Moondrop Nekocake SE Acht Acht Limited Review 13

Moondrop Nekocake Acht Acht Edition Review

“The 88 mm Flak 36 is a German 88 mm anti-aircraft and anti-tank artillery gun, developed in the 1930s. In English, “flak” became a generic term for ground anti-aircraft fire. In informal use, the guns were universally known as the Acht-acht (“eight-eight”)”

This Special Edition Moondrop NEKOCAKE is designed in collaboration with the “Ash Arms” team, a well-known Japanese mobile RPG game. The pair has ACHT-ACHT 88mm FlaK36 design theme with a custom silicone cover. The package also includes an 88mm FlaK36 acrylic holder and a Special drawing 88mm FlaK36 colour theme.

 

Moondrop also customized the voice prompts on the TWS in German with the famous MITSUKI YUKI’s voice. 

Moondrop Nekocake SE Acht Acht Limited Review 3 e1652442614743Moondrop has used a large 13mm dynamic driver per side on the NEKOCAKE. This driver is tuned in line with the famous Moondrop VDSF frequency curve. Moondrop Nekocake SE Acht Acht Limited Review 6 e1652442578788Nekocake features digital ANC active noise-cancellation technology. It reduces the ambient background noises. The pair has two noise cancellation presets, On and Off. Users can toggle the ANC by a long press on the earpiece. Nekocake also has Intelligent Voice Call Noise Cancellation technology.

Moondrop Nekocake SE Acht Acht Limited Review 15

What’s in the box

FEATURES

  • Ash Arms themed design.
  • Custom designer silicone cover.
  • Latest Bluetooth V5.2 connectivity (no Qualcomm chip so no-support for aptX series codecs)
  • Automatic connection.
  • Touch operation.
  • Customised MITSUKI YUKI Voice.
  • Single-binaural toggle switch.
  • Moondrop VDSF DSP Tuning.
  • Supports Moondrop Link application.
  • Specially optimized 13mm dynamic driver.
  • Titanium dome composite diaphragm.
  • Ultra-fine Imported CCAW Voice coil.
  • 5 tuning profiles.
  • Push-button reset.
  • Digital ANC (Active Noise Cancellation).
  • Intelligent call noise-cancellation.

SPECS

  • Impedance: 32Ω±15%.
  • Working distance: 10m (barrier-free open environment).
  • Supports All Bluetooth devices and smartphones.
  • Charging port: Type-C.
  • Protocols supported: A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP, SBC, AAC.
  • Playback time: 4 hours
  • Charging case time: 12 hours

Price: 49.99$

I would like to thank Shenzenaudio for providing me with the review sample of Moondrop Nekocake Acht Acht SE Edition (no affiliate link).

Moondrop Link App

Sound

EQ Presets:

Balanced, as the name suggests this one is the most neutral sound signature which is used throughout the review.

Moondrop Classic, I would say this one is the classic Moondrop VDSF Target Response but the problem is when you set this preset on the volume level cuts big time. On most tracks, the volume level was not high enough (for me) to evaluate the sound so I had to skip this one.

X’ Dynamic, adds bass, making the Nekocake strongly V-shaped in sound, but also muddy, which I didn’t like.

Nobass, removes the low frequencies, tries a flatter sound but loses all dynamics, I think this one is not useful at all.

Wennebostel, didn’t know what this word means, looked it up, Laboratorium Wennebostel was renamed Sennheiser electronic in 1958 and figured out that this preset tries “Sennheiser” tuning. This one sounded better than X’Dynamic to me, more clear and dynamic but again not suitable for my liking and for the review.

Moondrop Nekocake SE Acht Acht Limited Review 9 e1652450129784Instead of these confusing presets, Moondrop should have added a “custom” preset in which we could have total control over the sound with EQ settings, even a 5 band EQ would be better. And the default sound preset would have been the Moondrop Classic with a higher volume level. This certainly would add more value to the App and the Nekocake in my opinion. I know this spec requires much more coding in the App but still.

Moondrop Nekocake SE Acht Acht Limited Review 5The low end on the Nekocake Acht Acht is a little reserved in quantity but excels when it comes to quality. You get tight and punchy lows, that are quick and snappy. They come out when called for, if there is a low bass line in the background of a track you will hear it with the Nekocake but it won’t be presented upfront and in your face. This more neutral to slightly bass light presentation really allows the midrange to shine through. If you appreciate tight, controlled and well-balanced lows these are great.

Moondrop Nekocake SE Acht Acht Limited Review 14The midrange is not recessed, great tuning. The midrange comes across with excellent clarity, rivalling models higher in price. Its neutral whereas the bass is warmish. Vocals are clear and crisp. The controlled nature of the lows means that the lower midrange is allowed to come across as natural and detailed. There is a subtle lift in the upper midrange but this does not introduce harsh sibilance. As stated before, the detail retrieval in the midrange really is impressive, there is excellent transparency and yet they still sound natural.

Moondrop Nekocake SE Acht Acht Limited Review 7The treble is well done on the Nekocake Acht Acht, with plenty of presence yet without fatiguing peaks that we witness on some of the lower-end models. Treble is also dosed just right and surprising well resolving. Cymbals are nicely differentiated. The treble can compete with much more expensive earphones. I really cannot fault this though, as these are a sub $50 TWS that is packed full of detail and clarity without coming across as harsh or bright. I really do enjoy the top end of these, every crash can be heard with great positioning and energy, there is great precision and they are a joy to listen to.

Moondrop Nekocake SE Acht Acht Limited Review 8 e1652450329602

The technicalities are impressive. The soundstage is wide and reasonably tall. The depth of the stage is also good, here the bass comes in handy. This results in good spatial cues.

Sum-Up

The pairing and the automatic connection work perfectly, it’s very fast and without any problem. Digital ANC also works well for light use, I mean you can’t expect the totally black background silence levels like in the big boys’ Apple or Sony, but gets the job done as a spec. Having an App for different sound presets and the ability for changing the touch controls is always a bonus in this price range. But most importantly, the sound quality of the Nekocake Acht Acht will certainly please you by having the audiophile-grade signature for just 50$.

 

Moondrop Chu – The Irresistible