Preamble:
Before I start with my actual review, I want to give out a warm thank to DUNU-Topsound for providing me with a sample of the Alpha 1 earbuds (http://www.dunu-topsound.com/ALPHA1.html) in exchange for my honest opinion and evaluation.
Founded in February 1994 originally as an OEM manufacturer, the Chinese company DUNU has developed in the past few years and launched many in audiophile circles highly appreciated IEMs, among the Titan series as well as the highly appreciated hybrid models of the DN-range. One of their less wide-spread builds is the Alpha 1 which combines a large dynamic 16 mm driver in hybrid style with a Balanced Armature transducer – though not in an in-ear as you may have thought, but this time in earbuds.
This review dedicated to the Alpha 1 earbuds of the company DUNU that is best known for their titanium-coated drivers and hybrid concepts should illuminate if and especially how that hybrid earbuds concept works out, as no other manufacturer has dared to create such a thing on a commercial basis yet to my knowledge.
Technical Specifications:
Price: ~ $155-175
Type: hybrid (16 mm dynamic + Balanced Armature)
Frequency Response: 10 Hz – 30 kHz
Sensitivity: 125 dB (+/- 2 dB)
Impedance: 16 Ohms
Cable Length: 1.2 m
About Hybrid Concepts:
As you can read from the technical specifications, the Alpha 1 is a little different from most common earbuds and doesn’t only back on one dynamic driver, but combines it with a second Balanced Armature transducer.
Most In-Ears and until today almost all earbuds use dynamic transducers for audio playback which have the advantage of covering the whole audible spectrum and achieving a strong bass emphasis without much effort. Valuable dynamic drivers are often said to have a more bodied and musical bass that has a more soft impact and decay and lacks of the analytical character that BA transducers are known for. On the downside, in contrast to headphones with other driver principles, dynamic transducers often have a lower resolution.
Higher-priced and professional IEMs mostly use Balanced Armature transducers, which usually have got a higher resolution than dynamic drivers, are faster, more precise and have got the better high-level stability, which is important for stage musicians that often require higher than average listening levels. On the downside, it is quite hard to cover the whole audible spectrum with just a single BA transducer and strongly emphasised bass is only possible with multiple or big drivers. Some people also find In-Ears with BA transducers to sound too analytical, clinical or cold (in several active years in a German audio community where I wrote multiple reviews, gave dozens of purchase advice and help, from time to time I heard people that got into BA earphones for the first time using these attributes for describing BA earphones, especially their lower frequencies).
Hybrid IEMs unite the positive aspects of both driver principles and use one dynamic transducer for lows reproduction and at least one BA driver for covering mids and highs, wherefore the often as “musical” described bass character remains and the BA transducers add resolution and precision to the mids and highs.
But the Alpha 1 are earbuds, namely the world’s first hybrid-style ones with a large 16 mm dynamic driver for the lows and another Balanced Armature for the rest of the spectrum. It is a brave (not to say risky) concept that no other manufacturer dared to do on a commercial basis yet (at least none to my knowledge), as the combination of earbuds along with the use of BA drivers requires even more care and acts very critical depending on fit and seal than more commonly known styles – how and if this concept works in the Alpha 1 is what you will get to read in this review.
Delivery Content:
Typically for DUNU, the Alpha 1’s delivery content is quite ample, with a wide variety of different ear tips.
The packaging is valuable, sturdy and designed with the typical DUNU-style. The front shows a large picture of the earbuds, the rear gives information about the used hybrid technology and describes the earbuds’ tonality a little. The left side features technical specifications in various languages; the right one has got a strap for opening the magnetic lid and features the words that DUNU stands for: “Delicate Unique & Utmost”.
The left inside of the upper side’s lid shows the included accessories on the left side, specifies the different tips, shows how they should be installed and what the earbuds look like when correctly inserted in the ears. On the right side, there is an introduction of a musician called Max Barsky as well as a small plastic screen with the in-ears behind.
