Hurm, you make me wonder whether I should skip Chaconne in favor of Blur 189, the fit is very important to me and I could barely tolerate the Smabat m2s pro fitting, let alone big and heavy one like Chaconne.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.
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....
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!
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.
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To be fair, the Chaconne are not that heavy-just relative to the super easy to fit, lightweight models, they are heavier-and larger-to be sure. I did have fit issues at the beginning but I also did not understand earbuds at the time, as I had rarely if ever used them before. Once you "know" their fit, they become "easy". I *think* their weight is part of the ultimate design, for better or worse, so if they were lighter they would not be the same Chaconne we know.
Earbuds may actually be impossible to gauge for other people, as the fit and resulting sound signature seems to be even more individual than with other earphones. Two different ear shapes may hear the exact same unit quite differently. Thus why I may have never heard the Chaconne as "warm" as most of you seem to do (it is not strident, but it certainly is not warm to my ears-their warmest tone was shoving them in too deeply, and hurting/making sore my large ears as a result.)
Feel free to correct me if I am wrong-after all, I have been using the Chaconne only for slightly over two months. Still love them very much, as they fit "everything" I listen to quite well.
Some cons after two months-the 3.5mm plug bent slightly (I do not remember pulling them by accident-just noticed one day about 3 weeks or so ago) and the gold plated brass shower-head section loses its lustre quite easily-just a few weeks after some use. It is not as "golden" anymore, and I never used them without foams (their sound signature is not right without a type of foam being used over the grills.) Sound is as good as ever.
Earbuds may actually be impossible to gauge for other people, as the fit and resulting sound signature seems to be even more individual than with other earphones. Two different ear shapes may hear the exact same unit quite differently. Thus why I may have never heard the Chaconne as "warm" as most of you seem to do (it is not strident, but it certainly is not warm to my ears-their warmest tone was shoving them in too deeply, and hurting/making sore my large ears as a result.)
Feel free to correct me if I am wrong-after all, I have been using the Chaconne only for slightly over two months. Still love them very much, as they fit "everything" I listen to quite well.
Some cons after two months-the 3.5mm plug bent slightly (I do not remember pulling them by accident-just noticed one day about 3 weeks or so ago) and the gold plated brass shower-head section loses its lustre quite easily-just a few weeks after some use. It is not as "golden" anymore, and I never used them without foams (their sound signature is not right without a type of foam being used over the grills.) Sound is as good as ever.
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The issue is not so much the weight as you say. There are a few heavy metal shelled earbuds out there, some much heavier than the Chaconne. None though are slippery buggers like the Chaconne... well, besides the sleek Turandot that is! The real issue with the Chaconne is the imbalance and awkwardness of this said weight due to it's inherent design combined with the slipperiness of it's shell. Also, people's ears vary vastly and for some the Chaconne will never fit well no matter what they do even with the use of cement or glue!
Totally concur! Earbud signatures are strongly effected by fit... adversely so when it is a bad fit.
To be clear when I stated that the Chaconne were warmer:
I meant that the Chaconne were/are warmer than the Maria I & II. So for the sake of clarity I find that the Moondrop Chaconne, although indeed warm-like, sits rather neutral with both bright (airy extended treble) and warm (smooth mids and highs) leanings. Slightly more bright leaning though due to it's airy primary signature.
No correction is in order good person. We be fellow earbud comrades (aka earbud fanatics) so all thoughtful opinions and experiences are ever most welcome here.
Yes, a few have reported this shell tarnishing, as well as the weak jack.
Agreed, many find that the Chaconne requires foams to tame their signature and for a better fit.
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Sam L
Headphoneus Supremus
Good description -- bright and aggressive. I'm not so sure I would easily recommend the Maria II to earbud lovers because they are such a departure from most earbud lovers expect. In my opinion, 95% of the earbud fans tend toward warmer sound signatures. If someone were coming from the iem world and have a strong preference for heavy v-shaped sound, then the Maria II is their best option. But then if they stick with earbuds, they'll eventually realize that they like buds for the uniqueness they offer and understand the futility in chasing after a true "iem-like" sound with buds.
Thank you for the suggestions @WoodyLuvr , helpful as always.
