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Updated April 11, 2024·
If budget is a concern and you don't need wireless capabilities, Moondrop Chu offers great sound quality for music and calls at a lower price. However, JBL 510BT provides the convenience of wireless listening and is suitable for on-the-go use with longer battery life and foldability, though it doesn't rate as highly for sound or comfort. If you need a microphone, Moondrop Chu has better mic quality, but overall convenience might suffer without wireless functionality. JBL could be better for air travel due to active noise cancelling, but won’t be as immersive for gaming or TV due to higher latency. Moondrop's wired connection is more reliable for low-latency applications but less handy for exercise or travel. 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 JBL 510BT
Good for air travel
Advantages of the Moondrop Chu
Good for music
Very good for phone calls
Very good for gaming
Good for TV and video
Good for podcasts and audiobooks
Key differences
Music
6.2/10
7.9/10
The Moondrop Chu is good for music, while the JBL 510BT is only fair.
Gaming
5.4/10
8.0/10
The Moondrop Chu is very good for gaming, while the JBL 510BT is poor.
Phone Calls
5.1/10
8.8/10
The Moondrop Chu is very good for phone calls, while the JBL 510BT is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
5.6/10
7.6/10
The Moondrop Chu is good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the JBL 510BT is poor.
TV and Video
5.5/10
7.5/10
The Moondrop Chu is good for TV and video, while the JBL 510BT is poor.
Noise Reduction
5.3/10
6.0/10
The Moondrop Chu is only fair for noise reduction, while the JBL 510BT is poor.
Battery
38.0 Hours
N/A
The JBL 510BT has 38 hours of battery life. The Moondrop Chu does not have a battery.
Cost
$30
$18
$0
$10
$20
$30
$40
$50
The JBL 510BT has a price of $30 and the Moondrop Chu costs $18.
Build Quality
6.5/10
8.5/10
The Moondrop Chu has very good build quality, while the JBL 510BT has only fair build quality.
"The JBL Tune 510BT is affordable and compact, making it a great companion for a commute, so long as you don't need active noise canceling. If you wear glasses or have ear piercings, the on-ear design might not be comfortable, since the ear cups will squish your ears."
"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 JBL 510BT or the Moondrop Chu
About JBL
JBL is an American audio equipment manufacturer. Owned by Harman International which is, itself, owned by Samsung Electronics. JBL markets a wide array of monitoring speakers, professional headphones and consumer market headphones and earbuds. It was founded in 1946 by James Bullough Lansing (whose initials give the company its name) and has become one of the most prolific audio companies ever. Their products were responsible for audio during the 1969 Woodstock Festival.
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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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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