Moondrop - Chu II DSP

sub bass and punchy...out of those 3. Perhaps go with the x Crin Zero 2s. I have them and I EQ to get my desired sound There's enough rumble way down there as well as good clean hits. Chu2 is slightly V shaped...has bass, not dull or flat. But it doesn't have the rumble when I want that (EQ couldn't get it there😅) No opinions on the Wan'ers because I don't own those

I WHOLE HEARTEDLY AGREE WITH YOUR POINTS: https://preview.redd.it/vwxf7i53neye1.jpeg?width=2377&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9aafdf70e38f01e9e6e88692e4c7f79caca103d8 This is MY collection...and I'm very early in the journey. I don't have the budget, knowledge or experience to blind buy a 500USD+ set of in ears that may or may not fit my ears or my preferences. While my journey doesn't completely fit OP's blueprint...I have/had the same thought process regarding purchasing IEMs. Not pictured are the Moondrop Chu 2 and 7Hz Sonus. I started with the Chu 2, 7Hz Zero 2 and Kiwi Ears Cadenza. From listening, watching and reading reviews...I was able to learn about all the terms, labels, and vocabulary to describe what I like or don't like. I threw money at the Wyvern Abyss...I mean...LOOK AT THEM😂. The Kz Castor Bass was a curiosity buy...want to hear if a set touting bass response was really that bassy. My next steps were the NiceHCK F1 Pros, Kiwi Ears Canta and the 7Hz Sonus. The F1 Pros and the Sonu were on sale at the time of purchase...good value and able to narrow things down more for myself. I knew I liked the planar sound...I have a set of open ear planar cans. The F1s felt disappointing (until I tip rolled) The Sonus was about much for my taste (in the mids) The Cantas were quite nice for me. By this point...I had a good grasp of what I was looking for and the direction (s) I want to go in. AFUL Performer 5+2 is currently my go-to...for all around listening. Sourced from R2R DAC lined out into a desktop tube amp. It's like a warm blanket on crisp bright and snowy winter day. I picked up the Hexa because I wanted to hear the hype...and yes...they definitely fulfill the hype and then some. I've EQed my IEMs... especially the planar. They can mimic the sound...but it's only a part of the equation. I now rotate through 3-4 sets at my desktop listening station. The cheapo ones all have 3.5mm out for around the house or for bed. If they break...ill decide if I want to replace. Tip rolling is a journey of itself. Some tips can dramatically change an IEM and rescue it from the bottom of the pile. My Planars now sport foam tips...easing off the treble was huge. Anyway...long post...if you got this far thanks for sticking with my diarrhea of words. TLDR: I agree with the OP

OP... don't get rid of your Astral. Someone else mentioned it already...but it's a lack.of reference that has you second guessing. EQ (parametric EQ) is a good tool. It can help you fine tune the sound of the IEM to your liking. But...the IEM should sound good to you out of the box. HD550...hmmm... just go for the legend. Save for the HD600. I wrote down my experiences and things I learned as a beginner [Posted here](https://www.reddit.com/r/iems/s/u2D7CWFQw9) Go and find all the reviews you can on the Astral. Listen to the terminologies and try to associate what you hear from the Astral. Then pick up a budget set or two (if you want to learn) watch those reviews from the same reviewer. See if you can hear what they are hearing...and establish a frame of reference. Hope that makes sense. Outside of that...you picked a really good IEM. Stick with it. HD

check the community recs for under 50...that's where I started (kiwi ears cadenza, Moondrop Chu 2, and the 7Hz Salnotes x Crinacle Zero 2) There should be enough of a difference between 2 of those sets to start getting a frame of reference. You'll likely hear the differences between those and your Astral

1. Moondrop Chu2 Chu2 DSP 2. Truthear Gate 3. Fiio JD1 4. KZ Castor Pro 5. Tangzu Wan'er SG 2 These are the most famous in the category, check out reviews to properly identify which one suits you, according to your mention it might be CHU2 DSP. Id suggest sticking to buying from Headphone Zone in India as I've found them reliable.

