Dunu DN-19 Tai Chi

Introduction:
Dunu by Top-Sound has been known to have popular budget IEM's throughout all tiers of the level. Dunu now steps it up a notch and has unveiled their Dynamic Flagship IEM the DN 19 Tai Chi ($140). This IEM uses damper's to control the bass, different type tips, and insertion of tips to modify its sound. The DN 19 is part of DUNU's silver impact series. The silver impact series uses silver covered copper wires as it can be seen from the images.
http://pandatechreview.com/1/post/2013/09/dunu-dn-19-review.html

Build Quality:
Other Dunu's like the DN 17 have had such a solid metal build that it was actually a con. They weighed too much and thus dropped like rocks. This could cause damage and chips. The DN19's now take a hard plastic approach at the driver housing. The housing itself is extremely light but static. The nozel can not be moved around to fit different ears. I will get into this later. They do feel like they will get destroyed if they are stepped on hard however as it is just very light.

Microphonics:
Microphonics are the annoying sound made by the cables.

The DN 19 are meant to be worn over ear with the guiders or without. It is nearly impossible to wear them without going over and behind the ears. There is thus little microphonics. Moving the chin slider up virtually eliminates the rest of the cable moving sound.I don't keep the chin slider all the way up to my chin. With the cable tight, I prefer it about 1.5 - 2 inches beneath my chin.

Fit problems:
The problem is a bit widespread but not too large. The nozzle can not be moved and thus the shallow insertion, big driver housing, the housing "hump" near the nozzle and the immobile nozzle itself causes fit problems for some. Next, the damper port is also another cause. If you can see from the pic's below, they are right near your ear. They can prevent your ear form getting a seal.

Shallow or Deep insertion? You pick:
I am a user of Medium tips always. I thought I was seeing things when I found the medium tips to be quite small upon first sight. In reality, they are. They do create a seal of sorts but are more of the tip to just barely be inserted as a seal at all but kinda sit on the ear opening after being inserted. I am fine with this kind of seal but I found that the large tips of both the black and gray allowed for different sealant pattens. The gray's went farther into the ear and were more hard and responsive to expanding inside the ear. I did a wide variety of tips and choices. I found the shallow mediums to fit me best. Why? Dunu's(not just them) are a bit more prone to the diaphram vacuum. This is where on insertion, the backwards suction after the seal is created, the diaphgram will itself get compressed or sucked up You can hear this as a pop of air when insertion or de-sertion of the IEM's. The shallows allow a lesser rate of that happening. But as to what sounds better for whoever, it is your call.

Cable Tangling:
They don't tangle as easily as the DN19 nor many other IEM's actually. It may be due to a different cable composition. The DN17 also part of silver impact series cable feels different.

Isolation:
They don't leak much. But they do let in some sound in. They didn't isolate as well as the deeper inserting IEM's like the TF10 or the ones using tougher driver material. The IEM driver assembly and housing itself is extremely light. Harley's do penetrate the DN19 even on loud volumes.

In ear Feel:
Excellent. The cable guides have a patent pending but with or without them, they fit well. The shallow insertion (general) and static fit may cause a problem with some. I myself have a personal problem where my right ear's opening is different from my left's. I myself prefer no cable guides while at the desk and cable guides while going for a jog.

Usability:
The cable guides have caught onto the wire itself or other things a few times while pulling them out but it wasn't really annoying. The cable itself is just solid, slick, long enough to not be an annoyance in daily activities while still being just long enough for use with a desktop unit that may not be too close to you. However the dampers are a problem. I realized why they gave you over 10-20 after my first week using them. The driver damper port is too small to be machined accurately(read: cost effectively) and same with the dampers. And thus you literally screw in the dampers with a clockwise motion. This will take a few tries at first. However I have noticed that the dampers screw plastic mold will sometimes break. I have had this happen twice where they become useless because the screw mold is gone so they won't hold.

Amp:
These do not need an amp for volume but they do exhibit noise on many amplifiers and units that even support its 16 Ohm impedance.

Driveability:
Very easy to drive but a bit sensitive to what amp or unit is used with it or else it will produce noise.

