DUNU LUNA

DISCLAIMER

I would like to thank Tom from DUNU for having me on the DUNU LUNA review tour. The DUNU LUNA was passed on to another tour member after a week or so of assessment.


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The DUNU LUNA is lunatically good sounding (no pun intended). I’d say it is the best single DD set I’ve heard, in terms of melding technicalities, timbre and tonality. Well, I can’t afford it in this lifetime, but too bad the ears can’t unhear it now and I can’t look at other single DDs in the same (moon)light.


SPECIFICATIONS

• Driver Type: 10 mm Acoustic-Grade Pure Beryllium Rolled Foil with Polyurethane Suspension
• Frequency Response: 5 Hz – 40 kHz
• Impedance: 16 ohm@ 1KHz
• Sensitivity: 110 dB at 1 kHz
• Cable: Patented Catch-Hold MMCX Connector with patented DUNU Quick-Switch Modular Plug System
• Tested at $1699 USD

ACCESSORIES

My set was a loaner tour sample, it is different from the actual retail package (which has more goodies like a type-C DAC dongle with a USB-A to USB-C adapter and an additional carrying case). FWIW, included in this loaner tour sample was the following (in addition to the IEM):

1) Lunatically large amount of different silicone tips of various bore and nozzle lengths/diameters (including spinfits) – do tip roll to see what suits your preference.

2) Leather carrying case – has pockets with zips and is of excellent build.

3) Cable – very well built. It is a mixed strand of furukawa electric ohno continuous cast (OCC) Copper & DHC silver, with silver-plated OCC copper shield surround. This cable comes with a modular system at the distal end for various adapters (3.5 mm single-ended, 3.5 mm balanced, and 2.5mm and 4.4mm balanced). This is an innovative idea that allows one to swap modules out at the distal end of the cable, so as to cater to whatever source you have. Do be careful that the 3.5 mm balanced adapter can be mistaken for the 3.5 mm single-ended one, and this may fry your source. The only difference is in the number of lines on the connector!






BUILD/COMFORT

The DUNU LUNA is made of metal and is very well built and comfortable for me. I have used it for long sessions without discomfort. No driver flex was noted for my set.

I was a bit disappointed that the DUNU LUNA came in an MMCX connector. I’m not a fan of MMCX connectors in general, due to their generally shorter life expectancy compared to 2 pin sets, but I guess the modular system at the distal end of the cable theoretically means that one doesn’t need to swap the cable out at the MMCX area to get access to various sources.



ISOLATION

Isolation is below average. Hence, I wouldn’t recommend the DUNU LUNA to be brought on the subway/bus due to this (to protect hearing health). But then again, I wouldn’t dare to wear a $1700 USD set outside. It’s not just a matter of perhaps getting robbed or the DUNU LUNA getting stolen (though I’m not sure if other than hardcore audiophiles, would the laymen robbers know what is a DUNU LUNA, perhaps they are more familiar with Beats and Apple stuff haha), but I would be fearful of scratching it or snagging the cable against something while outdoors! It’s so precious!


DRIVABILITY

I tested the DUNU LUNA with a Khadas Tone Board DAC -> Topping L30, Shanling Q1 DAP, Ziku HD X9 DAP -> Fiio A3 amp, android smart phone, Sabre HIFI DAC (ESS ES9280C PRO) and a Tempotec Sonata HD Pro. The DUNU LUNA does scale with higher powered sources but is drivable from lower powered gear.


SOUND & TECHNICALITIES

The DUNU LUNA I would say, is a W shaped set (see graphs below under “comparisons”). I would say it is the best single DD set I’ve heard, in terms of melding technicalities, timbre and tonality. It is a musical set, yet preserving very good technicalities. The selling point of the DUNU LUNA, would be that is has pure beryllium drivers, which theoretically would give fast transients and excellent dynamics. And I have to say, indeed, the DUNU LUNA manages to get smoothness with speed, excellent technicalities with authentic timbre, fast transients with good note weight all spot on.

