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Moondrop Blessing 3 Review

Their sound quality does not match these buds tremendous price point
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Moondrop Blessing 3 Review
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Price:  $320 List
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Manufacturer:   Moondrop
57
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#20 of 25
  • Sound Quality - 40% 5.8
  • User Experience - 20% 5.4
  • Noise Cancellation - 15% 5.5
  • Battery life - 15% 10.0
  • Call Quality - 10% 0.0

Our Verdict

The Moondrop Blessing 3 buds are a bit of an anomaly in our lineup, as they are higher-end, wired in-ear monitors without active noise-cancelling. However, they are touted as one of the cleanest-sounding top-ranked earbuds, and we wanted to see how they stacked up against their wireless competitors. Ultimately, we weren't impressed with their sound signature, especially given the price and lack of features compared to their premium competition. While the fit is very tight and secure, their comfort is questionable over longer listening sessions. Because of the tight seal, they do well at passively blocking out background noise. However, these buds are not for everyone, lending themselves to the niche user who likes a very specific genre of music.
REASONS TO BUY
Stylish
Lots of ear tips options for finding the best fit
REASONS TO AVOID
Pricey
Sound quality left much to be desired
Can cause ear pressure build-up
No mic

Compare to Similar Products

 
moondrop blessing 3
Awards  Editors' Choice Award
Best Earbuds for Most People
Editors' Choice Award
Easiest for Apple Users
Editors' Choice Award
Best Noise Cancelling Earbuds
Editors' Choice Award
Best Wired Earbud
Price $320 List
$281.59 at Amazon
$250 List
$195.15 at Amazon
$249 List
$189.99 at Amazon
$299 List
$229.00 at Amazon
$18.00 List
$17.97 at Amazon
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Bottom Line You can get much more well-rounded earbuds at this price pointThe latest and greatest from Jabra, these great sounding earbuds are incredibly comfortableGreat noise cancellation that lets you appreciate their excellent sound qualityThe best option to block out the world and lose yourself in an immersive soundscapeForgoing flash for a great fit and impressive sound at a great price, these wired earbuds are hard to argue with
Rating Categories Moondrop Blessing 3 Jabra Elite 10 Apple AirPods Pro 2 Bose QuietComfort U... UliX Rider - 3.5mm
Sound Quality (40%)
5.8
8.4
7.7
8.6
8.1
User Experience (20%)
5.4
8.7
7.9
6.2
5.6
Noise Cancellation (15%)
5.5
7.2
8.0
9.9
2.5
Battery life (15%)
10.0
7.3
7.6
5.9
10.0
Call Quality (10%)
0
7.4
9.3
8.8
8.8
Specs Moondrop Blessing 3 Jabra Elite 10 Apple AirPods Pro 2 Bose QuietComfort U... UliX Rider - 3.5mm
Active Noise Cancelling No Yes Yes Yes No
Earbud Location Tracking No Yes Yes No No
Measured Battery Life N/A 8.0 hr 8.5 hr 6.2 hr N/A
Waterproofing N/A IP57 IPX4 IPX4 N/A
Measured Weight 1.22 oz 0.20 oz 0.38 oz 0.22 oz 0.62 oz
Quick Charging N/A 5 mins = 1 hr 5 mins = 1 hr 5 mins = 1 hr N/A
Charges Per Case N/A 3 4 5 N/A
Wired Charging Port 3.5mm jack USB-C USB-C USB-C 3.5mm jack
Wireless Charging Option No Yes Yes Yes No
Claimed Battery Life N/A 8 hrs 6 hrs 6 hrs N/A
Charging Carrying Case N/A Yes Yes Yes N/A
Transparency Mode No Yes No Yes No
Multipoint No Yes Two Apple devices simultaneously No No
In-ear Detection No Yes Yes Yes No
Multiple Ear Tips Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Moondrop Blessing 3 buds are an ok earbud option if all you want is a loud, clean midrange and not much else.

Performance Comparison


moondrop blessing 3 - the moondrop blessing 3 in our test rig.
The Moondrop Blessing 3 in our test rig.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

Sound Quality


We had our panel of expert listeners spend time with the Moondrop Blessing 3, scoring and describing their experience listening to an extensive playlist. We found that these earbuds have a neutral, somewhat bland sound profile, with mellow bass, mismanaged mids, and unremarkable treble tones. The experience is inoffensive but not particularly pleasant. While the sound is clean, even higher volumes, the sound lacks depth and warmth overall.


Without any punch or power in the bass frequencies, these earbuds don't hold up when playing bass-heavy music genres like EDM, hip-hop, or pop. The lower frequencies feel a bit muddy, and the earbuds seem tuned to highlight very specific high frequencies, making the sound signature feel disproportionally treble-heavy. “California Dreamin” by The Mamas and Papas highlights this elevated treble at mark 0:54.

Expert Panel Sound Quality Ratings
ProductBassMid-RangeTreble
Best8.79.09.0
Average6.66.96.6
Moondrop Blessing 35.04.56.0
Worst2.03.53.0

Ultimately, we determined that these earbuds are very niche, lending themselves to users who only listen to treble-heavy music (folk, classical, jazz, etc.). And even the mids are underwhelming at moderate volumes, lacking clarity and presence, while the treble tones still feel harsh. As a result it's hard to recommend these earbuds at this price point.

