Closer Examination

If I had to pick a couple of words to describe the stock cable included with the MOONDROP Aria (2021), it would be "mostly practical." Not much information is available about the conductor except that it is silver-plated. That presumably refers to a copper core that is then silver-plated on the outside before it is braided into strands. But we don't get to see the individual strands, even assuming that is the case. MOONDROP has gone with a nylon sleeving on the outside, which in turn does get braided. It goes from a 90° 3.5 mm TRS connector on the source—a good start for cable management—before the softer nylon keep things simple and effective for easier routing to the IEM shells. I can't say much about the durability of the nylon sleeve, but it does seem more prone to kinking. There is the expected splitter and cable cinch in the middle, with "MOONDROP" etched into it. We get an opaque black plastic sheathing over the nylon towards the curved memory-wire configuration that leads to two 0.78 mm 2-pin connectors with "L" and "R" marked plastic housings to distinguish the two channels. Re-shaping this section is not the easiest, but the connectors themselves feel plenty adequate for this purpose. It's not the fanciest cable in the world and somewhat prone to microphonics if not secured well on the front or used on the back as intended, but it's not going to hold back the IEMs in terms of impedance and comfort. All three connector sets are gold-plated for added oxidation resistance.


As with the cable, MOONDROP does not go into detail on the shells used for the MOONDROP Aria (2021). We can tell from the product page that the shells are metallic and there is an inner brass cavity, with injection molding and CNC carved processing coupled with multiple tuning holes and acoustic damping. What it ultimately provides you with is a set of IEMs that are black on the base and have the coppery flow design seen on the product box. The exterior gets a matte metal spray for the finish and contact longevity, which makes for a stealthy set of IEMs with the cable. The finish itself has had some durability complaints from customers thus far, especially related to paint scratches, so it's good of MOONDROP to extend the 1-year warranty to cover such physical damage to the shells as well.


A closer look at the face plate shows the flowy lines in more detail, which are well applied without seeming too distinct on this otherwise matte surface that is fingerprint and oil resistant. On the side, we see "Aria" spelled out as on the product box, and this design carries over to both IEM buds. It is less of a copper color in person, which works out for the better in my opinion. Further examination of the side shows the composite housing, with the face plate glued to the rest of the housing for a gap the recessed cable connectors use. I am personally not a fan of recessed connectors, having seen some become prone to housing tolerance clashes over time and even out of the box, but it does make for a neater, cleaner, and potentially more secure fit if all works well. Two vents are on the contact surface going into the ear concha, which should help with pressure equilibration but potentially effects passive isolation. The nozzle is an extension of the metal housing itself, with a ~5.45 mm diameter and no notch to secure the ear tips in place. I do wish MOONDROP had thought of this before, at least as much as with the user-replaceable anti-clogging filter mechanism.


Fitting the ear tips in the absence of the retaining notch takes a bit more thought, especially if going with external options. You need to get tips with a 5 mm bore or slightly under for enough pressure to keep it in place. The stock tips work fine, and I have the two size M tips installed here, which continue the dark color scheme across the board. Once done with the tips, the next step is to re-connect the cable by carefully pushing the 2-pin connectors in place. The 3.5 mm TRS connector then goes to the source of your choice, and you then simply install the IEMs in your ears with the cable ideally going around the back of your ears and head to reduce microphonics. I know there are many who prefer to use IEMs throughout, but I like to use over-ear headphones when sitting down and IEMs/TWS earbuds on the go. I've paired the MOONDROP Aria with all the tested portable DAC/amps thus far and personally liked the cleaner profile and handy EQ options with the Qudelix-5K as the source, in turn paired to my phone and/or laptop for audio listening, but not frequency response testing.