Sound Quality Introduction:

I was not deeply impressed with the DN 17 Crater but I am with the DN 19. The main lesson from the DN 19 is that Dunu can craft a beautiful looking, feature packed and good sounding IEM at a competitive price. Now before I reveal my thoughts, lets get into the part we all wanted to read.

Highs:
A problem the DN 17 had was that its highs were all over the place and EXTREMELY bright and fatiguing. I wish to announce that the problem for the most part has been rectefied. It still is not as smooth as I want it to be but the DN 19 delivers crisp highs. It needs to smooth out some flucuations in the highs. They are crisp and articulate but don't go too too high either. This is good and bad. It depends on what type of person you are. Some can't stand highs that (don't have sonic problems) burn into your brain. And some want more. I have heard enough of IEM's and headphones that try to deliver highs on a tech sheet but don't go back to engineer them. And that is why for this range of a product, I will welcome an item that has an engineer high frequency range(yet one that doesn't sounds that high freq lovers will want)

But a problem that still remains un-rectified is the harshness that shouldn't be there at times. It doens't happen often but the Dunu's may still produce a very high ptiched sound that really is fatiguing and may not work for lower quality rock groups. (Rammstein, most punk rock etc).

Mids
Vocals:

The vocals are not overly forward. They are in between in the forward role and taking a backwards role. This also highly depends on the song but with practice one can put it at where it lies. I have to say that it would be one that is just slightly behind the mid based instruments and other parts of the track. They are clear and on the warm side. The bass can sometimes be so strong that while it won't muddy up the mids, it will make it a bit hard to "hear" what is being said. (Will talk about dampers later). It is a very sweet sounding vocal.

Instruments:

Very clear, seperated with good timbre. Some strings do come off a bit metallic or just streak off but for the majority of the time, the DN 19 produces instruments clearly and accurately. It is generally above the vocals and boy does the guitarist let you know that he is in the front.

Lows(no damper):
The low freq range is not like a car bass. It isn't tight but just because a low freq responce is not tight in its execution mean it is more like a car bass. It punches along with a rumble and hit every now and then. I can't say that I dislike it as I listen to a lot of modern mainstream music(I tested with plenty of oldie favorites now). The mid bass and upper bass is extremely prevelant and has quite the rumble that will sometimes overtake the vocals and mids as the front row man(but won't distort them). They do have a decent sub bass extension that would do well with the IEM. It isn't specially deep but does create the sub rumble that accompanies the massively delicious bass on these IEM's.

Lows (damper):
Much more controlled. I may even say that the sub bass may itself be affected a bit negatively with it. For those that want less bass, this is a good solution as these things on bassy songs will really start rocking.

Dampers and gray tip combo:
Dunu recommends Dampers and gray tips for a more clear and "neutral" combo. That is exactly what they do. The dampers reduce and "engineers" the bass a bit and the deeper inserting gray tips seal off your ears but also make the entire mid range clearer. This has a negative consequence with it however. I found that with this combo and many others that I tried (dampers and black tips) that it would increase fatigue. Anything from the default dampers and medium tips will increase the fatigue that these produced. The mid instruments became more metallic with them and vocals a bit too bright for my liking. It would be up to your choice. Try them out.

Analytical:
These IEM's are a bit more on the analytical side even with the warm sound. It will sound bad with badly recorded tracks. Tracks that were recorded ok and play well with forgiving cans will also be a disaster with these. So pair them well.

Fatigue:
The standard config of no damper and medium tips still provides a bit of fatigue to me. So they aren't totally perfect. The damper and gray tip combo proves worse with this.

Soundstage:
This isn't a Dunu if they don't give a nice to decent soundstage to go along with it. From the moment you put in the IEM with a good fit, if you spent time with other IEM's you will notice the soundstage. It isn't a very large artificially spacey sounding one like the Monster Inspiration. It at first sounds a bit un natural to the ear as everything is moved farther away but after a few moments, you forget about it. I would say it is slightly above average and has nothing to really dislike about it. As a gamer, I welcome this.

Conclusion:
The DN 19 Tai Chi proves that Dunu is stepping up its game. It is warm and fun sounding but also on the analytical side. I like to differentiate between earbuds and IEM's where the IEM needs to at least be up to my own self made standard on it sound. Well the DN 19 by my standards is an In Ear Monitor. I must congratualte Dunu on this stepping stone in their company. Using it is easy and listening to it is pleasant(until the ear fatigue kicks in). This is not the end of Dunu's journey. While they do deserve such praise, they must also fix the sometimes metallic sounding nature of their IEM's and its fatigue. It is finally competetive but still behind the fence from other $120-$150 IEM's. I wish Dunu the best of luck and am excited to see what else they can come up with next.

