The original Moondrop Blessing 2: DUSK came about before we began reviewing audio gear in earnest, but it’s no stretch to say that it has attained legendary status in the audio community. Whether you’re an audiophile or gamer, it was one of the most frequent recommendations and absolutely trend-setting for the era of influencer collaborations we find ourselves in today. Its successor has been a long time coming but the wait is finally over.
No longer part of the Blessing line-up, the Moondrop x Crinacle DUSK manages to fill the big shoes of its predecessor. With a combination of three driver types (dynamic, balanced armature, and planar magnetic) and a USB Type-C DSP cable, it’s one of the best tuned and most versatile sets you can find for its asking price of $359.
Specifications
Current Price: $359 (Amazon, Shenzen Audio)
Moondrop x Crinacle DUSK - First Impressions and Key Features
The Moondrop DUSK has been one of the most requested IEMs of the last several years. The original, a retune of the popular Moondrop Blessing 2, was exceptionally popular. Tuned by IEM expert, Crinacle, creator of the world’s largest publicly accessible database of IEM measurements and one of the biggest influencers in the business, it offered an exquisite balance of bass, technical performance, and detail, setting a new standard for the price.
The Blessing 3 came out nearly a year ago and a DUSK version seemed destined to come. But we had to wait.
As Crinacle explains in his launch video, this had to do with the pursuit of perfection — or as close to it as he could come. During the design process, he meticulously curated the frequency response but couldn’t remove a nagging peak at 6 kHz. This, as it turned out, was a result of the Knowles balanced armature drivers being used and so they were swapped to planar magnetic micro-tweeters. But, with a different driver arrangement and shifting from a hybrid (two driver type) to tribrid (three driver type) design, it was no longer fitting to call the DUSK a Blessing 3.
And so we have the Blessing DUSK, one of the most exciting IEMs of the last several years. It utilizes Moondrop’s most recent advancements, like the Horizontally Opposed Double Dynamic Drivers Unit System, or H.O.D.D.D.U.S. for short, and separate acoustic tubes for each driver type for physical frequency separation. It also utilizes an electronic crossover to ensure that each driver type receives a narrower band and can reach the peak of its performance.
The H.O.D.D.D.U.S. system is interesting and similar to integrations of dynamic drivers we’re seeing elsewhere in the IEM world currently, such as with Thieaudio’s Hype series (minus the isobaric chamber). This arrangement positions the drivers side to side and facing away from each other. The positioning of the magnets so closely together allows an amplification of the magnetic field, improving the dynamic range of the low-end while also reducing distortion.
The planar magnetic drivers, on the other hand, are devoted to the treble and carry all of the benefits typically associated with planars: clarity, detail, and exceptionally low distortion. Most importantly, the remove the 6 kHz peak for a smoother overall presentation.
Another interesting point of the DUSK is their faceplates. They’re made of genuine carbon fiber making them lightweight and durable. It also gives the IEMs a smokey, ashy appearance that fits the name quite well. This material did necessitate making the IEMs a bit larger, however, as the circuitry was actually causing shorts in the original Blessing 3 housing.
The fit, then, is on the large side. They definitely stick out of my medium-sized ears quite a bit, but despite that I find them quite comfortable. The package comes with three pairs of Moondrop’s Spring Tips, which are quite grippy and hold the earpieces in place well without causing stress on the ear canal. Given that they’re on the larger side, you’ll need to take care to choose the proper tip size for each ear and to achieve a properly isolating seal.
The other key feature of this release is its pairing with a USB Type-C Moondrop FreeDSP cable. This cable circumvents the need for a headphone jack and allows you to connect directly to your smartphone or computer. Using it on mobile, you can use the Moondrop Link app to access a selection of four presets that modify its sound profile. Moondrop also includes a standard 3.5mm cable, though the USB version is thicker and feels better made. Both are fine.
The stock tuning is very good, in my opinion, but with the DSP cable, it perfectly matches the In-Ear Fidelity target, finishing the work Crin was able to complete with pure physical tuning methods. The four additional filters are DUSK-V (V-shaped for more bass and treble), DUSK-Harman (Harman-tuned), DUSK-Bass+ (more BASS), and DUSK-Diffuse Tilted, which applies a diffuse field tuning with less bass. Of these, I definitely prefer the Default tuning followed by Diffuse Tilted.
Moondrop also includes a fairly nice storage case in the box. It’s trimmed in faux leather with some nicely contrasting stitchwork along the top, bottom, and sides. It’s hardshell, so you don’t need to fear when throwing it in a bag, and has enough space to store both cables, the tips, and the airplane adapter that’s also included.
Before moving onto the sound, I have to comment on the app. It works, for a while, but isn’t very good. I appreciate that it offers different listening modes and a parametric equalizer for creating your own tuning. I also like that it allows you to save your preferred tuning directly to the cable, so if you change the preset, it will follow you on different devices. But, after applying a preset, I repeatedly had the app lose connection with the IEMs after navigating away from the window, forcing me to unplug them and reconnect. The PEQ is also very limited, so while it works, it’s not fully functional like some others you can pick up on the Google Play Store. There’s also no PC version, so you’ll need to make the changes on your mobile, apply, and then connect it to your laptop.
Moondrop x Crinacle DUSK - Listening Impressions
The Moondrop DUSK has what I would describe as a U-shaped tuning. There is lots of bass in the default and 3.5mm tunings but it’s not overpowered and is high-quality in its presentation. While warm, the rise you see in the graph from ascending to 3kHz and then tapering off gives the earphones a pleasant, bright spaciousness. These earphones are fantastic for detail, too, and given an exceptionally good impression of clarity and resolution. They’re great for gaming, too, with a wide soundstage, accurate imaging, and presence to lend impact to the listening experience.
