[Updated] MOONDROP DASH HiFi Mechanical Keyboard

[VSG]

Audio-specialist MOONDROP enters the competitive keyboard market with a fascinating product that combines both fields. The MOONDROP DASH is a 75% keyboard with an integrated DAC/amp that uses clever engineering to come out with a premium product for your typing and listening needs, without taking much room on your desk.

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[Chrispy_]

Novel idee, but the intersection in the Venn diagram of "People interested in this exact keyboard" and "People fussy enough about audio to want a dedicated, external USB DAC, but specifically this one" must be miniscule.

$300 is also quite a lot for a keyboard, even a niche-audience 75% one.

 

[bonehead123]

The good:

1. Cool retro design
2. NO R.friggin.G.friggin.B.friggin rainbow circus pukefest
3. DAC & USB hub included

The BAD:

1. Price too high...
2. No volume controls, and this is supposedly tilted towards audio users too...w.t.f.....
3. No wrist pad/support
4. No wireless/BT options

The Uggly:

1. Fuggly name badge, should have been centered on the body, and a tad bit smaller
2. Coiled cable...again, w.t.f....
3. No full sized option, looks like a kiddy toy

All IMHO, of course

 

[VSG]

There will be other keyboards sold next year, including with volume controls and in different sizes. As a first entry to the keyboard world, I am pretty impressed as evident by the review.

 

[lemonadesoda]

Interesting but FUGLY. Who on earth thought it would be a good idea to brand the keyboard with a "riveted cheap nameplate made at the local keysmith" right on the front, spoiling that 1980's commodore VIC/64 look? Where is the volume control? So silly not to have one, even if not a rotary knob, then on the f*keys.

It is a shame. Their first (keyboard) product to market should be their very best effort, particularly at that price! There is no point having a product strategy that is "this is a little bit shyt, but not to worry, we have another better one coming out in a few months". Wow, how to create zero sales and go bust on the product line.

 

[cellar door]

Including a DAC with a built-in 1/4 is a great idea! Would love to have one built into my nuphy air75 - this article actually gave me an idea for a project to do just that. Now to find a small, inexpensive passthrough usbc DAC.

Hoping to see more brands do this. However, omission of even a single color backlighting is a poor choice. Dropping a feature that everyone expects these days is a bit of a head scratcher.

Thanks for the review!

Edit: Ok, so literally 5min later I realized I can use a usbc Y splitter - mount it inside the chassis and I'm going to use the Apple usbc to 3.5mm adapter that has a built in DAC.

LOL VSG, I knew that reading your reviews would pay off!

 

[VSG]

Including a DAC with a built-in 1/4 is a great idea! Would love to have one built into my nuphy air75 - this article actually gave me an idea for a project to do just that. Now to find a small, inexpensive passthrough usbc DAC.

Hoping to see more brands do this. However, omission of even a single color backlighting is a poor choice. Dropping a feature that everyone expects these days is a bit of a head scratcher.

Thanks for the review!

Edit: Ok, so literally 5min later I realized I can use a usbc Y splitter - mount it inside the chassis and I'm going to use the Apple usbc to 3.5mm adapter that has a built in DAC.

LOL VSG, I knew that reading your reviews would pay off!

You could solder RGB LEDs here but yeah practically no one will really do it. Glad you decided to mod in a tiny dongle in your keyboard btw!

 

[erocker]

I don't get the hype with this brand. Tried a few of their IEM's and while they weren't bad, nothing great either. I suppose they're good at marketing to the West.. which is somewhat impressive for a Chinese company.

 

[VSG]

I don't get the hype with this brand. Tried a few of their IEM's and while they weren't bad, nothing great either. I suppose they're good at marketing to the West.. which is somewhat impressive for a Chinese company.

It's generally good tuning and value for money in the IEM space, and now they are trying to do the same with headphones and keyboards too.

 

[Dalbouh]

great keyboard but the price is high it's not for everyone and they need to work more on software side and add volume buttons and make more colors at least black one

 

[GreiverBlade]

just wow, out of my range of stuff, but kudos for creativity, it's the first time a brand attempted that or am i going senile?

 

[VSG]

just wow, out of my range of stuff, but kudos for creativity, it's the first time a brand attempted that or am i going senile?

First that I know of. FiiO is doing something similar with a larger keyboard but it's not announced yet.

 

[GreiverBlade]

First that I know of. FiiO is doing something similar with a larger keyboard but it's not announced yet.

i say out of my range, but i am planning to get a 300ish chf DAC later, if i wasn't so in love with my 65% Deltaco DK440R i could combine both gear in one ... 300$ is not that of a steep price given the Moonriver 2 is 160ish and use Cirrus Logic chips (which i like the sound signature only second to Burr Brown then followed by ESS and AKM chips )

although a 99chf Burr Brown (PCM5102) Fiio E10K-TC is still my budget option

 

[SOAREVERSOR]

The price isn't bad. It's got a 160 buck DAC thrown in along with a coiled and braided USB cable and those are about 20-40 depending on the quality. They aren't actually over charging on this. Yeah it's a niche product and the asthetics aren't for everyone but then again Moondrops taste and visual style have always been off the wall. Some of the stuff is normal but they've got a lot of "who spiked the punch with acid" designs going on as well.

