[KuroKitsu]

Oh, didnt know you are a Hiroyuki fan as well.

Precog is a man of culture as well

 

[RikudouGoku]

Precog is a man of culture as well

 

[Precogvision]

Moondrop S8 Impressions

Spoiler: FR Graph

Spoiler: Photos

Moondrop. I've made no secret that this is one of my favorite manufacturers; however, it seems like they've hit something of a plateau with their recent SSR/SSP and Illumination IEMs. So why not take a little trip back to the B2 and S8? In particular, the B2 is an IEM I'd like to examine more closely. While it's basically the $300 benchmark at this point, there are a number of issues I've found in retrospect that I really wish I could've written about in my original review. In this vein, I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Too often, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. And this is where the B2 stumbles hard. Sure, the B2's technical and mad well-tuned for the price, but it's neither very coherent nor cohesive either. The treble is fairly plasticky with a certain grittiness to it at times, there's a minor 6kHz peak which exacerbates the rather thin note-weight, and the bass is decidedly lackluster for a DD - all of which culminates in an IEM that I should enjoy on paper, but just don't listen to much in practice.

Enter the Solution S8, which is much more well-rounded in my opinion. The bass is still not great with far too little decay and texture; however, it suits my preferences in the sub-bass a helluva lot better than the B2 ever could. It's tight, controlled, and believe me, I'd rather have a bass response that knows what it wants to be than the fence-sitter B2's bass ended up being. Of course, this also wouldn't be a Moondrop IEM without the upper-midrange emphasis, and in fact, the S8 sounds like it's even more forward than the B2 here. But I don't dislike it at all. Despite it being very well tuned, my main gripe with the B2's midrange was the grain it exhibited in the decay, which left a bad taste in my mouth on certain tracks (looking at you, Taeyeon’s “Fine”). The S8 improves on this trait a good deal with more so an issue of transient density; I find this much preferable. I think the S8’s treble is the real surprise, though. There seems to be something of a minor, lower-treble peak which can bring hi-hats and stick impact a tad forward, but I hear very good air and extension - maybe too much. It almost sounds like there’s a peak, or straight up skew, to the upper-treble, lending itself to a “floaty-bloaty” quality in which the amount of air borders on disconcerting. Good or bad, well, I think that’s more up to interpretation.

But we still haven't gotten to the S8's bread and butter: technicalities. It excels in this metric. Most importantly, the S8 carries over a lot of what made the B2 great and then some. Imaging, while still by no means holographic, is a good deal more defined, and I hear a notable jump in the ability to break the “walls” of the stage. It still has some of that "tilt" I found a bit awkward to B2's center image diffusal, but this is a solid improvement if mostly by virtue of the staging opening up more. Also still present is the good macrodynamic ability B2 exhibited; admittedly, I think the B2 actually has the edge in terms of sheer contrast. Resolution and detail retrieval, though, damn. The S8 resolves like no other IEM I've heard in its price bracket; if you told me there was another IEM that matches the S8 at this price point, you’d be falling on deaf ears. To reiterate, though, there are the usual limitations that come with this type of setup - namely BA timbre. And I'm sure you could also make the argument that the S8 "cheats" with its upper-midrange emphasis and absurd treble air.

Nonetheless, that the S8 can comfortably trade blows with some of the best IEMs in the kilobuck bracket - such as the IER-M9 and Andro 2020 - is no laughing matter, not to mention it clocks in at several hundred dollars less. And as much as I love weebing out over Moondrop's waifus, ultimately, the sound is what I'm here for. The S8 delivers. While I'm sure I'll pick up some more minor flaws over extended listening, this is an IEM that I wouldn't mind owning; this is the Moondrop sound I know and love.

Score: 7/10

I think the big question for most people is, do you buy the S8 or B2? Or more accurately, would you pay double the price of the already good B2 for the S8? And that’s tough, it really is. I know there's no shortage of listeners who will attest that the B2 trades blows with the S8. But to my ears only, I don’t think the B2 is comparable; it simply falls short in the more latent intangibles. This is apples-to-oranges obviously, but I would take the S8 given the choice. And of course, whether this’ll hold true post-release of B2: Dusk (which I have high hopes for) also remains to be seen.

