Moondrop Blessing2: This is a good one. Period
Pros: Wonderful Moondrop tuning
Good bass reach
Vibrant mids
Vocals are very good
Fit my average sized-ears just fine
Nice case
Cons: Not mine
Maybe a bit more and deeper reach of bass?
More accessories?
Moondrop Blessing2 ($319): This is a good one. Period.
Blessing2
Intro: As part of the S8/Blessing2 tour, this came from Moondrop via @Wiljen.
Other than the Kanas Pro, I had not heard any Moondrop models. I really
enjoyed the Kanas Pro and enjoyed the S8. But I will admit that the
Blessing2 stole me away upon first listen. Many reviews have espoused
its virtues before my listen. Many fawned over it as the flavor of the
month and promoted it as “punching above its weight.” While I really do
not like using the former, for once something performs well it should
stand the test of time, the later does have some merits. But as stated
in my S8 review (and others), it may be that those other units in
comparison underperform. I like to think of it that way.
I thank
both Moondrop and @Wiljjen for the tour samples, and thoroughly enjoyed
my time. Read on for some very good comparisons at the same price, as
this is a hopping full price range.
Specs:
MOONDROP Blessing2
Impedance: 22Ω@1kHz (±15％)
Frequency Response: 9-37KHz (Free Field. 1/4″MIC,-3dB)
Effective FR: 20-20KHZ (IEC60318-4)
Sensitivity: 117dB/Vrms @1kHz THD：<1％@1KHz
Driver Config: 1DD 4BA Per Side, Triple Crossover
High Driver: Knowles SWFK
Mid Driver: Softears D-MID-A
Low Driver: 10mm Paper Diaphragm Dynamic Driver
Channel Mismatch: ±1dB @1kHz
Socket: 0.78-2 pin
Pinhousing：3D Printed Medical Grade Resin Housing
In the box:
IEM
Cable
Case
Tips (s, m, l)
Instruction manual
Gear Used/Compared:
Dunu SA6 ($549)
UM 3DT ($399)
Thieaudio Legacy 4 ($195)
Phonic BWD9.2 ($385-435)
ddHiFi Janus ($199)
MBP
Cayin N6ii mk2
Shanling M6 Pro
XDuoo XA-10
EarMen Eagle
iFi Zen CAN/DAC
Songs:
Alex Fox
Pink Floyd
Buena Vista Social Club
Elton John
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Shane Hennessy
Jeff Beck
Dave Matthews
Unboxing:
As
part of a tour, the unboxing of the unit is not what the consumer may
receive. Coming in a gray box, you lift the lid and are presented with a
nice light gray zippered case and a tips holder. The gray case is large
enough to hold a small DAP along with the Blessing2’s, which is a
welcome addition to cases. More of late are making slightly roomier
cases, as opposed to that unnamed brand who doesn’t even include a case
with their products…charge a bit more and include a case for goodness
sake.
Fit, Finish, Build:
Anymore
once you pass a certain price, build and fit/finish are expected to be
good. Kind of like a foregone conclusion such as needing coffee in the
morning, or the commute to work, school, etc…it is a fact of life. And
all of the iterations of Moondrop I have had in hand do follow suit.
Well built, solid of feel, and with good fit. Add in that the looks are
subdued but elegant and you have the makings of something that does not
draw attention to itself but focuses on the sound.
Made from 3D
printing and a metal faceplate, the form of the Blessing is teardrop,
but not overly large. Translucent allows one to view the insides, which
is becoming more de rigor, and stylish. Gone are the days of cheap
looking insides. Now it is like a mid-engine supercar showing off that
V12 under the bonnet. A larger nozzle has no lip, but some have
mentioned running steel wool to scuff it up. Thus, the tips would hold
better. I found no problem, but this does seem logical. The larger size
of the nozzle does not bother me with fit, either. The tips included do
go further onto the nozzle, hence a deeper insertion point. This gives a
good seal, and I also noted that only one of the three sound tubes have
an inserted tube with a metal “sleeve,” thus; well I’m not sure. That
tube is for the highs, while much thinner tubes are used for the mids
and the dynamic driver. In fact, the thin tube on the DD is the longest I
have seen (which doesn’t really mean anything either).
As far as
fit goes, I had no problem, and seal is above average, but not
completely isolated. The unit does stick out a bit from my ear, but the
over-ear guides hold the IEM in place well. Plus, I really like the look
of the cable. Copper is my cable of choice and seeing the somewhat
loosely wrapped wires does not exude a sense of cheapness. An acrylic
circular y-splitter adorns the cable, with no cinch. The look is elegant
and purposeful. Subtly well-dressed.
The cable ends in a
right-angled plastic jack, which to me is the downside. Compared to the
rest, it looks cheap and out of place. I have come to appreciate quality
craftmanship and fit with the Moondrop label, and the jack falls short
of that. But that is all that does.
