i have the dunu dn 1000 i love it will this be a good upgrade?
how does this compare to A83 Shure 535 Dunu 2000 and 1000
how does this compare to A83 Shure 535 Dunu 2000 and 1000
DUNU DN-2000J -- More Than Evolution?
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tangwailam
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I have the same question - how does the 2000J compare to Shure's SE535 (regular or red)? Been looking for an iem with punchy (not boomy) bass and smooth mids, also comfort is a major priority. Has anyone tried these two phones and can provide a comparison? Thanks!
(p.s. I'm using FiiO X3ii if that makes any difference. Would appreciate any comments on how well the 2000J pairs with the X3ii.)
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This might help
If you check my DN2000J review - you'll see comparisons with Altone 200, Fidue A83, DN1000, Dn2000, and the Trinity Delta. All of those are hybrids. (http://www.head-fi.org/products/dunu-dn-2000j/reviews/13243)
The SE535 and DN-1000 are pretty much opposites. The Shure is pretty flat, very mid forward, a bit rolled off in the highs.
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I like the pairing - but ultimately it comes down to individual preference. The X3ii has low output impedance - which helps with the 2000J's low impedance.
Hello everybody, here is my review of the Dunu DN-2000J, after testing the 'tar out of it' the last 2 days.
INITIAL IMPRESSIONS:
Unpackaging it, I was impressed with the wide array of accessories it came with: 4 white tips, 4 grey tips, 3 sizes of Comply tips, 2 types of earhooks, 'small to big' adapter, 6 pairs of metal adjustment rings, shirt clip, protection covers, 2 pairs of bass adjustment rings, and aluminum box.
After first looking at the build quality it came across to me as a 'sexy beast!'. Then when I put it in my ears and pressed play, for some reason it made me think of an innocent little girl... China girl from Oz the Great and Powerful, to be precise: hard, shiny body with light colors, and the sound: usually laid back but can be somewhat weighty and bold when it really wants to be, and somewhat aggressive up top. And no, I don't own any sort of Disney tunes.
Initially I was thinking that the earphones wouldn't insert deep enough due to their short length, but then it seemed that the rings had solved it: by inserting 1-2 of the colored rights on the nozzle under the eartip it allowed it to seal a bit deeper.
Upon trying the assorted eartips I was really struck on how drastically the sound signature changes with different tips. And I mean there were a RADICAL differences in the sound: generally the smaller silicone tips sounded thin, bright and void of bass, medium silicone added a bit more bass, and the largest silicone's added more bass yet (due to a better seal) and had seemingly a bit less treble, yet can give a slightly boomy sound if fit too snug. There were also grey silicone tips with foam backing, of which seemed to give a slightly more refined & full bodied sound than its' counterparts of the same size.
I spent one hour trying all 13-ish tips, and initially I thought the foam Comply tips gave it too dark / boomy of a sound; yet each pair giving its' own unique accent. So I went with the medium grey foam-backed silicone tips the first day. These seemed to give the most refined sound, but required some major 'darkening' on the EQ settings to make it sound closer to natural.
Initial sound impressions:
Note the majority of this testing was done connected to my Android cell phone, with a tiny matchbook-size FiiO E06 amp.
Next, upon wearing these on my bicycle trip, I observed that, like all silicone tips, these let in too much wind noise - almost unbearable. Then, upon plugging these into my older laptop directly without a dedicated soundcard - I hate to say it, but it really sounded craptastic. Super thin / bright piercing highs and mids very recessed. Connecting my tiny FiiO helped a bit, but I still felt the need to spend a good 90 minutes finely tuning EQ's, multiband saturation and compression plug-ins to get it to finally sound pleasing off this setup.
IMPRESSIONS - DAY TWO:
Same as above, except also I finally noticed how good & impactful the dynamics are when trying it with a powerful amp - but on the downsides, the mids don't seem lush enough, and, as noted below there are issues with the highs, lows and the earphone fit size.
For some strange reason, listening again later after altering nothing on my portable setup, these began sounding super thin and bright with screechy highs. So back at home I spent another two solid hours the 2nd day testing all the tips, along with others I had laying around, only to find that my personal set of even larger round Comply foam tips sound best to me. Now the bass is 'back', but more in a boomy way and not natural / organic enough for me. And about the highs: the highs are coming across in a very analytical way - as if they are too revealing, and in a bit of a disconcerting way enough to actually ruin my mood. Think if a window breaks and you have to endure the sound of each and every pellet of glass falling. And even changing eartips or reducing the EQ this still remains; that's just the signature of the highs on these earphones, and probably from a dynamic tweeter.
I also tested the bass rings carefully, only to discover the changes aren't audible to me at all.
