DUNU Talos

The One Closest to a Planar Headphone



Dunu Talos is a planar IEM with the ability to activate an additional pair of BA driver for additional treble. Among the IEM today, it belongs to the more neutral IEM with a slight hint of brightness and a more moderate bass. If you are mainly a PLANAR headphone user with occasional IEM, this maybe the one closest a similar feel. This review will be done in pure planar mode as the activation of the BA drivers is way too hot for me in the treble.


My video review will cover amplification so do take a look!

Scoring System:
This is added to give a simple scoring with emphasis on sound quality but not forgetting build and comfort. The maximum score is 40.

10: Tonality: timbre, accuracy, balance
10: Technicality: details, separation, clarity
10: Enjoyment: soundstage, dynamics, vocals
5: Build: how well is it built
5: Comfort: how Long can you wear

Tonality: 8
Technicality: 8
Enjoyment: 7
Build: 4
Comfort: 3.5

Total: 30.5/40

The One Closest to a Planar Headphone

TLDR
This earphones is quite unlike the usual tonality I heard in recent IEM which has an elevated bass region. The sound I get from the Dunu Talos mirror more similar to how planar headphone sound, which is good extension but not exactly bassy or high in impact. It’s is generally neutral with a hint of brightness in the upper mids and treble. There maybe some sibilance depending on track but overall I enjoy this sound signature as a person who predominately listen to headphones.

Disclaimer: This earphone was purchased by me. No special deal was struck for this review. Additionally, I am predominately a headphone reviewer. As such my expectations may vary from the pure IEM crowd.



Introduction
Dunu is well known to deliver great value, in this review we will take a look at what the Talos offer. Dunu Talos is a planar IEM with the ability to activate additional drivers for increased treble. This itself is quite a unique function, almost getting two iem in a single purchase. Priced at about $200usd, it belongs to more of entry to mid cost for IEM.

Build
Sporting a full metal body, the Dunu is as well built as I feel it could be. The earphone has a matt finishing that makes grabbing it easy. The edges are well rounded so nothing uncomfortable got the touch. I do not think it can get much better especially at this price point and for what it’s meant to do. The Talos comes with a decent cable but without the newer fancy adaptable head. You get to choose 3.5mm or 4.4mm on purchase. The cable has a small amount of memory but can still easily bend to most shape. It is not the softest or nicest looking cable but for its price I think other then providing the adaptable head, it can’t get any better.



Comfort and Fit.
The size is moderate and fits into my ears which I consider average for asians easily. The weight isn’t much from the time i use. I have no issue keeping it in my ears moving around. As a full metal IEM, putting them on in winter initially may not be the most comfortable affair, but holding it in your palms before wearing will make it a whole lot better. As the earphone do not conform to the shape of the ear, it may rotate and move around given sufficient head movement. Due to its structure and it not being flush with the ear, if you intend to sleep and listen music, it is ok but definitely not the most comfortable experience.

Sound quality
As this is a relatively affordable IEM, I will mainly give my opinion based on using it with dongles and wireless adapter. I will however have a special section at the end added later that I will add testing it with much better amplification such as the Enleum HPA-23RM or Ferrum Oor once I get access to them again.

Used on:
iPhone + Apple Dongle
iPhone + Questyle m15
TRN wireless Dongle

Songs:
Ultima (FF14 soundtrack)
Suzume (Radwimps)
Shatter Me (Lindsey Stirling)
Unravel (ADO)
The Brave (Yoasobi)
Avid (Sawano Hiroyuki)
Comet (Yoasobi, Cover Ari Anjou)
I really want to stay at your house (Lunity)
RGB(Yoasobi)

Tonality/Timbre:
Talos belongs to the more neutral type with a slight bump in the upper mids and treble. This gives it a little more zing and also the occasional sibilance. It however maintains a generally natural sound with no additional warmth or too cold sounding. Instruments on general sound as they should be.