Re: sound stage, I don't have any top tier cans (I do most of my critical listening on the HD6xx and the closed version of the Aeon 2) but the Maria has a more open and wider soundstage than either of those cans. Actually, the Maria has a wider soundstage than all my headphones.
Fully agree, Maria's will ruin the listening experience with any poorly recorded music. I can't listen to any historical recordings with the Maria, completely unlistenable.
Anyone considering the Maria II, be warned that these are really a specialty earbud. At least it is for me until I build a v1.5 compensation file for it. If I can get a break from work, the Maria II might motivate me towards making a v1.6 target.
numon
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hi
i asked clios for recommend for mojito detailed earbud.he said s e nfr pt2021 will be best choise instead smabat st10s gold earbud for clinical listening.can you give comparition between maria 2 and pt2021?especially soundstage wideness(very wide or wide ) ?
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Man I've had my yincrow X6 in all day playing through my mojo/poly and it has been a blast. I've been smitten with kLLBs and EBX21 the past couple of weeks but going back to the X6 gives a really satisfying mid bass that works quite well with electronic music.
one costs € 400 and another € 80 ...
calcatreppola
Also known as ördögszekér
ok... you are driving me crazy.... just because I am more and more mad for earbuds, and very attracted by Maria II.
Is it mid-centric or v-shaped?????
I do mainly critical listenings, especially of classic music and jazz. But I really enjoy a lot music by itself, too. until now I have k309 (not even seen in WoodyLuvr's lists), Monk lite, ebx21, blur 189 hybrid mx150. In most cases detail is everything for me. I like to hear the hautbois' or flute's keys, the simple but full harmony of harpsichord in the 5th brandeburg concert with all its quick notes, the subtle bells of The Necks' drummer, and to distinguish the organ and the timpani rolling at the beginning of also Sprach Zarathustra. But also all drummers' stroke in heavy metal while the singer sings... i think maria II can do something, especially because it seems I am not especially sensitive to highs. On the other hand if I need to relax I can use the monk lite, or even the ebx21 (with slightlly different scope). And more, I can change dac (I am using an opamp-rolled xd-05 bal and hiby w3s) ...
Question is: if you write that it is mid-centric AND v-shaped either it is a magical earbud, or it is terrible... can you really compare it too rw2000, that costs one third?
sorry to insist, but now I imagine Maria II either like those people that attract you, and than chew you and spit out... or those people that you need to stay with, but will always cause disappointment, still you can't help and continue stay with them...
can you distract me from buying them, or should I go deeper in the rabbit hole?
I hope this chart will help more than it will confuse. Just know that we all hear a little differently and are all bias... favoring certain listening tastes and preferences over others and based on this bias we tend to emphasize certain tones more than others. Transducer signatures/characteristics can be stronger or weaker sounding to different ears, most especially opposing tertiary signatures. Primary and secondary signatures are much more prominent and well-defined whereas tertiary signatures, whether they be complimenting or opposing, can be much more ambiguous and/or difficult to detect.
Primary = Mid-Forward / Mid-Centric (Aggressive Leaning)
Secondary (Strong) = Critical
Secondary (Weak) = Hard-Harsh / Aggressive (Upper Midrange)
Tertiary (Complimenting) = Hard-Harsh / Bright (Lower Treble; possibly W-Shaped to some listeners)
Tertiary (Opposing) = None (possibly an opposing V-Shaped signature for some listeners)
Listening Session = Short *
Pros = Open-Wide Staging; Ultra-Detailed; Well-Timbred; Reference-Like
Cons = Fatiguing *
* I am extremely sensitive to harshness and sibilance in the upper midrange, lower treble, and mid treble areas, as well as overly critical signatures.
Maria I, and especially the Maria II, primary signature (red shaded oval) is "mid-forward" / "mid-centric" with a quite "aggressive" leaning. The Maria I & II offer a strong secondary signature (blue shaded balloon) that reaches out to "critical" and although ultra-detailed and resolute this may come across as being overly analytical-clinical to some listeners. The Maria I & II also show a weak secondary signature (blue shaded balloon) that reaches out to "hard-harsh" upper mids that may come across rather forward and aggressive. Sometimes prominent and opposing tertiary signatures (green shaded arrows) exhibited by Maria I & II are a tendency to reach out towards the "hard-harsh" lower treble area and the "shrill & sibilant" middle treble area with certain recordings and genres. Other possible tertiary sound signatures (purple shaded arrows) that people may hear may be "W-Shaped" due to their mid-forwardness in the upper midrange and even possibly "V-Shaped" which is quite understandable as I have found that their sometimes prominent highs can indeed overtake and recess the midrange with certain complex dynamic recordings.
