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Moondrop Chu Wired Headphones Review: Excellence for the Budget Audio Enthusiast


Budget audiophiles can be spoiled for choice thanks to the wide range of excellent, affordable IEMs from various brands based in China, available in India. Lots of ‘Chi Fi’ brands come and go, but one particular brand has been around for a while and consistently produces excellent, value-driven products. Moondrop is famous for its IEMs for mid-range and mid-range audiophiles, and its most recent launch, the Moondrop Chu, has been the subject of some hype in the audiophile world.

Priced at Rs. 1,999 for the variant with inline microphone and remote in India, Moondrop Chu are a nice pair of in-ear monitors with a 3.5mm wired connection, 10mm dynamic drivers, and the promise of detailed audio and neutral tuning. Are these the most affordable audiophile-fit headphones you can buy right now? Find out in this review.

moondrop chu review kit Moondrop

Moondrop Chu comes with ear hooks and a small cloth carrying case

Moondrop Chu design and specifications

Like many audiophile niche products from China, Moondrop Chu shouldn’t be judged by its strange name. The headphones look pretty good for a product priced under Rs. 2,000, with a metal earpiece with an interesting leaf-like pattern. The single product logo on the headphones is on the plastic Y-splitter module on the cable, while the headphones have markings to indicate left and right channels.

Moondrop Chu has a fixed transparent cable with in-line remote and microphone, and a 3.5mm jack for connecting to a source device. Three-button remote with volume and playback controls. You can opt for the variant without the in-line remote and microphone if you wish, for a slightly lower cost at Rs. 1,799.

I found mounting the Moondrop Chu a bit complicated, given how long it takes to get the right fit. The silicone earmuffs seal and hold well, and the ear hooks (supplied in the box) allow the cable to slip in and stay in place for safety, but it always takes a bit of work and time. Take the time to adjust the length of the cables below the ear hooks and snap them into place.

The process does get a little faster over time, but certainly not as easy as on similarly priced products The Ultimate Sound E1000C and KZ Audio ZSN Pro X. However, the Moondrop Chu feels much more solid and premium than the Final Audio and KZ headphones, and also looks a lot better.

Moondrop Chu features 10mm dynamic drivers, 10-35,000Hz frequency response, 28Ohms impedance rating, and 120dB sensitivity rating. The specifications make it easy to drive with even basic power devices such as low-cost smartphones and can be controlled comfortably by Shanling UA2 Portable DACs. The sales package includes three pairs of silicone ear tips, rubber ear hooks, and a small cloth carrying case.

moondrop chu review remote mic Moondrop

Moondrop Chu comes in two variants – one with inline remote and microphone, and one without

Moondrop Chu performed

With Bluetooth headphones becoming more affordable over the past few years and improving sound quality, many people enjoy the convenience of connecting wirelessly with wired and over-ear headphones. However, wired listening has the main benefit of delivering much better sound quality, and the Moondrop Chu delivers convincingly better sound even as the best true wireless earbuds you can buy right now. now.

For this review, I connected Moondrop Chu with OnePlus 9 Pro (Review) with one Shanling UA2 DAC in the middle and uses Apple Music to stream high-resolution tracks. I also used a iPad mini (2019) As an alternative source, connect a headset directly to its 3.5mm headphone jack.

In both cases, I found the Moondrop Chu to be huge; I found the 60% volume level on the iPad to be generally sufficient, while I dared not go above 50% with the Shanling UA2 DAC driving the headphones. The sound is rich and tonal, with the headphones managing to catch up to the strong input signal without any audio issues. With a good fit, the sound is engaging, expressive and full of energy.

With Hold Back Love by Dutch funk trio Kraak & Smaak, the rhythms sound deep and impactful, thanks to the tight, responsive bass on the Moondrop Chu. The mid-tempo tempo of the track allows for a lot of detail to be heard, including faint instruments in the background, and especially in vocals that sound clear, cohesive, and real beyond what I’ve heard anywhere. any input level other than audiophile headphones.

Moving on to more melodic genres, I listened to a cover of Psapp’s Cozy In The Rocket by The Chillout Airlines Crew. The sound is detailed, while the soundstage is spacious and rich, delivering the kind of accurate, immersive sound that only a good pair of IEMs can match. Everything in the track from the soft vocals to the playful melody sounds rich and full of character on Moondrop Chu. While the tight bass tended to get my attention, I found the midrange to be fine-tuned as well.

At times, I found the treble to be a bit harsh on the Moondrop Chu, especially at higher volumes, where the headphones pushed hard. At the same time, the powerful bass also tends to cause a bit of listener fatigue in some bass-focused tracks, such as Limp Bizkit’s Take A Look Around. Like many IEMs in the audio enthusiast-focused category, Moondrop Chu tends to get overwhelmed by fast, powerful tracks, and performs best with progressive, melodious music, especially vocals. house music and soft rock.

The Moondrop Chu is a pair of music headphones at its core, but the microphone has given it a bit of flexibility to use. Call performance was decent indoors, and I even used the headset to record a long audio track in one sitting in a quiet room, to good effect. Oddly enough, using the Shanling UA2 DAC seems to disable the microphone and remote completely, but they work fine when the headphones are connected directly to my iPad.

Identify

There are quite a few decent options for audiophile-grade IEMs for under Rs. 2,000, but none that I had a chance to use was as enjoyable as Moondrop Chu. While the process of installing them is time-consuming and complicated, this is a well-built pair of headphones that make up for its performance shortcomings, especially when paired with a good DAC and High resolution audio tracks.

Minor shortcomings in sound are present, but this is entirely forgivable given the Moondrop Chu’s price tag and its reasonable capabilities as a hands-free headset. Overall, this is probably the best starter IEM I can recommend right now, and an impressive demonstration of what can be achieved on a tight budget, in terms of sound quality.




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