Moondrop Stellaris, 14.5mm Planar Magnetic Driver In-Ear Monitor

About myself:
Audio enthusiastic over 20year+ with headphones/earphones/IEM/DAP, initially motivated by Sennheiser/AKG.

After spending a decade with full-size headphones, home audio speakers, I shifted my main listening environment to IEM (100+ personal inventories ) and on mobile, car audio (from Lexus’s Mark Levision system to Mercedes AMG’s Burmester System)

Means of acquisition:
I purchased Stellaris from Shenzhen Audio’s Amazon store at my own cost for my personal use. Not paid for review or given a review sample.

My motivation to buy Stellaris:
I was peacefully resting in the peace after finding my endgame IEM 7Hz Timeless, and in real life, I listen more while driving, which my AMG’s Burmester 4D system does a perfect job than previously owned Lexus’s Mark Levinson speaker system.

Until the moment I noticed my beloved audio maker, Moondrop, released a Planar.

That’s the reason I once again motivated to try out new IEMs, especially a possible new alternatives of 7Hz Timeless. Here I am.

TL;DR
Stellaris is KZ’s ZS10 in a form of Planar, if you like ZS10, it’s a buy.

Sound Impression:

• Stellaris's name 群星(lots of stars) is self-explanatory, the upper end reminds me of KZ ZEX, and works well with live music, but peaky for non-live ones
• The pinna gain area could get a bit nerfed; too vocal forward to me
• Stellaris is still 0.5 steps behind Timeless in terms of technicality, as its sound tuning is much more mid-focused with its existing VDSF tuned siblings
• For live music Stellaris turns out to be long-term listening friendly compared to sub-bass elevated flat studio monitor tuned 7Hz Timeless
• Sub-bass could use some buff, like the one tuned for Variations, Stellaris’s planar driver handles sub-bass pretty well, so eliminating the sub-bass floor is a bit disappointing to my personal preference

Softears newly developed UC clear tips:
Great job on the newly developed silicon ear-tip! I was using a similar soft silicon one for Timeless and am glad to see Moondrop coupled Stellaris with the same feeling. yes the tips work great for Planer's timbre.

I found this UC tips universally fit to many IEMs. This UC tips specialized by its unique “wide bore x soft clear silicone x long sleeves” characteristics.

A dreamed gadget for Softears RSV, See Audio Yume/Bravery, DUNU SA6. The UC tips alone cost around $25, so subtract this alone makes Stellaris a competitive Planar for live music and some vocal focused tracks.

36 ohms impedance:
The impedance per spec on box stated 36 ohms vs 14.8 ohms 7Hz Timeless. This makes Stellaris a high impedance planar among many others. Good or Bad is at your own discretion.

Final Thoughts:
As a first planer attempt from Moondrop, I'd say it’s a successful launch. It got the "Planer" realistic timbre and imaging. But still, there is a long way to catch up with 7hz timeless.
Timeless is leading in technical and neutral sounding aspect.

Overall: B
Tonality: B-
Technicality: C+
Wow Factor: C

Tuning could be better, but the planar potential is there, looking forward to Stellaris 2.0

I think it’s safe to say I’m normally a huge fan of Moondrop IEMs with the Aria and Variations being some of my main recommendations even to this day. I wasn’t that impressed with the recent Aria Snow Edition so I was very excited when I heard Moondrop was coming in late to the game with their take on the second generation of planar IEMs flooding the market. The Stellaris is one of the cheaper planars being offered at the moment, coming in at $109.99. I can’t quite make out if this is a new driver but I’m guessing this is another rehash of the common 14.5mm planar in circulation.

Quick shoutout to @shenzhenaudio for sending the Stellaris to review. While I always appreciate the chance to test and review products sent in from manufacturers or dealers, it never affects the rating of my reviews.

The Stellaris can be picked up from Shenzhenaudio at their website below.
https://shenzhenaudio.com/products/moondrop-stellaris-14-5mm-planar-iems-sub-nanometer-diaphragm-dynamic-earphone

Onto the review of the Moondrop Stellaris! My personal preference is a hybrid/tribrid IEM where I get good hitting bass and have a detailed treble with decent mids. When it comes to an over ear headphone I prefer a spacious sound with a deep low end, the mids to be more forward and the highs to be a little bright with some sparkle. I listen to a lot of genres but I hover in the classic rock, blues and edm music with some rap here and there.

Gear Used​

IPhone 14 Pro Max with headphone adapter, Shanling M3X, Topping G5 and SMSL SU-9 feeding the SP400 amp.

Looks and fit​

The Stellaris is huge!!! It is fairly chunky and the nozzle is silly long. This can be crammed deep in the ear if you want a super deep fit. These shells are a little on the heavy side but I didn’t find them discomforting for longer sessions after messing with tip sizes. The 2 pin connector caught me off guard as I assumed these would be worn at an angle so I was surprised when I saw the connector at the top of the shell on the longer side. The shell has a pretty neat design with a painted blue that has a sparkle and changes to a more purple color depending on the lighting. The star theme might seem childish to some but I do like it overall. This paint does however seem on the glossy side and I imagine it will scratch or chip easily just at first glance.

