[Sam L]

They are quite different. The X6 has more textured bass with a deeper subbass extension, and has smoother highs/upper mids.

Vidos seem to have some unit variation or at least differences across the different coloured Vidos, so I have a few Vidos that sound different from each other.

Agreed. Very different buds. The vidos sound more like monks than the x6.

 

[Szymon The Crackhead]

I have just received the Qian69 on December 31st... The last unit from AliExpress. No more available... Which is a shame.

First impressions, the timbre on them is extremely pleasant and natural. They have a proper, old school, V-Shaped signature, which is extremely rare on buds. Sound great, though I would like the mids just a little bit less recessed.

Will post a review next week, after I spend some more time with them, with comparisons to Qian39 and Yincrow X6. I can also compare to the Monk Plus if you guys want a solid laugh.

 

[calcatreppola]

Are there any Maria 2 owners out there using wavelet or soundsource on mac?

Yesterday evening was Dvorak concerto night. There were some recordings I wanted to give a good listen to that I've put off for months:
I wanted to use my Maria 2's for this session and only lasted to the close of the the first movement of Midori's DVC. The Maria's are way too fatiguing and finished out the rest of the listening session with the Qian39's wavelet eq'd to 43%.

The reason for my question: I've avoided re-setting up my measurement rig because I've since upgraded my laptop(s) and the process of making all the pieces behave well is painstaking (calibrating everything, swapping various dacs for comparison, making sure the entire audio path isn't introducing anomalies, getting things correctly updated for autoeq to work, etc.). I would also need to explore moving everything from pc to mac or keeping a stable rig on one of my pc's.... more work.

Edit: Ms. Jansen's version is only avail on youtube.

For fans of the violin, Hilary Hahn recently played the Dvorak, this past month Dec. 9th and 11th. I'll give this a serious listen sometime this week.

thank you for sharing. Very interesting points, both about buds and about music.

1) I would like to buy Maria II and would ask you: apart from this fatiguing listening (that I can't understand if it refers only to these concerts or to everything) is it really detailed and with a big soundstage as is said? Now I have ebx21 and a blur 189 mx150 hybrid, almost same detail retrieving, but the tonality of the ebx21 makes it a wonderful listening in all occasions. I only concede myself monk lite 120 ohms if I really want to listen without thinking. I listen a lot of harpsichord, which can compete with violin on some frequencies . [although I can listen to most musical genres... but what I really need to pay atttentiono to is classical music]. I really have difficultie to change earbud. So: do you think Maria II can be worth the try? (so is selling it here in europe at an almost decent price, if really good).

2) boy, if you equalize... have you ever thought to change the cable? a silver-plated can do something, I think. On mac there is a good product called Colibri that might help you. (I guess you don't have iPhone, where Neutron seems to be the king of equalizer). Or maybe you can give hibyblue a try, with its equalizer. I never dedicated much time to eq, I got enough satisfaction with cable... Now that you have been so specific about time requested, I will try with patience. Thsank you for this, too.

 

[mwkzicwz]

A few questions about Qian series:

1. How does Qian39 perform compared to Qian69? Is it worth the price difference? I've heard that Qian39 is more comfortable--can you elaborate on that? Which one would you choose if you were only to get one?

2. I heard about Qian25 limited edition. However, I can't seem to find a post about this one. Can you guys confirm?

Thanks in advance.

 

[WoodyLuvr]

For longer sessions, I have been listening to Maria 1 out of A105 directly with no EQ. A105 gives Maria 1 low mids warmth, narrows the wide stage a bit and smoothes out treble to make her sound less fatiguing.

the Maria 2 is ultra bright as in nothing in the earbud world comes close, off the charts bright. I'll get it measured one of these days. Another contributer to the fatigue is a really aggressive pinna gain, which on an earphone cannot mimic what we see in iems -- ie. Harman pinna gain is already a bit much for many people in iems. My first few earbud target curves borrowed from Harman target and I learned quickly it's a no go for earbuds.