Sound is rich and nuanced. Timbre for acoustic instruments is very good in keeping with its single DD roots. Technicalities on the DUNU LUNA like clarity, details, imaging, instrument separation and soundstage can easily hang with multi BA/hybrids, which is amazing for a single DD set. The usual adage that single DD types are superior in timbre/tonality, but weaker in technicalities than multi BA/hybrids is a common refrain in the audiophile world, but hearing a TOTL single DD like the DUNU LUNA will really shake this adage upside down. Soundstage is very deep and high. Soundstage width is on the wider side (though probably not classleading in width per se). I didn’t find any instances of muddiness or congestion, even in complex music, or fast movements.


Bass:
Bass on the DUNU LUNA is almost neutral, it is quite punchy in the midbass, but the bass quantity will not be for bassheads. It is a midbass focused IEM and the subbass unfortunately also has a roll off, that’s one area of weakness on this set. Quality wise, in terms of transient speed, dynamics and timbre, the bass is excellent. Texturing is very good. There’s no midbass bleed and decay is on the faster side. So the DUNU LUNA goes for a quality bass over overt bass quantities, I think everyone other than diehard bassheads will appreciate this.


Mids:
Mids are my favourite aspect on this set, the term that comes to mind on hearing the mids are “romantic”. Lower mids on the DUNU LUNA are very sweet and lush. Mids are very layered and transparent and detailed and mid lovers will like this set. The upper mids area around 3 – 4 kHz is boosted, relative to the lower mids, but I didn’t find it that harsh/shouty, compared to a lot of CHIFI that boost this area. At high volumes (Fletcher Munson curve) or with poorly recorded material, one might find this 3 – 4 kHz area to be hot and jarring at times, or perhaps leaning to fatiguing with longer listening sessions, but by and large, I found the mids rather smooth. The added boost to the upper mids does make guitars and vocals have a bit more prominence and bite. Female vocals are more forward than male vocals in general.


Treble:
Treble extension on the DUNU LUNA is average. The treble preserves excellent microdetailing and clarity, without going into fatiguing territory. Cymbals sounded very natural and not splashy. However, the treble does roll off early for the higher treble frequencies. I’m treble sensitive and it is quite a safe and non fatiguing treble IMO, and I didn’t find any sibilance on it. The converse is that the DUNU LUNA does not have a top end sparkle that will cater to trebleheads, so YMMV.


COMPARISONS


Graphs comparing 3 purported full beryllium sets. Graphs courtesy of KopiOKaya from Audioreviews (IEC711 compliant coupler). 8 kHz area is probably a resonance coupler peak.


Final Audio A8000 ($2000 USD)

The DUNU LUNA is usually discussed in the same breath as the other full beryllium single DD summitFI set, the Final Audio A8000. Between these 2 beryllium behemoths, I do think the Final Audio A8000 has better technical performance, though I found the Final Audio A8000 too bright/fatiguing for me due to the wealth of resolution and details and there’s a harsh peak somewhere at the 5 – 6 kHz region, so it isn’t my cup of tea.

TBH, I would say the Final Audio A8000 has the best resolution, transparency, transients and technicalities I’ve ever heard in a single DD set, though it needs amping as is quite difficult to drive compared to the DUNU LUNA. Other than the Final Audio A8000 besting the DUNU LUNA in the above technical areas, soundstage is also wider on the Final Audio A8000. The Final Audio A8000 bass doesn’t rolloff at the subbass as much as the DUNU LUNA, and has more subbass quantity than the DUNU LUNA. Mids are thinner and more “clinical” in Final Audio A8000, and treble is more extended and boosted on the Final Audio A8000. Vocals can instruments can sound a bit dry and thin on the more analytical Final Audio A8000.

Hence, the Final Audio A8000 goes for a brighter, thinner and crisper tonality compared to the warmer and smoother and fuller DUNU LUNA, so different strokes for different folks. For sure the Final Audio A8000 is the more technical and analytical IEM, but it is more fatiguing at the higher frequencies than the DUNU LUNA, so treble sensitive folks better be warned about it.


