TWS true wireless earphones - Under $25
FOUR STARS - The Moondrop Block brings back the classic flathead walkman-earbuds to the wireless era. It comes with all the good and the bad from the nineties - but it's at least a very fun pair.
Moondrop Block specs and features:
Bluetooth 5.4 with AAC codec
IP54 waterproof rating
6 hours playtime on a single charge
Charging case can charge earpieces fully 2 times
Has: Transparency, game mode
Doesn't have: ANC, multipoint connection, spatial audio, wireless charging, waterproof rating
Comes with 3 sets of ear tips, USB-C cable, English manual
$20 - Check on AliExpress
In and underneath this Moondrop Block review, you will find comparisons of the Moondrop Block vs Moondrop Space Travel, Haylou X1c, Oppo Enco Air3 and… the Yincrow X6.
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Design, comfort and battery life
The $20 Moondrop Block is the first of 400+ tested wireless earbuds on Scarbir.com that has a flathead design from the 80s and 90s walkman and discman era. It doesn't come with rubber ear tips, and also doesn't have the half-in-ear design made popular by Apple's AirPods. These are like little speakers in the sides of your ears.
It comes with all the pros and cons from this classic design.
These earbuds are super comfortable to wear during their 6 hours playtime on a single charge. That's because they have a loose fit in your ears, and apply little pressure on your ear and ear canal.
The loose fit also has clear downsides. You may need to press and twist the earbuds a few times in your ears before you get a steady fit. The fit also influences the volume level strongly.
Even with a good fit, movement may cause these earbuds to fall out your ears. While it can be brilliantly comfortable to have these in all the time, they may suddenly drop during a yoga exercise or cleaning out the dishwasher. While I love using these inside the house, I don't dare take them for a walk or bike as I'm afraid of losing them.
Because of the loose fit, you will always clearly hear surroundings while you listen to music. That can be safe in traffic and convenient when you want to follow a conversation, but it doesn't bring the rest of earbuds with rubber tips or even AirPods-like earbuds.
The earbuds and charging cases come in three colours: black, white, and pink. They all have their own print and especially the boxy, square charging case looks fantastic.
The charging case isn't very strong: it can recharge the earbuds twice before it needs new power itself.
Like on the Moondrop Space Travel, the charging case doesn't come with a lid. The earbuds can fall out if you shake the case heavily, but it's not easy. It can also be tricky to see which side is which, as the shape of the L and R earbuds look alike.
These earbuds sadly don't have a waterproof rating.
The Moondrop Block is like a little radio playing on the side of your ears, while you'll still hear all your surroundings. It's a unique and highly comfortable design, with great battery life too, although these earbuds don't feel very safe to take with you.
Controls, connectivity and app support
The Moondrop Block is as basic as you may expect for $20 wireless earbuds. It doesn't automatically pause music when you take an earbud out, for instance.
It also doesn't have multipoint connection: you can only connect these earbuds to one device at a time.
Unlike the $25 Moondrop Space Travel, the $80 Moondrop Golden Ages and other recent earbuds from the brand, the Moondrop Block also doesn't get app support from the Moondrop Link app.
The Moondrop Block has touch panels on the upper part of the stem. This is the most secure part of the earbuds, but it can be tricky to operate these without changing the fit.
The control scheme is easy to learn, although it's a shame there are no volume controls:
Tap L or R to play/pause
Double-tap R to skip a track
Double-tap L to return a track
Triple-tap L or R to (de)activate the voice assistant
Quadruple-tap L or R to (de)activate the gaming mode
The overall Bluetooth connection is solid, and holds up to 10 meters away from your device and without hiccups in the playback.
For its budget-friendly price, it's no shame that the Moondrop Block is a little basic. Unfortunately, controlling these earbuds can be a bit tricky.
Phone and video calls
The Moondrop Block handles phone and video calls decently. Your voice sounds a bit thin, but also quite natural.
Your voice could be louder. The other end of the line may need to increase the volume. This can be hard in Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and other video calls.
Apart from that, your voice is good to hear. It separates your voice well from other voices around you. Other sounds are also reduced well.
The Moondrop Block lets in a bit of wind noise when you walk while calling, and wind noise itself can also be heard. Wind also attacks the stability of your voice.
Video and games playback
The Moondrop Block has flawless synchronization in video apps like YouTube and Netflix.
With four taps on the stem, you activate the game mode. In a challenging game like Call of Duty mobile, it synchronizes the sound excellently with the action on your screen. It's hard to detect any delay.
The Block doesn't give much spatial awareness in its sound, which makes it hard to locate gunshots or explosions around you.
Also read: The best wireless earbuds under $25
Sound quality of Moondrop Block
What goes for the fit of the Moondrop Block, also applies to the sound. These earbuds feel like a little radio playing besides your ears.
The Moondrop Block has a surprisingly neutral and flat sound. There are no excessive parts in its musical presentation. The bass isn't overpowered, highs aren't overdone, vocals aren't very prominent, and cymbals aren't too splashy. The only defining aspect of the music is that it sounds rather warm.
Seems weird? Think about the radio in your office or kitchen. You'll notice there's music, but you're so familiar with its sound, you don't notice anything in particular anymore about how the music sounds. Somehow, the Moondrop Block has this directly out of the box.
This isn't new for the brand: the $25 Moondrop Space Travel with rubber-tips also has a neutral sound with warm tonality. Some people love this balanced and flawless presentation - others find it lacks character.
