If it doesn’t beat or at least match the Dunu Zen in that respect, I likely wouldn’t keep it. I have heard mixed things about the bass. And the Zen bass is pretty spectacular while being impactful.
Great review!
But yes… the tips and the filters are also my 2 MAYOR problems with all Moondrop IEMs. The bore is too wide and the filters don’t work AT ALL.
Apart from that, I love my Dusk and S8, but God do I wish, Mondrop would change these two stupid elements.
Oh… and the bore is without a lip, so tips easily stay in your ears, when you take the IEM out
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You have not by any chance tried the Sony IER Z1R?
I wonder if the IE900 can beat it in overall SQ…
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Finally managed to listen to the B2’s! It’s posted to the main reviews page (https://www.headphones.com/community/reviews-learning-and-news/moondrop-blessing-2-a-retrospective-of-excellence) as well but here it is for the forum.
Introduction
For those familiar with the IEM scene, the MoonDrop Blessing 2 needs no introduction. For those getting started with in-ear monitors, chances are you’ve stumbled across this article after hearing constant recommendations. In the modern mid-fi IEM landscape saturated with a rotating door of flavour-of-the-months, the MoonDrop Blessing 2 has achieved what is possibly the highest honour: relevancy.
Despite the near universal acclaim the MoonDrop Blessing 2 has garnered since its release over a year ago, I hadn’t had the opportunity to listen to them until recently. Having read the audio discourse surrounding this IEM’s rise to fame, it’s clear that the B2’s has developed a reputation that precedes itself. In this review, I’ll take a critical look at the MoonDrop Blessing 2 and see for myself where it stands in the face of that reputation.
For those unaware, MoonDrop Blessing 2 (B2s) are a hybrid IEM goes for $320 at MSRP. It boasts a single dynamic driver (DD) with four balanced armatures (BAs), giving it a 1 DD + 4 BA configuration. MoonDrop has developed their own tuning target, the VDSF target response, which the B2s have been tuned towards. In my opinion, realistically speaking, the VDSF target is just a fancy way of saying that MoonDrop doesn’t subscribe to the popular Harman target and prefers instead to pursue its own path. For what its worth, MoonDrop’s product lineup has been quite successful with this tuning strategy, even if they have started sounding quite similar to each other.
What’s in the Box
The MoonDrop Blessing 2 comes in a simplistic black-and-white box featuring an anime-style line art depicting a young genderbent version of Santa. If you’re wondering “… why?”, let’s just say that their founder has a certain affinity for Japanese culture and the MoonDrop’s marketing strategy consequently involves anime mascots. In fact, when buying the Blessing 2, it has a number of mascot options that you can get engraved right into its metallic faceplate for $30 extra. To take it a step further, they even offer the option for custom engravings. A quick Google Image search will reveal a wide variety of creative decisions that others have proudly chosen for their own B2s. On the note of faceplates though: be aware that there have been a couple complaints where the faceplates have fallen off the shell. While very rare, I do want to point it out for the sake of transparency.
Inside the box is a carrying case and a cardboard box containing tips and other accessories – 6 pairs of silicon tips in standard S, M, and L sizes, a 2-pin cable, and an airline adapter to be exact. The tips are fairly normal except for having a rather wide bore at the base to accommodate the B2’s large nozzle. The cable is a 4-core cable with pre-molded earhooks and an L-shaped jack. It’s light, pliable, with a little bit of cable memory and noise. Certainly more than serviceable without real need for a 3rd party cable for increased ergonomics.
The IEMs themselves have a resin shell with the aforementioned metal faceplate. The shells actually have a bit of a heft to them as they’re fully resin filled. In addition to that, the B2s infamously boasts a 7 mm nozzle. For reference, most IEMs are about 4-5 mm. While a couple millimetres may not seem like much, this larger nozzle size will present a problem for a number of people. Personally, I was prepared for the worst but found that the angle of the nozzle and overall ergonomics of the B2’s shell works surprisingly well for me. However, the wide nozzle did cause soreness to my ear. Though it has subsided over the time I’ve had it, if you’re particularly sensitive to comfort, you’ll definitely want to demo the B2s before committing. Additionally, of note is the presence of nozzle filters on the B2. A thin black ring of glue holds the filters to the resin nozzle. While I appreciate the idea, the execution is lacking. Every time I remove the tips to clean them, it disrupts the bond and eventually, the filters came right off with the tips. Thankfully, the filter doesn’t do anything acoustically and are there to prevent wax from falling in the nozzle. This isn’t really a problem as many other IEMs with resin shells don’t have a filter either and the occasional cleaning will take care of that.
