Moondrop LAN

Moondrop LAN : Good All-round Performance!




Summary:
Launched in late Feb'23, Moondrop LAN is the latest iteration of Single DD based IEM from Moondrop. It comes with a proprietary 10mm Dual Cavity Dynamic Driver and comes at a very affordable price below $40.





Introduction:

Let's quickly dive into what the Moondrop LAN has to offer. In pursuit of better sound for the price, the LAN comes with new generation 10mm Dual Cavity DD.
The LAN is priced at $39.99




Design & Build:

The LAN comes with a shell of stainless-steel material - which is surprisingly comfortable and a perfect fit for most ears. I have tried it through long audio sessions, and it fared very well throughout. It is amongst the most comfortable IEMs in this price range that I have come across.



It is described as the following on the website:

Moondrop has crafted the ear shells of the latest “LAN” using high-quality stainless steel material. It adopts MIM powder metallurgy process, the solid stainless steel housing is manufactured by high-temperature sintering through mold forming.This technology was first used in this universal product, promising [LAN] a high-end texture and superior quality.

Moondrop has got years of experience in designing high-performance in-ear monitors with customized driver units. For their latest “LAN” they have featured a new generation of large-size beryllium-plated dome composite diaphragm, high-efficiency internal magnetic driver structure with brass internal acoustic cavity.

Moondrop has designed the LAN using their years of knowledge and expertise with High-performance audio gears. The frequency response for the pair falls in line with the VDSF Target Response and provides ultra-low distortion in the output signal. The pair shows excellent resolution and a natural, reference-grade tone that treats the listeners with an open, lively, natural sound presentation. It complements different genres of music with its professional tuning and will be an ideal choice for most audiophiles.
Disclaimer: @shenzhenaudio had sent me the review unit for my impressions & views. The opinions below are based on my experiences with the unit and my own. I have tried to be as comprehensive & comparative as I could be - to give a complete picture to the audience.

Specifications:

The Moondrop LAN comes at $39.99 price tag and specifications are as below:

https://shenzhenaudio.com/products/moondrop-lan-earphone-10mm-dynamic-driver-in-ear-hifi-headphone







NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT THE SOUND....



Items Used for this Review:

DAC/AMP & Dongles: @Questyle M15 Dongle DAC/AMP, @Cayin RU7 Dongle, C9 Portable Amplifier
Portable Players / Sources : @Cayin N8ii, N7, @Questyle QP2R, Lotoo Paw Gold Touch
Streaming Source: QOBUZ

Tracks Used:
The tracks I have used can be found from the below playlist that I have used and generally use for most reviews...





Pairing Performance with different sources:

The LAN had the great pairing with almost each and every dongle/DAC/DAP that I owned.
Best pairing was obviously with @Questyle M15 & @Cayin RU7 dongles, LPGT & Cayin N8ii DAPs.




Ear Tips:

The default tips I found to be below par and ear-tips switching is necessary. I wish they inlcuded the SPRING ear-tips with this. Hence, I've tried tip-rolling with a variety of tips such as: @Final Audio E series red & black ones, JVC Spiral dots, Spiral Dots+, @SpinFit Eartip CP500, CP155. Out of all of these I have found the AZLA SEDNAFIT to be the best fit for my ears in terms of overall fit, isolation & comfort.




Moondrop LAN Sound Impressions in Short:

The BASS:

The LAN comes with a neutral-ish bass performance. Coming with a new-gen Dynamic driver - expectation was a bit more prominence in the bass department, but the reality is that the bass performance is neutral-ish. The sub-bass has details but the mid-bass lacks power and muscle slightly. In tracks like: "Fools Paradise (LP Version) – Donna Lewis" and "Chocolate Chip Trip - Tool" you can hear all the tiny nuances' of the sub-bass but you feel like a bit more power in the mid-bass would be great.

The MIDS:

The midrange comes with ample texture and clarity in the LAN. Midrange is amongst the stronger traits of the LAN.
There is good amount of muscle and texture and the instruments sound very lively and enjoyable. Vocals are very immersive and both male and female vocals come with ample amount of details and feel very real. Transients are good coming from the new DD. In tracks like: "Anchor - Trace Bundy", "A dog named Freedom – Kinky Friedman" and "Ruby Tuesday – Franco Battiato" it’s really easy to get lost into the music as it comes with ample detailed transients, texture, excellent vocals and details.

The TREBLE:

The LAN comes with enjoyable but non-fatiguing treble. The treble performance was quite enjoyable and Cymbals sound very life-like and real in tracks like “Chocolate Chip Trip – Tool”. The treble may not be as engaging as some other IEMs but at this price-point, nothing to complain about.

Treble in tracks like: "Paradise Circus – Massive Attack", "Mambo for Roy – Roy Hargrove” and "Saints and Angels – Sharon Shannon" feel smooth & creamy with the right amount of air and texture and just feels very buttery smooth.

The SOUNDSTAGE:

The Staging capabilities of the LAN is the quite good and above average for price range. It comes with the right amount of width, height, depth and is well defined and just as much as the track requires. Tracks like: “The Secret Drawer – Bela Fleck and the Flecktones” or “She Don’t know – Melody Gardot” or “Bohemian Rhapsody (live aid) – Queen” sound amazing & enjoyable.

Separation & Imaging:

Imaging is quite spot on and location of each instrument can be felt quite clearly on the LAN. Tracks like: “Rotterdam (Or Anywhere) - The Beautiful South “or “Hello Again - Howard Carpendale & The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra” just shine through. Separation is also good for the price-range.



Comparisons:

I was unable to find a suitable comparable IEM in my possession. Hence, I used TANGZU Princess Chang Le for the comparison. It is priced at $15... which is half of that of the LAN.