Isolation and sound leakage​

The shell has two vent holes and I couldn’t tell if the gold vent looking thing was actually a vent or not. Regardless, this does leak sound at normal or higher volumes and while it’s not much different than a vented DD IEM, I think it would be very noticeable to others in quiet areas. It does however do passive isolation pretty well and it blocks out a good amount of sound when you get a good seal.

Packaging and accessories​

We get a bigger box with the standard “Moondrop mascot” on the front in a line art style. I think it looks good but after seeing the box art of the Moondrop Kato “sea blue” version, I now have this weird high standard for Moondrop waifu box art haha. Inside the box we do get the newer blue flip cover carrying case, some new silicone tips that look and kinda feel like Xelastic tips and a set of foam tips. Plus the normal user manual and warranty card stuff. I think this is a nice set of accessories, though the Stellaris is so big that it doesn’t really fit that well into the case it comes with which is awkward.

Sound(overall)​

These final impressions were done off the SMSL SU-9 connected to the SMSL SP400. These impressions are what the Stellaris sounded like to my ears. This was also using the stock Softears UC tips. Things like ear tip selection and DAC/amp selection will produce different results and impressions vs what my ears hear on my specific gear.

I was super stoked to check out the Stellaris so I was quickly caught off guard on my first listen. I found them overly bright and into the second track I pulled them out of my ears and was like “ UMMMMMMMM, NO THANKS ''. So I then went into swapping tips around doing everything in my power to not use their foam tips since I never find foam tips are worth the loss of details and loss of subbass slam that happens when I use them. After everything I just settled with the stock Softears UC tips and continued on at a lower volume that would allow me to listen without the treble killing me.

So! Let's get into it!! The Bass does hit pretty well and it sounds well controlled. Very much “planar bass” and it's fast and goes down low. I do find with a lower volume, I do lose a little of the bass impact but this is the sacrifice that had to be made to listen comfortably for me. The mids are crisp and I find instruments to be about average for the price range but I found both male and female vocals really well done here. I think those who like vocals will really like the details from the Stellaris. Now onto the upper mids/treble. I do find myself treble sensitive but I just couldn’t listen to these for long sessions ever at slightly lower volumes. I’m not sure where in the treble it's a problem but I do find these to be clear sounding and I think it does pull in details well enough. Just at the cost of comfort and everything has a somewhat grainy sound to it. While others might be able to handle it with no issues, I can’t. Which is a bummer since I think with a little less intense treble, the Stellaris could be a real winner given its price.

Soundstage/Imaging​

Staging has good width and depth. Though the width felt more like a cone(width) of sound from my ears and it just sounded a little different. I was impressed with the staging though and I think the imaging was fantastic on these as well, even if I struggled with the treble a bit.

Sensitivity/Drivability​

These will be drivable off all the modern dongles and DAPs just fine. I do think the Stellaris is harder to drive in general which was a surprise. While I heard no floor noise when running this balanced, I did notice a weird hiss/grainy noise when playing music in the treble region which was strange.

Stock cable​

This is a pretty neat stock cable that matches well to the color scheme of the Stellaris shell. It has a blue and gold color mix inside the clear cable sleeving. It also uses blue and gold furniture which looks good overall. I think the stock cable will be fine for most people and I would say only swap it out if you want to play with the Stellaris in a balanced output.

IEM comparisons​

Moondrop Aria​

The Aria is my go to for under $100 and with it coming in just $30 less I thought it would be a good comparison. I think the tuning on the aria is really good and it indeed can be used for longer sessions without fatigue. I would call the tuning somewhat similar but with less technicalities and less intensity. The planar tech in the Stellaris can’t be beat and when comparing the two and details from the bass and treble just sound more detailed on the Stellaris. The Aria being a single DD is a little slower sounding down low but the mids and treble sound more enjoyable to me. I think for those who try the Stellaris and might not be able to handle it, will like the Aria as a backup. Staging is better on the Stellaris IMO.

Letshuoer S12​

While the S12 does come in $40 more than the Stellaris, I think it is leaps and bounds better tuning wise. The S12 hits harder in the bass and it sounds better controlled. The instruments sound better on the S12 when it comes to mids but the vocals sound better on the Stellaris. The upper mids are strong on both IEMs but the treble sounds more tolerable and refined on the S12. Both have fast treble but the Stellaris just bites too hard and I always end a few tracks having to shake off the intensity. I thought the S12 had raw sounding treble but the Stellaris takes it to a new level. I do believe the detail retrieval is better on the S12 and I would personally take the S12 over the Stellaris any day. I would say the staging and imaging sound about the same between the two with the Stellaris having a unique depth.

Amping Combinations​

Topping G5​

The G5 is a little brighter sounding but it does have a “desktop” sound to me so I was hoping it would bring out the best in the Stellaris. It didn’t. I actually didn’t test on this setup for long due to how intense the treble got for me. Which is why I’ll be keeping this section short. I would say stick with a warmer source if you buy the Stellaris.

