DUNU Falcon Ultra

★ Introduction :-

Dunu is a reputed chifi brand that has become a premium brand as they care about the quality and innovation of their audio gear. They have built a strong reputation for being admired for their ergonomic design, premium materials and durability. Dunu's biggest contribution can be seen in their in-house R&D integrated driver technology capable of delivering a premium sound experience. I've had the pleasure of using some of Dunu's audio gear, most notably their flagship lineup, the Zen and Zen Pro. They've tried to highlight this continuity in their budget offering. They recently released falcon ultra as the next successor of their previous model Falcon pro. I've been using this IEM regularly for a few months . Now, I'll try to highlight all aspects of this IEM in my review. So that it is convenient for you to understand how equitable it is for this price category.

★ Disclaimer :-

I purchased Dunu Falcon Ultra IEM from Linsoul Audio . I had no financial agreement with them to promote their product. So, the entire opinion of this review is completely my personal.

★ Box Content at a Glance :-

The unboxing experience of dunu falcon ultra was surprisingly good. All kind of accessories were present out of the box. @DUNU-Topsound has no room to complain in this regard

1. A pair of Falcon Ultra IEM.
2. Four types of different size eartips.
3. Two pairs of tuning nozzle (interchangeable) filters.
4. DUW-02 pro cable with Q-lock lite included modular jack system.
5. 3.5mm to 6.35mm Adapter.
6. A Premium carrying case & a cleaner tool.

It comes with a very good braided modular stock cable also It has Q-lock LITE system. This silver plated copper cable with mmcx connectors that enrich the cable features & usability. The build material of the cable and functionality is really appreciated, On the other hand it comes with several different sizes of eartips, where dunu candy eartips and S&s tips must be mentioned. As stock eartips, these are pretty much everyone's top picks. The quality of the stock carrying case is also good and there is enough space inside it to keep the IEM very well. Two pairs of different tuning nozzle filter are gold & blue respectively. And they are able to bring a good change in the sound tonality. The accessories that Dunu has provided out of the box with their falcon ultra, it is quite rare to expect such an unboxing experience from the offerings of any chifi brands.

★ Specifications :-

~ Driver :- Dunu's developed 10.7mm ECLIPSE (second generation) dynamic driver
~ Impedance :- 16Ω@1kHz
~ Sensitivity :- 108dB±1dB@1kHz
~ Distortion ratio :- 0.3%@1kHz
~ Frequency response :- 5Hz-40kHz
~ Connector :- Patented MMCX
~ Cable type :- 4-Core Silver-Plated Litz Copper with interchangeable termination jack

★ Design, Build & Comfort :-


The Falcon Ultra IEM is built with a smooth and mirror finish faceplate design. Which at the same time enhances its beauty and makes it more attractive. But this mirror finish faceplate gets a lot of fingerprints and scratches very easily which is annoying. The build quality of the Falcon Ultra IEMs is rock solid. These IEMs are generally made from metal alloy which ensures greater durability and sturdiness. Again its stock cable is durable and tangle resistant which gives this set good support during long time use. Moreover, dunu has attached a strap bracket to this cable so that it can be kept tangle-free very easily. This focus on build quality ensures that the Falcon Ultra IEM performs reliably over time. Comfort is the key features of the Falcon Ultra IEM. This thing is importance of increased wear while listening or moving. The IEM shell is not too heavy despite being of metal construction, the two shells weigh twenty grams respectively. But it doesn't feel any heavier in the ear than it feels in the hand. The fit of this IEM is excellent, as its shell is shaped like a round coin that can be worn effortlessly on the ear ensuring a good fit. As this set size is relatively small, it will fit almost everyone's ears equally. So it can be used safely for a long time without any discomfort. Besides, it has several types of eartips that have different sizes according to the ear canal. These stock eartips take the comfortable fit a step further.



★ Sound Aspect :-

Falcon Ultra is basically the safest harman tuned IEM. Although, its interchangeable gold nozzle filter provides somewhat laid-back sound. Where the brightness of the treble region is reduced to a great extent. The mid bass section is slightly boosted and at the same time reduces the texture and increases the punch. However, the presentation of sub bass & mid bass seems to be fairly well-controlled. Overall bass notes are thick & rounded resulting in a fun-engaging sound with less technicalities that can satisfy warm sound lovers. The sound with blue nozzle seems to have a slight V-shape where more sub bass rumble increases compared to the mid bass. On the other hand, the energy & sparkle of the treble region is better due to which the tonality becomes bright. This nozzle makes the lower mids a bit recessed while increasing the clarity of the upper mids, which is considered a common problem of harman or V-shape sound. But technicalities are benefited more in blue nozzle. Detail, micro detail is also better compared to gold nozzle.

★ Gear used :-

1. Questyle Audio Engineering CMA Fifteen
2.Cayin Ru7 (Se & Bal both)
3.Questyle m15 (Se & Bal both)
4.Quloos Mc01 (SE & Bal both)
5.Epz Tp50 (Se & Bal both)
6.Fosi Audio Ds2 ~ 2024 (Se & Bal both)
7.Blon V1 (Se & Bal both)

Falcon Ultra is a set of 16Ω impedance whose sensitivity level is 108dB so not very powerful amplification is needed to drive it, but if a good quality dac amp or portable player is used, then it gets scaled up with the source and becomes better sounding. However, the best pairing I've found with CMA Fifteen. Better stage depth, imaging even got lots of details & mico details even tonality & timbre was almost accurate.

Now, I will discuss the sound in detail, I will start with the Low end of this set, i.e. the bass....

★ The Bass :-

The Falcon Ultra deliver deep and impactful bass response. Bass response is punchy, it has fast attack and decay that adds dynamism to the whole bass notes. Sub bass region is the strongest part of falcon ultra compared to the mid bass. It can provide deep & rumbly sub bass. That's why the sound of instruments like bass guitar, drums hi-hat seems to be weighty even full bodied. But there is some lack of mid bass punch. So kick drums sound isn’t punchy enough, with less impact and texture and at the same time this thing is able to fulfil with its gold nozzle. As a result to hear and feel the nuances in bass notes and impact fairly well. Overall bass was well-controlled and does not bleed into the midrange frequencies. However, the gold nozzle makes overall bass notes sound a bit thin, But the blue nozzle again boosts the sub bass region to a slight margin, then the sub bass rumble is much better than the mid bass punch. The gold nozzle ensures clarity and separation of different musicality and less detailed but gives laid back type sound presentation. Instruments and vocals i.e the midrange maintain their presence and detail, even portray during complex bass notes.

★ The Mids :-

This set provide in clarity within the midrange frequencies, vocals and instruments to be heard with good accuracy and details, Both are portrayed accurately without being harsh or overshadowed by the bass or treble frequencies, so Instruments maintain their natural timbre in the midrange. This thing is suitable for genres that emphasize acoustic instruments that rely on vocal strength.The gold nozzle provides warmth in the mids section due to which the artist's vocal sounds fuller, especially the body of the male vocal is made thicker. But in blue nozzle, the female vocal sounds more energetic and even the tendency to become slightly shouty can be noticed. On the other hand, due to the lower mids being recessed, the organic character of the midrange is afflicted more. Two tuning nozzles make this IEM almost versatile for various genres. The gold nozzle is suitable for pop, edm, hip-hop & electro genres, while the blue nozzle will give better result for rock, metal & acoustic genres.


★ The Treble :-

Treble region appeared to be simply crisp, clean and mediocre detailed. Where the presence of sparkle is also found it is limited so there is no presence of unwanted harshness or sibilance issue. Since the sparkle is natural, the whole sound frequency seems lively & vibrant. It has the capability to accurately portray instruments like cymbal, violin, and piano. Its upper & lower treble are fairly good extended, that's why this set can easily reach into the uppermost frequency without any roll-off issues. This characteristic is usually limited to blue nozzle, so it is possible to get better results in instrument heavy genres like classical, rock & metal. On the other hand, In gold nozzle creates a completely opposite situation was observed. Where the highs offer a smooth, less details & controlled presentation, so air & sparkle is lacking in more quantity which is considered more suitable for treble sensitive people. Even those who listen to pop, edm, hip-hop type genres they will benefit more from it.

★ Technicalities :-

Falcon Ultra IEM's soundstage is on the intimate side but stage depth was good, due to which I did not notice any issue in separation and layering. Its imaging was really good due to which the positioning of small instruments can be precisely located which is able to bring good advantage in gaming. But it's not like this set is offering a holographic presentation at all. The most interesting factor is its tonality, as a single dd it has been able to give coherent musical sound without any artificial separation and at the same time the timbre was also natural. This set of technicalities also retains enough descent performance.

Overall rating out of 5 is what I would give

Bass : 4.2/5
Mids : 4.2/5
Treble : 4 /5
Technicalities : 4/5
Build & Aesthetics : 4.5/5


★ Comparison :-

~Dunu Falcon Ultra vs Tanchjim origin~

In build quality, both sets are metal constructed to ensure better durability at the same time comfortability. But due to the glossy shell design, a lot of fingerprints get stuck on both sets very easily. Talking about the sound aspect, both sets are out of the box with interchangeable tuning nozzle. But the 3 pairs of tuning nozzles of origin are all gimmicky, that's why simgot EA500 kit is a better sound solution as an aftermarket tuning nozzle filter. Moreover, the stock accessories of this set were also of average quality. Falcon Ultra will be way ahead in this aspect. Both sets have a Harman-ish profile in the sound section. In terms of tonality, origin is almost neutral and falcon ultra is slightly warmer side. But origin's bass performance is not as strong as falcon ultra. Especially if you change the tuning nozzle, both sub bass & mid bass from this set give fairly good results. On the other hand, origin is somewhat sub bass focused, but the lack of mid bass is more noticeable even if it delivers descent sub bass, although it is somewhat covered by the use of its EA500 tuning nozzle.
In the mids section, Origin is the real winner because the lower mids of the falcon ultra are recessed, which is more noticeable in its blue nozzle. Again, in the treble section, the origin has managed to provide a solid performance where it has managed to maintain a smooth manner along with enough detail, so that there was no unwanted harshness or sibilance issue, but the Falcon Ultra is very safe here and many treble heads think it is more safe tuned for treble, but the blue nozzle of this set adds some brightness & detail to the treble region. However, origin can be said to perform better in treble. Technically both sets are better but Origin will be ahead for Immersive staging and holographic imaging. Moreover, The tonality & timbral accuracy of both sets is equally commendable.

★ Conclusion :-

The Dunu Falcon Ultra IEM's unboxing experience, build quality and overall sound performance are surprisingly good at the bottom of the sub-$250 price segment.This set musicality is given more priority than technicalities. So I think this set will be ideal for those who want to enjoy music for a long time and are more used to fun and relaxed tuning. If someone doesn't give priority to very neutral sound then I can easily recommend it to them and I'm pretty sure that this set will be more acceptable to maximum folks.

I've provided the purchase link below for everyone convenience

LinsoulAudio (link isn't affiliated)

Shenzhen Audio (link isn't affiliated)

DUNU FALCON ULTRA (Meteorite Titanium): A MAJESTIC FALCON OF AUDIO

The Dunu Falcon Ultra Meteorite Titanium is a single dynamic driver DD in-ear monitor IEM that seems to be gaining steam amongst the audiophile crowd for those operating around a mid-centric budget. Praised for its well-balanced sound signature with an emphasis on warmth and detail, the Falcon Ultra has a U-shaped profile showing a satisfying low-end presence with equally clear and engaging mids. The combination caters to a wide range of musical genres, while the smooth, detailed treble presentation isn't harsh and would not cause listener fatigue. If the sonic prowess is any indication, then this IEM wows with premium build quality even more: a meteorite titanium shell and comfortable, ergonomic design. Let's take a deep dive inside this feature-laden IEM and see if it lives up to the hype.

Note: In the next chapters, you will find it says ‘Dunu Falcon Ultra’, I will omit the ‘MT’ portion as it is just a special edition with a titanium finish.


CONTEXT

Dunu Falcon Ultra has been on my wish list since I had my first audition. They are so comfortable to wear, and they sound so good. After their announcement of ‘Meteorite Titanium’, I ordered them with no time. I’m spending time with this IEM for a week or more. Falcon Ultra comes with a fantastic (but tangly) cable with interchangeable terminals (3.5mm & 4.4mm), loads of ear tips like S&S, Candy etc., which are super usable and premium class, two types of filter nozzles, a very practical & robust carrying case, and many more. It’s a dream package for any audiophile and it's very rare in the current market in this price point. I must mention that this is one of the most fantastic-looking IEMs you can encounter. Made from titanium and having a glossy reflective finish (which is a finger print magnet), they are really comfortable to wear.

While driving, it’s a very ‘easy to drive’ type of IEM. But don’t stop here. Because it scales up its sonic performance when you pair it with powerful sources. Falcon Ultra already has a slight warm signature; I will suggest you pair it with something neutral & balanced. Warm heads like me can also have their experience by pairing it with warm or warm-neutral sources. I love it with my go-to DAC, Planue R2 and even with Dawn Pro. And find more bass authority with Hip Dac2, though you will lose some treble details.



DISCLAIMER

This is not a review unit, and I purchased the Dunu Falcon Ultra with my own money and my own interest. There is no monitory transaction between me & the respective company. And this review is totally unbiased, based upon my listening experience.

One thing more:. The review is based on my personal experience and what I hear from different sources. Your experience may be very different due to personal preference and physical differences like the shape & depth of the ear canal.

[Grab a copy from Geek Mart if you are in Bangladesh.
for international buying, you can grab it from HiFigo]


GEARS USED

• Cowon Planue R2
• Hiby R3
• ifi Hip DAC 2 (both with PC & mobile)
• Moondrop Dawn Pro (both with PC & mobile)
• POCO X3


TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION

• 10.7mm Dnamic Driver with 2nd Generation ECLIPSƎ Architecture and Ring-Type Magnet Assembly with Ultra-High Magnetic Flux Density
• Impedance: 16Ω @ 1kHz.
• Sensitivity: 108dB±1dB @ 1kHz.
• Frequency Response: 5Hz-40kHz.
• THD+N: <0.3% at 1kHz.
• Cable Material: 4-Core Silver-Plated Copper Litz.
• Connector Type: Patented MMCX Connectors.
• Termination Options: 3.5mm TRS and 4.4mm TRRS.
• Weight: 20g(10g each ear piece)




WHAT’S IN THE BOX

Dunu Falcon Ultra M.T IEMs
DUO-02 Pro Silver plated Copper Litz cable with Q-Lock lite interchangeable terminal (MMCX)
Dunu S&S – 6 Pairs (one pair attached with the IEM)
Dunu Candy ear tips – 3 Pairs
Balanced (Olive Grey) ear tips – 3 Pairs
Vocal (Basic Blue) ear tips – 3 Pairs
Removable Tuning nozzle
4.4mm & 3.5mm connector
3.5mm to 6.35mm Adaptor
Protective pouch
Carrying case
Cleaning cloth & tool
Some official papers




UNBOXING EXPERIENCE

As I mentioned earlier, it’s really a treasure box for any audiophile. The Falcon Ultra arrives in a compact box that feels surprisingly hefty. Opening it reveals a very simple layout but the surprise is yet to come. You will be welcomed by a very well-made & beautiful looking hard carrying case that looks premium. But the show begins after you open it. The IEMs themselves are seated securely in a double chamber soft breathable pouch to avoid any scratching with the DUO-02 Pro cable attached in it. Be warned, the IEMs do love fingerprints, but they sure look flashy!

There is the storage box inside, where you will find the treasures if you are a ‘ear tips lover’ like me. S&S tips, candy tips, olive gray tips & blue silicon tips are organized in different poly packs. There is more… a set of tuning nozzles, 3.5mm to 6.35mm converter, cleaning tool, cleaning cloth and some rubber gaskets to use with nozzles. This is called true attention to details. Dunu literally gifted those accessories to make the package standout from the crowd. You don’t need to buy a single thing, like, upgraded cable or after-market ear tips for fit & comfort, this is your full package. I was really surprised to see this kind of package in this price point.
















BUILD & DESIGN

The Dunu Falcon Ultra is crafted from Lithium-Magnesium pure alloy with a titanium finish, which both enhances its durability and gives it a premium feel. The housing is precision-machined with a sleek, smooth finish, but remember, they are finger-print magnets.A mixed alloy metal shell further helps in reducing resonance and distortion.Which in turn reproduces rich, detailed, and enjoyable sound.The IEM design is functional and oozes style, boasting a modern minimalistic design language with tasteful branding. The finish is refined, too.

The nozzles are manufactured both from stainless steel and gold-plated brass. All materials are of high quality. They are firmly attachable-detachable, allowing users to swap between them without affecting the structural integrity of the earpieces themselves. Other highlights include the detachable cable design using high-quality MMCX connectors that allow for a secure and dependable connection. The Dunu Falcon Ultra comes with a stock cable made from high-purity, oxygen-free copper; it's durable and flexible. Still, the cable is a bit stiff and not tangle-free. The cable is light, too, for overall comfort of the earphones. These respective 3.5 & 4.4mm jacks are also gold-plated for reliable connection and superior signal transfer.










FIT & COMFORT
Surprisingly, though the IEM is of a metallic construction, each earpiece weighs just about 10 grams according to Dunu, so as not to make them cumbersome in very long listening sessions. The teardrop shape and polished finish lend both an appealing and functional design. This helps the IEMs nestle comfortably within the ear, reducing even the possibility of slippage in movement.

Comfort is another bold feature of the Falcon Ultra. The nozzles are angled and come with a set of ear tips that allow you to find the right fit (S&S, Candy, Balanced, and Vocal tips). The differently sized S&S tips have this unique, gel-like surface that conveys a very good fit to the ear canal and boosts comfort and passive noise isolation. This personalization alone will ensure that you're able to wear the Falcon Ultra comfortably for hours on end without even the slightest hint of fatigue.






EAR TIPS AND CUSTOMIZATION

I can’t write this review without mentioning the hefty collection of ear tips I got in this package. Every variation of tips has its own character and usability that makes the IEM enjoyable with various tunes. These various kinds and sizes of ear tips allow significant customization to suit different listening preferences and ear shapes. The stock S&S tips are designed for a natural sound, while the Candy tips offer enhanced support and a more robust audio output. The balanced tips provide accuracy through the whole frequency, and the vocal tips emphasize mid-range frequencies, which makes them a very good choice for vocal-heavy tracks. This flexibility ensures that users can find a combination that maximizes both comfort and audio quality.




Now let’s jump to the main section to reveal how awesome it sounds…


SOUND SIGNATURE

The Falcon Ultra's true strength is in its well-balanced, musical sound signature. The technical excellency of the single dynamic driver shines by delivering a coherent and balanced sound that remains enjoyable over extended periods. It offers a U-shaped sound signature, and I find that it has one of the best timbres among single dynamic driver IEMs. The sound profile is characterized by a harmonious blend from bass to treble, making it enjoyable across various genres.

I find the bass is rich, powerful and soothing. This gives tracks a warm and enveloping feel, especially noticeable in the midrange, where vocals are presented with warmth and detail. In my ear, the treble seems energetic but smooth, striking a balance that avoids any harshness or fatiguing experience, as I’m a treble sensitive guy. Keep it in mind, it comes with two different types of tuning nozzles. And they make some bold change in sound delivered by the IEMs. In short, the fitted silver nozzle gives you a clear sound with a good balance of vocals & instruments. But the golden-brass one will make the vocal a bit forward and scale it up. That can make some female vocals shouty and male vocals a bit of tiny type. At least to my listening, I experienced it. The total sound section is based on my listening with silver nozzle & candy tips

The total sound section is based on my listening with silver nozzle & candy tips. Here's a closer look at its performance across the frequency range:





SUB-BASS

The Dunu Falcon Ultra offers an impressive sub-bass performance. While I’m enjoying Dream Theater's "Another Day," the IEMs provide a deep, resonant sub-bass. That adds a robust base to the track to enjoy without overwhelming other frequencies. The sub-bass is tight and well-controlled. It delivers a powerful, but clean rumble that enhances the overall listening experience. The complex bass line is alive, with a meaty body and precision. It perfectly holds the speed double paddle kick drums played by Mike Portnoy and every punch in lower frequencies. And I also enjoy slow numbers like ‘One more night” by Phil Collins. The Falcon Ultra keeps the bass clean and enjoyable while retaining all the details in the arrangement. There’s no bleed to the mids, and it allows Phill Collins’ smooth vocals and the song’s emotive nuances to shine through clearly.

The sub-bass is punchy, not boomy or artificial-sounding, providing a nice complement to the frequently complex layers of music. For some audiophiles, particularly those who enjoy ultra-subwoofer levels of bass, this may come across as a bit light.


MID BASS

Generally speaking, the mid-bass of the Dunu Falcon Ultra is said to be warm and punchy, and yeah, that's correct. What this suggests then would be there was a strong and fulfilling presence of low ends serving as the backbone to your music. Think of this as basslines with clear definition in every note, and a resounding "thump" that drives the rhythm forward. I start listening to "Still of the Night" from Whitesnake; the mid-bass is really tight and very well-defined, adding a lot to the powerful rhythm section present in this song. I feel that the mid-bass is slightly elevated on this IEM, which I really enjoy-actually, who doesn't? It provides a tight response that brings out the dynamic energy of the track driving bass lines and drum beats. This, in turn, helps the IEM produce the mid-bass with perfect clarity so that every note can come out bold and impactful.

Just remember that the bass may miss a little texture. That's the little stuff, the subtlety within the bass range. While it gives a good kick, it just may not be the most detailed bass response if you're an audiophile who needs it as extreme.





FEMALE VOCALS

While I’m listening to my favorite female vocalist, it sounds crystal clear, with a touch of sparkle. That's the kind of experience the Falcon Ultra delivers. The upper mids are nicely emphasized, bringing out the detail and sweetness in female voices. I didn't hear any muddiness or harshness! On "Don't Wanna Lose You" by Gloria Estefan, the Falcon Ultra does beautifully capture the dynamic range in her voice. The warmth and shine are in very good balance with one another, with the vocals sitting loudly in the music. The slight bright airiness creates a noticeable transparency that brings out the subtle nuances and textures in Estefan's performance.

Note that, you may find the female vocal energy a bit ear-biting, even though the treble is tamed and smooth. It may happen when you're using the golden-brass tuning nozzle. The ‘S’ or ‘SH’ pronunciation can be sibilant too. With the silver one, some may crave more power in female vocals. That’s why you should experiment with the given nozzles.


MALE VOCALS

The Falcon Ultra doesn't forget about the guys either. Male vocals come alive with warmth and richness as the IEM’s emphasis on the lower mids. It's like having a singer with a deep, powerful voice filling the surrounding area. Just like with female vocals, there's still plenty of clarity & tonal variation.

