Reviews by kenz
Introduction
Welcome to the KBear KS2 iem Review. Like potential future owners of KBear iems, the KBear KS2 is my very first experience and introduction to the company’s products.
KBear is no stranger to the iem market and have made a positive impression and reputation with their successful KBear Ear F1, KB06 Hybrid, KB10 and Diamond DLC iems.
Today we shall have a look at their latest, KS2 Hybrid iem.
Design, Build and Comfort
The KS2 design adopts a familiar look of between their KB06 and Diamond designs, ensuring a higher adoption of good fit for users. The design and size is of average size by industry standards, and they sit fairly flushed in the ears without visually sticking out of the ears. Fit is good with the inbox M size ear tips. A slide in, forward twist motion and they sit snuggly in the ear.
The KS2 housing appears to be plastic in nature given how they look and feel. The housing appears fairly sturdy and stands up to daily casual use. A small air vent is located on the inner side of the housing (just above the large 10mm Dynamic driver is located) where the ear concha is located. The nozzle is a fine looking gold coloured aluminium alloy. Given its price point, this is quite a bonus in terms of built quality.
The KS2 accepts 0.78mm 2-pin cables and comes with a well braided (dark copper-like) dainty, soft and flexible 4 Core OFC Tinned Copper cable. The cable itself has a plastic moulded splitter. Those used to using a chin slider may need to manually apply one, as the default comes chin-slider free. Also the 2-pin ends are fitted with a springy memory foam that retains the ear hook shape. It’s easy to stretch and bend when wearing them over the ears. The left and right sides of the 2-pin mould comes with L and R indicator, facing outwards. A first for me as most indicators are done facing inwards. A small detail but i guess a well thought out solution for new users to iems with changeable cable.
Still, given the KS2 allows cable swapping, it’ll make for some fun experimenting with the default sound or turn the KS2 into a TWS iem with Bluetooth add-ons.
The KS2 is driven by a combination of a single Dynamic Driver and a Balanced Armature, 1 DD + 1 BA. A 10mm composite diaphragm DD and a high quality BA.
Score : 8/10
Sound Quality
For this section, the KS2 iem with stock cable, were put through over 200 hours of continuous playback and followed with 48 hours of “resting” the drivers, since they arrived. This ensures during the review period, the iem sound characteristics have reached maturity.
Choice of portable set-up employed in this review.
A little note, the KS2 has a very Low impedance of 16 ohms and high sensitivity of 103-9dB, and has been recommended by the company not to be used with high powered players. It’s a product suited for smartphone use.
To get the ball rolling, my initial impressions.
The KS2 has very light, airy, with wide upper staging, a nice low end without too much weight to be fatiguing.
Somewhat consumer-ish yet has audiophile flavour in its sound. Taking a generic base model iem, to compare, less thick, more air, slightly faster, better staging characteristics.
Technically competent, details are present and doesn’t overwhelm the listener (especially for those new to the hobby. Vocals are not too upfront and not recessed, across different tracks I’ve tried with.
And the DD+1BA combo is fast. Play Ayumi Hamasaki’s Euro mega mix, and it’s like an adrenaline rush and addictive.
It’s somewhat neutral-ish tonality and overall character very easy to just dive in and enjoy straight up.
A quick First tots, “how to do flagship-like sound on a Budget?” ... KBear KS2.
And yes, it’s Forgiving of poorer recordings (example. Ben Haenow album)
If anyone wish to stop reading here, to me, the KS2 is easily a very good value iem, I’d grab one just for enjoyment sake.
Detail Retrieval
The KS2 has an interesting treble nature. Very clear, bright, some roll off at the top to avoid glare or harshness. In fact, it is never harsh even on poor recordings. On Ben Haenow’s Greatest Mistake, which has a fair bit of harshness in its recording, is quite easy on the ears with the KS2. It is able to articulate detail on a level found perhaps in iems priced and tiered much higher (in the USD 100-300). Details might be even more if not for the limited air presence in its presentation. Like Sarah Jarosz’s Lost Dog track, the micro details are harder to catch and some are lost to the darkness.
Score : 7/10
Dynamics
The KS2 is an all-rounder here. It can deliver the loud and soft layers in vocal tracks, even layers across as the vocal and accompanying guitar strings move from a loud to a softer passage. Again, Sarah Jarosz’s Jacqueline track, exhibits this strength clearly.
Eric Clapton’s Change the World track, has the slower section transition to the more up tempo later half, rendering the layered change of energy between the softer passages to the more energetic later half. Was enjoying this transition as the change in energy within the track was one of the highlights to me.
Score : 7.5/10
Imaging
From Eric Clapton’s Layla unplugged Live recording, the instrument placements were well highlighted. Vocal backers whispered clearly in the left with the accompanying pianos. The guitar rifts floated centre right and cymbals lightly complete the right end. Eric’s guitars are clearly centre, tilted right just a little. Given its price, this performance is more than commendable.
