Comparisons –
Soft Ears Volume ($285): The Volume makes for a very interesting comparison as it was a clear inspiration for the Blessing 3 boasting a very similar tuning. It has a far more basic driver design but isn’t too far behind on technical performance. Bass is very interesting, both look similar with the Volume tapering off linearly into the lower-midrange, the Blessing 3 sustaining a bit more before a steeper upper-bass cut. This gives the Volume a bit more bass presence overall and also a step more warmth and fullness. It still sounds natural whilst upholding an excellent sub-bass kick. The Blessing 3 is a bit faster and has a cleaner tone that gives it better separation, it is more detailed overall. Meanwhile, the Volume offers a more aggressive pressurization giving it greater dynamics and it has superior mid-bass texture too.
The midrange is nigh identical in tuning on both down to the magnitude of the peaks. The Volume has a bit more warmth from its bass and also a bit more bass. This makes it sound a touch less forward and a touch more forgiving. The Blessing 3 has a cleaner voicing and is a bit more revealing and articulate. Mostly, however, the Blessing 3 has better-resolving power, being more nuanced and layered. Treble is a touch more present on the Blessing 3 overall.
The Volume has a similar sense of bite in the foreground but has less note body and linear extension above. The Blessing 3 has better background detail retrieval and greater headroom overall. It has a better sense of atmosphere and sparkle though both do present similarly in the lower-treble. The soundstage is, therefore, larger on the Blessing 3 and its imaging is more complex. The Volume actually has very good separation but doesn’t have the same sense of layering and nuance in the background.
Moondrop Blessing 2 ($319): Immediately, the smaller nozzle aids a more comfortable fit even if the housing design is essentially unchanged. The Blessing 2 offers a more coherent tuning that is mostly similar in the midrange, a little brighter in the mid-treble and slightly more vocal-orientated. Its bass is warmer and flatter, delivering less slam and energy. It is also notably less controlled and defined. The Blessing 3 does sound more engaging, with bolder notes and considerably improved extension and dynamics.
It is faster and far more resolving but does lack some warmth at times. The midrange is more even on the Blessing 3 with the Blessing 2 having a bit more vocal bias. The Blessing 2 sounds more coherent due to its greater warmth and slightly smoother lower treble. It has more note body despite being a bit more forward. The Blessing 3 is more contrasted and revealing. It isn’t brighter but a bit thinner and slightly more articulate. This gives it a notable advantage with regard to layering and detail. The treble on the Blessing 2 is crisp but is noticeably more extended and complex on the Blessing 3.
While both have a crisp and clear foreground, the Blessing 3 has a slightly more accurate not body and noticeably more sparkle and background detail. This gives it a large advantage with regard to headroom and sound staging in general. The Blessing 3 offers improved separation all around which further heightens the technical divide though the original may still appeal to those wanting a more coherent sound with a bit more warmth.
Etymotic EVO ($499): As expected, the EVO offers a deeper fit and greater noise isolation from its fully-sealed all-metal shells while the Blessing 3 offers greater comfort. Sonically, both have a relatively similar tuning, the EVO has lower contrast meaning small hills and valleys albeit not by a large degree. It also has a more progressive and overall, less emphasized bass making it coherent but light-footed. The Blessing 3 immediately has more sub-bass kick and overall, a more balanced sense of bass. The EVO is leaner and its all-BA setup lacks the same dynamics and extension.
While the EVO has a smidge more warmth in the upper bass, its bass overall sits a step back relative to the bass and highs. At the same time, it is even faster than the Blessing 3’s bass though both are incredibly discerning. The midrange is a touch more forward and coherent on the EVO. It benefits from slightly more warmth and a smoother articulation. Though more mid-forward, it is more coherent and offers a greater sense of body. The Blessing 3 is a bit more revealing, boasting greater clarity and definition. However, it is cooler despite the greater bass presence.
The EVO has slightly higher resolving power within the midrange and layers slightly better here. The Blessing 3 offers a more detailed and extended treble. The EVO has a nice natural foreground, but a dark background and minimal sparkle at the very top. It sounds clean and well-defined. The Blessing 3 has an uptick of crispness giving it more bite albeit a slight thinness the EVO does not possess. The Blessing 3 offers a larger soundstage while the EVO images slightly sharper. Both have excellent separation.
Moondrop Variations ($520): The Variations is a warmer and slightly smoother earphone but overall, is fairly similar in terms of tuning as expected from Moondrop. This is mostly derived from the bass which has a similar level of sub-bass emphasis but greater mid-bass emphasis. This gives it a rounder and warmer leaning low-end. Both have a cut through the upper bass and lower midrange for separation and cleanliness. The Blessing 3 sounds quite a bit cleaner tonally and has a faster bass presentation. The Variations has greater punch and fullness but lacks the same definition.
The midrange sounds more forward on the Blessings 3 due to its less boosted bass while the Variations sounds subtly U-shaped. Despite the tuning being very similar, the overall midrange presentation is quite different as a result. The voicing is very similar but the Variations comes across as warmer, smoother and more forgiving. It is a more laid-back earphone, still natural but lacking the same clarity and definition. The Blessing 3 delivers on these qualities albeit at the expense of sounding a touch cool. In addition, despite the treble tuning being relatively similar, the Variations once again comes across as a step more laid-back and smoother.
The EST-based tweeters deliver a daintier presentation with fantastic air and extension but also lack the hard-edged attack delivered by BAs. It is a matter of preference for the Blessing 3 definitely has a more aggressive foreground detail presentation but both resolve similarly in this region. The Variations has a bit more sparkle at the very top and resolves micro details better, it has similar headroom and atmosphere. The Variations also appears to have slightly larger soundstage dimensions but the Blessing 3 has sharper imaging and better separation overall.
Verdict –
The Blessing 3 is the ultimate testament to the march of technology and an indicator of maturation in the processes that Moondrop pioneered earlier with the Blessing 2. We can see a clear trend in the tuning moving away from their dynamic driver earphones and more towards their professional/luxury line of Soft Ears monitors. This lends the Blessing 3 a balanced yet slightly revealing sound profile with good contrast and excellent tonal cleanliness. In addition, added complexity in the driver setup has yielded a large improvement in technical performance. The dual woofer configuration, in particular, has enabled the brand to increase sub-bass presence whilst simultaneously hugely improving bass responsiveness and definition. As with any earphone, the tuning will not be for everyone and some may find the midrange here slightly thin, the bass lacking some warmth. Bearing this in mind, the Blessing 3 offers performance that was once only available in the kilo-buck price range now but is now well within the reach of the average audiophile.
The Blessing 3 is available from Apos Audio (International) for $319 USD at the time of writing. I am not affiliated with Apos Audio or Moondrop and receive no earnings from purchases made through these links.
Track List –
Billie Eilish – dont smile at me
Bob Seger – Night Moves
Courtney Barnett – Rae Street
Cream – Wheels of Fire
Dire Straits – Communique
Dirty Loops – Next To You
Eagles – Hotel California
Elton John – Honky Chateau
Fleetwood Mac – Rumours
H.E.R – I Used To Know Her
Jasen – BYE
John Mayer – Continuum
Kanye West – Ye
Missy Higgins – The Sound of White
Radiohead – OK Computer
TALA – ain’t leavin` without you
The Beatles – Abbey Road
The weeknd – After Hours
Vampire Weekend – Father of the Bride
