K3003 vs. DN2000J sound comparison:
Impressions and thoughts from A/B listening sessions with the K3003 (reference filter) and 2000J at low to medium volume.
1. Joni Mitchell - In France they kiss on main street (play a 30sec loop starting at 00:10)
This is from one of my all-time favorite live albums: Joni Mitchell on vocals, Jaco Pastorius on bass, Pat Metheny on guitar... need I say more?
Even though the K3003 and 2000J share a lot of similar traits, they're overall surprisingly different in how they render this track. First of all, the 2000J are a lot clearer, crisper and more immediate. The K3003s sound almost laid-back in comparison, Joni's voice relaxed with a slight warm-ish hue, Jaco's brilliant bass a tad on the soft side, but a solid foundation to the mids and lending depth to the performance. Vocals virtually floating on top of the bass line. Percussion rather polite, tastefully taking a back seat, leaving the center stage to the mids.
With the 2000J, bass gains tightness, its main emphasis shifting a bit towards deep bass. A noticeable improvement in low range clarity, though part of the depth is lost as a result of faster decay. Gone, too, is the AKG's vocal warmth, fundamentals sound leaner, vocals brighter and more immediate. Percussion more forward to a point where it's almost competing with the vocalist. A significantly more analytical rendering overall, but also more in-your-face and less 3D than the K3003's.
2. Harvey Summers - Jupiter (play a 60sec loop starting at 01:00
)
Now, how much "faster" is the 2000J's bass in reality, and is the K3003's actually "slow"? I use two different test tracks to assess bass transients, an extremely fast recording (Origin - The Aftermath) and a slower, yet highly reverberant track. Here's the latter one, featuring the great Danny Thompson on bass, and it can sound like a river of mud with overly bloated or reverberant IEMs, when decay fails to keep up with a steady supply of bass energy.
Fortunately the K3003 steer clear of these difficulties and retain good bass detail, at least at low to medium volume. But in direct A/B comparison it becomes obvious that the 2000J offer better definition and more headroom, particularly for those who prefer to listen a bit louder. Likewise, I'd think that listeners who are used to ultra-fast BA bass will likely prefer the 2000J's transients to the K3003's, although the deeper 3D effect of the AKG's slower decay has its own special charm.
3. Natalia Sikora - Euforia (play a 60sec loop starting at 03:30
)
(Edit: got notified that this video doesn't work in all countries - please try the
soundcloud link instead)
Yup, it's Polish. And nope, I don't understand a single word either. But damn that lady can sing, and that's not even all. Let's focus on 3:50+ where she launches into a spine-chilling scream that somehow morphs into a guitar solo... well at least on the K3003, it definitely sounds like a guitar solo. On the 2000J, I'm not quite sure whether it's supposed to be a guitar solo with accompanying percussion, or a percussion solo with accompanying guitar
Yes, I'm exaggerating, but you get the picture... in other words, cymbals on the 2000J sound a tad too splashy to these ears, with stuff like this. Not a biggie, but I think the K3003 have ever so slightly better balance throughout the upper mids and highs.
5. Brahms - Symphonie N° 2 (loop from 45:15 till the end)
So, let's get to the bottom of the 2000J's upper range and move on to one of my most unforgiving test tracks. Don't get me wrong, I dearly love this piece. But the finale can be plain torture with overly bright / harsh / splashy IEMs, when strings and brass decide to team up and bring out the knifes to attack your eardrum...
What can I say, I've heard worse, much worse. But there's no denying that the 2000J are tethering on the brink of what I personally can bear without flinching. In fact, it was this track that convinced me that the clear silicone tips benefit from additional damping. However, like with the K3003 and bass (see track 2), it ultimately depends on listening volume, so those who listen too loudly with the K3003 will probably complain about bad bass definition, and those who listen too loudly with the 2000J will probably complain about treble spikes. Pick your poison... or stay within a reasonable volume range.
6. Beethoven - Sonata No. 28 in A major - II. Vivace alla Marcia (play entire track)
For some reason, I've found that piano is one of the hardest instruments to reproduce and one of the most relentless to reveal deficiencies in IEMs. It also spans a wide frequency range, hence it's ideally suited to assess timbre across the entire spectrum, and (dare I say it
coherence. With this particular track, I have a delicate relationship, because it made me fall in love with the Sennheiser Orpheus, and... it literally killed my Ortofon e-Q8. But enough rambling, let's get to the point.
Once again, the 2000J and K3003 sound similar at first, but as you listen deeper the 2000J's lack of warmth in the lower range and more forward upper range lend them a slightly harder edge and more directness. Everything sounds extremely clear and very much upfront on the Dunus, whereas the K3003 provide more of a room feel and a slightly warmer, smoother, more refined listening experience. (Speaking of which, it's mind-boggling how the Orpheus effortlessly manages to convey all the energy of the piano without the slightest hint of edginess or metallic sheen - I'm looking at you, TWFK
.
Now for the dreaded c-word, let's make this short and sweet: the 2000J win. They may sound a bit more edgy and fatiguing overall, but their titanium-coated bass driver is a better companion to their fast-decaying armature than the K3003's comparatively softer bass implementation. As a result, note-weight on the 2000J is surprisingly coherent across the whole piano spectrum, while it's definitely easier to pick out different driver characteristics with low and high piano notes on the K3003.
Conclusion:
I've been listening pretty much exclusively to the K3003 and 2000J for two weeks now, and imo
both belong without a doubt to the top league of IEMs. However, no IEMs I've heard to date have been without weaknesses, and sure enough these two aren't perfect either, despite their many virtues. Please read the above impressions to get a detailed idea of their pros and cons from my subjective listener's point of view.
But here's the most interesting aspect of my two week's journey: I started out thinking the 2000J were pretty much K3003 clones with minor variations here and there. But the longer I'm listening to them, the more I'm convinced that there may be different priorities, even different mindsets behind these phones. On the one hand AKG, opting for a sound signature that's at the same time highly detailed, comparatively non-fatiguing and impressively spacious. High-end (dynamic driver) headphone sound may have been their standard, and they (or rather Knowles) may have put considerable effort into coaxing the armatures to support that design goal. On the other hand DUNU, taking a no-compromise-whatsoever approach on clarity / resolution and creating a set of hybrid IEMs that not only can go head to head with the best multi-BAs in that regard, but even best them in bass texture with their super-rigid dynamic driver. Granted, they may not be among the least fatiguing and most 3D sounding phones out there, but they offer one of the clearest windows into the music you'll ever experience.
Bottom line: two winners, pretty much at eye level with each other. Two highly attractive offerings, but with slightly different sonic flavors. If money is no object, simply choose the one that suits you better (or get both
. If you're on a budget, the 2000J are a no-brainer.
Edit: added link to
"DUNU DN-2000J Blu-Tacked" (a simple mod to reduce vocal sibilance and cymbal splashiness on the 2000J)
