QT – Moondrop Kanas Pro

disclaimer: No disclaimer needed.  I purchased the Moondrop Kanas Pro at retail from PenonAudio Store.

Unboxing / Packaging:

Packaging protects the earpieces well as the lift-top style box has a foam insert at top with the earpieces in it and the kit hidden under a flap with the Moondrop logo beneath it.  Under the flap are the cable, 4 sets of tips, the warranty card, and the soft carrying case (bag).   To me the biggest let down of the kit is the carrying case as Moondrop obviously took the time to protect the earpieces in the box, but does not even provide a bag with two compartments to separate the earpieces to prevent dings and scratches.

Build/Fit:

Build quality is fantastic on the Kanas pro, with the drawback being they are a bit of a fingerprint magnet as a result of the “White Steel” plate and polish.   Shells are made of a lightweight zinc/magnesium alloy using metal injection molding.  After molding, the shells are polished and plated with what Kanas calls “White steel” that looks like a hard chrome or electroless nickel finish. With the style of construction, the two parts of the shell are quite visible as the only way to hide the seam would be to assemble the iems before plating.   Fit is good with no perceptible gaps, glue spots, or tight areas along the seams or at the junction with the mmcx connectors.   Two Vents are visible on the inside of the shell and some have suggested that micro-pore tape over the vents can improve (their word not mine) the bass performance of the KP for those that find it a bit light.

Internals:  

The Kanas Pro is powered by a 10mm dynamic driver coated with DLC (diamond Carbon) (also often called Graphene).  Nominal impedance is listed as 32Ω with a sensitivity of  110 dB/mW at 1kHz.  While the Kanas Pro can be driven by a phone or tablet, it certainly benefits from having better amplification and the use of a dedicated DAP or something like the xDSD really brings the KP up to its full potential.

Cable:  

The cable with my KP was made by Lyre Acoustics and is their Pansy model.   This is an 8 wire mix of silver and copper terminated in a straight 3.5 jack with a carbon fiber sleeve.  Splitter is a metal disk finished in black with the Lyre logo.  Braid above the splitter is 4 wire to .78mm Bi-pin connectors.   If there is a fault to be found with the cable, it is not its performance, but rather its looks.  Clear bi-pin connectors, black splitter, carbon fiber pattern on jack is pretty inconsistent.

Sound:

Bass:

Sub-bass is present but only when called for.  Most bassheads will feel the KP is a bit light in this department as unless the track really demands it, the KP doesn’t produce it.  Mid-bass is a bit more present than sub-bass but again very closely follows the harman target and doesn’t get loose or bloom.   If anything, mid-bass leans just a wisp to the thin side as I had no issues with it getting thick or dirty even with tracks that encourage it.   Texture is good and detail is better than expected.

Mids:

The Kanas pro is a mid-centric IEM and reminds me of the campfire comet quite a bit albeit with better extension at both ends.   Mids are smooth, detailed, and engaging without feeling up front and in your face.  Timbre and thickness of vocals is good and strings have enough energy to sound believable.   Overall, very well done and not overdone as is the tendency.  These manage to not recess the mids without highlighting them to the point of sounding unnatural.

Treble:

Lower treble flows smoothly from the upper mids but then dips some in the 5-6kHz range before coming back forward a bit as you move up.  The forward push in the 8-9kHz range gives the Kanas pro some air at the top without being out ahead of the rest of the signature and shows little or no tendency to get harsh.  A second smaller bump in the 12kHz range gives a little sizzle and sparkle at the very top and helps with percussion sounding correct.  Overall the treble is polite and well mannered but provides enough top end to avoid feeling enclosed.

Soundstage / Imaging:

Soundstage is impressive as its depth and width are both about equally good rather than being oval shaped like so many at or near its price point.   Height is good as well, but not on par with the depth and width.   Imaging is aided by good instrument separation and positions on the stage are easily recognized.  Directional cues are good but things behind the listener occasionally come off as being more beside than behind.    Layering is very good with orchestral pieces showing good separation without misplacing them on the stage.

Thoughts / Conclusion:

The Moondrop Kanas pro is a near neutral iem with great aesthetics and a very clean, detailed signature that’s single best feature may be how effortlessly it seems to go about its work.   This is one of my daily driver in-ears for work which probably says more than about anything else I can write.

Moondrop Kanas Pro

7.3

Packaging

6.0/10

Build Quality

8.5/10

Accessories

7.0/10

Sound Quality

7.5/10