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DUNU DN-2000J -- More Than Evolution?

Apr 2, 2015 at 1:13 AM Post #140 of 2,123
mdiogofs said:
They are supposed to go after the AKG K3003
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That's what I'm thinking. The fact they went back to the drawing board to refine it gives me great hope. If anybody can come close to the AKG for a fraction of the price it's the Chinese and I will be watching this with great interest.
 
About the only thing they cannot clone is top shelf beer!!
 
Apr 3, 2015 at 3:24 AM Post #142 of 2,123
oldmate said:
 
mdiogofs said:
They are supposed to go after the AKG K3003
wink.gif
Click to expand...

That's what I'm thinking. The fact they went back to the drawing board to refine it gives me great hope. If anybody can come close to the AKG for a fraction of the price it's the Chinese and I will be watching this with great interest.
 
About the only thing they cannot clone is top shelf beer!!
Click to expand...

I've had the AKG K3003 and as much as I loved it I'm actually not hoping for a clone but more for a more "refined" DN-2000, whatever that means. Perhaps something a little less smooth in the mids. For classical I still use my Carbo Tenore for its outstanding realistic tonality, and my DN-2000 for anything else. If the J-version would be a 2000 that tonality wise would be somewhat tuned towards the Carbo Tenore, I'd be very, very excited!
 
Apr 3, 2015 at 4:04 AM Post #143 of 2,123
aero dynamik said:
  I've had the AKG K3003 and as much as I loved it I'm actually not hoping for a clone but more for a more "refined" DN-2000, whatever that means. Perhaps something a little less smooth in the mids. For classical I still use my Carbo Tenore for its outstanding realistic tonality, and my DN-2000 for anything else. If the J-version would be a 2000 that tonality wise would be somewhat tuned towards the Carbo Tenore, I'd be very, very excited!
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Fair comment.
 
I've never heard the 2K but own the 1K
 
I'd love the bass of the 1k particularly a little more sub bass without the bleed into the mids and a smoother treble. The highs of the 1K can be a little bright sometimes with certain tracks.
 
Either way, I think DUNU will release something special and I will be keen to read the reviews.
 
Apr 7, 2015 at 10:37 PM Post #148 of 2,123
tomscy2000 said:

Introduction




Over the past few months, I've had the opportunity of having renewed contact with representatives at DUNU. The Chinese company (with Taiwanese roots and management) is experiencing a rebirth of sorts; years ago, we were introduced to high-value products from former OEM TopSound's DUNU brand in the form of the Trident, Ares, Hephaes, etc. and while most of us head-fiers believed they were great budget value earphones, few of us knew they would be at where they are today: a crowd favorite in the head-fi community.

The company has had its ups and downs. I've personally panned a few of their products in the past for its execution (or failure of), such as the DN-19 Tai Chi, and have in the past wondered out loud whether or not the company would ever wander out of mediocrity. Harsh words, yes. One of the perennial hallmarks of the company, however, aside from bringing forth a spirit of creating value-priced products, was a willingness to learn and improve. With each iteration, the company has tweaked its sonic profile to better suit its target customers while increasing its technical expertise with every product cycle. Company representatives told me that in the past, as an OEM manufacturer, they never really had to consider the perspective of a hi-fi listener; they took on orders from other companies and made them to spec proficiently and efficiently with the latest manufacturing techniques and tooling, but they didn't stop to examine the human aspects of the experience of sound until they started extensively probing the head-fi community and the audio community in general.

The continued feedback and response have paid off for DUNU; their DN-1000 and DN-2000 were critically acclaimed, and have won over fans the world over. Whereas I'd previously expressed doubt in their product management abilities, I now praised DUNU for delivering great-sounding products at the right price point. The DN-1000, unlike most other "affordable" hybrid transducer designs, did not possess the alarming technical issues in other manufacturers' implementations, despite being the lowest priced of the lot. The DN-2000 further refined on the DN-1000 in both sound and build; its sound signature is what I regard as the "new" DUNU house sound --- slightly V-shaped and fun, with patently sparkly high notes, but without outright harshness.

With the announcement of the DN-2000J, DUNU seems poised to turn over a new leaf, both with improved ergonomics and transducer technology. It really seems they're looking to climb the flagship universal IEM ladder.

After having heard the Titan 1, Alpha 1, and DN-2000J (prototype) briefly at an audio show in Taipei in December 2014, I finally found the time to visit DUNU corporate headquarters in New Taipei City in January. For a rundown of my visit there, please visit the first post of the Titan 1 thread. Both times, however, I was left with the impression that the DN-2000J amounted to more than a minor tweak of the successful DN-2000 paradigm --- it seemed a proper leap to the top.

