Moondrop Chu II VS Tanchjim Zero Ultima

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Moondrop Chu 2 keeps the bargain spirit alive with a tidy kit: decent silicone tips, a leatherette pouch, and a surprisingly nice stock cable that feels premium for the price—though the missing chin slider is a small annoyance. Build is where it flexes: a full aluminum shell with brass nozzles and removable filters that invite easy tweak-mods or replacements. Comfort is better than the weight suggests, with the over-ear cable and earhooks distributing mass well—this one even passes the tiny-ears test. Aesthetically it’s classic Moondrop: understated elegance that reads more like functional jewelry. The big caveat: those brass nozzles can show oxidation/corrosion in humid climates, so a silica gel packet or dry storage is smart.

Tonally it’s a mild V-shape done right: boosted bass that’s punchy yet controlled, clean mids that sit a touch back without sounding off, and energetic upper-mids/treble that bring clarity without tipping into harshness for most. Technical chops are solid for the price, with imaging and stage that sit slightly above average. In the budget landscape it parks squarely between the 7Hz Zero (leaner, brighter) and the QKZ x HBB (warmer, smoother)—a middle-ground tuner that suits almost any genre. At about $19, it’s an easy “Brilliant” tier pick and a top first-IEM recommendation or tough beater pair; the only real hesitation is that humidity caveat. Add spring tips or a nicer case and it would nudge even higher.

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Moondrop Chu II keeps the tiny, all-metal shells from the original and fixes the biggest gripe: a replaceable 2-pin cable. The new cable is thin, lightweight, and very well-behaved with small hardware; the only knock is the missing chin slider. The earpieces are small, secure, and comfortable—impressively built for $19. The paint pattern isn’t as distinctive as before, but the ergonomics and cable quality make this a smart budget pickup (and even a handy donor cable for lightweight IEMs).

Tuning shifts from the original’s bright-neutral profile to a more V-shaped, bass-emphasized sound that will appeal to more listeners, while still carrying a slight bright tilt. Frequency response is sensible for the price, but technical performance is merely average—a bit low-res next to options like the 7Hz Zero. Net result: an IEM that sounds fine but wears excellently, with the cable and form factor doing the heavy lifting. It earns a confident 4 stars on value and usability, even if sonic uniqueness takes a back seat.

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Tanchjim Zero Ultima follows Origin almost one-to-one, right down to the single dynamic driver and the easy bullet-style fit with inline mic and fixed cable. The tonal balance skews neutral-bright: sub-bass is modest, the 2–5 kHz region sits a bit high, and upper treble adds extra sheen, which can make notes feel lighter in weight and vocals a touch lean.

The upside is a competent driver that takes EQ gracefully. Pulling the 2–5 kHz down a few dB (below a Harman-like target), trimming the upper treble ~1–2 dB, and adding a small sub-bass lift steers the presentation toward the more natural, Oxygen-style balance with fuller vocal body and cleaner timbre. Stock tuning is a bit bright, but with that simple tweak Zero Ultima becomes a very pleasant, well-behaved daily set.

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Tanchjim Zero Ultima comes in dirt-cheap and unapologetically simple: an attached 3.5 mm cable with inline mic, featherweight shells (~2.3 g), and hilariously oversized nozzles for such tiny housings. Build cues scream budget—y-split quirks and all—but the box stuffs in a plush pouch, a stack of tips, and a manual with more pages than dollars. Under the hood sits a 10 mm double-chamber DD (DMT4), and it can want a bit of juice, yet nothing a normal source can’t handle.

Sonically, this is shock therapy for the price bracket: huge, cinematic soundstage that projects like a mini “screen” in front, with a surprisingly balanced tuning—not a bass cannon, not a treble sabre. Kick drums land with a clean thump, strings float way out without turning sharp, and the overall presentation stays cohesive instead of “fake-detail” crispy. It’s the kind of set that makes $20–$25 feel like a typo, happily chewing through AC/DC, Barry White, Pink Floyd, and Deadmau5 without crying mercy.

Value play is off the charts: call it a $40 performer sold for pocket change, perfect as a daily beater or keychain set. If a detachable cable is a must, the Bunny sibling stands by, but Zero Ultima’s stage and easygoing balance are the party trick here. Bottom line: audiophile nonsense in the best way—ridiculous width, no harshness tax, and an infectious fun factor that embarrasses pricier toys.