If you’ve read through my reviews, you’ll find that I am a
big fan of Moondrop and their lineup of in-ear monitors. They have a tuning
goal in mind with each IEM and they more or less hit it on every release. When
it comes to earbuds, however, I have only listened to the ultra budget Shiro
Yuki, and now this, the flagship Chaconne from Moondrop.
I have always been keen on ear buds due to their easy fit,
comfort, and open sound. They aren’t the best for isolation, and ultra-bass
response, and for the most part, they haven’t been the best for clarity either.
But, in the past few years, the ear bud market has risen again, and I’ve
written reviews and impressions on several in the past on this blog and other
corners of the internet. Yes, ear buds have their limitations, but they have
their own use case too.
I picked up the Moondrop Chaconne at regular price on the
newly formed online retailer, Apos Audio. Shipping was pretty quick once the
Chinese New Year holiday period was over – I’ve had these for a few months now
and use them at least a few times a week. Unlike most other earbuds I have
owned, these have been kept in my stable and are in my everyday carry.
Why’s that? Well they are expensive. They retail for $319,
which puts them in the utmost tier of ear buds. In the In-Ear and Over-Ear
headphone market, this comfortably resides in mid-tier levels, but in the world
of ear buds, this is 10X more than mid-fi ear buds.
The Chaconne is a single dynamic driver ear bud that’s
housed in a titanium shell and brass driver grill. The shell is absolutely
stunning and many times more impressive than any other ear bud I’ve ever seen.
The cable is a silver colored, oxygen-free copper that is nicely braided and
feels generally well. The connectors and splitter are also metal with a chrome
finish.
Sound
Normally in this section, I post measurements with the gear
I am testing but for ear buds, I just don’t find it very reliable using my
measurement rigs, so I am just going to do this the old fashion way – with
words.
I have been playing with the Moondrop Chaconne through a
variety of sources over the past couple months – this includes mainly the
iBasso DX160 and Hiby R5 music players, as well as my Samsung S10e and a
variety of desktop amplifiers. The Chaconne does require me to up the volume
dial a bit more than my other IEMs however it is using 3.5mm single ended and
not using the more powerful 4.4mm output of my DAPs.
The Chaconne is a warm ear bud that’s not unlike other ear
buds around, however where I feel it differs is that the earbud actually does
have some audible bass that extends deeper and treble that extends higher than
any other earbud I’ve tried. This combination gives the Chaconne a more well-rounded
sound than most ear buds, however, coming from IEMs or Headphones, one may be
disappointed if they don’t understand the limitations.
The lower mid-range is warm, though not overly rich. It does
provide some focus towards it as does most earbuds though. The upper mid-range
sounds recessed. That’s actually one part of the tuning I was a little
surprised at, given how Moondrop’s IEMs and other earbud I’ve tried is elevated
in this region. This recession of the upper mid-range makes the Chaconne’s
tonality a warmer and slightly dark sound, but it’s lifted treble and just general
openness provides a good soundstage and airy nature that counters the warmer,
darker overtones.
Where I find the Moondrop Chaconne is the level of exacting
detail that comes out when I hear songs on it when compared to other ear buds I’ve
tried in the past. It’s the biggest distinguishing factor, outside of the actual
low-end presence.
Musical Selections
In Orville Peck’s Winds Change, the acoustic guitars have a
lot of plucky tinge to them that go in and out and pan in and out with a
greater sense of space than when I listen to in-ears. The deeper voice of Peck
really goes well with the general tonality of the Chaconne, which gives him the
weightier and deeper vocal notes that makes his voice really command the songs
on his debut album.
Air’s All I Need is a classic in my book. With the Moondop
Chaconne, Beth Hersch’s voice sounds slightly veiled however still is placed in
the forefront of the stage and sounds quite natural, albeit a little less
bright but just as breathy as some other IEMs I’ve used. The background
electronic soundscape has wonderful imaging and the bass line drives the song
just as I would have expected, which is a nice surprise since again, these are
ear buds.
On the beautifully haunting cover, Hallelujah, by the late
Jeff Buckley, the Chaconne sings through the opening of the song with the
Buckley’s deep sigh, followed by his slow building intricate guitar work that
sets the scene for his incredible voice. And that voice sounds really spacious,
detailed and crisp on the Chaconne. There’s a slight shoutiness that can be
heard at times when the guitar is emphasized, but this isn’t unique to the
Moondrop Chaconne and I’ve heard it on many other headphones as well. The
warmer tone really works great with this song, and wide soundstage really makes
the song sound even more incredible than on some of my other ear phones.
Finally, the jazz-fused Roots song, What They Do, is another
song that I found really sounds nice on the Chaconne. The deep bassline and
steady percussions lay a nice rhythm that sounds warm, rich, and laid back, the
way it should sound, at least to me. Black Thought’s vocals sound clean and precise
as usual, and I don’t find many flaws listening to the Chaconne.
General Thoughts
I didn’t know what to expect when I bought the Moondrop
Chaconne a few months ago. It was an earbud that fascinated me for months after
it came out. For one, I really liked Moondrop gear, and secondly, I’ve been
wanting a top of the line ear bud ever since I sold my Rose Masya away. The
impulsiveness in me finally won and I’ve been surprisingly really happy with
the purchase.
I had some doubt and even initial regret, but after finding the proper fit (with the help of silicone ear bud rings and foam), I’ve found a great fit combination that excels in sound quality that seems to suit much of the music I prefer. Yes, it’s got some limitations in raw bass performance and quantity, as well as some limitations in other areas, but being and ear bud and being priced at around $319, it’s actually a very nice set and one I am enjoying more and more as I listen to it.
Obviously this isn’t a recommendation for everyone, but for
those interested in seeing what this niche area of ear buds has to offer, the
Chaconne is one of the best.
The promo code is: MOONDROP15
Special Promo Code:
Our friends at HifiGo have provided me a special promocode for getting $15 off the Moondrop Chaconne at their site: https://hifigo.com/products/moondrop-chaconne-dynamic-earphones-titanium-shell-lcp-diaphragmThe promo code is: MOONDROP15
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