Koss KSC75 vs Moondrop Chu II
Which one to buy
Two famous $20 picks that are useful in completely different places. The KSC75 is an open clip-on: airy, clear and close to speaker-like, with no clamp at all, but no isolation, full leakage and light bass. The Chu II is a sealed in-ear monitor with small zinc-alloy shells, warmer and punchier sound, and the average but real isolation of a sealed fit.
The KSC75 is the desk, gaming and glasses-wearer's pick, though a minority of owners never get used to the clips. The Chu II is the one to take outside. Its other advantage is the cable: it detaches with standard 2-pin connectors, so a broken cable is a $10 fix. The KSC75's fixed cable usually fails eventually, and Koss's US lifetime warranty covers it.
Koss KSC75
Best if you listen at a desk or game at home, want something you barely feel, and prefer open, airy sound to deep bass.
Moondrop Chu II
If you need isolation for commuting or the gym, want more bass, and like being able to replace a cable for $10.
| Spec | Koss KSC75 | Moondrop Chu II |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$20 | ~$20 |
| Rating | — | — |
| Type | Wired & Studio | Wired & Studio |
| Noise Cancelling | None | None |
| Battery (single charge) | — | — |
| Battery (with case) | — | — |
| Quick Charge | — | — |
| Codecs | — | — |
| Bluetooth | — | — |
| Multipoint | No | No |
| Driver Size | — | 10 mm |
| Weight | 43 g | — |
| Water Resistance | — | — |
| Wireless Charging | No | No |
| Transparency Mode | No | No |
| Spatial Audio | No | No |
| App EQ | No | No |
Pros & cons
Koss KSC75
- ✓Class-leading clarity and openness for around $20
- ✓Titanium-coated drivers with a wide, airy presentation
- ✓Roughly 43g — effectively weightless, no headband hair
- ✓Runs from any phone or laptop jack (60 ohm, 101 dB/mW)
- ✓Koss limited lifetime warranty
- ✓Massive mod community — headband and pad swaps are cheap and easy
- ✗Ear-clip design takes fiddling and bothers some ears until you mod a headband on
- ✗Zero isolation and full sound leakage — home/desk use only
- ✗Bass is tight but shallow; no sub-bass to speak of
- ✗Bright upper mids/treble can fatigue sensitive listeners
- ✗Build quality is as cheap as the price suggests
- ✗Fixed cable
Moondrop Chu II
- ✓Standard 0.78mm 2-pin detachable cable — the original Chu's dealbreaker, fixed
- ✓Dense zinc-alloy shells with build quality far above the price
- ✓Warm, safe Moondrop tuning that's easy to enjoy on any genre
- ✓18-ohm / 119 dB sensitivity needs zero amplification
- ✓Ships with Moondrop's well-liked Spring Tips
- ✓Tiny shells fit most ears comfortably
- ✗Bassier and thicker than the original Chu — less clean than rivals like the Zero:2
- ✗Included cable is thin, springy, and tangle-prone
- ✗Metal shells add a little weight and cold-touch in small ears
- ✗Average isolation for a sealed IEM
- ✗No mic on the standard version (the Chu II DSP variant covers that)
Koss KSC75 vs Moondrop Chu II: common questions
Is the Chu II or the KSC75 better for listening on a bus?▾
The Chu II. It seals in your ear and isolates reasonably well. The KSC75 is fully open, so you'll hear traffic and everyone near you will hear your music.
Does the Chu II or the KSC75 have more bass?▾
The Chu II, by a clear margin. Its in-ear seal delivers punchy bass, while the KSC75's open clips can't seal, so bass is light and sub-bass is mostly missing.