Moondrop Moonriver 2 Ti DAC is seriously good

Moondrop Moonriver 2 Ti DAC goes for $190 and this is my review. Read my written reviews with scores at iiwireviews.com/
Support the channel via Patreon (BIG thanks to current patrons!): / iiwireviews
Buy on ShenzhenAudio: shorturl.at/gzVY5
Buy on AliExpress: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DBa...
00:00 About Moonriver 2 Ti
02:48 Sound
06:23 vs Moonriver 2
07:19 vs Shanling UA5
08:32 vs Chord Mojo 2
09:42 vs Topping DX5
11:32 Pairing
12:11 Final Thoughts
Follow me on Instagram for behind the scene stuff: / iiwireviews
Test system:
Eversolo DMP-A6: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DEh...
Gustard R26 DAC: bit.ly/3XLyNCF
Acoustic Invader AMP and PREAMP (Fulcrum version): acousticinvader.com/
Spirit Wind Speakers
KEF LS50 speakers: amzn.to/2ztRg0s
Head-Fi:
Topping A90D: bit.ly/3Mrk0KY
Verum 1: www.verum-audio.com/store
Goldplanar GL2000: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DkW...
AKG K702: amzn.to/3TSlnUF
#hifi #audiophile #dac #stereo

[@fw1968]

Thank you for your reviews!!!

[@cheeky1664]

Great video 👍. I'm proud to be a patreon! 😁😁😁

[@mpalen19]

Thank you for ther review. Love the comparison to the Chord Mojo 2.

[@jmbuchela5424]

Objective review good pace and to the point. You are getting really good

[@niklasnagot6646]

Thank you for your review, this made me order one.

[@user-br4dh7li7e]

Thank you for ther review!

[@carminedesanto6746]

Great review! Thank you , man you had to go to the CHORD to get a clear step up 🤔 in performance. I’ll give these a look , thanks again. 👍☕️🔥🍕

[@sloboat55]

Excellent vid. My Tradutto is sounding better every day. Cool runnings

[@asan1050]

Hey Srboljub Stojanovic ! Thanks Much!

[@armo4594]

Thank you

[@Alex-dj7nc]

Thank you, please do a review on Cayin ru7 and compare it with Cayin ru6, Moondrop moonriver 2 ti.

[@c.k1523]

Nice review. Looks very promising but how would it compare to the M15?

[@phantomplastics6582]

Just got mine. Sounds good but overheated and stopped playing after 30 minutes driving Sennheiser IE600 IEMs. Beaten by the Questyle M15 in my opinion.

[@josecintron85]

Have you had a chance to look at the FiiO KA17 if so how would the Moonriver 2 Ti compares to it? Once again thanks for the great review.

[@alanwilkinson4080]

Thanks so much for your reviews - always EXCELLENT! Would you buy this DAC over the SMSL SU1 and use it in your home system?

[@iiWiReviews]

I find SU-1 to be slightly better sounding as a stationery DAC.

[@alanwilkinson4080]

@@iiWiReviews understood. Many thanks for your reply. Keep up the excellent work. A great channel.

[@aeonikus1]

Any idea how this DAC compares to Apogee Groove or ifi GO Blu?

[@juansebastianlombeidaurgil6009]

Hi, I need to know if the moondrop river 2 Ti is compatible with IPhone 13 Pro Max and the next IPhones (14,15,etc.) Please

[@williammills9700]

How does it compare to the questyle m15?

[@gregoriokakilala5734]

Thank u fir a great review. Does it work w/ iphone?

[@iiWiReviews]

I haven't tried it but every modern DAC I know works with iPhones, you just need to purchase Lightning to USB-C cable separately.

[@pappsa8]

Hi men, how about this against cayin ru6 as sound quality?! Thanks 😊

[@calvinyip364]

Can u review the moondrop dawn pro?😊

[@plattenhansi]

how does the Ti perform against the xdsd Gryphon?

[@mathieuquoi6160]

Thanks for the review. How is the power consumption of this TI version? Is it noticeably draining your cellphone battery?

[@iiWiReviews]

I didn't test that, I switch DACs often to focus on sound quality and keep screen on most of the time when testing. But it heats a bit and provides decent power (up to 250mW) so it can't be very battery efficient. It's just unfortunate physics. Only weaker dongles of 30 to 50mW are more efficient...

