Closer Examination

We've seen a custom storage case and a nice set of ear tips thus far and the accessories for the MOONDROP Solis 2 continue to impress with a bespoke cable that is made specifically for this product. It's called the PURE6 and debuts with the Solis 2, although I do not know if it will be sold separately as with a few other MOONDROP IEM and headphone cables. A flagship set of IEMs effectively demands a premium cable to be included for the price these days, even if practically you may not notice any difference in sound or use, and the PURE6 does not disappoint. It's a modular cable that uses OE Audio style connectors with a guiding pin that helps install the four connecting pins themselves, as seen above. This is accompanied by a threaded lock for a much more secure installation than the usual friction fit seen in most such modular IEM cables on the market today while also making for a relatively compact housing on the source end. MOONDROP provides options of 2.5 and 4.4 mm TRRS balanced connectors in addition to the pre-installed 3.5 mm TRS single-ended connector. The housings are all polished aluminium with subtle branding on the larger source connector housing itself.

The cable uses four parallel, fully shielded strands placed alongside each other to make for a flat design similar to what we saw on the Campfire Audio Solaris Stellar Horizon, however this is far better in terms of not retaining memory, not kinking up randomly, and being easy to re-shape and orient. The individual strands are still round and separated, perhaps this is why this particular implementation works out. The conductor is high-purity copper sourced from suppliers that also work with fabs and chip manufacturers where copper purity exceeds your usual levels used in audio cables. Indeed, MOONDROP provides an elemental analysis of the conductor to show the negligible amount of contaminants, but here too I will point out that the relative impact should equally negible compared to most decent cables. It's a gorgeous, all-silver looking cable that leaves no doubt as to it being premium, so job well done in that regard. The splitter has the cable name on it along with a functional, clear chin cinch following which we have two strands each headed to the other end where we have pre-formed ear hooks—the plastic sheathing is not distracting. I do wish MOONDROP went with something other than its currently used clear plastic housing for the 0.78 mm 2-pin connectors though, especially as the L/R markings are subtle. The metal plugs on either end are gold-plated for oxidation resistance.


If you thought the cable was shiny then the IEMs themselves make them fade into the background. The Solis 2 will be an extremely divisive product when it comes to the shell design and aesthetics. I shared these photos on social media prior to this review and there were people who thought this was a work of art, others who appreciated the craftsmanship and handiwork, and many others who termed it gaudy/tacky. The housing is composed entirely of 925 silver (92.5% silver and 7.5% an additional metal, usually copper), thus making this sterling silver when it comes to jewelry classifications. MOONDROP then hires trusted jewelers to carve out the exterior into this feather-like texture that makes for an eye-catching look. It also serves a practical purpose in that 925 silver can slowly turn dark over time with oxidation and this texture can guide the oxidation purposely into forming black grooves and light fins/feathers. It should still look nice, if not nicer, without necessarily needing you to etch the oxidized layer off every so often. In fact, if you look closely at the photos above, you will see some of this has already started in a few places and I don't see it being a negative at this point at least. It also looks and feels better in person than in photos and the seam between the two sections is also not as obvious in your hands as it appears here in the macro photos. The real flip side is that texture can snag onto fabric and potentially irritate your skin/ears while the use of silver makes the Solis 2 denser and heavier than typical resin/aluminium shell IEMs.


Depending on the incident light, the shells also cast a shadow that comes off darker than the rest of the shinier metal around. This subtle change can help make the Solis 2 not a complete distraction if you wear it outside, but can make the seams appear larger than in real life. Then MOONDROP decided the shiny silver wasn't enough and added in gold on top. The applique that is the de-facto face plate here is based off the Golden Sun Bird, an ancient artifact dating back 11-12,000 years BC to the Shu dynasty. It is also the Chengdu city logo, as mentioned on the first page, and ties to MOONDROP's own origins that way. The shell designs are also inspired by Shu dynasty sculptures and artifacts, although not as strong as this applique which comes 24 Karat gold and silver plated. Once again macro photos make it seems rougher than perhaps a flagship design should be, but I remind myself these are hand-made and hand-soldered in addition to the defects not really being visible to the naked eye, so everything is groovy again. From a more practical approach, we see the shells are on the thicker side of average to accommodate the various drivers and crossover elements inside, in addition to the thicker silver housing, and there are recessed 2-pin cable connectors on the side. No vents to be seen anywhere, interestingly enough, unless perhaps they are concealed behind the gold applique. The shells lead to a silver nozzle that is not textured so as to better fit ear tips. The nozzle is relatively thick at 6.5 mm in diameter, does not slope up or down, long enough for decent insertion depths, and is angled less aggressively than usual. There is no metal filter on the other end but we see three holes for the three sets of drivers to feed into, including one with what seems to be a Knowles damper pre-installed for the balanced armature drivers.


Fitting the different ear tips will require you to slightly stretch the inner bore to fit over the nozzle before pushing them in and going around to ensure they are not at an angle. There is no retaining notch here but the thicker nozzle already helps keep them in place, and there there is also a defined end point so you effectively stop when the bore of the ear tips can't be pushed in further. Seen above are the included size M silicone and foam ear tips installed on the MOONDROP Solis 2. There isn't a big difference between the two silicone tips in terms of tip length or bore size and it comes down more to how good of a fit/seal you can get with them as well as the foam tips. Try out the various tips and sizes provided, and keep in mind that both ear canals won't necessarily have the best seal with the same size or set, either.


Regardless of which tips you pick, the next step is to connect the cable by carefully identifying the matching channels and orienting the ear hooks around your ear when connecting the IEMs. Doing so is simple, as you just push the 2-pin connectors in place and they remain there via a friction fit with the recessed connector also helping to an extent. I quite liked the all silver color scheme going on here, with the clear tips helping further. You then have to decide on the source connection based on the available 2.5/3.5/4.4 mm options, depending on what you wish to use these IEMs with. The precious metals in use here meant I was less likely to use them on the go but still found it best to lounge indoors with a portable DAC/amp such as the MOONDROP MoonRiver 2, be it standalone or the one integrated in the excellent MOONDROP DASH75 keyboard.


Some people had mentioned they would like to see the Solis 2 under direct sunlight, as opposed to the black background I used above, when I posted the photos online initially. As such, I chose to record a short video that was then converted into a GIF seen above. You can see how the silver shells and gold applique go from dull to extremely shiny and reflective depending on the incident light, and so I personally don't recommend using these outdoors too much unless you want to be the center of attention. These are the very definition of ear jewelry too and there are some potential fit/comfort issues we'll go over on the next page. Still, there's no denying that if you are into this aesthetic and like the bling factor then the Solis 2 certainly delivers!