Damn, I pulled a trigger on those Teas from AliExpress finally.
It was because of you ( ) and because of possibility of stacking up coupons and possibility of avoiding VAT (which was not doable in Linsoul due to shipment only available via DHL = 100 +23% to the price).
Speaking of customs - do you normally ask the seller to declare lower value on the package to limit the extra tax? Or is there a risk of getting the package pushed back to China due to incorrect value declared (I have heard it somewhere).
And also @nymz - you have been speaking of some QC problems lately of the Teas - what was that exactly? Not- balanced sides, dead BA drivers, dead connector? Is it 0.78mm or MMCX in latest revisions btw, because I am confused, because in pictures it is 2-pin, whereas in Linsoul bundle it was sold with MMCX cableā¦
Different FR on both sides or different than OG Tea?
Damn, flexing I can live with, but whole driver dying and warranty handling in China is no-goā¦ I am wondering when did they implement those design changes and what stock do they have currently - before or after the changes.
Canāt wait though to hear those Teas I can admit, sad it is only planned for delivery up to 16 of Dec.
I am wondering if the Tea hype is hifiguideās local thing or is it something real. It seems like everywhere else I read (Reddit, crinacle, YouTube, polish forums, head-fi etc) those phones seem to be heavily overlooked and the B2D, Variations, Thieaudio etc are recommended mostly under 500 USD.
Why does Crin have them so low is also strange to meā¦
As much as I said that I love the Variations, Iām still a member of the Tea Cult more and more. Take this post as my final verdict between Tea vs Variations.
Conclusion first:
Moondrop Variations is good for frequency separation, technicality, detail retrieval
Mangird Tea is good for coherency, fun tuning, excellent stage and imaging
I had a rough start with the Tea to be honest (purchased this August), and I questioned myself whether it was the right purchase. It took me about 2-3 weeks to adjust to Teaās tuning, but burn-in might also contribute to the current smoothness. Whether my batch was problematic or not I canāt tell, @nymz found my description of the set back then very different from his set. But itās irrelevant 'cos now my Tea is performing on par with Variations, if not better.
On what occasions is Variations good for?
When craving for bass rumble but still want to maintain the laid-back touch (lofi study music, chillhop, jazzhop, jazz, bossa nova).
When I want to do some critical listening for details in the track, like doing absolutely nothing and seeking to get a mind-blowing eargasm out of the music. Performs exceptionally well with female vocals.
When Hans Zimmer happens.
On what occasions is Tea good for?
When listening to anything with a good vocal.
When searching for excitement.
When I want the library to sound all-around good on shuffle mode.
So far so abstract, so hereās to simplify: If I only have Variations and Tea and nothing else, I find myself reaching for the Tea 2/3 of the time while Variations get the remaining 1/3. Variations is good, but thereās a catch: the mid frequency scoop aka the thinness of male vocals is very present. I was just listening to some Japanese male singers (e.g. Suchmos - Pinkvibes) and the vocals sound thin, veiled, and compressed af, albeit having good bassline. Hi-hat range sounds like the blank screen white noise from an old TV set. Itās these moments when Iām on shuffle mode while working that the music sticks out like a sore thumb. In addition, the superb frequency separation of the Variations is a pro and a con: it keeps enticing me to closely listen to the music, making it hard to concentrate on other work, but thatās exactly where it IS eargasm when doing critical listening.
Tea, on the other hand, never has this problem besides being too forward at rare times (recording issue). I can listen to Tea at all times all scenarios without feeling the fatigue of over detailed, thereās no lack in any frequencies (good coherency) and the front-to-back instrument placement and 3D-ish stage is so uniquely satisfying it makes me feel like Iām IN the musical environment. I was just listening to Snarky Puppy - Lingus (We Like It Here), and while the Variations gave me a very technical presentation and good bass, the Tea wowed me at the trumpet and drum solo (Variations lacked the āpunchā).
So Iām evaluating according to the enjoyment factor.
In no way Iām saying that one is better than the other, but if you take pricing into consideration, youāll see how cost-effective the Tea is. I completely understand why HBB and nymzās library will make the Variations āa worthy mentionā but not an everyday carry. For me itās not that bad, but still, Iām reaching more for the Tea than the Variations because the latter is just too technical it rubs off the fun in casual listening. It only shines when one can focus SOLELY on the music.
The Variations is just extreme in polarizing ways for me: it can be a relaxing ASMR monster when playing only laid back genres, or it can be full-on adrenaline when doing critical listening. Tea covers everything that sits between these two poles. It should be pretty obvious now why Teas are sitting in my ears right this moment. If I have the funds, I would really want to pick up a second pair of Tea.
) and because of possibility of stacking up coupons and possibility of avoiding VAT (which was not doable in Linsoul due to shipment only available via DHL = 100 +23% to the price).
congratz 