Sound
My first impressions of the B2 were… well, positive. To be honest, I wasn’t a hundred percent sure of what to expect. When audio gear gets as hyped up as the B2 is, it’s hard to have a sense of reality. In a boring twist, the B2s sound very good though not mind-blowing. It has an agreeable tuning that’s neutral with a minor bass boost. I find it has a rather raw timbre with a slight sheen of artificialness that doesn’t sound totally natural to me. The B2’s resolution and note definition are seriously impressive for the price and are the true highlight of this IEM for me.
The following is how the Moondrop Blessing 2 Measures on the GRAS RA0402 coupler. This dampens the coupler resonance peak that shows up at around 8khz that’s commonly found with other measurement rigs, making it more readable in the treble.
Bass
As a hybrid IEM, the B2’s DD is meant to handle the low-end frequencies. Generally speaking, this is often seen as a good thing as BAs tend to produce a less satisfying bass response due to so-called BA timbre. In the case of the B2s, I have mixed feelings. On one hand, the bass is unquestionably DD especially when compared side to side with all-BA IEMs. However, I’m not as impressed with the quality. I find it rather shallow and dry without much texture. This may be a function of its frequency response in its modest 4 dB of bass elevation at 60 Hz or a sign that I’m slowly transforming into a basshead but the B2’s bass lacks depth to me, especially when listening to instruments like the low toms and kick. Listening to the drums, I hear the initial attack and rebound of the drum head but not the full resonance of the drum itself. It’s as if the B2s somehow constrain themselves from fully indulging in the richness of the low end. While this doesn’t always appear in every song, this lack of depth is certainly noticeable in tracks that depend on a full low-end presence for its musicality.
That said, midbass note definition, separation, and resolution is excellent. The B2 very much a midbass focused IEM that punches instead of booms. While I do find it slightly dry and textureless as mentioned above, the trade-off is a clean and precise sound. It’s great for tracks with an abundance of notes clamouring for space in this region, calling forward notes that may otherwise be missed with lesser IEM.
Mids
The mids of any IEM or headphone is a careful interplay between the lower and upper mids and the B2s are no exception. Being nitpicky, I think B2s have just a touch too much upper mids for its tonal balance. While it positions vocals clearly forward without being too shouty, I find that the excess upper treble energy causes the strum of acoustic guitars to sound shallow. As such, despite graphing with a hint of gain in the lower mids, the B2s sound lean to my ears. Lean, but not thin. If you listen to strong clear vocals with a lot of upper mids energy, the B2s will perform excellently. If you listen to vocalists that really emphasize the rich body of their voice, the B2s will still sound great; they’re just less optimized for that sort of performance in comparison.
It is also in the upper mids (and lower treble) where the rawness of the B2s presents itself to me. By that I mean that the B2s don’t completely sound smooth or refined. They have a slight edginess to them, a rawness that’s perhaps comes as a result of its technical prowess. To me, the timbre of the B2s sounds slightly artificial. I don’t think this is necessarily bad. This rawness combined with the upper mids energy sometimes enhances the crunchy tone of an electric guitar. But at other times, violins and pianos pop out a little more than they should with a touch of rawness that marginally detracts from the experience.
Treble
The lower treble of the B2s continue straight from the energy of the upper mids. Its enough that I’d say the Blessing 2 leans bright. When I think treble, I mostly focus on the hats and cymbals. There’s a strong upfront crash when the drumstick attacks the hats and cymbals that leads to an imbalance as the trailing natural decay is sacrificed. Combined with the rawness of the B2, this manifests as a brittle sort of sound for its treble. In all fairness to the B2, given how nuanced and varied these instruments can be, the hats and cymbals test is one of the hardest to get perfectly right for any piece of gear. Having a somewhat brittle treble is still vastly better than all the other ways I’ve heard IEMs warp the delicate sound of the treble.
Where the B2s gain a lot of ground is, once again, in its lower treble resolution. Like the midbass, the B2’s pushes forward a lot of notes that generally get obscured. Depending on your past IEM experience, it can really add fresh layer of detail that compels you to explore your music library to try and hear what you may have missed in the past. And if you’re concerned over sibilance or harsh treble peaks, I don’t detect that from the B2s. Though I will admit I do have a high tolerance for treble.
Presentation
The soundstage and imaging of the B2’s is respectable. It has an above average width that its imaging makes good use of. The stereo image comfortably stretches to the outer edge of my ears. However, it has little height and depth. Like most IEMs, music is presented on a seemingly flat plane.
