Moondrop Golden Ages TWS Earphone Review 

 

Introduction:

The Golden Ages TWS earphones from Moondrop are TWS earphones that have been inspired by the iconic Walkman made its debut in 1979. At the heart of the Golden Ages is a newly designed 13mm Planar Magnetic Driver, with a patented Transducer Driver design, which utilizes an annular magnetic circuit and diaphragm. This, paired with a magnetic circuit array of N55 neodymium magnets and an annular tiled driving circuit. This design aims to provide a broader driving range and lower distortion compared to traditional dynamic drivers. The use of N55 neodymium magnets and a double suspension system is intended to enhance sound clarity.

On the technical side, the earbuds feature a super-linear driver and a high-thrust chip, which are expected to improve hardware performance. Sound quality is further addressed through DSP tuning.

Connectivity is a key aspect of the Golden Ages, with support for LDAC and Bluetooth LE Audio with LC3 encoding, promising high-definition audio transmission and reduced latency. These specifications suggest that the Golden Ages earbuds could be a competitive option in the TWS market.

 

Disclaimer:

I would like to thank Shenzhen Audio and Moondrop or providing the Golden Ages TWS Earphone for review purposes. I am not affiliated with Moondrop or Shenzhen Audio beyond this review and these words reflect my true and unaltered opinions about the product.

 

Price & Availability:

The MSRP price for the Moondrop Golden Ages is about $79.99 USD. More information’s can be found under the links below;

• MOONDROP Golden Ages TWS Earphone

 

Package & Accessories:

The Moondrop Golden Ages came in a stylish black box with the Moondrop brand logo on the top that was wrapped with a fancy looking cardboard sleeve that features the Japanese anime character MitsukiYuki (水月友希) on the top, while the bottom shows some product related specifications.

This box contains the following items;

• 1 pair x Moondrop Golden Ages TWS earphones
• 3 pairs x Black Silicone Ear Tips
• 1x Charging Case
• 1x USB Type-C cable
• 1x Transparent Silicone Case

The silicone case that came inside the box is a nice addition.

 

 

Design & Build Quality:

The Moondrop Golden Ages is a fancy looking True Wireless Stereo (TWS) earphone with an eye-catching retro design. The design of both the earpieces and the charging case is inspired by the iconic Walkman by Sony the TPS-L2 that made its first debut in 1979.

The Golden Ages TWS earphone features a newly designed 13mm planar magnetic driver, with a patented Transducer Driver design, which utilizes an annular magnetic circuit and diaphragm. This, paired with a magnetic circuit array of N55 high-performance neodymium magnets and an annular tiled driving circuit.

The earphones and the charging case do have a plastic housing with a similar color scheme which is grey, blue and orange color like the Sony the TPS-L2. The with a stem shaped design that has some Walkman motifs on the front such like an old-style Equalizer.

Both the earphones and the charging case are surprisingly lightweight.

On the front right on the stem surface of both earpieces are the L/R markings a microphone and the stylish and an illustration of a Walkman Graphic Equalizer.

The front has touch sensor behind it that are pretty responsive.

The rear part of each monitor features the sound nozzle, which has a rectangular shape with rounded corners. Here is a small opening that I believe that it is dedicated for the 13mm planar magnetic driver.

The charging case of the Moondrop Golden Ages is made of the same plastic material like the Monitors and is pretty small and lightweight which make it easy to carry.

The cover of the case is in grey with the Moondrop Golden Ages: 1979 branding on its surface.

At bottom is the USB Type-C charging port that can be charged with the cable that comes in the box when you connect it to your PC or with an adaptor to a wall charger.

On the front of the case is the illustration of a cassette and a small LED status indicator.

When you open the charging case you will see the seats for the monitors. The inner surface area is made of glossy plastic material in orange color. These seats have a magnetic surface to ensure the right connection for the charging process and to avoid that the earphones drop out.

The rear surface features the pairing button in orange color that is clearly market with the letter pairing.

The build quality of both the earphones and the charging case is pretty fine, the plastic material used is of good quality, while the built quality meets my expectation from a product at this price level.

 

Comfort & Isolation:

The Moondrop Golden Ages TWS earphones are surprisingly lightweight and have a comfortable shape that fits perfectly in my ears with a medium-sized concha (the hollow part of your outer ear). The sound nozzles are a bit short, but they’re wide enough to accommodate a variety of ear tips for a customized fit.