Score : 8/10
Soundstage
The Kit Chan’s Music Room Final Goodbye and last tracks were used for this test. The limited air and blackness of the KS2 kept the staging wider in the width section and less so with the height. There is more sideways perceived staging than height and depth. The atmosphere turned into a very intimate landscape and only give way to the more intimate staging when the audience started clapping.
Drew out another album, Yanni Live - The Concert Event. Staging on Opening tracks, Rainmaker and Keys to Imagination, were more intimate. The live element is understated with less air and more of a blacker element instead. Giving listeners more focus into the performance itself over the whole experience. Listeners who prefer a more intimate live setting may consider the KS2.
Score : 6.5/10
Speed
One of the consistent is the relatively fast performing nature of the KS2. It’s faster than the average iem and works extremely in its favour of pop music, giving an extra fun nature to any already fun genre of music. A-Ha’s touchy! is one of those pop tracks that benefit from the speed. Very “springy” and light presentation makes the track more enjoyable that it already is. Another track would be N’Sync’s Pop. The electronic music moves in so smoothly and punctuated by the drums. The last part where Justin Timberlake solo’s beepbox was sublime.
Score : 7.5/10
Timbre
With Yanni’s Live Concert Event album, the instruments enjoy a nice non-fatiguing sparkle in the treble, though the piano keys, violins, trumpets and other instruments, have a timbre that is of a flavour all by itself. Only vocals appear closer to a natural shade. Which after many listening sessions across other tracks, I think its timbre nature was tuned to be coherent with the rest of its sound signature.
With this respect, those looking towards a more natural timbre for live and unplug playlist would have to explore other options. Live performances can still be enjoyable with the KS2, if we’re open to the different flavours that iems in general deliver.
On a track like Ben Haenow album, with quite a bit of harshness in its recording, the KS2 timbre actually brings a certain character when listening to the album. Almost like setting the tone and colour to how the songs are presented. Slamming Doors by Ben Haenow is one track that brings to mind enhanced by the KS2 timbre.
On the flip side, with Ayumi Hamasaki’s I Am..., the KS2 timbre brings about an exciting feel to the track. The grungy guitar nature in the track benefits from the KS2 delivery, and heightens the vocals in a dramatic nature. You’d just want to fall deep into the storytelling of the track itself. I love the delivery of the timbre in Ayumi’s Connected track. The electronic trance like nature of the track feels sublime and KS2 delivers it with excellence.
And I’ve to emphasise this portion may be the decisive part for those who would like the KS2 or perhaps look to other KBear iems. In terms of the vocals, they remain largely natural with a tinge of colour (recording dependent), while string instruments and even the high hats, there is a degree of colour involved, keeping them off for those who only insist on a natural sounding tonality. As a whole, I still regard the timbre as “complete” in its own way and excels with Japanese fast tracks and electronic/trance music in general.
Score : 7/10
The Unassuming Super Performer
We’ve been so pushed into a state of mind, placing a proportionate view of performance comes with higher prices. Lots of marketing, storytelling of premium material, patented or patent pending architecture go into justifying a product’s price and “performance”.
The KBear KS2 is a shining example of high performance, can come in surprisingly affordable price tag. Sure, the KS2 is not exactly your dream top-of-the-line flagship killer iem (though it could be for some) BUT it does well in quite a few aspects. And that’s no small feat.
The KBear KS2 sounded great out of the box, and after 200 hrs of breaking in, it still maintained its great sound. For those who feel they need to give their iems some warm up before use, the KS2 is good to go right away. A big plus for those who are mobile and just grab their gears and go.
For customers who are new to KBear iems, the KS2 will be setting quite a high bar in terms of price to performance value. I’ve some iems in the 3-digit price bracket, and the KS2 gave me a peek at how much competition is pushing the sound quality. Safe to say, the KS2 to me, has perhaps among my highest recommendation. Even if (that’s a big if) the KS2 may not be your daily driver, it sure deserves a spot in anyone’s stable of iems.
The Package
The KBear KS2 comes with the following,
Tracks used for the review
Product Specification
Review Ratings
If this review interest you, and the product could be something you’d like to try or add on to your collection of sounds, you may find themselves available on here.
Https://keephifi.com/
Disclaimer:
The KBear KS2 monitors were provided by KeepHiFi for the purpose of this review.
I was invited to provide my honest and unbiased opinion and have no affiliation or receive any form of compensation for this review.
This review did not go through KBear or KeepHiFi, meaning they will see this review at the same time as you are here.
Welcome to the KBear KS2 iem Review. Like potential future owners of KBear iems, the KBear KS2 is my very first experience and introduction to the company’s products.
KBear is no stranger to the iem market and have made a positive impression and reputation with their successful KBear Ear F1, KB06 Hybrid, KB10 and Diamond DLC iems.
Today we shall have a look at their latest, KS2 Hybrid iem.
