General Information
Sparks is the first true wireless earphones from Moondrop. It retails for 89.99 USD at the time of this listing.
-
Soundcore P3iTWS with decent ergonomics, ANC and good EQ options -
EPZ S80EPZ S80 Open Earphones HIFI True Wireless Bluetooth 5.3 Call Noise Reduction Waterproof IPX5... -
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4Hear more than music -
HIFIMAN Svanar Wireless LEHIFIMAN Svanar Wireless LE
-
Whizzer BS1BS1 is an open backed earphone offering from Whizzer. -
Xduoo XQ-50 ProA bluetooth DDC/DAC combo from xduoo with bluetooth as its only input. Features an OLED display...
-
TACables ObsidianTACables is a budget subbrand of Hakugei, dealing in cables. The Obsidian is the first...
-
CatEar Tuxedo IEM Upgrade CableCatEar Tuxedo is a premium IEM upgrade cable made of 252 cores of high-purity silver-plated OCC...
Moondrop Sparks TWS
- Added by machinegod
- Create date
Latest reviews
MOONDROP SPARKS – SETTING THE BENCHMARK
INTRODUCTION:
Moondrop Sparks is the budget TWS offering and this is their first-ever TWS release. The Sparks might seem lighter in terms of price but they sound way above the price point. They have crafted this TWS in a unique way and have given the special dynamic driver “BERYLLIUM COATED DOME WITH PU SUSPENSION RING”. Moondrop is known for their in-house Warm and Smooth sound which also attains that Harman target which I'm not a big fan of. But the Sparks is an example for the exception, where this sounds fantastic and in this review let's check out the sound in detail.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Frequency Response: 20- 20000Hz(IEC 60318-4)
Driver Unit: 6mm Dynamic Driver
Housing Material: ABS/PC
Diaphragm: Beryllium-Coated Dome + PU Suspension Ring
Driver Coil: 0.035mm-CCAW
Magnetic Circuit: (HEMC)improved High-Efficiency Magnetic Circuit+N52 Neodymium magnet
Acoustic Filter: Patented Anti Clogging Filter
Bluetooth Version: Bluetooth 5.2
Audio Transmission Formats: aptX Adaptive/aptX/AAC/SBC
Battery Capacity: Earphone 50mAh I Charging Case 700mAh
Playback time: 8 hours on earphone + 48 hours on charging case
Charging rating: 5V-500mA
Operation: Touch, Light + Voice prompt
Bluetooth Range: 10 meters
Supplier of Bluetooth PCBA: Self-developed
DISCLAIMER:
This unit has been provided to me as a part of a review circle organized by HiFiGo and I have not been influenced by the brand in anyway to manipulate this review. The whole view is based on my experience with it and based on my source and pairings. The views might differ from person to person.
DESIGN AND FIT:
The design of the sparks is unique in each way. The case is made out of complete transparent plastic and the good thing is that they possess that rubberized finish hence no scratches, smudges, or fingerprints. The rubber coating also acts as a water repellent in some cases. The earbuds are made out of plastic too which has that nice IEM kind of design.
The case lid has a nice satisfying click while closed and has a metallic hinge for longer durability. The case lid can be opened with a single hand and the branding is done on the top of the lid.
The earbuds faceplate has a nice sparkling design which is also transparent hence the charging LED tends to shine outside when it gets engaged. The LED in the case also shines outside when the earbuds are taken out and placed inside indicating the charge status.
The NFC tag is present in the back of the case and type-c port is provided in the back of the case at the bottom-most portion. Overall, it has a solid build quality and a unique-looking transparent design. The transparent lights may look flashy but overall a very solid design and build.
SOUND:
The sound signature of the sparks is a W-shaped profile with one of the best in terms of technicalities. Initially, I didn't have any big expectations from this TWS because it's from the Moondrop since I don't like most of their in-house sound profile especially the starfield. But after listening to this MAN! THIS THING IS CRAZY SOUNDING AND IT BECAME MY FAVOURITE TWS! In this review let's dive into detail into why I consider this is one of the superior sounding ones in the market.
