For the past few months I have been using the Moondrop PARA Planar headphones.
First of all, I must comment on the weight. They are heavy as they weigh around 518 gms. But they have a wide head support band made of a soft, felt-like material which manages to distribute the weight quite evenly such that you do not feel the headphones’ weight.
Surprisingly, it can be quite comfortable to use the headphones for extended listening sessions. Also, the earpads are soft and comfortable and do not pinch the ears, and are not too warm even after using the headphones for a few hours. I could nod my head without the headphones slipping out. An oval cavity is cut into the earpad to fit the entire ear and comfort is the priority.
So it is heavy, but somehow you don’t actually feel the weight when you use the headphones even for extended listening.
I used the Moondrop PARA headphones with the iFi ZEN DAC connected to the laptop with a Furutech USB cable and the FiiO K9 Pro ESS connected to the main system with a Silent Angel M1T network music transport and Shunyata Omega USB cable.
The headphones are easy to drive — with both the iFi ZEN DAC and FiiO K9 Pro ESS, the gain was set to low and the volume knob was around 1 o’clock.
Of the two, I preferred listening via the FiiO K9 Pro ESS as the music sounded more controlled and detailed with a larger soundstage.
Compared with the AKG K240 Mk II, the Moondrop PARA sounded brighter and leaner, but there were plenty of details and while I wrote this I was listening on the iFi ZEN DAC to Taylor Swift’s latest album The Tortured Poets Department: An Anthology on Roon. This album has many songs and surprisingly even though the Moondrop PARA has a slightly bright sonic signature, I did not feel fatigued after listening to the album.
Unlike other planar magnetic headphones, the Moondrop PARA uses an ultra-large 100-mm diameter diaphragm incorporating Full Drive Technology, which has the entire vibrating surface of the diaphragm evenly covered with driving circuits enclosed in a magnetic field resulting in low-split vibration comparable with electrostatics.
It uses an array of 36 extra-large neodymium strip magnets to generate a magnetic field optimised by FEA finite element analysis to ensure uniform distribution of the magnetic field.
Its composite diaphragm is highly damping and flexible while the circuit is etched with pure silver. Cables are detachable with 3.5mm plugs, so you can match them with the top-quality cables in your collection.
There appears to be quite a bit of technology involved in designing the Moondrop PARA.
In terms of design, it looks modern and industrial with a perforated aluminium headband and large round aluminium backs of the earcups. These round aluminium backs are also perforated with small holes.
The Moondrop PARA planar headphones are available from Red Ape and are priced at RM1,410.