Maybe annoying would be more accurate than fatiguing in regards to my observations. For example with the lz a7 red filter most every note on the E string beyond 3rd position sounds unnaturally shrill. Nitpicking, I know and I'm not really a nitpicky listener -- it's only with violin pieces since I played the instrument, majored music in college and played in orchestras for 10+ years. Can't help it.

Concur, the Maria II is quite bright (and aggressive) just like it's older sister Maria I... really a shame for those of us with treble sensitivity as their detail is amazing and their sparkle is truly magical. The only other earbuds in the same realm of brightness would be the Yincrow RW-1000/2000, PT2021, Toneking Dendroaspis Viridis, Blur Beautiful Witch, and perhaps the Audio-Technica ATH-CM2000Ti.

To be honest, as a violinist I cannot see how even a bright earphone may sound fatiguing with this particular great work. Has to be ultra bright. It is very subjective what "fatiguing" is for every listener in the end. For me it would be an incredible emphasis on upper mids and lower treble. Mid to high treble does not fatigue me, unless it is extreme mid treble (few cases of that, depends on the recording.)

For me, less treble is not always the best answer. Usually fatigue is inherent in the recording. I have the Midori but just do not remember how it was recorded and would need to listen to it again (I do not have Ms. Jansen's version.)

Indeed, fatigue is different for everyone and can occur across the FR and is not delegated to just treble (higher frequencies). Too much bass which becomes too boomy; too forward which becomes too shouty or harsh; too aggressive which can be too thin and tinny (metallic sounding); too bright which can be too shrilly, sibilant, or harsh; too much detail can be too critical (analytical/clinical); too smooth can be too veiled; too laidback can come across too hollow and distant; etc. Any of which could possibly wear you out if listening for any length of time.

Also, very true in regards to fatigue being inherent in some recordings. This especially has been a serious problem since the loudness wars.

1) I would like to buy Maria II and would ask you: apart from this fatiguing listening (that I can't understand if it refers only to these concerts or to everything) is it really detailed and with a big soundstage as is said? Now I have ebx21 and a blur 189 mx150 hybrid, almost same detail retrieving, but the tonality of the ebx21 makes it a wonderful listening in all occasions. I only concede

Superlative detail retrieval and yes, Maria I & II are as open and as wide as attested by many! And we are talking about top-tier full-size open headphones levels here... the only other earbud offering such wide or open staging would be the Toneking Dendroaspis Viridis. That said, Maria I & II are most definitely an acquired taste and only suitable for those who can stomach their bright nature (heavy high frequency extension); ultra-detail retrieval bordering on critical (an analytical-clinical signature that does not play well with poor recordings); and sibilant/glassy-like sparkly treble. It can not be stressed enough... Marias are completely unforgiving when it comes to poor recordings and/or critical prone music genres.

 

[WoodyLuvr]

A few questions about Qian series:

1. How does Qian39 perform compared to Qian69? Is it worth the price difference? I've heard that Qian39 is more comfortable--can you elaborate on that? Which one would you choose if you were only to get one?

2. I heard about Qian25 limited edition. However, I can't seem to find a post about this one. Can you guys confirm?

Thanks in advance.

Most on here would recommend the Qian69 over the Qian39 sound signature-wise (they be very close though)... but comfort-wise the Qian39 and it's shell cousin the VE Zen LL reign supreme (both are rightly nicknamed as "sleeping buds"). That said many would also recommend the Ks Bell-LBBs over either the Qian39 or Qian69 so there is that to also consider as well.

The Qian25 and Qian49 are not as good... lifeless, boring, and too flat... so I would recommend that you not waste your time with these mediocre models.

 

[Szymon The Crackhead]

1. How does Qian39 perform compared to Qian69? Is it worth the price difference? I've heard that Qian39 is more comfortable--can you elaborate on that? Which one would you choose if you were only to get one?

They are very different earphones. Qian39 is a bassy flat kind of tuning, with not much gain in the pinna area, which some people (including me), really love. It has very good technical performance for the price.

