Music From An Epic Era – Moritz Dragon IEMs
Mortiz Dragon is a $629 USD pair of IEMs or In-Ear Monitors with a single dynamic driver at the core, and they’re driven by a Customized Beryllium Plated Ultra-Thin Diaphragm Dynamic Driver. Today we will review the Moritz Dragon and compare them to other IEMS that we’ve recently reviewed and which belong to the same price class, including NF Acous Ne4 (649 USD), Yanyin Carmen (849 USD), and FiiO FH19 (599 USD).
Introduction
This is our first review exploring a product from Moritz, and so far our communication with the company has been flawless, they are helpful and knowledgeable, being an upcoming IEM manufacturer that has quickly gained the love and adoration of many customers and music lovers.
As an Amazon Influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases, and using the purchase links in my reviews helps me maintain this website and Youtube Channel. Huge thanks to Moritz for providing us with the sample for this review.
Product Link
Official Link – https://moritzaudio.com/products/moritz-dragon
Build Quality / Aesthetics
There is not a lot of information available about the dragon, on either the Moritz Official Website or online in general, but we know that this is a pair of IEMs with a customized beryllium-played dynamic driver, running an ultra-thin diaphragm. While most of the technical data is under NDA, we know and can share that Dragon has an impedance of 19 OHMS, and a SPL or sensitivity of 103 dB.
A combination of a somewhat low impedance but also somewhat low SPL should make the Moritz Easy To Drive yet not ultra sensitive to hissing and background noise. We have a 2-Pin connector between the cable and the IEMS, and you receive a high-end modular cable, pure silver, 1.2 meters in length. The surface of the IEMS is coated in resin, and this includes everything we know about the dragon from the official moritzaudio website.
Fit / Subjective Usage
I don’t mind a much shorter marketing paper on a product, as long as it is good, although it may make it hard for some customers to get hyped compared to what FiiO does for example with their FH17, which has a lengthy product description, as long as the product is really good, as is the case with both FH17 and Moritz Dragon. Don’t mind the comparison, it is not a coincidence, as FH17 and Moritz Dragon belong to the same price category.
Starting with the IEMs, they look and feel really empty inside. In fact, the dynamic driver that produces the sound is very close to the IEM bore / sound tube, while the back of the IEM is actually empty. This being said, Dragon has a ventilation port and there is no driver flex when inserting or taking out the Dragons.
Moritz Dragon has excellent comfort, the shape of the ergonomic cable is also nice, and it comes with a modular cable too, with only a very slightly tangle prone construction, but it is lightweight and flexible, thin. I have replaced the default eartips with ddHifi- ST-35, as I do with most IEMs I review, as I find better comfort with ST-35. Overall, Moritz Dragon is one of the most comfortable IEMS I have tested, it does not isolate well from the outside noise, but it leaks very little.
Sound Quality
Pairings – When checking out an IEM at around 700 USD, I have to think what kind of source DAPs will people be using to drive the Moritz Dragon, but I think a blend of portables from all price ranges would be best, as I know folks who purchase M11 PRO for Chifi IEMs, and folks who use Ie900 with an entry-Level DAP like Hiby Music M300 or even dongle DAC AMPs from the entry-level range. My experience is that in general it is best to match the source and IEM in resolution, clarity and you get the best performance when using IEMs as expensive as possible, but above 500 USD it is worthy to upgrade the source too. To test the Moritz Dragon I have paired it with iBasso Macaron Dongle DAC AMP, Shanling M1 Plus, fiiO BTR17, Creative SoundBlaster G8, Astell&Kern Activo P1, HIFI Walker H20 PRO, iBasso DX320 MAX ti, and Lotoo PAW 6000. Moritz Dragon is not sensitive to source background noise / hissing, and it has a high level of detail / clarity, so it is best paired with a source that has a matching resolution / revealing ability.