Technicals:
A single 10mm dynamic
driver (Softears D-mid-B-mid) is flanked by dual mid and high balanced
armatures (Knowles SWFK) and fit together neatly in the vented resin
shell. No space is lost. To me, the shell is pretty solid surrounding
the driver units, unlike what Fir and some others have done with the
tuning of the shell itself to replicate home listening acoustics. I do
find that fascinating, but I am also sure this adds significantly to
R&D and hence price. KISS comes into play here.
Put all of
this together, and the B2 is easy to drive. Made for phones with dongles
to DAP’s the B2 could be enjoyed across my spectrum of sources.
Sound:
Summary: A
thoroughly satisfying listen with enough bass to keep you interested,
and enough clarity to make for good listening highlight the B2 to me.
Soundstage to me is a bit higher than deep and width is good. Solid
speed and depth are promoted from the bass, but not at the expense of
the mids such as guitar solos and accompanying instruments. With good
weight, male vocals sound vibrant and female vocals as well. With enough
detail up top to replicate open and airy sound, the treble is neither
biting nor boring. This is a wonderfully sounding unit, but a bit thin
when compared to more expensive units. That thinness is not a detractor
though for the overall character provided is a very competent package,
which is fast becoming one of my favorites at this price.
Bass
is taut and fairly deep without bleed into the mids; a welcome
listening experience as a result. Not overly punchy like the Hero or
something of such, but rightly taking its place as the foundation. I
find this set up to be on the warmer side, but without being tedious or
slow. A certain richness is promoted giving an almost false sense of
depth. A nice trick up its sleeve. I find the level of bass quality to
override the quantity, which makes for a very pleasant sound, without
that bleed of others. The live version of To The Gypsies is a perfect example of the bass working in concert with the mids.
I also appreciate excellent quality mids,
and one of my favorites is the Dunu SA6. To me it is just about the
best quality mid out in that range right now. But it is a bit forward.
On the B2, there is no “look at me” to those mids, and the Knowles play
ever so nicely together. It could be the pairing of dual BA’s together,
which aides in the presentation but whatever it is, I do appreciate it.
Vocals such as Roger Daltry or Dave Matthews sound sublime as does Mark
Knopfler. Deeper in tone, all three presented through the B2 sound
natural with a slight warmth to them, but not an unnatural warmth. There
is nothing artificial here. Detail retrieval through the mids comes
across as clean and somewhat airy. I consider the mids from the EE Hero
to pretty much be my standard (even if it is V-shaped), and of course
the B2 cannot match that but this is certainly no slouch, with good
clarity present.
Treble is good, but
not excellent. No matter, for that good is really quite good. No
sibilance or overly sparkly sound here. No, the sound emanating from the
B2 is of good energy and believable. Sometimes there is a false or
artificiality to the treble region, accommodating some other aspect of
the sound. Not here, as what I hear is good and honest. I thankfully
appreciate the lack of overly sparkle, as even on my Hero it can become
tedious on some songs. Not here as the sound is a pleasant ride on a
slow Sunday afternoon. Call it presence. And in the right amount.
Soundstage
as mentioned is good and I hear it to be a bit wider than deep, but
with good height. But all is close enough for me to call it “mostly
cubic.” This does allow for a good graphing of instrumentation and
layering. Think of the 3-D graphs you had to do in high school Geometry
and that would be the 3-dimensional nature of the B2. Placement of those
instruments can be had quite easily giving a good sense of air between
notes and instruments.
Comparisons:
Moondrop Blessing2 ($319) v UM 3DT ($399):
Cutting
this back to the only one in the same price, I did test the B2 against
those above, but feel it would not be a fair comparison as many other
have done so already. Hence the 3DT. A spur purchase from Andrew in
return for a review, I found the UM to be indeed representative of the
UM “house sound.” Excellent details, with enough bass to keep you
hopping, but not enough to call them bassy by any means, the 3DT is a
wonderful representation of what can be done when UM provides their
sound to an “affordable” unit.
The mids of pretty much any UM
unit are simply put, sublime. Among the best out there and a defining
point to each market point. The 3DT does not disappoint and better than
the Moondrop, but different. Slightly more vibrancy and with a bit more
energy to me, here the mids definitely let you know they are the star of
the show. Not so on the B2. Working in concert with the others, the B2
to me presents a more rounded signature. If it is a sound, which
presents a more even set of tone, then the B2 may be to your liking. But
if you value mids and do not mind them being the hit, then the 3DT just
shines. From that, the 3DT provides more clarity, but without losing
that warmth I have come to truly appreciate from Unique Melody.
This
comes down to whether you want a sound that is extremely competent and
pleasant versus one that says, “here is the star, enjoy it.” I really do
like both but find the B2 to work across more types of music.
Moondrop Blessing2 ($319) v Dunu SA6 ($549):
A
wonder of looks and the sound to back it up, the SA6 has made the
rounds with a couple of peers. We all agree that is and was at the time a
fantastic IEM, especially with the tuning and interchangeable jacks.
