Moondrop DOTS: New ANC Earbuds for Small Ears

The Moondrop DOTS was launched today (October 20) in mainland China. Developed for people with small ears and ear canals, the DOTS features a slender, elongated nozzle designed to improve comfort during extended listening sessions. Moondrop also developed extra-small ear tips for its new TWS in-ear earphones to ensure a comfortable fit. Full details on this new release are provided below.

DOTS is Moondrop’s TWS in-ear model for people with small ears

Featuring a compact housing, the Moondrop DOTS is the brand’s TWS in-ear model designed for people with small ears. The DOTS also incorporates technologies from the Moondrop Starfield III, Moondrop EVO 2, and Moondrop Pudding.

The wooden dome used in the Starfield III’s dynamic driver has been incorporated into the Moondrop DOTS driver. The DOTS also uses a second-generation version of the digital amplifier chip and custom Bluetooth controller found in the EVO 2. Finally, the RT-Adaptive Noise Cancelling technology and parametric equalizer (PEQ) support featured in the Pudding have also been added to the DOTS. Further details on these and other features are provided below.

A housing designed for small ear canals

The housing and ear tips of the Moondrop DOTS were designed for people with small ear canals. To achieve this, the manufacturer reduced the nozzle diameter of the TWS in-ear earphones and developed extra-small ear tips.

Moondrop explained the shape of the DOTS housing as follows:

“The Dots features a distinctively shaped spherical housing developed using a new design approach. Its slender, elongated nozzle was designed with the distance between the concha and the ear canal in mind.”

The company described the new ear tips as follows:

“Exclusive extra-small ear tips that provide a lightweight wearing experience suitable for different ear canal sizes.”

According to the manufacturer, combining a more ergonomic TWS housing with smaller ear tips produced the following result:

“A reduced foreign-body sensation at the insertion site, making extended listening sessions comfortable and enjoyable.”

A dynamic driver with a wooden diaphragm

Like the Starfield III, the Moondrop DOTS uses a 10 mm dynamic driver with a thin layer of wood in the diaphragm dome. According to the manufacturer, the rigidity of the wood produces smoother, more natural treble, resulting in a timbre characteristic of this material.

The sound signature of the Moondrop DOTS

The frequency response of the Moondrop DOTS follows the VDSF frequency response target curve developed by the manufacturer. Using measurements obtained with the B&K 5128 Head and Torso Simulator (HATS), Moondrop further refined the sound of the DOTS through digital signal processing (DSP). According to the company, this enabled greater fidelity, detail, and euphony.

The frequency response curve of the Moondrop DOTS is shown below.

Not satisfied with the sound of the Moondrop DOTS? Use the 10-band PEQ

Moondrop appears to have decided that all of its new TWS in-ear models will have access to the 10-band parametric equalizer (PEQ) available in the Moondrop app. Accordingly, the Moondrop DOTS allows users to create an equalization profile by adjusting parameters such as filter type, frequency, gain, and Q factor. Users can also refer to the DOTS frequency response curve measured by the manufacturer to achieve more precise results.

For those unfamiliar with headphone equalization, the Moondrop app allows users to download ready-made equalization profiles. The company has created a platform resembling a social network for sharing equalization settings for different headphone models. Equalization settings uploaded by users are reviewed by the platform’s team.

Remembering your preferences for specific sound signatures

The Sound Target ID (STI) feature in the Moondrop app generates an equalization profile after analyzing how the user interacts with the equalizer’s functions. This makes it easy to adjust the sound to the desired signature when switching to a different IEM.

The new generation of Moondrop’s Bluetooth chip

Instead of adopting a Bluetooth chip developed by Qualcomm, Moondrop chose to develop its own for use in its earphones. This decision was intended to improve battery life and provide greater flexibility in feature development.

The Moondrop DOTS uses the MOONDROP TWS-02, a digital amplifier chip and custom Bluetooth controller developed in-house by the manufacturer. This chip uses the same 22 nm process technology as the previous generation, which is used in the Moondrop EVO 2. Improvements were certainly implemented in the second generation, but unfortunately, LDAC codec support is no longer available.

For some reason, Moondrop stated that the DOTS supports only the SBC, AAC, LC3, and LHDC V codecs. In other words, in addition to lacking support for Qualcomm’s aptX codecs, Sony’s codec has also been removed.

Moondrop’s ANC technology

The active noise cancellation system in the Moondrop DOTS uses RT-Adaptive ANC technology. This allows Moondrop’s TWS in-ear earphones to deliver ANC performance approaching theoretical levels across different environments and usage conditions. This is achieved by continuously monitoring noise cancellation effectiveness through the built-in microphones.

ENC and voice enhancement during calls

The Moondrop DOTS features an intelligent noise cancellation system and voice enhancement for calls. An artificial intelligence model is used to suppress noise and enhance the user’s speech. An interesting aspect of this technology is its detection of bone-conducted vibrations to distinguish the user’s voice from ambient noise.

Customizing touch controls

The Moondrop DOTS allows users to specify which commands are executed and which features are enabled or disabled. A function can be assigned to each gesture, such as playback, pause, previous track, or ANC activation. The following gestures can be configured to perform different actions:

• Single tap
• Double tap
• Triple tap
• Press and hold for 1 second
• Press and hold for 5 seconds

Moondrop DOTS battery life

The Moondrop DOTS provides 8 hours of continuous playback on a single charge. The charging case provides an additional 28 hours. Moondrop determined these figures under the following conditions:

“Earphones and charging case fully charged, AAC codec connection, normal mode, and continuous music playback through both earphones simultaneously at 50% volume.”

The Moondrop DOTS ear tip set

The ear tip set included with the Moondrop DOTS comprises silicone tips and hybrid tips made from foam and silicone. The silicone ear tips are available in four sizes: S, M, L, and XL. The hybrid ear tips, called ATF-0, come in sizes SS, S, M, and L.

Moondrop DOTS: Specification

• Bluetooth version: 6.0
• Supported Bluetooth profiles: A2DP / AVRCP / HFP / HSP
• Supported Bluetooth codecs: SBC / AAC / LC3 / LHDC
• Maximum range: 10 meters
• Earphone battery life: approximately 8 hours with the AAC codec
• Charging case battery life: approximately 28 hours
• Earphone battery charging time: 2 hours
• Charging case battery charging time: 2 hours
• Battery capacity of each earphone: 3.6 V / 45 mAh
• Charging case battery capacity: 3.7 V / 500 mAh

What comes in the Moondrop DOTS box?

The following items are included with the Moondrop DOTS:

• Earphones
• Charging case
• Charging cable
• Leather pouch
• Ear tips
• Manual
• After-sales service card
• Operating instructions
• Packing list

Launch, pricing, and availability

The Moondrop DOTS was launched in mainland China at 399 yuan (approximately US$59.74). An international release date and pricing have not yet been announced. This article will be updated as new information becomes available.