Moondrop Spaceship

disclaimer: Moondrop sent me the Spaceship to review as I had previously purchased the Kanas, Kanas Pro, Nameless, and was given a KXXS as part of a contest. I have reviewed and liked most of their models so far and was interested in the budget friendly Spaceship. These can be purchased through AliExpress, Amazon, most of the usual outlets. I have no financial interest in Moondrop, nor have I been compensated for this review.

If you have an interest in the Spaceship, it can be purchased directly from Moondrop here.



Unboxing / Packaging:

Packaging is decidedly western big-box store with a clear plastic box with the artwork printed on the exterior The earpieces rest in an internal plastic tray with the rest of the kit hiding behind the graphics at the bottom of the package. I about destroyed the box opening it as the corners are not particularly reinforced so one probably shouldn't plan on using the original package for storage of the earphones after purchase. The kit consists of the earphones themselves, 3 sets of tips, a cloth carry bag, a warranty card and the user manual. This may seem like a fairly small kit, but remember the $30 price tag and it makes a bit more sense as most at this price point don't include a case.




Build/Fit:

The Spaceship can best be described as a micro-driver model with a bullet shape with cable exiting the nose of the bullet on the lower side and the base of the bullet operating as the nozzle. With the tips off, SWMBO refers to these as the ones that should say Conair on the side as they do bear more than a passing resemblance to a hair dryer in shape. Shells are two pieces and while not a conventional faceplate and inner shell do have the seam between inner and outer portions of the shell. Seams are easily seen in the pictures but less so in reality as the highly reflective surfaces do mask them to some degree. Two small vents exist on the underside of the shell, one immediately ahead of the cable exit point and the other just ahead of the junction between the front and rear shell and partially hidden by the tip when in place. Nozzles do not have a lip to hold tips on but with their long straight sides, I had no issues with tips staying in place. These are tiny, so fit is easy and with proper tip selection they are very comfortable. Due to the fact that basically the only thing obstructing the canal is the tip, isolation is fairly limited.





Internals:

The spaceship uses a 6 mm micro-dynamic driver with a nominal impedance of 16Ω and a listed sensitivity of 104 dB/mW. These are designed with cell phone users in mind and I had no trouble running them from both phone and tablet. While come scaling does occur with better sources, the overall ceiling is fairly low so those using phones to listen to the Spaceship are getting the full capability of the drivers without the need for external amplification.



Cable:

The cable on the spaceship is non-removable but is solidly constructed and should last well if not abused. From the south end, the jack is a 3.5 mm in a straight housing with a polished steel shell and a proper strain relief. From the jack to the splitter, the cable is a 4N Litz oxygen free copper in a rubberized single strand housing and breaks into two similarly constructed cables of smaller diameter above the splitter. Long strain reliefs protect the last inch of so of cable where it enters the earpieces. No chin slider is provided. These are designed for tip-down wear and I had no problem with keeping them in place while working around the office or using the treadmill. There simply isn't enough weight in the capsules to cause any pull.





Tips:

I found that as long as tips didn't obstruct the nozzle or constrict airflow, they had little impact on the signature. For that reason tip selection is more about fit and comfort than adjusting the signature. I did find that foams altered the signature considerably, but that is a well known phenomenon and certainly isnt unique to the Spaceship.

Sound:



Bass:

Sub-bass is better than expected on a micro-driver with roll-off becoming pronounced only below 55Hz or so. Mid-bass is boosted and falls as it moves toward the mids. Bass tuning in general seems fairly close to the Sony MH755 or KB Opal although a bit more detailed and nuanced than either and a bit less boosted than the MH755. Having said that, neither of the two competitors mentioned has much of any bass detail so saying it has more isn't exactly putting it in elite company. Bass texture is minimal compared to things like the KXXS or other models farther up the Moondrop foodchain, but is acceptable at the price point. There is pronounced mid-bass bleed into the mids that gives the Spaceship a warm signature. There is some obstruction of the lower mids as a result.



Mids:

As previously mentioned, the mid-bass does bleed a bit and colors the lower mids as a result. Once you get above the overshadowing, mids come into their own. mids and upper mids have good detail, more so than expected at the price. There is a big push in the upper-mids/lower treble that brings higher vocals forward and places them well in front of their lower counterparts as a result and can make female vocals feel a bit too "in your face" for my liking. This is a case of a driver that can do mids fairly well, but is overshadowed on both sides by bleed and spikes and really never gets a chance to show-off as a result.



Treble:

Treble is absolutely dominated by the lower-treble push at around 3-4kHz but drops back in line with the rest of the signature by 5kHz or so. There is a lesser push between 9 and 10 kHz that introduces a bit fo top end and allows cymbals to sound a bit more natural than some at this price point (I mentioned the 755 earlier). Treble detail is above average for the price, and overall once you get past that lower-treble push, the Spaceship can be quite enjoyable. Luckily, I did find the spaceship reacted fairly well to EQ and that one big spike can be EQ'd back to near linear with a little tweaking. Once cleaned up a bit with EQ, they do have a cleaner more airy treble than I thought possible at the price.



Soundstage / Imaging:

Soundstage is reasonably good for a micro-driver in a sealed unit and is larger than anticipated although most of that size is coming from width as they don't have the depth to match. Height is minimal so the dimensions of the stage are a little off, but instrument separation is good and very little overlap occurs while seating the orchestra. Imaging is thrown a bit at times by the stage shape as sounds that should be behind come more from the sides, but movement around the stage is still quite obvious and easily trackable. Layering is reasonably good with no congestion until tracks become particularly complex and fast. I wasn't expecting miracles in that department, but what I got was above average as most in the price range fall down quickly as things become overly busy.



Thoughts / Conclusion:

Well, lets get this out of the way up front, this isn't my favorite Moondrop. The tuning with its boost in the upper-mids/lower-treble just is not my thing. Even in the Moondrop budget models, I find the Crescent a bit more natural sounding as it has a bit better bass, and less treble boost, but I do like the fact that the Spaceship is not quite as warm as I found the Crescent a bit overly so. The Good news for the spaceship is the fundamentals are there to make a good in-ear. The driver reacts well to EQ, soundstage is reasonably good, it handles busy tracks well considering the price, and has acceptable detail levels. For those that like its default signature, it represents good value, for those that don't, a bit of tweaking can improve it dramatically. Having now reviewed products at both ends of Moondrop's price range, I can say that I think they have done some good things across the entire product range, but the higher end models have definitely had a bit more time and energy spent on tuning. The Spaceship falls a bit short a greatness, but for the price is a solid offering and with a few EQ tweaks can be quite good.

