Moondrop Kanas Pro Review

Founded in 2015, Moondrop is still a relatively new company, yet its products already enjoy great success.

The Kanas Pro is arguably the most popular device put out by the company, as it has dominated the earbuds market in the 150-200$ range.

But is there any real substance behind this massive success, or have great marketing and a gorgeous exterior managed to prevail against all odds?

Let’s find out!

Name	Moondrop Kanas Pro
Type	IEMs
Connection	Wired 3.5mm
Driver	Dynamic 10mm
Frequency response	20Hz – 20kHz
Sensitivity	110dB @ 1kHz
Impedance	32Ω @ 1kHz

Design

It should go without saying that the Moondrop Kanas Pro is one of the most gorgeous pairs of earbuds we’ve reviewed.

The chrome capsules made of a zinc-magnesium alloy don’t fail to remind us of precious gems with the way they reflect light. It’s a shame this reflective property can’t be captured in all its dazzling glory in a photo, but even without it, few could argue against the aesthetics presented here.

This does pose one problem, however – the chrome capsule is a bona fide fingerprint magnet!

Conversely, we find it strange that the wires are much more plain-looking. We don’t mean to say that the braided 8-core cable doesn’t have its own appeal, but next to the capsule, it looks a bit odd. Thankfully, this doesn’t detract from the overall presentation.

The inside of the capsule also features some impressive tech. Most notably, the single 10mm dynamic driver features a DLC Diamond Carbon diaphragm. Supposedly, this material lets the diaphragm operate more efficiently.

At face value, we’re inclined to believe this is true, as the driver is capable of reproducing very fast and detailed sounds across all frequencies. However, since this is still a new technology that hasn’t been featured in many products, we’ll have to wait to get a larger sample size before making any definitive claims about its efficacy.

Regardless, the build quality here is immaculate, making tough and durable materials look nicer and shinier than they’ve ever been.

Comfort

You can’t reach this level of mainstream success unless your product is comfortable to wear.

You can do it without competitive audio quality. You can even do it without a flashy design, as evident by many budget earbuds.

But to have your product sell this well while costing this much, it simply can’t be plagued with any comfort issues. The Moondrop Kanas Pro is the perfect example of how to do this right.

Its nozzles are a bit longer than on most IEMs, but we feel that this is precisely why they sit so well. Granted, you’ll have to use proper ear tips for all of this to work as intended. The Kanas Pro comes bundled with four pairs of different-sized ear tips – not a huge number, but more than enough to satisfy the needs of most users.

Of course, we all have different ears. Some may find that these longer nozzles don’t allow for a stable fit with the included ear tips. In this case, opting for double-flange tips is likely to fix the issue.

If this proves to be the case, we highly recommend checking out this guide for choosing the best ear tips for you.

Moreover, the malleable cable is meant to be wrapped behind the ear and, to its credit, it retains the desired shape without any issues.

Sound

It’s been proven that you don’t need incredible audio quality to have a smash hit – the early Beats devices are the most famous example of this.

But we’re happy to say that this simply isn’t the case with the Moondrop Kanas Pro. These earbuds sound incredibly good.

If we had to describe the overall sound impression in one word, it would definitely have to be clean.

It’s also interesting how the sound appears almost neutral at first, but it does feature a slightly U-shaped tuning, giving it more character. In this way, it can blend the balanced neutrality found in audiophile devices with a bit of fun and excitement that casual consumers want and need.

The mids are the standout frequency range here. Although slightly recessed due to the U-shaped tuning, the mids are super clean, with pristine vocals and crystal-clear instruments.

The bass is fast and precise. It could use a bit more punchiness, but it makes up for this with rich detail. In any case, it lays a solid foundation for the overall listening experience without ever intruding on the other frequencies.

As far as treble goes, there’s not much to say. This is where the excitement kicks in, but it’s also the most unimpressive frequency range. This isn’t to say it’s bad – we don’t have any concrete criticisms. It’s just competent.

This clear sound is made all the better thanks to great sound imaging, a wide and deep soundstage, and some impressive instrument separation.

One last thing to note is that the diaphragm does have a rather long 100-hour burn-in period. So if you find the audio a bit lacking at first, do keep in mind that it gets better.

Conclusion

All in all, the Moondrop Kanas Pro seems like a smashing hit on all fronts – it sports an incredible design, both in terms of visuals and build quality; it doesn’t get any less comfortable to wear even during long listening sessions; it has the audio quality to match everything else.

The fact that it only relies on a single dynamic driver to reach this level of quality is perhaps the most impressive aspect of it.

However, it’s also a rather barebones device.

Aside from the unique diaphragm, the Kanas Pro has no features to speak of. What’s more, it doesn’t come with any accessories, which is unusual given its price.

This leads us to this evaluation – the Moondrop Kanas Pro is an impressive pair of earbuds when observed in a vacuum.

But it doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It exists in a highly saturated earbuds market, filled to the brim with competitive devices, most of which offer more.

Now granted, we’re not saying that the Kanas Pro isn’t worth the purchase. Its unique construction and sound may be enough to carry value for many users.

But if there’s anything about it that isn’t precisely to your liking (the bass, for example), you shouldn’t make any compromises – there’s a device out there that’s perfect for you, we’re sure of it. That’s how saturated and how competitive the market is.

And if you want some extra features (like active noise canceling), you would also fare better looking elsewhere.