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

I purchased these after my pair of noname IEMs died, since they're the top selling pair on amazon under $25. I use these to edit a podcast, and they work great and are pretty transparent. For the price, these things are an unbelievable deal. They sound great with both music and spoken word, they're comfortable for extended wear, and the all-metal housing is really sturdy. The cable is also really nice - it's thick and doesn't tangle easily. When these die, I'll probably just get another pair since I don't really want or need anything else. My only complaint is with static - it's winter when I'm writing this, and with the air being really dry, these have a tendency to give a very slight, occasional static shock when your ear touches the metal body. It doesn't hurt but you can hear it and it just kinda feels weird. Is it a dealbreaker though, absolutely not. Also, very minor thing, what's up with the anime girl on the packaging? It's kind of embarrassing when you just want some headphones, I get that some people like it but it's a super weird branding choice. Update after 8 months of almost-daily wear - I typically wear these in an office with only one ear in so I can hear what's going on around me, and I've noticed that the left ear (the one I would wear most often) has dropped in volume by about 80% while the right ear is perfectly fine. No idea what caused it, it just happened one day. I'm not dinging it any stars since it's still a crazy value for the quality you're getting, but don't expect too much longevity out of these if you wear them frequently. Update after over a year of near-daily use - these unfortunately died on me a couple of weeks ago. Wearing them in only one ear at a time, I noticed that the ear that I would favor would slowly diminish in volume in the last two weeks of its lifespan, and at a certain point it would fully die on that side. Then I'd switch to the other side, extending its life a few months, but the same thing eventually happened where the volume would gradually lower until it stopped working entirely. I decided to branch out and try a new set after these (the Linsoul Salnotes Zero) and the Moondrops are far and away the best build quality I've found in this price range. Sound quality is similar with decent clarity on both, but I noticed that these are tuned with a bit more bass and slightly more high end detail. So if you're using these in a studio or editing situation, I would maybe look for a pair with a flatter response. Otherwise, if you're using these for casual listening or really anything else, they'll sound great and last you a little while before you have to replace them.

Excellent excellent value. Great soundstage and clear highs and mids. My preference would be to have more bass. The packaging is good and it comes with a travel case. The wire is good quality and has an L shaped plug. The fit is very comfortable and it looks good too. Overall great design and crystal clear audio, fantastic value. Since so many people recommend this and the Crinicle Zero 2 so I bought both to compare. I would say the Zero 2s have much better bass but they are muddier and lower quality build. Moondrop Chu 2 is better for clarity and general listening but the bass is seriously lacking compared to the Zero 2. I gave the Chu 2s to my mom and kept the Zero 2s for myself.

I'm not an audiophile or anything, but to me these sound pretty OK. Definitely not the best earbuds I have used in terms of sound quality but by far the best I have paid $20 for. Build quality leaves a little to be desired but its fine for the price. I tend to prefer wired earbuds for around the house and I used senheiser cx300 for a while. The sound quality on the cx300s is only marginally better than the moondrop chu II and it is over twice the price. Maybe that isn't a big problem for you but I guess I am pretty rough on my earbuds. I don't know when the last time I had a pair that lasted more than 6 months was. laying down $45+ each time for the cx300s didn't make me happy and last time I needed a replacement I figured I would try out some of the cheaper options and I had heard good things about this one. All in all its a pretty solid product but I'm not a huge fan of the around ear design and I would really prefer a braided cable. Then again, no issues with the cord getting pinched, etc. so far. I like the metal chassis but they are a bit heavy and I've had a few issues with it coming apart after I banged it on my desk etc. A few drops of super glue fixed that right up but something to keep in mind. I finally had to buy a replacement because I dropped my ipad with these plugged in and it landed right on the jack and bent it. It still kinda works but I have to jiggle it a bit to get it in the right position or the sound cuts out. Really its all about the price here. I mean $20 is $20 but I feel a lot better replacing these than some of the other earbuds I have owned and they sound... fine, which in this price bracket is an achievement. 7.5/10

TL;DR: How are these 20 bucks? They sound great and have an incredible metal build while being light and comfortable. Buy these. Wtf The Build: How are these $20… This is the most premium headphone I've ever opened and it was $20. T hey'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 Monkeys FLAC - Discovery by Daft Punk FLAC - IGOR by Tyler, The Creator Spotify - I Need to Start a Garden by Haley Heyndrickx Spotify - Locket by Crumb Spotify - Various songs by Mitski The 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

These are great sounding IEMS for the price if on sale. They fit in darn near any ear type too! There are two problem . The ear tips that where included are a tight fit if not too small. The other thing is after a while one of my earbuds started fading until it ceased working. Moisture from the ear channel can build up inside the earbud eventually causing it to fail. It can come back after being left to dry so sorter listening sessions are recommended. I bought them for longer podcast and streaming sessions during the heat of summer instead of using my over the ear headphones. Over time with repeated moisture build up and drying one of the earbuds (left in my case) failed in a permanent state so for me the longevity was only 6-8 months.

