This is Music!

 

Ratings

 

 

Pros

 

• Sound balanced, wide and clean.
• Great mids.
• Definition, transparency and detail.
• Construction, solidity and beauty.
• Cable.

 

Cons

 

• Lack of accessories

 

Purchase Link

 

https://penonaudio.com/moondrop-kanas-pro.html

 

Link to the Store

 

https://penonaudio.com/

 

Introduction

 

Moondrop is a well-known brand of IEMs and earbuds, which has models highly valued in various price ranges. It is clear that the Kanas Pro are one of its most popular IEMs, but the brand also has other well-known models: Blessing, Crescent, Aria, A8, Kanas, Liebesleid, VX, Nameless …

Since I had news about the Kanas Pro, I was interested and although they have always been a model in the mouths of many, in my country has aroused more interest than purchases, remaining almost always as an eternal purchase in the wish list. Now that I have them in my possession, I’m very happy to own them. That’s why I want to give a boost to those who never bought it, because they don’t know what they’re missing.

 

 

Specifications

 

• Driver: Dynamic 10mm
• Magnet: N48
• Diaphragm Material: DLC diamond carbon
• Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz
• Sensitivity: 110dB @ 1kHz
• Impedance: 32Ω @ 1kHz
• Jack Connector: 3.5mm chapado en oro
• Capsule Connection Type: 2pin 0.78mm
• Coil: 0.035 mm-CCAW
• Capsule material: zinc-magnesium alloy
• Capsule technology: metal injection molding integrated casting

 

 

Packaging

 

The exterior presentation is simple, a matt black box elongated (182x88x34mm), with the logo of the brand in the center, inscribed in silver. The back is also black, with a sticker on the bottom, with the model name and specifications. After opening the box, the Kanas Pro are embedded in a black foam mould, with the cables in place. In the lower part there is a cardboard cover, after removing it you can see the rest of the cable, rolled up, a gray bag, for the transport of the IEMs, a bag with white tips of silicone, two cards, the document of guarantee and verification and the instruction leaflet. Among the tips, there are 4 large, 2 medium and 4 small. The transport bag is practically the same as the one that comes with the Moondrop Nameless, the cheapest earbuds of the brand.

The presentation is good, neat and elegant, but the accessories are minimal, below what you would expect for the price level.

 

 

Construction and Design

 

The material used in the capsules is an alloy of zinc and magnesium, polished and plated with white steel. It is so finished that it looks like a jewel. On the outside. The word «Kanas» is inscribed, simulating handwriting.

The design of the capsules is of the universal custom type. Externally, their size is medium, although they are thick. Like most of these types of IEMs, they have been designed to be used with the wire over the ear. Their connector is two pins 0.78mm. The connectors are completely embedded in the capsule. They are formed by two parts firmly assembled, but the division of both is very visible. The nozzles are relatively long, have an outer crown of a larger diameter. Underneath it, there is a wide notch to help fit the tips. But in reality, this is not the case. The fit of the tips is quite free and depending on which ones are used, they can sink more than desired. Thus, it is more advisable to use narrow channel tips, even if it is difficult to introduce them, so that they are fixed in the notch and do not pass over the edge.

Inside the nozzles and not precisely at the edge, there is a metal grid, quite dense.

There are two holes on the inside of the IEMs, one at the foot of the nozzles and the other at the centre of the capsule.

The design of the capsules is beautiful and their construction is of a very high standard. The result is a really attractive and distinguished product.

The cable is 8-core, hybrid, as half of the wires look like copper and the other half, silver plated. The cable is braided and despite the number of cores, it is not very thick. In addition, it is quite light and handy, has no tendency to roll up and has no microphone. The two-pin connectors are covered by a transparent, angled plastic sheath. The cables are then lined with more rigid plastic, which shapes the cable for use over the ear. The divider is original, as it is a thick black disc. There is no pin to collect the cable under the chin. The connector cover is cylindrical, straight, large, but light. The cable is protected by a black plastic coating, in its union with the connector. The 3.5mm jack plug is gold plated.

The cable totally fulfills its function and although it does not possess the level of beauty of the capsules, it does not clash as a whole.

 

 

Adjustment and Ergonomics

 

Although the nozzles are longer than in other products with similar characteristics, the particular fit has not been optimal with the standard tips. Perhaps because of this shape, the insertion tends to be somewhat deeper. With simple tips, I haven’t achieved stability, as it had a slight tendency to peel off. I had to use bi-flange and tri-flange tips to find the most suitable fit. With this type of tips, the sound is always more intense and closer, fuller and more detailed, but it is not as comfortable as a few simple tips, since the contact is much greater with the internal channel, getting to annoy.

