[gadgetgod]

DUNU has recently revived its Alpha series of earbuds with the announcement of the Alpha 3. I have spent a good amount of time exploring different genres with the Alpha 3 and can easily appreciate the warm and smooth sound that this one delivers. It has a little prominence on mid-bass, but apart from that, I absolutely adore the lovely, smooth sound this one delivers!!

Pros:-
Strong and powerful sound presentation.
Warm in tone.
Excellent tone and timbre especially for vocals.
Staging has a nice 3D feel(Immersive, rounded).
Treble response is smooth and well-rounded note definition.
Smooth sound with no hint of sibilance or harshness.
Easy driveability.Comfortable to wear.
The cable look and feel are really good.
The new DUNU Carry case is better than the orange one that they use to bundle before.

Cons:-
Mid-bass is a little prominent, especially with full foam cushions.
Micro-details could be improved.

Overall complements the sound of TGXear Serratus for me!!

Check out my complete review here:
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/dunu-alpha-3.26605/reviews#review-31232

Some Eye-Catchy Shots:

 

[kmmbd]

Would you guys be interested in DUNU running a combo community tour of the Falcon Ultra + Alpha 3?

Probably a bit late to respond, but yes - would love if a review tour is arranged for them. I am more interested about the Falcon Ultra though, as the OG Falcon Pro is still one of my "guilty pleasure" IEMs.

 

[Zerstorer_GOhren]

Would you guys be interested in DUNU running a combo community tour of the Falcon Ultra + Alpha 3?

If it is possible to have here in my country, why not?

 

[rmkjr]

Any Zen Pro owners hear the Falcon Ultra and may lend us their comparison?

 

[tiagopinto]

Would you guys be interested in DUNU running a combo community tour of the Falcon Ultra + Alpha 3?

I would be honored. Thanks.

 

[skeeb23]

Today I dropped my video covering the Dunu Falcon Ultra on my Youtube. I'll link the video below, but also will give some bullet point impressions here.

The first thing that stuck out to me on the Falcon Ultra was the aesthetic and incredible accessory package that you get with it. So I'll start there:
It has a Blue Kleim (or vivid blue) Titanium Magnesium Alloy Dome covering the driver and it is absolutely stunning. I've never had so much fun shooting b-roll on an IEM! The machined imprinting of Dunu's branding on the outer rim is also a wonderful touch to this.
Then when you open up the box underneath the IEM and see what's included...yeah... I was blown away.
You get the following:
Falcon Ultra, Braided modular cable, 3.5mm and 4.4mm plugs w/6.3 adapter. 4 sets of tips! These aren't just S, M, L but many sizes here. 1 set is the cylinder Dunu tips (my preference). A larger case to house the IEM and some accessories. A mesh pouch to put the individual IEM's in so they don't smack into each other in travel (genius imo). Lastly you get 2 sets of tuning nozzles. 1 set (Blue) is on the IEM and the other is a Brass color that even comes on a nice plate to keep them screwed into (no cheap baggy here to house them in).

My first thought was, well, maybe they are compensating for subpar sound. NOPE. I really enjoy the sound of the Falcon Ultra with either tuning nozzle.
Here is my quick impression of the sound:
Default sound is harmon-esque in that it's extended, slightly elevated, bass response. It has a linear midrange quality and then a bit of an elevation of treble. First listen had me thinking more V-shaped, but this actually tamed a bit over break in period. It got a bit peaky in the treble for me at first, but over time it's not as much. It has good air and details in the treble as well. Stage is natural and timbre felt natural as well. A bit more bass/treble emphasized then the mids to my ears by default. However, that made these very versitile with different genres of music!

So then I switched up to the Brass nozzle. Here the biggest thing I noticed was a deviation to the mid/treble. I felt like the Bass stayed pretty much how it was with the default nozzle. Mids became more into focus and treble actually tamed a bit more. I didn't feel like it was as expansive in stage but that also could be due to just a more mid-focused sound. Excellent tuning with vocals such as singer/songwriter or acoustic recordings!