Its performance with "Kiss from a Rose" by Seal, the earphones present Seal's husky voice with clarity and richness. As the IEM’s midrange is prominent, it allows vocals to stand out without being overshadowed by other instruments of the same range, like saxophones, violins, guitars, etc. The Falcon Ultra's dynamic driver provides a warm, full-bodied sound that captures the emotional depth of any song and didn’t fail here. The IEMs maintain a good balance between the lower and upper midrange. It avoids any muddiness and ensures that the vocals are clear and prominent.




INSTRUMENTS

I praise the Dunu Falcon Ultra's instrument performance for its clarity and detail across the spectrum. The dramatic sound signature creates a warm foundation with a punchy mid-bass that brightens instruments like guitars and drums. At the same time, the smooth and airy treble ensures every detail in cymbals and higher piano notes come to life without being harsh or fatiguing. Instruments sound adequately separated to retain clarity even on the most complex of tracks, which may allow listeners to appreciate subtleties in the sound of each instrument.

With "I Will Be There" by Katie Melua, instrument presentation on the Dunu Falcon Ultra makes for a cozy and inviting sound. The emphasis on mid-bass in sound signature provides a solid base for the violins, piano, flute and other string instruments. I enjoyed the violin notes and found that they carry a satisfying weight and body while remaining clear and defined at the same time. This whole strong performance of the IEM ensures Katie’s vocals are mixed soulfully with all other complimented instruments and makes it captivate listening.

TREBLE​

The treble, generally referred to as the "air" or "sparkle" in music, adds a very majestic touch. It's responsible for the high notes of instruments like cymbals and the crispness of vocals. It delivers the high notes with a smooth and gentle touch, that are easy on the ears. The Dunu Falcon Ultra's treble performance with Rainbow's "Street of Dreams" walks a fine line. You will praise the treble for being smooth and avoiding harshness, which can be great for fatigue-free listening. Ritchie Blackmore's iconic soaring guitar solos are clear and present, but they might not have the same level of brilliance or sharpness that some listeners crave. But you can find the detail is still there that allows you to hear the nuances in his playing. The cymbals crash also have a slightly smoother attack, which I like most.

The Dunu Falcon Ultra's treble is a great fit for listeners who want to enjoy the excitement of high notes without sacrificing comfort. It strikes a balance between smooth delivery and enough detail to keep things interesting. Some listeners may find lack of energy and sparkle, especially those, who are treble heads.




SOUNDSTAGE

The Dunu Falcon Ultra gives me truly expansive soundstage in this price bracket. The instruments and vocals are rightly placed, developing an immersive three-dimensional audio environment. The direction and distance of different sound elements can be fairly easily assessed, and that adds magic to my overall listening experience.

It delivers an excellent soundstage when playing "Comfortably Numb" by Pink Floyd, immersing me in the track's expansive sonic landscape. The atmospheric opening effects of the song, with the mix of different instruments, are presented with impressive accuracy. It creates a wide and engaging musical environment. David Gilmour's vocals are placed in the center of the stage with very good depth. The highlight of the song is Gilmour’s guitar solos, which are presented with precise imaging, allowing each note to stand out from the mixing of various instruments in the background. But during more complex and layered sections, the soundstage can sometimes struggle with instrument separation. That leads to a slight blending of background elements.

Falcon Ultra offers impressive staging but there is a slight yearning for even more depth and width.

NOT QUITE PERFECT, BUT STILL PRETTY SWEET​

The Dunu Falcon Ultra is a great pair of earphones, but no audio gear is perfect. Here's a quick rundown of some things to consider before you hit "buy":

Not the Widest Soundstage: Imagine your favorite concert in a cozy club. That's kind of the vibe with the Falcon Ultra. The soundstage (imagine the space where the instruments are placed) isn't the widest. While instruments are clear and well-separated, they might not feel as spread out as with some other earphones.

Fingerprint Frenzy: The Falcon Ultra's shiny finish looks cool, but it is a fingerprint magnet. If you are the kind of individual who likes to keep their stuff clean, then this might be a minor annoyance.

Analytical Listeners Beware: The Falcon Ultra leans heavy in its predisposition toward a fun, musical sound rather than extreme detail. If you're that kind of audiophile who needs to hear every single nuance in your music, there might be other earphones that better suit that super analytical style of listening.

Even with these critiques aside, there is much to love about the Falcon Ultra:

Rich and Balanced Sound: It pushes out a sound signature that's easy on the ears for most genres, from bass-heavy hip-hop to soft, soothing classical pieces.

Comfy Fit and Secure Seal: A large choice of ear tips with different sizes ensures comfort as well as secure fit to the ear for your music listening experience.

Great Value for Money: With the mid-tire value, Dunu Falcon Ultra ensures superior quality audio in every frequency that hits above its price bracket.







So, Should You Get Them?

If you need an all-rounder IEM with balanced tonality and detailed musical sound and don't wanna sepd extra for good cable & ear tips, Dunu Falcon Utra is here for you. Though it has some cavities, but those are not a 'big factor' to ignore such a gem like this.

DUNU Falcon Ultra Meteorite Titanium REVIEW: 22 YEARS OF GOODNESS​

WATCH FULL REVIEW HERE: ​

PRICE: $219​

PROS​

• Bountiful package and inclusions
• Superbly built
• Great fit and comfort
• Modular cable
• Tuning nozzles
• Very fun yet inoffensive sound signature
• Lush yet impactful and engaging bass
• Very natural sounding midrange
• Smooth yet detailed treble
• Fantastic coherency

CONS​

• MMCX connector (biased)
• Build is very scratch and fingerprint-prone
• Modular cable is a little stiff and tangle prone
• A little too smooth and safe for my tastes
• Bass lacks tactility
• Not the cleanest separation

WHO THIS SET IS FOR​

• People who want an all-rounder IEM
• People who want a well-accessorized and full package
• People who want a small yet well built and comfortable IEM
• People who want tuning versatility
• People who want modularity

WHO THIS SET ISN’T FOR​

• People who hate MMCX cables
• People who want a more engaging and tactile bass
• People who want a set that isn’t as fragile (aesthetically)
• People who want a softer cable
• People who want a technical beast

GENRES:​

• R&B
• Pop
• HipHop
• Funk
• Rock

SHORT REVIEW:​

Arguably one of the best sets to recommend for beginner audiophiles who have a little bit of cash in their pocket, the Falcon Ultra M.T. gives you everything you need and more. A complete package with all the tips, cleaning tools, and pouches you might need, a very well-built and comfortable IEM that is quite the looker, and a very safe yet fun sound that is hard to hate. It may not be a set that stands out for one single thing in terms of its sound and some might dislike some aspects like the finish and the cable, but there’s nothing about this IEM that’ll make it anything but a top recommendation. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

FULL REVIEW:​

A trend that has been going around in Chi-FI is the many startup audio brands that promise to provide the next big audio thing. Obviously, there are industry standards that have been in the market for a few years. But with the recent boom of portable audio in general, there has been an increase in demand which means companies want to get a taste of the pie.

But unless they hire people who have worked in the industry for a while, they’re destined to just be the flavor of the month that eventually loses relevancy as fast as they get famous. But one company stands as a pioneer in not only Chi-Fi but portable audio in general. And when this company with 22 years of experience creates an update to their legendary single DD series, how would it stand against the current influx of in-ears in a very competitive market?

DISCLAIMER: The Dunu Falcon Ultra Meteorite Titanium was sent in exchange for my honest thoughts. I am eternally grateful for the opportunity. I was not paid. Rest assured, my thoughts and opinions on this product will be my own honest opinions and will not be affected by the facts beforehand.

Audio is a very subjective hobby and as much as I try to objectively explain my thoughts and opinions, your mileage will vary. My preferences will also affect how I perceive the gear that I review. Sources and other accessories will also modify your experience. Lastly, my reviews should always be used only as a guide and not as the definitive bible. Trust your ears to know what’s good.

22 YEARS.​

Obviously, I’m talking about Dunu. Dunu is one of, if not, the oldest “Chi-Fi” brands in the market today. They’ve been making OEMs since 1994 and finally established in 2002 to become the Chi-Fi giant they are today. They’ve released some very iconic in-ears like the Falcon, Titan, and SA6 series of IEMs over the years that have gained popularity amongst audiophiles. I personally knew about them with the Titan S, the alleged “Heart Mirror upgrade” that caught my attention for claiming such a bold statement. So how does this Falcon soar against the competition? Let’s find out!

UNBOXING​

One of the first things that stood out to me with the Falcon Ultra M.T. was how mesmerizing the box is. It’s this pearlescent finish that just looks stunning under any lighting condition. But it only gets better because by opening the box and laying out all the accessories, you get arguably one of the best value packages in an IEM ever.

Here is the full list of inclusions:

• Dunu Falcon Ultra M.T IEMs
• MMCX modular cable
• 3 Pairs of Dunu Candy eartips
• 3 Pairs of Olive Grey Eartips
• 3 Pairs of Basic Blue Silicone EArtips
• 5 pairs of Dunu S&S
• Cleaning tool
• 4.4mm Modular Jack
• 3.5mm to 6.35mm Adaptor
• Protective pouch
• Removable nozzle
• Carrying pouch
• Cleaning cloth
• Paperwork

I’m stunned, I’m speechless, I’m absolutely overwhelmed with the amount of accessories that Dunu provided with the Falcon Ultra. And they’re not high-quantity, low-quality accessories either.



The case is very big and spacious and has a slot big enough to put a small DAP or a dongle DAC inside as well as webbed netting to put other accessories.


You also get a protective pouch for your IEMs. Not a case, but actual tiny pouches for each earpiece.






You also get probably the best set of eartips you can ever get in a package. The Dunu S&S and Candy eartips. I’ve expressed my love for the S&S for quite a while and the fact that you get 5 pairs here is absolute insanity. The Candy eartips are like a mini Spinfit that fits and seals really well for most IEMs. The other eartips are pretty basic but they’re still very welcome.




You also get cleaning tools, modular nozzles, and a freaking studio 6.35mm adaptor. It’s insane. I thought the TRN Conch and Zhulinniao Qingluan had insanely good value for the money in terms of the overall package, only for the Falcon Ultra Titanium to basically define what value is.

BUILD & FIT​

And if you thought they did all that to skimp out on the build, you’re absolutely mistaken. This thing is not only beautiful but very well built and comfortable.

Starting with the internals, the Falcon Ultra M.T. features their “patented” 2nd generation ECLIPSƎ Architecture and Ring-Type Magnet Assembly with Ultra-High Magnetic Flux Density 10.7mm Dynamic Driver. Quite the mouthful, like the SPDGM of SImgot. And just like the Simgot, this thing packs quite the punch in terms of sound (which we’ll talk more about later).



As for the aesthetics, this thing is absolutely gorgeous. A full titanium finish aluminum alloy shell that puts some flagship IEMs to shame. Such a unique, clean yet very attractive-looking construction surely makes this one of the most distinct-looking IEMs in the market. And the fact that this also features interchangeable nozzles only adds to the value proposition that this thing has and it’s absolutely amazing.



My only gripe would honestly be the MMCX connector. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great connector compared to other MMCX IEMs and actually feels like it’ll last. But I’ve had far too many bad experiences with MMCX connectors for me to feel confident that that’ll last years of cable rolling.



Thankfully, the cable is quite good. It’s a little stiff and I’m really not a fan of the material as it feels a little rough, but the overall construction is very premium and features a pretty solid modular system that Dunu has used in other IEMs. It’s not as secure as Q-Lock, but Q-Lite feels secure enough to last a couple of modular changes. I don’t like how tangle-prone the cable is, but it feels durable enough not to feel like it’d break itself by tangling. But speaking of tangling, the stuff causes tangles to be quite a common occurence.

As for fit, this is probably one of the most comfortable small IEMs I’ve ever worn. Seriously, its shape perfectly contours my ear which I not usually common with these kinds of IEMs. I have 0 complaints about the fitting of this thing and the seal is also really really good because of that. It’s genuinely the perfect fitting IEM hands down.

SOUND​

Note: Due to the Falcon Ultra having 2 different tuning nozzles, I will be talking about the stock nozzle (Red Ring) in this review and compare it with the blue ring nozzle in its own section

Sound Signature​

The Falcon Ultra features U-Shaped sound signature that is genuinely one of the best timbres in any single DD IEMs I’ve heard. From bass all the way to the treble, I found the sound to be in perfect harmony with each other with the rich, powerful and soothing bass, warm, enveloping midrange and the energetic yet smooth treble presentation.

Source Pairing​

The Falcon Ultra is a VERY easy-to-drive pair of in-ears with a sensitivity of 108db and impedance of 18ohms. However, it’s also a very good scaler when using better, cleaner sources. The bass texture, as well as treble detail, is improved drastically when going from lower-quality sources to higher-quality sources, so I highly recommend pairing this with something good. Particularly, something more neutral and cleaner rather than warmer and smoother. I personally enjoyed using the HiBy R4 with this as it cleaned up the overall sound really well without inducing too much warmth. However, the Topping DX1 did improve bass dynamics CONSIDERABLY at the cost of treble definition

Bass​

When we talk about dynamic driver IEMs, we often expect the bass to sound fantastic. Well, the Falcon Ultra is the perfect definition of how bass should be tuned on a dynamic driver IEM. The bass is genuinely just right with a good balance of subbass and midbass. There’s a little bit more midbass emphasis, so there’s more punch rather than deep subbass rumble. However, the rumble is present when the track calls for it. It’s a very soothing, warm, and thick bass that unfortunately lacks a little bit of texture for my liking. However, it’s a very well-balanced overall bass presentation and I could forgive the lack of texture for how well it transitions into the lower mids.

Listening to Childish Gambino’s Album, “Awaken My Love” was quite the treat with that thick, meaty and rich bass perfectly complimenting the very soulful and groovy tracks. The track Redbone sounds particularly fantastic due to how smooth yet punchy the bass sounds where it was straddling between sounding muddy and being just perfectly warm.

Mids​

In theory, the mids of the Falcon Ultra should suffer due to the rather big bass emphasis and the forward upper mids that I’ll be talking about later. However, listening to it is a completely different story as the harmony of the lower mids to the upper mids is absolutely fantastic. The rich lower mids oozes with richness thanks to the midbass emphasis while the forward yet inoffensive upper mids sound euphonic thanks to the contrast in the lower frequencies. Obviously, this is not a midcentric set in any way. Lower male vocals aren’t the most nuanced or textured as the note weight can get a little too heavy and can mush up the details and mids can suffer in more complex tracks. The upper mids might also be a little bit too forward sounding on mid-forward tracks, but never to the point of shoutiness.

Listening to Amateurish’s album called, “a gentle reminder to rest” on the track Turbulence, the mids have perfect harmony with the bass guitar offering a very rich and smooth sound that envelops your ears in such a thick and bodied bass presentation with the electric guitars and percussive instruments in the upper frequencies offering a very satisfying level of nuance without getting harsh. The only thing that suffers is the midrange definition during the busier parts, especially nearing the end of the track where the ensemble comes together and somewhat drowns out some of the vocals and instruments.

Treble​

The treble of the Falcon Ultra perfectly compliments the warmer tuning of the IEM by slightly boosting the lower treble to compliment the lower mids being quite prominent. This allows the treble to sparkle without sounding edgy, harsh or sibilant. This ends up with the treble being some of the most natural sounding I’ve heard without sounding dark or dull in any way whatsoever. I honestly cannot think of any major flaws with the treble of the Falcon Ultra besides it sounding very safe. Normally I prefer a more sparkly and more energetic treble with better transients and nuance, but I can also see that it really would not fit. It’s not the most airy-sounding set, but its resolving ability is fantastic.

Probably the best way to show how the treble of the Falcon Ultra compliments the bass is with the track Ghost by Chon. The thicker, more emphasized low end is perfectly balanced with the sparkly, snappy yet inoffensive treble of the Falcon Ultra. It offers a decent amount of microdetails without overdoing it. Attack of the cymbals and hi-hats are represented with such finesse and smoothness that perfectly harmonizes with the lower frequencies.

Technicalities:​

I have to admit, the Falcon Ultra really isn’t the most technical-sounding set you can get at this price range. It’s technically capable, don’t get me wrong. But it’s fundamentally a musical IEM where it focuses on providing a rich and soothing listening experience that affects the cleanliness and separation of instruments. However, it’s no slouch as, despite the warmth, it’s still capable of making more complex tracks sound listenable. Probably the best thing about the Falcon Ultra’s technicalities is the imaging and head stage. The depth thanks to the bass paired with the competent resolving ability makes the Falcon Ultra a very immersive and nearly holographic listening experience. Tactility and transients are decently defined, but nothing mind-blowing.

REAL WORLD USAGE:​

Casual Use​

I’m going to say it now, the Falcon Ultra is probably the best casual use IEMs that I’ve ever used hands down. The combination of a comfortable, lightweight fit and a very safe yet fun sound makes this the perfect partner for long listening sessions. Movies sound fantastic with the thicker low end giving a very punchy sound without drowning the dialogue in the midrange and you can appreciate the small details in the sound design with the complimentary forward treble presentation. My only gripe would be the cable, but that’s something you can replace for a better (and probably cheaper) one.

Gaming Use​

Just like movies, gaming is absolutely fantastic on these. Not the best gaming set I’ve heard hands down, but the combination of sound and fit made these some of the best I’ve used when playing multiple games of Valorant. The thick lower mids paired with the forward upper mids brighten out both the footsteps and the sharper sounds while separating them really well. It’s also perfect for immersive games like Sky: The Children of The Light where the orchestral tones perfectly blend with the ambient sounds.

COMPARISONS:​

vs Simgot EA1000​

Let’s go straight up with my favorite IEM of all time. The Falcon Ultra is a smoother, safer more soothing IEM to listen to overall while the EA1000 is more technical, more detailed and more tactile sounding. I still personally prefer the EA1000 due to my treblehead and tactile bass preference, but the Falcon Ultra competes quite closely with the EA1000 as it’s essentially better for people who are sensitive to treble and couldn’t handle the hotness of the EA1000

vs Orivetti OD200​

Two very similar-sounding sets with a focus on warmth and musicality, the Falcon Ultra is ahead in every single department in my opinion. The OD200’s bass sounds more bloated which makes the vocals sound more recessed and distant. The treble is also considerably darker with the air region sounding more rolled off. The OD200’s darker sound makes it smoother and soothing on longer listening sessions, but I personally would rather listen to the Falcon Ultra any day.

vs HiBy x F.Audio Project Ace​

The Project Ace and Falcon Ultra initially have very similar sound signatures. Where they begin to deviate however is the fine details. The bass is more tactile on the Project Ace while the Falcon Ultra has more quantity and smoothness. The mids are more linear on the Project Ace while the Falcon Ultra is more open. The big difference is in the treble. The Falcon Ultra is CONSIDERABLY smoother sounding in the treble compared to the Project Ace. Technically speaking, the Project Ace is better

vs Simgot EA2000​

The EA2000 has a considerably more technical, dynamic, and textured overall sound but worse timbre and tuning compared to the Falcon Ultra. The massive peak on the EA2000 makes it a considerably more offensive-sounding IEM overall despite its technical superiority.

CONCLUSION​

22 years of experience allows a company to create something that sounds so natural and effortless in a price range that usually rewards those who try to do something weird or revolutionary. And while you may argue that the Eclipse tech they flaunt in their driver is the “revolutionary” tech, the Falcon Pro is a fundamentally good IEM by nature.



It’s not a set that claims to be the best in the price, nor does it try to be competitive. Instead, the Falcon Pro just does everything right. From the unboxing experience with the treasure trove of accessories all the way to the very safe, easy-to-love, and fun sound. The Falcon Ultra has all the makings for a very easy recommendation. After my personal experience with the Falcon Ultra, I can wholeheartedly say that this is probably the best beginner-friendly IEM in the market today. And if you want a safe-sounding, well-accessorized, comfortable, and well-built IEM, then the Dunu Falcon Ultra Meteorite Titanium is the best IEM to get right now.

Thank you for reading my review of the Dunu Falcon Ultra Meteorite Titanium. If you would like to order one, consider using the non-affiliated link below:
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/1005...1752959.1005006864808202&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa

Dunu Falcon Ultra Titanium review and comparisons.

I would like to thank Dunu for sending me these beautiful in-ear monitor (IEM) earphones for a review. Dunu never told me what I could or could not say, and there is no money gain on my part. You can rest assured that this review will be truthful according to my perception.

I've been listening to music on earphones for more than 30 years now, and I find Dunu to be one of the oldest audio companies that are still operating today. Dunu, based in China, has always been, for me, a middle- to high-end company that produces high-class and high-quality IEMs at longer than usual intervals between product releases compared to other brands. I've never seen Dunu products that are cheap or poor in quality, and as you can see in the measurement graph that I did (see photo), the channel balance between the left and the right is impeccable; it is practically perfect, a testament to a high production quality standard.

Note: This newly released Dunu Falcon Ultra Titanium grey edition (220 USD) is exactly the same internally as the older Klein blue version; only the color and finish are different, as I was told.




Fit and comfort:

The Dunu Falcon Ultra Ti is a small, mid-sized IEM that doesn't protrude outside the ears so much that sleeping with it is very possible. The parts towards the nozzle don't touch the outer part of my ear canal, so it doesn't cause discomfort during long listening sessions.

Nozzles:

There are two sets of nozzles included: one is gold, and the other, which is the one pre-installed, is silver. I tried the gold nozzle, but I highly prefer the silver nozzle because it sounds more dynamic and fits my taste better, so this review will be based on the silver nozzles.

Eartips and cable:

The eartips included are one of the best because they include one of my favorite tips, which is highly regarded and known to have excellent sound: the Dunu S&S eartips. It also includes another highly regarded tip, the Dunu Candy tips, as well as two other kinds of tips that also sound and feel excellent. I tried other brands of eartips, but I found the included tips optimal for best sound with the Dunu Falcon Ultra Ti. However, good as they may be, I still find the ePro EP00 tips better; they sound tonally similar to the Dunu S&S eartips but with more defined imaging. So, I used the ePro EP00 eartips for this review.

The modular cable included is good and doesn't tangle easily; it seems to sound good, but I haven't connected it to other cables because I have no other MMCX cables yet. I will upgrade the cable in the future.