KBEAR BElieve ($159 USD)

I know it is kind of lunatical (no pun intended) to compare the KBEAR BElieve ($159 USD) to the $1700 USD DUNU LUNA, but since they are both advertised to have full beryllium DDs, here we go:

The KBEAR BElieve has poorer timbre and a thinner note weight. The KBEAR BElieve is less refined, has slower transients and has poorer technicalities/dynamics, but it costs 10 times less, so that’s kinda expected.The DUNU LUNA is much easier to drive, but has worse isolation. I wouldn’t recommend the KBEAR BElieve if you don’t have a suitably powerful source, as it can sound muddy and congested when underpowered. If I were to give a ballpark figure, I think the KBEAR BElieve can hit around 70% of the DUNU LUNA’s technical performance (when amped).

So between the 2, it depends if you wanna chase the last 30% sound for huge diminishing returns, or are happy with hitting 70% performance for 10% of the cost, but the only problem is I can’t unhear what I have heard (the 30% improvement) in the DUNU LUNA hahaha.


CONCLUSIONS

The DUNU LUNA is lunatically good sounding (no pun intended). I’d say it is the best single DD set I’ve heard, in terms of melding technicalities, timbre and tonality. The romantic and lush mids of the DUNU LUNA are the star of the show. The beryllium drivers really do provide great transients and excellent dynamics.

The usual adage that single DD types are superior in timbre/tonality, but weaker in technicalities than multi BA/hybrids is a common refrain in the audiophile world, but hearing a TOTL single DD like the DUNU LUNA will really shake this adage upside down. The DUNU LUNA keeps the excellent tonality and timbre of its single DD roots, but adds the resolution of a multi BA/hybrid set into the mix, amalgamating the best of both worlds.

If there are some nitpicks I have to make, they are that the DUNU LUNA has below average isolation, its skyhigh price (I can’t afford it this lifetime!), and perhaps the subbass and higher treble roll off.

It was an extremely enjoyable listen throughout my week of having the DUNU LUNA for a loaner tour. Too bad the ears can’t unhear it now and I can’t look at other single DDs in the same (moon)light. I was really quite sad to pass it on to the next tour member. Honestly, price is probably going to be the biggest stumbling block for more folks to own or hear the DUNU LUNA, so I really look forward to checking out the upcoming DUNU ZEN, hopefully DUNU manages to come up with a TOTL tuning at a comparatively cheaper price for a single DD!

Dunu Luna ($1699): Fly me to the moon... 「玥」



Luna landing

Intro: As luck would have it, Dunu offered me the new SA-6 while I waited my turn for the Luna. Bad luck meant they both arrived on the same day...knowing I would only have the Luna for a week, I immediately hooked it up to insure all was working, then included it in my final three FiR Audio reviews (M2, M3, M4). Knowing the price matched the M4, more time was spent in that comparison, and will be shared below.

The Luna is Dunu’s attempt at raising their level into the true flagship level. Utilizing pure Beryllium for the driver has shown to have many merits, including speed of reproduction, lightness and longevity. Much information can be garnered from the link above, and perusing it really is not a waste of your time, even if you are not in the market.

My experience with Dunu started with the Titan 1, which was my first foray back into the portable audio segment, and my son still currently enjoys it. I really did enjoy the sound, even if it was a bit too hot for me up top. Initial impressions from the Luna (and SA-6) note that what to me became the trademark Dunu top end has thankfully been toned down a bit. So far so good.

Most of what I read beforehand told of the Luna being quite good at detail retrieval and clarity, along with a solid non in your face bass quality, which is also quite good. My initial impressions can concur with those assessments.



