HiSound POPO Review

HiSound POPO Review

I would like to thank HiSound for giving me a pair of these wonderful headphones for review! As always my reviews strive to be as unbiased as possible, and I’m always welcoming suggestions on how to better organize my reviews, so if you have any comments, tips, or advice feel free to comment and let me know!

Packaging and Build

            The packaging is very bland, and does not offer much other then protection during shipping. This is one area I think could be improved, seeing as how companies like DUNU which price similarly tend to come with things like carrying pouches. It did luckily come with a package of different sized ear tips, no adapters or carrying cases here though.

            So how is the thing built? Well the wood is very aesthetically pleasing and the units themselves are very lightweight and comfortable. They have a very good fit, one of the better that I’ve tried. However one thing that does bother me is that the headphone cable picks up a lot of noise when brushed up against or touched.

Sound

           

            One thing that strikes me immediately is that these headphones have a very soundstage width that is both extensive and very controlled. There is depth to some extent but I’ve noticed that depth is often hard for IEMs (In Ear Monitor) to portray and that proves true here too.  But they’ve nailed soundstage in my opinion for an IEM in this price range!

            These, like the DUNUs, fit into the bass head category of in ear headphones. It sounds to that bass below 80 Hz is boosted and it does not bleed into the midrange at all, which is very pleasing. The bass has nice punch, but leaves a little to be desired in terms of detail. It seems a little punchier then the DUNUs house sound, with less mid bass. This results in improved vocal reproduction.

            Were these shine is in the mids and highs, which I think are very tonally correct. Female vocals come through with detail, presence, and warmth. Highs are not sibilant and are very well controlled, they don’t have shimmering detail or an airy feel to them but they are very pleasant and laid back. Frequency response is good, they seem to go down pretty far, not quite as far as they clam I think but pretty good nonetheless, upper frequency is equally well extended.

            So do I think they are worth the asking price of $90? (It can be found for less through authorized retailers) Yes I do think its worth the price, the soundstage is most impressive and possibly the best I’ve heard under $100 in the IEM market. In fact I think these are my new favorite in ear headphones that I own. The only thing I want to see changed is I would love to see it include at least a basic carrying case since most people will be using these on the go and for the price they should include something. With that said I can highly recommend these headphones!

Apex Butte Review

APEX BUTTE

A Little Information

First I would like to thank Todd The Vinyl Junkie for giving me the opportunity to review this unit. I would also like to mention that I am always honest with my reviews. If I don’t like a product I will let you know, I won’t hold back any criticism. So I hope that this review will be helpful to anyone considering the purchase of the APEX Butte headphone amplifier.

I would say that I’ve first heard about APEX audio earlier this year and I’ve been interested in hearing some of their products. Unfortunately most of their products were just way out of my price range. I believe this is one of the reasons that they produced
the Butte. The Butte is effectively a very good entry product in their line to showcase the APEX name brand and their products in my opinion. So how well has it done this? You’ll have to read to the end to find out for yourself. For testing this headphone amplifier I used the following:

 ●  Lossless Music, Some 24/96

 ●  MacBook Pro

 ●  Music Streamer II+

 ●  APEX Butte

 Burson 160 (For Comparison)

 ●  AKG K702s

 Build and What’s included

 So whats included? Well honestly not a whole lot, I would like to point out though that the packaging was very good and I can’t see it getting damaged in transport. The only thing included was the amp itself and the wall wart that goes with it. Simple and to the point I suppose, however I keep thinking about the fact that it uses a wall wart when most things in this price range would have some pretty hefty transformers in the unit itself. I suppose though that the sound quality will tell all.

So how is built? Well, I’d have to say its built pretty solidly. The case is made of good metal and I believe the front panel is made of wood but don’t quote me on that. The knobs and buttons could feel a little more solid though. They are not bad but they are not like a Burson either. It is a very small, low profile case and that might work extremely well for those with smaller desk or spaces.