Synergy:

The Dunu Falcon Ultra Ti is very sensitive to the sources' own sound signature; be careful when paring it with an ESS Sabre Dac chip source as it can sound very analytical, as in the case with my Fiio M15s. I like it, but some people may not. I tried it with my other Dac/amps such as the Moondrop Moonriver2, Dawn Pro, Topping G5, and Hidizs S9 Pro Plus Martha. They all sound good, but my favorite sound of all is with the Hidizs S9 Pro Plus Martha, as this pairing has the best balance between details and musicality.

Sensitivity and drivability:

The Dunu Falcon Ultra Ti is very easy to drive and has above-average sensitivity. It is easily driven by small dongle DAC/amps and goes very loud with a modest volume setting. I give it two thumbs up for this.

Power handling and distortion:

The Dunu Falcon Ultra Ti can take a lot of power and can go very loud without obvious distortion, more so than most sets; it is highly recommended for loud listeners. I give it an A class status for power handling. This is proof that the drivers employed are of very high quality.

Sound signature, timbre, and resolution:

The Dunu Falcon Ultra Ti has a slightly bright and natural timbre, and depending on the eartips used, it has a slightly V-shaped to slightly U-shaped sound signature. It is also very revealing and sometimes unforgiving of the quality of the recordings. The resolving capability is excellent.

Sound staging, imaging and holography:

It has above-average spherical sound stage size, and with the ePro EP00 eartips, the imaging and holography are superb; it can project sound from near to far and sometimes from behind; and the left to right instrument panning performance is seamless. The Dunu Falcon Ultra Ti is the best single DD IEM I have heard in these regards, but I haven't heard them all, so you may take this with a grain of salt.

To give you an example, on the music mix called Chillhop Essentials · Spring 2024 [chill relaxing beats/llofi hiphop] that you can search on YouTube, starting at the 50 minutes and 25 second mark, I can hear a very realistic bird chirping sound coming from 10 feet behind me with above six feet of elevation.

Dynamics:

The vibrant dynamics of the Dunu Falcon Ultra Ti are what caught my attention right away; the Falcon Ultra Ti is consistently energetic throughout the whole audio frequency range.

Vocals:

Excellent, especially the female vocals, which are really clear and natural. The vocals have great intensity when they are in the recording, and male voices are also great. This is an excellent IEM for vocal lovers.




Bass:

It has one of the best neutral-head bass I have heard among the 30+ IEMs that I own, including the more expensive ones. It's not for bassheads; it's for people who don't like to have excessive bass sound in their music and who value neutrality, such as myself.

The bass is slightly boosted with a balanced sub-bass and mid-bass presence; it sounds very detailed and articulate; it is neither dry nor boomy. When a passage with excellent sub-bass presents itself, the Dunu Falcon Ultra can go from 0 to 60 in an instant; the sub-bass transient response is very fast with superb depth, but on tracks with normal bass, you won't suspect that this IEM is capable of such performance; the bass only goes loud when need be. I feel that this is due to the excellent dynamic drivers employed and, of course, the tuning.

To give you an example, on the music mix called Chillhop Essentials· Spring 2024 [chill relaxing beats/llofi hiphop], which is the same example I have given in the Sound staging, imaging, and holography section and can be searched on YouTube, the song at the 52 minutes and 10 second mark, the Dunu Falcon Ultra, has no problem reproducing the sub-bass, as well as other sub-bass in some Rap and other electronic music songs I listened to. But keep in mind that this is not a bass-head-tuned set, but for a neutral-head like me, the bass is perfect.



Midrange:

Neutral with excellent accuracy and clarity, it's neither thick nor thin and sounds very clean, but be aware that this has a pinna gain that peaks at 3 KHz but is not high enough to make it fatiguing. Pinna gain in IEMs is necessary to make them sound as natural as speakers with flat frequency response sound; it also helps IEMs achieve very good imaging, sound staging, and holography, and the Dunu Falcon Ultra has those in spades. Overall, the midrange sounds very natural, and there are no sudden jumps in the response like shoutiness or distortion. The midrange is never fatiguing and is very well mannered.

Treble:

Clean, clear, detailed, and slightly boosted, with very good macro and micro details. The upper treble is very extended and smooth and doesn't sound like it needs the help of another driver that would act as a tweeter. I hear no obvious driver diaphragm break-up distortion, unlike other IEMs with lesser quality drivers. Again, a good indication of how good the drivers are on the Dunu Falcon Ultra Ti.



Comparisons:

I will be focusing mostly on sound quality to make this section as concise as possible, and I will be comparing it to IEMs with different price brackets. If there are aspects of sound quality I didn't mention, it means I have no issues with those particular aspects, or it could also mean I forgot to. I'm not perfect, you know. I intend to guide the readers in the right direction and not waste their hard-earned money.

Compared to Simgot EA1000 (220 USD):

The Simgot EA1000 is a direct competitor to the Dunu Falcon Ultra Ti; both have the same driver configuration and price; they have similar tuning; and the quality of the drivers used on both is also similar. I use the default silver nozzle and ePro EP00 tips on the EA1000.

I find the bass on the Dunu Falcon Ultra to be slightly superior to the Simgot EA1000's bass, it has a little more sub-bass, and a tighter, punchier, and more detailed mid-bass, but again, only slightly so. On casual and non-critical listening, I find the difference to be subtle and almost negligible.

The midrange on both is equally clean and clear, but the Dunu Falcon Ultra Ti has slightly more energy in the upper midrange than the Simgot EA1000, making the EA1000 sound more relaxed in the midrange, but again, only slightly so, and due to the Falcon Ultra Ti having slightly more energy in the upper midrange, it has better imaging, details, and holography.


The treble on both has about the same boost or elevation, but I find the upper treble on the Simgot EA1000 to be a smidge more enegetic. I can hear more fine sparkles on the EA1000, but the difference is really small. On the other hand, I find there is slightly more clarity and immediacy on the overall treble with the Dunu Falcon Ultra.

They have similar soundstage sizes, but the presentation of the Dunu Falcon Ultra Ti is slightly more forward and three-dimensional.

If you already have the Simgot EA1000, is it worth getting the Dunu Falcon Ultra Ti too? No, and vice versa, as they perform equally well and sound equally good, the differences are small.

If I had to choose only one, which one would it be? It'd be the Dunu Falcon Ultra Ti for me; I like it more because of the punchier bass, the better imaging and holography, and the overall clarity. In the Simgot EA1000's defense, it has a more easy-going sound that is more forgiving and relaxed. But again, the differences between the two are small.



Compared to the Xenns Mangird Top (530 USD):

The Xenns Mangird Top is a hybrid IEM consisting of one dynamic driver and eight balanced armature drivers for the midrange and treble for each channel.

The Xenns Mangird Top has more fine micro details and better imaging, holography, and sound stage, but the Dunu Falcon Ultra Ti is not far behind, and when it comes to the bass, I find the Falcon Ultra Ti to be better. The Xenns Mangird Top has a louder bass but could sound detached at times. The bass on the Falcon Ultra Ti is very coherent. I also find that in terms of consistency, the Xenns Top sounds more bassy at low volumes and becomes brighter at high volumes. This can be caused by the different kinds of drivers behaving differently at different volumes, but I never had that issue with the Dunu Falcon Ultra Ti.

They are equally capable of handling a lot of power and delivering loud sounds without obviously distorting.

Whether you want coherency or more details with less coherency is essentially what determines which one to pick.



Compared to the Hidizs MP145 (150 USD):

One of my favorites, the single-planar IEM Hidizs MP145, offers sound quality and tuning comparable to much more costly sets.Compared to the Dunu Falcon Ultra Ti, the MP145 is warmer-sounding with elevated midbass, recessed upper midrange, and an energetic upper treble. The MP145 has more micro-details in the upper treble too. On the other hand, the Falcon Ultra sounds more accurate overall, has more immediacy in transient attacks, has clearer details due to its more forward presentation, and for me, has better vocals. The MP145 has a bigger soundstage, but the Falcon Ultra has better holography.


Compared to Kinera Celest PhoenixCall (120 USD):

Another favorite of mine, the PhoenixCall, is a tribrid IEM with a micro-planar driver for the upper treble, balanced armatures for the treble, and a dynamic driver for the bass and midrange.

Due to its driver configuration and V-shaped tuning, the PhonenixCall has more fine-sounding micro details, a more illuminated treble, and a warmer-sounding bass. On the other hand, the Falcon Ultra Ti has more accurate sound across the audible frequency range, a deeper sub-bass, and better imaging, holography, and vocals.



Compared to Moondrop Starfield 2 (100 USD):

The Dunu Falcon Ultra Ti is a direct upgrade to the Moondrop Starfield 2. If you own a Moondrop Starfield 2, you know how good it is at imaging and holography, yet the overall sound lacks polish. Well, the Falcon Ultra Ti is a refined version of that. It has all the positives but none of the drawbacks, with the exception of the price..

Compared to other less expensive IEMs such as:
Simgot EA500, Mondrop May, Moondrop Lan and Kinera Celest Pandamon.

These are very good-sounding sets for their price range, and I highly recommend them if you are on that budget. But if you are looking for a real upgrade to these and have the funding, just get the Dunu Falcon Ultra Ti if you are already on the fence. I said this because I see so many people asking for upgrades to their good-sounding budget sets like those mentioned, and then people would suggest another budget set that has similar, if not worse, performance than what they already have. What I'm trying to say is that if you want a true upgrade, you have to spend more money rather than wasting it on side grades, though not necessarily on the Dunu Falcon Ultra Ti.



Pros:

+ spherical sound stage
+ imaging and holography
+ high-power handing
+ high sensitivity
+ high volume capability
+ excellent vocals
+ shell design

Cons:

- perhaps the MMCX connectors...
- Sonically, none that I can think of for the price.


To wrap it up:

I have nothing but praise for the Dunu Falcon Ultra Ti. It performs on par with more expensive sets; for me, it has a flagship level of performance. The excellent vocal performance and engaging dynamics only add to its excellent tuning. I highly recommend this if you are a vocals lover and/or want a near-neutral-sounding IEM. Thanks for reading! Cheers!

4-29-2024

This is my first review guys, so go easy on me.

Note: This review is based on the included blue nozzle.

Introduction:

DUNU has long been synonymous with premium sound quality and craftsmanship in the audiophile world, and their latest offering, the Falcon Ultra, continues this tradition. This review will explore its design, accessories, and most importantly, its sound performance.

Design and Build:

The Falcon Ultra boasts a sleek and premium design with earpieces made of high-quality stainless steel. The earpieces sit almost flush against your ears, providing a comfortable fit ideal for extended listening sessions. The use of Patented Catch-Hold MMCX Connectors adds to the durability and security of the design, ensuring a reliable connection.


Accessories:

DUNU has set a new standard with the Falcon Ultra's accessories. The package includes a luxurious zipper case, a variety of ear tips including DUNU candy and S&S tips, interchangeable tuning nozzles, and a DUW-02 PRO cable with Q-Lock LITE system that allows for easy swapping between 3.5mm and 4.4mm jacks. The attention to detail and practicality of the accessories enhance the overall unboxing experience and value proposition of the Falcon Ultra.




Sound Quality:

The Falcon Ultra delivers a sound signature that is both engaging and enjoyable, leaning slightly towards a fun and dynamic presentation rather than neutrality.

Bass Performance:

The bass response of the Falcon Ultra is a standout feature, offering a rich and impactful low-end that adds depth and energy to the music. The bass is visceral and impactful, providing a solid foundation to the music. The sub-bass extension is excellent, providing a visceral and immersive listening experience. Despite the emphasis on the mid-bass, the Falcon Ultra maintains a detailed and satisfying bass response.

Midrange and Vocal Performance:

The midrange of the Falcon Ultra is beautifully balanced, with a slight emphasis that adds warmth and richness to vocals and instruments. Male vocals benefit from the added warmth, giving them a full-bodied and intimate quality. The upper midrange is smooth and natural, adding a sense of realism to female vocals and instruments. The synergy between the bass and midrange creates a cohesive and engaging sound signature that is a pleasure to listen to.


Treble Performance:

The treble of the Falcon Ultra is finely tuned, offering a balanced and extended high-frequency response that adds detail and air to the sound signature. The treble presentation is smooth and well-controlled, avoiding harshness or sibilance. High-frequency nuances are rendered with precision, allowing for a truly immersive listening experience.

Imaging and Soundstage:

The Falcon Ultra's imaging is precise, with instruments and vocals placed accurately within the soundstage. The soundstage is intimate, with sounds surrounding you in a close and engaging manner. This, combined with the enjoyable vocals, impressive low end, and lack of harshness, makes the Falcon Ultra a truly enjoyable IEM.



Comparison of Nozzles:

The Falcon Ultra comes with interchangeable tuning nozzles, including blue and gold-plated brass options. The blue nozzles offer a more balanced sound signature with a focus on detail across all frequencies with a mid-bass emphasis. However, switching to the gold nozzles results in a noticeable change in sound. The gold nozzles reduce the upper midrange and treble, resulting in a smoother, more laid-back sound. While this tuning enhances the bass presence, it can make vocals feel more distant and the overall presentation less engaging. The focus shifts entirely to the mid-bass, which may appeal to listeners seeking a warmer, more relaxed sound but may not suit those looking for a more balanced sound..



Comparison to Moondrop Kato:

Compared to the Moondrop Kato, the Falcon Ultra offers more bass and a more engaging sound signature. The Falcon Ultra adds warmth to vocals, making them more exciting, while the Kato has slightly leaner vocals. The Falcon Ultra's soundstage is more intimate compared to the Kato's slightly wider soundstage. In terms of accessories and build quality, the Falcon Ultra comes out ahead with its interchangeable cable and a wider selection of ear tips.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the DUNU Falcon Ultra is a standout performer in the mid-fi IEM market, offering exceptional sound quality, premium design, and a comprehensive accessory package. It sets a new benchmark in its price range and is a top contender for anyone looking for a high-quality, engaging listening experience.

“Music is a more potent instrument than any other for education”

~~ Plato, Greek philosopher


DUNU is one of the audio companies out there that I really like as I have tested some of their midrange sets like SA6 regular and SA6 MK.II in which I still highly regarded them as one of the best sets in the midrange segment. And I'm glad that I was given an opportunity to do another project review from them.



To think that the first set that I have tested from DUNU was actually the Falcon C and in this review, I got the latest variant of the said model, the Falcon Ultra. Like its first incarnation, the Falcon Ultra is also a single dynamic driver set-up IEM but DUNU added some new features like new driver technology, detachable filter nozzles and better modular cable.




According to DUNU, they upgraded its dynamic driver which was supposedly similar to their midrange flagship single dynamic driver IEM, The ZEN PRO with “Eclipse” technology on its driver. The dynamic driver of this one is a CNC-milled 10.7mm magnetic chamber with high performance magnetic flux density along with lithium-magnesium alloy on its diaphragm to give more rigidity and faster transient response for more accurate sound reproduction. Aside from its high performance dynamic driver, its acoustic chamber has well-placed vent holes to achieve a better dampening and regulated air pressure to achieve that solid bass response and better dynamics.




As for its shell chassis, it still follows the design language of the Falcon C which has a Magatama-like shape on its form and overall, it has a deep blue colour hue and it underwent an anodising treatment and buff to achieve that mirror-finished surface. It has a detachable brass nozzle where we can choose two types of tuning according to our closest preference on tonality and two vent holes on its cavity base. The faceplate has a minimalist aesthetic and I also noticed that its bottom part has a tiny etch of different DUNU logos on it. Like the Falcon C, it still utilises a MMCX-type connector as its interchangeable connector.



Regarding its fitting, like its predecessor, the DUNU Falcon Ultra offers a good sealing and comfort in my lugholes that I don't encounter any discomfort or fitting issues at all. With ita good sealing especially when I use the DUNU S&S ear tips that gives me an excellent noise isolation where it able to block some external noises from the outside surroundings




The stock cable of this one is a good quality, while it is somewhat on the stiffer side in terms of flexibility but at least it has a patented modular termination plug, so that we can use any types of jacks on DAPs, DAC/amp dongles or even desktop grade headphone amplifiers. The cables are made of 4-core AWG monocrystalline silver-plated Litz copper wires with insulation coating on each strand. As for its modular termination plugs, aside from 3.5mm single ended, DUNU includes a 4.4mm balanced and 6.5mm adaptor.



As for product packaging, I have no doubt on DUNU in this feature as they are known to be one of the most generous audio companies out there in terms of quality and quantity of inclusions that they will include to give more satisfaction to their customers. The packaging box of this one is a medium-size rectangular-shaped box and it is quite bulky given the number of inclusions inside.



Here are the following contents inside of DUNU Falcon Ultra's packaging box:

• Pair of DUNU Falcon Ultra IEM transducers.
• Modular stock cable with 3.5mm SE.
• 4.4mm balanced termination plug
• 6.5mm adaptor
• A hard-bound canvas fabric zippered IEM carrying case
• Four (4) pairs of DUNU S&S ear tips in different standard sizes.
• Three (3) pairs of DUNU Candy ear tips in different standard sizes.
• Three (3) pairs of balanced bore grey-coloured ear tips in different standard sizes.
• Three (3) pairs of wide bore “vocal” black-coloured ear tips in different standard sizes.
• A small plate for interchangeable tuning filter brass nozzles.
• A fabric cloth
• Cleaning tool
• A mesh bag for IEM transducers.
• Extra colour ring indicators.
• Paperwork like instruction manual and user's guide for Q-lite modular system.

When it comes to power scaling and amplification, DUNU Falcon Ultra is quite easy to drive given its low impedance and high sensitivity rating that my LG phones are able to drive properly and a smartphone, tablet or laptop are enough to amplify this set. I have some sources like DAPs, DAC/amp dongles and headphone amplifiers too and it seems that this set is also quite sensitive on sources with powerful output that there are some instances of slight hissing sound. In a source with proper amplification to regulate noise, this set is capable of delivering a clean, full range sound with good amount of dynamics on it.



As for tonality, since this set has a detachable tuning filter nozzle, it offers two types of tuning:

Gold Nozzle - Its tuning has a mild u to u-shaped sound profile with a tad warmer tonality to sound more balanced.

Blue Nozzle - A bright, u-shaped sound that focuses on the upper mids to treble. Sort of a modified Harmanish type of tuning that I'm quite familiar with.


(Graph measurement was provided by @baskingshark , credits to him)


LOWS/BASS:

Gold Nozzles

The bass quality of this one is punchy, impactful and quite detailed too. It has a more balanced presentation on both sub-bass and mid-bass on how I perceived it. There are some slight bass bleeds that smear across the midrange.

There's a noticeable reverberation its sub-bass part and the mid-bass region seems a bit boosted to give a substantial texture on its note weight not to sound leaner, therefore its gives more organic timbre on some bass-centric instruments and male vocals, particularly on bass to bass-baritone vocals.

Bass guitars - broad and rasping sound on every strum, pluck, fretting and slapping on its string notation.

Bass kick drums - full and thudding sound on every stroke, somehow quite fast enough that it can cope up with faster double bass kicks on some rock or metal tracks.

Cello - warm and sonorous sounding that its bass clef sound seems to be complimenting well on other instruments in the string section of an orchestra ensemble.

Viola - warm and “stately” sounding in every bowing motion and fingering notation that somehow affects the pitch tone depending on its tuner.

Bass to bass-baritones - it has an ample depth and texture while having a dense and sufficiently dusky sound. Although not the dark and espresso-like tone that these types of vocals should have, I still consider it well-done.


Blue Nozzles

Tight, precise and more rumbly bass response as if it primarily focuses more on sub-bass response than the mid-bass. It gives a cleaner bass response but at the expense of a tad attenuation of mid-bass region.

Due to more favour on sub-bass presence, it gives more grumble and reverberation on some instruments like synthesisers, octabasses, drum machines and low tone bass guitars that we perceive it more physically.

Mid-bass seems to sound a bit leaner in my liking. It has a less texture and sounds less natural on some bass instruments and bass-baritone vocals.

Bass guitars - resonant and a bit aspirating sounding.

Bass kick drums - soft and a tad hollow sound but it appears more precise and a bit snappy on tracks with fast double bass kick drums.

Bass to bass-baritones - lack of depth and texture on its vocals as if they sound hollow and less engaging that we might classify it as light or lyric baritone, although there's still a noticeable vibrato on their vocal end.


MIDRANGE:

Gold Nozzles

Due to slight bass smearing, it gives a warmer midrange presentation as it gives more texture and density on most male vocals, female contralto vocals, brasses and some percussives. Strings sound a bit more buttery and less energetic and less brilliant sound on woodwinds. Overall, its midrange presentation is quite mildly recessed on this tuning mode.

Male vocals:

Baritones - warm, smooth and rich, light and lyric baritones have its sweet, mild and insouciant while deeper and warmer ones like kavalier baritones, verdi/dramatic baritones and noble baritones have steely, fuller and smoother sound respectively.

Tenors - As there are many types of tenors but this one seems to be appealing and versatile enough. Lyric tenors have warmer sound but less brighter, while spinto and lyric tenors have brassy and a heft in their vocal weight and then on dramatic and heldentenors, their voices have rich, emotive and power on its timbre.

Countertenors - Tender, smooth and “coppery”. Enough to distinguish its recognisable and distinctive pitch notation of their falsettos.

Female vocals:

Contraltos - Rich, plush and smoky vocal quality as these ones are the closests adjective of its intended timbre.

Mezzo-sopranos - Smooth and velvety sound on their voices. It gives a more fruity and comforting sound when listening to these particular vocal types.

Sopranos - Fairly suitable on some lyric and dramatic types as it has warm, rich and creamy but lack of shimmer and energy that coloratura and soubrette sounds less appealing and lethargic.

Instruments:

Trumpets - Substantial, full and rounded sounding.

Trombones - Solid, full and brassy in any register.

Horns - Warm, sonorous and velvety.

Snares - Hard, dry and quite penetrating.

Tom-toms - Warm, rounded and resonant sounding.

Field drums - A bit boomy, full and fairly sonorous sounding.

Kettledrums - Deep, substantial and velvety sounding that reverberates in an orchestral hall.

Guitars - warm and buttery sounding on acoustic ones.

Violins - Solemn, dark sounding yet has a sweet. At least not muffled or veiled sounding at all.

Pianos - warmer tone, reminds me of some antique German pianos.


Blue Nozzles

While it has more noticeable recession on its midrange presentation compared to gold nozzles tuning mode, it offers a cleaner, transparent, crisper and a tad more energetic sound that will be more beneficial on some female vocals and some classes of instruments like strings and woodwinds. It sometimes gives more leaner and less texture on most male vocals.

Male vocals:

Baritones - too smooth, too sweet and has a tad lighter vocal weight. Not suitable on kavalier baritones, verdi baritones, dramatic baritones and noble baritones as they are lacking on vocal weight, richness and power.

