Star Rail Robin Review — Headfonics

Meldrick reviews the MOONDROP x HONKAI: Star Rail Robin, a new anime-themed ANC and LDAC-capable True Wireless System priced at $119.99.

Disclaimer: This sample was sent to me in exchange for my honest opinion. Headfonics is an independent website with no affiliate links or status. I thank MOONDROP and Shenzhen Audio for their support.

Click here to read more about the MOONDROP products previously reviewed on Headfonics.

This article follows our current scoring guidelines, which you can read here in more detail.

MOONDROP x HONKAI: Star Rail Robin Review

Summary

Even without the crossover branding, the MOONDROP x HONKAI Star Rail Robin stands out as a very competitive pair of TWS earbuds. It combines a well-balanced tuning with solid detail retrieval, engaging dynamics, and a comfortable fit, making it a strong option in its price class.

Performance & Features

8.5

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8.3

Pros

Good Tuning options.

Good Fit and Comfort.

Good Battery Life.

Cons

Lack of Pairing Button.

The Companion App can be hard to navigate.

To most readers, MOONDROP needs little introduction. The brand has built a reputation for high-quality IEMs such as the Variations and Blessing 3, while also venturing into the mainstream TWS space with models like the Golden Ages and ULTRASONIC.

A defining trait across MOONDROP’s lineup has been its playful anime undertones, most evident in the waifu-inspired box art that accompanies nearly every release.

This time, however, the company is going all-in on its otaku gamer roots with the MOONDROP x HONKAI Star Rail Robin TWS IEM.

Don’t let the anime co-branding fool you. At $119.99, the Star Rail Robin is feature-rich with a hybrid dynamic and planar driver configuration, LDAC decoding, and ANC functionality.

The real question is whether this collaboration is a serious contender in its price bracket, or just a clever way to tap into the wallets of ‘gacha’ game whales. Read on for the full review.

Features

As mentioned in the introduction, the Star Rail Robin’s audio engine is built around a 10mm tin-ceramic dome dynamic driver paired with a 6mm annular planar driver dedicated to treble duties.

As a configuration typically reserved for higher-end wired IEMs such as the Tangzu Zetian Wu the Legend, it’ll be interesting to see how this translates in a TWS package.

Yet MOONDROP doesn’t stop at the driver tech alone. Despite its audiophile-grade foundation, the Star Rail Robin comes fully equipped with modern conveniences, including Bluetooth 5.4 with up to LDAC support, Active Noise Cancelling, and multipoint connection for up to two devices simultaneously

Layered on top of that is the Star Rail co-branding, which is more than just superficial fan service; the holographic cradle design, subtle logos on the earbuds, and even Star Rail Robin’s own voice used for system prompts add a distinct personality to the package.

Design

Cradle

The Star Rail Robin’s charging case adopts a rounded cylindrical form, almost like a small jar with a flattened top. This shape makes it noticeably deeper than most TWS cases I’ve used, including the MOONDROP Golden Ages, Huawei Freebuds 3, and Apple AirPods 3.

In practice, the added bulk makes the case difficult to carry in a pocket, often bulging out of most pairs of pants, especially when the included leather cover is attached.

Because of this, I found myself keeping the Star Rail Robin in a small bag, whereas previous MOONDROP earbuds were easily pocketable in jeans.

The exterior is finished in a soft-touch matte white plastic that feels pleasant to hold and resists fingerprints. While its light color suggests it could pick up dirt and grime over time, I did not encounter this issue during my testing.

On top, a glossy plastic panel is embedded into the shell, featuring a holographic print of HONKAI’s Star Rail Robin. Depending on the angle of the light, the print shifts from silver to rainbow hues, playfully highlighting her singing pose.

Opening the case reveals the same matte white finish on the interior, with the underside of the lid decorated by a stylized golden emblem that resembles, but isn’t identical to, the Trailblaze Mission UI icon from the game.

Additional flourishes include a subtle gold foil ring running around the perimeter of the cradle and a stylized “Star Rail Robin” logo placed just above it. Functionally, the case closes securely with a satisfying magnetic snap, and I experienced no issues with the hinge or clasping mechanism throughout testing.

The earbuds themselves are also easy to place back into the case thanks to well-aligned magnetic charging pins.

Earbuds

The Star Rail Robin’s earbud design was honestly the part that excited me the most.

Unlike MOONDROP’s earlier TWS models, which typically featured a main housing attached to a rectangular stem, the Star Rail Robin adopts a shape much closer to the contoured resin shells I’ve come to expect from wired IEMs like the Blessing 3 or Kiwi Ears KE4.

The construction itself is unique, featuring a three-piece design with matte white plastic panels on the faceplate and stem sandwiching a 3D-printed middle section.

MOONDROP partnered with HeyGears to produce this portion of the shell using medical-grade 3D printing, and the result is striking: a blue and purple iridescent finish that subtly shimmers under the light.

It doesn’t demand too much attention once the earbuds are in your ears, but opening the cradle and seeing that flash of color adds a special touch to the unboxing and daily use experience.

Each earbud also carries its own branding cues. The right faceplate features the same emblem found under the cradle lid, while the left is adorned with Star Rail Robin’s icon, both outlined with a subtle golden trim running around the perimeter.

As someone who doesn’t play HONKAI Star Rail, I appreciate MOONDROP’s restrained approach here—they’ve drawn tasteful inspiration from the character without plastering her face across the earbuds.

The result is a pair of TWS that balances being visually striking with remaining wearable and subtle, even for those who have no connection to the game.

