Pairing and Customization

MOONDROP is using the popular entry-level Qualcomm QCC3040 chipset with the Sparks, and pairing worked without a hitch. Take the earphones out of the case and "Moondrop Sparks" will show up in the list within seconds. These are compatible with SBC, AAC, aptX, and aptX adaptive codecs, but lack some of the features the QCC3040 is capable of, such as mirroring and active noise cancellation. It looks like MOONDROP did utilize it better with the newer Nekocake, which leaves the Sparks with some unused potential. There is also NFC on offer to quickly pair the device as discussed before, and it's as per usual relegated to AAC with iOS, but very good AAC at that. Also note that these can be run in mono mode—just take out the desired unit and pair it to play.


We now get to what may vary dependent on where in the world you are, with the Chinese versions supported by HiBy Music, arguably one of the best mobile apps on the market. The international version does not, and MOONDROP instead worked on a first-party MOONDROP Link mobile app that is currently only available for Android devices on the Google Play Store, with the iOS version still in development. I would not hold my breath for it to come out soon, especially with another MOONDROP TWS set being released and no sign of any news on the iOS side of things. The app itself is quite new thus, and the few reviews online at this time are mostly all positive. I have had a generally good experience with it, too.

Once installed, I recommend already having the Sparks paired to the phone, before adding it to the app. As seen in the GIF above, doing so is quite simple, and the newer Nekocake will probably be part of the device list if I were to test it again today. The whole process takes a few seconds before it is on the home page, and the very first thing I did was check for an over-the-air (OTA) update. In hindsight, I should have probably listened to these and do a quick frequency measurement first, but it is generally good practice for consumers to update new device firmware. This sample of the MOONDROP Sparks was thus updated from FW 1.1.7 to 1.1.9 through some less-than-perfect English prompts.


The home page has four menus, of which OTA was the first one. Then comes Custom Touch for the customization of the pre-programmed touch controls in terms of short taps, and multiple ones, as well as longer presses for a variety of actions. In fact, this is where I realized the quick-start guide may have undersold things, or perhaps it was with firmware updates that more of these options were introduced. Nothing out of the unexpected here, however, with the usual assortment of volume control, media playback, and pulling up the smart assistant on the platform of your choice. There are also two specific options for when you get a call, and it's all self explanatory as seen above. The third tab is for EQ, and this one is weird. Okay, fair enough, it only comes up when something is playing through the earphones, but there are just a few presets to choose from, and they are randomly named at that. This is where I really found other such apps doing much better, making this something I want to see MOONDROP improve upon sooner than later. Product Description, the final tab, just brings up the manual to read on the app itself.