A cable that REALLY changes sound? - Moondrop FREE DSP Review
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- čas přidán 9. 07. 2024
- The Moondrop FREE DSP is an IEM cable that allows you to load custom EQ profiles and alter the tuning of your IEMs, but it has some problems!
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00:00 - Intro
00:43 - Build Quality
00:58 - Mic Test
02:00 - Software/App
05:07 - Subjective Sound
05:55 - Measurements
08:09 - Outro - Zábava
I swear, if most hardware companies out there just documented their tech for open-source folks to write apps instead of forcing all that incompetent, if not malicious, heaps of "software" down our throats, the world would've been a better place.
This x100. There is a free, open-source version of basically every mass-consumer utility program at this point, and EQ is no acception. If they just implemented EqualizerAPO with the Peace UI, there'd be no cost to develop an app, and the UX would be at least a few dozen times better. Hell, the app would probably be smaller and faster, too.
Why are companies still so inexcusably incompetent in implementing PEQ? The ibasso's only have 6 bands. The A&K have fixed bands. Fiios app gets confused if the bands are put too far away from the GEQ bands, meaning its effectively a worse A&K. Minidsp and qudelix still seem to be the ONLY hardware controlled dsp product manufacturers that offer even 10 bands that is ACTUALLY PEQ, and the qudelix can do far more than that for just $120. Its genuinely embarrassing.
so fing true
Qudelix 5k PEQ is amazing with decent number of profile to save to as well. For someone with many headphone it’s such an amazing product. The only downside is bitrate limit of 24bit 96khz if only it could do at least 192khz it would be perfect.
@@SintraniaDo a blind test and try to see if you can accurately hear which is 96khz and 192khz and you'll soon realize that it does in fact not matter.
@@vael_ I know but the thing is apple music offer a selection of only 48khz or 192khz which when you selected 192khz option and output to qudelix there will be bitrate compression. So I just don't want my source tampered with and apple music isn't smart enough to know what bitrate to selected when I use different device.
@@Sintrania I don't think bit perfect is actually appreciably audible expecially past 44khz. I understand you want to get the thing you payed for out of your apple music subscription, but the noise floor of 16bit 44khz with proper dithering is 120db, and thats RMS. Meaning you have to be playing at 120db before you get audible compression. It's nothing to worry about.
I was excited, but didn't know about all the limitations and downsides. Looks like an opportunity for another company to do it right.
100%!
Thank you for the high quality content.
Thanks for pointing out the security issues!
A Lightning version would've been nice. AFAIK the Qudelix 5K is still the cheapest way to get PEQ from an iOS device but that little nugget is $100+
I use it on my iPhone I found a cable that’s usb C to lightning lets me use the mic and controls fine
I just got my Moondrop X Crinacle Dusk heaphone. It includes (a kind of) DSP cable with pre-installed EQ-ing (adapted for the Dusk headphone). Anyway you can change the parameters by your own which is nice. The news: you can change the settings above 10kHz. => i change the 14kHz setting from -5db (Q2) to -2db (Q3) (which is better IMHO). So there seems to be a change in the DSP cable/software. I just want to let you know that. ✌
Tanchjim One is also available in a DSP flavor and is cheaper (you're getting an IEM and a DSP cable) though the app is atrocious too. It sounds very nice though
Just picked up Moondrop May; for a $60 IEM, they are fantastic with the USB-C terminated cable; quite bargain. Great value!
Thank you for the review Golden Sound sir
hi i am looking for new cables for my iem CCA PLA 13 ? Which cables are available out there for it.
Another restriction is you can't save profiles locally, only on the web.
I made similar comments to MoonDrop support (late March 2024) and they say there will be a software update "soon". I also tried the Chu 2 DSP which has only 5 PEQ settings but without some of the annoying quirks of the FreeDSP cable. Personally, I think 5 PEQ is enough. Too many settings leads to over correction and is much harder to adjust if you don't like a particular target from online AutoEQ software.
I tested the FreeDSP and Chu 2 DSP on Android, MacOS, Windows, iPadOS and even IOS using a lighting-OTG adapter. All worked perfectly fine. I think a very useful product once you get it setup, but the software clearly needs some work. I now have a Chut 2 DSP which I've adjust to my liking and can be used on my iPhone, iPad, Android and Laptop giving me exactly the same sound effortlessly.
if im using an upgrade cable but dont touch any settings is still can change my IEM's sound quality?
i just want a cable with usb-c for connecting rhem to my phone
Hey Goldensound, when is the DAC sound comparison blind test video coming?
would you reccomend this if I am just using it for the built in mic?