Design, Build and Comfort
The KS2 design adopts a familiar look of between their KB06 and Diamond designs, ensuring a higher adoption of good fit for users. The design and size is of average size by industry standards, and they sit fairly flushed in the ears without visually sticking out of the ears. Fit is good with the inbox M size ear tips. A slide in, forward twist motion and they sit snuggly in the ear.
The KS2 housing appears to be plastic in nature given how they look and feel. The housing appears fairly sturdy and stands up to daily casual use. A small air vent is located on the inner side of the housing (just above the large 10mm Dynamic driver is located) where the ear concha is located. The nozzle is a fine looking gold coloured aluminium alloy. Given its price point, this is quite a bonus in terms of built quality.
The KS2 accepts 0.78mm 2-pin cables and comes with a well braided (dark copper-like) dainty, soft and flexible 4 Core OFC Tinned Copper cable. The cable itself has a plastic moulded splitter. Those used to using a chin slider may need to manually apply one, as the default comes chin-slider free. Also the 2-pin ends are fitted with a springy memory foam that retains the ear hook shape. It’s easy to stretch and bend when wearing them over the ears. The left and right sides of the 2-pin mould comes with L and R indicator, facing outwards. A first for me as most indicators are done facing inwards. A small detail but i guess a well thought out solution for new users to iems with changeable cable.
Still, given the KS2 allows cable swapping, it’ll make for some fun experimenting with the default sound or turn the KS2 into a TWS iem with Bluetooth add-ons.
The KS2 is driven by a combination of a single Dynamic Driver and a Balanced Armature, 1 DD + 1 BA. A 10mm composite diaphragm DD and a high quality BA.
Score : 8/10
Sound Quality
For this section, the KS2 iem with stock cable, were put through over 200 hours of continuous playback and followed with 48 hours of “resting” the drivers, since they arrived. This ensures during the review period, the iem sound characteristics have reached maturity.
Choice of portable set-up employed in this review.
- The FiiO M6 high resolution portable player.
A little note, the KS2 has a very Low impedance of 16 ohms and high sensitivity of 103-9dB, and has been recommended by the company not to be used with high powered players. It’s a product suited for smartphone use.
To get the ball rolling, my initial impressions.
The KS2 has very light, airy, with wide upper staging, a nice low end without too much weight to be fatiguing.
Somewhat consumer-ish yet has audiophile flavour in its sound. Taking a generic base model iem, to compare, less thick, more air, slightly faster, better staging characteristics.
Technically competent, details are present and doesn’t overwhelm the listener (especially for those new to the hobby. Vocals are not too upfront and not recessed, across different tracks I’ve tried with.
And the DD+1BA combo is fast. Play Ayumi Hamasaki’s Euro mega mix, and it’s like an adrenaline rush and addictive.
It’s somewhat neutral-ish tonality and overall character very easy to just dive in and enjoy straight up.
A quick First tots, “how to do flagship-like sound on a Budget?” ... KBear KS2.
And yes, it’s Forgiving of poorer recordings (example. Ben Haenow album)
If anyone wish to stop reading here, to me, the KS2 is easily a very good value iem, I’d grab one just for enjoyment sake.
Detail Retrieval
The KS2 has an interesting treble nature. Very clear, bright, some roll off at the top to avoid glare or harshness. In fact, it is never harsh even on poor recordings. On Ben Haenow’s Greatest Mistake, which has a fair bit of harshness in its recording, is quite easy on the ears with the KS2. It is able to articulate detail on a level found perhaps in iems priced and tiered much higher (in the USD 100-300). Details might be even more if not for the limited air presence in its presentation. Like Sarah Jarosz’s Lost Dog track, the micro details are harder to catch and some are lost to the darkness.
Score : 7/10
Dynamics
The KS2 is an all-rounder here. It can deliver the loud and soft layers in vocal tracks, even layers across as the vocal and accompanying guitar strings move from a loud to a softer passage. Again, Sarah Jarosz’s Jacqueline track, exhibits this strength clearly.
Eric Clapton’s Change the World track, has the slower section transition to the more up tempo later half, rendering the layered change of energy between the softer passages to the more energetic later half. Was enjoying this transition as the change in energy within the track was one of the highlights to me.
Score : 7.5/10
Imaging
From Eric Clapton’s Layla unplugged Live recording, the instrument placements were well highlighted. Vocal backers whispered clearly in the left with the accompanying pianos. The guitar rifts floated centre right and cymbals lightly complete the right end. Eric’s guitars are clearly centre, tilted right just a little. Given its price, this performance is more than commendable.
Score : 8/10
Soundstage
The Kit Chan’s Music Room Final Goodbye and last tracks were used for this test. The limited air and blackness of the KS2 kept the staging wider in the width section and less so with the height. There is more sideways perceived staging than height and depth. The atmosphere turned into a very intimate landscape and only give way to the more intimate staging when the audience started clapping.
