Moondrop Variations VS I/O Volare

IEM Comparison: Expert & Community Scores Side-by-Side

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Moondrop Variations and I/O Volare use 1DD+2BA+2EST and 1DD+4BA+4EST driver setups respectively. Moondrop Variations costs $550 while I/O Volare costs $600. I/O Volare is $50 more expensive. Moondrop Variations holds a clear 0.5-point edge in reviewer scores (7.5 vs 7). Moondrop Variations carries a user score of 7.8. Moondrop Variations has significantly better treble with a 1.3-point edge, Moondrop Variations has significantly better dynamics with a 1.2-point edge, Moondrop Variations has better soundstage with a 0.5-point edge, I/O Volare has better details with a 0.8-point edge and I/O Volare has significantly better imaging with a 1-point edge.

Insights

Metric Moondrop Variations I/O Volare
Bass 7.3 7.5
Mids 7.1 7
Treble 7.5 6.3
Details 7.3 8
Soundstage 7.8 7.3
Imaging 7 8
Dynamics 6.2 5
Tonality 7.4 7.2
Technicalities 7.5 6.9

Moondrop Variations Aggregated Review Score

Average Reviewer Scores

Nymz
Audionotions Jays Audio Tim Tuned Shuwa-T Smirk Audio Precogvision
Super* Review Jaytiss Gizaudio Axel Crin

Average Reviewer Score:

7.5

Strongly Favorable


I/O Volare Aggregated Review Score

Average Reviewer Scores

Fresh Reviews
Jaytiss Super* Review
Shuwa-T Jays Audio

Average Reviewer Score:

7

Cautiously Favorable


Moondrop Variations User Review Score

Average User Scores

Average User Score:

Based on 1 user reviews

7.8

Strongly Favorable

I/O Volare User Review Score

Average User Scores

Average User Score: n/a

Based on 0 user reviews

No user reviews yet. Be the first one who writes a review!

Moondrop Variations Gaming Score

Gaming Score & Grade

  • The gaming score is prioritizing technical capabilities of the IEM (Separation, Layering, Soundstage) and good value.

Gaming Score

7

Gaming Grade

A-

I/O Volare Gaming Score

Gaming Score & Grade

  • The gaming score is prioritizing technical capabilities of the IEM (Separation, Layering, Soundstage) and good value.

Gaming Score

6

Gaming Grade

B

Moondrop Variations Scorings

Average Technical & Tuning Grades

Average Tunign Grade

A-
  • Pleasing tonal balance with good technical control. Minor quirks present but not distracting. Demonstrates decent genre versatility.

Average Technical Grade

A
  • Competent technical presentation. Handles separation and detail well in most tracks, with modest soundstage and acceptable imaging capabilities.
Bass A-
Strong, well-defined bass with good texture. Delivers satisfying punch and rumble without overwhelming other frequencies.
Mids A-
Excellent midrange with natural timbre and great detail retrieval. Vocals are forward and emotive with lifelike instrument reproduction.
Treble A
Excellent treble: airy, extended and well-controlled. Great micro-detail retrieval without sibilance or harshness.
Dynamics B
Good dynamic expression with solid impact. Handles volume contrasts well while maintaining good transient snap.
Soundstage A
Excellent spatial presentation - wide, deep and tall. Precise instrument placement with clear separation in all dimensions.
Details A-
Excellent detail retrieval: highly resolving without being clinical. Effortlessly reveals micro-details and textural subtleties.
Imaging A-
Excellent imaging: precise and stable placement. Instruments occupy specific points in space with tangible positions.
Gaming A-
Good fundamental spatial awareness for most gaming scenarios. Handles basic positioning well but may lack nuance in complex situations. Bad value-to-cost for gaming purpose - not recommended

I/O Volare Scorings

Average Technical & Tuning Grades

Average Tunign Grade

A-
  • Pleasing tonal balance with good technical control. Minor quirks present but not distracting. Demonstrates decent genre versatility.

Average Technical Grade

B+
  • Satisfactory technical performance. Handles basic detail retrieval adequately in most tracks. Maintains reasonable cohesion in simpler arrangements.
Bass A
Strong, well-defined bass with good texture. Delivers satisfying punch and rumble without overwhelming other frequencies.
Mids A-
Excellent midrange with natural timbre and great detail retrieval. Vocals are forward and emotive with lifelike instrument reproduction.
Treble B
Good treble response - clear and detailed without fatigue. Well-extended with proper air and sparkle.
Dynamics C+
Decent dynamic performance. Good macro-contrast but micro-dynamics could be more nuanced. Satisfactory impact.
Soundstage A-
Excellent spatial presentation - wide, deep and tall. Precise instrument placement with clear separation in all dimensions.
Details A+
Exceptional resolution that uncovers the deepest layers. Retrieves even the most minute details while maintaining natural timbre.
Imaging A+
Exceptional imaging with holographic precision. Creates a palpable sense of physical placement with perfect positional stability.
Gaming B
Decent spatial awareness for fundamental positioning. Creates satisfying atmosphere in story-driven games while handling basic directional cues. Bad value-to-cost for gaming purpose - not recommended

Moondrop Variations Reviews

Reviewed by: Super* Review

Super* Review 8* * score normalized
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Price: $479

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Reviewed by: Jaytiss

Jaytiss 8 Reviewer Score
A- Tuning
A+ Tech
I like it, but don't love the lower mids.