Tenors - Seems satisfactory on leggero and lyric tenors as they have a mild, graceful and lilting voice to give a dazzling and spicy sound. Spinto tenor vocals like Luciano Pavarotti have less vocal weight and a creamy timbre that sounds hollow and opaque.

Countertenors - Still has tender with added glow on their vocal quality.

Female vocals:

Contraltos - Just like the baritones, too smooth, it has an inadequate richness on their vocal quality and a tad weaker sounding.

Mezzo-sopranos - Fiery, musky and tender sound due to the tuning target curve of blue nozzle to elevation in a midrange region.

Sopranos - Coloratura and soubrette sopranos will sound more shimmering and crystalline as it has a sufficient energy that is able to achieve an airy, bright and breathy vocal register that the gold nozzles will not be able to give.

Instruments:

Guitars - Bright, crisp and ceiling, it gives a more crisper and resounding tone on every pluck of its strings.

Violins - Vibrant, bright and lively sound , some instances of having a metallic tone on it.

Piccolos - Clear, brilliant and sometimes a bit too piercing sound.

Concert flutes - Bright and penetrating sound in any register.

Clarinets - Lustrous, lively and reedy sound.

Saxophones - Brilliant, expressive, and a tad shrill sounding.

Snare drums - It has a sharp, clear and metallic sound on every stroke.


HIGHS/TREBLE:

Gold Nozzles

The treble register of this one is so smooth, even and well-balanced that its safe tuning will be appealing to most treble-sensitive folk out there. It has a rather conservative accentuation on the upper-mids just to give a proper vocal rendition and attack of instruments. There's not a hint of harshness nor sibilance on this particular tuning nozzle mode.

On the brilliance part of the treble region, it has moderate airy extension and its sparkling nature is on a sheen side of tuning. Cymbals strikes have a more lustrous and full sounding, hi-hats have a short buzzing sound while celestas sound velvety and mellow, and glockenspiels have lustrous and silvery sound.


Blue Nozzles

Unlike the golden nozzle mode, this mode settings appears to have more crisper, better clarity, energetic and brighter sounding due to some intentionally boosted upper-mids up to the brilliance part of the treble region. It gives more definition on female vocals and even precise and sharper attacks of instruments. But there's a hint of sibilance on this that might be detrimental to some treble-sensitive folk.

It has more sparkle and shimmer and it has an even noticeable improvement of its airy extension. Cymbals strikes has more sizzle and glistening, hi-hats have added more resonance on their sound, celestas have bright and shimmering sound on them and glockenspiels have a brilliant and a tad penetrating sound on any register either on keyboard-type or the traditional mallet-type ones.


SOUNDSTAGE, IMAGING AND OTHER TECHNICALITIES:

As I figured out its perceived sound/speaker staging, it has rather an average to above average lateral width span, acceptable height ceiling and somehow a good depth that gives me a rather less spacious head room with my aural sphere.

On stereo imaging, it projects me a concave–like stereo presentation where I was able to locate precisely the exact positioning of vocals and instruments in well-defined tonal and dynamic layering and a good separation of elements in a perceived black sonic canvas. It is capable of playing more complex tracks like jazz and orchestral tracks.

Coherency of its drivers is absolutely excellent given the performance of having a fast transient response without any hint of distortion. Its appears that maintain a well-balanced resolution capabilities as it has a good and robust macro-dynamics especially on gold nozzle mode and balanced and decently sharp definition of its micro-detailing as it is able to retrieve some nuances and subtleties from an audio track like notational attacks of instruments and vocal ends.


PEER COMPARISONS:

DUNU FALCON C (Demo)

● The older predecessor of FALCON ULTRA, it shares similar design language like physical aesthetic, MMCX-type connector and driver configuration but the FALCON C uses a CNT dynamic driver, non-detachable nozzles and it doesn't have a modular system of its stock cable.

● As for tonality, The FALCON C has a u-shaped sound profile as I remember. It has good sub-bass presence and an ample mid-bass texture, a well-balanced and a fairly texture midrange but it is quite recessed on its presentation on the overall sound frequency spectrum, and a boosted upper-mids that might give some shrill and piercing sound on some female vocals. Treble air was quite modest as I don't remember it as airy and well-extended.

● On technical aspect, it has a similar sound/speaker stage dimension with the FALCON ULTRA as both sets give me a bit more intimate head room with the exception that the latter has a better layering and separation.


ORIVETI OD200

● FALCON ULTRA's closest rival as both sets are all-metal alloy chassis, detachable tuning filter nozzles, modular cable and driver configuration. But the difference was that the OD200 uses a beryllium-coated dynamic driver and also has its own acoustic chamber technology the ORIVETI also developed for better dynamics of its sound quality. Even on product packaging and quantity of included accessories, both sets are on par.

● OD200 also offers two distinctive tuning profiles, a mild U-shaped and warmer U-shaped which are quite similar with the FALCON ULTRA. On silver nozzles, the OD200 has more texture and more voluminous mid-bass as it delivers more authority and slam than FALCON ULTRA's gold nozzle. The silver nozzle has a bit more warmer and richer midrange presentation although the blue nozzle mode of FALCON ULTRA has better treble air extension on both nozzle configurations of the OD200.

● While the OD200 has a bit wider sound/speaker stage compared to the FALCON ULTRA but the latter has better layering and separation.


SIMGOT EA1000 FERMAT

● Another rival of FALCON ULTRA as this set also has a metal alloy shell chassis, composite dynamic drivers and detachable nozzles. But the difference between two sets is that the EA1000 offers three types of tuning profile and its dynamic driver was reinforced with a passive radiator. It doesn't have a modular termination feature on its stock cable and it offers less quantity of choices on ear tips to choose from.

● Even though it offers three types of sound profiles, The EA1000 tonality is leaning towards U-shaped sound and a Harman-esque type of tuning. Compared to the FALCON ULTRA, the bass quality and quantity is somehow more refined and well-implemented on the EA1000 due to the passive radiator which gives a darker and deeper tone on its bass response. Midrange is a bit leaner on texture and noticeable more recessed on EA1000 and it has more emphasis on upper-mids to brilliance treble as it gives more brighter and sparkling that it renders a sharper vocal clarity on female vocals and attack of instruments which might gives a bit too intense and piercing sounding to some treble-sensitive folk out there.

● Technical performance-wise, Both sets are actually trading blows on another but here are some takes, EA1000 has a tad wider sound/speaker stage and a bit sharper micro-dynamics while FALCON ULTRA has a more solid dynamics, better depth and more natural sounding.


Given the solid reputation of DUNU in the audio community as they have a solid following from audio enthusiasts around the world. I have no doubt that DUNU will deliver a complete and well-rounded set that DUNU Falcon Ultra is definitely a remarkable set as it maintains a well-balanced sound with some good musical aspect while retaining an organic and competent technical performance in a reasonable asking price given its implementation of newer driver technology and modern features that an IEM should have.

If you are an audio enthusiast looking for a good upgrade from your entry-level sets and want to make a huge leap in terms of tonal and technical performance, The DUNU Falcon Ultra is probably what you are looking for.

The DUNU Falcon Ultra is now available in HIFIGO, you can check out the unaffiliated links that I have provided below.

★★DUNU FALCON ULTRA - HIFIGO★★


Also, you can check my previous reviews on other DUNU products.

■ DUNU KIMA

■ DUNU SA6 MK.II

SPECIFICATION:

MODEL: DUNU FALCON ULTRA
IMPEDANCE: 15Ω
SENSITIVITY: 108dB
FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 5Hz – 40KHz
CABLE LENGTH: 1.2M
PIN TYPE: MMCX-TYPE CONNECTOR
PLUG TYPE: MODULAR (3.5mm, 4.4mm)
DRIVER UNIT(S): (1) DYNAMIC DRIVER


Some Tracks Tested: ( * = 16-bit FLAC, ** = 24-bit FLAC, *'* = MQA, '*' = DSD, *'= .WAV)

Alison Krauss -When You Say Nothing At All *
Jade Wiedlin - Blue Kiss**
Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks **
Mountain - Mississippi Queen *
Queen - Killer Queen **
Guns N' Roses - Patience *'*
Eric Clapton - Tears in Heaven '*'
Sergio Mendes- Never Gonna Let You Go '*'
Pearl Jam - Daughter **
Roselia - Hidamari Rhodonite *
Assassin - Fight (To Stop The Tyranny)*
Celtic Frost- Visual Aggression *
New Order - Blue Monday *
The Corrs- What Can I do (unplugged version) *
Jimi Hendrix Experience - Voodoo Child *
The Madness- Buggy Trousers *
Metallica - Motorbreath **
Mariah Carey- Always Be My Baby *
Destiny's Child - Say My Name *
Malice Mizer- Au Revoir *
Mozart - Lacrimosa *
New York Philharmonic Orchestra - Dvorak- Symphony 9 " From the New World." *
Eva Cassidy - Fields of Gold (Sting cover)*
Michael Jackson - Give In To Me *
Exciter - Violence and Force *
Diana Krall - Stop This World **
Debbie Gibson - Foolish Beat *'*
The Sisters of Mercy – Lucretia My Reflection**
Suzanne Vega – Luka **
Lauren Christy – Steep *
Ottoman Mehter - Hucum Marsi *
Diana Damrau - Mozart: Die Zauberflöte*



P.S.

I am not affiliated to DUNU nor receive any monetary incentives and financial gains as they provide me a review unit for an exchange of factual and sincere feedback from yours truly.

Once again, I would like to send my gratitude to HIFIGO especially to MS. YUMU SONG and MS. LVY YAN. And I also say thanks to NEIL NIÑO CLARK a.k.a @koyawmohabal for providing this review unit. I truly appreciate their generosity and trust towards me and other reviewers.

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Dunu Falcon Ultra

The Dunu Falcon Ultra have been sent to me as part of a tour organized by Dunu on Head-Fi. There have been no requests or comments made by Dunu and I will do my usual best to be as unbiased as possible.

The official page for the Falcon Ultra can be found here: https://www.dunu-topsound.com/copy-of-falcon-pro

As always, this is a non-affiliate link.

To avoid being repetitive in my reviews, you can find all the info about how I create the reviews, equipment used, how I receive the products and how to interpret my reviews by visiting: About my reviews



Intro…

This is the fifth set of Dunu IEMs that I have reviewed and each of them has their own twist to the way they present sound. The Falcon Ultra is the one that has the most focus on bass, specifically midbass, out of the models I have tried and, while I am not someone who likes an overly emphasized midbass, these IEMs have a lot going for them.

Priced at just under $240, at the time of putting this review together, these are part of the Eclipse range, together with the Luna, Zen Pro and Falcon Pro (none of which I have tried). They feature a single 10.7mm dynamic driver, with what they claim to be an new lithium magnesium dome structure and fully independent soft suspension surround, together with an external ring-type magnetic assembly which is said to be close to the Zen Pro as far as magnetic flux.

There are plenty of other fancy things going on with the technical design of these IEMs but, as usual, I will look at them in the simplest of fashions, giving my opinion on how they are to a run of the mill music listener.



Presentation…

These IEMs retail for over 200€, so we should expect some decent packaging and accessories, although that isn’t always the case as we have seen with many models in the past. In this case, however, I think that they have done a more than satisfactory job.

I must remind you that this is a tour unit, so I am not the first one to open it. Therefore, it is possible that things are not in their correct spot as they would be when packaged, or things may even be missing, although I don’t think it is the case here.

The outer packaging is simple. A silver outer sleeve with just plain text is what we get. There are specs listed on the back but there really isn’t anything that draws our attention. Removing the outer sleeve reveals a simple black box that is even less “special” than the outer sleeve.

Inside the box things start to get a little more interesting. The first thing we find is a rather large and elegant storage/transport case. Dunu usually include cases that are a little different to the rest of brands but I have to say that I think this is my favourite out of all of them so far.

Inside the case are the IEMs, with individual plastic zip lock bags covering them (thanks to the previous tour members for doing their best to look after this delicate finish), the cable which is the Q-Lock Lite Modular version, the additional connector for the cable (both 3.5 and 4.4 are included) and an extra set of nozzles (more on that in a moment).

Then, underneath the case, we find the accessories box, which contains even more stuff. There is a dual pocket small bag to protect the IEMs, a cleaning cloth, a 3.5mm to 6.35mm adapter, a cleaning tool, replacement o-rings and 3 sizes of 3 different types of tips (so 9 pairs in total). I actually think that there may be another 3 sets in the retail package, as the Dunu S&S tips are installed on the IEMs but there were no extra sets included in the accessories box.

So, as I said, I think it is fair to say that Dunu have done a very respectable job with the contents of this set.



Build and aesthetics…

The great thing about the aesthetics of these IEMs is also the terrible thing about the aesthetics of these IEMs! They are a beautiful shiny blue, with tiny engravings (D and Dunu) on the surround, yet they are both finger magnets and very very easily scratched. They are also pretty difficult to photograph as you need to try and get the light reflecting just right and each time you move them, you need to clean them.

If you want these to stay looking great, then I think that the dual pocket bag and the cleaning cloth are going to need to become part of your main EDC. However, I really do think that the aesthetics are worth it (even if I can’t see them when they are in my ears). The most beautiful set of IEMs ever to come across my desk is from Dunu (Vulkan) and although these are not quite as unique, they still rank very highly in my opinion.

They are a little on the heavy side, weighing in at 10 grams each ear (plus the weight of the hanging cable), yet the ergonomics go a long way to counteracting that weight. I find the very comfortable and do not notice the additional weight when they are in the ears at all.

As mentioned, the included cable is the Q-Lock Lite with swappable terminations, including both the 4.4mm balanced and 3.5mm unbalanced connectors. This is the same cable that I received with another model of Dunu (I can’t remember which at this moment) and I am a fan. It is not overly thick and while it isn’t the softest of cables to the touch, it doesn’t have a mind of its own. It is said to be a 4 strand high purity silver plated single crystal copper Litz cable but, as you probably know by me, if a cable is well made, comfortable and does its job well, then I like it. And this one does all 3.



Sound…

All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, etc.)

Before getting into the sound, I think I am going to go a little against the grain here. As mentioned a moment ago, there are two nozzles included with the Falcon Ultra, one gold and one blue, that makes quite a noticeable change from the upper mids upwards.

Here are the differences between the two, with my usual preference target for reference:



I say I am going to go against the grain here as I think that the majority of users will probably prefer the gold nozzle, at least those that I have spoken to do. The gold nozzle reduces the heat a little in those upper mids and make things a little less harsh, although they are not exactly harsh anyway but just to try and describe it in a way that is easy to understand (that's how I try to do things in my reviews, although it doesn’t always work out )

Now, I would probably opt for the gold nozzles also, if it wasn’t for one thing, the midbass. I have said many times that I am not someone who favours excessive midbass. If the quality of the midbass is good (which it is here, but I’ll get there in a moment), then I can enjoy it but as soon as the midbass lacks definition and clarity, then I find it very fatiguing, even causing me a headache. In this case, as I just said, the midbass is good, great even, but I still prefer a little less focus on that frequency range and the blue nozzles, with their slight elevation in the upper mids, does take the focus away from the midbass slightly. There are times when certain vocals can become a little thin or harsh but that is much more dependent on the recording than the actual voice itself. In those cases, then yes, I found myself preferring the gold nozzles, but for the majority of the music I enjoy, I found myself drawn to the blue nozzles more.

Anyway, enough chit chat and on with how these perform, using the blue nozzles and the included clear tips.

Starting off with the subbass, you can guess which track I am going to refer to… yes, “Chameleon”. Subbass is clean and defined, without being overpowering. While the additional midbass presence does put the focus slightly more on that range than the subbass per se, it is still a subbass that I find to be impressive, dealing well with the excessiveness that is “Chameleon”.

“Royals” by Lorde also demonstrates that subbass is of a good quality with good detail (as much detail we can expect from the subbass range that is). The touch of “dirt” that is present in the recording of this track is easily identified and I cannot find any reason to complain about the subbass on the Falcon Ultra.

As we move into the midbass, here is where I am more delicate, as I mentioned before. Yet there is no reason for me to be negative here either. Although the midbass is more present than I would prefer, there is absolutely no sensation of bloat or loss of control. My midbass fatigue test that is “Crazy” gives me no fatigue at all, showing that the midbass is clear, well defined and basically just great quality.

In the midbass is where I most appreciate the blue nozzles, not because the midbass becomes fatiguing with the gold ones, just because there isn’t as much of an emphasis on this range with them. Even with the gold nozzles, “Crazy” still doesn’t become fatiguing, there is just too much midbass focus for me, so it is about a personal tuning taste rather than any specific issue with the range.

One thing to note with the change of nozzles is that vocals will seem to be a little warmer and have some more body to them when opting for the gold option. With the blue, it can seem that the center of vocals can be a little less “lush”, yet this is only really an issue with very specific vocals on very specific tracks.

In the upper mids is where the biggest difference resides, although I keep saying that it is the effect on the midbass that I suffer with. Even with the blue nozzles, which are slightly harsher in the upper mids, vocals are still not harsh or overly shouty. In fact, they are much better than many many other sets that have less presence in these areas. Even with “Hello” by Adele, a track that easily shows compression on revealing sets, the vocals don’t become uncomfortable, they just sound, well, compressed.

“Don’t You Worry Child” is a track that I like to use for testing harshness, due to the fact that Beth’s voice can become very uncomfortable with excessive upper mids and lower treble (she has a very harsh voice in this recording). Here you can notice the harshness to her voice but, once again, it doesn’t become uncomfortable. At least no more than usual.

Sibilance is not really reduced but it is not boosted nor uncomfortable either. “Hope Is A Dangerous Thing” is a track that can be quite painful in the opening lines and the Falcon Ultra keeps it in check without dimming it. My usual non-scientific scale of -12 to +12 (0 being neutral) with the vocals of Patricia Barber in “Code Cool” would place her between -1 and -2, a nice balance.

Treble extension is decent, with a nice sensation of air yet not peaky nor overly boosted to give a false sensation of detail. It maybe doesn’t extend as far as other hybrid sets but it doesn’t give me a sensation of being rolled off at all (at least within my personal hearing capabilities).

Speaking of detail, the Falcon Ultra is impressive here also. It might not be the most detailed set I have ever heard yet it does a great job of making all the details available without pushing them at you with brute force. Again, it is a very respectable set of IEMs that performs very well without overdoing it.

Soundstage is probably just north of average. It’s not huge but at no point does it feel congested or claustrophobic. It is very rare that I find IEMs to have huge soundstages anyway and I have to say that the Falcon Ultra gives me enough in this regard.



Conclusion…

I cannot do anything but praise the Falcon Ultra. It is an IEM that performs very well at a very reasonable price. Obviously reasonable depends on the budget of each person but at a similar price point we have the Kiwi Ears Quintet, actually a little more expensive, which I said was the best thing under 500€ that I reviewed last year. Well, I would say that the Quintet is maybe more impressive upon first listen but I really think that the Falcon Ultra, with a lot less drivers, can easily compete against the Quintet. For those who will ask Quintet vs Falcon Ultra (I guarantee that the YouTube video comments will see this question asked), I have to say, I really don’t know. I am a big fan of the Quintet yet the Falcon Ultra is right up there with it and with a simple single dynamic driver, something that I am also a fan of.

Speaking of single dynamic drivers, I also really enjoy the Sennheiser IE600. I honestly think that the Falcon Ultra would maybe steal the recommendation here as it performs on a similar level, maybe not quite at the same level but close, at just over a third of the price.

All I can say is that the Dunu Falcon Ultra is a very good set of IEMs that I have no doubt is worth its asking price.

___
As with all my reviews, this one is also available in Spanish both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/achoreviews)

Introduction

Thanks to a European tour organised by Head-fi.org I have been able to test two Dunu models. One is the Dunu Alpha 3 earbud and the other one is this present Dunu Falcon Ultra. The Falcon Ultra belongs to the Eclipse series and could be an evolution or a later version of the Falcon Pro. They share the same shape but are now bright blue. Both the driver and the cable have been improved. The driver is the Eclipse model which is 10.7mm in size and its diaphragm consists of a lithium-magnesium alloy dome with second-generation ECLIPSE morphology and fully independent soft-suspension surround. The capsule has a double anti-resonant chamber and is made of S316 stainless steel. They come with two tuning mouthpieces, one pair of steel and one pair of brass. For the cable, the Q-Lock Lite modular system has been used, which includes 3.5mm SE and 4.4mm BAL plugs. The connection interface is MMCX with the patented Catch-Hold system. The conductive material consists of 4 strands of high purity silver plated Litz copper. Because it is a Tour and I have received two models to review in less than a week, the following review will be a little more direct than usual for me. Let's cut to the chase.



Specifications

• Driver Type: 1 x 10.7mm dynamic driver.
• Frequency Response: 5Hz - 40kHz.
• Sensitivity: 108 ± 1 dB at 1kHz.
• Impedance: 16Ω at 1kHz.
• Total Harmonic Distortion: <0.3% at 1kHz.
• Jack Connector: Modular Q-Lock Lite with 3.5mm SE and 4.4mm BAL plugs.
• Capsule Connection Type: MMCX with patented Catch-Hold system.
• Cable Length: 1.2m ± 0.1m.
• Weight: 20g, 10 grams per capsule.

Packaging

The Dunu Falcon Ultra comes in a medium-sized silver box with dimensions 134x96x70mm. It is quite sober and on the main side there is only the name of the model in the centre, the brand name on the top left, the Hi-Res logo on the top right and at the bottom of the box, a sentence announcing that Dunu will be 21 years old in 2024, since it was established in 2003. On the back is a sticker, also silver, with the specifications. Underneath are the brand's contact details. The outer cardboard is removed vertically to reveal a black box with the brand logo in white in the centre. After opening the box, a large zippered case with the Dunu brand name in reverse relief can be seen. Underneath is a second level with a black cardboard case carrying a portion of the accessories. To sum up:

• The two Dunu Falcon Ultra capsules with two cylindrical silicone tips.
• Q-Lock Lite modular cable and MMCX Catch-Hold interface, with SE 3.5mm and BAL 4.4mm plugs.
• Zippered carrying case.
• 3.5mm to 6.3mm SE adaptor.
• Cleaning brush.
• Warranty certificate.
• Chinese instruction manual.
• Chinese cable instruction manual.
• Cleaning wipe.
• Perforated cloth bag for capsule storage.
• 3 pairs of Dunu spherical silicone tips size SxMxL.
• 4 pairs of Dunu cylindrical silicone tips sizes SsxSxMxL.
• 3 pairs of blue core silicone Dunu tips sizes SxMxL.
• 3 pairs of green and orange core silicone tips sizes SxMxL.
• Metal plate housing the screw-on nipples.
• 2 threaded brass filter nozzles.
• 4 + 4 red and blue rubber washers for adjusting the filters.