LOW END:
The low end in the Sparks is well-tuned if not excellently tuned. The taste I prefer is more sub-bass than the mid-bass cause this gives that nice rumble sensation along with some faster response and clear replay of the tracks. The same impression is seen in the sparks.
SUB BASS: It’s just sweet. They are not overwhelming or underwhelming. Instead, this is the right spot for tuning. The rumble and the reach of the sub-bass are just marvelous. They did as deep as possible and gave that sensational rumble while still delivering that thumpy and tighter mid-bass thus even if the track is heavily loaded with bass they don’t sound muffled or congested. The replay of the tracks via the Sparks is just sublime. I haven’t heard this kind of sub-bass in the wired earphones at this price point.
In the track “WHY DO WE FALL – HANS ZIMMER '', this is the track I use to test whether the earphone can dig deeper and bring out that very subtle presence of rumble, and surprisingly the sparks did it very well with exceptional separation and control.
MID BASS: The mid-bass is at the right spot which doesn’t interrupt the midsection or make the low end muffled. The kick drums and the bass guitars are struck perfectly with excellent separation, control, texture, and tonality. The bass being precisely faster, the sparks are easily able to manage the faster and complex tracks keeping everything under control like the control and separation.
MID-RANGE:
The mid-range is nicely tuned here. The graph shows some recessed midrange but frankly, the whole presentation is presented nice and forward. Both the vocals and the instruments are nicely placed on the stage where there is enough room in terms of width giving a very spacious experience while listening. Most of the TWS struggles in the staging where they sound very closed or cramped but that's not the case with the sparks.
The vocals have that natural tonality. They sound vibrant and have that hint of brightness that gives the vocals life. The 3k peak does help give life to the vocals where that gives adequate brightness to the upper mids thus the whole experience is lively and engaging. The energetic factor is fantastic in the sparks where even the most boring tracks appeared satisfying in the sparks.
The timbre of the instruments are organic and not metallic giving a natural listening experience. The vocals have enough body from the mid-bass, they are not very thick rather they are precise and adequate in quantity thus the midrange sound very cleaner, spacious, and well separated.
The detail retrieval especially is fantastic for a TWS! They perceive even a minute detail in a track and replay it! The technical ability of this TWS is pretty comparable to a mid-tier audiophile-grade IEM!
Tracks Used:
The treble in the sparks is excellent. The TWS previously I have ever tried tend to lose in this region where they sound too sharp or very dull. The sparks just set a benchmark for the TWS where this thing just sounds sublime with a gracious amount of air and separation in this area. Combined with that incredible wired-level detail retrieval this thing is just an MVP.
First, the upper and the lower treble are equally balanced out and the brilliance factor it brings out is impeccable being a TWS. The sibilant is kept under control hence no sort of harshness or hotness is seen during my listening. The sparkle in the high end is pretty evident and they never sounded veiled or hazy. The highs extension is done very well with one of the best in terms of detail retrieval and resolution in a pair of TWS.
The cymbal strikes are pretty natural and smoother with precise attack and decay. The trumpets and the stringed instruments have that organic timbre giving this earphone a very natural sound. No sort of graininess is seen. Overall the treble is one of the best in the TWS market and comparable to that of the mid-tier wired IEM’s.
Tracks Used:
SOUNDSTAGE: The staging of the Sparks is wide and deep. The height may not be the expressive factor but the width is above average for a pair of TWS. The vocals however are presented in an intimate manner but the instruments in the background are separated nicely and wide. The depth of the staging is great too and thanks to that excellent sub-bass response which made the whole listening experience 3D hence the holographic staging is absent here.
IMAGING: The imaging is pretty precise too where the instruments can be easily pointed out even in the busier and faster tracks. The transient response and the instruments sweep from one channel to the other is smooth and neat. There is no point imaging hence the response seemed very smooth and clean.