Then there's the Qian69. It's a proper V-Shape (also lacking in pinna gain, unlike more "modern" V-Shaped sets)... And really good technical performance for its price as well.

I haven't fully reviewed or compared either, but my gut instinct is the 69 are better for walking about and listening to stuff like rap, pop, and EDM. A proper V-Shape with real sub bass extension puts them almost in IEM territory, so if you are a basshead and you hate IEMs, go for these for sure! The 39, on the other hand, I would probably take for more focused listening. They will also do great in pop, but also stuff like rock, classical, jazz...

I would probably take the Yincrow X6 over both if I listened to metal 90% of the time (like I am recently hahaha). But both the Qians have better technical performance than the X6. 39 has great resolution, 69 has a lot more detail across the spectrum and really realistic timbre.

As for the comfort, both are amazing. I wore the 69 yesterday for a full 9 hour gaming and streaming session while my HD600 pads were drying, and had no problems whatsoever. The 39 is smaller and lighter, so if you have dinky ears, might suit you better. For me, both stay in my ears securely, but I prefer the fit of the 69, as it's more substantial. Both are way comfier than any MX500 shell earbud like X6 or Monk+.

Again, I will post a full comparison soon™. Idk how this forum works yet but I guess you could follow my profile or something?

 

[Sam L]

Moondrop Chaconne's came in early. Opened the packaged, grabbed the earphones and went out the door to run some errands and grab coffee. Before I get back home and look through documentation -- how on earth are you supposed to tell which side is which?

 

[Star Ace]

Moondrop Chaconne's came in early. Opened the packaged, grabbed the earphones and went out the door to run some errands and grab coffee. Before I get back home and look through documentation -- how on earth are you supposed to tell which side is which?

Left is the one with the indent/marking on the steel nozzle itself. I had the same issue, but quickly realized what was intended.

Hope you enjoy them! The Maria 2 sound interesting, but pricey, and I already have and am happy with the Chaconne.

 

[Scubadevils]

Yeah I had to Google that when I got Chaconne!

 

[chinmie]

Moondrop Chaconne's came in early. Opened the packaged, grabbed the earphones and went out the door to run some errands and grab coffee. Before I get back home and look through documentation -- how on earth are you supposed to tell which side is which?

there should be a grooved ring/ indentation on one of them. if it's like their older earbuds, that would be the left side.. but to be sure you can test it using chesky tracks or L/R channel check in youtube

 

[Barndoor]

I put some of my wife's nail polish on one side to help easily identify left from right on hard to see gear.

 

[samandhi]

Can you tell us why? With slight improvement in bass response and extension the Chaconne successor would be the undisputed king of earbuds. I know you guys have been hitting homeruns with your iems lately, but us earbud folk are a passionate bunch! I would unhesitantly shell out the money for a new and improved Chaconne.

To me the Chaconne are like ANY TOTL buds/IEMs/headphones in that they have at least ONE shortcoming. In this case, it is the bass. I CAN live with it as is but adding some via EQ makes them just what you described (undisputed king of earbuds) IMO.

I use Neutron player on a iBasso DX300, high gain, filter set to NOS. The EQ settings, which are a bastardized hybrid between PEQ and GEQ (which it seems you can do with Neutron), are as follows:

62Hz BW: 1 Gain: 8dB
73Hz Q:3 Gain: 6dB (Low Shelf)
125Hz BW: 1 Gain: 4
Preamp dB: -8.6 (this should keep the AGP from kicking in on all but the most heavy bass songs).

Trust me, I know what you're thinking, but this does sound really good with them!

Keep in mind that you need to have AGP (Auto Gain Protection) turned on for this to not sound crappy on SOME songs... On heavier bass songs, it will hit a clipping point, but will only reduce the output gain rather than clip, so it still sounds very good. I know, I am too lazy to do subtractive EQing for this, but there you have it. Also, if you DO use Neutron, go into settings and make sure to set the AGP to per song, and the level slider to 0, so it will reset the AGP to normal after each song.