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I own the Maria II and completely agree with @WoodyLuvr's post in answer. They are Very mid-centric/mid-forward (especially upper mid). With the right music they are indeed really some of the best but with the specific tuning they have, the list of what sounds really great is pretty short. If you have need of an absolute huge soundstage and separation (that I don't think sounds fake), then DO get the Maria II. There have been those that comment that they have a bigger/better soundstage than the famed HD800 (and others besides). You might have a god tier sound for you on some of the classical and light jazz stuff, but they will most likely hurt your ears with any sort of metal YMMV.
But it is my opinion that the Chaconne are the very best for analog music (real instruments) like harpsichord, and bells, and flutes, and etc... But like the Maria II they aren't great for metal unless you add some EQ down low (though not in a painful way like the Maria II).
As to the RW2000 (I own those also), they are less aggressive all around. They do still own the mid-forward signature (also in upper mids), but to a lesser degree. The treble for these, on the other hand, is actually warmer to my ears than the Maria II, which makes them a bit less revealing overall. Bass has much more quantity on the 2000 but has a bit less texture and speed. Overall, I find them to be placed second (for now) of my list of the best...
It is my opinion that if you want something similar to the Maria II with less cost, you might consider the Dunu Alpha 1. They are almost as resolving, and overall have a very similar signature (a bit lesser soundstage), they are just less aggressive in the upper mids. Also, there is more quantity of bass on these. They are a 1 BA & 1 DD bud. Just my thoughts...
Charlyro222
500+ Head-Fier
Interest
Interesting bud Dunu Alpha 1. I didn't know hybrid earbuds existsI own the Maria II and completely agree with @WoodyLuvr's post in answer. They are Very mid-centric/mid-forward (especially upper mid). With the right music they are indeed really some of the best but with the specific tuning they have, the list of what sounds really great is pretty short. If you have need of an absolute huge soundstage and separation (that I don't think sounds fake), then DO get the Maria II. There have been those that comment that they have a bigger/better soundstage than the famed HD800 (and others besides). You might have a god tier sound for you on some of the classical and light jazz stuff, but they will most likely hurt your ears with any sort of metal YMMV.
But it is my opinion that the Chaconne are the very best for analog music (real instruments) like harpsichord, and bells, and flutes, and etc... But like the Maria II they aren't great for metal unless you add some EQ down low (though not in a painful way like the Maria II).
As to the RW2000 (I own those also), they are less aggressive all around. They do still own the mid-forward signature (also in upper mids), but to a lesser degree. The treble for these, on the other hand, is actually warmer to my ears than the Maria II, which makes them a bit less revealing overall. Bass has much more quantity on the 2000 but has a bit less texture and speed. Overall, I find them to be placed second (for now) of my list of the best...
It is my opinion that if you want something similar to the Maria II with less cost, you might consider the Dunu Alpha 1. They are almost as resolving, and overall have a very similar signature (a bit lesser soundstage), they are just less aggressive in the upper mids. Also, there is more quantity of bass on these. They are a 1 BA & 1 DD bud. Just my thoughts...
The new upcoming SMABAT ST20S Pro is supposedly a hybrid 1DD + 1 BA. I didn't crowdfund that one, as I think BAs in a earbud are gonna be extremely difficult to pull off, but have funded the non Pro version (ST20), which is a traditional single DD earbud.
Probably the added 1 BA will increase resolution and technical performance, but not sure about a BA's timbral accuracy or adding coherency/tonality issues.
In the end, are you going to try ST20 or ST20 pro?
I bought the ST20. Didn't buy the ST20 Pro (hybrid with BA). Wonder if any of our friends here did though, would be interested in their impressions once they get it.
I did the same, I do not know this new setting as it will be in ST20 (faceplate type airpod +diver LCP 50 Ohm), but for the Smabat 40 Ohm LCP driver I got a great sound.
The ST20Pro was too risky (exorbitant price), plus they described it as cold ...
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