Connectivity and Power

One other thing to note is that unlike most amplifiers this one has two separate inputs, however that’s where some of the troubles start. One of the inputs is a set of RCA inputs and the other input is a 3.5mm jack for connecting things like iPods I suppose. As others have mentioned there is bleed over from the other inputs when they are not selected. I don’t hear any noise when the other one is off and I don’t get any buzzing or weird noises like others have reported though. This problem does make the two inputs a

little less useful if you start having ground issues or one of your sources need to remain powered on. I’d still count it as a plus as many of us have more then one source for our amps.

How much power does it have to drive those hungry headphones of yours? Well 750mW into 33 Ohms according to the official site and I believe it, I never had to go past 11 O’clock with my 702s. Well, I would say it likely has more power then you’ll ever need for conventional headphones, the only ones you might have problems with are some like the HE-6 or K1000s but for general use it has more then enough power. In fact it might be a little too powerful for in ear monitors, I felt that when using IEMs that the attenuator was a little too touchy.

Sound

The first thing I noticed when I started listening was how much impact bass notes hit with. I feel that the bass with this amp is rather odd. It almost sounds like it starts rolling off just ever so slightly below about 40Hz as another user has also observed. However even with this slight roll off of lower frequency it has more impact then a lot of other amps I’ve heard. It tends to really kick and punch out those notes, doing so with a decent, but not amazing amount of detail.

Another thing I noticed is how neutral and uncolored it sounded. Its one of the most neutral amps I’ve heard and yet not exactly a what goes in comes out kind of deal either. It has a very smooth sound that tends to make poor recordings sound a little better due to its forgiving nature. No one frequency seemed to stick out from the rest, everything blended together very coherently.

One thing this amp does lack in my opinion is detail. Maybe its bit harsh to compare it right up against the Burson but it seems fair to me, both being near the same price range and both being solid state. The Butte tends to be smooth sounding as mentioned but I find that this is so at the cost of detail. The detail is present but seems to take a backstage to things rather then presenting it to you in a proper manner. This seems to hold true across the frequency spectrum.

The smoothness I mentioned earlier also gives this amp a euphoric “Fun” sound.. I don’t know how they accomplished to both be neutral and fun at the same time but apparently its possible. If you listen to a lot of trance or anything that you might zone out on, this would be a very fun listen. It sort of just lets you transport yourself into the music.

The Butte definitely does sound-stage well, but different from a lot of amps. It has a pretty good width to the sound-stage but where it really shines is depth. It has a really accurate and large sound-stage depth for a amp in this price. I would go so far as to say that the depth is larger and more well controlled then the Burson however the width is not as wide or controlled as the Burson, so it has its trade offs.

Transparency is very good and you can clearly distinguish different instruments.

You can really notice this when there is natural reverb, you can distantly and clearly hear the separation from the actual singing and the reverb of the singer. The transparency is truly great.

You will never have to worry about fatigue with this amp. The treble is very mellow and a little laid back which means you’ll never have your ears pierced by screechy highs or peaks in the frequency. Honestly this has almost a tube like sound to the upper frequencies very musical, but well extended.

Pros

• Very well balanced Forgiving
• Non fatiguing
• Good sound stage depth Powerful
• Neutral but fun
• Bass Impact and slam Small physical footprint

Cons

• Lacks detail when compared to Burson 
• Slight bass roll off below 40Hz
• Sound bleeding from multi inputs 
• Sound-Stage width not as controlled as Burson 
• Volume Pot too sensitive for some IEMs

Conclusion

This amp does a lot of things very right in my opinion. For the price I don’t think there are any amps that I’ve heard that can compete. I’ll admit I was skeptical of how this would sound seeing the wall wart and no large capacitors inside (looking at Tyll’s pictures) but wow was I impressed. It has a very different sound from the Burson 160 amp that I have and some my like it and some might not. Its more fun sounding, then the Burson yet at the same time retains extreme neutrality. Its not quite as revealing as the Burson but that can be good on poorer recordings, this is why its such a forgiving amp. Besides some slight roll off below 40Hz, the neutrality is something to be admired, not to mention the amount of impact bass notes can hit with, truly astounding. The impact is rivaled only by much more expensive amps such as some of the Eddie Current stuff. I’ve not heard a ton of amps but I’ve heard quite a few and this stacks up well agents a lot of them I’ve heard, its very unassuming from the size of this unit.

