Moondrop - Blessing2:Dusk (1DD+4BA)

Started with the Moondrop Blessing 2 Dusk as a blind buy, found it a bit sharp in the trebles at first. Took my ears months to actually get used to the sound and really hear the details coming from the vocals and some instrumental separations. At first, I didn't really enjoy it, tbh. I was craving for more bass so I bought the Moondrop Variations, and that was what I was looking for but at that time I found the sub bass a bit lacking. Why? Cause I came from the Sony XM3 headphones, that's why. It also took me months to years to actually appreciate the sounds coming from both the Dusk and Variations. To my ears, the Variations sounded like a subwoofer whereas the Dusk sounded like someone was singing right in front of me where the instruments are slightly further away. My ears actually started to ring after the listening sessions so I went and got myself a portable DAC(Qudelix 5k), and the listening sessions were more pleasurable with the right volumes. The Qudelix 5k does make them trebles a bit zingly as well. Overall, it took me months to years for my ears to actually discern the details and appreciate what sounds l actually find fun or analytical to listen. I found out that I did not like the Harman tuning as much as the others when it was well known and loved few years back. I ended up with the Thieaudio Monarch Mk4s now after taking a break at the Variations and the Timeless few years back.

I've auditioned stuff like the Clear MG and the 800S, but I won't be putting those here. For headphones I have personally bought I'd do something like this: FT1 > 6XX >> 620s >> Bose QC45ii >> M50s/any other ANC headphones I've tried Blessing 2 Dusk >> Moondrop Chu 1 >>> everything else. The FT1 is what blew me away this year for sure, there's only a few things I'd even want changed about its sound, but considering the price I can definitely live with those few minor flaws. For IEM's, I bought Blessing 2 dusks when they came out and have had no desire to switch. MAYBE I'd switch to something with a smaller shell, and that's about it. I bought the Chu 1's for the eartips lol but they don't sound bad. Just annoying to put on and feel a bit cheap.

Two very subjective aspects. For me Dusk would be pretty high on the list.

EQ settings are relative to frequency response. It's like asking how much should I add salt to fries without the information if they're already saltes. The question is what kind of a tuning is ideal for metal and as a metalhead at least in my youth I find that a very interesting question. Preferences matter a lot as well and someone who loves the sound of one IEM maybe just hasn't heard something better yet and can't imagine what the improvement might be. The best tuning for metal I've heard so far with maybe fifty IEMs and some EQ on top was Oluv's mainstream preset for the Free Pro 2's. Really fun yet clean bass and you could push the volume really high without any fatigue etc. Gave me chills with a lot of metal music. With IEMs I have to say I haven't found anything excellent yet and actually KZ Libra (balanced) is easily on of the best for that and costs $10. The bass is pronounced, but much cleaner than the measurements seem to imply. The straight rising bass boost might be the reason instead of a bass shelf. Old but gold would be a Tin Hifi T2 Plus as it really pushes vocals pleasantly forward and has that big energetic feel to it. Not detailed etc at all, but really enjoyable. IEMs I love otherwise like Zero Red, Hexa, MP145, Timeless, B2 Dusk, Dusk DSP just don't impress me at all with metal specifically and I would take the Libra over probably all of them for that. You can make an EQ preset for the Chu to match KZ Libra on the AutoEQ website and elsewhere. Give it a try if you want.

EQ settings are relative to frequency response. It's like asking how much should I add salt to fries without the information if they're already saltes. The question is what kind of a tuning is ideal for metal and as a metalhead at least in my youth I find that a very interesting question. Preferences matter a lot as well and someone who loves the sound of one IEM maybe just hasn't heard something better yet and can't imagine what the improvement might be. The best tuning for metal I've heard so far with maybe fifty IEMs and some EQ on top was Oluv's mainstream preset for the Free Pro 2's. Really fun yet clean bass and you could push the volume really high without any fatigue etc. Gave me chills with a lot of metal music. With IEMs I have to say I haven't found anything excellent yet and actually KZ Libra (balanced) is easily on of the best for that and costs $10. The bass is pronounced, but much cleaner than the measurements seem to imply. The straight rising bass boost might be the reason instead of a bass shelf. Old but gold would be a Tin Hifi T2 Plus as it really pushes vocals pleasantly forward and has that big energetic feel to it. Not detailed etc at all, but really enjoyable. IEMs I love otherwise like Zero Red, Hexa, MP145, Timeless, B2 Dusk, Dusk DSP just don't impress me at all with metal specifically and I would take the Libra over probably all of them for that. You can make an EQ preset for the Chu to match KZ Libra on the AutoEQ website and elsewhere. Give it a try if you want.

Most aren't. Imo those aren't, but Vivace, Zero Red (far prefer it over Zero Blue) EM6L and some others are practically as good I'd say as headphones (I have AKG Q701 as my main gaming headphones, but have HD800 and others as well). There are personal preference things to consider certainly and I overall prefer the experience of headphones a bit, but could do all my gaming (including Siege where locating sounds probably as important as it gets) with IEMs as well. I see no benefit in spending more than $100ish for IEMs from a gaming perspective though the Dusk are my favourite IEMs and in general highly recommended.