Shanling M3X​

The M3X does sound warmer to me in general and it paired well enough with the Stellaris. The Bass is noticeably warmer sounding and it allows the Stellaris to thump a little more. The mids are a little more laid back and the Vocals sounded more relaxed but still wonderful. The treble was still violent to my ears but I was able to deal with the sharpness for longer. Even with some of the bite and fast decay being relaxed a little, the Stellaris was able to produce some good details up top. I would definitely say something like this M3X would pair better with the Stellaris.

SMSL SU-9/SP400​

Like most IEMs, the Stellaris doesn’t need a desktop amp to power it properly. It does seem to like a little more power but I was only sitting at 36/99 volume on high gain so not much stronger than some of my other power hungry IEMs. I did get the best and most painful sound out of my desktop stack but I would prefer a warmer sounding source for the Stellaris.

Overall thoughts​

Anytime I listen to an IEM and start tip swapping to make it sound more enjoyable or to “fix” something, I know there is something wrong. I love this newer generation of planar IEMs so I was bummed to find out that I really disliked the Stellaris. Keep in mind that this is subjective so while I can’t stand the intense treble here, I think others might enjoy it. So for those treble masochists, they might find this interesting and extremely enjoyable. For me though, I can’t recommend the Stellaris and especially so when the Letshuoer S12 can be had for $40 more at the time of this writing. This is the second recent release from Moondrop I didn’t quite like so I’m hoping the next Moondrop IEM I plan to review will be better. Thanks for reading!!

INTRODUCTION AND DISCLAIMER:​

The Moondrop Stellaris is an in-ear monitor (IEM) which uses a 14.5mm planar-magnetic driver. The Stellaris retails for $109 at ShenzhenAudio, which sent me a unit in exchange for my impressions.

SOURCES:​

I have used the Moondrop Stellaris with the following sources:

• Qudelix 5K
• Hidizs S9
• E1DA 9038D
• Xumee USB-C to 3.5mm Audio Adapter

MUSIC:​

I have 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 Stellaris comes in a large square black cardboard box with a white slipcover. The slipcover features an anime waifu on the front cover and an exploded diagram of the Stellaris on the rear cover. The rear cover also provides a frequency response graph for the Stellaris, technical specifications for the Stellaris in English and Chinese, and Moondrop’s corporate address.


The box has three compartments. The first compartment holds the IEMs in a removable foam tray. The second compartment holds the included carry case. The third compartment holds a smaller rectangular box. This box contains the included eartips, a translucent zip-lock bag in which the included 2-pin cable is stored, and several pieces of paper documentation.

The Stellaris includes three pairs of Misodiko foam eartips (S, M, L) and three pairs of what appears to be Moondrop’s take on a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) eartip (S, M, L). The included case is similar in size and materials to the case included with the Moondrop Variations but uses a more traditional form factor, which is my preference. The flap of this case features a magnetic closure, which works well. In terms of documentation, the Stellaris includes a user manual, a postcard featuring another anime waifu illustration, a quality control pass chit, and a contact card featuring a scannable quick response code.

BUILD QUALITY AND DESIGN:​

The Moondrop Stellaris has metal housings with the same glittery blue glossy enamel finish as the Moondrop Starfield. The left faceplate is illustrated with a comet design, and the right faceplate features a sun and a crescent moon. The faceplates are secured via gold screws which feature three tiny circular divets. “STELLARIS” is printed on the back face of each the housing body just below the seam between the body and the faceplate. “L” and “R” indicators are printed above the base of the nozzle in line with the “S” in “STELLARIS.” All the text and designs on the faceplates and shell bodies are printed using gold paint.


There are small circular vents at the bases of the nozzles. The nozzles have substantial lips to secure eartips, which is a welcome change for Moondrop. The nozzles appear to be stuffed with black mesh a millimeter or two down the nozzle bore. The 2-pin connectors are slightly recessed.


The included 2-pin cable uses blue and gold wires wrapped in a transparent plastic sheath. The cable is not braided above or below the Y-split. The Y-split and jack hardware are made from hard dark blue rubber. The Y-split hardware is embossed with Moondrop branding. The cable jack has an L-shaped form factor. The cable features pre-formed earguides and a gold-colored metal chin-adjustment choker. There is strain relief above the jack housing but none at the Y-split. The 2-pin connectors have nearly invisible raised “L” and “R” markings. The cable is mildly microphonic.

COMFORT, FIT, AND ISOLATION:​

The Moondrop Stellaris is intended to be worn cable-up. The earpieces have a moderate to deep insertion depth. I found the Stellaris to be average in comfort. However, secureness of fit is below average because the large and heavy housings protrude substantially away from the ears. The housings required periodic readjustment using the included TPE eartips. Isolation is poor. There is no driver flex.

MEASUREMENTS:​

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

Moondrop Stellaris — Squiglink by Bedrock Reviews

SOUND:​

The Moondrop Stellaris does not sound like any other Moondrop IEM I have reviewed, and this is not a positive distinction. Unfortunately, the tuning of the Stellaris reminds me of something TRN would release.