Drew out another album, Yanni Live - The Concert Event. Staging on Opening tracks, Rainmaker and Keys to Imagination, were more intimate. The live element is understated with less air and more of a blacker element instead. Giving listeners more focus into the performance itself over the whole experience. Listeners who prefer a more intimate live setting may consider the KS2.
Score : 6.5/10
Speed
One of the consistent is the relatively fast performing nature of the KS2. It’s faster than the average iem and works extremely in its favour of pop music, giving an extra fun nature to any already fun genre of music. A-Ha’s touchy! is one of those pop tracks that benefit from the speed. Very “springy” and light presentation makes the track more enjoyable that it already is. Another track would be N’Sync’s Pop. The electronic music moves in so smoothly and punctuated by the drums. The last part where Justin Timberlake solo’s beepbox was sublime.
Score : 7.5/10
Timbre
With Yanni’s Live Concert Event album, the instruments enjoy a nice non-fatiguing sparkle in the treble, though the piano keys, violins, trumpets and other instruments, have a timbre that is of a flavour all by itself. Only vocals appear closer to a natural shade. Which after many listening sessions across other tracks, I think its timbre nature was tuned to be coherent with the rest of its sound signature.
With this respect, those looking towards a more natural timbre for live and unplug playlist would have to explore other options. Live performances can still be enjoyable with the KS2, if we’re open to the different flavours that iems in general deliver.
On a track like Ben Haenow album, with quite a bit of harshness in its recording, the KS2 timbre actually brings a certain character when listening to the album. Almost like setting the tone and colour to how the songs are presented. Slamming Doors by Ben Haenow is one track that brings to mind enhanced by the KS2 timbre.
On the flip side, with Ayumi Hamasaki’s I Am..., the KS2 timbre brings about an exciting feel to the track. The grungy guitar nature in the track benefits from the KS2 delivery, and heightens the vocals in a dramatic nature. You’d just want to fall deep into the storytelling of the track itself. I love the delivery of the timbre in Ayumi’s Connected track. The electronic trance like nature of the track feels sublime and KS2 delivers it with excellence.
And I’ve to emphasise this portion may be the decisive part for those who would like the KS2 or perhaps look to other KBear iems. In terms of the vocals, they remain largely natural with a tinge of colour (recording dependent), while string instruments and even the high hats, there is a degree of colour involved, keeping them off for those who only insist on a natural sounding tonality. As a whole, I still regard the timbre as “complete” in its own way and excels with Japanese fast tracks and electronic/trance music in general.
Score : 7/10
The Unassuming Super Performer
We’ve been so pushed into a state of mind, placing a proportionate view of performance comes with higher prices. Lots of marketing, storytelling of premium material, patented or patent pending architecture go into justifying a product’s price and “performance”.
The KBear KS2 is a shining example of high performance, can come in surprisingly affordable price tag. Sure, the KS2 is not exactly your dream top-of-the-line flagship killer iem (though it could be for some) BUT it does well in quite a few aspects. And that’s no small feat.
The KBear KS2 sounded great out of the box, and after 200 hrs of breaking in, it still maintained its great sound. For those who feel they need to give their iems some warm up before use, the KS2 is good to go right away. A big plus for those who are mobile and just grab their gears and go.
For customers who are new to KBear iems, the KS2 will be setting quite a high bar in terms of price to performance value. I’ve some iems in the 3-digit price bracket, and the KS2 gave me a peek at how much competition is pushing the sound quality. Safe to say, the KS2 to me, has perhaps among my highest recommendation. Even if (that’s a big if) the KS2 may not be your daily driver, it sure deserves a spot in anyone’s stable of iems.
The Package
The KBear KS2 comes with the following,
- The KBear KS2 iem
- 4-Core OFC tinned copper cable
- 3 pairs of silicon tips (S, M and L)
- Warranty document
Tracks used for the review
- Sarah Jarosz - Lost Dog
- Sarah Jarosz - Jacqueline
- Eric Clapton - Change the World
- Eric Clapton - Layla
- A-Ha - Touchy!
- N’Sync - Pop
- Ben Haenow - Greatest Mistake
- Ben Haenow - Slamming Doors
- Kit Chan - Final Goodbye
- Kit Chan - Reprise “喜歡你“
- Yanni - Rainmaker (Live)
- Yanni - Keys to Imagination (Live)
- Ayumi Hamasaki - I Am
- Ayumi Hamasaki - Connected
Product Specification
| KS2 | |
| Transducer type | single 10mm composite diaphragm Dynamic Driver and a Balanced Armature |
| Operating principle | Vented |
| Frequency response: | 20Hz-20kHz |
| Impedance: | 16 Ω @ 1kHz |
| Sensitivity: | 106dB +/- 3dB |
| Stock cable | |
| Material | 4-Core OFC (Copper) |
| Geometry | Tinned Copper |
| Y-split | Generic |
| Monitor interface | 2-pin 0.78mm |
| Connection | 3.5 mm single-ended |
| Price | USD 23.99 |
Review Ratings
| Rating (out of 10) | |
| Sound Quality | 8 |
| Build Quality | 7.5 |
| Design and Usability | 8 |
| Comfort | 8 |
| Value for money | 8 |
If this review interest you, and the product could be something you’d like to try or add on to your collection of sounds, you may find themselves available on here.
