Moondrop x Crinacle Dusk VS Fiio FH7S

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The new Moondrop x Crinacle Dusk borrows the Blessing 3’s ergonomics and accessory spread—spring tips, a lightweight 3.5 mm cable, and a braided USB DSP cable—while switching to a tribrid driver array: 2DD for bass, 2BA for mids, and 2 micro-planars for treble. The shell is medium-large yet secure and comfortable, with a narrower nozzle than earlier Blessings and a cleaner faceplate design. The DSP cable can sweeten tonality, but there are caveats: occasional artifacts, spotty DAP compatibility, and an Android-only app with EQ limits (no tweaks below ~60 Hz or above ~10 kHz).

On the analog cable, tonality lands neutral and mid-centric with a tasteful sub-bass lift and slightly eased presence region—still a touch clinical, but now with added body and engagement. The star is the bass quality: tight, punchy, and tactile without masking the mids. Imaging/separation are clearly above average, and treble has better extension and metallic timbre than older Moondrops. Swapping to the DSP cable warms the mids and adds a bit of mid-bass punch (less brightness, richer tone), trading a hint of separation for extra smoothness.

Comparisons: vs OG Dusk, the new set’s bass is less blammy but higher quality, and the treble timbre is more realistic; vs Blessing 3, this is fuller, deeper, and less thin; vs Hype 4, stage width and bass quantity favor the Hype, but the Dusk keeps vocals cleaner and more balanced. DSP experiments show Blessing 3 + DSP can get very close to the Dusk’s FR, and even the budget Moondrop May narrows the gap—yet the Dusk still wins on bass tightness, treble refinement, and overall technical polish. As an analog IEM around $360, this is the one to beat—an easy 5/5.

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The FiiO FH7S comes in at around $400 and feels like a course correction after the troubled FH5s. Build is robust with an angular, all-metal shell and a handsome—if stiff—stock cable that supports swappable terminations (3.5 mm and 4.4 mm). Accessory loadout is generous: SpinFit tips, FiiO’s new grippy silicone tips, foams, a tip case, tuning filters, and an MMCX tool. Comfort is very good with easy insertion and medium-sized shells, though fit security is only so-so, benefiting from slightly longer SpinFit tips. The included filters make measurable but minor changes; “balanced” proves the safest bet for most use.

Sonically, the FH7S is a bassy hybrid tuned somewhere between warm V and warm neutral: thick low end, well-extended treble, and upper mids that sit close to Super* Review’s preferred target. The story here is the excellent treble—smooth, airy, and detailed—plus a wide headstage; a new notch filter appears to curb sibilance effectively on hot recordings. The downside is the bass quality: abundant in quantity but soft on attack and a bit bloated/smeary (“nightclub” vibe), which can blur momentum even if it doesn’t cloud that superb top end. Versus peers, Dunu’s Vulcan offers the better bass texture but duller, clackier treble and weaker imaging, while the Mangird T2 is the most neutral/easy listen with excellent fit yet less excitement overall. As a package, FH7S reads as a redemption for FiiO’s hybrids—treble and stage are standout—and ultimately earns 4/5 stars despite the swampy low end.

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Build impresses out of the box: a premium case, a handsome semi-transparent shell that’s a touch larger than AFUL’s Magic One, a smaller nozzle, and excellent comfort—easy A+. The included DSP cable feels great, while the analog cable comes off a bit cheap for the price. Packaging and accessories sit at an average level overall.

In analog form, this is a Jekyll-and-Hyde situation. Channel matching is spot-on, but the presentation reads flat/neutral to a fault—solid, yet not especially competitive, fitting more a $150–$170 tier for raw value. Versus the original Blessing 2 Dusk, the new Dusk extends better up top with more air, but from bass through upper mids (to ~8 kHz) the older set still vocals better and feels more engaging; upgrading for the analog tuning alone isn’t advised. Alternatives like the PULA PA02 or CKLVX 1DD+4BA hit a similar, clean-neutral aim, while Gizaudio Chopin shows a smarter 5–6 kHz dip, livelier mids, and punchier bass at roughly half the price. Among Crin collabs, it’s clearly more refined than the Dioko, but not a slam-dunk over his other budget-minded sets.

