Introduction
If you are an audiophile, you might already know the boutique audio company from China, Moondrop. They have been around since 2015 in making high-end in-ear monitors and earbuds that are highly praised in the audiophile community worldwide. With great releases such as their venerable multi-BA in-ear monitors such as the A8 and S8, classic hybrid Blessing 2, tri-brid Solis and Variations, single dynamic Illuminations to their flagship earbuds Chocanne, they have been a staple favourite to audiophiles around the globe garnering praises for their high performance and quality that they provide. Moondrop has also a budget line that consist of the Spaceship earphones and many earbuds such as Nameless, and now they have just released an entry earphone for an even lower price of USD12.99 but still retaining a classic high-performance sound tuning of Moondrop, the Quarks earphone. Moondrop has kindly sent us a pair of Quarks for an honest review. Can it be a contender for the title of the budget king? We shall find out.
Specification
Here are the specifications of the Quarks earphone;
- 6mm Dynamic Driver with external N52 magnetic architecture.
- Imported CCAW voice coil.
- Fully enclosed front cavity design.
- HRTF following frequency curve.
- Patented sound damping structure.
- Compact, Bullet-style industrial design.
- Driver size: 6mm micro dynamic driver.
- Frequency Response: 4Hz-43kHz (IEC61094, Free Field).
- Effective Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz (IEC60318-4, -3dB).
- Sensitivity: 116dB/Vrms(@1kHz).
- Impedance: 16 Ohm.
- THD+N: <1%@1kHz.
Fun Fact: Quark definition
Any member of a group of elementary subatomic particles that interact by means of the strong force and are believed to be among the fundamental constituents of matter.
Retail Price & Where to Get
Moondrop Quarks can be bought at Official Moondrop’s Aliexpress store.
Purchase Link : https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003086848610.html?spm=a2g0o.store_pc_groupList.8148356.5.7a864d4flMxg3o
Packaging & Accessories
Packaging of the quarks is very basic and it comes with a paper small box with the quark particle image on the front. Inside we will find the earphone itself, 3 pairs of ear tips and a small fabric bag. It is rather a simple packaging versus the premium packaging standards set by the budget entry earphone of Tanchjim’s Tanya, but the Quarks comes with a slightly lower price, therefore it is slightly acceptable.
Design
The quarks design is truly minimalistic and it is so tiny and very solidly build. It is one of the smallest earphones that I have ever held in my hands but still looks very well made and designed. Cable looks is mediocre but it felt solid, soft and flexible. Cable is fixed and non-removable but expected for the price. The Y-splitter has a classic design of the Moondrop’s logo stamped on a round disk of rubber and it looks awesome but it is a little big in size. The gold plated 3.5mm jack is an angled connector and it feels solidly build with a decent stress relieve design.
The earphone unit is made from solid transparent poly-carbonate with a metal mesh on the tip for dust protection. Being transparent, we can see the micro driver inside and I can see some tuning sponge at the tips behind the metal mesh. On the face of the earphones, the quarks particle is imprinted with blue particles for left and red particles for right side of the earphones. Very well designed and made, staying within the quarks theme.
Fitting on the Quarks is quite comfortable but it does incur some pressure if inserted deep and can feel a little stuffy due to their fully closed design. But it is still comfortable as it is small in size and with the right ear-tips, it can be very comfortable.
Gears Used for Comparisons
- Fiio Q5 with AM3D module
- Questyle M12
- Hidizs AP90 pro
- Moondrop A8
- Blon A8
- Tanchjim Tanya
- HZ Sound Heart Mirror
Song list
Soundstage
Moondrop has implemented a fully closed, 0 vent design for the Quarks like a balanced armature earphone design. Moondrop claims that this design and the damping implemented is unique and it is rarely found in dynamic driver-based earphone. With this design, I do feel that the soundstage is rather small and the width suffers a little but it does provide a more intimate feel to it suiting some acoustics-based music. Depth on the Quarks is better than the width and music has a slightly deeper feel to it. Overall, the soundstage performance is average but still gives an enjoyable feel due to its intimacy.
Separation and Timbre
Separation and timbre of the Quarks is excellent. With every music, I am able to appreciate the instruments and it sounded very clear with great musicality. Instruments and vocals sounded organic and dynamic with every layers easily picked out by my ears. Timbre is also great and with classical or acoustic music. Vocals and instruments sounded tonally accurate with great intensity as expected from a well-tuned dynamic driver.