Specs:
Driver size: 10mm
F responce: 16Hz - 26KHz
Sound Pressure Level: 100+/ 2 dB
Impendence: 16 Ohms
Noise Attenuation: 26 dB
Plug type: 3.5mm
Cable length: 1.3m
Weight 18g

Price:
$130

Ratings:
Build Quality: 8.5/10
Isolation: 8/10
In ear feel: 9/10
Microphonics: 9/10
Usability: 8/10
Sound quality: 8/10
Overall: 8/10
Value: 8/10

 
[size=small]DUNU has been one of the IEM world’s rising stars as of late. In just two years, DUNU has released a lineup of great IEMs, ranging from the entry level Trident (my favorite budget IEM), to the mid-level Tai-Chi. In fact, the Tai-Chi is what’s to be reviewed today.[/size]
[size=small]The Tai-Chi’s packaging is similar to other IEMs in DUNU’s range. It’s a simple two-part packaging, with a sleeve covering a box with a magnetic flap, which opens to reveal the Tai-Chi’s in their full glory. Inside, there are a great number of accessories, including two (!) cases, an airplane adapter, a 6.3mm adapter, and a mysterious box. Inside this magical box are six pairs of tips, a microfiber cloth, an additional pair of ear gliders, and many pairs of acoustic dampers, which I will explain later.[/size]
 
[size=small]The Tai-Chi is a beautifully made IEM, especially at its price range. The cable is stranded silver and is very pleasingly thick. The plug is the typical right angled plug DUNU has, and the same Y splitter. My favorite feature of the cable is the brilliant cable organizer built right into the cable. It's genius. I wish other companies would adopt this idea. It'd probably save a lot of IEMs' lives. It sure will save these for me. It gives me a reason to wrap them rather than balling them up. I mean, an organizer is built in; might as well use it or else it gets in the way.[/size]
 
[size=small]Now up to the IEMs themselves. One thing I haven’t seen in pictures is there is actually a Tai-Chi on the IEMs themselves, which probably influences the IEMs’ name. The IEM’s body is a nice rounded shape that fits perfectly within my ears. However, the bass port sometimes jams itself into my tragus, which gets irritating after a while. I doubt there would be many ears that the Tai-Chi would not fit, but it should be a factor one must consider before purchasing a pair of these[/size]
 
[size=small]Now about the bass port: the Tai-Chi has this fantastic feature that allows the user to slightly alter the amount of bass the Tai-Chi puts out. Without the dampers on, they sound slightly muddy, with slightly better extension. But all in all, I don’t feel that, for my tastes, the dampers are necessary. But it’s wonderful that DUNU allows the option in the first place, and I’m sure many people will love the sound without the dampers. However I do worry that I will lose all of my dampers at some point in time. I've already lost 4 because they tend to come out by themselves.[/size]
 
[size=small]Before going into the sound, I would like to address that the Tai-Chi’s laid-back, dark sound is basically the opposite of my sound preferences, so take whatever I say with a grain of salt. I’ll be writing this review in the point of view of someone who wants to seek sonic nirvana through sound signatures other than my preferred, mid-range focused sanctuary.[/size]
 
[size=small]The bass with the dampers was a little more pronounced than I thought it would be, even when I looked at DUNU’s supplied frequency chart and viewing it as an idealized result. It’s north of neutral, but south of what I’d call “bassy.” For example, the nice rumble that I expect in the JLE Dub Mix of Puscifer's [/size][size=small]Indigo Children[/size][size=small] is not as pronounced as I wish it was. However, I did find something I like in the lower regions. I found that the Tai-Chi rendered string bass much, much better than the T-Peos H100. The timbre was just so much more right than the H100. The Tai-Chi has a certain sense of air that allows for the small details to sing. The little twangs of the strings are fantastically rich for an IEM in this price range.[/size]
 