Okay let me explain to you in simple terms so that you can get a clear picture 1. what are you chasing which made you think of buying IEMs, sound quality, or ease of use / comfort / trending recently 2. If your answer is sound, spending about 1.5K any audiophile would suggest getting a DAC aswell , currently you'll find good cheap ones for sale at headphone Zone I saw one for about 800-900, Now why a DAC, imagine driving a nice sports car but you can only go upto 4th gear because 5th 6th gear is locked. That is what using an IEM without a good dac is like, it's not bad, but you'll truly appreciate your IEMs with a DAC 3. That's why I recommended the Chu 2 DSP the DSP in a way stands for DAC 4. If you can't fork out 2.5k or will think about purchasing a DAC in the future, you can consider either the Chu 2 non DSP (no mic) or others like Tangzu Wane'r SG 2, Thruthear Gate, fiio JD1 7hz x crinacle Zero, etc 5. Doubts about Chu2's being bassy, you won't have a problem, while in IEM space they may be called bassy in normal consumer earphones or headphones markets they would be called neutral or balanced, such is the depth in IEM community that some people would find even the CHu 2 bassy. Best case is to watch reviews, and honest tip, don't sweat it, most of the iEM's in 1500range are good enough and will do a great job for you I have used the Chu 2's previously before I made the expensive jump to Moondrop May's My friend owns the Tangzu Wane'r SG2 both are good options if you want our personal experience. The company to avoid for newbies is KZ as their models can be hit or miss, atleast IMO but they aren't necessarily bad.

Sound Difference between Chu 2 and Waner SG2 : Chu has slightly more bass and vocals are slightly louder, Wane'r is more neutral with slightly more treble and less bass. I found Chu to sound more fun and much easier to approach for beginners. Both are extremely comfortable, no issues on that front Between Wane'r and JD1, JD1 are slightly more similiar to chu You can check review if required

https://preview.redd.it/f2s7rppy9goe1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cd3bdc5932eff081f7dc601ebdfe609504dc18b6 I am using the moondrop chu 2 dsp since last month (my first iem). The reason behind choosing this is to listen to good quality audio and be able to take calls in between. Though the stock cables are kind of nice, I went ahead and replaced the stock cables, because on my macbook, it was only outputting 96 khz/24 bit max. Hence, I got the cheapest available audiocular cable at around $ 10-12, with mic and 3.5mm jack, along with the abigail pro dac. Now I am able to listen to 192 khz/24 bit (as supported by Apple Music). The sound now is better enough for me (not an audiophile btw). Regarding eartips, I have just ordered the moondrop silicon spring one's, even though the stock ones are not bad at all. Should be able to comment on it once it arrives. Hope this helps.

Best value??? Hmmm… 🤔 Well, from my relatively small sampling of IEMs between $20 and $250, I would offer two options: 1. Best value based on overall sound performance? Truthear HEXA is my personal choice. Yes, as many point out, they can be clinical sounding to some. Fair. They are not overly musical. But, put on some Acoustic tracks, Steely Dan, The Eagles and the like and you will have a helluva listening session. 2. The DSP version of the Simgot EW300 is the best value for the money in my view. They are very versatile and, if you have a USB-C device, the EW300 are plug and play easy. Those and the DSP version of the MoonDrop Chu 2 are my go to recommendation for friends and fam wanting to try IEMs for the 1st time.

My first iems were the chu 2s dsp, i love their fit but i had to eq it quite a bit to get more bass (i love bass) Then i get the t10s and omg i love those everything about these is perfect and they eq quite well (the only con for me was the plastic shell and they dont look really appealing) a great iem Recently i got the moondrop may (i might become a moondrop fan) havent had much time with them and they are the only set i havent eqed yet, but im happy with thier tuning Also i got an android mp3 player for cheap its called the "m1" with no company name but its alright I also have the kiwi ears allegro mini and dunu s&s eartips coming ! I was looking at other iems to complete my collection and have a new exprience i have 3 options in mind : The aful explorer (will push my budget a bit its around 130$) The kiwi ears quartet (for 100$) cklvx d41 (for 85$) I love bass, i listen to edm, hyperpop, hiphop, pop, shoegaze, j rock and a bit of everything I cant buy from amazon due to my country being a shithole so i need to buy locally Thanks for reading and give me your recommendations please !!