Its not all peaches in cream however there are a few things I would really like to be resolved in the next version or in a update to the production units. I would love to see the multiple inputs fixed. As it stands if you want to leave two devices plugged into

it you will definitely hear them even when that input is not selected. I would also like to see a hi and low gain switch on the front for more control over the volume when using IEMs. But all said and done this is magnificent amp and gets a 5/5 from me!

HIFIMAN/HeadDirect RE 272 Review

HIFIMAN/HeadDirect RE 272

A Little About Myself

I am very honored to have been one of the many chosen that were able to review this unit and I want to thank HeadDirect and HIFIMAN for putting this together. I don’t have a lot of experience with IEMs and so this has been very fun and interesting. I would say I have decent experience with over the ear headphones I have heard many headphones and on a lot of different amps which I hope will allow my review to be a little more informative and useful. I am not down with all the audio terms, so I can only hope that someone will find this review useful. Thank you again and happy listening!

Packaging

When I received this unit I was surprised by how nicely the case looked, the pictures don’t do it justice and everything is packed nicely in the box. However it looked like it was already opened I don’t know if you guys test them before sending them out or not? But everything appears in great condition and the headphones themselves are very appealing to the eyes.

Sound (With Burson 160 - MS II+)

Pros

The highs are well done, not too bright, musical and a little forgiving, this works great for jazz music and classical as well as older rock. I’ve found that it has a good center image with a lower mid field type soundstage it seems to be very dynamic in its soundstage though. One moment it can be very close and intimate if the music calls for it and on other tracks can have a pretty decently large soundstage, for the most part however it seems to sit in the lower midfield to me. Very smooth,detailed, and well balanced mids very good for vocals like Norah Jones,Patricia Barber, even male vocals sound astonishing, such as Tom Waits Etc. One other area that this does well in is classic rock, despite that it could use for a little more bass the handling of the highs is done so well that I still think its great for classic rock. Generally I think that the highs are to bright or sibilant on most headphones but despite not being petite or shy in any means these manage to sound good on tracks that would normally sound too bright to my ears. Trumpets are rendered near perfect and saxophones sound amazing, cymbals are very defined and not grainy at all.

Cons

I thought the bass had a great balance as well as good detail however some may find it a little petite and in some older rock I found my self wanting a little more bass. Another thing is that despite its great overall balance I felt that it lacked a little warmth, if you like warmth or tube like sound then these might not be for you but if you can pair them with a tube amp as I did you will be rewarded.

WIth Little Dot MK III - MS II+

When I used it with my Little Dot MK III I thought it brought some of the warmth and bass that lacked in the Burson however at the cost of detail. I really think that these headphones prefer tubes which is odd for IEMs or at least I think thats odd. Despite the lack of detail the already wonderful mids now have a very nice and silky presence. With this amp the soundstage was pushed back a tad making it sound a little wider as well. These IEMs really do change quite a bit with different amps. Rock with these headphones and this amp sounds godly, very soft highs and more low mids and bass make this a absolute winner for classic rock! One song “Gypsy Wine” from Paper Garden is really bad on most headphones due to the annoyingly bright sound but on these its listenable which is saying a great deal!

Directly out of iPod Nano 5th Gen

Direct out it lacked the soundstage that it is capable of, it lacked detail and the highs lost its magic. I don’t blame the headphones for this one bit obviously the feed direct out of an iPod is not very hifi unfortunately I don’t have a portable amp or dac to test this with. Non the less it was still very good for on the go listening and would be fine for commutes or other things but if you want the best out of these headphones you need to have it hooked up to good equipment.