Moondrop LAN vs TANGZU Princess Chang Le:

Price: Moondrop LAN costs $39.99 while the Chang LE is only $15. Chang Le gets the leverage here.

Build, Comfort & Features: Both IEMs are well built and comfortable. But the Chang Le comes with fixed cable. Hence, LAN gets leverage here.

Bass: While the Bass is not prominent on the LAN, it packs far more details and muscle than the Chang Le.

Mids: The midrange on the LAN is miles better than the Chang Le.

Treble: The Chang Le treble seemed a bit peaky at times and the LAN overall is significantly better.

Soundstage, Imaging and Separation: This is where the LAN goes miles ahead of the Chang LE.

The LAN beats Chang LE easily, but then again - its a lot pricier also.

Meanwhile, I was able to try out the CHU 2 and LAN for a short period and I found the LAN to be significantly better than the CHU 2 also.



Conclusion:

The Moondrop LAN is a great all-rounder IEM for the price range and with almost perfect price to performance ratio which makes it easy recommendation. Only thing you may long for is a bit more bass maybe. But, that varies based on personal preference.

DISCLAIMER

I would like to thank Shenzhen Audio for providing the Moondrop LAN review unit. It can be gotten here (no affiliate links): https://shenzhenaudio.com/products/moondrop-lan-earphone-10mm-dynamic-driver-in-ear-hifi-headphone



The Moondrop LAN we are reviewing today – 兰 in simplified Chinese, or 蘭 in traditional Chinese – refers to the orchid flower (not a ‘local area network,’ haha!). Let’s read on to see if the LAN turns out to be as fresh as a daisy or a mere shrinking violet!


SPECIFICATIONS

• Driver configuration: 1 x 10 mm beryllium-plated dome composite diaphragm dynamic driver
• Impedance: 32 Ohms
• Frequency response: 20 Hz - 20 kHz
• Sensitivity: 120 dB/Vrms
• Cable: 2-pin, 0.78 mm, 3.5 mm cable; no information on cable material
• Tested at $39.99 USD

ACCESSORIES




Other than the IEM, these are included:
- 3 pairs of silicone ear tips (S, M, L)
- Soft carrying pouch
- Cable
- Anime waifu postcard


Of course, we know the waifu postcard is the most important accessory of all, don't leave home without it!

Jokes aside, for a sub-USD$40 set, the accessories are decent.



There are no foam tips available, and only one variant of silicone ear tips are provided. These tips are quite serviceable, though the addition of some of Moondrop’s other famous tips – for example, Spring tips – would not have gone unappreciated.




Unfortunately, there is no information on what the stock cable is made from. Suffice to say, it is on the thinner side, though it is supple and tangle-free. The cable has minimal microphonics, but comes without a chin cinch. There are the letters “R” and “L” on the cable terminals for the right and left sides, respectively, in addition to a red band on the right terminal.




The soft carrying pouch is made of a polymer material and is quite flimsy. The pouch operates via a fastener mechanism, and the contents probably won’t survive a drop or compressive force.

The rest of this review was done with the stock cable and stock tips. No aftermarket accessories were used, so as not to add any confounders to the sound.


BUILD/COMFORT



The ovoid housings are fashioned from stainless steel via a MIM (metal injection molding) metallurgy process – this involves high-temperature sintering mold formation of the shells. This is actually the first time Moondrop has used this technique, and I’ve no complaints with the solid build this has produced.

Each shell has a flower, in keeping with the orchid motif and "LAN" namesake. Unfortunately, the sterile-looking gray aesthetics don’t match the LAN’s flowery namesake, and perhaps something more vibrant like the Tanchjim Hana’s housing would be more felicitous.

Moondrop has added a patented acoustic filter, which reportedly minimizes channel imbalance.

The LAN is light and ergonomic; I can use this IEM for hour-long listening sessions without discomfort. Despite having two vents on each earpiece, isolation is actually above average. I did not experience driver flex, but this is dependent on the ear tips used and individual ear anatomy.

There has been much gnashing of teeth on audio forums about the shells of Moondrop IEMs suffering from pain peeling. To nip this in the bud, it seems the LAN’s chassis is pure metal sans paint. There are no left/right markings on the shells, so newcomers to the hobby might have issues identifying the sides. Nevertheless, the red band above the right cable terminal can assist once connected


INTERNALS

Each earpiece houses a 10 mm beryllium-plated dome composite diaphragm dynamic driver encased within an internal brass acoustic cavity. An N52 magnet with ultra-thin 0.03mm CCAW (copper-clad aluminum wire) voice coil completes the set-up.

For the measurement-inclined, Moondrop advertises that this driver provides very low distortion at <0.05%.

Speaking about beryllium, it was all the rage just a couple of years back but has since been somewhat overshadowed by the recent dual DD driver craze. Beryllium is light but has a high modulus of elasticity (i.e., a substance’s resistance to being deformed elastically). This theoretically allows beryllium drivers to be low in weight yet very rigid and rugged. If implemented well, beryllium drivers can give rapid transients coupled with minimal distortion.

But of course, all these is in theory, and let's read on to see if the implementation and tuning are adequate.


DRIVABILITY

I tested the Moondrop LAN with the following sources:
- Apple dongle
- Cayin RU7
- Colorfly CDA M1 DAC/AMP dongle
- Creative Sound Blaster X5
- E1DA DAC/AMP dongle
- Hiby R3 Pro Saber 2022 DAP
- Khadas Tone Board -> Schiit Asgard 3 amp
- Khadas Tone Board -> Topping L30 amp
- Questyle M15 DAC/AMP dongle
- Sony Walkman NW A-55 DAP (Walkman One WM1Z Plus v2 Mod)
- Sony Walkman NW A-55 DAP (Walkman One Neutral Mod)
- Sony Walkman NW WM1A DAP (Walkman One WM1Z Plus v2 Mod)
- Smartphone

The LAN is moderately easy to drive, though amplification may help this IEM scale slightly.