I have the aria snow and I am looking for low profile add on mic to it.
Latest version of the softare (1.036c, released on the 24th of November) allows adjusting up to 20Khz
Moonton: *give me access to all ur photos*
I just received mine and was so excited to try them out. When I went to connect them to my Massdrop Plus IEMs, the 2-pin stem is too short to go all the way in. Now I am sad.
I'm a huge fan and i think you've told me enough in this video to slightly disagree with you on your take. Solely on value.
For the price (~30USD), a 2pin cable with a USB dac built in is a very good value.
add a mic.. Even more value.
For it to even try to have an assignable DSP that you can use on any USB device without software seems pretty phenomenal.
My hearing is a bit off and i have been hunting for something that i can use with a freq adjustment on my VERY LOCKED DOWN work laptop.
I'm so glad i saw this video, this is a godsend for my travel gear.
Did i get a faulty unit?
I bought it recently but when i tested it,
its mic couldn't catch my voice but weirdly enough it could catch its own button click sound (+ and -)
not really sure whether it is a driver issue or a hardware issue
since i used it on my laptop and iphone
how many user eq presets ? no autoeq in the app to match various targets in one click ?
Loved the video. It came up when I googled for the moondrop "may". That is a new iem from Moondrop. Would you please do a review? Thanks
Are there any built-in profiles for Blessing 2? It would be great of you could EQ B2 to Dusk version or just boost lower frequencies(like built-in basshead profile)
I have the 3.5 mm version of this cable, the MC2. Quality is very good.
Hi, How's the mic quality? I've been looking into this cable but I haven't found any reviews on the mic quality.
@@YohnzyRR Stellar. Had my friend compare it against the mic quality of the Apple Earpods and he said the MC2 sounds much better.
@@gerardw.7468 Thank you, looking to purchase it very soon
Does it also have software/app like this?
@@nathielctrs341 nope. 3.5mm is an analog signal, so app support is out of the question
Hello. How would this cable DSP compare to my PC ALC1220 or a good portable like the Periodic Audio Rhodium? Will they have a level of difference that i will notice on my ea500lm?
6:04 does it mean 1vrms is the max output you can get with this cable? Or does it depend on the device's usb-c output ?
I use UAPP and it has an addon for peq. However i mostly use Tidal offline/ downloaded content and i can't use it with that. I assume HQ player is the same (though i haven't tried it) I thought this could fix that for me...
This reminds me of Moondrop Click, though it doesn't have DSP. I wonder if they have the same sound quality.
any chance this is compatible with the CHU 2?
thanks!
Will this work with my current setup, my PC doesn't have type c. If I buy a type c to USB 3.0 adapter, will things work out for me then?
Can someone tell me it this work on android phone that have 3.5 mm jack?
Can I use this with my Letshuoer S12?
App has been fixed with version 2.0. Love this cable. Fantastic for the money. Pretty sure it is the same cable that comes with the May.
How is it actually fixed? Mind sharing a video?
How is the cable quality??
I just got this cable and I'm very underwhelmed. I think it picks up a lot of noise. When I connect it to my Windows laptop I hear a crackling in the right IEM each time a sound starts to play. No crackle when there's nothing playing and I tested it with 2 pairs of IEM's and 2 different laptops with a USB C port. On my phone they work quite well but the sound quality is still worse than a normal aux cable. I bought these because my aux port on my phone is starting to get a bad contact and I didn't want to replace my phone for just my aux port but I'm pretty dissapointed.
Are these supported by iPhone 15 pro.
My friends are complaining the mic, it's too quiet, anyone else? Or know how to fix it.
Consider: if EQ is only +3/-12, that’s 15dB, so “unity gain” is -7.5 dB…the DAC amp needs that at its front end. And there’s the overall gain adjustment.
I pair these with a kiwiears quartet which is fine but trying with a few planar iems it picks up a lot of 'swishing' sounding interference. It is most notable on youtube streaming etc.
I assume most people are getting for on the go replacement of the 3.5mm jack lost on phones and the interference is a big shame and detractor.
