Introduction

If you read my review of the MOONDROP KATO IEMs, you already know where this is going. HiFiGo had reached out to gauge my interest in covering a couple of MOONDROP products, which I had readily agreed to. Those two arrived before the KATO did, which in turn got bumped up owing its much more recent release. So this is a slight revision of an introduction, but otherwise does not change my excitement to cover the popular MOONDROP Aria (2021) today. Thanks again to HiFiGo via MOONDROP for sending TechPowerUp a review sample!


The MOONDROP Aria single-handedly introduced the brand to many in the audio hobby. Funnily enough, there was a MOONDROP Aria a few years ago from the same brand, but it was not around long enough to leave a lasting impression. Clearly, the company engineers and marketing team had other plans, and the new Aria released a couple of months ago has little but the name in common with the previous one. As such, I am referring to it as the MOONDROP Aria (2021) to show that it is indeed the latest version, and we begin with a look at the product specifications in the table below.

Specifications

Packaging and Accessories

Packaging for the MOONDROP Aria (2021) is really where we get the strongest glimpse of the company's marketing at play, with a relatively average-sized box in a plastic wrap. Take it off and we are greeted by one of many "anime girls" MOONDROP has put on their packaging, different from what we saw on the KATO's box. The product name appears below the illustration on front, along with salient marketing features in tiny text in both English and Mandarin. It is only on the back that the MOONDROP name appears, and we also find poorly formatted technical specifications and a rated frequency response graph that will come in handy for our own testing later on—all this on an external sleeve that can be slid off the internal box.


This inner box is adorned with a black base providing contrast to copper lines going around the front and sides. Here too "Aria" is found in cursive writing, and the company logo makes an appearance on the side you open up the box, which is held closed by magnets otherwise. Opening the box, we see the two IEM buds at the top and a thick cardboard card at the bottom in the same design as the box itself. There is a lift tag to remove it and access the contents underneath.


In addition to a QC card, MOONDROP includes a relatively compact carry/storage case with the Aria (2021) IEMs. It is circular in design, with textured faux leather on the outside. It does not feel anywhere as convincing as some offerings from competitors in this price range, but I don't mind it either way as it does the job just fine, though I do wish the company name were lettered on better since it looks cheap. A gold-colored zipper slider keeps the case closed. Inside, we see the included ear tips in a plastic pouch enclosed in a separate compartment at the top and the IEM cable coiled in the bottom. There is enough room to add the IEM shells with the tips of your choosing, but coiling everything up and pushing it all in takes more effort than usual, especially compared to the larger case typically seen with more expensive IEMs.


MOONDROP only goes with silicone tips for what you get with the Aria (2021) IEMs, although we do see a variety of different sizes. These are your bog-standard gray, single-flanged silicone tips you may want to replace with others if you are into tip rolling or simply want to try out other options for a potentially better fit, including memory foam tips.


The final accessories come inside a square black cardboard box, including a user manual in both English and Mandarin on how best to use the cable and install the IEMs in your ears. The English standard is quite good, which instills a sense of competence in MOONDROP for those who read it. A wax paper pouch holds a set of plastic tweezers, six rubber O-rings, and six metal filters for up to three full filter replacements across both ears, which is nice to see since it increases the longevity of the MOONDROP Aria (2021).


The MOONDROP Aria (2021) IEMs come inside a thick foam sheet with cutouts to snugly fit the two individual pieces. There are no pre-attached ear tips, so I simply pushed them out from the other side for further examination, which we will now proceed with on the following page, beginning with the cable itself.