 

[Razornova]

Hey Precog been following your reviews as I’m looking for an upgrade on my legacy 3s, and I think a U shaped sound is what I’m looking for which you seem to prefer as well.

I’ve been eyeing the Dunu SA6 and noticed it earned a spot on your favourites. I have an opportunity to get IER M9 used at the same or slightly lower price than the SA6, would the M9 be a clear choice then?

 

[Damz87]

Moondrop S8 Impressions

Spoiler: FR Graph

Spoiler: Photos

Moondrop. I've made no secret that this is one of my favorite manufacturers; however, it seems like they've hit something of a plateau with their recent SSR/SSP and Illumination IEMs. So why not take a little trip back to the B2 and S8? In particular, the B2 is an IEM I'd like to examine more closely. While it's basically the $300 benchmark at this point, there are a number of issues I've found in retrospect that I really wish I could've written about in my original review. In this vein, I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Too often, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. And this is where the B2 stumbles hard. Sure, the B2's technical and mad well-tuned for the price, but it's neither very coherent nor cohesive either. The treble is fairly plasticky with a certain grittiness to it at times, there's a minor 6kHz peak which exacerbates the rather thin note-weight, and the bass is decidedly lackluster for a DD - all of which culminates in an IEM that I should enjoy on paper, but just don't listen to much in practice.

Enter the Solution S8, which is much more well-rounded in my opinion. The bass is still not great with far too little decay and texture; however, it suits my preferences in the sub-bass a helluva lot better than the B2 ever could. It's tight, controlled, and believe me, I'd rather have a bass response that knows what it wants to be than the fence-sitter B2's bass ended up being. Of course, this also wouldn't be a Moondrop IEM without the upper-midrange emphasis, and in fact, the S8 sounds like it's even more forward than the B2 here. But I don't dislike it at all. Despite it being very well tuned, my main gripe with the B2's midrange was the grain it exhibited in the decay, which left a bad taste in my mouth on certain tracks (looking at you, Taeyeon’s “Fine”). The S8 improves on this trait a good deal with more so an issue of transient density; I find this much preferable. I think the S8’s treble is the real surprise, though. There seems to be something of a minor, lower-treble peak which can bring hi-hats and stick impact a tad forward, but I hear very good air and extension - maybe too much. It almost sounds like there’s a peak, or straight up skew, to the upper-treble, lending itself to a “floaty-bloaty” quality in which the amount of air borders on disconcerting. Good or bad, well, I think that’s more up to interpretation.

But we still haven't gotten to the S8's bread and butter: technicalities. It excels in this metric. Most importantly, the S8 carries over a lot of what made the B2 great and then some. Imaging, while still by no means holographic, is a good deal more defined, and I hear a notable jump in the ability to break the “walls” of the stage. It still has some of that "tilt" I found a bit awkward to B2's center image diffusal, but this is a solid improvement if mostly by virtue of the staging opening up more. Also still present is the good macrodynamic ability B2 exhibited; admittedly, I think the B2 actually has the edge in terms of sheer contrast. Resolution and detail retrieval, though, damn. The S8 resolves like no other IEM I've heard in its price bracket; if you told me there was another IEM that matches the S8 at this price point, you’d be falling on deaf ears. To reiterate, though, there are the usual limitations that come with this type of setup - namely BA timbre. And I'm sure you could also make the argument that the S8 "cheats" with its upper-midrange emphasis and absurd treble air.

Nonetheless, that the S8 can comfortably trade blows with some of the best IEMs in the kilobuck bracket - such as the IER-M9 and Andro 2020 - is no laughing matter, not to mention it clocks in at several hundred dollars less. And as much as I love weebing out over Moondrop's waifus, ultimately, the sound is what I'm here for. The S8 delivers. While I'm sure I'll pick up some more minor flaws over extended listening, this is an IEM that I wouldn't mind owning; this is the Moondrop sound I know and love.

Score: 7/10

I think the big question for most people is, do you buy the S8 or B2? Or more accurately, would you pay double the price of the already good B2 for the S8? And that’s tough, it really is. I know there's no shortage of listeners who will attest that the B2 trades blows with the S8. But to my ears only, I don’t think the B2 is comparable; it simply falls short in the more latent intangibles. This is apples-to-oranges obviously, but I would take the S8 given the choice. And of course, whether this’ll hold true post-release of B2: Dusk (which I have high hopes for) also remains to be seen.