Specs:

BRAND: DUNU
MODEL: LUNA

FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 5 Hz - 40 kHz
TOTAL HARMONIC DISTORTION: 0.2% at 1 kHz
NOMINAL IMPEDANCE: 16 Ω
SENSITIVITY: 110 dB at 1 kHz

DRIVE MODULE: 10 mm Acoustic-Grade Pure Beryllium Rolled Foil with Polyurethane Suspension

HOUSING MATERIAL: Titanium Alloy, Grade 5 (Ti-6Al-4V, TC4, with modified rare earth metal formulation)
NET WEIGHT: 10.3 g

CABLE LENGTH: 1.2 m
CABLE MATERIAL: Mixed Strands of Furukawa Electric Ohno Continuous Cast (OCC) Copper & Neotech Silver, with Silver-Plated OCC Copper Shield Surround

CABLE CONNECTOR: Patented Catch-Hold® MMCX Connector
PLUG CONNECTOR: Patented DUNU Quick-Switch Modular Plug System (2.5bal, 3.5bal, 3.5se, & 4.4 Pentaconn included)


Also included:

Three pouch (center one zippered) pleather case, which looks like a large zippered wallet

4 sets of silicon tips in s/m/l (yellow & red shaft, blue and red-shafted gray)


Gear Used/Compared:

FiR Audio M4 ($1800)
Unique Melody Maestro V2 ($1499)
MMR Homunculus ($1699)

Cayin N6 mk2
Shanling M6 Pro
MBP/EarMen TR-AMP
MBP/Yulong DA-Art Aquila II
MBP/Little Dot mk3 se



Songlist:

Joey Alexander-Warna album and others
Mark Knopfler-Laughs And Jokes And Drinks And Smokes
Santana w/ Mana- Corazon Espinado
twenty one pilots album, Trench
Tedeschi Trucks Band
Big Head Todd & The Monsters-Beautiful World
Mark Knopfler-Down The Road Wherever
Elton John-yep, still good, still cool
Tidal MQA


Unboxing:

I took it out of the mailing package and unwrapped the extra-sized wallet from the bubble wrap (no I did not squish any of them...) and unzipped the case. Inside I found the unit, all four changeable jacks and the four sets of tips.

That’s it, that’s the unboxing.



Build/Fit/Finish:

To me Dunu is known for producing smaller sized IEM’s, that pack a large compendium of sound. The Luna would be no different in the sound or the size department. In fact, if you flip the Luna over, using it without the over-ear bend it mimics the classic Titan looks.

Made of four parts, the cylinder that holds the cable, back plate, shell and nozzle, there is an industrial look to it, which is not unpleasant. The fore side of the back plate and shell are not completely flush (on both), so I am unsure if this is by design (to aid in grip) or a function of tolerance. When one forks over the hard-earned green for a TOTL, one expects perfection. While this is a minor quibble to me, it does matter. Made of grade 5 Titanium though (Ti-6Al-4V and TC4), the unit is built to last. Adding in their own rare earth mix to give the shell a better “ring,” Dunu formulates the shell for its own signature. I have ridden friend Titanium racing bicycles and they are superb. I prefer old-school steel myself, but if I had to, Titanium would be the easy other choice. For that part, the Luna carries an understated stunning look to it. Like the gorgeous date who walks in with you but carries herself in an unassuming manner and reserved dress. Only those who pay close attention would go, “wow...she’s gorgeous.” I like unassuming, understated beauty.



More manufacturers are taking the shell space seriously, like the chamber in which your home stereo plays. To more discerning ears than mine, I’m sure the differences are more apparent. I applaud this aspect of careful detailed presentation and think this is something all manufacturers should do.

The back plate is concave, and thus sits deeper into your ear. Mind you the Luna is svelte in and of itself, so to further minimize itself is a nice addition. In-ear fit is good, and with a good tip choice, seal is solid. Instead of having an over ear bend of plastic sheath like normal, the Dunu has a thick plastic sheath, much like you would find on the other end at the jack. Meant to protect the cable, here the sheath is indeed bent towards the back, thus giving the cable a “natural” over ear bend. Tucked neatly behind the ear, without trouble of coming off or hindering my glasses, the Luna cable worked. A thoughtful execution to a potentially persistent problem.

I will state that aside from the “misfit” shell and back plate, the Luna is put together superbly. With a vent hole out the back as well as tucked aft of the nozzle on the shell, there is adequate ventilation. Quality exudes from the Luna at all turns.