Already ordered mine Those and the 7hz zero 2 I have the chu 2 They’re amazing The wan er too And the 7hz zero (original)

I guess for music it depends on your taste Wan er have vocal focus Chu 2 is more fun well balanced and analytical Kz castor pro bass edition is for those who like a lot of bass For gaming I recommend you get the chu 2, it has better sound stage and imaging (I have all those iem btw) it’s my favorite music wise gaming wise and comfort wise (wan er is too big and kz castor doesn’t fit right on me) BUT you should see reviews for all of them and decide based on your taste I don’t recommend the wan er if you think about gaming with it, it’s uncomfortable and fatiguing after some time If you think about gaming over music pick the chu 2 If you like a lot of bass pick the castor If you think about music pick the chu 2 If you think about music but like vocal forward with a little bit extra bass, pick the wan er

Meine to 1-2 hafte pehle chu2 dsp liya hai, full maje. Can be tuned using moondrop app + wavelet pro. Got it for 2.3k from concept kart. You can get unboxed version for under 2k.

I say Moondrop CHU 2’s, either DSP (USB-C version) or the analog version. They are tuned to a light V-shape to which they have impactful bass over other IEMs like Tanchjim Bunny’s which are more vocal-focused and bass-lean The shell is small as well, I have small ears, it fits me wonderfully. EDIT: if you plan to get analog, I would pick up a dongle like the Apple USB-C to 3.5 mm dongle that’s 10$. Ignore this recommendation if you live in the EU as that has less power than the US version

Add the delci, T10, zero 2, zero red, S08, chu 2, gate. I haven't heard it but the hexa is "light on bass," but I heard they're excellent otherwise. Personally I would get the T10 or S08 because they're planars. I have a zero red, gate, chu 2, zero 2. In terms of out of the box sound I find the Chu 2 to be the most exciting and lush and the most comfortable (it's absolutely TINY). I found gate too bright and the zero 2 kinda weak in note-weight but all of these things are "well tuned". If bass is your thing the zero red with some mucking around with PeaceAPO on PC (like matched to a singularity) absolutely *delivers.*

I have the space travel and just got another space travel for my gf and a chu 2 despite people saying it's bright, because it squigs nearly the same as the zero red just with more bass everywhere. I think the metal shell is a nice touch.  At first i didnt like the space travels sound. It has a Bluetoothy poor resolution. After grocery shopping with it for 2 hours i was left impressed. It is tuned very well and I dont get a harsh or metallic sound, theyre smooth everywhere and have good bass. The only down side for the price is my dunu tips dont fit in the charging case and the OEM tips suck. ANC and transparent modes work well enough but the voiced translation between them is off with "hmm", "hey", and "sleep". Highly worth the price. 

Chu 2 competes with my mp145 if youre not paying attention to the lushness. The T10 is probably better but for the $20 bracket the chu 2 is an easy win because its so tiny itll fit in anybodies ears. 