After I listened to the DN-2000J prototype in December, I wrote the following:


There is a postscript to add to those comments; during my second listen in January, I noticed that the midrange was more apparently recessed in the now-signature DUNU fashion ---- laid-back, but never lacking presence, while still harkening calls to the intensity that is the AKG K3003.

The final production version of the DN-2000J, however, is expected to have a slightly different sound signature, different from the prototypes that I've heard. DUNU have told me that they're working closely with their Japanese distributors in both voicing and packaging, and that they're working to alter the treble response.

Current Information, as of 2015/02/16





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DUNU is putting out an initial pilot run to send to critical retail partners for evaluation. Luckily, as I've been vocal in giving them feedback on the DN-2000J, they've also afforded me a listen. I will be receiving a unit after Chinese New Year and putting out my thoughts here in this post and thread.

For now, I've received a packet of information that highlights some of the new features and changes on the DN-2000J, and it's really revealing in that they're really going for a properly premium product in the DN-2000J. The following is the information that I've been able to receive from DUNU, along with my own commentary:

Technology: High-Resolution Audio, er, "Certified"





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The DN-2000J proudly wears the "Hi-Res Audio" sticker as the first Chinese audio product to be certified by the Japan Audio Society (JAS) for high-resolution consumption.

As many (or a few?) may be aware, Sony is spearheading the "Hi-Res Audio" campaign, but nearly all Japanese manufacturers have joined in the effort. Additionally, JAS announced a partnership with the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) at CES 2015 to put the certification into effect for the bulk of qualified audio products, effectively making the "Hi-Res Audio" sticker all but an "official" proclamation of an audio product's ability (in the eyes of the general public).

Apparently, the rules are that audio transducers must be certified out to 40 kHz, and that the final product must be subject to a subjective listening test by JAS engineers.

To be perfectly honest, I believe the "Hi-Res Audio" sticker is pretty much purely a marketing ploy, as the standards for achieving its qualifications are far too loose and easily achievable by most enthusiast/audiophile-oriented products these days. The 40 kHz definition tests only the transducer, rather than the earphone itself, so 40 kHz does not denote the DN-2000J's frequency extension as measured in an ear simulator (IEC 60318-4, formerly IEC 60711). At the same time, it's not like an ear simulator is the end-all-be-all for determining high frequency extension. IEC stipulates that the 60318-4 standard is usable up to 16 kHz, but Paul S. Barton (as well as other individuals considered experts in the world of electroacoustic measurement) has been quoted as saying that he doesn't believe ear simulator measurements above 8 kHz are reliable, as the exponential increase in acoustic impedance of such ear couplers up to 12 kHz is likely not indicative of the way the ear canal amplifies sound immision against the ear drum. Therefore, we can really only take these things as a ballpark type of proclamation.

However, in terms of marketing, having that "Hi-Res Audio" sticker gives DUNU and the DN-2000J a measure of legitimacy in the eyes of mainstream consumers. DUNU has had success in enthusiast-oriented circles, but I get the feeling they're really hoping to expand their horizons with DN-2000J. Japan has been a large market for DUNU, and I've heard reports of Japanese tourists traveling to Taiwan specifically to buy DUNU products at a discount. Therefore, the voicing and packaging of the DN-2000J for the Japanese market is highly important for the product's success. As such, DUNU have collaborated closely with their Japanese retailers for both tuning and design feedback.

What should we head-fiers take away most from this development is that DUNU is really taking the DN-2000J seriously and wants it to define the brand.

Technology: Nerds Rejoice! Titanium-Treated Liquid Crystal Polymer Diaphragm





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We knew this was coming. It's already been implemented in the Titan 1. The Titan 1 has been great as a relatively low-cost, but high-resolution, and fun-sounding IEM.

From what I've heard from the prototype DN-2000J, the titanium treatment takes the resolution of the DN-2000 to another level. It lends more air to the treble response, and more speed to bass. That's just what titanium treatment tends to do for a moving coil diaphragm, basically --- energy transfer is more efficient with fewer resonant nodes (resulting in nodal precession, and subsequent loss of energy), and the subjective experience correlates to faster transients and more detail. It's not a new concept; HiFiMAN has long implemented the titanium treatment in its IEMs, as well as a few other manufacturers such as Nuforce.

What I didn't know until I received these slides was that the diaphragm itself was made from liquid crystal polymer (LCP for short), similar to that of the famed Sony MDR-EX1000. Of course, LCP is just a type of material, much like vectran, mylar, PET, etc. and it's unknown how many layers the diaphragm is made of, or what the specific polymerization structure amounts to. As a crystalline substance, however, the likely answer is that the diaphragm itself (given lack of impurities) is of an incredibly consistent composition, unlike organic (read: petrochemical, plastic) polymers, which can often result in messy cross-linking or perhaps be too heavy to be efficient. Men like Dr. Fang Bian of HiFiMAN have made their careers out of optimizing lightweight, thin, nano-treated polymers and making them into advanced transducer diaphragms like the ones found in the yet-to-be released (as of February 2015) reference-grade HE-1000 planar magnetic headphone. It seems like DUNU is delving into the same field, just with a different focus.

