starfield is absurd; now that should be a no-brainer if you’re in the market for a good, entry-level IEM.

Introduction

Disclaimer : ShenzhenAudio has graciously provided us with this sample unit in exchange for an honest review. The views discussed below are a reflection of Project A3's thoughts surrounding the product .



Moondrop Audio is a chi-fi brand that has become a rising star in the Head-fi community, famed for its value-for-money offerings. On this fine day, I’ll be reviewing the Moondrop Kxxs; the direct successor to the Kanas and Kanas Pro; earphones that have been given an early retirement despite their loyal cult following.

Like its older counterparts, the Kxxs features reworked diamond-like-carbon transducers; expensive tech often found in much more exorbitantly priced competition, such as the Campfire Audio Atlas. But the price gap between both products is staggering; the Kxxs is priced under $200 USD, whereas the Atlas is currently being sold for $899 USD. It is easily inferred that its competitive pricing established Moondrop as a serious contender in the budget-fi market, capitalizing on the trickle-down tech from its competitors.

Given the well-deserved recognition the Kanas and Kanas Pro have earned over the months, can the Kxxs satisfy the community’s already sky-high expectations? Available at Shenzhen Audio.



Specifcations:
Diamond-like-carbon and PEEK
Detachable 2-pin cable
10Hz-80,000 Hz
110dB@1kHz Sensitivity
32 Ohms@1kHz Impedance

Gear Used & Tracklist:
Shanling M0 | Aune X1S | Periodic Audio Nickel (Ni) | Venture Electronics Odyssey | Google Pixel 2XL



Unboxing:
On first glance, the outer sleeve of the Kxxs’ box features a black-outlined print of a non-descript anime character. Behind the box, an exploded schematic of the Kxxs details what is being housed inside its shells.

Under the box, we are greeted by 3 well-organized compartments, one housing the earphones, the other accessories set and a gorgeous stamped saffiano leather case in navy blue.

The package comes with the usual accessories set that we’ve come to expect, such as several silicon ear tips in various sizes. However, the package does include some uncommon accoutrements, such as a set of tweezers and replaceable filters, a postcard, a serialized certificate of authenticity and an extra velvet pouch. For a package that costs under $200 USD, I have to commend Moondrop for being generous at this given price point.

Scalability:
The Kxxs, with its low impedance and high sensitivity, is easily driven out of all the sources I used for testing, without any audible hiss or interference in the foreground. Improvements were slight at best, with added width in the soundstage and a more pronounced mid-bass bump, especially with sources with high output power. Despite the high output impedance of the Aune X1s, there were no signs of hiss to be found the Kxxs.



Fit:
The Kxxs is built like a tank, and its heft did raise some concerns pertaining to its comfort. Despite its weight, it sat well in my ears and there was little to no rattle or movement once a good seal has been achieved. During my daily stroll towards the local train station, the earphones did not dislodge themselves out of my ear. The mirror-polished, aluminium-zinc shells are completely smooth, with no sharp extrusions to be found. However, it is worth noting that I started to notice some discomfort over extensive listening sessions.

Overall, the Moondrop Kxxs fits well in my ears, but may prove to be uncomfortable to some, given its weight.

Sound Signature:
The Kxxs is tuned similarly to the widely lauded HD800s in a miniature form-factor with a enthusiastic treble-section, offering a pristine balance between all frequencies whilst maintaining a V-shape tuning.

Bass:
Die-hard bassheads, look elsewhere; this is not a bass behemoth. However, for those interested in a bass-response that presents itself in planar-like fashion, you’ll enjoy what is being presented here. The Kxxs has a mid-bass body that while punchy, is soft enough so as to not overshadow the midrange. Sub-bass is decent, with a slight emphasis on sustain and delay for added warmth, allowing the sound signature to not sound overly clinical and sterile.

Overall, the Kxxs, while planar-like in its bass presentation, carries characteristics from both dynamic and planar magnetic drivers; the best of both worlds, without overshadowing the others.