I think there's better options than all of those for gaming specifically but gaming/music it will be the same thing, there's not really a specific "for gaming" IEM, they can be used for anything, the biggest factor you'd want to consider is probably if there's an optional mic and whether the soundstage and imaging are decent... which is hit or miss. Less bass, $80ish Truthear Hexa. It's the only one I'll mention that I haven't heard. Neutral with slight bass lift, Truthear Zero Red but it has a huge nozzle that many find uncomfortable, these are large IEMs. I use these for gaming with a different cable that has a mic. When using the 10-ohm adapter it takes away the shrill from gun shots in video games that plagues all of my budget IEMs. You think you don't want bass - but I'm telling you that if you listen to sharp sounds like gun shots you DO want bass, just not a crazy amount of it (Blon BL03). Truthear Gate I found bright. Couldn't stand it at high volume. Has an optional mic. Feels cheap and plasticky but I trust Truthears build quality. Safe picks: 7hz zero 2 (optional mic) and Moondrop Chu 2 (doesn't come with a mic, fit is excellent because they're tiny). Cables with mics are $1-$10 from aliexpress. Get a zero 2. However, I think the Chu 2 sounds better overall and is a little more V-shaped and it has a metal shell which for me means it'd be pretty durable. Very lush and inoffensive sound that borders between engaging, little bit bassy but fairly "neutral". It sounds more exciting than my zero red, less exciting than my Gate. KZ has a terrible reputation here lol. They were caught silently revising IEMs and paying people for reviews. For a market that is so word-of-mouth based they really fucked up. Literally all of these are good picks with KZ being at the bottom. Someone mentioned "I find the Zero 2 muddier in the mids...and treble is a bit dark." and I would agree. While it's tuned very safely I found it less transparent/lush than things like the Chu 2 which are slightly more exciting while avoiding sibilance and boringness. If your version of "too bassy" is Beats By Dre or Skull Candy, none of these will even come close to bass like that (maybe the castor pro) so don't worry about it. Worry about how bright they are and how well people say they fit.

Get the chu 2. 

The fit. In order of brightness on the highs: zero 2 - chu 2 - gate. Chu 2 is sparkly where the zero 2 is darker and i found the gate overly bright. Chu 2 seems to have more bass impact. I have all of these. Zero 2 for gaming, chu 2 for music. 

I stopped looking at iems after my chu 2 blew me away. I have a $260 set i never use even tho it sounds better. I just never use them analytically. 

Honestly sitting around and gloating over how good your IEMs sound gets old real fast and that search is exhaustive, it never ends, but when you throw on a good $20 set and disappear into your music, new or old, that's where it's at. I have the chu 2, and use them 90% of the time, when I have $250 sets. I can't say they're uncomfortable at all because they're so tiny. That being said, yes, a $250-$1000 set will be very noticeable in sound quality, but if you're not sitting there and actively paying attention to that sound you may not even notice it.

I use my chu2 more than my mp145. It obv doesnt have as exciting of mids but the fit is too good.

I think it's the $150 planar range. It'd be a good long term set. Even the $20-$30 chu2 would be enough for 90% of people. Value, not performance.

Chu 2 bright not overly, bassy Gate even brighter, bassy Waner good vocals Zero 2 balanced and bassy

Between my zero red, zero 2, gate, chu 2, im picking the chu 2 with the mic from the gate. 

Not really in order, as different tunings: * Moondrop Chu 2 - mild v-shape, great IEM * QKZ HBB - warm/bassy, great IEM * Blon BL03 - fun v-shape (but the fit is terrible) Bright neutral has a few options - I prefer the original Chu but the crappy fixed cable lets it down. The 7Hz Zero is a bit better in that regard, but I don't think it sounds quite as good. Arguably it's better to pay the extra for the Moondrop LAN for this signature because it's the best one until you go up significantly, but OTOH it's also kind of overpriced for what it is (I think it's around $40 normally, but it's basically just a Chu 2 with less bass). The 7Hz Zero 2 is OK as well but I personally find it a bit of an overly safe middle ground between other, better IEMs. Like the QKZ HBB, if you want warm but don't want to go quite that warm. It's probably the one that's the closest competitor to the Wan'er, as a better all-rounder. Although I find the Wan'er has a stand-out feature in its vocals while being weaker elsewhere, but the Zero 2 doesn't have a single stand-out thing it does better than anything else. It could maybe get the award for the okayest $20 IEM, as it doesn't do anything bad, but nothing stands out as particularly good either. You also have things like the KZ EDC Pro as probably the best beginner IEM, for around $5. It's very close to the Chu 2 but a bit bassier and slightly less refined in the treble. Probably more comfortable than the Chu 2 and less prone to condensation issues. The KZ Castor Bass, around $15, is good for a really hard-hitting bass tuning, although it's not an all-rounder and the tuning is a bit grainy.

Personally I'd go for the Chu 2 over the Gate because the treble on the Gate is a bit grainy, though you do need to be a bit more careful about humidity because of the metal shells. They're both a similar Harman-inspired, mild v-shape.

