REVIEW | DUNU DN-12 'Trident'

I received my copy of the DUNU Trident as part of a company-sanctioned review event on Head-Fi in September, but unfortunately, I was unable to find time to publish a proper review until now. In particular, I’d like to apologize to Mr. Rocky Wu of DUNU for being so tardy about the review.

SOLID --- whether it’s about the build quality, the sound quality, or aesthetics, ‘solid’ is perhaps the most succinct way to describe the Trident. DUNU has fitted their budget model IEM with a package that is arguably one of the most well-rounded in its price bracket. I have to admit that, prior to receiving the product, I reserved some skepticism for the brand. With considerable confidence, DUNU had been aggressively disseminating many of its products across the Head-Fi diaspora for review, and with all the commotion surrounding the brand, I was wary that the Trident may have been pumped up by hype rather than true quality --- I was very glad to be wrong.

DESIGN, BUILD & ERGONOMICS

First off, forgive me for the lack of pictures. I actually finished the written part of this review over a month ago, and wanted to find some time to take quality pictures for it. However, I became very busy over the last month or so and decided to loan the Trident to my friend for his opinions as a casual, non-enthusiast listener. While he reported positive things to me, a couple of weeks ago, he told me that he misplaced them while on a trip. Thus, this review copy of the Trident is floating around somewhere in this world. However, since these IEMs are amongst the most durable-looking I’ve seen, I’m sure they’re functioning perfectly and some lucky lad (or lass) got the scoop of a lifetime!

I’ll try to make up for the lack of pictures with description. The DN-12 is constructed in a frustum-like shape, reminiscent of the steam stacks of a nuclear power plant. Wearing an attractive titanium coat, the metal housings for the Trident are much weightier than what you’d expect, but are still quite manageable in the ear. They can get a little tiring after a long time (several hours), but are not as fatiguing as I would’ve expected. The strain reliefs are pretty top notch, especially at the Y-split and the L-plug. At the housings, they could be better, but are solid, and most people would not complain. The wires, while rubbery, have a good feel to them and don’t exhibit too much memory. The included wire tie is icing on the cake.

At first glance, I feared the Trident would give me ear pain due to its large nozzle and barrel size, but I was pleasantly surprised that they fit gently into my ears. Once in, I didn’t feel any pressure difference at all, telling me that the housings were well-vented through the considerably large-sized vent hole on the outer face of the IEMs. The symmetrical shape of the Trident also meant that I could wear it over-the-ear, or straight down, depending on whether I were to be active or not. When I would sit at my desk, I’d wear them down for convenience, but when walking outside, I’d wear them up. The over-the-ear style of wear also helps keep them in place when being really active, such as jogging.

Once the music was turned on, I could tell the Tridents weren’t fit dependent at all. Isolation increased marginally when I tried pushing the earpieces in deeper, but the improvement wasn’t enough to sacrifice comfort for. This is actually a good thing, as you want a casual listening device to be as easy to use as possible. With the Trident, it was pretty much as easy as set-and-forget.

With respect to build, there’s really not much you can fault it for. They are absolutely the most solidly built $40 earphones I’ve ever seen. Sure, I’ve seen better, but in IEMs several times more expensive.

When it comes to accessories, I’d say it’s pretty well appointed. It includes seven sets of tips (three sets of narrow single flanges, three sets of wide single flanges, and one set of double flanges), ear guides, and a soft faux leather pouch. My review copy didn’t come with a semi-rigid pouch, but I’m told others do. In my opinion, the pouch is actually obsolete because of the integrated cable tie and excellent build quality. I definitely wouldn’t mind just throwing the Trident into my bag and pulling it out unprotected, but the pouch is a nice gesture.

I would say that I’d only have an issue with the packaging. While the overall usability of the box is quite nice (the magnetic latch is a nice touch), one of the marks of a quality corporate appearance is a definite and consistent set of typefaces that serves as the brand’s identity. Unfortunately, beyond the logo, DUNU uses a hodgepodge of Arial (not Helvetica) and Times New Roman, making the descriptions on the box look messy. Even the Chinese lettering, which I would’ve expected to look better, isn’t consistent. I don’t want to fault DUNU too much, as most other Chinese companies have packages that look far worse, but for the company to put such great effort into making an IEM as attractive and robust as the Trident, and then package it in typesetting that’s generic is disappointing. If I were a clueless consumer browsing a store, I simply would not believe the Trident were as good as it was by looking at the packaging, and that is a shame.

SOUND QUALITY

With respect to sound quality, the Trident has no business playing with the big boys, but then again it doesn’t intend to. With a warm overall tonality, the Trident is an earphone that is very forgiving on source material. Bass impact is decent, focusing on body over texture, and losing a bit on speed.

Overall, details are secondary to a pleasant presentation, but always on-par with or better than other competitors in this price range. I was surprised by the vocals. While it’s not forward (a tiny bit recessed), it’s quite detailed and separated from the rest of the mix, making for a clear experience. Even my other friends, who are merely casual listeners, easily noticed that. Treble is slightly a disappointment, as it rolls off a little early, but I don’t find it unappealing. It’s a sweet, laid-back mix that won’t offend anyone. People who look for sparkle may want to look elsewhere, though.

And again, if we take price point into account, there’s very little to fuss about. Soundstage is above average, and should be spacious enough for most people.

Its sensitivity rating is 100 dB @1kHz with a 16 ohm impedance, but is unfortunately slightly softer in volume even when playing from portable sources such as my iPod Touch 2G, and the considerable size of the outer vent hole hampers the Trident’s isolation, but I didn’t find it to be too much of a problem --- at least I wouldn’t get caught unawares by oncoming traffic in them.

THE BOTTOM LINE

All in all, the DUNU Trident makes for a great earphone and is priced to move. It will keep your 14 year-old nephew happy, play all his favorite tunes with good fidelity, and save his parents from buying him a new pair of iBuds every six months. If you are a detail-oriented, obsessive-compulsive person (like me), you may want to save more money in the bank for something more revealing, but even those people can afford to get something like the Trident to serve as beaters that can take a lot of abuse and still provide quality sound. I had a great experience with the Trident, and was only a bit disappointed with the packaging, which can easily be remedied. As a company, DUNU is quickly building a solid reputation, and looks to be even better in the coming year. I happen to be lucky to have DUNU's corporate offices as well as R&D facilities located about 15 minutes away from where I live. I'd love to get a chance to visit!

As an overall package, the DUNU Trident is truly a great value. It is sonically competent, built to last, and has a unique look to boot.

Concise Summary: Built like a tank, forgiving, enjoyable sound with good bass impact. Below average isolation and sensitivity, but a great package overall.