Sound:

Starting down low as per usual, the bass goes fairly low, but this would never be confused with a basshead IEM. There is a bit of a roll off in the sub bass, which prevents rumble from coming out, but the presentation is good, nonetheless. Countering that “lack” is excellent speed and control. The Be driver is certainly doing its job here. I am not the best at discerning separate sounds, but the speed with which this driver reacts is impressive. But, due to that lack of overall rumble and reach, I understand here why a reviewer called the Luna “light” in sound. Mind you that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The opposite of that is clarity, which is quite good.

The mids present a somewhat opposite approach. Both a bit forward and elevated, vocal presentation takes the center stage as witnesses on Elton John’s All The Young Girls Love Alice, or Knopfler’s Laughs And Jokes And Drinks And Smokes, which permeate the air right in front of you. This is not bad, and again clarity comes to mind. Those who like a forward-mid presentation will really like the way the Luna presents this part. I appreciate it as one of Dunu’s “signature traits,” ever since I listened to the Titan 1. I do notice an artificiality coming in much like what @B9Scrambler describes as “plasticky.” Hindering the overall quality of the mids with an almost balanced armature quality is how he describes it. Not able to put my finger on it until I read that description, I would agree with that assessment.



Thankfully up top, the treble comes across with a brilliant presentation. Not overly bright, or shouty, but present and near-forceful. Not forceful enough to overpower, but present with extreme confidence. Think about the gymnast who needs to nail a pommel horse jump to win. And she does it. On Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding, there is a chance an IEM can come across as overly bright due to the complexity up top. The Luna present and exemplary story and this could be my favorite aspect of it. Often with bright signatures up top, I have to turn the volume down (not due to sibilance, just can’t take too much bright); but here I do not and even through a neutral DAC/amp such as the Yulong DA-Art Aquila II, it is not too much. Well done Dunu.

Put all of the above together and the soundstage comes across as impressively wide and tall for a single dynamic driver. Granted the slight elevation of the mids and vocals aid in this but when Albert King’s I’ll Play The Blues For You comes on, his wretchedly cool guitar licks come across dead center while the support bass guitar and electric guitar support one side, and the drums the other. Think of a planetarium where you could talk into a rounded wall and someone on the complete opposite side would think the sound is coming from BEHIND them. A cool phenomenon and one, which to me describes the soundstage of the Luna.

The clarity of which I mention above also aids in keeping everything separate, with good isolation of all involved. As a result, the texture is good, and layering is also good. Don’t expect a huge amount of separation as the overall signature is one of evenness and not meant for that analytically precise separation. Think more of the whole as opposed to the parts.



Comparisons:

Dunu Luna ($1699) vs Fir Audio M4 ($1800): From my M4 review...

The Luna came in time for a comparison as luck would have it, and I have been graced by some superb wares the last three months. The Luna fits into that mold of flagship nicely, and it is a technological marvel. Replete with a pure Beryllium foil driver, and a shell of Titanium, the Luna finishes the overture of techno-wizardry off by being handmade.

Described by one reviewer as “light” for a signature, this was not meant as a pejorative statement, but one of appreciation for the “lilt” given off by the signature. The Luna is one of the more clarity-driven IEM’s I have heard of late. Crisp sound and deep-enough reach of bass (it is quite good without bleed, and a good punch), this is indeed a direct comparison. With mids that are brighter, and treble on par but with a bit more presence I did have to turn the volume down. No sibilance, but a high end not for the faint of heart. Crystalline and crisp, but with an edge would be an apt description. Very good would be another.

And this is what separates the two. The Luna is not shy about its top end, where the M4 shows a bit more respect for our ears. And in doing so, I appreciate that as well. I would call the Luna the “typical” Dunu house-top-end, except that the SA-6 I have in as well pretty much blows that out the back door. The Luna is another excellent example of how this range between $1500-2000 is packed with excellent choices. See also the one directly below, and that “hard choice” we have to make gives us just reward, regardless of the signature.