With the help of another strap, this side can be opened up as well and reveals the earbuds as well as a warranty card, a carrying case with a silver DUNU logo, a cable clip, a 6.35 to 3.5 mm adapter as well as a wide variety of different ear tips. The included tips are called: “Bass/Liquid” which are silicone tips with fins (three sizes), “Balance/Musical” which are thick silicone rings (three pairs, one standard size), “Airy/Resolution” which are thin silicone rings (three pairs, one standard size) as well as “Full/Balance” which are foam covers (two pairs, one standard size).
Aesthetics, Build Quality:
The large bodies of the earbuds are mainly made of black plastic, but also have a polished silver aluminium ring application on the back. The “shaft” features a bass reflex opening at its bottom which has a quite similar function as on the Apple EarPods, as well as another port further above. The ear-facing side has got 26 small holes for the large dynamic driver as well as a sticking out spout in the centre that contains the Balanced Armature transducer which has its own dedicated sound outlet bore.
Around the bodies is a plastic “collar” on which the various ear tips are installed.
The cable is still relatively flexible, although not as much as the Titan 1’s or DN-2000J’s and has got DUNU’s typical and patented cable management tool which is made of soft black silicone. The y-split, chin-slider as well as the 3.5 mm jack are made of black aluminium alloy. The strain relief at the jack and y-split is good, but there is none directly at the earbuds’ bodies.
The “Bass/Liquid” called fin-tips have each got a small letter on their back that determinates the size. On the front is a small arrow which should be located at the same direction as the Balanced Armature spout is facing. Such arrows are also on the “Balance/Musical” tips.
At first, installing and changing the tips was a bit tricky and required some time, but I got used to it over time because of changing them very often for comparative reasons, wherefore it got easier for me and I got a good feeling of where the collar snaps in.
The included carrying case is not as premium as the one the Titan 1 or DN-200J comes with, but it is very protective, has got a small pocket for accessories like the various ear tips and is nicely bolstered on the inside.
Comfort, Isolation:
The earbuds are best to be worn with the cables straight down, although changing the sides and wearing them over the ears is also possible, but (logically) with swapped audio channels as well. Wearing them in the classical position and then guiding the cables over the ears is also possible, but not necessarily more comfortable and especially not required, as the Alpha 1 earbuds have got very surprisingly low (close to not existing) microphonics with all of the used ear tips.
Of course, the fit and seat with earbuds is different from ear autonomy to ear autonomy and person to person and therefore a general statement is not possible here, but what I can say is that I get the most secure fit with the large “Bass/Liquid” fin-tips, although the other tips stay in very securely as well so it is even possible to do a handstand and the earbuds will still stay in without getting out of place much at all.
General comfort is good, although after a longer period of time (~ 1.5 to 2 hours), I feel the spout, but it doesn’t hurt yet.
I guess I don’t have to tell you much about isolation because the Alpha 1 are earbuds that don’t really isolate by their nature.
Sound:
Although I don’t believe much (if at all) in burn-in of dynamic in-ears (and not at all with BAs), I have fully burnt the Alpha 1 in before listening, just as it is recommended for them by DUNU (just in case).
My main source devices were the iBasso DX80 as well as the LH Labs Geek Out IEM 100; the music files were mainly stored in FLAC format and some 320 kBps MP3 files.
As a good fit and seal are important for earbuds (especially those with Balanced Armature technology) in order to get a good sound, perceived acoustics may differ from person to person and may be even more individual than with in-ears. The eartip selection is also important with the Alpha 1.
At the beginning, I had some problems getting a good seal (if it can even be called “seal” with earbuds), wherefore the sound was very peaky in the first time, especially in the area of the mids (I guess the seal I got was just not good enough for the Balanced Armature driver). After some time, I found the best insertion angle and tip for me, so the sound got good, quite even and was no rollercoaster ride anymore.
My following sound impressions refer to listening to the earbuds with the “Balance/Musical” tips that provided the best and most balanced sound for me (more about the tips in the “Tuning Options” paragraph).
