[MOONDROP]

We're glad to fulfill MOONDROP's "Four Noble Ones", and introduce MAY. As a brand-new DSP-enabled IEM, MAY features dual driver two-way crossover UWBS combination, and provides customized audio chip. It offers five tunings preset and is available at US$64.99!

MAY uses the newly developed sapphire-evaporation composite flexible-suspension diaphragm, reproducing classic beautiful timbre, providing wide-band smooth response and ultra-low distortion of fast transients.

The 6mm annular planar driver handles treble details above 8000Hz with lower distortion, stronger extension and richer smoothness, resulting in natural, transparent high-frequency details.

Powered two-way crossover + acoustic FEA optimization, verified by repeated testing, seamlessly couples the 10mm dynamic driver and 6mm planar magnetic driver, making full use of the characteristics of both and restoring the details of the music.

MAY adopts the UWBS combination of sapphire-diaphragm dynamic driver and planar-magnetic treble driver that delivers ultra-wideband low distortion response characteristics not found in most HiFi products, and the benchmark acoustic cavity contributes to superb acoustic performance.

It utilizes an ultra-wideband low-distortion dual-unit system + ultra-low-distortion fully-balanced audio circuit ensuring complete restoration of timbre.

You might be interested in how perform of the graph, here is

 

[hifizen]

Interesting. Is the crossover done in DSP (requiring 4 DAC channels to the stereo set of drivers), or is it a 2 channel DAC with passive passive crossover networks (then the DSP is just for tuning)? The earpiece cables look like two conductors only, so I'm guessing the latter.

 

[helloh3adfi]

Moondrop released them too early. Should've released them on May.

 

[jmwant]

Yaay, May in December.

 

[SilverEars]

Wow, intersting. Is that DSP built into the connection for EQ?! Never seen that before. How does this work, is there a Moondrop software?

This is nutz! Didn't know this kind of stuff was in the works!

 

[RumbleWeed]

Wow, intersting. Is that DSP built into the connection for EQ?! Never seen that before. How does this work, is there a Moondrop software?

This is nutz! Didn't know this kind of stuff was in the works!

As far as i can tell it's using the Moondrop Link 2.0 App which has been available for a few of its newer releases i.e Space Travel TWS & Moondrop Free DSP Cable

 

[Lindholdt]

As far as i can tell it's using the Moondrop Link 2.0 App which has been available for a few of its newer releases i.e Space Travel TWS & Moondrop Free DSP Cable

I hope it's a new/updated app from the one I tried for my Moondrop Dawn Pro, as that one was... Err... Not very good, let's put it like that

 

[XTF1]

I hope it's a new/updated app from the one I tried for my Moondrop Dawn Pro, as that one was... Err... Not very good, let's put it like that

Link-II (Android only) is not the greatest app for sure... It has its limitations, but it is usable: the main idea behind MAY / JIU (IEMs) and FreeDSP / CDSP (upgrade cables) is that you setup your personal DSP preferences once... and you're done with the app! So the app quirks are not that bad, since you're not constantly using it... After you're done setting your personalized target FR, you can enjoy your IEM with any device supporting USB audio: smartphones (including non current iPhones, with a Lightning to USB-C adapter), DAPs (as long as they support digital transport mode), PCs (also works with any USB-A / USB-C adapter), Tablets, Video Game console/controller, etc. The USB-C connector integrates the DSP, DAC & amp. Again, not state of the art, but the beauty of the concept is that the DSP settings are stored with the IEM and follow it with no need for a DSP app on the source side.
Tanchjim offers similar DSP-enabled versions of the Zero, One, and Tanya IEMs (they have their own app, easier to use IMO).