For me the Dusk was the first one to sound open and not like a Harman IE box I was sticking my head into.

Many Kiwi Ears have that clarity, separation and neutral sound that I'd say fits well. Dusk has such an open sound they don't even feel like IEMs in a way.

Define good bass. For example Dusk doesn't have that much quantity, but the quality is fantastic.

Not entirely sure, but some otherwise good IEMs are just bad for distinguishing direction. Channel matching is certainly one thing, but rarely big enough to be the reason. Not just tuning either it seems. IEMs like B2 Dusk, Timeless and Performer 5 if I remember correctly were rather bad for gaming compared to Zero Red, Vivace or EM6L which are perfectly good. Looping the same gaming recordings with the first ones I struggle hearing directions that already know in advance while with the others it's obvious.

Dusk DSP, Verum Two, FT1, E3. Maybe more correct and balanced than strictly neutral with FT1 especially since it's rather bassy. In general I don't see why closed and open should have a different target for neutral.

I normally have a favourite, typically my latest set (but not always). Sometimes i might have a sidegrade and switch between sets but that is rare. One thing that cannot be said enough is how important comfort is. You might have something that performs great but is agony to wear for long periods of time (I’m looking at you B2Dusk!).

Odeyssey is already damn good. I would suggest expanding the budget and going up a tier unless you re-purchase your Odysseys. Honestly I couldn’t find anything that was beating the Odyssey for their price. I lost my Blessing 2 Dusks which I got for around £250 used a few years back. Could not find one on the used market for a reasonable price, tried the Dusks and was not impressed. So, I said fuck it and upgraded to Monarch Mk2 for around £450 (used - I have my ways). Haven’t looked back since. If you want to play around this price range I think Softears Volume S, Hype 4, Annihilator are some great options. I have heard these personally and I really like them. If I did not have Monarch it would probably be one of them.

I tried KZ AS10 and DQ6, Blon BL-Mini and A8 Prometheus, Moondrop Kato, B2, B2 Dusk and S8, Softears Studio 4 and TinHiFi T2 Plus. Tin were trash. KZ AS10 was okayish but not really. DQ6 super comfortable, lightweight decent SQ for the price and comfort but nothing crazy. From Kato to B2/Dusk there's a significant step up in SQ. From B2/Dusk to S8 there's an improvement but it's not something crazy. The Blons sound OK, BL-Mini is quite decent in terms of price to performance, A8 are overpriced in terms of SQ but they look amazing. Both are lower in SQ than the Kato. Studio 4 sounds amazing to me, it's a more mid centric sound signature. The S8 has a more spacious sound and has more perceived space between instruments but the S4 is just godly in terms of it's timbre, everything's sounds just right, notes are weighty of I had to describe it somehow, and vocals are on another level altogether. I'll soon hear the RSV MKI. Thus far from this lineup I'd say diminishing returns start at the Blessings, now... The S4 I think is a justifiable step up, the S8 if you have the disposable income yeah, otherwise you spend more and you get more but not that much more. The S4 is cheaper than the S8 and I'd surely recommend the former. I guess it boils down to how much you are willing to spend. There is an improvement in SQ but it's definitely not a linear function, it's evidently logarithmic, just like horsepower in cars. I'm sure though there's plenty of snake oil sets out there. I'm sure if you bought the Hexa or the Nova and compare them with the Kato the latter would feel like a scam. That being said SQ is not the only factor, I have the Blons almost exclusively for how they look. I've met people that were like meh they all sound the same. I think I trust myself as I found the S8 underwhelming compared to the cheaper S4, and I really wanted to like the S8 as they look gorgeous, but I truly believe the S4 are the better pair. And bro, damn... those TinHiFi T2 Plus, 60 bucks? I wouldn't take them for free... Everything sounds like an out of tune banjo with only two strings left played by a crackhead that lost half his fingers.

I tried KZ AS10 and DQ6, Blon BL-Mini and A8 Prometheus, Moondrop Kato, B2, B2 Dusk and S8, Softears Studio 4 and TinHiFi T2 Plus. Tin were trash. KZ AS10 was okayish but not really. DQ6 super comfortable, lightweight decent SQ for the price and comfort but nothing crazy. From Kato to B2/Dusk there's a significant step up in SQ. From B2/Dusk to S8 there's an improvement but it's not something crazy. The Blons sound OK, BL-Mini is quite decent in terms of price to performance, A8 are overpriced in terms of SQ but they look amazing. Both are lower in SQ than the Kato. Studio 4 sounds amazing to me, it's a more mid centric sound signature. The S8 has a more spacious sound and has more perceived space between instruments but the S4 is just godly in terms of it's timbre, everything's sounds just right, notes are weighty of I had to describe it somehow, and vocals are on another level altogether. I'll soon hear the RSV MKI. Thus far from this lineup I'd say diminishing returns start at the Blessings, now... The S4 I think is a justifiable step up, the S8 if you have the disposable income yeah, otherwise you spend more and you get more but not that much more. The S4 is cheaper than the S8 and I'd surely recommend the former. I guess it boils down to how much you are willing to spend. There is an improvement in SQ but it's definitely not a linear function, it's evidently logarithmic, just like horsepower in cars. I'm sure though there's plenty of snake oil sets out there. I'm sure if you bought the Hexa or the Nova and compare them with the Kato the latter would feel like a scam. That being said SQ is not the only factor, I have the Blons almost exclusively for how they look. I've met people that were like meh they all sound the same. I think I trust myself as I found the S8 underwhelming compared to the cheaper S4, and I really wanted to like the S8 as they look gorgeous, but I truly believe the S4 are the better pair. And bro, damn... those TinHiFi T2 Plus, 60 bucks? I wouldn't take them for free... Everything sounds like an out of tune banjo with only two strings left played by a crackhead that lost half his fingers.