The bass region is most reminiscent of a conventional Moondrop IEM, featuring a moderately elevated sub-bass region that tapers off gently rather than abruptly. Subjectively, the Stellaris does not have as good sub-bass extension as its frequency response measurement would suggest. The bass response is lacking in weight and punchiness. Bass articulation and resolution are both excellent. Bass texture is middle of the road. The bass does not bleed into the lower mids.

The Stellaris has a strained, peaky midrange. Other reviewers have described the Stellaris as “shouty.” I do not feel that shouty is the correct adjective for the Stellaris’ midrange. I would instead use the term Head-Fi-er baskingshark used, “nasal.” Vocals, especially male vocals, seem compressed along the X-axis and have nowhere to go but up. The result is that male vocalists often sound as if they are battling a cold. Harsh male vocals lack body and warmth, while simultaneously sounding overly gritty. Female vocals are a little more realistic but still sound overemphasized and potentially sibilant. Vocals and midrange instrumentation are not well-integrated. Timbral accuracy is acceptable, as is the level of presence.

The Stellaris has an uneven treble response. There is a reasonable amount of lower treble which seems roughly in line with the presence region. However, this is followed by an audible mid-treble peak. This peak overemphasizes the trailing edge of cymbals and hi-hats and can make these kinds of percussion unpleasant to listen to. The Stellaris does have excellent upper treble extension and superb detail retrieval. Other types of technical performance such as soundstage size, imaging, and instrument separation are also excellent for the price point. These qualities are more easily appreciated if the Stellaris’ overall frequency response is massaged into coherency with equalization.

AMPLIFICATION REQUIREMENTS AND SOURCE PAIRING:​

The Moondrop Stellaris is quite difficult to drive and requires a moderately powerful source to reach a usable listening volume. I did not notice hiss with any of my devices.

CLOSING WORDS:​

The Moondrop Stellaris is a disappointing first entry by Moondrop into the planar-magnetic IEM space. This is an IEM that could have used more time in development and has unfortunately become a victim of the Chi-Fi industry’s breakneck rush to capitalize on a new driver type trend.

Below are my thoughts on why the Stellaris sounds the way that it does:

My suspicion is that Moondrop is using the same or a similar driver as everyone else and hasn’t figured out how to shift the center of the pinna gain peak too far away from 2.3 kHz using this driver, nor have they figured out how to avoid the tendency of this driver to narrowly peak at this frequency. As far as I know, 7Hz is the only manufacturer who’s managed to both shift the apex of that peak further down the frequency range and broaden it, as seen on the Dioko.
I don’t think the problem is the amount of pinna gain on its own. I think the problem is that Moondrop tried to give the Stellaris what on any other Moondrop IEM would be a reasonable amount of pinna gain without solving these driver limitations. Something like the Raptgo Hook-X works a lot better for me even though they haven’t solved these issues either because they adjusted the amount of pinna gain down substantially.

Click to expand...

I do not recommend the Moondrop Stellaris.

The Moondrop Stellaris can be purchased below:

MOONDROP STELLARIS 14.5mm Planar IEMs SUB-Nanometer Diaphragm Dynamic (shenzhenaudio.com)

I'm pretty sure everyone agrees that 2022 is the year where planar IEMs are suddenly being vomited left and right from brands everywhere. And here is MOONDROP, one of the most known brands in the community, to come out with their own rendition of a planar IEM, the Stellaris.

UNBOXING
For anyone who has owned a MOONDROP product or knows about them, you know they always deliver a certain level of quality for their packaging (and of course how can we forget there's a waifu). The packaging is more or less the same with the KATO, minus the flaps and that one cardboard piece before unveiling its contents.

They also included 2 types of tips, which are foam and Softears tips. *This was a review unit and tips were already not there when I received it. I am using my own tips*













BUILD & FIT
I'm pretty sure everyone knows MOONDROP always likes to make their IEMs super aesthetic, and this definitely is the same as well. This IEM's design shares its traits with the Starfields and the shell is finished with a glossy iridescent color, with gold color accents for the moon and stars.



But other than the painted faceplate, the whole headshell is made of metal and (unsuprisingly) big. I have not tested the Diokos nor the Timeless 7Hz, but it seems that Planars are associated with a bigger chassis build. The said planar driver is 14.5mm but then again, I have personally tested the LETSHUOER S12 and that has 14.8mm drivers, and they are SMALL. But MOONDROP did claim they have acoustic cavities inside, which explains the bigger shape and emphasis on the front cavity.

In terms of fit, this is a hefty boi. The long nozzle makes the fitting style similar to the IER-Z1R. You would need it to go somewhat deep into your ear canals to have a good seal and fit. Personally, I've worn it for a session for an hour with size M tips (I'm usually size L for most tips) and there is slight discomfort after that long. As of finishing writing this review I have listened to it for almost 3 hours and I've taken them off a few times due to the discomfort. But other than that, I would say fit is more universally accepted since the majority of the weight will be directed to your ear canals.

But again, take that in mind because not everybody likes their ear canals jammed with something for long periods of time.


SOUND
Source used : Foobar2000 -> VE Avani (Realtek ALC5686) -> S.M.S.L. SH-6 Amplifier -> Stock Stellaris with Final Audio type E eartips (size M)


(FR courtesy of HBB)

The sound signature is being advertised as having the VSDF Target Response, said to deliver more realism to the sound, but personally I beg to differ.

