Moondrop Starfield

Oh boy am i late to the review party. It has been one of the first IEM i have ever bought back when i was sane and 70 bucks felt a lot of money.
Now i plugged them into my HiBy RS8 and got a listen after tasting other IEMs and headphones.

So, i can make a fast review because unfortunately they are kinda underwhelming. a 100 bucks IEM, with really light bass, screechy highs and mediocre mids. Back when i had just a BTR5 and them, they felt a breath of fresh air. Now, after years, i guess they have aged not that well against the newcomers.
I hope they will in the future remake a version that can actually stand the test of time.

Introduction
Since the release of the popular Kannas Pro in 2017, Moondrop has become one of the fastest-growing “Chi-Fi” IEMs makers. Although I am quite late to the release of the Starfield’s, I am glad I still decided to purchase them, because wow, these are worth the purchase.

Sound
The Starfields are tuned to a “Harman curve”, or “Harman target”. Compared to a “flat” tuning, this particular tuning has more elevation in the bass range and treble. As a result, this gives Starfield’s representation a really enjoyable, and very dynamic listening experience.

Starfield does not excel at bass response. Nevertheless, the bass response remains very smooth. It is neither aggressive nor energetic, nor the opposite; it finds itself in a decent spot. The bass line in Mac Miller’s “Circles” is so gentle, and doesn’t slam it in your face, which I am grateful for, as the overall song has a very slow tempo. The kick in Frank Ocean's "Lost" lacks grunt, it's more like a hollow thump without the density a kick should have. Furthermore, it seems that the bass isn't pushing the track along at the same pace as the rest of it. This is evident in "The Pretender" by Foo Fighters, as even though the guitars and singing were fast and came with great attack, the kick and toms did not have the same level of performance. I don't feel like the bass is jumpy and energetic like it could be, and it just leaves me wanting more.

The midrange is where the Starfields shine. It is the best aspect of the IEM’s. The mid-range is exceptionally well-tuned, because it's kept clean and leaves a lot of room for the lower and upper-midrange, allowing vocals to be brought to life. Fleetwood Mac’s “Never Going Back Again” had beautiful vocals that were so well defined. In the same manner that vocals are well defined, instruments are also very well defined, especially guitars. String plucks in Sting's "Shape of my heart" were executed flawlessly to complement his vocals without pushing them back. While the midrange takes a back seat, it is by no means bad at all, in fact, it allows the vocals and instruments to sound delicate and natural, resulting in a experience of music that I have never heard before, leaving me completely mesmerised.

The Starfields treble has been rolled off, which reduces fatigue. With my experience, Sia’s “Chandelier (piano version)” was an absolute joy to listen to, finally. The aggression and energy the Starfields deliver is exactly the way she intended to deliver her vocals, yet they weren’t piercing in the slightest. Additionally due to the treble reproduction, as it is decently precise and detailed, I am noticing new elements in the song I never heard before, such as the natural sounds of chord changes in Dire Straits “The Man’s Too Strong”, they are subtle but so effective into the overall presentation of the song.

The soundstage of the Starfields is excellent. There is a lot of height and depth presence which makes the Starfield’s very immersive. An example of this is each instrument has its own space, allowing them to feel as the mastered track it is, making it clear that each instrument is in different places. Listening to Cymande’s “Dove” the güiro is very faint and very distant from the centre of the action, whilst still being present enough to be heard, resulting in an increase of depth to the music.

Regardless of how busy the song is, I have found the separation of the Starfield’s to be very good. Listening to “Take Five” By Dave Brubeck's String Quartet, which is a relatively busy song, every instrument was easily recognisable and had its stage to perform, there was no competition in each instrument, it all works together, in really good harmony, without any instrument being more profound than the other.

Overall, the Starfields represent a very enjoyable sound. Although the bass doesn’t always give the grunt needed to feel the song, the mid-range and treble is controlled, delicate and represented so well, therefore making songs sound so natural, which is an absolute joy to listen to.