[size=small]With the bass dampers off however, things start to fall apart just a tiny bit. I finally got that rumble I was craving for electronic music (It's starting to approach Monster Turbine Pro Gold levels) but it also starts to muddle up a bit. The timbre that I so loved with the bass dampers on just wasn't there after the dampers were removed. It's an excellent lesson in physics.[/size]
 
[size=small]The midrange with the dampers on was not my favorite. But for reference, my main headphones are the Beyerdynamic DT48, which is a headphone that is basically [/size][size=small]only [/size][size=small]midrange, so the bar is set pretty high. Despite this, the midrange wasn't the worst (again, better than the T-Peos H100), and was actually rather soothing. It's clear that DUNU was aiming to make a pleasurable IEM when one hears what was done to the midrange. I find vocals to be somewhat subdued, bordering on veiled, which at times got annoying (For example, an artist like Allen Stone, who basically requires a rather bright headphone, sounded muted and didn't have the impact I was hoping) but that's a trade off that must be taken. However, jazz wasn't that great with the Tai-Chi as a result of the muted mids. Trumpets almost sounded like they had mutes on; saxophones suffered the same fate. But the timbre that I so enjoyed in the bass extended itself to other instruments. It wasn't perfect, but much better than both the H100 and Sennheiser CX985. I'm liking these.[/size]
 
[size=small]Without the dampers, the midrange, like the bass, suffered. The newly boated bass started intrude into my mids, which is one of my pet peeves of any sort of headphone. It was one of my main complaints about the Audio Technica M50, it's the reason I bashed the T-Peos H100 so much, and why I'm so uptight in general. It's getting increasingly hard for me to recommend that the dampers not be used because with the dampers on, the sound changes from “ack” to “yum.”[/size]
 
[size=small]The treble, like the midrange, is slightly subdued. Granted, it may be because my main headphone for the past two months has been the treble-tastic Sony SA5000, but I find the Tai-Chi's treble to be mostly smooth, without being sparkly or anything. It's certainly nothing to complain about compared to other IEMs that have awkward peaks that make them nearly unlistenable, but I must note that the Tai-Chi also has a few peaks that can get slightly annoying at times. But it's certainly not enough to complain too much, especially because I've never encountered sibilance.[/size]
 
[size=small]With the dampers off, there is the slightest bit of sibilance (not sure why...), and after I heard the sibilance, I tried not to concentrate too much on the treble. But it retained the general smoothness of the damped sound, just with a little less smoothness.[/size]
 
[size=small]Soundstage is okay for an IEM. It isn't spacious, nor is it excellent at spatial abilities, but it spreads out sound about a foot forward and 2 feet across. Detail is much better than I expected for a laid-back IEM, but pales in comparison to my ACS T15 (modeled as a warmer Etymotic ER4) and even my Monster Turbine Pro Copper. However, it does beat out the T-Peos H100 and Sennheiser CX985. It's about even with the Monster Turbine Pro Gold and from memory, just a little behind the Brainwavz B2.[/size]
 
[size=small]The Tai-Chi comes with two different kinds of tips. One type is a Sony Hybrid clone, which has a tapered tip. There is also a grey pair that is not tapered. Surprisingly, the difference is quite noticeable. Both have their merits and faults. The black, tapered tips have a little more upper mids, possibly because of the shorter tube. There's more midbass, but it's not of the clean sort. The grey tips sound more fleshed out than the black tips (as in no awkward accentuations, more like everything is accentuated than anything) and sound more natural. The hybrid tips have a similar effect as removing the bass dampers, except the upper mids are even more pronounced, which is just really annoying overall. I can certainly understand the appeal for those looking for a fun sound though. Black tips plus open ports provides a sound signature that's similar to an Ultrasone (from memory). [/size]
 
[size=small]Overall, the Tai-Chi has proven to be my favorite sub $150 IEM, despite my predisposed ideas of them. Like I noted early in the review, the laid-back sound signature of the Tai-Chi was something I initially expected to not like. However, their smoothness has bewitched me. Despite their faults, I can listen with the Tai-Chi for hours and not feel any fatigue. If I could ask for anything though, I'd love if DUNU could squeeze in just a little more midrange. I like my vocals. However, for about $120, I'm quite hard-pressed to recommend against these. They've surpassed my two most recently reviewed $150 IEMs with ease, and are more comfortable to boot. While these have only managed to whet my appetite for a laid back sound, I'm liking what I'm hearing. If DUNU can do this with a $120 IEM, I can't even imagine what a high-end IEM would sound like. In merely two years, they've managed to, in my opinion, take both the $50 section and the $150 section with ease.[/size]
 