Mids:
The mids on the Kxxs are clear and transparent, placed right in the middle of the mix. Interestingly enough, the midrange, while scooped out in order to give way to the both the highs and lows, remain distinct and tonally realistic; something that is often unheard of in most v-shaped sound signatures I’ve demoed over the years. There is ample lower-mid range warmth to accurately recreate the sonic timbre of both vocals and instrumentals. These aren’t the star of the show, but it is nevertheless, a technical feat.

Highs:
One of the Kxxs’ strength is its high-frequency response. To my ears, the highs sound porous and again, tonally realistic. String instruments are given the wiggle-room to breathe, tapering off at the right moment when vocals start to sound rough and overbearingly sharp for treble-sensitive listeners. Even poorly mastered tracks sound tasteful on the Kxxs.

Its presentation here falls under the “pain” threshold. The Kxxs hits that acoustic sweet spot for me.

Treble:
The Kxxs succesfuly strikes a beautiful balance between accuracy and comfort in the treble region. It often dissipates quickly enough with poorly mastered tracks with a splashy treble section. However, it carries enough audible detail and forwardness to be considered clear for most listeners.

However, there is one critique to be made, and that is its strange brittle tonality. On several tracks, the treble sounds unnatural at times, especially with songs featuring unrestrained snare drums.



Soundstage & Separation:
This is what separates the Kxxs from the competition. It HAS a massive soundstage that at times, sound like a pair of closed-back headphones. The left-right separation on the Kxxs extends far out of my ears, with each surrounding spatial cue realistically placed. Apart from the Meeaudio p1, the Kxxs to my ears, has the widest soundstage on any earphone I have had the opportunity of testing in this heavily contested price bracket.

Comparison:
While it is a breath of fresh air to see budding brands focus on the budget-fi market instead of releasing statement piece after statement piece every single year, the sub-$200 earphone market is difficult to navigate, with upstart brands churning out new releases every month. This time, I decided to pit the Ibasso IT01s and the Tipsy Dunmer with the Moondrop Kxxs; three budget giants with unique, single dynamic drivers.




Moondrop has gain quiet a reputation in China couple of years ago, starting small and some may called it DIY, however, they've demonstrated a great example of how important of establishing a brand concept is. That's one reason how they pops up among all other brands in China. Now we are looking at their hyped one of the year KXXS and see what I think about it.

Colour:
The mirror finishing looks fine with the faceplate design. Nothing really specific to talk about since they've made a safe option on this part. However I think they could think of making different colours instead of the typical stainless silver like the metallic Grey, champagne gold, or even copper instead like the final B series did to give customers a better option.



Craftmanship:
Judging by the sample that I got, the gaps between shell and faceplate is acceptable for a metal structure design. You can't really expect a seamless finishing unlike the ones made out of acrylic so that you can smoothen out the edges in between. However the lip of the nozzle is missing which might be an issue for some eartips out there. Edges on the faceplate are smooth, no spikes on any corners as well. The whole iem is well polished, making the iem look shiny and glamorous.



Design details:
Now this is the major point we are looking into. The mirror finishing. The cons are pretty obvious, - a fingerprint scanner and scratches can be easily found after a period of time just like your rolex. Even if you take special care of it which I don't recommend, you will still get plenty of micro scratches under sunlight. So why bother ？ another point is that I think moondrop should consider the design of the faceplate more thoughtfully , by using the mirror finishing, they should think of designing a faceplate with more surface and steeper angles making the mirror effects could be more reflective and stereoscopic. Comparing with the final B series, with the same finishing,I personally thinks the Finals did better. The current faceplate of the kxxs is a bit too plain and flat, so it might look better if they can apply some printings or sculptural elements like their logo onto it.

Silhouette:
A very rounded shape silhouette looks user friendly, matches well with the metal shell, however the weight of the iem is quiet obvious, also using metal type shells the ikko Oh10 is a bit lighter, so if you think the IKKO Oh10 is already heavy, than this might not be for you.