MOONDROP SPACESHIP REVIEW :

SOUND: 7/10
CONSTRUCTION: 8/10
DESIGN: 7.5/10
VALUE: 7.5/10

MOONDROP audio company have been around for years and begin by creating very well received earbuds like the VX PRO, Nameless or flagship Libesleid. After this earbuds period, they begin creating interesting earphones like the Kanas Pro and Crescent.

I personally just own their Nameless earbuds, wich impress me for their airy and vast soundstage. Today I will review their entry level earphones call SPACESHIP wich replace other entry level model CRESCENT.

Selling for 20$, the Spaceship is very affordable. It use a 6mm microdynamic drivers and have a beautifull chrome plated brass metal housing. Now let’s see how it sound.

The SPACESHIP can be buy directly from Ali express Moondrop STORE

DISCLAIMER: I wanna thanks Moondrop for contacting me and sending me this free review sample. I was very intrigue about their Kanas iem, so I can't say no to try their entry level iem either. As always, i'm fully independant and fully keep my subjective integrity as an unbiased reviewer.



INFO & SPECS :
Brand Name: MOONDROP

• Connectors: 3.5mm
  
  
• Control Button: No
  
  
• Active Noise-Cancellation: No
  
  
• Style: In-Ear
  
  
• Communication: Wired
  
  
• Vocalism Principle: Dynamic
  
  
• Volume Control: No
  
  
• Wireless Type: None
  
  
• Codecs: None
  
  
• Support Memory Card: No
  
  
• With Microphone: No
  
  
• Model Number: SPACESHIP
  
  
• Resistance: 16Ω
  
  
• Frequency Response Range: 20-40000Hz
  
  
• Function: Common Headphone
  
  
• Function: For Mobile Phone
  
  
• Function: HiFi Headphone
  
  
• Sensitivity: 104dB
  
  
• Waterproof: No
  
  
• Is wireless: No
  
  
• Line Length: 1.2m
  
  
• Plug Type: Line Type
  
  
• Support APP: No
  

ACCESSORIES, CONSTRUCTION & DESIGN :



UNBOXING is minimalist and on par of what we can expect at this price range. Still, its nice to have a little carrying pouch at this price. The rest of accessories is 3 pair of silicon eartips.



CONSTRUCTION is very nice and surpass what we can expect for a 20$ iem. The housing is made of thick glossy metal, have an appealing oval shape and is very small. This type of housing is very durable and promess trustable sturdiness. The cable is basic but of good quality too with a metal jack.




DESIGN is mostly well thinked, especially for the small housing size that can benifit people searching for an iem for sleeping on. Its very comfortable to wear and will fit any ears size. Still, this iem is thinked to be wear cable down, wich create serious microphonic noise. Wearing it over ears solve part of this problem.

ISOLATION is average and there is some noise leakage due to 2 venting hole under the housing.

DRIVEABILITY is quite easy at 16ohm impedance and slightly low 104db sensitivity.

SOUND :



SUBJECTIVE SOUND APPRECIATION is a so-so one that work for me half of the time depending of the music style that is playing. For near anything that got electric or acoustic guitar, I find the Spaceship quite capable and enjoyable, but for anything that need bass energy, I find them to sound too flat and dry. The Spaceship have an intimate soundstage and basic imaging that make them sound dark and laid back, with important emphasis on mid range that is just slightly brigh but very soft in attack avoiding sibilance but excitment too. I wasn’t mean to love the Spaceship lean mid centric and relaxed soundsignature but more I listen to them more I became accustomed to their sound that have just enough punch in mid bass and extra upper treble crispness to make them enjoyable. The tuning is cohesive, timbre is transparent and treble can give (much needed) extra excitment time to time when the music you listen take advantage of it. No wow effect, no head banging, no fascinating musical contemplation, the Spaceship do not make me travel far but make it at least for a safe ride.

SOUNDSTAGE is rather compressed, and avoid to be stock in your head due to some spacial deepnest, still, its intimate and not airy.

IMAGING too is compressed, instruments are very near one to eachother to the point of mixing togheter time to time, I find it hard to take apart instrumental in anything that have more than 4 instruments, for pop, rock or folk it wasn’t a big issue.

BASS is flat, transparent, slightly dry and have little bump in mid bass to give a soft punch and extra separation from the rather anemic sub bass that have notable drop before 20hz. Control of sub bass is a little sloppy wich affect tonal realism of bass line. Mid bass is quite tigh and avoid warming the lower treble too much, the kick is more weighty than punchy, making the attack retained.


MID RANGE have more presence but is darkish due to a soft timbre that lack details. Vocal sound transparent, thin in timbre, clear and polished. They aren’t full bodied or thick, and lack a sens of naturalness making them a little lifeless in rendering. Instrument like violin or piano too lack liveliness and texture. Attack is too soft, wich affect instrument separation and accuracy. Strangely, electric guitar sound quite good, not too strident and quite clear, giving them extra presence as if it was tuned for rock music.

TREBLE is smooth and delicate, with extra presence in upper range that can benifit percussions or acoustic guitar by giving them extra brilliance. Still, its not very sparkly and you will not have lot of decay. Level of details is average as well as overall clarity. The Spaceship aren’t agressive sounding or too peaky, in fact whole sound is danger free and super polished.

