Moondrop has released another version of the standard Moondrop Nekocake TWS, namely the Nekocake Special Edition, in collaboration with the Ash Arms team, a well-known mobile RPG game. From the packaging to the product itself, it is unmistakably different from the standard Nekocake. They also customized the voice prompts on the TWS with the MITSUKIYUKI voice anchor.
Pros :
- Lots of neat accessories included
- Sound signature and controls can be modified using an application
- Packed with different functionalities like ANC, EQ, and playback
- Fit is comfortable
- Microphone quality is decent
Cons :
- Battery life is bad compared to other TWS in the marker
- Controls may have minimal delays
- No support for aptx, aptx HD, LDAC
- No IPX Rating
- Average technicalities
DISCLAIMER : This is a personal unit I bought, and I am in no way affiliated with Moondrop and did not receive any monetary compensation during this review. You can be sure that this will be an honest and unbiased review.
/ features /
- Bluetooth V5.2 connectivity.
- Automatic connection.
- Large 13mm dynamic driver.
- Titanium dome composite diaphragm.
- Ultra-fine imported CCAW voice coil.
- ANC Digital active noise cancellation.
- Smart touch operation.
- Mono-Stereo automatic switch.
- Matching DSP tuning options.
- Connect with Moondrop Link application.
- Five different tuning profiles.
- Push-button reset.
- Comfortable fit.
- Intelligent voice transmission.
- Long battery life(4 hours on a single charge, up to 12 hours with charging case).
/ package /
Package is very anime-ish yet adorable to look at. The unit has quite an inclusion compared to the standard Nekocake:- Moondrop Nekocake
- Ash Arms Silicone Case
- Type-C Connector
- Charging Case
- Eartips
- Acrylic stand
- Colored photo paper
/ design /
The driver has a squared-off stem and has a similar design to the AirPods Pro and E*rf*n Air Pro. The case and earphones are made of the same plastic as the Nekocake. The Nekocake is lightweight and easy to wear, but some people may have fit issues because the nozzle stems are too small. The issue I have specifically with this design is that wearing them accidentally causes me to press the pause button. Sometimes, I'd rather have physical buttons on my TWS. No IPX rating is mentioned in the specifications, so let's assume that these pair are not splash-proof or water-resistant.
/ connectivity and control /
Audio Codec: A2DP/AVRCP/HFP/HSP/SBC/AAC
Bluetooth Version: 5.2
Compared to Nekocake Standard, the Special Edition comes with BT Version 5.2. Unfortunately, the Nekocake does not support aptx, aptx HD and LDAC.
The Nekocake connects easily with my smartphone. With Bluetooth on, the device immediately connects the moment you take it out of the case. Controls have a short delay but are not annoying. Touch controls can be modified using the Moondrop Link App, but here are the default settings:
You can change control preferences on the app
Voice Assistant : triple click any side, one click to exit.
Music
Play/Pause : click any side once.
Previous/Next track : Double-click left for previous, right for next.
Calling
Answer: click any side once
Reject : press and hold any side for 1.5 secs.
Hang-up : click any side once during a call
Activate ANC: Hold for 2 seconds and wait for a voice prompt.
The case itself also has a physical button called the function button, where you can reset the device to its default factory settings.
/ battery life /
The case can be fully charged from completely depleted in approximately 1.5 hours. The Nekocake offers 4 hours of playback time and about 12 hours with the charging case. From this information, we can have around 3 charge cycles to fully drain the device.
This is rather average compared to the usual TWS offering 6-8 hours of playback time and more than 12 hours with the case.
/ mic quality /
Mic-quality is average. Honestly, I did not expect any outstanding microphone quality on earphones, so it comes to me with no surprise. It is enough for voice-conferences, calls, and gaming comms.
/ sound /
It is tuned with the famous Moondrop VDSF frequency curve. This is rather technical to explain, but to simplify things, for me the sound is almost neutral. However, the sound configuration can be modified using Moondrop Link. Currently, I am using the X'Dynamic configuration, which elevates the lows and offers a more energetic sound than the default.
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| You can change the tuning on the Moondrop Link App |
However, for the sake of convenience, let's teardown the presets offered by the Moondrop Link App:
- Balanced - I think this is only a louder version of the classic tuning, but I can still say that this is balanced.
- Moondrop Classic - uses the VDSF tuning aka Moondrop's own virtual diffuse sound field, and Moondrop's in-house sound signature.
- X-Dynamic - My favorite preset so far. It has a V-shaped sound signature with a huge bass quantity.
- No bass - I don't know why they would call this "no bass" instead of neutral. The bass quanity is there, but it's neutral compared to X-Dynamic and Balanced. It has good vocal focus but not something extraordinary. It may sound bland and boring at times.
- Wennebostel - has huge bass quantities with less treble. This has less air with present compression and lower resolution. If you are a basshead, this tuning is for you.
Let's focus more detailed criticism on the Moondrop Classic configuration. I am going to be frank; the Moondrop Classic is my least favorite configuration. Compared to Etymotic's DSF curve, the bass is more dynamic, the vocals are more clear and airy, and the treble is sparkly clean and crisp. Moondrop's DSF has played it too safe on the Nekocake, at least. I haven't tried other Moondrop products with their famous VDSF, so I cannot say that their own DSF is horrible.
Bass : Rolled-off bass that's almost non-existent. Yes, that's the essence of DSF. To achieve a neutral sound signature as much as possible. If you are a basshead, there's still hope to use the Moondrop link app and either shift to X-Dynamic (like I did) or Wennebostel.
Mids : The overall presentation is neutral. Vocals and instruments are somehow lifeless, lacking focus and presentation. You can't expect ear-licking mids in the classic configuration or good mids in the Nekocake.
Treble : Treble is fair and inoffensive. Safely tuned with no signs of harshness, peaks, or sibilance.
Soundstage and Imaging : The soundstage is average; it's not that wide but not too congested either. Imaging and micro-details are average as well. Separation is somehow average. Overall technicalities fall short and are not something to write home about, but it's not that bad to hate the Nekocake.
FINAL RATING
The Nekocake Special Edition only had a few tweaks to the design due to the collaboration with Ash Arms and a slight change in the Bluetooth technology used, but the overall sound and technicalities are average. ANC is not that impressive, and I can't even discern the differences between ANC mode and normal mode. I do like the number of customizations you can do with the Moondrop Link App if you do not fancy the Moondrop Classic sound and want to do some personal tweaking on the touch controls. If I got this at full retail price vs. the standard Nekocake, I feel like I only paid for the additional stuff Moondrop provided with their collab with "Ash Arms" and a much cooler design compared to the standard Nekocake. I am not going to lie; I would buy the Special Edition over the Standard if I had extra cash, but in terms of being practical, I highly recommend you aim for the Nekocake Standard instead. If I had to make a recommendation, I would advise consumers to look for better sound performance option.
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