HiFi Mai Tai

The Moondrop Chu II (or Chu 2) is an IEM that has been around for a while (since 2023) and in that time many people have sunk their teeth in. Be careful biting though as the solid metal shells are definitely a teeth breaker. But is this a just a gobstopper or can the sound offer something more pleasant to chew on. Let’s find out. Lets get to the Bartender’s Moondrop Chu II Review.

Moondrop Chu II Review – The Cocktail:

This time we return to the quint essential cocktail. The 10mm dynamic driver IEM. This is the driver that the IEM empire is built on. It’s like concrete to the Romans, horses to the Mongols or imperialist ideas to the British or Star Wars (same thing really).

In the case of the Moondrop Chu II this is not just any 10mm dynamic driver but is a high-performance dynamic driver. So its special? Well apparently. I have no idea why this has to be described as high-performance. I am kind of imaging a go faster stripe on it cause that will obviously make all the difference.

Marketing fluff aside this is an easy to driver IEM. The impedance is pretty low and the sensitivity pretty high. Pretty much anything will get these up to and beyond the perfect listening volume with ease.

Drivers: 10mm high-performance dynamic driver
Frequency: 15 to 38,000 Hz
Impedence: 18 Ω
Sensitivity: 119 dB/mW

Moondrop Chu II Review – The Taste Test Setup:

Much like those empires named previously (star wars excluded) my current taste test setup has endured (the star wars empire really didn’t last very long). One thing that is different this time is my choice of eartips. I say choice. It wasn’t really a choice. I started my listening test before I realized I had TRN T-tips on. Where these tips came from, I am not sure. I have had the Moondrop Chu II for a while and I do like to experiment with eartips so quite possibly past me set them up with these tips and forget to let future me know.

TRN T-tips are good eartips. Generally, praised for improving the soundstage. There maybe better eartips for the Moondrop Chu II but certainly the T-tips are not a bad choice. That is if you are in the habit of making your own choices. Otherwise close your eyes, cross your figures and wait for the eartip-gods to pick for you (it worked well for me this time).

DAC/AMP: SMLS M20
Cable: 4.4 mm Tripowin C-01
Eartips: TRN T-Tips

Moondrop Chu II Review – The Non-Audio:

Surprisingly, the only previous really small IEM I have reviewed (the Roseselsa Aroura Ultra) was in my opinion pretty uncomfortable. Despite its small size I just couldn’t get it to fit well and the connectors on the cable were surprisingly sharp even though I was using a Tripowin cable as I always do. The Moondrop Chu 2 was much more comfortable but still not perfect. Something about the angle of the cable coming off the IEMs just doesn’t work for me.

I haven’t reviewed very many metal shell IEMs but of those I have this is the most solid. It feels tough. This tough build and their small size reminded me of a toddler having a tantrum. You kinda don’t want to get in the way but also they are tiny and irrationally angry. If it’s not your child it is pretty funny.

The Moondrop Chu 2 is pretty sparse but its also not bad especially for the price. The small carrying pouch is a token afterthought and the selection of eartips is pretty normal. With the cable better than others but not good enough to justify the buying the IEM just for the cable which as the Moondrop Chu II only cost me £11 would actually be a viable means of procuring a cable.

And finally, its time to chew some fat and talk some style. People will really like these. Their small simple size and shape. Simple almost entirely black shells. A small touch of gold to add some understated elegance. They are simple, they are elegant, they are understated and they are boring. So boring. These are the suit of the IEM world. I would have no problem wearing them to work. I would have no problem wearing them to a funeral. But I do find that to look at they bring me no joy. I was tempted to rate these as ‘undrinkable’ but I do think they look better than the similarly shaped Aroura Ultra and so bumped them up to the next tier.

Moondrop Chu II Review – The Audio:

The Moondrop Chu II have a very polite bass. It would definitely hold doors open for you and wait for all food to be served before starting eating. Its not really a bad bass its just not a big enough bass for me. It doesn’t really hit hard or rumble. It just does enough. Its clean. Its tidy and its inoffensive.

The performance of the mids is a little better than that of the bass. There is a warmth here that adds a little thickness, but I wouldn’t really describe this as weighty full-bodied sound. Clarity is still the main aim here but it is being achieved without thinning the sound.

And then we come to the treble. My opinion on the treble is actually very similar to that of the bass. Nothing is really wrong here but also nothing is really grabbing my attention. I am even tempted to describe the treble as a little bit boring (does that count as describing it as boring?). Its not as dark as the Artti R1 reviewed last week but its still a little restrained for me. I want more energy.

