MoondropCHU II High Performance Dynamic Driver IEMs Interchangeable Cable in-Ear Headphone

I will be comparing these Chu 2s ($19) to the original Chu's ($20-22), the Tanchjim Zero's ($15-16), and my Gen 2 Airpod Pros ($200-250). I wouldn't call myself an audiophile, but I do enjoy hunting for great affordable sound under $40 and comparing the results. I tend to prefer headphones that have a more flat and balanced sound, in short nothing that has too much added bass.THE SOUND QUALITY:The highs and mids sound on par with the original Chu's and the Zeros (which I found traded blows in sound quality, I couldn't crown one better than the other). Vocals and instruments in that range are very clean, clear, and pleasant. Where these differentiate from its predecessors are in the bass and lows. The sound feels more impactful while not being overbearing or muddy. It has a little more flavor than a balanced flat sound signature but it doesn't overdo the lows. The original Chu's and the Zeros can feel a little lifeless on bass-heavy/prominent songs so I would tend to switch to my AirPods when listening to those types of songs. With the Chu 2s I don't feel that need. The bass feels on par with the Airpod Pros 2 (which is fairly clean) while the highs and mids sound better and clearer in my opinion. The bass sound profile isn't exactly the same as the AirPods, but the difference is too small for me to be able to put into words how they differ.Overall, if I want to use a pair of headphones with the best sound quality capable of listening to any genre of music then I would use the Chu 2s over my daily driver Airpods Pro Gen 2. Otherwise, if I specifically want to decrease the emphasis on the bass for a particular song then I may switch to the Zero's or original Chu's.THE TIPSPersonally, I prefer the white Spring Tips ($13 after market for a single size) that come with the Original Chu's. They are slightly more comfortable and way easier to remove than the ones included with the Chu 2s. The Chu 2s tips are nothing special. They are not bad, but they aren't note worthy either. The Zero's come with similar tips to the Chu 2s, but with way more options in terms of shape and size. You are pretty much guaranteed to find a size that fits well if you get the Zero's. The Zeros also have various size diameters in the hole which I assume is to achieve different sound signatures, but my ears are not sensitive enough to pick up on any changes. I included an image that showcases all the tips included with each pair.THE CABLE AND FITThe Chu 2s win this hands down in my opinion. First off its removable so its easy to replace. It also has a firm soft plastic around where it grips on your ear which makes it obvious on how these are meant to be worn and are quite comfortable. This cable helps negate the downgrade in the tips. It comes with a right angle audio jack. If that doesn't work for your device then you can always swap the cable.The original Chu's had a comfortable fit without the included rubber guide, but selecting the microphone option definitely degraded the comfort for me. The rubber used on the cable could be a little unrully at times. This also has a right angle audio jack.The Zeros are the lightest being all plastic and thus take a little longer to put on properly in a way that comfortable (they also lack an L+R indicator which doesn't help the process). This is the only option with a thin straight audio jack so it will work will if you need to plug it into a recessed port. This product definitely feels the cheapest (which it is by 20-25%) out of the three, but I wouldn't call it bad.REPAIRABLITYBoth the Chu and the Chu 2 have filters that can be replaced. You can tell they need to be replaced if the audio becomes quieter in one ear. A replacement set of filters will run you around $5. The Chu 2s also have the replaceable cable which makes them the clear winner in this category.TLDRAll the IEMs listed are excellent in this price bracket and hit well above their weight. The Chu 2s are the most versatile and sound great with any genre of music and are also the most repairable.

I got the Linsoul 7Hz Salnotes Zeros about a year ago as an upgrade from basic budget earbuds, and have enjoyed them. I wanted a second IEM so one could be for at-home use and one could be for carrying around. I find the audiophile rabbit hole fascinating, but have difficulty hearing and describing characteristics in audio that might be apparent to those folks. So I wanted to try a different IEM and see if I could hear differences from the Zeros. I went with the Chu II's because of the reputation of the original Chu's, and initial YouTube reviews of the Chu II's were quite positive.I've been using the Chu II's at home and carrying the Zeros around. I haven't attempted to A/B them for a careful comparison, so all I can say right now is that I enjoy them both. As far as I can tell, they both have an even response with good presence and are not lacking in bass. Neither have an overpowering bass or a shrill treble to me. The shape of the Chu II shell is a bit more comfortable, and they look a bit more streamlined than the Zeros. Chu II also has a metal shell in comparison to the Zero's shell which is mostly plastic. The Chu II cable has a nice silver color in a clear sleeve and is a bit more pliable than the Zero's braided copper cable. The plug on the Chu II cable is L-shaped while the Zero plug is straight. Both the Chu II and Zero are very easy to drive and work well plugged into a DAC (which is a Scarlett Focusrite Solo for me) or a standard 3.5mm jack from a phone or laptop. Many reviewers seem to prefer the spring tips that came with the original Chus. The Chu II's come with basic tips of varying size. I use the ones that fit the most snugly and they seem good to me.The Zeros and Chu II's seem to be safe budget-friendly choices for a first IEM or to have a few handy. I like them both and don't see one as a clear winner. Perhaps I will give a slight edge to the Chu II because of the look and ergonomics. There are a bunch of other highly touted budget IEMs on the market right now too: the Kiwi Ears Cadenza, Tangzu Wan'er, the Truthear Hola are three that come up a lot. I'm thinking that these also might be safe choices, but that's it's not necessary to acquire all of them because they won't be so different sounding from each other. It would be useful to listen to them side-by-side and somehow be able switch back and forth without delay, but I'm not sure if that is physically possible.Update (10/28/2004)After about one year of regular use, the right IEM suddenly stopped producing sound. These are the IEMs I use for home listening, so I have treated them very delicately. I noticed that this was a recurring issue in other reviews and did some troubleshooting. First I swapped the left and right shells to the opposite sides of the cable; the right IEM was still the one with no output. Then I tried removing the filter from the right IEM and putting the tip back on with no filter (very briefly). The output seems to be normal, so I think it is definitely a filter issue. There was a bunch of gunk on the filter, including some blue stuff (blue ear wax?), so I tried cleaning it with 91% isopropyl alcohol and some q-tips. The filter is a thin piece of metal and an a tiny sheet of paper housed inside of a round enclosure. I gave both of them a good swabbing, and they both appear to be significantly less gunky. After replacing the original filter, the output has improved significantly, maybe to about 50%. I rummaged through my saved box collection to see if I could find the Chu II box in case it had some extra filters, but I can't seem to find it. I think replacing with a new filter will bring the output all the way back, but I'll post an update if I try it.

For the price and for a beginner its good. I’ve used these for basically one year and they still work, I really recommend to buy some extra filters in case of audio imbalance for wearing them for long periods. They fit nice in your ears, super easy to connect just plug in the headphone jack and sound great.