Also a major problem I've had with the 2000J all along is about the LENGTH. Goodness - these are made for people with shallow ears! Every time I put these in, the chord of the earphones hit my ear before they're able to insert deep enough to get the better sound from proper isolation or a very secure fit. Even with the metal colored rings, it doesn't seem to do anything, leaving one side usually at least 20% less than 'snug' no matter how I push / turn / screw it into my ear.
Then upon comparing these to my former portable headphones (Beyer. DT 1350 on-ear headphones), I noticed that I prefer their sound being more laid back / slightly veiled and speaker-like. Yet another problem was that for some odd reason, even if I attain a good seal and have the bass EQ'd up to snuff, the bass always disappears whenever I'm in wide-open spaces like on a commute, versus while in a quiet room the bass sounds blaring on the same setup. But this is something that seems to be universal with all IEMs / earphones. I think it has something to to with the lower frequency vibration from headphones around your ears vs. from earphones in your ears or something.
SUGGESTIONS HIGHLY WELCOME. Thanks for reading
INITIAL IMPRESSIONS:
Unpackaging it, I was impressed with the wide array of accessories it came with: 4 white tips, 4 grey tips, 3 sizes of Comply tips, 2 types of earhooks, 'small to big' adapter, 6 pairs of metal adjustment rings, shirt clip, protection covers, 2 pairs of bass adjustment rings, and aluminum box.
After first looking at the build quality it came across to me as a 'sexy beast!'. Then when I put it in my ears and pressed play, for some reason it made me think of an innocent little girl... China girl from Oz the Great and Powerful, to be precise: hard, shiny body with light colors, and the sound: usually laid back but can be somewhat weighty and bold when it really wants to be, and somewhat aggressive up top. And no, I don't own any sort of Disney tunes.
Initially I was thinking that the earphones wouldn't insert deep enough due to their short length, but then it seemed that the rings had solved it: by inserting 1-2 of the colored rights on the nozzle under the eartip it allowed it to seal a bit deeper.
Upon trying the assorted eartips I was really struck on how drastically the sound signature changes with different tips. And I mean there were a RADICAL differences in the sound: generally the smaller silicone tips sounded thin, bright and void of bass, medium silicone added a bit more bass, and the largest silicone's added more bass yet (due to a better seal) and had seemingly a bit less treble, yet can give a slightly boomy sound if fit too snug. There were also grey silicone tips with foam backing, of which seemed to give a slightly more refined & full bodied sound than its' counterparts of the same size.
I spent one hour trying all 13-ish tips, and initially I thought the foam Comply tips gave it too dark / boomy of a sound; yet each pair giving its' own unique accent. So I went with the medium grey foam-backed silicone tips the first day. These seemed to give the most refined sound, but required some major 'darkening' on the EQ settings to make it sound closer to natural.
Initial sound impressions:
- Bass: overall great quantity and frequency response range, yet managed to be both punchy and boomy at the same time (not quite organic). Varies drastically in quantity depending on eartips used. (7/10)
- Mids: there, but seems somewhat recessed and thin (later discovered it's not lush) (5/10)
- Highs: Revealing and detailed (more on that below) (6/10)
- Soundstage: fairly good for an IEM
- Overall ranking: 6/10
Note the majority of this testing was done connected to my Android cell phone, with a tiny matchbook-size FiiO E06 amp.
Next, upon wearing these on my bicycle trip, I observed that, like all silicone tips, these let in too much wind noise - almost unbearable. Then, upon plugging these into my older laptop directly without a dedicated soundcard - I hate to say it, but it really sounded craptastic. Super thin / bright piercing highs and mids very recessed. Connecting my tiny FiiO helped a bit, but I still felt the need to spend a good 90 minutes finely tuning EQ's, multiband saturation and compression plug-ins to get it to finally sound pleasing off this setup.
IMPRESSIONS - DAY TWO:
Same as above, except also I finally noticed how good & impactful the dynamics are when trying it with a powerful amp - but on the downsides, the mids don't seem lush enough, and, as noted below there are issues with the highs, lows and the earphone fit size.
For some strange reason, listening again later after altering nothing on my portable setup, these began sounding super thin and bright with screechy highs. So back at home I spent another two solid hours the 2nd day testing all the tips, along with others I had laying around, only to find that my personal set of even larger round Comply foam tips sound best to me. Now the bass is 'back', but more in a boomy way and not natural / organic enough for me. And about the highs: the highs are coming across in a very analytical way - as if they are too revealing, and in a bit of a disconcerting way enough to actually ruin my mood. Think if a window breaks and you have to endure the sound of each and every pellet of glass falling. And even changing eartips or reducing the EQ this still remains; that's just the signature of the highs on these earphones, and probably from a dynamic tweeter.