Here comes the twist: it's actually impressive to acquire such a balanced and natural sound, especially since the speakers don't go in your canal - but rest beside it. Many cheap earbuds without rubber ear tips sound too sharp, harsh, or artificially warm to compensate for a lacking bass. So let's take a more technical look:
The sub-bass (the darkest bass tones you can hear as much as feel) lacks power and stays on the surface, but surprisingly, it can still be felt a bit in James Blake's great test track Limit to Your Love.
The mid-bass sits between a simple slap and a thump. It doesn't kick fiercely and isn't the fastest, but its darker tonality still gives it some weight.
The lower-mid tones aren't very boosted by itself, but it can seems these lower tones are the heftiest part of songs, as center mid-tones like guitars and piano play have a rather warm tone and it feels like they add up to the lower mid-tones.
Both male and female vocals are presented in a natural manner, not excessively upfront against other instruments. Lower male vocals can appear a bit nasal, but all vocals refrain from sharpness in the higher tones. In Eagles’ Hotel California (the Hell Freezes Over edition), the lead singer is more comfortable than sharp.
Highs are controlled well. In the same Eagles track, the cheering in the end isn't too peaky or sharp. Cymbals also aren't very splashy, and there's no sibilance (dragging sss-tones). There also isn't a white noise underneath music.
There's not a whole lot of air on top, and there's no sense of soundstage. Still - instruments are separated well from each other, and you can pickup some details on your left and right.
Like the Moondrop Space Travel, the Block doesn't go very loud.
The loose fit and noise leakage makes the Block ideal to listen to music while you're still able to have a conversation with people around you.
For the same reason, people around you may hear your music when you're listening to higher volumes. There's quite a bit of sound leakage.
The Moondrop Block is a loveable, straightforward, easygoing listening experience.
—> These are the best sounding wireless earbuds from $25 to $100
Moondrop Block comparisons
Moondrop Block vs Moondrop Space Travel
The Moondrop Space Travel took the ultra-budget segment of wireless earbuds by storm last year, offering decent Active Noise Cancelling and a flawless, balanced audio presentation.
Due to the rubber ear tips that go in your ear canal, the Moondrop Space Travel offers more musical detail and immersion than the Moondrop Block. The Space Travel's bass is more textured, and vocals are more upfront and separate from instruments. It has a bigger sense of space and and airier treble. The Block leans stronger on the lower-mid tones. The Space Travel also has two more equalizers thanks to the Moondrop Link app.
The Moondrop Space Travel has a more reliable fit, while the Block is (even) more comfortable. The Block also gives 2 hours playtime on a single charge more, and it has better video and (much) better gaming performance.
$25 - Check on Amazon US, your Amazon country or AliExpress
Moondrop Block vs Haylou X1c
If you're looking for comfortable rubber-less earbuds as cheap as possible, the $10 Haylou X1c is an alternative to the Moondrop Block. Their half-in-ear design gives them a better and more secure fit than the Block. You can move with them without them falling out of your ears rapidly.
The Haylou can sound a tad peaky in the highs, but it sounds more engaging too, with a thumpier, stronger bass. The Moondrop Block in return has a flatter sound signature and a warmer tone. As it doesn't go as loud as the Haylou and lacks the sharp edges of it, it's a more comfortable listen.
The Moondrop Block looks and feels nicer, has 6 instead of 5 hours of playtime per charge, and comes with a better game mode too.
$10 - Check on AliExpress
Moondrop Block vs Oppo Enco Air3
While more expensive on Amazon stores, the Oppo Enco Air3 is $25 on AliExpress and that makes it a strong competitor against the Moondrop Block.
The Oppo has a more secure fit, IP54 waterproof rating, and you can connect it to two devices at the same time. It controls easier and has clearer calls than the Moondrop Block, while the latter has better gaming performance.
The Oppo Enco Air3 convinces with a greatly balanced and detailed sound, even more so than the Moondrop Block, as it colours center-mid tones less warm (thus more natural) and gives slightly more space to treble. Its bass also dives deeper, without oversteering it. The Block has more emphasis on lower-mids.
$25 - $65 - Check on your Amazon country or AliExpress
Moondrop Block vs Yincrow X6
So, how does the Moondrop Block compare to one of those cheeky, niche, but rather exquisite wired flathead earbuds you can still get on AliExpress nowadays?
Compared to the $10 Yincrow X6, the Moondrop Block has much better bass representation. The Yincrow can kick, but the Block adds thickness and depth to the mid-bass. It also has stronger lower-mids, giving music a warmer and more comforting tonality.
The Yincrow X6 has clearer center-mids and opens up for way more treble; upper-mids and highs are very pronounced, come in loud and clear, and show impressive detail and big air. It's less balanced than the Moondrop Block, certainly less comfortable for background listening, but it can also tickle your senses in a way the Moondrop can't.
No Yincrow X6 review
$10 - Check AliExpress
Verdict: Moondrop Block
The Moondrop Block is a great trip down memory lane with its flathead design and funky look - but also the downsides from this shape, like the sound leakage and tricky fit. It's hard to take these with you and trust you'll still have them afterwards.
That said, even for in-home use, this is a fun pair to have. Put them in, enjoy their comfort for 6 hours straight, safely take a call with them, play games without problems or enjoy the radio that plays besides your ears.
4 STARS - Good
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I bought one pair Moondrop Block myself to test and review, and received the other pair from the manufacturer. This doesn't influence my judgment. My reviews are 100% independent and non-commercial - read about it here.
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