Cable:
The cable itself is nicely braided, slightly on the stiff side, however the 2pin connector seem to be a bit cheap though, especially while most the brands out there use metal shell for this part. And since the kxxs used the mirror finishing, it might look much luxury for the plugs and splitter stuff to use metal parts with glossy finishing as well.



Packaging:
The whole presentation looks nice and neat, well organized as well. Definitely one of the best in its category. The case is also sturdy, chic and in good quality, practical and provides enough space even if you changed to a better cable. The only flaw IMO is the design consistency of the inner box and the cover sleeve, I understand that they wanna present a feeling of ACG type by looking at its Japanese comic style of drawing. If that's the case, then the inner box projects a very different feeling, leaning towards a minimalist designer style of package. So if they wanna make it look more consistent, a more graphical designed box and presentation seem to fit better in this case.



Aesthetic Conclusion:
in general the moondrop did a decent job on the Aesthetic side. The whole presentation from package to the iem itself clearly shows their passion and effort made in this project. Not prefect but almost there, it's good enough for the price along with the sound that they made, the Kxxs is definitely worth the hyped.

Ratings: ( based on the catagory under 199usd)
Colour: 4 / 5
Craftmenship: 4.5 / 5
Design details: 4. 5 / 5
Silhouette: 4.5 / 5
Cable: 4 / 5
Packaging: 4.5 / 5

Asethetic overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Sound Conclusion:
The Moondrop the Kxxs is the people’s IEM; an earphone that meets the expectations and tastes of many a consumer, and it does it surprisingly well. Not only is it built to last, but it punches above its weight as an earphone in its highs, lows and sound-staging capabilities.

It is a powerhouse of an earphone, offering clarity that’s unheard of in this price segment, giving competitors a run for their money.

Sound overall rating : 4.5/5*


*All ratings are accurate as of date of publication. Changes in price, newer models may affect Project A3's views on the performance and value of the reviewed product.

Moondrop Kxxs

You can buy Moondrop Kxxs at the link below.

Originally posted.

https://audiofiliabrasil.home.blog/2019/10/13/moondrop-kxxs-review/

Moondrop Kxxs can be found at Ak Audio.

https://pt.aliexpress.com/store/119089?spm=0.8937474.0.0.4d812e0e76DJve

Intro

Today after more than a month using this IEM on a daily basis, I will finally review and give my honest opinion about it.

Moondrop is a famous brand for its IEM, in particular the Kanas Pro which has caught the eye of several colleagues for the very high quality and Harman signature curve.

Unfortunately Kanas Pro went offline and was replaced by Kxxs which made subtle changes to the shell and handset signature.



Accessories & Design

Moondrop Kxxs is an in-ear equipped with a 10mm dynamic driver with a graphene coated diaphragm and PEEK coil. Kxxs are made of zinc and aluminum alloy and polished to a mirror finish.

The shells are a bit heavy due to the material used in the construction, however the earphone rests well inside the ear and is not uncomfortable. The shell is small and universal, light and ergonomic I'm sure most people will not have adjustment problems.

The supplied cable is 4itz silver plated from Litz, compared to the Kanas Pro cable I found Moondrop wrong and replaced with a much simpler cable so to speak, it doesn't even have the strain relief for you to regulate height. I chose to buy another cable, one of ****'s Oxygen-free Pure Purity 4N OFHC Pure Copper cable.

Along you will find a variety of tips, I chose to buy some pairs of JVC Spiral Dots ML which I found gave me a much better comfort and fit.

In addition, comes a blue case, I just bought a round case from TRN similar to Ibasso IT01 that I find easier to store and gives me more security to carry it in the backpack without worrying.



Sound

The Moondrop suggests burn-in for over 100 hours before analyzing, honestly I think it really took more hours for the sound to stabilize.

The bass of this IEM is amazing and it has a very good sub bass extension, it does not invade the other frequencies, it shows all its quality and strength when requested. Listening to Angel from Massive Attack you get an idea of the bass extension, on some headphones you don't even hear the bass and the effects of the beginning of the song. In Kxxs he has a strength and almost dark mood you really enjoy everything the band wanted to bring to the listener.

