Moondrop Chu Wired Earphones Review: Best Audiophile Headset on a Budget

The options for budget audiophiles have become so numerous that it is very difficult to choose one. Thanks to the various China-based brands in India that offer affordable in-ear monitors (IEMs). Many of these brands come and go. But there is one brand that has been around for a long time and continues to make great, value products. Moondrop is popular for its budget and midrange audiophile in-ear monitors. Its latest launch is the Moondrop Chu which is creating a lot of buzz among audiophiles.

The Moondrop Chu is priced at Rs 1,999 in India. It comes with an inline microphone variant and a remote. The wearable looks good and comes with 3.5mm wired connectivity, comes with 10mm dynamic drivers, and promises neutral tuning and detailed sound. Is it the best affordable audiophile-friendly earphone pair currently? Let’s find out in this review.

Moondrop Chu design and specifications

Unlike other China-based audiophile products, the Moondrop Chu should not be judged by its name. For the sub-Rs. 2,000 price range, the product looks pretty good, with metal earpieces with a metal leaf pattern. The only place where the logo is found on the product is on the plastic Y splitter module of the cable. The earpieces only have markings for left and right channels.

The Moondrop Chu has a transparent fixed cable with an in-line remote, a microphone, and a 3.5mm plug for connectivity to the source device. Its three-button remote has controls for volume and playback. If you want, you can also get a variant without inline remote and microphone, which is available slightly cheaper at a price of Rs 1,799.

It took me a while to get the right fit for the Moondrop Chu. The silicone eartips provide a good seal and hold. There are ear hooks (which are provided in the box) that allow the cable to slip in and stay in place. But it takes a little time to adjust the cable length under the ear hooks and get them to fit correctly.

They do get used to and get used to it a little faster, but they’re still not as easy to fit as the Final Audio E1000C and KZ Audio ZSN Pro X that are available at the same price. However, the Moondrop Chu feels a lot more solid and premium than the Final Audio E1000C and KZ Audio ZSN Pro X, and looks good too.

The Moondrop Chu features 10mm dynamic drivers and a frequency response range of 10-35,000Hz. It has an impedance rating of 28Ohms and a sensitivity range of 120dB. These specifications make the wearable easy to use even with basic source devices such as budget smartphones. They can be easily used with the Shanling UA2 portable DAC. The sales package also includes three pairs of silicone ear tips, rubber ear hooks and a small fabric carry case.

Moondrop Chu performance

Bluetooth headsets have become more affordable over the past few years, and their audio quality has also improved. So many people now prefer devices with wireless connectivity over wired headphones or earphones. However, wired connectivity does offer better sound, and the sound quality of the Moondrop Chu seems to be much better than the true wireless earphones currently available.

For this review, I used the Moondrop Chu with a OnePlus 9 Pro paired with the Shanling UA2 DAC and used Apple Music for high-resolution audio tracks. As an alternate source, I used an iPad mini (2019) with a direct 3.5in headphone jack.

In both cases, I found the Moondrop Chu to be quite loud. I found 60 percent volume to be enough on the iPad, whereas with the Shanling UA2 DAC I couldn’t even dare to go above 50 percent. The sound was rich and the tone was excellent. The fit was good, making the sound feel very engaging and full of energy.

The beats in Hold Back Love by Kraak & Smaak sounded deep and impactful, thanks to its tight, responsive bass. The mid-tempo pace also brought out a good amount of detail, including faint instruments and vocals in the background. I haven’t heard anything like this from any entry-level audiophile earphones.

I then switched to more melodic music including Psapp’s Cosy In The Rocket by The Chillout Airlines Crew. The sound had a lot of detail. The soundstage was rich and immersive, which only a good in-ear monitor can provide. From gentle vocals to playful tunes, the tracks had a lot of rich sound. Although the tight bass grabbed my attention, the midrange also sounded quite refined.

At times, I found the treble a bit piercing, especially when listening at high volumes. Meanwhile, the aggressive bass made the music tiring in tracks like Take A Look Around by Limp Bizkit. Like other IEMs in the audiophile category, the Moondrop Chu also goes overboard in fast and high-power tracks. It performs best in melodic and progressive music.

The Moondrop Chu is primarily a musical pair of earphones but the microphone makes it flexible to use. Performance was good during indoor calls and I was able to record a long audio clip in a quiet room with good effects. I was a little surprised that the inline remote and microphone kept dropping when used with the Shanling UA2 DAC, but they worked fine when connected directly to an iPad.

Verdict

There are only a few IEM options under Rs 2,000 that can be called good audiophile earphones. But none of the ones I have used so far have been as enjoyable as the Moondrop Chu. While setting them up is time-consuming and a bit fiddly, when played with a good DAC and high-resolution audio tracks, the performance makes this shortcoming seem quite small.

There are some minor flaws in the sound but these can easily be overlooked given its price and handsfree convenience. Overall this is probably the best star IEM I can recommend at the moment, and is a great example of good sound quality on a tight budget.