Moondrop Quarks: First Thoughts

I’ve been out of the audiophile game for years, but I talked to some young folks recently and they told me domestic Chinese “mysticism” products are nothing like they used to be.

By “nothing like they used to be” they mean flagship prices have shot through the roof — I have zero interest in that — and the low end has gotten “even stronger.”

“Moondrop” is the brand the kids keep bringing up. I’d heard of it, but other than noticing they’re pretty deep in the anime thing, I had no real impression. So by chance I got my hands on a Moondrop “Quarks,” supposedly their honest-to-goodness entry-level model.

Say what you will, the packaging is actually decent, and it even comes with a card I have no idea what to do with. Some kind of coupon, I think.

The earpieces are genuinely tiny. Tiny and nicely made — the material is plastic, but it doesn’t feel obviously cheap. What confuses me is I can’t tell which of the red and black ones is left and which is right. Conventionally red should be the right, right?

I’ve listened to them for a while, so here are some quick thoughts:

• The tuning is standard pop — very all-round, extremely comfortable to listen to. And honestly this sound absolutely stomps the sub-500-yuan earphones I had back in the day. There was that CK315 or whatever it was (351? the one with the red tips, I forget the name) — by today’s standards that thing sounded wildly off. I’m amazed sub-100-yuan earphones sound this correct now.
• The fit is really comfortable. Because the shells are so small you barely feel them going in, and since they’re plastic you don’t have to worry about some stupid static shock tingling your ear.
• The price is genuinely low: 49 yuan. The highs feel a touch lacking and there’s a bit much bass, but other than that I can’t fault the sound — and it’s 49 yuan. If someone wants a pair of earphones to listen to music, recommending these is basically a no-brainer.

A small thing tells you a lot. If 49-yuan domestic earphones can blow away the stuff I paid nearly 1,000 for back then, and these are especially good for high-energy JPop or JRock, then technology really has moved on. I just wonder about those domestic earphones that now cost 10,000 yuan and up. Are they actually as impressive as this 49-yuan product, or is it pure idiot tax?