Moondrop In-Ear Monitors and Ear Buds

I enjoyed this review very much, thank you @Precogvision.

A quick question for you (or for others to respond to), if you wouldn’t mind, please? You refer to the “bass shelf” several times. What does this mean?

Elsewhere I’ve seen people refer to treble being “shelved” - as with the Andromeda 2020, which I take to mean that the treble does not extend high and that this can be seen in the curve of the FR graph, which stays flat. Is that right? And is a “bass shelf” a corresponding flatness of the bass response?

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It’s definitely a bit confusing haha. Shelf, used as a noun, defines a rigid support. So in this case, we’re boosting the bass. On the other hand, I’ve not heard the treble descriptor used as often (or I don’t use it myself really), but shelved is the past participle of a verb, which means to slope downwards. So, yes, this would (probably) correspond to a treble response that does not extend as high or is more subdued.

As for reading graphs, the IEC-711 couplers are only standardized up to around 10kHz, and you’ll notice that there’s generally a strong resonance peak at that point. That in mind, everything on the graph after that should not necessarily be considered accurate. In the Andro 2020’s case, while the treble’s definitely on the more laidback side (or at least relative to earlier iterations which spiked strongly at 8kHz in the mid-treble), it extends very high up to my ears.

Hope this helps explain! :smiley:

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Thank you for taking the time to reply - yes, this does help a bunch, and it helps me understand your impressions. Sounds like another great IEM to add to the list of excellent, affordable and recent releases. Cheers!

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Hi all. I hope you had a nice start of 2021. I’ve read and heard so many good impressions about the Moondrop Starfield so I decided to give them a try, encouraged by the very affordable price.
These are my very first impressions based on a 30 hours listening and it is also my very first contribution so I hope you will take it in count if I put down something wrong.

I have a very small ear channel so I’ve never been a great fan of IEM. But very often they are very handy, being at work or in one day travel in situations where I can’t use full sized headphones.
Aesthetically the Starfield are very pleasing, I like the quality of the construction and the look: they feel very solid and don’t look like something is gonna break in a while. Good point.
The cable is good, flexible and soft and does its job very well.
The accessories includes are essentials but very good.
The case is good too and very pleasing.

I’ve listened to some of my favourite albums with the Starfield:

  • Lucy Railton “Forma”
  • Alvin Lucier “Works for the Ever Present Orchestra”
  • Kassel Jaeger “Meite”
  • Wadada Leo Smith & Jack De Johnette “America”
  • Miles Davis “Tribute to Jack Johnson” and “In a Silent Way”
  • Jim O’Rourke “Shutting Down Below”
  • Jonathan Fitoussi “Plein Soleil”
  • Bernard Parmegiani “De Natura Sonorum”.

I know well the albums I’ve listened and I know how they have to sound to fit my tastes.
I’ve been positively surprised by these IEMs.
Even if soundstage isn’t very large but quite intimate I’ve enjoyed it and gave me a new perspective to music I love.
Details are present and very pleasing, nothing sounds artificial to me.
Basses are good, more than I was expecting.
On the Lucy Railton’s album there are some very delicate passages and some rumbles on the lower frequencies: even if those passages sound better on full sized headphones they are still present with the Starfield and it happily surprised me.
Mids are good and never over enfasized.
Highs are good too, with no particular emphasis or unpleasant peaks to which I’m very sensitive.
Given the price speed is good and dynamics, especially in the lower end of the spectrum, are very good.

I’ve listened all the albums with Audirvana on my MacBook Pro, on iBasso DX200, and out of my phone with a Dragonfly Cobalt. Since I wanted to report my first impressions I din’t use any EQ in order to understand what the IEM give out of the box.
I’m really impressed by the value of the Starfield.
In Europe they cost a little more than 100 euros and for the money they definitely do a wonderful job.
The comfort is a plus for them in my ears: they sit very well and I feel like I have nothing on.

Summing up my impressions I thing that in the price range they fall in the Moondrop Starfield are exceptional and a very interesting piece of equipment.
I have little experience with IEMs but while with other products, also very much expensive ones, I had problems with my ears channel and fit with the Starfield I’m very satisfied.
Nice sound at a reasonable price. I probably won’t spend more money for IEMs since I use them in particular occasions and the Starfield do their job very well.
Thank you for all the suggestions I’ve had the possibility to read that brought me to buy these little but excellent IEM.

