Moondrop Space Travel

The alternative title for this review was far less appropriate.

Introduction

It's been a while since I reviewed anything, let alone something that actually interests me in some regard. However, in my recent deep space bargain bin exploratory mission I have tripped upon the Space Travels (purchased for $24.99 from SHENZHENAUDIO) and I must say, they're a fine companion to explore the (audio) space with, especially considering they're priced this low. I did not expect much - after all, outside a couple exceptions, the TWS market is often limited to major brands like Samsung, Sony and Apple. Moondrop's previous TWS forays have also been quite inconsistent - the Sparks were very solid outside a couple quirks, the Alice was baffling and the Nekocakes were just fine. Let me make this immediately clear; these completely invalidate the existence of the Nekocakes. What is the point of buying something that's $15 more expensive and behaves essentially the same, unless you want a custom motif? And, well, a lid? Yes, I haven't bothered listing that as a con. I may be lazy - but also, that's something I'll get into a bit later. Let's dive right into it, and feel free to hear me out why I think the Space Travels are both a solid listen and a buy at $25.

Packaging



As might be expected, the packaging is very spartan at this range, reminiscent of some budget Tripowin models, perhaps even Moondrop's own Chu. You get a box wrapped in plastic with a small illustration of the expected anime girl on the back. There is really no glamour in opening this box - which is what I prefer until we get to a higher price point, anyway. Peel off the plastic film and there is a thin foil waiting under to be flipped over, and then you get access to the case itself.



After you pull out the plastic sheet, you can pull out the case including the TWS. The small Space Travel box under the case contains the short USB charging cable (type A to type C termination) and that's basically it. The additional eartips are all crammed in one tiny plastic baggie - not a fan, but I'll let it slide. You also get the usual QC check, a small sheet of paper with a full-color illustration of a cartoon lady, and then a bunch of paperwork. Overall, the package is very small and there is not much to complain about. Of course, a lid would be nice. It would cost barely a dollar, but perhaps Moondrop wanted to make something cool here. It does look unique and I think that much can't be denied.

Closer examination and ergonomics



As you can see in the image above, I purchased the "black" finish instead of the usual white. I think it looks way more rad - the orange plastic is very much reminiscent of those old Lego see-through bricks that I went thru in my youth. The USB-C port is at the bottom of the case - I would have preferred that it be placed at the back, but ah well, no point crying over it. The buds themselves have a decently long stem - slightly longer than the AirPods Pro. The buds are slid in and out the case on the stem, making pulling them out a little awkward at first, but you learn quick. The charging connectors for the buds are on the bottom of the stems. I haven't noticed any issues with the buds themselves moving around in the case or anything else like that. They stay rather secure, even if the lack of a lid isn't very convincing in this regard. If you feel insecure about this, Moondrop has a case for the Space Travels as well. Speaking of insecure, the touch area on the stems is very big, if not maybe the entire stem. Accidental taps are pretty likely if you try and adjust the fit in your ears - I would personally recommend that you grab the stem by its sides (or top and bottom) and adjust that way to prevent accidental pauses or mode-switching.



The fit is also AirPods-reminiscent. The nozzle itself is an oval shape. I gotta make this clear and say that my ears just suck. I can't really fit larger nozzles in my ears, but I can cram pretty large shells in my concha. So it was a very pleasant surprise when I realized these fit me very well. Of course, your mileage may vary - but for my accursed ears, this is a pretty good remedy. They can stay in my ears for almost the whole battery life duration, and I've been pleasantly surprised to find out that they stayed in my ears during a good night's sleep. The eartips themselves aren't anything groundbreaking, however, and if you happen to have something like Omni tips, they're worth trying out in this case.

Sound performance

The Space Travels were connected to my phone (running Lineage 20) and my laptop (a poor 7-year old Asus ROG). I have only noticed one case of drop-out and not another since. If you're planning to watch any fast-paced videos or plan to game with them, enable "game mode" by tapping on the stem four times. The delay is still kind of perceptible, but it's notably better and I'd say very much servicable for that use-case. As is the case for most TWS, the microphone performance is not very good.