Comfort / Isolation

Very comfortable with tons of options for the right tip size depending on your preference and ear canal size. Lots of good and useful adapters are included which is nice. One other thing I really liked is that the connector, instead of being L shaped or straight it has a curve in it that is not only stylish but also practical. These headphones seem to block out a good amount of noise and would be good for an airplane or bus ride I can’t say how many DB it blocks but if I had to guess I would say somewhere around 20 DB. My brother actually blew a blow horn next to my door and I was unable to hear it listening at normal volume with these! The cord appears to be the perfect length to connect an iPod or other personal source without being long or cumbersome.

Extra Thoughts

Having not heard many IEMs I would say these are hands down the best I’ve heard, comparing them to full size of course is unfair but let me just say that I prefer these over all my other headphones other then my K702s which I still like a little more overall. Would I buy these? If I was looking for IEMs then yes I would definitely look at these, they do not overdue the bass like the other IEMs I’ve triad do, which is a big plus for me.  The tonality is also quite special almost a mix between the AKG and Ultrasone sound signature.

Specific Songs (test conducted on Little Dot MK III for the below)

Rock - Pink Fold - The Wall  Side A - Mother

Has a very musical sound right off the bat, non fatiguing and very natural sounding. It sounds great with this like it was meant for this song, I think this song demonstrates how well it does with classic rock. The highs are not over powering or under whelming they are simply dead perfect for this type of music. The mids are clear as ever and it renders the vocals very realistically. You can hear the guitars with great detail, every instrument is very distinct and the voice is dead center, as I mentioned before the center image is very very good on these headphones. These headphones let the song portray the emotions that were put into this recording very clearly. 

Jazz - Patricia Barber - Modern Cool - Post Modern Blues

Wow the bass! This track was mastered with too much bass IMO but other then that is a top notch recording. Most headphones will render the excessive bass muddy, however these do not! Very clear you can hear as the strings are plucked on the bass guitar and there is detail! Wonderful detail, not muddy in the least it carries the multiple note bass easily across its small drivers with deep impact. Patricia’s voice is rendered properly and very realistically as well, very smooth and relaxed and a pleasure to listen to. Very distinct instrumentation found here as well. 

Alternative - Tom Waits - Alice - Alice

Very good separation of the instruments, the saxophone on the further left is easily distinguishable from the center saxophone its like night and day separates them perhaps a little too much. It almost sounds like the left saxophone is slightly behind me which is a little odd. Tom’s voice holds a very good tone not too heavy or syrupy like some headphones can be on this song. It carries the somewhat dark texture of this song very well. The trouble sounds a little grainy but that could be the song I’m not sure. 

Metal - Marilyn Manson - Antichrist Super Star - Dried Up, Tied and Dead to the World

Perhaps as I’ve mentioned before a little bass light, but it scales well going load. I don’t play stuff as load as most but as load as I was willing to listen (also don’t want to risk damaging these haha) there were no signs of distortion. Marilyns voice is down as good as well I think that’s the key to these headphones, very good vocals and mids with highs that are forgiving. These did not get my blood going though, I think the  slight lack of dynamics on these does not suit heavy metal. Its not bad don’t me wrong but I think I’d rather use some Grados or Sony XBs for metal. 

Folk - Noble Beast - Andrew Bird - Tenuousness

The highs felt a little too forgiving on this track and the lack of a little bass made it feel a flat. I can’t say that I really like these headphones with this specific song. The guitar had good detail but felt compressed. It felt like everything just lacked dynamics. 

Electronic - Trifonic - Emergence - Emergence

Gobs of detail, fast pace and rhythm and not overly done bass! Great for electronic music that’s what I say. The drivers have a very fast response and keep up well with the fast pace. Really gets your heart going here. I keeps the smooth graduated sounds smooth, and keeps the sharp crackling sound sharp. From what I’ve heard with a lot of headphones that I have that’s very hard to do right and these do it!