They all perform pretty similarly. I'd have to A/B to remind myself but I *think* the Chu 2 is slightly ahead of the rest. The Gate might be a bit wider sounding actually because it's a bit brighter than the Chu 2, but IMO it's not as well tuned as the others and can sound a bit "scratchy" at times. If you want to avoid too much bass, you will probably prefer the 7Hz Zero as it's a bright-neutral tuning (Chu 2 & Gate are both mild v-shape, Wan'er & Zero 2 are warm-neutral). With that said, none of these are basshead. Bear in mind that soundstage is a psychoacoustic effect anyway, so what sounds wider to one person might not sound like that to someone else. Very broadly, a slight v-shape with a lean towards more treble and less mid-bass will sound wider, but there's no guarantee everyone will hear it that way.

Kefine Klean if you can find them in budget (they're generally right around that price, depending on sales etc.). Otherwise KBear KB01 or the Kiwi Ears Cadenza. The KB01 is a 1:1 clone of the Cadenza, so choose based on price/looks. They sound identical. Failing that I'd go for the Chu 2 as IMO they sound the best in that price range and have the best build & accessories (only the Klean is ahead of them). But they do need a bit more looking after than most IEMs and can be prone to moisture issues if not kept dry between uses. I've also heard good things about the Bunny DSP, but haven't heard it myself. The fact it's plastic makes it lower maintenance than the Chu 2, but it won't look or feel as high quality. They do have them on Aliexpress, but it's possible they don't ship to your region and that's why it's not showing up. Sometimes Aliexpress search can be a bit weird so try googling it with "site:aliexpress" (you need to add .com to that but I don't want to get caught in the spam filter). That will sometimes help with finding listings that Aliexpress decides not to show for some reason. If you get a "not found" error that normally means it's not available in your country. Also another one that's not on your list but is excellent is the QKZ HBB. It's a very warm, laid back tuning. Quite bassy, but not energetic bass, just really warm. One of my favourite IEMs at any price, because there isn't really much else tuned like that. It's not as good and all-rounder as the others, but I think it might suit the genres you mentioned quite well. I like it for background listening because it pushes vocals back a bit (without making them sound muffled or unnatural) so it can make otherwise distracting music sound less distracting. It also volume scales really well if you decide to crank it up (just don't damage your hearing doing this!)

The nozzles are made of brass. It will oxidise and turn green no matter what. It's not a defect. Brass does that. It's just cosmetic, although if you use clear/white eartips it will stain them green as well. People should be more aware of it because if it bothers you, you should buy something else. But it's also not a reason why anyone should avoid the Chu 2. It doesn't cause any harm other than the colour.

Kefine Klean if it's in budget. Otherwise the Truthear Gate. The Artti T10 has an even better cable (going up in price a bit). The T10 and the Klean are both excellent IEMs that punch well above their price point, in addition to coming with a decent cable. The Gate has one of the best lightweight cables around, but it's not a particularly good IEM IMO. It's OK, but it's not one I find myself wanting to pick up and listen to (I mainly bought it for the white cable). Also the Chu 2 cable is pretty good (just behind the Gate one) and IMO it's a much better IEM than the Gate. Although some people do run into issues with clogged filters (although lots of people don't have any issues so I wouldn't get over-concerned about that). If all you need is a cable, have a look on Aliexpress to see what KBear cables are on sale. The 8-core, 16-core and ST12 are all excellent cables. They rotate what's on sale, but there's usually at least one under $7. Only thing to watch about the KBear cables is they mostly use semi-flush connectors. That's better for most IEMs because they'll fit in a shallow recess and they won't stick out awkwardly on a flush IEM, but they don't do a version that will fit in a deep-recessed socket. They don't fit the Chu 2 properly, for example. The Kefine Klean and T10 cables are both fully flush, so they won't fit an IEM with any sort of recess. The Gate and Chu 2 cables both use micro connectors that will fit anything.

