Closed-back headphones geared toward execs which can be neither closed nor impartial sufficient for studio paintings.
Whilst I don’t all the time believe their tuning possible choices, I a great deal recognize Moondrop Audio. They’re one of the most firebrands for measurement-driven audio design, and extra incessantly than no longer, their merchandise show exemplary efficiency – each objectively and subjectively.
Having heard a few of their IEMs, I agreed to take a look at what Moondrop can do with low cost closed-back headphones. They know the way to measure, so indisputably, at worst, I’ll get masterfully tuned on a regular basis application headphones I will suggest to place of work staff.
Little did I do know.
The Moondrop Joker feel and appear excellent, but sound beneath reasonable. It’s arduous to inform who those headphones are for. Execs? They’re means too coloured for serious paintings. On-site tracking? Once more – the isolation simply isn’t there. I believe there nonetheless may well be a crowd for those. Modders may be able to be triumphant the place Moondrop has dropped the ball and make those an underground hit. No less than, I’m hoping they do.
- Excellent construct high quality
- Chic seems to be
- Comfortable
- Mids are somewhat impartial
- Somewhat detailed
- Little or no low-end
- Virtually no isolation
- Higher-mids are too sizzling
- Treble plagued by means of resonances
- Earcups lack damping
Lengthy tale brief – the Joker headphones fail in some ways, and I like to recommend Moondrop go back to the planning stage and do a redesign. There are excellent headphones someplace in there – if most effective they’d revamp how they sound.
In This Article
Technical Specs
Packaging
Let’s get started with the great! The packaging, particularly whilst you take note the cost, is actually excellent!
I’m no longer even mad about having but any other anime waifu field on my shelf.
The graphic seems to be trendy (or possibly I’m turning into a waifu gourmet), and the outer sleeve feels great.
After getting rid of the sleeve, we’re greeted with a suede-covered show case conserving the Joker headphones and a cardboard field with the cable and bureaucracy inside of. The closing time I had a suede-lined field to stay headphones used to be after I spread out the Sennheiser HD800S.
Like with the FiiO FT3, I’m compelled to throw color at Sennheiser.
The new Sennheiser HD6XX-series headphone package deal seems to be worse than this. The Joker additionally has some useful data at the again of the field – elementary specs and a size. I used to be first of all fascinated about how correct it will be, however as we can to find later – it’s lovely spot-on.
Within the field
- Moondrop Joker headphones
- 1.5m cable
- 3.5mm to six.35mm adaptor
- Guide
- QC certificates
- Data card
Design
Regardless of feeling just a little at the gentle facet, the construct high quality could be very great. The earcups at the Moondrop Joker are manufactured from brass, which means that they’re all the time cool to touch. The scarf adjustment is ratcheting and rings a bell in my memory of the Sennheiser HD600.
Appears to be like-wise, I to find the Joker pleasantly understated and most often sublime with a nearly all-black end. The ‘grin’ accents at the earcups most effective stuck my eye when focussing on them. Allegedly, will have to the paint come off the earcups, it’ll expose the golden brass beneath, making attainable put on and tear relatively fascinating.
In the case of convenience, I don’t have any qualms. The scarf sits well on my head without a power issues, and the clamping power has the same opinion with the form of my noggin. Once more, Moondrop has achieved its homework so far as ergonomics are involved.
Cable
The Joker include a 1.5-meter-long cable that’s terminated with 3.5mm TRS jacks. Regardless of being marketed as a pro-oriented software, the enter facet is an angled jack that gained’t believe maximum audio interfaces. The 6.35mm adaptor is a pleasant addition; on the other hand, a screw-on can be extra apt right here.
Whether or not it’ll be lengthy sufficient is an issue of use-case. Fortuitously, the three.5mm inlets at the earcups imply that replacements will have to be simple to obtain or craft.
Total, I’m lovely proud of the cable and the truth that it’s replaceable.
Internals
In step with the ideas equipped by means of Moondrop, the Joker use a 50mm mylar diaphragm driving force that’s PVD covered with alloy vapors to extend stiffness. In recent years, I’ve observed many different headphones the use of OEM drivers of this kind with various levels of luck.