Tonality:
So, how do the Alpha 1 hybrid earbuds sound? I would describe their tonality as neutral with (over-) present mids. What I hear could be probably similar to the Shure SE315 in some areas, but with more treble and a more even midrange emphasis (at least by telling from the Shure’s frequency response graph, as the only Shure IEMs I own are the SE425 and 846).
Let’s start with the lows: for earbuds, the Alpha 1’s extension is not too bad and the bass starts rolling off from about 80 Hz down, with a -5 dB point at 45 Hz – so it is still able to produce upper bass and also mid-bass, but the latter with less level in the lower departments. There is still more or less sufficient level down to 35 Hz, but the area below is negligible, especially with music (as the lower mid-bass is already quieter than the upper bass).
The upper bass and lower ground-tone are emphasised by about only marginal 1 dB compared to a neutral in-ear like the Etymotic ER-4S. From 600 Hz on, the mids start emphasising, with a climax at about 1 kHz and reach until pretty exactly 2 kHz. The following treble is pretty spot-on in terms of level, but with a small peak both at 4.8 as well as 7 kHz. Level starts rolling off from 8 kHz on, which is a side-effect of the Balanced Armature driver in a more or less free space, wherefore there is no subtle “sparkling” above 10 kHz.
The mids are rather strongly emphasised by around 5 dB, which may be too much for some people in combination with the pretty flat lows (I am quite flexible and adaptive regarding different tonalities wherefore I got used to the mids and they did not annoy me, as I think that they are quite evenly emphasised due to the elevation starting at 600 Hz and stopping at 2 kHz, but I am certain that many people might be a bit annoyed by their somewhat “shoutyness” – a milder midrange emphasis would be better for the choice of the masses and I would appreciate an Alpha 2 in the future with less prominent mids but everything else remaining quite similar, as I personally find the earphones really good).
Tuning Options: Each tip gave me a somewhat different sound, which might be due to a varying fit, position and seal with most of them.
“Bass/Liquid” (fin-tips):
The (for me) most comfy tips got an about 1 dB stronger lower ground-tone in my ears, but high voices sound strident and edgy and therefore not much enjoyable.
“Airy/Resolution” (thin silicone rings):
The sound signature from the bass up to before the mids is pretty much the same as with my preferred thick silicone “Balance/Musical” tips, but upper mids are even more edgy and strident than with the “Bass/Liquid” tips. Treble is thinner and peaky as well.
“Full/Balance” (foam):
Oh, that’s quite a surprise: the sound becomes voluminous, bassy and the mids darker. An emphasis of about 6 dB more than before can be heard in the bass, but at the same time the resolution decreases a bit, comparable to foam tips with in-ears.
No tips at all:
Well, that was literally a “cutting” experience, but led to the best result. Overall balance was better, with a more even treble and a less dominating mid-range. Lows were comparable to the “Bass/Liquid” tips.
Resolution:
First and foremost: the sound is very coherent as well as seamless and there is no audible transition between the dynamic and Balanced Armature driver.
That the large 16 mm dynamic driver gets relieved by the use of the additional BA transducer for the high frequencies comes in positive, as not only the overall amount of details profits, but also the lows. For a dynamic driver, the large woofer is very cultivated, controlled and surprisingly quick and responsive. These qualities are then combined with an impressive, natural bass body – is this probably the large earphone driver’s “magic” that I sometimes read about? It may very well be. Though, the bass response is (logically) not as quick as a Balanced Armature woofer, but not slow by any means and also outclasses the Titan 1 in terms of responsiveness and speed while having the better body at the same time.
The advantages of the Balanced Armature drivers can be definitely heard in the mids and treble, with a great speech intelligibility and resolution also at very low listening levels (the mids were reduced by 6 dB for a better evaluation and comparison). Nonetheless, the Titan 1 sounds a bit more natural in the treble department although it is not as well resolving. The inferior treble extension in comparison to many (especially dynamic) in-ears can be heard mainly due to the lack of subtle sparkle above 10 kHz (cough cough, Shure SE425).
Solely by resolution, the Alpha 1 is more an in-ear than earbud and outperforms single-driver IEMs in the same price range without many efforts.
