I don't think a lot has to be said about Moondrop since they are well known and their products have generated quite a bit of chatter. They are a brand based in China with almost all their products having great success.
Today I wont really be splitting my review into sections but I will just push out my opinions on the Aria and why it is an upgrade compared to the Starfield. (Ignoring the price factor)
The Moondrop Aria is a Single Dynamic Driver made with a Liquid Crystal Polymer Diaphragm and it quite a rare breed in terms of design. Moondrop has decided to give it a matte finish instead of their usual glossy finish which is more common. This is good because the IEM will have lesser micro scratches like the KXXS and fingerprints on it. It also does not have the paint chipping issue that the starfield has.
Accessories:
Cable is black and sleeved. It is a huge change for Moondrop. They used to provide us with crappy stock cables in models like the starfield and the rest but this time they decided to try something different for their cable. Credit where it is due. My only question is, why is this not for their higher end models?
They come with 6 pairs of eartips, Spare nozzle filters which is not quite common, Tweezers and a leather case with the Gold Moondrop Logo on it.
Packaging is their usual Anime theme Sleeve and inside the sleeve is a magnetic flip open Box. Not a fan of the Anime theme to be honest but it looks nice. Just doesn't really compliment the stealthy look that the Aria has.
The fit is really good since it is similar to the starfield.
Sound:
Sound wise, Moondrop has yet again decided to follow the harman curve and make it identical to its older siblings again...
The Aria literally made the KXXS and Starfield obsolete. The Aria is basically a cheaper version of the KXXS and Starfield. I personally feel that the Aria solved my issues with the Starfield. The Starfield was lacking in terms of technical ability in my opinion but the Aria's technical abilities is not bad. It's definitely better than the Starfield. The Starfield also sounded too muddy in my opinion and was a little underwater but the Aria fixed that as well.
Bass:
The Bass is still punchy and has great extension rumble and texture. It is able to hit hard and with good impact. It has got great sub-bass extension although it may not be able to satisfy bassheads, it still is a very fun IEM to listen to. I think it is more well controlled than the starfield to be honest
Mids:
Mids great! has got great clarity. Vocals sound smooth. It doesn't sound unnatural and I feel it is better than the original Moondrop Starfield because I feel that there is better clarity. It is also not harsh sounding and easy to listen to.
Treble:
Treble is detailed and though I would have liked it to have better extension, it is not bad for its price range. Cymbals are very clear. It does not sound pushed back and it very clear. It is better than the starfield because I can hear cymbals better on it than the starfield.
Technical ability:
The soundstage is similar to the starfield. It has got good detailing for its price. I don't think I have any complains for it's price because it is really that good.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the Aria is a great IEM and will be a good daily driver. I must say I am quite impressed by the improved clarity, resolution and detailing compared to the Starfield. It is also much cheaper than the Starfield. Quite impressive.
Thanks to ShenZhenAudio for sending us this unit. You can visit their website to purchase the Aria from them.
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