Controls

The Star Rail Robin’s control scheme will feel familiar to anyone who has used modern TWS earbuds, including MOONDROP’s previous releases.

A single tap on either earbud handles play and pause, while a double tap skips tracks left for the previous song and right for the next.

Triple taps summon the voice assistant, and a press-and-hold for three seconds cycles between ANC, Transparency, and Standard listening modes. For gamers, a quadruple-tap on either side switches between Music and Gaming modes.

What sets the Star Rail Robin apart is MOONDROP’s signature active mode indicator, delivered this time through Star Rail Robin’s own voice.

Enabling ANC prompts a gentle “Let’s quiet it down now,” while Transparency mode is marked by a playful “I’ve connected you to the outside world.”

Returning to Standard mode triggers “Returning to normal mode,” and switching between Music and Gaming modes is accompanied by “Let’s enjoy the music together” or “Let the show begin.” These charming voice cues add personality to the user experience without feeling gimmicky.

Out of the box, the control layout feels intuitive and responsive, but those who prefer a different setup can easily remap the functions through the MOONDROP Link app.

Comfort & Isolation

One of my biggest comfort issues with previous MOONDROP TWS models was their oval-shaped nozzle. The design only offered a perfect seal at one very specific angle, and if the earbud shifted even slightly, I often had to readjust it.

Since adjustments were made via the touch-sensitive stem, this frequently led to accidental function triggers. I’m pleased to say that the Star Rail Robin completely resolves these problems.

Not only has MOONDROP moved away from the stemmed design, but the nozzles are now round rather than oval, making them far easier to fit securely.

While the included ear tips still retain a slightly oval profile, the round nozzle provides a noticeably better seal compared to both the Ultrasonic and Golden Ages.

This gives the Star Rail Robin’s comfort and passive isolation a feel much closer to traditional wired IEMs.

With properly sized tips, isolation is quite respectable, blocking out a good amount of ambient noise despite the shell’s venting. The vents themselves also help relieve pressure buildup, making the Star Rail Robin comfortable to wear for extended sessions.

Active Noise Cancelling is also present and effective, though not quite on par with class leaders like the Apple AirPods Pro 2.

Still, I appreciated that the ANC implementation introduced no noticeable pressure buildup, allowing for fatigue-free listening even with cancellation engaged.

Cradle & Battery life

In testing, the Star Rail Robin’s battery life came very close to MOONDROP’s advertised 9-hour runtime. With a mix of ANC and Transparency mode usage, I typically managed between 8 to 9 hours per charge.

Once depleted, the earbuds fully recharged inside the cradle in about an hour, which aligned with MOONDROP’s claims. The cradle itself offered roughly three additional full charges, extending total playback time to around 30 hours of mixed use.

Battery status is indicated by three vertically stacked orange LEDs inside the cradle, which blink according to the remaining charge level while the earbuds are topping up.

That said, the cradle carries over one frustrating omission from the Ultrasonic: the lack of a dedicated pairing button.

With models like the Golden Ages, I could simply press the button to force a disconnect from one device and quickly re-pair with another, an especially useful feature given the Star Rail Robin’s support for multi-device connectivity.

Software

The Star Rail Robin is managed through the familiar MOONDROP Link app, available on both the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

The app has received a visual redesign since I last used it, though some UX quirks remain—certain functions are still tucked away in unintuitive submenus.

Upon launching, the app opens to the “Device” section, where all paired MOONDROP products are listed. On version 2.8.1, selecting the Star Rail Robin brings up a menu with controls for ANC, Functions, EQ, Online Interactive DSP, OTA firmware updates, and even a digital copy of the user manual.

The ANC tab allows users to customize the cycling order of the modes, though I found the default Standard – ANC – Standard – Transparency sequence to be perfectly adequate.

In the Function tab, multi-device pairing and proximity-based auto-pause can be toggled, though I would have preferred these to be enabled by default—it took me a few days to realize they had to be switched on manually.

For sound shaping, the EQ tab provides five preset profiles, while the Online Interactive DSP goes a step further by letting users download community-created tuning files. The real strength of this feature, however, is hidden behind a small slider icon in the upper-right corner.

Accessing it unlocks a full 5-band parametric EQ, along with auto-EQ functionality and a “Target” section that applies tunings based on different MOONDROP IEMs.

I found this particularly engaging and enjoyed experimenting with different MOONDROP targets, but I particularly enjoyed the Blessing 3 target, which adjusted the Star Rail Robin toward a more neutral sound signature reminiscent of my own Blessing 3 set.

Unlike the Ultrasonic, the Star Rail Robin no longer allows users to fully remap controls such as tap and hold gestures. That said, the default scheme feels intuitive enough that I never felt restricted by the omission.

Packaging & Accessories

The Robin arrives in packaging that immediately leans into its HONKAI: Star Rail collaboration. The outer sleeve features glossy artwork of Star Rail Robin, giving the box a collectible feel before you even open it.

Inside, the presentation is neat and straightforward, with the earbuds and charging case displayed up front and the accessories arranged underneath. MOONDROP includes a solid selection of extras:

• 3 pairs of silicone tips
• 3 pairs of spring silicone tips
• A leather carrying case
• A USB-C charging cable
• Collectible acrylic brick with Star Rail Robin artwork
• Additional paperwork.

Altogether, the accessory set feels both practical and thoughtfully themed, offering enough variety to get a good fit while adding some unique touches for fans of the collaboration.

Click on page 2 below for my sound impression and wireless performance.

Click on page 3 below for my selected comparisons.

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