Bass

I've mentioned it before, but these are fun. Not very bassy, unless you turn on the Basshead preset in the Moondrop Link app. Can I just--okay, yeah, sure, I'll be brief.

A brief mention of the Moondrop Link app

This app sucks? Really bad? I personally haven't encountered stability issues, but I know plenty people who have had frequent freezes, crashes and the like. Not to mention the app wants a lot of permissions. It is not something that makes me feel comfortable, so I promptly denied all the permissions and uninstalled the app once I realized that with the Space Travels, there isn't actually a lot you can do within the app. You can basically really just change the audio profiles (Reference, Basshead and Monitor) and then the touch controls. Navigating the app is slow, you wait a lot and it's just not very pleasing in general. Anyway, back to..

The bass

As mentioned, it's quite fun, especially on the Reference and Basshead settings. I personally use Reference and will for the remainder of this review. The impact is decent enough, giving you a little bit of that desired thump and the amount is quite solid without feeling overpowering, albeit it's getting there. I cannot really complain about the bass quality, especially at this price range and considering this is a true wireless set. I am quite pleased. Of course, it can be better - the Truthear Zero comes to mind - but in terms of TWS, you're gonna have to pay up a lot more to get better bass. Playtime is Over by Le Matos has this start with a vibrating, not-that-subtle bass hit that feels almost just right.

Bass rating: 75/100 (B)

Mids

Not really much to actually mention here. I haven't noticed any honk, or anything outright lacking. There is really nothing to comment on here, just that the mids have good enough body, don't feel recessed in any way and are just done well. The Right Stuff by Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds felt fine, if not particularly satisfying.

Mids rating: 70/100 (B-)

Treble

I usually like treble done in a fashion that makes the IEM sound mildly warm - neutral with a little bit of warmth is how I would put it. The Space Travels don't do that, but they're still pretty good. Cranking the volume didn't make me feel the treble suddenly got hot or peaky, and I'm left quite satisfied. There's a decent amount of detail, too - for example, The Cross by Makeup and Vanity Set felt cool. Granted, not a ton of treble in that track. But the fact nothing felt out of place was great. Sbírka zvadlejch růží by Wanastowi Vjecy has guitar plucking being heard pretty well and the electric guitar sounds solid too. Not much to complain about here.

Treble rating: 75/100 (B)

Technicalities

This is where the Space Travel stumbles. Technical chops were never particularly good on TWS sets, excluding a couple, but the Space Travels really just aren't technically capable. I would say you'd be getting slightly better performance out of a Wan'er or Hola - that is to say, the Space Travels aren't poor, but they're definitely below average in this regard. Imaging is a little vague and some of the tones can have the impression of being smothered. Let's Groove by Earth, Wind & Fire just lacks some of that detail and expansive feeling that a good IEM, headphone or speaker provide. The background instruments blend a little together, unfortunately.

Technicalities rating: 65/100 (C)

Conclusion

These will remain my beater TWS for the foreseeable future. Moondrop has made an excellent TWS here and I hope this trend sticks around for them. The Golden Ages have so far gotten a lukewarm reception from my friends, which does not instill me with confidence, but they don't look bad. I hope I'll get an opportunity to review them in the future.

This is absolutely a B+ IEM, especially considering the TWS capability and the fact the noise cancelling isn't bad at all. There's a little self-noise in it, but it's decent overall. This really is a good buy at 25 dollars.

Overall rating: 80/100 (B+)
Concluding notes: The Space Travel is a surprisingly well tuned TWS pair marred only by the poor application support and mediocre technical ability.

Keep rating: 8/10
These are worth keeping. The price is a bargain, they keep sounding good and if they break, well, it's $25.

Disclaimers

bought this iem with my own money. This review is completely subjective.



Accessories

Space travel comes with eartips and a usb c cable. Basic accessories. Nothing to talk about.

Build

Space travel is completely made out of plastic…. But plastic quality is good for price.

