After A/B-ing Monarch 2, Blessing 2, Helios and S8, I can see why you’ve slotted the Variations. It’s my favourite out of the lot - mainly for the subwoofer separation (mid-bass dip) and well resolving experience. S8 comes close but the warmer mids seem a bit tiring. Dusk seems a bit too harsh on some treble notes. Monarch 2 is not that resolving. Helios is great… the clunky fitting is really hard to sell. You truly are one heck of great reviewer, mate!
@@karolkedzierski5824 meh. U12t has got great bass resolution. Resolution doesn’t always have to be the treble sparkles. Maybe My ear is still a young one, hasn’t sclerosed like an old man yet. I don't need boosted treble to get more resolution (e.g. karaoke songs have loads of treble extension). Besides, I don’t think resolving and resolution are the same thing.
@@kekkek7888 good question. There isn't an exact definition in terms of audio. But I guess the more detailed a headphone, the more you'd be able to pick apart smaller nuances that you couldn't with other headphones. Usually characterised by an appropriate frequency response and THD. What is THD? Total Harmonic Distortion
If people are afraid of the size of the Variations, you can use Moondrop's own Spring tips. The Spring tips are really small and do a good job of creating a seal without increasing the nozzle size that much.
Me and you don't always agree, and hey that's okay man 😄 it happens and no big deal to me. But, I mostly agree with you here. In my opinion, some other rankings didn't give vari a high enough grade in resolution, it's legit up there.
The only thing stopping me from getting the Vari or the Dusk per say is that their massive nozzles are bigger than my tiny ear canals. I have trouble with 5mm nozzles with a 6mm lip. Imagine the hell that is the 6.5mm cylinder of the Vari
I havent heard them but you might wanna check out the new Softears Volume. Super Reviews has a review up, its like a B2 Dusk style tuning with a smaller nozzle at $285.
I could not wear them for more than one hour. Once I changed tips to Azla & Spinfits, they became more comfortable. I can say that I have no issues listening to them for longer periods
I think my ear holes have gotten a little larger since January (first iem and the rabbit hole that followed). I used to be perfectly fine with mediums, now I’m more of a ml/lg… at least my right ear seems wider.
Great review as ever Precog, any idea when the THIEAUDIO V16 DIVINITY will come up for review? Lastly, Moondrop S8 upgrade path?? I love the S8, I bought them on yours/Mark's glowing reviews. So, a replacement must really take most of the top tier performance and increase it quite some way, at around $1500 area...?
So tne end comment is if you like Harman curve then this is the choice at $520 but the Dusk is still the value play. But what is missing to me is what you would prefer for your non-Harman (U-Curve?) preference.
Thanks for the review… guess one day I ‘ll get them… but I just got Blessing 2 😆👍… with really beautiful graphene copper silver wire …. I just want to say I have never been able to listen to IEM for 4hours… lot of audiophiles say this “ I can wear them for 6-7 hours… I can do like 40 minutes and take a break and then some more…🙋♂️😁
I had the variations but ended up going for the Monarch MKII. The lower mid range scoop was a little too much for me with the variations but I don’t think anything else is as detailed for the price. The clairvoyance is good but definitely not as resolving.
@@yeah61 More money does not equal more better in this hobby dude. The mid range scoop on the variations was not what I personally wanted but it still sounded fantastic and could absolutely be someone’s endgame set.
Just cross my mind when I see you talking about the SA6… the community around Resolve likes the SA6 a lot… and EST112 not for it’s treble response …. but Your friend Mark Super reviews loves EST 112 very much… where do you stand with EST 112…. Mark even has it as a Yearphone for last year…✌️😁
EJ07m has better bass and mids tuning than the Variations IMO. The lower mids recession on the Variations is going to be a deal breaker for some people.
I mostly agree, the Ej07m is a far better all rounder IEM then the Variations and has a much faster Bass which matters in some genres like Metal. The Variations does have that very musical quality and on the right tracks it sings like almost nothing else in my collection.
@@acdbrn2000 how are the dusks for metal? Was thinking of them or the variations (altho I'm hearing more comments about variations not being all that metal friendly (death / djent / prog / doom).
@@taliosnz I don’t have the Dusk or the original B2. Not personally a fan of all BA or just DD+BA. The Ej07m is probably my second best IEM for metal with only the Unique Melody 3DT being just that slight bit better. The biggest issue is Bass speed and the Variations have a lovely sounding Bass… it just is not a fast enough Bass for some genres/songs. Vortex by make them suffer or Alive (part 2) by Darkwater are 2 good examples where the Ej07m keeps up, the Variations muddy a bit because they just don’t have a fast enough response and the UM 3DT just handles things and could go faster if needed.
@@acdbrn2000 Hopefully that doesn't annoying me too much then (they've still not shipped, and will take about 4 weeks to get here). I probably should look into some Planar IEMs sometime. Have my Dan Clark Open Aeon's for my daily desk driver tho. Currently enjoying some Frightful, Psycroptic, Fuming Mouth and Bell Witch ( working thru the albums featuring Mariusz Lewandowski's artwork ).