Spatial Presentation:
The soundstage is definitely wider than average, but with comparatively somewhat little depth. In my ears, it is about 75% as wide as the Titan 1’s imaginary stage, but only about one fifth as deep – probably a side effect of the different driver concepts in a more or less open coupling volume.
The lateral instrument separation appears good and layering is also decent, with recognisable layers, though depth seems a little foggy (instruments and sound elements bleed into each other a bit).
Conclusion:
In my opinion, the risky concept DUNU dared with the Alpha 1 is very successful in some areas, but also less in others.
When I inserted the earbuds for the first time, all I heard was a rollercoaster of peaks and I took the Alpha 1 out immediately. After some trying with different insertion angles as well as eartips, I managed to get a decent, smooth and balanced result. Though, with some ear tips (all except for the thick silicone rings and foam covers) the upper mids were still shouty, edgy and a bit strident as well, wherefore the individually best ear-tips are required with this hybrid concept even more than usual to get a proper seal and therefore good sound.
Tonally, the tuning reaches from neutral with overly present mids (silicone tips) to a bassy and dark sound signature (foam covers). People with very small ears could have problems with the earbuds’ size (after all the dynamic lows’ transducer has got a diameter of 16 mm).
The resolution is really good and the lows have got an enormously beefy and tactile body (although they are pretty neutral and have got an incredible speed), but the treble extension is limited and only about on the same level as the SE425’s highs.
Personally, the Alpha 1 is a succeeded concept for me, and with the thick silicone tips, I get a nice sound (I for my part am quite adaptable and the stronger mids emphasis does not bother me), wherefore my personal rating is quite good with ~ 4.2 out of 5 stars.
But as I try to evaluate universally, the Alpha 1 gets “officially” 3.7 out of 5 stars – it is a specialist that only sounds good if you can manage to get a sufficient fit which may be hard for some (with the BA driver, the sound is only even with a good seal, but peaky in the mids without), and the mids may be too much for many.
Before I start with my actual review, I want to give out a warm thank to DUNU-Topsound for providing me with a sample of the Alpha 1 earbuds (http://www.dunu-topsound.com/ALPHA1.html) in exchange for my honest opinion and evaluation.
Founded in February 1994 originally as an OEM manufacturer, the Chinese company DUNU has developed in the past few years and launched many in audiophile circles highly appreciated IEMs, among the Titan series as well as the highly appreciated hybrid models of the DN-range. One of their less wide-spread builds is the Alpha 1 which combines a large dynamic 16 mm driver in hybrid style with a Balanced Armature transducer – though not in an in-ear as you may have thought, but this time in earbuds.
This review dedicated to the Alpha 1 earbuds of the company DUNU that is best known for their titanium-coated drivers and hybrid concepts should illuminate if and especially how that hybrid earbuds concept works out, as no other manufacturer has dared to create such a thing on a commercial basis yet to my knowledge.
Technical Specifications:
Price: ~ $155-175
Type: hybrid (16 mm dynamic + Balanced Armature)
Frequency Response: 10 Hz – 30 kHz
Sensitivity: 125 dB (+/- 2 dB)
Impedance: 16 Ohms
Cable Length: 1.2 m
About Hybrid Concepts:
As you can read from the technical specifications, the Alpha 1 is a little different from most common earbuds and doesn’t only back on one dynamic driver, but combines it with a second Balanced Armature transducer.
Most In-Ears and until today almost all earbuds use dynamic transducers for audio playback which have the advantage of covering the whole audible spectrum and achieving a strong bass emphasis without much effort. Valuable dynamic drivers are often said to have a more bodied and musical bass that has a more soft impact and decay and lacks of the analytical character that BA transducers are known for. On the downside, in contrast to headphones with other driver principles, dynamic transducers often have a lower resolution.