SUB BASS : 6/10
MID BASS : 7/10
MID RANGE : 7.5/10
TREBLE : 7/10
TIMBRE : 7.5/10
ATTACK-DECAY : 6.5/10
SOUNDSTAGE : 6/10
IMAGING : 6.5/10
CLARITY : 7/10



COMPARAISONS :

VS KBEAR KB06 (30$) :



Compared to KB06, the SPACESHIP to offer notably smaller soundstage and for a spacial ship, it do not have a big space to travel into either, while KB06 is above average for its little price and offer more space between instrument, or more specifically between low, mids and highs frequencies range. BASS is as well more authoritative and pumped up with the KB06, making the Spaceship sound more neutral and flatter and lack in lower bass extension. MID RANGE have as much presence but due to more spacious separation, vocal and instrument do not mix as much with KB06 wich keep them cleaner and offer greater definition. TREBLE is more extended with emphasis in upper highs for the Spaceship, wich give it extra sparkle KB06 lack, classical guitar or harp have more brilliance, but the attack is less energic than KB06 wich make overall listen flatter and less exciting than KB06.


VS FINAL AUDIO E1000 (30$) :



Both similarly priced, the Spaceship win in term of built quality because of its sturdy metal housing compared to cheap plastic one of E1000. In other hand, I find the Final Audio cable to do less microphonic as well as being easier to fit properly over ear.
SOUNDSTAGE is wider with E1000 and deeper with Spaceship. IMAGING is more accurate with E1000 and offer a more spacious layering in whole spectrum range compared to Spaceship that struggle with instrument separation in a balanced way.
BASS is weightier and punchier with E1000, timbre is warmer and thicker too while Spaceshipp sound dry and more transparent, lacking in impact and rumble compared to E1000 but in dynamic separation too. MID RANGE is slightly more recessed (or balanced?) with the E1000 but offer more details and better instrument separation than the more mid foward Spaceship wich have thinner timbre. When vocal occur, it tend to overshadow other instruments unlike the E1000 that treat whole mid range in a flatter more accurate way. TREBLE is more emphased in lower and mid highs with E1000 while Spaceship have a peak in upper highs that offer more brilliance to percussions and microdetails but sound more artificial and metallic than E1000 wich offer lusher sound experience.

CONCLUSION :




Fairly priced at 20$, the Spaceship offer a smooth mid centric sound with good transparency. The small housing as well as gently laid back sound is perfect for sleeping time. While its neither the most revealing, exciting or accurate sounding iem in its price range, the Spaceship will please audio enthusiast that listen to rock, folk and instrumental music. I find this earphones very music genre specific, so it most be noted that it will neither suit bass lover or details lover. All in all, at this little price, we can’t complaint.

Moondrop Spaceship Review – Under The Milky Way

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Moondrop Spaceship are a well-designed, well-built, brightish and clean sounding earphone with a great timbre. Rewarding for people who can stomach a bit of upper midrange.


INTRODUCTION

Moondrop are an upsurging earphone company from Chengdu, Sichuan, China, that keeps impressing the iem world with their line of innovative earphones. The $109 Starfield single DD model is one of the current favourites with experts alike in the mid-tier category [my review]. But Moondrop always appear to have a good sounding budget model in their offerings, last year the $30 Crescent [my review], and now the $20 Spaceship.

I put this right into the intro: the Starship is worth its money alone for its beautiful design, feel, and metal build. At a mere $20, we don’t even have to discuss its sonic capabilities. But we will.


SPECIFICATIONS




PHYSICAL THINGS AND USABILITY

The Moondrop Spaceship come with a nifty case even, and three pairs of eartips (S/M/L/). The cable is fixed.

The earpiece feature the shape of a hair dryer, they are very small and very comfortable in my ears. Isolation is ok. Build is all metal, including audio connector — and very good. Hard to believe that this is found in such a budget model. A very fine haptic.





No “upgrade” of any kind is necessary, as the largest eartips fit me well. The Spaceship is driven by my iPhone SE (integrated audio/Apple dongle = approx. same) well. As with every micro driver, they need a bit of juice.


TONALITY AND TECHNICALITIES

My tonal preference and testing practice

My 80 test tracks explained




To keep this section short: this is a premium earphone with a slightly sloppy (that is slowish) bass and a weird 2 kHz peak to brighten the sound image up and introduce a bit of harshness to sensitive ears. I call it premium because the technalities and build are very good. Even the packaging is very appealing, although I don’t care about that, usually.

Yes, there is enough bass, although it is not as extended as some wished…which really does not matter in the mix. That hump at around 80 Hz makes the bass marginally boomy but never wooly or syrupy. The dose makes the poison at the low end: driver is not the fastest but bass is not overdone in quantity. Pass!

Midrange is NOT recessed, great tuning, but a weird peak at 2 kHz was introduced by the tuner(s). I assume this peak is meant to counter the bass hump and it works well in that it brightens up the sound, especially towards the lower end of the midrange. Midrange is neutral whereas the bass is warmish. Vocals are clear and crisp, and a tad pointy. Transition from warm bass to neutral midrange is a bit abrupt, something I had disliked in my review of the $180 Kanas Pro edition. BUT: this little faux pass is highly forgivable at this price.

Treble is also dosed just right and surprising well resolving. Cymbals are nicely differentiated. The treble can compete with much more expensive earphones. Well done!

Alls this yields a sound that is between neutral/bright and warm.

But it is the technicalities that are impressive: soundstage is wide and reasonably tall – I find the tallness of the stage problematic for so many single DD budget earphones. Depth of stage is also good — here the bass comes in handy. This results in good spatial cues. Note definition and detail resolution are great in the midrange and treble — and they lag a bit at the low end in comparison. Attack is really astonishing for such small drivers. These Spaceships have more life in them than, let’s say, the highly praised Pioneer CH3. And my favourite, timbre, that is the live of natural reproduction is more than just satisfying.

From a practical point of view, these microdrivers are best suited for refined music that requires good resolution: orchestras, jazz ensembles, folk bands, or ethnic beats. They are obviously less impressive when attempting to blow one’s ears off with more rustic tunes by, let’s say, Pearl Jam, AC/DC, the Sex Pistols, or Norwegian death metal — at full volume. But this is equally valid for any micro driver. In this respect, the “larger” Moondrop Crescent handle(d) these more “robust” sounds better.


CONCLUDING REMARKS

The Moondrop Spaceship are totally underrated jewels. I am not known for my recommendations, in fact I detest reviewers doing that. On the other hand, I like cheap stuff of good quality and would like to give good advice. The Starfield are an earphone of excellent quality considering their offsale price. Seriously folks, if you are not overly sensitive to 2 kHz, run and get your own personal Spaceship. 20 bucks well spent in every respect. And get one for your wife/husband, too, before Moondrop terminates them – as happened to their Cresent.