 

ANC & Ambient Sound:

The Golden Ages TWS earphones are equipped with ANC technology that works decently well. While it’s not perfect, it’s effective enough to block out most noise in moderately noisy environments like buses or trains.

In order to achieve deep noise cancellation, most ANC TVs on the market adopt a hybrid feedforward-feedback scheme. However, the noise collected by the feedback microphone in the front cavity can cause loss of bass, which cannot be completely resolved even by a compensation algorithm.

In order to ensure that the sound quality will not be affected when switching noise reduction, Golden Ages abandons feedback noise cancellation, adopting a single feedforward solution that is more difficult to adjust.

After repeated tuning and careful adjustment by skilled acoustic engineers, the combination of a brand-new flagship SOC ship and superior acoustic design achieves a noise reduction depth of 44dB and broadband ANC with a 10kHz bandwidth, with excellent noise-canceling effect and lossless quality.

You will hear the voice of MitsukiYuki (水月友希) when you change between ANC, Ambient Sound and all off, which is a cute addition for anime lowers.

Technical Specifications:

• Model                                     : Moondrop Golden Ages
• Driver Configuration               : 13
• Bluetooth Version                  : 5.3
• Supported protocols               : A2DP/AVRCP/HFP/HSP
• Codec                                     : SBC/AAC/LDAC/LC3
• Charging port                         : USB-C
• Working distance                   : approx. 10m
• Support system                      : Bluetooth devices and Mobile Phones
• Earphone charging time        : about 1 hour
• Charging time charging case : about 1.5 hours
• Earphone battery capacity     : 3.7V/37mAh
• Battery capacity case             : 3.7V/380mAh
• Battery life of earphone          : about 6 hours (AAC)
• Battery life of charging case  : about 18 hours (AAC)

 

Battery Life:

Each earpiece is equipped with a 37mAh capacity battery that offers an average playtime of approx. 5.5 – 6 hours if you do use the earphone with the AAC codec, while the charging case with a total capacity of 380mAh adds another 18 hours of play time.

 

Pairing, Signal Strength, Latency & Navigation:

Pairing: The Moondrop Golden Ages utilize a standard Bluetooth pairing process. After the initial pairing, the earbuds should automatically reconnect to your device (smartphone, tablet, etc.) when removed from the charging case.

Moondrop claims an operating range of approximately 9-10 meters (30-33 feet) with a stable connection. However, your actual experience may vary depending on environmental factors.

Built-in Microphone: The built-in microphones on the Moondrop Golden Ages offers sufficient call quality acceptable for a product mainly focused on audio performance at this price level.

Bluetooth Codecs: The Moondrop Golden Ages supports both the widely used LDAC high-definition audio transmission protocol, capable of transmitting 24-bit/96kHz audio at bit rates up to 990kbps, and the new LC3 encoding and decoding protocol for the next-generation Bluetooth LE Audio. When paired with devices that also support LC3, this protocol offers lower latency and improved audio signal transmission compared to traditional Bluetooth.

Dual Connection Modes: The Moondrop Golden Ages offer two connection modes accessible through touch controls: a standard mode likely utilizing AAC or SBC codecs, and a “game mode” activated by tapping the touch surface four times.

Latency in Game Mode: Moondrop specifies a low latency of 55ms in game mode, which works pretty fine for an entry level TWS earphone, while it decreased the audio quality that is not dramatically but audible.

Touch Controls: The touch surface on both earpieces works pretty fine. Some of the touch operations are listed below;

• Single Click Any Side            : Play/Pause
• Double Click Left Side           : Previous Track
• Double Click Right Side         : Next Track
• Triple Click Any Side             : Start Voice Assistant
• Triple Click Any Side             : Close Voice Assistant
• Four Click Any Side               : Activating Game Mode

Please note that you can adjust the click actions anytime from the Link 2 application.

MOONDROP Link 2.0 APP:

The MOONDROP Link 2.0 represents a significant upgrade with its streamlined and user-friendly interface, enhancing the overall user experience. This latest iteration offers robust support for a wide array of MOONDROP products, ensuring seamless integration and functionality.

Users are encouraged to download the MOONDROP Link 2.0 app to unlock the full potential of their Golden Ages earbuds. The app facilitates personalization of touch controls and the ability to switch between distinct sound profiles with ease.

A standout feature of the Golden Ages is the Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) mode, which can be toggled on or off directly from the smartphone via the APP 2.0. Additionally, the app provides the option to deactivate the “transparent transmission mode” when it’s not needed, streamlining the mode selection process.