[@mathieuquoi6160]

@@iiWiReviews thanks for your reply

[@synaptichorizons]

Wish you could compare the Moondrop Moonriver 2 Ti DAC to the Cayin RU7. Just like you said, was using the Cobalt in my car going from Smartphone (Samsung S23 Ultra) through 3.5mm unbalanced out into the cars 3.5mm Aux In. The RU7 was so much better, actually was stopping the car to see if I had actually changed some settings on the Cars Stereo sound system that I hadn't seen or changed before. But no the RU7 made the Cobalt sound like junk. But hearing you talk about the Moonriver 2 Ti makes me wonder if, the Ti can actually make the RU7 sound like junk? I'm trying out a iFi Gryphon in the car next, because my friend will loan his iFi to me. The car is equipped with the Lexus RX 350 L's best stereo option called a Mark Levenson 17-Speaker Stereo system.

[@erhanozgul5301]

iems and headphones though different may be somehow related but speaker is a completely different output medium. i have a good system with speakers at home but i even think home vs car is again completely different : -). do u ever have any chance of trying those dacs on an iem?

[@Malik08902]

Can you compared this dac with hiby r5 gen 2? Thanks!

[@21gramm31]

hi, I was given a HarmonicDyne Zeus Elite but I don’t have a sound card, I’m looking for something good for these headphones, please tell me what’s better for me to take, does it make sense to overpay for topping dx 5?, will they sound better than Moondrop Moonriver 2 Ti and it makes sense to overpay for topping dx 5. really looking forward to your reply.

[@juliancrun]

I hope the rains have respected the area in which you live.

[@iiWiReviews]

Thanks. Storm was very strong but my part of the city had it easy compared to some other places.

[@sandydennylives1392]

@@iiWiReviews Rain is life.

[@tomwaller2111]

Can these run more power hungry headphones? i have the HD660S

[@mokisan]

Thanks for the review, how does it compare to the shanling m1s just in terms of sound? I know both different product category

[@iiWiReviews]

Ti is noticeably better sounding. M1s is equal to the Hidizs XO.

[@mokisan]

@@iiWiReviews thank you for the reply 😆

[@carlitosgomez71]

How does this compare to your su1 budget king or Sanskrit 2

[@nikokomac3185]

hello is possible to change filters and put in on UAC1 mode to connect with gaming console like nintendo switch?

[@pinoyxbox]

This is better than the questyle m15?

[@andresvr8357]

moonriver 2 ti tiene un sonido mas analogico que dawn 4.4?.

[@jasmeetsinghism]

How does it compare to Hiby HC6 and Cayin RU7?

[@AryanC130]

I have all these 3. So answering the question for future viewers. Fc6 is smoother than moonriver 2Ti, just a touch laid back but the overall freq response is the same neutral clarity boosted but bass is poor in fc6 with flatter dynamics. Ru7 is more dynamic and active sounding of the 3 with a little more thickness and warmth and bass. Soundstage is the worst in fc6 among these. Hope this helps

[@ZAIBYR]

Vs Cayin RU7?

[@chengo51]

Under your recommandation, I bought sometime back, an Hidizs S9Pro. How does it compare to this 2TI ?

[@iiWiReviews]

Moonriver 2 Ti sounds cleaner, more spacious, separates better.

[@WWeiss-nv5vz]

Which has more power?@@iiWiReviews

[@budgetaudiophilelife-long5461]

🙋‍♂️ SRBJ, JUST ANOTHER DAY,PROVING THAT IT IS THE BEST TIME TO BE AN AUDIOPHILE 🤗👍😎💚💚💚

[@iikatinggangsengii2471]

no its not, 2013-2014 was, we had gr7s, rockit, yuins, bloxs, westones, e17k etc

[@tianwang9216]

How is GL2000 pairing with this? Having a GL2000 on hand and trying to find a portable device to pair with my iphone to power it. Also thinking on ifi Micro signature.

[@iiWiReviews]

It works OK if you don't listen loud, bass kick is lacking a bit compared to more powerful desktop devices but general sound quality is OK, especially if you use balanced output because GL2000 can use the additional grunt.

[@sandydennylives1392]

I'd just get the hip Dac 2. Same price, more poweeeer, and longevity. Dangles in my pocket just won't last.

[@dangerzone007]

The Verum one is very low impedance so it would need a lot of current.

[@iiWiReviews]

It is, but it also has very high sensitivity so it works OK.