Overall, the Stellaris has a neutral bright signature. Emphasis on the word bright. Mids and highs are considered to be more upfront than anything. The technicalities make this a little hard to review after listening to many genres of songs because it makes things transparent and forces out the nuances of a track's mixing and mastering

BASS
Getting it straight out of the way, low end is good (thanks to the technicality) but not that emphasized on this pair of IEM.

• Slightly recessed presence of subbass with textured rumbliness. In EDM songs the rumble presents itself in a delicate manner. In RnB and hip-hop the 808s rumble with a very specific type of tone depending on the type of 808 sample they use. If the MOONDROP Variations are being used to compare subbass : If Variations are a 10, this one is sort of a 3.
• Midbass has a flat-response type of impact when tested with songs that have powerful kick drums, having more airy-ness than thump to it.
• Bass notes also having very fast decay, hence complex and fast basslines will be given more resolution
• Despite its toned-down characteristics, it shows amazing tone definition overall with micro-details overall

MIDS
The part where most parts of the song live, and we have a lot to talk about here. Overall presence of whatever that lives in the mids are very focused, albeit whether if every type of elements sounds good or not is another story.

1. Vocals
There's a few extra things I want to cover for vocals, so let's just start out with one weird thing I noticed.

*Weird exception*
First things first, J-pop are sometimes unlistenable due to it having constant borderline sibilant, harsh nature added with busy tracks. Personally, the sibilance and sharp esses will most likely be there when female vocals are present, emphasized even more if they have higher pitched voices.

• Aimer is one of the exceptions due to her deep voice
• Kana Hanazawa is already on the borderline of having sibilance in certain tracks
• LiSA albums are just a hit or miss, some sound sharp some do not.
• YOASOBI's Lilas esses also has some slight harshness on the esses

However, listening to other female vocals from other genres, even with certain songs that have falsettos, there were little to no instances of sibilance and harshness.

After this, switching to male J-pop songs, such as the BOOTLEG album from Kenshi Yonezu, there were also some hints of overly-brightness and sharpness, hence : My personal conclusion with this the female vocal sibilance & sharpness is most likely due to the mixing and mastering of the vocal tracks.

If you're listening to J-pop on YouTube, this problem that I mention will not be prevalent from my testing (due to compression)

***ADDITIONAL NOTES***
This IEM is tested with various tracks such as J-pop, soul, jazz, RnB etc. tracks of FLAC quality. I noticed when the soon to be mentioned sibilance and sharpness was less if listening through YouTube because of the obvious, more compressed format.

For the sake of simplicity, the review will all solely be based on what I listened to on my FLAC tracks.

But other than this aforementioned case, vocals in general mostly sound forward and presented in a very transparent way. However, for certain songs, vocals will also sound slightly cold and have some slight metallic twang to it.

Again, I would say this is all more dependent on the mix at this point due to the Stellaris being such a transparent and technical IEM.


2. Instruments
In general, instruments in the midrange will have a strong but flat presence, only to be felt more intimate by the details complementing it.
The best way I can describe this is if you edit photos, the overall composition of the photos is very presenting, resolution is literal 8K, the "flat" I mentioned is just something like the saturation of the colors being slightly toned down in certain areas.

• Strings such as electric guitars, when played clean sounds natural with little extension, and those with distortion makes the sound to have a nice texture to it. Violins and bass from Mac Miller's 2009 intro are very presented and well separated due to good technicalities. One thing I would gripe is when listening to certain tracks with nylon guitar strings, plucks and strums might have sibilance to it
• Piano for the most case sounds neutral, transparent, and every keystroke is being felt. The sound of the hammer being struck on the strings, owing to the superb detail retrieval adds to the immersion of it
• Synths will probably shine a lot in this case. Synths from Daft Punk's RAM album sounds more presented than ever (with again, the good detail retrieval)
• Percussion on this hand I would have to say is more reliant on mixes. There are certain songs where the hi-hats sound great - sharp, quick, and bright; and other tracks, the hats are just sibilant. Snares will sound more crunchy and dry in general but overall quite neutral in that sense

HIGHS

• The typical "planar crispiness" is present on this pair, but I would consider it to be a little too much sometimes, especially when the highs are being "in your face"
• Highs sound airy, but sounds more hollow and less natural than what we most associate with such as from the Aria
• Listening to songs from Joji to FKJ to even oldies such as Bee Gees, the amount of detail retrieval it offers just pulls every nuance of notes, artefacts, foleys to the listener with amazing resolution.
• Vocal adlibs & layers that complement songs were deserved a front seat, making the songs more immersive and intimate
• Bells and sounds that resemble xylophones, those types of sound on the high end brings a sense of balance between intimacy, and overall presence within the whole track mix. Sounds of this kind have a sparkle to it

TECHNICALITIES
Detail retrieval will be the main selling point of this IEM. For every type of sound you hear across the frequency, the amount of extra stuff, from string decay, subtle vibratos, to even the addition of that crispiness makes it overall sound superb.
One weird thing is in certain cases, due to the overemphasis of details on songs with very little instruments, the overall song exhibits a sort of hollowness to it. In the most non-offensive but kinda offensive way to put it, it sounds a little bit like a tin-can.
Soundstage wideness is good for its price point, with good separation, imaging, and layering of songs with multiple sounds going off at the same time.
If the IER-Z1R scores 10 in both soundstage and separation, the Stellaris gets a 7 and 8 respectively.


