Besides cheap products such as Chu, SSR, SSP, Aria, etc. Moondrop also launched many high-end products with extremely outstanding design and sound quality. The most typical among them is the Moondrop Variations headphones.
Packaging and accessories
Moondrop Variations is packaged in a cardboard box with a Japanese “anime” design. Instead of printing a picture of the headset on the front, Moondrop printed an image of a pretty and adorable pink-haired waifu. With just this detail, Variations easily attracts all music lovers’ eyes. All information about the headset such as technical specifications table, audio frequency chart, etc. will be fully printed on the back of the cover box.
Because it is a high-end product, Moondrop Variations comes with many accessories, including:
- 1 cable with a modular jack
- 1 3.5mm SE jack module
- 1 2.5mm Bal jack module
- 1 4.4mm Bal jack module
- 3 pairs of silicone eartips
- 3 pairs of foam eartips
- 1 storage box
- 5 filters
- 1 pair of pliers used to remove filters
- User manuals
- Guarantee card
- A business card and a greeting card have a very eye-catching design
Moondrop Variations Earphone 1DD+2BA+2EST Tribrid Technology in-Ear Monitor with Interchangeable Cable: Buy it now
Fanmusic Moondrop Variations Earphone 1DD+2BA+2EST Tribrid Technology in-Ear Monitor with Interchangeable Cable: Buy it now
Table of Contents
Design and wearing experience
Variations are meticulously cared for by Moondrop at the design stage. The entire housing of the headset will be made of medical-grade plastic and undergo a 3D printing process to ensure the highest level of perfection. Attached to the housing is a faceplate made of stainless steel in the shape of a water drop. To create more highlights for the headset, Moondrop printed the product name on the faceplate along with eye-catching sashiko patterns. Although the color scheme is a bit simple, it still creates the unique features of Variations, which are elegance, sophistication and elegance.
In order for Moondrop Variations to provide the most comfortable and comfortable wearing experience, the housing will have an ergonomic shape designed according to the user’s ear shape. Although it has a much larger design than other headphone models, Variations is very light in weight. Practical experience shows that Variations does not cause any discomfort when users wear headphones for 5 hours continuously. Variations’ soundproofing ability is also very good. Except for the whistling wind, other noises do not much affect your music listening experience. On the faceplate of the headset will be integrated a vent to help balance the pressure inside the ear. Thanks to that, the wearing experience will be more comfortable and the soundstage will be better expanded.
Another big plus point for Moondrop Variations is that the cable has a modular jack design. Thanks to this design, users can switch back and forth between SE and Bal jacks easily. The conductors inside the cable are made of 6N OCC copper for signal transmission that is both sensitive and highly accurate. The splitter on the cable will be made from stainless steel and embossed with the Moondrop logo.
Driver configuration and sound quality
This high-end in-ear headset Moondrop is equipped with a tribrid configuration driver system including:
- 1 10mm dynamic driver responsible for reproducing the bass range
- 2 BA drivers responsible for reproducing the mid range are fine-tuned by Softears
- 2 EST drivers responsible for reproducing the treble range produced by Sonion
Dynamic driver with LCP-type speaker membrane will produce deep, natural and highly dynamic bass range. The BA driver pair is fine-tuned by Softears to create clear and accurate mid tones. Meanwhile, Sonion’s pair of EST drivers will bring sharpness and detail to the treble range. With the sound frequency chart adjusted based on the virtual diffuse sound field (VDSF Target Response), the technical elements on Variations become extremely impressive. The timbre will be more realistic and the sound stage will be more open and airy. In terms of parameters, Vartions has a frequency response range of 9Hz – 40kHz, sensitivity of 118dB and operating impedance of 15.2 Ohm.
In fact, Variations has outstanding sound quality in the mid range and has a very punchy bass range. Using the LCP diaphragm helps the dynamic driver create very deep bass drops that sound solid and are tightly controlled so as not to overwhelm the mid range. Compared to the midbass, the subbass is a bit more prominent.
With clear, precise, clean presentation and smoothly handled transitions, the mid range on Variations sounds very catchy. The vocal part is placed in the right center and around it are the sounds of instruments described in great detail and separation. The timbre is very honest and natural so it does not lose the “musical quality” of the instrumental or vocal parts. Variations’ high resolution and detailed retrieval ability help listeners clearly feel microscopic details in music such as applause.
The EST driver has promoted its advantages well, which is to create tinkling treble sounds with good resonance and does not cause unpleasant sibilance. Like the bass range, the treble range on the Variations possesses high clarity and has well-processed extension. This makes the soundscape even more vivid and increases the openness of the soundstage.
Technically, although equipped with up to 3 types of drivers, they work together very smoothly and bring high cohesion in terms of sound quality. The transition between sound ranges is smooth, seamless and does not create a discrete feeling. The soundstage is open and deep, while the sound imaging is highly accurate. Along with that is the ability to layer details and extremely accurate positioning. Handling highly complex directional music is not a difficult problem for Moondrop Variations.
Compare
Vs Mangird Xenns UP
Compared to Xenns UP, the sound on Moondrop Variations has better airiness. The mid range on Xenns UP feels fuller and on the Variations side, the linearity is much better. Transitions on Variations are smoother and have better clarity. The extension in the treble range is handled better. Variations has a more solid bass range and better rumble, while Xenns UP’s bass range has a faster response speed. The reason for this difference is that Variations has a larger bass range.
Another outstanding point of Variations is that the soundstage has a wider openness and better depth. The sound stage set up by Xenns UP is a bit narrow and not really airy. Possessing better sound quality, Variations has a more attractive price.
Vs Tanchjim Darling
For those who love lyrical music, Tanchjim Darling is a more suitable choice because this headset has a sweeter and fuller sound quality. Compared to Moondrop’s Variations, the mid range on Darling has better thickness and sweeter timbre, resulting in more emotional vocals.
However, the sound performances on Variations have better airiness and the sound image feels more vivid and realistic. Like Xenns UP, Darling has a soundstage that is not really spacious. This makes it difficult for Darling to handle complex music.
For each price segment, Moondrop launches quality products. For the entry level segment it is Aria, for the mid-range segment it is the Kato/Blue Kato pair and for the high-end segment it is Moondrop Variations.