[size=small]And thanks to DUNU for the sample![/size]

DUNU Tai Chi DN-19
Review by TrollDragon of Head-Fi.org
www.dunu-topsound.com
 
 
In this review I will be looking at the Tai Chi DN-19 from DUNU.
DUNU is a Chinese manufacturer of earphones with headquarters in Taiwan. They have been in the OEM manufacturing business for years and have just recently started making their own brand of earphones.
 
I would like to present to you their Flagship model the DUNU Tai Chi DN-19.
 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Opening the box on these earphones, I was immediately impressed with the attention to detail that DUNU puts into presenting their product. Once you remove the outer sleeve of the box, you find an inner box with a magnetic catch on the side. Under the cover flap the earphones are presented in a very aesthetically pleasing way.
 

The earphones are in the velvet molded carrier, with the hard case just below them.
 
 
Upon removing the carrier from the box, there is a very generous collection of accessories included for these earphones.

The beautiful DN-19 Earphones.
A velvet lined and crushproof metal hard case.
Soft leather like draw string pouch.
3.5mm to 6.3mm  adapter
Airline adapter
Flip top accessory kit
 
 

The attention to detail that DUNU puts into the accessories is impressive.
The metal hard case is divided by a rubber insert and is lined with velvet. The DUNU logo is stamped into the cover, with the companies web address on the bottom.
 

The soft leather-like draw string pouch  has the company logo stamped into the material with a name tag sewn into the side seam. The drawstring is knotted and the ends are melted to prevent fraying.
 
 

The flip top plastic accessory case is stamped as well with the company logo. Upon opening the case, you are presented with a multitude of goodies in a velvet lined box.

1. 3 pairs of Grey silicone tips in Small / Medium / Large
2. 3 pairs of Black silicone tips also in Small / Medium / Large
3. Another set of Medium tips come preinstalled on the earphones.
4. 20 “Port” plugs for sound tuning
5. Spare pair of ear hooks, one pair comes preinstalled on the earphones.
6. Retaining clip for the wire
7. Soft, cleaning cloth with the companies logo and web address stencilled on.

 
 
Moving on to the main attraction The DN-19’s themselves.

 
The Specifications of the DUNU Tai Chi DN-19

1. Driver: HQ(10mm)
2. SPL: 100 +-2dB
3. Impedance: 16 Ohm
4. Frequency Response: 16Hz~26KHz
5. Noise Attenuation: 26dB
6. Weight: 18g
7. Cord Length: 1.3m
8. Plug Type: 3.5mm (Right Angle)
9. Around $130

 

These earphones are beautiful. The shape is very pleasing to the eye with a faint Yin-Yang symbol on the back of each one. The bodies are moulded in a glossy brown plastic with a metallic speckle finish. The cord is not detachable from the body but has a nice strain relief where it enters the body. On each associated strain relief is a very small R & L to mark the Right and Left earphone. The Left strain relief has in Braille three vertical dots, which is the symbol for L. Mind you, the dots are very small and I don’t really know it they could be read by someone who reads Braille.
 
 

The cable is of a very nice quality and has a good length to it. It’s 35cm from the start of the ear hooks to the Y splitter, continuing 80cm from the Y splitter through a very useful attached rubber cable tie strap to the right angled gold plated 3.5mm plug. The Y splitter has a slider to take up the slack if you so wish -- it kind of reminds me of the kids cowboy hat chin strap slider from years ago.
 
The information from DUNU states that the cable has “Patented silver wires transmission time fixing technology provides balanced extension and excellent recognition.”
 
I am not sure what that means exactly, but it appears that DUNU uses silver wire on these earphones. The wire with coating is 2mm in diameter and twisted from the plug to the Y splitter then it is separated out into a 1.5mm twisted pair to each earphone.
 
The coating on this wire is transparent and has a rubbery type feel to it but not so rubbery as to catch on your clothing. I am sorry to discover that it does suffer from a bit of a memory problem, which might disappear with use, but somehow I don’t think it will.
 