The reduced treble energy probably contributes to reduced detail in the sound. Taking away that sharpness and shimmer very much affects the detail of the sound. Its one of the reasons I like the treble to be pushed just a bit.

Other technicals are about where I would expect them. Looking through the single dynamic drivers I have reviewed its clear than in this price range the Moondrop Chu II is exactly where its supposed to be. The KZ Gale, TRN Dolphine, KZ DQS and CVJ Vivian are all pretty similar. Expanding beyond the single dynamic drivers and the BGVP Scale, CVJ Nightelf, KZ Vibe X and Artti R1 also join the party. I guess I am pretty confident saying that at this sort of price point the technicals of the Moondrop Chu II are pretty average.

And to wrap up the audio we finally come to the vocals (not sure I have ever done this order before). The vocals are pretty decent better than quite a few of the alternative IEMs but again like the bass and the treble there was nothing captivating. The balance brought but the warmth of the mids was welcome and actually I think this warmth makes the vocals of the Moondrop Chu II better for male vocals than female vocals (but only slightly). For me female vocals are just missing a little sharpness and this is due to the relaxed treble.

Moondrop Chu II Review – The AI Opinion:

This a new feature that I am trying out. How well will it work? I don’t know but here goes anyway.

In this section I have asked Google’s AI mode to predict a score for the to be reviewed IEM prior to publishing my review. To get this prediction I have asked that it predict a score based upon the scoring system employed by me here at the HiFi Mai Tai beach bar. That’s it. It is as simple as that. I could be doing myself out of the job here. But got to embrace the modern world etc. And if AI is gonna take my job I am going to go down fighting. Hopefully it proves itself rubbish and there is nothing to worry about.

So the Moondrop Chu II. What does AI think?

This is another review where AI has been kinder than me. I am starting to wonder if I am just a mean person. I guess I should take comfort in the fact that I am actually a person (Or at least I think I am). But does AI also think it is? Lets not go there. Lets stick to IEMs.

AI and I very closely agree on the mids and the details but are very far apart on the bass. Perhaps AI likes a more controlled and restrained bass. I certainly like a more booming bass. I want to feel the hit and the rumble. We are also quite far apart on the treble. Its almost like AI was hearing a more v-shaped sound than me or perhaps its just prefers a more neutral (though certainly not neutral) tuning.

Moondrop Chu II Review – Comparisons

For my first comparison lets revisit the Tangzu Wanner 2 Red Lion and not just because it also has a number 2 in its name. I think the Red Lion is the sort of tuning the Chu II was chasing. If you have just come from my review of the Red Lion or one of the HiFi Mai Tai Beach Bar Comparison pages this probably seems like a strange thing to say as the Red Lion is actually rated quite lowly. However, since that review I have been listening to the Red Lion using TRN T-tips and for me this completely changed how the Red Lion sounds. My current opinion is that the Red Lion is much better than my previous rating suggests and is an option better suited to my sound preference than the Chu 2 with a lot more bass and excellent vocals. Just make sure that you get the right eartips for the Red Lion.

For my second comparison its time to return to the deep sees and revisit the TRN Dolphin. This is also a fairly similar IEM to the Red Lion and the Chu 2 with all three being single dynamic drivers. Of the three given the bigger bass of the Red Lion, the TRN Dolphin and Moondrop Chu II are probably the most similar. But for me choosing between them is easy. I would take the Dolphin. A big part of this is the treble. The Dolphin is much brighter and this gives it a sharpness and enhances the detail. Its much more engaging and therefore more fun.

And lastly, it’s the BGVP Scale. Actually, of the three comparisons this one is the closest to the MoonDrop Chu II. Its not a single dynamic driver IEM as it uses two dynamic drivers to create a warm and weighty sound with plenty of bass and a relaxed treble. The treble is possibly slightly more relaxed than that of the Chu II but there isn’t much in it. The mids of the Scale are very thick and weighty this can be quite immersive but I prefer the cleaner sound of the Chu II which I don’t think is too thin. The bass of the Scale is heavier and more imposing. Very much more to my taste. Overall the Chu II is brighter but not bright and the BGVP is warmer. Maybe I would rather have the Chu II but am not really sure.

Moondrop Chu II Review – Overall:

To summarize (and I am still working this section out). The Moondrop Chu II it’s a pleasant IEM that doesn’t really have much character of its own. There is no real interesting element to its sound. Its not particularly warm, its not energetic, its not sparkly, its not really clean, it doesn’t really push vocals forwards. It takes a middling balanced approach to everything. Therefore as an all rounder you could do worse but if your looking for an IEM for a specific reason the Moondrop Chu II isn’t it.