Fit and Comfort
The starfields, although being heavier than expected, still fit in my ears very well. I do use the smallest tips, and it has taken some time to adjust. Sometimes I do need to push them back in as they slightly slip out of the ears, even with the smallest ear tips, mainly because they are a weighty pair of IEM’s, luckily, this isn't all of the time.

The Starfield are a very comfortable pair of IEM’s. I can sit through long listening sessions without the need to have a break. I feel people with bigger ear canals will find them even more comfortable than I do, even though I find them very comfortable myself. I wouldn't use them for commuting because they don’t fully isolate.

Build Quality
The Starfield have excellent build quality. They are metal and have a finish that is unlike any other IEM’s I have seen, sadly, the finish is prone to peeling off. They feel heavy and the machining is excellent, which is conducive to a very unique aesthetic. What I find most mesmerising about the finish is depending on the angle, the paint will shift from blue to purple. It’s a work of art.

Tits and Tats
The Starfield’s include a clamshell carrying case, which is a decent size for the IEM’s themselves. It’s a nice case, could be a little bigger for the cable, but it is still a decent case nonetheless. They also include 6 pairs of ear tips that include Small, Medium and Large, spare dust filters and a tweezer (amazing) that helps you install the dust filters.

The cable is all right. It is nothing amazing, it fits with the theme, okay, but it is nothing of amazing quality. I would recommend upgrading the cable, to a better two-pin, when possible. I have heard the Moondrop “Autumn Moon” is a fantastic choice, albeit being £78.

Conclusion
Always wanted a pair of IEM’s that is a different adventure every time you use them? Yeah, the Starfield’s are one of those IEM’s. From the unique design to the very delicate and natural sound, it’s a listening experience, I simply can’t recommend enough.

Link to my review and measurement index thread where one can also find a full review overview, more information about myself as well as my general-ish audio and review manifesto: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/956208/



Moondrop Starfield


Source:

Personal unit.


Miscellaneous:

Decent unboxing experience.

Very nice shell design with bevelled faceplates. I really like them.
Made of metal. Can feel somewhat cold upon insertion.
Beautiful dark blue metallic colour that changes quite a bit and appears different depending on the environmental lighting.
Two vents on the inner side of each shell (only one affects the sound).

Beautiful small storage case with golden accents. I wouldn’t mind if it were just a tiny bit roomier, though.

Very soft, flexible cable with four conductors that are braided below and twisted above the y-splitter. Nicely blue metallic colour just like the shells.
Thankfully 2-pin connectors instead of MMCX.
Nice round y-splitter that is made of metal.
Unfortunately no chin-slider.

One dynamic driver per side.




Sound:

Largest included silicone ear tips.

Tonality:

Neutral with strong, warm, mainly sub-bass-focused boost in the lows.
Basically very similar to Etymotic’s ER2XR but warmer and bassier in the lows while simultaneously maintaining about the same starting point of the lows’ elevation and peak frequency, and ultimately a bit closer to my ER-4S in the highs and upper midrange.

If the lower of the two vents on the inner half of the shell (the upper one has got no effect on the tuning at all) remained free, which is extremely unlikely due to where it is positioned, the Starfield could even be considered as “flat neutral”, but as this is definitely not the case since the vent will be blocked more or less completely by the users’ ears due to the shell design, instead they feature a very nice, strong sub-bass oriented boost in the lows and are tuned generally a lot like the Etymotic ER2XR, with the exception that the Starfield are closer to my ER-4S in the upper midrange/presence range compared to the ER2XR that are just slightly more relaxed here in comparison, and that the Starfield are, while starting identically with their bass boost, ultimately bassier and warmer by 4 to 5 dB than the ER2XR in the very low frequencies.

