You’re right, but I don’t like publicly underestimating undeniably good IEMs. There are thousands of IEMs on the market these days, but few of them are good. That’s all! 
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That review irritated me, too. I felt compelled to comment. My critique was that, Estrella isn’t a graph-chasing IEM, it’s designed for engagement. If you approach it from the former, why did you even buy the IEM? It is designed for immersion and that is EXACTLY what Estrella does. That 5 Star guy doesn’t strike me as simple, so I must question his intentions.
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But Mark disagrees and folks are audio…
LOL.
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But your opinion may not match others. It’s crazy how hurt you seem by one person’s review. Move on man. You enjoy it that’s awesome. He didn’t do much. Who cares? You are not his demographic and you are not listening to music how he enjoys it. You post on this one reviewer constantly and it is coming off as emotion now.
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We Slavs are temperamental people and we don’t like lies.
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Sound is subjective. So it’s probably not a lie. Plenty of videos out where people disagree on an “objectively” good iem. Does that mean they are all lying because they disagree with the majority?
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This has been my experience haha. One of my best buds is Russian and the second he thinks someone is trying to pull the wool over his eyes, no matter how innocuous, he goes on the attack.
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I’m not sure why 5 Start critises it for not sounding natural, when it isn’t supposed to be natural. It’s like, did he not understand the artist’s intent? It’s fine if he doesn’t like it, but him not understanding the tuning when it’s very much Jay’s brand distilled into an IEM; is he ignorant of Jay’s preferences and intent?
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Ya I was a bit puzzled why he gave the Gaea a 4 star at $1300 but didn’t like the Estrella as much when the Gaea is waaaay more aggressive:
Different strokes for different folks I guess 
As long as he’s not lying like TDM we’re all good
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This is probably what he/Mark expected, TBH, which is why he kept it shorter than usual for his reviews. He prefaced the video by saying he was hesitant to do this review.
But, his taste/opinion/preface has never been for things with a lot of bass, he likes more balanced signatures or things with mid focused tuning. Doesn’t mean he’s wrong for not liking the Estrella, just means it doesn’t work for him. May work for a lot of other people but not for him.
He’s a chill guy (met him at SoCal CanJam) so I don’t think going after his character or anything is going to really… Prove a point or anything. Just my take on it.
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Word, it’s all subjective. I can see why it doesn’t work for him given that his fav is the Dusk 
Please don’t drop hate comments on Mark’s videos, he seems like a chill dude, and ya the Gaea/Estrella ranking is still a bit 
…but, to each their own!
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I completely agree with you man. I don’t get why all the hate just because that iem does not work for him. He even made a video explaining what he likes and is biased towards. The guy seems honest and don’t think the criticism is fair.
I think the point of a reviewer is to express what they like and then the people that have similar preferences in tuning can relate.
Just because an iem was “tuned” how it was intended does not mean it should just be praised. If that was the case no iem would be bad. It does not make someone ignorant because they prefer a certain tuning nor does it mean they should not review an iem that is tuned differently.
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Moondrop with another copy of their tuning which hasnt changed in the last 6 years or so…sighs…
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Yo Moondrop has to be the wackest IEM company out right now.
Same tunings. Same aesthetics. Same everything.
Lame.
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Yeah, looks like another pinnea-fest.
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I just finished watching the still kings vid. A bud I know wants to offload their Mest 2. How does it compare to the Origin or Bajie? Is it still a cut above those two or are there things the Origin or Bajie can do better (bass maybe)?
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If you can get it for the same as Bajie then sure, but Origin is bassier if you want more body
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MOONDROP KADENZ REVIEW:
So, Moondrop is back with the Kadenz… and they’re in big trouble.
OVERALL SOUND
Sound wise, it’s nice, there’s nothing jarring with it, the timbre is natural as the Kadenz follows a clean, balanced, and inoffensive tuning with a more laid back presentation but with a slight focus on the vocals. It doesn’t over boost the low-end, or highlight the treble, and it doesn’t pop out in any region particularly.
Low-end wise the texture is… average, don’t expect any crazy slam, tactility or reverb, but there’s no mid-bass bleed or bloat, and it’s going to be on the tamer side although not lean or thin sounding. Notweight is natural, not too floaty nor too husky, and the vocals are slightly forward, but they do lack a little air and openness to the final extension, but it’s not a deal breaker because they still sound natural and balanced.
Treble is smoother than the KATO, but not as soft as the Aria 2. There’s enough, and again, well balanced, but don’t expect any crazy detail or air in the higher octaves.