Linsoul like to do that with all their product descriptions to confuse people into thinking they're the brand, or to get people to go to their website instead of other sellers if they see the name on Amazon. They do it for any listing they control. I prefer the Chu 2 overall. They maybe aren't quite as bassy but a bit better balanced. TBH I haven't listened to my G1s enough to give them a really fair comparison - I listened to them for a bit and nothing especially stood out as being particularly great about them, other than the size. They're maybe a touch more comfortable than the Chu 2 and about the same size (the Chu 2 is known for being very small).

I would recommend the Chu 2 over the Gate. The treble on the Gate is a bit peaky and sounds unnatural at times. The 7Hz Zero (the original one not the Zero 2) is also closer to flat neutral if that's something you're looking for. I prefer the Chu 2 as it's a bit smoother and more engaging with a bit more bass. The Chu 2 is a mild v-shape, but not so v-shaped that anything is "missing". If you want neutrality though, the Zero is closer to that. Either one will give you good clarity, details etc. The Chu 2 feels a bit higher quality and the accessories package is a lot nicer, especially the cable. Because it's metal, it does require a bit more careful looking after than the Zero, which is plastic, because metal shelled IEMs are a bit more prone to moisture-related issues. The main thing is it's important to give the IEM time to rest and dry out between uses. If you live somewhere humid, it's best to invest in some silica gel to help with that. Otherwise just leave them out of the case somewhere warm and dry for a couple of hours to dry out before putting them away.

I wouldn't bother personally. The Chu 2, which you already have, has better quality treble than the Gate. Otherwise the tuning is fairly similar.

Don't know about the Vivian, but the Chu 2 is perfectly good for that. It's not flat neutral (but no IEM is), but it's quite a mild v-shape without any frequencies particularly missing, masked or over-boosted, and it has good extension in both the bass and the treble. Really "for gaming" is a bit of a meme and means basically nothing. It's just marketing. Looking at some graphs, it seem like the Vivian doesn't have as good treble extension as the Chu 2, so it's going to be a less reliable reference if you want to be able to hear high frequency noise in your recordings.

There's very significant diminishing returns. A good $500 IEM will be better than a good $20 one, but probably not as much as you might expect. Conversely, once you go above about $500 things can start going wrong easily. It's mainly about niche things that some people will love and others will hate. Roughly $500 is where the technical capability of drivers needed to achieve a near-perfect tuning tops out, and nowadays you can pretty much get there for $200-300. The price where you see the most difference for the least amount of money is around $80. Stuff like the TRN Shell (actually only $50) the Simgot EA500LM and things like that sound quite noticeably better than the Chu 2, in terms of technical ability, not just tonality (in fact in terms of tuning I'd say the Chu 2 is better than the Shell). But once you go up from that to say $200, the differences are much smaller and you're mainly paying for technical ability + better tuning. If you have the patience, you can achieve the same thing with EQ. The EA500/EA500LM is probably the perfect platform for "unlimited performance" with EQ because it's a very capable 1DD, which means it has no coherency issues around the crossover point (since a single driver IEM has no crossover). That said I'm somewhat interested in the [Fiio FX17](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5GGRzPv8EA), which is about $1,500. The thing about that is that if you were to actually buy all the EST drivers it contains (never mind the shells and the other drivers), it would cost more than $1,500. ESTs tend to sound very good, but they're stupidly expensive to make (and only one company makes them). So this is one case where you actually know what you're paying for. But it's a but like buying a phone with 64GB of RAM installed - does that actually make any difference? This apparently is one of the few kilobuck IEMs that may be worth it (if you have the money burning a hole in your pocket). But at the same time, it's likely someone will bring out something around $300 in the next year or two that renders it obsolete, just using much cheaper drivers to achieve the same sound. Also when you get up into these more expensive multi-driver IEMs, very often the shells and nozzle have to be bigger, so they're worse for comfort than much cheaper options. You can only cram so many drivers into a certain amount of space.

