u/Protomize

Moondrop officially unveiled the second generation of its Bluetooth over-ear headphones, the Moondrop Edge2, today (June 29). Its key highlights include support for a 10-band Parametric Equalizer (PEQ) which is twice as many bands as the HDB 630, USB audio transmission, improved active noise cancellation (ANC), and a dynamic driver featuring a natural wood diaphragm. Check out all the details below.

Target out of the box sound should align with the B&K 5128 DF which is excellent and makes it have sort of a clean slate to EQ from. Looking forward to these!

• English text: https://www.hifihub.com.br/en/product-launches/moondrop-edge2-launches-with-adaptive-anc-usb-audio-and-10-band-peq
• Portuguese text: https://www.hifihub.com.br/lancamentos/moondrop-edge2-e-lancado-com-anc-adaptativo-peq-e-audio-via-usb

Give us a 10 band parametric EQ and default tuning that is close to the Headphones.com JM-1 tilt. Put in a powerful amp to help compensate for any dips perceived by our individual HRTF or preferences that may need to be boosted since you would have to reduce the pre-gain to prevent clipping. None of that lower treble/ upper midrange scoop that you typically tune into your IEMs that veils everything. Of course, with similar ANC and transparency to the Momentum 5 along with wireless charging, Bluetooth 6.0 and all the features typically in premium TWS today. I would pay $400 for this.

I’m just waiting for these to stop working by next week so I can understand why they’re only $50. But so far, these things are spectacular.

The sound is tuned very close to the JM-1 target out of the box, and they also include a 10-band parametric EQ that lets you tune them however you want. I settled on a JM-1 tilt with a little extra bass, and to my ears, these sound better than the AirPods Pro 3, Sony WF-1000XM6, Technics AZ100, Bose QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen), and various other “premium” wireless earbuds. And it’s not even close.

The sound is silky smooth from top to bottom—clean, clear, and, most importantly, incredibly natural.

The noise canceling is actually pretty good too. I’d give it about a 7.5/10, whereas the AirPods Pro 3 are a 10/10. Transparency mode is also surprisingly clear.

Seriously, how on earth are these only $50?!?!

I’ll report back next week if they still turn on. Feel free to ask any questions.

I’m just waiting for these to stop working by next week so I can understand why they’re only $50. But so far, these things are spectacular.

The sound is tuned very close to the JM-1 target out of the box, and they also include a 10-band parametric EQ that lets you tune them however you want. I settled on a JM-1 tilt with a little extra bass, and to my ears, these sound better than the AirPods Pro 3, Sony WF-1000XM6, Technics AZ100, Bose QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen), and various other “premium” wireless earbuds. And it’s not even close.

The sound is silky smooth from top to bottom—clean, clear, and, most importantly, incredibly natural.

The noise canceling is actually pretty good too. I’d give it about a 7.5/10, whereas the AirPods Pro 3 are a 10/10. Transparency mode is also surprisingly clear.

Seriously, how on earth are these only $50?!?!

I’ll report back next week if they still turn on. Feel free to ask any questions.

The picture compares a $200 Sennheiser headphone to the $800 B&W PX8 S2, both measured on a rig designed to simulate human hearing. The rig is known as the B&K 5128 and costs approximately $50,000.

The 5128 DF target, shown by the dark gray dotted line sloping downward across the graph, represents a sound signature similar to what you would hear from a pair of reference studio speakers in a well-treated room. This is comparable to the type of setup audio engineers use when mixing music. Generally speaking, the farther a headphone's frequency response deviates from that target, the more colored and less accurate its sound reproduction is.

Of course, it's perfectly fine to enjoy a colored sound signature. Many people do. Just keep in mind that a colored sound is, by definition, less faithful to the original recording and does not reflect how the music sounded during the mixing process.

Notice how the $200 Sennheiser tracks much closer to the target curve than the $800 PX8 S2. As a result, the Sennheiser is likely to reproduce music in a way that is closer to how it was heard by the engineers during the mixing and mastering process. You are not paying $800 for sound, you are paying for a brand image and build quality. Happy listening! 😉

Bass, midrange and treble. It’s beautiful. Or actually, the music I’m listening to is beautiful because I’m finally hearing it with minor to no coloration. Loving the CrinEar Reference!

Bass, midrange and treble. It’s beautiful. Or actually, the music I’m listening to is beautiful because I’m finally hearing it with minor to no coloration. Loving the CrinEar Reference!