Sound-Tonality and Technicalities

Space Travel comes with a basic V shaped sound signature. Really good tune for 25 bucks… But dynamics are bad and bass is slow. Resolution is just….. acceptable. (but bad for me) Space travel have a really good, wide soundstage for the price. It sounds completely fine for the price but we have a unacceptable thing for the price, and it’s the volume level. Volume level is so low that i don’t want to use this tws



Conclusion

A pair of boring tws. Not much to talk about. Good for 25 dollars but honestly… Why buying this!? Man… just go get a IEM for 25 dollars and enjoy the sound quality. This thing is a unnecessary item.

Moondrop Space Travel Review​

Moondrop continues to explore different segments of the audio market. A few months ago they launched their super bargain priced TWS, the Moondrop Space Travel. While I was recently reviewing the Moondrop Golden Ages I felt I should buy the Space Travel for comparison and now having experienced the Space Travel for a few weeks I think it is time for a short review to give my impressions.

This TWS model seems to be a direct target the ultra budget-conscious audio consumer who still seeks quality sound and usability but values features like ANC. While it lacks some of the high-end features of its more expensive sibling, the Golden Ages TWS, lets see what the Space Travel TWS provides the budget conscious consumer for its price point of $24.

Retail Box and Packaging​

Unboxing the Moondrop Space Travel TWS, the packaging is straightforward yet functional. I decided to buy the ‘black’ / Dark colour as I thought it looked pretty cool compared to the white version:

The back of the box provides the impressive specification of this device:

Box contents:

• Space Travel TWS earbuds
• Charging case
• USB-C charging cable
• A set of standard silicone eartips (S, M, L)

The earbuds are designed with a familiar aesthetic with an oval shape but similar to the Golden Ages you can use your own custom ear-tips, though unlike the Golden Ages I decided to use the larger size that comes with the Space Travel. For measurements presented later, I ended up using the small tips as they got a more accurate seal in my 711 ‘Clone’ coupler without ‘popping out’.

Here is a short video of how gorgeous the Space Travel looks:

Comfort and Fit​

The ergonomic design of the Space Travel earbuds provides a secure and comfortable fit for most ear sizes even with my larger ear canals I found them very comfortable and lightweight.
They are designed to work for people with small ear canals, but because they can fix third party ear tips, some people will prefer using some Comply foam or SpinFit earips to provide optimum comfort and a good seal. In fact, getting a good seal for the ANC is vital as but for me the larger eartips that come with it were sufficient for casual use and provide a decent seal against ambient noise.

Design and Practicality​

The Space Travel TWS earbuds offer a compact and super lightweight form factor. They are easy to handle, and the touch controls are responsive, though they offer limited customization compared to the higher-end models ANC TWS sets. The charging case is sturdy but attracts fingerprints and because of its open design will gather dust over time. Moondrop now sell a separate case to hold the Space Travel, and it might be an idea to buy this separate case depending on how you plan to use the Space Travel.

Sound Quality​

At its core, the Moondrop Space Travel TWS focuses on delivering a respectable sound quality that exceeds expectations at this price point. While not as good as the Golden Ages, Moondrop did a great job in creating a TWS set with a good frequency and a few interesting alternative sound profiles at this price point. In fact, having tried many similar priced TWS sets from Amazon the Space Travel is unique at this price point by having both good sound and features like ANC.

Bass​

The bass especially using the Basshead profile is surprisingly well-rounded and controlled, without the overwhelming boominess that cheaper earbuds often exhibit. The Reference profiles though lacks the depth and texture of the more sophisticated the Golden Ages which was my preference of sound profile on the Golden Ages. But the Space Travel is more than adequate for everyday listening and better than most cheaper IEM in this price range.

Midrange​

The midrange is clear and present, providing a warm and enjoyable listening experience. Vocals come through naturally, though some complex tracks might not have the separation and clarity that more expensive earbuds offer.