Resolution and note definition are what makes the B2’s stand apart from the rest of the competition. It’s better than pretty much anything in the <$500 range I’ve heard, with maybe the exception of the Etymotic ER4. Its good enough to give IEMs much more expensive than it a very good run for their money. I find it a noticeable step up from the vast majority of IEMs out there. Instrument separation and layering is similarly great though the lack of soundstage depth does hamper the sense of space that generally accompanies these qualities.
Should You Buy It?
Yes. Despite everything that I’ve nitpicked in the B2, it’s undeniably a fantastic IEM at a phenomenal price. The technical prowess it brings to the table for $320 is seriously impressive. Generally speaking, I try to look for an X-factor when it comes to gear. What is it that gives an IEM or headphone staying power? What attributes keep it from being forgotten when the next flavor of the month shows up? While I don’t think the B2s have that magical X-factor, its combination of solid tuning, great technical performance, and downright reasonable price have given it a commanding presence in the mid-fi IEM world. While newer IEMs are getting better and better at cracking the tuning code ( e.g. the SeeAudio Yume I reviewed here ), progress on improvements to technical performance has remained stagnant. As such, the B2s have secured for themselves and edge that won’t going to be easy for challengers to overcome.
To put it another way, it would be easier to give reasons why someone SHOULDN’T get the B2s. I can think of three. The first is fit. There’s simply no getting around the fact that the nozzles are much larger than average and if the fit isn’t comfortable, that will squash any enjoyment. The second is the tuning. If you’re looking for something with an abundance of bass or lower mids warmth, the B2s won’t scratch that itch. Finally, for those who are extremely sensitive to timbre and swear that the only headphones that sound right to you are the Sennheiser HD6X0, the B2s might not be for you. The rawness in its upper mids might not be the smooth experience you’re looking for.
In conclusion, the MoonDrop Blessing 2 lives up to its lofty reputation. It really is a very strong IEM in the current audio landscape. Having now listened to it, it’s easy to see why they’re constantly recommended and found on top of many ranking lists, and even more so when you take its relatively low price into account. Though a year late, it has been a pleasure to finally have reviewed this landmark IEM.
On a final note, some of you reading this may have noticed that I’ve failed to mention the MoonDrop Blessing 2 Dusk or compared the B2s with other IEMs. This is intentional as next week I’ll be taking a look at the Dusks and be doing a proper comparison review to the B2s and other popular IEMs out there.
Written by Fc-Construct
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Great review, thanks for sharing.
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Really excellent review as has become expected of you @Fc-Construct. A great read. This does seem an excellent iem.
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I hope it will be something I can afford.
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I’m going to wait for some reviews. Looking at the frequency curve I think the peak at 3kHz could be a bit much for me.
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Interesting! I’m looking forward to seeing reviews of this one, but I’m still waiting for Moondrop to do a U12t-like tuning. That would be right up my alley!
I Think it’s priced fairly and set to compete against other iems with EST drivers under $800. I’m curious to know how it sounds 
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On Amazon Prime Day, these two earphones are significantly cheaper.
In the case of variations, 10% of the amount will be deducted at the checkout.
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The Blessing 2 Dusk is nowhere to be found on the Amazon USA site. It seems they are using Prime Day to reduce inventory of the brighter original Blessing 2. (The first review is entitled “Analytical but missing some mid-bass weight.”) Decide if 10% savings is worth it ($288 vs. $320), and whether this is a true discount price at all…
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I paid €275 for my Blessing 2 Dusk.
So that offer on the regular Blessing 2 is … not that exciting …
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You lucky you 
Here in Germany, both the OG 2, and above all the Dusk, are significantly more expensive, because we have to order them (the Dusk) through a Chinese provider and therefore we have to pay in addition, may be some shipping costs, but certainly 19% import duty & handling fees!
So wherever you got this dusk in Europe at this price, be happy about it 
I gut lucky. Ordered mine from ShenzenAudio and they slipped trough customs. So no extra fees or taxes. 
Seen in this way, the price mentioned above is quite ok, guess 
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Dusk is a Shenzhen audio exclusive.
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I finished this review a couple weeks ago but took a while before it finally got published.
So here it is, my MoonDrop Dusk review with direct comparisons to the Blessing 2.
