Moondrop Aria In-Ear Review - The Ones to Beat under $100

00:00 Intro, packaging
01:21 Build, Cable
03:04 Sound
09:21 vs Cat Ear Mia
10:40 vs Moondrop Starfield
11:13 vs NF Audio NM2+
12:50 Final Thoughts

Test system:
EarMen Sparrow
Loxjie D30:
Topping L30:

#hifi #audiophile #earphones #inear

[nir]

The only unexpected things I ever get by mail are bills 🤤

[arthurcrosby]

Thank you for another good review; and thank you to the mystery person who sent these to you. Make sure to check your spam folder in case your email client has sent something there without your knowledge. The Aria does seem to represent excellent value for under $US100. I seem to remember that the Starfield displaced the Tin T4 from top of your sub $100 IEM’s. The Aria has now fortuitously become your top recommendation in this competitive price category. The technology is improving so quickly, and brings about better IEM’s at lower price points. This is a good thing for the less affluent audiophiles who can’t afford the high end prices. Well done Moondrop. I think you have a winner here.

[howardroark]

What a perfect explanation of sound! Best one yet! Thank you sir!

[TorToroPorco]

What a funny coincidence, I just ordered these a couple of weeks ago on a whim.

It really says something that it takes so much effort to describe all the qualities of a sub $80 IEMs and also to differentiate it from one that costs double. It doesn’t feel that long ago that almost anything under $100 was pretty much a muddy mess of sound. We truly live in a remarkable time of excellent affordable audio.

[HiFiGOAudio]

Agreed a brilliant pair under the 100$ price tag. Outstanding looks, smooth, clean sound signature, just lovely.

[christhiancastillo]

Bought these for 65 USD, received them today, and I'm freaking loving them. I'm honestly surprised by the sound quality for this price.

[dasninjastix]

I was pleasantly surprised by the Aria. I kind of love their decay. To me they're the closest thing I've heard from an in-ear to a decent pair of closed-back headphones. Bass and mid-notes seem to linger more so than any other IEM I've heard. Even switching to foam tips, notes seem to linger for a bit in the space. I'm sure that pisses off a fair share of audiophiles who desire technical perfection at any price but I'm definitely in the "musicality" camp. These definitely scratch that itch. Really appreciate the review. Great thoroughness, you get a comprehensive understanding about the device. Keep up the solid work!

[GIChow]

Arias on the way and yet to hear but from your wonderfully detailed and very lucid description I feel like I have now heard them! Curious to hear how the transient response compares to my loved if unreliable Shuoer Tapes with their magnetostatic drivers.

[JogieGlenMait]

that box really looks like a perfume box though...

[RGMDG]

Based on your comments, these are great IEMs. If you only have one pair and they sound this good, you really are not missing anything. For $80.00. They sound incredible. Ordering them.. Thank you..

[lukacerenak]

What's the noise isolation like? Could they work for live performance?
DJing, so a bit of extra bass is welcome. Or you think I should rather look elsewhere?

[repnep]

got them from apos and after 1 day the left sides audio is severely lower If anyone knows how to fix this pls help. I tried returning it but since I ordered it without a Gmail the conversations haven't gone anywhere for over a week.

[mateusbernardi]

"Pretty anime girl"
It's indeed a man of culture.

[mrfrosty]

These seem like a great deal for people looking to try IEMs from a manufacturer with a great reputation. There are certainly cheaper IEMs on the market but not that many of this quality.

[makisogroove]

im in between the senheiser cx earbuds and the arias!
i know they are different but my question is if its worth it to sacrifice the Bluetooth in order to get better quality but with a wire
thanks :)

[techsguide]

whos the noise isolation? i had blon 03 but its noise isolation is poor.. and do u recommmend them for gaming aswell?

[RevanthRaman]

Hi, if you had to choose between Moondrop Aria and Kinera Freya, what would u choose, if budget isnt a constrain?

[jeffq]

Hi iiWi! Do you consider the aria as a dark iem?

[louiebanal]

How's the sound imaging and sound stage on this iem?

[xavierwood]

I bought the Aria and compared it to my year old Blon Bl03.

Impressions:
The Aria is more balanced, better detail, good cohesion and bass control.
But the Blons are more fun to my ears and are more enjoyable. Buying the Arias made me realize I prefer a warm sound signature with alot of bass and forwards mids. The Blons also have a bit more treble energy which adds to the excitement. The Arias are slightly warm and enjoyable but not as much when compared to the Blons. Arias have good bass control and doesn't get bloated in the bass like the Blons.

Do you know what to iem upgrade ( <$130) that has similar tone to the Blons( ie. warm, mid forward, bass, treble energy) but with more detail and bass control?