Closer Examination

The MOONDROP VOID comes with one of the better headphone cables, if I say so myself. This stock black-colored cable is single-ended in providing a right-angled 3.5 mm TRS connector headed to your source, and this is also where the accompanying 3.5 mm to 6.35 mm (1/4") adapter comes in handy with more prosumer equipment on hand. The plug heads into a plastic housing with subtle MOONDROP branding on it, before going to fabric-sleeved dual-stranded conductors that are presumably made of high-purity copper, in the absence of any further details. The soft fabric makes this a fairly pliable cable although it can be a touch microphonic, and can snag to things inadvertently. There isn't a true splitter here given the two strands continue past it and head to the two channels as-is where we see more plastic hardware and two 3.5 mm TRS connectors with barely visible left/right writing on the plastic housing to help indicate the left and right channels, respectively. The metal connectors are gold-plated for oxidation resistance, and there's internal strain relief built on the headphone side connectors.


The Line V cable is fancier looking certainly but gives you a 4.4 mm TRRS balanced connector, allowing the use of a balanced headphones output off applicable amplifiers. This time we get CNC-machined aluminium alloy hardware with a brushed finish given to the pale silver colors. The MOONDROP branding is laser etched in place, and now we get a 392 core 8-strand braided cable in a Litz structure that uses 6N (99.9999% purity) silver-plated single-crystal copper conductor. This explains the silver aesthetic in place too, which should better match the VOID purely from an aesthetics point of view while also having zero microphonics in use. The Line V cable is not as easy to shape/re-shape however, and I found it had a tendency to kink up in a few places owing to minor memory retention from how it comes packed in the box. The splitter does its job in now giving 4-strand wires headed to the headphones with the same 3.5 mm TRS connectors, although the housings are quite large and do not have external strain relief. This can potentially add undue stress on the headphones side of the cable despite similar plastic housing inside the aluminium covers. On the plus side, the L/R markings are easily visible here to help indicate the left/right channels, respectively.


The MOONDROP VOID is a full-size set of headphones and unfortunately many people's first impressions will be along the lines of this looking and feeling cheap, not just inexpensive. The retail version has had a few improvements to build quality from the pre-release versions admittedly, although that helps more to stop the comparisons to a Fisher-Price toy the older version drew and doesn't magically make this a luxurious feeling set. Part of this has to do with the injection molded plastic used throughout in a white color that I am not sure would last the test of time. The plastic has a matte coating that might help for longevity while also resisting fingerprints and dust, although it is not smudge-proof and can eventually develop a shine similar to ABS plastic keycaps exposed to finger oils. The VOID uses a more traditional single-piece headband assembly with the MOONDROP logo on the top with "VOID" printed below it. There are two larger faux leather nuggets with low-to-medium density foam filling to help support the headphones more evenly on your head. This slots into the frame on either side and is held in place via four Phillips head screws per side making it relatively easy to replace/repair/mod the headband itself. Note also the two rubber dampers here that we will get to soon enough. There are L/R markings on the outside to help indicate the left and right channels, respectively.


There is an internal steel band in the headband used for vertical sizing and MOONDROP is fairly generous here with 15 sizing steps that are also easy to identify via discrete clicks. This makes it trivial to match up the two sides and also the larger room provided here will allow the VOID to fit over gigantic heads as well as smaller ones. I also observed here that the gaps between the support foam nuggets helps minimize any hot spots from forming on the top of your head either.


The screwed-in nature of the headband and frame without any articulating point results in little room for the ear cups to swivel in either axis, as seen above. This means the MOONDROP VOID is more picky on fit and positioning compared to some of its contemporaries and has the potential to be less comfortable should the limited movement here not work ideally for you. The aforementioned rubber dampers come in handy to prevent a plastic-on-plastic clacking sound from the ear cups hitting the frame in their absence.


The MOONDROP VOID is an open-back set of headphones and I'll give props to the company for going with this relatively clean, if not slightly boring, design on the back courtesy just uniformly placed holes in the plastic enclosure. There is no branding here thus making for clean-looking headphones in use, and we get a sneak peek at the drivers through the holes too. The cups are naturally placed away from each other and the ear pads are simply pushed in place via a glued-plastic ring that fits into a matching segment in the ear cups for a friction fit. The glue is haphazardly applied in multiple places and I can't say I am comfortable with this install mechanism holding up for those who like to pad swap. Removing the ear pads provides a closer look at the 50 mm dynamic drivers used in the VOID and we will talk more about these on the next page.


I suppose pad rolling and the longevity of that install mechanism isn't a big concern here given the inherent lack of any replacement ear pads. Indeed, MOONDROP has yet to address how it plans to handle pad replacements when worn out and I doubt there will be many 3rd-party options either. The ear pads are gray in color as with the headband support nuggets and also get the same faux leather wrapping that is tied to the plastic ring on the inside. This means that, should the glue application be less-than-ideal, the leather wrap will start to come loose. It's stitched only where the mating sections join to keep the relatively low density foam filler in place too. I spotted several places of uneven filling that led to a more wrinkly, crumpled-up finish which doesn't look great or function well either. There is a dust liner to prevent contaminants from easily entering the driver assembly, and note also how the pads are contoured for a better fit as well as partially fenestrated on the inner side facing the ear canals only. These aim to reduce higher frequency resonances that can be somewhat unpleasant.


On the bottom of the ear cups are where we will find the expected 3.5 mm TRS ports for the cable connectors to easily click in place. They are directed downwards without a forward angle, so the cables might end up flopping straight down on your chest. Seen above are both the stock and Line V cables used with the MOONDROP VOID, with the Line V cable making for a more cohesive-looking set. But those longer plug housings can be an issue in the absence of strain relief, wherein the cable might end up forced out perpendicularly when placed on a headphone stand, given the taller profile of these headphones. You may end up not having room to support these by the headband with most headphone stands either! The cables are relatively short at 1.2 m and seem better suited for portable rather than home use, despite the open-back nature of the VOID not helping make them a portable set of headphones. The headphones stand seen above is the inexpensive HiFiGo plastic/aluminium alloy stand the company had sent over with its own review sample of the original VOID release, and it sells for $14.90 while fitting the VOID quite well both functionally and aesthetically.