Be that as it may, the adjustment problems of the Kanas Pro, do not cease to be something particular, typical of my anatomy, because I have tried with other colleagues, who have not reported me anything strange, comparatively speaking, with models previously analyzed.

I must also say that, using bi-flange or tri-flange tips, the adjustment is almost perfect, without the need for readjustment. They do not move at all and the sound is not altered during normal movement.

 

 

Sound

 

Profile

 

My feeling is that the Moondrop Kanas Pro has a fairly balanced profile, with a slight U-tendency, due to its emphasis on both the sub-bass and above 10kHz. They have a fair point between warmth and coldness, bordering on neutrality in this aspect. But it must be clear that balance does not mean absence in any range, but quite the opposite, since the MKP allow you to enjoy the entire range of frequencies without missing anything. This is their great virtue.

 

 

Bass

 

The lower zone is quite flat up to 100Hz, giving an idea of some IEMs with a slight emphasis on the sub-bass. This favors the whole, providing depth without losing clarity, nor an apex of detail in the rest of frequencies. Although the bass is not big in the presence, some bass lovers might be disappointed with its level of emphasis, its performance is almost perfect. The balance is extremely adequate, with that greater weight in the lower zone, a concise and deep hit, executed with speed and precision, nothing redundant and with a decay that does not stain or cloud the range itself, or the rest of frequencies.

The definition is clean, almost analytical, and that is to say a lot for a single dynamic driver and more speaking of its lower zone.

 

 

Mids

 

The mids are undoubtedly the best area for MKPs. The rest of the ranges help the center to improve and look as it should. Its cleanliness continues to be its dominant characteristic. Clarity and almost analytical definition follow in importance. Possibly the IEMs with a dynamic single driver are the most analytical I have ever heard. And I say this as something worth noting, it is not easy to sound with so much coldness, light, transparency and definition, lacking BA drivers. And I go on to say that what I have said is more compliments than reproaches. Precisely I consider these virtues, the most favorable of the Kanas Pro: a balanced sound, crystalline voices, delicate, excellently profiled, luminous and translucent, with a thin but beautiful body. Their presence remains halfway between the frontal and the zenithal, not very close, but never far away: they are not in the first row, but in the second. The timbre of the voices could be considered almost neutral, I find no clear warmth in them, nor excessive coldness. The same thing happens with his body, the just and necessary one to sound pleasantly full, but without disturbing the rest of the mids or displacing them, halfway through definition, detail, delicacy and softness. But, above all, they sound natural and without any trace of veil, highly enjoyable.

On an instrumental level, the mids are not hidden, as I say, behind the voices, but are perceived with the same clarity and with an equally well-profiled drawing, like them. In this way, following them individually is very simple, because they enjoy great representation and are favoured by the notable separation and definition that the Kanas Pro offer.

Finally, it is necessary to emphasize a slight emphasis in the high zone of the media, without it implies any imbalance nor excessive excitement with respect to the rest of the range, due to the notable balance that they possess.

The MKP have, in my humble opinion, one of the best mids in their price range, which I have heard.

 

 

Treble

 

The high zone begins very measured, it is something that is noticed graphically as much as to sonorous level. The highs begin emphasized, to gradually decrease to 10kHz. In this way there is a good initial flash, but it is cut in its first harmonics, subtracting some extension in the area. In this way the sibilances are under control, but there is also some collateral softness. Subsequently, a spark appears around 12kHz. This fact brings air to the whole, a peculiar sonority in the high zone, which also influences the rest of the sound.

 

 

Soundstage, Separation

 

Speaking in such terms, first of all, the clarity and high level of transparency that the MKPs possess. This contributes greatly to a noticeable sense of separation and cleanliness throughout the sound. As a result, the level of detail, resolution and refinement is quite high. The resulting sound is purely fine, definite, light, highly profiled, but not typically surgical, or sharp. The Kanas Pro treasure the great quality of balance and neutrality: this is their greatest commitment.

At scene level their quality is not so great, they have notable width, good depth, good instrumental recreation, thanks to their great separation, but the scene is more frontal than circular, without the sound becoming surround.

 

 

Comparisons

 

Cozoy Hera C103

 

The Hera are IEMs with a profile that could be said to be balanced, although in reality, not as much as the Kanas Pro. They have, the Cozoy, more emphasis on the sub-bass zone and a warmer profile. Their sound is also more analogical, as opposed to the higher resolution and transparency of the Kanas Pro.