By Hi-Tek HQ – Real Tech. No Hype. Let’s be honest—these aren't endgame IEMs. They won't make you cry in FLAC or hear ghost notes in Beethoven’s 9th. But they will make you do a double take when you realize they cost less than a pizza and sound better than some $80 hypetrash. I mean… think about what $20 gets you nowadays: • A streaming service you’ll forget to cancel • A gas station lunch that fights back • Or these—a pair of metal-shelled, Spring Tip-equipped, properly tuned IEMs that might just ruin mainstream earbuds for you permanently. --- 🔧 Specs & Build – Fancy on a Fast-Food Budget Driver: 10mm dynamic Impedance: 18Ω — easy to power, even from a potato Sensitivity: 120dB — gets loud enough to drown out poor life choices Cable: Decent quality, no microphonics and no you can't tow your car with it. Shell: Aluminum alloy—lightweight, sleek, and way too nice for this price Eartips: Includes Moondrop Spring Tips (seriously, those cost $10 alone) —Moondrop essentially gave you a free IEM with your Spring Tips purchase. It’s like ordering fries and finding a chicken sandwich in the bag. --- 🎧 Sound – Budget Harman Done (Mostly) Right ✅ The Good: Tuning: U-shaped with clarity up top and a tasteful bass lift. It’s not reference-grade, but it knows what it's trying to be. Vocals & Detail: Clean, articulate, surprisingly coherent. You’ll hear background layers you didn’t expect at this price. Treble: Bright, sparkly, mostly well-behaved. It tries hard to be impressive without stabbing you in the ears. Imaging: Narrow stage, but good left-right separation. Like a well-behaved studio apartment. ❌ The Bad: Bass Control: Starts tight, ends flabby. Play Kendrick Lamar – DNA at 2:00 and the bass gets messy like a toddler with pudding. Treble Peaks: Slight zing around 7–8k. Not icepick-sharp, but borderline fatiguing on long sessions. --- 🎮 Gaming Test – “Footsteps? Kinda.” Plugged into a Fosi K7, the Chu II handled ambient cues fine. In Hogwarts Legacy and God of War, you’ll catch enough detail to feel immersed. But in Call of Duty? Let’s just say: you'll know someone’s near. You just won’t know if they’re upstairs, behind you, or breathing down your neck with a shotgun. Not competitive-tier, but usable. For ranked or sweaty lobbies, use a something else instead. These are for chill vibes, not killstreaks. --- 🎼 Audiophile Cred – The Gateway Drug For new audiophiles? This is the gateway IEM that opens Pandora’s box. You’ll love it—until you start hearing its limitations... and the next thing you know, you’re buying a DAC, a stack, and justifying $300 cables to your spouse. For veterans? It’s your backup set. Your glovebox IEM. Your “hey listen to this” intro for friends stuck in EarPod purgatory. --- 💬 Final Verdict – Hi-Tek HQ Says: The Chu II is the kid who shows up to the gym with solid form, decent muscle, and great potential… but never does leg day. It’s admirable. It’s capable. But it’s not complete. Yet for $20? It’s criminal how good this is. If you have a heartbeat and two ears, buy it. Worst case? You score Spring Tips and get a free IEM in the box. 🟢 Buy it if: You want clean, confident sound with a touch of sparkle You’re just starting out in the hobby You want to gift something that makes people say “Wait... this is $20?!” 🔴 Skip it if: You crave thunderous bass or holographic soundstage You already own better and have no use for a sidepiece 🔊 Score: 8.3/10 – Honest value, slight flaws, big impact. 💼 Reviewed by Hi-Tek HQ – Come for the Sound. Stay for the Sanity Check.

Below is what I wrote when I first started using these earbuds. They are great but within 2 months the left ear bud lost 80% of its volume. I am trying to use the warranty by contacting the company but it takes forever because it is a Chinese company. Either buy the better ones or risk this. I only have them on my desk I don't run with them or ball them up in my pocket. I love these headphones because they have a great range in picking up some song elements I miss with speakers. Great depth but the ear tips are tough to put on. It took me like 8-10 minutes to fit the small ear tips on. I even sleep with them on at night which blocks out the sound around me at night. With music I can sleep through loud roommates. I tried to buy cheap ear buds but those break within a few weeks but I think these will hopefully hold up for multiple years.

Very balanced sound, box comes with frequency graph, the wire is really good as it doesn't bunch up or tangle easily, very smooth plastic around it. I will add, however, the cable is a bit noisy when you tap it. I actually dropped these pretty hard without noticing, and when i checked up on them, they played sound fine even though they are scratched now haha so they handle drops very well and the build quality does survive in real-world scenarios. The tips fit well and the other sizes will be useful for large or small ear canals.