Moondrop Illumination Unboxing & Quick Review: Lustrous Beauty!!

The Moondrop Illumination is the latest flagship single Dynamic Driver pair of in-ear monitors from Moondrop. I have previously owned and loved several of Moondrop’s products including their Blessing 2, Starfield, S8, and more. Basically,  I am a fan of Moondrop’s excellent craftsmanship and tuning. Ever since the announcement of the illumination I was so excited as the pair looks really exceptional and having tasted their entry-level single DD IEMs(Starfield & Kanas Pro) I really wanted to see what they can do with the same in their flagship offering. So, I got myself a pair around the release and now I have spent about three to four weeks with the pair. Now it is time I share my experience through the blog with you all.

About Moondrop Illumination:-

The Moondrop Illumination is the reference-grade single DD offering from the brand. It is a brilliantly crafted pair having high-precision CNC machined titanium alloy earpieces with a lustrous gold finish. The pair is said to house a single dynamic driver unit on each side with some acoustic chamber design on both earpieces. It is available to purchase for around 799$, you can check more details about the Illumination here.

Packaging And Accessories:-

Moondrop designs each and everything in its products quite precisely. Even though the shape of the package is really similar to that of the Starfields(Rectangular, and longer in length), it looks quite premium and unique. The outer slide through just have an artistic image of a girl with the Moondrop logo(common for almost all Moondrop packages). The package has got a smooth soft coating on the outside that makes it feel super soft to touch and hold. Starting from the top inside the package we have our carry case first. It is a premium zipper carry case holding about 6 pairs of silicone ear tips, 3 pairs of foam ear tips, and an airplane adapter. The next compartment holds our beautiful connector cable with 2-pin connectors and a 3.5mm termination plug connected. It features a replaceable termination plug design and comes bundled with 4.4mm and 2.5mm balanced termination plugs too.

Overall the unboxing experience is pretty and beautiful. The package contains a bunch of accessories and feels premium to hold. Check out our unboxing video below.

Package Contents:-

>One pair of Moondrop Illumination IEMs.

>One detachable cable with replaceable termination plugs.

>One 3.5mm termination plug.

>One 2.5mm balanced termination plug.

>One 4.4mm balanced termination plug.

>Six pairs of silicone ear tips.

>Three pairs of foam ear tips.

>One zipper earphone carry case.

Build Quality & Fit:-

At first glance at the images, it might look like an edgy version of the KXXS. But when you see the beautiful lustrous earpieces in your hands, They look astonishing. They are nothing like those of KXXS’s. They are scratch-resistant, but they are a fingerprint magnet. The pair looks edgy from the images but to hold them they are very smooth and nicely finished. The edgy look might be due to the shape and lustrous finish to them. On the inner side, the cavity has the so-called acoustic structure. There is an elevation on the inner cavity with grill type pattern I guess that is the acoustic structure we are talking about here. The nozzle is quite long yet it is not uncomfortable to wear.

Overall I must say, Moondrop has done an excellent job with the design and fit of the Illumination. The pair sit firmly into my ears and seal the ear canal completely providing me a good level of noise isolation.

Powering the Flagship:-

The Moondrop Illumination has got low impedance and high sensitivity ratings. It can be powered very easily, I have used the pair with my FiiO M11 Pro, Huawei P30 Pro, and Hidizs AP80 Pro. It is powered very well on all of these sources, producing an open staging and detailing.

Sound Quality:-

The Illuminations is an exceptional pair with excellent sound clarity output.  mean I have previously tried other single DD IEMs like the Moondrop Starfield, KXXS, Softears Turii, and more, the Illumination is different. It has a rich laid back signature with very good dynamics and clarity. The treble portion is supremely detailed, the mids are well-detailed, both male and female vocals have a natural tonality with good physicality, and the lower end is quick and punchy as we can expect from a Dynamic Driver unit. The best part is the output feels natural with a good sense of weight to the instrument notes. The output feels quite intimate and immersive, one can simply say it is one of the finest pair of IEMs from the house of Moondrop.

If you are a regular BA driver IEM user like the CA Andromeda or others, you will feel the presence of the Illuminations new and interesting. The overall output feels powerful throughout the frequency range. There is no emphasis on any particular portion of the range, the overall output feels quite neutral-ish and balanced.

Low:-

The lower end feels tight and punchy, the presence is more powerful on the upper-bass as compared to the sub-bass portion. Drum kicks are always perfect and controlled, listening to Billie Jean by MJ is bliss with the Illuminations. The slams feel precise and perfect and go really deep to smooth out the soul. The sub-bass rumble complements EDM, Hip-Hop music well.

Mids:-

The mids have a natural tonality and rich detailing to the output. The Blower’s Daughter by Damien Rice and Speak Softly Love by Yao Si Ting are some of my favorite vocals based tracks and they gave me goosebumps listening to them on the Illuminations. Acoustic guitars, Pianos show a very rich tonality with an amazing sense of weight. The pair is a great companion for Live recordings, Vocal based artists, and Acoustic instruments.

Treble:-

The Treble portion shows brilliant detailing with a smooth tonality to the output. The output feels warmer and laid-back though never misses on any details, the tuning is simply perfect for the Illuminations. It is never sibilant even with high-pitched vocals or instruments like Violins or Electric Guitars. The overall output is pretty smooth and non-fatiguing, you can listen to the pair for long hours and hardly get tired of it.

Soundstage & Instrument Separation:-

Even though the Illuminations sound intimate, I never felt lacking any of the headroom. The pair produces an adequately wide soundstage with enough height and width to complement our music well. With brilliant detailing, comes outstanding instrument separation. On the live recordings, one can easily place the instruments being played in their headroom.

Final Verdict:-

The Moondrop Illumination is an excellent pair of IEMs with an exceptional build. The lustrous golden earpieces produce a powerful, immersive sound clarity that brings our music to life. Having tried a bunch of other single DD IEMs, I really loved how smooth and detailed the Illumination sounds. If you are looking for a pair of IEMs with a relaxed and detailed signature, you can never go wrong with the Moondrop Illuminations. Not to mention their rich build quality is another plus in their favor. Check out more details about the Moondrop Illuminations here.