If it's available, maybe the EPZ Q1 Pro. It's quite small and doesn't have huge nozzles, but it's a more ergonomic shape than the Chu 2. If you also have small conchas (the "bowl" inside the ear, just outside the ear canal) then some find the Chu 2 uncomfortable because of its shape, even though it's quite small. Otherwise the Wan'er is fairly safe. The OG has a crappy cable but most find it fits slightly better than the Wan'er 2, and IMO it's tuned better as well. The QKZ T1 is a good cable that fits the OG. Don't know about the Fiio but they have a reputation for all of the their IEMs sounding pretty crap, except the FH3 and the new flagship one. So I'd probably skip that one.

The Cadenza is pretty good. IMO quite a bit better than the Zero 2, both in terms of sound and also comfort (some people find the pointy edges on the Zero/Zero uncomfortable). I haven't heard the Vivian or seen any reviews from anyone reputable that I can think of. You could also have a look at the KBear KB01, which is a pretty much exact clone of the Cadenza, but it's usually around $20 instead of $40. It's a pretty safe all-rounder that most people will like for most music. The Zero 2 is more of a very-warm-neutral that can sound a bit dull and either too bassy or not bassy enough depending on whether you like bass or not. The only potential issue with the Cadenza/KB01 is that the nozzles are a bit above average, so I wouldn't recommend it for anyone with small ear canals. Another option is the Moondrop Chu 2, which sounds very similar to the Cadenza/KB01 as well, just with slightly sparklier but slightly less smooth treble - the differences in sound are pretty small tbh. It's small and the shells are metal. The overall package is quite nice & it's very pocketable. It can have some issues with condensation though, so needs a bit more looking after, especially if you live somewhere humid. And going up from that the Kefine Klean is very good. It's a bit bassier sounding than the Chu 2 but still quite clean-sounding. It's a bit of a step up in terms of the accessories, and I haven't seen as many reports of issues happening with clogged filters on these despite the metal shells - I think they use a different type of filter that's a bit less prone to that issue.

Not sure. The only Kiwi Ears I have are the Orchestra Lite (fairly large) and the Cadenza. The Cadenza is fairly small, but has larger than average nozzles (and it's still slightly bigger than the EDC Pro). There's also the KBear KB01 which is a cheaper, 1:1 clone of the Cadenza. Either would be a slight upgrade from the EDC Pro, but not a huge one & probably not worth the cost. You also have the Chu 2 which is small, but it also has pretty bad ergonomics for anyone with small ears. And it's really a sidegrade from the EDC Pro. I prefer it personally, but there's not a huge difference, it's just tilted slightly brighter. For comfort I'd say the IE200 is the absolute best you're going to get, although personally I think the sound is a bit meh for what it costs. It's not bad, but it's probably not going to sound like much of an upgrade from the EDC Pro. Also the stock cable is pretty bad, so it's a good idea to budget another $20 for the OpenHeart one.

> kb02, the kiwiears cadenza Ah, shame you don't have those as I was going to ask about them specifically. Mainly because they all have Beryllium drivers (most likely the exact same driver). The graph looks very similar to the Cadenza (which the ~~KB02~~KB01 sounds identical to). The Moondrop Chu 2 is also very similar to the Cadenza is you have one of those. The treble on the Cadenza is slightly smoother, but it's barely noticeable. In fact, the Chu 2 graph is almost identical to the Unicrom except for about 1-2dB more eargain - everything else could be two channels of the same IEM: https://squig.link/?share=Harman_Adjusted_Target,Super_22_Target,IEF_Comp_Target,Pula_Unicrom,Moondrop_Chu_2_(S2) I think the Pula *looks* really good and I'm very tempted to get one at some point, but I'm definitely wondering if it justifies its price purely on sound quality as a 1DD. If you listen to a Simgot EA500 or EA500LM it's very clear that it's a much better driver than the Chu 2, Cadenza or EW200. Those (EA500s) can easily keep up with things like the Hexa in terms of resolution (albeit with a different tuning), whereas the others can't. Edit: I meant KB01 (which is the clone of the Cadenza) not the KB02 (which is the crappy sounding one with the bone conduction).