*Addendum: The more I listen to the Dunu, the more I appreciate the signature as “not typical” Dunu, but what Dunu can be when allowed to expand. I really like the M4 and would most likely choose it over the M5 (save a grand as well), but each of the Luna and M4 can be appreciated very much so for the differing approach they take.


Dunu Luna ($1699) vs MMR Homunculus ($1699):

Mostly from memory, what I appreciated about the Homunculus was its laidback tonality and respect for the music. A bit warmer than the Thummim (which is extraordinary), I would use the word “mature” again. And that is a good thing, too. With bass that is impactful, but not slow; the Homunculus presents a full-fledged example of how far we have come in this segment. To think that three excellent choices in this price are listed here, and all are really quite good, with distinct tonalities gives one appreciation for the way each manufacturer has approached this level. Give the user an excellent sound signature and let them choose.

This would most likely be the toughest choice if given these two.

But, throw on the Eletech Socrates, and it becomes and easy choice-the Homunculus. Of course, you then get into the price of the flagships, and I am sure what the Socrates does for the Homunculus, it could do for the Luna. Take your choice, then.


Dunu Luna ($1699) vs Unique Melody Maestro V2 ($1499):

Another old friend brought out, the Maestro was my first TOTL purchase, and even after the Mason V2 came along, I kept the Maestro instead. Paired with an Effect Audio Ares II, the sound is still quite nice. With bass that punches a bit deeper than the Luna, there is still a more centralized sound to the Maestro, which I still appreciate. On Albert King’s song mentioned above, the bass stays central, but everything else spreads the field, filling the sound with a clarity that is on par with the Luna. I still like how I can raise the volume with the Maestro, and it does not grate on my senses. The UM can still emote the accolades with today’s newbies so to speak, and I am still glad I kept it.

With a more forward mid, vocals and guitar take the center stage, but not to the detriment of the others (similar to the Luna). Crisp higher notes add width as well as height helping that airy note permeate all layers quite nicely, again much like the Luna. Running the stock silver cable makes me appreciate how I can change the note with just a simple switch. In stock form, the Maestro still sings to me.

The Luna and Maestro are very similar, save for width of stage, which goes to the Luna. Both a really quite good.



Finale:

Finishing with the Mark Knopfler song mentioned above, I again appreciate the finer points of the Luna. Crisp, clean sound saturate the air, which detail retrieval comes along for that pint of dark gold. Mark’s vocals highlight a simply superb song that I want played at my funeral celebration. The Luna presents the sound emoting from the song with excellent speed and detail, highlighting the truly positives of a pure Beryllium single dynamic driver. This is a very fine unit and one that should most definitely be listened to. While it may not wow you with its performances when taken singularly; this truly is a case of the whole is greater than the parts. And for me that exudes “underdog” status. I love the underdog. The Luna is a really fine unit, which should be appreciated for its simplicity, its exotic use of earthen materials, and a subtlety, which other flagship IEM’s do not promote. Understated and appreciated. I like the overall package of the Dunu. Well done.

I finish listening to Damian Marley’s So A Child May Follow, and with that I thank Dunu for the opportunity to listen to their TOTL. I applaud them on pushing their technological advances forward, without the astronomical prices. The Luna is well worth a listen.

Thanks to DUNU for sending me a pair for review.

Back when I got to unbox a pair of Sony IER-Z1R IEMs, I was impressed by the luxury packaging. Little did I know that DUNU planned to exceed that with their LUNA flagship IEMs. The box was so large that I could barely fit it onto my table to shoot.



The IEMs are so small and light that they could have been packed neatly in a large earring box. Centred at the top of the stack of trays, they look comically tiny.

I've had enough pairs of IEMs arrive with carry cases, but this was the first pair that had two. Not just a small carry pouch, but a full man-bag which can contain a DAP and a bunch of accessories as required. This alongside a bunch of tips (silicon, Spinfit, and a set of foam tips in a separate bag), airline adaptor, USB A/C audio adaptor and cable adaptors.