Great review mate S8 is one I’ve wanted to try for some time. But you saying it’s up there with M9 & Andro has piqued my interest a bit more. Did you have any issues with the fit? I think I read some impressions that said they can vacuum seal quite severely.

 

[Precogvision]

Hey Precog been following your reviews as I’m looking for an upgrade on my legacy 3s, and I think a U shaped sound is what I’m looking for which you seem to prefer as well.

I’ve been eyeing the Dunu SA6 and noticed it earned a spot on your favourites. I have an opportunity to get IER M9 used at the same or slightly lower price than the SA6, would the M9 be a clear choice then?

Oh yeah, I like SA6, but go for the M9. It's a no-brainer at that price!

Great review mate S8 is one I’ve wanted to try for some time. But you saying it’s up there with M9 & Andro has piqued my interest a bit more. Did you have any issues with the fit? I think I read some impressions that said they can vacuum seal quite severely.

Thanks man! It fits really nicely in my ears (subjective of course) - better than the B2 - but I do notice that vacuum seal now that you point it out. While it didn't stop me from listening to them most of the day, it's definitely something to consider.

 

[1TrickPony]

@Precogvision - could you, to your best abilities, provide a comparison between andy2020 and the Sony m9? I'm on the fence. Tia

 

[Precogvision]

@Precogvision - could you, to your best abilities, provide a comparison between andy2020 and the Sony m9? I'm on the fence. Tia

Sure thing. They're both something close to neutral-warm (warmer on the IER-M9's side).

Bass: Andro 2020 sucks at this unfortunately, and it's not the IEM to buy if you want good bass. M9's bass is actually pretty close to a DD in terms of decay and overall tactility; however, there seems to be some minor bloat to the mid-bass due to the way it decays.
Midrange: The M9 is also more balanced by virtue of more ear gain and upper-mid presence. This is relative to the slight bloat the Andro 2020 exhibits in the lower-midrange in conjunction with the upper-midrange, 2-5kHz dip.
Treble: The M9 has a lower-treble suckout, but sports excellent extension with decent sparkle. I think the Andro 2020 is more linear, maybe with a small spike or two in the lower-to-mid treble (nothing like the old Andro of course) and similar extension.

Where they mostly differ is their intangibles. M9's timbre is pretty good, much more so than your typical BA IEM. But the M9 also has this, like, really lackluster quality to its attack transients. I don't know how to explain it exactly - because the M9 doesn't have poor resolution at all - but there's something about it that puts me to sleep. Andro 2020 is more in-line with your typical BA IEM with the snappy attack. Neither of them have particularly good macrodynamics; the M9 sits somewhere in the middle for me, and Andro 2020 has the upwards-compressed thing going on. They both have very good imaging; however, they differ in their presentation. M9 is more "holographic" in the sense that there's greater solidity to the stage it creates around you, and I'm inclined to say it's better at instrument positioning, but it suffers in terms of the actual stage size. Andro 2020's imaging is more sonic-wall free (eg. spacious), and this translates to superb layering chops in which it feels like there's a good deal of space/air between instruments.

As an overall package, the M9 is probably the better IEM. It comes with two separate cables after all, and you don't have to deal with crappy sensitivity issues. The tuning is also just a hair safer imo. Of course, it doesn't translate like that in practice, and the more I listened to the M9, the more boring it got haha. My other big gripe with the M9 is its ear gain which peaks too late for my preferences; this presents itself with vocals sitting in a weird pseudo-limbo, not projecting nearly as nicely as the Andro 2020. That might be a "me" related problem though, as I haven't seen anyone else mention it. It's really a game of trade-offs between these two IEMs, and as always, I recommend demoing if at all possible.

 

[KuroKitsu]

Hopefully getting to listening to E of S tomorrow. Been just enjoying Odin off my 1A the last week ish. Pure bliss.

 

[Precogvision]

Moondrop B2: Dusk Impressions

Hey all, just wanted to share some brief impressions on the Blessing 2: Dusk. Shoutout to @MRSallee who kindly let me listen to his unit today (as I believe they're actually still in the pre-order phase).