 

[RumbleWeed]

I hope it's a new/updated app from the one I tried for my Moondrop Dawn Pro, as that one was... Err... Not very good, let's put it like that

Link-II (Android only) is not the greatest app for sure... It has its limitations, but it is usable: the main idea behind MAY / JIU (IEMs) and FreeDSP / CDSP (upgrade cables) is that you setup your personal DSP preferences once... and you're done with the app! So the app quirks are not that bad, since you're not constantly using it... After you're done setting your personalized target FR, you can enjoy your IEM with any device supporting USB audio: smartphones (including non current iPhones, with a Lightning to USB-C adapter), DAPs (as long as they support digital transport mode), PCs (also works with any USB-A / USB-C adapter), Tablets, Video Game console/controller, etc. The USB-C connector integrates the DSP, DAC & amp. Again, not state of the art, but the beauty of the concept is that the DSP settings are stored with the IEM and follow it with no need for a DSP app on the source side.
Tanchjim offers similar DSP-enabled versions of the Zero, One, and Tanya IEMs (they have their own app, easier to use IMO).

I think the worse aspect of the Link 2.0 app is it's unavailable on the Play Store meaning you need to download it from the Moondrop website and then you get all the "this may be harmful" drama!!
With that said i will be picking up a set of May because i was gonna buy the Free DSP Upgrade Cable so with a little over £25 extra you seem to get the Free Cable AND a pair of IEM'S which is a bargain in my books
I'm curious? Can you attach any set of IEM's to the cable and enjoy the same DSP & EQ you get with "May"?
I should imagine so?
To be honest and 'IF' they do sound good i think the asking price for "May" is a steal at £50 considering what your getting, it also has a really nice leather case included which is pretty rare at the price!
If the DSP Cable does translate to any IEM I'm really looking forward throwing my Penon 10th AE on the end of it to see what comes out the other end in comparison to my iFi Go Blu?

 

[RumbleWeed]

I hope it's a new/updated app from the one I tried for my Moondrop Dawn Pro, as that one was... Err... Not very good, let's put it like that

How are you finding your Dawn Pro?
I picked up a set of Space Travel and for the price was really impressed so was looking at the Dawn Pro?
They are a lot more expensive and i already own H1 & NeoBuds Pro and not sure if any TWS can compete with the later?
I'm a hardcore Basshead and the NeoBuds Pro have amazing Sub-Bass extension!
But as i say i am curious how much better the Dawn Pro are to the Space Travel and is the price hike really worth it?
Been really getting into TWS lately due to the convince and with LDAC the sound is SO much better than it was a year or two ago!

 

[RumbleWeed]

How are you finding your Dawn Pro?
I picked up a set of Space Travel and for the price was really impressed so was looking at the Dawn Pro?
They are a lot more expensive and i already own H2 & NeoBuds Pro and not sure if any TWS can compete with the later?
I'm a hardcore Basshead and the NeoBuds Pro have amazing Sub-Bass extension!
But as i say i am curious how much better the Dawn Pro are to the Space Travel and is the price hike really worth it?
Been really getting into TWS lately due to the convince and with LDAC the sound is SO much better than it was a year or two ago!

EDIT:: Iv just realised your talking about the USB DAC
Got it confused with the 'Alice'
don't ask me how the names couldn't be further apart

 

[XTF1]

With that said i will be picking up a set of May because i was gonna buy the Free DSP Upgrade Cable so with a little over £25 extra you seem to get the Free Cable AND a pair of IEM'S which is a bargain in my books
I'm curious? Can you attach any set of IEM's to the cable and enjoy the same DSP & EQ you get with "May"?
I should imagine so?

I don't know whether the DSP/DAC/HPA included in MAY is the same as the FreeDSP, more like CDSP, JIU, or something else. Assuming the cable has a standard 2-pin connector, I don't see why you could not use the MAY cable with other IEMs. For example, the (detachable) USB-C cable that come with the Tanchjim One-DSP is perfectly usable with other IEMs.

 

[SilverEars]

Some thoughts. How much different is this from a phone/DAP with it's own internal audio chip, you EQ with usb audio player pro? I don't think there is a difference besides the profiles you get from Moondrop, and the inferior software. Because the cable has the DAC built in, correct?

In this respect, the eq profiles are something new, but not the eq itself. My question is, what is hardware EQ vs software EQ. I imagine hardware would be components being switched like crossover switches on iems. You know, the treble or bass boost on certain items. Isn't this basically the same as software EQ app and applying to internal DACs? It's just that the DAC is external in this case.

