[itshot]

Disclaimer: This is my first review, so just keep in mind that I'm trying my best. 

 
Okay, so I just got them in the mail this morning. And I've got to say Moshi has put a lot of consideration into aesthetics. Even the shipping box looks nice and is better "built" compared to amazon's!
 
The retail box is packaged quite nicely and I would liken it to a window of a fancy shore, but instead of mannequins, there are the Claruses.  As for accessories, you get an airplane adapter, a microfibre case (about 1.35x the size of those metal UE cases), and two additional pairs of eartips (small and large).
 
So that's all fair and good, but how do they sound? I'll start from the bottom up... unamped (whoops, make that amped with a fiio e11. By force of habit, forgot to try them unamped. I'll do that later on) 
 
 

---1st Day---​

 
 
Bass: I'm not a basshead by any means, but I've got to say I like the Clarus' bass. A lot. Anyhow, I feel that these iems cater more towards the bass-loving crowd. Okay, I now realize that's kind of overstating it, but doesn't change the fact that these have a great lower end. Not bass-heavy, but IMO bass-leaning. Also, there is something the sound of the lower end that is reminiscent of Sennheiser HD 650's (when amped with a Fiio e11 w/ eq setting on "1"). I'm able to hear a lot of detail in the lower end that hadn't previously noticed with my Triplefi's (ie: bass guitar, etc). Overall, I'd say that the bass is a little pronounced, but its tight enough and weighty nonetheless. 
 
Mids/Vocals: Hmm... I think I'll need to put some more hours on them to get a better idea. At the moment, I think that the mids take a bit of a back seat to the bass. As for vocals, a teeny bit of that bass prominence permeates the voices, making them seem slightly laid back/mellow. But then again, I'm coming from the brighter Triplefi's and Q701's, so you've got take that into consideration.
 
Treble: The upper registers are a little of rolled off (if that's even the right term). The best way to put it for now is that treble is definitely not edgy or fatiguing. Once again, remember that I'm used to TF10/Q701.
 
Other stuff:
 

1. The soundstage is smaller than the TF10's, how much smaller? I'm not sure about that... maybe about 75-ish% of the TF10.
2. There is hardly any isolation... heck, even the box says so.
3. With regards to fit, there aren't any issues so far. .
4. Little to no microphonics, have yet to test the inline microphone though.
5. Build quality (for the body at least) is fan-freaking-tastic. Its metal! The earhook thingies don't look like they'll be going anywhere either. The mic looks good enough (light plastic) and the buttons have a nice hearty click, but Moshi probably should have put some strain reliefs on the ends of the mic just in case. The only concern I have is the cable. Its thin and made of fiber. I've never had a fiber cable before, so I can't attest to their durability, but I think that they bend too easily which might affect the connection within the cable if mistreated.
6. Design... I think I'll save that for later.

 
I'll add more later (pictures as well), but for now I think I'll take a nap.

 

[dweaver]

Good stuff Itshot, keep up the impressions especially as these break in. Also can you post information on how they fit and their design, isolation, etc?

 

[tinyman392]

Quote:

Good stuff Itshot, keep up the impressions especially as these break in. Also can you post information on how they fit and their design, isolation, etc?

 
0 Isolation...  Zero, none, zilch...  
 
I didn't find these that bass heavy (as the OP has it) though.  I found these to be a sweeter phone with a mid-focus while in good balance with the lows.  

 

[itshot]

Quote:

 
0 Isolation...  Zero, none, zilch...  
 
I didn't find these that bass heavy (as the OP has it) though.  I found these to be a sweeter phone with a mid-focus while in good balance with the lows.  

yeah, totally forgot that i was using my poratble amp.
 
how long have you had your pair?

 

[tinyman392]

Quote:

yeah, totally forgot that i was using my poratble amp.

 
Ah, that'll explain a lot XD  

 

[nihontoman]

is it just me, or do they sound like the Able planet Dual drives until they burned in?

 

[tinyman392]

Quote:

is it just me, or do they sound like the Able planet Dual drives until they burned in?

 
I'd have to say it's just you.  They sounded nothing like the Able Planet Duals... 

 

[nihontoman]

Quote:

 
I'd have to say it's just you.  They sounded nothing like the Able Planet Duals... 

hmmm, could you please write the differences between those two? cause I'm interested in higher end dual dynamic drives like the moshi and having an approximate idea of what they sound like would be of much help...

thank you...