The lower zone of both has good depth and similar characteristics. As I say, greater sub-bass in the Hera, more punch in the middle zone in the Kanas Pro, besides it has a more complete range, with greater body and better texture..

In the mids, the differences are noticeable in the warmth of the Hera, the voices sounding a little more full-bodied and a little more complete. Meanwhile, in the Kanas Pro, they are perceived finer and colder as well. Apart from each other’s profile, the area has a similar presence before reaching the upper mids, which is where differences are most appreciated. There is something strange about that «ups and downs» that the Hera have at the top of their mids. It’s not something that is perceived in a general way, but there are songs in which this effect does appear. Meanwhile, the Kanas Pro have more coherence in this area, gaining in extension and naturalness.

The upper Hera zone begins emphasized, but is then cut more quickly than in the Kanas Pro. In this way, the perception of the trebles in the Moondrop is more complete and extensive, sounding more naturally timbre. In the Cozoy, the trebles are perceived to be smoother, somewhat more in line with their warmer profile. The feeling of air is also more noticeable in the MKP than in the Cozoy.

Although both IEMs have a good dose of cleanliness and transparency, the Kanas Pro beats the points in clarity and resolution. Also the separation falls on their side, as does the detail and definition.

The scene is perceived wider in the MKP, with more air and feeling of openness, while the Cozoy have a little more depth and a good instrumental location.

 

 

TFZ Tequila 1

 

Tequila 1 is one of my favorite IEMs, so the comparison with Moondrop Kanas Pro will be divided between my preferences.

The first big difference is in sensitivity, Tequila is much more sensitive than Kanas Pro. Another clear difference is the sensation of density in the sound: Tequila generates more sound pressure than Kanas Pro, while the latter offer a finer and more delicate sound, as opposed to the powerful musicality of TTFZ.

In the lower zone, Tequila boasts its greatest forcefulness, offering heavier and visceral basses. In the Kanas Pro, however, the basses enjoy greater detail and a more descriptive texture, but also cooler. But in the end, if volumes are equalized in the lower zone, the ensemble can sound quite similar, this is something that can be observed in the frequency response: the curves of both are similar in shape. The difference is in the extension and density of the range, greater in Tequila.

In the mid zone, the influence of the lows in Tequila is more noticeable than in the Kanas Pro; something, on the other hand, of course, due to the difference in profiles. The better balance between the different ranges makes the mids more enjoyable, as they are perceived as more isolated. Again, the comparison between the two is marked by the feeling of warmth and coldness of the area. But also by the cleanliness of the Kanas Pro and the density of the Tequila. The mids are much more relaxed in the MKP, offering a more delicate and soft listening, in front of the greater energy and forcefulness of the TFZ. This results in the greater sensation of transparency and separation that exists in the Kanas Pro.

The high zone of the Tequila has a sensation of greater initial presence, being perceived more tense and wide in the low zone. The Kanas Pro continue to show their finesse and delicacy, executing the highs with more detail, precision, resolution and greater relative extension. In this way, in passages with abundant and critical highs, MKPs perform better, offering a softer sound, less sharp and more extensive at the same time, expanding the area more than Tequila.

The scene of the Kanas Pro stands out in width and opening. The greater separation expands the stereo image beyond what Tequila offers. They also surpass them in depth, although this time the distance is not so great. As I have already commented throughout the comparison, the separation is also greater in the Kanas Pro.

By way of conclusion, I like both IEMs very much and they are among my favorites. One cannot replace the other, because they have different characteristics, which make them very valuable for different musical genres. It’s a divided love.

 

 

Conclusion

 

I have always had the Moondrop Kanas Pro in mind ever since I first heard of them. Then, when I saw them, I knew I had to possess them. And when you go through this kind of process, things don’t always end well. On this occasion, the end has been the expected one: the MKPs have satiated my desires. It’s true that I never thought about how I’d like them to sound, I just waited for them to surprise me. And so it was, from the first moment I put them on, I knew I had something good in my hands and I had to let it mature in peace.

The Moondrop Kanas Pro are two sides of the same coin, since their sound is a faithful reflection of their exterior: built like a jewel, they are able to offer a brilliant and splendid sound, clean and polished, detailed and clear, elegant and durable, delicate and balanced. The Moondrop Kanas Pro is a sonorous diamond.

 

 

Sources Used During the Analysis

 

• Fiio M11
• Burson Audio Playmate