Moondrop Moonriver 2 TI Review

Moondrop Moonriver 2 TI Review
Introduction:
Moondrop has released a new version of its Moonriver 2 USB DAC/Amplifier dongle: the Moondrop Moonriver 2 TI Edition. This device boasts a sleek and durable housing made of high-quality TC4 Titanium Alloy material. Inside this compact and portable device, you will find some interesting hardware components such like a Dual CS43198 decoding chip, which provides a high dynamic range, low distortion and a smooth DAC volume control. It also has Dual independent dual-channel amp chips and 5x independent power chips, which ensure a stable and powerful output for both balanced and single-ended headphones. The Moonriver 2 Ti supports up to DSD256 and PCM 32-BIT/768kHz formats.
Disclaimer:
I would like to thank Moondrop for providing me the Moonriver 2 TI USB DAC/Amplifier Dongle for review purposes. I am not affiliated with Moondrop beyond this review and these words reflect my true and unaltered opinions about the product.
Price & Availability:
The actual price of the Moondrop Moonriver 2 TI is 189.99 US$. More details can be found under the link below;
Package & Accessories:
The Moondrop Moonriver 2 TI came in a small rectangular box with an anime character on the top that was warped with a transparent plastic sleeve.
Inside the box are the following items;
- 1 x Moondrop Moonriver 2 TI
- 1 x USB Type-C to USB Type-C Cable
- 1 x USB Type-A to USB Type-C Adaptor
- 1 x Print Material (Certificate, Warranty Card & User Manual)
Design & Build Quality:
The Moondrop Moonriver 2 TI preserves the elegant “Flow” design of its predecessor, but with a refined and polished appearance. This device boasts a sleek and durable housing made of high-quality TC4 Titanium Alloy, a material that offers excellent corrosion resistance and strength. The Moonriver 2 TI has dimensions of approx 57mm x 19.6mm x 13.4mm and weights around 30g.
On the left surface of the main body are the hardware volume control buttons made from metal with the same polishes finish like the housing.
The right surface sports the Moondrop Moonriver 2 TI branding.
At the bottom of the device is the USB Type-C digital interface port, which offers a pretty tight connection.
On the top of the dongle the 3.5mm Single Ended (TRS) and 4.4mm Balanced (TRRRS) analog outputs.
One of the main attractions of the Moonriver 2 TI is the transparent window at the rear side of the device that gives a clear view of the internal audio circuitry with all the chips and hardware components
Here is a LED status indicator that gives information about the actual operations status.
The device has a remarkable build quality, thanks to its premium titanium alloy structure. This material not only gives it a sleek and durable appearance, but also enhances its strength and corrosion resistance.
Technical Specifications:
- Model : Moonriver 2 TI
- DAC Chip : Dual CS43198
- Headphone Ports : 3.5mm Single-ended and 4.4mm Balanced
- Frequency Response : 7Hz-85kHz (±1dB)
- Background Noise : 1.2μV (AES17 20kHz) 3.5mm / 1.5μV (AES17 20kHz) 4.4mm
- SNR (3.5mm) : 123dB (A-weighted)
- SNR (4.4mm) : 131dB (A-weighted)
- Line-Out (3.5mm) : 2Vrms
- Line-Out (4.4mm) : 4Vrms
- Max. Output Power : 4.4mm: 32Ω 280mW, 300Ω 53mW
- THD+N : 4.4mm: 0.00014% ( AES17 20kHz, 300Ω )
- Dimensions : 57mm x 19.6mm x 13.4mm
- Weight : 30g
Hardware Features:
The Moondrop Moonriver 2 Ti Edition features a Dual CS43198 decoding chip, which provides a high dynamic range, a low distortion, and a smooth DAC volume control. It also has Dual independent dual-channel amp chips and 5x independent power chips, which ensure a stable and powerful output over both the balanced and single-ended headphones outputs.
Digital to Analog Converter:
Moondrop Moonriver 2 TI is equipped with a flagship-grade Dual DAC chipset featuring two CS43198 DAC chips arranged in a four-channel balanced architecture that supports up to DSD256 and PCM 32-BIT/768kHz formats. It has a high dynamic range of 131dB (A-wt), low THD+N value of 0.00014% and a SNR that is approx 131db over the 4.4mm Balanced output interface.
Amplification & Background Noise:
The Moondrop Moonriver 2 TI is equipped with a special Dual independent dual-channel amp chips design. The amplification section is equipped with 5x independent power chips, in order to ensure a stable and powerful output over both the balanced and single-ended headphones outputs.
What really impressed me are the pretty clean and dark background and the high output power of the Moonriver 2 TI DAC/AMP dongle, which offers up to 280mW @ 32ohm through the 4.4mm balanced port. The independent 100-level volume control is another key feature that allows a quite precise volume adjustment.
- Power Output over 4.4mm Balanced Out: 32Ω 280mW, 300Ω 53mW
I have to mention that the device gets a bit warm when paired with power demanding headphones.