Sound stage:
For a IEM this has a decent size sound stage. The sound don’t feel like it’s inside your head but slightly outside. Depth is quite limited but width moves out of the head. Compared to other planar IEM (S12Pro, Wu Zetian), it’s a touch smaller but this may be partially due to the more focused mids.

Position:
The positioning of the instrument is quite good though limited to only left and right. In ultima there’s always this moving bell which is properly portrayed here. Instruments general position can be quite easily identified but limited to left and right with no layers. This is noticeable in shatter me where all instruments are on the same plane and level with difference only left and right.

Separation:
Separation is good. In suzume later parts where multiple instruments are playing, you can clearly identify the vocals from the treble instruments and bass instruments. This is probably due to the more neutral tone, a slight treble emphasis and a relatively nimble driver. The edges of the treble instruments do cut through the mix well with minimal dulling,

Clarity:
This is a high clarity iem. Due to the lower sub bass, most instruments can be easily heard. There’s also no veil to the sound and most of the instruments can be easily heard even in very complex songs.

Details:
Details in the mids and treble is very good. Details in the bass region on the other hand is quite limited if you are looking for texture and nuances there. The various bass brass instrument tends to loose details the moment the track gets busy.

Bass:
The Talos is on the lighter side for bass for modern iem and even compared to its planar peer. But it trades the lighter bass for better control. The sub bass on general do have some texture and the mid bass impact is fast, quick and clean. The Brave has a portion with a lot of fast bass hits. It’s very enjoyable on the Talos as the control and speed is superb resulting in a very nice clean rhythm for it.

Mids:
This is where the Talos is good. There is good body and rich sounding. The Talos has a slightly forward mid, which makes things feel slightly closer. When listening to Talos and then switching to many other iem, you just feel the lost of body that the Talos offer. The upper mids can get a little hot and sibilant in certain tracks like Shatter Me. The higher mid frequencies of violin and vocals can be a little too hot.

Treble:
Treble here is very natural. The cymbals in unravel is clear and natural sounding. The treble is also never masked by the other frequencies unless in very complex song, where some definition and edges maybe lost in softer treble instrument.



Comparisons

Letshouer S12Pro:
This is a little more bassy and smoother. I also find them alittle more laid back and warmer with a slight list of clarity. The fit is superior to the Talos and it has bigger sound stage

Tang Zu Wu Zetian:
I find this to be a better comparison to the Talos. It has more bass without losing the responsiveness. There is also less Sibilance and treble energy here, fixing one of the concern I have with the Talos. It also has a slightly warmer signature. Personally this and Talos is a matter of preference then true technical difference.



Amplification
The Dunu Talos do not benefit much from improvement in amplification unless its through something a Current Amp such as the Enleum. For more details do look at the video above. In short, save your money and stick to the apple dongle as the last mile may not be worth it.

Conclusion:
To me the Talos is a very competent IEM. Especially at its price range, you get an experience that neutral, clear with plenty of details. Technicalities are great and if you are not adverse to a slightly brighter earphone, this maybe one of the best. That said, I come from a headphone user POV and to me the tuning is really like a full size planar headphone which I enjoy more then the more elevated/V shaped tuning that IEM this days seems to be targeting. If you are looking for a head banging, closer to current IEM tuning like those of Crinacle with significant sub bass lift and mid bass impact, this may not be the IEM for you.

Few IEMs captured my imagination more than the famous planar-BA hybrid from Dunu.

I waited and waited for a chance to source the IEM. Meanwhile, I looked at the graphs and read all reviews, imagining how these IEMs sound. I even prepared a little joke for the day when I would review them.



Finally. Finally. I have laid my hands on Talos. How do they sound?