Tracks Used:
OTHER FEATURES:
CALLING: The call quality is good enough and the receiver didn’t have any issues while speaking and the voice can be heard very clearly without any issues. In noisier surroundings the call quality tends to be slightly worse but that's the case with most of the TWS in the market out there.
BATTERY LIFE: 8+48 and the claimed value is more or less achievable with the volume at 50-60 percent.
VOLUME: Thankfully there is a lot of headroom available for volume and normally I tend to keep only at 40 percent indoors and max of 60 outdoors. Pretty loud enough and interestingly with iPhones the sparks tend to push more volume.
VERDICT:
Sparks, the first TWS offering from the house of Moondrop is overall the best offering in the TWS market. The Sparks just blew my mind and expectations with its class-leading sounding in the TWS market. The whole presentation and the sound profile felt very grand.
The sound is very good where at one point you will start to think that the sound is too good being a TWS! The low end is deliciously tuned where the sub-bass has more presence over the mid-bass while the mid rage takes the nice and center stage with wide instrument separation, the treble is as detailed as possible yet they kept the sibilant under control. The brilliance and the sparkle in the sparks are brought out excellent. The technicalities are the strongest aspect of the Sparks where they just excel most of the IEM and TWS in this price range.
Other features like the call quality which is pretty good, has NFC function, has various codec support like the Aptx and Aptx Adaptive too. The app is messy and not baked well but does the job by updating the firmware of the earbuds. The wireless charging and the ANC lack but I never use those things in my routine. Overall the sparks is an absolute banger product for the money and set a NEW SONIC BENCHMARK for all the TWS in the market out there!
INTRODUCTION:
Moondrop Sparks is the budget TWS offering and this is their first-ever TWS release. The Sparks might seem lighter in terms of price but they sound way above the price point. They have crafted this TWS in a unique way and have given the special dynamic driver “BERYLLIUM COATED DOME WITH PU SUSPENSION RING”. Moondrop is known for their in-house Warm and Smooth sound which also attains that Harman target which I'm not a big fan of. But the Sparks is an example for the exception, where this sounds fantastic and in this review let's check out the sound in detail.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Frequency Response: 20- 20000Hz(IEC 60318-4)
Driver Unit: 6mm Dynamic Driver
Housing Material: ABS/PC
Diaphragm: Beryllium-Coated Dome + PU Suspension Ring
Driver Coil: 0.035mm-CCAW
Magnetic Circuit: (HEMC)improved High-Efficiency Magnetic Circuit+N52 Neodymium magnet
Acoustic Filter: Patented Anti Clogging Filter
Bluetooth Version: Bluetooth 5.2
Audio Transmission Formats: aptX Adaptive/aptX/AAC/SBC
Battery Capacity: Earphone 50mAh I Charging Case 700mAh
Playback time: 8 hours on earphone + 48 hours on charging case
Charging rating: 5V-500mA
Operation: Touch, Light + Voice prompt
Bluetooth Range: 10 meters
Supplier of Bluetooth PCBA: Self-developed
DISCLAIMER:
This unit has been provided to me as a part of a review circle organized by HiFiGo and I have not been influenced by the brand in anyway to manipulate this review. The whole view is based on my experience with it and based on my source and pairings. The views might differ from person to person.
DESIGN AND FIT:
The design of the sparks is unique in each way. The case is made out of complete transparent plastic and the good thing is that they possess that rubberized finish hence no scratches, smudges, or fingerprints. The rubber coating also acts as a water repellent in some cases. The earbuds are made out of plastic too which has that nice IEM kind of design.
The case lid has a nice satisfying click while closed and has a metallic hinge for longer durability. The case lid can be opened with a single hand and the branding is done on the top of the lid.
The earbuds faceplate has a nice sparkling design which is also transparent hence the charging LED tends to shine outside when it gets engaged. The LED in the case also shines outside when the earbuds are taken out and placed inside indicating the charge status.
The NFC tag is present in the back of the case and type-c port is provided in the back of the case at the bottom-most portion. Overall, it has a solid build quality and a unique-looking transparent design. The transparent lights may look flashy but overall a very solid design and build.
