Moonbuds Crescent Earbud

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written by: Ferdie A.







Introduction

It’s been a while since a review was last written here at JAM Audio Reviews. Since we know that you’ve been left wanting, here’s a very nice treat for you all - A Moonbuds Crescent review.


Disclosure

This review was made possible via the assistance of several individuals from the Walnut and Zishan Enthusiasts Facebook group. I did not receive any form of payment from Burr Brown, Zishan, xDuoo, and Moonbuds in exchange for this review. The Burr Brown OPA2107AP op amp, Zishan DSD AK4497EQ digital audio player, xDuoo X10 digital audio player, and Moonbuds Crescent have been fully paid for and are currently owned by me.


About me

Musically, I prefer listening to mostly classic rock, blues and instrumental jazz fusion music. From time to time, I also listen to alternative rock, progressive metal, and meticulously chosen pop songs.


Reviewing the Basics


  • A Brief History

Moonbuds began making earbuds about a year ago, but decided to go public and commercialize its product line around April 2018 and officially launched its Facebook page this July 2018. The brand and its products are owned and created by Van Dzung Cao. Online, he goes by the name Moon Harvester. 

The name Moonbuds came about primarily because Moon Harvester firmly believes his name is about making the impossible possible - much like harvesting the best in life. That the best in life is the best in everyone’s soul. Through which he builds that connection from his’ to the users’ of his creations.


  • Packaging/Accessories

The Moonbuds Crescent arrived around two (2) months ago direct from Moon Harvester’s table in Vietnam. The main earbud unit was neatly packed inside a wooden box that’s similar to a jewelry box used by my aunts - making any Moonbuds product a literal gem-of-a-bud. The box also has a personalized message from the maker with the new owner’s name on it. You’ll also receive a lot of foamies with various colors, and a small randomly-colored pouch that says “Vietnam” on one side.

 Once you’re done admiring the case and accessories, the first thing you’ll notice on the Crescent is the incredible cable detail. The way the cable was braided meant that Moon took a lot of time to make sure that each knot is even. The wooden yellow y-splitter also has the maker’s signature “Moon” brand. At the bottom end of the line, Moon meticulously sealed the plug to possibly protect it from loosening up - but I believe it’s also there to hide one of his secret building techniques. ^_^ 

 The cables leading to the drivers individually have short rubber shrink tubes to help preserve the braid. The unit that I have has transparent ones unlike those who came after me and received color-coded tubes denoting orientation. Another smart feature is the small wooden bead on the left cable. Basically, if you’re color blind, you’ll easily identify which driver should go to which ear by using this. A colorful and sparkly chin adjuster has also been installed. I don’t really use chin adjusters, but my wife finds the one on my Crescent to be pretty cute so I’m okay with it.

 The length of the cable from the plug to the drivers is long enough for me to enjoy my portable audio players. I have no issues with it since I’m a short guy with a small head - a perfect fit!

 The main drivers’ housings are your basic MX500 plastic grill and shell in black with an embossed Moonbuds logo on each one. Then again, what’s important is what’s “inside” the shells. 

  • Tech Specs

Driver: 15mm Dynamic driver
Impedance: 32Ω
Headphone sensitivity: -dB
Frequency range: -Hz
Interface: 3.5mm trs
Cable length: 1m
Weight: between 15g to 20g

  • Sonic Review

    • Gear used - Zishan DSD AK4497EQ with OPA2107AP; xDuoo X10; Moonbuds Crescent earbuds with attached donut-hole foam pads, and a total burn-in time of 171 hours and 59 minutes (combination of pink noise, logarithmic sine wave, and regular use) at the time this article was written and finalized.
    • Track Highlights
          Rhythm and Blues is a combination of blues, as well as the driving rhythm of jazz - a historically known antecedent of rock and roll. It is a genre that has been used by a lot of artists globally. Each bar of the track is chock-full of energy and detail wherein isolating a single track highlight has been a considerable challenge. 

 The track intro and first stanza initially brings a small amount of energy with its easy-to-digest combination of trumpets, bass guitar, drums, and vocal lines that set the rhythm for the next part of the track. After 45 seconds, the track goes into a transition that steadily brings up the tempo, and then into a more energetic rendition of the first stanza. The detail and clarity to fully appreciate these without having the low end overstep its boundaries is quite inherent in the Moonbud Crescent. This makes it a great detail-oriented driver for genres where a lot of instruments go back and forth with each other.