WHAT SOUNDS GOOD?

• Rap songs mainly from Kanye West's discography. Albeit certain songs definitely lack bass, if you don't mind exchanging less intrusive bass for superb details, then this is IEM if for you
• Orchestrated pieces which overall brings every instrument a raw experience, letting you even closer to the musicians
• Soul such as songs from Tom Misch, Masego taking advantage of the technicality of the IEM to make instruments sound even more sparkly
• FKJ (because I don't know how to classify his music) sounds more impactful with the upper-mids and the high end elements jumping at you even more

FINAL THOUGHTS
After a few hours of listening on the Stellaris, what I can say about this is that it really is not for everyone. J-pop is already a big nono for this, however, within the realms of listening to soul, RnB, pop, and rock is very enjoyable, albeit the amount of low-end is definitely reduced significantly. Examples of this is Runaway from Kanye West just sounds less immersive with less bass but the amount of details just waltz in like nobody's business, being transparent enough to even being able to hear the mixing.

Personally, I find the transparency and detail retrieval to be interesting as I can personally visualize how a track is made, but other than that I would still prefer a more laid back tuning than being bombarded with a ton of detail for a long time. This gives me the same experience (in the mids and high ends) as the LETSHUOER S12, where initially everything sounds so immersive, bright and aggressive without being sibilant, but then starts to get a little too much after listening to it for hours.

But don't get me wrong, if you like details and lean more towards the preference of bright IEMs, this is really a good choice, especially with such a strong technical performance for just a little over 100USD.

Moondrop Stellaris
"They really knocked one out of the park"

Moondrop expertise and build quality
Driver configuration 14.5mm Planar Driver
Socket 0.78mm 2-pin
Cable jack 3.5mm-stereo-ended
Sensitivity 117dB/Vrms (@1kHz)
Impedance 36Ω±15% (@1kHz)
Frequency response 10Hz-50kHz
Effective frequency response 20Hz-20kHz (IEC60318-4, 3dB)



Moondrop Stellaris
Outstanding 14.5mm Planar Driver In-Ear Monitor

• High-Precision Sub-Nanometer Driver Diaphragm
• Fully Symmetrical Magnetic Circuit
• Exquisite Starry Sky Theme Appearance
• Comfortable Liquid Silicone Ear Tips

https://www.linsoul.com/collections/featured-home/products/moondrop-stellaris
$109.99 USD

Get this, Moondrop jumped on the Planar excitement. Why wouldn’t they join the club? It seems this is a style of playback you and I want. The value that only a $100-ish planar IEM can bring to the table. And……..did Moondrop ever bring it. A home-run, they truly knocked it way out of the park! There is nothing not to like about this playback……though it is on the brighter side of the street, and controversial due to such aspects. Yet with the right source and cable, unimaginable progress takes place. Maybe this is the best sound you can get for the money? I don’t even know what price value to put on it?

Except it makes the Dioko a meme. It destroys the TINHIFI P1 Max, it even out performed the HOOK-X…….amazingly enough. The Kinera Celest Gumiho……you will read about the comparisons. Really the TANGZU Zetian Wu is in 2nd place, but due to the overall tuning with Stellaris in comparison to the Zetian Wu, they are probably complementary IEMs? This review will have a comparison section.......in fact most of this review IS a set of comparisons. Later after all the dust settles I will talk about build quality and fit. As truly there is a lot of “win” here to digest……..so let’s get started shall we.........

Moondrop:
Surprisingly I have never heard a Moondrop IEM. But I have read about them for years……so I almost feel like I have heard them. But let’s just say they are a major player in the production of IEMs……with a huge reputation for success. Now the interesting part of this is it’s not just Moondrop’s creation. No, this is another collaboration, but the collaboration with a professional company, not a showboat YouTube reviewer.

Comparisons:
S) Moondrop Planar Stellaris
A) TANGZU ZETIAN WU
B) RAPTGO HOOK-X
C) TINHIFI P1 Max
D) Kinera Celest Gumiho
E) 7Hz x Crinacle Salnotes Dioko

This is how I position them, in relation to what I have heard. This explanation will included simple side-by-sides and try to explain why I feel this way. Obviously this is only one persons humble experience. Don’t get your feathers ruffled if I didn’t place your planar on-top of my list. It’s just that there is a value in placing products in order of ability. Remember too, I feel this ability is regardless of sound preference. This helps create a realistic view if you could only choose one. Also in my experience this is the most critical way of reviewing an IEM. It’s when they are placed side-by-side in a listening room that truths start to form and value/abilities starts to be seen. Also the same DAP used, but different cables were used. This test is not really using cost as a factor. All of them are different prices, except we are only concentrating on sound and involvement to that sound.