I have not opened the bags with the tips and other accessories as it is a tour. I will use my own personalised tips.
Lots of accessories, as usual with Dunu. Multiple tips of very different types. But I only find the more spherical tips interesting. The cylindrical ones don't fit me. And there are no foam tips. The zippered case is very nice, but I find it too big. It is worth noting that it has a grid on one side and a horizontal elastic band on the other. Also note that each accessory is inside little bags, the capsules, the cable, each set of tips, the washers, the brush, the adapter... very careful so that everything arrives in the cleanest and most protected way for the user. But, in reality, the set of accessories is very similar to the Falcon Pro model.
Finally, the box has a seal of guarantee and authenticity.



Construction and Design

The capsules share the same external design as the Falcon Pro, but in a very attractive dark shiny blue. The big difference is that this new model has only one small hole near the mouthpieces, not three large ones like the Pro model. The two large holes on the flat base inside are retained. Even the design of the nozzles is similar.
The cable is a bit different on the MMCX connection side, no longer curved but protected by two metal cylinders. Otherwise, it also uses the Q-Lock Lite system, but, in this case, only two plugs are provided. The conductor is made of silver-plated copper and looks dark gold-plated. The splitter piece is coloured to match the cable and has a flattened shape on its larger sides. The pin is a simple plastic piece that does its job well. There is a Velcro strap to tuck the cable in. The cable has a slight tendency to take shape due to its stiffness.
The capsules are made of S316 stainless steel and still have the Dunu motifs on the edge of the outer side. Otherwise, except for the small details mentioned above, they are very similar to the Pro model.



Adjustment and Ergonomics

I could cut and paste my own comments about the Pro model and leave them here. All in all the capsules feel a bit heavy in the hands, but not so much in the ears, although it is somewhat noticeable. The ergonomics are good but the fit is only effective, in my case, with my large foam-filled tips that I make myself. The capsules are well integrated in the ear, without protruding too much, with little or no overhang on the ear parts. The Falcon Ultra are very suitable for long listening, without being uncomfortable, neither by pressure, nor by insertion, nor by rubbing. Only the weight might be a little more noticeable. In addition, with the right tips, a good level of isolation can be achieved.



Sound

Profile

In my opinion, the Dunu Falcon Ultra has changed quite a bit compared to its Pro brother. The first thing that stands out is that they have changed to a much more common, proven and reliable profile, which I'm sure will appeal to a wider audience. As you can see, there are many alternatives that are similar to both frequency responses. The Falcon Ultra moves between a smooth V-U profile where the biggest change is in the projection of the mid-highs and early highs. The blue filter has more extension in this range, which makes it very clear and explicit, but also makes it somewhat more descriptive, analytical and persistent, perhaps more fatiguing. The Gold filter cleans up that excess and manages to subtly reduce the bass to further balance the response in pursuit of a more relaxed and confident profile.
If I have to choose, the Gold filter is the one that best suits my preferences, even though I like the more analytical profile of the Blue. From here on, due to lack of time, I will describe the sound with the Gold filter.
Finally, the Dunu Falcon Ultra are easy to move.



Bass

As a first test I will start with the reproduction of very low frequency pure tones. As a good dynamic driver the sonority is excellent. The performance has a good mix of sensory capability and realistic murmur, as well as a remarkable sense of power and depth. There is no coloured vibration and the note development is continuous, pleasant, dark, perceptible and natural. The test result is outstanding and this implies a better bass range behaviour in general. The hit is precise, concise, tight, dry, fast, subtly rubbery to make it more attractive, but only to the point where it has the right consistency, punch and weight. It doesn't suffer in complex conditions and executes unfiltered passages with complete naturalness and ease, without mussing up. The decay is very low and its effect disappears quickly.
In short, the lower range is technically excellent, very capable of recreating layers, stratifying and separating bass lines, as well as possessing a remarkable level of presence without losing balance or sounding bass-headed or predominant, just a little warm with the Gold filter.



Mids

Starting with the male voices, they are slightly behind some of the details and elements of the mid-highs. However, even so, they have a fairly full representation, with a body that is not thin, nor slender, but neither is it the protagonist in terms of its physicality. However, the timbre is quite adequate, on the euphonious side, lush, with a point of warmth adorned with a lively sparkle that adds that right point of bright delicacy to stand out in a rich, pleasing and exquisite way. The female voices come closer and become more prominent, shining more brightly. In addition, they are more surrounded by the instrumentation, which is at the same level of presence, but happily separated, thanks to a high technical quality. Although I am describing the more relaxed filter in the upper-mids, the level of transparency and clarity is high, without having to resort to excessive energy in that range. It is a clear demonstration that a good technical driver is capable of providing a sufficient level of resolution, definition and clarity without having to rely on advantageous or excessive tuning in the high tones. A delight I was looking for.



Treble

The Gold filter balances the treble to make it softer, but extended enough to sound natural and quite full. It has a good initial punch, with sparkle and a certain level of energy to create a slightly crunchy feel. As I've been saying, the driver has very good technical ability and that shows in the finesse and thinness of the trebles, they are very stylised and delicate, which allows the notes to be thin, separated and although their energy level is restrained, they have that sharp ability that makes them more incisive, but within a high richness and remaining pleasant but subtly sharp at all times. Splendid control decay and, again, a demonstration that it is possible to create very good treble without adding extra energy or stretching the treble too much. Finally, there is an adequate air point beyond normal, but enough to maintain a great harmonic level in its timbre.



Soundstage, Separation

The Falcon Ultra are not noted for having a scene that is too immersive, ethereal or gaseous. In this sense I feel they are more conventional and realistic, without forcing a reality that does not belong to them. That said, the extension on all three axes is clear. The lateral stereo feeling is pronounced, the height is clearly perceptible and the depth is in keeping with the overall proportion. This gives a relaxed, semi-spherical scene, with a noticeable sense of space, but without being analytical or fully defined. There is a halo of warmth that helps to cohere the sound, adding a very pleasing musical point. In this way there is clarity, brightness, very good separation, but without becoming rigidly cold or exclusive. Thus, the detail is perceptible, but not very pronounced, if you look for it, you will find it, it appears, but it is not there all the time. It just allows you to choose what you want to observe depending on how much attention you pay to it. And that is pleasant.



Comparisons

KiiBOOM Evoke

The KiiBOOM Evoke is one of my favourite IEMS this year. With a lower price in its basic version, its configuration is the classic triple driver 1DDD+2BA. The resin capsules are semi-custom and very comfortable and light. I prefer the simpler ergonomics of the Evoke. The cable is good, very flexible, but it is not modular and it is only available in SE version, although I prefer it to the stiffer and more rigid cable of the Dunu. On the other hand, the Dunu's are a step or two above in terms of accessories.
The Dunu Falcon Ultra are easier to move. Both have a similar FR, comparing the Evoke with the Ultra plus Gold filter. There is more sub-bass in the Evoke and less body in the mids, plus a little more energy in the treble. Very decent performance from both models in the pure tone test, with very similar performance, although with more presence in the sub-bass end of the Evoke. The Ultra's hit is subtly more rubbery, springy and rounded (in a good way) and I find the Evoke's a little rougher, dirtier and a little more uncontrolled, with a touch more rawness. The bass in the Ultra is more delicate, smooth, with great punch, but with a cleaner, more velvety surface, with better definition.
In the middle range, the male vocals have more presence, physicality and body in the Ultra. That gives them an extra exuberance in that area that the Evoke lacks. And it's something that isn't filled with power. While the Ultra's feel more balanced with the high end, the vocals can take centre stage in front of the detail, concentrating a higher euphonic level. The mix on the Evoke is a little more unbalanced in this respect, losing a point of musicality. At bottom, the Evoke's are more detailed and analytical, but they also have that slightly starker BA timbre, which contrasts with the Ultra's softness and delicacy, which makes for a more pleasing sound, even if those details are not as obvious. However, everything is sweet about them, even the treble, and the soundstage feels a little wider, with an almost equal level of separation, but better matched.
The high end of the Evoke is more evident, with a more extended energy, it is noticeable that they have more present notes in areas where the Ultra is more restrained. However, it is true that they lose that delicacy and become a little more abrupt.
In general, the Ultra's sound is more complete and fuller, it doesn't have those hollows or unevenness that the Evoke has because it's a bit more splashy. The Evoke sound very good and I like their FR a lot, but the Ultra have more musicality, delicacy, a more harmonic, euphonic, fuller, somewhat denser sound, with a richer and more pleasant timbre.



Conclusion

The Dunu Falcon Ultra's driver has the same good work as its Pro brother, but with an easier and more popular tuning. The Blue filter adds a touch of sparkle in the mid-highs and first treble, while the Gold filter provides the balance I've been looking for: a combination of present bass, with a full-bodied first half of midrange, a restrained but very explicit mid-high, without the need to add energy to stand out in terms of clarity, transparency, definition and resolution. Finally, the treble is an example of how to sound delicate, quite full, even crisp, but with a soft and delicate level of intensity. An ode to balance. All this generates a very musical sound, subtly warm, full, euphonic, lush and pleasant. For exquisite ears.



Sources Used During the Analysis

• Burson Audio Playmate II.
• Aune X8 XVIII Magic DAC + EarMen ST-Amp.
• Hidizs S9 Pro Plus Martha.
• Aune Yuki.

Purchase Link



You can read the full review in Spanish here

Dunu Falcon Ultra​

Dunu Falcon Ultra

instagram link: Mataudiophiles

Prelude:
“Dunu has no weak products” – this slogan has been accompanying this manufacturer for a long time, they have models such as the legendary SA6, EST112 or, for example, Vulkan or Talos. So I didn’t expect that the new, refreshed and practically completely redesigned version of the model based on a single dynamic driver from the Falcon series would be different. I have already had the opportunity to test and review a great model, which turned out to be Falcon Pro. This time, DUNU focused on another evolution, starting with the latest version of the eclipse technology, ending with a complete redesign of every element of the headphones.

Technical side, unboxing and ergonomics:
When it comes to unpacking headphones costing $229 and based on a single, very advanced dynamic transducer, Dunu, as usual, showed incredible class. The box itself looks inconspicuous and does not give any indication of what we will find inside, but I must admit that the number of accessories is impressive. There are four sets of original tips, although I liked the Velvet tips best, which ensure excellent sealing and incredible smoothness of sound. Additionally, there is a modular cable with a 3.5 and 4.4 mm plug. Unfortunately, there is no 2.5 mm variant, which is a pity. We can also enjoy an adapter for a large jack, a soft transport bag, a cloth for cleaning the headphones, and a cleaning tool. If that’s not enough, we also have two types of replaceable nozzles and a solid, really large and beautifully made case made of hard material. This is more than a lot, not every manufacturer can take care of every, even the smallest, detail, and Dunu does it brilliantly. The headphones themselves are really small and fit perfectly in the ears, providing good insulation, but not perfect because their construction requires a large number of ventilation holes. Small domes made of the highest quality materials are painted blue and polished to a high gloss. Although this helps catch fingerprints, it also translates into a very elegant premium look. Falcon ultras have very slim and small housings, and although the insulation is only good, the comfort they offer is far beyond expectations.

Sound:
What I can write right from the beginning is the fact that these are the best Falcons I have ever encountered. This time I will start the description by pointing out that in the case of Falcon Ultra, the selection of tips is of great importance, and those included in the set constitute practically four separate sound signatures. However, I liked Divinus’ velvet nail tips the most. Their incredible ability to smooth out the sound and provide excellent isolation is something that significantly influenced my impressions. Although the dunu falcon ultra only has two replaceable nozzles, instead of three as in its predecessor, they are very well selected. The blue nozzle provides a more bass, intimacy-focused sound, while the gold nozzles provide much more space and air. You may not like this tuning, but such a large difference between the jets allows you to significantly adjust the sound to your needs.




Bass: The use of the next generation of eclipse technology and a solid proprietary dynamic driver resulted in strong and very well-textured bass. The amount of sub-bass turned out to be completely adequate for me, in combination with the blue nozzles the amount of bass was larger and more concentrated. The golden nozzles provided a more mid-range sound, but the amount of bass was always adequate, ensuring a solid experience in music based on low frequencies. There was also midbass, which nicely followed our music. The speed of the new transducer allows you to create not only appropriately low descents, but also the excellent speed that accompanies them. Personally, I really like dunu because, honestly, they don’t have weak products, and although many people complain about the technical layer of falcon ultra, I didn’t notice this relationship at all when I connected them to the ST-AMP and Tradutto combo from EARMENA, the music literally enchanted me .

Musical midrange: The midtones surprised me with their enormous naturalness, above-average realism and excellent resolution, their slight removal from the ears resulted in greater depth, and although the stage in the Falcon Ultra is not overly huge, I certainly cannot deny its very good separation and depth. Personally, I don’t like excessive tuning and stretching the sound sideways at all costs. That’s why the way Dunu presents music is great for me. Vocals are very clear and delight with realism and close to neutral tuning. The instruments are perfectly separated and provide a clean and smooth sound. The midrange, depending on the filters used, may be more musical or slightly more technical.

Treble: The amount of treble proved to be a great balance between resolution and listening pleasure. High tones have always been present and audible, while maintaining a natural and pleasant character. The resolution of the instruments and their timbre always remained close to natural and faithful. String instruments sounded not only clear, but also resolved. Importantly, the choice of nozzle is very important here. Blue nozzles provide a bit more softening in the upper diameter, while gold ones provide more resolution.

Comparisons:
Dunu Falcon ultra (23USD) VS iBasso IT01X (119USD)
The Falcon ultras provide greater resolution, while the IT01X will certainly sound more intimate and slightly more midrange. iBasso IT01X are smaller, but the Falcon Ultra fits easily in your ears. The bass in the IT01X is much stronger, and that in the Falcon Ultra is more resolving. Overall, both pairs are great headphones and I like them both very much, but the iBasso sound warmer and more entertaining, while the dunu favor the technical side a bit more.


Dunu Falcon ultra (239USD) VS BQEYZ ATUMN (199USD)
Atumn are very good dynamic headphones with a magnetic fitró1) system, which focus more on low tones and provide a more entertaining sound. Falcon ultras are much more comfortable due to their smaller housings and produce a much more balanced sound.

Dunu Falcon ultra (239USD) VS HifiMan svanar (1999USD)
Honestly, it’s quite unfair to compare the best single dynamic driver in-ear headphones on the market with any other headphones. However, I will try to do it. HifiMan svanar sound much more natural and with amazing resolution, but the Falcon ultra have a solid basis to chase the champion. Additionally, Falcon ultra have replaceable filters, which allows us to fine-tune our headphones, and although it is obvious that Svanar are much better, there is no doubt that the price increases almost tenfold. So whether svanars are better, the answer is yes, but whether they are ten times better, you have to judge for yourself.

Summary:
Dunu falcon ultra are excellent headphones, especially in combination with velvet tips, which I think are excellent. The number of accessories, quality of workmanship and excellent possibilities of tuning the sound using replaceable filters allow me to confidently write that for USD 239 these are excellent headphones and it is hard for me to imagine better dynamic headphones at this price. Comfort and quite good insulation further confirm this for me. On the downside, the high-gloss housing unfortunately tends to collect fingerprints and I was missing one more pair of intermediate filters. However, these are still very good and worth considering headphones, which I highly recommend to anyone looking for a resolving sound with good bass, pleasant vocals and a good stage.

For my tests I used the following DAC/AMP models:
EarMen tradutto+ EarMen ST-AMP with power supply via IsoTek initium cable,
xDuoo poke II, iBasso DX170, EarMen colibri, EarMen angle.
The files I used came from my Tidal playlist in the highest possible quality, and from my own resources.
Where to buy headphones: I personally recommend, in my opinion, the best foreign store, which is HIFIGO DUNU FALCN ULTRA As for VELVET tips, you can buy them here: HIFIGO VELVET

Loved this IEM , I would take this over the Simgot EA1000 because:

Better tonality

More accurate timbre

Smoother more natural

Comes with a killer modular cable


Don't need to play with filters and foams to get a lesser Pina gain you can just put on one of the supplies Nozzles and good to go for either a more energetic tuning or a warmer one.

That being said both the EA1000 and the FU are absolutely amazing IEM's with TOTL quality drivers that deliver



It comes down to personal preference and your ears.

But I just loved the overall package and sound of the Falcon Ultra.


Full video review is here.


Thanks PENON for bringing this on for me!
https://penonaudio.com/DUNU-Falcon-Ultra.html

Disclaimer:

I received the Dunu Falcon Ultra as part of a review tour in my country organized by Hifigo.com. I am not associated with either Hifigo or Dunu in any way and have no incentive whatsoever to write anything positive or negative about the IEM. The impressions shared in this write-up are based on my usage of the IEM over a week or so. The Dunu Falcon Ultra is available for purchase from Hifigo.com at the following link:

https://hifigo.com/products/dunu-falcon-ultra





Packaging and Accessories:

The Falcon Ultra is the latest option from Dunu to feature the second-generation ECLIPSE architecture. The IEM comes with a modular SPC cable aka Dunu DUW02 Pro, which features the flimsy-looking Q-lite connectors as opposed to the more premium looking and feeling Q-Lock Plus available on the Hulk Pro Mini. Considering the 240 USD price tag, IMO, those premium Q-Lock Plus connectors should have been included to make for a better value proposition.

The IEM has a metal faceplate with a teardrop shape. The IEM looks great and despite the metal body, is surprisingly light. The inscriptions along the edge of the faceplate enhance the aesthetic appeal of the IEM. I for one, love the blue finish of the Falcon Ultra. It makes the IEM look cool and niche amidst a sea of regular metal body IEMs. The IEM comes with a variety of ear tips and two sets of tuning filters. One set was installed on the IEM and the other was placed on a metal holder/plate. The package also includes a premium-looking carry case, a cleaning cloth, and a cleaning brush.



Tip-rolling and Tuning Filters

From the stock ear tips, the Dunu S&S ear tips are the best ones to go for with the Falcon Ultra. Personally, since I prefer foam ear tips, I used the Falcon Ultra with Flare Audio’s Audiophile memory foam ear tips, since they have a wide bore and are structurally quite like the S&S ear tips, just that the material is memory foam. The filters this time around have a significant impact on SQ. One of the complaints I had with the Falcon Pro was that there was hardly any difference in SQ when switching between the filters. Dunu seems to have fixed that with the Falcon Ultra, the brass filters make it sound a tad bit wider and flatter, whereas the blue filters give the IEM a bass boost and limit the staging severely. I personally preferred the brass filters because the blue ones IMO made the IEM sound a little wonky in terms of tonal balance. Perhaps the elevated mid-bass was a bit too much for my preference.



Sound Quality:

The Falcon Ultra is quite differently tuned from the Falcon Pro. While the Falcon Pro had quite a balanced tuning, the Falcon Ultra tends to be more fun sounding with somewhat of a U-shaped sound profile. There is a definite emphasis on bass in both filters. The brass /gold filter sounds a bit flatter and wider. The emphasis on bass is however more mid-bass than sub-bass. Do not get me wrong, there is improvement in sub-bass when compared to the Falcon Pro, however, the Falcon Ultra comes nowhere close to the FiiO FD5 or the FD3 Pro when it comes to sub-bass. The IEM is limited in terms of treble extensions. Forget extensions, treble itself is quite mild on the Falcon Ultra. While this may be a good thing for treble-sensitive people like me,, I too felt that the treble was quite rolled off and as a result of this, there is a direct impact on micro-details, thereby making the set suffer in terms of resolution. As with the Falcon Pro, the Falcon Ultra too is something I would not recommend for analytical listeners.

The mids on the Falcon Ultra are good. There is a good note weight and a slight sense of warmth to the overall SQ, which can be expected since this is a single DD IEM. The Falcon Ultra too has some sweet timbre which sounds great with the brass filter where the tonal balance isn’t messed up like the blue filter. There is no bass bleed. The separation is mediocre and so is the soundstage. In terms of dynamics too, the Falcon Ultra isn’t extraordinary or mind-blowing. It is strictly average.

Conclusion:

The Dunu Falcon Ultra is a good single dynamic driver IEM for the price point. It packs in a lot of accessories. It has some really good timber and good tonal balance with the brass filter. The fit is amazing and the IEM is surprisingly lightweight in spite of the full metal body. However, it is quite an average performer in terms of soundstage, imaging, dynamics, and resolution. Thus, it is not something I’d recommend for analytical listeners. If you’re someone who’s looking for a neutral-sounding IEM with a tad bit of warmth the Falcon Ultra is a suitable candidate, especially if you’re someone who likes long and relaxed listening sessions.

Dunu Falcon ULTRA: SOAR




DISCLAIMER:
This unit was provided by Hifigo for tour. They do not hold any of my thoughts and opinions.


I have my own ranking and scoring, so please bear that in mind.


I will be calling this my user experience, lets start.


THE BOX



I have an unboxing video here:



You get above average accessories and inclusions:


1. IEM case that can pass as a pouch


2. Cable with Interchangeable termination


3. Many many many eartips haha. I think 4 kinds of eartips (S&S included)


4.Cleaning tool


5. 6.3mm plug


6. Cleaning cloth that’s big enough to clean you face haha


7. Cleaning brush


8. Nozzle rings. I honestly don’t know why they are included


9. A small pouch for the iems


10. The iems


DESIGN



See pics


BUILD and COMFORT
The build is really premium. Quite heavy but remains comfortable in the ears. I didn’t notice any strain from use. I can also fit them deep. The deeper the better right?


SETUP:
-Shanling M3X using UAPP, Hiby ang stock player


-all stock(s&s eartips)


SOUND
The Falcon Ultra offers two tuning options. The blue nozzle sounds U Shaped, and pretty balanced in that regard. The gold nozzle has a more relaxing gain that makes the bass pop out more.


Bass on both nozzles sounds so creamy that will make your ear fluids drool. Okay that didn’t sound good. Anyhow, the bass impact is so visceral that it is hard for you not to jive with any songs you throw at them.


Mids sound organic with a bit of coloration. You know Samsung phones? Colors look good but you know its not natural, but still, you know what I mean? Maybe saturation is the word I am looking for. Male and female vocals are well represented with very good instrument timbre for my preferences.


Treble can be a hit or miss for some, but don’t fret because you have options. I personally like the blue nozzle because of the added energy and clarity. But sometimes I reach out for the gold nozzle that offers a smooth and relaxed listening experience.


What I like about the Falcon Ultra lies in its technicalities. I just like how it renders stage and clarity. It must be the drivers. Like really. When I listen to them, it feels like resolution is boosted to 4k from 1080p. Although stage is intimate, that must help a bit in presenting its overall signature.


