Anyone who wants AMAZING sounding in-ears/headphones for $16... read this!

[James Freeman]

The boat has barely left the dock, this wave of excellent tuning for 20$ is barely 6 months old and started with the Chu and improved upon with the 7Hz Zero.

 

[Baba]

If they break/die, you’ll be happy to find you don’t need to spend $1200 on new ones next time…

I had whiplash from the sticker shock when I thought I was going to have to replace mine. Never dreamed good ones cost what they do today. I have high hopes for the ones mentioned in this thread.

D

Honestly, you could show me 10 different buds from the cheapest to mine, and they would all sound "good" to me, just different. I'm not sure if I have a trained enough ear to know what's good or bad.

 

[dk_ace]

Honestly, you could show me 10 different buds from the cheapest to mine, and they would all sound "good" to me, just different. I'm not sure if I have a trained enough ear to know what's good or bad.

I bet those shures I used to try to get through that gig wouldn’t sound “good” to you. I didn’t understand just how bad a pair of in-ears could be until that moment…. Previously, I would have believed I could be okay with just about anything.

They were bad enough I put mine back in with only one working. I played off the one and used the dead one as an ear plug.

Maybe they were just weirdly, exceptionally terrible and most other in-ears are fine. I hope so. This is one piece of equipment where I don’t really want to spend any more than I absolutely have to. No one hears it but me. I just want it to work and not get in the way, while sounding roughly neutral. Seems like that wouldn’t be too much to ask for.

D

 

[SwirlyMaple]

I bet those shures I used to try to get through that gig wouldn’t sound “good” to you. I didn’t understand just how bad a pair of in-ears could be until that moment…. Previously, I would have believed I could be okay with just about anything.

They were bad enough I put mine back in with only one working. I played off the one and used the dead one as an ear plug.

Maybe they were just weirdly, exceptionally terrible and most other in-ears are fine. I hope so. This is one piece of equipment where I don’t really want to spend any more than I absolutely have to. No one hears it but me. I just want it to work and not get in the way, while sounding roughly neutral. Seems like that wouldn’t be too much to ask for.

D

I have a pair of Shure SE215 IEMs (originally a $170 product) and I feel similarly about them. They work, but man are they tuned poorly. Muddy and dark; totally rolled-off treble; and somehow even the frequencies that are there don't sound nearly as articulate and distinct as these cheap $20 Moondrops.

@James Freeman I may have to give the 7Hz Zero a try too. I mean, at this price, I might as well try all of them!

 

[dk_ace]

I have a pair of Shure SE215 IEMs (originally a $170 product) and I feel similarly about them. They work, but man are they tuned poorly. Muddy and dark; totally rolled-off treble; and somehow even the frequencies that are there don't sound nearly as articulate and distinct as these cheap $20 Moondrops.

@James Freeman I may have to give the 7Hz Zero a try too. I mean, at this price, I might as well try all of them!

I don’t know the model number of the ones I tried to use that day, but they were the opposite problems of the ones you describe. They were so spiky and over hyped in the treble spectrum that they were basically unusable. With a little more time, I could have eq’ed the monitor feed to make them work. But I didn’t have that time, my ears went on the fritz at the very end of sound check.

D

 

[SwirlyMaple]

After @James Freeman 's heads-up I ordered the 7Hz Salnotes Zero (thanks James!) and to my surprise they showed up same-day. Here they are side-by-side with the Moondrop Chu. The white ones on the left are the Zeros. (I added a bendy-wire to my Chus like @Alex Kenivel did. They don't come like that, unfortunately.)

TL;DR: I slightly prefer the sound of the Chu for my ears. They have some kind of icing-on-the-gravy-on-the-mashed-potato-cake magic. The 7Hz Zeros also sound excellent, though, and for people who want less fiddly-ness, they're better off with the Zero, IMO!



Here's my initial thoughts, comparing them side-by-side:

• They both sound GREAT.
• I prefer the sound of the Chu. The 7Hz Zeros sound fantastic, but the Chu just has some kind of extra detail/texture/precision that the 7Hz Zero doesn't quite match. I know these terms sound like cork sniffery, but it's the best way I can think to describe it. As an analogy, it's like hearing every tiny peak and valley of a triangle wave with the Chu, while the 7Hz ever so slightly smooth off the detail of those transients so you hear less texture.
  • The Chu sounds better in this regard than any headphone I've ever heard, so this isn't really a knock on the Zeros. It's more of a WOW for the Chu.
  • Because of this, the soundstage in the Chu is wider, and the perceived separation between all the different frequencies is clearer. The Chus sound vast and expansive. The Chu are the auditory equivalent of 8K video while the Zeros are 4K, for my ears. YMMV since ear canal shape plays some role in how IEMs sound to each person.
• For practicality's sake, in terms of comfort and fiddlyness, I have to give the nod to the 7Hz Zero. This is because they have a removable cable with integrated slider/cinch, pre-formed earhooks built into the cable, and they are just a bit lighter in weight than the Chu. For members here who want to buy one and just immediately use it without fuss, including possibly on stage, I'd go with the Zeros.
• In build quality, I think it's a wash. The Chu feel very nicely made with their all-metal body. The Zeros have a plastic shell but they still feel well-made and sturdy. The Zeros have a removable cord; the Chus don't. I wouldn't base my purchase on build quality between these two.

