Moondrop LAN : Good All-round Performance!
Summary:
Launched in late Feb'23, Moondrop LAN is the latest iteration of Single DD based IEM from Moondrop. It comes with a proprietary 10mm Dual Cavity Dynamic Driver and comes at a very affordable price below $40.
Introduction:
Let's quickly dive into what the Moondrop LAN has to offer. In pursuit of better sound for the price, the LAN comes with new generation 10mm Dual Cavity DD.
Let's quickly dive into what the Moondrop LAN has to offer. In pursuit of better sound for the price, the LAN comes with new generation 10mm Dual Cavity DD.
The LAN is priced at $36
35% OFF AT KEEPHIFI:
Design & Build:
The LAN comes with a shell of stainless-steel material - which is surprisingly comfortable and a perfect fit for most ears. I have tried it through long audio sessions, and it fared very well throughout. It is amongst the most comfortable IEMs in this price range that I have come across.
The LAN comes with a shell of stainless-steel material - which is surprisingly comfortable and a perfect fit for most ears. I have tried it through long audio sessions, and it fared very well throughout. It is amongst the most comfortable IEMs in this price range that I have come across.
It is described as the following on the website:
Moondrop has crafted the ear shells of the latest “LAN” using high-quality stainless steel material. It adopts MIM powder metallurgy process, the solid stainless steel housing is manufactured by high-temperature sintering through mold forming.This technology was first used in this universal product, promising [LAN] a high-end texture and superior quality.
Moondrop has got years of experience in designing high-performance in-ear monitors with customized driver units. For their latest “LAN” they have featured a new generation of large-size beryllium-plated dome composite diaphragm, high-efficiency internal magnetic driver structure with brass internal acoustic cavity.
Moondrop has designed the LAN using their years of knowledge and expertise with High-performance audio gears. The frequency response for the pair falls in line with the VDSF Target Response and provides ultra-low distortion in the output signal. The pair shows excellent resolution and a natural, reference-grade tone that treats the listeners with an open, lively, natural sound presentation. It complements different genres of music with its professional tuning and will be an ideal choice for most audiophiles.
Disclaimer: @shenzhenaudio had sent me the review unit for my impressions & views. The opinions below are based on my experiences with the unit and my own. I have tried to be as comprehensive & comparative as I could be - to give a complete picture to the audience.
Specifications:
Moondrop has crafted the ear shells of the latest “LAN” using high-quality stainless steel material. It adopts MIM powder metallurgy process, the solid stainless steel housing is manufactured by high-temperature sintering through mold forming.This technology was first used in this universal product, promising [LAN] a high-end texture and superior quality.
Moondrop has got years of experience in designing high-performance in-ear monitors with customized driver units. For their latest “LAN” they have featured a new generation of large-size beryllium-plated dome composite diaphragm, high-efficiency internal magnetic driver structure with brass internal acoustic cavity.
Moondrop has designed the LAN using their years of knowledge and expertise with High-performance audio gears. The frequency response for the pair falls in line with the VDSF Target Response and provides ultra-low distortion in the output signal. The pair shows excellent resolution and a natural, reference-grade tone that treats the listeners with an open, lively, natural sound presentation. It complements different genres of music with its professional tuning and will be an ideal choice for most audiophiles.
Disclaimer: @shenzhenaudio had sent me the review unit for my impressions & views. The opinions below are based on my experiences with the unit and my own. I have tried to be as comprehensive & comparative as I could be - to give a complete picture to the audience.
Specifications:
NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT THE SOUND....
Items Used for this Review:
DAC/AMP & Dongles: @Questyle M15 Dongle DAC/AMP, @Cayin RU7 Dongle, C9 Portable Amplifier
Portable Players / Sources : @Cayin N8ii, N7, @Questyle QP2R, Lotoo Paw Gold Touch
Streaming Source: QOBUZ
Tracks Used:
DAC/AMP & Dongles: @Questyle M15 Dongle DAC/AMP, @Cayin RU7 Dongle, C9 Portable Amplifier
Portable Players / Sources : @Cayin N8ii, N7, @Questyle QP2R, Lotoo Paw Gold Touch
Streaming Source: QOBUZ
Tracks Used:
The tracks I have used can be found from the below playlist that I have used and generally use for most reviews...
