Moondrop Aria 2 Review

One of Moondrop’s biggest claims to fame was the Aria, a pair of eighty-dollar IEMs that had no business sounding better than some higher-priced headphones and earbuds. Moondrop has started releasing new numbered editions of some of their popular IEMs, and now the Aria is getting that treatment. Let’s see if Moondrop can capture that magic once again.

What You Get

•  Aria 2
• Cable (3.5mm Plug + 4.4mm Plug)
• Manual
• Certificate
• Service Card

Look & Feel

The original Aria stood out from the pack with its ceramic shell and design pattern. With the Aria 2, you get quite the upgrade in terms of build quality. Its new alloy casing makes the shell feel even more solid and durable than the previous model. The silver shell mixed with its brass nozzle makes for one of the best looks for an IEM for less than a hundred bucks. In the ear, the feel of the Aria 2 remains almost unchanged from the original. You can expect a good seal with the provided ear tips, and plenty of comfort through multiple hours of listening.

Design

Within the housing of the Aria 2 is a dynamic driver with a ceramic dome composite diaphragm. This configuration gives Moondrop the opportunity to give the Aria 2 more precise tuning.

Soundstage

The original Aria was one of the first budget IEMs that showed me how great a soundstage can be in this range. Although the Aria 2 gives you almost the same level of width as the original, it’s still one of the best you can hear for the price. That’s the best of what you’ll get with the Aria 2. Its long wingspan and accurate imaging seem like aberrations for what they are but don’t expect anything outside a linear response. Most of the imaging feels like a straight line across the left and right channels, with minimal height and depth. You get great separation from the instruments and effects though, so the Aira 2 won’t skimp out on immersion.

Low End

Unlike the original Aria, the Aria 2 isn’t the powerhouse of bass you might be expecting. With the original Aria, you got one of the best bass responses you could get for less than a hundred bucks, but the Aria 2 isn’t as expressive. Everything is more reserved this time, which I’m not sure fans of the original Aria will be fans of. It establishes a solid foundation of sub-bass, but only very subtly, with very little gain to the region. You can still expect good clarity here though, even if the tone doesn’t feel very textured.

Mids

If the Aria 2 does anything better than the original, it’s presenting more striking midrange detail. It would be hard for any IEM at this price to match the Aria 2’s level of note distinction and clarity. The Aria 2 features enhanced musicality through more detailed instruments. Everything has a natural shape, and even though the mids don’t become lush, but feels like there’s a solid body to each note.

Highs

The detailed response extends its way into the highs where you can expect some great texture for the price. It’s just reserved enough to be easily digestible while offering a specific tail to instruments and effects that feel like a natural sheen of top-end resonance. There’s a ton of energy here, but I can see some listeners being disappointed by the boosted treble prominence over the bass.

Summary

There’s a lot to like about the Aria 2, including its improvements to the sound signature and build. However, some changes might not win everybody over, especially with its new bass response and more prevalent highs. While I welcome the new texture of the treble, I would prefer the bass of the original Aria, as well as its soundstage. If the bass isn’t a preference for you, then the Aria 2 will be the best IEM for less than a hundred dollars for you.

The Moondrop Aria 2 is available at Audio46.