SOUND:
The sound signature of the sparks is a W-shaped profile with one of the best in terms of technicalities. Initially, I didn't have any big expectations from this TWS because it's from the Moondrop since I don't like most of their in-house sound profile especially the starfield. But after listening to this MAN! THIS THING IS CRAZY SOUNDING AND IT BECAME MY FAVOURITE TWS! In this review let's dive into detail into why I consider this is one of the superior sounding ones in the market.
LOW END:
The low end in the Sparks is well-tuned if not excellently tuned. The taste I prefer is more sub-bass than the mid-bass cause this gives that nice rumble sensation along with some faster response and clear replay of the tracks. The same impression is seen in the sparks.
SUB BASS: It’s just sweet. They are not overwhelming or underwhelming. Instead, this is the right spot for tuning. The rumble and the reach of the sub-bass are just marvelous. They did as deep as possible and gave that sensational rumble while still delivering that thumpy and tighter mid-bass thus even if the track is heavily loaded with bass they don’t sound muffled or congested. The replay of the tracks via the Sparks is just sublime. I haven’t heard this kind of sub-bass in the wired earphones at this price point.
In the track “WHY DO WE FALL – HANS ZIMMER '', this is the track I use to test whether the earphone can dig deeper and bring out that very subtle presence of rumble, and surprisingly the sparks did it very well with exceptional separation and control.
MID BASS: The mid-bass is at the right spot which doesn’t interrupt the midsection or make the low end muffled. The kick drums and the bass guitars are struck perfectly with excellent separation, control, texture, and tonality. The bass being precisely faster, the sparks are easily able to manage the faster and complex tracks keeping everything under control like the control and separation.
MID-RANGE:
The mid-range is nicely tuned here. The graph shows some recessed midrange but frankly, the whole presentation is presented nice and forward. Both the vocals and the instruments are nicely placed on the stage where there is enough room in terms of width giving a very spacious experience while listening. Most of the TWS struggles in the staging where they sound very closed or cramped but that's not the case with the sparks.
The vocals have that natural tonality. They sound vibrant and have that hint of brightness that gives the vocals life. The 3k peak does help give life to the vocals where that gives adequate brightness to the upper mids thus the whole experience is lively and engaging. The energetic factor is fantastic in the sparks where even the most boring tracks appeared satisfying in the sparks.
The timbre of the instruments are organic and not metallic giving a natural listening experience. The vocals have enough body from the mid-bass, they are not very thick rather they are precise and adequate in quantity thus the midrange sound very cleaner, spacious, and well separated.
The detail retrieval especially is fantastic for a TWS! They perceive even a minute detail in a track and replay it! The technical ability of this TWS is pretty comparable to a mid-tier audiophile-grade IEM!
Tracks Used:
- YEH SAARI BAAT – ROCHAK KOHLI
- RED – TAYLOR SWIFT
The treble in the sparks is excellent. The TWS previously I have ever tried tend to lose in this region where they sound too sharp or very dull. The sparks just set a benchmark for the TWS where this thing just sounds sublime with a gracious amount of air and separation in this area. Combined with that incredible wired-level detail retrieval this thing is just an MVP.
First, the upper and the lower treble are equally balanced out and the brilliance factor it brings out is impeccable being a TWS. The sibilant is kept under control hence no sort of harshness or hotness is seen during my listening. The sparkle in the high end is pretty evident and they never sounded veiled or hazy. The highs extension is done very well with one of the best in terms of detail retrieval and resolution in a pair of TWS.
The cymbal strikes are pretty natural and smoother with precise attack and decay. The trumpets and the stringed instruments have that organic timbre giving this earphone a very natural sound. No sort of graininess is seen. Overall the treble is one of the best in the TWS market and comparable to that of the mid-tier wired IEM’s.