SOUND & TECHNICALITIES


Graph of the Moondrop LAN via IEC711 coupler. 8 kHz is a coupler peak.

The LAN is tuned closely to Moondrop’s virtual diffuse sound field (VDSF) philosophy, which is the company’s in-house evolution of the Harman curve.

Timbre is quite organic, in keeping with the LAN’s single DD roots. Vocals and acoustic instruments sound natural, though, note weight is on the thinner side.

With regards to technical chops, the LAN won’t uproot any trees. Imaging is quite commendable, though the soundstage is bang average, with music sounding quite “in your head.” The LAN is not very detailed, and instrumentation can sound congested, especially when complex tracks come out to play. Indeed, when compared against other garden variety single DDs at similar prices, the LAN is quite undistinguished in technicalities.



The LAN’s bass is a hair north of neutral, with a slight predominance in the sub-bass. The bass extension is not the deepest, though a rumble is heard on bass-heavy tracks. Bass speed is moderate, with no mid-bass bleed, though texturing is sometimes one-noted.

There’s a slight recession in the lower midrange, with no copious mid-bass to encroach on this area. This provides an open and transparent midrange. With a 7 – 8 dB pinna gain, the upper mids are forwards without being shouty, and the LAN does not cause fatigue.

The treble continues from the slight rise in upper mids, with moderate extension. The treble lies on the conservative side, with little air and sparkle heard. Sibilance is very mild, but there is admittedly a loss in resolution as a trade-off.

The sound signature is pretty balanced, though every rose has its thorn, and the LAN comes across as boring and undynamic.


COMPARISONS



Is the grass always greener on the other side?

The LAN will be compared against other budget single DD pairs. Hybrids, planars, and pure BA IEMs were excluded from the comparison as the different transducer types have their own pros and cons.


Moondrop CHU


Frequency response graph of the LAN versus CHU via an IEC711 compliant coupler. 8kHz peak is a coupler artifact.

The CHU shares a similar DNA to the LAN, though the former has a more boosted treble with a thinner note weight. The CHU is more sibilant and fatiguing, with a more artificial timbre.

The CHU shades its younger sibling in technicalities, boasting slightly superior imaging, soundstage, micro-detailing, and instrument separation.

Unforunately, the CHU has an annoying non-detachable cable with a poor fit, whereas the more expensive LAN has a detachable cable with better ergonomics.


Tangzu Audio Wan’er


Frequency response graph of the LAN versus Wan'er via an IEC711 compliant coupler. 8kHz peak is a coupler artifact.

The Wan'er is tuned warm neutral, with a thicker note weight. It has more mid-bass, though the bass isn’t as tight, with mid-bass bleed present. The Wan’er has a less pronounced upper midrange, with vocals sounding further back than the LAN.

Technically, the Wan’er is a step behind, with a more intimate soundstage and worse imaging and micro-details.


7Hz Salnotes Zero


Frequency response graph of the LAN versus Salnotes Zero via an IEC711 compliant coupler. 8kHz peak is a coupler artifact.

The Zero is a neutral bright set, and sounds more sterile and analytical. It is brighter and more fatiguing, with a less natural timbre: nasal vocals and some shoutiness is displayed.

The Zero is more resolving, and is a cut above in soundstage, imaging, and micro-details. The Zero’s shells has perpendicular edges, which may pose fit issues; this isn’t the case on the ergonomic LAN.


Truthear HOLA


Frequency response graph of the LAN versus Truthear HOLA via an IEC711 compliant coupler. 8kHz peak is a coupler artifact.

The HOLA is an L-shaped set, with bigger bass and a darker treble. However, the bass isn’t as clean, and the HOLA has inferior technicalities. Note weight is thicker on the HOLA, with a more analogue signature.


CONCLUSIONS

Let’s not beat about the bush. Does the LAN come out smelling of roses?

While the LAN does not exactly wither on the vine, as it can claim good build, a natural timbre, and balanced tonality as its redeeming traits, sadly, it is just average in the big scheme of things.

Don’t get me wrong, the LAN is decent. Unfortunately, being average (or even just above average) is a death sentence in this very competitive budget CHIFI market. Ultimately, this IEM does not gild the lily, and ends up as a little wallflower in a vast greenhouse with more attractive and colorful flowers on display.

If the LAN was released last year, we might have been on to a winner. Unfortunately, in recent times, there has been an influx of competitive budget releases. Even compared to the older Moondrop CHU – the LAN is weaker in technicalities, though the latter has a detachable cable and sounds smoother.

Nevertheless, mighty oaks from little acorns grow, and perhaps Moondrop can take this garden experiment to fine-tune and refine future seedlings. The LAN needs a little bit more panache to come into full bloom.

The Lan, the newest IEM from the renowned company, Moondrop, is here to challenge the budget-fi price bracket. Does it succeed? In this article, we'll review the Lan and compare it to its single dynamic driver competitors, such as 7Hz Zero, Truthears Hola, Tangzu Wan'er, Moondrop Chu, and Kiwiears Cadenza.



Tuning

The Lan's tuning will be familiar to most as it's tuned near identical to the Chu (at least my unit does, more about this later), with the only significant difference in the air region. The Lan has less air than the Chu, which results in the Lan's more natural timbre and decay. The Chu is known to be harsh or "metallic" to some listeners; the Lan does not have that issue.