Pairing Performance with different sources:
The LAN had the great pairing with almost each and every dongle/DAC/DAP that I owned.
Best pairing was obviously with @Questyle M15 & @Cayin RU7 dongles, LPGT & Cayin N8ii DAPs.
The LAN had the great pairing with almost each and every dongle/DAC/DAP that I owned.
Best pairing was obviously with @Questyle M15 & @Cayin RU7 dongles, LPGT & Cayin N8ii DAPs.
Ear Tips:
The default tips I found to be below par and ear-tips switching is necessary. I wish they inlcuded the SPRING ear-tips with this. Hence, I've tried tip-rolling with a variety of tips such as: @Final Audio E series red & black ones, JVC Spiral dots, Spiral Dots+, @SpinFit Eartip CP500, CP155. Out of all of these I have found the AZLA SEDNAFIT to be the best fit for my ears in terms of overall fit, isolation & comfort.
The default tips I found to be below par and ear-tips switching is necessary. I wish they inlcuded the SPRING ear-tips with this. Hence, I've tried tip-rolling with a variety of tips such as: @Final Audio E series red & black ones, JVC Spiral dots, Spiral Dots+, @SpinFit Eartip CP500, CP155. Out of all of these I have found the AZLA SEDNAFIT to be the best fit for my ears in terms of overall fit, isolation & comfort.
Moondrop LAN Sound Impressions in Short:
The BASS:
The LAN comes with a neutral-ish bass performance. Coming with a new-gen Dynamic driver - expectation was a bit more prominence in the bass department, but the reality is that the bass performance is neutral-ish. The sub-bass has details but the mid-bass lacks power and muscle slightly. In tracks like: "Fools Paradise (LP Version) – Donna Lewis" and "Chocolate Chip Trip - Tool" you can hear all the tiny nuances' of the sub-bass but you feel like a bit more power in the mid-bass would be great.
The MIDS:
The midrange comes with ample texture and clarity in the LAN. Midrange is amongst the stronger traits of the LAN.
There is good amount of muscle and texture and the instruments sound very lively and enjoyable. Vocals are very immersive and both male and female vocals come with ample amount of details and feel very real. Transients are good coming from the new DD. In tracks like: "Anchor - Trace Bundy", "A dog named Freedom – Kinky Friedman" and "Ruby Tuesday – Franco Battiato" it’s really easy to get lost into the music as it comes with ample detailed transients, texture, excellent vocals and details.
The TREBLE:
The LAN comes with enjoyable but non-fatiguing treble. The treble performance was quite enjoyable and Cymbals sound very life-like and real in tracks like “Chocolate Chip Trip – Tool”. The treble may not be as engaging as some other IEMs but at this price-point, nothing to complain about.
Treble in tracks like: "Paradise Circus – Massive Attack", "Mambo for Roy – Roy Hargrove” and "Saints and Angels – Sharon Shannon" feel smooth & creamy with the right amount of air and texture and just feels very buttery smooth.
The SOUNDSTAGE:
The Staging capabilities of the LAN is the quite good and above average for price range. It comes with the right amount of width, height, depth and is well defined and just as much as the track requires. Tracks like: “The Secret Drawer – Bela Fleck and the Flecktones” or “She Don’t know – Melody Gardot” or “Bohemian Rhapsody (live aid) – Queen” sound amazing & enjoyable.
Separation & Imaging:
Imaging is quite spot on and location of each instrument can be felt quite clearly on the LAN. Tracks like: “Rotterdam (Or Anywhere) - The Beautiful South “or “Hello Again - Howard Carpendale & The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra” just shine through. Separation is also good for the price-range.
The BASS:
The LAN comes with a neutral-ish bass performance. Coming with a new-gen Dynamic driver - expectation was a bit more prominence in the bass department, but the reality is that the bass performance is neutral-ish. The sub-bass has details but the mid-bass lacks power and muscle slightly. In tracks like: "Fools Paradise (LP Version) – Donna Lewis" and "Chocolate Chip Trip - Tool" you can hear all the tiny nuances' of the sub-bass but you feel like a bit more power in the mid-bass would be great.
