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!

DUNU DN-16 Hephaes Review

DUNU DN-16 Hephaes Review

A Few Things

I’d first like to say that this will be an interesting review as I’m not much of a basshead and these are definitely bass oriented IEMs. So I’ll be trying to understand my fellow bassheads in this review, as well as get the most out of these IEMs. I would also really like to thank DUNU audio for this giveaway, I really appreciate it.

Shipping and Packaging

I think the shipping deserves mentioning. Quite simply it was the fastest shipping from Taiwan I have ever seen! It got to my house near Pittsburgh PA, 4 days after it was shipped from Taiwan! Thats insanity and I give DUNU props for getting it here so fast. 

As for the packaging it was definitely better then I thought it was going to be for a pair of headphones in this price range. The box is actually quite useable as a storage box and has magnetic latches which are very nice. The box has a very attractive simple, but to the point design which I enjoy.

Appearances and Accessories

It includes the following:

DUNU leather pouch

DUNU carrying case (shown)

Ear hooks for different wearing style

Ten different pairs of IEM tips/earpieces

In terms of appearance I’m not sure I’m a fan of the flames but those may be removable I’m not sure on that though. I would also like to note that these are one of the heaviest pair of in ear headphones I’ve ever felt. This adds a sense that its worth its weight in gold and that its built strong. I’d also like to mention the cord, the cord has a strap that you can use to wrap your headphones up with and keep them from getting tangled which is very useful.

Comfort and Isolation

 Comfort wise these average the reason being,is that sometimes the flames can hit the side of your ear and are not the most comfortable when that happens. I’m not saying these are bad at all, other then the flames I think that they fit into my ears near perfectly. If the flames are removable, and they may be, then I would say that these have an excellent comfort level, more so then the HIFIMAN RE 272s! The stock tips that where already on the headphones also fit perfectly and I did not have to fiddle around with tips at all. 

Isolation is slightly above average, its not as good as the HIFIMAN’s RE 272s but its not bad either and competes well to isolation levels found in this price range.

Sound

Soundstage: The soundstage is a little odd, much like this headphone in general. It has a very wide sounding stage but with absolutely no depth. The separation is ok good for an IEM in this price range. But it is quite odd to listen too sometimes, it feels like its right up in your face but that the instruments are at large angles to each other.

Bass: The bass is done surprisingly well, and I think thats the key to these headphones is the lower frequency reproduction. It contains quite good detail and though it is definitely exaggerated in quantity it does not sound too boomy. These headphones are definitely geared towards the people coming from Beats,M50’s or other bass heavy users, though I thought the bass on the M50s where much more detailed and much tighter sounding. Don’t get me wrong these are pretty good for IEMs in this price range and I think they compete well in terms of bass reproduction. The bass has pretty good impact and ok extension. It seems to drop off some around the 30Hz mark. 

Mids: This is where things start getting a little weird. Yes the excessive bass does bleed a little into the lower mids but its actually quite controlled and not as bad as you would think. This is one of the better examples of boosted bass that I’ve heard in that it does not ruin the lower mids. However I do have a problem with the upper mids. The upper mids are greatly recessed around the 4-7Khz range I would guess that they are down by about 3DB’s. Being someone who listens to a lot of female vocals this annoyed me some, not to mention I probably got used to the K702s upper mid peak. 

Highs: The highs are also very weird and not too pleasing to my ears. The lower mids are exaggerated which when combined with the upper mids being recessed adds up to make quite an odd tonal balance. The highs can also get painfully bright on certain tracks and a tad grainy.

Sound Signature: These have the well known V sound, meaning that the highs and the lows are both boosted leaving the mids recessed. It also had an overall very odd sound to it and odd tonal balance. This worked towards some genres and against others. If I had to pick, I would say that these sound like a pair of Ultrasones got into a fight with some Beats by doctor Dre. Which might be your cup of tea depending on your taste however I don’t think they are mine, at least for the most part. I say this because there are some things that these do very right and sound great with. 

Genres that these sound good with:

Alternative (some)

Electronic

Rap

Rock

Genres that these do not sound good with:

Blues

Classical

Country

Folk

Instramental

Jazz

Pop

R&B

Reggae

Vocal

World

Specific Songs

Muse – Black Holes And Revelations – Soldier’s Poem: The beginning where the drum starts kicking is one of those moments with these that you feel like you have your head right next to the port on a subwoofer. It really kicks and does so with a good amount of detail! The vocals are only, just noticeably recessed. There is a little grain to the voice and the highs are sibilant. Not perfect but decent.

Radiohead – OK Computer – Paranoid Android:  This song is very good on these headphones. Quite a bit of detail in the highs, the mids could use for some more dynamics and the lower mids could do with some added clarity but bass is good. Its not to harsh though and I give it that, vocals come through very good a little on the warm side and its pleasing to listen too. 

AC/DC – Highway to Hell – Highway to Hell: This song is a mixed bag for me. You start listening and you hear the great impact of these IEMs and the good detail. The voice comes in and it still sounds great good detail,clarity, maybe a little thin but good. Then you get to the chorus and thats where it goes down hill. The voice in the chorus are screechy,sibilant, and almost painful to listen too.

Pink Floyd – The Wall – Mother: Great sound with this one, truly. The added bass gives this song a nice warm song too it. The highs are retained fine without sounding sibilant at all, they have plenty of detail and are not grainy. The mids have clarity and body, and the lows are filled with detail. This is one of the songs that leads me to believe these things are for rock!

The Doors – Strange Days – People Are Strange: Perfection with this song as well. The highs are not at all to harsh, in fact they are close to perfect. The boosted bass adds body to the voice which usually feels a little thin with headphones. Imaging is good in this song as well and placement is very good. Lows don’t sound over down nor boomy, great sound!

Extra Thoughts

Where they lack in wide use applications they make up for by doing what they can do very well. I think that rock sounds absolutely great and I’ve been using these a lot for rock over the last few days. Since most older rock seems to lack some lower end the added bass on these makes up for it quite a bit. With the often almost screechy sound of some recordings the dip in the upper mids tends to fix this as well making these absolutely amazing for rock! If you like your electronic and dubstep head pounding these will do that as well. However is you want something that accurately portrays the music your going to want to look elsewhere. 

The bottom line is this, if your a basshead or listen almost exclusively to classic rock I would say you should consider these when making a purchase. But if the above does not pertain to you then steer clear from these because these are not your cans! Luckily I do listen to a lot of classic rock and so these work good for that, just not everything.