There was not much wrong with the Dunu save a “custom-like” fit, which
was not for all. With deeper reaching bass, and a slightly higher
upper-mid push than the B2, the SA6 is still one of my favorites. For
clarity, I would give the nod to the B2, but in overall character, the
SA6 wins it for me.
Moondrop Blessing2 ($319) v Thieaudio Legacy 4 ($195):
Not
really a fair comparison, but the L4 has much going for it anyway.
Solid build, gorgeous looks and a thoroughly satisfying sound makes for
an immediate interruption in the $200 IEM price-bracket. While I find
the sound a bit “delicate,” it does present an open, airy note with much
going for it. Vocals are quite good, making up for that lack of bass
reach (to me). Where the B2 bests the L4, even without considering it
comes before it in the alphabet; is in a richness of sound, which cannot
be matched. The B2 is still one of the richest, most full sounding
IEM’s at the price to me. But with enough air between notes to make that
sound vibrant as well. Nothing delicate here, but not overwhelming
either. Just a thoroughly good sound.
Moondrop Blessing2 ($319) v Phonic BWD9.2 ($385-435):
Coming
to me during the pandemic, the BWD9.2 quickly became one of my
favorites, and I willingly helped a small builder, who knows his stuff.
Vibrant as the B2 is, the BWD bests it, and almost too much. If
something can be too airy (but not hollow or thin), the BWD might be it.
That is until you realize you are immersed in something so expansive
that you look in wonder at all of the detail going on around you. One of
the most detailed IEM’s I have reviewed at any price, the only thing
lacking to me was the fit. And with a call to Kenneth, he could easily
modify this. Gorgeous reclaimed wood, hand craftsmanship to die for, and
the sound to back it up. The two of these complement each other nicely.
Moondrop Blessing2 ($319) v DDHiFi Janus ($199):
When
offered a choice, I waited for the final production model, for I
determined that my ears were not good enough to help with the tuning. I
left that to better reviewers than I. And that finished product is quite
good to me, with the interchangeability of cables to boot. The only
thing the Janus lacks to me is isolation. Even with foams. If you can
tolerate a larger size, then do it. You will be rewarded with excellent
tight, fast bass response from the single DD, and a vibrant sound, which
makes you think this has to have a BA inside as well. Thankfully DDHiFi
did not overcompensate with the notes up top to even the signature.
Slightly rolled treble may not be for everyone, but in conjunction with
very good mids, the Janus presents a thoroughly satisfying sound to me
and can hold its place at the $200 price.
Finale:
Coming
into this review, I already appreciated the tuning, fit and feel of the
Moondrop units. To me, they deserve much more acclaim (and longevity,
I’ll get there) than they receive. We as a society find ourselves
looking for the new model even as the current model has just come out.
Witness car models and how the next model year, in this case 2022, with
come across showrooms in late July. Seriously, that is warped. We
purchased a 2021 Subaru Forester in November of 2020, and that is more
like it. I appreciate manufacturers letting their wares speak for a
decent amount of time.
Unfortunately, in the audio industry to
stay the same is to stagnate and fall behind the others. Look at the
profligacy of a certain Chinese company, which has two letters…the model
is out and the “next greatest” is already being promoted. This is huge
reason why I still have the UM Mason V2. It is going on 5 years old
(ancient in portable audio terms), but feel it STILL holds its own to
many flagships and earned that respect from flickernick when he graded
it as #4 out of the 12 or so he tested. I purchased it, and still use it
to cleanse my listening palette. And to me, this is what Moondrop has
done. Make something timely, appreciated and respected for the longer
run. They will still innovate, and produce models, but their IEM’s,
which are respected and purchased the world over will still be there in a
couple of years’ time.
We are often asked, “what’s the best at
price-X?” Or “should I get the newest model from XYZ?” I say no to both.
What is best is defined by too many factors, and even flickernick’s
WELL respected undertaking drew criticisms (unwarranted in my book, but
within their right). But his testing was rock solid, and he could make
that educated answer to the question, “what is best.” He justified it,
and many IEM’s were sold as a result. I purchased one as mentioned and
his commentary was spot on to me. And here is where Moondrop has earned
my respect. They produce IEM’s, which are fabulous of build quality and
sound. Many others do as well, and as @wiljjen stated in his review, had
he heard the B2 before the S8 or SA6, he may have called the B2 one of
the best. To me, it is still one of the best at this point and should be
given a serious listen. Ultimately that decision is up to you, and you
alone. But I ask that you do so looking at the long game. Look, listen
and purchase something, which will stay with you like it is the only IEM
you will own for 5-10 years. And the B2 and S8 are two of those I would
consider for that purchase.
I thank Moondrop for the loan of the units, they were both fabulous and I hate to see them go. I also thank @Wiljen for his patience with my proclivity to procrastinate. Summer is here and I shall finally have more time.
Go listen and be happy. We deserve it after 2020. Cheers and good health.
إرسال تعليق