Treble​

Treble performance is modest and tends to be smoother, avoiding the harshness that can come with lower-quality audio devices. It lacks some sparkle and detail, but for casual listeners, this won’t be a major drawback.

Soundstage and Imaging​

The soundstage is somewhat confined, typical for budget TWS devices especially without high-res bluetooth codec support like LDAC. Imaging is decent, with reasonable instrument placement within the stereo field, making it suitable for most genres of music.

Features and Functionality​

What is exceptional about the Space Travel at this price point it that it has extensive and useful features like touch controls and multiple sound profiles and all this can be configured using the Moodrop Link Application.

Moondrop Link Application​

Currently only the Android version of the Moondrop link application works, though I believe an updated version the IOS Application will be released soon.

Here are a few screenshots to illustrate how it works:

Once paired you see the Space Travel on the home screen of the application:



You have much less configuration than with the Golden Ages, but you can select one of the 3 sound profiles:



And you can configure how the touch controls work on each earbud:



Overall, at this price point it’s amazing to have both a companion application but also one that allows some DSP configuration.

Connectivity​

Equipped with Bluetooth 5.3, the Space Travel TWS supports basic codecs such as SBC and AAC ensuring decent audio performance and compatibility with most smartphones. Understandable at this price point it lacks LDAC or Aptx. The pairing process is straightforward, and the connection remains stable within the typical 10-meter range as per the specification on the back of the box.

Battery Life​

The earbuds themselves provided me with about 3 to 4 hours of playback and in my testing the case easily topped up the space travel earbuds so I never got near to running out of battery. The total battery life is up to 16 hours so more than enough for a long trip. Charging times are good, with the earbuds taking about 1 hour and the case about 1.5 hours to fully recharge.

Microphone and Call Quality​

The microphone quality is adequate for calls in quiet environments, but it struggles to suppress background noise in busier settings. This might not satisfy users who need to make calls frequently while out and about. I found the microphone poor on both the Golden Ages and on the Space Travel and I guess it is something for Moondrop to improve on future models.

ANC and Transparency​

I find it amazing the Space Travel has ANC capability at this price point, but you should not expect it to be the quality of Bose or Apple. I found it good on a recent plane trip, once I got good seal, but it was not great when out walking near a busy road as it had a tendency to break the seal easily due to the walking movement. I found the transparency mode worked pretty good but as with the Golden Ages I suspect the one microphone is tuned for far field so works well in transparency but not so much for conference calls.

Measurements​

These measurements where taken with my 711 ‘Clone’ coupler using REW:

Frequency Response​

You can see the 3 profiles graphed here relative to Harman. The Basshead profile is the closest, and it was my preferred profile while listening to the Space Travel, but all three profiles are great especially at this price point:

While I preferred the ‘Reference’ Profile on the Golden Ages it seemed a bit muted with the Space Travel. The better quality ‘planar’ drivers in the Golden Ages obviously help with the overall sound quality.

Distortion​

The Space travel shows very little distortion even at pretty loud volumes:

Some comparisons​

Because it is unique at this price point it is hard to do proper comparisons but here are a few wired IEMs with similar sound signature showing that you really are getting a great experience for very little money with the Space Travel. I think Moondrop have done a great job with both the Chu II DSP and the Space Travel in providing an almost reference level of sound at such a low price point.

This is rare even for wired IEMs at this price point.

Rating​

I gave the Space Travel a pragmatic score of 5, for its price it is unmatched both in sound quality and features. If you have a little more money to spent, buy the Golden Ages for its better tuning and LDAC support but Moondrop have done an incredible job with the Space Travel providing a good TWS at a rock bottom price of $24.

Conclusion​

The Moondrop Space Travel TWS is an impressive entry into the budget TWS market. It offers a sound quality and comfort that are rare at this price point, though it understandably cuts corners in features and build quality. If you are new to the world of TWS earbuds or need a secondary, cost-effective pair, the Moondrop Space Travel could be an excellent choice.

However, for those accustomed to higher-end features, such as advanced ANC, wide codec support, and robust build quality, looking towards more premium offerings would be advisable.