Moondrop SSR review everyone! There are companies that knows how they want to be projected and viewed right from the get-go and Moondrop is one of them. They exude a Japanese-like demeanor and one wouldn’t be too surprised to find that they are actually a Chinese brand that only started recently, 2015 to be exact. I’ve already tried their audiophile earbud way back 2017, the “Liebesleid” and it was indeed a work of passion and sounded great.

What we have to review now is their latest budget offering, the Moondrop SSR IEM. The Moondrop SSR review unit was sent in by Shenzhen Audio in exchange for a honest take on them and no monetary factors are involved. You can check them on their official Shenzhen Audio website and Shenzhen Audio Facebook page.

The Moondrop SSR is spec’d out with a single dynamic driver, a beryllium-coated dome + PU suspension ring diaphragm, a 20 to 20 kHz Frequency Response and a 16 Ohm Impedance. Priced at $34, the Moondrop SSR is a budget IEM on paper but its design language, packaging and marketing materials surely isn’t. Did they just waste on marketing and appearance and left the sound to dry out? Let’s find out.

Packaging and Build Quality

The Moondrop SSR review unit screams Weeeeeeeb! Inside out. It’s one of the IEMs in the budget segment that will surely please visually appreciative individuals, be they an audiophile or not.

The Moondrop SSR came in a white cardboard box with a feminine anime character upfront in place of the usual product snapshot. The back features the usual product details and specifications. Opening up the box greets us with a black foam cutout where the Moondrop SSR rests along with a small black rectangular box the houses the accessory set, here’s a list of it.

Moondrop SSR accessory set:

• 3 sets of translucent gray ear tips (S, M and L)
• Black drawstring carrying pouch
• Manual and warranty card

The Moondrop SSR IEM has a single cast metal alloy housing which comes in 4 colors; pink, white, green and the recently released gunmetal silver. The faceplate features a single gold-plated screw and the and the shell itself feels sturdy. The shell features a single vent which also shows the thread portion of the gold-plated screw on the faceplate. L-R indicators are carved as well on the SSR’s shell. The nozzle has a metal mesh and a single vent but lacks a lip. Ear tip rolling is doing good so far, but it would have been better had they added a lip. The SSR also features a recessed .78 2-pin connector.

The stock cable of the Moondrop SSR is made of silver-plated OFC with a transparent TPU sheath. The 2-pin connectors are housed in a transparent hard plastic housing with only a red plastic ring to serve as a right-side orientation. A black round Y-split with the Moondrop branding is also present but a chin slider is nowhere to be found. The right-angled gold-plated 3.5mm jack is housed in the same transparent hard plastic housing to create an overall silver and transparent look.

Storage is great given the right amount of tension in the cables and cable noise is also kept at a minimum, an overall good stock cable which would have been better had it sported a chin slider.

Tonality and Isolation

The Moondrop SSR preceded the Moondrop Spaceship which was a midrange performer and the SSR literally a step-up in that sense given its high frequency affinity. The Moondrop SSR is a surefire bright sounding IEM which emphasis on the upper midrange and high frequencies. I did the usual 200-hour “recommended” burn-in for the Moondrop SSR as well the stock L-sized ear tips for the review. I also used the Sony WM1A music player as well as the Sony CAS-1 desktop system off the MSI GF62-8RE laptop via Foobar2000 v1.4 outputting various FLAC files which would be mentioned along the review.

Lows

The low-end frequency performance of the Moondrop SSR is somewhat of a mixed bag. Rocking out DeadMau5’s Cat Thruster in 16/44 FLAC and the SSR renders nimble and punchy sub bass but immediately showcases a less than tight and solid mid bass which suffers unwanted bloom on this region. The overall bass performance shows a thumpy and impactful bass but one without much body. It would still please bassheads specially those that want to just drop with their bass down low.

Midrange

The midrange of the Moondrop SSR is another victim of duality. It performs excellent in some areas and the lackluster on some. Churning out DMC’s Peter Piper in 16/44 FLAC and the SSR gives out a distant-sounding lower midrange that makes the succeeding region lacking foundation. Female and Male vocals are however natural and smooth sounding a good deal of air and openness to them. It’s not the most articulate and detailed on this region but at least it doesn’t suffer from a sudden performance drop-off. The upper midrange is well-controlled and slightly boosted which gives the much-needed vocals a push towards being lively and musical.

Highs

Cymbals hits are enjoyable on the Moondrop SSR! The splashy sounding effect it creates which is often a negative is handled well and gives a texture that is nice to hear. The treble hits are not piercing and edgy despite the distinct crisp on the high frequencies. Sibilance isn’t present as well. Maroon 5’s Harder to Breathe in 16/44 FLAC sounded sweet and precise and the sudden treble presence are a welcome sound given that obvious lower midrange deficiency. I’m a treblehead myself and this type of sound signature is just what tickles my bias.

Soundstage and Imaging

The Moondrop SSR may have scored some points off my bias meter with that bright sound and that made me calm down and take the soundstage and imaging with the same approach, wary of bias. The SSR’s soundstage takes a slice off its namesake and leans on the spacious spectrum with a clear emphasis on width than depth. The left to right and right to left panning is still very much observable in this IEM with instrumental placement easy to discern. Imaging is also on a positive with a clear and precise presentation. Layering is clearly inferior on this IEM despite not being that bad.

Conclusion

I have tried the Moondrop Spaceship before, and the Moondrop Super Spaceship Reference is a clear upgrade from it. Its packaging, build-quality, choice of stock cable and sound is all superior to its predecessor although the name might suggest too much of an upgrade. One thing that I can clearly recommend the Moondrop SSR off its bright sound and comfort, one that is key in the price bracket it competes on.