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Nice impressions, thanks for sharing.

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Very kind of you, thank you.

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Great impressions @monochromios.

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Thank you, very kind of you.

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I bought a pair of Blessing 2s a couple of months ago, per @Resolve’s recommendation (among others, but he got me on the train to get started). I have absolutely loved these - I’ve never been a big IEM fan because I’ve generally found their sound to be fairly lackluster, but now I’m hooked!

Unfortunately, last night, I ran into an issue where I can’t get the tip to stay attached to the post when removing it. I’ve tried (carefully) cleaning both the interior of the tip and the post with a cotton swab and some rubbing alcohol, but to no avail - the tip keeps getting stuck in my ear.

Has anyone else experienced this and/or know of some solution?

Being VERY happy with my Moondrop S8, I had to try the B2 Dusk.
Sound is yet to be compared as they arrived today, but build, size and general look is very similar.

Best fit so far re tips are the original out of the box, as the nozzle is so wide most other I have tried don’t fit.

I had considered them for a long time, but after reading the @Precogvision review and comparaison between the two, I ordered them. The resin build of the S8 and size fits me very well, so that part also helped: I knew they would fit my ears like a glove.

I am very pleased so far :+1:t2:



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Those are two IEMs that I would love to get my hands (ears) on!

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Agreed. Looking forward to @Gordon_Freeman 's impressions of them.

Mark Gosdin

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The S8 doesn’t need much power on my Cayin amp, beyond 9 on the dial is more than enough and it can only handle small incremental changes, as it takes big jumps. The B2 dusk doesn’t react the same way, it needs more power and the jump in sound is way smaller, which makes it easier to set correctly. I don’t know why this is so, but anyone who has suggestions are free to chip in.

The bass is the hero for me in the Dusk compared with the S8. The bass is clear and precise and thank God there is no bass bleed into the mids (looking at you Polaris 2). This is like a zero sum game: if you add something in one area, another area will lose something. The B2 Dusk is clearly more present in the bass compared to the S8, but the higher the frequence, the better the S8 gets and it really shines with high quality files and with female vocals.

The B2 Dusk struggles a bit with the mids and vocals if you a/b it with the S8, this is clearly the area where the 8 BA drivers shines in a direct comparison. The comparison is not as direct in the treble, bc the S8 just has so much more and the B2 Dusk rolls off a lot sooner.

If I look at the price, then I paid $594 for the S8 brand new and $320 for the B2 Dusk, so it is natural there is a difference between them, but I can for sure rec them both and I really think the B2 Dusk is worth every dollar. I understand why some say it compeeds in a higher bracket.

The B2 Dusk is more adept for an overall use incl. gaming, I have missed the bass when gaming with the S8, but it is also a great choice just for music.
I will use and keep them both, but I really like they are different and depending on the music genre and usage, I can switch and get different output.

And this is just after 1 hrs use. :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

Edit: If I had to choose between the two, I would take the S8; the way it handles vocals is for me noticeble in a tier above. But they both give me something the other doesn’t have.

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I’m considering picking up a pair of the Blessing 2: Dusk.

1)How bad is the cable, and
2] is there a high value go-to replacement cable vendor for iems?

I wouldn’t call it a bad cable, but on the other hand it is not a great cable either; the cable itself is okay but the splitter and the plastic housing for the termination is cheap looking.
I use it for now, but a replacement may come up.

Regarding cables in the US, I am aware of these sites.(Satin is Vietnam) I have bought several cables from Satin (and plan to get one from Plussound) and they are really nice:

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Moondrop Starfield Workout Routine

The Starfield is an IEM on which my opinions have gone back and forth. I generally come back to thinking that it’s well tuned and inoffensive, but fails to impress, with a very good midrange and natural timbre, but bass that lacks in both texture and punch, and treble that’s smooth but lacking in definition. It’s got sort of a pervasive softness to it, kind of like an aging athlete who’s neglected his body–you can tell there’s some capability under that softness, but it’s hidden.

Well, I finally decided to give the Starfield a chance by investing some time in tip rolling and EQ, and I’ve figured out what this athlete needs to do to get back into shape.