 

[tinyman392]

Quote:

hmmm, could you please write the differences between those two? cause I'm interested in higher end dual dynamic drives like the moshi and having an approximate idea of what they sound like would be of much help...

thank you...

 
I temporarily lost hearing out of my right ear after getting it cleaned out today (had a big 'ol ear wax in it).  So I'll do this tomorrow

 

[nihontoman]

Quote:

 
I temporarily lost hearing out of my right ear after getting it cleaned out today (had a big 'ol ear wax in it).  So I'll do this tomorrow

Ah, ok, thanks

 

[nick n]

Bump here but nobody else trustworthy on the net besides this thread here.
 Never been my preferred styling but who really cares, all I care about is sound quality compared to some of the new offerings lately. These still hold up to your prior impressions?
 
Tinyman saw your otherplace review and got extremely curious. 15mm and 7mm dynamic. Nice.
 
And Itshot if you still have em any input is appreciated.
 
Thanks a bunch.

 

[tinyman392]

  Bump here but nobody else trustworthy on the net besides this thread here.
 Never been my preferred styling but who really cares, all I care about is sound quality compared to some of the new offerings lately. These still hold up to your prior impressions?
 
Tinyman saw your otherplace review and got extremely curious. 15mm and 7mm dynamic. Nice.
 
And Itshot if you still have em any input is appreciated.
 
Thanks a bunch.

 
There aren't too many trustworthy reviews of this headphone for various reasons, one is that Moshi isn't taken serious in the audio world yet.  Unless they start targeting sites like Head-Fi, they won't ever really be.  So what you'll end up getting are consumer-based review sites, like my otherplace (although my review's audio section isn't written consumer-based).  That's the issue with the Clarus, the sound they produce would be one that targets the audiophile crowd, but Moshi never really tried to push these to the audiophile crowd.  They did do that giveaway a little while back, but that was about it. 
 
If it means anything, I actually went ahead and measured these.  There seems to be a driver misbalance, I'm not sure if that's due to physical resistance (earwax clogging the nozzle/filter) that built up over time (it would be uneven though), or if the drivers themselves are mismatched.  I measured these today, not when they were new (I didn't have any mechanisms to measure IEMs when I originally got these). 
 

​

 
You can tell there is a mismatch, about 3-4 dB max (< 6kHz).  The treble is a little more laid back in nature, but they do sound great overall.  It has good bass extension, and ample quantity as well.  The bass is most comparable to something like an RE-400 (although the RE-400 seems fuller and a little more boomy from memory).  With that said, the bass is tighter with good speed; Moshi was trying to make the bass accurate with these IMO.  Mids are sweet, Shure style sweet.  So if you don't like sweet headphones, these may not be the direction you head.  I feel the lower treble is balanced beautifully with good presence, extension, and detailing, but the upper treble lacks energy and presence in some cases.  Detailing is there, it does smear at times unfortunately :/  Overall, I'd say the treble is the weakness of the Clarus, but it's a great monitor overall (I don't want to call it an IEM, it really isn't one). 
 
One other note about these, they don't isolate at all   So if you need them for isolation purposes, this isn't the direction to go.  I would recommend them for runners though as they are stable on the ear (despite their shape) and don't isolate and allow users to still hear their surroundings. 

 

[Triggerfish]

Finally seeing at least something going on in this thread.  I've been hoping for reviews and impressions for a while.  They have an interesting look and I've been wondering if they would be an upgrade from my Klipsch X10s.

 

[tinyman392]

  Finally seeing at least something going on in this thread.  I've been hoping for reviews and impressions for a while.  They have an interesting look and I've been wondering if they would be an upgrade from my Klipsch X10s.

 
Haven't heard the X10s...  Based on measurements though, these should be a slightly warmer X10. 

 

[ryanjsoo]

I`ve heard both, the clarus are a little less rolled off in the highs, have a tad better bass impact and rumble, though less speed, typical dynamic bass and an imporved soundstage, overall not worth the $200 if you have the x10`s already as fit and isolation are not nearly as good as the klipsch, they do seem more durable though, so if your x10`s develop faults, its a nice alternative, the sound sig is similar enough and will feel welcome to anyone who enjoys klipsch earphones at least in my opinion anyway.