Are there any Maria 2 owners out there using wavelet or soundsource on mac?

Yesterday evening was Dvorak concerto night. There were some recordings I wanted to give a good listen to that I've put off for months:

1. Janine Jansen's Dvorak Violin Concerto (DVC). Dunno why I never really gave this rendition a chance in the past.
2. Midori's DVC. main reason why I never really sought out another DVC recording. Midori's version is well recorded and her playing is phenomenal. Let me insert here that I caught one of her recitals at UC Berkeley's Zellerbach hall ages ago and left a different person. The only other experience I had like that was catching Nathan Milstein's last performance before he died (his playing was far from well executed but everyone in that hall felt like they were watching a historical performance.)
3. Jacqueline Du Pre's Dvorak Cello Concerto. Not a well recorded piece to evaluate equipment but decent considering the age of the recording. The opening entrance of the solo cello is one of the most unique passages in the entire cello repertoire, I think.

I wanted to use my Maria 2's for this session and only lasted to the close of the the first movement of Midori's DVC. The Maria's are way too fatiguing and finished out the rest of the listening session with the Qian39's wavelet eq'd to 43%.

The reason for my question: I've avoided re-setting up my measurement rig because I've since upgraded my laptop(s) and the process of making all the pieces behave well is painstaking (calibrating everything, swapping various dacs for comparison, making sure the entire audio path isn't introducing anomalies, getting things correctly updated for autoeq to work, etc.). I would also need to explore moving everything from pc to mac or keeping a stable rig on one of my pc's.... more work.

I need some additional motivation to do all this since my work has me still pushing 12-17 hour days, 7 days a week.
A couple Maria 2 / wavelets users might do the trick. Or a really disappointing moondrop chaconne experience will likely do it too. (that one should be here next week sometime.)

Edit: Ms. Jansen's version is only avail on youtube.

For fans of the violin, Hilary Hahn recently played the Dvorak, this past month Dec. 9th and 11th. I'll give this a serious listen sometime this week.


@tgx78

I don't use Wavelet (at least not for the Maria II, only for my Senn HD700), but my problem with them is the pina gain area. I subtract about -4dB (or more if needs be) from 3k, and -2dB from 2k and they are still very close to being analytical, but with less pain. Though, I have to admit, I am not as sensitive to treble as long as there isn't and stridency, but am VERY sensitive to upper mids (which these seem to have in spades). I have found these to be very good buds after some modification in that area. Though, if you can ever find the time, I would not mind hearing/following your adventures with a rig on these. Also others mentioned cable swapping. Putting an OCC cable would tame it down a bit, and thicker or even double foams would also help. Or, putting rubber donuts on would help bring up the bass, which in turn would give the impression that the highs were lessened a bit.

As to the Chaconne, as you can see from my answer above, I can't say too many things bad about them. I find the weight to be a small issue (though not deal-breaking for me), as well as the non-removable cable. Sound-wise, I am happy with the EQ that I have found. I truly think these sound better than most of the buds/IEMs/headphones I have ever listened to.

Sam L,

I think you may appreciate the Chaconne, as the upper mids are not overly emphasized, nor too recessed to over-correct over-emphasis.
Reviewers in this thread find it neutral-warm, but I find it "true neutral" (no relation to D&D.) It is only warm in relation to earphones emphasizing the upper mids as you indicate. Using them (Chaconne) right now, they are always a treat no matter what I use them for.
But who knows, you may find their treble extension a bit much (doubt it, but it seems you may be overly sensitive-or I am misreading you.)

(I do love bright steel Es, so perhaps we just hear things differently, or prefer opposite things. They should always have a core to the sound, mind you, but I do not like very warm Es as they tend to rob some brilliance from the other strings, which I do not prefer. Use medium Es and sometimes even weich because I like a bright E tone, even though I prefer gut strings in general for the lower strings.)

Seems that I will never try those Rose Technics Maria 2, as the price is even higher than the Chaconne! They better be good! Their treble emphasis intrigue me, but *not* at that price.