I didn't touch on power requirements during my video so I'll do that here. I drove these off of my ADI2DAC that does so very well with IEM's. I had no noise issues which I typically do not with this amp. It also drove the 3.5mm perfectly fine. Very transparent sound out of the 2DAC but I'm good with that considering I like the tuning. I then also listened on my Cayin RU7 and was equally impressed. The difference here was being able to go 4.4mm out and try balanced. I preferred balanced just for a bit of extra warmth and dynamics at times. It's very easy to drive so my volume didn't really go above 40ish region at the most. Very pleasing listen over all on both devices.

So if you haven't guessed, I'm a big fan of this IEM. I don't have the extensive knowledge of many other's here with IEM's but I feel confident enough to say these are going to contend highly in this price range. Oh and it's another IEM I'll probably have to hide from my wife because I gave her a listen with the Brass nozzle for her singer/songwriter stuff.....she loved em.



Let's hear what others think about these as they launch here soon!

 

[baskingshark]

Reporting on further testing with the DUNU Falcon Ultra.

Just got off a 30 min A/B comparison between the Falcon Ultra and the legendary Tanchjim Oxygen. The Oxygen has had many stealth revisions to tuning/drivers over the years, and FWIW my Oxygen is the first version with the original lauded drivers (which gives more sub-bass).

In terms of knick-knacks, the Falcon Ultra is definitely king. It has one of the most generously accessorized IEMs I've seen at the $200ish bracket. It has a modular cable to allow both 3.5mm and 4.4mm source pairing, which increases its versatility. It is a real looker too, with the blue reflective shells giving the Falcon Ultra a very distinctive yet elegant aesthetic.

The Falcon Ultra has better fit - there are quite a lot of forum reports of the stubby Oxygen nozzle causing fit issues.



On to sound, which is the most important comparison!

The Falcon Ultra has 2 tuning nozzles, which converts it between a Harmanish signature and a more laid back one. This is kind of getting 2 IEMs in 1.

Both sets have natural timbre in keeping with their single DD roots.

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.

When it comes to technicalities, the Falcon Ultra is superior in soundstage, imaging, layering and instrument separation. Micro-detailing is about on par.

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.

 

[o0genesis0o]

(Crosspost from earbuds thread) Howdy folks, my review of Dunu Alpha 3 earbuds are online on head-fi and my review blog.

Spoiler: tl;dr:

The Alpha 3 inherits the advantages associated with Dunu products, such as impressive build quality and generous accessories. The tuning is mature and generally easy to listen to. One notable aspect is that the Alpha 3 feels like a complete product rather than an experimental prototype. Whether this is viewed as a positive or negative aspect is subjective. Personally, I find it exciting to see big manufacturers with their research and development capabilities returning to this niche market and offering interesting options. I would love to see more breakthrough performance, but Alpha 3 is a good starting point.

Pros:

• Excellent build quality and included accessories.
• Comfortable fit, enhancing the overall user experience.
• Natural tonality, particularly when using the full foam configuration.
• Good resolution, allowing for the retrieval of fine details in the music.

Cons:

• Lacks some dynamic contrast, impacting the sense of energy and impact in certain tracks.
• Does not offer a 4.4mm connector option, limiting the choice of balanced output.
• Could have pushed boundaries further and introduced more groundbreaking features or innovations.

Updated: July 16, 2023

 

[Sebastien Chiu]

My Falcon Ultra arrived!

I’m rarely so outwardly positive about things that come from brands I work with but it’s hard to deny how much I knew we had a winner on our hands within 30 seconds of listening.

 

[Leonarfd]

My Falcon Ultra arrived!

I’m rarely so outwardly positive about things that come from brands I work with but it’s hard to deny how much I knew we had a winner on our hands within 30 seconds of listening.

They seem very impressive, on the watch list for sure. What is favoured nozzle?

 

[o0genesis0o]

I also have a Falcon Ultra incoming. Very eager to spend more time with an ECLIPSE-based IEM. Fingercrossed that it is as slammy as Zen Pro.

 

[fabio19]

Is there news of SA 10 ?

 

[M3NTAL]

My Falcon Ultra arrived!

I’m rarely so outwardly positive about things that come from brands I work with but it’s hard to deny how much I knew we had a winner on our hands within 30 seconds of listening.

