[RIGATIO]

What if I only want to buy one, which one would you recommend?

Sound quality wise, the dx300 will be probably slightly inferior to others but not by much and it has great battery life.
Dx320 is very slightly better than the dx300 but it has poorer battery life. The se200 will have this typical AK sound signature, with liquid mids and a very precise and accurate details. You also have two dac options to choose from. The Hiby is the newest and the most expensive but ive never tried this one. Some say its a very smooth sounding dap but i dont know.
Maybe choose the smallest one? You could also try the AK sr35.

 

[RIGATIO]

Comparing today Moondrop Variations to the ie900 and the Xelento 2 and WOW.
To my ears the Variations literally destroy both iems in terms of naturalness and realism.
This case again confirmes that the soundstage is in the tuning, not in some party tricks.
The trebles on the Variation are so smooth and natural that the soundstage is so beautifully diffused and ethereal.
The midrange can be bit shouty for some but this is like it should be- the vocals are dead center, with the instruments placed around the vocalists.
Whats interesting is that even tho, the midrange is more subdued and less "shouty" on both the Xelento and ie900, there is some roughness between lower and mid trebles on both.
This can be due to the fact that both german iems have less natural transition between lower to mid trebles.
Next thing is the bass on the Variations- is more separated than on the ie900 and way more clean than on the Xelentos. Its very deep, bouncy and satisfying and i dont feel any lack of low frequencies when comparing to the big boys.
Ie900 and Xelento 2 are great iems but they arent as realistic sounding as the Variations.
I even cant hear any advantage when it comes to the detail retrieval. These three are on the same level to my ears. When listening to the Variations im really placed in the center of live event.

 

[Shamburg]

I've been very late to the IE900 party, mainly because I was less than enthralled with the 800s, and I was expecting a similar sound signature.

I was wrong. Where the 800s is threadbare and lean sounding, the IE900 is bold and colorful. And that bass! Even against my Empire Ears Legend EVO and 64 Audio Volur (no slouches in the bass department), the IE900 brings new depth and definition to the bass and sub bass.

They're amazing. Better late than never.

 

[RIGATIO]

I've been very late to the IE900 party, mainly because I was less than enthralled with the 800s, and I was expecting a similar sound signature.

I was wrong. Where the 800s is threadbare and lean sounding, the IE900 is bold and colorful. And that bass! Even against my Empire Ears Legend EVO and 64 Audio Volur (no slouches in the bass department), the IE900 brings new depth and definition to the bass and sub bass.

They're amazing. Better late than never.

Agree, the ie900's bass is probably the best among all currently existing iems. I also love their trebles as they are very extened but dont bother me at all.
I already eliminated the Xelentos 2 and they will be going back. I prefer the ie900 to them because the Senns sound cleaner and more correct to my ears (my main reference point are the Monarch 2 and the Variations).
Now there are only two left to fight- ie900 and Variations.
The ie900 seem to have a wider stage (at least the impression of a wider stage) and they sound bit more interesting due to their coloring.
But these Variations.. damn, they are spectacular. Even more separated and very impactful bass and more correct sounding mids. And these smooooth and diffuse trebles, so natural and life-like.

 

[RIGATIO]

My main problem with the ie900 when compared to the Variations is that the ie900 just doesnt sound natural. It has more of this WOW factor but i could compare it to the situation when you have some TWS iems and you turn on Dolby Atmos or similar sound effects. Its cool but the music just doesnt sound correct. Everything seems mignified and artificially separated. The effects you always turn off to get a natural and honest timbre.
Everything is on cocaine but just doesnt sound right. Dunno..

 

[Shamburg]

My main problem with the ie900 when compared to the Variations is that the ie900 just doesnt sound natural. It has more of this WOW factor but i could compare it to the situation when you have some TWS iems and you turn on Dolby Atmos or similar sound effects. Its cool but the music just doesnt sound correct. Everything seems mignified and artificially separated. The effects you always turn off to get a natural and honest timbre.
Everything is on cocaine but just doesnt sound right. Dunno..