Treble

Caravan from the Whiplash Soundtrack makes a good treble torture test, with lots of percussion, horns and piano. A lot of IEMs have peaky treble, and the Starfield thankfully avoids this–it’s very smooth and inoffensive, without sounding dark. However, it’s missing a bit of an edge and sparkle to it, with cymbals sounding soft, drum hits lacking some impact, and the brass section lacking a bit of presence. The treble and soundstage also don’t sound very “open”. It’s not congested really, just missing a bit of breathing room.

With some tip rolling, I found that larger bore tips like the Sedna Xelastec and ePro Horn Shaped can brighten up the treble a bit, but there’s always some missing information. What’s needed here is EQ, specifically a large boost at around 11.5 KHz–I do 6dB with Q5, but hearing varies a fair bit up there, so YMMV. The Starfield seems to take this EQ happily, and that one boost literally solves every problem I have with the treble. The softness is gone, drums have great definition and everything sounds considerably more open. This filter only makes the treble sound a tad brighter than stock, and the overall signature remains well balanced.

Bass

Unlike the treble, I find that the bass issues can be resolved purely with tip rolling. Final Audio E tips provide a meaty, punchy sound with slightly better texture and definition than the stock tips. These definitely tilt the midrange a bit warm too, and they make for a fun listen. On the other end of the spectrum, the ePro Horn Shaped tips really tighten up the bass and shift the focus further towards the sub-bass. Like on most IEMs with which I’ve tried them, the ePro tips also provide a fantastic treble performance - it’s even smoother than stock but doesn’t lose its edge. Overall the ePro tips provide a much more tactile and well defined sound. I don’t really know what exactly they’re doing there, but it works. The only downside is that the timbre seems a little less natural than other tips I’ve tried on the Starfield.

Sedna Xelastec tips provide a nice middle ground between the Final E and ePro tips, with bass that’s reasonably well controlled, slightly more sub-bass focused than stock but not sounding thing, treble that’s a bit edgier than stock but still pleasant and very detailed sounding, and generally good timbre. If I want to just keep one set of tips on without having to think about it, I go for the Xelastecs. For more critical listening, I’ll find myself switching between the Final E and ePro tips depending on genre and mood - for rock, old Jazz recordings and such, I like the warmth of the Final E tips, but for more technical stuff like metal and classical music the ePro tips provide a more impressive performance.

Is the Starfield worth owning?

Without EQ and extensive tip rolling, the Starfield is an inoffensive IEM with a solid midrange that I’d be comfortable recommending for casual listening, podcasts, videos and such, but I don’t think it quite cuts it for focused listening.

With EQ (easily applied thanks to my Qudelix 5K) and the right tips, the Starfield becomes something that I can recommend for focused listening too, with a solid all around performance using Sedna Xelastec tips and the ability to go for a more warm and fun signature or a brighter, more technical signature just by swapping tips. Given the great form factor and comfort of the Starfield, that makes it a keeper, at least for now.

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I haven’t try to eq the Starfield yet but I have to admit that with different tips (the smallest available I have found) I enjoyed these IEMs a lot more. Listening to Mika Vainio “Last Live” (excerpt here https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/U8c1XAT7CwWtbDLn8) turned from “meh…” to “not too bad”. Excellent notes from you, thank you for sharing.

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Great writeup along with great advice.

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I really like the Starfield, in fact, it’s my favourite IEM from my budget collection that keeps growing, however, I can totally relate to what you are saying about detail in the treble. I just found this even more exaggerated as I have been listening mostly to the Ananda to prepare my review and swapping over to the Starfield is a very big jump (which is no surprise of course).

I finally ordered some Xelastec tips so I will be interested to see the result (with the small EQ tweak).

Thanks for sharing your findings!

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As is the usual case, this review is also available in Spanish (and English) on my blog (link in my profile) and in Spanish on YouTube: Ep.40 - Moondrop SSP

As always, first comes the disclaimer… The Moondrop SSP was kindly sent to me by Shenzen Audio. They have not requested anything in exchange for sending these IEMs, nor am I receiving anything in exchange other than the IEMs which they have not requested that I return.

As always, I will be as honest as possible but these IEMs have not cost me anything, so take that as you may.

