There are also standard silicone ear tips that do not compress dynamics as much as the Spring tips. They sound more conventional to my ears. Do tip-roll to see what best suits you. Cable snare. Lots of the low-end vocals as well, because male vocals are going to have the fundamental below 200Hz in The first comparison involves sibling rivalry, pitting the Snow Edition against their older sister, the Aria 2021. Graph of the Snow Edition versus Aria 2021 via IEC711 compliant coupler. So in essence, the Aria SE is poorer in technicalities than the Heart Mirror, so you might want to consider the Dunu Titan S, which is also neutral bright, but has slightly better bass quantity than the Heart Mirror. Technicalities are quite close between the DUNU Titan S and the Heart Mirror. The midrange of the Ikko OH2 sounds slightly more forward and a bit brighter in tonality, when compared to the Moondrop Aria Snow Edition that shows a tad warmer and fuller overall midrange character. The upper midrange of the Aria Snow Edition has a bit more dynamism and resolution, while the difference is very minimal but audible to my ears.

The OLA have a notoriously poor fit due to the round shape of the shells and short nozzles, and if not fitted well, they do not sound good and cause discomfort. The Olina are more technical and aggressive and are better for critical listening compared to the more subdued Snow Edition. The former, however, can be fatiguing and may not be the best option for treble-sensitive listeners. Vs. Tanchjim OLA As a big fan of the Aria, I was so intrigued by the Snow version that I decide to buy it with my own money, even if i absolutely don’t need more IEM, even less so following the Harman curve. A 6N oxygen-free copper silver-plated cable is included and Moondrop says it has high-permeability insulation. The cable is on the thinner side but is quite supple with minimal tangling. There are the letters R and L on the cable terminals for the right and left sides respectively. In addition, a red band is also placed on the right terminal. All in all, the Snow sound more technical and have cleaner resolution but isn’t as immersive and musical to my ears as the lusher and more energic Topaz.

Synergy

The cable has a transparent insulator, showing the silver braided cable. The insulator also helps in reducing tangles when stowing it away. No unusual microphonics were observed when moving around. Plus, there is a chin-slider you may opt to keep the cable in place. As a side note, and I have been wondering about this myself for a good while now, when we are moving upward in price, should we be actually more concerned about the technicalities performance or tonality (FR) that we are paying, especially when the budget IEMs are so competitive on the tonality department nowadays? Sometimes I can’t help but stare at the screen and wonder which should I prioritize when I’m looking to upgrade. The frequency responce is highly in line with HRTF and room response functio, and optimizes the modern recording, offers a real timbre performance and a sufficient atmosphere. Note weight is on the thinner side, though timbral accuracy for vocals and acoustic instruments is very organic and natural. Note edges and dynamics are somewhat blunted, but this adds to a relaxed and chill (forgive the pun) coloration. Contrary to the name and design, the Snow Edition actually are not sterile or cold sounding. The metal shell was made with a metal injection molding and CNC carving process However, the main difference is the Moondrop’s new DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon) diaphragm dual-cavity dynamic driver that replaced the 10mm diameter LCP (Liquid Crystal Polymer) diaphragm that was used inside the Aria 2021.

A good upgrade over the Snow Edition would be the Tanchjim Oxygen. The Oxygen is harmanish with more subbass/treble extension and less upper mids than the Snow Edition. If one wants more bass and “fun”, opt for the Tin T3 Plus. If one wants something more neutral and uncolored (and white as snow), the Snow Edition is preferred – these two are sidegrades otherwise. Vs. Final Audio E3000 The Moondrop Aria is a 10mm LCP diaphragm and CCAW voice coil DD with a brass-plated inner cavity and a neodymium N52 magnetic circuit inside. Introduction IMR Acoustics is a brand that many would associate with the now-defunct “Trinity Audio”, a company that went on We can call the Snow, big CHU brother, certainly an upgrade both in technical and tonal aspect, and even a hint more punch to otherwise lean and dry bass.

The E3000 are an L-shaped warm and very bassy set of IEMs. These have a more flabby and nebulous bass, with much more bass quantity and note weight than the Snow Edition. The E3000 are darker in the treble too, with way less air and extension. The Mids are neutral and more transparent, both Aria are well tuned in this but I think the SE is just a little better.

Both the Ikko OH2 and the Moondrop Aria Snow Edition do feature a single dynamic driver configuration. The Aria Snow Edition has a CNC engraved Metal housing while the OH2 has a monitor shell made from Metal and Transparent Polycarbonate material. It is said to use the same ergonomic material shell as the 2021 Aria, with one key difference. It has a brand-new surface coating, allowing it to produce the snowflake pattern, perfectly embodying the “Snow” in Aria Snow Edition. 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 Specifications Build: full-metal build. The faceplate is flatter than the KXXS/Starfield but the shells seem to be made from the same mould. Feels sturdy, durable, and a bit on the heavy side. Soundstage: Is decently wide and open, it handles busy recordings well and accuracy is decent but not the best.When it comes to the soundstage performance, I can say that the Moondrop Aria Snow Editions shows a sufficient sense of depth and wideness. The separation and placement of instruments and vocals is fairly precise for a product at this price range. As for what to look out for when upgrading. This really depends on you, cause some people prioritize tonality, whereas some want outright technicalities (eg soundstage, imaging, instrument separation, micro-details). It kinda depends on your preferred music genres too. Personally I’d go for better timbre/tonality any day over technicalities, if I have to choose. It is not difficult to find a technical monster, but finding something with good tonality is more difficult IMO. The Moondrop Aria Snow Edition has a fairy linear bass response from the subbass up to the midbass area. It offers a good grade of authority and speed in this region especially in for an In-Ear Monitor at this price tag. The subbass region is moderately pronounced and slightly less highlighted compared to the midbass region. The Aria Snow Edition offers a sufficient level of depth and intensity, while wont show enough rumble for bass heavy genres like EDM, Bassline, Dubstep, Trance, etc.

Aria 2021 – warm balanced set with good timbre and tonality, but not the most technical. Quite smooth and non-offensive.The standard Aria 2021 is not as “flat” as the Aria SE. The Aria SE has a thinner note weight, and less bass, and it is just a tinge better in technicalities and clarity. I think the BLON BL-03 is closer to the Aria 2021 in sound, and it is also less shouty.