I don't get the hype with this brand. Tried a few of their IEM's and while they weren't bad, nothing great either. I suppose they're good at marketing to the West.. which is somewhat impressive for a Chinese company.

Depends on which IEM. Most of what you see reviewed are the Aria and Kato which are really good bang for the buck in their space but they aren't crazy good either. What they are known for is really the Blessing2 and S8 which pretty much are the defacto "this is what you want" in their price range and over. Worth mention both of those were follow ups to earlier products where they learned and then went back.

They are in a place where they have hit it out of the park on some of their products and so that halo extends to all their other stuff. Those products don't pull off the flat out curb stomping of the competition their best ones do but none of them are bad, they're all actually pretty good and a safe buy at any price. They are also extremely customer driven. To the point of hosting a place for their customers to loan stuff, post photography, and even share their art* which sort of sucks people in. They went out of their way to build that customer base and it's paid off for them. Hence you get people who own the Kato in all three color options or like all the Aria special edditions who don't care enough about sound to go the S8 route and toss in the upgraded cable and the DAC (those people aren't posting in the art and photography area). I don't contribute to those areas but it's a slick marketing idea I'll give them that. Their CEO is also remarkably transparent and willing to redo products based on feedback which goes a long way to "I trust this guy. I can reach him directly and he'll respond and possibly redo a thing." which is RARE these days.

*It's all anime waifus. The owner is one of those very weird anime fans and it's evident in all they do. It's not my style and their box art is comedically "this is fucking hentai light". I got some of their foam tips and even that had a print of an anime girl in it. But it's paid off for them. Some people just buy and collect their art and then post their anime drawings on their site or twitter. I think it's fucking dumb but if it's making their customers happy then why the fuck not!

 

[Space Lynx]

"

• No dedicated volume controls on a keyboard with an integrated DAC/amp"

wtf. lol

 

[VSG]

"

• No dedicated volume controls on a keyboard with an integrated DAC/amp"

wtf. lol

Yeah, still an issue. But VIA-based key mapping and layers help ease the pain somewhat.

 

[zlobby]

- It's a bird!
- It's a plane!
- It's a... DAC keyboard?

Give me a Noctua-themed analog switches with Chord DAVE and I might consider it.

First that I know of. FiiO is doing something similar with a larger keyboard but it's not announced yet.

Never again will we have to search in two separate places for DAC and keyboards.

 

[VSG]

- It's a bird!
- It's a plane!
- It's a... DAC keyboard?

Give me a Noctua-themed analog switches with Chord DAVE and I might consider it.

Huh I guess you somehow missed the original release of the review. I scrolled back up and was surprised.

 

[SOAREVERSOR]

- It's a bird!
- It's a plane!
- It's a... DAC keyboard?

Give me a Noctua-themed analog switches with Chord DAVE and I might consider it.

Never again will we have to search in two separate places for DAC and keyboards.

Now you've done it! People who get wound up over 200-500 DACs are going to google Chord Dave and keel over.

 

[GreiverBlade]

Now you've done it! People who get wound up over 200-500 DACs are going to google Chord Dave and keel over.

no need to google a 10-15k a$$load of $$$ one ... at least for me, as i already did know of that one ...

first time i saw a review of it was: oh, okay ...

to me pricing does not play a huge "emotional" role ... i get what i can afford, and be content with it (even more if it has good reviews here or there specially here now... )

a keyboard in beige/brown "puke" scheme with an overly ultra expensive price tag DAC? where do i sign up?

Spoiler: oops...

oh wait ... i hate Noctua personal feeling ... they do not do much more than other brands and cost way too much (unlike Chord, i got my hands on a Mojo for a test run ... pretty nifty gear, and the quality is worth the price tag, too bad i had to give it back to its rightful owner hehe. ) better quality? nah ... not really, good customer service and warranty? hum ... no, even if they are the top on that side, it's trivial (never needed warranty for any HSF i owned till now... and they all did just as good as their brown dipped counterpart (no Chromax does not count)that did cost multiple time their price)

now i really want my 99chf Burr [not noctua]Brown E10K-TC ... time to order one if my etailer have it in stock ... ENTRY level HERE i come!
ah drat ... payment refused ... oh, well, next month then (next year actually ahah)

i can stomach a 300$ DAC or even more DAC keyboard (actually, if i 3D printed a shell for the Moonriver 2 i could also replace my KA1 with that reverse modding, kinda )

 

[Fergutor]

...and doesn't have volume controls!? HAHA!
That's what you get with "stylish"...