For this review, I’m going to focus on the default sound preset. This is primarily because I think it sounds the best and represents what the DUSK is capable of. With that in mind, it’s important to understand that this is a very versatile set and the presets show this off very well. If you want more or less from any register, this can represent that without distorting or losing detail. The only preset I would recommend avoiding is the dedicated bass preset. It’s the only option of the four that clouds the clarity. But, if you live and die by bass on earphones, you’ll probably enjoy how powerful it is.
Bass: Moondrop’s H.O.D.D.D.U.S. system is proven. We already knew how good it could be from the Blessing 3 and, with Crin’s tuning, it really takes it to the next level. This is the power, the rumble, the impact that so many people craved from that set — and it was already notched up from other Moondrop IEMs. But here, you’re not just getting bass quantity, you’re getting bass quality. Pearl of the Stars by Coheed and Cambria has this droning synth that these show off so well. It led me on to other tracks, like Love the Way You Lie by Rihanna and Eminem, Hollywood’s Bleeding by Post Malone, and Sadness by Jonny Craig. There is precious little these IEMs can’t do and make sound great in the low end. They are serious performers with a subwoofer-like tactility that’s engaging and fun but also impressively well-contained.
For gaming, this is an absolute winner. The punch and impact is perfect for competitive and immersive gaming experiences. There’s a cinematic quality here, but the frequency separation is so clean that you don’t lose positionality or accuracy in competitive games. It’s some of the best bass you’ll find for gaming in a pair of IEMs.
Mids: The midrange is similarly well done. The BAs at play blend seamlessly with the dynamic drivers and planars to create a graceful transition between the registers. With the bass emphasis, I was worried going in that the mids may sound muddy but I think Crinacle really balanced its presentation well. Both male and female vocals sound natural and lifelike. There’s little huskiness for the mids being warmed by the bass, and in fact, as it rises into the instrument regions, I was very impressed by the timbre of pianos and strings in particular. Acoustic tracks like Something in the Orange by Zach Bryan sound fantastic thanks to a bright, yet full, acoustic guitar. As a guitar player myself, I can say with authority that this presents that sound in a very true to life way, including very minute details like the blending of different strings to create chords.
The detail in this region is really excellent. As the frequency range extends into the upper mids, the sound is lively and engaging. You might think that the bass would be the star of the show but this is where balance in the tuning really counts because mid-range detail co-exists with that bass rumble very well. The end result is a sound that’s exceptionally full, tactile, and engaging.
Treble: The treble is well extended and airy. The micro planar drivers deliver this extension with aplomb, injecting the listening experience with an added sense of atmosphere. Harmonics for midrange instruments are present, so nothing sounds veiled or dull. Hi-hats and percussion really pop out too. There’s a smoothness to the presentation I’m surprised by. While the treble sensitive often dislike the poppy hi-hats, it worked very well for my personal taste and didn’t leave me needing a break after two straight hours of listening and several hours of non-stop Baldur’s Gate the next day.
Technical Performance, Soundstage, and Imaging: The technical performance of these IEMs is excellent. There is a very good sense of separation between instruments and layers, so you can clearly make out the different elements that make up your music or games. I was able to clearly pick out the layered vocals on Pearl of the Stars, for example, and each individual guitar track on the super busy metal track Dopamine by Angel Vivaldi.
The soundstage is wide and deep for an earphone. While it still won’t compete with a great pair of open-back headphones the listening experience is still very open and doesn’t sound at all like it’s coming from inside your ears. It’s a well-done psychoacoustic trick that is very well done and enhances the listening experience beyond its price point. Within this stage, the imaging is also very good with strong positionality for instruments and audio cues.
Gaming: As I’ve already mentioned throughout this review, these headphones are great for gaming. They have a spacious sound, powerful bass with rumbly lows, and lots of positional detail. I also find the detail to be very immersive. With certain games, like Red Dead Redemption 2 and Baldur’s Gate 3, it really works to draw you in and help you get lost in the game.
Compared to the AFUL Performer 8: At this price point, the AFUL Performer 8 is its closest competitor and the likeliest comparison many potential buyers will make. I was a fan of the P8. In fact, if you read that review, you’ll find that I make a lot of similar statements that I’m making here. I even went so far as to say that it had the best treble that I’ve heard on a pair of IEMs under $500.
What a time we live in, because in a side by side comparison, I find the DUSK to be better in a number of ways while also being cheaper. The bass is slightly tighter with better resolution into the lowest lows. The treble is also smoother, though I don’t necessarily consider this better as much as different. Both pack plenty of details, though I would likely lean toward the DUSK again since it can provide such high resolution while also sounding less sharp with cymbal hits and rifle shots. The Performer is a better looking set, in my opinion, however.
The DUSK really pulls ahead in soundstage and immersiveness, however. It’s much more spacious for music and gaming alike. The P8 wasn’t congested but does sound less grandiose in comparison.
Then, of course, the DUSK is also much more versatile thanks to its DSP cable. You can arguably achieve similar versatility using EQ but that involves extra steps that have already been done for you on the DUSK.
While they’re both great, I would definitely put the DUSK above the Performer 8.
Overall Impressions and Final Thoughts
The Moondrop x Crinacle DUSK is a fantastic pair of IEMs. It had a high bar to clear to not disappoint the fanbase the Blessing 2 DUSK earned and it succeeded. It’s not perfect — the app needs work and they’re definitely on the larger side — but what you’re getting for $359 is top in class. Around $400, the DUSK will be my new recommendation. It lives up to the hype.
The product described in this article was provided by the manufacturer for evaluation purposes. Articles may include affiliate links from which we may earn a small commission to help support the site. Authors do not earn affiliate revenue or commissions.