When testing the bass lines, you must listen to Rage Against the Machine Take The Power Back, and in the beginning you get the bass drum and bass, and the naturalness and detail of the tone is impressive. Other songs that are also mesmerizing are Radiohead The National Anthem which in addition to the bass line and drums, still has the effects that the band put in the background and set the mood for the song.



The mids are also very good and natural, the vocals are ahead and female and male voices sound good, for example, hearing The Girl From Ipanema by João Gilberto and Stan Getz gives you the creeps, his voice sounds so natural it sounds like you're listening he live with the whole band, the instrumental has good separation.

Speaking now of a female singer, I have to talk about Agnes Obel and listening to The Curse was a unique event the instruments have very natural and realistic timbre when Agnes starts singing the voice is very centralized and all other instruments have a separation very precise and you can hear well separated voice, piano, violin, cello one amazing thing that I had never heard was the vibration of the cello that was something I had never heard on that level.

The highs at first gave me an impression of very bright and hard, after some time I got used to it and saw that they were not so. Now bad recordings are very evident in the drum cymbal area, good recordings show that he has a good job in this area.

The soundstage is wide enough and has a width that allows you to identify each instrument and a very good separation for a single dynamic driver, the depth is something that impressed me to hear all the effects that I often missed. Pink Floyd Shine On You Crazy Diamond is a great example of how you can hear all the background effects with incredible clarity, Depeche Mode also sounds spectacular due to the effects and makes the experience much denser.



Conclusion

Moondrop Kxxs impressed me not with the full package, as I praised in the case of Ibasso IT01, I thought it was a downgrade to have shifted the cable from Kanas Pro to Kxxs a well rounded padded case would also look great.

Now talking about sound Moondrop has done a great job with the Kxxs all the Harman Curve adjustments made an incredible sound for a single dynamic driver.

In the price range of Kxxs it's hard to have a better candidate, I have nothing to complain about sound.

It was amazing to review my library and find many details I had never noticed in my songs and how great recordings went unnoticed.

It's wonderful to hear vocals along with good bass and drums with such clarity and detail, if you're a fan of dynamic drivers you should give this Moondrop jewel a try.

The brand Moondrop has quickly become one of my favorite and most consistent brands on the market today for in-ear headphones. Their line of ear buds and IEMs are all built and tuned with a purpose, and for the most part, each one seems to hit their target curve.

The Kanas Pro was released last year and was well received by many including myself. I still rank it as a baseline standard for an earphone under $250. It featured a pleasing sound that worked well for most genres, comfortable fit, and nice build and aesthetics and was priced at $179, which seemed like a good sweet spot for many people.

Moondrop recently released a new model which seems to have fully replaced the Kanas Pro now, as the Kanas Pro has since been discontinued and is becoming much harder to find except on the used marketplace. The KXXS takes the Kanas Pro and makes some subtle changes that I will explore in this review.


Bigger and Better Packaging?!

Immediately, you’ll find that the packaging is much different than the Kanas Pro’s simple compact rectangular box. The KXXS comes in a large white box with a manga-style graphic of an Asian girl. While I don’t really care for this artwork, it’s at least tasteful and I think this does draw attention from some people more into Japanese artwork than I do.



Beyond the box, Moondrop has included a nice blue case to carry the items in, as well as a small selection of tips. The cable isn’t very great though. It’s janky to use and isn’t very usable in my opinion. It’s a far cry from the nicely included cable that that Kanas Pro came with.




The KXXS shell is actually a tiny bit larger than the Kanas and Kanas Pro. This is in both height, width, and thickness, and also has a shallower stem. That said, the comfort is equally on-par with the Kanas and Kanas Pro, which I found as one of my most favorite In-Ears for comfort and pleasure.

The shell is a mirrored metal finish and has a very nice look to it that resembles jewelry in some ways. It is a bit blingy so some may not like it, but I find the IEM attractive and built very well.