As shown in the slide, DUNU recommends 200+ hours of "burn-in". Personally, the more rational side of me tends not to invest too much stock in mechanical burn-in, as I find that all transducers, whether they be moving coil-based, balanced armature, or whatever else, tend to settle in pretty consistently within 25-50 hours, and I cannot find definitive information that points to longer burn-in time as being beneficial for a mechanical transducer. However, since "burn-in" is always a topic of simultaneous confusion and contention, I'll leave this subject up to individual interpretation. I don't really think there's a right or wrong answer here.

Improved Ergonomics and Build Quality: It Joined Weight Watchers





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Apparently, the DN-2000 was perceived by some to be on the large side. Despite my ears being smaller than average and insertion angle being steeper than average, I actually never encountered fit problems when I tried the DN-2000, so either I've never worn them long enough (have never owned a pair, have only tried them at audio shows/meets and borrowed friends' units) or the fit issue is a personal one. Nevertheless, DUNU decided to act on the feedback and bring forth a smaller-sized body in the DN-2000J.

The DN-2000J is now 0.5 mm smaller in diameter and 2.2 mm shallower --- not a very significant difference in terms of raw measurements, and in fact, even when seeing the two up close and personal, the shrinkage is not vastly different.

However, the DN-2000J does actually feel just that little bit lighter sitting in the ear canal, which is probably due to the shallower body enacting less torsional force against the sides of the ear canals. As a result, the DN-2000J sticks out of the ears less, and is a tiny bit more comfortable.

As always, YMMV.

Oh, and there's this, for all you Gollumses that polish your precioussss DN-2000J to a titanium sheen every morning...


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Improved Ergonomics and Build Quality: A Bazillion Accessories, Including a Ton of Comply Foam Tips





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If there's one thing DUNU is not, it's that it is not stingy with the accessories. This thing has a fit kit that can fit kits. If the recent fit packages included with current DUNU products are any indication, there won't just be the three types of tips shown above. You'll likely be gifted with a backup pair of each size.


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Comply Foam has been pretty aggressive in getting companies to throw in a pair or three of their foamies as gateway drugs. Kudos to DUNU for putting in the awesomely round Ts-500 foams as well. The Ts series remains my favorite type of Company foam tip, as I find it occludes treble frequencies least for my particular ear canal shape.

And what's this bass ring? It's exclusive, apparently. Well, I'll find out soon enough. Flexy flex flex that driver...


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Four Conductor Wiring at the Plug, Part of a Balanced BreakfastCircuit





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Aside from the benefits of reduced crosstalk and weak solder joints at the Y-split, modders will be happy to hear about this development, as the DN-2000J will easily be re-terminated into a fully-balanced configuration, usable on DAPs like the AK240, AK120-II, AK100-II, HM-901/901S, Geek Wave, FiiO X7, and more.

Since DUNU has collaborated with FiiO in the past, I suspect they'll make a special balanced bundle pack of the FiiO X7 and a special balanced edition of the DN-2000J. I have not confirmed this guess with DUNU, however, so this claim is pure speculation on my part, a.k.a. talking out my a__.

Improved Ergonomics and Build Quality: Anodized Back Panel





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Yeah, it's supposed to be more durable, prettier, and all, but really the only reason why I decided to mention this feature is that love the word "anodize". It just sounds so cool --- way better than "cathodize", which just sounds *@&$&%(@@!$...

So when y'all show off your DN-2000J to your envious friends, tell them how the back of the DN-2000J is "double anodized" in a posh London accent and proceed to caress the back piece, waxing poetic about its texture and durability.

Au Revoir...




Okay, if you've made it this far, you'll have noticed that my prose has slipped from stuffed-shirt formal to tongue-in-cheek, which means two things: (1) it's the end of a very long day, and (2) if I keep writing, I'm bound to write something highly inappropriate (whoops, too late), like commenting on the "anti-slip ribbedgroove design". So I'm stopping here.

Anyway, this is the thread to post your unmatchable expectations, illogical hype, and impressions (when the DN-2000J finally releases).

Have fun, kids. But remember, always practice safe listening.

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[COLOR=006600]GOOD EXAMPLE[/COLOR]: OMGBBQ! THIS IS THE BEST IEM EVAR!!!!!! I WANTS! I WANTS! I CAN HAS REVIEW SAMPLE??? K THX BAI
[COLOR=990000]BAD EXAMPLE[/COLOR]: In the course of audio developments it becomes necessary for one company to dissolve the price barriers which have connected them with another and assume among the powers of...
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