[Lindholdt]

So I love the Moondrop Chu I, and for the price I think its amazing. Pretty crazy how nice a 20$ IEM is
The Chu has also made me want to look more into IEM'S, but I'm not sure where to go from here.
Best case scenario is a Chu with better technicalities and slightly more bass, priced below 200$.
Does such IEM exist?
The Moondrop Aria looks like it has the tonality I'm looking for, but I'm not sure how much of an upgrade it is when it comes to the technical capabilities?

 

[msing539]

I would take small steps. Maybe there's a different sound signature you might enjoy. Or maybe you'd be perfectly content spending less.

Kiwi Ears Cadenza, Truthear Zero, Hexa, Simgot EA500, Letshuoer S12, all great iems. Or you can jump straight to something like the Aful Performer 5 at $200.

I found that I enjoy the Penon house sound more than other iems. Penon Fan 2 might be to your liking, used would be in your budget.

 

[RenoGu]

I agree with what msing539 said. Maybe it is better for you to try 2-3 low cost IEM to explore different sound signatures before starting to buy more expensive IEMs.

At least that is what I did and I am quite glad. What I thought I like at first was not what I ended up liking.

 

[Lindholdt]

Thank you for you inputs guys
I fully understand what you mean, and in many cases, that makes a lot of sense to do.
However, I'm quite happy with the sound of the Chu, and if I can just get "more" of the same, that will be great for now. I won't be spending tons of money on this set, so if I figure out later than I prefer something else more, then it won't be too bad. At them moment I don't have the time to start exploring different types of sounds, as I have more than enough doing so with my headphones and speaker setups. So right now, I just want to go with what I know, and instead of spending 150-200$ testing 3 different IEM's, I would rather spend that amount on an Uber-Chu, if that exists

I hope that makes sense as well?

 

[Lindholdt]

Very randomly, a local 2 hand deal on the Moondrop Aria Snow showed up, and while chatting to the seller, he told me that he was also selling the Kiwi Ear Cadenza.
We found a good price on both of them, and I've had them for a few days now.
I feel like the Cadenza is more of a side step, than an upgrade. More of a v shape sound to my ears, and I actually feel the Chu has a bit better technical capabilities. So the Cadenza isn't really for me.

The Aria is an upgrade for sure, but with a different sound profile. I love the better technical side of them, and the overall tuning is good. They have a strong emphasis on vocals to my ears, but also a bit lacking in the treble. That might be down to my 40 year old well worn ears, but I think I prefer something with a bit more brightness.
However I enjoy the Aria a lot, and for now, they will do fine.