Наушники — Moondrop JOKER

The JOKER is a wired, closed-back over-ear headphone that Moondrop markets as a professional monitor, released in 2023 at a suggested price of USD 89.99. It shares the Moondrop headphone line with planar models such as the PARA and VENUS, and its black paint on the cups was intentionally made to wear away with use and expose the metal underneath.

Key specs that matter

A 50 mm dynamic driver with a semi-rigid composite diaphragm does the work in each cup. Rated impedance is 68 ohm at 1 kHz with a tolerance of 15 percent, and sensitivity reaches 106 dB per Vrms at 1 kHz. Moondrop gives a frequency range of 15 Hz to 22 kHz and an effective range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz measured at minus 3 dB to IEC 60318-4. The detachable cable is 1.2 m long with a 3.5 mm plug at each end, and a 3.5 mm to 6.35 mm adapter comes in the box. The headphone weighs about 290 g.

Engineering and use context

The magnet system uses an N52 neodymium magnet in a circuit tuned through FEA simulation, and the coil uses CCAW, a copper-clad aluminium conductor. Each driver is mounted in an asymmetrical brass cavity, a shape Moondrop links to the Sony MDR-R10 and chose to break up standing waves inside the cup and cut vibration, and the asymmetric layout also trims weight for comfort. Air vents on the cups equalise pressure behind the driver. The headband follows a padded design similar to the Sennheiser HD 600 family, and both the headband padding and the ear pads can be replaced. The pads combine artificial leather on the sides with a coarse fabric surface where they touch the skin, perforated to let air through. Since the lead uses ordinary plugs rather than a proprietary connector, a damaged cable can be replaced with a standard one of the same type, and the manual is the only other item packed with the headphone and adapter.

Pairing

Given its modest load and efficient driver, the JOKER reaches usable levels from a phone output or a USB dongle DAC, and a desktop headphone amplifier adds headroom for louder listening. The supplied adapter makes studio interfaces and mixing desks straightforward to use, which fits the monitoring role Moondrop assigns to the model. Replaceable padding on both the band and the cups also helps a headphone used daily in a studio stay in service for years.

Alternatives

For a different full-size option from the same brand, there is the Moondrop HORIZON.