Burn In

Last but not least burn in. I have about 30 hours on these and have noticed very little burn in effect. Burn in for the most part seemed complete after 10 hours. After that 10 hours very little if not nothing seemed to change.

DUNU DN-17 Crater Review

Review of DUNU DN-17 Crater

A Little Information

            I would like to thank DUNU for being extremely generous and sending me yet more gear for review! It was a bit of a surprise to receive these headphones, as I was not aware of entering any contest or anything of that sort and was not expecting them. However I do of course welcome new gear for testing, so it was a lovely surprise to see these at my door.

            For this review I will be using the DUNU DN-17’s with my Burson 160 Headphone amp paired with a Music Streamer II+ as well as testing on my 2010 MacBook Pro. I feel that testing these headphones out of the desktop setup will enable me to squeeze every ounce of pleasure out of these headphones, were as testing with my laptop will be a much more real world scenario, since a lot of people will be using these headphones with something similar.

            For those of you who are unaware DUNU is a newer audio company who is aiming to make budget minded IEMs for both audiophiles and general consumers alike. Most of their products are aimed at people who enjoy bass but don’t let that deter you some of their products are quite good for the price and may satisfy more then that nitch of “bass-head’.

Included Items And Build Quality

           

So what’s included with the DUNU DN-17 Crater’s? Well quite a few things actually. Packaging was adequate in my opinion; nothing special about it but it was done well. The box is nicely designed and reflects on them for wanting to target the budget-minded consumer. It appears visually attractive with a simple design to it that is almost Apple like. But enough about the shipping and box what’s inside? Well how about the following:

• ·      Leather Carrying Pouch
• ·      Hard Plastic Carrying Case
• ·      2.5mm to 3.5mm Headphone Jack Adapter
• ·      Shirt Clip For Headphone Wire
• ·      Airline headphone Jack Adapter
• ·      DUNU Microfiber Cleaning Cloth
• ·      8 Tip Pairs Of Different Sizes

The DN-17s have a more normal shape to them then some of the other DUNU in ear monitors (IEMs) I think they look great in terms of pure visual design and is of more attractive design then the DN-12 and DN-16 in my opinion. The comfort however was a little less so then the other DUNU models. Due to being a little smaller I found myself finding that they just are not as comfortable as some of the other models. Don’t get me wrong though these are not extremely uncomfortable they are just not as good as some of the other DUNU models in this respect, Certainly not bad.

One thing that is fascinating is that according to DUNU these wires are made of silver. Now this is quite an impressive feat for a consumer-marketed product. Now as some of you may be aware a lot of higher end cables for headphones or otherwise tend to use silver since it is a better conductor, will that in practice affect the sound? You’ll have to see, so read on!

Sound

            In the next part here I’m going to break down the review of the actual sound quality into sections because I feel that it portrays the information people looking for more effectively. I do this because I feel that it is easier for the readers to find what interest them faster. If you have any comments, advice, or even criticism let me know, I want to hear from you!

            Soundstage: Soundstage has always been a very important thing for me. I want the music to take into account the acoustical space in which it was recorded and for the headphones or speakers to be able to reproduce the sound of the room and not just the instruments. I want to be able to hear the placement of the instruments in that room so to speak.

I feel that these headphones do in deed have a decent soundstage, nothing to be wowed about but certainly not bad for an IEM. The sound stage itself is just ok, not large or anything, you certainly won’t feel like your in a cathedral but its placement of instruments is fairly good. One thing that these DN-17s do well is center placement. With some headphones I’ve heard the soundstage was wide but really lacked a center image making the sound rather odd to listen too. However the DN-17s do not suffer from that problem, center image is fantastic and one of the strong points of these!