 

[James Freeman]

Good writeup Swirly, thank you!

They both closely adhere to the 'ideal' IEM listening curve according to many reviewers, but graphs are one thing and listening + personal choice is another, I should know.

Here is the graph comparison tool used by reviewers, you can find curves from many reviewers and even search the entire database;

Squiglink - IEM frequency response database by Ian Fann

Compare hundreds of frequency response graphs between IEMs and earphones from manufacturers like Moondrop, Sony, 64 Audio, Fiio, and more.

ianfann.squig.link

 

[SwirlyMaple]

Good writeup Swirly, thank you!

They both closely adhere to the 'ideal' IEM listening curve according to many reviewers, but graphs are one thing and listening + personal choice is another, I should know.

Here is the graph comparison tool used by reviewers, you can find curves from many reviewers and even search the entire database;

Squiglink - IEM frequency response database by Ian Fann

Compare hundreds of frequency response graphs between IEMs and earphones from manufacturers like Moondrop, Sony, 64 Audio, Fiio, and more.

ianfann.squig.link

Thanks for that link! Looking forward to your thoughts & review when yours arrive!

 

[Hush]

Just got the Zeros. On initial quick listen I like them better. Less sizzle. I found the Chu's to be way too bright.

 

[SwirlyMaple]

Just got the Zeros. On initial quick listen I like them better. Less sizzle. I found the Chu's to be way too bright.

Nice! Glad you like them. I’m really enjoying both for their slightly different sound signatures.

This is one of the tricky things when it comes to IEMs. Everyone’s ear canals resonate slightly differently, so the coupled response for each person can be a little bit different.

Also, even with perfect hearing, the shape of our outer ears changes the sound that we hear from the outside world. The reflected sound off the outer ear (pinna) mixes with the direct sound into our ear canals, which has a filtering effect that tends to boost upper-midrange frequencies. But the exact amount and exact frequency range of that boost varies from person to person.

So, not only do we hear external sounds differently due to our outer ear physiology (which changes our expectation of how things should sound), we also each hear IEMs a bit differently due to ear canal shape, too.

And then there’s the critical factor of getting a good seal with IEM eartips. I have to use 3rd party ones both with the Chu and Zero because none of their included eartips are large enough for my ears. Without a good seal, all you’ll hear is bright midrange and treble.

 

[Alex Kenivel]

I spent too much time this morning listening between my Sennheiser HD650 headphones ($300-400), MEE Audio MX3 Pro buds ($150), a set of BASN Bmaster buds ($73) and the Moondrop CHU (now back down to $16) plugged into my Nu-X Mighty Plug (headphone amp modeler). I've had the MX3s for a few years, the Sennys for a little longer. The Bmaster I bought at the beginning of this year and have only used them a handful of times. The Skullcandy buds (don't scoff, they were pretty good) I had been using with my Mighty Plug have entered the garbage.

The CHU has a high end sizzle that's very prominent compared to the HD650s.

The MX3 Pros have a pronounced midrange and almost absent treble, and distort on one side after two years of use. This would be my second pair that exhibit this issue.

The Bmaster has a bit of a low mid emphasis and a little more sizzle than the HD650s but nowhere near as much sizzle as the Chu's.

So far I think the Bmasters have edged out the CHU buds for my go-to IEMs but I wouldn't hesitate to use the CHUs as a backup with a little shelving EQ on the Aux bus.

 

[SwirlyMaple]

I spent too much time this morning listening between my Sennheiser HD650 headphones ($300-400), MEE Audio MX3 Pro buds ($150), a set of BASN Bmaster buds ($73) and the Moondrop CHU (now back down to $16) plugged into my Nu-X Mighty Plug (headphone amp modeler). I've had the MX3s for a few years, the Sennys for a little longer. The Bmaster I bought at the beginning of this year and have only used them a handful of times. The Skullcandy buds (don't scoff, they were pretty good) I had been using with my Mighty Plug have entered the garbage.