Until next time…keep on listening!




You find an INDEX of all our earphone reviews HERE.


DISCLAIMER

I thank Moondrop in Chengdu for supplying the review unit upon my request.

Product Link: MOONDROP Official Store

Manufacturer’s Website: Moondrop Co.



Our generic standard disclaimer.

About my measurements.

My background- I am a professional musician, producer and audio engineer with experience in the performing, recording and pro-audio industry. I test products on a technical and musical level and try to write reviews as simple as possible from a music fan's perspective.

Disclaimer – The sample was given to me to test and review. I am not affiliated with the seller or company in any way and write this review with my best unbiased opinion regardless of how the review turns out.

*Rated by keeping price in context*

Genre preferences- I majorly listen to rock, acoustic, pop, metal, and occasionally popular EDM songs.



Specifications-

• Driver – Micro-Dynamic Driver (PEEK & PU)
• Impedance: 16Ω±15%
• Frequency response range: 20-40KHz
• Plug: 3.5mm Line Type
• Quality control range: ±1.5dB
• Sensitivity: 104dB@1kHz
• Transducer: 6mm
• Wire: 4N Litz oxygen free copper

If you like, it is available for purchase here - Moondrop Spaceship


Included in the box – Spaceship’s box is minimalistic like similarly priced Sennheiser earphones. Besides the earphones, it includes a set of SML tips, a pouch and manuals.



Build Quality - The built quality of Spaceship is quite ahead compared to similar earphones in its price range. Where earphones from other brands in this segment are made of plastic, Spaceship has chrome plated CNC milled brass shells.

The cable is the regular rubber sheath kind and isn’t removable but is thicker and feels better made than its competition. It does have microphonics though but so do most earphones around this price as well as. Looking at the price, I can’t be too picky here.



Fit and Comfort – You’ll be surprised to see how small and cute the shells are. For me, I use the largest ear tips supplied with the package. As I’m used to bigger shells filling up my concha, these smaller shells took a few minutes to get used to and right after I couldn’t even feel them in my ear. That’s how light they are. Also, I can lie down sideways, sink into my pillow and watch movies with these in my ears and not worry about ear pain or damaging the shells. I also tested them in my evening runs, doing all sorts of crazy head movements to see if the shells fall out. To my surprise, they didn’t. I did get weird funny stares from older people who couldn’t figure out what I was up to. Anyway, I reckon they’ll work well as earphones for your workout routine too.




Sound – Spaceship loosely follows Moondrop’s house tuning which is based around the Harman Target curve but deviates from it enough to not sound like a cheaper version of its older brother KXXS. It’s a very nice clean sounding earphone with a slight tilt towards the upper-midrange peak defining its character.

Even though the impedance rating is 16Ω, because of relatively lower sensitivity at 104dB, they need a bit more push than average 16 Ohmers but most smartphones should be able to drive them to dangerously loud levels comfortably.

Also, at $20 one can’t expect a $500 sound and being nitpicky at this price is just a moot point. Yet I’ve mentioned areas that I felt Spaceship could improve on for it to be the perfect $20 earphone. Nevertheless, Spaceship’s performance to price ratio is very high, it being one of the best looking/built, and very good sounding earphones at the $20 mark.

Let’s dig in deeper to find out more…

Bass – Spaceship’s bass is quite flat and not as present or balanced as compared to KXXS and other similar Harman tuned earphones. Bass starts falling off around 75Hz and as a result, sub-bass and low bass is not as present. Yet in songs like Hans Zimmer’s ‘Why so serious’ you can nicely hear the sub-bass in the section post 3:27 but you’ll have to turn up the volume to feel it rumble your ears. The natural rumble in most songs at average volume levels is not as strong as I like. Mid-bass makes up the rest of the bass character pretty well. It sounds natural and the notes are clean and clear.

Mids – Mids are the nice thin kind, a bit like the KXXS. They sound natural with a signature more defined by the upper mids than the lower mids. Lower mids sound clean and upper mids peak at around 3kHz brings extra presence and clarity to vocals and stringed instruments. Because the bass is not as present, the upper mids prominence can feel slightly peaky in some songs when listening at louder levels, particularly the songs which have more presence around that region. But barring that, the signature is clean, engaging and enjoyable.

Treble – Treble extends decently well giving the instruments the required sheen to shine. Cymbals like hi-hats and acoustic guitars have good presence which keeps them snappy and exciting. There are no intrusive peaks which keeps the treble smooth and non-intrusive. No sibilance at all.


Soundstage, Imaging, Separation & Resolution– Soundstage is on the average side. It is decently wide but not as deep. Imaging is not the sharpest but is still pretty decent for this segment. Separation and resolution are particularly good for the price you’re paying.





Comparisons –

Spaceship vs Sennheiser CX180 – Honestly, right off the bat, CX180 sounds plastic-y in comparison. Spaceship simply sounds like a superior earphone. The build quality of Spaceship is better too with CX180 being made of plastic and the cable being thinner too. CX180 too does not have a lot of bass presence either, its upper mids peak is not as prominent, yet CX180 ends up sounding a bit harsh and unrefined in the upper register in comparison to the Spaceship. Spaceship has better resolution, separation and imaging.

Spaceship vs CCA C10 – C10 is twice the price of Spaceship and may not be the best for comparison but it is a popular earphone in the below $50 segment, so I thought it was fit to include in here. C10 has more bass presence and snappier treble. Spaceship has a nice thin mids signature whereas C10 sounds fuller. C10 treble is thinner, more present and can sometimes be a bit too sparkly. Cymbals are more prominent in C10 whereas Spaceship has them relatively smooth. Both are very good value at their prices.


Conclusion – At $20, it doesn’t hurt to give any earphone a try. But Spaceship is one that does a lot of things good and very little bad. Except for bass lightness, because of which the upper mids feel slightly more in comparison, Spaceship does everything really well for the price. It certainly is one of the best looking and built earphones in its segment with CNC milled brass chrome plated shells which sort them out for rugged use. They sound just as fine too with a very clean and engaging sound. In the race with Sennheisers and other similar brands at $20, Spaceship’s performance to price ratio is very good and you should definitely give it a try when you’re looking for a nice cheap set of earphones for rugged or OTG use.


