Moondrop Solis 2 Review

We know Moondrop for having a great selection of affordable IEMs. Some of their models have become very popular amongst audiophiles on a budget, including the Aria, Starfield 2, and Chu. Now Moondrop looks to show us what they’re really capable of, with a high-end IEM going for $2,699. Going from their usual budget fare to the Solis 2 is quite the jump, especially when sharing the same price bracket with some of the best on the market. Can the Solis 2 make a case for itself?

What You Get

• Solis 2 IEMs
• 2-pin cable selectable termination
  • 2.5mm, 3.5mm, 4.4mm plugs
• 7 sets of silicone tips
• 3 sets of foam tips

Look & Feel

While Moondrop usually gives you some fancy designs, they’ve never made anything as flashy as the Solis 2. Its shell is comprised of handmade silver, which takes up the front plate and cavity. Everything about this build field is high-grade and excellently crafted. There’s a lot to admire about the artistry here, as the Solis 2 definitely has one of the most unique designs out of any IEM on the market. Even the way it feels is different, with its silver surface feeling like it has the texture of tin foil. At the end of the day, you’re going to need to put these IEMs in your ear though. While it has an ergonomic design that matches your concha, the housing is quite big. Adding to that the material of the IEMs themselves is not the most comfortable to have inserted in your ear. I was able to deal with this fit for a few hours, but it did leave my ears feeling quite rough afterward.

Design

The Solis 2 features two 10mm dynamic drivers with two balanced armatures and four electrostatic drivers. For the dynamic units, Moondrop has developed a system called H.O.D.D.D.U.S. (Horizontally Opposed Dual Dynamic Drivers Unit System), which arranges the drivers symmetrically. This is intended to get the same results as having a planar magnetic driver, using dual-dynamic units in an attempt to mimic its qualities.

Soundstage

For this price, the soundstage should reflect Moondrop’s best ability. While some aspects of it shine, it’s hard to say that it does anything very special. Its stereo width is quite impressive, and it gives the imaging some good separation within the mix. You feel like you’re right in the middle of the music, with most of the instruments hovering around the left and right channels in a believable fashion. Nothing comes forward in any significant way, and it leaves the soundstage feeling a bit ordinary. It might be a bit too linear for my taste, even if good depth is shown in certain places. All of the sound elements appear correctly, but too in your head. This isn’t a significant issue with IEMs in most cases, but for the price, there are soundstages that accomplish a lot more. Everything feels too surface-level for me here, but if you’re only concerned about accuracy and organization, the Solis 2 should be a satisfying listen.

Low End

This bass is very well-controlled and has a concise tone that will give your tracks just enough vibration to add a nice lift. It’s a mostly surface-level response that provides a clean and realistic timbre. Some listeners will not like the softness of its impact, but the mid-bass texture does provide good clarity. Its detail retrieval with bass instruments is suitable for this price range but lacks some fun textures to get engrossed in.

Mids

The sound signature starts to impress me more in the midrange, with some solid boost to the low-mids, and some exceptional vocal range detail. Instruments come through naturally and lean toward a neutral timbre. None of the sound elements have a considerable body to them, but there’s enough room in the midrange for some enjoyable expression. There’s realism and structure to the sound, with vocals receiving the most consistently detailed and engaging representation.

Highs

In the highs, there tends to be a light ring to the frequency range that I very much enjoyed. It makes the timbre feel delicate while presenting detailed high frequencies to relish. The Upper high frequencies stand out more than the mid-treble, which is more relaxed and digestible. Like the rest of the sound signature, the highs are very realistic, showcasing a more casual hyper-detail than other IEMs with similar tunings. It all comes across as effortless, and that is reflected in its satisfying performance.

Summary

The Solis 2 isn’t what I was expecting from a high-end IEM from Moondrop. It doesn’t disappoint me in terms of sound, but it’s a hard spot to be in with so much tough competition in this range. On its own, the Solis 2 has an incredibly organized and well-balanced sound signature. If you’re not a fan of neutral tuning though, this might not be your cup of tea.

The Moondrop Solis 2 is available at Audio46.