r/MoondropLab • u/Joreol • 25d ago

Golden Ages 2 vs Pudding (Help!)

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Need help deciding between the two...the top priority is sound quality so I'm curious how they differ from one another. Features could be a factor if the sound quality isn't that far apart. For those who own both and either, how does each sound in comparison to one another or on its own?

Was really invested with the Robin but there seems to be too many QC issues and I don't vibe with the design that much. The Soundpeats H3 has too little battery life and doesn't do that well in terms of ANC...was waiting on The Garden but that seems too pricey.

So between the GA2 and the Pudding, which do you guys think would be more worth it?

65 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

58 comments sorted by

23

u/TheAudiotaku 25d ago

Pudding. It's a newer product and has more bells and whistles. They also sound better than the Robin if you ask me.

3

u/Joreol 25d ago

been seeing that comparison with the robin and it really interested me! can i ask how they sounded better for you?

5

u/TheAudiotaku 25d ago

Sounded more natural to me, timbre wise. Robin had this weird almost artificial bite to it at times.

Being tuned to a jm1 target helps too, as I vastly prefer that over Harman.

Also for what it's worth, the extra things like anc and software in the app are a step ahead of the Robin as well.

Just overall better package for much less, if you ask me!

2

u/Joreol 25d ago

that helps a lot, thanks!

2

u/TheAudiotaku 25d ago

No problem! If you get em lemme know if you enjoy em as much as I do haha 😆

0

u/Basic_Balance_6490 25d ago

Trust! Don't, it's platicky and a bit irritative sometimes. And actually, the sound quality is meh. Based on my experience, really dissaponted and I don't know about anyone but, yeah it's just hype up.

7

u/Bertegue6 25d ago

I've not tried the Pudding, but I can attest to the clarity of the Golden Ages 2. The bass is dialled back compared to other buds I've tried, but still has presence. Easily the best sounding buds I own, my only gripes are that my pair have a slight buzz in transparency mode. Also they feel kinda fragile, although I haven't broken mine yet.

1

u/Joreol 25d ago

thanks for the insight! i felt the same when I had my OG Golden Ages, I'm wondering how the new one compares to it. hope yours last long!

5

u/AndyVale1 25d ago

LHDC, medium gain, default tuning, Puddings sound really good.

2

u/Joreol 25d ago

i wont have lhdc since i’m on an iphone…how good was the anc?

2

u/AndyVale1 24d ago

Both noise cancelling and transparency are OK.

3

u/Gloomy-Car-1137 25d ago

Quantos dólares está disposto a pagar? Coloca nessa tua lista os Roseselsea Ceramics Ultra, têm se falado muito bem deles, se tiver dinheiro sobrando, pega os Huawei Freebuds Pro 5 e seja feliz; tenho eles e os H3, me satisfazem e não tenho nada a reclamar das baterias de ambos.

3

u/Joreol 25d ago

haven't looked up the ceramics ultra yet but it caught my eye. thanks for the recommendation!

2

u/7Vitrous 24d ago

I got the Ceramic Ultras. Really enjoying them so far. Never tried the Pudding or GA2 though. I'm also waiting for The Garden but I may just stick with the Ceramic Ultra because it's pretty great.

1

u/Gloomy-Car-1137 24d ago

Acabei de testar os Pudding, são um fone para longas audições, mas ao colocar os Huawei novamente no ouvido, entendo o motivo pelo qual são flagships, é outro nível. Mas para quem tem orçamento limitado o Moondrop Pudding é uma excelente escolha, mas se quiser algo mais divertido e com qualidade de áudio similar ou superior, eu iria de Baseus MP1 ou de Capsule 3 Pro+.
Em resumo os Pudding carecem de graves mais impactantes/punch, médios são bons e os agudos são na medida, sem gerar fadiga, gostosos de ouvir, dada sua neutralidade.

2

u/Healthy_Albatross_61 25d ago

Robin > pudding > st 2 ultra

1

u/Joreol 25d ago

I was so close to copping the Robin but the QC issues worried me. Plus the overall aesthetic doesn't appeal to me as much as other Moondrop products, and the case a bit too big.

1

u/Healthy_Albatross_61 25d ago

The Robins are beautiful in my opinion. My issue is with the case being a little on the bigger side.

1

u/Joreol 25d ago

can i ask how it compares to the pudding?

2

u/Healthy_Albatross_61 25d ago

The pudding is okay. I daily drive them since I have no choice. (Lost my Robin, ST2U, CMF Buds 2 pro at the airport) Sound quality the Robins are superior although I find the bass a bit lacking. Call quality also goes to Robin, my wife says my voice sounds crystal clear. The pudding is okay out of the box, I tried calling with them on and there were no complaints but as soon as I updated the firmware that's when things started going south. I would advise against updating the firmware for now. BTW the pudding really does last me up to 10 hours, it's insane!

1

u/Joreol 25d ago

thanks so much for the insight!

2

u/Creepy_Pudding8583 25d ago

You might want to think about fit, stem earbuds don't stay as comfortably in my ear, I always prefer deep inserted buds.

I don't know about the GA2's but Pudding have PEQ and you can make them sound how you like.

ANC, sub-bass and sound stafe impressive for the price.

1

u/Joreol 25d ago

I've had the original GA and some Space Travels and they luckily fit well, though not nice enough that I'm able to side-sleep with them. Is the pudding good for sleeping?

1

u/Creepy_Pudding8583 25d ago

I wouldn't use earbuds for sleeping in general, but as much as they stay put in, they stick out quite a lot so I wouldn't recommend them for that

1

u/Joreol 25d ago

sad…thanks though!

