Moondrop S8 VS Moondrop Dark Saber

IEM Comparison: Expert & Community Scores Side-by-Side

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Moondrop S8 and Moondrop Dark Saber use 8BA and 2DD+8BA driver setups respectively. Moondrop S8 costs $700 while Moondrop Dark Saber costs $799. Moondrop Dark Saber is $99 more expensive. Moondrop S8 holds a decisive 2.3-point edge in reviewer scores (7.6 vs 5.2). Moondrop Dark Saber has slightly better bass with a 0.4-point edge, Moondrop S8 has significantly better mids with a 1.5-point edge, Moondrop S8 has significantly better treble with a 2.3-point edge, Moondrop S8 has significantly better dynamics with a 1.7-point edge, Moondrop S8 has significantly better soundstage with a 1.5-point edge, Moondrop S8 has significantly better details with a 1-point edge and Moondrop S8 has better imaging with a 0.7-point edge.

Insights

Metric Moondrop S8 Moondrop Dark Saber
Bass 6.6 7
Mids 7.5 6
Treble 7.8 5.5
Details 8 7
Soundstage 7.5 6
Imaging 7.7 7
Dynamics 5.7 4
Tonality 7.3 5.9
Technicalities 7.5 5.4

Moondrop S8 Aggregated Review Score

Average Reviewer Scores

Bad Guy Good Audio Shuwa-T Audionotions Gizaudio Axel Crin Jaytiss Smirk Audio Precogvision Tim Tuned
Super* Review

Average Reviewer Score:

7.6

Strongly Favorable

Show all Moondrop S8 reviews

Moondrop Dark Saber Aggregated Review Score

Average Reviewer Scores

Jaytiss Z-Reviews
Precogvision

Average Reviewer Score:

5.2

Mixed to Negative

Show all Moondrop Dark Saber reviews

Moondrop S8 Details

Driver Configuration: 8BA

Tuning Type: harman

Brand: Moondrop Top Moondrop IEMs

Price (Msrp): $700

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Moondrop Dark Saber Details

Driver Configuration: 2DD+8BA

Tuning Type: n/a

Brand: Moondrop Top Moondrop IEMs

Price (Msrp): $799

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Moondrop S8 User Review Score

Average User Scores

Average User Score: n/a

Based on 0 user reviews

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Moondrop Dark Saber User Review Score

Average User Scores

Average User Score: n/a

Based on 0 user reviews

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Moondrop S8 Gaming Score

Gaming Score & Grade

  • The gaming score is prioritizing technical capabilities of the IEM (Separation, Layering, Soundstage) and good value.

Gaming Score

6.9

Gaming Grade

B+

Moondrop Dark Saber Gaming Score

Gaming Score & Grade

  • The gaming score is prioritizing technical capabilities of the IEM (Separation, Layering, Soundstage) and good value.

Gaming Score

5

Gaming Grade

C+

Moondrop S8 Scorings

Average Technical & Tuning Grades

Average Tunign Grade

A-
  • Pleasing tonal balance with good technical control. Minor quirks present but not distracting. Demonstrates decent genre versatility.

Average Technical Grade

A
  • Competent technical presentation. Handles separation and detail well in most tracks, with modest soundstage and acceptable imaging capabilities.
Bass B+
Good bass foundation with decent impact. Maintains acceptable control while providing satisfying thump in most tracks.
Mids A
Excellent midrange with natural timbre and great detail retrieval. Vocals are forward and emotive with lifelike instrument reproduction.
Treble A
Excellent treble: airy, extended and well-controlled. Great micro-detail retrieval without sibilance or harshness.
Dynamics B-
Decent dynamic performance. Good macro-contrast but micro-dynamics could be more nuanced. Satisfactory impact.
Soundstage A
Excellent spatial presentation - wide, deep and tall. Precise instrument placement with clear separation in all dimensions.
Details A+
Exceptional resolution that uncovers the deepest layers. Retrieves even the most minute details while maintaining natural timbre.
Imaging A
Excellent imaging: precise and stable placement. Instruments occupy specific points in space with tangible positions.
Gaming B+
Respectable environmental presentation favors atmosphere over precision. Detects obvious directional cues while conveying game world ambiance. Bad value-to-cost for gaming purpose - not recommended

Moondrop Dark Saber Scorings

Average Technical & Tuning Grades

Average Tunign Grade

B-
  • Generally enjoyable tonal character with some noticeable unevenness. Maintains listenability while showing room for refinement in frequency balance.