The Variations might be next on my list.

 

[MarkParity]

The Variations might be next on my list.

Are you happy with the ie900? I have the Moondrop Variations and my opinion is it doesn't beat the ie900 at all, to me it sounds like its trying too hard, the ie900 just knows what it is and simply gets on with the job of delivering the best possible sound effortlessly.

Of course all of the above is my opinion only, give the Variations a try and see what you think but make sure you can return it.

I also have the MMK3 and that one easily beats the Moondrop Variations but again not the ie900, I just use the MMK3 to give the ie900 a break and when I fancy a change.

PS. not a popular opinion on head-fi but whenever someone says something or another is "too shouty" I just think "WELL TURN THE VOLUME DOWN A BIT" no IEM or headphone has ever sounded shouty to me. Shouty is your ears telling you to turn it down, so I do. End or rant.

 

[RIGATIO]

Are you happy with the ie900? I have the Moondrop Variations and my opinion is it doesn't beat the ie900 at all, to me it sounds like its trying too hard, the ie900 just knows what it is and simply gets on with the job of delivering the best possible sound effortlessly.

Of course all of the above is my opinion only, give the Variations a try and see what you think but make sure you can return it.

I also have the MMK3 and that one easily beats the Moondrop Variations but again not the ie900, I just use the MMK3 to give the ie900 a break and when I fancy a change.

PS. not a popular opinion on head-fi but whenever someone says something or another is "too shouty" I just think "WELL TURN THE VOLUME DOWN A BIT" no IEM or headphone has ever sounded shouty to me. Shouty is your ears telling you to turn it down, so I do. End or rant.

Yes im happy with the ie900 but compared with the Variations, im not sure anymore
I dont really know what does "delivering the best possible sound effortlessly" mean tbh. It actually sounds bit like the ie900 is trying too hard to impress when the Variations are chilled as they know that the science is on their side- the tuning.
But it doesnt change the fact that i like the ie900 a lot for what they do.

 

[User9876]

Yes im happy with the ie900 but compared with the Variations, im not sure anymore
I dont really know what does "delivering the best possible sound effortlessly" mean tbh. It actually sounds bit like the ie900 is trying too hard to impress when the Variations are chilled as they know that the science is on their side- the tuning.
But it doesnt change the fact that i like the ie900 a lot for what they do.

Interesting you have made me want to dig out the Variations from the bottom of my IEM drawer and give it another listen.

 

[RIGATIO]

Decided to keep the ie900 in the end.
Variations are one of the best ive heard but the ie900 are so much fun and refinement!

 

[cfc7]

I already eliminated the Xelentos 2 and they will be going back. I prefer the ie900 to them because the Senns sound cleaner and more correct to my ears

Interesting, I would have said exactly the opposite looking at the graphs.

 

[Rolu]

I just received my IE900s today. Summary of my first listen- Bass quality and quantity are among the best I have heard. Right there with my Trio, the Volur and the Fatfreq Maestro SE.
Mids are not as pulled back as I expected from looking at the squigs beforehand. But they are a little too pulled back for me. Qudelix 5K to the rescue! I love EQ, problem solved.
Treble is just a little too tizzy up top- otherwise the treble is really good and detailed.

I have no problem listening to the IE900 without EQ, but like EVERYTHING else, they are better with a little EQ. In this case only three filters are used.

My only real gripe, is that after listening to my Trio, these sound a little intimate. Okay and I really don't love the cables, but I do appreciate the three different cables that are included.

Overall, wish I had picked these up sooner. I love them. Perhaps the only iems I like better are the three I mentioned above and the U12t. Fit is like a CIEM in my ears with the Spinfit W1s. Thank you again @Sennheiser !

I've been very late to the IE900 party, mainly because I was less than enthralled with the 800s, and I was expecting a similar sound signature.