Higher-priced and professional IEMs mostly use Balanced Armature transducers, which usually have got a higher resolution than dynamic drivers, are faster, more precise and have got the better high-level stability, which is important for stage musicians that often require higher than average listening levels. On the downside, it is quite hard to cover the whole audible spectrum with just a single BA transducer and strongly emphasised bass is only possible with multiple or big drivers. Some people also find In-Ears with BA transducers to sound too analytical, clinical or cold (in several active years in a German audio community where I wrote multiple reviews, gave dozens of purchase advice and help, from time to time I heard people that got into BA earphones for the first time using these attributes for describing BA earphones, especially their lower frequencies).
Hybrid IEMs unite the positive aspects of both driver principles and use one dynamic transducer for lows reproduction and at least one BA driver for covering mids and highs, wherefore the often as “musical” described bass character remains and the BA transducers add resolution and precision to the mids and highs.
But the Alpha 1 are earbuds, namely the world’s first hybrid-style ones with a large 16 mm dynamic driver for the lows and another Balanced Armature for the rest of the spectrum. It is a brave (not to say risky) concept that no other manufacturer dared to do on a commercial basis yet (at least none to my knowledge), as the combination of earbuds along with the use of BA drivers requires even more care and acts very critical depending on fit and seal than more commonly known styles – how and if this concept works in the Alpha 1 is what you will get to read in this review.
Delivery Content:
Typically for DUNU, the Alpha 1’s delivery content is quite ample, with a wide variety of different ear tips.
The packaging is valuable, sturdy and designed with the typical DUNU-style. The front shows a large picture of the earbuds, the rear gives information about the used hybrid technology and describes the earbuds’ tonality a little. The left side features technical specifications in various languages; the right one has got a strap for opening the magnetic lid and features the words that DUNU stands for: “Delicate Unique & Utmost”.
The left inside of the upper side’s lid shows the included accessories on the left side, specifies the different tips, shows how they should be installed and what the earbuds look like when correctly inserted in the ears. On the right side, there is an introduction of a musician called Max Barsky as well as a small plastic screen with the in-ears behind.
With the help of another strap, this side can be opened up as well and reveals the earbuds as well as a warranty card, a carrying case with a silver DUNU logo, a cable clip, a 6.35 to 3.5 mm adapter as well as a wide variety of different ear tips. The included tips are called: “Bass/Liquid” which are silicone tips with fins (three sizes), “Balance/Musical” which are thick silicone rings (three pairs, one standard size), “Airy/Resolution” which are thin silicone rings (three pairs, one standard size) as well as “Full/Balance” which are foam covers (two pairs, one standard size).
Aesthetics, Build Quality:
The large bodies of the earbuds are mainly made of black plastic, but also have a polished silver aluminium ring application on the back. The “shaft” features a bass reflex opening at its bottom which has a quite similar function as on the Apple EarPods, as well as another port further above. The ear-facing side has got 26 small holes for the large dynamic driver as well as a sticking out spout in the centre that contains the Balanced Armature transducer which has its own dedicated sound outlet bore.
Around the bodies is a plastic “collar” on which the various ear tips are installed.
The cable is still relatively flexible, although not as much as the Titan 1’s or DN-2000J’s and has got DUNU’s typical and patented cable management tool which is made of soft black silicone. The y-split, chin-slider as well as the 3.5 mm jack are made of black aluminium alloy. The strain relief at the jack and y-split is good, but there is none directly at the earbuds’ bodies.
The “Bass/Liquid” called fin-tips have each got a small letter on their back that determinates the size. On the front is a small arrow which should be located at the same direction as the Balanced Armature spout is facing. Such arrows are also on the “Balance/Musical” tips.
At first, installing and changing the tips was a bit tricky and required some time, but I got used to it over time because of changing them very often for comparative reasons, wherefore it got easier for me and I got a good feeling of where the collar snaps in.
The included carrying case is not as premium as the one the Titan 1 or DN-200J comes with, but it is very protective, has got a small pocket for accessories like the various ear tips and is nicely bolstered on the inside.
Comfort, Isolation:
The earbuds are best to be worn with the cables straight down, although changing the sides and wearing them over the ears is also possible, but (logically) with swapped audio channels as well. Wearing them in the classical position and then guiding the cables over the ears is also possible, but not necessarily more comfortable and especially not required, as the Alpha 1 earbuds have got very surprisingly low (close to not existing) microphonics with all of the used ear tips.
