Sound Review by Kev
Introduction
Disclaimer : ShenzhenAudio has graciously provided us with this sample unit in exchange for an honest review. The views discussed below are a reflection of Project A3's thoughts surrounding the product .
Disclaimer : ShenzhenAudio has graciously provided us with this sample unit in exchange for an honest review. The views discussed below are a reflection of Project A3's thoughts surrounding the product .
MOONDROP is a chi-fi brand
that has become a rising star in the Head-fi community, famed for its
value-for-money offerings. On this fine day, I’ll be reviewing the MOONDROP KXXS; the direct successor to the Kanas and Kanas Pro; earphones that have been
given an early retirement despite their loyal cult following.
Like its older counterparts, the
KXXS features reworked diamond-like-carbon transducers; expensive tech often
found in much more exorbitantly priced competition, such as the Campfire Audio
Atlas. But the price gap between both products is staggering; the KXXS is
priced under $200 USD, whereas the Atlas is currently being sold for $899 USD.
It is easily inferred that its competitive pricing established MOONDROP as a
serious contender in the budget-fi market, capitalizing on the trickle-down
tech from its competitors.
Given the well-deserved
recognition the Kanas and Kanas Pro have earned over the months, can the KXXS satisfy the community’s already sky-high expectations? Available at Shenzhen Audio.
Specifcations:
Diamond-like-carbon and PEEK
Detachable 2-pin cable
10Hz-80,000 Hz
110dB@1kHz Sensitivity
32 Ohms@1kHz Impedance
Gear Used &
Tracklist:
Shanling M0 | Aune X1S | Periodic Audio Nickel (Ni) | Venture
Electronics Odyssey | Google Pixel 2XL
Unboxing:
On first glance, the outer sleeve
of the KXXS’ box features a black-outlined print of a non-descript anime
character. Behind the box, an exploded schematic of the KXXS details what is
being housed inside its shells.
Under the box, we are greeted by
3 well-organized compartments, one housing the earphones, the other accessories
set and a gorgeous stamped saffiano
leather case in navy blue.
The package comes with the usual
accessories set that we’ve come to expect, such as several silicon ear tips in
various sizes. However, the package does include some uncommon accouterments,
such as a set of tweezers and replaceable filters, a postcard, a serialized
certificate of authenticity and an extra velvet pouch. For a package that costs
under $200 USD, I have to commend MOONDROP for being generous at this given
price point.
Scalability:
The KXXS , with its low impedance
and high sensitivity, is easily driven
out of all the sources I used for testing, without any audible hiss or
interference in the foreground. Improvements were slight at best, with added
width in the soundstage and a more pronounced mid-bass bump, especially with
sources with high output power. Despite the high output impedance of the Aune
X1s, there were no signs of hiss to be found on the KXXS.
Fit:
The KXXS is
built like a tank, and its heft did raise some concerns pertaining to its
comfort. Despite its weight, it sat well in my ears and there was little to no
rattle or movement once a good seal has been achieved. During my daily stroll
towards the local train station, the earphones did not dislodge themselves out
of my ear. The mirror-polished, aluminium-zinc shells are completely smooth,
with no sharp extrusions to be found. However, it is worth noting that I
started to notice some discomfort over extensive listening sessions.
Overall, the MOONDROP KXXS fits well in my ears, but may prove to be
uncomfortable to some, given its weight.
Sound Signature:
The KXXS is tuned similarly to the widely
lauded HD800s in a miniature form-factor with a enthusiastic treble-section,
offering a pristine balance between all frequencies whilst maintaining a
V-shape tuning.
Bass:
Die-hard bassheads, look elsewhere; this is not a bass behemoth.
However, for those interested in a bass-response that presents itself in
planar-like fashion, you’ll enjoy what is being presented here. The Kxxs has a
mid-bass body that while punchy, is soft enough so as to not overshadow the
midrange. Sub-bass is decent, with a slight emphasis on sustain and delay for
added warmth, allowing the sound signature to not sound overly clinical and
sterile.
