Zetta Audio Red Moon – Bold. (A short Take)

Songs Used

Bass

Sub-bass is rolled off, as normally found within the earbuds realm. Simply just forget about the rumble despite the presence is there. Elevation however is done just right. It’s never overshadowing the rest of the frequency. Bass however is a bit too tight. It sounds unnatural to be honest despite having a seemingly good punch. It’s like the bass is somehow being restrained and cranking the volume up seems like forcing it too much where it ends up with distortion.

Mids

The somewhat fast bass region will usually take its toll on the mids and it really shows here with the Red Moon. Yes, the lower-mids on the Red Moon is clean with no audible bass bleeding through which is great, but it also made the Red Moon sounds a bit unnatural (read: dry). Mids are transparent and almost crisp sounding but lacks detail. Not that there’s no details to be heard at all but it’s a bit lacking in comparison with the other earbuds. Again, a bit unnatural sounding. Upper-mids is a bit off. It’s not shouty but rather honky. I’d say a bit nasally sounding despite not sounding thin. It’s not complementing the whole tuning to be honest, in fact far from it. It really needs some attention here.

Highs

Despite the honky upper-mids, the lower-treble is done just about right. It’s not thin and it’s never harsh nor peaky…just a bit hollow sounding. Treble is fairly safe but rolls off a bit too early. In terms of presence, the tuning of the treble is good enough but lacks the proper energy and extension to complement the region. If only it lingers for a bit more, it would make quite a beautiful treble region. Upper-treble is just below par to be frank. It’s not like you can squeeze every nuances and air with the likes of an earbuds, especially at this price range but some effort to fine tune is in dire need here.

Soundstage, Imaging & Separation

Soundstage of the Zeta buds is slightly above average where everything being panned out slightly farther than usual, relative to earbuds. Imaging is average at best but stereo separation is quite good to be honest, thanks to its soundstage in comparison with other earbuds that I have in my personal collection within the same price range.

Driveability & Synergy

The Red Moon is fairly easy to be driven by most sources that I currently have in my possession. Plus, with what’s currently available on the market, this may as well be an obsolete question in the near future. Talking about synergy however, they’re not quite flexible. Be it a warm/neutral/bright source, it sounds very similar with very little differences to be noticed. A bit rigid in terms of pairing, really. But truth be told, the somewhat honky upper mids can be perceived as a bit more ‘natural’ with warmer sources.

Comparison

VE Monk+

Hardware-wise, they’re similarly built but the Red Moon have a better presentation to it with the more manageable cable and a 3.5mm plug that looks better than those of the Monk’s. On to the sound, the Monk+ is arguably the better tuned earbuds here. By better I mean it’s universally tuned to suit most genres with some degree of technicality to show off how a good earbuds can be built for such a low price. The Monk+ sounds more natural and a touch warmer in comparison to the Red Moon. Bass is slightly less pronounced but more rounded and smoother sounding. Mids sounds fuller and a lot more natural in comparison to the Red Moon but also slightly less transparent. Treble is where the Red Moon could really shine (but then there’s the issues mentioned above) where the Monk+ is too laid back in comparison. Soundstage on the Monk+ is fairly closed in as compared to the Red Moon while imaging and separation is not as distinct on the Monk+ which makes the Red Moon a better earbuds in this regard.

HE150

Similarly built to the Monk+, it’s a no brainer why one would pick the Red Moon over the HE150 if they’re weighing their purchase based on looks. But then it will just end there; it looks pleasing. The HE150 is the more balanced sounding earbuds in comparison to both the Red Moon and Monk+. The HE150 is leaning more towards the Red Moon kind of sound signature but simply just better in almost all regards. Bass digs deeper with slightly more presence but remains clean and textured. Mids have the hint of warmth that is much needed to balance out the ‘naturality’ of the mids due to the already clean bass region while being transparent and fairly detailed. Treble is sparkly and energetic with little to no harshness which makes them quite a competent do-it-all earbuds. For soundstage, still the Red Moon is just a wee bit larger but they’re on par in terms of imaging and separation.

Verdict & Stars

Truth be told, it’s a really bold effort to venture into this industry which I’ll make an applause to. With readily available parts in abundance and lots of platform to gain knowledge, it’s a free-for-all opportunity and only the brave ones shall succeed. But it’s not as simple as assembling the parts needed to produce a product and sell them straight away. There’s a reason why there are industry standards to be met. But let’s not go there and focus on what we have on hand since this is more of a in-house DIY production rather than a full-fledge professional-use equipment. Putting it short, it’s better to sell and promote a proven and ready product to the masses rather than a half-cooked product that might be a hit or miss (heck the Chi-Fi companies do this quite often but they have all the teams, fundings and what not to somehow ‘persuade’ people to simply blind buy their stuffs which is not the case here). Yes, it’s not an easy task and it’ll take a while to fully comprehend the inner workings of acoustics. But till then, keep up the effort and ignite the passion further!!