Average Technical Grade

C+
  • Satisfactory technical performance. Handles basic detail retrieval adequately in most tracks. Maintains reasonable cohesion in simpler arrangements.
Bass A-
Strong, well-defined bass with good texture. Delivers satisfying punch and rumble without overwhelming other frequencies.
Mids B
Good midrange presence with solid clarity. Vocals are clear and instruments have reasonable texture and body.
Treble B-
Decent treble with acceptable extension and detail. Can sound slightly unrefined but avoids being harsh or sibilant.
Dynamics C-
Average dynamics - passable but unexciting. Transients are rounded and micro-dynamics lack refinement.
Soundstage B
Good soundstage with proper width and depth. Instruments have clear positioning with reasonable front/back placement.
Details A-
Excellent detail retrieval: highly resolving without being clinical. Effortlessly reveals micro-details and textural subtleties.
Imaging A-
Excellent imaging: precise and stable placement. Instruments occupy specific points in space with tangible positions.
Gaming C+
Fundamental left/right positioning with limited depth perception. Works for non-competitive gaming but lacks precision. Bad value-to-cost for gaming purpose - not recommended

Moondrop S8 Reviews

Reviewed by: Super* Review

Super* Review 9* * score normalized
check links for more info:

Super* Review original ranking

Super* Review Youtube Channel
YouTube video thumbnail

Reviewed by: Bad Guy Good Audio

Bad Guy Good Audio 7.9 Reviewer Score
A+ Tuning
A- Tech
Great detail,relax tuning upgrade of "A8" only a slight upgrade to the previous A8

URL to full Review

Bad Guy Good Audio original ranking

Bad Guy Good Audio Youtube Channel
Bass: B Mids: A+ Treble: A+
YouTube video thumbnail

Reviewed by: Shuwa-T

Shuwa-T 7.8 Reviewer Score
A- Tuning
A+ Tech
Comment: Technically proficient. Clarity and tuning well done BA timbre

Shuwa-T original ranking

Shuwa-T Website

Bass: A- Mids: A- Treble: A+ Soundstage: A+ Details: S- Imaging: S-

Reviewed by: Audionotions

Audionotions 7.5 Reviewer Score
Very resolving and well tuned. Note weight leans thin. First IEM that I can say I definitely hear the BA timbre. Could use more down low. Pressure build is uncomfortable. Previously Owned

Audionotions original ranking

Website (Audionotions)

Reviewed by: Gizaudio Axel

Gizaudio Axel 7.5 Reviewer Score
A- Tuning
A+ Tech
Smooth, detailed, and balanced tuning. Harman-like sound with plenty of detail. BA bass.

Gizaudio Axel original ranking

Gizaudio Axel Youtube Channel

Reviewed by: Crin

Crin 7.5 Reviewer Score
S- Tuning
A Tech
More faithful to the Harman target compared to the A8, with a smoother bass response.

Crin original ranking

Crin Youtube Channel

Reviewed by: Jaytiss

Jaytiss 7.3 Reviewer Score
B Tuning
A- Tech
Special set.

Jaytiss original ranking

Jaytiss Youtube Channel
Mids: B Treble: A- Dynamics: C+ Soundstage: A-

Reviewed by: Smirk Audio

Smirk Audio 7.1 Reviewer Score
A- Tuning
A- Tech
Very resolving with a sweet, pleasant timbre. Good mids and treble. Average bass. Upper-mids may be shouty to some.

Smirk Audio original ranking

Smirk Audio Head-Fi Profile

Bass: B Mids: A+ Treble: A Dynamics: B Details: A Imaging: A

Reviewed by: Precogvision

Precogvision 7.1 Reviewer Score
A- Tuning
A- Tech
Excellent treble extension and detail retrieval.

Precogvision original ranking

Precogvision Youtube Channel
Bass: B Mids: A+ Treble: A+ Dynamics: B Details: A+ Imaging: A-

Reviewed by: Tim Tuned

Tim Tuned 7 Reviewer Score
A- Tuning
A+ Tech
Smooth engaging harman signature with fun bass BA timbre

Tim Tuned original ranking

Tim Tuned Youtube Channel
Bass: A+ Mids: A+ Treble: A+
YouTube video thumbnail

Moondrop Dark Saber Reviews

Reviewed by: Precogvision

Precogvision 6.9 Reviewer Score
A- Tuning
B+ Tech
Basically the Moondrop S8 with a dynamic driver for the bass. Negatively affects the coherency of the presentation.

Precogvision original ranking

Precogvision Youtube Channel
Bass: A- Mids: A- Treble: A- Dynamics: B Details: A- Imaging: A-

Reviewed by: Jaytiss

Jaytiss 4.8 Reviewer Score
C Tuning
C- Tech
It has it's moments, but it is a massive please demo first style iem.

Jaytiss original ranking

Jaytiss Youtube Channel
Mids: C+ Treble: C- Dynamics: E+ Soundstage: B

Reviewed by: Z-Reviews

Z-Reviews 4 * score normalized
check links for more info:

Z-Reviews original ranking

Z-Reviews Youtube Channel
YouTube video thumbnail

Moondrop S8 User Reviews

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