S) Moondrop Planar Stellaris $109.99
A) TANGZU ZETIAN WU $149.00
B) RAPTGO HOOK-X $239.00
C) TINHIFI P1 Max $99.00 (on sale)
D) Kinera Celest Gumiho $49.00
E) 7Hz x Crinacle Salnotes Dioko $99.00


The TANGZU ZETIAN WU:
Often an IEM will show up and you guess it’s just fate that it arrived when it did. As the Stellaris and Zetian arrived days of one another. The ZETIAN WU arrived first and truly a special sounding IEM. But the two are totally different. Number one the ZETIAN WU has definite planar sound……still those (sounds) are really good. Truly the ZETIAN WU may have better timbre? As the Stellaris has a way of making music sound new and different, you can question the timbre, yet only for a moment. I gave up as to why this takes place, as the timbre does sound natural with the Stellaris? It’s just that the ZETIAN WU has everything slightly more condensed together in the stage. It’s not a bad thing……just that the major redeeming factor for the Stellaris is spatial imaging inside the stage! Such items fully spread out and separated to the point of wonder. Wondering how this style of playback is even possible. Where the Zetian has a deeper-warmer......more laidback tone and of positioning elements, where they are almost on-top of one another. Don’t get me wrong, the ZETIAN WU is totally entertaining and fun, it has a close to perfect sound-signature and may (in-fact) be liked more by many readers? The Wu is a safer and more user friendly style of response. It’s just that the bass is way more detailed with the Stellaris, less pronounced, yet cleaner and better separated than in the playback of the ZETIAN WU!

The RAPTGO HOOK-X:
The HOOK-X has a reputation here at Head-Fi, and to be upfront and transparent, the HOOK-X sounded even better than I remember. Still the Stellaris offers a slightly more arranged sound…….Why? One driver obviously! While the HOOK-X offers a wider low-end, we all know that exact low-end is not the most defined or sculpted……..it’s just big in size offering better over-all warmth than the Stellaris. Such are the Stellaris bass edges....which are smooth in contrast to the HOOK-X’s fringe. The Stellaris attack notes are thicker adding note-weight and more substantial girth, despite the forward midrange and graph. See, that’s the kicker……..the Stellaris would be thin, except for the big imaging and note weight present. It's not exactly how it graphs…….graphs can’t see note-weight. The RAPTGO has maybe a slightly bigger stage (partially) but the added bass baggage makes HOOK-X have a tinge of slowness. Don’t get me wrong, my top three are my top three, and each IEM is special. But the Stellaris in cleaner and clearer........more sophisticated in its demeanor. Yet each style playback IS special, each has individuality! Though the Stellaris fits better than the HOOK-X, too?

The TINHIFI P1 Max:
While the P1 on arrival took about a week of burn-in to show the depth of the bass, the Stellaris has only 2 days of burn-in............for what that’s worth? The P1 treble is believe it or not thinner and almost steely in timbral artifacts, in comparison to the Stellaris? Still I love the P1…….and if you read my review where I compare it to the RAPTGO HOOK-X, I hold both as equals, yet as time passed the RAPTGO HOOK-X has pulled ahead. There is still that same lack of slight separation that Planar IEMs just do, where the Stellaris seems to do it less? The Stellaris doesn't even sound like a Planar, if you really get down to it. That fact, is probably the greatest thing I could say about the Stellaris?

In a sense the P1 shares that clumped together style with the ZETIAN WU, where stuff seems to lay close to each other with less note-weight. The layers of information are too close with not enough room to breath in comparison to the Stellaris. This lack of spaciousness (with the P1) is a conflict with realness in playback. While the P1 does vocals well, it doesn’t have the exact tune to be called a vocal specialist IEM. It’s just that vocals on even the ZETIAN WU are in fact clearer and better separated. Beefy is probably not the right word for the mids, but it’s those (Stellaris) metal shells that add slight quietness of background and add to the perception of thickness. Stellaris imaging is just more profound and clearer….what can I say…….stuff is more 3D and real-life sounding!

The 7Hz x Crinacle Salnotes Dioko:
Simply less note-weight. There are feelings of off timbre too, but after a while somehow I get used to it. Though putting them back into my ears for this test the off timbre is noticeable like seeing a girl with bad make-up. It’s also on the brighter side, with a reduced bass character that just kills it for me. Though vocals are a stand-out show point, I’ll give it that............and it also has great transients! Still fit is truly an issue, I can get it to fit with only one pair of my tips, unfortunately I’m not using them now……..so they feel like they are always about to fall out……due to that heavy glass faceplate, and the fact they simply are not balanced as far as weight distribution.

The Kinera Celest Gumiho:
Well giant bass in comparison to the Dioko, and great vibrancy (BA vibrancy) I said I was not going to mention price, but how can you not mention price when you are comparing 1/2 the cost and still getting a great playback. The only issue I have hear is again clarity. The Celest is a composite of two drivers, and like the HOOK-X shows that (dual) separation, normally I’m into that style of playback only here the separation is truly about the upper mids………that and the Stellaris has this sophistication in how imaging is again clearer, held into focus with less distortion of side effects? Though the Celest does have a nice way its projecting a forward soundstage. This is an intense little IEM, and sounds way, way bigger than it looks like it would. Timbre is not off as much as the Dioko, but obviously BA timbre is there and noticed as it has one BA driver. Also there is some speculation as to the Celest not even being a planar in the first place. It does sound like a planar (I’ll give it that) yet the construction of the driver is not like any planar drivers in this test. The Celest is kind of a half-way planar. Though the sound has a nice vividness that comes from a combination of planar and BA drivers.