Https://keephifi.com/
Disclaimer:
The KBear KS2 monitors were provided by KeepHiFi for the purpose of this review.
I was invited to provide my honest and unbiased opinion and have no affiliation or receive any form of compensation for this review.
This review did not go through KBear or KeepHiFi, meaning they will see this review at the same time as you are here.
Attachments
General Information
Design, Build and Comfort
The SSR design takes a fresh direction from the original Spaceship elliptical shape. The design, an almost “heart” shaped from the faceplate perspective, the right-angled straight nozzle and the cable pin connector placement, at first sight, created much puzzling questions on fit and comfort. And when you pick the SSR up for the first time, it all made sense. The solution, the size. The SSR is one of the smaller sized iem you can find on the market. The small size made wearing the SSR natural and fit excellently. Just a slide in, twist forward and with the right tips, they sit snuggly in the ear.
The SSR housing uses Liquid Metal Alloy material. It has a gloss-like gunmetal textured finishing and is very lightweight and feels incredibly solid. There’s confidence in handling them without worrying if it will break or warp under rough use. The faceplate and shell are held together with a black rivet, to complete the industrial design look and feel. A small air vent is located along the inner side of the length of the nozzle. An interesting placement for the vent. The nozzle ends with a tightly knitted mesh (patented triple layer anti-clogging acoustic filter) to keep ear wax and dust out. The other end of the “heart” shaped design sits the 2-pin connector (which accepts 0.78mm 2-pin cables) and the L and R indicators clearly embedded in the housing, making cable rolling a breeze.
The stock cable comes in an interesting clear pvc jacket that houses the Silver-Plated 4N Litz cable. Something refreshing from the now common bare braided stock cable. The cable itself is more than fairly soft with a little “springy” feel to prevent tangling up. Also the 2-pin ends are fitted with a flexible memory rubber guard that retains the ear hook shape, yet easy to stretch and bend when wearing them over the ears. The right ear cable comes with a red-ring to indicator. Small details but very comfortable thought out solutions on Moondrop’s part. We can swap out the stock cable for other cables to satisfy our cable rolling needs and also add those new Bluetooth add-ons and turn the SSR into a TWS iem as well.
The heart of the SSR iem, rest the Beryllium-plated Dome with a PU Suspension Ring diaphragm, accompanied by a N52 High Density Magnetic circuit (among the highest grade of magnets available in the market) to form the engine.
Fit wise, the SSR design works excellently with my ears and the M-size tips provide very good isolation without feeling ear ache or fatigue over long listening sessions (of about 2 hours straight).
Sound Quality
For this section, the SSR iem with stock cable, were put through over 120 hours of continuous playback and followed with 24 hours of “resting” the drivers, since they arrived. This ensures during the review period, the iem sound characteristics have reached adequate maturity.
Choice of portable set-up employed in this review.
Starting things off, my immediate impression.
The SSR Super Spaceship Reference iem, given its performance, is perhaps incredibly surprising that it sits in its price bracket (USD39.99). Surprising. When we read that an iem “punches way above its price”, it has never carried more precedence than the SSR.
Moondrop’s SSR is another step in raising their game in terms of performance to price. Pushing the value chain upwards in terms of performance while keeping the price attractive.
As soon as the SSR sit in my ears and the music starts, I was greeted by the familiar Moondrop signature sound. Which connected me back to the time I first heard Moondrop’s StarField. Am not sure if it’s a coincidence or is it Moondrop’s way of connecting its range of iems in a familiar way. After some thoughts, I would say it is a positive feel good move. And that is as far as the similarities go between the StarField and the SSR.
Detail Retrieval
The SSR has a taste of picking details to be spotlighted. This nature is more evident when the SSR itself tends to have a very dark background itself. It came to my attention when playing Fleetwood Mac’s Sara and Not That Funny tracks from the Live album. The way the selected details were highlighted like the organ keys that were struck, mainly the higher keys were more pronounced and that presented the track to be heard differently from how it is usually done. Lindsey’s vocals especially the screams sounded very natural and the nuances in his scream could also be heard. Even Yanni’s Santorini track had more pronounced emphasis in some of the upper register side of the music. Be in for an adventure to hear your music a little differently.
Score : 7.5/10
Dynamics
The immediate sonic delivery is pure energy. The SSR is energetic. There is amazing energy and speed in delivering a reference-like and uncoloured sound.
The highs are vividly sparkling and shimmers before fading at the end without effort. High hats with Chimes ripple and fades almost like as quickly as it came. In most experiences, such energetic treble delivery comes with some visceral impact, and with the speed that SSR does, tend to be fatiguing in short listening sessions. Not so here. In Bee Gee’s Night on Broadway, Yanni’s Point of Origin and Ayumi Hamasaki’s We Wish tracks, it gives very clear examples of this.
