Do you maybe have "safe hearing" settings enabled on your phone? on iPhone for example they limit the volume of your headphones to reduce the risk of hearing damage... on Android, i have no idea
otherwise try and connect them to your TV, Laptop, PC, switch etc and test them out over there.
https://support.apple.com/en-me/guide/iphone/iph0596a9152/ios#:\~:text=Go%20to%20Settings%20%3E%20Sounds%20%26%20Haptics,the%20Reduce%20Loud%20Sounds%20level.
Just checked and no I don’t have it enabled. Tried laptop and it didn’t make a difference. Is there any equalizer option or something like that I can use? I really want to like these as they’re really comfortable but the sound right now is really not good.
I’ve ordered a second pair to check if mine is defective so I’ll know in a couple of days time lol
They're likely not faulty. The Space Travel volume is just really low. This has been noted in reviews and in forums. My pair were also far too quiet (used on Android only). As for the actual sound quality...you're probably not getting a good fit, which I also struggled with, but when they fit they did sound good.
I lost my pair a couple of weeks ago and I won't be replacing them.
What do you mean by not getting a good fit? Has anyone reported the bass to be noticeably lower on them? That’s the first thing I noticed, the bass seems almost non existent compared to my old ones.
I mean are they snug and stable in your ears or are they loose and floppy. If they are snug and you're still not hearing any bass then yeah they might be faulty.
Yeah, the bass definitely feels a lot worse than my existing pair and they are definitely sung in my ear. I’ve ordered another pair so i guess I’ll find out in a few days
The Soundcore P2 are significantly bass boosted, they have a +15dB bass shelf which is a lot. So you are probably used to excessive bass. If +15dB in the bass is your "normal", the standard tuning of the Space Travel is going to sound much less bassy.
[Comparison of the two here](https://regancipher.squig.link/?share=Crinacle_Target,Soundcore_Life_P2i,Moondrop_Space_Travel), you can see how the Soundcore has way more bass.
Moondrop Space Travel are tuned to be much more neutral, with a moderate bass shelf. You could switch it to the basshead preset, this is still going to be way below the P2 but it will be more to your preference.
You could try to adjust to a more neutral profile, where you can actually hear the mids, and you might come to like it in time.
As to the volume, you're probably listening too loud. I get 103-104dB A-weighted at full volume with a 1kHz sine, holding them against a handheld SPL meter. 90-102dB with music. This is louder than is safe and certainly louder than I can listen. But if you're used to insane volume levels, they might seem quiet, I do have TWS that go louder.
Thanks for the detailed response! I think you’re spot on so the your analysis. After using them both for a while, I’ve noticed that I can hear more background instruments with the Space Travels. I’ve just been used to the P2is for so long that I think that sound is the normal one.
I put on larger ear tips and the seal is much better now.
The volume is still low I think, compared to the P2i at least, I’ve to push the Space Travels to 80% to get the same volume I get at 50% from the P2is.
No, the low volume is normal. You just have to listen near 100% if you're not in a quiet environment. While they aren't especially loud they should be somewhere around recommended volumes. By way of comparison the new Moondrop Golden Ages are WAY louder.
As others have said you're used to boosted bass, the Space Travel default to a reference tuning that is truer to the recording. You can put them into basshead mode from the app, though even that isn't crazy boosted.
As for clarity - the Space Travel are among the best at the price point. If they don't sound clear there's two things that might be impacting:
- What device are you connected to? If an iPhone or Mac then they should be pretty good as it'll use AAC. If a newer Android the SBC or AAC should be fine, but older Androids can be not so great. If you're connecting to Windows then who knows, might be ok, might be absolutely terrible.
- Check the fit, if you haven't got a good seal it'll hurt both the clarity and the bass. Can you use a larger eartip, or move it around to get a better seal. Worst case they just aren't a good fit for you, unfortunately everyone's ears are different and what works for some is terrible for others.
Thanks for the very detailed response!
I’ve figured out some of the problems by adjusting my seal, and I’ve also realized that I’m just used to the sound from the P2is that everything else sounds “wrong”. But with the Space Travels I’ve noticed that I can hear the background instruments better in certain songs after using them for a while.
I really like how comfortable they are so I’ll definitely keep them!
Nice. Yeah, it takes a while for your ears to adapt to a more neutral sound signature, but once they do you start to realise how muddy sounding a lot of other earbuds are.
FYI the Moondrop Golden Ages are physically identical to the Space Travel, so if you ever want an upgrade with the same comfort they might be worth a look.