Gear used for testing and review –

• Macbook Pro
• Hiby R6 Pro
• Oneplus 7 Pro + BGVP T01

In this quick review, I’ll do a shoot-out between the newly released Moondrop Spaceship and the popular Final Audio Design E1000. First off, I purchased both of these earphones through Amazon and 46 Audio websites, however the Moondrop Spaceship will be transferred over to someone else after this review is complete.



Moondrop is a Chinese brand that has made some really well-liked earphones (both IEM and earbuds) that have been tuned to their preferential tuning, which is quite similar to the Harman Target Curve. Their products have ranged from $10 to $330 ear buds and $20 to $666 in-ear monitors, with the most popular models being the Kanas Pro and the A8. The Spaceship is the newest and cheapest of the Moondrop in-ear lineup.









Final Audio Design is a Japanese company that has a large lineup of in-ear monitors, and a few headphones including the D8000 Planar Magnetic over-ear. Their entry level E-series IEMs are extremely popular as well as the included E-tips which can also be purchased separately. The E1000 is the latest and cheapest model in this series which featured the E2000 and E3000.









What’s Included


Both IEMs feature the IEMs, a series of tips, and a boxed packaging. The Moondrop Spaceship also comes with a fabric pouch and a few cards. The tips that are included with the Final E1000 are extremely popular, as mentioned previously, and are one of nicer tips available on the market, and retail for $15 on their own. So, the $25 price tag for the Final E1000 is quite nice considering this fact.



The Moondrop Spaceship comes in a very nice metal shell that is much smaller in-person that you may be led in photos. It’s simple, yet attractive and reflects everything. The cable is simple and non-detachable, but quite usable. It also features metal splitter and connectors.



In contrast, the Final E1000 has a very cheap plastic shell, thinner and more crude looking cable, but does terminate in a 90 degree 3.5mm connector, which is quite handy for using on the go. Unfortunately, that little win doesn’t take the battle here. The Spaceship’s build, cable quality, and accessory package wins here, handedly.



Sound


Both the Final E1000 and Moondrop Spaceship feature their own musical style though they do have some similarities. Both are on the lighter side in terms of bass and warmth and are more treble focused.









The E1000 sounds rather hollow. It is a little warmer sounding than the Spaceship but that’s really due to the fact that its mid-range is really unacceptable. Its flat, and sounds missing and recessed. There’s also a spike in the treble region that can cause problems with harshness occasionally, but I found this could change vastly with tips and insertion depth. But the problem still lies in the non-coherent mids, where I feel like the region after 1K and before 5K is just missing, and causes that hollow sound.



The Moondrop Spaceship, on the other hand, has much more midrange presence and that makes vocals clean, clear and more natural. It is a tad light on the bass end, but does feature a mid-bass hump that is enough to provide a little punch, when needed. Still, I found it could be a little warmer. So, instead, the Moondrop tries to approach a more Diffuse Field tuning, and for the most part it does it pretty well. Given, it’s $20 price tag, it’s really hard to kick at it for being a little bass-light and maybe a little too boosted that could some people leaving fatigued from brightness, but for me, I find it good to listen to for a period of time.



Both of these in-ears have pretty narrow soundstage and imaging is not the best. I find the Spaceship quite a bit more resolving than the E1000, and generally just easier to listen to and to perform better in all aspects. It’s not much of a contest as I had hoped going into this review, when I purchased the E1000 and then a short time after, the Spaceship.



Overall
At the end of the day, this is a really easy showdown. I like the Spaceship in pretty much every single way. It’s also less expensive. Easy peasy. It’s not a tuning for everyone, let’s just make that really clear. But if you’re looking for a lighter signature that is vocal focused, this one isn’t that bad of a choice for $20.



If you want a more bassy, richer, warmer and more exciting in-ear at budget pricing, take a look at a few others. Let’s talk about those now.









The Focal Spark


The Spark is a budget Focal that has seen some wild sales where they go as low as $20, which is much less than their original $79 price. I picked it up for $20 on Amazon last year and found them to be a very good V-Shape at that price. Extremely good to be honest. Fast transients, warm, rich sound, and a V-shape that isn’t too muddy.









Sony MH755

The Sony freebie is exceptionally good for $6-8. It’s included free with their Bluetooth adapters, and a similar model, the MH750, is included with their cell phones. It’s a warm, bassy yet quite coherent in-ear that is quite a bit bassier and warmer than the Harman Target but has a similar upper-midrange and treble curve. It’s a steal for $6 on eBay.







And now the real conclusion…
I’d take either the Focal or Sony over the Spaceship and E1000 in my battle of the Bullets, though I find the Spaceship quite good at $20, especially if you want a leaner sounding in-ear. Really, that and the Sony can be perfect partners for under $30. Not too bad.

Moondrop is a respected name in the budget earphones/IEM scene. Their releases typically stand out in their respective price brackets. I test their Spaceship and share my findings below.

Packaging/Accessories: Unique and interesting for the price. The IEMs came in a colorful plastic box, depicting the Earth from outer space. Inside there are 3 pairs of silicone tips, a fabric pouch, an instruction manual, and an ‘Introduction’ card. The plastic material is thin and brittle, it got cracked during shipment.


Build Quality: Nice, smooth finish on the earpieces. Good weight that aspires confidence without taking comfort away. The cable is thick, the splitter and plug are nicely done in stainless steel, above the norm for this price range. Supplied silicone tips are soft and comfortable.

Fit and Comfort: The small form factor is a fresh change amidst the many multi-driver IEMs in the market. I found the best fit with the supplied M tips, and I am confident any user should be able to find a tip that fits them well. They are comfortable to wear for a long time.


Listening Preferences: I listen to jazz, blues, classic rock, some reggae and pop. Natalie Cole, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Andrea Bocelli, The Eagles, Scary Pockets, and others lent their music for this review.

Tuning/Sound Signature: I would say they are neutral-warm. They are not bass-heavy. If only they have more extended treble, I will say they are neutral, but they don’t. So in my humble opinion, this is neutral-warm.