I was wrong. Where the 800s is threadbare and lean sounding, the IE900 is bold and colorful. And that bass! Even against my Empire Ears Legend EVO and 64 Audio Volur (no slouches in the bass department), the IE900 brings new depth and definition to the bass and sub bass.

They're amazing. Better late than never.

Can you please compare the bass of the IE900 vs the Volur in more detail? I haven't heard the IE900 but the Volur is my current no.1 for bass.

 

[RIGATIO]

Interesting, I would have said exactly the opposite looking at the graphs.

Even on the graph you can clearly see that the Xelentos have a very big midbass bump and this influence the overall timbre. Im not saying that the Xelentos lack in technical department but there are too many cases when i listen to them when the guitars and vocals for example, are blending with other instruments in the background.
On the graph the ie900 seem more pushed back in the upper mids but they sound cleaner and more separated overall, so the vocals, even tho they lack a bit of energy, dont lack clarity and are extremely well separated from the instruments.
Xelentos are a very nice sounding iems but they seem bit overpriced for what they offer in terms of overall clarity and the insight into the recording. Not sure i would like to pay 1000e for just a good musicality.

 

[dleblanc343]

Can you please compare the bass of the IE900 vs the Volur in more detail? I haven't heard the IE900 but the Volur is my current no.1 for bass.

I rank both as top candidates as far as bass quality goes in today's market. Z1R and Feiwan would be up there too. I'd even go as far to say that these sets outclass most summit-fi sets in bass too (Anni23, Jewel, Storm, RN6, XE6, etc)

Volur: Its bass is more macrodynamic with a muscular sense of weight and warmth. It's favoring slam and body more so than texture due to the linear and significant bass slope. The bass slightly bleeds into the lower mids, but it is very well done/ gradual all things considered. Volur excels in sounding relatively neutral with a fabulous bass boost and extra midbass warmth, without sounding exaggeratedly smothered or lacking liveliness

IE900: This set being a more V-Shaped tuning really showcases its sharp transients and gritty/ aggressive character. Bass texture is one of the best I have ever heard, regardless of price which is a major feat. It has great kick and prat, but its faster in recovery than Volur which has more "oomph". IE900 excels at timbre and dynamics in the bass.

Ultimately, my favorite bass is still the Z1R, as it blends a realism in dynamics but also heft and body while sounding grander than any of the above. That being said, it doesn't have "as much" bass as Volur and is not as detailed or texture in its bass as IE900

 

[Rolu]

I rank both as top candidates as far as bass quality goes in today's market. Z1R and Feiwan would be up there too. I'd even go as far to say that these sets outclass most summit-fi sets in bass too (Anni23, Jewel, Storm, RN6, XE6, etc)

Volur: Its bass is more macrodynamic with a muscular sense of weight and warmth. It's favoring slam and body more so than texture due to the linear and significant bass slope. The bass slightly bleeds into the lower mids, but it is very well done/ gradual all things considered. Volur excels in sounding relatively neutral with a fabulous bass boost and extra midbass warmth, without sounding exaggeratedly smothered or lacking liveliness

IE900: This set being a more V-Shaped tuning really showcases its sharp transients and gritty/ aggressive character. Bass texture is one of the best I have ever heard, regardless of price which is a major feat. It has great kick and prat, but its faster in recovery than Volur which has more "oomph". IE900 excels at timbre and dynamics in the bass.

Ultimately, my favorite bass is still the Z1R, as it blends a realism in dynamics but also heft and body while sounding grander than any of the above. That being said, it doesn't have "as much" bass as Volur and is not as detailed or texture in its bass as IE900

I'm completely aligned with your analyses of the Volur and Z1r, therefore I can take your word on the ie900 too

I'll just add for the Volur that I haven't heard any set have a dynamic, variable bass soundstage like it is able to provide. Really unique in my experience.