Tone and Presentation
The Quarks sounded very well balanced and has a slight forwardness in their mids and highs. It sounded slightly bright but still remains balanced as it is tuned towards a Harman’s curve. Clarity on the Quarks is top notch and it can rival earphones priced way higher than the Quarks. Quarks also has the ability to portray music in a very high-resolution quality and again, it punches well above the price tag. Its bright presentation might sound a little harsh at times with certain tracks such as EDM or female based vocals and might sound a little fatiguing for long listening sessions.
Drivability
Though rated at only 16ohms with a 116db sensitivity, I do feel that the Quarks does require some power in driving them well. Loudness is acceptable for usage with smartphones or laptops but I do feel the restraint in their dynamics and it sounded a little dull. With a decent dongle or DAC/amplifier, the Quarks can perform better and they scale up very well with proper amplification.
The Bass (Low)
Bass on the Quarks is a punchy, clear and they are a neutral type of bass. The lows have a balanced performance and it is very well tuned for a natural reproduction. It has a tight impact and it sounded very clean especially in the sub-bass area. Clarity is very good in the lows and it performs very well in EDM and jazz music without sounding bloated or muddy. I would like to call the bass a punchy, neutral and natural bass with no bleed. The bass it pushes out has a decent airiness to it but it does not go in as deep as I wanted it to. Being a non-vented earphone, I do feel that the bass is slightly shallow and a little light on the sub-bass region, but it does have a decent bass performance with a great clarity.
The Mids
Mid performance on the Quarks is good with a thick and clean sound. It sounded great for vocals due to their forwardness and intimacy making vocals sound in front of you. The mids is quite balanced and neutral to my ears and possesses a good resolution. Midrange tonality is on the warmer side and vocals sounded quite intimate also very engaging. Vocal’s placements are great with vocal sounding right next to you and it has a good extension. Mids presented has an energetic vibe and sounded very musical with great dynamics. The upper mids has a slight emphasis to it and making the Quarks slightly bright in their presentation but also retaining a balanced signature. On certain tracks, I do find the mids to be slightly shouty but it is still acceptable as it does not sound harsh. Overall, I do find the mids performance to be very well tuned and it sounded phenomenal.
The Highs
Quarks is leaning towards a brighter side and it has a good extension in its presentation. Treble it pushes out is quite crisp and clear with a slight airiness to it making it sounds spacious. It has a balanced performance and sounded quite smooth overall. Micro details are rather good and it has a decent detail retrieval ability. On certain tracks, it sounded a little peaky and does has a slight roll-off in their treble but mostly, it sounded great and energetic with good treble extension for an entry earphone. Sibilance on the Quarks is minimal and it possess some sparkle in their signature making a more enjoyable experience. The Quarks is slightly bright and it does incur a slight fatigue in my long listening session on certain tracks like metal or rock genre-based songs.
Comparisons
VS HZ Sound Heart Mirror
A neutral-bright sounding single dynamic IEM that are famed for its details, clarity and a neutral sound that it offers, all in a high-quality shell and decently priced. Side by side, the Quarks sounded slightly similar to the Heart Mirror by Quarks being slighty bright and neutral. Details and clarity on the Heart Mirror is better and its transparency is a level higher than the Quarks. Quarks on the other hand sounded livelier and more energetic in its presentation and has a more jovial feel to it. Bass on the Heart Mirror is clearer but it lacks extension and sub-bass unlike the Quarks who has a thicker and a more hard-hitting bass presence. Soundstage on the Heart Mirror is wider and deeper. Mids on both is similar with a neutral bright take to it but the Heart mirror sounded clearer. Highs on the Heart Mirror is smoother versus the slightly peaky highs of the Quarks.
VS Tanchjim Tanya
Tanchjim entry budget earphone that is gathering great reviews all around with their high-performance sound that comes in a premium packaging. Both of them has a bullet-style fit but the fit on Tanya is better due to its vented rear that it possesses and does not build up any pressure in the ear. Tanya has a more smooth, laid-back sound signature versus the neutral-bright and detailed sound of the Quarks. Highs on the Quarks is more present and slightly peakier than the Tanya’s smooth highs. Mids on the Quarks has a more energetic feel to it while the mids on Tanya is thicker and lusher. Bass on the Tanya is bigger, juicier and deeper with a better sub-bass presence than the Quarks which has a punchier type of bass. Soundstage on the Tanya is wider and taller than the Quarks which may sound a little too intimate.