Overall, the KXXS, while planar-like in its bass presentation, carries characteristics from both dynamic and planar magnetic drivers; the best of both worlds, without overshadowing the others.
Mids:
The mids on the KXXS are clear and transparent, placed right in the
middle of the mix. Interestingly enough, the midrange, while scooped out in
order to give way to the both the highs and lows, remain distinct and tonally
realistic; something that is often unheard of in most v-shaped sound signatures
I’ve demoed over the years. There is ample lower-mid range warmth to accurately
recreate the sonic timbre of both vocals and instrumentals. These aren’t the
star of the show, but it is nevertheless, a technical feat.
Highs:
One of the KXXS’ strengths is its
high-frequency response. To my ears, the
highs sound porous and again, tonally realistic. String instruments are
given the wiggle-room to breathe, tapering off at the right moment when vocals
start to sound rough and overbearingly sharp for treble-sensitive listeners.
Even poorly mastered tracks sound tasteful on the KXXS.
Its presentation here falls under the “pain” threshold. The KXXS hits that acoustic sweet spot for me.
Treble:
The KXXS successfully strikes a beautiful balance between accuracy and
comfort in the treble region. It often dissipates quickly enough with
poorly mastered tracks with a splashy treble section. However, it carries
enough audible detail and forwardness to be considered clear for most
listeners.
However, there is one critique to be made, and that is its strange brittle tonality. On several tracks, the treble sounds unnatural at times, especially with songs featuring unrestrained snare drums.
Soundstage &
Separation:
This is what separates the KXXS from the competition. It HAS a massive
soundstage that at times, sound like a pair of closed-back headphones. The
left-right separation on the KXXS extends far out of my ears, with each
surrounding spatial cue realistically placed. Apart from the Meeaudio p1, the
KXXS to my ears, has the widest soundstage on any earphone I have had the
opportunity of testing in this heavily contested price bracket.
Comparison:
While it is a breath of fresh air
to see budding brands focus on the budget-fi market instead of releasing
statement piece after statement piece every single year, the sub-$200 earphone
market is difficult to navigate, with upstart brands churning out new releases
every month. This time, I decided to pit the Ibasso IT01s and the Tipsy Dunmer with the MOONDROP KXXS; three budget giants with unique, single dynamic drivers.
Ibasso IT01s
|
Moondrop Kxxs
|
Tipsy Dunmer
|
|
Lows
|
Speedy mid-bass, faint sub
bass. Overall flat bass
|
Fast mid-bass but realistic sub-bass decay.
Slightly elevated bass response
|
Thick mid-bass bloat, lingering sub-bass. Good for bassheads
|
Mids
|
Slightly scooped out, heavy upper-midrange emphasis
|
Not so prominent lower mids, similar
upper-mid response to the IT01s
|
Warmish mid-tones, thick lower-midrange emphasis.
|
Highs
|
Sonorous highs, well
extended but a tad shouty
|
Well extended highs, little to no sibilance
|
Highs roll off quickly, somewhat muted in the mix
|
Soundstage
|
Above average horizontal width
|
Extremely wide horizontal width, great
positional cues
|
Good horizontal width, slightly congested sounding
|
Separation
|
Good
imaging, easy to distinguish between vocals and instruments
|
Excellent imaging, vocals and instruments are
incredibly distinct
|
Congested
due to bass bloat, decent imaging overall
|
Vocal Performance
|
Great clarity,
lacks lower-midrange body which thins the vocals
|
Superb Clarity, slightly better low-end balance,
resulting in natural balance
|
Warm,
analogue-sounding vocals. Sounds more relaxed.
|
Instrument Performance
|
Airy and
shimmery. Lacks lower-range body which affects their timbre.
|
Porous and realistic instrument representation.
Needs alittle more lower-mid body.
|
Timbre
is accurate but it lacks sparkle or upper-mid detail.
|
Remarks
|
Good for people looking for a slightly V-shaped, reference iem.
|
A well-rounded earphone
that is suited for many listeners.
|
Great for vinyl-lovers that crave a smooth, non-fatiguing listen
|
Aesthetic Review by Steve
MOONDROP has gain quiet a reputation in China couple
of years ago, starting small and some may called it DIY, however, they've
demonstrated a great example of how important of establishing a brand concept
is. That's one reason how they pops up among all other brands in China.
