DUNU DN-2000J vs. "high boost" K3003:
I just felt this was very important to clarify as we are at least a few who prefer the High boost filters.
Well, I've been listening to my K3003 with high boost filters for almost two weeks now, and honestly, I can't see myself preferring them over the reference filters. I think the main thing I don't like about that tuning is that the armature driver kinda takes precedence over the dynamic driver, and their disparity in note weight becomes all the more apparent.
For the sake of a comparison to the 2000J, it still makes sense though. But there's honestly not much to add to my impressions posted earlier in the K3003 thread:
- Overall tonality with high boost filters is closer to the 2000J than with reference filters
- Lower mids are now a smidgen less warm than on the 2000J
- Upper mids on the 2000J are still a bit more forward
- Cymbals on the 2000J are still a tad splashier (even with cloth mod)
- Treble is now slightly thinner on the K3003
Like I said, tonality between the "high boost" K3003 and the 2000J is very close, and I'd actually have ended up preferring the latter over the former based on their more seamless driver integration... if it hadn't been for the Dunu's splashy cymbals. It really annoyed me that the 2000J, even with an additional layer of damping (aka "cloth mod" or "swab mod") sounded still more energetic and splashier than the overall brighter "high boost" K3003.
Ladies and gentlemen: the DN-2000J's weakness in a nutshell.
So I started looking for a better damping solution, picked different materials, but no matter what I tried, it either had too little damping effect on treble energy or too much impairing effect on transparency. Then I remembered something I once tried on the much spikier Samsung IG900, and it turned out to be a game changer for the 2000J...
DUNU DN-2000J "Blu-Tacked":
Instructions (unless you have impeccable eyesight, use a magnifying glass!)
Pinch off the smallest piece of Blu-Tack you can manage and roll it into a tiny ball. Important: make sure it isn't larger than shown in the pictures! Then press it gently against the center of the metal grill until it sticks.
Put the clear silicone tips on and check if the result looks like the picture - congrats, you're done!
How it works (I think
In DD / BA hybrids like the K3003 and 2000J, the armature sits directly behind the metal grill. Since higher frequencies have a narrower dispersion than lower frequencies and get easier absorbed by damping material, the Blu-Tack affects first and foremost energy peaks in the treble range and has little to no effect on the rest of the spectrum.
How it sounds (imo)
One word - terrific! This sounds better than every other damping solution I've tried. Well controlled vocal sibilance and cymbal splashes. A tad better fleshed out mids. Ever so slightly more perceived bass, as a result of tamed treble. Awesome transparency! To my ears, the blu-tacked 2000J are superior to the "high boost" K3003.
(Disclaimer: try at your own risk. If you want to undo this, simply use a larger piece of Blu-Tack and gently dab the small pieces off the grill.)