Beyond that, the rest of the signature is essentially the same. Both IEMs focus on upper mids, and lower treble highlights female vocals and bright instruments. The bass is lackluster in quantity and dynamic as it's tuned quite modestly. For bass lovers, this tuning is not very satisfying. On the other hand, mid-centric listeners might find the Lan much more enjoyable. Vocals are lively, forward, and nuanced, all without being shouty.

Treble quality is similar to most single dynamic drivers under $100, which is okay at best. The one notable thing is that the balance of the lower and upper treble is quite good, resulting in a more natural timbre and decay, as previously mentioned in the Chu comparison.

TLDR: The Lan is the Chu but better. If you're looking for a Chu upgrade in tuning, built quality, and cable detachability, then the Lan is a recommendation.





Comparisons

7Hz Zero
The Lan's tonal balanced lean brighter, while the Zero is neutral, so the Zero will sound more bassy even if the graph shows a similar bass level.
Another significant difference is the presence region (4Khz to 6Khz), where Zero is less energetic. This results in Zero's vocal sounding less lively but natural in decay.

Which one is better? None, I would grade them both as "B-" side grades of each other in both tuning and tech.



Truthears Hola
The Lan's and Hola's tonal balances are like seesaws; Lan leans brighter, while Hola leans warmer. The Hola sounds much more relaxed in the upper mids and treble and has better bass dynamics and power. Vocals will not be as forward and clean as the Lan in a trade-off for a more laid-back sound and improved bass satisfaction.

Which one is better? None, I would grade them both as "B-" side grades of each other in both tuning and tech.



Tangzu Wan'er
The Wan'er has thicker, more forward, and more natural decaying vocals. In addition, it's also more balanced than the Lan, and the treble is less prominent. While both signatures focus on the midrange, they approach it differently; the Wan'er focuses on sounding more full-bodied, while the Lan is more lively.

Which one is better? None, I would grade them both as "B-" side grades of each other in both tuning and tech (you might notice a theme here).



Kiwiears Cadenza
The Cadenza is the biggest departure in tuning compared to the other IEMs we discussed. It's more v-shaped in tuning, having both more bass and treble. Compared to the Lan, the Cadenza has better bass dynamics and more quantity but less natural-sounding vocals and more aggressive treble. The Lan also sounds cleaner with better clarity, while the Cadenza can sound more congested.

Which one is better? You get the theme "B-" for both.



Summary
As you have guessed from the article, the Lan is a good IEM but not an impressive one for the asking price. It competes well with other offerings in the budget bracket but only offers that. The only reason to buy the Lan is if you're looking for an upgrade to the Chu or a more lively vocal sound signature with less bass. Beyond that, it's hard to recommend the Lan over the competition. Again, it's not worse than the competition, but more so, it exists alongside them while costing a bit more for improved built quality.

For comparisons with Truthears Zero & QKZ x HBB Khan, you can find those in my video review of the Lan:

The LAN comes in a really nice-looking package. inside you will find the LAN an IEM of similar shape to the Moondrop Chu but perhaps twice the size, even if it's still very tiny.
The LAN is made well with a solid build of all metal and a good quality cable, together they look like an IEM that cost far more.

Sound is neutral in most aspects.
Bass: has average texture but excellent details and speed. Mid bass seems more prominent at times, but a Sub-Bass rumble can still be heard when called on, just don't expect it to dig deep here.
Mids: Present with a clear and no bleed is present, female vocals have more focus, but male vocals have sufficient body to be enjoyed as well.
Treble: Is tuned safely tuned, I found it to have a pleasant level of sparkle and very good details without harshness.
Soundstage: Was open and accurate, while far from the widest in the price range it managed to give a decent and natural field size in both width, depth and height.

Afterthoughts: The LAN follows in the pathway the Chu had presented with some minor differences in tuning and a major upgrade in style and build quality, it's a worthy competitor in the budget arena.

Introduction​

After Chu’s big success and the latest Quarks DSP’s hype, Moondrop is back with another budget set of IEMs: the Moondrop Lan.
Apparently, just by looking at the photos, these seem to be a direct upgrade from the Moondrop Chu, and in fact they have a lot in common, but let’s take a deeper look together.

Disclaimer: the Moondrop Lan were provided by Cloris from Shenzen Audio for free in order to write an honest review. I do not represent them in any way and this is not promotional content. At the time of the review, the Moondrop Lan were sold for 39$ on their official webstore (LINK)

Technical Specifications​

• Configuration → 1 x 10mm beryllium-plated dome composite diaphragm dynamic driver
• Sensitivity → 120 dB
• Impedance → 32 Ω
• Frequency response → 20 Hz – 20000 Hz
• Cable → 1,2m silver copper cable with 0,78mm PINs, no microphone
• Connector type → L-type gold plated 3,5mm jack

Packaging​

Moondrop strikes again with an anime packaging and well done presentation. The box contains:

• The Moondrop Lan
• A detachable cable
• A pleather carry pouch
• A set of tips (no spring tips included unfortunately)
• User manual

Design and Build Quality​

The Moondrop Lan are enclosed in small yet pretty heavy and sturdy metal shells. The faceplate design is minimalistic, the assembly is of good quality and there are two pressure vents on the side that faces the ear.
The 2-PIN connectors are slightly recessed, just like many other Moondrop and Truthear releases.
The nozzle is not as small as expected, but it fits almost every tip and also has a nozzle lip that helps at keeping the tips in their place.

Cable​

The cable is rather flexible and pretty good to the touch, but it still has that useless “rounded” Y-splitter instead of a chin slider, which is a bit disappointing.