Overall Signature – Moritz Dragon has a light, snappy, highly revealing sound that can reach 20 Hz nicely in the sub bass, but also keeps sound light, airy, atmospheric. I found Heaven when playing classical music through it, and it is especially well tuned for classical, acoustic and Jazz, but it works well with rock too, although the signature works equally well for metal, and EDM. It is best for someone who enjoys resolution, clarity and likes a bright top end, combined with a powerful sub-bass, as Dragon is one of the more u-Shaped sounding IEMS out there.
Bass – We start with a really deep bass that easily shakes the earth at 20 Hz, but quickly becomes fairly controlled and neutral at around 50 Hz, so we have very little mid bass and upper bass presence. This creates a really nice ratio of having a beefy, deep sub, but a controlled and lean upper bass, allowing music to have body and presence, kick and impact, without a veiled or too fluffy sound in the upper lows. The sub bass has between 10 and 20 dB of extra presence relative to the midrange and even relative to the upper bass. As Dragon has a rather low impedance, the bass response is quite different across sources, but all should have this nice sub-bass elevation.
Midrange – Moritz Dragon pulls the midrnage a bit towards the background, creating a slightly distant presentation for voices and most instruments, although this gives soundstage both an increased width and depth. Somehow, this helps Moritz Dragon sound smooth and avoid being too harsh or fatiguing, despite having a really powerful and revealing sound. As Dragon has a lighter signature, it makes female voices far more vivid, more emotional and present than male voices, so the most recessed part of the sound is the lower midrage. This means that Dragon always sounds vivid, emotional, emphasizes sad muzic and serious music above harsh or happy music.
Treble – We get a bright, sharp and clean treble with a strong presence, peaking in between 10 kHz and 14 kHz, with an audible extension up to 18 kHz. This is one of the brighter sounding IEMS, so Dragon has a really uniquely revealing, snappy, light and airy sound. I generally like it a lot, but it works quite a bit better with classical, jazz and generally with acoustic music than it works with metal and rock, as it can make the cymbal crashes a bit too forward and loud on metal, relative to the rest of the song. This being said, this kind of signature allows you to enjoy metal and rock at extremely quiet volumes with strong dynamics and high clarity. This treble has around 10 dB of extra presence relative to the midrange.
PRaT / Textures / Dynamics – Dragon has a fairly snappy impulse response but it never sounds too harsh, it has a somewhat wet character despite having a fast impulse response. This kind of signature works very well with all music, if you want a high resolution and detail without the music feeling harsh or grainy. In fact, Dragon can easily reveal harshness in the recording, what it hides is grain, thanks to the wet character.
Loudness Saturation Gradient – Dragon sounds the best at lower volumes, as it easily reaches maximum resolution and has a strong sub bass and strong treble, allowing music to sound vivid, dynamic and punchy even at very low volumes, but it can really come alive at higher volumes, although there’s a bit of extra compression happening if you go above 110 dB. This is generally not a bad thing though, as it brings forward details and can make music seem more revealing.
Soundstage – Moritz Dragon has a wide, holographic presentation, with an extended staging, natural instrument separation. That space in the shell that sits behind the driver helps create the acoustics needed for a strong lateral projection of musical instruments. I love how it renders EDM, Pop, but it truly shines with large orchestras and acoustic music. Anything with over 20 instruments just shows the degree of performance and naturalness of the Dragon IEMS.
Comparisons
Moritz Dragon vs NF Acous NE4 (629 USD vs 649 USD) – NF Acous Ne4 is quite a bit larger, heavier, and has an intricate mechanism to fine tune the sound by replacing the faceplates where the electronic crossover resides. While Dragon does not have this mechanism, it uses a more common 2-Pin cable, it comes with a modular cable, while NE4 only comes with a single ended 3.5mm cable, and Dragon wins in comfort, being lighter, more ergonomic and having a more flexible, higher quality cable.