An area to note though, out of the box, the volume between layers of vocals and instruments, seemed pushed upfront, leading to music tracks sounding two dimensional with little separating the louder and softer passages. After 60 hours of running in the drivers, the separation of louder and softer passages in the music improved significantly.
Score : 7.5/10
Imaging
From the Live recordings, the instrument placements were adequately highlighted. More of either left, right or somewhat meshed in the centre. In better recordings, the instruments and vocal placement do improve. Though I feel is reasonable given it’s target budget segment.
Score : 7/10
Soundstage
Turning to the Live recordings once more, the SSR staging is respectably wide. Enough to give the performance a good sense of air and space. There is more sideways perceived staging than height and depth. This can be roughly measured during the level of applause from the crowd in the recording. And thanks to its somewhat dark nature, the quieter passages of piano keys stand out for its intimacy.
Score : 7.5/10
Speed
One of the early findings and as true then as of this writing, the SSR is a fast sounding iem. That beryllium coated dome and N52 magnet of a circuit moves at incredible speed. They keep up with just about every fast track I could throw at it, including A-Ha’s Train of Thought, where the starting portion of the track is too incredibly fast for many dynamic drivers to replicate accurately, is replicated flawlessly here.
Also Kylie Minogue’s Disco Down, the electronic beats in the background were rendered beautifully. The synthesiser beats come alive in the SSR, where they would normally be more “in the background” and muted sounding in other dynamic driver iems.
Score : 8.5/10
Timbre
Kris Allen’s In Time track, has rattles, guitar strings, drums and the works. The drum rumble ripples with very light (but enjoyable) low end decay across the starting of the track and brings in the soft natural rattles in concert with Kris’ finger style guitar strums and plucks. Each string just sounded natural and life-like as they can be rendered. Similarly can be heard in Fleetwood Mac’s Oh Well from the Live album. In standalone string albums, such as Kaki King’s Great Round Burn track (and by extension the whole album, Glow), sounded exceptionally good and enjoyable. The string pluck displays layers and they just pull you in as you listen. Truly mesmerising.
Vocals have a natural tone to them though they may sound somewhat less inviting due to that lack of warmth many would be accustomed to listening. You know, that warm wrapped around feeling. However, some recordings are done with a warm sounding slate, such as Yanni’s I Genitori, which sounded splendid (I’d attribute this to a fine mix of warmth, clarity, detail, all nicely shaken into a perfect cocktail flavour. Synergy.)
Perhaps this portion may be the decisive part for those who would like the SSR or perhaps look to other Moondrop iems. In terms of the vocals, string instruments and even the high hats, the natural almost uncoloured sound would be the SSR’s strength. For most, the very light mid bass bump may be enough to enjoy the music. Though the low end drum decay may be too light to sound “complete” for those who are used to more warmth and “meaty” presentation.
Score : 8/10
Tracks used for the review,
The SSR Super Starship Reference monitor, by my account above, may seem to be a tricky iem to figure out. It does make you work hard to understand it better. The music we know so well, takes interesting turns in the way its detail is spotlighted and hidden.
After running through more music tracks than the ones listed here, I’ve come to the realisation that the SSR excels well with fast tracks in the electronic genre, and on string element albums from such as Kaki King and Lindsey Stirling. They sound very good for their price, and even exceptionally more so on said genre of music.
The SSR in my books make an enjoyable and fun sounding outdoor monitor. The energy and speed makes listening more exciting. Am sure some may even find this addictive especially with fast sounding tracks. It also complements other Moondrop monitors such as the StarField. Especially so if you need more bite and energy in your instrumental library, the SSR delivers.
Overall it is a welcoming new addition to the Moondrop family and another signature high quality of work.
The Package
The SSR comes with the following,
Product Specification
If this review interest you, and the product could be something you’d like to try or add on to your collection of sounds, you may find themselves available on here.
Disclaimer:
The SSR Super Starship Reference monitors were provided by Shenzhen Audio for the purpose of this review.
I was invited to provide my honest and unbiased opinion and have no affiliation or receive any form of compensation for this review.
This review did not go through Moondrop or Shenzhen Audio, meaning they will see this review at the same time as you are here.
Report
Design, Build and Comfort
The SSR design takes a fresh direction from the original Spaceship elliptical shape. The design, an almost “heart” shaped from the faceplate perspective, the right-angled straight nozzle and the cable pin connector placement, at first sight, created much puzzling questions on fit and comfort. And when you pick the SSR up for the first time, it all made sense. The solution, the size. The SSR is one of the smaller sized iem you can find on the market. The small size made wearing the SSR natural and fit excellently. Just a slide in, twist forward and with the right tips, they sit snuggly in the ear.