Forewords​

• This rapid-fire review is based on a sample by Addicted to Audio (A2A). The sample was returned to the store after the review. It retails at A2A for AUD $339.
• You should treat this review as the subjective impressions of an audio geek rather than an “objective truth” about the IEM. Your experience with any IEM would change depending on your DAC/AMP, music library, ear tips, and listening volume.
• I rate IEMs by A/B testing them against a few benchmark IEMs, regardless of price point. This approach ensures the consistency of the ratings in my ranking list. It means that if two IEMs score the same, they perform more or less similar.
• I believe that great IEMs are the ones that can achieve multiple difficult things simultaneously: (1) high resolution (meaning lines of music are crisp, clear, easy to follow and full of texture), (2) 3D soundstage with a strong sense of depth, (3) bold and natural bass with a physical rumble, (4) natural timbre, (5) relaxing and comfortable tonality.
• Ranking list and measurement database can be found on my IEM review blog.

Specs​

• Driver: planar + 2BA
• Connector Type: 2-pin
• Impedance: 16ohm@1kHz
• Sensitivity: 100dB@1kHz

Non-sound Aspects​

It’s Dunu. Of course, the packaging is generous, and the build quality is solid.



The earpieces are made of metal with a form of powdery coating. They are way smaller yet thicker than I imagined. The dip switch can be operated without additional tools, which is good. My only complaint is the flushed 2-pin connectors. I’m always worried about snapping off the pins.



You have a nicely constructed canvas case that feels nice and expensive. The cable is thick and shiny but well-behaved, not microphonic.

In the box, you have three types of ear tips. I went directly to the famous S&S tips for my measurement and listening tests. They are nice, though not easy to put on the nozzle. Sticking them to your ears is also hard work due to how sticky they are.

How it sounds​

Sources for listening tests:

• Shanling M6 Ultra (thicker low-end, slightly rounded top-end, desktop-like soundstage imaging)

Local FLAC files ripped from CDs or bought from Qobuz were used for most casual listening and A/B tests. My playlist for A/B tests can be found on Apple Music here.

Tonality and Timbre: 4/5 - Good​

Frequency response of Talos in planar and planar+BA mode. Measurements were done with an IEC-711-compliant coupler and might only be compared with other measurements from this same coupler. The new Dunu tips were used for the measurement. Visit my graph database for more comparisons.

Talos has two distinct sound signatures.

First, let’s talk about the planar + BA mode because it can be explained in one word: WHY? When activating the BA mode, three changes happen:

• Slightly reduction of high-mid / low-treble (3-5kHz)
• Massive increase of mid-treble (8kHz)
• Massive increase of high-treble (“air”) (15khz)

One positive aspect of this tuning is the soundstage expansion due to the boost in “air.” Simply put, instruments in an orchestra feel more spread out, away from you and each other. The negative aspect comes from the 8kHz boost, which makes the instruments’ timbre unrealistically thin and bright. This effect is audible with both orchestras (e.g., Presto) and single instrument (e.g., Flute Partita in A Minor). The 8kHz boost also introduces deadly sibilance. For example, Shivers by Ed Sheeran will make you shiver due to how ice-picky and sibilance it is. The 3kHz dip further emphasises the 8kHz boost. Shiver indeed.



The planar mode is much saner. In general, Talos sounds quite similar to Dunu Titan S. Talos presents music with a sense of lightness and elegance, utterly devoid of excessive warmth or muddiness. At the same time, Talos does not sound stone cold like Etymotic ER2SE or banshee screaming like some KZ.

Talos’ midrange feels right but a bit too forward. It means that the centre of the stereo image, such as the principal violin in Presto or Ed Sheeran’s voice, stands out and locates unabashedly in my head.

Talos’ treble is quite decent. For example, cymbals and chimes are not harsh but can cut through the mix. The sibilance can be a touch sharp but manageable.

Talos’ bass is Luigi to the midrange Mario. There are still some “boom boom” and deep rumbles, but they are mostly there to complete the mix rather than the highlights. The bass is still more highlighted than Etymotic ER2SE.

