Has anyone tried the Moondrop Aria?

[Acerun]

Seems like "may" be an improvement on the Starfield?

 

[LearningToSmile]

I mean, it's cheaper so that's a definitive improvement, but otherwise it seems to be basically the same IEM with a slightly different shell and sonic differences within a margin of error. For the record, I'm not complaining, considered buying a pair myself. Just wouldn't buy it if you already own any of the predecessors(Starfield, KXXS, etc)

 

[someguyontheinternet]

To me the audible difference is so small that your choice of tips may possibly cause a bigger deviation than switching between the iems.
I think it's a great choice to someone without a Starfield (can't comment on KXXS since I don't have them) since the packaging, presentation and quality are very good for their price. Maybe something to consider as a gift to a friend.

 

[Nango]

I'mll wait for the next sibling of Starfield > Aria > next in the 30$ area.

 

[Acerun]

I'mll wait for the next sibling of Starfield > Aria > next in the 30$ area.

Well, the Spaceships are already here for $22

 

[Nango]

Well, the Spaceships are already here for $22

In Crinacle's ranking this one is not really good, is only C-Rating.

 

[LearningToSmile]

In Crinacle's ranking this one is not really good, is only C-Rating.

I... really wouldn't take Crinacle's rankings as gospel, as much as I appreciate him for providing IEM graphs for so many models. Not that I think Spaceship should be higher than C - it's the worst IEM I've used and a borderline broken design, so C is generous even considering the price.

 

[3125b]

Crinacle has measured them: Moondrop Aria (2021): Unboxing – In-Ear Fidelity (crinacle.com)
FR is extremely similar to the Starfield.
For 80$/67€ it seems to be a very good buy.

 

[Ariamella]

I have, it's probably the best IEM under $100

 

[JohnYang1997]

Better than Starfield imo. Less 4khz better flatness around 10khz. It is finally sounding natural imo. And majority of other IEMs don't come close.

 

[archerious]

I love my pair. Great sound for the price, and the eartips included give a great seal.

 

[Skies]

I agree with @JohnYang1997 . It's definitely the most natural, and i am pretty sure that it's the fastest as well. The driver gives me beryllium vibes in the bass region, even though it's not.

All in all, it's probably the second best iem you can get at around this price (er2xr is still better) and the best if you can't do deep insertion or you want to wear it outside where too much noise canceling is dangerous. Its closest competition price wise is the Tinaudio T4 which it destroys.

 

[Jimbob54]

I think Amir said he had one for testing. Or maybe another Moondrop. Time will tell!

 

[Matias]

Love my Aria as well, easily recommended.

 

[fragzone]

love my starfield which in form and sound is more or less identical. I have to say, the fit is absolutely top class for me, and the sound defies what should be possible when I consider what I have spent on other products. They are a pleasure to use all around. The starfield was my first IEM/headphone that introduced to me the wonders of sub-bass, at first I didn't like it because I wasn't used to it. Now I have EQ'd my Sundara and 6XX to bring the sub-bass in line with what I experience inherently with a starfield.

Pretty incredible to be learning lessons from such a cheap piece of gear.

 

[raif71]

I have both Starfield and Aria and most nights I use Aria. Imho, it is clearer than Starfield.

 

[phoenixsong]

Even now it seems to be competing against the best Single DD IEMs around $150, going toe to toe with them in reviews. It's said to be better in some aspects and inferior in others, ultimately it's down to personal preference. I love mine and feel absolutely no need to change them

Recommended them to a gaming friend and he received them 2 days ago; he's downright smitten with them
"also i just tried the arias"
"and holy heck it’s too immersive" ~ his words XD

Recommended the following 2 tracks to test them out with
[7.1] Rainbow 6 PC | Astro a50 | Dolby Home Theater 4 SOUND TEST (HEADPHONES ON) - YouTube
FETTER SOUND - Battlefield mit virtueller 7.1-Surround-Abmischung / Referenz-Klasse-Sound (60 FPS) - YouTube

Through my modded Aria the soundstage height is very apparent alongside it's sprawling width. At 1:14 in the video of the second link, the expended cartridge cases can be almost felt clattering at the viewer's feet due to a combination of great imaging, frequency response and driver technicalities (I was in the army, it sounds quite realistic)

 

[phoenixsong]

Oh Tripowin Mele might be an exception though, and is the closest competitor in both price and capabilities with the Aria

 

[half_dog]

It seems my Aria came with a different tuning. Comparing Aria to Starfield, Aria has a little more (sub)bass and everything else sounds similar when talking about sound signature. Starfield brings me a sensation of a little more layering and pinpoint precision - maybe it is related to Aria's bass boost which may "over layer" the mids. And acording to some simple measurements at 3am, Starfields handles THD better.
*MoonDrop really suprises me with their driver matching*
For the tested units there a difference but I would have no problems to recommend Aria to someone... BTW I'm trying to convince my brother to buy one for him haha

 

[phoenixsong]

It seems my Aria came with a different tuning. Comparing Aria to Starfield, Aria has a little more (sub)bass and everything else sounds similar when talking about sound signature. Starfield brings me a sensation of a little more layering and pinpoint precision - maybe it is related to Aria's bass boost which may "over layer" the mids. And acording to some simple measurements at 3am, Starfields handles THD better.
*MoonDrop really suprises me with their driver matching*
For the tested units there a difference but I would have no problems to recommend Aria to someone... BTW I'm trying to convince my brother to buy one for him haha

Probably- in the other forum people were posting multiple measurements of the Aria and it seems like 2dB variances in the FR are a thing (haven't seen more than that though- maybe their QC specifies +-1dB; their factory measures every unit What's the MOONDROP CEO favorite IEM among their product catalog? - YouTube)
For my set I prefer it with KXXS filters/modded Aria filters and BGVP A07 tips as the upper mids-treble seem to fit my preferences better this way. I feel lower mids-bass could be increased slightly though, which might again be because of unit variance