Sound Qualities

The KXXS has a warmer sound than the previous Kanas Pro and is slightly warmer than the Harman Preference Target Curve. In this case, I found the bass to be just slightly elevated from the Kanas Pro and adds a little more richness to music, and making male vocals more filled in and, in most cases, improved.



The single dynamic driver produces quick bass notes and doesn’t really have a great deal of decay and slam. It’s punchy to an extent, but I didn’t find them basshead level qualities. That said, I like my basslines to be defined and fast, and powered by subbass performance. With the KXXS, it mostly delivers here. The additional added bass from the Kanas Pro gives it just a slight boost in the lower bass regions that makes it more powering, but at a slight cost of definition.

The mids benefit the most from this new tuning, and primarily male vocals. The added bass boost reaches into the lower mids and that provides a more warmer tuning. While, I never found the Kanas Pro to be lacking in this region at all, some people may enjoy this warmer tuning.

If Moondrop had stopped the tuning here and left the rest of the signature in-tact, I would probably have rated this a little higher than I have. I found the Kanas Pro to be a really wonderful sound signature that really just lacked detail resolution and maybe a little too restrained, and laid back and smooth through the treble region. Well, maybe I asked for too much.

The KXXS adds just a slight elevation in the upper mids and treble portions, and I ended up finding the KXXS just a tad bright and harsh on some songs – specifically modern pop recordings and dance tracks, which already accentuate this area. This wasn’t the case for every song though, and so some more toned-down music did not find any of these rougher edges.

The KXXS has a slightly more intimate soundstage than the Kanas Pro, but I found both to be wider than average. The KXXS plays well with imaging and width for its price range, but depth and height are just average. Resolution is pretty good for this price range, but it’s still not in the same realm as much higher priced in-ears, where detail retrieval of every little breath is more apparent.




I may come across slightly negative in this review of the KXXS, but that’s really when I am comparing it to the Kanas Pro, which is one of my most favorite In-Ears. It’s such a great IEM for the price – in terms of sound profile, build, comfort, and design that I find it hard to beat.

The KXXS improves upon the lower mids but I feel like they went a tad overboard on the brightness and that detracts more than the additions. This isn’t a dealbreaker though, and I find the KXXS to be a very good in-ear at this price and I’d still recommend it to many users. Just be aware that some songs may sound a little bright.

This IEM was provided for review by Linsoul. If you are intersted in purchasing this, I highly recommend checking out their storefront on Amazon (LSR-Direct) or their own website. Here is a direct link to the product: https://www.linsoul.com/product-page/moondrop-kxxs-iem

This isn't going to be a full review of the Moondrop KXXS since Animagus did such a great job on his review of them. I fully agree with his overall assessment of the KXXS and I think they are a fantastic sounding IEM with many strengths and very few weaknesses. And for their reasonable MSRP of $189.99, they are one of the best values for a 'near-reference-quality' IEM that you can get.

The only thing Animagus left out of his review that I think is of significant importance is that I discovered that the KXXS absolutely requires 48-72 hours of break-in before they start to sound their best.

Up until owning the KXXS, I had never really noticed much of an improvement or even a difference when breaking in some of my other IEMs, so I didn't put too much stock in the belief that break-in can make a huge improvement in the SQ of a brand new IEM. Well I do now! I think the reason why may have to do with the DLC (diamond-like carbon) coating that is used on the KXXS's drivers. It makes them extremely rigid and that rigidity seems to require a significant amount of continuous break-in to get the drivers behaving the way the designers ultimately intend for them to behave.

When I first heard the KXXS at the SoCal CanJam, I thought they sounded great. So when my pair arrived I eagerly listened to them, only to be pretty disappointed by what I heard. While the FR was just as I remembered it, there was now this harshness to the sound that I did not remember hearing at all with the samples I tried at CanJam. The harshness was most apparent in the vocal range and it greatly exaggerated any small distortions in the recording in this range to the point that there was no way I was going to keep them if this was how they sounded.