Comfort and isolation​

Comfort is pretty good as the shells have no sharp edges and are rather small, whereas isolation is just average.

Sound​

How do these sound?
This should be the main reason for reading reviews like this.

GEAR USED FOR THE TEST

• DAC: Topping E30
• AMP: Topping L30
• Mobile phones: Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
• Dongle: Apple Type-C dongle, Truthear SHIO
• Portable DAPs: Benjie S8/AGPTEK M30B
• Other sources: Presonus AudioBox iONE

Do they need an amplifier?
No, they don’t need an amplifier.

Sound signature
The Moondrop Lan have a neutral sound profile.

Lows: sub-bass and bass are not the star of the show, but they come into play when they are called for it. The sub-bass does not provide a visceral rumble nor does it shake the listener’s head, but it’s clean and controlled even if the extension is nothing special.
The bass follows the same approach, with a pretty controlled and lean bass that doesn’t make the Lan the most appealing IEMs for bassheads; instead, they are for those who seek a balanced and neutrally tuned low-end.

Mids: the midrange takes the lead in the overall signature, with forward vocals and instruments that are reproduced very well.
Vocals, in particular, are very intimate and their timbre is true to life in most cases, even though sometimes a little more bass would help give them a tad more warmth (moreover male vocals).
Knowing that many are probably thinking “are they shouty?” or “are they sibilant?”, it’s better to be straightforward: the Moondrop Lan are neither shouty or sibilant, and instead they are very good even with tracks that are usually sibilant on other sets.

Highs: highs are slightly emphasized although not to the point of being fatiguing and the overall detail retrieval is not bad for the price. Plus, the highs are not peaky and harsh, instead they slowly roll-off while still retaining some upper-treble that helps give some more air to the sound.
That said, those who are treble sensitive should look for something else, not because these are very bright or fatiguing but because there’s still some emphasis in the high registers that may annoy some people.

The soundstage is average, with more width than depth and height, and imaging is on point for the price, but really nothing special.

Some comparisons​

Moondrop Lan vs Moondrop Chu
Well the two have a lot in common, but at the same time they are pretty different.
The Moondrop Lan go almost all-in on tonal balanced and overall equilibrium, whereas the Chu provide a drier and slightly more analytical approach.
Sub-bass is a bit more pronounced on the Chu, whereas bass is perceived as slightly slower on the Lan, making it a tad more “bodied”. The midrange is forward on both. The biggest differences are in the upper-midrange, where the Moondrop Chu sound a bit more forward and borderline-shouty, and in the lower treble region, where the Chu, again, has more emphasis and slightly better detail retrieval.
The Lan have better tonal balanced and are much more balanced overall, but the Chu seem to have an edge in technicalities with slightly better imaging and separation.
Build quality and cable are ages better on the Lan, whereas comfort and isolation are on par since the shape is very similar, even though the Chu come with a set of spring tips which were a good add to the overall package (they are not included with the Lan instead).
To sum-up, the Lan have very good tonal balance and overall tuning (much better than Chu in this regard) whereas Chu are willing to sacrifice some tonal balance in favor of slightly better technicalities.

Moondrop Lan vs Moondrop SSR
Moondrop Lan’s price is practically the same as Moondrop SSR’s when they were released, and this practically means that the first one was probably made to take the place of the latter on the market.
The tonal balance is no doubts miles better on the Moondrop Lan, that also happen to have a much more balanced signature along the whole spectrum: less sibilance, less shoutiness, a bit more body in the low-end. But the Moondrop SSR are still crazy good in technicalities, such as imaging and staging, which are still unmatched at their price point.
This is a big trade-off, that’s for sure, but it really depends on what the potential customer is searching for.
Build quality is very similar, cable and comfort are better on the Lan, and comfort is slightly better on the smaller SSR.
What to say? Choose wisely depending on your needs: SSR for all-in on technicalities, Lan for a well rounded product with great tonal balance and average technicalities. The Moondrop SSR do very well in cinematic tracks, gaming sessions, or live concerts’ recordings, whereas the Moondrop Lan do well in almost every case without excelling in anything particular.

Final Thoughts​

The Moondrop Lan is a well done set with very good tonal balance and on-point technicalities for the price. The absence of spring tips is disappointing, but on the other hand we get a good cable and great build quality.
Those who already own the Moondrop Chu won't make a night-and-day upgrade (unless they strictly want a detachable cable, better build quality and a more refined sound signature while still retaining the neutral nature of the series), but it’s safe to say that the Lan will be a good welcome package for those who seek for their a well done, long-lasting entry-level neutral IEM.

Disclaimer: Shenzhenaudio provided me with a review unit. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Unaffiliated product link.

Introduction & Packaging​

Moondrop LAN is a $40 single dynamic driver IEM from Moondrop, following the lineage of the extremely successful Moondrop Chu. Featuring a similar shell design, LAN comes with a detachable cable unlike Chu, fulfilling probably the most requested improvement when Chu was launched. Another improvement over Chu is with the driver; LAN is sporting a Beryllium-coated composite diaphragm.





LAN's overall design language is following a similar direction as Chu, tastefully simple. The shell itself has been changed to a bigger, bare stainless steel, so people can worry less about the infamous Moondrop paint-chipping issues that has been plaguing Starfield, SSR, Aria, and more. That said, it does mean that the IEM is noticeably heavier and larger than Chu. At the same time, that additional heft made the LAN feels more premium and sturdier.

