Short answer: the ARTTI R3. It ranks #600 of 1291 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 3.8/5, at $24.99; the Moondrop Chu 3 ranks #640, rated 3.7/5, at $24.99. Close enough in price that the sound-quality gap is the deciding factor.
What the ARTTI R3 does well: A very cheap single dynamic in-ear with a 71 Harman preference score and full sub-bass extension down to 20 Hz. The catch: A 1.89 dB spread from the target still leaves some peaks and dips.
What the Moondrop Chu 3 does well: The median of 16 hobbyist measurements gives it a solid Harman preference score of 70 with a 2.14 dB spread, and its mids sit within about 0.6 dB of target, so vocals and instruments sound natural. The catch: Presence sits about 3.1 dB low with a 5.3 dB dip near 5.4 kHz, so vocals and instruments lose some bite.
Buy the ARTTI R3. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Moondrop Chu 3 at the same price, so only choose the other one for a particular feature it does better.
Still deciding? The full Headphones rankings cover every ranked option.
A very cheap single dynamic in-ear with a 71 Harman preference score and full sub-bass extension down to 20 Hz.
Amazon $24.99 eBay
The median of 16 hobbyist measurements gives it a solid Harman preference score of 70 with a 2.14 dB spread, and its mids sit within about 0.6 dB of target, so vocals and instruments sound natural.
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Specifications Side By Side
| ARTTI R3 | Moondrop Chu 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $24.99 | $24.99 |
| Ranked | #600 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones | #640 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Dynamic | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 10mm dynamic | 1 x 10mm dynamic |
| Harman Preference Score | 71 (median of 4 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 70 (median of 16 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 1.89 dB standard deviation | 2.14 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.66 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.59 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+1.6 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-0.8 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Impedance | - | 16 ohms |
| Sensitivity | - | 118 dB/Vrms |
| Frequency Response | - | 12Hz - 50kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
Frequency Response Compared
Both headphones’ measurements overlaid on the Harman target. Above the target sounds louder in that range, below it quieter. Each curve is the median of several independent measurements, shifted so its 500 Hz to 2 kHz average sits at 0 dB, so only the tuning is compared.
Measurement data: the ARTTI R3 from ankramutt, audioamigo, riz and tonedeafmonk; the Moondrop Chu 3 from aden, aquaphobic, atechreviews, audioamigo, bassaudio, bedrock, boizoff, breampike, dvewlsh, eplv, fernandagunsan, hbb, iemocean, practiphile, precog and superreview, all via squig.link.
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