Great review 👍 Got the Moondrop KATO for my wife , she likes them 😊 I just got Crin’s Midnight IEM’s..the IKKO OH10’s is the top dog in my IEM’s stable with the midnight just behind it and ahead of the KATO….the Variations are a tad out of my price range. Btw, my EDC. is the Moondrop Aria + IFI Go Blue in Bluetooth mode 🥳 Cheers 🍻
@@deparoo About one month..however, I had an issue with Apos. The IEM’s weren’t really secured for international travel…and they got loose in their Moondrop box . The supplied interchangeable termination had a flaw and had poor / noisy connectivity Finally, they had a price drop AFTER I purchased my unit. Ok..apart from the packaging issues..they’ve resolved everything that I had issues with. I’ve got a replacement cable coming at no charge . I also got the discounted difference in price added back to my CC. As for the IEM’s themselves..FUCKING AMAZING. As I said , I’ve got Aria, Olina, KATO, OH10’s, Midnight’s, S12 and now the Variations. I’m done ..unless something spectacular comes along ..I’m more or less done with the toys ..and now just enjoy the music. Hope that helps .
please help me.....i'm so close to make my purchase between Moondrop Variations and Thieaudio Monarch......i have 2 issues......since im from Asia....India but not indian watever Asian.....i cant test them out my own 1.Bass.....is the original monarch $730 better than variation? like punch, thumpy and rumble like vibration likewise? and how deep it is comparing from the variation sub-bass.......i have stream so many video of those 2......but idk wats the best in both 2. soundstage how wide it is.....is it better than variations.......like back and front of head.....how tall.....is it better or.....please i hope i can get a specific end game full result and honest one please help me.....im bout to make my purchase soon btw! and is the monarch fast.....i hope the monarch is better....if the soundstage is more clustrophobic i sacrifice for variations i also wana know is it fast.......i know about the mid and treble both iems im fine with those....and where the store for monarch plz tel me💜🙏😢
does anyone have a solution for the channels being mixed. sound that is supposed to come out of the left bud is coming out the right one and vice versa. i have the moondrop variations
I'm currently deciding between Moondrop S8, Monarch Mk2, Mest 2, or Tia Trio (Used). Which one has the overall best technical capability, stage, punch/slam?
<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="139">2:19</a> Dunu's cords are gorgeous works of art. Triumphant mantlepieces that you are proud to display, and that no one would dream of putting around their ears for any meaningful amount of time unless they're shitfaced and grabbing things off your mantle to use as props for jokes that only make sense if you too are shitfaced or just delusionally immersed in an expensive hobby
Hi 🖐 i need your experience!! next week i will finally buy an earphone but yet, i still couldn't choose a reliable earphone😑😤 because i don't have experience in this field!! & an important point that i want earphone just for the song, not for vocal !!! just the song !!!! the vocal doesn't matter to me , because I'm not listening vocal !! my style music(Trance, electric, Ambient) with flat neutral-Harman sound !!!!! It should be perfect & excellent in mids ,upper-mids & treble !!(with big wide,height,depth soundstage & Resolution, separation, & clean) !! which earphones is it ?? (Budget ~$1200) i was going to buy Monarch Mk2, but i gave up!! I will be happy if you tell me a few recommend 🙏🏻
@@kylerclarke2689 do you have tried UM mest mk2 ?? because i can buy it with a discount of $500 !!!! that means i can actually buy it for $999!!! do you think UM mest mk2 is worth this amount ??
@@The_lastfallen I haven't, sorry! I daily drive the moondrop S8, and love them very much. They have a special soundstage, with vocals usually close in, but other instruments all around your head. The mids are dead even, with raised upper mids. The treble is almost perfect. From every review I've read, the Variations is very similar, but with a lot more bass and less resolution. I believe this, because I've owned and spent a lot of time with the Starfield and Blessing 2, Moondrop IEMs are mostly very similar but excellent! Anyways, that's all I have for recommendations. I wouldn't buy a $1000 IEM that you've never heard before! I just bought the Tripowin Mele for $45 and they're very very good, you don't need to spend nearly $1200 or $699 like I did to enjoy your music :)
It isn’t as dynamic as the B2. The slams in the instrument are kinda laid back which made me to downgrade to the dusk. If i were you, just try another iem like the oracle. But it’ll still depend on your taste.
Great review! Based on this, what would be the best recommendation as a step up from the dusk? I love the dusks but would want a stronger bass to have that difference when switching between them. 👌
@@linolingelbach2214 Actually the EJ07m is quite ideal already. No need to mess with the mid bass tuning unless you listen to old, poorly recorded music I guess. Even then, the EJ07m is the best tribrid choice in its price range.
Any thoughts on what would be a great IEM for metal? I have a Dusk, but I think the bass shelf starts so low that instrumental bass, bass drums and guitar often don't go that low and the song ends up being a bit bright and harsh without the low end. A T2 Plus balances that better for example.
@@nyan4x What about the macro contrast or how punchy they sound? Planars often have problems with that and my LCD-X for example does okay, but Clear MG blows them out the water in that regard. An LCD-2 then again is pretty bad and slow. The Arya is insanely (unnaturally) fast, but lacks low end.