VS Blon A8 Prometheus
Flagship earphone from Blon that sounds great with a beautiful design. Build on the A8 is way better and with user replaceable cable. The A8 has a more fun and energetic feel to its signature with a more forward sound signature. The highs on the A8 are aggressive and exciting versus the neutral-bright highs of the Quarks. Mids on the A8 has a more forwardness and the A8 sounds thicker than the Quarks. Mids on the Quarks sounded more natural and detailed while the A8 highs has a more forward, thick and smoother mids. Bass on each unit has a similar slam but the A8 bass has an airier, bigger bass response and the A8 sub-bass goes deeper. Soundstage on the A8 is slightly deeper and wider than the Quarks.
VS TRN MT1
The ultra-budget earphones by TRN are a price versus performance champion by being super affordable and sounding great all at once. Build and comfort on the Quarks is better and it felt more solid in hand. Highs on the MT1 is slightly harsher and stronger than the Quarks which sounded smoother and more detailed in their highs. Mids on the MT1 is slightly recessed while the Quarks mids sounded more forward and accurate. Bass on the MT1 is bigger and has a boomier sound to it than the neutral punchy bass on the Quarks. Soundstage on both is similar with Quarks possessing a slight depth in its soundstage.
Source synergy
FiiO Q5 with AM3D THX amp module
FiiO’s DAC/amp coupled with a THX amp module. Clarity and details are boosted up a notch. Mids sounded thicker and sweeter while the bass sounded deeper with an increase in sub-bass amount. Soundstage deepens and imaging seemed to improve by a margin. The slight peakiness is smoothened out a little and making the Quarks more enjoyable even in louder volume. Vocals sounded clearer with and creates a better depth in singer’s voices. Overall, the Quarks seemed to scale up well with this combo.
Hidizs S9 pro
The S9 pro from Hidizs is one of my favourite portable DAC/amps by being super powerful and has a great neutral sound to it. Soundstage on the Quarks has a slightly wider presentation but still sounded a little small to me. Highs on this pairing is great with the Quarks sounded smoother and less peaky on louder volumes. Mids on the Quarks has a sweeter and livelier feel to it. Bass sounded fuller and impact on bass slam is more defined. Sub-bass extension has a slight increase and it felt less hallow on the S9 pro. Micro details is also more present in the Quarks.
Questyle M12
A sleek portable DAC/amp from Korea’s Questyle, the M12. With this pairing, the Quarks is slightly more aggressive and brighter in their presentation. Soundstage sounded taller by a small margin but it gives a bigger headroom to the rather intimate sound of the Quarks. Highs on the Quarks has increase in volume and it does sound slightly harsher and the peakiness of the Quarks is still present with this pairing. Mids sounded more forward and sweeter with a better clarity. Bass on the Quarks is tighter and the slam is sharper while the sub-bass is slightly more present. Though it sounded a little harsh with this pairing, I still enjoyed the energetic vibes this pairing provides.
Who Is It For?
With the audio world expanding with earphone that can cost a few thousands of dollars, it is a great relieve that the budget entry level is getting better in their value by being well made and sounded great. Moondrop has proven that even with a low-priced earphone like the Quarks, they are still able to produce a high-quality product that is solidly build and performs like a champion. Be it as a gift for others, for workout or for an every day carry earphone, the Moondrop Quarks is an entry earphone suitable for any scenario and whether you are a beginner in this portable audio hobby or a seasoned audiophile, the Quarks is a good recommendation for their unique miniature design and a pure sound to go with it. Also, I do feel with their tiny size, it does a great job as a sleeping earphone.
Final words
The Moondrop Quarks is a true value given the low retail price and the great sound quality they are able to produce. They are truly very well-tuned and designed with an effort from the experienced guys from Moondrop. They sounded very musical and makes you immerse yourself in the music played and it has a great fun factor to its sound. Though the bass is slightly hallowed, it has a small soundstage and it may sound peaky at times, I still find the Quarks to be enjoyable for their high resolution, intimate sound they provide. Not to mention the solid build quality and comfort from its miniature size makes it a true portable earphone for any scenario.
I would rate this product a 
(4 / 5)