Fortunately, I decided to try breaking them in by playing a few well-recorded vocal-centric tracks on repeat at a volume just below the loudest I normally would listen at. After the first 24 hours, I didn't notice any improvement and I thought that I would have to return them. But I let them break in for another 24 hours just to see if any change would occur, and thankfully it did! The unpleasant harshness in the vocal range was now almost completely gone! I listened to a bunch of my reference tracks and now they all sounded great, just like I remembered them sounding at CanJam. So I gave them another 24 hours of break-in and the sound improved a little more, but I didn't detect any significant improvements after the 72 hour mark.

So if you are considering getting the KXXS, just make sure to hold off on judging their SQ until they have had at least 48 hours of continuous break-in with music that has good dynamic range.

P.S. - Never use white noise or pink noise to break in headphones (or speakers). The nature of white and pink noise is pure RMS with no modulation. If played continuously at high levels, this type of sound can quickly cause a driver's voicecoil to overheat and warp, causing permanent damage. Just a little FYI.

My background- I am a professional musician, producer and audio engineer with experience in the performing, recording and pro-audio industry. I test products on a technical and musical level and try to write reviews as simple as possible from a music fan's perspective.

Disclaimer – The sample was given to me to test and review. I am not affiliated with the seller or company in any way and write this review with my best unbiased opinion regardless of how the review turns out.

Genre preferences- I majorly listen to rock, acoustic, pop and metal genres and occasionally checkout EDM music which is doing the rounds on the radio and charts.

Reference Songs list-

1. Foo Fighters- The Pretender, Best of you & Everlong
2. Coldplay- Paradise, Up in flames & Everlong
3. Ed Sheeran- Thinking out loud, Bloodstream & Galway Girl
4. Chainsmokers – Somebody, Sickboy, This Feeling & Closer
5. John Mayer- Slow dancing in a burning room, Stop this train & Say
6. Gavin James- Always & Hearts on fire
7. Switchfoot- Meant to live & Dare you to move
8. Linkin Park- Papercut, Somewhere I belong & Talking to myself
9. Maroon 5- She will be loved, Payphone & Lost stars
10. Lifehouse- All in all & Come back down
11. Karnivool- Simple boy & Goliath
12. Dead Letter Circus- Real you
13. I Am Giant- Purple heart, City limits & Transmission
14. Muse - Panic station
15. James Bay - Hold back the river

Specifications-

• Frequency response - 10-80000Hz
• Effective frequency response - 20-20000HZ (IEC60318-4)
• Impedance - 32Ω (@1KHz)
• Sensitivity - 110dB (@1KHz)
• Quality control range - ±1dB
• Diaphragm material - Diamond-Like-Carbon & PEEK
• Coil - φ0.035mm-CCAW (Daikoku)
• Shell Material - Zinc-aluminum alloy, die-casting-carving-polishing-plating
• Transducer - φ10mm electric transducer
• Standard wiring material: 2-pin, 4N-OFC silver plated copper
• Jack – 3.5mm

Included in the box - I got the pre-release version of kxxs, so it was just the KXXS, a cable and a small case (Pictured below)



So, I asked their distributor for some pictures of the packaging and all its contents for you to see what all will come inside the box. From what I can see in the pictures, it comes loaded with a nice blue carry case (which I also got), a cable, an assortment of ear tips, a pouch to keep those ear tips, a tweezer, extra wax guards and manuals.


Picture Courtesy - Shenzhen Audio


Build Quality - The built quality of the KXXS is similar to Kanas Pro in appearance but the shells are bigger and the model name, ‘KXXS’, is etched along the seam whereas Kanas Pro was printed on the faceplate. The shells are made up of zinc-aluminum alloy die casts, which are then carved, polished and chrome plated. The KXXS shells are a little more weighted than the Kanas Pro, which gives me more confidence in their build quality. But that’s just me. The faceplate design is a bit different as it has 4 degrees of curvature whereas Kanas Pro had 3. The KXXS nozzles have a better designed lip to keep the ear tips in place unlike the Kanas Pro where a few people complained that its nozzle lips couldn’t restrict the ear tips from going further in.

