Moondrop - CHU (Gen 1 / V1)

Moondrop chu 1st gen, kz zs10 pro. I’m listening now more on kz. Less bass than chu but they are fun sound and make me fell more „inside” music. Guitars and drooms sound awesome but sometimes bass is so hard to notice that i think they’re are broken but on other songs i feel it 🤷‍♂️ planning to buy something better but too much options and i can’t decide and no rush. After all ipod is not high end device but i like using it :) cant stand all this android DAP x)

I've auditioned stuff like the Clear MG and the 800S, but I won't be putting those here. For headphones I have personally bought I'd do something like this: FT1 > 6XX >> 620s >> Bose QC45ii >> M50s/any other ANC headphones I've tried Blessing 2 Dusk >> Moondrop Chu 1 >>> everything else. The FT1 is what blew me away this year for sure, there's only a few things I'd even want changed about its sound, but considering the price I can definitely live with those few minor flaws. For IEM's, I bought Blessing 2 dusks when they came out and have had no desire to switch. MAYBE I'd switch to something with a smaller shell, and that's about it. I bought the Chu 1's for the eartips lol but they don't sound bad. Just annoying to put on and feel a bit cheap.

chu 1 that set a new bar for iems at 20 bucks:

https://preview.redd.it/d04jdm4b16ce1.jpg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b570f65b9c67845ef90070731ecc511bd83d631b Got my pair from Shenzhenaudio, sharing my thoughts in hope I can provide a point of reference for people who are on the fence with this one. *Background* • I quit playing Star Rail when 2.0 released, so I don’t have a clue about Robin as a character, but I think Hoyo-Mix make some great music, so I was pretty excited for this product. • I’m a big fan of Moondrop’s OG TWS, the Sparks, and liked some of their later releases (Nekocake 2022, Moca). *Unboxing and accessories* • Big, beautiful box, acrylic stand – would make an amazing gift for a friend who’s into HSR • Full set of Spring tips + a set of generic white TWS tips • A fake leather case very similar to the one that came with the Sparks – low quality and the top lid doesn’t even fit properly. *Build* • Moondrop’s best TWS yet in terms of how they feel. The IEMs are beautiful, light yet feel solid. • The bottom part of the charging case is smooth and very pleasant to the touch. The top lid is a little flimsy, but at least it’s spring loaded. The lid is also a fingerprint magnet unfortunately. • The charging light inside the case is pretty! *Fit* • My biggest problem with stem-style TWS like the Nekocake and all of its derivatives is that they just don’t stay in my ear. • No issues with the Robin whatsoever – they are smaller than appear and fit like a glove. *Sound and comparisons* • Out of the available sound profiles: Classic sounds like way too much highs; Ultra Bass and POP style are unnecessary bass boosts to an already bassy IEM; Standard and Monitor are the two usable profiles. • No manual EQ in the Moondrop app. • Ranking in terms of tuning from most neutral to most “fun”, I would put the IEMs I currently own in this order: 1. Moondrop LAN / Chu I / Blessing 2 (original) – most neutral, vocal-forward 2. Moondrop Moca – little more “fun” than Lan, but overall a great sweet spot while still being vocal-forward 3. Moondrop Robin / Chu II / Kato – bassier, more laid-back sets. Compared to the others, vocals sound a little muted or veiled. • In terms of details, the Robin is slightly more capable the Lan or Moca, but overall due to the cleaner tuning I still much prefer the Lan or Moca. • Soundstage is better on the Robin compared to Lan or Moca. *Other relevant points* • Firmware version was 1.2.0 out of the box, updated to 1.2.1 via the app. • By default, LDAC and proximity sensor are turned off and need to be activated via the Moondrop link app. • Noise floor is the lowest among any TWS I ever heard. The Sparks, Nekocake etc. have MUCH more noticeable static noise when playing music normally. The Robin is a much better choice for ASMR since during silent sections you almost can’t hear any static. • ANC works alright. I’m no expert on the subject but I guess if this is a priority for you, Moondrop won’t be your first pick. ***TL:DR*** • This is a big step up for Moondrop in terms of build, comfort, and battery life compared to Nekocake and its clones, and finally a worthy successor to the Sparks; • Unfortunately for me, this is tuned closer to the Chu II / Aria / Kato than the Blessing 2 / Lan / Original Chu. I’m too lazy to EQ so will be probably selling these or keeping them for movies/ASMR exclusively.