Although they have not requested it, I think it is only fair that I share the link to both their website and the SSP on their website, both links can be found in the version published on my blog.

Now, on to the review.

Intro…

It has taken a while for me to get to this review, as they actually offered to send these IEMs to me before they were released, back in October last year. They were then shipped to me in November but got lost in transport. By the time I realized this, it was in December and although they sent me another set, by the time it arrived, it was the Christmas period and things were a little crazy. But… finally… here we are.

During these months, I have managed to avoid reading reviews of the SSP but I have seen a few comments on them around the web. Basically, I had heard that they were very similar to the SSR (which I reviewed here: Review - Moondrop SSR) just with more bass. I guess that description is correct, sort of, but I didn’t really fall in love with the SSR (although they are decent) and I am not one for excessive bass, so I wasn’t too sure if I would actually like the SSP. I guess you’ll find out in a minute.

The SSP, as with the SSR, uses a beryllium coated driver with a fancy suspension ring and magnetic circuit that I failed to explain during my review of the SSR and I am not going to improve by explaining now.

Presentation…

Apart from the colour of the box and the anime girl on it, I could just copy and paste this part from the SSR review, as the presentation and contents are identical.

In this case, the box in which it packages is purple (rather than white). On the back we find an image of the IEMs components and a graph showing frequency response. Inside, the IEMs are located in a cutout with a smaller box at the bottom containing the accessories.

The accessories are a few different sizes of silicone tips and a drawstring bag. The only other item we find in the box is the user manual, so nothing really exciting.

Build and aesthetics…

Again, this could just be a copy and paste from the previous review as the build and aesthetics of the SSP are identical to the SSR. In this case, the IEMs are blue (again instead of the white SSR I purchased) and I am glad they are not white otherwise I would not be able to tell them apart.

For those who haven’t read the SSR review, I will briefly go over it. The IEMs are tiny, slightly larger than some of the models that I reviewed from Hifiman, but only slightly. They are small enough to lay on your side if you wish but the over-ear hook on the cable stops them from being totally flush in my case, so I (personally) wouldn’t recommend them for sleeping.

The paint finish on the SSP doesn’t look quite as “cheap” as it did on the SSR (only when very close) but it could be due to the colour rather than an improvement in the finish. The shape are something that I haven’t really seen much from other companies, I believe that in the SSR review I said that they sort of resembled something from Campfire Audio rather than the majority of budget IEM offerings. Don’t misunderstand me, I am not saying that they look like a CA IEM, just that the chosen shape reminds me of some of the CA models.

I also said that the build and aesthetics of the SSR were mediocre, being a long way from resembling anything of high quality, and although nothing has changed in the build and shape, just the matte blue finish does improve the looks in my opinion. They are still not something that would be confused with an expensive IEM but they don’t look as tacky as the others did (again, all that is just due to the different colour of the finish).

Sound…

Now, this is where things do change, but not really a whole lot. As I said, these have been mentioned to be the same as the SSR with more bass and the frequency response is very similar. Before I go on to discuss the usual parts of the range, here are two graphs, the first being the SSR and the second being the SSP. Both graphs are courtesy of In-Ear Fidelity (with the permission of Crinacle).

As you can see, the graphs are very similar except for the increase in bass response and a little bit of a difference around the 4 to 8kHz part.

As with the SSR, after trying various tips, I chose my usual foam tips for both comfort and sound.

As always, I will start with the sub-bass and I must say that the extension and presence is more noticeable than on the SSR. However, it is not as exaggerated as it would seem to be if we compare it on the graphs above. There is less roll off and this is noticeable on tracks such as “No Mercy”, where the intro has a rumble that is not excessive but suits the song far more than the SSR does.

In the remaining bass frequencies, there is again a very noticeable increase in comparison to the other model but these are not to be considered bass-head IEMs. In fact, as some one who is not a fan of excessive bass, I find the levels to be quite adequate. There doesn’t seem to be any decrease in the speed and definition of the bass notes on the SSP (in comparison to the SSR) but they are more lively and I find them more enjoyable. I was impressed by the bass on the Tin T2+, which has plenty of bass when needed but only when needed, in the case of the SSP, the bass is always present and doesn’t have quite the slam that the T2+ does when pushed, but it is not a level of bass that I find to be invasive, at least not to the point of overpowering other frequencies (as is the case on many other V shaped IEMs). As far as quantity, I would say it is at a similar level as the Starfield, although not quite at the same level as far as quality.

