PROS: Balanced cohesive tonality, dense warm timbre, genius design-construction for the budget segment, small comfy
CONS: Doesn’t sound clean-clear enough, lack of air, lack of bass and treble extension, average technicalities for the price…
Tonality: 7.5/10
Technicalities:6.5/10
Construction-design: 9.5/10
Value: 7.5/10
THE GOOD:
–Organically balanced tonality
-Natural timbre, impressive beautifully full vocal
-Refreshing slight V to Mid centric tuning
-Smooth non-fatiguing
-Decent layering
-Very impressive design and construction, small and comfy (perfect sleeper)
THE BAD:
–Slightly Hazy hollow mellow sound
-Poor imaging
-Lack of clarity
-Bass bleed, lack of bass articulation, separation and punch definition
-Sound is kinda stock in your head due to lack of deepness to the soundstage
-Bass and highs are not very textured and a bit shouty
-Need good amping to shine
THE UGLY:
-Average technicalities for the price (no attack snap, no natural decay, no space clean space between instruments, barely any micro-details)
-Fast busy track make the sound messy and saturated
-Poor bass extension, poor treble extension
I try to love the Moondrop SSP because they are candies to my eyes and I’m sincerely enamored by the unique design of its sumptuous housing…unfortunately the sound doesn’t fully meet this type of careful refinement. Firstly I always feel they’re an hollow blanket on the sound, making it very hard to perceive clearly a separation between instruments…as if it was too homogenous in layering and lacking edge to definition. To improve a bit the clarity I even pull off ALL filters…(2 pairs) and indeed it gives a hint more grip to the upper treble and openness to soundstage…just a hint.
The soundstage is intimate, imaging lack clarity to precisely spot instrument placement (good luck with that!), their no air to the sound apart from some unbalanced highs….
lotta music track sound plain wrong with the SSP and this is the bass-treble fault, not the mids which are near perfect.
Yep, both in timbre and tonality.
Female vocal sound marvelous, full, lush and smooth with dense body, saxophone too is extremely addictive and musical, wide and dense with well define layer that takes front seat. I can’t rave enough about the vocal so this is GOOD! It even might be among the best vocal presentation under-50$.
But everything can be ruined by bass and treble, so if sub-bass is an important part of track enjoyment it will sound underwhelming, sub being dry and boxy compared to mid-bass that have good slam and weight but lack of well-rounded definition. If the track is supposed to be revealing in micro-details and texture, again, the SSP will sound underwhelming.
You better go with slow music like Soul, R&B, Pop, Singer-songwriter, Folk…and avoids any fast rock, jazz, classical symphony and complex electronic or IDM.
VS BLON BL03:
The soundstage of BL03 is notably wider-taller-deeper.
Tonality is more W shape and lively, brighter and more textured.
Bass it harder-deeper and have more natural resonance-rumble.
Mids are a bit more recessed and thin, dryer and notably less musical to my ears.
Attack from bass to treble is more snappy, well define and control.
Higher level of details, better macro and micro-resolution, more airy and extended treble.
Less natural timbre,a bit grainy compared to bit too organic with SSP.
Technicalities goes to BL03 while the tonal balance are on par but more thick and relaxed with SSP.
CONCLUSION:
The incredibly addictive vocal performance save the SSP from being a dull uninspired IEM, but it isn’t enough to highly recommend them. If the vocal is as good with the more neutral SSR, this might be a better more versatile choice…but the highs will perhaps feel even more shouty so here its a question of which poisin you wanna choose. If your all about female vocalist, the intermittent goosebumps SSP will offer you might worth your money, but be sure to know if your music style can pair well with its very limited technical strength.
RECOMMENDED IF YOUR ALL ABOUT VOCAL
No Borders Audiophile 