Moondrop Chu Review: THE IEMs To Get Below ₹5,000

Moondrop is famous among audio enthusiasts for its IEMs (In-Ear Monitors), and for a good reason. The relatively new audio firm (founded in 2015) has offered a series of hits over the past few years and has established itself as the brand to watch out for in the IEM segment. Its IEMs usually punch way above their weight.

The Moondrop Quarks and the Moondrop SSR/SSP offer excellent audio for less than ₹5,000. Of course, the company also sells high-end IEMs like the Blessing 2, the S8, and the Solis, which cost upwards of ₹20,000, but even they offer better audio than most similarly priced earphones.

Recently, the company launched the Moondrop Chu, which cost just ₹1,899. They have generated a lot of excitement in the industry, and we managed to get our hands on them for review, thanks to Headphone Zone. We tested them over the past few weeks, and here’s why we think they’re the IEMs to get in the sub-₹5,000 price segment.

In Box Contents

1. Moondrop Chu Earphones (IEM)
2. Three Pairs Of Ear Tips (Small, Medium, Large)
3. Two Ear Hooks
4. Fabric Carrying Pouch

Design, Build, And Comfort

Despite their relatively lower pricing, the Chu offers excellent build quality. Their housing is made using metal alloy, which is uncommon in this price segment. The earbuds (housing) feel dense, weighty, and have a tight build. The cable attaches to the housing in such a way that you have to wear the earphones in a traditional IEM way: behind the ears. So, if you’re someone who doesn’t like that styling, you probably won’t like Moondrop Chu’s design.

Speaking of the cable, it is well built and thick (in a good way). In comparison, some of the earbuds I’ve tested over the past year, including the Final Audio E1000, Final Audio E3000, and the Soundmagic E10C, use thinner cables that don’t inspire a lot of confidence in terms of durability.

There’s an in-line three-button remote, too. You can play or pause music, adjust the volume, and answer calls. Unfortunately, the cable has a 3.5mm unbalanced termination, and it is non-removable. So, you can’t use a cable or a termination of your choice. That’s the only major gripe I have with these earbuds.

In terms of comfort, I have no qualms with the Moondrop Chu. I could wear them for hours on a stretch without any issues. The company has bundled three pairs (small, medium, and large) of its premium Spring Tips with the Chu. They are soft, fit well, and offer excellent sound isolation. The earphones also come bundled with ear hooks and a fabric carrying pouch of decent quality.

Audio Quality

The Moondrop Chu offer well-balanced audio compared to most IEMs in the price segment. The 10mm dynamic drivers inside these earbuds have a titanium-coated diaphragm and an ultra-black CCAW coil. I used Apple Music and Hi-Res tracks to test the Moondrop Chu. The earphones do justice to almost all music genres, thanks to their well-thought tuning.

Low-End (Bass)

Starting with the low-end, there’s not a lot of bass here, but whatever is present is enjoyable. The low bass is slightly boosted, which gives the overall low-end output some weight. You can notice a good amount of rumble in certain tracks, especially in EDM and hip-hop. Still, if you’re a basshead and are accustomed to bass-leaning earphones, you may not like the Moondrop Chu.

Mid-Range (Vocals)

The mid-range is impressively clear. The earphones lean slightly towards the upper mids, offering a sparkle to the vocals that impress in various vocal-heavy tracks. That slight lean towards upper mids also shows the separation between instruments and vocals.

High-Range (Treble)

The earphones excel in high-frequency audio reproduction, at least for their price. They resolve a good amount of details. Highs are detailed and sparkly but not over the top. They sound airy, too. Unlike some other IEMs, the Moondrop Chu walks a fine line when it comes to the reproduction of higher frequencies. They offer a good amount of sparkle, but they never sound harsh or have sibilance in the S and T sounds.

Imaging & Soundstaging

The imaging is good, and the instruments have decent separation and placement but don’t expect to be blown away by the soundstage on these earphones. Compared to some higher-end IEMs from Moondrop, the audio sounds slightly thin, but that’s to be expected at this price.

Overall, I am quite impressed with the audio performance of the Moondrop Chu. They sound fairly neutral and have good imaging and soundstage. What more could you ask from earphones that cost just ₹1,899?

Do You Need Amp To Drive Moondrop Chu?

No, you don’t need a dedicated amplifier to drive the Moondrop Chu. Similar to most other IEMs, they can be easily driven by a smartphone, laptop, or PC, thanks to their higher efficiency (120dB/Vrms). However, they would sound better if you use a separate DAC.

I used them with the Shanling UA1 Pro to connect the Moondrop Chu to my Galaxy S22+, Shanling UA2 to connect them to the iPhone 13 Pro Max, and used them without a DAC while using them with my MacBook Pro 14. I also tested them using my Gustard H16 and iFi Zen DAC when listening to music on my PC and Mac.

Verdict

The Moondrop Chu are probably the best IEMs in their price segment. By spending just ₹1,899, you’re getting neutral yet enjoyable audio, decent soundstage, comfortable fit, and good build quality. Moondrop has made the whole package even sweeter by offering good quality ear tips, an in-line mic, a three-button remote, and a decent carrying pouch.

I would’ve liked them even more if the earphones had a replaceable cable. But at this price, this is me really nitpicking, and there’s nothing I can complain about.

If you want to buy inexpensive IEMs that sound neutral, you should not think twice and go ahead and get the Moondrop Chu from Headphone Zone. You would really like these if you’re a budding audiophile. You can try these out and then dip your toes in the mid-range IEM segment. You can later get more expensive IEMs like the Moondrop Aria.