Spoiler: FR Graph

Spoiler: Photo

I don't really think the B2 needs much of an introduction. From its very good tonal balance to its solid technical chops, it's the $300 benchmark, the mid-fi giant killer, the mid-fi paradigm shifter, yada-yada. That being said, there were issues with the tuning - primarily the excessively thin midrange and lackluster bass - that kept me from listening to my unit as much as I'd have liked. So what happens when you put the tuning into even more capable hands? That's where the Moodrop B2: Dusk, tuned by the (in)famous Crinacle, enters the picture.

Despite but minor shifts in the frequency response (well...sans the fat, and might I add, terrific sub bass shelf), I have to admit it sounds pretty different to my ears. The bass is a good deal more sub-bass oriented and hits my preferences much more closely. In tandem with killing the ear gain some, the nigh-strident midrange of the original B2 is also nowhere to be found. The Dusk's midrange is almost thick by comparison - perhaps more than the graph would imply - but the pleasing kind of thick, and most importantly, resolution doesn't seem to have been neutered at all. If the B2 already had one of the best midranges under $1000, I'm really not sure what I'd call this, but I certainly like what I hear. Hell, I think it deserves more praise than the bass response! It still doesn't hit my preferences completely - I'd prefer an even more relaxed ear gain, less upper-mids, and moving into the treble, more presence and extension. However, something tells me the Dusk's technicalities would've taken a hit as a result. So really, I'm not sure what's more impressive here: the nothing short of excellent tuning itself, or the fine line that was walked to balance said tuning without bulldozing technicalities.

And speaking of which, let's talk technicalities. For most intents and purposes, the Dusk carries over a lot of what made the B2 great - that is, the imaging and resolving capability. But unfortunately, most of where it fell short also hitches a ride. Cue the bass response, and no, it's still not very good on an intangible level. The texturing might be slightly better simply by virtue of more sub-bass presence, but it doesn't save it from being characteristically dry and subsequently monotonous, no matter how well it's been tuned. I won't go so far as to say it's outright one-note; however, the tactility leaves something to be desired despite the clean transient attack. The B2 was also indicative to me of it's excellent macrodynamic ability. But akin to the 64 Audio Nio relative to the U12t, the Dusk's macro-transitions feel more sluggish, lacking in the full dynamic contrast that the original B2 exhibited. On the flip side of things, I do think the Dusk's tuning cleans up (or rather, masks) some of the BA timbre the original B2 exhibited in the midrange and treble; the transients don't come off as thin or gritty. Considering the questionable bass response, this is what inclines me to say the midrange is the highlight here. You can't always have your cake and eat it, and given the price point, the intangibles expectedly remain the bottleneck to what is an otherwise terrific IEM.

As for the question everyone probably wants to ask: "Is the Dusk better than the B2?". Well, yes and no. For my preferences - absolutely. I adore the subbass shelf tuning and thicker midrange; I think Dusk is the safer, better-tuned IEM. The Dusk would unequivocally be my $300 pick, and whereas B2 missed the list of personal favorites, the Dusk will be getting added. However, considering the Dusk and B2 also sound fairly different to my ears, and they're comparable technicality-wise, I think it's mainly going to be a matter of tonal preference for most listeners. Go for the Dusk if you want something more laidback and warm, and go for the B2 if you enjoy a more neutral-reference sound - you can't go wrong with either.

Score: 7/10

I know, I know. Lots of juicy scores lately. But in all fairness, I don't like listening to or reviewing stuff I dislike either for obvious reasons.

 

[twiceboss]

Consoooom. 8sl doesn’t have to be endgame....come join the best IEM gang



Thanks for the impressions! Yeah, it’s something of a W-shape. I’m sure it does some stuff competently or people wouldn’t like it; I’m just not very good at singling out stuff to praise haha. You seem to prefer Homunculus more, which is interesting as I outright abhor it, but I know a couple of others have said the same.



Can only find them on Facebook, no kidding. I see what you’re saying about competing. Their Neo flagship’s got a similar tuning to the VX and SA6 with that 5kHz dip. Hope they cook up something good.

The neo, already has a review in youtube though in indonesia language.