[@michaelweichhardt]

I just tried Moonriver 2 Ti and Fosi Audio DS1 - while they are vastly different in price - when driving the Austrian Audio Hx60 with it - the Fosi Audio DS1 won by far. The sound was better. For me it felt like I got more detail out of the DS1 than the Moonriver 2 Ti when both had the same volume. I noticed that the Moonriver gives more power, but Fosi will give you the better sound signature. More bass and more goose bump feeling in the mids. This may not be the same for you - since it heavily depends on what you are driving - My Hx60 from Austrian Audio are only 25 Ohms.

[@this_is_lemon]

maybe a stupid question but, does the single ended output on the Ti has a mic support?

[@iiWiReviews]

No it doesn't. Generally speaking, these audiophile DACs don't support mics.

[@masterazlan6999]

Got cheaper but same specs hmm u can say branded as well Aune Yuki.. yup dual cs43198... Peace!

[@dangerzone007]

According to soundnews you can't get a good sound stage out of the small device such as mojo 2. I don't see what the size of the device has to do with it. It's not like the sound is bouncing around inside the box.

[@iiWiReviews]

In absolute terms, big devices have several advantages. For example they can host a high quality linear power supply and more complex output stages (discrete op-amps, more of them, bigger and higher quality coupling capacitors, etc.). In a competent design this will lead to a better clarity, dynamics, and bigger soundstage. But size by itself doesn't mean much if the design is not good and for $190 you can't overbuild a device that way anyway, because budget is the issue too. So good small designs can sound really good if done skillfully, especially if a certain affordable price needs to be achieved.

[@dangerzone007]

I understand that the mojo 2 uses a discrete analogue section.

[@d1str3ss0r]

Hi,how is this compared to Topping DX1?

[@zeroanime01]

I just ordered it will it work well with moondrop variations?

[@Rsalmond83]

Yes

[@m4nc1n1]

Just wish it wasn't over priced. $150 tops I would buy it

[@gddfhjiufcv]

best portable headphone amp and dac is the woo audio wa11 hands down

[@d1str3ss0r]

It’s a 1000$ dac 😂

[@coalmat0071]

Im really wondering how does it compare to Cayin RU7, currently have them in cart and i have no idea which one to go for.

[@iiWiReviews]

I just got RU7 in for a review. Haven't tested it yet but that review is coming soon - before the end of the week probably.

[@coalmat0071]

@@iiWiReviews Ahh, very nice. Looking forward to it.

[@iiWiReviews]

Quick update.... I would go for RU7 if price difference is not an issue.

[@coalmat0071]

@@iiWiReviews yes price is not an issue for me, since u said this, i might as well grab both perhaps, i thought moonriver 2 ti should be a good all rounder dac, curious on what are the key differences btw the two. Can’t wait for the review😆

[@arijitgayen644]

My main focus is bass depth and smooth musical presentation and I hate analytical nature. What stuff can I get under 100usd?

[@lapocasini1246]

Colorfly CDA M1P and Truth Ear Shio. Colorfly is by all acounts better, but its a bit heavy if that matters.

[@arrowzen7433]

UA5 has functionality that Ti does not. Like a battery. Which matters.

[@pascal3026]

wich portable Dac would you recommend up to around 100$?

[@iiWiReviews]

Hidizs XO

[@profound369]

Qudelix 5k still the banger

[@ekjellgren]

How can it sound better if it's the same hardware? Could the original become the same with firmware then?

[@iiWiReviews]

Main DAC chips are the same but volume control circuit is obviously not, and I can only guess there are some other hidden improvements in the circuitry too.

[@aleph0909]

Vs. Hidizs s9 pro?

[@iiWiReviews]

Moonriver 2 Ti sounds cleaner, more spacious, separates better.

[@nezt94]

does your unit volume button rattle?

[@iiWiReviews]

I had to check and yes it does.

[@nezt94]

@@iiWiReviews i thought im the only one that having this rattle with volume button, i just purchased the Moonriver 2 Ti today based on your recommendations. also thanks for the fast response !

[@radicalturkey]

Vs fiio ka5? The play pause button on the ka5 is almost irreplaceable for me...

[@llysender]

Personally I have both and both have their strong points. Ti is more mid forward while having slightly more note weight and has better micro detail. KA5 on the other hand the main advantage is having very low energy drain in class H. KA5 also is thinner but has more intense dynamics while also being generally warmer sounding. So yeah both imo have their pros and I use both regularly with the KA5 being favoured on working days due to it's longevity in battery usage.

[@arrowzen7433]

How does a DAC sound “more powerful” and “bolder” - what does that mean in a DAC?…

[@user-jj5ih9ek3h]

Hi,does Moondrop moonriver 2 ti sound way better than Moondrop dawn (4.4 balanced) or does it only sound a little bit better than dawn 4.4?