The tall packaging is reminiscent of the older Moondrop like the Starfield, with the usual Moondrop waifu on the cover. Inside, there are a few standard accessories: cable, leather carrying case, and a set of S/M/L silicone eartips. Sadly, the eartips are not Spring Tips like the one included with Chu, but it may not necessarily be a minus point (see further down below). The soft leather carrying case is definitely a better option over the felt carrying case that comes with the Chu. The cable is pretty standard of Moondrop line, decent but not the best out there. Overall, I think the packaging and the accessories are great for the price point.

Interesting fact: it seems like there is a naming convention for this lineup. Chu (竹 = bamboo) is followed by LAN (蘭 = orchid). My guess is that the future entries to this lineup will be named after decorative plants.

Sound Impression​

Sources: Topping D90SE/A90D stack, Fiio M11S, Questyle M15, Cayin RU6 (all single-ended)
Setup: Large stock eartips, stock cable
Music Sources: Local FLAC (redbook/hi-res), Tidal Masters, Apple Music Lossless

Listening impression is a very subjective experience depending on individual ear shape, choice of eartips, music library, and personal preferences, so your experience may vary.

The LAN is tuned to the now-ubiquitous, Harman-like Moondrop VSDF target, which are shared with the Chu, Aria, Starfield, Kato, and many more in the Moondrop lineup. Simply said, it is neutral with a bass boost, a very mild V-shaped. The bass is tight and smooth, having enough punch without bleeding much into the midrange. Subbass extension is deep enough to feel the rumble and the midbass has enough bite to reproduce percussions with some snap, albeit there are some smoothness over the entire bass region. The midrange is pretty clean and detailed. Vocals do not sound too recessed, nor too forward; LAN is not tuned to be a vocal-focused IEM in my opinion. Midrange tones from instruments like guitars, violins, or shamisen are beautifully rendered and natural. The treble extension is great for its price point, with ample presence and some air, as well as plenty of details. Overall, LAN is a fairly balanced IEM with no particular emphasis on any frequency range.

The treble may sound intense out of the box, courtesy of the Beryllium-coated driver; with Cayin RU6, LAN sounds outright sharp and fatiguing to me at the beginning. After about 24 hours burn-in with white noise, it did somewhat improve, and with further source matching (Questyle M15 or Fiio M11S), I am no longer bothered by the treble.

Technicalities-wise, there isn't anything groundbreaking, and pretty source-dependent. On Fiio M11S, LAN's technicalities are pretty decent, but not remarkable. It starts opening up with the Questyle M15, and further with the D90SE/A90D stack. Soundstage is noticeably more spacious compared to Chu. Detail retrieval is remarkably competent too, quite on par more with Aria or Starfield. Imaging and layering are sufficient, not easily overwhelmed in more complex tracks. Timbre is largely natural with a hint of metallic character which is mostly gone after burn-in. Safe to say that LAN scales really well with better sources.

Moondrop's lineup tend to play very nicely with mostly pop music (particularly J-pop) and LAN is no different. Aimer's "Kataomoi" is beautifully reproduced, with Aimer's amazing vocals shining through very well. LAN does struggle a bit with a more energetic Aimer track "Zankyosanka", with the vocals being overwhelmed in some places, but overall still enjoyable. I find LAN to be personally very well-suited to instrumentals like Hoyo-MIX "Liyue" from Genshin Impact OST or the opening sequences of "Change" by Monkey Majik & Yoshida Brothers, demonstrating its layering and imaging capabilities very well. The subbass rumble in The White Stripe's "Seven Nation Army" can be sufficiently felt, but does feel a bit lacking in texture. I find that some male vocals to also be quite enjoyable with LAN, with Chrisye's "Cintaku", Yuuri's "Betelgeuse", and Platina Jazz's Niklas Gabrielsson rendition of "Hajimete no Chuu" to be amazingly presented.

Bass: Tight, punchy, smooth
Mids: Clean, layered
Treble: Detailed, well-extended, may sound a bit sharp out of the box
Technicalities: Decent resolution, spacious soundstage, good imaging and separation

BONUS: Experiments with Spring Tips​

Considering that LAN now lacks Spring Tips, does it get improved by using the Spring Tips? I'd say it's a very marginal difference, not necessarily an improvement. Spring Tips are mids-focused eartips, which kind of help with the abovementioned treble edginess, but also sacrificed some bass impact. Vocals did become slightly more forward, but at the cost of overall technicalities. All-in-all, I think Moondrop's decision not to bundle Spring Tips here is more of a tuning decision rather than budgetary one.

Select Comparisons​

vs Moondrop Chu ($20):
Even though it is exactly half the price of LAN, Chu's sonic performance isn't exactly half of LAN, to nobody's surprise. Chu is a very well-tuned, technically competent IEM even in isolation. Sound-wise, LAN does marginally improve on Chu's detail retrieval and soundstage. LAN is also slightly warmer than Chu. So, I can surmise that the price difference is largely due to the other, non-sound related factors like the build quality and materials, included accessories, and of course the detachable cable. As someone who actually spent the time to mod the Chu to have a detachable cable, the amount of effort doing so, plus the additional cost of getting a new cable as well, would easily bring the cost of a Chu to be about the same as LAN. So, if you're looking for these improvements, LAN is a logical upgrade from Chu.

vs Kiwi Ears Cadenza ($35):
Another budget-level Beryllium-coated single DD IEM, I think Kiwi Ears Cadenza can serve as a very good comparison to LAN. Cadenza is quite a bit warmer and darker than LAN, and overall more laid-back in tuning. LAN is slightly better on the detail retrieval side, but Cadenza is more spacious due to its ample midbass. Cadenza is marginally better in vocal performance, while LAN is more enjoyable in instrumental tracks. Overall, I feel LAN edges Cadenza in technicalities department, but it is down to personal preferences in tuning direction and physical comfort. I personally find that Cadenza is easier to wear due to its lighter weight and smoother texture. However, sound-wise, I personally might be leaning slightly more towards LAN due to its better treble extension and resolution.

vs Moondrop Aria ($80):
I have to express my sadness towards Aria; it has been the crowd favourite for so long that there are so many manufacturers specifically targeting Aria, almost spawning an entire category of "Aria-killers". Even sadder, Moondrop itself attempted to kill Aria with the releases of Chu and Aria SE, and now with its biggest killing blow, the LAN. Tuning-wise, they are very similar, with the Aria leaning slightly warmer and overall more relaxed. Technicalities are largely on par. Build quality is arguably better with LAN, especially with the lack of potential paint-chipping issues. Overall, I think LAN just did to Aria what Aria did to Starfield.