The permissions thing has to do with the way apps can write to usb devices
Guessing it requests access to all files and media because you can add a profile picture to the app. Pretty ridiculous that it would ask this if you're not specifically trying to add a profile pic to the app.
The security and privacy issues are strange and impossible to justify. I’ll bet more audio devices are guilty of this, but remain clandestine about it.
iirc, cars have by far the worst standards for privacy and security, with appliances being not too far off. Audio is *probably* safe for the most part, purely cause everything is so stripped down with audio, most of the time, but that's not a confident claim, just an educated guess.
I think for a USB device to be written to, it has to have the 'all files' permission. I think this has to do with the write location and the location that the software is running on the phone, not being the same location. I believe Android is working on my 'specific' file access but i think right now, it's all or nothing.
Laughs in Qudelix...
😂😂 same. moondrop once again missed the mark. good idea though it's just poorly executed.
This is a good convenience product if you don't buy it for the dsp. I just use this when I want to use iems but don't want to carry a dac-amp, and I hate the apple dongle. It's also a legitimately nice cable for the price.
The quick brown fox jumpS over the lazy dog. You robbed S of its moment of glory!
The app permissions request was the killer for me. I bought the Space Travel TWS and the app is the same. I uninstalled the app and gave the set to a family member.
Companies think we are stupid, I remember having a full functional and great sounding PEQ in my tiny Sansa Clip mp3 player back in the 2000s, not thanks to Sandisk but to the Rockbox hacking community, and not just that but all sort of sofisticated processes, personalizations, and even games, go figure. Crossfeed was great to reduce long auditions fatigue by the way, why nobody implements that too?
Another option is to convert EQ APO files into wavelet profiles and import them.
The quick brown fox JUMPS over the lazy dog - thereby including the 'S'. You're welcome 👍
This seems like a product that you give to someone you don't like as a gift.
Pro tip, turn bass all the way up and everything else all the way down 😎
Nice😂 but to be honest the best sounds is what you enjoy not other people.
2:40 file access permission is probably to import PEQ files.
Why do they do that dodgy braiding of the signal wires in the cable?
1. No outside shielding that collects external RF noise and drains it to ground.
2. No regular twist between the two balanced wires, which is used to cancel out RF interference.
3. No shielding between channels, so crosstalk between channels.
They should make it open source and let the community develop the software.
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Comparison with Tanchjim one DSP please. 🤣
The app is so difficult to use. I can work it and its nice when you get it to work but...its just half baked tbh. The cable though is SUPER NICE. Its why i picked it up. So im not too upset. I needed a usbc cable for my iems with a mic for when video chatting with my gf. So its alright at the end of the day. It does what i need it to and the cable feels premium. I did disable those permissions though lol. It has no permissions. The only permission it gets is to interact with the cable
It would be cool if they had a variant without the mic
I honestly have no clue why there is no iOS support for this, as iPhone users would probably make up a very very large proportion of buyers if it did have it, given they would also need to fix a few of the software limitations. I also think the +3db limit would be a safeguard for the limited power output, but again that issue would easily be solved by having adjustable pre amp
no standalone eq app on ios is allowed to take control of system EQ. only things like spotify can. so this isnt a moondrop issue rather an apple issue
@@filipkuster5013 but its not taking control of the eq on the ios, its outputting it to a dsp chip AFTER the phone. Audezes cipher cables are dsp and only work on ios.
@@filipkuster5013exactly. It’s only possible with something like the Qudelix that connects via Bluetooth. Otherwise there is no „systemwide“ eq like you said
@@filipkuster5013no not true. The dsp comes after the signal has left the phone via a hardware dsp chip that the app controls. The app does not control the ios in any way.
@@filipkuster5013audezes cipher cables are ios only and have 10 band GEQ.
OTOH.... In the past most companies would charge $600 for a bleeding edge DSP device which doesn't work right and takes three versions to get the bugs out. $30 is a pretty reasonable entry point to test out the future of audio and a cheap learning experience no matter the results.
The rest of us don't get free review units to test.
TL;dr:
It's not free and has "DSP".
Great name for this product!
❄️🐻
"use your normal iem case", meaning my pocket, backpack or anywhere else I'll stuff them.
Don't see a problem with no preamp, why not just set the bass "shelf" to peak at 0 and everything else negative?
Whether if its more complicated that a bass shelf, then everything would need to be reduced which is unacceptable to any decent customer.