If you're going to give someone an IEM as a gift, the Chu 2 is the safest choice. It's got a balanced, mild-v sound that isn't going to offend anyone and most people will like, it feels high quality and comes as quite a nice little package with a decent cable and a carry pouch. People will have their own preferences for tuning and whatnot, but it's the most complete package. One thing to watch is that metal IEMs can need a bit more care than plastic ones, especially in a humid environment. The main risk is condensation, especially if they are worn for hours every day. IEMs need time to dry out. If in doubt, it's a good idea to get a better case and some silica gel to keep in it (the Chu 2 pouch isn't airtight or large enough to fit a pack of silica gel in with the IEMs). If the Cadenza is in budget, it's a slight upgrade from the Chu 2 (they sound almost identical, but the Cadenza is very slightly more refined). It has a plastic shell, so it's a bit lower maintenance, but also feels lower quality. It doesn't come with a case or pouch and the cable is also slightly worse. And since it has 4 colours, you better know which colour they will like. It might be outside your budget, but if it's on sale around the same price as the Cadenza, also consider the Kefine Klean. It's a much nicer package than any of these and comes with a proper semi-hard case & pretty good cable. It's a metal shell like the Chu 2 and if anything it feels even higher quality. It's not quite as small though. Again, the tuning is pretty similar, although the Klean also comes with 2 tuning nozzles to experiment with changing the sound slightly. Ones I would personally avoid as gifts: * Wan'er - feels very cheap & plasticky with a terrible cable & no accessories. Not great technical performance though most people won't notice if it's their first IEM. * KZ Castor / Castor Pro - quite an intense v-shaped signature that isn't all that balanced. Not everyone will like it, nor is it a good all-rounder * 7Hz Zero / Zero 2 - comes with a very poor quality cable and the angular shell shape get more complaints about comfort than the rest of the options around the same price. The case is plastic. Not as cheap looking/feeling as the Wan'er, but worse than the Cadenza. The Wan'er 2 is a more complete package that's potentially giftable (nicer cable than the OG but still not as nice as the Chu 2; the tips it comes with are the best part; no case included), but it still looks/feels very cheap and plasticky up close. It's much lower quality than it looks in photos.

Yes, like I said the Chu 2 is a better overall package, but the Cadenza is worth considering as well. Definitely wouldn't recommend the Wan'er.

The Chu 2 and Hexa tunings couldn't be more different. If you aren't getting any bass from the Chu 2, you don't have a proper seal. It's a balanced, mild v-shape, but actually quite bassy. I'm also wondering if this is why OP described them as "not that good" because they are, in fact, quite good. Especially for what they cost. The original Chu (with the fixed cable) is bright-neutral. So that one is a bit more Hexa-like, but the Hexa has much warmer midrange, despite having no bass. Agree with the rest of what you said though.

IMO the Chu 2 is the best IEM under $20 in terms of the sound, the build quality *and* the accessories package. So if you go looking for other surprisingly good stuff, you may be disappointed with most of it, unless you're paying a lot more (and even then you may find the upgrade is a lot smaller than you might expect, because diminishing returns are huge). The only negatives really are that it can be a bit more sensitive to moisture than other IEMs, so make sure you let it dry out between uses. It's usually best to leave it out for a couple of hours before putting it away, so it can air out properly. If you live somewhere very humid, it's a good idea to get some silica gel and a sealed case (but also make sure the silica gel is kept fresh if you store them in a sealed case, otherwise you're just sealing in the moisture which is worse than just leaving them out or in the pouch). Also the brass nozzle *will* turn green. Don't worry about that, it's normal, it's not a fault, it's not water damage, and it won't affect the sound. Just be careful that if any of the green oxidation flakes off, you clean it away so it doesn't get inside the nozzle. You don't need to go out of your way to clean it though, because a thin layer of oxidation on the surface just protects it from oxidising more - the more you clean it, the more you're removing a thin layer of metal each time. If you want to try something else, it depends on what you want. Something bassier, something brighter, something closer to flat "reference" neutral? The Chu 2 has a very well balanced tuning so it's not really lacking in either bass or treble extension, nor does it have significantly recessed mids. So don't expect other things to be flat out better, just different.