How do I rate the tuning of Talos? Firstly, I would ignore the planar+BA mode. The planar mode is trickier to assess. On the one hand, I prefer a slightly thicker tuning. On the other hand, I admire the lightness and elegance of the midrange. So, I rate Talos’ tonality 4/5 - Good.

Resolution, Detail, Separation: 4/5 - Good​

Resolution is a fascinating subject due to the difficulty of pinning down what it really is. The resolution is closely tied to how many quiet and minor details you can hear. Of course, if you turn the music louder, you can spot more details. However, you can only turn up the volume if the tuning does not have random peaks that stab your ears and mask minor details around them. Moreover, you can only hear details if the drivers manage to separate them rather than presenting a blob of sound. Earphone DIYers very well recognise this “true resolution” difference between drivers.

Talos does an admirable job at macro details or separation. For instance, during the dense phrases of Presto, Talos still managed to keep the instruments cleanly separated due to sharp and clear note attacks. In other words, I can follow each instrument with little difficulty. This characteristic, likely thanks to the planar drivers, gives Talos a pristine and clean presentation.



Micro-detail is where Talos tumbles. The Flute Partita in A Minor highlights this issue clearly. This piece has only one instrument, the concert flute. Therefore, the textures and nuances, such as the sound of air and the resonance within the flute, play a significant role in the presentation of the Partita. In a quick A/B with the Monarch MkII (5/5 - Outstanding), it was apparent that Talos misses the last layer of nuances that makes the flute sound so real with the Monarch. Interestingly, the BA mode did not help as much as I expected.

In summary, Talos’ resolution falls squarely in at Blessing 2 level: 4/5 - Good. Talos is enjoyably resolving and unlikely to disappoint on this front.

Percussion Rendering: 3/5 - Average​

Percussion rendering reflects how well the tuning and technical performance of an IEM work together to recreate realistic sound of a drum set. Good drum hits have a crisp attack (controlled by frequencies from 4kHz to 6kHz), full body (midbass frequencies around 200Hz), and physical sensation (sub-bass frequencies around 50Hz). Good technical performance (“fast” driver) ensures that bass notes can be loud yet detailed. IEMs that cannot control bass very well tend to reduce the bass’ loudness to prevent muddiness.

Click to expand...

It’s alright. Talos’ basslines feel “fast” and clean but not impactful. The sense of air pushing against my eardrums is not strong. For instance, the bass drops of Despacito are not impactful and do not show large dynamic swings. I found that LETSHOUER S12 does a better job here.

I rate Talos’ percussion rendering 3/5 - Average. It is acceptable but nothing to write home about.

Stereo Imaging (Soundstage): 3/5 - Average​

Stereo imaging or “soundstage” is a psychoacoustic illusion that different recording elements appear at various locations inside and around your head. Your brain creates based on the cues such as the loudness and phase differences between the left and right channels. Most IEMs do not differ significantly, nor can they compete with headphones or loudspeakers. However, some IEMs offer a more spacious soundstage than others. Best IEMs can create multiple layers of sound from closer to further away and make some instruments float slightly above your head.

Click to expand...

Again, it’s alright. Even with my Shanling M6U, which tends to enlarge IEM’s soundstage in all directions, Talos does not project an immersive 3D soundstage. The first issue is the forward midrange, pushing vocals and main instruments strictly in my head. The second issue is that Talos fails to make instruments pop up at different distances (depths) within the soundstage. To me, the stage feels wide but shallow.

In summary, Talos’ stereo imaging is a strict 3/5 - Average. Not offensive, but I wouldn’t consider it a selling point.

Source Pairing​

Talos is rather demanding.

Of course, you can get loud volume out of anything nowadays. Still, you would need something with more power reserve to avoid flattening the soundstage or killing the bass further. All the descriptions in this article are based on a mid-range DAP, which matches the performance of an entry-level desktop setup like Fiio K7. You can expect slightly worse staging and micro detailing with less capable sources.

