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Moondrop Pudding Review

Petros LaskisUpdated September 22, 20266 Mins read7

Today’s review is about the Moondrop Pudding, a set of True Wireless Stereo earphones with real-time active noise cancelling.

The review sample was kindly provided free of charge in exchange for an honest review. I didn’t receive monetary or any other kind of compensation and I don’t use affiliate links.

The price of the Moondrop Pudding is $49.99 and you can buy it from Shenzhen Audio.

Moondrop Labs

Moondrop Labs, or simply Moondrop, is a Chinese audio brand best known for its earphones, which offer high-quality sound at very competitive prices.

Models like the Blessing 2 and the KATO have received great praise from both audiophiles and reviewers.

Although Moondrop is better known for its IEMs than its headphones, the company has also released a couple of interesting headphone models, such as the Para and the flagship Venus, while they also make some very successful USB DACs.

Please click here to read past Moondrop reviews.

Moondrop Pudding

The Moondrop Pudding are True Wireless Stereo (TWS) earphones with real-time active noise cancelling that sell for only $49.99, without skipping on functions.

Technical Overview

Each side is equipped with a 10mm dynamic driver composed of a lightweight coil and an all-metal bracket, along a nano-titanium crystal dome and a variable damping diaphragm.

The Pudding employs an advanced real-time adaptive ANC algorithm that constantly monitors the effectiveness of noise cancellation using a dedicated microphone positioned inside the ear canal.

The system analyzes the noise picked up by the internal microphone and makes real-time adjustments to compensate for it, automatically optimizing the ANC performance as conditions change.

Accessories

The bare bones package includes a charging USB cable and only three pairs of silicone eartips. Another set should have been included to make the package more appealing.

Wireless Connectivity

Wireless Bluetooth 6.0 connectivity is supported through the legacy SBC and AAC codecs, as well as the high-resolution LHDC codec. The earphones automatically enter pairing mode once you open the charging case lid and will pair using either the SBC or AAC codecs. The LHDC codec is activated through the Moondrop application and must also be supported by the source device.

The connection remains stable within a range of about 8 to 10 meters, and I haven’t experienced any interference or disconnections during music playback. Dual-device connectivity is also supported.

Design and Wearing Experience

Both the earphones and the charging case are made from high-quality plastic, which helps keep the weight low and the ear shells relatively compact. The case without the earphones weighs 33g only and it easily slips inside a small pocket.

The case and earphone shells are well-made and look durable enough, with the minor exception of the case lid, which can get scratched quite easily, while its hinge doesn’t inspire much long term confidence. There is a visible ridge around the point where the upper and lower parts of the shells are joined together but it doesn’t look that bad.

Weighing just 5g per piece, the ear pieces are lightweight and compact, with a contoured shape that fits the ear like a glove. They stay in place and feel comfortable even after hours of use, while they don’t protrude much from the ear.

The Pudding doesn’t have a fancy, jewelry-like design, but it gets the job done without attracting much unnecessary attention. It is available in three colors: black, beige, and a tasteful yellow.

User Interface

The Pudding supports a touch-control interface that can be customized through the Moondrop application. The available actions are: single click – play/pause; double click – previous/next song; triple click – enable the voice assistant; long press for 1 second – switch noise reduction modes; and long press for 3 seconds – lower/raise the volume.

All actions can be completely reassigned by the user. The touch panel is not the most responsive one but it gets the job done, while you should expect accidental touches when wearing or adjusting the fit of the earphones.

The Moondrop Application and the DSP Engine

The Pudding is compatible with the recently updated Moondrop application that is user-friendly and easy to navigate, with a well-designed and functional UI.

It allows the user to customize the touch controls and select the noise-canceling levels. It can also be used to set the gain, enable the LHDC codec, and perform firmware updates. The application also displays battery levels for each ear bud and the case. The previous version of the application had a low-latency gaming mode, which strangely enough I cannot find after the latest update.

The app is also used to customize the Pudding’s powerful PEQ and online interactive DSP, including various advanced options such as filter type, gain, frequency point, and Q value. Users can save and share tuning profiles or download curves created by other members of the online community database. The DSP engine is very advanced, offering great fine-tuning potential, not usually found in similar affordable earphones.

(The Moondrop Pudding was updated to the latest 3.5.6 firmware)

ANC Performance and Call Quality

The noise reduction system offers three modes: Basic, Wind Noise Reduction, and Adaptive Noise Cancellation, while there is also a Transparency mode.

The performance of the ANC system is not class-leading, but it works much better than expected for this category. It is quite effective at blocking outside noise, especially mid to higher frequencies, and works particularly well when listening to music.

The Transparency mode lets voices and some ambient noise come through, which is very useful when driving or working at the office. The best part is that ANC does not degrade sound quality at all, allowing you to enjoy your favorite tunes without compromises.

Call quality is also very good, with crystal-clear voice transmission. Honestly speaking, the Pudding’s ANC can easily compete with much more expensive TWS earphones from established brands like Sennheiser.

Battery Duration

Official battery duration ratings are 12.5 hours for the buds with another 41 hours from the charging case. A full charge takes approximately 1.5 hours for the earbuds and around 2 hours for the charging case.

Listening to music with the LHDC codec and Adaptive Noise Cancellation enabled, I was able to get around 7 to 8 hours of playback time. If you are in a quiet environment, it is better to switch ANC off in order to extend battery duration.

Listening Evaluation

Out of the box, without applying any EQ or DSP effects, the Moondrop Pudding is one of the best-tuned TWS earphones I have ever tested. Most TWS earphones tend to follow heavily V-shaped profiles or various exaggerated interpretations of the Harman target curve, as these tunings usually work better for listening to popular music in noisy environments.

Thankfully, Moondrop took a radically different approach with the Pudding, giving it a relatively balanced and natural sonic profile without any major frequency shifts. Looking at third-party graphs might make you think that I am talking nonsense, but measurements don’t always tell the whole story, as the actual sound reaching the ears can differ considerably from what the graphs might suggest.

It may not be a reference-neutral or strictly critical tuning, but it still pays proper attention to all frequency bands, with a tastefully emphasized bass, present and mildly warm mid-range and a touch bright, yet non-fatiguing treble.

The overall tonal balance is convincing throughout the whole frequency range, all instruments and voices, from the lower to the higher pitched ones, sound realistic and lifelike enough. The sound is nowhere clinical or sterile, the textures are quite full and weighty while also staying refined and polished.

The technical performance is good for the category, the bass is fast, tight and controlled with sufficient layering and plenty of punch. The mid-range has good clarity and separation, while the treble is sparkling, airy and brilliant.

Detail retrieval is certainly satisfying, albeit not class-leading, while the soundstage is not that lacking in spaciousness and imaging precision or the ability to portray the scale of the music convincingly enough.

In the End

Surprisingly good, the Moondrop Pudding might look like a child’s toy, but it is one of the best affordable TWS earphones you can buy, and you shouldn’t let its low price fool you.

Very good sonic performance straight out of the box, effective ANC that doesn’t degrade the sound quality, one of the most comprehensive tuning suites available, lightweight and comfortable to wear, and with good battery life, there is really very little not to like about the Moondrop Pudding.

Simply put, the Pudding is a must-buy for anyone looking for a high-quality TWS in-ear monitor without spending much money. At this price, it offers a combination of sound quality, tuning flexibility and features that is difficult to overlook.

Test Playlist

Authored by Petros Laskis for Ichos Reviews. All content is original and copyrighted. Republishing full reviews or portions without written permission is prohibited. Excerpts up to 100 words are allowed with a direct link.