Don't forget to [read this](https://www.reddit.com/user/NinjaSiren/comments/1jil8re/beginners_intro_guide_to_iems/) on how to protect and make your IEM last longer, its my tips and tricks for beginners! I would recommend a neutral balanced "harman", neutral balanced "IEF", or flat sound signature IEM for your purpose. Or planars for that fast transient response, or Sennheiser stuffs. (based on Squiglink stuffs) Neutral Harman: * Moondrop Aria 2 * Truthear Nova * Simgot EA500/500LM * Kefine Klean * Kefine Delci * Tangzu Wan'er Studio Edition * KZ EDC Pro * KZ Castor/Castor Pro Silver Neutral IEF: * Truthear Hexa * Tangzu Wan'er Studio Edition Flat-ish: * Truthear Hexa * Tangzu Wan'er Studio Edition Crinacle collabs: * Truthear x Crinacle Zero Red * Truthear x Crinacle Zero Blue 2 * Moondrop x Crinacle Blessing 2 Dusk * 7hz x Crinacle Salnotes Dioko Planars: * Artti T10/T10 Pro * Letshouer S12/S12 Pro

Yea, I was hyped for this one since my Blessing 2 Dusk has a crack in the shell. But it looks too dark for me. Less treble and more midbass than JM-1 even switching it to tilt which I slightly prefer over Crin's bass/treble adjustments. I guess good sound is good sound so I'll probably get the Hexa if my B2D gets worse.

I have the dusk, hype 4, ie600, Aful 5+2 and I can EQ any one of these to sound like the other. Fit is most important. EQ really can do the rest. As for me, dusk is more comfortable than hype 4 as well.

I would also suggest the Dusk with the DSP cable(I own 2 sets) That iem fits my ears better than the hype 4 and tea pro. Not as good as the p7 but it’s another one that punches way above its price especially if you get an open box for $250.

Dusk DSP Bass + is the special sauce

As soon as I heard the Ra “well I can easily sell most of my stuff now” was the first thought I had. Saner minds prevailed. I’m keeping a few hahaha. I love the OG Mangird Tea so much, keeping the Dusk, Explorer, Ra, and Kunten. Will be posting up a double red SA6 Ultra soon as well as some others. Crazy that I’m keeping what I am but that’s what my ears love :)

DUSK is really really good. As others have stated learn to EQ and you’ll always love whatever your listening to ;)

Personally, the dusk is one of the most equable iems I’ve ever worked with. It is a chameleon. Fit is incredibly comfortable especially being a larger shell. It’s as comfortable as my IE600. If I had to only have one iem, and it was the Dusk, I would be completely happy with it. I’ve got sets that are triple the price and the dusk gets more ear time. Hell even my Aful Explorer gets more ear time then some of my most expensive sets. Dusk is so good I got it for my 13 year old daughter. It was the most bang for buck that I could get her as a Segway into audiophillia. In analog it sounds like a better blessing 3, with the DSP cable it becomes this super scalable relaxing listen, with your own PEQ it becomes whatever you want from it (within reason) I’d do it if I were you.

Well, In practice, I use my Dusk about 3 times as often as I do my IE600. So yes I’d pick it over the senny.

Just played my first band practice with IEM's yesterday. Very basic setup with a mixer--> cable --> headphone amp setup. I do have expensive IEM's already, but only used them for music consumption so far. And guys, i am convinced. My singer is also convinced. I have to say, impact on how good i hear the bass is relatively small, but the advantage for the back in vocals is massive. Certainly also good to hear the higher notes better and overall for more nuanced playing. My point is simple, if you already have a mixer with aux outputs, you can get an IEM setup for very low money. Don't wait! Try it. Here is my setup: Mixer: Allen & Heath ZED-14 (Using Aux outputs) Headphone Amp: Behringer Powerplay P2 IEM's: Moondrop blessing 2 Dusk (Foam tips) Decent IEM's have gotten very affordable. Look at the "KZ" lineup for example, or cheaper Moondrop options. Or jump in to the rabbit hole r/IEM on your own risk. I recommend foam tips for better noise insulation / hearing protection. Some IEM's ship with them some don't. Feel free to ask any questions. I was diving in to the topic of recording and IEM setups quite a bit lately.