Bass: This is definitely a place that DUNU in general seems to have nailed. The DN-17s are no exception. Bass is very well extended and not at all sloppy sounding. I would not go so far as to say that it’s a super tight bass but it is above average. Detail in this area is great and you won’t have to worry about added bass bleeding into the mid range either. Again DUNU markets most of their headphones to the bass head audiophile and they have nailed bass reproduction!

Mids: Some things here that I like and some that I don’t like. The lower mids are clean, detailed and have the appropriate sound level. That’s were things starting going downhill a little. About dead center in the middle frequencies it sounds like the volume is boosted a little which can make some vocals edgy and harsh sounding. Then we get to the upper mids and it seems to drop out a lot and losses a lot of detail. This tends to make it sound a little scratchy too.

Highs: Balance is once again restored in terms of sound levels. Detail is returned and it’s very musical. It has a very soft sound to it, which is very nice and pleasing. It has detail but does not throw it in your face instead it lets it out gently as it whispers into your ears. However extension is not the best, it is however better then the DN-16s and DN-12s in my opinion. Although rated to extend to about 22KHz in my opinion it really starts dropping off around the 17KHz region. Leaving some of the highest frequencies lacking.

Overall: Very good, and it has its strengths such as bass clarity and punch, as well as soundstage center imaging and instrument placement. However it also has its weaknesses, chief among them would be the horrible upper mids, which lack detail and sound levels and are not at all complemented by the boosted center mids which can make it sound painful with some vocalist. Do the pros out weigh the cons? I guess it depends on the type of music you listen too. For a lot of music I would say that these are very good. Pianos have a very nice sound on these and head banging music will sound great as well! But vocal jazz or folk music is not its strong suits.

Comparison to DN-16 Hephaes and DN-12 Trident

            The first thing you will notice going from the DN-16 to the DN-17 is that it has a better and smoother overall sound balance. I’ve always felt the DN-16s balance was rather odd but the DN-17s have solved this problem. Though in my opinion the DN-12s still have a slightly better overall sound balance.

            Although the DN-12 may have a better balance it lacks things that both the DN-16s and DN-17s both have, and that’s detail. If your upgrading from the DN-12 your going to immediately notice tighter bass and better clarity as well as more detail across the board. How does the DN-17 stack up against the DN-16 in this regard? Well I’d say quite well I would say that the DN-16 still has a leg up on the DN-17 in terms of bass punch and detail overall.

            One place were the DN-17s definitely have a leg up on the DN-16s in my opinion is in the fact that they are laid back. I often found the DN-16s a tad bright for my taste and the DN-17s work on that. With it being more relaxing and more something I want to put on to relax too.

            So if I could only have one, which would it be? I think it would depend a lot on what I’m listening to and what mood I’m in. For my taste in music, listening to a lot of folk and vocal jazz I’d have to stick with the DN-16s however I would say they are both very good and I can totally see someone liking the DN-17s more for other types of music. Heavy rock, metal, maybe even rap or types of alternative may sound better on the DN-17s and I do prefer them on a lot of music so its more a matter of taste since I find that they are both are on the same grounds of overall quality.

Extra Thoughts

            I’m very interested, as I’m sure you are too on how much the DUNU DN-17s are going to cost when they release. Unfortunately I’m not able to provide you with that information. How much do I think they are worth? Well in terms of pure sound quality, I’d price them similarly to the DN-16s if I were DUNU. I think asking more then $100 would be asking too much for them. But I don’t want to speculate too much on that.

            Another question you might have is when the release date is? Well I've asked DUNU and they said that they are aiming for a March release, so if these sound like your ideal headphones then you'll be waiting till then. Another thing I want to point out is that these headphones really need to be burned in. When I first heard these I thought they sounded awful, so I put at a decent sound level and let I burn in for about 50 hours and they really changed. So keep that in mind if you buy these!

DUNU DN-12 Trident Review

DUNU DN-12 Trident

About

I’d first like to say that these headphones are about $30 so I will be writing this review based on the performance in its price range. I’m doing this because it would be unfair to compare these to headphones in a higher price range. I would also again like to thank DUNU for allowing me to test these! As always DUNU offers shipping that deserves mention. How they get packages from point a to point b so fast I have no clue its magic. 