DD Benchmark
We all know that tanchjim Oxygen has been a benchmark for a lot of people when it comes to single DDs. I personally like them too, but I just prefer how acoustune DDs sound. When I heard the Falcon Pro, I honestly didn’t like them. they sounded muddy and meh. So I didn’t really have much expectation from the Falcon Ultra.


The driver of the Falcons paired with the change of tuning really helps this set a lot in achieving the sound that can make this set a benchmark for some.


Personally, the Falcon Ultra made its way to my benchmark DDs in the midfi. The options to change the nozzles make them more compelling for that role.


PERFECTION
The dunu falcon ultra almost got a prefect score. In all honestly, it is hard for me to find faults with how these sound. It has its own unique sound imprint that will make you grab this set more often than usual. The bass, mids, and treble perfectly melds together and plays my music in a manner that other single DDs fail to do. In fact, it follows the curve of my balanced target pretty well.


PROS
Great timbre on instruments and vocals


Very good clarity for a single DD


Nozzle options with the two sounding very good


Great package, with interchangeable termination and S&S tips


Very good stage proportion, layering and separation


CONS
That MMCX connector is hard to take off


The boosted clarity might sound too artificial for some


Treble might be too forward with the blue nozzles. Solution: gold nozzles haha


Cable has memory. Yes they remember what you did last summer


COMPARISONS


PLANARS
-planar and DD timbre are a bit different. Planars also tend to sound dry and the staging cannot go as deep compared to single DDs. I feel that the falcon Ultra offers more engagement and options(nozzles). Although I feel at times that separation in planars are superior, especially the timeless, the Falcon Ultra doesn’t overdo it and offers that analogue feel.


Mega5p
-I have the mega5p because they are my balanced reference. The Falcon Ultra is more fun sounding and can fit better as a travel companion. The Mega5p is warmer in signature because of how it presents treble. But even when you use the gold nozzle of the Falcon Ultra, I still hear that it has more forward details. The treble on the Ultra is just really crisp and addicting. This is a tough pick. Choose Falcon Ultra if you want a more organic representation . Pick Mega5p is you are sensitive to treble.


Benchmark Single DDs
There are many benchmark single DDS recently, especially when HBB released the Olinas, which are said to have the same drivers as the Oxygens. They are cheaper too! However, I guess I will take my pick on the Falcon Ultras. Oxygens for sure sound good still, but because of how Dunu manages to give you options with the tuning nozzles, it is just more practical for me to choose the Falcon Ultra over other single DD offerings.


SCORING
-Please be reminded that my scoring is always based on its price range.


TONALITY - 3
BASS - 2.5
MIDS - 3
TREBLE - 3
TECHS - 3


=14.5( S rank,exceptional. Consider saving if you want a single DD that is an all rounder with TOTL qualities)


Check my scoring criteria here:


https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15WhgCgiMzWfF3ccgB8SK5-Cg7m87kpIShtxsyg2u-AI/edit?usp=sharing


GRAB SCORE:
This is easy, I just rate the set whether I would grab them for listening. Very subjective.


- I will never touch this again


- I grab if I remember


- Can be part of my rotation


- I break my rotation and grab this one today


- *** rotation, I’ll listen to these for the whole week


- Im selling everything, I will only listen to these haha.


DUNU FALCON ULTRA GRAB SCORE: 4


I can honestly listen to these for weeks without feeling the need to try out other sets.


FINAL THOUGHTS
There you have it. I wont make this review long. For $240, you get quality package, accessories, build, sound, options, except for the cable that remembers what you did last summer haha.


Not to mention its gorgeous looks. I am not really into blue, but how it reflects light is just stunning, paired with its “Egyptian” vibe encryptions. Well not really Egyptian, but you know what I mean haha.


This one is hard to beat in my opinion and I think the “Ultra” boost helped the Falcon to soar higher than its competitors.


==========================
WHERE TO BUY: non affiliate links


DUNU Falcon Ultra
HiFiGo: https://hifigo.com/products/dunu-falcon-ultra


Aliexpress:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3256805619692605.html


Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CB2R3DZ7/dunu+falcon+ultra/


Amazon JP
https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B0CB3J6K18/dunu+hayabusa+ultra/

This Dunu Falcon Ultra IEM Review was originally posted on my website.​

About the Dunu Falcon Ultra​

Company Overview​

DUNU is a well-known Chinese company based in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province. They have been developing and manufacturing earphone products since 1994. Over the years, DUNU has won international acclaim for their acoustic research and innovations. They remain committed to pushing the limits of personal audio and delivering an uncompromised musical experience for audiophiles.

Technical Specifications​

• Impedance: 16Ω @ 1kHz
• Sensitivity: 108dB±1dB @ 1kHz
• Frequency Response: 5Hz-40kHz
• THD+N: <0.3% at 1kHz
• Cable Material: 4-Core Silver-Plated Copper Litz
• Connector Type: Patented MMCX Connectors
• Termination Options: 3.5mm TRS and 4.4mm TRRS (Interchangeable plug system)
• Weight: 20g (10g for each earpiece)

What’s Inside the Box​

• Hard Case
• Cable (Q – Lock Lite Interchangeable Plug System)
• Extra Nozzle (Gold)
• 4.4mm plug (for the Q-LLIPS cable)
• 6.35mm to 3.5mm Adapter
• Mesh Pouch
• S&S Eartips (Stage & Studio)
• Candy Eartips
• Balanced Eartips
• Vocal Eartips
• Cleaning Brush
• Cleaning Cloth
• Additional Rubber Gaskets
• In-Ear Monitors

Review​

I don’t normally follow announcements and read spec sheets of all new IEMs. There are just way too many releases these days, so I just blindly audition sets when there are local meetups in our area.

I was amazed when I learned these are single-dynamic driver IEMs. They are really capable, although I lack experience with single DD IEMs. But I have mostly read positive feedback about the Tanchjim Oxygen, which has a similar driver configuration.

Frequency Response​

Frequency response courtesy of Practiphile.

Experience​

Using it with the stock S&S tips, it fits snugly. However, after long periods of time, it slides out and leaves some pain in my ears, maybe due to the somewhat stiff silicon eartips. So I changed to my tried-and-true Tri Clarion tips – these are the only ones comfortable enough for longer listening sessions in my experience.

I wasn’t too crazy about the cable either. It’s stiff, even stiffer than the BQEYZ Winter’s cable. Though the components used are high quality, with a brushed finish and interchangeable plugs being a nice touch.

The finish on the IEM’s faceplate is a fingerprint magnet, which is a shame since it’s really well made, and lightweight, and those subtle symbols around the faceplate are really appreciated.

Music​

Having used the golden nozzle, it gave me this smooth and inoffensive response – the best I can describe it is a “creamy” signature. It reminds me of my Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro earbuds’ sound signature.

Going back to the stock blue nozzle, I was listening to Wolf Alice’s “Delicious Things” from their Blue Weekend album. I noticed the treble is well controlled, with no unnecessary spikes even though this track has pretty intense highs throughout. Heck, even listening to “Thank God It’s Friday” by Ice Nine Kills, there was no piercing treble present. This song can sound really sibilant on uncontrolled tuned drivers.


Vocals are well placed for both male and female, not too forward or recessed in the mix.

The Falcon Ultra provides enough sub-bass rumble without overwhelming the lower mids.

Instrument placement is not congested, with just enough space between elements. These IEMs are really forgiving even on poorly mastered or mixed tracks.

Gaming​

Gaming with the Falcon Ultra, it has good technicalities. It extends well, resulting in easier opponent detection. The imaging is somewhat similar to the Bravery AE, I’d estimate around 70-75% of its overall technicalities.

Conclusion​

There you have it! My Dunu Falcon Ultra IEM Review. Overall, I really enjoyed my time listening to the Dunu Falcon Ultra. It fits my preferred sound signature well. The IEMs are engaging enough but not to the extreme that fatigue sets in during listening. Strangely, they manage to be both engaging and inoffensive simultaneously – those words don’t usually go hand in hand in my experience.

I can highly recommend these IEMs if you listen to a wide variety of music genres. They are forgiving on poorly recorded tracks and they make your feet thump with its engaging sound.

There is inherent beauty in simplicity. In the world of In-ear Monitors (IEM), nothing is more simple and, arguably, more elegant than a single dynamic driver (DD) design. One driver, front vents, back vents, foams and filters. That’s all it takes for a master tuner to make something magical.

At least, that’s the romantic vision. The reality is often disappointing. How does the latest single DD IEM from Dunu, equipped with the acclaimed ECLIPSE driver technology, translate the lofty vision of simplicity to the reality? Let’s find out.

Forewords​

• What I look for in an IEM is immersion. I want to feel the orchestra around me, track individual instruments, and hear all of their textures and details. I’m not picky about tonality, as long as it does not get in the way of immersion.
• I rate IEMs within with a consistent scale from 1 (poor) to 3 (Adequate) to 5 (outstanding). Ratings are assigned by A/B tests against benchmark IEMs, regardless of the retail price.
• Ranking list and measurement database are on my IEM review blog.
• Terms used in my reviews are consistent with the glossary by Headphonesty
• This review is based on a review sample from Hifigo (Thank you!). I have no affiliation with or financial interest in Dunu or Hifigo. The unit retails for $240 at the time this review was published. More info at Hifigo

Sources for listening tests:

• iBasso DX300 (for all A/B tests)
• FiiO K7
• Hidizs XO

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.

All of my listening was done with Dunu’s Candy tips. I usually turn up the volume until the midrange is fully audible and detailed, unless a treble peak or overwhelming bass prevents me from doing so. I don’t listen loud.

Specs​

• Driver: Single dynamic driver (Lithium-Magnesium Alloy pure metallic diaphragm with ECLIPSE tech)
• Connector Type: MMCX
• Impedance: 16 ohm at 1kHz
• Sensitivity: 108dB at 1kHz

Build and Comfort​

Accessories: If you have ever owned or looked at a review of a Dunu IEM, you already know what to expect when it comes to accessories: practical and abundant. Falcon Ultra comes with the carrying case that debuted recently alongside the Alpha 3 earbuds. It is roomy enough to keep the IEM comfortably, along with a few accessories, but not too large that it takes up all the space in your bag. It offers decent protection from impact. At the same time, it is soft, so it would not scratch other items in your bag.



New additions to Falcon Ultra’s accessory kit are a polished cloth and a mesh bag that helps you store the earpieces safely and avoid them banging against each other in the case. It’s clear that Dunu wants you to take good care of the Falcon Ultra earpieces. You also find in the accessory kit of Falcon Ultra the usual cleaning tool and a 3.5mm to 6.5mm adapter.

When it comes to ear tips, the Falcon Ultra arrives four options, including two proprietary types: S&S and candy. Selecting the right ear tips is a personal endeavor, dependent on both the specific IEM and individual ear anatomy. The inclusion of all four types is a thoughtful gesture, especially for those new to the IEM hobby who may not have an extensive collection of ear tips to experiment with.



Stock cable: The Falcon Ultra comes equipped with the DUW02 Pro stock cable, sharing the same wire and braiding as Dunu’s recent Alpha 3 earbuds. As seen in my Alpha 3 review, the cable retains some memory and might coil upon itself, though this characteristic does not pose significant inconvenience during everyday use. The cable’s notable feature is the interchangeable plug system, known as Q-lock Lite, which facilitates easy switching between 3.5mm and 4.4mm connectors. Unlike the mechanical locking mechanism of the Q-lock proper system found in the SA6II, the Q-lock Lite relies on a friction fit. This friction proves robust, ensuring a secure connection throughout my testing period. The long-term durability of these connectors remains an open question, given that my personal usage rarely involves connector changes.



Earpieces: The earpieces are the stars of the show. Upon unboxing, I was struck by their compact size, which contrasts with my initial impressions garnered from online images. I had the same shock when unboxing the Zen Pro. These Dunu IEMs with ECLIPSE drivers are quite small compared to most modern multi-driver IEMs.

The earpieces are cast from stainless steel and shaped using a CNC machining process. A mirror-like finish in a vibrant blue hue catches the eye, while the textured logo texts on the faceplate’s “fringe” provide a contrasting element against the central chrome design. While the primary focus of IEMs is undoubtedly their auditory performance, I find it appreciable when manufacturers invest effort in the aesthetic appeal of their products. After all, these IEMs can be considered luxury items, and their presentation should reflect this from the moment they are unboxed.

The only downside of the metalwork of Dunu is that Falcon Ultra is a heavy IEM. Whilst Falcon Ultra is not uncomfortably heavy, the difference in weight between Falcon Ultra and a resin IEM like the ThieAudio Hype2 that I happen to have on my hand at the moment is rather comical.

Comfort and isolation: The Falcon Ultra is specifically designed for a medium fit. With a nozzle of medium diameter and length, it comfortably fits inside the ear canal, stopping just before the first bend. The overall comfort is quite good, owing to this medium fit. However, users seeking even greater comfort and a perceived larger soundstage can opt for larger ear tips and wear the IEMs shallow, sealing just outside the ear canal.



Surprisingly, despite the presence of multiple vents on the earpieces, the Falcon Ultra offers commendable isolation. When worn, it noticeably reduces street noise, providing a reasonably effective barrier. However, it’s worth noting that the deep rumble of a bus engine can still penetrate the isolation, necessitating an increase in volume to compensate for external noise.

Tonality​

Frequency response of Falcon Ultra. Measurements were done with an IEC-711-compliant coupler and might only be compared with other measurements from this same coupler. Visit my graph database for more comparisons.



It is helpful to think of an IEM as a filter that highlights or subdues different parts of the incoming audio signal. This effect can be measured objectively by the squiggly lines above, called Frequency Response (FR) graphs, which measure how loud an IEM is at different frequencies from 20Hz (bass) to 20kHz (upper treble). Subjectivity is how your ears and brain interpret the effect of that filter on your music and decide whether it is “enjoyable.” There are some “rules of thumb” when it comes to tonality, but most interesting IEMs usually bend the rules masterfully.

The Falcon Ultra offers two distinct sonic presentations, depending on the tuning nozzles. Dunu has taken an interesting approach to designing the nozzles by varying not only the dampening foams and stick-on filters but also the internal diameters and materials of the nozzles. Before delving into the individual nozzle effects, let’s discuss the overall tonality profile of the Falcon Ultra.



Regardless of the nozzle choice, the Falcon Ultra presents a familiar tonality commonly associated with “well-tuned” single dynamic driver IEMs available in the market. The tonality can be described as Harman-inspired, with a boosted lower-midrange and midbass. The boost in the upper midrange centred around 2kHz to 3kHz, compensates for the lack of natural ear canal resonance when using IEMs, resulting in increased clarity and the presence of voices in subjective listening. For instance, when I listen to” Jolene (feat. Dolly Parton)” by Pentatonix, Falcon Ultra makes all voices, especially Dolly Parton’s, pop out more from the background. Similarly, when I listen to” Livin’ On a Prayer” by Bon Jovi and” Beat It” by Michael Jackson, both singers sound very clear and easy to follow. The electric guitars in “G.O.A.T.” by Polyphia also pop out more, making it easier to follow and discern the texture and articulation.



At the same time, Falcon Ultra does not stick to Harman’s target to a T, which is good. Dunu boosts the lower midrange below 500Hz, creating about 3dB above neutral at 250Hz. This additional boost helps thicken the midrange’s body and note weight, countering the 12dB upper midrange boost. The result is a warm tonal tint to both male and female voices, though not overtly coloured, when I listen to” Jolene (feat. Dolly Parton)” by Pentatonix. I also found that the voices are not unnaturally imbalanced to the upper midrange. As a result, they don’t sound tinny, thin, or shouty.

In general, the midrange tuning of the Falcon Ultra is well-done, making it pleasant to listen to with a natural timbre characteristic of dynamic driver setups. The only time the midrange tonality may feel slightly peculiar is when listening to “Bach’s Violin Sonata No.1 in G Minor: Presto” by Kavakos, where I can hear the effect of the boosted upper midrange, Harman-style, and the additional warmth. The G string has extra oomph to it. At the same time, the E string and higher positions on A sound brighter. Depending on your preference, the contouring of the tonal balance might or might not be offensive.

Personally, I prefer a ruler-flat midrange from 250Hz to 1000Hz, and then adding the “warmth” but reducing the amount of upper midrange boost from 12dB to around 8 dB.



Moving on to the treble. Like most Harman-inspired IEMs, Falcon Ultra is easygoing and rolls off the treble gradually after the ear-gain peak at 2-3kHz. Subjectively, it means that cymbals and hi-hats exist but are not very highlighted or “sparkly” when I listen to” Livin’ On a Prayer” by Bon Jovi,” Beat It” by Michael Jackson, and “G.O.A.T.” by Polyphia. Interestingly, there seems to be a slight peak around 8-10kHz, as I sometimes hear sibilance and treble edges. Another interesting finding is the presence of the upper treble, meaning the treble extension of Falcon Ultra is quite good. For example, when I listened to “Bach’s Violin Sonata No.1 in G Minor: Presto” by Kavakos, I was surprised to find that I could easily hear the reverb trail created by the recording hall at the end of violin notes. This reverb is not exaggerated like some BA sets tuned to impress, but I’m surprised to find it so prominent.



Before moving on to bass and dynamic, let’s talk about the effect of the nozzles. The default blue nozzle is made of the same stainless steel as the earpieces. It has a large diameter and internal dampening foams. Dunu describes the sound profile of this nozzle as “transparent and clean, quick response.” I say they are spot on. Falcon Ultra sounds crisp, clean, spacious, and dynamic in this configuration, though it does not sound razor sharp and thin like some multi-BA configurations.

The gold nozzle is made of brass. It has a smaller diameter and no internal dampening foams. Quite an interesting choice. Dunu describes the sonic profile of this nozzle as “rich and soft, charming vocals, smoother sound.” Again, I say that they are spot on. The golden nozzle pushes Falcon Ultra further to a warm, gooey tonality. The perceived dynamic is reduced, and the midrange becomes dense and less open. At the same time, the random sharp edges of the upper midrange and treble are mostly removed. Based on the impressions that I read, I guess that the gold nozzle sounds closer to the previous version, the Falcon Pro.

Bass and Dynamic​

A good pair of IEMs/earbuds/headphones should be able to convey, even emphasise, the sense of rhythm and the ebbs and flows of music. In general, this energy requires IEMs to be able to convey rapid volume swings on the downbeat of an orchestra or the leading edge of bass note. It also requires tactile physical sensation of the bass, and the sense of rumble and texture accompanying the bass drops. An IEM can have loud bass, but still fail to convey energy should it lack other features above.

Click to expand...

Unlike other single DD IEMs from Dunu, like the Titan S, at the heart of the Falcon Ultra is the proprietary ECLIPSE driver technology that debuted in the flagship Dunu Luna. This driver is rather neat. It has a full-metal W-shaped diaphragm that is glued on a flexible surround. The magnet driving this diaphragm is powerful. You can use one earpiece to push the other around with just the magnetic force, though I can’t get the earpieces to stick together like the Zen Pro.

What’s so special about the ECLIPSE drivers? Well, one of the noticeable aspects is the dynamic. And no, I’m not talking purely about the amount of bass. An IEM can have a lot of bass presence and still sound muddy, bloated, or cloudy without clear and fast bass “slams.” One of the noticeable features of the Zen Pro, the previous IEM with ECLIPSE drivers that I tried, was the sense of dynamic as if the bass “slams” you in quick and large waves. It feels fast, thumpy, and energetic.



Does Falcon Ultra capture that “slam”? To a certain degree, yes. When I listen to” Battle Bar” by Yuki Hayashi, my test track for bass rendering, I find that bass attacks feel natural. The leading edge of the bass note is clean but does not sound razor sharp like some well-implemented BA drivers (or even dual DD woofers). At the same time, There is a sense of texture in the decay end of bass notes. In other words, drums and bass guitar decay feels like a “brmmmm” rather than an overly smoothened “umm umm” sound. At the same time, the texture is not exaggerated to make the bass feel “dry” like the approach taken by some BA sets.

When I listen to my key test track for dynamic “Let the Battles Begin!” by Square Enix Music & Nobuo Uematsu, I found that Falcon Ultra can reproduce the dynamic swings or slams of the orchestra on the downbeats, creating a sense of tempo and impact, thus successfully convey the sense of urgency of this recording. Similarly, Falcon Ultra does a good job reproducing the slams by drums and the bass guitar in “G.O.A.T.” by Polyphia. “Livin’ On a Prayer” by Bon Jovi and “Beat It” by Michael Jackson feel energetic and dynamic, with a clear sense of beat and rhythm. Falcon Ultra also does a decent job with most tracks from Two Steps From Hell.

The granularity of the dynamic variation of Falcon Ultra is also excellent. For instance, it can recreate the ebbs and flows that convey the magnetic feeling of “Bach’s Violin Sonata No.1 in G Minor: Presto” by Kavakos.



At the same time, I wish that Falcon Ultra’s dynamic is even more exaggerated than just “naturally good”. The Falcon Ultra does not invoke the same “wow” that I had with the dynamic of Zen Pro. Of course, Dunu might need to leave something on the table for “Zen Ultra” or whatever the next revision of the Zen Pro is, and maybe crazy dynamic slam was never the design goal of Falcon Ultra. But I wish the “X-factor” is here to highlight Falcon Ultra further.

Soundstage Imaging​

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 in the recording, which are enhanced or diminished by your IEMs, your DAC, and your amplifier. Some IEMs present a wide but flat soundstage. Some present a “3D” soundstage with layering, depth, and height. In rare cases, with some specific songs, some IEMs can trick you into thinking that the sound comes from the environment (a.k.a., “holographic”)

The soundstage imaging of Falcon Ultra is adequate, even good in the grand scheme, but it does not push the boundary of the IEM form factor. The centre of the stage where voices in songs such as “Jolene (feat. Dolly Parton)” by Pentatonix exist is mostly inside my head, behind my ears. The width of the stage can sometimes expand beyond the earpieces, such as the female voices on the sides of the scene in the song Jolene. Falcon Ultra can also convey the sense of height. For instance, some voices of Pentatonix in Jolene seem to float higher on the stage. This illusion might be attributed to the slight emphasis at 8-10kHz.

The bright spots of the stereo imaging performance of Falcon Ultra are the accuracy of instrument placement and the sense of depth. For example, in “G.O.A.T.” by Polyphia, I found no noticeable gap on the stage; the stage seems to wrap around the head at some parts of the music. There is a clear separation between the foreground inside the head and the background that appears to come from a distance, sometimes as if it comes from the surrounding environment. Falcon Ultra does not present the soundstage like a flat plane or an unrefined blob of sound in the middle, but with a decent sense of layering of instruments from closer to further away, despite placing most of the actions of the stage within the listener’s head.



