Moondrop Aria SNOW EDITION Earbud High Performance Diamond-Like Diaphragm Dynamic Driver 0.78 Pin In-Ear Earphone

Product Information

There are high expectations with the Moondrop Aria Snow Edition, given the worldwide success of the original. Many thought this would be an exact refresh with identical tuning and improved overall aesthetics. However, although this is an update it is not a 1:1 copy of the original Aria in terms of tuning. The Aria Snow Edition that I will now review for you has the same shape of the original Aria 2021. However, it comes now with a brand new silver finish and beautiful faceplate (Snow-Flake Design) design and features Moondrop’s DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon) diaphragm with dual-cavity dynamic drivers instead of a LCP diaphragm unit that was used on the original Aria 2021. The Aria Snow Edition follows the companies VDSF target tuning curve. The Snow Edition are relatively easy to drive, though robust amplification can give better dynamics and bass tightness. Frequency response graph of the Snow Edition via an IEC711 compliant coupler. The Snow Edition shells are essentially identical to the Aria 2021 in shape and size. Like their predecessor, the housings are manufactured from precision mold casting and Computerized Numerical Control ( CNC) milling technology. Compared to the Aria 2021, the Snow Edition shells are real lookers, but for me, sound quality is still the first priority over aesthetics. The T3 Plus have a deeper and taller soundstage, and width is similar. In terms of imaging, layering, and micro-details, the T3 Plus win slightly. The midrange is less lush on the T3 Plus and markedly more recessed.

Mids: Are neutral and sound organic and have a good timbre but are a little on the lean side. Vocals are placed well and have good body and emotion.Good amount of air hence the music doesn’t sound too “congested” and contributed to a soundstage presentation The lower treble region of the Aria Snow Edition is more highlighted and detailed compared to the upper treble register. The lower treble range shows an audible roll-off after the 6 kHz region that is tuned in a controlled manner. The presence of this area creates an efficient sense of clarity while listen to percussions, flutes or pianos. This would be my last question. Sorry for the indecisiveness in me and thank you so much for your help! Soundstage is slightly above average in all three dimensions, with height and depth more prominent over soundstage width. Clarity is quite good, but micro-details are not the most pronounced, and imaging and layering are just decent. There is occasional smearing of instruments with very complex riffs with competing instrumentation. Perhaps the Tripowin Olina and Dunu Titan S may fulfil your requirements. These 2 sets are a bit bright and perhaps treble sensitive folk may find them sibilant or a bit shouty, but otherwise they are very technical and have more bass than the Snow Edition/OLA. There are some easy mods that can be done on the Olina too (eg pasting filter nozzles) to tame the brightness if you wish to experiment.

Seen above is the right side of the MOONDROP Aria Snow Edition installed in an anthropomorphic pinna that does well in showing my own experience with these. I have average-sized ears, and found the size L Spring Tips to work best. The relatively small shell size means those with smaller ear conchas will find these to be a good fit. This is why getting the correct tips to seal well is paramount for everyone else. The pre-formed ear hooks can be hit or miss too, but thankfully there is enough wiggle room in the orientation of the IEMs in the concha to where it is generally a non-isssue and should not require re-molding via a hairdryer. If it works well, then the cable will further support the IEMs despite the absence of a cinch for further securement. These are also denser than you would expect, at nearly 9 g each, although physical fatigue is a non-issue with the other factors accounted for. Isolation depends on the seal achieved and the two vents helps overcome pressure build-up inside. Tin HIFI T3 – the weakest of the lot IMO. Mild V shaped, bassy set, quite fun sounding. But it has a one-noted undefined bass, so it loses points in my book. The mids are also the most recessed of all the above, so might not be best for vocal lovers.

How does the Moondrop Aria SE connect?

