Наушники — Moondrop CONCERTO

The Concerto is a hybrid in-ear monitor from the Chinese maker Moondrop, launched around November 2024 at USD 329.99 alongside the single dynamic driver Kadenz. It combines three different driver technologies, including an all-silicon xMEMS solid-state driver, and comes with a fixed USB-C cable that contains its own DAC and DSP. It is therefore not a passive earphone but a complete digital listening system for phones, tablets and computers with a USB-C port.

Key specs that matter

Each earpiece holds an xMEMS Montara solid-state driver for the treble, a Cowell driver for the midrange and a 13 mm superlinear dynamic-planar driver. Moondrop describes the layout as a V-shaped opposed acoustic arrangement. According to the maker, the planar driver is more than ten times as efficient as traditional planar units and about four times as efficient as dynamic drivers of the same size. THD is 0.05% or less at 1 kHz and 94 dB, and frequency response is 20 Hz to 20 kHz measured on an IEC60318-4 coupler. Impedance is 16 ohm and sensitivity is 115 dB at 1 Vrms. The non-detachable USB-C cable, developed with DDHIFI, contains a 32-bit 384 kHz DAC and a separate amplifier for the xMEMS driver, supports UAC 2.0 and UAC 3.0, and has a three-button inline microphone. The shells are 3D-printed from medical-grade resin in a gunmetal colour with glitter.

Engineering and use context

An xMEMS driver is a silicon chip that moves a piezoelectric membrane instead of a coil and magnet, and it needs a higher drive voltage than conventional earphone drivers. This is why Moondrop fits a dedicated amplifier for the xMEMS unit inside the cable rather than relying on the headphone output of a phone. Building the DAC and DSP into the cable also allows the maker to set the crossover and equalisation between the three drivers digitally, so each type works in its intended range. The planar driver covers the bass, the Cowell driver handles the middle frequencies, and the solid-state xMEMS unit takes over at the top. Because the cable is fixed, the Concerto cannot be used with a conventional 3.5 mm or 4.4 mm headphone output. UAC 2.0 and 3.0 support means it works as a standard USB audio device on Android, iOS devices with USB-C, Windows and macOS without extra drivers. The bullet-shaped shell is compact for a three-driver design. The package includes a carrying case and silicone ear tips in small, medium and large sizes.

Pairing

The Concerto connects directly to any phone, tablet or computer with a USB-C port. The inline controls and microphone handle calls and playback, so no separate dongle is needed.

Alternatives

The Moondrop Kadenz uses a single dynamic driver with a conventional detachable cable and launched at the same time.