ConclusionPermalink​

My experience with Talos mirrors my previous experience with Dunu Vulkan. I walked away from the listening sessions with an almost empty feeling. That does not mean that Talos is not good. No, it’s an elegant-sounding and handsome-looking IEM. I just expected more, especially from the BA gimmick.

Pros:

• Clean, clear, open midrange
• Highlighted but not overly cooked treble (in planar mode)
• Excellent build quality and packaging

Cons:

• The BA gimmick is not usable
• Bass lacks dynamic swings and impacts
• The soundstage could be deeper for a more 3D presentation

Dunu Talos

Planar IEMs are the rage nowadays. It seems every year there is a trend that everyone follows in order to get themselves a piece of the pie sort to say. Be it the beryllium craze from a few years back to the new planar craze now. The way I see it, if Dunu gets involved and makes a Planar that means it is what's hot at the moment. Sure Dunu is riding that wave of what's popular, what really matters is what Dunu has done with their version of the planar IEM.

The Talos is designed with a brand new CNC machined aluminum alloy medium sized dome type housing. The unique alloy metal design incorporates a new 14.6mm planar magnetic driver ultra thin diaphragm, but what separates the Talos from other planar IEMs is that it also incorporates a dual BA that enhances the trebles of the Talos with a flick of a switch.

This does two things. It allows for a different sound profile for the base tuning of the Talos as the switch brings more treble presence, especially more brilliance for the trebles. You like your sparkly extended treble that is exactly what you're going to get, a whole heaping of it actually. So that will be a matter of taste in how you like your treble presentations. To be fair, poorly recorded material with a lack of clarity and treble end up benefiting the most from the added treble enhancement but for me anyways, I thought the base planar tuning did just fine for most of my eclectic music collection I listen to.

For folks that complain there is not enough treble for your liking. Hey guess what, no need for a pro version of the Talos cus you got your pro version just by flicking the switch with more treble than you will ever need. Talos becomes the standard Talos and the imaginary new revised pro version of the Talos at the same time. I joke. If you follow the naming scheme and the need to always create updated versions of Dunu classics you will know what I am talking about here.

If you read the majority of reviews about the Talos. It is pretty unanimous that the Talos stock planar mode has plenty of treble with really no need for the extra BA enhancement. Hey, I applaud Dunu for trying something new here. However, why not go for a potent smaller dynamic in the housing instead of the BAs. I would have loved to see this instead with a variable bass switch. How cool would that have been, you need more boost in the bass? Imagine a neutrally tuned planar but when you feel the need for more bass. Flicking a switch for 3-4 dbs of more boom. To be fair it has been done before with hybrid IEMs but not quite yet with a Planar. Instead here we get more treble. To be honest I have not seen a single post or review saying they actually prefer the BA enhancement mode. But I suppose it is there if you feel the need so it's not a loss of a design.

With that I would like to thank the fine folks at Dunu for allowing myself to give my $.02 worth and how I hear the Talos. The Talos was provided for the purpose of a review by Dunu. You can purchase a set for you on their website here. The Talos and every IEM I do reviews for are burned in for a period of a weeks time and are now ready for evaluation using my IBasso DX300Max, Shanling M6 Pro, Fiio M15, BTR7, K7, IFI Gryphon, IFI Signature.

What you get.
Dunu packages are always tops. Here we get the familiar Dunu labeled quality zip up rectangular hard case, cleaning tool, stereo adapter, 3 sets of tips and most importantly a well matching 4 core silver plated crystal copper cable in single ended. I was a bit surprised Dunu did not include a variation of their modular cables, maybe to save a bit on cost? Reason why I say this is because while the cable itself is of a nice quality and matches well with the sound design of the Talos. It is well known that Planars perform better with more power no matter how efficient they are tuned. Talos' sound is most definitely enhanced with more power. A balanced cable would mean better performance from the Talos as most players throw out more power through their balanced outs. The good news there is that the Talos is a .78mm flat 2 pin design in which you can easily use an aftermarket cable to use in balanced for the Talos.