Appearance and Accessories

The packaging was definitely better then I expected for a pair of in ears in this price range. Shipping as I’ve mentioned is top notch. The packaging is nearly identical to the DN-16 hephaes, which is indicative of how well they treat their customers regardless of how much the headphones cost. The case slides out of the exterior box. It has magnetic latches that allow you to use this as a decent storage case. When you open it you are presented with a nice layout in the interior which holds the headphones and accessories. The DN-12 Tridents come with the following accessories:

The DN-12 Trident’s themselves

A leather pouch 

7 pairs of tips

The pouch is quite usable for daily travel with these earphones and the large quantity of tips insures that you will find a perfect fit for your ear canal size and preferences. Overall very pleasing number of accessories for what your paying!

As for the appearance I find it more visually pleasing then the DN-16 Hephaes, but thats more personal preference then anything. These DN-12s like the higher end DN-16s also have the (I believe) patented cord wrapper. Which actually is quite handy when transporting them in the pouch. It serves to keep the cords from getting tangled, which is as I’ve mentioned quite useful. 

Comfort and Isolation

These are neither the most comfortable nor the most uncomfortable in ears I have worn. I would say that they are slightly below average for comfort. The reason being that although the tips themselves are very comfortable the case of the DN-12s with its horn like shape can hit the side of your ears if you have small ears or otherwise. Don’t get me wrong though these are not that uncomfortable at all and can easily be worn for extended periods of time. 

As for the isolation its depends a lot on the tips you use. With the slightly bigger tips that I am using right now the isolation is much better then the stock tips. Its not amazing isolation but maybe a little better then I would think to be getting in this price range, not bad, not bad at all. Though one thing I would like to point out is that the cable it self does carry quite a bit of noise so if your constantly moving and bumping the cable then it may bother you. Though its not bad at all for something in this price range. 

Sound

Sound Signature: These almost have a Sennheiser type sound in my opinion. The bass is boosted and the treble is cut short. The mids for the most part are retained fine except for some lower midrange bump from the boosted bass. The treble has some trouble but its not bad at all considering the price, I will explain this in the next section in further detail. The sound itself is more laid back and relaxed sounding then most headphones which may or may not be your cup of tea. The attack and dynamics lack a little. These have a very warm sound because of the extended bass and missing upper highs, which works well for a lot of older rock and other music that may have troubling treble. 

Soundstage: This is one of its impressive bits. When I think of in ear monitors especially cheap ones the first thing I think of is how limited the soundstage usually is. Well although not particularly well defined wide or deep it is much, much better then could be expected for an IEM in this price range or even double this range. Its very nice and way better then I expected. Its almost at mid field but not quite its feels like it even manages a little depth to the image which is insane for something costing only $30! 

Bass: Lots of volume here, a quantity that should satisfy any basshead. Though there is bloom and some bleeding into the lower mids its not too bad. Its pretty much one note bass but I would not go so far as to call it sloppy. Its extension appears good as far as I’m able to discern.  Impact is above average for something competing in this range. Overall quite pleasing for the bass lovers out there.

Mids: The mids are very balanced and well defined. Their is however a slightly boosted lower mid range that bleeds over from the boosted bass, it is however minor. The tonal balance is near perfect and very neutral. It is a little laid back sounding but is not in anyway disappointing. Some of the cheaper bass boosted phones will, in my experience anyway destroy the mids by recessing them or ruining the detail. I’m glad to say that these do not sacrifice the mids to achieve the boosted bass. Though they are not of the most detail it is above average for something in this league. 

