So after a week of using the DUNU DM-480 review set, I'm liking it a lot. Will post a detailed review soon, but these are my short impressions:
Accessories:
- There are 2 types of stock silicone tips in different sizes, one with longer nozzle and one with shorter nozzle. Both are very well fitting, no need to mess around with aftermarket tips unlike some other CHIFI that expouses Oppoty, Letting Music Burn, and Never Giving up.
- SPC cable is of good quality, no microphonics, should be usable for most folks OOTB. I would have preferred it to be thicker but it is very usable. It is a 2 pin set too, so these are generally of longer lifespan than the MMCX variants.
- Semi rigid pouch
Build/comfort:
Good resin quality, looks and feels like semi customs. It has a concha protrusion, which some may like or dislike, but it doesn't poke my ears, unlike some other sets I have encountered with concha protrusions. Shells are light, well fitting, ergonomic and comfortable. The longest I have used it continuously would be about 5 hours in a row with no discomfort.
Isolation:
Superb. Estimated about 20 - 25 dB isolation using stock tips. I've never had a pure DD config IEM that has such good isolation. In fact, today I missed my stop on the subway while listening to the DM-480 cause I couldn't hear the announcement over the train's intercom with the DM-480 in my ears. I used to think that multi BA sets generally had better isolation due to their smaller shell size and being unvented, but the DM-480 can beat some multi BA sets in the isolation department. There's minimal loss of bass frequencies in noisy environments with the DM-480, which is usually the first frequency to be lost.
Soundstage:
Wide soundstage width.
Drivability:
Can be driven from a smartphone but definitely scales better with amping. The DM-480 is quite power hungry actually, considering the specs (impedance 20 ohms), it takes about 10 - 20% more juice to drive than some of my other IEMs of similar impedance.
Sound:
U shaped, it should be quite versatile for most genres.
Excellent technicalities for a pure DD setup, I would say better than the 3 most technical single DD sets I have (TFZ No. 3, Semkarch SKC CNT1 and KBEAR Diamond). I generally would only use multi BA/hybrids for EDM, but the DM-480 can ace some complex EDM riffs with multiple instrumentations. I'll do some more A/B testing to see if it can compete with some budget multi BA/hybrid sets over the next few days.
Timbre is accurate for acoustic instruments as per most DD sets, maybe not as good as the KBEAR Diamond or BLON BL-03 (though these 2 sets have weaker technicalities compared to the DM-480), but still better than the TFZ No. 3 and Semkarch SKC CNT1 (also DD sets). And it is definitely better than most budget multi BA/hybrid CHIFI sets. Note weight is on the thinner side, I personally would have preferred thicker notes for voices and instruments, but that's just a small nitpick.
Bass is linear from midbass to subbass, no midbass thump/bump unlike the BLON BL-03, TFZ No. 3 and KBEAR Diamond, but the subbass really goes low with a visceral grunt (that is felt rather than heard). Tight, textured and accurate bass with minimal bass bleed. It has a decay that is on the faster side for a DD bass, and every bass note that is supposed to be in a recording will be heard accurately.
Mids are recessed, but still retain good details and clarity for vocals.
There isn't a large 2 - 4 kHz sawtooth peak typically seen in CHIFI tuning that can cause some upper mids fatigue, which I appreciate, though this may be down to your sound preferences.
Lower treble is boosted relative to upper treble. Microdetails are good, though there's a higher treble roll off. But because of this, it is not fatiguing or harsh, with no sibilance to my ears. I am borderline treble sensitive but managed to listen to female vocal music for long sessions with minimal fatigue.
I can see this being my daily transit IEM due to the good isolation and comfortable build. If you want accurate bass with good technicalities packaged in a DD setup, this is a good set. I think it will dethrone my TFZ No. 3, which is pricier but has a more fatiguing 2 - 4 kHz and 8 kHz peak, and a more muddy bass.
Will test it out more and leave a more detailed final review soon.
Enjoy the music!
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