The other aspect of the included accessory's worth mentioning is a new type of tip which seems to be a Dunu exclusive. These new sticky type silicone tips are surprisingly very good if not just out right substantial. I am going to assume these were designed by Dunu as I have never seen these types of tips before. The tips are officially called S&S tips which stands for Stage and studio, these are now sold from your favorite Dunu vendors. I am a huge fan of these tips and have been posting about just how unique and well-designed they are. Not every day we get a tip design that just works with every IEM and maximizes their sound. These tips are worth mentioning as it was the first time in a very long time I have seen a substantial new tip design that seals this well and makes every IEM sound their best. Worth looking them up and getting a few sets for you, especially if you own more than a few IEMs.

Sound design
Recent trends for Dunu seem to be variations on the neutral tunings. Minus their Vulkan IEMs which was a more of a musically tuned deep bass focused IEM, the Titan S and even their limited edition Vernus and their newest Kima are all tuned with more neutrality vs anything with too much coloring or V shaped tunings. Neutral tunings are arguably the most versatile as there simply aren't too much in one aspect of emphasis in sound over another when it comes to sound balancing. Trebles do end up playing a bigger role in a neutral tuned IEM as it will come down to how the manufacturer emphasized the treble aspect of the tunings. The Talos to my ears sounds similar to how their Titan S was tuned but one that is clearly an upgrade. Its strengths are that it brings a wide technical resolving sound presentation for IEMs with just enough musicality to its makeup to not make it sound sterile or too analytical.

Planar IEMs when designed correctly give an astonishing amount of details that seem to cover the gamut of a complete sound profile. I still feel dynamics for IEMS provides the best natural timbre, bass and texture but it is arguable which type of drivers provide a higher grade of sound overall. Don't know if the Planar will be here to stay or if it is merely a trend but I do know the Talos sounds very good when it comes to its sound quality and how it portrays sound overall. And once again I am going to clearly mention that you have to be into your neutral tunings to admire what the Talos is about. I have gotten folks that end up buying IEMs due to a review I would put out only to complain about the bass end not to their liking. Read the sound description folks, it is the sole reason why I post a review in the first place to give you a good idea what you're dealing with. A neutral tuning is not going to have an overly pronounced bass end. Just to be clear on that.

Trebles ( based on the stock planar tuning)
of the Talos has an ample slightly elevated presence included in its balanced neutral tuning. ( A bit of a side note. I do recommend a good burn in for the Talos as this area seemed to smooth out and sounds much more cohesive with the rest of the signature than out of the box. Bass also seems to get better presence as well.

Treble areas of the Talos are slightly elevated, have excellent detail, clarity and extension. This was the reason why I was surprised even more treble enhancement was added to this sound profile. Do they actually need the extra dual BAs for more treble and air? Sure why not. But you would figure the base planar tuning would be rolled off or lack somehow in the upper trebles. But that's not what I am hearing from the Talos planar tuning. Add the switch and you get extra brilliance for trebles. Extra sizzle, sparkle, shimmer. Most will find the trebles to be standing out of the balancing with the BAs on. For rock and metal music or EDM this will be a bit much. The base treble tuning actually sounds more balanced and in tune with the rest of the signature. The treble has just a slight bit of tizziness especially noticed on open listen but has smoothed out for the most part over time. I don’t get a sense that the Talos actually needs more treble. Its a function switch for some might be a good thing so I am not gonna doc a point, at least Dunu is trying something different.

Extra treble mode definitely adds more brightness to the treble area. For the old timers and folks that need that extra bit of treble enhancement for that added air and sizzle. Your planar is calling your name. Base trebles have excellent presence and its transients are very tight much like how BAs presents trebles. Planars to my ears just simply don't have any issue covering the treble area. Now when it comes to the bass end that area brings a bit of a different take. Will get into more later. But let's talk about what makes the Talos stand out. Its mids presentation.