It should be noted that Falcon Ultra does not have laser-sharp separation and layering like some multi-BA IEM sets. For example, when I listen to” Livin’ On a Prayer” by Bon Jovi and” Beat It” by Michael Jackson, I find that Everything is more blended without clear “air” to separate them. Luckily, the presentation does not sound mushy because the leading edge of the notes is decently well-defined.



The sense of ambience or “holography” of the soundstage of Falcon Ultra is rather good but not outstanding. As I mentioned, this IEM can convey the reverb created by the recording hall surprisingly well for a single DD IEM. What is missing when I swap from Falcon Ultra to other IEMs with top-notch or “holographic” imaging is how this reverb is shaped. For example, when I listen to “Bach’s Violin Sonata No.1 in G Minor: Presto” by Kavakos With Falcon Ultra, I can hear some depth, like the violin sitting in front of the reverb sound, but the reverb does not sound like an enveloping dome around my head to convey the sense of sitting in the environment like, say, MEST III or U12T.

Soundstage imaging with games (CS GO Gameplay by Throneful) The imaging advantage of Falcon Ultra does translate to a good gaming experience. Gunshots and footsteps sound slightly around the head rather than strictly within the head. The soundstage feels rounded. The positioning of sound in terms of direction is also good. The sense of distance is also adequate, though not “holographic”. If you have more skill in FPS than I do, you might be able to use these IEMs well.

Resolution​

Resolution is a fascinating subject due to the difficulty of pinning down what it really is. To me, “resolution” can be broken down into three components: (1) Sharpness, incisiveness, or “definition” of note attacks (see the figure above). (2) The separation of instruments and vocals, especially when they overlap on the soundstage. (3) The texture and details in the decay side of the notes. The first two give music clarity and make it easy to track individual elements of a mix. The last provides music details and nuances. Smooth and well extended treble response plays a crucial role.

The resolution of Falcon Ultra is, again, quite good for a single DD. The overall definition and separation of instruments and vocals pleasantly surprised me. When I listened to ”Jolene (feat. Dolly Parton)” by Pentatonix, I could follow individual voices with not much effort. The smearing is surprisingly minimal. I’m particularly impressed by the definition of the female vocal on the far right of the stage. When you swap from the blue to the gold nozzle, the separation and definition are slightly reduced for a more gooey, comfortable listening experience. I prefer the blue nozzles.



The detail retrieval of Falcon Ultra is only okay. It narrowly avoids the perception of being overly smooth and lacking texture. For example, when I pay careful attention to the violin of Kavakos in Bach’s Violin Sonata No.1 in G Minor, I can discern some major details, like the breath and the articulation of the bow. However, it does not dig deep into the micro details and nuances of the violin notes themselves. Since most IEM does not do micro details well, the level of nuances and texture of Falcon Ultra would be sufficient in most situations and contexts.

Comparisons​

Vs JD7: Frequent readers of my review would foresee this comparison, as FiiO JD7 has been one of my favourites in the single DD, budger-friendly IEM category. It has decent technical performance for a single DD and an adjusted Harman tuning that is pleasant and correct.

How does JD7 fare against Falcon Ultra? First of all, tonality. JD7 sounds very close to Falcon Ultra with the stock nozzle. The technical performance is where Falcon Ultra pulls ahead. When I listen to my familiar test track, “Jolene (feat. Dolly Parton)” by Pentatonix, I found that JD7 is more smeary than Falcon Ultra. In other words, it is more “effortless” for me to separate and follow individual voices with Falcon Ultra because everything is more sharply defined.

The sharp contrast between the two IEMs comes when I listen to the first drums around 0:30 of Victory by Two Steps From Hell. The Falcon Ultra simply convey more sense of energy with every drum hit. It’s not that the bass is louder, but the sense of “slam”, the urgency of each drum hit, is just more palpable.

Rating​

Tonality: 3/5.


Soundstage Imaging: 3/5


Resolution: 3/5


Bass and Dynamic: 4/5

My Take​

I’ll keep it simple: I like Falcon Ultra. Dunu took the ECLIPSE drivers and crafted an organic sound rather than trying too hard to make them sound like laser sharp tribrid IEMs. At the same time, the technical performance of Falcon Ultra shows a clear step up from the single DD of the yesteryears or even the current flavour-of-the-month single DDs. The result is an IEM that sounds right, showcasing the naturalness and dynamic of a single DD without suffering much of the limitations of this driver configuration, such as peaky lower treble and rolled-off upper treble.

I believe that $240 is already a lot of money for an IEM; thus, the product should feel like a pricy product. Despite having a smaller cardboard box and a bit less sophisticated interchangeable plug system, Falcon Ultra does feel like a pricy and well-built product, so thumbs up from me on this front. I might be an odd one here, but I don’t believe IEMs with the single dynamic driver has any reason to pass a $1000 or even a $500 price tag unless it has been hyped to the moon (or black hole) and back. So, double thumps up for Dunu to keep the price tag sane (though I suspect a “Zen Ultra” somewhere in the Dunu R&D lab is getting ready to push the price bracket).

Absolute Sonic Quality Rating: 3.5 (Good)

Bias Score: 4/5 (I’m happy to add this IEM to my rotation)



Updated: August 6, 2023

Throughout my journey as an audiophile or audio lover, some IEM manufacturers have been among my favorites. I believe it’s the in-house sound tuning thing that we personally prefer. DUNU is one such brand that I prefer using on a day-to-day basis. Having tried, auditioned, and owned many of their IEMs, I can say I am a fan of their craftsmanship and also the way they tune their IEMs as well. My recent favorites from them could be the Zen(Single DD Monster), SA6 MK2(Multi-BA Set), and a few more models. Today, I am going to share a review of their brand new IEM, the DUNU Falcon Ultra. Let’s know the Falcon Ultra a little better before beginning on the review part.

DUNU Falcon Ultra:-

Falcon Ultra is the third IEM in the Falcon series by DUNU. The first installment came out years ago in the form of Falcon-C. Which later got an upgrade in the form of Falcon Pro in 2021. The Falcon Pro was completely redesigned both in terms of driver architecture and design & shape. I personally liked the Falcon Pro as well, it brought a good sound at around a 200$ price budget. This time around, we have got the Falcon Ultra, a similar design to the Falcon Pro, but with a new, vivid color profile, a new powerful driver(as told by the brand), and a new stock cable with replaceable plugs. The Falcon Ultra is launched for 239.99$, it is available on HiFiGo Which generously sent this sample to us in India as a part of the review tour here. I would like to say thanks to them for this, you can check out the Falcon Ultra on their store from the link below(Non-Affiliated Link).

https://hifigo.com/products/dunu-falcon-ultra

Well, that’s a lot of banter, now let’s go ahead and start with the unboxing for the Falcon Ultra.

Package & Accessories:-

DUNU Falcon Ultra comes in a compact package with a matte reflective silver outer cover. The package has a minimalistic design on the front and we have some technical information on the back of this outer cover. Inside we have the cable, IEMs, and tuning nozzles in the carry case which is the first thing we see upon unboxing. Underneath this carry case, there’s a black box that holds multiple sets of eartips including S&S, Candy eartips from DUNU, and some normal silicone ones as well. There are no memory foam ear tips included. We also have a cleaning brush, cleaning cloth, and a 6.35mm adapter. Overall, simple yet fruitful unboxing. We have everything we need except memory foam tips.

Design & Build Quality:-

I am a fan of DUNU’s craftsmanship, Falcon Ultra just increases that respect from my side. The pair has identical looks to the Falcon Pro, but the new color is vivid and looks amazing. It’s actually metallic blue which matches perfectly with the all-metal shell of the pair. It is still a fingerprint magnet and scratch magnet, I took good care of the pair for the time it was with me still got a few scratches here and there. Falcon Ultra has MMCX connectors and they are quite tight to disconnect from the stock cable(Had a hard time pulling these out of the stock cable).



The stock cable is of quite an amazing quality. It has a solid braided structure with metallic connectors and easy to replace modular plug system. Falcon Ultra comes bundled with 3.5mm and 4.4mm plugs. The nozzles on the shells are easily replaceable, they have slight differences in the filter at the mouth that brings some changes in the output.

Fit & Isolation:-

Falcon Ultra fits amazingly well, the earpieces sit comfortably into my ears and completely seal my ear canal providing me with a good fit. I am using stock Candy eartips and also Softears UC tips both in M size. Amazing fit for me. I will ask my wife to click me a picture of this one wearing and I will attach it below to showcase how comfortably the pair sits into my ears.

Power Requirements for Falcon Ultra:-

Falcon Ultra isn’t demanding at all. It works well with my music players, Sony ZX707, HiBy R6 Pro II, and Aune M1p. None of these have powerful output, they all have decently powerful output. I personally loved the Falcon Ultra with the Aune M1p. These two make a fantastic stack with a lovely sound and a compact footprint. I have also tried the Falcon Ultra with Shanling UA3, can safely state that Falcon Ultra will sound amazing out of a decent quality DAC/AMP as well. As long as you treat the pair with a decent source, you are good to go.

Sound Quality Impressions:-

Falcon Ultra adopts a similar driver identical to the brand’s single dd flagship, the Zen Pro just a little smaller in size(information by brand only). While I haven’t heard of the Zen Pro, I can say that the Falcon Ultra sounds like a noticeable improvement over the previous Falcon Pro. The pair has a stronger bass presence and a cleaner midrange. Basically, you get a U-shaped sound profile, the bass has a strong mid-bass representation, it feels strong and slightly on the emphasized side but nothing boomy or messy at all. Mid-bass has a little more presence than the sub-bass, but in tracks such as Bad Guy by Billie Eilish, Sub-bass also shows good rumble and clarity. Falcon Ultra maintains a clean and crisp resolution in the midrange section, the lower-mids a little recessed. Treble is smoothly done, it sounds inoffensive, has a good amount of details, can’t call it super detailed or analytical, but it isn’t dark or very relaxed either. It has enough amount of details to call it a crisp-sounding set. There is no noticeable harshness or sibilance present. The set handles busy tracks with ease showcasing a good amount of details and resolving power. I can simply say that the Falcon Ultra has a refined presentation with a smooth, natural timbre which takes away my heart every time I listen to the Falcon Ultra.

While making the notes for the Falcon Ultra some of my test tracks included fast music such as Rasputin by Boney M, Billie Jean by MJ, Californication by RHCP, etc, the Falcon Ultra handled them with ease. It doesn’t loses its character or its tone, and maintains an enjoyable presentation throughout the session. Technically, the Falcon Ultra again has an appreciable presentation. The imaging and Layering for instruments and vocals is decently executed. Even in busy tracks instrument separation is nicely done. Soundstage is something that could be improved a bit. It has decent depth but the width could be improved a bit. Depth perception is better because of the stronger mid-bass that gives a little heft to the notes. Don’t worry, the pair doesn’t sound overly warm or bossy, it maintains a warmish-neutral presentation that in my books, complements different genres of music well.

Tuning Nozzles:-

There are two sets of tuning nozzles with the pair. One is a Blue nozzle matching the color of the shells, and the other is brass gold-colored nozzles. Both the nozzles have slight differences in their sound. The Blue nozzle sounds clearer, crispier, and more detailed, but it has a slightly thin timbre for vocals. The Gold nozzle has thicker notes with richer timbre for vocals. Mid-bass is also a little more prominent on the gold nozzle. I personally preferred using a gold nozzle with the set.

Well, these are the basic things to describe the sound in a simple manner. Now, it’s time I mention pros and cons based on my own preferences.

Pros of Falcon Ultra:-

>Smooth, Buttery Smooth sound.

>Bass has a good slam.

>Timbre and tone are simple and lovely, the pair sounds very pleasing and not harsh at all.

>No sibilance presence.

>Instruments are crisp and nicely done.

>Comfort & Fit are super solid.

>Good isolation as well, the earpieces sit comfortably into my ears and provide me with proper seal(with stock tips as well as Softears UC tips).

>Two different sound signatures(smooth and natural with rich vocals(gold tubes)/ Slightly more detailed and slightly thin in timbre(Blue nozzle)).

>The metallic finish of the shells looks spectacular.

Cons of Falcon Ultra:-

>The metallic finish is also a con, it is actually a fingerprint and scratch magnet. Need to take utmost care while handling the pair.

>Some people might find the treble to be a little softer with rounded notes.

>Stage width could be better.

DUNU Falcon Ultra with BQEYZ Winter Ultra:-

I happened to have the BQEYZ Winter Ultra with me as well for the purpose of a review. Luckily, both the IEMs are similarly priced, and they both have excellent sound presentation, Falcon Ultra features a single DD while the BQEYZ Winter Ultra houses a DD+BCD combination. Let’s explore the sound comparison between the two.

>Winter Ultra has more micro details, it’s a highly detailed set.

>Falcon Ultra provides a smoother sound, while the BQEYZ Winter Ultra has more energy and liveliness, two ends of a spectrum. You enjoy both depending on your playlist and music.

>Both the IEMs are quite strong in the lower end, Falcon Ultra having a slightly more refined signature and the Winter Ultra having a slightly tighter lower end.

>Treble on the Winter Ultra is more forwarded in comparison to Falcon Ultra, notes are slightly sharper in comparison.

>Stage-wise both create an immersive soundstage with average width and decent depth.

>Timbre-wise, Both are quite identical, the slight difference is that the Falcon Ultra is slightly warmer while the Winter Ultra is slightly colder. The difference here is slight not night and day.

Final Words:-

Well, this completes it. The Falcon Ultra sounds amazing, has a beautiful eye-catchy design, and comes with an amazing range of accessories. The pair fits nicely, delivers quality sound, and isolates the listener as well, what else do we require from an IEM? I personally feel like the Falcon Ultra is a noticeable upgrade over the OG model, it has richer timbre, smoother treble, and quicker yet snappier bass response. I hope you guys enjoyed reading my review for the Falcon Ultra, if you have any questions or queries, you can ask me in the comments section below. I would appreciate if you guys could leave me a like, thanks for reading it till the very end!!

DISCLAIMER

I would like to thank DUNU for providing the Falcon Ultra review unit.




SPECIFICATIONS

• Driver configuration: 10.7 mm lithium-magnesium pure alloy dome dynamic driver
• Impedance: 16 Ohms
• Frequency response: 5 Hz - 40 kHz
• Sensitivity: 108 dB
• Cable: DUNU DUW02 Pro 4-strand Litz Furukawa single-crystal copper silver-plated wire; MMCX, Q-Lock Lite modular 4.4 mm and 3.5 mm options
• Tested at $239.99 USD

ACCESSORIES



DUNU certainly didn't stinge on the accessories. This is one of the best buffet spreads I've seen in a $200ish USD set!

Other than the IEM, these are included:
- 3 pairs of "balanced" white silicone ear tips
- 3 pairs of "vocal" black silicone ear tips
- 3 pairs of Candy silicone ear tips
- 5 pairs of S&S (Stage and Studio) silicone ear tips
- DUNU DUW02 Pro cable
- Q-Lock Lite 4.4 mm and 3.5 mm modules
- 2 pairs of tuning nozzles (gold and blue)
- 6.35 mm to 3.5 mm adapter
- Cleaning brush
- Spare colored bands
- Cleaning cloth
- Soft pouch
- Semi-rigid zipper case

Wow, what a lengthy list of goodies! Of course generous accessories does not an IEM maketh - the sonics are more important in my book - but this set of accessories easily puts some higher priced competitors to shame.




While no foam tips are included, the eartip selection is truly bountiful.




The aptly named Candy eartips come in a colorful motif, and they give the deepest bass rumble of the provided tips. Isolation is also the best of the lot, though soundstage is compressed when these are installed. Probably an option for our basshead friends.

The S&S (Stage and Studio) tips come in a gel like material that is very grippy and firm. These tips are cylindrical and long, and they seem to be mid-centric focused, in boosting vocals (though with some decrease in bass). These tips are rather popular on forums, with audiophiles buying them individually at 12 bucks (eg https://hifigo.com/products/dunu-s-s) for their IEMs.

The black tips - christened "vocal" - tips are probably my favourite of the bunch. These are the least isolating, but provide the largest soundstage and the best technicalities. Lastly, we have the white "balanced" tips, which as per their namesake, are a midpoint of the various tips in sonics.

The Falcon Ultra is extremely tip-sensitive, I found that the Candy eartips for example made the sound veiled and compressed, and I had the best technical performance with the black "vocal" tips. Pairing the wrong tips with this IEM may prove detrimental to the sound, and I would highly advise to go thru all the various tips as an extremely important first step. As everyone's ear anatomy is different - eartips are very personal - do explore to see which eartips suit you, as they not only affect the sound, but also comfort, fit and isolation.




2 carrying accessories are present, a draw-string soft pouch, and a semi-rigid zipper case. The latter is quite huge, with inner webbing, and it can carry the Falcon Ultra plus a bunch of accessories with no sweat.




The provided stock cable - the DUW02 Pro - is a 4-strand Litz Furukawa single-crystal copper silver-plated wire. While it is well-braided, the cable is very tangly with some microphonics. There is a chin cinch and the distal terminals have R and L lettering to delineate the sides.

This DUW02 Pro cable has DUNU's patented Q-Lock Lite modular system, which allows users to link 4.4 mm and 3.5 mm modules on it; thus, pairing the Falcon Ultra with various single-ended and balanced sources should be a piece of cake, unless you use 2.5 mm sources (but no biggie getting an adapter if that is the case.) The modules lock in and out easily, and are very secure.

Other smaller details are not missed by the team. There is a cleaning brush and cloth, colored bands (to help identify the sides of the earpiece), and a 6.35 mm to 3.5 mm adapter, in addition to 2 pairs of tuning nozzles, which we will discuss about below.

The rest of this review was done with the stock cable and stock "balanced" black tips. No aftermarket accessories were used, so as not to add any confounders to the sound.


BUILD/COMFORT

Sporting ultra (no pun intended) distinctive yet elegant mirror-like blue shells, with DUNU's logo adorning the sides, the Falcon Ultra is certainly a looker. The housings are solid, and are casted from high density stainless steel via CNC machining. The shells are similar to the predecessor (and limited edition) Vernus, just with a different hue.

On the flip side, the beautiful shells may be easily smudged or scratched, so be careful with these puppies!

Weighing in at 10 grams per side, the shells are very light and small in profile, with decent ergonomics. I had no discomfort whatsoever using the Falcon Ultra for extended listening sessions.

The Falcon Ultra is marketed to have a multi-vented acoustic design, to allow micro-airflow control. This is supposed to improve dynamics and bass response. With the liberal venting, I did not experience any driver flex. However, a consequence of this heavily vented design results in below average isolation, though this IEM is still usable outdoors.



Consumers who are anti-MMCX might gnash their teeth as this is a MMCX IEM, but thankfully, the plugs seem tight and lock well with a satisfying click, so this doesn't seem like the lower quality MMCX connectors that are commonly found in the budget realm.


DRIVABILITY

I tested the Falcon Ultra with the following sources:
- Apple dongle
- Cayin RU7
- Colorfly CDA M1 DAC/AMP dongle
- Creative Sound Blaster X5
- E1DA DAC/AMP dongle
- Hiby R3 Pro Saber 2022 DAP
- Khadas Tone Board -> Schiit Asgard 3 amp
- Khadas Tone Board -> Topping L30 amp
- Questyle M15 DAC/AMP dongle
- Sony Walkman NW A-55 DAP (Walkman One WM1Z Plus v2 Mod)
- Sony Walkman NW A-55 DAP (Walkman One Neutral Mod)
- Sony Walkman NW WM1A DAP (Walkman One WM1Z Plus v2 Mod)
- Smartphone

This IEM is easy to drive, but amplification will improve soundstage, dynamics and bass tightness. The highish sensitivity does lead to hiss on some sources with poor noise floor control, but by and large, once music starts playing, the hiss is not too noticeable.


INTERNALS

The Falcon Ultra's engine is a 10.7 mm lithium-magnesium pure alloy dome DD, which is purportedly very rigid yet extremely light. It is covered in a carbon oxide crystal layer, with an independent soft suspension system surrounding the dome; this special damping removes unwanted resonances and bestows rapid transients in tandem with this unique DD material.

A ring-type magnetic assembly with high Tesla flux - which is CNC-milled to micron-level standards - provides ultra-low distortion levels.


TUNING NOZZLES

The Falcon Ultra's versatility is increased with the 2 tuning nozzles on offer.




The gold (brass) filters furnish a smoother and laid back L-shaped type tuning, with a thicker note weight and a darker treble. Technicalities like soundstage, instrument separation and micro-detailing are weaker with this nozzle installed. This setup is probably good for chilling and relaxing.



The blue (S316 stainless steel) nozzles change the Falcon Ultra into a traditional Harmanish set, with improved technicalities (eg soundstage, micro-detailing, transients, instrument separation). Note weight is thinner on this setup, though the Falcon Ultra is crisper, with a more extended treble. This configuration provides a more analytical and technical soundscape, in contrast to the sedate gold nozzles.


SOUND & TECHNICALITIES

The following impressions are with the blue nozzle installed (ie Harmanish profile with better technicalities):

With the well-balanced Harmanish tonality furnished on this blue nozzle, the Falcon Ultra is quite consumer friendly for most music genres out there. Timbral accuracy is organic, with natural vocals and correct acoustic instrument reproduction heard.

With regards to technicalities, the Falcon Ultra is solid for a midFI single DD. It boasts accurate imaging, with excellent layering and instrument separation. Soundstage is about average, but the accurate layering and imaging allows instruments to be easily pinpointed in a dark background. Transients are rapid and crisp.

Some single DDs veer too much to being "musical", sounding analoguish with sub-par technical chops, whereas, some go to the other extreme of being too technical and sterile/artificial sounding. The Falcon Ultra amalgamates technicalities and musicality adeptly, managing decent micro-detailing without artificially boosting the treble, which is what some CHIFI do to game the system and add "fake resolution".

The keywords to describe the Falcon Ultra, would be "EFFORTLESS" and "NATURAL".



The Falcon Ultra is a sub-bass focused, IEM with the bass north of neutral. Bass extends well, with a decent rumble. In terms of quality, bass texturing is well-done, with moderate speed and minimal mid-bass bleed.

There's just a slight depression in the lower midrange, allowing this area to be crystal clear, with good transparency on tap. With the previously alluded to excellent layering and imaging, the midrange is one of my favourite aspects; the mids are sweet and vocalists and instrumentalists can easily showcase their talents within this nice cocoon. The upper mids are well-dosed, being forwards without shoutiness (unless at very high volumes), which is an extremely difficult line to balance.