The SSR housing uses Liquid Metal Alloy material. It has a gloss-like gunmetal textured finishing and is very lightweight and feels incredibly solid. There’s confidence in handling them without worrying if it will break or warp under rough use. The faceplate and shell are held together with a black rivet, to complete the industrial design look and feel. A small air vent is located along the inner side of the length of the nozzle. An interesting placement for the vent. The nozzle ends with a tightly knitted mesh (patented triple layer anti-clogging acoustic filter) to keep ear wax and dust out. The other end of the “heart” shaped design sits the 2-pin connector (which accepts 0.78mm 2-pin cables) and the L and R indicators clearly embedded in the housing, making cable rolling a breeze.
The stock cable comes in an interesting clear pvc jacket that houses the Silver-Plated 4N Litz cable. Something refreshing from the now common bare braided stock cable. The cable itself is more than fairly soft with a little “springy” feel to prevent tangling up. Also the 2-pin ends are fitted with a flexible memory rubber guard that retains the ear hook shape, yet easy to stretch and bend when wearing them over the ears. The right ear cable comes with a red-ring to indicator. Small details but very comfortable thought out solutions on Moondrop’s part. We can swap out the stock cable for other cables to satisfy our cable rolling needs and also add those new Bluetooth add-ons and turn the SSR into a TWS iem as well.
The heart of the SSR iem, rest the Beryllium-plated Dome with a PU Suspension Ring diaphragm, accompanied by a N52 High Density Magnetic circuit (among the highest grade of magnets available in the market) to form the engine.
Fit wise, the SSR design works excellently with my ears and the M-size tips provide very good isolation without feeling ear ache or fatigue over long listening sessions (of about 2 hours straight).
Sound Quality
For this section, the SSR iem with stock cable, were put through over 120 hours of continuous playback and followed with 24 hours of “resting” the drivers, since they arrived. This ensures during the review period, the iem sound characteristics have reached adequate maturity.
Choice of portable set-up employed in this review.
- The Dethonray DTR1 Prelude player paired with its headphone amplifier companion HDA-HA2, through a Toxic Cables Silver Widow interconnect.
Starting things off, my immediate impression.
The SSR Super Spaceship Reference iem, given its performance, is perhaps incredibly surprising that it sits in its price bracket (USD39.99). Surprising. When we read that an iem “punches way above its price”, it has never carried more precedence than the SSR.
Moondrop’s SSR is another step in raising their game in terms of performance to price. Pushing the value chain upwards in terms of performance while keeping the price attractive.
As soon as the SSR sit in my ears and the music starts, I was greeted by the familiar Moondrop signature sound. Which connected me back to the time I first heard Moondrop’s StarField. Am not sure if it’s a coincidence or is it Moondrop’s way of connecting its range of iems in a familiar way. After some thoughts, I would say it is a positive feel good move. And that is as far as the similarities go between the StarField and the SSR.
Detail Retrieval
The SSR has a taste of picking details to be spotlighted. This nature is more evident when the SSR itself tends to have a very dark background itself. It came to my attention when playing Fleetwood Mac’s Sara and Not That Funny tracks from the Live album. The way the selected details were highlighted like the organ keys that were struck, mainly the higher keys were more pronounced and that presented the track to be heard differently from how it is usually done. Lindsey’s vocals especially the screams sounded very natural and the nuances in his scream could also be heard. Even Yanni’s Santorini track had more pronounced emphasis in some of the upper register side of the music. Be in for an adventure to hear your music a little differently.
Score : 7.5/10
Dynamics
The immediate sonic delivery is pure energy. The SSR is energetic. There is amazing energy and speed in delivering a reference-like and uncoloured sound.
The highs are vividly sparkling and shimmers before fading at the end without effort. High hats with Chimes ripple and fades almost like as quickly as it came. In most experiences, such energetic treble delivery comes with some visceral impact, and with the speed that SSR does, tend to be fatiguing in short listening sessions. Not so here. In Bee Gee’s Night on Broadway, Yanni’s Point of Origin and Ayumi Hamasaki’s We Wish tracks, it gives very clear examples of this.
An area to note though, out of the box, the volume between layers of vocals and instruments, seemed pushed upfront, leading to music tracks sounding two dimensional with little separating the louder and softer passages. After 60 hours of running in the drivers, the separation of louder and softer passages in the music improved significantly.
Score : 7.5/10
Imaging
From the Live recordings, the instrument placements were adequately highlighted. More of either left, right or somewhat meshed in the centre. In better recordings, the instruments and vocal placement do improve. Though I feel is reasonable given it’s target budget segment.
Score : 7/10
Soundstage
Turning to the Live recordings once more, the SSR staging is respectably wide. Enough to give the performance a good sense of air and space. There is more sideways perceived staging than height and depth. This can be roughly measured during the level of applause from the crowd in the recording. And thanks to its somewhat dark nature, the quieter passages of piano keys stand out for its intimacy.