This results in a generally very pleasant tuning that can be considered generally flat/neutral in the midrange and treble, with an extra dose of warmth in the fundamental range without colouring the lower mids by too much (although there is undeniably more lower midrange warmth compared to Etymotic’s XR dynamic driver equivalent, so it is ultimately a coloured lower midrange response), followed by a bass lift that extends in a very nice slope that peaks in the true very low sub-bass wherefore the Starfield have got a very prominent subwoofer-like character if the recording really reaches as low as the true low sub-bass (that boost is around 14 dB above flat neutral in the lowest sub-bass, and around 7.5 dB in the upper bass).

Frequency Response:


ER-4S-Compensation (blocked lower Vent)


ER-4S-Compensation (free lower Vent)


ProPhile 8-Compensation (blocked lower Vent)


ProPhile 8-Compensation (free lower Vent)


Effect of Blocking the lower Vent

Resolution:

Generally decent for dynamic driver in-ears in this price range although ultimately definitely not the most technical sounding in-ears; somewhat below the ER-2XR in terms of speed, tightness and controlled when pushed closer to the performance limits where the Starfield sound softer and mushier, less separated when compared to the Etymotic.

The bass tends to sound somewhat soft and the general resolution and control decrease with very fast and demanding recordings, however most of the time this is not really a problem. Overall, I would say that the Starfield are about average without any glaring faults in the technical department, and place tuning over ultimate performance. At the price point (where one rarely finds in-ears with such a smooth and even midrange and treble response) and for dynamic driver in-ears, this is absolutely okay, though, and for what they are, I personally like my Starfield without expecting the speed and technical performance of my better in-ears.

Soundstage:

Appears natural and three-dimensional to me. Nothing that really stands out nor suffers – it just sounds like it should.

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Comparisons:

Etymotic ER2XR:

The midrange and treble tuning is highly comparable, with my Starfield even leaning slightly more towards to my ER-4S. In direct comparison, the ER2XR have got the ever so slightly more even response wherefore they sound a smidgen smoother and more realistic, although it is a super close case.
The general response in the lows is similar, with the Starfield basically being the warmer and bassier alternative to the Etymotic ER2XR (up to 5 dB difference in the very low sub-bass).

Both sets aren’t far apart when it comes to resolution although the Etymotic are ultimately a bit ahead, which is especially audible in the lows in very fast and demanding scenarios where the Starfield just sound softer, slower and lose control earlier.

Shure SE215m+SPE:

My Shure are tuned warmer in the lower midrange/fundamental range and have a more prominent upper bass punch whereas my Starfield are boosted even more in the lower bass.
While the Shure have got a dark, downwards-sloping signature from the midrange towards the high treble, the Starfield are neutral. As a result, the SE215m+SPE are a warm, punchy, dark and smooth easy listen whereas the Starfield focus more on midrange and treble neutraliny and linearity with a good bit of increasing boost towards the sub-bass.

The Shure are tighter and faster in the lows while the Starfield are generally just slightly more resolving.

My Shure’s soundstage appears flatter but wider to me while my Starfields’ deeper and thus more three-dimensional.

iBasso IT01 & IT01 v2:

My Starfield are a good bit bassier below 100 Hz but have a greater focus on the true low sub-bass as this is where their peak frequency lies whereas they are quite comparable above that.
The IT01 are less even and neutral in the midrange and treble which results in a less realistic, more plasticky, less smooth response in comparison.

When it comes to technical performance, the iBasso area good bit ahead and more resolving, with a clearly tighter and faster bass.




Conclusion:

Basically just like the Etymotic ER2XR with a highly similar tuning but more warmth and a stronger bass boost. Ultimately a bit below the Etymotic when it comes to technical performance (especially speed and control in the bass in more demanding scenarios). The shallower, more traditional fit and audibly weaker passive noise isolation (that is also a result of the venting) make them a good alternative for the times when one doesn’t want as deep and secure insertion but in-ears that are easier and quicker to insert and take off – which was definitely a major reason for why I even bought them in the first place.


Photos: