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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Moondrop Chu earbuds are significantly less expensive than the Sennheiser HD 400S headphones, offer higher overall sound quality, and are more portable, but they don't isolate noise as well and may not be as comfortable for all users due to their size. They have an in-line mic, which is good for calls, but Sennheiser's integrated mic also ensures clarity. If you're into gaming, the Sennheiser HD 400S might be a better choice due to the better gaming score, though the Chu is not far behind. For long listening sessions, Sennheisers are likely more comfortable and have a slightly larger soundstage perception, but they are less portable and more expensive. 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 Moondrop Chu
The Moondrop Chu has no clear advantages over the Sennheiser HD 400S.
Advantages of the Sennheiser HD 400S
Good for air travel
Key differences
Music
7.9/10
7.1/10
The Moondrop Chu and Sennheiser HD 400S are both good for music, though the Moondrop Chu is somewhat better.
Gaming
8.0/10
8.6/10
The Sennheiser HD 400S and Moondrop Chu are both very good for gaming, though the Sennheiser HD 400S is somewhat better.
Phone Calls
8.8/10
8.2/10
The Moondrop Chu and Sennheiser HD 400S are both very good for phone calls, though the Moondrop Chu is somewhat better.
Noise Reduction
6.0/10
5.3/10
The Moondrop Chu is only fair for noise reduction, while the Sennheiser HD 400S is poor.
Cost
$22
$61
$0
$20
$40
$60
$80
$100
The Moondrop Chu has a price of $22 and the Sennheiser HD 400S costs $61.
"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."
"Sennheiser has done it again. The HD 400S performs well beyond its price range and is one of the better budget model headphones I’ve tried. It has very few bells and whistles and offers a simple means of listening that still delivers amazing clarity and quality. If you need a good first pair of headphones or need something that you can take out of the house, then the HD 400S is definitely for you."
Get a great deal on the Moondrop Chu or the Sennheiser HD 400S
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).
About Sennheiser
A family-owned company, Sennheiser is a German, high fidelity, audio equipment manufacturer founded in 1945. Their consumer audio division is now owned by the Swiss hearing aid and cochlear implant manufacturer Sonova. Sennheiser offers a wide variety of, very high quality, audio equipment solutions, from headphones to earbuds, full sets of monitoring speakers, amplifiers and microphones. They also make what is widely regarded as the best, and most expensive, headphones in existence, the HE-1 Orpheus, costing a whopping $59,000 dollars.
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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
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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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