Some Key Features:
- CNC Carved TC4 Titanium Alloy Shell
- Full Circuit Display With Display Window
- Dual CS43198 Flagship DAC Chipset
- Dual-Amplifier Four-Channel Output
- 5x Independent Power Chips
- 100-Level Sound Volume Control
Sources used for this review:
- DAC/Amplifier : Moondrop Moonriver 2 TI
- IEM’s : Moondrop Blessing 3, Moondrop Starfield 2, ddHiFi Janus 3
- Headphones : HiFiMAN Edition XS
- Sources : Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra
Albums & tracks used for this review:
- Adele – My Little Love (Spotify)
- Randy Crawford – On Day I Will Fly Away (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Hayley Westenra – Odyssey Album (Dezzer HiFi)
- Dionne Warwick – Walk On By (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Sarah McLachlan – Angel (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
- Sertap Erener – Aşk (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Edith Piaf – Non Je Ne Regrette Rien (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Diana Krall – So Wonderful (DSF)
- Aretha Franklin – I Say A Little Payer (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
- Sonya Yoncheva – (Giuseppe Verdi) II Trovatore, ActI (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
- George Michael – Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
- David Bowie – Heroes (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
- Elton John – Rocket Man ((Flac 24bit/96kHz)
- Barry White – Just The Way You Are (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
- Isaac Hayes – Walk On By (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Sting – Englishman in New York – (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
- Eric Clapton – Wonderful Tonight (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
- B.B. King – Riding With The King (Tidal Hi-Fi)
- Dave Gahan – Kingdom (Tidal Hi-Fi)
- U2 – Sunday Bloody Sunday (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Bear McCreary – God of War (Spotify)
- Rok Nardin – The Mad Queen (Deezer HiFi)
- Bro Safari, UFO! – Drama (Deezer HiFi)
- Armin Van Buuren – Vini Vici (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Daft Punk – Doin’ it Right (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
- Christian Reindl – Freya (Deezer HiFi)
- Lorde – Royals (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
- Massive Attack – Angel (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
- Toutant – Rebirth (Deezer HiFi)
- Gogo Penguin – Raven (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
- Gogo Penguin – Murmuration (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
- Portishead – It Could Be Sweet (Spotify)
- Max Richter – On the Nature of Daylight (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
- Charly Antolini – Knock Out 2000 Album (Deezer HiFi)
- Ferit Odman – Look, Stop & Listen (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
- Chopin – Nocturn No. 20 In C-Sharp Minor (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Fazıl Say – Nazım Oratoryosu (Live) (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Vivaldi – Le QuarttroStagioni “The Four Season” (Deezer HiFi)
- Otto Liebert & Luna Negra – The River (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
- Lunatic Soul – The Passage (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Deftones – My Own Summer (Shove it) (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Metallica – Sad but True (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
- Metallica – Master of Puppets (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
- Opeth – Windowpane (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Megadeth – Sweating Bullets (Tidal Hi-Fi)
- Rush’s – Leave That Thing Alone (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Slayer – Angel of Death (Spotify)
- Liquid Tension Experiment 2 – Acid Rain (Spotify)
- Yosi Horikawa – Bubbles (Spotify)
The Sound:
The Moondrop Moonriver 2 TI is a USB DAC/AMP dongle that delivers an decent sound performance across the entire frequency spectrum. It has a deep, punchy, and well-controlled bass response, a clear and transparent midrange, and an extended and airy treble. The soundstage is also wide and immersive, creating a fairly realistic and holographic soundscape.
This review has been written after a burn-in period of 55 – 60 Hours. I have used the stock USB Type-C to USB Type-C cable paired with the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra and Tab S8 Ultra. My sound impressions below are mainly based on my pairings with the ddHiFi Janus 3, Moondrop Blessing 3 and Moondrop Starfield 2.
Bass / Midrange / Treble / Soundstage:
The Moondrop Moonriver 2 TI delivers a full-bodied and dynamic bass response that can handle a wide range of genres with ease when paired with the right IEM and Headphone. The bass is well-controlled and textured, with exceptional detail retrieval and extension. It can reach pretty deep into the sub-bass region and deliver a quite powerful rumble, without bleeding into the midrange or becoming muddy. This was audible in songs like Bear McCreary’s “God of War”, Daft Punk’s “Doin’ it Right” and Rok Nardin’s “The Mad Queen” that I have listen with the ddHiFi Janus 3 and Moondrop Starfiled 2.
The midrange of the Moondrop Moonriver 2 TI is produced in a pretty clear, transparent and natural manner, while the level of detail retrieval and imaging is decent for a USB DAC Dongle. Both vocals and instruments are reproduced fairly realistically and with emotion. The general tonality of the midrange is smooth and musical. The midrange is also well-balanced and coherent, with no single frequency range taking precedence over the others. This makes the Moonriver 2 TI ideal for a wide range of genres, from classical to rock to electronic music.
The treble range of the Moonriver 2 TI extends pretty well and shows a good amount of air. The sense of clarity and sparkle is on a high level, while it doesn’t show any over brightness or harshness. The general treble character can be described rather smooth and refined that has just the right grade of dynamism and resolution that is needed for most genres. The treble of the Moonriver 2 TI offers also a solid level of detail retrieval and separation that creates a spacious and open atmosphere with IEM’s like the Mondrop Blessing 2 and ddHiFi Janus 3.
The Moonriver 2 TI shows a fairly wide and spacious soundstage atmosphere that creates a realistic and holographic presentation. The soundstage has a good level of depth and height, as well as a spacious width and imaging. The distance and position of instruments and vocals have been created in a quite accurate manner especially when paired with the HiFiMAN Edition XS and the Moondrop Blessing 3.
Conclusion:
The Moondrop Moonriver 2 TI is a USB DAC/AMP dongle that offers a good combination of features, performance, and value. It has a sleek and durable design, powerful output, and solid overall sound performance across the entire frequency spectrum. This makes it to a decent good choice for audiophiles who are looking for a portable and convenient way to upgrade their audio experience.
Pros & Cons:
- + Solid Sound Performance across the entire frequency spectrum
- + Clean / Noise Free Background
- + Sleek and durable housing made of high-quality TC4 Titanium Alloy
- + Hardware Volume Control
- + Impressive Output Power
- – Gets a bit warm when paired with power demanding headphones
- – The box does not include a protective case or Lightning cable
Thank you for the Read!