As a whole, KXXS looks like a better designed product.



Fit and Comfort - Kxxs fits my ears better as the shells are bigger and they fill up my concha which gives the shell some good support from the bottom. The nozzles also go into my ear canal better and also block outside noise fairly well, more than Kanas Pro. Also, as stated above, KXXS has a better designed nozzle lip because of which the ear tips stay in place rather than going in and making a snug fit a little problematic. As a result, KXXS fits way better and more snugly than Kanas Pro.



Sound - FYI, I review keeping the price of the IEM in mind. My opinion, appreciation and critique are all price range specific yet always keeping my version of an ideal sound signature and balance as a reference.

Moving on, right off the bat, I feel that KXXS keeps the loveable Kanas Pro’s core identity following the Harman Target curve, but refines the sound tastefully and as a result makes it more interesting and enjoyable.

Bass - In simple words, if you love impactful, refined and quality bass, KXXS is a must have! The sub-bass extends low down to the low end of human hearing and you can hear the rumble in songs where the bass goes low and deep. The mid-bass is well done and right on point. The note definition is quite good especially for me as a musician to figure bass lines out especially if they go down deep. Kicks have good slam and attack too. KXXS has good punch when the song demands it and especially shines with bass driven songs like Muse’s Panic Station, Kanivool’s Simple Boy & Goliath and EDM albums like Zedd’s Clarity and The Chainsmokers’ Sick Boy.

Mids - The mids are pretty good too. They are similar to Kanas Pro but have slightly more resolution and clarity. They sound natural, timbre presentation is good and tonality of instruments is on point. I’m a sucker for a good kick and snare sound. Snares have good tone, depth and smack as per the song. Vocals sound natural, upfront and well defined in the songs. The KXXS stays very comfortable and musical at low and high volumes both. I don’t want to seem like I’m exaggerating but cracking the volume and listening to Chris Cornell’s Long Gone, Coldplay’s Everglow, Gavin James’ Always and Linkin Park’s Talking to Myself are a joy on the KXXS and sometimes gives me goosebumps.

Treble - The treble is where KXXS and Kanas Pro are more different. KXXS has more clarity in the treble and more snap in the 2-4kHz region. The treble is quite comfortable as it follows the Harman Target curve. There aren’t any intrusive frequency boosts and the treble as a whole extends well, giving you a better sense of airiness. Vocals and cymbals never get sibilant or harsh.


Soundstage, Imaging and Separation – KXXS has good width and instruments panned left and right are well defined and placed wide apart. It has good depth too as you can hear the depth of effects like reverb trails and delays. Imaging is on point too and the resolution and separation between instruments from a single dynamic driver is quite impressive.


Comparisons –

Moondrop Kxxs vs Kanas Pro

1. KXXS has more clarity and snap in the 2-4kHz which gives acoustic guitars and vocals the crispness I like. They sound more realistic and lifelike.
2. Vocals have more individual clarity in KXXS than KP.
3. Drum tones sound equally good on both.
4. I think, with the added clarity, KXXS has a slightly wider soundstage.
5. Overall KXXS has better separation between instruments.
6. KXXS has a more realistic feeling of bass impact.
7. When the songs get chaotic with lots of layers all over the sound field, KXXS handles it a bit better than KP.
8. Kanas Pro has * very slightly* more warmth in the lower mids. KXXS has better resolution and clarity in that region.

Conclusion – Moondrop KXXS does everything right. The bass is good, mids are natural, drums and vocals are a joy to listen to and treble is crisp and clear yet smooth. KXXS at its price is quite accessible and I think it is one dynamic driver IEM that everyone should have. It’ll work very well as a daily driver because of its robust and solid build as well as its extremely well-tuned sound signature. Highly Recommended!

KXXS can be bought for $189.99 from here - Moondrop KXXS