Tracks Used:
- SOMETHING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO HEAVEN – PHIL COLLINS
- DREAMS – FLEETWOOD MAC
- JACK OF SPEED – STEELY DAN
SOUNDSTAGE: The staging of the Sparks is wide and deep. The height may not be the expressive factor but the width is above average for a pair of TWS. The vocals however are presented in an intimate manner but the instruments in the background are separated nicely and wide. The depth of the staging is great too and thanks to that excellent sub-bass response which made the whole listening experience 3D hence the holographic staging is absent here.
IMAGING: The imaging is pretty precise too where the instruments can be easily pointed out even in the busier and faster tracks. The transient response and the instruments sweep from one channel to the other is smooth and neat. There is no point imaging hence the response seemed very smooth and clean.
Tracks Used:
- CROSSING – YOSI HORIKAWA
- HIDEAWAY – JACOB COLLIER
- BATTLING MUSK OX – JACOB SHEA
OTHER FEATURES:
CALLING: The call quality is good enough and the receiver didn’t have any issues while speaking and the voice can be heard very clearly without any issues. In noisier surroundings the call quality tends to be slightly worse but that's the case with most of the TWS in the market out there.
BATTERY LIFE: 8+48 and the claimed value is more or less achievable with the volume at 50-60 percent.
VOLUME: Thankfully there is a lot of headroom available for volume and normally I tend to keep only at 40 percent indoors and max of 60 outdoors. Pretty loud enough and interestingly with iPhones the sparks tend to push more volume.
VERDICT:
Sparks, the first TWS offering from the house of Moondrop is overall the best offering in the TWS market. The Sparks just blew my mind and expectations with its class-leading sounding in the TWS market. The whole presentation and the sound profile felt very grand.
The sound is very good where at one point you will start to think that the sound is too good being a TWS! The low end is deliciously tuned where the sub-bass has more presence over the mid-bass while the mid rage takes the nice and center stage with wide instrument separation, the treble is as detailed as possible yet they kept the sibilant under control. The brilliance and the sparkle in the sparks are brought out excellent. The technicalities are the strongest aspect of the Sparks where they just excel most of the IEM and TWS in this price range.
Other features like the call quality which is pretty good, has NFC function, has various codec support like the Aptx and Aptx Adaptive too. The app is messy and not baked well but does the job by updating the firmware of the earbuds. The wireless charging and the ANC lack but I never use those things in my routine. Overall the sparks is an absolute banger product for the money and set a NEW SONIC BENCHMARK for all the TWS in the market out there!
Moondrop Sparks has been provided by Hifigo.com in exchange for my honest opinions. You can buy the same by clicking here.
Techincal Specs:
Build Quality:
The complete build is made up of ABS/PC and feels very solid. The case is semi-transparent and there is a cool-looking indicator that illuminates it while charging and there is an indicator in both the earbuds as well.
Pairing:
I was unable to pair the TWS on the very first try and then I had to reset it. The second try was successful and after that I faced no issues. Once paired, the range was pretty good and I was able to roam around my house without any dropped connections.
Battery:
The battery life was around 7 hours with mixed usage that included music, movies and calls.
Sound Impressions:
As I said earlier, Sparks TWS has the typical Moondrop house sound which means…this is a natural-sounding TWS with something for everyone.
Lows:
The bass is for the masses here. You will enjoy it. It has a quality punch to it and there is no bass bleed at all. It has a good textured presence, and you will enjoy it with all your favorite tracks. The decay is fast enough and seriously anything that I will say that will bring it down will amount to nitpicking
Mids:
The overall Mids have a pleasing presence and that it does not have anything bleeding into it from the lower frequencies. Vocals are shining and engaging and with a little bit of EQ, it becomes a rockstar.
Highs:
As Coming with a Moondrop signature sound…which means smoothened edges everywhere…trebles were a no brainer for me. No sudden peaks. Guitar twangs are crisp and strong…not piercing at all.
Soundstage and Imaging:
Equipped with a decent soundstage, Sparks TWS will satisfy your cravings with a good clean and wide soundstage.
Imaging was decent as well with no congestions noticed on busy tracks.
Conclusion:
Techincal Specs:
- Bluetooth V5.2 connectivity.
