Moondrop Aria vs Aria Snow Edition – What’s the Difference?
Moondrop has been one of the most dominant in-ear monitor brands for the past couple of years. One of their most popular models is the Aria, a budget IEM with quality that exceeds its price range. Recently, Moondrop released an updated Aria Model: Aria Snow Edition. With updated drivers and tuning, the Snow boasts an impressive list of features, but is it better than the original Aria? Or should Moondrop have abided by the “ain’t broke don’t fix it” mentality? Today I’m going to compare both models.
Moondrop Aria (left) and Moondrop Aria Snow Edition (right)
Look and Feel
In terms of aesthetics, both Aria models fall in line with Moondrop’s overall design approach, featuring Moondrop’s signature Anime box art. The only differences between the Aria and the Aria SE are cosmetic and don’t have any impact on the sound. The original Aria has a more neutral look, while the SE plays more into the snow theme with its snowflake-patterned decal. Both look phenomenal, but the Aria SE is a bit more of a statement in my opinion. In terms of feel, both are extremely comfortable and have identical housings. The cable on the Aria SE felt slightly better than the cable on the original Aria. Moondrop’s signature attention to detail came through in both of these models.
Design
As expected, the Aria SE takes much of its overall structure and layout from the original Aria. The main changes are slight differences in frequency tuning and upgraded components. The SE features a DLC composite diaphragm with diamond-like carbon, giving it higher rigidity and flexibility and improving overall performance. This addition is meant to work synonymously with the components from the original Aria in a more streamlined way than its predecessor.
The Moondrop Aria has a frequency response of 5 Hz – 36 kHz and an impedance of 32 Ohms.
The Moondrop Aria Snow Edition has a frequency response of 15 Hz – 50 kHz and an impedance of 32 Ohms.
Sound Impressions
In terms of sound, both Arias feel like different interpretations of the same character. In terms of soundstage, both are very open, with the Aria SE having a slightly wider image overall. In terms of frequency response, both have a natural sound that has some fine-tuning in different places. The Aria SE has a wider frequency range and gives clearer and more transparent highs as a result. Both have similar approaches to the midrange, this is the least altered sound aspect between the two. The biggest difference in sound is in the bass. The original Aria has a much stronger bass response than the Aria SE, which goes for a more subtle approach. If you have strong opinions on bass (and let’s be honest, who doesn’t?) then I would get whichever one of these suits your preferences.
Overall
Both the Aria and Aria Snow Edition sound fantastic, especially for budget IEMs. While the differences between the two are subtle, they are present enough to give listeners options between the two based on preference. If you’re looking for a more energetic, bass-driven sound, then the original Aria is for you. If you want something with more shimmer and subtlety, then the Aria Snow Edition is most likely your safest bet. Either way, you’ll get an amazing IEM that provides a fantastic listening experience.
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Moondrop Aria |
Moondrop Aria Snow Edition |
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You can buy both the Moondrop Aria and the Aria Snow Edition at Audio46
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