Introduction
The MoonDrop x crinacle Blessing 2 Dusk is product of a collaboration between MoonDrop and well-known IEM reviewer crinacle with the aim of improving the tonal performance of the MoonDrop Blessing 2. Priced at a slightly higher $330 MSRP with an identical driver configuration at 1 DD + 4 BA, the major difference between the Dusk and the B2 is in its frequency response. Crinacle oversaw the tuning of the Dusks, making it align with his own tuning target that’s independent of MoonDrop’s VSDF target or the Harman target.
Last week, I reviewed the excellent MoonDrop Blessing 2 but purposefully avoided making too many comparisons to other IEMs in the mid-fi space. For this review, I’ll be taking a look at the Dusk and review it primarily by comparison to the Blessing 2. You’ll want to read my Blessing 2 review before as this article will build heavily from the information and analysis in that review.
What’s in the Box
The loan unit that I currently have did not come in its original packaging. However, the accessories are identical to the Blessing 2. In other words, a carrying case, an airline adapter, 6 pairs of silicon S, M, and L tips, and a 2-pin cable. The only difference is the box that the Dusks came in. It sports a different mascot on its cover.
Like the B2, the Dusk’s included cable is serviceable. My philosophy is to try it out first and then consider an upgrade if you don’t like its ergonomics. The shell of the Dusks has the same uncomfortably large nozzle. One important difference with the Dusks is that you cannot get a custom engraving for it. For $30, you have the option to get the Dusk mascot laser engraved on the faceplate but only that. Everything else about the build is the same as what I covered in my B2 review. It’s the same fully filled resin shell and attached metal faceplate. One thing that I forgot to mention in my original B2 review was its isolation, so I tested it with the Dusk while on a walk. Isolation is mediocre and wind noise is quite prominent. It’s something to consider as we start to transition out of the home office environment.
Sound
My first impression of the Dusks was that it is extremely well tuned but boring. This isn’t meant to be a knock on the Dusks; great tuning can sometimes be a quality all on its own, something I will touch on heavily later. Funnily enough, as I was doing research for this article and read Crinacle’s own notes on the behind the scenes work with the Dusk, he makes the same statement: “Note that [the Dusk’s frequency response] is my neutral target, but most would know my thoughts on neutrality: it’s boring.”
Like the B2s, the Dusk can be classified as neutral with a bass boost. However, that statement paints with the broadest of strokes and absolutely requires a deeper dive. Compared to the B2, the tuning of the Dusks is more agreeable. I consider the B2 to be quite well tuned already but the Dusks improves notably on the tonal balance. Gone is the rawness of the upper mids and the low end is greeted with depth that the B2s were oh so lacking.
Frequency response of the MoonDrop B2 and Dusk. Measurement taken with an IEC-711 clone microphone. Comparisons can only be made to other measurements taken by this specific microphone. The peak at about 8-9 kHz is an artifact of the microphone. It does not actually exist as depicted here.
Bass
The bass of the Dusk has an immediate sense of presence. It nicely “fills-the-room” so to speak without being overbearing. In comparison, the B2’s bass sounds almost tacked on with its dry and shallow sound. The Dusk’s bass is a serious improvement to my ears. The depth that was missing in the B2s is fully displayed here and the Dusks is able to boom where the B2 can only punch. It’s almost as if it’s a different driver altogether… is what I want to say except that the bass still sounds relatively textureless. Not enough to warrant a real complaint but enough to say that the actual driver itself is the limiting factor here. To be fair, this isn’t a complaint limited to the Dusk or B2. It’s a seemingly fundamental challenge for plenty of IEMs. At the very least, it exhibits a natural DD timbre compared to an IEM like the DUNU SA6 with its very obviously BA sound.
Like the B2s, the Dusk’s midbass note definition and resolution is excellent. I’d say separation is slightly behind the B2, only because I find that notes on the B2s are sharply defined and delineated, almost to the point of exaggeration, especially in the upper-midbass. The Dusk has a more realistic presentation while still maintaining outstanding resolution. This lets the Dusk have a sense of fullness that wasn’t available on the B2. My minor nitpick would be that when the Dusk hits a booming note, it sometimes lingers a moment too long. I would prefer it to be a little tighter, cleaning up the sound just that extra bit.
