Dunu TITAN Series (new for 2019: Titan 6) [Page 196]
Oct 9, 2015 at 3:01 AM Post #2,270 of 3,012
  Just got the Fiio EX1 in today to compare with T3 & T5. Need to wrap up a couple other things first and will check in when I've had some ear time with the three.

 
You're da man.
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Let me know this today. First impressions, whatever.
 
Oct 9, 2015 at 7:33 AM Post #2,274 of 3,012

Short Impressions, 2015-10-09

 
Titan 1es: sounds nice, but I think people should just pony up the greenbacks for the Titan 1. The plastic feels less comfortable in the ears than the metal, and it has a plastic resonance to the sound that makes it sound non-premium. For the price, it's certainly a nice-sounding earphone, and while it's less refined than the Titan 1 in both treble and bass, it has slightly better midrange presence. The problem for me is that I've heard how good $30 can get people these days in the LG Quadbeat series. If you don't have the budget for a $90 earphone in the Titan 1, you might as well save a few bucks and get a good $30 earphone, rather than a $50 earphone in the 1es --- or at least I think the 1es is going to be priced at around $50.
 
Titan 3: I am floored. While I definitely liked the Titan 1 and thought it was a great value product, despite being the creator of this thread, I never quite subscribed to the level of hype it got over the course of the last few months. The Titan 1 didn't quite have the vocal presentation that I preferred; I also found the treble of the Titan 1, while not exactly harsh, distracting. The build quality of the Titan 1 was also not perfect. The Titan 3 is everything I wanted improved about the Titan 1 and more. There is actual density and weight to vocals --- not diffuse like the Titan 1 --- but make no mistake, the Titan 3 is not a warm, wooly mid-centric earphone a la the Shure SE535. It is still a balanced earphone that happens to be more mid-focused than other DUNU earphones in its current lineup. In the grand landscape of IEMs, I would not call it a "vocal-oriented earphone", but certainly, vocals sound great with the Titan 3. There is a tiny, tiny bump in the 1-1.5 kHz locus, but a similarly even-keeled upper midrange. Lower treble contains some boost in the clarity region, but subjectively, it doesn't come off as harsh. Upper treble is not grating at all, and unlike the Titan 1, does not artificially place hi-hats overly forward. Bass can't be called analytical, as it doesn't have an etched attack, but it still exhibits great control and retrained, suitable impact levels. Layering and texture aren't as good as they are with the DN-2000J, but I can hardly complain; plus, this type of bass presentation fits in better with the overall sonic flavor that the Titan 3 is going for. Fit and finish are great --- it is slightly heavier than the Titan 1, but manages to feel more comfortable, perhaps because of the smoother polished facets, and the larger end piece. The chrome mirror finish is beautifully done and gives off the feel of a truly premium product. The "3" symbol looks a bit out of place and feels more at home as livery on Dale Earnhardt Jr's NASCAR, but it's better than the "D" that DUNU have been using. I have no idea how much the Titan 3 will end up costing, but at this moment I am prepared to give it an extremely high rating. It is not just a great earphone for the money, but almost certainly a great earphone, period.
 
Titan 5: No impressions, as the right earpiece is not functioning properly. The best, grain of salt characterization I can give it from isolated use of the left earpiece (not reliable) is that the Titan 5 differs from the Titan 3 mostly in soundstage presentation. It seems to widen the vocal field and distance it more, along with a wider overall soundstage. I have a suspicion I'll end up enjoying the Titan 3 more than the 5, but I'll reserve judgment until I actually get to hear a fully functional Titan 5.
 
Oct 9, 2015 at 7:43 AM Post #2,275 of 3,012
Thanks Tom.  Mine just arrived - so will be good to compare notes.
 
Oct 9, 2015 at 9:09 AM Post #2,277 of 3,012
tomscy2000, were you using stock tips with the Titan 3 or Comply? The reason I asked is because with stock tips, the Titan 1 was unbearable until I replaced them with Comply T200 then I finally realize how good the Titan 1 is, but like you I found the mid to be a little recessed. I've found that the Titan 1 really shines with instrumental tracks like jazz fusion, jazz rock or smooth jazz stuff by FourPlay, Pat Metheney Group, Yellow Jackets and the likes.
 
Oct 9, 2015 at 9:19 AM Post #2,278 of 3,012
  tomscy2000, were you using stock tips with the Titan 3 or Comply? The reason I asked is because with stock tips, the Titan 1 was unbearable until I replaced them with Comply T200 then I finally realize how good the Titan 1 is, but like you I found the mid to be a little recessed. 

 
With the Titan 3, I've used the stock tips (red core), which are fine, but I switched to SpinFit tips as they're a little better. On the Titan 1, I typically use RedGiant natural acoustic tips (hard to find), which are one of the few silicone tips that makes the Titan 1 sound optimal, but I don't find them to be ideal fro the Titan 3. I don't think this is an issue about tips; head to head with the same tips (stock red core to stock red core, RedGiant to RedGiant, SpinFit to SpinFit, Comply to Comply), the Titan 3 just sounds substantially more palatable in both the mids and treble to my ears. The Titan 3 has better vocal focus and treble sweetness, pure and simple. The Titan 1es shares more in common with the Titan 1 in terms of note weight/thickness. The Titan 3 and 5 seem to be fairly different.
 
Oct 9, 2015 at 9:36 AM Post #2,279 of 3,012
A word of note: The Titan 3 (and almost surely, by association, the Titan 5) is substantially more sensitive than the Titan 1 --- guessing it has a lighter, thinner diaphragm. It will pick up some hiss and hum on your system if it's not dead quiet. You'll also want to turn your volume down a number of clicks/turns.
 
Oct 9, 2015 at 9:37 AM Post #2,280 of 3,012
   
With the Titan 3, I've used the stock tips (red core), which are fine, but I switched to SpinFit tips as they're a little better. On the Titan 1, I typically use RedGiant natural acoustic tips (hard to find), which are one of the few silicone tips that makes the Titan 1 sound optimal, but I don't find them to be ideal fro the Titan 3. I don't think this is an issue about tips; head to head with the same tips (stock red core to stock red core, RedGiant to RedGiant, SpinFit to SpinFit, Comply to Comply), the Titan 3 just sounds substantially more palatable in both the mids and treble to my ears. The Titan 3 has better vocal focus and treble sweetness, pure and simple. The Titan 1es shares more in common with the Titan 1 in terms of note weight/thickness. The Titan 3 and 5 seem to be fairly different.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I've also tried the SpinFits with the Titan 1 before. Although it's better than the stock tips but I still find the upper mids and lower treble a little forward and harsh but the Comply solved that for me. One question, are the high frequencies better extended and detailed than the Titan 1. I've found that the high frequencies of the Titan 1, though extended and detailed, they appear a little on the harsher side. I'd prefer a smoother and more refined high frequencies without loosing the analytical details...difficult to put in words but I think you understand what I mean 
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