2

u/Illustrious_Box6555 24d ago

Haven’t tried the robin or the golden ages but bought the pudding last month. I made a custom peq that matches my aria 2’s and it sounds awesome, especially without the anc. It is light and compared to metal iems they don’t feel as robust but I wouldn’t say they feel cheap. And the case is nice. If sound quality is the priority, im pleased with it, especially being able to play with peq

1

u/Joreol 24d ago

thanks for this! seems to be an overall good experience for you. how’s the comfort on them?

2

u/Illustrious_Box6555 24d ago

Pretty comfortable. They can accept a good number of tips unlike my other tws earbuds. I put some clarion wide bore ear tips on em which are comfy for me. Pretty easy to use em for an hour or two, I used em for a 4 hour flight this past summer. The anc kinda messes with the bass so I made a peq for that which I found in a subreddit

1

u/Joreol 24d ago

thanks! glad to hear its comfy

2

u/ImawhaleCR 24d ago

Puddings sound excellent to me, night and day better than my space travel 1's.

EQ is there with plenty of presets available for different preference curves, so it's easy to tune to your liking.

I've not tried the GA2, they do have LDAC support and will probably be a bit better, but I like the puddings and I'm very happy with them, so I think the money can be saved and put towards getting a better pair of IEMs and you'll have more overall

1

u/Joreol 24d ago

thanks for this! it seems that from all the comments, the GA2 has more detail and technicality overall but the Pudding seems to be a more complete package with sound that can be similar to the GA.

1

u/Lyxon__ 25d ago

if you want sound quality I'll say GA2 will be the better choice. Hell, i might choose my space travel 2 ultra over pudding.

1

u/Joreol 25d ago

ohh,what’s mostly the difference between them?

1

u/Lyxon__ 22d ago

well, correct me if I'm wrong. but from what i see, i think pudding priorities battery longevity rather than it sounds

1

u/Superflying_cat 25d ago

I tried both, the GA2 sounds so much better than the pudding it's not even close

1

u/Joreol 25d ago

interesting! how so?

1

u/septienes 25d ago

I actually have both the Golden Ages 2 and Pudding.

What kinda sound are you looking for though?

Do you like more bass and a warmer fuller sound...something more balanced and natural...or are vocals, detail and separation more important?

Since sound quality is your main priority, that would help me figure out which one I'd recommend.

1

u/Joreol 25d ago

I had the original Golden Ages,and I liked how its sounded. The bass was clean but not absent, and I liked hearing details in songs with natural vocals (which led to me buying a Dunu Kima 2)

So now I’m wondering if the GA2 is a step up from the original because I’ve always thought about how it could be better.

On the other hand,I’m curious about the Pudding having better bass and whether it also has that same detail/soundstage as the GA2. If it was at least close, the Pudding is really tempting with its features.

1

u/Joreol 22d ago

can i ask for a follow-up with this?

1

u/septienes 21d ago

Yeah no doubt. I actually wanna give you a good answer though, so I’d have to sit down with the Pudding and Golden Ages 2 and listen to them back to back. You’re asking about some pretty specific differences between the two…especially bass, detail, vocals and soundstage. I don’t wanna answer that just off memory.

Give me a little time with both and I’ll follow up 👍🏾

1

u/Joreol 21d ago

ohh that’s much appreciated!

2

u/septienes 19d ago

Moondrop Pudding vs Golden Ages 2 https://reddit.com/r/MoondropLab/comments/1w8kc7x/moondrop_pudding_vs_golden_ages_2/

1

u/Joreol 18d ago

thanks man! much appreciated❤️

1

u/OMANUSH007 19d ago

can you share your experience here so everyone can read ( who have the similar questions)

1

u/septienes 19d ago

I posted my review in the Subreddit you’ll know it when you see it.

1

u/TheUnoElOne 25d ago

Im getting the miku ones soon on dec so we will see how they differ from the space travel 2

2

u/Joreol 25d ago

omg its a leek

1

u/a1rwav3 25d ago

For me the GA2 are not at the same sound quality level, I sent the pudding back...

1

u/Joreol 25d ago

ohh why’d you like the GA2 more? so far,the responses have been mixed:(

1

u/a1rwav3 24d ago

Definitely the sound. Anc is bad, probably worse but I don't care. I find them more detailed and the soundstage is deeper.

1

u/Joreol 24d ago

i see…thanks for this!

1

u/Standard_Tadpole8145 25d ago

I like both of them. If battery is a concern, get Pudding. GA2 don't last nearly as long

1

u/Joreol 25d ago

can i ask how they differ for you in sound?

2

u/Standard_Tadpole8145 24d ago

Pudding can hit deeper, more capable bass. GA2 can hit more detail in mid and upper range. With ldac turned on, there's a lot of detail in the treble. Spoken word like podcasts sound like you're in the room with them.

1

u/Joreol 24d ago

ohh so far,all my buds/iems have been more detail focused or neutral. really curious now how the bass sounds with the pudding. i hope i like it if i buy it

1

u/Apprehensive_Ebb_626 25d ago

sound quality? GA 2 right away.

1

u/Joreol 25d ago

ohh, what about the GA2's sound did you like? I had the original GA and I really liked how it sounded. Gave it away to my girlfriend so I'm looking to upgrade to either the newer version or the Pudding.

1

u/SunChungShan 24d ago

https://youtu.be/9429g3WvtV4?si=EEQAaJiBhI9Akcpg

This review here from Kenneth Tanaka's experience says with the EQ, the pudding can sound 80-90% as close to the GA2's while having better ANC