We all hear differently and have our own preferences for how we perceive sound. However, some of us do have preferences that align similarly with one another. To my ears, these settings make the 1000X THE COLLEXION sound more natural and balanced while still retaining clarity. Give it a try, but keep in mind that it’s okay if you don't like how this EQ sounds. After all, not everyone likes the same flavor of ice cream. 😉

We all hear differently and have our own preferences for how we perceive sound. However, some of us do have preferences that align similarly with one another. To my ears, these settings make the Liberty 5 Pro sound more natural and balanced while still retaining clarity. Give it a try, but keep in mind that it’s okay if you don't like how this EQ sounds. After all, not everyone likes the same flavor of ice cream. 😉

For years, Anker’s Soundcore brand has operated as the undisputed disruptor of the personal audio world. While legacy audio giants rely on brand heritage to justify premium price tags, Soundcore has spent nearly a decade perfecting a completely different formula: delivering top-tier, feature-rich hardware at a fraction of the cost. They’ve consistently proven that high-end active noise cancellation, customizable EQ, and pristine sound shouldn't be gated behind a $300+ paywall. Now, with the release of the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro, the brand isn't just trying to provide the best value on the market anymore—they are actively aiming for the crown. 

I bought the Liberty 5 Pro mainly because I was intrigued by the Guinness World Record it and its sibling, the Liberty 5 Pro Max, hold for microphone quality in loud environments. I didn’t even know this record existed, but these actually won the accolade for "World’s Clearest Call Quality in an Earbud." I would see this achievement paraded everywhere on social media and kept thinking, that’s cool, but the ANC, transparency, and sound quality probably won’t be good enough for my strict standards, especially since I have experienced so many premium and luxury true wireless earphones.

Fast forward to today, and color me impressed. I really love the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro. Let me break down why…

Starting with the sound quality: out of the box, I would describe the tuning as V-shaped and hyped. This is clearly a sound profile that the masses will enjoy. According to the MDAQS (Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Score) system developed by HEAD acoustics—a sophisticated, AI-driven audio testing tool used to scientifically predict how human beings perceive sound quality—the Liberty 5 Pro scored an impressive 4.9 out of 5. For context, earbuds like the Technics AZ100, which are widely regarded as being among the best-sounding models you can buy, scored a 4.3. While that is still good, I personally find the Liberty 5 Pro superior. The AirPods Pro 3 scored a 4.5, and I am adding those because they are easily the most popular premium wireless headphones on the market right now.

Now, the MDAQS score isn’t the end-all-be-all, but it gives an interesting data point on what average listeners prefer. Personally, I don’t really like the out-of-the-box sound signature of the Liberty 5 Pro. The bass is way too elevated. Its power and extension lean heavily into the mid- and sub-bass regions, which thankfully helps reduce how much it muddies up the midrange. It’s a very Harman-like tuning, but cranked to 11. The low end calls a lot of attention to itself, taking on a mind of its own with excessive rumble and a lingering decay. On some songs—particularly EDM or Hip-Hop—it sounds incredibly fun and energetic. I can perfectly see why the average listener would rate these highly, since most mainstream audiences listen to Pop, Hip-Hop, R&B, and EDM. But genres more focused on acoustical instruments like Jazz or Classical or Rock, the bass is just too excessive. 

The midrange is a bit too lean for my taste, mainly due to the V-shaped nature of the default tuning. Vocals and instruments come across as slightly hollow and distant. I don’t detect much sibilance in vocals, but I do notice a significant amount of forwardness in the ear-gain region around 3–5kHz. This makes the presentation sound intense, but also harsh, resulting in a bit of a shouty characteristic. There are good levels of clarity due to the boosted lower treble, but the overall delivery just feels off in terms of natural timbre to my ears.

The treble is boosted, as stated before. This brings plenty of energy to the presentation and helps counterbalance the excessive bass. However, it can also make things sound a bit splashy or sizzly. On the bright side, the treble is smooth; there are no wild dips or peaks that make it sound like sandpaper, but the overall volume is elevated over the midrange, contributing to that lean sound signature. Soundstage and imaging are great, but they aren't as intelligible as I’d like due to the stock tuning.

Reading this, you’re probably wondering how I could possibly love these earphones. Well, that’s because of an awesome tool called EQ.

