Courtesy of our friends at HiFiGo, we’ve just learned that Moondrop, makers of some of the most popular IEMs of the last few years, have announced their latest project: May, dual-driver earphones powered by USB Type-C. While that might not sound like much, there’s more going on here than meets the eye and opens the door to some unique possibilities at an affordable price of only $64.99.
While USB Type-C earphones are nothing new, the May breaks the mold with how it’s made. The majority of Type-C earbuds use a single, generic dynamic driver to create their sonic experience. The May utilizes a dual-driver configuration, allowing Moondrop to split the sound between both drivers. This allows each to focus on a more narrow frequency range, increasing clarity and the perceived separation between sources like instruments or audio cues in games.
It’s not just that the May is dual-driver, however, it’s also the types of drivers Moondrop is using. Most dual drivers, or hybrids, utilize a balanced armature and dynamic driver combination. The May swaps the balanced armature for a planar magnetic driver, which is beloved in the audiophile community for its exceptional detail and clarity. It’s also the most affordable planar magnetic IEM Moondrop has produced.
In this arrangement, the dynamic driver will likely handle the lows into the mids, allowing it to focus on what dynamic drivers tend to excel at. We anticipate that the planar driver will cover the mids into the highs. The driver is only 6mm, which is quite small even for an IEM driver, so it makes sense that it would focus on those areas where detail and clarity reside, potentially making this an outstanding pick for both music and gaming.
Finally, the USB connectivity itself is a big selling point. Making these actively powered IEMs allows Moondrop to add a digital signal processor (DSP) to the chain, as well as a built-in DAC and amp. You’ll get high resolution audio of up to 32-bit/384kHz and enough volume no matter what device you plug in to. It also means that you’ll have access to EQ presets using the Moondrop Link app.
You can find out more through HiFiGo’s blog post and the official product page. The Moondrop May is available now for $64.99.