@@enjoshi-godrez8775 Idk I do that on android in my eq app and in my car because neither have preamp. Not a hard thing to do, barely an inconvenience.
@@ZenTunE- you only run a bass shelf. I run 14 peal filters using autoeq on my qudelix. Step down.
@@enjoshi-godrez8775 Nah I have other filter aside the bass
Once you have your settings dialed in, reducing 14 values by say 7db ain't that bad.
@@ZenTunE- yea it absolutely is. Stop making excuses for this half baked product.
TL;DR it's not good enough.
Better to use Wavelet and import custom EQ's.
Earwax was the very first EQ and, unlike most other solutions, it is still 100% free. 👂🏽
Wdym unlike? Almost all software eq is free. Only things like sonarworks and roon is not and they offer an entire other product with it. The qudelix is an entire device with your peq, and a amazing one at that, but most eq tools are absolutely free.
@@liamhenderson3958 Not as free as earwax though; Not by a longshot.
All the decent PEQ/PEQ-supporting software for Android that I'm aware of, like PowerAmp EQ or Neutron MP, isn't free.
All of those examples are also players, they serve another fuction. Wavelet is your correct comparison and that is free.
@@enjoshi-godrez8775 Earwax is even freer than free software because you don’t need to buy any audio equipment to use it. It even works with buskers you pass on the street.
If you just don't use the app it doesn't sound like a bad option the main problem is the bad advertising
"Software" should contribute more to improving the quality of sound. I would also like to see more hardware that can take advantage of "software".
Huh... Finally....
But can they create the same but for 4.4 not for type c......
The sound of the cable all depends on the colour. Silver cables sound brighter. Clear cables sounds clearer.
Red cables sound hotter. Dark cables sound darker. Rainbow cable sound gay.
Super cool hardware, but the software is horrible. So many limitations (+the file access part), you're better off just getting poweramp equalizer for like $3 and have system wide parametric eq
Good proof of concept. Shitty execution. Still very cool waiting for another company to massively improve and expand on this.
2:47 is why it’s not on iphone 😅😂
This review seriously needed to be done by resolve 😂😂😂
hahaha f h
Missed opportunity. Too many limitations. I'm gonna pass.
I don't see the point in this, it's not really useful with all it's limitations. My android already has a basic EQ built into the software. You might as well use that, they're both limited but at least your phone's eq is free.
It's not PEQ. Get an eduction.
@@liamhenderson3958 I said basic EQ, not once did I say peq. My point was this isn't a useful product with how restricted it is. If you want a true peq function do what I did get a qudelix 5k.
@@liamhenderson3958 This isn't a proper PEQ either. And you should get off your high horse there.
If you use the app check your bank account....
Yeah using it as a cable for 2 pin to usb c it's unbeatable for the budget scene but yeah that eq sucks ass
the idea is good, but so badly implemented that it's much better to do the correction in software at the player level...
2:00 worse, not worst
How long will it take till the headphone show finally has the consciousness to finally hear the big sonic differences that different cables make 🤔 i bet they never do
This cable is suitable for 7hz salnotes zero
The app is hot garbage.
So Moondrop's DSP cable is just a good cable as it's now lol. Not worthy IMO
Nice idea but fail on the execution. Typical android asking for access to everything on your phone or device. I will just stick with my quidelix5k.
It is Chinese… off-course they want to access to all of your files.
Be careful… specially if you have bank/financial data in there..
another moondrop stinker
That app's a virus!
So basically...you're paying the Chinese company to have complete access to all your personal data via your phone?
I swear, the copium people will consume just to justify this extremely shady trade-off is going to sounding.
What bitrate does it support? 16, 24 or 32bit? Hires?
Blame Google for how they segment their API calls. They probably just need it to read a text file, but it still is kind of shady. Someone should investigate that.
Bad item with security issues
Other cheap Chinese product . Not suprised
An infomercial. Bye!
Well if you watch the video, you can see it isn't recommended in its current form.
more moondrop trash
In essence you're paying a Chinese company to have complete access to all your personal data via your phone...NO THANKS, I'll pass!
i think it wil not give distortion majority of itme. im rarely opening my limit slider in wavelet even im in positives. it only happens with some overly high volume mastering and high bass crap music.
+3 and -12 is a good idea. You can tune majority of shouty chi-fi product to sound like sennheiser ie800-900/momentum tws . Very good cable.