Soundcore provides a healthy amount of ways to adjust the audio to your liking. This flexibility is exactly what made me pivot from starting an Amazon refund request to making these my new daily drivers. I’ve included a picture of the EQ settings I eventually settled on. With these adjustments, the bass becomes incredibly powerful, well-extended, and balanced to my ears—full of texture and just the right amount of decay without sounding sluggish. The midrange is now warmer and more natural, stripping away the harsh, intense characteristics caused by the overly boosted ear-gain region. The treble sounds clear and crisp without overwhelming the midrange. I also boosted the upper treble a bit more since I found it rolled off prematurely, which closed in the soundstage. The treble boost I heard out of the box was mainly localized around the upper-mids and lower-treble region.

Moving over to comfort and fit, the Liberty 5 Pro earphones are eerily similar to the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds and Ultra models. They are so similar, in fact, that they share the same driver nozzle design and can use the same oval umbrella ear tips. I ended up putting the ear tips from my Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2^(nd) Gen onto the Liberty 5 Pro because the base of the Bose tip is rigid and does not rotate once clicked onto the nozzle. The stock ear tips provided by Soundcore feel cheaper; and because their base is made of soft silicone, they easily twist out of alignment while you are inserting the earphones, which negatively affects ANC effectiveness and channel balance perception.

I’ve always fancied the umbrella-style oval ear tips Bose uses because they are comfortable and lock securely into my ears. Whether I am eating, laughing, talking, or running, they never budge.

The active noise canceling on these is excellent. Out of the box with the stock tips, the isolation fluctuated between excellent and mediocre. It wasn't until I switched to the Bose ear tips that the ANC became consistently top-tier. I would easily put these on par with Bose, Sony, and Apple in terms of raw ANC power. There is also no perceptible hiss while ANC is engaged, providing that "dead silent" feeling which can sometimes feel nauseating to those unaccustomed to the sensation. Well done, Soundcore!

Transparency mode is great, but it doesn't quite reach the level of the AirPods Pro 3, mainly due to a higher level of perceivable hiss and a slightly recessed reproduction of high frequencies, which slightly dulls ambient sound compared to reality. However, I can hold a conversation easily. Thanks to "Easy Chat"—which is similar to the Speak-to-Chat feature Sony pioneered—I can simply start talking, and the Liberty 5 Pro will automatically lower my media volume and enable transparency mode. One quirk I noticed is that Easy Chat only triggers when you are already in ANC mode. I am used to this feature working regardless of your current ambient state, like on Apple or Sony earphones.

Controls are great, featuring full customizability for single, double, or triple presses on either earbud. You can also configure what happens during a tap-and-hold gesture, and there are smooth swipe gestures for volume control. The only thing missing is the ability to mute the microphone while on a call unless you do it from the device itself. Furthermore, an on-device AI allows you to speak various preset commands to control your media with insanely fast latency. I don’t personally use the voice commands because the app states it drains the battery quickly. For my usage, the battery lasts around 6 to 7 hours depending on the volume, typically streaming over AAC with ANC turned on.

The feature set on the Liberty 5 Pro is extensive—you could literally get lost in the companion app. I really enjoy the built-in ambient sounds, like sleep stories or meditation tracks, which are great if you want to relax or sleep with them in. You also have the ability to connect to three devices simultaneously. In practice, this multi-point connection worked flawlessly with no random dropouts across my MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and iPhone Pro Max. The smart case is another cool addition; it has a small screen lets you control basic settings like ANC/transparency modes, EQ profiles, Dolby Atmos (which I found to be just okay), Easy Chat, a remote camera shutter, a "Find My Earbuds" tracker, and Bluetooth pairing.

Last but not least is the call quality. Wow, these are fantastic. I can be standing on a subway platform with a train coming barreling into the station, and the caller on the other end won’t even know a train is flying past me. They are seriously impressive at isolating your voice from background chaos. Plus, you don’t have to yell—you can whisper or speak at a completely normal volume and you will still sound loud and clear. Seriously incredible work here, Soundcore.

Overall, these earbuds have the fewest compromises of any premium truly wireless earphone I have tried. The sound out of the box isn't to my personal liking, but the robust EQ tools let me tailor the profile to be significantly more enjoyable. They are supremely comfortable and fit perfectly thanks to sharing Bose's ear tip geometry. The ANC is top-notch, blocking out the world alongside the industry's best performers. Controls are solid, transparency is highly usable, and the features are incredibly extensive. The battery easily lasts through the workday, backed by a quick-charge feature that adds up to 4 hours of playback from a mere 5-minute charge. Finally, the class-leading call quality means I never have to worry about being heard, regardless of how busy my environment is. Color me impressed!