Moondrop Solution S8, a solution to your ear’s desires!

PROS: Build quality, slightly deeper fit, noise isolation, tuned to Moondrop’s refined version of Harman Target curve, likeable and addictive fun sound signature, sub-bass reach and rumble, natural lower mids tonality, forward upper mids help in instrument definition, smoother and natural treble, soundstage depth layering, imaging and instrument separation, roomy carry case.

CONS: I personally would’ve liked a bit more upper treble and air. Besides that nothing much really as sonically S8 does most things right but I think Moondrop should’ve included a more premium cable and a few different types of ear tips for versatility in the package.

Disclaimer.

I would like to thank Moondrop for sending me the S8 to test and review. I am not affiliated with the company or any of its sellers and write this review with an unbiased opinion regardless of how the review turns out.

Genre preferences.

I majorly listen to rock, acoustic, pop, metal, and sometimes popular EDM songs doing the rounds on the charts.

About Moondrop.

Moondrop is one of the most popular brands to emerge out of China in the recent years. They’re based out of Chengdu, Sichuan and quickly became fan favorites with products like Kanas, Kanas Pro, KXXS, Blessing1 and A8, and good value for money products like Crescent, Spaceship, etc. Most of their entry level products are made out of metals like brass but their upper range are majorly resin based IEMs with semi-custom shells like Blessing2, S8 and Solis, which are also offered as CIEMs. They even make earbuds named ShiroYuki, Namesless, VX, Liebesleid and Chaconne. They like to dabble with popular target curves and have received critical acclaim and appreciation for the same.

Links – Moondrop S8 (Shenzhen Audio) | Moondrop S8 (Official AE Store)

---

Technical Specifications.

• Impedance – 16Ω±15%@1Khz
• Frequency response – 20-40khz
• Effective FR – 20-20khz
• Sensitivity – 122Db/Vrms
• Channel mismatch – ±1db
• Drivers – Dual high, Quad mid, Dual low.
• Socket – 0.78mm 2-pin
• Shells – Medical UV Acrylic
• Cable – 6N OFC Litz with 1/8″jack

Features.

• Redesigned 8 driver triple crossover architecture.
• Selected high/low frequency drivers.
• Proprietary customized midrange driver for “MOONDROP” style midrange tuning.
• 6N OCC internal wiring.
• Unblemished craftsmanship.
• Efficient and accurate crossover design.
• 0.78mm 2-Pin universal connector.
• Focused on hase coherency.

Here is some information from the company about some of the technology behind S8.

I’d like to talk about this in a bit more detail. As many of you may know, Moondrop likes to play with established target curves like Harman and Diffuse Field target and develop products with their take on the same, changing some areas of those curves as per their taste. In case of S8, it will come as no surprise that they played around with the Harman Target Curve and tweaked it to develop their own target curve, calling it VDSF (Virtual Diffusion Sound Field). For this they used a Knowles SWFK treble driver and Sonion 33QP bass driver but developed custom middle drivers in collaboration with a local factory so that they could hit their intended VDSF curve precisely. S8 also focuses on maintaining good phase coherency between drivers, removing phase difference artifacts around the crossovers, which greatly helps in case of multi-BA IEMs maintain overall coherency. Moondrop also used 6N OCC wire for internal wiring. Now, such materials majorly make a difference when the length of the wire is much longer but a manufacturer should always be lauded for using good quality internals. So, kudos Moondrop!

Included in the box.

Moondrop S8 comes in nice Anime style packaging. It comes with the necessary accessories which are simple and all you really need. Though I think they should’ve offered more variety in eartips and a better cable to perfect the premiumness quotient of the overall package.

Here is a list of what is included in the package:

• Moondrop S8
• 6N OFC Litz cable
• Silicone Eartips – 6 Pairs of different sizes
• Carry Case
• Airline adapter
• Manual

---

Build Quality.

Stock S8 has clear shells and are blemish and bubble free. They are made up of medical grade resin and are constructed like how most resin based shells are; a bottom shell with a faceplate lid glued on top. The faceplates have concentric teardrop shaped brushed metal plates with ‘S8 Moondrop’ engraved on one and ‘Solution S8’ on the other. The borders of the faceplate are clear and integrate seamlessly with the bottom shell.

Cable – Sadly, the cable is a bit of a letdown, as is the case with most Moondrop IEMs. It is made up of good quality wire which is 6N OFC Litz, but is fitted with cheap quality jack and connectors. It doesn’t even have a chin slider. Why Moondrop why? They should’ve included a higher quality premium looking cable in the package especially since S8 is not cheap by any means. IEMs half the price come with better cables these days. Moondrop, come on! Make it happen!

Nevertheless, the stock cable has minimal microphonics and S8 actually sounds pretty good with it. But I’m sure if you try some upgrade cables, like I did, they can make S8 even more enjoyable for you.

Case – The included case serves its purpose pretty well as it has enough space to easily store the S8 with a cable as fat as the ISN C16 and also has a small net pouch which can hold ear tips and a cleaning brush.

Fit and Comfort.

S8 has an extremely comfortable fit, owing to a very ergonomic semi-custom shell design. The nozzles help with a slightly deeper insertion, which makes them feel almost like how CIEM shells do. As a result of this, it isolates outside noise extremely well. They’ve included same ear tips in multiple sizes for you to achieve a very comfortable fit. I kinda like these ear tips as they feel very comfortable for long periods.

Page 2 – Sound analysis, Comparison, and Conclusion.