I want new earphones for listening to music (bassey hiphop and rnb music), watching YouTube and making calls on iPhone 12
So before Christmas was close to buying the 1more quad driver earphones but I read about IEM’s so started researching and decided on the Moondrop Aria IEM but before I pull the trigger I wanted some opinions on which to get based on my usage ^^ and which has superior SQ and bass
As their prices are now very similar I was hoping someone here would know which has the superior sound quality
The arias destroy the 1MORE like rcayn said, no question there. I’m not sure I’d go for the aria if I was looking for a bassy, hip hop oriented pair though. I just got the Tripowin Mele’s for a friend who’s into hip hop, the bass on that pair is more suited to the genre imo. The arias can handle it just fine and will have better SQ, but might be a bit light on the low end for what you want
I’m still an audiophile noob so take that with a grain of salt
If you’re just for casual listening and not really venturing into audiophile territory, plus the fact that you need a mic for a one-and-done deal, here are two other alternatives:
Tanchjim Tanya
CCA CRA with mic option ← recommended for bassheads, graphs similar to the highly praised og QKZ VK4 (not the updated version)
Teddy, those CCA CRA look very tempting and the YouTube reviews are great but I can’t help but think of the old adage “if something sounds too good to be true …”
I appreciate it’s a new product but don’t feel comfortable buying an iem that has no reviews on Amazon
Does anyone know if the cca cra has better fuller bass and sq compared to the aria?
Of course, if you’re really looking to go for the safer route, Aria has a better footing in the audiophile community with its decent and safe tuning. Can’t really go wrong with Aria.
For the graphs, it’s consistent throughout the three graphs that the CRA has more sub-bass than Aria, also an elevated treble. Whether it will come across peaky or not depends on one’s ears. I’m not advocating the CCA CRA over Aria, just simply because you asked for a daily use IEM with mic functions and your search for a bassier set.
If not for the mic function, that opens up a whole lot of other possibilities:
Tripowin x BGGAR Mele
Tin T3 Plus (the latest big recommendation from multiple good reviewers)
You could also check these two out, but again, you’ll need to consider additional funds for aftermarket 2-pin cables with mic.
By the way, before I buy the CCA CRA with mic (going to buy the Aria too) for £20, are there any other similar price IEMs with a mic that have better bass and SQ?
Don’t do it, nearly every Aria craps out before it gets to 6 months. The cable connectors get loose, and eventually one of them shorts out. Moondrop didn’t bother painting the Starfield well, but at least that still made sound a year later. It is pathetic, and I can’t recommend an IEM that didn’t last 4 months for me, and never left my apartment.
There’s little direct correlation between price and quality, there are several hundred or even several thousand dollar IEMs that sound worse than £25 ones.
If you’re really looking for bass, I’d also consider the TFZ No.3, it’s a bit old but it’s $42 on AliExpress now (was $109 on launch a couple of years ago) and it certainly has bass. Can be a little piercing in the treble but better tuned than most KZ and a bargain at $42 (£31).
I would recommend the Aria over this for most people, and I prefer the Aria personally. It’s more balanced and less piercing in the treble. But for bass, specifically, the TFZ No.3 is excellent at that price, it’s a lot of fun.
The Tin HiFi T3 Plus is another option that is reportedly quite similar to the Aria, but a little cheaper, similar level (some prefer one, some the other) and more “fun” profile, with slightly more bass emphasis. This I think would be a good option if you don’t want to go all in on super boosted bass, want something a bit closer to neutral but still want a little more than the Aria. I haven’t heard it, have it on order.
I have the CCA CRA on order, I don’t have it yet. I suspect it’s going to be very decent for the money, based on what reliable reviewers have said about it. Particularly if you want something with extra bass.
Conversely, my Aria is fine. It’s a very popular IEM, so there are going to be some problems. Have you tried contacting Moondrop for warranty? I have heard suggestions they may be reasonably decent on this.
I have and they were not reasonable, they basically said after 90 days it wasn’t their problem.
Not that I should have to, but I will probably repair them myself at some point, and when I do I will also repaint them, since the paint is chipping, just not as fast as the Starfield did.