- AptX high-quality Bluetooth transmission.
- VDSF(Virtual Diffuse Sound Field) tuning.
- Touch operation.
- Single/Binaural call.
- Magnetic charging case.
- Three-frequency adjustment.
- High-performance magnetic circuit.
- TWS+ dual transmission.
- Frequency response: 20Hz-20kHz.
- Diaphragm: Beryllium-coated Dome+PU suspension ring.
- Coil: 0.035mm-CCAW Daikoku coil.
- Magnetic circuit: Improved high-flux density magnetic circuit+N52 Neodymium magnet.
- Acoustic filter: Patented anti-clogging filter.
- Battery capacity(earpieces): 50mAh.
- Battery capacity(charging case): 700mAh.
- Battery life(earpieces): 8 hours on a single charge, 48 hours with charging case.
- Bluetooth range: up to 10 meters.
Build Quality:
The complete build is made up of ABS/PC and feels very solid. The case is semi-transparent and there is a cool-looking indicator that illuminates it while charging and there is an indicator in both the earbuds as well.
Pairing:
I was unable to pair the TWS on the very first try and then I had to reset it. The second try was successful and after that I faced no issues. Once paired, the range was pretty good and I was able to roam around my house without any dropped connections.
Battery:
The battery life was around 7 hours with mixed usage that included music, movies and calls.
Sound Impressions:
As I said earlier, Sparks TWS has the typical Moondrop house sound which means…this is a natural-sounding TWS with something for everyone.
Lows:
The bass is for the masses here. You will enjoy it. It has a quality punch to it and there is no bass bleed at all. It has a good textured presence, and you will enjoy it with all your favorite tracks. The decay is fast enough and seriously anything that I will say that will bring it down will amount to nitpicking
Mids:
The overall Mids have a pleasing presence and that it does not have anything bleeding into it from the lower frequencies. Vocals are shining and engaging and with a little bit of EQ, it becomes a rockstar.
Highs:
As Coming with a Moondrop signature sound…which means smoothened edges everywhere…trebles were a no brainer for me. No sudden peaks. Guitar twangs are crisp and strong…not piercing at all.
Soundstage and Imaging:
Equipped with a decent soundstage, Sparks TWS will satisfy your cravings with a good clean and wide soundstage.
Imaging was decent as well with no congestions noticed on busy tracks.
Conclusion:
- Natural, clean sound.
- Smooth edges
- Big stage
- Balanced
- Little low on energy.
Colin5619
Nice review
Moondrop Sparks TWS Review
Moondrop House Sound in A TWS Shell
Disclaimer
Moondrop Sparks has been provided to me for review purpose as part of HiFiGo’s India review tour. I am in no way related to them nor work for them. One can buy Sparks TWS from the following link:
https://hifigo.com/products/moondrop-sparks-tws?_pos=3&_sid=dc62610de&_ss=r
About
Moondrop, is one of the popular Chinese brands, which churn out very good products frequently that get acclaim universally, right from Kanas Pro to Illumination. Sparks TWS is their latest product which is the main product under test here. Sparks uses a 6mm single dynamic driver, with the diaphragm made of Beryllium coated dome and PU suspension ring. It comes with Bluetooth 5.2 version, supporting aptX Adaptive, aptX, AAC and SBC CODECs. You can pair Sparks with phones through NFC too, with the supported smartphones.
Build Quality
The charging case and earbuds are made up of ABS/PC material and comes in three colors, purple, black and pink. I have got the purple one for the test purpose. Build quality is very good and feels quite solid. Earbuds shape is based on semi-custom form, and fits perfectly and provide a very good isolation. Charging case has a semi-transparent design and looks cool while charging and displaying charging lights of both the case and earbuds inside.
Wireless Connectivity
As mentioned earlier, Sparks can be paired with smartphones either with Bluetooth or NFC. Pairing process is a hit or miss affair for me, I did find it to take little more effort in successful pairing. I had to reset it twice to make a successful pairing with my two phones. But, once paired, I didn’t face a problem afterwards. Moondrop could have made this process easier. Bluetooth range is very good, and I could get consistent connection without any drops, even if I was at outer limit of its supposed 10m range.