Mids
The mids of the Dusk is superbly crafted with a tonal balance that I can’t find anything to nitpick about. Pretty much all my complaints with the B2 were resolved. No longer do the upper mids overstep their boundaries with excess energy. The raw sound of the B2 has also been eliminated in the Dusk. Side-by-side, the Dusk actually cleans up the vocals of the B2 with a better lower mids balance. There’s no shoutiness or harshness to be seen in the upper mids. Nor is there any mud or bleeding from the bass. It has great clarity that doesn’t come off as overdone. Generally speaking, I think most people will prefer the Dusk’s mids unless someone really wants the vocal forwardness of the B2. And speaking of the vocals and other instruments… well there’s not actually a lot to speak about. They sound great in a boring way. Nothing stands out as being especially good or bad. Enjoyment is deferred completely to your music and I find it scales quite well with tracks that are better mixed and mastered while still sounding great with those that aren’t.
Treble
The treble of the Dusk is a tamed affair. Unlike the B2, it doesn’t lean bright. Rather, the treble of the Dusk mostly plays a supplemental role to the overall balance of the Dusk’s tuning. My preference would be a little more treble energy in the lower treble for a touch of snappiness but that’s about it. Following a similar story to the mids, the treble of the Dusk resolves my complaints about the B2. The brittle sound of the B2’s treble is nowhere to be found. It passes my hats/cymbals test easily enough. I don’t detect any treble peaks, harshness, or sibilance.
Though the Dusk has less treble energy and is subsequently less crisp sounding, treble resolution isn’t negatively affected. While lower treble notes don’t pop out at you like a top layer of notes like it does on the B2, I don’t find myself missing that. Notes are still well resolved; they just call less attention to themselves. It’s not a fatiguing IEM and I’d even say it’s fairly forgiving of poorer recordings due to its tamed nature.
Presentation
Remember at the start of the review where I said that great tuning can sometimes be a quality of its own? I find that with the Dusk, especially in well mixed tracks, this manifests as a pleasing sense of coherency that leads to musical resolution. What I mean by that is that the Dusk takes the notes being presented and respectfully individualizes them. It does so subtly – I hear new nuances to notes here and there that seem so obvious and straightforward on the Dusk but are masked on other IEMs. To use an audiophile term – they have great microdetail. There’s a comfortable sense of space in its stage. Though the soundstage isn’t much improved from the B2, the aforementioned sense of coherency on the Dusk provides greater breathing to instruments though improved layering. It brings depth to the soundstage, augmented by the slightly improved staging. This allows instruments to play with and around each other rather than on top of each other.
The B2 sounds a little flattened in comparison. Where the B2 presents its resolution and note definition with an upfront brashness, the Dusk excels at bringing background subtleties to life. The B2s sound more impressive at first listen as I’m drawn to the immediate step up in resolution versus other budget/mid-fi IEMs while the Dusk sounds boring in comparison. But over the two weeks that I’ve had them side by side, I’ve found myself gravitating towards the Dusk for its added dimension of depth and coherency. In food terms, think of the Dusk as having a sprinkling of an extra ingredient, like a dash of salt or a bay leaf, that rounds out the flavor. Not a night and day difference but enough to be noticeable and for me to prefer the Dusk.
The one area of improvement for the Dusk and B2 would be in their dynamics. Like many IEMs, they don’t slam as hard in the bass and soaring choruses or instrumental drops don’t have as much emotional weight behind them as I would like them to. These IEMs by no means sound badly compressed, its just that a wider dynamic range would be the cherry on top of an already excellent cake.
Should You Buy It?
Yes. It has the fundamentals of sound quality down and excels everywhere a great IEM should. Outside of anomalies in the budget-fi space, the Dusk is the best price-to-performance IEM I have heard to date. It has superb tonality, outstanding resolution for its price class, and solid presentation. To be honest, when I first listened to the Dusk after finishing my review for the B2, I was not expecting to be this positive about them. In fact, I was initially thinking that I preferred the B2 as I generally enjoy brighter sound signatures. But the more time I spent critically listening to the Dusk while writing this review, I grew more and more enamoured by it. At one point, I thought it might’ve even been recency bias. But having both the B2 and the Dusk on the same desk to compare, its clear to me that I like the Dusk better.
While the Dusk is not perfect IEM for me as I wish it had more texture to the bass, sharper treble, and better dynamics, it’s still beyond excellent. If I were still shopping around for mid-fi IEM, I would buy the Dusk in a heartbeat. In fact, I’m now trying to convince myself I don’t need it for my own collection. And don’t let the name “mid-fi” confuse you – that refers to a price class, not some linguistic box meant to impose arbitrary limits on sound quality. Simply put, if you think you can fit a 7 mm nozzle in your ears, the Dusk is absolutely worth a listen. To ignore the Dusk is to ignore possibly the best IEM that mid-fi has to offer.
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