Score : 7.5/10
Speed
One of the early findings and as true then as of this writing, the SSR is a fast sounding iem. That beryllium coated dome and N52 magnet of a circuit moves at incredible speed. They keep up with just about every fast track I could throw at it, including A-Ha’s Train of Thought, where the starting portion of the track is too incredibly fast for many dynamic drivers to replicate accurately, is replicated flawlessly here.
Also Kylie Minogue’s Disco Down, the electronic beats in the background were rendered beautifully. The synthesiser beats come alive in the SSR, where they would normally be more “in the background” and muted sounding in other dynamic driver iems.
Score : 8.5/10
Timbre
Kris Allen’s In Time track, has rattles, guitar strings, drums and the works. The drum rumble ripples with very light (but enjoyable) low end decay across the starting of the track and brings in the soft natural rattles in concert with Kris’ finger style guitar strums and plucks. Each string just sounded natural and life-like as they can be rendered. Similarly can be heard in Fleetwood Mac’s Oh Well from the Live album. In standalone string albums, such as Kaki King’s Great Round Burn track (and by extension the whole album, Glow), sounded exceptionally good and enjoyable. The string pluck displays layers and they just pull you in as you listen. Truly mesmerising.
Vocals have a natural tone to them though they may sound somewhat less inviting due to that lack of warmth many would be accustomed to listening. You know, that warm wrapped around feeling. However, some recordings are done with a warm sounding slate, such as Yanni’s I Genitori, which sounded splendid (I’d attribute this to a fine mix of warmth, clarity, detail, all nicely shaken into a perfect cocktail flavour. Synergy.)
Perhaps this portion may be the decisive part for those who would like the SSR or perhaps look to other Moondrop iems. In terms of the vocals, string instruments and even the high hats, the natural almost uncoloured sound would be the SSR’s strength. For most, the very light mid bass bump may be enough to enjoy the music. Though the low end drum decay may be too light to sound “complete” for those who are used to more warmth and “meaty” presentation.
Score : 8/10
Tracks used for the review,
- Yanni - Santorini (Live)
- Yanni - Point of Origin (Live)
- Yanni - I Genitori
- Fleetwood Mac - Sara (Live)
- Fleetwood Mac - Not That Funny (Live)
- Fleetwood Mac - Oh Well (Live)
- Bee Gee - Night on Broadway
- Ayumi Hamasaki - We Wish
- A-Ha - Train of Thought
- Kylie Minogue - Disco Down
- Kris Allen - In Time
- Kaki King - Great Round Burn
The SSR Super Starship Reference monitor, by my account above, may seem to be a tricky iem to figure out. It does make you work hard to understand it better. The music we know so well, takes interesting turns in the way its detail is spotlighted and hidden.
After running through more music tracks than the ones listed here, I’ve come to the realisation that the SSR excels well with fast tracks in the electronic genre, and on string element albums from such as Kaki King and Lindsey Stirling. They sound very good for their price, and even exceptionally more so on said genre of music.
The SSR in my books make an enjoyable and fun sounding outdoor monitor. The energy and speed makes listening more exciting. Am sure some may even find this addictive especially with fast sounding tracks. It also complements other Moondrop monitors such as the StarField. Especially so if you need more bite and energy in your instrumental library, the SSR delivers.
Overall it is a welcoming new addition to the Moondrop family and another signature high quality of work.
The Package
The SSR comes with the following,
- The Super Spaceship Reference iem
- SPC cable
- 3 pairs of silicon tips (S, M and L)
- Small pouch
- Moondrop card
- Warranty document
Product Specification
| SSR | |
| Transducer type | Beryllium-Coated Dome with PU Suspension Ring and N52 High Density Magnetic circuit |
| Operating principle | Vented |
| Frequency response: | 20Hz-20kHz |
| Impedance: | 16 Ω @ 1kHz |
| Sensitivity: | 115dB / Vrms (@1khz) |
| Stock cable | |
| Material | 4N-OFC (Copper) |
| Geometry | Litz design |
| Y-split | Moondrop circular (black) |
| Monitor interface | 2-pin 0.78mm |
| Connection | 3.5 mm single-ended |
| Price | USD 39.99 |
| Rating (out of 10) | |
| Sound Quality | 8 |
| Build Quality | 9 |
| Design and Usability | 8.5 |
| Comfort | 9 |
| Value for money | 8.5 |
If this review interest you, and the product could be something you’d like to try or add on to your collection of sounds, you may find themselves available on here.
Disclaimer:
The SSR Super Starship Reference monitors were provided by Shenzhen Audio for the purpose of this review.
I was invited to provide my honest and unbiased opinion and have no affiliation or receive any form of compensation for this review.
This review did not go through Moondrop or Shenzhen Audio, meaning they will see this review at the same time as you are here.
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shenzhenaudio
We thanks for your effort, and really enjoy your comments on SSR. 
kenz
Thank you for inviting me to participate in this product launch review.