Endurance
Moondrop claims 8-hour battery life for the earbuds and a 48-hour battery life for the charging case. In my tests, Sparks, indeed stayed true to such claims, I got almost 8-hour battery life out of earbuds with mixed usage including continuous music playback, video streaming and phone calls. Which is among the best in the market. Performance during phone calls was decent.
Sound Analysis
Sparks has typical Moondrop house sound signature, which is neutral, natural and mature. Let us delve deeper into full breakdown of Sparks’ sonic performance.
Bass has got good rumble and is quite enjoyable. I found bass quantity to be just above average. Sub bass has good rumble and goes quite deep. Mid bass is decent. Decay is fast. But, I felt bass is lacking in quality overall and is not clean.
And as is the case with many Moondrop IEMs, Sparks have got very good mids section. Sparks has got natural, engaging and clean mids. Has good details and good separation. Male vocals sound natural. Female vocals sound very good, natural and engaging. Upper mids lack extension though. I wish it had little more energy and sparkle that will make it even better.
Same goes with treble performance too. Treble extensions are very good and clean, making Sparks sound airy. Cymbals crash are crisp. Even here, a little more sparkle up top was missing.
Soundstage is very good. Has very good width and depth. Making it sound very open. Imaging is precise. We can pinpoint the location of instruments easily. Instrument separation is also very good, with enough space between each instruments. Doesn’t sound congested at all. Has excellent dynamics and resolution overall.
Comparisons
Vs Sennheiser CX400BT
I know this is quite an unfair comparison as CX400BT costs double that of Sparks officially. But you can get CX400BT at a price closer to Sparks quite often. CX400BT uses same drivers as Sennheiser’s flagship TWS, Momentum 2 TWS, and has excellent sound quality. Here goes the comparison:
Sparks has slightly more bass rumble than CX400BT, bass goes little deeper too. Amount of bass is clearly more in Sparks. But, where, CX400BT pulls ahead is in the quality. Bass is cleaner than Sparks. CX400BT has got good rumble too, but with very good quality bass, it takes the cake here. Those who prefer more quantity than quality, will like Sparks more. Sparks bass quality is decent, but not clean enough.
Mids of Sparks are slightly forward placed than CX400BT. Sparks has sweet and natural mids and are slightly more engaging than CX400BT. But, again, CX400BT has got better clarity, details and upper mids extensions.
Both Sparks and CX400BT have very good treble performance. CX400BT has more extensions up top making it sound livelier than Sparks. And has better details too.
Soundstage of Sparks is wider than CX400BT. Depth of both are on par. Separation and imaging are slightly better on CX400BT. Sparks has better isolation and fit over CX400BT.
Verdict
Overall, Sparks has typical neutral Moondrop house sound signature, which brought the brand very good reputation in audiophile community. Balanced, clean and smooth sound. I found that its sound quality leans on to the safer side of things rather than being exciting. It does very good in all things, but I wish it had more energy and sparkle up top. But, nonetheless, Sparks packs typical Moondrop’s Virtual Diffuse Sound Field response in a TWS shell. Very good TWS for the price.
Moondrop House Sound in A TWS Shell
Disclaimer
Moondrop Sparks has been provided to me for review purpose as part of HiFiGo’s India review tour. I am in no way related to them nor work for them. One can buy Sparks TWS from the following link:
https://hifigo.com/products/moondrop-sparks-tws?_pos=3&_sid=dc62610de&_ss=r
About
Moondrop, is one of the popular Chinese brands, which churn out very good products frequently that get acclaim universally, right from Kanas Pro to Illumination. Sparks TWS is their latest product which is the main product under test here. Sparks uses a 6mm single dynamic driver, with the diaphragm made of Beryllium coated dome and PU suspension ring. It comes with Bluetooth 5.2 version, supporting aptX Adaptive, aptX, AAC and SBC CODECs. You can pair Sparks with phones through NFC too, with the supported smartphones.
