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For @H20Fidelity and @jaker782
Luke already knows my preferences - but see any of my reviews for reference points to what I like, what I don't and where my personal bias sits.
DUNU Titan vs DN-1000
Tracks from my test list , DAP used was the X5, volume matching was done with a 1 kHz and 3 kHz test tone.
DN 1000 has a lot less sound stage, and at first sounds a lot clearer - almost etched. After a bit of back and forth I realised clarity was probably equal - it's just the intimacy of the DN-1000 that makes it sound a lot clearer, whereas the Titan is a bit more distant.
The overall balance of the Titan is better than the DN-1000. It sounds more natural. The DN-1000 comparatively sounds a little too upper-mid/lower-treble slanted, and a bit strident.
Titan bass is slightly less in quantity, but a little fuller and deeper. DN-1000 bass has a little more quantity, impact seems to change from track to track. These are quite hard to A/B.
I just played Lindsay Stirling's Electric Daisy Violin, and where the Titan sounded pretty good, switching to the DN-1000 actually had me wanting to lower the volume quite a bit (they were quite strident).
Both have a bit of a V shape to them - but the DN1000 is a lot more noticeable - with emphasis on both upper mid / lower treble and bass
Don't get me wrong though, the DN-1000 still sounds great with acoustic music, and has great clarity and separation - with very up front, vivid and intimate vocals. It can just get a little peaky at times. The more time you spend with them, the more your ears adjust, and the more natural they start sounding. The problem is when I switch. Yes the Titan sounds further away, but the first thing that strikes me comparatively is how much better they are balanced. The only issue I have with the Titans is that sometimes I want to turn them up, simply so I can bring the vocals more into focus.
The Titans definitely do timbre better for me - the cello sounds deep, resonant, beautiful. Comparatively the DN-1000 just misses that really low texture that the Titan does effortlessly.
In everything I tested, The DN1000 were really good with straight acoustic, bluegrass and some classic rock (actually rock generally) - but the Titan did these equally well (just a little differently). For everything else (classical, opera, blues, jazz, indie & especially my female vocalists), I'd pick the Titan every time.
I guess my tastes have changed a lot in the last 12 months, and not listening to the DN-1000 for a while has put it at a disadvantage (not used to it's signature). While it's really clear, I also find it peaky, strident, and almost "too much". However, I'm sure if I listened to the DN-1000, and only the DN-1000 for a couple of days, these impressions could be an entirely different story.
Luke already knows my preferences - but see any of my reviews for reference points to what I like, what I don't and where my personal bias sits.
DUNU Titan vs DN-1000
Tracks from my test list , DAP used was the X5, volume matching was done with a 1 kHz and 3 kHz test tone.
DN 1000 has a lot less sound stage, and at first sounds a lot clearer - almost etched. After a bit of back and forth I realised clarity was probably equal - it's just the intimacy of the DN-1000 that makes it sound a lot clearer, whereas the Titan is a bit more distant.
The overall balance of the Titan is better than the DN-1000. It sounds more natural. The DN-1000 comparatively sounds a little too upper-mid/lower-treble slanted, and a bit strident.
Titan bass is slightly less in quantity, but a little fuller and deeper. DN-1000 bass has a little more quantity, impact seems to change from track to track. These are quite hard to A/B.
I just played Lindsay Stirling's Electric Daisy Violin, and where the Titan sounded pretty good, switching to the DN-1000 actually had me wanting to lower the volume quite a bit (they were quite strident).
Both have a bit of a V shape to them - but the DN1000 is a lot more noticeable - with emphasis on both upper mid / lower treble and bass
Don't get me wrong though, the DN-1000 still sounds great with acoustic music, and has great clarity and separation - with very up front, vivid and intimate vocals. It can just get a little peaky at times. The more time you spend with them, the more your ears adjust, and the more natural they start sounding. The problem is when I switch. Yes the Titan sounds further away, but the first thing that strikes me comparatively is how much better they are balanced. The only issue I have with the Titans is that sometimes I want to turn them up, simply so I can bring the vocals more into focus.
The Titans definitely do timbre better for me - the cello sounds deep, resonant, beautiful. Comparatively the DN-1000 just misses that really low texture that the Titan does effortlessly.
In everything I tested, The DN1000 were really good with straight acoustic, bluegrass and some classic rock (actually rock generally) - but the Titan did these equally well (just a little differently). For everything else (classical, opera, blues, jazz, indie & especially my female vocalists), I'd pick the Titan every time.
I guess my tastes have changed a lot in the last 12 months, and not listening to the DN-1000 for a while has put it at a disadvantage (not used to it's signature). While it's really clear, I also find it peaky, strident, and almost "too much". However, I'm sure if I listened to the DN-1000, and only the DN-1000 for a couple of days, these impressions could be an entirely different story.