Of course, the fit and seat with earbuds is different from ear autonomy to ear autonomy and person to person and therefore a general statement is not possible here, but what I can say is that I get the most secure fit with the large “Bass/Liquid” fin-tips, although the other tips stay in very securely as well so it is even possible to do a handstand and the earbuds will still stay in without getting out of place much at all.
General comfort is good, although after a longer period of time (~ 1.5 to 2 hours), I feel the spout, but it doesn’t hurt yet.
I guess I don’t have to tell you much about isolation because the Alpha 1 are earbuds that don’t really isolate by their nature.
Sound:
Although I don’t believe much (if at all) in burn-in of dynamic in-ears (and not at all with BAs), I have fully burnt the Alpha 1 in before listening, just as it is recommended for them by DUNU (just in case).
My main source devices were the iBasso DX80 as well as the LH Labs Geek Out IEM 100; the music files were mainly stored in FLAC format and some 320 kBps MP3 files.
As a good fit and seal are important for earbuds (especially those with Balanced Armature technology) in order to get a good sound, perceived acoustics may differ from person to person and may be even more individual than with in-ears. The eartip selection is also important with the Alpha 1.
At the beginning, I had some problems getting a good seal (if it can even be called “seal” with earbuds), wherefore the sound was very peaky in the first time, especially in the area of the mids (I guess the seal I got was just not good enough for the Balanced Armature driver). After some time, I found the best insertion angle and tip for me, so the sound got good, quite even and was no rollercoaster ride anymore.
My following sound impressions refer to listening to the earbuds with the “Balance/Musical” tips that provided the best and most balanced sound for me (more about the tips in the “Tuning Options” paragraph).
Tonality:
So, how do the Alpha 1 hybrid earbuds sound? I would describe their tonality as neutral with (over-) present mids. What I hear could be probably similar to the Shure SE315 in some areas, but with more treble and a more even midrange emphasis (at least by telling from the Shure’s frequency response graph, as the only Shure IEMs I own are the SE425 and 846).
Let’s start with the lows: for earbuds, the Alpha 1’s extension is not too bad and the bass starts rolling off from about 80 Hz down, with a -5 dB point at 45 Hz – so it is still able to produce upper bass and also mid-bass, but the latter with less level in the lower departments. There is still more or less sufficient level down to 35 Hz, but the area below is negligible, especially with music (as the lower mid-bass is already quieter than the upper bass).
The upper bass and lower ground-tone are emphasised by about only marginal 1 dB compared to a neutral in-ear like the Etymotic ER-4S. From 600 Hz on, the mids start emphasising, with a climax at about 1 kHz and reach until pretty exactly 2 kHz. The following treble is pretty spot-on in terms of level, but with a small peak both at 4.8 as well as 7 kHz. Level starts rolling off from 8 kHz on, which is a side-effect of the Balanced Armature driver in a more or less free space, wherefore there is no subtle “sparkling” above 10 kHz.
The mids are rather strongly emphasised by around 5 dB, which may be too much for some people in combination with the pretty flat lows (I am quite flexible and adaptive regarding different tonalities wherefore I got used to the mids and they did not annoy me, as I think that they are quite evenly emphasised due to the elevation starting at 600 Hz and stopping at 2 kHz, but I am certain that many people might be a bit annoyed by their somewhat “shoutyness” – a milder midrange emphasis would be better for the choice of the masses and I would appreciate an Alpha 2 in the future with less prominent mids but everything else remaining quite similar, as I personally find the earphones really good).
Tuning Options: Each tip gave me a somewhat different sound, which might be due to a varying fit, position and seal with most of them.
“Bass/Liquid” (fin-tips):
The (for me) most comfy tips got an about 1 dB stronger lower ground-tone in my ears, but high voices sound strident and edgy and therefore not much enjoyable.
