Moondropx Crinacle Dusk IEMs 2DD+2BA+2Planar Earphones with 0.78 2 Pin 3.5mm/USB-C Plug

So at this point I think I have most/all of the Crinacle collaborations and I generally agree with his reviews. At this point I can confidently say that if you - like me - enjoyed the 7Hz x Crinacle Salnotes Dioko you're gonna love these. Value-wise, the Dioko wins, but the Dioko never impressed me the way the Dusk does.So that default USB-C tuning? These are...not what I'd call neutral. They're a little weird. There's a LOT of sub-bass. There's some very very crispy treble that sometimes veers into being unpleasantly crackly. You even get some mids. They remind me more than anything else of my Andromeda Golds; some tracks absolutely take my breath away and some...don't. The staging/imaging/separation is consistently at least good and occasionally hits the kind of spread and clarity I'm used to hearing from multi-kilobuck gear.I think my biggest issue is that tracks that aren't particularly diverse - lots going on in a narrow region, hitting one of the three sets of drivers - sound muddy. The songs that sound like they're just playing on 2BA are...not fun to listen to here. It reminds me of the kind of experience I got and hated with the Etymotic ER4XR. So yeah, these aren't going to elevate a poor mix.I can't review the non-stock tunings because I don't have a compatible phone (Android only; seems to require installing a specific APK, the published one doesn't work and the iOS app doesn't support the DAC cable yet - April 2024, will try to update if this changes) to throw at the problem. I'd say this is a significant part of why you'd want to buy these; if you aren't planning to use this cable and USB-C sources, I think you'll want to look elsewhere.These are really good-looking, but not flashy, IEMs. The cable matches the design, feels nice, and has acceptable microphonics. Strain relief at the right points, no memory wire, a 3-button remote, and fits perfectly in the opening of the official iPhone 15 Pro Max case. There's a nice little presentation box (the rattling you hear is some loose manuals and a postcard) with a durable, if forgettable, leather-ish case. The USB-C DSP cable feels and looks substantially nicer than the analog cable, although the tolerances involved meant I had to use quite a bit of force to plug the two-pin in and was worried I'd bent or broken it. Three sets of Moondrop's signature silicone tips - there's no ridge on the IEMs so you'll want to use very grippy tips if you plan to swap them out. Deep insertion is going to require different tips - the nozzle's relatively stubby.

Missed out on the Meta from Crin, and in spite of my better judgement, I tried these for the second time. Again, the DSP cable failed to work with not one of FOUR separate DAPS. I tried them with a balanced two pin cable off another set and found that the right bud was lower by about 10 dB. This is roughly the same experience I had the second time I ordered them. The first time, the Amazon seller attempted to scam me. Moondrop makes some really nice sounding IEMs, but the unholy mess that is the Dusk just needs to go away. If you’re reading this please take note; I’ve ordered these 3 times, gotten 2 sets and been able to use 0 of them. Good luck people.

Edit:So I'm dumb. I did in fact try all of these tests out but forgot one common denominator: the source. I was using a Schitt Magni Unity for all of these tests and did not end up trying another source. That was my bad. So after returning the original pair, I tried my new pair after using other headphones/ iems on my Magni and I learned that it has a significant left-of-center channel imbalance. Learning this, I repurchased the Dusk and plugged them into another source, and zero issues. All of the impressions of sound still hold true and I am glad to have them back. However, I am glad that I bought a new set because the first box arrived with a decent bump in the corner and the actual iem earpieces rolling around in it, the second time this was not so. Also, the fact that Moondrop has had issues with channel imbalance makes me cautious to recommend them and almost makes my silliness seem reasonable. An easy recommendation at this price range if you're able to win the QC lottery (which a majority have, but is still possible at this price).Old review:To start, these iems are fantastic and have the best bass I've heard in anything ever - speaker systems, headphones, and any other iems. Add an unbelievable amount of detail without ever being sibilant or sharp and you should get a fantastic experience. However, there is a noticeable issue with either channel imbalance or loudness matching between both ears because of an uncomfortable quietness from the right ear. This makes it so that instead of vocals being central, they are skewed to the left (at best) and literally only in the left channel (at worst). I've owned and still own other iems (including other Moondrop products), so I know that moisture build-up can do this. So I throw them in a bag with silica gel packets: nothing. Swap through 4 cables, including the ones in the box: nothing. Swap through 4 types and 5+ sizes (including uneven sizes per side) of eartips: nothing. Worried that this wasn't a common issue I looked it up, and low and behold a thread on the headphones Reddit describing my same situation. This sucks. I love how these sound, but this just is not acceptable at the price they're selling this at or really, at all. It's a lose-lose: Moondrop gets bad press and I don't get a fantastic iem. So, buy at your own risk. Either roll the dice on Dusk's QC or try out the Thieaudio Hype 4 for something solid in this price range (or if you have the money the Highsenior Mega5est).