The alternative title for this review was far less appropriate.
Introduction
It's been a while since I reviewed anything, let alone something that actually interests me in some regard. However, in my recent deep space bargain bin exploratory mission I have tripped upon the Space Travels (purchased for $24.99 from SHENZHENAUDIO) and I must say, they're a fine companion to explore the (audio) space with, especially considering they're priced this low. I did not expect much - after all, outside a couple exceptions, the TWS market is often limited to major brands like Samsung, Sony and Apple. Moondrop's previous TWS forays have also been quite inconsistent - the Sparks were very solid outside a couple quirks, the Alice was baffling and the Nekocakes were just
fine. Let me make this immediately clear; these completely invalidate the existence of the Nekocakes. What is the point of buying something that's $15 more expensive and behaves essentially the same, unless you want a custom motif? And, well, a
lid? Yes, I haven't bothered listing that as a con. I may be lazy - but also, that's something I'll get into a bit later. Let's dive right into it, and feel free to hear me out why I think the Space Travels are both a solid listen and a buy at $25.
Packaging
As might be expected, the packaging is very spartan at this range, reminiscent of some budget Tripowin models, perhaps even Moondrop's own Chu. You get a box wrapped in plastic with a small illustration of the expected anime girl on the back. There is really no glamour in opening this box - which is what I prefer until we get to a higher price point, anyway. Peel off the plastic film and there is a thin foil waiting under to be flipped over, and then you get access to the case itself.
After you pull out the plastic sheet, you can pull out the case including the TWS. The small Space Travel box under the case contains the short USB charging cable (type A to type C termination) and that's basically it. The additional eartips are all crammed in one tiny plastic baggie - not a fan, but I'll let it slide. You also get the usual QC check, a small sheet of paper with a full-color illustration of a cartoon lady, and then a bunch of paperwork. Overall, the package is very small and there is not much to complain about. Of course, a lid would be nice. It would cost barely a dollar, but perhaps Moondrop wanted to make something cool here. It
does look unique and I think that much can't be denied.
Closer examination and ergonomics
As you can see in the image above, I purchased the "black" finish instead of the usual white. I think it looks way more rad - the orange plastic is very much reminiscent of those old Lego see-through bricks that I went thru in my youth. The USB-C port is at the bottom of the case - I would have preferred that it be placed at the back, but ah well, no point crying over it. The buds themselves have a decently long stem - slightly longer than the AirPods Pro. The buds are slid in and out the case on the stem, making pulling them out a little awkward at first, but you learn quick. The charging connectors for the buds are on the bottom of the stems. I haven't noticed any issues with the buds themselves moving around in the case or anything else like that. They stay rather secure, even if the lack of a lid isn't very convincing in this regard. If you feel insecure about this, Moondrop has a case for the Space Travels as well. Speaking of
insecure, the touch area on the stems is very big, if not maybe the entire stem. Accidental taps are pretty likely if you try and adjust the fit in your ears - I would personally recommend that you grab the stem by its sides (or top and bottom) and adjust that way to prevent accidental pauses or mode-switching.
The fit is also AirPods-reminiscent. The nozzle itself is an oval shape. I gotta make this clear and say that my ears just suck. I can't really fit larger nozzles in my ears, but I can cram pretty large shells in my concha. So it was a very pleasant surprise when I realized these fit me
very well. Of course, your mileage may vary - but for my accursed ears, this is a pretty good remedy. They can stay in my ears for almost the whole battery life duration, and I've been pleasantly surprised to find out that they stayed in my ears during a good night's sleep. The eartips themselves aren't anything groundbreaking, however, and if you happen to have something like Omni tips, they're worth trying out in this case.
Sound performance
The Space Travels were connected to my phone (running Lineage 20) and my laptop (a poor 7-year old Asus ROG). I have only noticed one case of drop-out and not another since. If you're planning to watch any fast-paced videos or plan to game with them, enable "game mode" by tapping on the stem four times. The delay is still kind of perceptible, but it's notably better and I'd say very much servicable for that use-case. As is the case for most TWS, the microphone performance is not very good.