“Airy/Resolution” (thin silicone rings):
The sound signature from the bass up to before the mids is pretty much the same as with my preferred thick silicone “Balance/Musical” tips, but upper mids are even more edgy and strident than with the “Bass/Liquid” tips. Treble is thinner and peaky as well.
“Full/Balance” (foam):
Oh, that’s quite a surprise: the sound becomes voluminous, bassy and the mids darker. An emphasis of about 6 dB more than before can be heard in the bass, but at the same time the resolution decreases a bit, comparable to foam tips with in-ears.
No tips at all:
Well, that was literally a “cutting” experience, but led to the best result. Overall balance was better, with a more even treble and a less dominating mid-range. Lows were comparable to the “Bass/Liquid” tips.
Resolution:
First and foremost: the sound is very coherent as well as seamless and there is no audible transition between the dynamic and Balanced Armature driver.
That the large 16 mm dynamic driver gets relieved by the use of the additional BA transducer for the high frequencies comes in positive, as not only the overall amount of details profits, but also the lows. For a dynamic driver, the large woofer is very cultivated, controlled and surprisingly quick and responsive. These qualities are then combined with an impressive, natural bass body – is this probably the large earphone driver’s “magic” that I sometimes read about? It may very well be. Though, the bass response is (logically) not as quick as a Balanced Armature woofer, but not slow by any means and also outclasses the Titan 1 in terms of responsiveness and speed while having the better body at the same time.
The advantages of the Balanced Armature drivers can be definitely heard in the mids and treble, with a great speech intelligibility and resolution also at very low listening levels (the mids were reduced by 6 dB for a better evaluation and comparison). Nonetheless, the Titan 1 sounds a bit more natural in the treble department although it is not as well resolving. The inferior treble extension in comparison to many (especially dynamic) in-ears can be heard mainly due to the lack of subtle sparkle above 10 kHz (cough cough, Shure SE425).
Solely by resolution, the Alpha 1 is more an in-ear than earbud and outperforms single-driver IEMs in the same price range without many efforts.
Spatial Presentation:
The soundstage is definitely wider than average, but with comparatively somewhat little depth. In my ears, it is about 75% as wide as the Titan 1’s imaginary stage, but only about one fifth as deep – probably a side effect of the different driver concepts in a more or less open coupling volume.
The lateral instrument separation appears good and layering is also decent, with recognisable layers, though depth seems a little foggy (instruments and sound elements bleed into each other a bit).
Conclusion:
In my opinion, the risky concept DUNU dared with the Alpha 1 is very successful in some areas, but also less in others.
When I inserted the earbuds for the first time, all I heard was a rollercoaster of peaks and I took the Alpha 1 out immediately. After some trying with different insertion angles as well as eartips, I managed to get a decent, smooth and balanced result. Though, with some ear tips (all except for the thick silicone rings and foam covers) the upper mids were still shouty, edgy and a bit strident as well, wherefore the individually best ear-tips are required with this hybrid concept even more than usual to get a proper seal and therefore good sound.
Tonally, the tuning reaches from neutral with overly present mids (silicone tips) to a bassy and dark sound signature (foam covers). People with very small ears could have problems with the earbuds’ size (after all the dynamic lows’ transducer has got a diameter of 16 mm).
The resolution is really good and the lows have got an enormously beefy and tactile body (although they are pretty neutral and have got an incredible speed), but the treble extension is limited and only about on the same level as the SE425’s highs.
Personally, the Alpha 1 is a succeeded concept for me, and with the thick silicone tips, I get a nice sound (I for my part am quite adaptable and the stronger mids emphasis does not bother me), wherefore my personal rating is quite good with ~ 4.2 out of 5 stars.
But as I try to evaluate universally, the Alpha 1 gets “officially” 3.7 out of 5 stars – it is a specialist that only sounds good if you can manage to get a sufficient fit which may be hard for some (with the BA driver, the sound is only even with a good seal, but peaky in the mids without), and the mids may be too much for many.
Hi Paul,
how did you manage to apply the foam covers? Did you install the thin silicone rings first and pulled the foam covers over then or how did you do it?
Thanks in advance