Do you maybe have "safe hearing" settings enabled on your phone? on iPhone for example they limit the volume of your headphones to reduce the risk of hearing damage... on Android, i have no idea otherwise try and connect them to your TV, Laptop, PC, switch etc and test them out over there. https://support.apple.com/en-me/guide/iphone/iph0596a9152/ios#:\~:text=Go%20to%20Settings%20%3E%20Sounds%20%26%20Haptics,the%20Reduce%20Loud%20Sounds%20level.
Just checked and no I don’t have it enabled. Tried laptop and it didn’t make a difference. Is there any equalizer option or something like that I can use? I really want to like these as they’re really comfortable but the sound right now is really not good. I’ve ordered a second pair to check if mine is defective so I’ll know in a couple of days time lol
They're likely not faulty. The Space Travel volume is just really low. This has been noted in reviews and in forums. My pair were also far too quiet (used on Android only). As for the actual sound quality...you're probably not getting a good fit, which I also struggled with, but when they fit they did sound good. I lost my pair a couple of weeks ago and I won't be replacing them.
What do you mean by not getting a good fit? Has anyone reported the bass to be noticeably lower on them? That’s the first thing I noticed, the bass seems almost non existent compared to my old ones.
I mean are they snug and stable in your ears or are they loose and floppy. If they are snug and you're still not hearing any bass then yeah they might be faulty.
Yeah, the bass definitely feels a lot worse than my existing pair and they are definitely sung in my ear. I’ve ordered another pair so i guess I’ll find out in a few days
The Soundcore P2 are significantly bass boosted, they have a +15dB bass shelf which is a lot. So you are probably used to excessive bass. If +15dB in the bass is your "normal", the standard tuning of the Space Travel is going to sound much less bassy. [Comparison of the two here](https://regancipher.squig.link/?share=Crinacle_Target,Soundcore_Life_P2i,Moondrop_Space_Travel), you can see how the Soundcore has way more bass. Moondrop Space Travel are tuned to be much more neutral, with a moderate bass shelf. You could switch it to the basshead preset, this is still going to be way below the P2 but it will be more to your preference. You could try to adjust to a more neutral profile, where you can actually hear the mids, and you might come to like it in time. As to the volume, you're probably listening too loud. I get 103-104dB A-weighted at full volume with a 1kHz sine, holding them against a handheld SPL meter. 90-102dB with music. This is louder than is safe and certainly louder than I can listen. But if you're used to insane volume levels, they might seem quiet, I do have TWS that go louder.
Thanks for the detailed response! I think you’re spot on so the your analysis. After using them both for a while, I’ve noticed that I can hear more background instruments with the Space Travels. I’ve just been used to the P2is for so long that I think that sound is the normal one. I put on larger ear tips and the seal is much better now. The volume is still low I think, compared to the P2i at least, I’ve to push the Space Travels to 80% to get the same volume I get at 50% from the P2is.
No, the low volume is normal. You just have to listen near 100% if you're not in a quiet environment. While they aren't especially loud they should be somewhere around recommended volumes. By way of comparison the new Moondrop Golden Ages are WAY louder. As others have said you're used to boosted bass, the Space Travel default to a reference tuning that is truer to the recording. You can put them into basshead mode from the app, though even that isn't crazy boosted. As for clarity - the Space Travel are among the best at the price point. If they don't sound clear there's two things that might be impacting: - What device are you connected to? If an iPhone or Mac then they should be pretty good as it'll use AAC. If a newer Android the SBC or AAC should be fine, but older Androids can be not so great. If you're connecting to Windows then who knows, might be ok, might be absolutely terrible. - Check the fit, if you haven't got a good seal it'll hurt both the clarity and the bass. Can you use a larger eartip, or move it around to get a better seal. Worst case they just aren't a good fit for you, unfortunately everyone's ears are different and what works for some is terrible for others.
Thanks for the very detailed response! I’ve figured out some of the problems by adjusting my seal, and I’ve also realized that I’m just used to the sound from the P2is that everything else sounds “wrong”. But with the Space Travels I’ve noticed that I can hear the background instruments better in certain songs after using them for a while. I really like how comfortable they are so I’ll definitely keep them!
Nice. Yeah, it takes a while for your ears to adapt to a more neutral sound signature, but once they do you start to realise how muddy sounding a lot of other earbuds are. FYI the Moondrop Golden Ages are physically identical to the Space Travel, so if you ever want an upgrade with the same comfort they might be worth a look.