Conclusion​

The competition in sub-$50 range is very tough, and no doubt LAN is facing some serious competitors that are often dangerously below its price point. I do wonder that LAN might have arrived too late; a year ago, this would have been a budget-defining IEM. Alas, Moondrop LAN did stick its landing perfectly with its easy-to-like tuning, premium build quality, good set of accessories, and great technicalities for its price. As a whole package, I can recommend LAN for those who are looking for an all-rounder budget performer with a great build quality.

Moondrop LAN Review​

INTRODUCTION AND DISCLAIMER:​

The Moondrop LAN is an in-ear monitor (IEM) featuring one 10mm beryllium-plated dynamic driver per housing. The LAN retails for $39.99 at ShenzhenAudio. ShenzhenAudio sent me the LAN in exchange for my impressions.

SOURCES:​

I have used the Moondrop LAN with the following sources:

• Qudelix 5K
• Truthear Shio
• Apple Dongle

MUSIC:​

I tested these headphones with local FLAC and Spotify Premium. Visit my last.fm page to get an idea of what I listen to:

XenosBroodLord’s Library | Last.fm

PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES:​

The Moondrop LAN comes packaged in a white, rectangular cardboard box with a slipcover featuring an anime waifu on the front and technical specs and a frequency response graph on the back. In the box, the IEMs are held in place in a white foam mounting sheet. It comes with three generic silicone eartips (S, M, L) but no Moondrop Spring tips. The LAN comes with a card with a quick response code that links to Moondrop’s QQ page, as well as an illustrated postcard and a user manual written in both Chinese and English. The LAN also includes a soft leather carry pouch.

BUILD QUALITY AND DESIGN:​

The Moondrop LAN’s earpieces feature an all-metal, stainless steel build with ovular faceplates. The faceplates are etched with a flower petal design, which is the only marking found on the earpieces. This includes directional markings, of which there are none. Metal injection moulding (MIM) manufacturing provides an attractive, consistent finish. There are two small ventilation holes on the inner face of the housing body, one at the base of the nozzle and one near the back edge of the face. The nozzles are equipped with perforated metal covers and robust lips that ensure a secure fit for eartips. The 2-pin ports are recessed.


The only Moondrop branding on the LAN is found on the Y-split hardware, which uses the same MIM stainless steel material as the earpieces. While Moondrop has never been a leader in included cables, the LAN’s cable is underwhelming. The LAN’s cable consists of spiraling silver and black wires wrapped in an unbraided clear plastic sheath. Sadly, the 3.5mm jack does not feature the same MIM stainless steel materials as the earpieces and Y-split hardware. The cable does feature strain relief above the 3.5mm jack. The cable has pre-formed heat-shrink earguides. The right-side 2-pin connector is denoted with a small red rubber ring that sits just below the 2-pin housing. The cable does not feature a chin-adjustment choker and is moderately tangle-prone. On the other hand, the cable is less microphonic than one might expect given the absence of a chin-adjustment choker.

COMFORT, FIT, AND ISOLATION:​

The Moondrop LAN earphones should be worn with their cable up. The earpieces have a shallow-to-moderate insertion depth. The LAN is comfortable but is not the most securely fitting IEM. Isolation is less than average, with noticeable driver flex when using larger ear tips.

MEASUREMENTS:​

My measurements of the Moondrop LAN can be found on my expanding squig.link database:

Moondrop Lan — Squiglink by Bedrock Reviews

SOUND:​

The Moondrop LAN’s sound tuning is the same Virtual Diffusion Sound Field (VDSF) target found in many other Moondrop IEMs. Of the dozen Moondrop IEMs I have reviewed, the LAN’s tuning is most akin to the original Moondrop Aria.

The LAN has more sub-bass than mid-bass, transitioning smoothly between the two rather than adopting a distinct sub-bass shelf. While I would not characterize the LAN as a bassy IEM, there is a good amount of rumble and enough impact to the mid-bass to convincingly render percussion. The LAN has excellent bass technicalities across the board, with terrific resolution, articulation, and texture for the price. The LAN does not have mid-bass bleed.

The LAN has a broad pinna gain region from 2.5 kHz to 5 kHz, creating a clear midrange with good separation between vocals and instrumentation. This comes despite the use of a plateau-style pinna gain region as opposed to a focused peak, which normally results in less separation between vocals and instrumentation. On the other hand, the midrange is on the thin side, with limited body, particularly in the lower midrange. Male vocals are highly intelligible but lack warmth. Male and female vocals are roughly even in emphasis. I do not have any complaints when it comes to the LAN’s presentation of female vocals. Instrument separation is quite good overall, and the overall soundstage is expansive for a budget single dynamic driver design. The overall timbre is pleasant and natural.

The LAN boasts an energy-filled treble response that is more balanced than the Moondrop Chu. The amount of lower treble is just shy of what might cause me discomfort, giving cymbal crashes an exciting amount of sparkle and definition. Similarly, the upper treble region is present enough to create a sense of airiness without making the sound feel artificial. The LAN punches well above its asking price in terms of treble extension, and detail retrieval is excellent.