In the end, it’s no longer as regards to the motive force.
Knocking at the stamped brass cups finds a priority of mine – they ring and appear to have little, if any, damping.
Moondrop claims that the form of the interior earcup has been impressed by means of the venerable Sony MDR-R10. That’s great, however the R10 had thick wood cups with numerous damping.
Moondrop Joker Sound
It’s arduous to pinpoint what tuning Moondrop used to be capturing for with the Joker. They point out a professional-oriented sound, which doesn’t let us know a lot. How will have to professional headphones sound? Most certainly like excellent studio displays in a good room.
That is, unfortunately, no longer how professional headphones will have to sound.
Having been within the professional audio business for seven years, I’ve observed a fable that one’s tracking will have to sound unhealthy in order that the mixes finally end up popping out excellent. Whilst there may be some benefit to the mechanics at the back of it, the issue is that there are limitless techniques by which one thing can sound unhealthy.
The full sound signature at the Joker is very similar to previous diffuse box tuning, which sounds too skinny and vivid to most of the people. For professional audio, I most effective see it running in very non-critical programs the place most effective particular indicators like hiss or hum will have to be detected.
Bass
It’s typically a for the reason that closed-back headphones have excellent low-end. This isn’t the case with the Joker. Whilst over 100Hz bass is lovely ok, the whole lot beneath is rolled off. I will most effective bet about this tuning selection, because the 50mm driving force will have to have the ability to shifting air.
After some listening, I after all understood what the bass rings a bell in my memory of – open-back headphones! My listening room used to be lovely quiet on the time and I did my standard isolation take a look at by means of doing finger snaps. Nice used to be my marvel after I came upon that the earcup porting has made the isolation non-existent.
The loss of low-end quantity makes the Joker sound relatively skinny and useless.
Mids
If the rest, the mids are the place I’ve the least objections with the Joker. They’re linear and expose first rate element for headphones of this worth vary. I will inform that the motive force has attainable, as there’s a excellent quantity of element.
Because the low-end could be very a lot subdued, it doesn’t bleed into the mids and permits them to take the entrance degree. After listening for some time to mid-heavy tune with competitive guitars or distorted artificial tools, it turns into obtrusive that the Joker has an excessive amount of upper-mids at round 3kHz.
The full listening revel in is slightly fatigue-inducing.
Treble
With high-frequency content material, the Joker once more displays that the 50mm driving force is well-designed.
There are two flies within the ointment, regardless that – two pronounced resonances at 7.5kHz and 9.5kHz make the overtones sound unnatural. In addition they imbue the sound with some further element. No longer that the motive force used right here wishes that.
Technicalities
The janky tuning is the principle factor conserving the Joker again from being a perfect deal. And it’s additionally making it arduous to realize the technical prowess of the motive force Moondrop has selected to make use of.
Soundstage-wise, there’s quite a lot of area being equipped to all of the digital sound assets within the recording. Most certainly the angled drivers doing their factor. Even with busy subject matter like steel, not anything will get muddled.
It’s simply that my ears get drained lovely rapid.
The place to Purchase?
Conclusion
Over time, I’ve been approached by means of more than one new firms and lovers who’ve get a hold of or need to expand their very own headphones. They typically are beneath the influence that obtaining them to sound first rate is the toughest phase.
What’s typically the case is that obtaining your headphones to not appear to be a DIY venture (or a Grado knock-off) is far more difficult. Appears to be like and ergonomics are what maximum can’t do proper.
The Moondrop Joker, then again, feel and appear excellent, but sound beneath reasonable.
It’s arduous to inform who those headphones are for. Execs? They’re means too coloured for serious paintings. On-site tracking? Once more – the isolation simply isn’t there.
I believe there nonetheless may well be a crowd for those. Modders may be able to be triumphant the place Moondrop has dropped the ball and make those an underground hit. No less than, I’m hoping they do.
Allow 48h for review and removal.