Soundstage


Like all speakers, earbuds create a sense of where music is located in three-dimensional space around you. This characteristic is known as soundstage. Although a broad, immersive soundstage is rare in earbuds, technological progress is making it more common for music to feel like it's coming from beyond your ears.

Soundstage Ratings
ProductSoundstage Rating
Best10.0
Average7.4
Moondrop Blessing 37.0
Worst4.0

These earbuds don't rise to the challenge in the way that we had hoped, and can't muster the layered, immersive sound that other wired models offer. While they do allow you to differentiate between textures and voices with relative ease, the clarity isn't top-tier, leaving the overall experience feeling a bit flat compared to higher-quality options.

To round out the sound quality testing, we set the buds up in our testing rig with a good seal and then had them play frequencies across the listening spectrum to measure their frequency response. We then compared those measurements to our GearLab House Curve and gave them a score for how well they followed our curve.


While the Moondrop Blessing 3 followed our curve well in the mid-to-high ranges, it struggled more in the bass ranges. Our panel of experts noted that because of the lack of bass, music ended up feeling less layered or immersive. They do have clean mids and highs, but they can end up sounding raspy and harsh at even moderate volumes. It's worth noting that these earbuds can be turned up louder than any other we tested.

We can measure the frequency response of earbuds in real time using our testing rig.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

User Experience


We tested the Moondrop Blessing 3 fit and comfort on several different people with different ear shapes. Then, we stress-tested them to gauge how well they perform during physical activity. Since these buds are wired, there is no app or other user experience metrics to test.


Comfort


Our panel of experts found the fit of these earbuds to be difficult to sort out and once they are securely fit, the seal is uncomfortably tight, creating the feeling of needing to pop one's ears.

moondrop blessing 3 - you get a plethora of ear tip sizes with the moondrop blessings to...
You get a plethora of ear tip sizes with the Moondrop Blessings to help you achieve a comfortable and tight seal.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

Stability


Despite this discomfort, once they're in, they're in. There is no chance that these buds will fall out of your ears in really any circumstance, making them usable during any activity you could want.

moondrop blessing 3 - because the wires curve around the top of the ear, they act as a...
Because the wires curve around the top of the ear, they act as a stabilization arm, locking these earbuds in place.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

Customization


These are wired in-ear monitors, so there is no accompanying app or adjustability provided by the manufacturer whatsoever. Though there's no tunability here, it is worth noting that the Moondrop Blessing 3 buds were very aesthetically pleasing to us, almost appearing jewelry-esque.

The soft traveling case helps make these earbuds portable without damaging them.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

Noise Cancellation


While the Moondrop Blessing 3 buds don't have any active noise cancellation (ANC), we still tested their ability to passively seal out background noise. We did so by setting them up securely in our testing rig and then playing various noises in the background that the average user could encounter day-to-day.


These earbuds had the second-best passive seal performance of any of the buds that we tested, which is due to just how tight these things seal within the ear canal. This allows them to be used in moderately noisy environments, like an office, without too much distraction. However, these will not perform well in high-noise environments like the subway or a plane.

Despite the lack of ANC, we would gladly use these to read in a noisy coffee shop.
Credit: GearLab Staff

Though the Moondrop Blessing buds don't have active noise cancelling, they have stellar passive noise cancelling just from the seal in the mid and treble ranges.


Battery Life


Because the Moondrop Blessing 3 buds are wired, there is no battery component to test here. We gave them a perfect score in this metric for being able to play indefinitely, allowing for listening sessions of any length.


Call Quality


There is no mic on the Moondrop Blessing 3, so we were unable to test or score them for this metric. Keep in mind that you will not be able to take calls with these earbuds.


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The Moondrop Blessing 3 are for a very niche audience and cannot be recommended to the average consumer. If you're a musician and you need to hear your own vocals high above the rest of your band's mix, or you're a folk or classical aficionado who relishes treble clarity above all else, these are a fair option. At this price point, however, there are many better options for the majority who don't fall into these niches.

moondrop blessing 3 - a decent option for a studio jazz musician or a classical...
A decent option for a studio jazz musician or a classical aficionado, but everyone else should probably look elsewhere.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

What Other Earbuds Should You Consider?


If you're willing to spend what it would cost to get yourself a pair of Moondrop Blessing 3, you can consider pretty much every other premium earbud on the market. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra buds offer a slew of premium, well-executed features, like great sound quality and noise cancellation, for slightly less than you would spend on the Blessing 3s. The Apple AirPods Pro 2 also have great sound quality, adjustability, and other premium features if you're more locked into the Apple ecosystem. We recommend you consider any of the other earbuds in our lineup if you do not fall into the target audience for the Blessing 3 as described above.

moondrop blessing 3 - despite their limited audience, they are a very aesthetically...
Despite their limited audience, they are a very aesthetically pleasing pair of earbuds.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

Graham Faulknor, Genaveve Bradshaw, and Alex Hocevar-Smith