Moondrop CHU II High Performance Dynamic Driver IEMs Interchangeable Cable in-Ear Headphone

TL;DR: How are these 20 bucks? They sound great and have an incredible metal build while being light and comfortable. Buy these. WtfThe Build:How are these $20… This is the most premium headphone I've ever opened and it was $20. They're insane. They are metal. They feel substantial in your hand, but light when you put them in they are so small and the fit is incredible, unsurprising for IEMs anyways, but I have some CCZ coffee beans that fit great but are bigger so don't enter as deeply, so these definitely take the cake.They have a leather pouch which is Primo, and not what I was expecting (I didn't see any pics beforehand).The eartips are pretty standard (no foam) and do a good job blocking out the outside world, it’s no active noise canceling and I’ve used better passive, but again they’re 20 bucks.The cable is a bit thinner than other IEM’s I have, and they don't have controls or a microphone. There is a slightly more expensive version with a thicker cable and controls and a mic, although its’ USB-C? Honestly I like the cable, it's light and more out of the way, and if nothing else I’ll just use a different cable from another set of IEM’s.The Sound:They sound excellent. I do think that the mids and highs are a little darker than I'm used to, but it's nothing that I couldn't fix myself with an EQ. They’ve very detailed, I'm running them with the BTR 5 and with Wavelet on and they sound pretty crisp. They're not the most clean I've ever heard, but definitely up there, and ESPECIALLY for $20. I do wish they were treblier, but I’m being picky at that point.I listened to a FLAC of AM by the Arctic Monkeys and they sound real good.I’m not sure what else to say about the sound, it’s dark and bassy, but it's nice and smooth; it’s unlike the bass outta some headphones I’ve tried.They do get loud. I've been listening to them at 60 percent without issue, they do get too loud at about 85 percent, if you’re into that sort of thing.The Music:FLAC - AM by Arctic MonkeysFLAC - Discovery by Daft PunkFLAC - IGOR by Tyler, The CreatorSpotify - I Need to Start a Garden by Haley HeyndrickxSpotify - Locket by CrumbSpotify - Various songs by MitskiThe Conclusion:I'm definitely going to be daily driving them at least for a bit, and again just an incredible package for 20 bucks (I'm excited for the leather pouch). I’m thinking these will be a great gift for friends.The Waifu:Excellent, my wife likes pandas lol

I will be comparing these Chu 2s ($19) to the original Chu's ($20-22), the Tanchjim Zero's ($15-16), and my Gen 2 Airpod Pros ($200-250). I wouldn't call myself an audiophile, but I do enjoy hunting for great affordable sound under $40 and comparing the results. I tend to prefer headphones that have a more flat and balanced sound, in short nothing that has too much added bass.THE SOUND QUALITY:The highs and mids sound on par with the original Chu's and the Zeros (which I found traded blows in sound quality, I couldn't crown one better than the other). Vocals and instruments in that range are very clean, clear, and pleasant. Where these differentiate from its predecessors are in the bass and lows. The sound feels more impactful while not being overbearing or muddy. It has a little more flavor than a balanced flat sound signature but it doesn't overdo the lows. The original Chu's and the Zeros can feel a little lifeless on bass-heavy/prominent songs so I would tend to switch to my AirPods when listening to those types of songs. With the Chu 2s I don't feel that need. The bass feels on par with the Airpod Pros 2 (which is fairly clean) while the highs and mids sound better and clearer in my opinion. The bass sound profile isn't exactly the same as the AirPods, but the difference is too small for me to be able to put into words how they differ.Overall, if I want to use a pair of headphones with the best sound quality capable of listening to any genre of music then I would use the Chu 2s over my daily driver Airpods Pro Gen 2. Otherwise, if I specifically want to decrease the emphasis on the bass for a particular song then I may switch to the Zero's or original Chu's.THE TIPSPersonally, I prefer the white Spring Tips ($13 after market for a single size) that come with the Original Chu's. They are slightly more comfortable and way easier to remove than the ones included with the Chu 2s. The Chu 2s tips are nothing special. They are not bad, but they aren't note worthy either. The Zero's come with similar tips to the Chu 2s, but with way more options in terms of shape and size. You are pretty much guaranteed to find a size that fits well if you get the Zero's. The Zeros also have various size diameters in the hole which I assume is to achieve different sound signatures, but my ears are not sensitive enough to pick up on any changes. I included an image that showcases all the tips included with each pair.THE CABLE AND FITThe Chu 2s win this hands down in my opinion. First off its removable so its easy to replace. It also has a firm soft plastic around where it grips on your ear which makes it obvious on how these are meant to be worn and are quite comfortable. This cable helps negate the downgrade in the tips. It comes with a right angle audio jack. If that doesn't work for your device then you can always swap the cable.The original Chu's had a comfortable fit without the included rubber guide, but selecting the microphone option definitely degraded the comfort for me. The rubber used on the cable could be a little unrully at times. This also has a right angle audio jack.The Zeros are the lightest being all plastic and thus take a little longer to put on properly in a way that comfortable (they also lack an L+R indicator which doesn't help the process). This is the only option with a thin straight audio jack so it will work will if you need to plug it into a recessed port. This product definitely feels the cheapest (which it is by 20-25%) out of the three, but I wouldn't call it bad.REPAIRABLITYBoth the Chu and the Chu 2 have filters that can be replaced. You can tell they need to be replaced if the audio becomes quieter in one ear. A replacement set of filters will run you around $5. The Chu 2s also have the replaceable cable which makes them the clear winner in this category.TLDRAll the IEMs listed are excellent in this price bracket and hit well above their weight. The Chu 2s are the most versatile and sound great with any genre of music and are also the most repairable.