Mids of the Talos is broad in scope wider than tall with good depth to its presentation. Its forward projecting presentation brings a proper layering and has enough note weight for vocals and instruments to sound proper. Its nicely resolving detailed presentation brings a technical aspect that I am actually used to hearing from Dunu. I would expect nothing less to be honest. Everything they make recently has a level of resolve that is some of the best in the industry for the type of IEMs they make. Its sound separation, imaging and a believable realistic timbre makes the Talos stand out. The one aspect that truly stands out for me with the Talos is vocal music. Just fantastic on the Talos. The level of details on the Talos is exemplary and proper form for Dunu and I think this is the one constant that I can say without reservation that you will get from a well designed Dunu IEM. If you feel the Talos sounds a touch thin or they aren’t how I am describing them. Try them with a proper DAC/AMP and and upgraded balanced cable, you will come away with something that will be way more than what you paid for. A bit of Power my friends is a good thing in the case of the Talos.

Competition is stiff for Dunu and anyone that makes a Planar. I know there are a lot of options out there now for planars but I do know the Talos clearly is worthy of its asking price just based on how well it resolves at its price point. I was not disappointed with how the Talos presents its mids and I am certain it will be a strong suit for a majority of folks that invest in getting a set.

Bass
True to a neutrally tuned IEM. These are not for bass first enthusiasts. The bass emphasis for the Talos leans more toward its sub bass but still has some solid details for its bass end. Its sub bass emphasis leaves a very clean and present mids emphasis which was the point of the tuning. Bass impact is enough to complete the sound balancing but is not emphasized to make it have any type of boominess, nor does the bass end have the quality of a well tuned vented dynamic driver. But to my surprise it does have a nicely textured sub bass note that I appreciate.

Bass impact is subdued a touch but makes up for it in sheer speed. It is well known the planar driver provides speed on a similar level of a BA. Speed metal fans would appreciate the sheer speed of the Talos bass end. Its mid bass has less emphasis vs its sub bass but not enough to make it sound unnatural for its bass presentation. For the most part the Talos is actually very versatile sounding and can do bass genres. It's just that it specializes more for acoustic, orchestral, jazz and vocal type music vs bass genres. And this was the main reason why I would have liked Dunu to come up with a bass switch instead of a treble switch. In any case what's here is good but nothing that stands out as being special or of uber quality for bass. Bass seems more to compliment the mids and treble vs being highlighted and that is what you're getting with the bass. The bass end comes much more alive with more power here as well. Using the new Fiio K7 dac/amp which has a very good bass foundation for its sound. The Talos loves its power and bass from this source. Synergy of the Talos seems to be one where sources with good power and good foundational bass will mesh extremely well. Second runner up would be my IBasso DX300Max.

In the end
The Talos is clearly a Dunu product. Their version of the Planar IEM has some uniqueness in how it looks and does provide a treble enhancing switch for the hybrid mode. I think most folks will be happy with its base Planar tuning to not be too bothered by the switch. Or some might actually enjoy having a bit of extra treble. Its well balanced tuning with a wide stage for IEMs comes with some of the best mids for a planar IEM I have heard. If fed the right source the Talos sounds quite good if not just outright amazing. I would expect nothing less from Dunu as the build quality is tops for this one, not to mention a great looking IEM. I know there are a lot of choices nowadays for Planars but one made by Dunu you can always trust its production values and their solid tunings. Dunu has delivered yet once again with a very capable sounding Planar that will do your music justice. Overall these will more than compete with the likes of other IEMs in the price bracket and if you want a neutrally tuned planar IEM that will ramp up nicely with your more powerful sources. The Dunu Talos is a very nice option. I think the Talos sound quality will easily have staying power as it is an easy IEM to like for its sound quality. Thanks for taking the time to read. Happy listening always. And get yourself a set of them S&S tips for your other IEMs. You will thank me later.