For me the Moondrop sound musical and neutral-very true to life, natural, open, airy, but without exaggerated sizzle. They are detailed, but not sizzling-hot. Extend absurdly well. Cymbals are so good, non distorted, and natural. One of my best earphones/headphones to be sure.

They are both Fantastic (as @WoodyLuvr would say, God tier), but if you enjoy the Chaconne, I don't really think the Maria II will add anything except maybe soundstage width. And even then, it is not a HUGE difference (they both have a very wide soundstage IMO). You DO get a detachable cable with the Maria II though, but both are not really meant for rough and tumble actions (one to too huge to stay in your ears, and the other is too heavy). However, I bought some ear hooks that clip on to them both that work fantastic, though I only use them on the Maria II. These hooks also work on the Chaconne but hold them too far out of my ears and I lose even more bass response.

For those that like both of these buds, I can easily recommend the Yincrow 2000 as they are similar, but warmer, and fuller. Not as close to analytical, but still very clear. I would say they are more rounded across the whole spectrum, which does make them a bit different. This might be considered a slight contrast to those two I suppose, but also similar. I can't really describe it better. You would just have to listen to them IMO. Oh, and it's my belief that they come with one of the best cables I have seen for a pair of buds.

P.S. To those that know me, sorry I've been away for so long. RL crap ya' know?! Anyhow, glad to see some of the same faces still here (and new ones too.. pretty exciting).

P.P.S. I would also like to add another to @RikudouGoku's recommend list which is the Smabbat ST10S Gold (I actually find them to sound quite a bit better than the MS2 Pro, but still like them too), otherwise would agree with almost his whole list. Only reason I can't agree with the whole list is because I haven't heard them all yet...

 

[WoodyLuvr]

They are very different earphones. Qian39 is a bassy flat kind of tuning, with not much gain in the pinna area, which some people (including me), really love. It has very good technical performance for the price.

Then there's the Qian69. It's a proper V-Shape (also lacking in pinna gain, unlike more "modern" V-Shaped sets)... And really good technical performance for its price as well.

I haven't fully reviewed or compared either, but my gut instinct is the 69 are better for walking about and listening to stuff like rap, pop, and EDM. A proper V-Shape with real sub bass extension puts them almost in IEM territory, so if you are a basshead and you hate IEMs, go for these for sure! The 39, on the other hand, I would probably take for more focused listening. They will also do great in pop, but also stuff like rock, classical, jazz...

I would probably take the Yincrow X6 over both if I listened to metal 90% of the time (like I am recently hahaha). But both the Qians have better technical performance than the X6. 39 has great resolution, 69 has a lot more detail across the spectrum and really realistic timbre.

As for the comfort, both are amazing. I wore the 69 yesterday for a full 9 hour gaming and streaming session while my HD600 pads were drying, and had no problems whatsoever. The 39 is smaller and lighter, so if you have dinky ears, might suit you better. For me, both stay in my ears securely, but I prefer the fit of the 69, as it's more substantial. Both are way comfier than any MX500 shell earbud like X6 or Monk+.

Again, I will post a full comparison soon™. Idk how this forum works yet but I guess you could follow my profile or something?

Very nice comparison; well done. Look forward to reading your full review! Simply alert us with a quick post in this thread with a link when you have posted the review.

 

[WoodyLuvr]

To me the Chaconne are like ANY TOTL buds/IEMs/headphones in that they have at least ONE shortcoming. In this case, it is the bass. I CAN live with it as is but adding some via EQ makes them just what you described (undisputed king of earbuds) IMO.

As to the Chaconne, as you can see from my answer above, I can't say too many things bad about them. I find the weight to be a small issue (though not deal-breaking for me), as well as the non-removable cable. Sound-wise, I am happy with the EQ that I have found. I truly think these sound better than most of the buds/IEMs/headphones I have ever listened to.