As the SSP transitions from the higher bass into the lower mids, it is not quite as clean as it is on the higher priced Starfield, or the SSR which has a lower level of bass, but I don’t find it to produce a bleed that dirties the lower mids too much. The speed and definition is at a sufficient level for the instruments to remain clear during the transition and while it doesn’t provide huge amounts of detail in this region, it does keep bass guitars (and the lower end of other instruments) well defined, without them seeming to blend together. It is not an IEM that I would choose to focus on bass lines such as those on “Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes” by Paul Simon or “Jack Of Speed” by Steely Dan, but they are enjoyable.

Throughout the mids there is the typical recess found on so many IEMs, which does remove a little of the presence from the lower end of vocals when there are bassy instruments surrounding them. For example, I find the instruments on “Smooth Operator” to be more enjoyable than the voice of Sade, but again, it is not offensive, just not great for those vocals either.

Reaching the higher end of the mids, there is a steep climb towards 3kHz that does do a decent job of recovering some of the presence that is lost in the lower end of voices. This is done without the IEMs becoming nasal or harsh, although I did find saxophones and other brass instruments to be a little overpowering at times.

As we move into the higher frequencies, using test tracks such as “Code Cool” by Patricia Barber, the sibilance is kept in check pretty well although not perfectly. There are parts of the song that exhibit a small amount of sibilance but not enough for it to become uncomfortable. Although, if the track is sibilant and harshly recorded, such as “If I Was Your Vampire” by Marilyn Manson, then it does portray this, it does not hide it at all. In fact, that specific track doesn’t sound good on any decent set of headphones and the SSP is no exception, it is a combination of harshness and bass for the most part.

As we reach the higher treble, the sensation of “air” and “shine” is neither better or worse than on the majority of single dynamic driver options. It could benefit from a little more extension but is by no means the worst I have heard (far from it).

The speed and detail of the SSP is decent although it is a step down from the SSR in this regard. They do a good job of separating instruments and their notes for the most part, but when things get busy, they do seem to blend together more than on the other model. The increase in bass does add to this. In fact, I would say that the control of the bass is the most impressive part of their speed.

As far as soundstage and image presence, here it is much the same as the SSR. They are not very wide IEMs, then again, the majority aren’t, and I would say that there are around average. I don’t spot any real differences in width with the other model and the placement I would say is slightly better on the more neutral version.

Conclusion…

I think that the SSP are a “guilty pleasure” set of IEMs. They are not the “most” anything really but they do have an overall sound and presentation that I find enjoyable for when I am listening to music as a background to doing other things, such as working. I have worn them daily for the past week or so, for periods of 3 or 4 hours at a time and I have found myself tapping my foot to the music on many occasions.

They are not meant for focusing on and dissecting the music, they are meant for enjoying the music. I would happily choose these as my IEMs when walking, working, or generally doing other stuff that is not focusing on nuances of the music. I find the bass to be quite enjoyable and the overall sound signature I find to be pleasant. I think that these IEMs will be pleasing for many people. In fact, I am pretty sure that if I were to give these to my wife, I wouldn’t get them back.

If you are a bass head, look elsewhere. If you are looking for a critical listening set of IEMs, look elsewhere. If you are looking for a comfortable, lightweight, easy listening set of IEMs in the sub 50€ price range, I think these should be something you try out.

One last thing that I haven’t mentioned is power. I was surprised to find that the SSP need a fair bit more on the volume wheel to get to my usual listening levels. They were still adequately powered by things like the Shanling M0 or M2X, at least to reach my usual listening levels, but I did find my phone to be nearing max before I got the level I wanted (and my phone sounds terrible at those levels, not that it sounds much better any lower) so I would say that something with a little more power than the usual cell phone may be needed. To give you an idea, to reach my usual levels (which are not high), I was nearing 50% on the Atom. Admittedly on low gain but that is still more than I usually have it set at when listening to IEMs.

So, to conclude the conclusion, I think these are an decent set of IEMs for the price and I have enjoyed them more than I did the SSR.

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