Treble: The treble is where some trouble creeps in. These in ear headphones as perfect as they are, do suffer from extension problems in the treble. The frequency seems to almost completely cut off at about 16KHz and up. Though this may improve listening for certain music such as classic rock that tends to have too much highs anyway. Other then extension the treble is accurate and more refined then I would expect. It does have an ever so slight sibilance but is not that bad. It seems to be laid back as well and with the lack of extension aids in the warm sound of these headphones. 

Specific Songs

Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here – Wish You Were Here: The beginning where you can hear a man and a woman talking on a TV or radio comes in clear though not with the most detail. When the guitar comes in it does so with a hypnotic like sound, laid back but somehow involving. The vocals come through with just a tad of missing highs. Detail is average and separation is a little tough. But the overall experience is still very enjoyable! 

The National – High Violet – Anyone’s Ghost: The guitar is a little drowned out separation is not bad, about average. Very laid back maybe too much so, the vocals come in clear but again maybe missing some top end. Not bad, fun to listen to but not the most engaging. 

Pixies – Death To The Pixies – Where Is My Mind: Separation is very good in this track and bass impact is above average. The guitar comes in clear and with more detail then I expected. The vocal track is very engaging and detailed. The tonal balance is also very good. Cymbals come in without much grain and its overall very fun and engaging listen.

Compared to the DN-16 Hephaes

Detail: What strikes me first when going from the DN-12s to the 16s is that the 16s (Hephaes) have much more detail across the board. This extra detail is welcomed to the somewhat detail lacking laid back sound of the DN-12s of course thats why the Hephaes cost more too haha. 

Balance: This is one of the areas I enjoyed more on the cheaper DN-12s. I find the balance on the DN-16s to be a little odd with the recessed upper mids and boosted lower highs. Although both have boosted bass I find that the DN-12 (Trident) has a overall more balanced sound signature to it. The mids are more even sounding and the highs are not as harsh as the Hephaes which can sometimes be too much for me. 

Bass: I think that the Tridents have more quantity of bass but it is not as neatly defined or detailed as the Hephaes. The bass on the Hephaes is more defined not as bloated sounding as the DN-12s. Thats not to say the DN-12s are bad, not at all. Again I would like to remind you of the price differences.

Mids: This is sort of hit and miss for me. Although the mids are much clearer and detailed on the Hephaes because of the recessed upper mids I’m left wondering which pair I prefer. Its a tough decision and not one I have a good answer for I guess it depends on which song I’m listening too. Of course it also depends on you, as every person will find whats important to them and what they can live with. To me the mids are very important its just deciding between detail and proper tonal balance can be challenging. 

Treble: Both have extension problems, the Tridents seem to cut off around 16KHz where is the Hephaes seem to extend a little beyond that, my guess is somewhere around 18KHz. Where is the Tridents had a laid back sounding treble the Hephaes take a more direct approach. Though much more detail is present in the Hephaes I am again left deciding between tonal balance and detail. The upper mids seem almost boosted on the Hephaes which can cause sibilance and fatigue on some tracks. The Tridents do not suffer from this problem but lack the clarity that the Hephaes has.

Overall:

I find the Tridents to be a very good value and something to seriously consider when buying in ear headphones in this price range, however I don’t hold the same opinion with the Hephaes. Although I do believe that I enjoy the Hephaes a tad more overall I can’t say that I would pay the price that they are listed at. Although not bad headphones the highs and recessed upper mids do bother me to an extent on the Hepaes if it was not for this problem and the other problems listed I would also be able to recommend the Hepaes. Non the less I am excited for what DUNU has in store for us and I will watch them with interest. 

Extra Thoughts

I am very pleased with these headphones and believe they offer a value at their price. Though not perfect they are very good with the only major problems stemming from their lack of upper frequency extension. With their great boosted bass and very clear mids not to mention the fact that they actually have a soundstage makes these a winner in my opinion. Though not at all analytical, these laid back headphones are fun to sit down with and relax to some good music.  I can fully recommend these headphones, the only people who may want to look away are those who require loads of detail or those who greatly enjoy their treble. But I say thumbs up to DUNU for this great product!