The right angled plug fits very well into whatever you are plugging it into. With a length of  2.5cm from the end of the tip to the start of the 90 degree strain relief, I don’t think you would ever encounter any device with or without a case that would not accommodate this plug. It clicks into place nicely. Some 3.5mm plugs just don’t feel right when you plug them in, they are sloppy and loose. DUNU has the specifications right with this plug though it clicks into place very nicely.
 
The Sound Tuning Feature.


The DN-19 is a “Tuneable” earphone, it has a sound port on the side of the body that can be blocked or left open to tune the “Sound” of the earphone to your liking. There are matching silicone tips that go with each tuning mode.
 
The black tips with the sound port open provide the greatest amount of bass on these earphones and the grey tips with the sound port plugged decrease the low end bass quantity.


 
 
Driveability.
I tested these earphones on my Rockboxed Sansa Clip+, iPod Nano 2^nd Generation, iPod Nano 3^rd Generation, HTC Desire HD and finally the headphone output of my Corsair SP2500 Control Pod.
 
All of these devices powered the DN-19 with relative ease. The headphone output volume was set at a moderate level, all except for the HTC Desire HD which has the most useless headphone output amplifier of the lot and had to be turned up quite a ways. I don’t listen to music through this phone so it was not a problem for me.
 
Earphone Fit.
Here is the greatest problem for me with these earphones:  no matter which configuration I try, which size tips, I cannot get a good fit. If the sound nozzle was 2 to 4mm longer I think these would be amazing earphone for my ears.
I have a deep set ear canal and cannot get these earphones installed without the body of them coming to rest against my cavum concha which in turn causes the sound port to irritate my tragus.
I’ve tried earclips on and off, all the tips supplied and even different tips from another earphone to no avail.
 
I contacted Comply to see if they had a T / Ts series that would fit the DN-19. Since they only provide recommendations for tips that they certify on earphones, I was told that due to safety / insurance reasons they could not recommend a Comply tip for the DN-19 since they don’t own one to certify the tips on.
 
I took a pair of hearing protectors, shortened them up and used a leather hole punch to make a tunnel, I attached them to the sound nozzle, rolled them up and put the DN-19’s in my ears. It was by no means perfect but provided me a bit better sound than with the supplied tips. After the Holidays I will look into get a set of Comply tips and experiment a bit.
 
The Sound
Since I cannot get a good fit with the DN-19’s this section will be very sparse. Using the large black tips I am able to get a bass less sound from these earphones. (Tried all the tips and these provide the best sound to me at this point)
 
If I press on the backs of the DN-19’s while they are in my ears I can get bass to appear in the audio. *NOTE* This is by no means an accurate representation of these earphones and do not do them the justice they deserve. I will update this section when I get some foam tips and possibly a better seal.
 
Since I am new to earphones, I do not like earbuds  as they will not stay in, and the only other pair of earphones I had was a set of Maxell Peanutz which went immediately into the trash after my limited attempt at hearing the DN-19’s. (I even tried the tips off of the Peanutz, both the double and triple flange.)
 
I put the medium black tips on the DN-19’s and gave them to the wife to try out… Well they are gone now, she has claimed them. She listens to a 2^nd Generation iPod Nano with some low bitrate music on it. I took her Nano and loaded it up with ALAC versions of her favourite music and had her listen to the DN-19’s with that.
 
Her Sarah McLachlan, k.d. lang, Little Big Town and 70’s Classic Rock favourites almost sounded like totally different music through the DN-19’s. She used to try and listen to her music through a pair of Sony MDR-V150’s.
 
It is really a great thing when your can help take someone’s music listening to the next level!
 
 
Final Thoughts
Pros:
The limited sound I had the chance to experience with these was very good when I managed to get a reasonable fit.
The build looks and feels very durable
The accessory kit and hard case.
 
Cons:
The only con I found with these earphones is the fit for me, personally, I believe if the sound nozzle was 2 to 4mm longer they would solve that problem.
 
 
I would like to take this opportunity to thank [b]Rocky[/b] and DUNU for the sample I received for review.
 
And I would like to thank anyone who actually read to the end of this review, this is my first review and first experience with a high quality earphone product.
Also, I am not a photographer.
 
Constructive criticism is always welcome.
TrollDragon