The story flips with the DSP. Engaged, the Dusk becomes an easy recommendation: noticeably more balanced, resolving, and simply fun, earning a “perfect score for value” within the DSP lane. Caveats: Android support is the sweet spot; iPhone compatibility can be finicky, pushing some users to desktop—where manual EQ already exists. Still, the app is simple, the extra tunings are useful, and plug-and-play convenience (no dongle DAC dance) is a win. Bottom line: as an analog IEM, only “good” and overpriced; as a DSP IEM, genuinely excellent—highly worth it if the use case fits.

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Stock tuning lands in the safe-and-smooth lane: a gently warm balance with a slight treble emphasis, nothing egregious and nothing especially standout. It works well for J-pop/K-pop at mid volume thanks to tamed upper-mids that keep sibilance in check. The trade-off is softer, “vanilla” vocals that miss the last bit of extension, air, and micro-detail; turn it up for more presence and the treble gets spicy—not helped by unit variance that can throw a 16k peak. Cymbal detail is decent with minimal “planar timbre,” but it can get a touch sizzly.

Against the field, Dusk struggles to justify the premium. Truthear Nova plays the same all-rounder role for much less while feeling more open up top; want a bit more top-end than Nova, there’s the Chopin at ~$200. Hype 4 comes off as a more well-rounded Dusk—better low-end texture, a hint more vocal reach, and less sharpness—and Quintet delivers a similar idea for cheaper. Even with EQ in the mix, Blessing 3 can match or better the result (smoother treble, no channel imbalance). Net: the sound is good but not special, and the value calculus isn’t favorable.

The supposed differentiator—DSP—isn’t it. The app feels unstable (settings not applying, frequent crashes), Android-only for adjustments, and awkward with external DAC/amps where EQ may not pass through. There’s a minor noise floor between pauses. Of the presets, “Stock 3.5mm (Analog)” and Bass+ are the only keepers; “Stock USB” is warmer but needs more upper-mids, and the Diffuse Field Tilt lands awkwardly. Phone amps also bottleneck staging; better sources open it up—but then the DSP conflicts. Add in QC concerns, and the verdict is clear: a pleasant, inoffensive listen, yet overhyped and overpriced for what it delivers; a solid sub-$200 proposition, not at its current bracket.

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Moondrop x Crinacle Dusk earns raves for music: a clean, textured, fast low end with real sub-bass punch that avoids bloat, a natural, resolving midrange for male/female vocals and instruments, and crisp, well-controlled treble that delivers cymbal air without harshness. The overall presentation feels well-rounded and technical enough to spar with sets far above its price, evoking “revisit the whole library” vibes. Build and comfort impress too—lightweight shell, transparent chassis with a wood-like carbon faceplate, and an ergonomic fit. Tip-rolling matters: Spring Tips add a touch of openness and air, while SpinFit W1 tightens stage and teases out more bass on the “fish-mouth” nozzle.

Accessories are solid: a standard 3.5 mm cable plus a USB-C DSP cable that’s great for Android/iPad on-the-go listening, though PC gaming revealed instability in some titles (stutters/freezes in Apex Legends and Call of Duty). Day to day, the cable’s braid resists tangles, and the included case/tips round out a tidy package.

For competitive play, performance is mixed. Imaging is good and the bass gives an immersive punch, but the stage skews intimate and heavy effects can mask subtle cues. In Apex Legends, verticality and depth perception suffer—overhead action blends at forehead level, distant slides/grass shuffles fade, and chaotic fights cause layering to mush before quickly recovering. Call of Duty shows similar trade-offs with aerial and fine details under bombardment, while Valorant fares best thanks to tighter maps and fewer simultaneous effects (though horizontal peeks and micro-depth could still be sharper). The takeaway: S-tier for music in this bracket and a fun, cinematic gamer, but not the most surgical pick for top-ranked competitive play.