Review: Moondrop Space Travel TWS
£25 Budget Killer? My First Impressions.
Published: October 23, 2023
When Moondrop announced their first sub-$30 TWS, the Space Travel, I was definitely curious. Could these be a hard hitter in the budget category? Let's find out.
Unboxing
The unboxing experience is what I've come to expect from a budget release – a basic box with a small amount of accessories. The design of the box is nice; however, due to the materials used, the plastic shell looks foggy and does kinda take away from the experience, although that's just a small nitpick. Unfortunately, due to the case being somewhat loose, the buds shook loose and turned on in the case, which can quite substantially drain battery over time.
In the box you get the basics:
- Short Type C cable (A male to C Male)
- Selection of tips (S, M, L - oval shape)
- Documentation
- The case and buds
I found the standard tips rather uncomfortable and they easily slipped out of my ear. They're an oval shape as opposed to the normal circle tips, though this doesn't stop you from using aftermarket tips.
Fit, Finish & Build Quality
The fit on these is inoffensive, and with foam tips, I found it to be pleasant. The lightness played a nice part in it, and they can be worn over long periods as long as the battery allows.
The case quality is nicely polished apart from the glaring issues of the buds sometimes falling out. However, on my unit, I did find the clear part to be particularly greasy and slick even after using a cloth to clean it. I wish I could say the same for the buds; the quality on my unit was quite absurd and a surprise on how they passed QC with sharp seams on the buds. When adjusting these for comfort, it partially cut my ear. A chat to Amazon and they didn't seem bothered about it and wanted to resell the product after I returned them. However, I have added some additional glue to the seam and sanded it down with fine sandpaper so all is fine now.
Sound Quality
To put it simply, for how much these cost, the sound is impeccable as long as you aren't a basshead like me. I have been using these with a Pixel 6 (using AAC) and my personal Plexamp server using FLACs & also Spotify. The sound profile didn't "wow" me at first; however, when I started using these more, they started to sound well-tuned and although they don't get loud, they are quite spacious. The bass response isn't incredible even with the "Basshead" EQ profile on Moondrop's Link app, which I found actually dulled everything, including bass.
Other Tidbits & Annoyances
- Lack of multi-device support.
- Charging port is on the bottom of the case.
- Touch controls have a solid second of delay.
- Battery life & charging speeds are poor.
- Weak ANC and Transparency modes.
- No IPX rating.
- No wireless charging.
Short Conclusion
Good for the price, but don't expect amazing things outside of the sound quality, as they do come across as half-baked, especially in some areas. They're decent for desktop use and phone use, with good tuning especially for budget; however, build quality definitely screams budget.
My Rating: 3 / 5