MeinMMO author Marko Jevtic is always on the lookout for the best accessories for his gaming setup. However, his best purchase has been the Moondrop Aria. These are in-ear headphones for under €80 that can hold their own against the most expensive devices.
Good sound is undoubtedly one of the most important factors in gaming, especially for shooter fans. When explosions sound amazing and you can hear every bullet ricocheting off the walls, it doesn’t just help with immersion.
A really good pair of headphones can be like a kind of “audio wallhack,” revealing the most relevant information with high precision even through several walls. Nothing makes you significantly better in games faster than the ability to detect things with your ears instead of your eyes.
Especially in multiplayer shooters, it is infinitely important to know exactly where your opponents are, how they move, and how they are equipped. If you can accomplish that just by accurately listening, you know you are equipped with the right headphones.
To get the best out of this, I have already tried several products. From the very good HyperX Cloud II and Cloud Alpha headsets to the €600 Beyerdynamics DT1990 Pro, I have tried everything recommended by experts and used by professionals.
And although I can recommend these devices without hesitation, I no longer use any of them. Instead, my headphone of choice for the past year has been a tiny device that I only paid €79 for.
It’s the Moondrop Aria – high-end IEMs with an outstanding price/performance ratio.
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
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Moondrop Aria Leistungsstarke In-Ear-Kopfhörer, LCP-Diaphragma, dynamischer Treiber* | Zu Amazon |
*Affiliate-Links. Wir erhalten bei einem Kauf eine kleine Provision von Amazon. Vielen Dank für Eure Unterstützung!
Moondrop Aria: The best headphones under €100
What bothers me about typical gaming headphones? Until now, my favorite headphones were the Beyerdynamics DT1990 Pro. These open-back monsters have outstanding sound quality and provide a fantastic, open sound stage. They are excellent for both music and gaming, no question about it. But they have a few drawbacks that are annoying or even problematic:
- As open-back headphones, they let a lot of external noise in.
- They are relatively heavy and large, making them unsuitable for on-the-go use and tiring after long hours in front of the PC.
- On hot summer days, they are uncomfortable to wear and cause a horrible sweating feeling.
- They give you the famous “headphone hairstyle” with visible dents in your hair.
- The MSRP is a hefty €600.
Which headphones am I using now? That’s why in June 2021, I sought an alternative for my DT1990 headphones for on-the-go and hot summer days and stumbled upon the Moondrop Aria.
The Moondrop Aria belongs to the category of in-ear monitors, or IEMs. You often see this type of wired headphone used by the biggest pop stars like Ariana Grande on concert stages, as they need to produce studio-quality sound in a compact format.
The Aria cost only €79 on Amazon and have excellent reviews. After 571 Amazon reviews, the headphones stand at 4.4 stars, rtings.com calls them the best wired headphones, and tech YouTuber Optimum Tech believes they leave little to be desired.
However, the most convincing for me was the conclusion from headphones.com:
With €80, the price/performance ratio of the Aria is phenomenal. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that the Aria can compete with anything up to the €300 mark. […] From the price to the fit to the sound quality, the Aria offers an extremely compelling package. For me, the Aria is an ideal entry-level IEM.
So, I ordered them as an occasional substitute for my extremely good, outrageously expensive €600 headphones. And when I tried the Moondrop Aria, it was clear within minutes:
These things will replace everything I have used so far. They sound just as good as headphones that cost almost 8 times as much, they have significantly better wearing comfort, and they are much more flexible to use.
For me, the Moondrop Aria are not just clearly the best headphones under €100 – I firmly believe that most gamers do not need to buy other headphones.
Moondrop Aria: Advantages and disadvantages of the headphones
What are the strengths? The advantages of the Moondrop Aria quickly became clear after a brief test:
- Incredibly good price/performance ratio
- The small form factor makes the headphones always comfortable to wear.
- They are very well suited with the AUX connection on the gaming PC and for on-the-go use.
- As in-ear headphones, they do a good job of isolating from the outside world and let almost no other noises through.
- The sound stage is surprisingly open, even though the Aria, as IEMs, naturally have a smaller sound stage than large open-back headphones.
- The sound profile is very neutral, balanced, and clear.
- You can clearly hear every instrument in your favorite songs.
- Explosions in games are not exaggeratedly powerful and do not become tiring over time.
- Footsteps in shooters are clearly audible and can be easily assigned to a direction.
- Small weaknesses in the treble can be well compensated for with equalizer settings.
The bass pleasantly surprised me. The small Aria obviously cannot shake as much as the beefiest headphones, but they sound surprisingly powerful for their compact size. Whether listening to the rumble of heavy machine guns in Call of Duty or the dirty beats of my rap playlists, the Aria consistently provided enjoyment.
Another fantastic advantage is the interchangeability of individual elements. You can completely replace the included 0.78-pin cable, as well as the silicone tips.
That’s why I replaced the standard cable with one from Tripowin that has a built-in microphone. If you want the headphones to be wireless, you can even use special Bluetooth antennas instead of a cable, like those from Linsoul.
Instead of the standard silicone tips, I use the AZLA SednaEarfit XELASTEC, which adapt to the shape of my ears for better isolation and a stronger hold in the ear. You need to pay attention to buy the right size for your ears.
*Affiliate-Links. Wir erhalten bei einem Kauf eine kleine Provision von Amazon. Vielen Dank für Eure Unterstützung!
What are the weaknesses? With these upgrades, I was able to address most of the few critiques I had for the Aria. Because before buying the Moondrop Aria, you should be aware of the following disadvantages:
- The standard accessories are average.
- The braided cable has no special features and can quickly tangle or fray.
- If you need a microphone with your headphones, you have to upgrade.
- When walking or jogging, the included cable makes many noises that you can hear.
- The silicone tips do not have a good grip and can become uncomfortable over time.
- For the IEM, you need to change the filters relatively often as dirt and moisture can “clog” the sound passages (replacement filters and tweezers are included and can be bought cheaply).
- IEMs have very short cables (1.2 meters), which is why I need an AUX extension at my PC.
So if you want a truly perfect experience with the Aria, you’ll need to upgrade certain aspects. Fortunately, every disadvantage can also be eliminated according to personal preferences and needs, so you get exactly what you need from the headphones. The cost of upgrades is manageable given the low purchase price of €79.
Conclusion: The Moondrop Aria are a clear purchase recommendation for gamers
The Moondrop Aria blew me away a year ago and still do today. I originally wanted to use them for jogging, for my Nintendo Switch, and for gaming sessions on hot summer days. But since I bought them, I have not gamed without them.
They sound excellent, are incredibly practical and handy, and can comfortably stay in the ears for hours. In-ear monitors are an incredibly good alternative to all the bulky gaming headphones you usually find on gamer desks.
When I raved about the Moondrop Aria to my MeinMMO colleague Tarek Zehrer, he also bought them. What he wrote to me afterward made me very happy but was not surprising: “You weren’t exaggerating. I hear instruments that I never noticed before. These are now my favorite headphones.”
Yes, markedly more expensive headphones can sound somewhat better than the Moondrop Aria. And if you’re a mega-audiophile with the right budget and absolutely don’t want to compromise, those more expensive products are a better choice.
But if you’re looking for headphones that are equipped for every gameplay situation and every music genre, that are customizable to your own needs, and that also cost less than €100, you cannot ignore the Moondrop in-ear monitors.
If instead, you’re looking for wireless Bluetooth in-ear headphones, colleague Benedikt Schlotmann has tested several for you:
I tested 5 in-ear headphones blindly and was surprised by the winner