The MOONDROP Link APP also introduces a choice of three bass tunings to cater to diverse auditory preferences:

• Monitor
• Reference
• Warm

Equipment’s used for this review:

• IEM’s                          : Moondrop Golden Ages
• Source                       : FiiO M23, Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra

 

Albums & tracks used for this review:

• Metallica – Dyers Eve
• Daft Punk – Doin’ it Right
• Lorde – Royals
• Gogo Penguin – Raven
• Norah Jones – Don’t Know Why
• Adele – My Little Love
• Edith Piaf – Non Je Ne Regrette Rien
• George Michael – Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me
• David Bowie – Heroes
• Elton John – Rocket Man
• Charly Antolini – Duwadjuwandadu)

 

The Sound:

The Moondrop Golden Ages TWS shows a relative neutral sound signature, with a slight emphasis on the midrange and treble. While the bass may not satisfy those seeking a head-thumping experience, it excels in clarity and definition. The overall sound is fairly coherent, detailed, and well-suited for extended listening sessions without fatigue.

Please note that this review is written after a burn-in period of approximately 40-45 hours. I used the stock silicone ear tips that were included in the package. I paired the Golden Ages primarily with the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra and the FiiO M23, using the LDAC audio codec.

Bass / Midrange / Treble / Soundstage:

The bass response of the Moondrop Golden Ages is characterized not by sheer force but by a fairly refined delivery that defines its sound signature. The low-end frequencies don’t dominate; rather, they enhance the mids and highs, resulting in a harmonious blend. Precision is key in tracks like Daft Punk’s “Doin’ it Right” and Lorde’s “Royals,” where a controlled and articulate subbass complements, rather than overwhelms, the overall sound. The agility and speed of the bass are particularly noticeable in Gogo Penguin’s “Raven,” where the midbass responds swiftly, providing a rhythmic foundation.

The midrange stands out as the centerpiece of the Moondrop Golden Ages. Female vocals in tracks such as Norah Jones’ “Don’t Know Why” and Adele’s “My Little Love” are portrayed with a lifelike quality, capturing the nuanced emotions of the performances. The upper midrange shines as well, with Edith Piaf’s “Non Je Ne Regrette Rien” delivering intensity through vocals that are both clear and prominent.

The lower midrange exudes a mildly warm tonality and a natural presentation, audible in male vocals and instruments like cellos, clarinets, or acoustic guitars. Male voices in songs like George Michael’s “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” and David Bowie’s “Heroes” are rendered with clarity and a richness that brings out the depth and texture of the performance.

The treble response undergoes a rigorous test with Metallica’s “Dyers Eve,” a track notorious for its challenging high-frequency elements. The Moondrop Golden Ages delivering treble notes that are polished and, in most situations, extended, free from any hints of sibilance or listener fatigue. This results in a relative detailed and airy soundscape that captures the dynamism of the music.

While the soundstage isn’t vast, it provides a commendable sense of width and depth. This attribute is especially apparent in well mastered live recordings, where the Moondrop Golden Ages reproduces the acoustics of the venue, offering a natural sense of spatiality.

 

Conclusion:

The Moondrop Golden Ages TWS earphone present a harmonious blend of nostalgic design and modern audio technology. The 13mm planar magnetic drivers and N55 high-performance neodymium magnets work in tandem to deliver a sound that is fairly clear and detailed in TWS standards, with a focus on midrange and treble. Connectivity is robust, featuring LDAC and Bluetooth LE Audio with LC3 encoding, while MOONDROP Link 2.0 app enhances user interaction and device management.

While the retro design of the Moondrop Golden Ages TWS earphones carries a certain charm, it’s important to note that this style may not cater to everyone’s taste. The distinctive aesthetic, reminiscent of the classic Walkman, offers a unique appeal that might align more with vintage enthusiasts than those seeking a modern look.

 

Pros & Cons: 

• + Neutral sound signature with emphasis on mids and treble
• + Well-suited for extended listening sessions
• + LDAC and Bluetooth LE Audio with LC3 encoding
• + MOONDROP Link 2.0 app for customization and control (EQ, ANC)
• + ANC, Ambient and Low Latency/Game Mode
• + Comfortable and lightweight design
• + Relatively affordable price ($79.99)
• + Unique retro design (inspired by Sony Walkman TPS-L2)

 

• – Bass may not be strong enough for bass-heads
• – Retro design may not appeal to everyone
• – Moderate battery life (5.5-6 hours per charge)

 

Thank you for the Read!