Sonically, Ne4 goes from being incredibly bright, to quite well balanced and detailed, while Dragon is generally a more organic, more natural sounding IEM with a snappier, lighter sounding midrange, and a brighter, more airy treble. There’s more detail revealed by the Dragon in the upper midrange and the treble, but Ne4 with the black faceplate can sound beefier, smoother and fuller, all whilst having almost the same resolution. You can fine tune NE4 to also sound wider and more holographic by using the transparent faceplates, while Dargon is a better average in between the signatures that NE4 can achieve as extremes.
Moritz Dragon vs Yanyin Carmen (629 USD vs 849 USD) – Dragon is lighter, has a more comfortable shell, and generally feels better inside my ears, and while both IEMs can work balanced for the cables, the cable of the Dragon is thinner, more flexible while Carmen comes with a much thicker cable. Carmen has a stronger passive noise isolation and lower leakage, while Dragon has less void effect while being worn.
Sonically, Dragon is snappy, light and open, holographic sounding, while Carmen is deep, lush, bassy and basically a bass cannon with a huge bass, but a more intimate soundstage, less focus on details and resolution and more bass. This being said, with really deep and lush songs, Dragon can produce a really thick and powerful bass too, so both Dragon and Carmen can handle bass nicely, Carmen just can produce twice the bass, but half the treble the Dragon can.
Moritz Dragon vs FiiO FH19 (629 USD vs 599 USD) – And finally, the most important competitor is actually FiiO FH19, an IEM that really set the standards for the price range, and the comfort of the two is almost equal, although Dragon has a slight edge for being so nicely designed and for being so lightweight. The cable of FH19 is a bit thicker, but still very flexible, while both have modular cables. Both IEMs offer a good amount of passive noise isolation, but FH19 leaks less and isolates a bit more.
Sonically, FH19 is bassier, produces more depth but Dragon produces a snappier, more organic sound that is more cohesive and more organic, especially in the midrange. There’s more detail revealed by FH19, but the smoother, less obvious treble makes the listening a bit less exciting for rock, metal and Classical, while Dragon handles those styles a bit better, adding more vividness and life into the sound. FH19 is a far easier to recommend generalist IEM that can handle most music really well, while Dragon has the boutique charm of being more nuanced, more organic, and snappier in the sound. The sub bass extension of both is the same, perfect 20 Hz reach, but the soundstage of the dragon is a bit better.
Value and Conclusion
Moritz Dragon is a new boutique IEM and while the marketing material doesn’t make it seem as interesting as most alternatives, the raw sonic performance, good package, and high comfort all contribute to a high price / performance ratio, making the Dragon an IEM Earphone that will be relevant in the market for a long time, and despite the company keeping the tech used in secret, they are communicative and are here to stay in business.
At the end of the day, if you’re looking for a pair of earphones with an excellent sound, bright, organic and natural, with a comfortable build, lightweight and with a modular, flexible cable, and if you want it all for a really good price, but still with the high-end boutique quality, Moritz Dragon is an excellent IEM you can grab today and which will bring you lots of fun.
PROs
- Deep sub-bass with no audible roll-off
- No void or driver flex
- Lightweight, modular comfortable and high-quality cable with a flexible build
- Bright and airy midrange and treble
- Good detail revealing ability with an organic and natural midrange
- No fatigue despite the brighter tuning
- Outstanding overall performance for the price
Cons
- Default eartips do not work well for my
- One of the very few IEMs that need large sized eartips for proper comfort, and I am usually a medium
Product Link
Official Link – https://moritzaudio.com/products/moritz-dragon
--- Please remember to stay safe, and always have fun while listening to music!---
- If you have a dime to spare, please donate, and help us! It would make the day brighter for me and my wife-
Full Playlist used for this review
We listened to more songs than those named in this playlist, but those are excellent for identifying a sonic signature. I recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new music! The playlists are different for Spotify, Tidal and Youtube, and based on the songs I enjoy and are available on each!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_cjBXGmwSHSdGcwuc_bKbBDGHL4QvYBu
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5J3oloz8Riy9LxEGenOjQ0?si=979ba4f082414be7
https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/330fd544-8e5b-4839-bd35-676b2edbb3d5
--- Contact Us ---