    • Highs - Cheryl Lynn’s high-pitched vocal lines, as well as the high-octave wind instrument parts are smoothly rendered without any in-your-face sensation. Although the impression is smooth, the Crescent still has a slight roll off, which adds to that sense of clarity and detail. The Crescent’s higher end of the spectrum truly satisfies with a confident delivery of clarity that rivals that of the other earbuds I’ve tried and owned like the TC200, Vido, Sharp MD, Qian69, Moondrop Nameless, Senfer PT15, Toneking TP16, Heavenly Sounds Cadenza V1 2017, and Willsound Mk1 Rev2. I have an analytical preference, so this frequency range is something I truly enjoy. 
    • Mids - The Crescent’s assertive midrange is brimming with life as it presents details incomparable to the lower-priced earbuds. Although, the vocals and instruments receive a sonic mid bump, the earbud doesn’t overwhelm the rest of the track. It is still able to yield a considerably balanced scope. What you get are detailed trumpet, drums, cymbals, keyboard and vocals, but listeners who prefer a warmer sound may find this to be a bit more aggressive than expected. 
    • Lows - As expected from a highly-detailed earbud, the Crescent’s low end provides quite a speedy performance. The bass lines throughout the song continuously serve distinctly punchy phrases that still supply a decent amount of sub bass for that slightly extended kick that doesn’t disrupt the midrange.
    • Soundstage:
      • The Crescent’s staging isn’t as wide as the Heavenly Sounds Cadenza Plus V2’s, but it’s still wider than any of the other aforementioned earbuds. It’s depth is a notch or two above average as well, which eliminates the feeling of congestion during the faster-paced and simultaneous parts of the track. Considering the amount of details coming from this earbud, I’m still more than satisfied with how the staging was created. 
      • As a matter of fact, I can hear Cheryl in front at the center of the stage as her voice flows out through both sides. The keyboard is mostly on the right while it fills in some space on the left. The bass is slightly off center to the right with enough thump and volume to accommodate the left. It is also placed on the same row as the two trumpets positioned on the right and the two other trumpets on the left. You also have the drums rhythmically filling in whatever space needs to be filled. All of these are happening while I’m more or less 10 to 15 feet away from the stage - this is around 2 to 3 rows away from the edge of a typical theater space.
    • Instrument Separation - The track’s instrument separation was pretty challenging since it had more than 3 instruments playing with various rhythmic feels occurring throughout. It was a challenge that the Moonbuds Crescent was able to overcome for this track. There were a lot of things happening and identifying which instrument was playing what part was quite easy. I tried this out with Disturbed’s Immortalized and Metallica’s The Four Horsemen, and the results were quite satisfying considering the pace and tonality of the tracks. 


Other Observations and Overall Musicality

It’s signature from out of the box was on the neutral side. But after a full and proper burn-in, there were very impressive changes throughout the frequency range. It gained more musicality with a bump on the low, mid and high frequencies. These frequency bumps were not truly forward enough for me to get put off by using it as a daily driver.

 Considering the number of enthusiasts I’ve encountered as well as online communities that expressed various preferences, some may find the Crescent to be too tiring to use after a couple of hours. Fatigue may develop due to its lack of warmth. 


Summary and Recommendations

Moonbuds’ Crescent earbud presents a great amount of detail. It’s a great driver to use for any portable setup. It performs well with any sources, but shines with ones that have a more neutral sound signature. It can definitely outshine lower-priced earbuds, as well as go head-to-head with those at the same tier and price range. I reckon it has more details to offer than the Heavenly Sounds Cadenza Plus V2 or the Willsound Mk1 Rev2. 

 I’d suggest utilizing around 40% to 60% of a digital player’s or around 30% of a low-gain amplifier’s volume level to get that sweet spot for maximum audio enjoyment.

 Being my 2nd foreign-DIY earbud and with a price tag of less than $100, this is the perfect driver for those who prefer the analytical sound but with a certain amount of fun; or to those who fully enjoy critical listening on a more frequent basis. As such, it’s great for almost any type of genre… save for the boomy kind.

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