‘Moondrop Co.’ etched on the splitter.
Sources: Spotify and YouTube HD on a 2016 iPad Pro to represent portable setup. FLAC, WAV, and 320kbps MP3 with Vox player on a 2011 MacBook Pro and Burson Playmate to represent desktop setup for scalability.

Soundstage: The soundstage painted by the Spaceship is about average for IEMs. There is some layering, but not too deep of a stage. Definitely doesn’t feel cramped, overall pleasing to listen to.

• 
• 

There is a definite resemblance to hair dryer.

Highs: The highs are pleasant to listen to. They are friendly to most types of music and most sources. There is no sibilance detected, but they roll off around 10kHz or so. While not airy, they have plenty of highs to sound vibrant and lively.

Mids: I love the mids on these. The single dynamic driver construction lends to natural timbre and relaxed mids. Vocals sound great, female and male vocals have solid ‘body’ and presence. They sound polite, piano sounds great, but crunchy blues-rock is lacking the ‘bite’.


They are meant to be inserted deep into the ear canal.

Lows: The bass leans toward ‘boomy’ than it is ‘punchy’. The Spaceship is definitely not for basshead. Some faster bass lines sound ‘one note’ like a subwoofer in a box that’s too small. Maybe this petite form factor is to blame. The bass, however, extends low enough for most genre.

Scalability: They open up and have more ‘authority’ with the more powerful front end. I feel they have low sensitivity despite the low impedance. Using my desktop setup brings improvement but portable users are not really missing much, you just need to crank the volume a little bit more.

Conclusion: For the natural timbre and balanced tuning, they are worth the asking price. The form factor is nice and refreshing. The package is interesting and makes you feel special. If you listen to jazz, blues, and acoustic genres, I highly recommend this one over those multi-drivers IEM in the price range of $20-$25.

Note: This was a personal purchase. I am not affiliated with the manufacturer or distributor of this product. The above is my personal opinion, and subject to change as my knowledge, experience, and associated equipment grow. Please feel free to comment with any input or question. Thank you for reading!

Pardon some hairline scratches on this few months old unit:

A fresh start can be repeated multiple times just like how each school year opens up to a new day. One of the many companies that have been floating around the audiophile scene is taking in the repeated fresh start approach. MoonDrop as an audiophile brand has slowly gained traction with their consecutive IEM hits like the Kanas, Kanas Pro and the KXXS. While I haven’t tested out those mentioned IEMs, my first contact with MoonDrop was with their flagship earbud model, the Liebesleid which showed phenomenal build quality and design. I have since then been intrigued by the brand so when the chance came up to test out one of their products, I immediately said yes.
Shenzhen Audio sent in the MoonDrop Spaceship in exchange for an honest review and no monetary and special request factors are involved. The MoonDrop Spaceship is currently priced at $21.99 with the mic cable and $19.99 for the standard cable and can be purchased directly off the official Shenzhen Audio website.

The MoonDrop Spaceship is spec’d with a single 6mm dynamic driver, a 20 to 40 kHz Frequency Response, 16 Ohm Impedance and 104 dB Sensitivity. MoonDrop clearly made the Spaceship to hit the entry level market and hopes that it takes off. Let’s go for a ride and see where we end up.

The MoonDrop Spaceship surprisingly comes in nice packaging that I have been accustomed to seeing on the KZ, TRN, CCA and Tripowin mafia. By nice I mean a clear plastic case with well-written prints and a refreshing ocean blue gradient. The accessory set is minimal but functional which includes a gray velvet carry case and a set of translucent gray eartips (S, M and L).
The shape and finish of the Spaceships’ shell is the foremost indication as to why this IEM is named as such. This is one of my biases, a bullet-type design which personally gives me great comfort and ease of use. The shell itself features a silver mirror finish which doesn’t come when I try to aggressively remove it using my nails and the joined parts shows no evidence of glue or any bonding material. The nozzle has no lip but it surprisingly was able to hold eartips in place unlike others that also lack the nozzle.
The stock cable is not detachable but is made of 4N Litz OFC, the y-split has the same metallic finish as the shell with the “MoonDrop Co.” printed on it and the 3.5mm housing also sports the same metallic finish. There is considerable microphonic noise when moving often and in touch with your shirt/body.


Tonality and Isolation

Pumping out with DeadMau5’s Cat Thruster in 16/44 FLAC for the low-end performance test immediately reveals the Spaceships’ lack of low-end power and attack. Its sub bass was nimble and thin sounding resulting in a less than thumpy mid bass. The overall bass performance gives the Spaceship a soft and clean low-end. While it doesn’t give the impact and power that bassheads would like, it also doesn’t congest and bleed toward the succeeding frequencies which would have created issues for the Spaceship.

The MoonDrop Spaceship relies on its detailed midrange to do the brunt of the work needed to make it sound decent and not spiral downwards out of contention. Lana Del Ray’s Cherry in 16/44 FLAC sounded smooth and clear. The lower midrange is laid-back and doesn’t give out a full bodied sound but still does its work in the midrange just by the fact that it lets the female vocals push through cleanly. The upper midrange is well-controlled and open. This Spaceship will accompany you well on your workplace and the occasional sneaky spare time that you have.

Just when you think the low-end and the midrange of the Spaceship is relaxed, in comes its high frequencies and it’s like an alarm clock which, instead of ringing furiously, it hums calmly and brings you back to sleepiness. Maroon 5’s Harder to Breathe in 16/44 FLAC was used to test out the highs and while the “bring back to sleepiness” was an exaggeration, the Spaceships’ treble is indeed mellow and borderline soft. Sibilance, sparkle and extension is a no show for the Spaceship. I could easily recommend this as a daily on the go IEM with its non-fatiguing highs, like who needs more stress already?

The Spaceships' soundstage is tilted towards intimacy despite having a small footprint which doesn't give the best passive noise cancelling effect. It is easy to get lost in the track that you are playing with and imaging also hovers around being soft and lacking pinpoint accuracy. The left to right and right to left panning is observable though.