I'd love to know how they compare to the older siblings. The Zen Pro sounds like a sweet spot that might compliment my ie600. The Falcon is very good looking though - and the sound engine design looks good.

 

[rmkjr]

On initial listen, Falcon Ultra (blue nozzles and S&S tips) vs Zen Pro (S&S tips). Comparison source Hiby RS6, Cayin C9, and Apple Music. Falcon Ultra is a bit warmer and more focal forward, slightly more than a subtle difference. It's technicalities seem a bit lower in the areas of detail retrieval and visceral low end impact, a far more subtle of a difference. The reduction in bass impact and increase in warmth lead me to hear a bit more mid-bass forward than Zen Pro. Note and vocal weight is thicker and heaver (slightly more than a subtle difference). Soundstage sounds a bit wider. Vocal timbre is quite natural, though I'm not sure I have a preference yet between the two. It's less sensitive compared Zen Pro, which I see as a good thing as I can get a bit deeper in to the C9's volume pot (about 10-15% more).

As a Zen Pro owner who listens to a lot of vocal, acoustic, and alternative, what I was hoping for was a bit less sensitive IEM with similar capabilities to the Zen Pro's driver and some difference in tuning that I could add to my rotation. After seeing initial impressions I was expecting that difference to be a slight more warm colored and vocal forward tuning which I was excited to hear due to my typical genre preferences. Falcon Ultra on initial listen (it arrived a couple of hours ago) meets these expectations. These will stick around in my rotation, and at the price I consider them very high value. I don't think they supplant Zen Pro from my rotation.

Will update if impressions change with more listening.

I do still hope one day Dunu may have a 4.4mm Quick-Switch end akin to a built in iFi IEMatch 4.4 for my Zen Pro

 

[thescientist]

I received my Falcon Ultra yesterday. I don't post impressions on most IEMs I get but man, these seem special, so I wanted to drop a few thoughts:

• As others have noted, the accessories and unboxing experience is top tier. Might be the most surprised I've ever been by an unboxing. I was particularly impressed by the tasteful upgrades to the carrying case and the fantastic stock cable
• Mids and treble are very well done, especially for someone like myself who often finds the mid/upper treble regions of Harman or V-shaped IEMs to be overwhelming
• With the default nozzle I did find vocals to be a touch strident on some tracks so I switched to the gold nozzle, which gives me exactly what I'm looking for in the mids and treble
• I actually found the Falcon Ultra to be a little less warm than I was expecting.
• Details are excellent for all tunings. I really noticed that for strings and backing vocals I was picking up on a lot more detail than I was expecting
• Comfort is incredible. I need to spend more time with them, but they're shaping up to be the most comfortable IEM I own.

My main comparison point here is the Fiio FD5, which is another single dynamic driver IEM that graphs very similarly to the Falcon Ultra in the treble and bass. The FD5 has been my go to single dynamic driver IEM because it's super comfortable, technically excellent, and does an comes with great bass (although it can be a touch murky). However, the FD5's lower treble is elevated to the point where I can't listen to them without EQ. When I saw the graph for the Falcon Ultra I figured it would probably be a sidegrade that I could listen to without EQ. However, I'm finding that the Falcon Ultra seems like an upgrade from the FD5. The Falcon Ultra sounds noticeably leaner than the FD5 to me, despite the bass measurements being so similar, and I find myself enjoying this much more. (I'm guessing this means the bass is better controlled for the Falcon Ultra?) As I mentioned above, the Falcon Ultra nails the mids and treble to the point where there's just no competition with the FD5. The Falcon Ultra is also noticeably more detailed than the FD5.

The Falcon Ultra is just awesome. It's looking like this could be my favorite single dynamic driver IEM and might just end up being my go-to recommendation for a bass-boosted signature below $300. There's a lot of IEMs out there that are "neutral with a bass boost" where the bass boost doesn't go beyond ~150-200 Hz. There's far fewer IEMs that do the same thing with a more extended bass boost starting out around ~300 Hz like the Falcon Pro does. (Maybe the Kato, but there's less bass elevation overall there). For folks that want a bassy-neutral IEM the Falcon Ultra is probably an excellent choice.