Speaking of the cable, it uses DUNU's cable adaptor system, allowing one cable to be re-terminated by just switching a plug. 2.5mm, 3.5mm (both regular and HFM balanced) and 4.4mm come in the box. The connector system is lovely to use, with a very precise fit of the aluminium plugs.



For such very light IEMs, the cable seems almost too thick, even though it isn't really that thick of heavy by high-end IEM standards. Switching around cables among IEMs, I found it to be a good cable overall, with at least one other person I know buying one to use with other IEMs.



I briefly tried the included USB C dongle and found that it does the job, if not doing total justice to the LUNAs. If I realistically owned a pair, I could see myself using this dongle with the LUNAs, my iPhone a Linum Bax cable for maximum portability.

Sound Impressions



I primarily used Spinfit and Spiral Dot tips with the LUNA. My source was primarily the Chord Hugo 2 and 2go.

Describing the sound with the LUNA is tricky, as it comes across as a bit unconventional.

Depending on my mood, I sometimes found the treble a touch muted for preference (fixable by switching to wider-bore tips such as the Spiral Dots) and the upper mids a bit too forward, but only by 1-2dB. This brings instruments and vocals forward, but the treble reduction makes them feel slightly muted at the same time, lacking the last bit of sparkle that would be most ideal. Then again, for an IEM, a treble that is too strong becomes quickly fatiguing if there is outside noise mixing with the music.

The LUNA has a very punchy and detailed bass which is present enough, without being too far forward, though I can see some people wanting a bit more. While the quality is excellent, it rolls off when you get down to the low bass, something only really noticeable on tracks that have very low bass lines.

The main consequence for the tuning is that while the IEMs are very crisp and punchy in their delivery, percussion can not come through as well as it does with other IEMs, and the overall soundstage ends up sounding somewhat more narrow than with more v-shape-tuned IEMs.

So, while they are generally quite good with all music, and quite enjoyable to listen with for the most part, they aren't the most detailed, don't have a particularly wide soundstage, and the tuning isn't perfect. Yet, they didn't fail to provide a good, enjoyable listen with most music, as once one's brain adapts -- easily done if they are the only IEMs you listen with -- their strengths are more noticeable than their downsides, at least in my experience. This was especially true through the mid-range, when guitars and vocals come into play.

Music Impressions

These were taken from notes I made while comparing multiple IEMs at the same time.

Mirrors - SEED Ensemble (Spinfit tips)

The forward 4kHz (upper mid) sound, alongside the more muted treble makes percussion sound a bit odd, and detracts from the impact from what is otherwise what is a very competent presentation. Cymbals are missing sparkle.

Micro detail isn't as present with the A8000 and Andromeda MW10 (at least from the Hugo 2). The saxaphone doesn't show itself as forward as it should towards the end.

Switching to Spiral Dot tips brings out a bit more treble, but doesn't fundamentally change the above.

Aurora en Pekin

Tonality with Spiral Dots works well on this track with the guitar and other instruments coming through crisply and with great intensity.

Dreams - Fleetwood Mac

The weakness in the treble that affects percussion is very apparent here on what is a track that does no favors to bright IEMs. The more mid-bass and mid-range focus narrows the perceived soundstage somewhat too, compared to the slight "v" of the A8000.

Porch Swing - Trace Bundy

Crisp guitar and mid-range listening. Lovely.

Sitta - Merge of Equals

The slightly muted treble works well with this brighter track, though for preference some people might prefer more sparkle and a bit more bass. It is less thick-sounding than the Andromeda MW10 and 2020. The bass is beautifully clean and dynamic, something that the BA-bass driver IEMs can't quite match.

Conclusion

While there are IEMs that are more technically competent and prettier looking, if I were to actually consider a pair of expensive IEMs for portable use, I'd strongly consider the DUNU LUNA. They simply did a good job of making music enjoyable, especially given the lack of fatigue from not being physically heavy. For portable use, being light-weight, and generally good-sounding with most music, I'd know I'd get enjoyment from listening with them.