Moondrop
Moondrop Chu II
The original Chu was the $20 IEM that broke the internet; the Chu II fixes its one fatal flaw by making the cable detachable via standard 0.78mm 2-pin connectors, so a snagged cord no longer kills the whole earphone. You still get tiny zinc-alloy shells that look and feel like they cost several times the price, and a 10mm dynamic driver tuned to Moondrop's house curve — though owners note this one is warmer and bassier than the near-neutral original, with thicker mids and softer treble. At 18 ohms and 119 dB/Vrms it gets loud from literally anything with a jack, no amp or dongle upgrade required. It remains a superb first IEM: safe tuning, grown-up build, real accessories including Moondrop's Spring Tips. The caveats are honest ones for the money — the included cable is thin and tangly, the metal shells can feel cold and slightly heavy in small ears, isolation is average, and owners who compare it head-to-head with the 7Hz Zero:2 tend to prefer the Zero:2's cleaner, more balanced presentation. There's also a DSP variant with USB-C and a mic if you're dongle-averse. For a gift, a gym beater, or a first step out of gas-station earbuds, it's still one of the easiest $20 recommendations in audio.
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Specifications
Highlights
Pros
- ✓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
Cons
- ✗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)
Owner Insights(600 discussions)
The Chu II is Moondrop's do-over of the most famous $20 IEM ever made, and owner sentiment treats it as the apology accepted: the original Chu's fixed, microphonic cable and anemic low end are gone, replaced with a standard 2-pin detachable cable and a warmer, lightly V-shaped tuning on the same startlingly nice zinc-alloy shells. As a first IEM or a beater pair, it's one of the two or three default recommendations in every budget thread.
In use it's friction-free: any phone dongle drives it, the small metal shells disappear in average and smaller ears, and the tuning flatters pop, anime OSTs, and vocals — Moondrop's signature — while keeping bass punchy enough for daily fun. The gripes are small-bore: the metal adds weight some ears notice over hours, the stock cable is thin and tangly, the celebrated Spring Tips don't fit everyone, and upper mids can edge toward shouty when cranked. Nothing on it fails structurally, and the detachable cable means the one part that dies on cheap IEMs is now a $10 fix rather than a funeral.
Buy it if you want the safest-tuned, best-built $20 IEM — especially with smaller ears. Its eternal sparring partner is the 7Hz Salnotes Zero:2, which counters with bigger sub-bass and a slightly more open stage in a bulkier plastic shell; owner threads genuinely split, with 'get the Zero:2 for bass, Chu II for vocals and build' as the standing verdict. The next real step is the Truthear Hexa at ~$85 — the upgrade owners actually mean when they say 'this hobby escalates quickly.'
Pros
- +Fixes the original Chu's two biggest sins: the cable is now detachable (standard 2-pin) and the tuning gains bass warmth, so long-term owners call it the Chu 'done right'
- +Zinc-alloy metal shells with a finish owners say looks and feels like a $100 IEM, not a $20 one
- +Light V-shaped take on the modern neutral target: punchy bass, clean vocals, inoffensive treble — an easy first taste of 'correctly tuned' audio
- +Small shells fit smaller ears that chunky budget rivals like the Zero:2 overwhelm
- +Trivially easy to drive from any phone dongle or laptop — no amp conversation at all
- +Included Spring Tips are genuinely decent, and the whole package (case-pouch, tips) is unusually complete for $20
- +A DSP (USB-C) variant exists for owners who want the tuning EQ'd at the plug
Cons
- −Metal shells make it heavier in-ear than plastic rivals; a few owners report seal fatigue on long sessions
- −Non-vented-feeling fit builds pressure for some ears — the 'plugged sensation' complaint appears in longer wear reports
- −Included cable, while detachable now, is thin and tangle-prone — most upgrade to a $10 aftermarket 2-pin eventually
- −Sub-bass rumble is modest next to the 7Hz Zero:2, which most head-to-heads pick for bass texture and stage
- −Stock Spring Tips divide owners: harder to insert, easier to pop loose, and some hear zero benefit over generic tips
- −Slight upper-midrange forwardness can make hot female vocals shouty at high volume
- −No mic option on the standard cable — calls need an aftermarket cable or the DSP version
Common Questions
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