Jaytiss original ranking

Jaytiss Youtube Channel
Mids: A- Treble: A+ Dynamics: C+ Soundstage: A+

Reviewed by: Gizaudio Axel

Gizaudio Axel 8 Reviewer Score
A+ Tuning
A Tech
A solid benchmark. Great sub-bass, Harman tuning, and excellent detail. Can sound thin.

Gizaudio Axel original ranking

Gizaudio Axel Youtube Channel

Reviewed by: Crin

Crin 8 Reviewer Score
S Tuning
A Tech
Sub-bass-focused signature with Moondrop's clean tuning makes this one of the best $500 tribrids.

Crin original ranking

Crin Youtube Channel

Reviewed by: Audionotions

Audionotions 7.5 Reviewer Score
Very resolving with good sub-bass and good treble. A bit thin and clinical sounding and lacks a bit of note weight. Could use a bit more mid-bass. Otherwise, the resolution is top-notch. Treble extension is decent. Might be a little shouty for some, but not for me! Previously Owned

Audionotions original ranking

Website (Audionotions)

Reviewed by: Jays Audio

Jays Audio 7.5 Reviewer Score
A Tuning
A+ Tech
Very clear with lots of detail. Sub-bass has a nice rumble and texture. Amazing treble extension and stage air. Female vocals are vibrant and shines. Mid-bass cut is real, affecting some genres and male vocals. Note-weight can be light.

Jays Audio original ranking

Jays Audio Youtube Channel

Reviewed by: Tim Tuned

Tim Tuned 7.5 Reviewer Score
A Tuning
A+ Tech
Great separation and details Thin lower midrange

Tim Tuned original ranking

Tim Tuned Youtube Channel
Bass: A+ Mids: A+ Treble: S

Reviewed by: Shuwa-T

Shuwa-T 7.3 Reviewer Score
B+ Tuning
A Tech
Comment: Too much subbass, dry sounding lower mids. Clarity Subbass overpowers lower mids

Shuwa-T original ranking

Shuwa-T Website

Bass: A Mids: B Treble: A- Soundstage: A Details: A+ Imaging: A+

Reviewed by: Smirk Audio

Smirk Audio 7 Reviewer Score
A- Tuning
B+ Tech
Great tuning, neutral timbre, and a satisfying bass with a sub-bass focus. Solid all-rounder.

Smirk Audio original ranking

Smirk Audio Head-Fi Profile

Bass: A- Mids: A Treble: A- Dynamics: B+ Details: A- Imaging: A-

Reviewed by: Precogvision

Precogvision 7 Reviewer Score
A- Tuning
B+ Tech
A more refined B2 Dusk with better bass texture and treble extension.

Precogvision original ranking

Precogvision Youtube Channel
Bass: A+ Mids: A- Treble: A- Dynamics: A- Details: A- Imaging: B

Reviewed by: Nymz

Nymz 6.7 Reviewer Score
B+ Tuning
A- Tech
Resolution king for the price point with a fun tuning. Great sub-bass and treble. Lack of mid-bass bass and somewhat thin mids murdered it for my library. Can see the appeal for others tho.

Nymz original ranking

Nymz Website

Bass: B Mids: A- Treble: A- Details: A- Imaging: A-
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Price: $549

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I/O Volare Reviews

Reviewed by: Shuwa-T

Shuwa-T 7.6 Reviewer Score
A- Tuning
A Tech
Balanced subbass-focused tuning that borders the fine line between technical and boring, well extended treble that remains free of sibilance The lower midrange does not sound the most natural despite how funny squiggly lines look

Shuwa-T original ranking

Shuwa-T Website

Bass: A Mids: A- Treble: A Soundstage: A Details: A+ Imaging: A+

Reviewed by: Jays Audio

Jays Audio 7.5 Reviewer Score
S- Tuning
A+ Tech
Best Harman IEM under $600 (my unit is less harman), smooth and natural, great layering and tech, bass texture could be better/not as good as Oracle MK3, but overall very balanced and great all-rounder, also, amazing unboxing and accessories

Jays Audio original ranking

Jays Audio Youtube Channel

Reviewed by: Jaytiss

Jaytiss 6.8 Reviewer Score
B- Tuning
C+ Tech
Nice overall quality.

Jaytiss original ranking

Jaytiss Youtube Channel
Mids: A- Treble: C+ Dynamics: C+ Soundstage: A-

Reviewed by: Super* Review

Super* Review 6* * score normalized
If you are looking for the most bang for your buck in terms of the costs of materials - this is it. But not the most interesting sound.

Super* Review original ranking

Super* Review Youtube Channel

Reviewed by: Fresh Reviews

Fresh Reviews 5* * The score of this reviewer influences only the Gaming Score

Moondrop Variations User Reviews

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Endoki
7.8

This was one of my first IEMs. I loved it and hated it. It is still the cleanest sounding IEM I own - also compared to something much more expensive.

Pros
Very clean sound signature combined with a satisfying amount of sub-bass. Sounds great with the right songs
Cons
Thin mids and poor note weight in some songs

I/O Volare User Reviews

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0.0

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