The E3000 have a more expansive soundstage and better layering and instrument separation, though they have less clarity and micro-details. Isolation is poorer on the E3000, and they have a more artificial timbre than the Snow Edition. Aria 2021 – warm balanced set with good timbre and tonality, but not the most technical. Quite smooth and non-offensive. Tests were done with a Khadas Toneboard DAC -> Schiit Asgard 3 amp, E1DA 9038, Questyle M15, Colorfly CDA M1, Tempotec Sonata HD Pro (BHD firmware mod), smartphone, and Sony NW A-55 DAP (Walkman One mod) using FLAC and WAV files. Moondrop is a popular Chinese Portable Audio brand that was once a small studio by several hobbyist engineers, which has been emerged in 2015 with focus on products like Earbuds, In-Ear Monitors and now USB DAC/Amplifier dongles. Technicalities are slightly improved on the Snow Edition. The Aria 2021 have a hair better imaging, but the Snow Edition have better micro-details, clarity and a slightly better soundstage in all three dimensions. Timbre sounds more natural on the Snow Edition, with less aforementioned grain, though they have a bit less note weight than the Aria 2021.

The Olina have more sub-bass and treble than the Snow Edition. Though, the Olina are more shouty and fatiguing in the lower treble region, with more sibilance. The Olina may sound a bit nasal for vocals in terms of timbre. Imaging is average on this pair. It does well in multiple vocal layers with varying depths. Sound is well replicated with varying lengths which produce a holographic feel. It’s like a 3D space where sound travels fluidly across the environment. The treble range of the Moondrop Aria Snow Edition is slightly more crisp, energetic and detailed than those of the Ikko OH2. The upper treble region of the Ikko OH2 has an audible roll-off around the 10 kHz region, which is the reason while the Aria Snow Edition shows a bit more airiness in this area. Hybrids and pure BA IEMs were left out of the comparison as the different transducer types have their own pros and cons. Vs. Moondrop Aria 2021 These two sets are sidegrades in my book – the Titan S are a bit more analytical. Vs. Tin HIFI T3 PlusYMMV, as we have different ear anatomies, but I find the Spring tips do compress dynamics somewhat, dampening the bass and treble. As such, they give a more mid-centric flavor when installed. The included Spring tips are quite a popular set of eartips; they have a special structure that purportedly reduces distortion from the nozzle and suppresses unwanted resonances. A unique radial double support structure also reportedly decreases bass loss.

Though the OLA are more technical, they do not have a snowball’s chance in Hell of besting the Snow Edition in timbre, tonality or fit. Vs. DUNU Titan S In consideration of OLA, Tanya, Olina, Dunu Titan S (let’s just abbreviate it as DTS lol) and the Starsea (assuming neutral setting), from least to most : Given the number of IEMs in this price range, the decision on which to get might be difficult. Moondrop strategically retains both IEMs in the market for people to decide which is a better fit in terms of a preference between the old-style tuning and the new. Moondrop Aria Snow Edition SpecificationsThe 0.78mm diameter 2-Pin connectors to have a transparent plastic housing with R (Right) & L (Left) markings and a red color indicator ring for the right channel. Near the connectors are PVC heat-shrink ear guides that are useful for a comfortable over the ear wearing experience. The soundstage is definitely wider in the Aria Snow. Although the Aria has more depth, it does not quite compare with the width of the revised edition. Imaging is fairly accurate on both monitors. This dynamic part is always hard to explain, but let say Moondrop tend to be light in weighty impact, especially in mid range which seem tamed in loudness scaling, since bass is light too here, dynamic is more felt in upper range, which tend to be more open, airy and edgy-snappy-bity. Beyond using the same external housing, both the venerable Aria 2021 and the Snow Edition use the same internal acoustic structure. The former, however, use a liquid crystal polymer (LCP) dynamic driver, whereas the Snow Edition feature a first-generation 10mm diamond-like carbon (DLC) diaphragm. Resolution and imaging is notably superior with the Snow. Treble is more extended too, more snappy, airy and crisp, you have greater amount of clean micro details with the Snow. Soundstage is wider and deeper as well. Timbre is thinner, colder and with greater sens of transparency and less fuzzy texturing.