Paulus XII
Formerly known as FW214b
Dunu DN-1000 REVIEW - Audiophile Sound Under 200€
photo taken from the internet
Specs:
Driver: Dynamic + Dual BA Hybrid | Imp: 10Ω | Sens: 98 dB | Freq: 16-22k Hz | Cable: 3.9′ L-plug
Pros: Deep, tight Bass, Liquid Mids, superbly refined treble, separation, micro-detail, transparency, dynamics, PRaT
Cons: Non Removable Cable
As usual, directly into what matters the most: the sound.
Burn-in: 150 hours. No noticeable change in the BA's; dynamic driver (bass) has slightly improved.
Prefered spacer/tips: red ring + stock bi-flange with wide bore
Source: FiiO X3 + iFi iCan Nano
First thing I've noticed when I first listened to DN-1000's was like having a Stereo system in miniature. Few IEMs (if any) at this price point will give you such fidelity, detail and finesse. It's truly impressive, but let's go into more detail.
Bass is so impactful and so tight, it gives me a musical experience I have never had with a IEM. It's like I'm hearing a full size can and it's no cliché. Sound is rich and full, bass has great extension, there's body, there's rumble, there's completely realistic drums and bass guitars with impact and attack. Bass kicks you in the gut when necessary. Sub-bass goes very deep, under 10Hz the dynamic driver still vibrates in my ears. These IEMs deliver serious sub-bass, bassheads could kill for this in an apocaliptic scenario. This is with a stock bi-flange tip with wide bore + red ring. Red spacer ring will give you more treble extension and amplify soundstage depth and this is the best combo I've found for this IEM. Absolutely the best, makes a world of a difference to any other tips/rings. Bass is pretty fast on Hard Rock like Three Days Grace, Daughtry, Shinedown, Nickleback, Seether, etc. Definition is pretty good from low to mid bass and did I mention its tight? With the forementioned tips I consider it's near basshead levels.
Mids are clean, transparent and organic, with minimal bleed from the mid bass. Liquid. Mariza and Mariah Carey voices sound as real and pure as they are live. It's like if they are singing for you, private, you hear every word, every breath, the vibrato, it's breathtaking. You can pick up details you just can't with for example, the Titan 1/FiiO EX1 and those are fantastic with vocals. But DN-1000 mids are more refined and detailed. Titan 1 gives you a good idea (a pretty good one indeed), DN-1000 shows you the full picture. Mids are more forward than the more V shaped Titan 1, DN-1000s are more balanced.
The top end is superbly refined, detailed and extended, bright and crisp, with a realism in cymbals and percussion instruments that I haven't heard since along time ago with IEMs and a very beautiful sparkle. Even Westone W40 and Earsonics SM3 do not compete. Especially because they don't have this transparency and air/brightness. Titan 1 is also not at the same level of refinement, delicacy and finesse. Treble on the DN-1000 is so polite and detailed, I think it touches perfection. True high resolution. Put the wrong tips and you won't hear half of it. So try them all, including 3rd partys.
All of this leads to an unbeatable PRaT (Pace, Rythm and Timing), dynamic expression and pinpoint accuracy for the price. In my opinion dynamics and fun factor are way above Titan 1 and even Westone W40. Instrument separation is a bit better, the sufficient to let you listen to sounds with a precision you can't with the Titans and more so with the W40's. Micro-detail is better perceived too. Soundstage depth is also superior, in fact took me some time to adapt to these levels of depth. Width is excelent for a closed IEM. Very open sounding, especially with the dual flanges with wide bore. Another thing that impressed me compared to the Titans is timbre. It's *almost* as good as the JVC woodies, something Titans are not as good at. DN-1000 gives you a superior degree of fidelity that justifies the price difference.
This is an agressive IEM in a good way. Treble is smooth, not a hint of sibilance (yet north of neutral), but in a whole, sound is very dynamic and energetic. Crunchy guitars with attack, agressiveness and power in the drums with great body and impact, very realistic experience. For vocals and jazz, they're phenomenal, so delicate and gentle with an analytical level of detail retrieval. They are somewhat similar to the Sennheiser IE800 that I have auditioned recently. Would be hard to choose a winner without a direct A/B. DN-1000 makes most of the IEMs I've had lately (with the exception of the H300) sound boring, dull and lifeless..
If you're after something really high fidelity that gives you a true audiophile experience and you love bass, at 199€, there's no competition in my opinion. You're getting a triple driver IEM for half of what you would have paid in the past for an SM3 or UM3X and more recently, W40 (400€). And it's an hybrid with a dynamic driver, that delivers super tight bass, ideal for EDM lovers, without sacrificing any detail. The 3 driver configuration does a great job separating frequencies, DN-1000 never congests, even with the darkest of the Metals. Westone W40, for eg, a 4 driver setup, does congest in the more complex passages, maybe because it's darker and veiled than DN-1000. Instrument separation is top notch, at the same level of the legendary UM3X, but the instruments are cleaner and clearer, you can pinpoint them effortlessly. DN-1000 performs above Westone W40 in my opinion and by quite a significant margin. Just to give you an idea of how well the Dunu competes with the top-tiers. Tips are the key, once again try them all. I found the bi-flanges with wide bore to be the secret ingredient for the DN-1000s.
Listen to a cello with these and you won't forget it... Add the whole orchestra and you'll be delighted with the realism. I just close my eyes and there's an immediate smile in my face.
Rings. What are they for? There are 3 sizes: silver is the smaller one, blue in the middle and red is the bigger one. What they do exactly is to add more treble extension and amplify soundstage depth. With the red ring you can listen to sounds you just can't with the silver or blue rings.For me, this extra treble extension means micro-detail and fidelity, so personally, for my taste, the reds are the way to go. Soundstage depth is also incredible with the red rings, makes my listening experience more engaging and satisfying. Naturally, your mileage may vary, so try them all.
As always DUNU is making the difference, they made it more recently with Titan 1 and the older DN-1000 is no exception. They offer you sound quality of IEMs that cost alot more. Whats interesting here is that you have a basshead (or close to it) IEM with the properties of much more analytical IEMs and at least for me, this is lots of fun and enjoyement that for the price you pay, its something...
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