Bass
I've mentioned it before, but these are fun. Not very bassy, unless you turn on the Basshead preset in the Moondrop Link app. Can I just--okay, yeah, sure, I'll be brief.
A brief mention of the Moondrop Link app
This app sucks? Really bad? I personally haven't encountered stability issues, but I know plenty people who have had frequent freezes, crashes and the like. Not to mention the app wants a
lot of permissions. It is not something that makes me feel comfortable, so I promptly denied all the permissions and uninstalled the app once I realized that with the Space Travels, there isn't actually a lot you can do within the app. You can basically really just change the audio profiles (Reference, Basshead and Monitor) and then the touch controls. Navigating the app is slow, you wait a lot and it's just not very pleasing in general. Anyway, back to..
The bass
As mentioned, it's quite fun, especially on the Reference and Basshead settings. I personally use Reference and will for the remainder of this review. The impact is decent enough, giving you a little bit of that desired
thump and the amount is quite solid without feeling overpowering, albeit it's getting there. I cannot really complain about the bass quality, especially at this price range and considering this is a true wireless set. I am quite pleased. Of course, it can be better - the Truthear Zero comes to mind - but in terms of TWS, you're gonna have to pay up a lot more to get better bass.
Playtime is Over by Le Matos has this start with a vibrating, not-that-subtle bass hit that feels almost
just right.
Bass rating: 75/100 (B)
Mids
Not really much to actually mention here. I haven't noticed any honk, or anything outright lacking. There is really nothing to comment on here, just that the mids have good enough body, don't feel recessed in any way and are just
done well.
The Right Stuff by Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds felt fine, if not particularly satisfying.
Mids rating: 70/100 (B-)
Treble
I usually like treble done in a fashion that makes the IEM sound mildly warm - neutral with a little bit of warmth is how I would put it. The Space Travels don't do that, but they're still pretty good. Cranking the volume didn't make me feel the treble suddenly got hot or peaky, and I'm left quite satisfied. There's a decent amount of detail, too - for example,
The Cross by Makeup and Vanity Set felt cool. Granted, not a ton of treble in that track. But the fact nothing felt out of place was great.
Sbírka zvadlejch růží by Wanastowi Vjecy has guitar plucking being heard pretty well and the electric guitar sounds solid too. Not much to complain about here.
Treble rating: 75/100 (B)
Technicalities
This is where the Space Travel stumbles. Technical chops were never particularly good on TWS sets, excluding a couple, but the Space Travels really just aren't technically capable. I would say you'd be getting slightly better performance out of a Wan'er or Hola - that is to say, the Space Travels aren't
poor, but they're definitely below average in this regard. Imaging is a little vague and some of the tones can have the impression of being smothered.
Let's Groove by Earth, Wind & Fire just lacks some of that detail and expansive feeling that a good IEM, headphone or speaker provide. The background instruments blend a little together, unfortunately.
Technicalities rating: 65/100 (C)
Conclusion
These will remain my beater TWS for the foreseeable future. Moondrop has made an excellent TWS here and I hope this trend sticks around for them. The Golden Ages have so far gotten a lukewarm reception from my friends, which does not instill me with confidence, but they don't look bad. I hope I'll get an opportunity to review them in the future.
This is absolutely a
B+ IEM, especially considering the TWS capability and the fact the noise cancelling isn't bad at all. There's a little self-noise in it, but it's decent overall. This really
is a good buy at 25 dollars.
Overall rating: 80/100 (B+)
Concluding notes: The Space Travel is a surprisingly well tuned TWS pair marred only by the poor application support and mediocre technical ability.
Keep rating: 8/10
These are worth keeping. The price is a bargain, they keep sounding good and if they break, well, it's $25.