The CHU has a high end sizzle that's very prominent compared to the HD650s.

The MX3 Pros have a pronounced midrange and almost absent treble, and distort on one side after two years of use. This would be my second pair that exhibit this issue.

The Bmaster has a bit of a low mid emphasis and a little more sizzle than the HD650s but nowhere near as much sizzle as the Chu's.

So far I think the Bmasters have edged out the CHU buds for my go-to IEMs but I wouldn't hesitate to use the CHUs as a backup with a little shelving EQ on the Aux bus.

You might want to give those 7Hz Zeros a try, too. They sound similar to the Chu, but with a more subdued/“smoother” treble. They also fit the ear a bit more like a traditional IEM. I think they’d make an excellent and non-fatiguing IEM for live use.

 

[Alex Kenivel]

You might want to give those 7Hz Zeros a try, too. They sound similar to the Chu, but with a more subdued/“smoother” treble. They also fit the ear a bit more like a traditional IEM. I think they’d make an excellent and non-fatiguing IEM for live use.

I need another pair like I need another hole in the head to stick them into.

They'll be here Monday

 

[Blix]

Okay, a set of 7Hz Zeros coming my way.

 

[James Freeman]

Comparing the Chu and 7Hz Zero to HiFiMan Sundara 2020, AKG K371 and calibrated Behringer Truth B3030A monitors.

To my ear both the Chu and 7Hz Zero are slightly brighter than the reference gear, they have a "neutral bright" tuning.
The Chu is more sibilant (sharp, sizzly) than the 7Hz Zero while still sounding neutral and balanced, both have enough bass with a good seal. I will say that I struggle a little to put the Chu on, not so much with the Zero.
Overall the 7Hz Zero sounds closer to my reference gear and doesn't stray from what I consider a very balanced sound, albeit a little bright.
Amazing what they achieved for 20$.

 

[Hush]

Got one of these Bluetooth Tx/Rx at Monoprice and now my Zero's are wireless.

 

[Lopp]

Cool! I just looked at the measurements for your Meze 99 and FiiO FH3, and I will say: expect less bass with the Moondrops.

I should've emphasized more in the original post that these are very neutral in response, which I prefer for listening and as a mixing reference, but other people may not like that. Most headphones and many IEMs are tuned with a significant bass boost, so people have come to expect it as "normal."

Here are the measurements for the Meze 99 Classics and FiiO FH3. For simplicity, just ignore everything except the red line. That red line represents how far away the measured response is from neutral, where neutral is the "ideal" Harman tuning curve (more info on it here if you're bored). If the red line is above 0, it means that frequency is boosted above the neutral response. If the red line is below zero, that frequency is less than neutral. So, for both the Meze and FiiO, the bass response is roughly 5dBr greater than neutral response until about 300 Hz. The Meze 99 has a significant boost from about 100 to 200 Hz -- almost 10 dB above the reference level.

Lastly, I just want to emphasize that the eartip seal is critical for bass response. The Moondrops include S/M/L eartips, but I have to use a different set of larger eartips with them because the large isn't quite big enough for me. I think this might be why texhex wasn't getting a pleasing sound out of his, unfortunately.
View attachment 2405View attachment 2406

Thanks for the graphs!
The Meze is definitely bass-heavy. I originally compared them to Grados in the same price range, but didn't realize my glasses were messing with the bass response.

The CHUs arrived a while ago, but the main reason I got them was to keep at my parents to use with an iRig and an old Strat through AmpliTube on my iPhone. I didn't like the way the P7 colored the sound, but the CHU sounded much better and at their inexpensive price, I don't mind leaving them at my parents. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[Alex Kenivel]

I think the Moondrop CHU sound better than the Salnotes Zero. Listening to a dense pop mix as well as my own isolated guitar playing, The Zero have even less clarity (intelligible instrument separation in a mix) and have a different kind of sizzle compared to the CHU. I find the low end is considerably subdued in the Zero compared to other options.

Going back and forth between all these options, I think the Bmaster sounds the weirdest. The CHU and the Zero are much closer to the response I get from my Sennheiser HD650 cans with the Chu being closer, albeit a tad brighter.

The Zeros will end up being a good Christmas gift for my oldest daughter as she's getting more enthralled with singing

 

[Blix]

Got mine today, 10 days from China, impressive!

Just tried with my Axe-FX and I like them a lot, compared to he KZ 10Pros they are much more natural sounding, the fit in my ears better too.
Foam tips would be cool, I'm sure Comply will have something for them eventually.
So far, seems like a killer set of buds for the money.

 

[vino_buono]

Ordered the Chu! They will be delivered this Friday, that’s my new toy for the the weekend