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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize high-quality sound for music and don't mind a wired connection, the Moondrop Chu offers superior sound quality at a budget price but lacks convenience features like wireless connectivity and active noise canceling. The Apple AirPods Pro 2 are pricier but provide the convenience of wireless use with a robust feature set including active noise canceling, low latency for gaming and TV, and are sweatproof, which makes them versatile for various use cases including exercise and travel. The choice depends on whether you value sound quality and affordability or convenience features and versatility for different activities. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Apple Airpods Pro 2
Very good for air travel
Very good for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Moondrop Chu
Very good for phone calls
Key differences
Music
7.0/10
7.9/10
The Moondrop Chu and Apple Airpods Pro 2 are both good for music, though the Moondrop Chu is somewhat better.
Phone Calls
7.8/10
8.8/10
The Moondrop Chu is very good for phone calls, while the Apple Airpods Pro 2 is good.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
8.8/10
7.6/10
The Apple Airpods Pro 2 is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Moondrop Chu is good.
Noise Reduction
9.1/10
6.0/10
The Apple Airpods Pro 2 is excellent for noise reduction, while the Moondrop Chu is only fair.
Battery
6.0 Hours
N/A
The Apple Airpods Pro 2 has 6 hours of battery life. The Moondrop Chu does not have a battery.
Cost
$199
$245
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
The Apple Airpods Pro 2 has a price of $199 and the Moondrop Chu costs $245.
Build Quality
9.0/10
8.5/10
The Apple Airpods Pro 2 has excellent build quality, while the Moondrop Chu has very good build quality.
"Apple's upgraded H2 chip begets better active noise canceling (ANC) and battery life, while the case's U1 chip and integrated speaker lets you precisely locate it from the Find My app. If you own an iPhone, the new AirPods Pro is an obvious choice."
"These budget buds put the pressure on those premium priced in-ear monitors to really justify the cost disparity. Offering excellent sound quality at any price, the Moondrop Chu is both a perfect entry into the audio enthusiast hobby, and an all around good pick for music fans."
Get a great deal on the Apple Airpods Pro 2 or the Moondrop Chu
About Apple
Apple Inc. is an American technology company, founded in 1976, known for its wide range of premium products, including smartphones, computers, and audio solutions. Apple offers the very popular personal audio line AirPods, highly regarded for their wireless, smart capabilities and their seamless integration with the iPhone, iPad and Mac devices. They provide a high-quality sound, comfort and lifestyle features perfect for all users invested in their ecosystem.
About Moondrop
Moondrop is a Chinese brand of smart audio equipment, portable audio players, earbuds and headphones started in 2015. During the last few years they have become one of the major players in what is lovingly referred to as the Chi-fi market, the bulk of Chinese companies that have managed to actually compete with the western manufacturers in both prices and superior quality. Products such as the Blessing II, Chu and Kato are among the most popular offerings of the brand, more popular among those users that wish for good quality audio that won't break the bank. Besides audio, the brand also works in what they call the ACGN field (Animation, Comics, Games and Short Novels).
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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec earbuds & headphones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest earbuds or headphones information and makes it digestible for you.
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About the Earbuds or Headphones team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Earbuds and Headphones Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Luis Torres
Earbuds and Headphones Expert
Luis is a Mexico-based headphones expert. He’s been making headphone recommendations for five years and has close to 100 pairs in his personal collection.