TECHNICAL PERFORMANCE
When it comes to technical performance the Kadenz is… fine, but it’s disappointing at $200 after tax, it’s noticeably behind the Quintet, Supermix4, Nova, Chopin, and realistically the Kadenz sits more around the EW300/Cinno/Hexa levels, and imo it should not cost more than $100. In a vacuum, if you just gave the Kadenz to a random person on the streets, they’re most likely going to enjoy it since it sounds nice, but it just doesn’t hold up in 2024 chifi.
vs TANGZU XUAN NV
For starters, if you want that clean/balanced sound the Tangzu XUAN NV is literally that, but for more than 2x cheaper, and it’s often on sale for like $60 with an extra DD. They basically have the same tonality, and the same level tech wise with the difference more or less coming down to unit variance and qc. I personally like the XUAN NV more because my unit has a little more air and extension which makes the vocals feel a little more open, and it fits better for me (lighter).
So then, what are you paying $100 more for on the Kadenz over the XUAN NV?.. It’s the presentation.
MOONDROP TAX
The design and build quality is much better on the Kadenz, the unboxing is more premium, the cable and case is higher quality as well… Basically, you’re paying for the cosmetics when you choose the Kadenz over anything else in its price range really, which is fine, but just don’t go in expecting to get $200 worth of sound because you’re gonna walk out with half, with the other half being the waifu.
If you want the most bang for your buck detail and resolution wise you’re better off with getting the Supermix4 and Nova which both are better technically. You get more treble detail, the layering and separation is better, and they’re both like $50 cheaper. Because If you’re going to trade off technical performance then you need a unique sound to justify the extra pricing like the CKLVX, Magic One, or Explorer because without it you don’t really have anything to justify the upcharge sound wise.
vs EA500LM
It also doesn’t help that the EW300 and LM are both under $100, and value wise they make the Kadenz look really bad. Now, the LM is a hit or miss depending on the unit you get, mine was pretty well-balanced although some are just too bright, but if you do get a good unit it’s just a better version of the Kadenz imo.
It’s more engaging but still well-balanced (my unit at least), and the LM is more resolving with sharper imaging, better bass texture, and 2x cheaper, so, it’s more musical while being more technical.
vs EW300 3.5MM
The EW300 on the otherhand is similar as the LM sound wise, but just not as resolving (slightly behind), but without the unit variance. The bass on the EW300 is punchier and it hits harder than the Kadenz, it’s better extended in the treble, there’s more air without being overly sharp and peaky, and overall it’s more engaging but similarly competent tech wise. I believe more people are going to like the EW300 more as an all-rounder because of the fuller low-end and extra air, especially given that you can get the EW300 for around $65 on sale, which is 3x less!! So, very tough competition from both sides.
vs TANCHJIM ORIGIN
You also have the Origin which is the Kadenz, but with more air and detail. If you want a neutral-monitor like sound the Origin would be the better pick with great accessories and build quality on top. I still think the Origin is a little pricey at retail, but if you’re already thinking of paying almost $200 for the Kadenz then you might as well just save up and get the Origin which is basically the direct upgrade if you want that clean and balanced sound.
vs KATO
Although I will say I do like the Kadenz better than the KATO and Aria 2, but, those are low-bars to clear. Compared to the outdated KATO the Kadenz is a more refined version of the KATO, they both sound very similar, but the Kadenz is smoother and less sharp while keeping up the details and resolution.
There’s also a little more clarity and power to the vocals on the KADENZ, it’s more vocal focused than the KATO, but the Kato, my unit at least, is airier in the treble, and it feels more spacious, but just not as refined, and sharper. Overall I would still take the Kadenz because I prioritize vocals, but it’s kinda close which is not a good thing given how old the KATO is.
vs ARIA 2
Versus the Aria 2 the Kadenz is a small bump in-terms of the vocal clarity and overall resolution as the Aria 2 feels softer in its transients and not as “detailed” which is more or less expected given the price difference. The ARIA 2 is the softest out of the 3, while the Kato is the sharpest, and the KADENZ sits in between them with a slight resolution bump. Again, sound wise, all 3 follows a balance and clean sound signature you can expect from Moondrop, or the “Moondrop House sound”.
IS KADENZ WORTH IT?
So, do I recommend the Kadenz…? No.
If you want that clean and balanced sound either save up for the Origin, or just grab the XUAN NV for 3 times less on sale (same sound, but without the accessories). If you want a better all-rounder with better bass and dynamics then the EW300 would be better and cheaper, or if you want something warmer you got the EM6L and Magic One as well, and then tech wise you have the Supermix4, Nova, Chopin, Quintet etc.
You also have all the other unique sets like the CKLVX, Explorer, Cinno… so unless you’re a Moondrop collector… it’s gonna be a hard pass for most people - watch out for the hype!
KADENZ Final Ranking (MID-VOLUME):
Tonality: A (6.5-7/10)
Tech: A- (6/10)
Overall: A- (6/10)
Thanks for reading 
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