MOONDROP GOLDEN AGES Review – 13mm Planar Magnetic Driver TWS
Moondrop Golden Ages is a brand-new Bluetooth V5.3 TWS earphone that takes us back down memory lane with its iconic design. Moondrop pays tribute to the Walkman with its stunning designer pattern on the TWS and the Charging case. The pair supports wireless Bluetooth V5.3 connectivity along with high-definition transmission protocols. They have also designed a patented 13mm Planar magnetic driver that produces impeccable sound with ultra-low distortion characteristics. Moondrop has also featured a low-power flagship-level chipset that promises stable connectivity and efficient battery performance. Moondrop Golden Ages also has three-level Bass settings that allow you to easily fiddle around and find your perfect sound.
Moondrop Golden Ages comes equipped with a newly developed 13mm super-linear planar magnetic driver unit. The founder of Moondrop specifically designs this driver. It adopts a high-power magnetic circuit featuring N55 magnets and an ultra-thin diaphragm. The driver helps the Golden Ages TWS to deliver an effective sound that has lower distortion and clearer output compared to a dynamic driver. The driver achieves ideal performance for TWS earphones with its double suspension design.
Moondrop is a brand that has always focused on delivering high-quality audio products. They have been in the industry for a long time offering an exclusive range of products. The latest Golden Ages is a TWS with an iconic design theme based on the Walkman theme. The retro design theme combined with the next-gen pure sound technology greatly enhances the listening experience for its users.
Moondrop Golden Ages supports high-definition wireless Bluetooth V5.3 connectivity. It has full support for high-definition transmission protocols supporting LDAC, etc. It also supports LC3 LE Audio protocol as well. When combined with devices that support LC3 standard transmission, the Golden Ages has much lower latency than standard Bluetooth devices and also promises excellent high-res sound signal transmission.
Moondrop GOlden Ages has dual connection modes, the music mode provides an excellent high-fidelity music experience while the low-latency gaming and movie mode provides a signal latency of as low as 55ms, providing a satisfying movie and gaming experience. You can simply tap on the face plate four times to enable the low-latency gaming mode.
Moondrop Golden Ages TWS supports a wide-band ANC support. Skilled acoustic engineers have carefully implemented it to provide an ANC of up to 44dB with the set. It also supports ambient transparency mode when you want to be aware of your surroundings.
Three-Level Bass Tuning
Moondrop Golden Ages supports three levels Bass control, Monitor, Reference, and Warm. These three settings can be switched freely using the Moondrop Link Application. You can find your perfect settings and use the Golden Ages as you like.
Features
- Iconic Walkman Style Design.
- 13mm Super-Linear Full-Frequency Planar Magnetic Driver.
- Low-Latency Wireless Bluetooth V5.3 Connectivity.
- Flagship Chipset for HiFi Sound Quality.
- Ambient Transparency Mode.
- Tuned Following the Moondrop VDSF Target Response Curve.
- Ultra-Low Distortion Performance.
- Three-level Bass Tuning.
- Fully Compatible with Moondrop Link Application.
- iOS & Android Compatibility.
- Supported protocols: A2DP/AVRCP/HFP/HSP
- Codec: SBC/AAC/LDAC/LC3
- Charging port: USB-C
- Working distance: 10m (unobstructed open environment)
- Support system: Bluetooth devices and mobile phones
- Earphone charging time: about 1 hour
- Charging time of charging case: about 1.5 hours
- Earphone battery capacity: 3.7V/37mAh
- Battery capacity of charging case: 3.7V/380mAh
- Battery life of earphone: about 6 hours (AAC)
- Battery life of charging case: about 18 hours (AAC)
- Price: $79
What’s in the box
MOONDROP LINK App
Sadly this time there is no support for PEQ in the Moondrop link App, only 3 presets to choose from.
Sound
Bass
The bass of the MOONDROP GOLDEN AGES is abundant. I didn’t feel the need for more or less bass in any type of music. It’s more suitable for bass enthusiasts rather than those who prefer a neutral sound. However, I would prefer more quality rather than quantity as it lacks some texture and substance. Although its bass is more detailed compared to its competitors, it lacks that fine texture.
Unlike higher-end IEMs that layer and define the bass, the GOLDEN AGES delivers it all at once. When compared to similarly priced IEMs, it performs slightly better in providing well-defined bass.
For everyday use, the bass of the GOLDEN AGES is perfect. It suits all genres with its booming and powerful bass response.
Mids
The GOLDEN AGES has a clean and natural timbre in the mids. When it comes to female vocals, it performs exceptionally well. As someone who primarily listens to music with female vocals, I am pleased with how the GOLDEN AGES reproduces them.
It passes the natural timbre test without artificial enhancements often found in IEMs with planar drivers and presents vocals smoothly and clearly, with a pleasant touch of warmth. It offers a relatively neutral vocal presentation, placing more emphasis on the upper frequencies of the vocal line while maintaining the body in the sub-bass region.
Additionally, there is a lack of fine details and texture in both the male vocals and bass, resulting in a somewhat flat sound. Despite these shortcomings, the overall tonal quality of the GOLDEN AGES is natural and clean.
Treble
The treble on the GOLDEN AGES is quite polished. It lacks any harshness or excessive brightness, instead, it is smooth and clear. Instruments are well represented here. Similarly, the vocals have a natural tone and timbre without any sharpening.
The treble on the MOONDROP GOLDEN AGES has a noticeable presence. The tuning is clean, effectively reducing sibilance and peaks in the upper frequencies.
This allows for extended listening sessions at higher volumes without experiencing fatigue. There is a satisfactory amount of air in the sound, which, combined with the leakage of ambiance, contributes to a dynamic and immersive output.
Technicalities
Despite using a planar driver, the staging of the MOONDROP GOLDEN AGES isn’t huge. Instead, it’s done well or slightly above average.
The width and height of its stage are fine. Not one part is larger or better than the other, so it gets the correct balance. For depth, it’s surprisingly better done than both the height and width. Despite still giving the in-head experience, there’s more depth than average. Imaging is average as well. Instruments, and backing vocals, are placed in the correct spots.
Sum-Up
In short, for $79 the MOONDROP GOLDEN AGES is just amazing. Planar sound with LDAC, and lightweight design make this TWS very unique for this price. At first, I was a little disappointed not seeing the PEQ support in the App as we used to see in the previous wireless solutions like the “Little White” and the “Voyager” neckband models but after hearing the GOLDEN AGES I’m very satisfied with the sound and the 3 level bass tuning helps for some adjustment on the sound. Out of the box, this one is Moondrop’s best-sounding TWS model in my opinion. An easy recommendation for the fans of this form factor.