 

[morndewey]

Moondrop B2: Dusk Impressions

Hey all, just wanted to share some brief impressions on the Blessing 2: Dusk. Shoutout to @MRSallee who kindly let me listen to his unit today (as I believe they're actually still in the pre-order phase).

Spoiler: FR Graph

Spoiler: Photo

I don't really think the B2 needs much of an introduction. From its very good tonal balance to its solid technical chops, it's the $300 benchmark, the mid-fi giant killer, the mid-fi paradigm shifter, yada-yada. That being said, there were issues with the tuning - primarily the excessively thin midrange and lackluster bass - that kept me from listening to my unit as much as I'd have liked. So what happens when you put the tuning into even more capable hands? That's where the Moodrop B2: Dusk, tuned by the (in)famous Crinacle, enters the picture.

Despite but minor shifts in the frequency response (well...sans the fat, and might I add, terrific sub bass shelf), I have to admit it sounds pretty different to my ears. The bass is a good deal more sub-bass oriented and hits my preferences much more closely. In tandem with killing the ear gain some, the nigh-strident midrange of the original B2 is also nowhere to be found. The Dusk's midrange is almost thick by comparison - perhaps more than the graph would imply - but the pleasing kind of thick, and most importantly, resolution doesn't seem to have been neutered at all. If the B2 already had one of the best midranges under $1000, I'm really not sure what I'd call this, but I certainly like what I hear. Hell, I think it deserves more praise than the bass response! It still doesn't hit my preferences completely - I'd prefer an even more relaxed ear gain, less upper-mids, and moving into the treble, more presence and extension. However, something tells me the Dusk's technicalities would've taken a hit as a result. So really, I'm not sure what's more impressive here: the nothing short of excellent tuning itself, or the fine line that was walked to balance said tuning without bulldozing technicalities.

And speaking of which, let's talk technicalities. For most intents and purposes, the Dusk carries over a lot of what made the B2 great - that is, the imaging and resolving capability. But unfortunately, most of where it fell short also hitches a ride. Cue the bass response, and no, it's still not very good on an intangible level. The texturing might be slightly better simply by virtue of more sub-bass presence, but it doesn't save it from being characteristically dry and subsequently monotonous, no matter how well it's been tuned. I won't go so far as to say it's outright one-note; however, the tactility leaves something to be desired despite the clean transient attack. The B2 was also indicative to me of it's excellent macrodynamic ability. But akin to the 64 Audio Nio relative to the U12t, the Dusk's macro-transitions feel more sluggish, lacking in the full dynamic contrast that the original B2 exhibited. On the flip side of things, I do think the Dusk's tuning cleans up (or rather, masks) some of the BA timbre the original B2 exhibited in the midrange and treble; the transients don't come off as thin or gritty. Considering the questionable bass response, this is what inclines me to say the midrange is the highlight here. You can't always have your cake and eat it, and given the price point, the intangibles expectedly remain the bottleneck to what is an otherwise terrific IEM.

As for the question everyone probably wants to ask: "Is the Dusk better than the B2?". Well, yes and no. For my preferences - absolutely. I adore the subbass shelf tuning and thicker midrange; I think Dusk is the safer, better-tuned IEM. The Dusk would unequivocally be my $300 pick, and whereas B2 missed the list of personal favorites, the Dusk will be getting added. However, considering the Dusk and B2 also sound fairly different to my ears, and they're comparable technicality-wise, I think it's mainly going to be a matter of tonal preference for most listeners. Go for the Dusk if you want something more laidback and warm, and go for the B2 if you enjoy a more neutral-reference sound - you can't go wrong with either.

Score: 7/10

I know, I know. Lots of juicy scores lately. But in all fairness, I don't like listening to or reviewing stuff I dislike either for obvious reasons.

Fine language craftsmanship present throughout your review, eg “the intangibles expectedly remain the bottleneck.”

 

[IEMusic]

@Precogvision, apparently, you need to get your hands on an iBasso IT07 to review.

 

[Precogvision]

@Precogvision, apparently, you need to get your hands on an iBasso IT07 to review.

Haha noted. I'll see if I can make it happen. Can't guarantee when that'll be though, as the units from Linsoul generally go through Resolve before me.

 

[hi-fi amateur]

^Speaking of Resolve... have you heard his illumination yet? Wanted to hear more impressions of the illu, but there isn’t much out there.