The fr you show is similar to Moondrop VDSF or Woodenears target, which has a very natural timbre in my opinion. But the main problem in flat and neutral bass are the seal. Depending on the shape of the ear, tips and IEM the quantity varies. And the most used scenario are noisier enviroments (in a house is better a open-back over ear), when you need to compensate lower frequencies. There are two solutions: add a dip in mid-bass like a Harman tuning, or use a low shell filter in lower frequency (90 Hz or less, which uses new Crin target). The 2nd solution change less the timber of male voices and guitars.

VDSF Moondrop is my favorite budget tuning. Gets me just as happy as thieaudios monarch line!

Zero2, Moodrop Chu and other one i dont remember

(amongst the iems have I owned) s tier: kiwi ears ke 4 and truthear hexa a+ tier: Ikko OH10, Pula PA02, Shuoer s12 pro, Sennheiser ie200, Kefine Delci, Dunu Titan S OG a tier: Dunu Titan s2, Tanchjim One, pre revision CCA CRA+ A- tier: Binary Chopin, Tangzu Waner Studio, KZ PR2 pre revision, Tripowin Olina SE B+ tier: Kiwi Ears Quintet, Tangzu Xuan Ji, Simgot EW 200, Truthear Gate and Hola, Tangzu Wan'er SG B tier: Moondrop Chu 2 and OG, KZ EDA Balanced, Kiwi Ears Quartet, Moondrop Aria Snow, FiiO Jade Audio JH3, Tripowin Lea B- tier: 7hz zero OG, Truthear Zero Blue, Whizzer BS1 C tier: KZ CRN D tier: Moondrop Quarks honorable mentions: Koss KSC75 in A minus, Porta Pro in B, Moondrop Space Travel in B-, Galaxy Buds Plus and 2 in A minus along with Airpods Pro Gen 1, and Galaxy Buds 2 Pro in A plus.

Haha yea. I had a m40x before with removed leather and sounded somewhat like what a moodrop chu would sound ( neutral and bright sounding) so when i stop fully working on mixing and mastering, I sold my m40x and only done side work from that time in mixing and mastering using my moodrop chu. The only hard part of mixing and mastering using an IEM is imaging. What i usually do to overcome this issue is to just use my phones speakers lol. But yea, its not recommended but it did work when i work with one of clients for side quests work loll

I own all mentioned but I only wowed a little bit moving from chu 1 and 2 to aria 2 and hexa. If op looking to be wowed by a mile then I think $200 market is the way. Kiwi Ears Quintet will be my recommendation.

Chu, SSR, Castor Pro and many cheaper ones. This is the most FOMO based hobby I’ve ever been in.

Can’t go wrong with the moondrop chus

Dang, I had no idea they're discontinued now. Makes me glad that I have 3 pairs of them lmao. For context I bought a pair to replace my Moondrop Chus bc the cable kept breaking and I kept having to solder them. After a plane trip, I came back and noticed one of the earbuds was missing from the cable, and I thought I had lost it on the plane, so I ordered another pair. Turns out the missing earbuds was somehow under the microwave so I had an extra pair. I also got a pair for my dad at some point, but he didn't really end up using them so they're just sitting around as well. I honestly kinda regretted not buying another earbud to try out, but now that the Holas are discontinued I'm kinda glad I have a few. They're basically flawless. Compared to the Chus, the cable is a lot better and also they don't fall out my ears when I move. The Chu IIs have a detachable cable now but they still seem very heavy.

I have had a few sets of the Chus die on me, both the old ones with the attached cables and one set with the detachable cables. They sound great for the price though.

Not entirely sure at lower price points. The original Chu is pretty close to flat, with a bit of treble bit though.  But as I said if you’re just looking for a great all rounder, you might want to avoid a “flat” IEM. Anything that requires any bass will IMO not be satisfying enough. Hexa although not flat is pretty good for an allrounder.  You might want tri try a cheap IEM first and keep that for a few weeks or months to see what it is you want. Chu or Chu II (more bass) might be a good fit

What's a "meta" IEM for someone who finds most too boomy/bassy with only the cheap Chu **I** being tolerable?

Meze Alba, Sennheiser IEX00, Moondrop Chu/Chu2, etc. There are also plenty of hybrid/tribrid IEMs that are not tiny, but still very appropriately sized. I find DUSK to be pretty comfortable despite being a 6-driver tribrid.

Moon Drop Chu and Chu II work well for me,

The moondrop chus have pretty good bass you should check those out

I haven't branched out too much into IEM's but I've had a few of MoonDrops's and I absolutely LOVE how good the quality is.