The Falcon Ultra's treble is smooth and safe for treble sensitive folk. Sibilance is kept minimal, with no splashiness of high-hats or cymbals. On the flip side though, trebleheads might want to look elsewhere. Nevertheless, there is still decent air and as discussed previously, acceptable resolution and micro-details are present without artificially boosting this region.


COMPARISONS

The Falcon Ultra will be compared against other midFI single DD pairs. Hybrids, planars, and pure BA IEMs were excluded from the comparison as the different transducer types have their own pros and cons.




Tanchjim Oxygen

No midFI single DD fight will be complete without bringing in the big kahuna: the legendary Tanchjim Oxygen. FWIW, the Oxygen has had many stealth revisions to tuning/drivers over the years, and my Oxygen is the first version with the original lauded drivers (which gives more sub-bass).


Graph of the Tanchjim Oxygen versus Falcon Ultra (blue nozzle). 8 kHz is a coupler artefact peak.

With the blue nozzle in place on the Falcon Ultra, both sets are Harmanish, though the Falcon Ultra has a bit more bass and upper mids, albeit the Oxygen is a bit airier and sparkly in the upper treble. Both sets have top-notch timbral accuracy in keeping with their single DD roots.

When it comes to technicalities, the Oxygen is slightly behind in soundstage, imaging, layering and instrument separation. Micro-detailing is about on par.

The Oxygen has a contentious fit due to short stubby nozzles, and isn't as well accessorized.

The Oxygen has been my midFI single DD benchmark pair for the past 3 years, but the Falcon Ultra has taken over this mantle, boasting better versatility (via source pairing cable modules and tuning nozzles), better fit and better technicalities.


Moondrop KATO

The KATO follows Moondrop's virtual diffuse sound field (VDSF) tuning philosophy (which is their in-house variant of the Harman curve). Theoretically, the KATO has 2 tuning nozzles, but they are extremely subtle and are borderline scammish.

The KATO has a more metallic timbre, with inferior technicalities (soundstage, instrument separation, micro-detailing, imaging). The KATO's bass isn't as tight, and it is more sibilant.


JVC HA-FW1800

The JVC FW1800 is a V-shaped wood dome single DD with wooden shells. This imparts a more natural timbre to this pair. The FW1800 has a more expansive soundstage, though it has weaker imaging, micro-detailing, edge definition and instrument separation.

The FW1800 has a thicker mid-bass, though this area bleeds and isn't as tight. It is also shoutier in the upper mids with an over-zealous upper midrange.

One important area to note: the FW1800 has a very bad fit due to angled stubby nozzles, and many consumers have issues in comfort and seal. The Falcon Ultra in comparison is way better in ergonomics.


Final Audio E5000

The E5000 is an L-shaped warm and bassy set with a thick and lush note weight. However, it is one of the hardest IEMs to drive, due to its low sensitivity at 93 dB. When underpowered, it is not a matter of volume, but the bass is flabby and one-noted, lacking texture. As such, the E5000 is a difficult IEM to source pair, unlike the Falcon Ultra, with many portable sources failing to power the former optimally.

The E5000 is darker in the treble but is a league behind in technicalities. Imaging, soundstage, micro-detailing and instrument separation are markedly weaker and the E5000 is probably more suited for laid back listening than critical analysis.


CONCLUSIONS



The Falcon Ultra is a midFI single DD with that special sauce - melding the 3Ts of tonality, timbre and technicalities pleasingly into an alluring shell - with impeccable accessories and ergonomics.

It is easily driven, and the added modular cable increases source options (for both balanced and single-ended gear). In addition, a protean versatility graces this set: the blue nozzle confers a well-balanced consumer friendly Harmanish tone, while the gold nozzle provides a more laid back and smooth profile.



Timbre is very organic, and other than soundstage, this IEM is quite solid in technicalities, compared to other midFI single DDs. In fact, the Falcon Ultra with blue nozzles has usurped the 3 year reign of the Tanchjim Oxygen as my go-to benchmark single DD, with the former providing better technical prowess, versatility and fit.

The Falcon Ultra is quite eartip sensitive, and getting an optimal eartip seal is essential to showcase its great sound. Do tip-roll with the vast array of tips to get the optimal fit! Some other nitpicks are the slight hiss noted with some poorly implemented sources, and the average soundstage.

Other than outlier bona fide trebleheads, the Falcon Ultra will probably find a place in a single DD lover's collection (or rather, ears!)

I was sent the Dunu Falcon Ultra directly from Dunu in exchange for an honest review of their new upgraded version of the Dunu Falcon, Falcon Pro, Falcon C etc. From here on out, the opinions expressed are my own and have not been forced from me using forms of duress or torture. I appreciate Dunu for sending me this unit and letting me experience this IEM and express my honest thoughts.

Now that I have been reviewing for a little while, and mostly review things that I am interested in, this is the first time I was being sent a product and listening without a goal or notions. I also had no real expectations for what it was supposed to sound like or even look like. This is a single DD offering from Dunu which is somewhat of a specialty from them. They have succeeded in the past with IEMs like the Zen, Zen Pro, Luna, Titan S and the original Falcon Pro. I have had very mixed experiences with single DD IEMs and I would summarize this Falcon Ultra as a similarly mixed experience. There are some major caveats to this IEM, but I think it has a place and is ultimately a good IEM to enter into the single DD space compared to many other offerings sub $300.

The Boring Stuff: This review was conducted using the Falcon Ultra on my Hiby RS6, Apple Dongle, Questyle M15 and Prism Sound Calia. My music sources range from Qobuz, Spotify, Local FLACs and youtube. I tried everything to get a good gauge of what this IEM would do with different sources of varying quality.

IEMs to compare this to: If you are in the market for a single DD IEM, the other IEMs I can compare this to out of personal experience is the timeless JVC FDX1, Sennheiser IE200 and IE900. For a closer budgetary comparison, I will be comparing it to the Audiosense DT200.

The reason I chose the DT200 is because I believe they excel in similar areas despite different driver configurations. If you are in the sub $300 market, both of these IEMs should be on your shortlist.

Features: This IEM features tuning nozzles that fundamentally change the tuning of the IEM. I will be focusing on the blue nozzle because the gold nozzle was unlistenable for me. It was shouty and then pulled back on treble extension. The blue nozzle is the more neutral option which fits my all rounder vibe much more closely.

The Falcon Ultra’s price will most likely be above $200 and there are reasons I think this may be a dealbreaker, but I bring this up in the features section because part of the price is built into the quality of the accessories. The Falcon Ultra is a fully loaded package. It comes with about a dozen tip options in varying sizes, materials and shapes. The cable is a modular 3.5mm with options for a 4.4mm balanced and it comes with a case for each shell, like the classic Campfire Audio nut pouch, and a hardshell zipper case for being on the go. I have bought much more expensive IEMs which have significantly worse accessory packages. If you are just starting in the hobby, this has all you need to really get going.

Tonality: I would classify the Falcon Ultra as a mid focused IEM with strengths in timbre for strings and male vocals. While the FR graph shows that it might be a bit bright, I think this is a bit misleading. I find this IEM to be on the darker side with a bit less extensions then I would like. Overall it is a relaxed tone with medium technical and imaging capability. I think Dunu might have played it a bit safe with this revamp. The Falcon Ultra feels a bit too well rounded without actually giving it something to stand out from cheaper options like the Moondrop Kato, Audiosense DT200 or even Truthear Project Red.



Bass: If you have read my reviews before, you would know that my bass preferences lie in the 80-300hz region. A slight boost to this region helps bring forward note thickness and weight behind lower frequency horns and string instruments like cellos, trombones, bass guitars, snares and kick drums. I don’t really love head rattling sub bass, but it can be fun. The DT200 has beautiful note weight in the upper bass and mids, but a pretty terrible impact. The main difference between these 2 IEMs is the driver config. 1 DD for the Falcon Ultra and 2 BA for the Dt200. Many would think the DD would win, but I think the impact on the Falcon Ultra is worse. It stumbles on slammy tracks like “How you Like that” by BLACKPiNK and “Sunset” by the Midnight. The DT200 wobbles, but sort of produces slam. While this doesn’t really matter to me, it is worth noting.
The mid bass to lower mids on the other hand are very similar. I would really call these IEMs a “timbre head’s dream”. As a fan of the FDX1, FD01, I have been hoping to find a single DD that can do what the FDX1 did while bringing a better fit and timbre. The FDX1 is extremely metallic and aggressive while the Falcon Ultra and DT200 are very inviting and natural. On tracks, “Cumberland Blues” by the Grateful Dead or “Vertigo” by Bela Fleck, Falcon Ultra and DT200 really excel at making the strings sound realistic. Jerry’s vocals sound tender and gravelly while Phil’s bass is quite punchy and heavy behind it. FDX1 makes all of this sound very aggressive and lacks the lusciousness of DT200 and Falcon Ultra. I think I would give the edge to the Falcon Ultra for mid bass texture and bringing it together with lower mid coherence. It’s not the best I have ever heard, but it’s no slouch and for the price I think it’s pretty darn good. TLDR 6/10. Falcon Ultra has nice note weight to the mid bass and lower mids, but lacks sub bass slam and extension.

Mids: I very rarely find that speed is an issue with IEMs. My idea of speed is the ability of an IEM or headphone to produce positionally accurate sound without smearing. Busy sections in music that are heavily focused in one region seem to really require an IEM with either good speed or spacious staging. The Falcon Ultra falls a bit short in this region for me. One of my speed tests is Bela Fleck’s “Tentacle Dragon (Revenge of the)”. This song is incredibly fast and all of the bluegrass instruments are located in varying frequencies of the mids. Most IEMs and Headphones I have can keep up with it *somewhat*, but the Falcon Ultra, IE200, DT200 and others fall short. Guitar, Banjo, Mandolin and violin all blend together and become very hard to pick out of this mix. “Charm School” is another similar example that pulls the same tricks out revealing the weakness in the Falcon Ultra.
This is a very specific example that might not affect many people, but could be an issue on metal, hard rock, bluegrass or other super busy tracks. However, while it may smear a bit and become hard to really pull out individual instruments, the timbre of the strings in the mids is impeccable and brings a nice thickness that I just love, especially on folk and 90s rock tunes.
Vocals from the likes of Jerry Garcia, Dallas Green, Dave Matthews and others really shine on the Falcon Ultra. I would say that the vocal timbre for male vocals is the biggest strength of this IEM. If you’re like me, and you love old classic rock like the Grateful Dead, Steely Dan, and Santana or more current stuff like Dave Matthews Band, City and Colour, or Sturgill Simpson, the Falcon Ultra may be a real winner. Not a lot of IEMs can make me really smile due to controlling male vocals, but Dunu nailed this one. TLDR I will give this another 6/10 due to the smearing on super busy tracks, but is ultimately a very pleasant listen.

Treble: Oh Dunu, I don’t really know what you were thinking or trying to do here. I have said this multiple times before and I will stick to it. IEMs live and die by treble response. Treble is harder to EQ, harder to understand and is overall much more unbearable when done wrong. I have wasted time using IEMs that do treble terribly IE200, A4000, IE600, IE900 and the worst of all, Effect Audio Gaea. I have huffed copium trying to enjoy IEMs that do treble with some sparkle that can be a bit grating like the UM Mest Mkii and 64audio A12t. All of these IEM’s share one specific problem. The treble was just way too aggressive in one place or another. Whether it’s in the 4-5k range sounding like a cheese grater or the 8-10k range with sibilance and peaks all of these IEMs have compromises.
The Falcon Ultra is on the other side of this spectrum. I believe Dunu was trying to avoid the typical downsides of an IEM with shouty treble, but making it a tad recessed in extension. The graph from my clone does not show the same problems so I think it’s either the accuracy of the rig, inaccuracy of my ears or something in between. The lack of extensions makes a lot of music sound very empty. The extra air in the upper regions seems to open up the stage and make the music sound more lively. When it’s dark like this it feels very claustrophobic.
I will note that the quality of the treble that’s present sounds very good. I don’t hear the grain, glaze or shimmer that I tend to hear often enough. The cymbal strikes are very recessed, but clean. Female vocals have nice air under them sometimes, but sound very recessed in the mixes. I don’t have a ton to add here, but for a nice all rounder it is nice to not have to worry about stabs of sibilance because the higher registers seem to be missing. TLDR: This IEM sounds very dark to my ears and could benefit from a bit of a boosted treble region. However, the quality of the treble is excellent and a bit of EQ can probably help fix the balance. I will give this a 5/10 because it’s at least listenable. TLDR: Dark so it’s at least tolerable, but I’d like more air

Imaging and Soundstage: I don’t have much to write here. I would call it average. It doesn’t really excel, but doesn’t fall flat on its face either. Sometimes the speed can hamper busy sections, but at this price, I don’t find it to egregious. TLDR: 5/10

For the price, I think I would rather spend less and get the Audiosense DT200 for better executed treble at the expense of male vocals or Project Red if cost is a big issue. The Falcon Ultra seems like at best a sidegrade to both of those and possibly a downgrade depending on what you listen to. However, if you want a premium products, wit premium accessories from the ground up, The Falcon Ultra is a great option.

Review Of The Dunu Falcon Ultra​

Introduction​

An enormous audience of audiophiles are familiar with the Chinese electro-acoustic product maker Dunu for its tuning signature and sound. They have never let anyone down who has listened to one of their IEMs, whether it is from a TOTL line up or a budget line up. Before continuing, I'd like to clarify a few things. Recently, they released the Dunu Falcon Ultra, the Dunu Falcon Pro's replacement as another of their single DD IEMs. I'll be reviewing both.

​

Disclaimer​

*Since this unit tour was organised by the beautiful people at HiFiGo, I am grateful to them. And as I've said in all of my evaluations, the same is true for this one: all of the concepts I've expressed below are entirely my own, original ideas that haven't been influenced by anyone else. If interested, go to this link.
*I am not associated with the connection, and I receive no financial assistance from anyone.
*For the remainder of the review, I will refer to these IEMs as "Ultra."
*I am using different Ear-tips(Azla Earfit Xelastec) for convenience and better versatility.
*Finally, I will only evaluate the Ultra based on their performance, even though I will explain how it feels and seems physically and aesthetically.
*The stock nozzles are being used to provide the impressions, but I'll give more information once I've used another pair of nozzles.

Specification​

The Ultra only has one dynamic driver, a 10.7mm driver with an entirely unique dome structure made of lithium magnesium alloy and a fully independent soft suspension surround. The driver also has an exterior ring-type magnetic assembly with a strong tesla-level magnetic flux. The shells, with the exception of the driver, are composed of stainless steel, which is anodized blue on top and frosted with a retro logo pattern around the attractive faceplate. Although they appear flush when worn on my ears, the shells feel weighty. They are pleasant even after extended listening sessions. Four different types of eartips in various sizes, a shell pouch, a cable with two alternative termination points, a cleaning brush, a cleaning cloth, an additional set of nozzles, a quarter-inch plug, colored rings, and a carrying case are among the additional accessories. Technically speaking, the sensitivity is 108dB, and the impedance is 16 ohms. The total harmonic distortion is less than 0.3%, and the frequency response ranges from 5Hz to 40kHz. I was not able to obtain every accessory that came with the IEM, so I used the photo below as a guide.

Credit

Sound​

The sound presentation is bold and energetic yet eliciting a calm and smooth response, thus first and foremost, this experience is novel to me. Undoubtedly, a dynamic driver is the only one which can demonstrate what a cogent and orderly response sounds like. With their falcon category, I believe DUNU once again outdid themselves by introducing a market-dominating beast. The Ultra performs so well that even I am surprised with how easily they handle all the regions. Of course, you can't expect a single dynamic driver to sound so accurate with the presentation. I think that a few concerns here and there may be put off because, first, only one dynamic driver is working hard, and second, the value is much more than one might anticipate. The Kiwi Ears Quintet is the only worthy opponent I can think of at the moment. However, I will undoubtedly express my thoughts later on regarding the Quintet and Ultra, so let's get started now.

Treble​

The treble avoids becoming irritating and has a nice, extended, clear tone. Despite neither of them offering fine details, the combination of vocals and instruments creates a sound that is expansive and clean. I don't think there is any loss of presence because the vocals and instruments blend together so well. The lower treble levels may be to blame for this. The vocals and instruments are brought forward and sound broader thanks to the lower treble's strong intensity; neither of them sound thin or light. The notes sound substantial because the response has a lifelike tone.
The voices are surrounded by instruments, but it never feels like their presence overlaps with another's. When compared to the Quintet, which is significantly more extensive and smooth, such repair feels seamless and effortless, but the distinction between singers and instruments can be questioned. Nevertheless, the natural presentation cannot be surpassed. When heard through Quintet, the voices and instruments appeared to be adequately presented. The treble region is therefore presented broadly, fully, and naturally overall.

Mid Range​

Oh gosh, the vocals sound lovely and dreamy in the midrange. The signature is energetic and forward, but it never includes any derogatory tones anywhere. Female vocals occasionally generate ss-tt, but only in vocal-specific recordings. The singers and instruments have a richness to their notes, and the upper mid range has a lively tone. The instruments complement each other, mixing with each other to create a unified reaction, and the voices have a clear and beautiful texture to their notes that sound extremely nice. The instruments' tones are warm and straight, never sounding sibilant or peaky. The quintet had a clearer, more distinct sound, which created the impression of being open and airy, which in my opinion sounded better as well, but the Ultra was what made me feel more at ease. This is due to the rich and satisfying tones in the lower mid range. The vocals and instruments take on a more organic quality in the lower midrange, and the response is heavy and dense. The upper frequencies sounded warmer and cleaner tonally, without any unpleasant sounds, thanks to the thick features of the notes. Despite the fact that the quintet successfully strikes the right balance, the richness is unmatched by what the quintet can offer. The bass guitar crashes forcefully and hits you in the right place, making it hit differently. It makes a strong argument for sounding more serene because the answer is secure and attractive. Overall, the mid range presentation is rich, melodic, and organic.

Bass​

Although the emphasis is primarily on the sub bass, particularly between 50 and 100 Hz, the mid bass doesn't hold back, which makes it equally rewarding. The bass is full in all frequency ranges. When compared to Ultra, the Quintet had a more neutral than warm tone. I adore how rich and dense it is yet still sounding clear and swift in resolution. The mid bass and thick slams overpower the sub bass, which goes deep enough to create rumble feelings. Although the punches tell the same tale, they are soft and audible. The bass is naturally not as highly textured or sharply detailed as the Quintet due to this response, but if you want a nice and warm bass, the Ultra is the one to choose. Yes, the lower mid range picks up some of the mid bass, but it doesn't sound muddy or bloated. The bass does not have a big impact on the entire mix while yet keeping the integrity of clean sound. I now understand that the bass region's overall reaction is full, slamming, and deftly controlled.

Technical Performance​

The Ultra is more tonally rich than the Quintet, which is a technical beast, hence the Ultra's technical performance is less favorable when compared to the Quintet's. The stage isn't extremely big or far away, but it does the job. The details and speed of resolution are great enough to make the engagement interesting. Let's delve a little deeper.

Soundstage, Sound Imaging & Separation​

Although the separation between the singers and instruments isn't exactly as clear as it could be since the notes are close together, I can still tell where the sound is coming from because the sound stage is large enough to feel vast. Though not quite as sharp as how Quintet expresses, the picture is fairly precise.

Speed & Resolution​

Although rapid, the resolving speed is not as quick as other IEMs in this pricing category. Even if the driver is able to express both macro and micro characteristics, the micro details only show in imprecise form. Nevertheless, I think the resolution is excellent.

Sound Impressions​

Tuning Nozzle​

Gold Nozzle - After switching from blue to gold nozzles, the sound didn't alter much in the treble or bass range; the only thing I noticed was that the female vocals were more relaxed and the male vocals were slightly more pronounced. Instruments like the cello and piano also seemed older and thicker. But after switching the nozzles, I only noticed these modifications. The technicalities remained unchanged, therefore they were the same as those generated using the Blue nozzle.

Sources​

Tempotec V6 - while using the V6 to listen As anticipated, the answer was thorough and understandable. The bass was better textured from other sources, the mid range was a little more engaged, and the treble was more precise and approachable. The imaging and details were very well established, yet the technicalities felt the same.

iFi Hipdac - while using the hip-dac to listen, The tone of the treble was more agreeable, and the response was more rounded and enjoyable. The midrange had a more expressive sound, which inadvertently added some sibilance, but the bass was problematic because it was bloated and muddy. Consequently, the pairing felt worse than I anticipated.

Tracks​

Luna Haruna - Glory days
Luna Haruna - Overfly
Rokudenashi - The Flame of Love
LMYK - 0 (zero)
ORESKABAND - Jitensya
Marina Horiuchi - Mizukagami no Sekai
RADWIMPS - Suzume
Indila - Love Story
Indila - Tourner dans le vide
Earth, Wind & Fire - September
Tom Petty - Free Fallin'
Fleetwood Mac - Everywhere
Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
Blue Oyester Cult - (Don't Fear) The Reaper
Guns 'N' Roses - Sweet Child O' Mine
The Police - Every Breath You Take
Gojira - Amazonia
TV on the radio - Wolf Like Me
Bring Me To The Horizon - Can You Feel My Heart
Bring Me To The Horizon - sTraNgeRs
Avril Lavigne - Dare To Love Me
Travis - Love Will Come Through
DJ Shadows - Six Days (Remix) [feat. Mos Def]
Lady Gaga - Just Dance
Lil Wayne - Lollipop
Flo Rida - Low
Sebastian Lopez & Flug - Electronic Measures
Federico Mecozzi - Blue (Da Ba Dee)
Wayve - Not Enough
Kai Wachi & TeZATalks - Ghost
NGHTMRE, Zeds Dead & Tori Levett - Shady Intentions
Zeds Dead, DNMO & GG Magree - Save My Grave
Skrillex, Noisia, josh pan & Dylan Brady - Supersonic
Skrillex & Nai Barghouti - Xena
Skrillex, Missy Elliott & Mr. Oizo - RATATA
Kaifi Khalil, Eva B & Wahab Bugti - Kana Yaari
A.R. Rahman, Javed Ali & Mohit Chauhan - Kun Faya Kun

Conclusion​

The Dunu Falcon Ultra is a strong rival for the Quintet and is highly recommended for those who want a more sublime and warm signature with one of the best tonal performances available at this price point. Of course, if you want an IEM that is more technically advanced, choose the Quintet, but if you want an IEM that is more calming and enjoyable, get The Dunu Falcon Ultra or at least give them a try.