This product is basically a DAC cable with new iem, but the niche is that they provide profiles to switch the EQ settings

 

[SilverEars]

Link-II (Android only) is not the greatest app for sure... It has its limitations, but it is usable: the main idea behind MAY / JIU (IEMs) and FreeDSP / CDSP (upgrade cables) is that you setup your personal DSP preferences once... and you're done with the app! So the app quirks are not that bad, since you're not constantly using it... After you're done setting your personalized target FR, you can enjoy your IEM with any device supporting USB audio: smartphones (including non current iPhones, with a Lightning to USB-C adapter), DAPs (as long as they support digital transport mode), PCs (also works with any USB-A / USB-C adapter), Tablets, Video Game console/controller, etc. The USB-C connector integrates the DSP, DAC & amp. Again, not state of the art, but the beauty of the concept is that the DSP settings are stored with the IEM and follow it with no need for a DSP app on the source side.
Tanchjim offers similar DSP-enabled versions of the Zero, One, and Tanya IEMs (they have their own app, easier to use IMO).

ok, that must be it. Audeze did theirs way back, but the eq was set to the app, and they applied universal eq, which didn't make sense, since every planar would measure different from each other. I doubt that Audeze planars were consistant.

I'm on the camp that software EQ changes things about the sounds that takes out the technical aspect if done too much. You can EQ the HD800 alot, and it just won't sound very good despite the more ideal tonal measurements when EQ'd. So, not so big on EQ to fix a bad response.

This philosophy is similar to, two iems that measure close tonally, but sound different in technical aspects. So, I'm not so keen in EQ personally, but I understand when people use it for minor tonal changes.

I wonder how much consistency in the response of Moondrop iems before EQ. I need to see the measurement raw before EQ and after of several samples. I will be convinced once that is shown.

 

[Lindholdt]

Link-II (Android only) is not the greatest app for sure... It has its limitations, but it is usable: the main idea behind MAY / JIU (IEMs) and FreeDSP / CDSP (upgrade cables) is that you setup your personal DSP preferences once... and you're done with the app! So the app quirks are not that bad, since you're not constantly using it... After you're done setting your personalized target FR, you can enjoy your IEM with any device supporting USB audio: smartphones (including non current iPhones, with a Lightning to USB-C adapter), DAPs (as long as they support digital transport mode), PCs (also works with any USB-A / USB-C adapter), Tablets, Video Game console/controller, etc. The USB-C connector integrates the DSP, DAC & amp. Again, not state of the art, but the beauty of the concept is that the DSP settings are stored with the IEM and follow it with no need for a DSP app on the source side.
Tanchjim offers similar DSP-enabled versions of the Zero, One, and Tanya IEMs (they have their own app, easier to use IMO).

Hmm, as I read it, you can use premade profiles make your own custom profiles or even download other people's. So a lot of interaction and usage of the app seems needed, if you want to do these things. Also, I would most likely want to adjust my own profile quite a few times before I end up with a very good one.
So I do think you need to use the app quite a bit.
And while it is usable, it's really not good in mo opinion. However, given the price point, I can live with it, I just really would love to see it improved.
And it is a cool concept, which is why I'm also interested

How are you finding your Dawn Pro?
I picked up a set of Space Travel and for the price was really impressed so was looking at the Dawn Pro?
They are a lot more expensive and i already own H1 & NeoBuds Pro and not sure if any TWS can compete with the later?
I'm a hardcore Basshead and the NeoBuds Pro have amazing Sub-Bass extension!
But as i say i am curious how much better the Dawn Pro are to the Space Travel and is the price hike really worth it?
Been really getting into TWS lately due to the convince and with LDAC the sound is SO much better than it was a year or two ago!

I like it, especially for the price The sound is good, nothing crazy good, but good enough for many uses cases.
I have tried a few times that the sound starts to crackle and it gets increasingly worse in a few minutes. Turning it off for a bit removes the issue, but I'm not sure what causes it.
Think this has happened 4-6 times in the roughly 3 months I've had it.