Very true. Thus why many of us consider the Chaconne to be a specialty earbud, a one or two trick pony, and not an all-rounder. They do not EQ as well as some other earbuds though (especially in the lower frequencies which is most likely due to their being a low impedance driver) which is a real shame. I found that even with light careful EQing of the Chaconne caused strange bass humps, boominess, loss of bass resolution, and/or muddy mids due to bass bleed. For some reason, more often than not, lower impedance drivers tend to not respond well to EQing and sometimes may not even play well with DSPs and/or scale well (more power)... though, there are indeed a few noteworthy low impedance earbuds (and drivers for that matter) out there that do respond beautifully to EQ'ing and power like the Ks Bell-LBBs. All said the Chaconne is a wonderful earbud if you understand it's strengths and many limitations both signature and fit wise.

They are both Fantastic (as @WoodyLuvr would say, God tier), but if you enjoy the Chaconne, I don't really think the Maria II will add anything except maybe soundstage width. And even then, it is not a HUGE difference (they both have a very wide soundstage IMO). You DO get a detachable cable with the Maria II though, but both are not really meant for rough and tumble actions (one to too huge to stay in your ears, and the other is too heavy). However, I bought some ear hooks that clip on to them both that work fantastic, though I only use them on the Maria II. These hooks also work on the Chaconne but hold them too far out of my ears and I lose even more bass response.

Similar to the Chaconne, Maria II are also a specialty bud (a one or two trick pony) and cater to very particular music genres and specific listening tastes. Though close to one another in the signature department they have some rather strong differences as well. Maria I & II are far more mid-centric (mid-forward); more bright (leaning hard to aggressive); tend to be super critical; and although bass light do offer more bass resolution (detail). Whereas, the Chaconne are warmer; flatter (naturally sharper due to their near neutral position); and much more forgiving of poor, lower quality recordings.

Might I offer that with some very complex, multi-layered, dynamic recordings Maria II would outshine the Chaconne in not only staging but also in overall resolution but in other recordings the Chaconne would reign supreme with sharper detail (uncritical response) and it's known fantastic sparkle.

Both, even the Maria II with it's two offered sizes, are plagued with fit issues for many people which does dramatically and drastically effects their signature and the overall listening experience... .

For those that like both of these buds, I can easily recommend the Yincrow 2000 as they are similar, but warmer, and fuller. Not as close to analytical, but still very clear. I would say they are more rounded across the whole spectrum, which does make them a bit different. This might be considered a slight contrast to those two I suppose, but also similar. I can't really describe it better. You would just have to listen to them IMO. Oh, and it's my belief that they come with one of the best cables I have seen for a pair of buds.

True, excellent cabling.

Though slightly warmer sounding the Yincrow 2000 are still rather bright leaning... they are very detailed earbuds that can be quite fatiguing for some people due to their peak'iness and sometimes sibilant nature with certain music genres. Slightly more of an all-rounder in comparison to the Chaconne or Maria II the Yincrow RW-2000 offers an interestingly unique sparkle that is different than heard in the Chaconne.

Now with that said the Yincrow RW-3000 may have come to the rescue... based on initial early reviews it has corrected all of these issues... time will tell!

P.P.S. I would also like to add another to @RikudouGoku's recommend list which is the Smabbat ST10S Gold (I actually find them to sound quite a bit better than the MS2 Pro, but still like them too), otherwise would agree with almost his whole list. Only reason I can't agree with the whole list is because I haven't heard them all yet...

For nearly six months my Smabat ST-10S Black-Gold 150Ω stood proudly in my earbud stable as a strong favorite. Once I realized that was because I was strongly favoring their extraordinary sub-bass and overall deep bass and forgiving their peaky treble (@ 3K) and "off" timbre I moved on from them (gave them to a friend to dissect) and removed them from my God-Tier List. There was just something a little goofy (off) about the signature (something I have heard across the Svara-Smabat line) and the timbre was wonky to me as well. But again great sub-bass though nearing almost slam levels which is amazing for an earbud. It was also a finicky fit for me as well but no where as bad the awkward Chaconne or even Maria II.