AMPLIFICATION REQUIREMENTS AND SOURCE PAIRING:​

The Moondrop LAN can be powered by the Apple dongle. For me to reach my usual listening level with Spotify Normalization set to “Normal”, I had to set my Pixel 7’s volume to 22/25. Depending on your preferences, you may not have to adjust your volume as much. I experienced no hissing with any of my devices.

CLOSING WORDS:​

The Moondrop LAN is what we expect from Moondrop in terms of tuning. While not a bad thing to my ears, some hobby veterans may find it too familiar. If you are not a VDSF convert already, the LAN will not change your mind. However, the Moondrop LAN is a surprisingly competent performer from a technical perspective. I would go so far as to say that the LAN is to the Aria what the Moondrop Starfield was to the Moondrop KXXS, which is to say the lion’s share of the performance for a substantially lower price.

The Moondrop LAN can be purchased below:

MOONDROP LAN Earphone 10mm Dynamic Driver In-Ear HiFi Headphone (shenzhenaudio.com)

General/Build/Packaging
Moondrop is a brand that I believe needs no introduction. Speculation has it that people have been wanting a CHU with a detachable cable, and Moondrop gave them the LAN, detachable cable, beryllium plated driver and a very ergonomic fit. Kudos! The name LAN is not referring to the networking’s Local Area Network, instead it is named after a flower Lan Hua, which is Orchid in english.
Build quality is solid and it is not heavy, LAN is rather small and fits very well in my ear, I can easily achieve a good seal with it.
As with every Moondrop’s product, the packaging style is more or less similar, it came with a cable, storage pouch and also 3 standard grey coloured silicone tips instead of Spring Tips.



Gears used for this review

• Earmen Angel Dac/Amp
• iFi Gryphon
• Macbook Air M2 3.5 Out
• iPod Touch 5th Gen

Foreword
My review is solely based on what I hear via my equipment and I never consider my reviews to be objective in any way rather a subjective approach. Do take into consideration that everyone’s ear anatomy is not the same, so the psychoacoustics perception might be different as well, but i believe it will not stray too far

Sound Impression
LAN is quite balanced overall in terms of tuning.. Timbre sound’s natural enough to my ears, good note weight across the frequencies, slightly better bass performance compared to the CHU, there’s small hint of the beryllium zing if you pay close attention to it, however, for most of the listeners out there, it is not a problem at all.

Bass

• LAN has good bass response generally, adequate quantity and quality expected from the price, nothing more nothing less
• Speed is good and able to handle speedy tracks such as Metallica’s Lux Aeterna
• Texture is good but it can be better, however, for the asking price, i will give it a pass
• Doesn’t bleed into the mids
• Sub bass does rumble whenever the track calls for it, but it doesn’t extend very deep to the point near basshead territory
• Mid bass is punchy and has average slams

Mids

• Mid range is slightly recessed to my ears, just slightly
• Male vocal especially sounded slightly recessed, female vocal however is slightly more forward compared to Male vocal
• Upper mids gain is rather conservative and safe, doesn’t sound shouty at all

Treble

• Treble is smooth and not fatiguing, some brilliance and sparkles are missing but generally, the detail retrieval capability is quite good
• Extension is slightly lacking, but this is purely nit picking considering its price
• The treble is not offensive overall, you can listen to it for a long period of time and also crank up the volume without feeling fatigue
• Overall it’s a rather safe and balanced treble tuning

Soundstage/Imaging

• Height and Width is average, doesn’t sound boxy nor too artificially wide
• LAN gives good enough sense of space considering its price point
• Imaging is good as instruments can be identified easily

Driveability

• LAN is very easy to drive, unlike Quarks or Spaceship, you can get it to sound good even via Apple’s 3.5mm Dongle
• Does benefit from more power, better control in terms of bass and slightly more open sounding
• However it does scale with source, in terms of how the dac/amp affect it in terms of colorization of the sound

Final Thoughts
Will I recommend LAN? Yes if you don't fall into either two of the categories, basshead and treblehead. LAN is a balanced pair of IEM and it doesn’t really emphasis on either the bass or treble, it is just smooth across the frequencies. Fairly good price to performance ratio at 40$. Can’t fault much considering the asking price. Definitely a step up from CHU you get a much better sound from the LAN.

If you are interested in grabbing a pair, head over to the following link in getting one:
Moondrop LAN

*Received the review sample from ShenzhenAudio, however, i am in no way influenced by them in producing this review, all thoughts are of my own, big thanks to them for the support as always

In the wake of Moondrop Chu popularity, Moondrop has introduced an improved version of it in the form of Moondrop LAN. With some alteration to the 10mm drivers itself, now with Beryllium coat instead of Titanium, also new metal shells which looked like a mini Stellaris. Most importantly, LAN comes with detachable cable which was lacking in Chu.

Sonic wise, LAN also offer marginal improvements over Chu, still with transparent, clean and crisp sound presentation, but now with improved note weight of which I find even drier with Chu. LAN is fairly analytical for a budget IEM, with competent technical prowess to complement the sound signature.

Day by day, the competition for affordable budget IEMs are getting fiercer, the standards pushed ever higher. With the sort of quality LAN offers, one will need to fork out in excess of $100-150 5 years ago. It is without a doubt that this can only prove to be beneficial to the audio consumers in general. Moondrop LAN is one of those IEMs that will live up to the asking price for solid offering as a whole.




Get Moondrop LAN from HiFiGo:
https://hifigo.com/products/moondrop-lan?variant=43778319319279