The TANGZU ZETIAN WU:
I’m going to wrap these comparisons up by going once again back to the ZETIAN WU. Why, because it deserves special attention. The attention only two chapters in these side-by-sides could give it. First off the fit is amazing…….truly these fit great. And while the bass is slightly less defined than the Stellaris, it’s probably a safer bet for many, with-out the risk of the midrange forwardness in the Stellaris? The tune may even be better balanced over-all……it’s just when you witness the technicalities combined with the pure size of the presentation, it makes you truly love the Stellaris and it’s abilities.



The Build:
In all my years of doing this I have never seen a shape which fits so good, yet looks so odd. I agree with what you're thinking at this moment......that this “thing” could never even begin to fit in your ears..........Lol. So I forgive you for the normal concerns as to fit and comfort. I mean common......just look at it! I will say it is large and surprisingly robust........even heavy! Yet there is an ergonomic solution at work here, this is Moondrop, do you really think they would put-in all this effort........resulting in the Stellaris failure to fit? No, they know what they are doing.......just take a small ounce of confidence in their work/effort. I will say one thing though, you really have to note when putting on the cable, the shape is not common and can cause you to put the ear-hooks on backwards due to not knowing the orientation. The 2 pins are wonderfully recessed as well as the nozzle screen, slightly set back. When you look down the nozzle you will actually see no screen but a foam piece that acts like a screen. The foam is set back as to avoid removal by accident. Coming is at a weight of 27 grams combined, they are substantial, though this may have an effect in the clarity they reproduce? A fully coated diffraction-paint two-piece construction feels smooth and relaxing in ear, in fact I loved the way they feel. Why? The balance of course. It is not the amount of weight of an IEM is that's the issue, it's how (that weight) is dispersed across your ear. These feel like nothing at all in your ears. I forgive you for not believing me, but you will get the picture upon Stellaris placement none the less.

The Cable:

The package/box opening experience:

Conclusion:
There are reasons why this particular IEM does well. It was scientifically engineered to do well. There are magic tricks through hard science that created a drift in the accepted IEM landscape to create a new paradigm in sound. Better sound through science, that’s all. If it’s exactly your sound remains to be seen, though I find it highly enjoyable. It’s not even my exact sound preference, though the Stellaris becomes liked, I simply enjoy the Stellaris's accurate and full-scale playback.

I’m in awe of the Stellaris's technical prowess, its comfy fit and its ability to make me forget where I am. The immersion here is real. Learning of small (new) audio-aspects in songs is fun, as truly these are a style of audio microscope, way more detail than I ever thought was possible from a Planar IEM? Such artifacts of sound are unearthed and excavated, seemingly heard for the first time? Though not so much due to the tune/tone but because of the wide display and imaging inside the soundstage. The information after dispersed, has no choice than to be greeted and seen/heard for what it is. Combine that with a strict yet bouncing groove and our head starts to move......then emotion follows! The Stellaris is always asking if you are paying attention, yet you want to pay attention, you long to witness more playback. I ended up staying up 5 hours past my bedtime due to the Stellaris! I enjoyed every minute of it. If that’s not a recommendation, I don’t know what else is? And not because I had to listen to this, no...............I wanted to partake in the specialized display of playback the Stellaris has. In fact while as I was up-late listening.......I got confused, my bewilderment was due to not being sure how to value this IEM. As you may know, if you truly blend with an IEMs reproduction, then it’s priceless. It’s not that the actual IEM is priceless, it’s that you are witnessing great music playback, and that is what's priceless. There are very few words I truly have to describe the Stellaris……as much of the playback I can’t describe for you......that is why this review is on the shorter side. I did my best, but now the task is up to you……it’s up to you to make up your mind if the Stellaris is the right way to go. Still........read more reviews and get some other opinions, as this is simply one reviewers ideas and impressions. As when the Stellaris gets into many hands and into many different ears………I’m sure it’s going to be good news!

$109.99 USD
https://www.linsoul.com/collections/featured-home/products/moondrop-stellaris

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Disclaimer:
I want to thank Kareena of Linsoul for the love and the Moondrop Planar Stellaris Universal IEM review sample.

Disclaimer:
These are one persons ideas and concepts, your results may vary.

Equipment Used:
Sony WM1Z Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm and 3.5mm
Sony WM1A Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm and 3.5mm
Sony TA-ZH1ES DAC/AMP Firmware 1.03
Electra Glide Audio Reference Glide-Reference Standard "Fatboy" Power Cord
Sony Walkman Cradle BCR-NWH10
AudioQuest Carbon USB
UA3 Dongle DAC/Amplifier 4.4mm and 3.5mm