The MoonDrop Spaceship still showcases the metallic design language signature of the MoonDrop brand and it feels and looks premium overall without trying so hard. Its asking price and build quality is also well-positioned to give the Spaceship a fighting chance in its bracket. The midcentric sound that it gives off coupled with an easy going treble completes the package which results in an easy recommendation for the Spaceship for audiophiles looking to have an entry level IEM to add to their collection.

Greetings!

Today we're checking out one of Moondrop's most affordable products, the micro-dynamic equipped Spaceship.

Moondrop is a brand that has skyrocketed in popularity among forum goers thanks to their excellent performance per dollar products and unique Anime girl packaging. The Spaceship was my first experience with one of their products and immediately cemented them as a brand worth following. After all, not many brands can tune a 6mm dynamic this well, nor do they commonly install them in uber compact, chromed brass housings.

Let's take a closer look at why I enjoy the Spaceship so much, and think everyone should have one in their stable of earphones.


What I Hear Moondrop is a brand that tends to tune closely to the Harman target. The Spaceship is no different, though it deviates enough to give it it some character.

Treble has a very clean presentation with good note control and no splashiness. Notes attack quickly and decay realistically. The slightly lean presentation leaves plenty of space and air between notes. This allows the Spaceship to confidently handle congested tracks comfortably. Emphasis is somewhat moderate in the brilliance region with the presence region carrying most of the presentation. This gives the Spaceship plenty of detail, though it's not enough to be considered analytic and won't be outshining or competing with something like the EarNiNE EN2J. I really enjoy the overall upper range presentation here. It is very clean and mature without feeling boosted for the sake of artificially enhancing clarity.

The midrange is slightly boosted with a peak at around 2K. Vocals have a tendency to stick out but also lean slightly towards a thinner presentation. There's enough warmth to keep them from sounding cold and dry. Sibilance is present but not aggressively so, even on Aesop Rock's “Blood Sandwich” which is very unforgiving to sibilant earphones. The Spaceship's mids are very articulate too, keeping up with stupidly fast but well enunciated rappers like Eminem or K.A.A.N, though fine details seem to be smoothed over just a hint. Not the most resolving midrange, but satisfying nonetheless. Timbre is also fairly accurate with the mid/upper-mid bump introducing a subtle tinniness that throws things slightly off kilter.

Bass out of the Spaceship isn't going to set you alight, though I find the quality outstanding for something in this price range. Extension is good but roll off is present before you hit those seriously deep notes. Moondrop plays to this with a pleasing midbass bump that showcases the 6mm's snappy attack, impressive control, and punchy behaviour. I found it pretty quick to react to the sort of rapid bass common to metal, keeping each note well defined instead of smearing them together as slower, less resolving drivers are apt to do. Texturing is also quite good with grungy notes from bands like The Prodigy sounding appropriately dirty. My only complaint levied at the low end is that mild roll off, but that's pretty common to the driver style so no huge surprise.

The Spaceship's sound stage is pretty typical for a 6mm micro dynamic in my experience. Wide and somewhat shallow with good instrument separation and adequate layering ability. Imaging is good with clean channel-to-channel transitions that allow you to accurately track movement. While not my first choice for gaming, the Spaceship works in pinch.

Overall, I've been pretty enthralled with the Spaceship and feel they're right up there with the best micro-dynamic earphones I own. For the price they're pretty much a no brainer with bass quantity/extension being the only thing that might disappoint buyers looking for something with a bit more umph, though I find it perfectly adequate.


Compared To A Peer

ADV 1M (19.99 USD): The 1M and Spaceship are shockingly similar in a number of ways. 6mm micro dynamic, sub-30 USD, fixed cable, metal shells, basic accessory kit, and a tuning that is pretty much interchangeable. Most of the above comments on sound apply to the 1M with a couple differences; the Spaceship has slightly cleaner, better controlled treble with a hint less upper treble emphasis. The 1M provides more subbass emphasis. Mids out of the Spaceship are a hint smoother and more refined. Other than that they're pretty darn comparable with differences that are not sweepingly huge.

When it comes to build and comfort the Spaceship is ahead for me. The 1M has nicely constructed aluminum shells that are extremely tiny. They don't look or feel as nice in the hand as the Spaceship though. The cable too is a step back thanks to the amount of noise it transmits. I do like the rubber above the split, cloth below, despite typically detesting cloth cables. ADV's sheath feels tightly wound and hasn't started fraying yet, despite owning it almost as long as the Spaceship. Comfort is basically identical between the two, but I give the Spaceship the nod because it is easier to insert and remove. The 1M isn't much larger than a medium tip, so getting a grip on it can be a challenge. Some will definitely prefer it over the Spaceship though because you can lay on your side quite comfortably while listening to music. The Spaceship's length is less ideal for that.

My preference is for the Spaceship, but if you can't find one buy the 1M instead.

KB EAR KB04 (39.99 USD): The KB04 has a much more authoritative low end with better extension and subbass presence, though I give texture and speed to the Spaceship. Mids of the Spaceship are more forward and consistent in presentation regardless of the vocalist, with better timbre to boot. The KB04 has more shimmer and sparkle in the upper treble, but also has a more dry, brittle feel in the lower treble. It also provides a bit more detail and has a snappier decay than the Spaceship, it just doesn't sound quite as good imo. The Spaceship has a wider but more shallow sound stage. Vocals sit slight further from the inner ear and sounds displace further into the distance. The KB04 does a better job layering instrument and keep individual tracks elements from blending. These two are certainly quite comparable, but for my tastes the Spaceship is the one I'd rather listen to. What you lose in technical ability and emphasis at either end you gain back via a more cohesive, realistic sounding tune with significantly higher quality mids, imo.

When it comes to build and comfort I'll give the nod to the Spaceship, though the KB04 isn't far off with the removable cable winning back some favour. The Spaceship's chrome is of higher quality, seams are tighter, and the small, teardrop design better fitting and more stable. I prefer the KB04's cable thanks to it's resistance to transmitting noise while moving, and it can be replaced when it inevitably breaks.

As much as I enjoy the KB04, it's tuning isn't quite to my preference and the slightly unstable fit means they never quite disappear in the ear. The Spaceship on the other hand does a much better job of staying out of the way so you can enjoy your music, just be careful not to snag the fixed cable on anything.