Now we are looking at their hyped one of the year KXXS and see what I think
about it.
Colour:
The mirror finishing looks fine with the faceplate design.
Nothing really specific to talk about since they've made a safe option on this
part. However I think they could think
of making different colours instead of the typical stainless silver like the
metallic Grey, champagne gold, or even copper instead like the final B
series did to give customers a better option.
Craftmanship:
Judging by the sample that I got, the gaps between shell and
faceplate is acceptable for a metal structure design. You can't really expect a
seamless finishing unlike the ones made out of acrylic so that you can
smoothen out the edges in between. However
the lip of the nozzle is missing which might be an issue for some eartips out
there. Edges on the faceplate are smooth, no spikes on any corners as
well. The whole iem is well polished, making the iem look shiny and
glamorous.
Design details:
Now this is the major point we are looking into. The mirror
finishing. The cons are pretty obvious, - a
fingerprint scanner and scratches can be easily found after a period of
time just like your rolex. Even if you take special care of it which
I don't recommend, you will still get plenty of micro scratches under sunlight.
So why bother ? another point is that I think MOONDROP should consider the
design of the faceplate more thoughtfully , by using the mirror
finishing, they should think of designing a faceplate with more surface and
steeper angles making the mirror effects could be more reflective and
stereoscopic. Comparing with the final B series, with the same finishing,I
personally thinks the Finals did better. The current faceplate of the KXXS is a
bit too plain and flat, so it might look better if they can apply some
printings or sculptural elements like their logo onto it.
Silhouette:
A very rounded shape silhouette looks user friendly, matches
well with the metal shell, however the weight of the iem is quiet obvious, also
using metal type shells the IKKO Oh10 is a bit lighter, so if you think the IKKO Oh10 is already
heavy, than this might not be for you.
Cable:
The cable itself is nicely
braided, slightly on the stiff side, however the 2pin connector seem to be
a bit cheap though, especially while most the brands out there use metal shell
for this part. And since the kxxs used the mirror finishing, it might look much
luxury for the plugs and splitter stuff to use metal parts with glossy
finishing as well.
Packaging:
The whole presentation looks nice and neat, well organized
as well. Definitely one of the best in its category. The case is also sturdy, chic and in good quality, practical and
provides enough space even if you changed to a better cable. The only flaw
IMO is the design consistency of the inner box and the cover sleeve, I
understand that they wanna present a feeling of ACG type by looking at its
Japanese comic style of drawing. If that's the case, then the inner box
projects a very different feeling, leaning towards a minimalist
designer style of package. So if they wanna make it look more consistent,
a more graphical designed box and presentation seem to fit better in this case.
Aesthetic Conclusion:
In general, MOONDROP did a decent job on the Aesthetic
side. The whole presentation from
package to the iem itself clearly shows their passion and effort made in this
project. It isnn't prefect, but it is almost there. It's good enough for the price along
with the sound that they created, the KXXS is definitely worth the hype.
Ratings: ( based on
the catagory under 199usd)
Colour: 4 / 5
Craftmenship:
4.5 / 5
Design details: 4. 5 / 5
Silhouette:
4.5 / 5
Cable: 4 / 5
Packaging: 4.5
/ 5
Asethetic overall
rating : 4.5 / 5
Sound Conclusion:
The Moondrop the Kxxs is the
people’s IEM; an earphone that meets the expectations and tastes of many a
consumer, and it does it surprisingly well. Not only is it built to last, but
it punches above its weight as an earphone in its highs, lows and sound-staging
capabilities.
It is a powerhouse of an earphone, offering clarity that’s unheard of in this price segment, giving competitors a run for their money.
Sound overall rating : 4.5/5*
*All ratings are accurate as
of date of publication. Changes in price, newer models may affect Project A3's
views on the performance and value of the reviewed product.
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