[@zeroanime01]

I just ordered mine and i was using the dawn 4.4 too. Ill tell you about my experience and compare them once it arrived.

[@user-jj5ih9ek3h]

@@zeroanime01 Okay

[@zeroanime01]

​@@user-jj5ih9ek3hok so from my ear observation and with my setup, I would say it's worth it to upgrade from dawn 4.4 to this moonriver 2 ti. I noticed tht moondrop variations sounds cleaner and the bass does get punchier. In some song i even noticed tht i can hear something i wasn't able to preceived before using this dac. I dont know tht this upgrade is really possible due to some ppl saying tht upgrading dacs wont change much. But i guess it depends on the person themselves cause i can clearly hear the differences. And im not trying to justify my purchases rn if its shit or dont make any difference I would definitely say so. Im actually impressed tht this thing goes beyond my expectations 😂

[@user-jj5ih9ek3h]

@@zeroanime01 Thanks for sharing your impression.Upgrading DACs does makes a difference…I would also recommend upgrading to a DDhifi TC09S type C to type C cable for further improvement in sound quality for your audio setup.

[@zeroanime01]

@@user-jj5ih9ek3h No problem! And thanks for your recommendations i will look further into tht.

[@matusjurcik6974]

It would be great to know how it would hold against the ovidius B1 :)

[@redrockdejan2507]

Srbo slusao sam kod mene u sistemu Mojo2 i vrlo dobar je DAC ali mi se ne svidja koncepcija sa napajanjem i audio izlazom. Daj mi savet sta uzeti da je adekvatno u poredjenju sa njim a za normalnu cenu.Pozdrav

[@iiWiReviews]

Na pamet mi prvo pada Musician Draco... Odličan R2R DAC koji mislim da bi mogao da parira a mnogo je zgodniji za klasičan sistem. Baš ću ih uporediti ovih dana direktno. Za Mojo 2 review ću odraditi poređenja sa svim što imam a što ima smisla: Topping E70 velvet, Musician Draco, SMSL SU-10...

[@iiWiReviews]

I meni se inače sviđa kako Mojo 2 radi sa slušalicama (samo sam ga tako koristio za sada), dobar je uređaj.

[@redrockdejan2507]

@@iiWiReviews Jedva cekam taj test!

[@paulosilva8200]

Prefer a dap any time ...

[@waynereid6103]

I don't know. I've been looking for a phone uprade, something suitable for my Moondrop Kato's. This all seems positive, but of the vanilla ice cream made with real vanilla type.

[@ezoez7548]

No it’s not worth it. Just spend the money for a BIGASS Dac amp for headphones/ over ears, and deadass like an apple dongle or an LG v60 for iems 1:16

[@cineaudiophile4465]

Hm, so even better than the Topping G5? You seemed pretty impressed with that one.

[@iiWiReviews]

I don't have G5 with me anymore for a deteiled comparison. That said G5 is more powerful for sure but Moonriver 2 Ti has the advantage in soundstaging and layering.

[@cineaudiophile4465]

@@iiWiReviews Cool. Just ordered the Ti!

[@Prxyshj]

Don’t the require tons of invasive app permissions

[@samza9622]

Thanks for nothing this review arrived a bit late for me brought the smsl su-1 based on your review. This dac sounds like it could have been a better buy.

[@johannilsson1088]

What a dumb and entitled comment.

[@iiWiReviews]

Nobody said this is better than SU-1. 🙂 This is the best portable DAC/amp I heard at this price but if compared to a standalone desktop DAC like SU-1... They're roughly the same quality when balanced on Moonriver 2 Ti is used, and SU-1 is actually better if SE out is used on Ti. I was just so focused on comparing this one to devices with similar feature set that it SU-1 didn't make it to comparison... But yes, if desktop DAC without a head-amp is what you need, it's still the go to DAC.

[@gregoriokakilala5734]

What kind of cable from phone to DAC - Ti2? Thank u

[@dangerzone007]

How did you know how to use the mojo 2? Did you take a sneak peek at the user manual?

[@dangerzone007]

If only it had Bluetooth. I find ldac perfectly good enough for my listening.

[@yeghigmikaelian]

can I be your roommate ? i will pay the full rent :)

[@iiWiReviews]

I'm a terrible roommate, blasting music all the time... Sometimes 20s of the same song for 5 times in a row. 😄