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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you highly value sound quality for music and are on a budget, the Moondrop Chu earbuds excel and are significantly less costly than the Soundcore Life Q20 headphones. Keep in mind, the in-ear Moondrop Chu offers better sound isolation and is more portable, while the over-ear Soundcore Life Q20 offers better battery life and comfort for extended use. Neither supports advanced Bluetooth codecs or are sweatproof, limiting their use for high-fidelity streaming or rigorous exercising. 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
Very good for phone calls
Very good for gaming
Good for TV and video
Good for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Soundcore Life Q20
Excellent for air travel
Key differences
Music
7.9/10
7.0/10
The Moondrop Chu and Soundcore Life Q20 are both good for music, though the Moondrop Chu is somewhat better.
Gaming
8.0/10
5.2/10
The Moondrop Chu is very good for gaming, while the Soundcore Life Q20 is poor.
Phone Calls
8.8/10
4.9/10
The Moondrop Chu is very good for phone calls, while the Soundcore Life Q20 is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
7.6/10
4.7/10
The Moondrop Chu is good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Soundcore Life Q20 is poor.
TV and Video
7.5/10
5.3/10
The Moondrop Chu is good for TV and video, while the Soundcore Life Q20 is poor.
Noise Reduction
6.0/10
8.7/10
The Soundcore Life Q20 is very good for noise reduction, while the Moondrop Chu is only fair.
Battery
N/A
32.3 Hours
The Moondrop Chu does not have a battery. The Soundcore Life Q20 has 32.3 hours of battery life.
Cost
$22
$60
$0
$20
$40
$60
$80
$100
The Moondrop Chu has a price of $22 and the Soundcore Life Q20 costs $60.
"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."
"As far as headphones that cost under $100 go, the Anker Soundcore Life Q20 is a really solid option. Like any good tool, it does the job well without much guff, and it’s affordable to boot. Sure: it’s not going toe to toe with any of the higher-end models of ANC headphones out there—but the headphones do well enough for commuters that it’s a good stand-in if you were never planning on spending a bunch of money anyway."
Get a great deal on the Moondrop Chu or the Soundcore Life Q20
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 Soundcore
Soundcore is a sub-brand belonging to Anker Innovations. Starting in 2014, initially marketing wireless, Bluetooth, speakers, Anker now offers an array of, budget-friendly, wireless earbuds and headphones that directly compete, especially in the Active Noise Canceling field, with other brands several times as expensive.
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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
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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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