Softears Volume S VS Moondrop x Crinacle Dusk

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Build impresses out of the box: a premium case, a handsome semi-transparent shell that’s a touch larger than AFUL’s Magic One, a smaller nozzle, and excellent comfort—easy A+. The included DSP cable feels great, while the analog cable comes off a bit cheap for the price. Packaging and accessories sit at an average level overall.

In analog form, this is a Jekyll-and-Hyde situation. Channel matching is spot-on, but the presentation reads flat/neutral to a fault—solid, yet not especially competitive, fitting more a $150–$170 tier for raw value. Versus the original Blessing 2 Dusk, the new Dusk extends better up top with more air, but from bass through upper mids (to ~8 kHz) the older set still vocals better and feels more engaging; upgrading for the analog tuning alone isn’t advised. Alternatives like the PULA PA02 or CKLVX 1DD+4BA hit a similar, clean-neutral aim, while Gizaudio Chopin shows a smarter 5–6 kHz dip, livelier mids, and punchier bass at roughly half the price. Among Crin collabs, it’s clearly more refined than the Dioko, but not a slam-dunk over his other budget-minded sets.

The story flips with the DSP. Engaged, the Dusk becomes an easy recommendation: noticeably more balanced, resolving, and simply fun, earning a “perfect score for value” within the DSP lane. Caveats: Android support is the sweet spot; iPhone compatibility can be finicky, pushing some users to desktop—where manual EQ already exists. Still, the app is simple, the extra tunings are useful, and plug-and-play convenience (no dongle DAC dance) is a win. Bottom line: as an analog IEM, only “good” and overpriced; as a DSP IEM, genuinely excellent—highly worth it if the use case fits.