Build Quality
The charging case and earbuds are made up of ABS/PC material and comes in three colors, purple, black and pink. I have got the purple one for the test purpose. Build quality is very good and feels quite solid. Earbuds shape is based on semi-custom form, and fits perfectly and provide a very good isolation. Charging case has a semi-transparent design and looks cool while charging and displaying charging lights of both the case and earbuds inside.
Wireless Connectivity
As mentioned earlier, Sparks can be paired with smartphones either with Bluetooth or NFC. Pairing process is a hit or miss affair for me, I did find it to take little more effort in successful pairing. I had to reset it twice to make a successful pairing with my two phones. But, once paired, I didn’t face a problem afterwards. Moondrop could have made this process easier. Bluetooth range is very good, and I could get consistent connection without any drops, even if I was at outer limit of its supposed 10m range.
Endurance
Moondrop claims 8-hour battery life for the earbuds and a 48-hour battery life for the charging case. In my tests, Sparks, indeed stayed true to such claims, I got almost 8-hour battery life out of earbuds with mixed usage including continuous music playback, video streaming and phone calls. Which is among the best in the market. Performance during phone calls was decent.
Sound Analysis
Sparks has typical Moondrop house sound signature, which is neutral, natural and mature. Let us delve deeper into full breakdown of Sparks’ sonic performance.
Bass has got good rumble and is quite enjoyable. I found bass quantity to be just above average. Sub bass has good rumble and goes quite deep. Mid bass is decent. Decay is fast. But, I felt bass is lacking in quality overall and is not clean.
And as is the case with many Moondrop IEMs, Sparks have got very good mids section. Sparks has got natural, engaging and clean mids. Has good details and good separation. Male vocals sound natural. Female vocals sound very good, natural and engaging. Upper mids lack extension though. I wish it had little more energy and sparkle that will make it even better.
Same goes with treble performance too. Treble extensions are very good and clean, making Sparks sound airy. Cymbals crash are crisp. Even here, a little more sparkle up top was missing.
Soundstage is very good. Has very good width and depth. Making it sound very open. Imaging is precise. We can pinpoint the location of instruments easily. Instrument separation is also very good, with enough space between each instruments. Doesn’t sound congested at all. Has excellent dynamics and resolution overall.
Comparisons
Vs Sennheiser CX400BT
I know this is quite an unfair comparison as CX400BT costs double that of Sparks officially. But you can get CX400BT at a price closer to Sparks quite often. CX400BT uses same drivers as Sennheiser’s flagship TWS, Momentum 2 TWS, and has excellent sound quality. Here goes the comparison:
Sparks has slightly more bass rumble than CX400BT, bass goes little deeper too. Amount of bass is clearly more in Sparks. But, where, CX400BT pulls ahead is in the quality. Bass is cleaner than Sparks. CX400BT has got good rumble too, but with very good quality bass, it takes the cake here. Those who prefer more quantity than quality, will like Sparks more. Sparks bass quality is decent, but not clean enough.
Mids of Sparks are slightly forward placed than CX400BT. Sparks has sweet and natural mids and are slightly more engaging than CX400BT. But, again, CX400BT has got better clarity, details and upper mids extensions.
Both Sparks and CX400BT have very good treble performance. CX400BT has more extensions up top making it sound livelier than Sparks. And has better details too.
Soundstage of Sparks is wider than CX400BT. Depth of both are on par. Separation and imaging are slightly better on CX400BT. Sparks has better isolation and fit over CX400BT.
Verdict
Overall, Sparks has typical neutral Moondrop house sound signature, which brought the brand very good reputation in audiophile community. Balanced, clean and smooth sound. I found that its sound quality leans on to the safer side of things rather than being exciting. It does very good in all things, but I wish it had more energy and sparkle up top. But, nonetheless, Sparks packs typical Moondrop’s Virtual Diffuse Sound Field response in a TWS shell. Very good TWS for the price.
Attachments
I read that sound signature changes with different firmwares.