The MIDS:
The midrange comes with ample texture and clarity in the LAN. Midrange is amongst the stronger traits of the LAN.
There is good amount of muscle and texture and the instruments sound very lively and enjoyable. Vocals are very immersive and both male and female vocals come with ample amount of details and feel very real. Transients are good coming from the new DD. In tracks like: "Anchor - Trace Bundy", "A dog named Freedom – Kinky Friedman" and "Ruby Tuesday – Franco Battiato" it’s really easy to get lost into the music as it comes with ample detailed transients, texture, excellent vocals and details.
The TREBLE:
The LAN comes with enjoyable but non-fatiguing treble. The treble performance was quite enjoyable and Cymbals sound very life-like and real in tracks like “Chocolate Chip Trip – Tool”. The treble may not be as engaging as some other IEMs but at this price-point, nothing to complain about.
Treble in tracks like: "Paradise Circus – Massive Attack", "Mambo for Roy – Roy Hargrove” and "Saints and Angels – Sharon Shannon" feel smooth & creamy with the right amount of air and texture and just feels very buttery smooth.
The SOUNDSTAGE:
The Staging capabilities of the LAN is the quite good and above average for price range. It comes with the right amount of width, height, depth and is well defined and just as much as the track requires. Tracks like: “The Secret Drawer – Bela Fleck and the Flecktones” or “She Don’t know – Melody Gardot” or “Bohemian Rhapsody (live aid) – Queen” sound amazing & enjoyable.
Separation & Imaging:
Imaging is quite spot on and location of each instrument can be felt quite clearly on the LAN. Tracks like: “Rotterdam (Or Anywhere) - The Beautiful South “or “Hello Again - Howard Carpendale & The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra” just shine through. Separation is also good for the price-range.
Comparisons:
I was unable to find a suitable comparable IEM in my possession. Hence, I used TANGZU Princess Chang Le for the comparison. It is priced at $15... which is half of that of the LAN.
I was unable to find a suitable comparable IEM in my possession. Hence, I used TANGZU Princess Chang Le for the comparison. It is priced at $15... which is half of that of the LAN.
Moondrop LAN vs TANGZU Princess Chang Le:
Price: Moondrop LAN costs $39.99 while the Chang LE is only $15. Chang Le gets the leverage here.
Build, Comfort & Features: Both IEMs are well built and comfortable. But the Chang Le comes with fixed cable. Hence, LAN gets leverage here.
Bass: While the Bass is not prominent on the LAN, it packs far more details and muscle than the Chang Le.
Mids: The midrange on the LAN is miles better than the Chang Le.
Treble: The Chang Le treble seemed a bit peaky at times and the LAN overall is significantly better.
Soundstage, Imaging and Separation: This is where the LAN goes miles ahead of the Chang LE.
The LAN beats Chang LE easily, but then again - its a lot pricier also.
Meanwhile, I was able to try out the CHU 2 and LAN for a short period and I found the LAN to be significantly better than the CHU 2 also.
Price: Moondrop LAN costs $39.99 while the Chang LE is only $15. Chang Le gets the leverage here.
Build, Comfort & Features: Both IEMs are well built and comfortable. But the Chang Le comes with fixed cable. Hence, LAN gets leverage here.
Bass: While the Bass is not prominent on the LAN, it packs far more details and muscle than the Chang Le.
Mids: The midrange on the LAN is miles better than the Chang Le.
Treble: The Chang Le treble seemed a bit peaky at times and the LAN overall is significantly better.
Soundstage, Imaging and Separation: This is where the LAN goes miles ahead of the Chang LE.
The LAN beats Chang LE easily, but then again - its a lot pricier also.
Meanwhile, I was able to try out the CHU 2 and LAN for a short period and I found the LAN to be significantly better than the CHU 2 also.
Conclusion:
The Moondrop LAN is a great all-rounder IEM for the price range and with almost perfect price to performance ratio which makes it easy recommendation. Only thing you may long for is a bit more bass maybe. But, that varies based on personal preference.
The Moondrop LAN is a great all-rounder IEM for the price range and with almost perfect price to performance ratio which makes it easy recommendation. Only thing you may long for is a bit more bass maybe. But, that varies based on personal preference.