A wise person once said sound is subjective. When it comes to the Audiophile IEM world, there is a vast sea of opinions, placebo effect, a lot of choices, and overwhelming feeling of not knowing where to start.
When it comes to an In Ear Monitor, you can get a solid pair without spending a lot of money. Typically between $100 US to $250.
This post however is not about IEM recommendations or where to start. I could write that but I really don’t have the time to do it.
This about my month long experience with the Moondrop Variations. I had spent about six months researching on getting a replacement IEM and this one seemed like it would be a good fit.
Sound signature I look for in IEMs or Headphone - Neutral. I care not for IEMs that focus on BASS or High Timbre.
The Moondrop Varations are what is considered a Chi-Fi IEM. Chi-Fi are basically Hi Fi IEMs, their just made by companies in China. At least that is what I understand them to be based off of a Audiophile forum I lurk on. These are also not cheap, they cost $520. The question you might be wondering was it worth the money?
They come in a very colorful box with a Anime Personification of the Moondrop Variations:
In effect, one could say they are Waifu IEMs. There was also a graph on the back on frequency response but I honestly don’t care for these:
The actually IEM’s look simple enough but I am planning on replacing on the cables that came with them. The cable is a bit fiddly and memory prone.
Main Device I use the Moondrop Varations with is the Shanling M6 Pro 21
Music listened over the month I have had them. I have a wide gambit of music genres I like from film soundtracks, anime soundtracks, rock, rap, classic, and David Bowie.
Impressions - These IEMs fit in my ear perfectly and provide complete isolation. No fatigue at all with these, as I have gone 8 to 12 hours of having them in. Every song I have played, it has handled well. From the low strings of Mad Max Fury Road to the epic guitar intro of AC DC’s Thunderstuck. Like I mentioned though the cable is memory prone and fiddly to deal with initially.
Overall I am pleased with my purchase and the performance I got. If you are thinking of spending in $500 range, I would recommend you look into reviews on these to see if they would fit what you want.
Otherwise, for IEMs in general, unless your looking for something specific and specialized, I’d highly recommend staying in the $100 US to $250 range for IEMs.