Moondrop Starfield (109 USD): Despite the differences in price, tech, and design it's clear these two come from the same family. To my ears the Starfield sounds like a Spaceship with improvements all around. Treble is better extended and more detailed, though I do find the Spaceship to have a hint more control. Attack and decay properties are similar. The mids of the Starfield aren't quite as forward, but timbre is even more accurate and detailed improved slightly. Notes are also have bit more weight and authority to them. Bass out of the Starfield has a similar punch to the midbass but subbass emphasis is brought up. Texturing is also similar with a slight edge going to the Starfield. Sound stage is where the Starfield starts to walk away. It is similarly wide but with added depth. It images more cleanly and accurately with greatly improved layering, though instrument separation remains a strong point on both.

When it comes to build and comfort, I actually prefer the Spaceship, even if the Starfield is one of the most attractive earphones I've used to date. The Spaceship's tiny brass housings have slightly better fit and finish thanks to tighter seams. Plus, there is always the worry about paint chips with the Starfield, though mine still has none. I'll take the Starfield's cable any day of the week though. It has a clean 2-pin design with a quiet, thin lightweight sheath and comfortable preformed ear guides. The Starfield's comfort is a step behind though thanks to the size, weight, and a shallow fit that might necessitate tip rolling to find the most ideal setup.

The Starfield is a great upgrade from the Spaceship, though it also highlights how good the more affordable option is. If you want to try a Moondrop and had your heart set on the Starfield but can't afford it, get the Spaceship.


In The Ear The Spaceship is a compact little thing built to a very high standard. The brass, CNC'd shells are composed of two parts, neatly sealed together with a visible, but minimal seam. The twin vents along the underside of each housing are neatly machined and line up perfectly. Nothing off kilter here. The nozzles are long but lipless, so if tip rolling make sure you pick something that's lengthily and tight enough to stick firmly to the shaft. The drivers within are protected by well-fitted metal grills. Nothing more to talk about, except maybe the chromed finish which makes this budget friendly earphone look more expensive than it is.

Leading to the cable are long, flexible rubber reliefs that make Moondrop's decision to go with a fixed cable much more palatable. It also helps that the cable is reasonably thick with a tough rubber sheath both above and below the y-split. It feels pretty tough and over a year of use, has held up just fine. My only complaint is that it transmits a lot of noise from movement up into the ear. Avoidable by wearing them cable over ear, just one of the many benefits of a raindrop-shaped design. The cable's hardware is decent. While there is no chin cinch, the y-split is a piece of formed metal wrapped around a rubber inset. Laser engraved in tiny writing is “Moondrop Co.” Some strain relief would be nice, but the cable has shown itself to be quite durable so no big loss. The compact straight jack is featureless, though a flexible rubber relief sticks out the top and wraps around the cable doing a good job of protecting it from bends. Overall a good cable, minus the bland looks and noise transmission.

Comfort with the Spaceship is phenomenal. While the brass housings are fairly weighty for their size, the reasonably deep insertion means the weight is dispersed even within your ear. The long strain reliefs also help since they rest lightly against the ear, further balancing the weight. While I wouldn't use them while lying down, I can comfortably wear them for a few hours at a time with zero fatigue.

Isolation with the stock tips is quite good, even with all the venting. The deep insertion and dense materials successfully block outside noise from coming in, and keep your music from bleeding out. I've had no issues using these in noisy areas like the local coffee shop or on transit. As always, foam tips are recommended for the best possible isolation.


In The Box Since I bought my Spaceship early in it's release schedule, my packaging is a little outdated. It now comes in a more traditional (for Moondrop), stylized box with one of their amusing waifu characters that fits in better with the lineup. Since my example is out of date, let's just skip to the accessories. Inside you get:

• Spaceship earphones
• Fabric carrying bag
• Single flange tips (s/m/l)
• Shirt clip
• Owner's manual
• Insertion instruction card w/ waifu artwork

Overall a pretty standard accessory kit. All the documentation is in Mandarin and unfortunately illegible to my mono-lingual self. While the tips look pretty bog standard for a budget earphone, the material quality is better than average with improved flexibility and plushness. They actually seal exceptionally well and while I have tried numerous alternatives in my time with the Spaceship, I always came back to the stock mediums since they fit and pair so well with the earphone.

Final Thoughts The Spaceship is an underrated, underappreciated gem of an earphone that outperforms most of the competition in this price range. It is made from premium materials, looks much more expensive than it is, and has a well-balanced signature that should satisfy those who want something capable and more entertaining than what a typical neutral signature provides. While the fixed cable may be a turnoff, keep in mind that I'm reviewing this earphone after nearly a year of use. It still looks as good and works as well today as it did back then.

This one gets a pretty easy recommendation from me.

Thanks for reading!

- B9

**If you enjoyed this review, there are tons more to be found over on The Contraptionist.**

Disclaimer I purchased the Spaceship from the Moondrop Official Store on Aliexpress for 27.20 CAD back in June of 2019 for the purposes of review. Not a free sample, no discounts, just 6MM dynamic ordering a new earphone containing his favourite driver type. The thoughts within this review are my own subjective opinions based on nearly a year spent with the Spaceship. They do not represent Moondrop or any other entity. You can still order it through Moondrop here (28.62 CAD for the mic free version being reviewed): www.aliexpress.com/item/33040454925.html

Specifications

• Driver: 6mm dynamic with PU+PEEK diaphragm
• Impedance: 16ohms +/- 15%
• Sensitivity: 104dB @ 1kHz
• Frequency response range: 20Hz-40kHz
• Cable: Fixed 4N Litz OFC
• Housing: CNC'd brass

Gear Used For Testing LG Q70, Earstudio HUD100, Earmen TR-Amp, Asus FX53V, FiiO BTR3K, TEAC HA-501

Some Test Tunes

Supertramp – Crime of the Century
Slipknot – Vol 3 (The Subliminal Verses)
Daft Punk – Random Access Memories
Aesop Rock – The Impossible Kid
King Crimson – Lark's Tongues in Aspic
King Crimson – Starless and Bible Black
Infected Mushroom – Legend of the Black Shawarma
The Prodigy – The Day is My Enemy
Steely Dan – The Royal Scam
Porcupine Tree – Stupid Dreams