I also tested the bass rings carefully, only to discover the changes aren't audible to me at all.
Also a major problem I've had with the 2000J all along is about the LENGTH. Goodness - these are made for people with shallow ears! Every time I put these in, the chord of the earphones hit my ear before they're able to insert deep enough to get the better sound from proper isolation or a very secure fit. Even with the metal colored rings, it doesn't seem to do anything, leaving one side usually at least 20% less than 'snug' no matter how I push / turn / screw it into my ear.
Then upon comparing these to my former portable headphones (Beyer. DT 1350 on-ear headphones), I noticed that I prefer their sound being more laid back / slightly veiled and speaker-like. Yet another problem was that for some odd reason, even if I attain a good seal and have the bass EQ'd up to snuff, the bass always disappears whenever I'm in wide-open spaces like on a commute, versus while in a quiet room the bass sounds blaring on the same setup. But this is something that seems to be universal with all IEMs / earphones. I think it has something to to with the lower frequency vibration from headphones around your ears vs. from earphones in your ears or something.
- So I'm wondering if I will ever be able to find any tips that can make the 2000J sond right for me, in terms of: laid back treble, lush mids & more natural sounding bass. Or any other earphone recommendations?
- Or maybe I'm just not an in-ear guy at all.
SUGGESTIONS HIGHLY WELCOME. Thanks for reading
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Hi Levi
In answer to the first line - if you're looking for laid back treble, and lush mids, you chose the wrong earphones my friend. The DN2000 would have been a better fit sonically for you. But given your fit issues, I'm doubting any of the DUNU triple drivers will help. Your description of really bright screechy treble indicates you may have some sensitivity there, or your seal is not intact. Anyway - my advise would be to return them if you can, or sell them and switch to something else. I love mine - but I don't think they are going to give you what you're looking for.
Your next decision needs to be whether you try another shallow fitting ergonomic earphone (I'd actually suggest SE535 based on your description), or if you go to a cartridge type for a deeper insertion.
Anyway - as our tastes are opposites (I really dislike laid back treble), then I'll leave someone closer to your preferences to advise.
1TrickPony
Headphoneus Supremus
[COLOR=222222]Hello everybody, here is my review of the Dunu DN-2000J, after testing the 'tar out of it' the last 2 days.[/COLOR][COLOR=222222]
[/COLOR][COLOR=222222]
[/COLOR][COLOR=222222]INITIAL IMPRESSIONS:[/COLOR][COLOR=222222]
[/COLOR][COLOR=222222]Unpackaging it, I was impressed with the wide array of accessories it came with: 4 white tips, 4 grey tips, 3 sizes of Comply tips, 2 types of earhooks, 'small to big' adapter, 6 pairs of metal adjustment rings, shirt clip, protection covers, 2 pairs of bass adjustment rings, and aluminum box.[/COLOR][COLOR=222222]
[/COLOR]
[COLOR=222222]
[/COLOR][COLOR=222222]After first looking at the build quality it came across to me as a 'sexy beast!'. Then when I put it in my ears and pressed play, for some reason it made me think of an innocent little girl... China girl from Oz the Great and Powerful, to be precise: hard, shiny body with light colors, and the sound: usually laid back but can be somewhat weighty and bold when it really wants to be, and somewhat aggressive up top. And no, I don't own any sort of Disney tunes.[/COLOR][COLOR=222222]
[/COLOR]
[COLOR=222222]
[/COLOR][COLOR=222222]Initially I was thinking that the earphones wouldn't insert deep enough due to their short length, but then it seemed that the rings had solved it: by inserting 1-2 of the colored rights on the nozzle under the eartip it allowed it to seal a bit deeper.[/COLOR][COLOR=222222]
[/COLOR][COLOR=222222]
[/COLOR][COLOR=222222]Upon trying the assorted eartips I was really struck on how drastically the sound signature changes with different tips. And I mean there were a RADICAL differences in the sound: generally the smaller silicone tips sounded thin, bright and void of bass, medium silicone added a bit more bass, and the largest silicone's added more bass yet (due to a better seal) and had seemingly a bit less treble, yet can give a slightly boomy sound if fit too snug. There were also grey silicone tips with foam backing, of which seemed to give a slightly more refined & full bodied sound than its' counterparts of the same size.[/COLOR][COLOR=222222]
[/COLOR][COLOR=222222]
[/COLOR][COLOR=222222]I spent one hour trying all 13-ish tips, and initially I thought the foam Comply tips gave it too dark / boomy of a sound; yet each pair giving its' own unique accent. So I went with the medium grey foam-backed silicone tips the first day. These seemed to give the most refined sound, but required some major 'darkening' on the EQ settings to make it sound closer to natural.[/COLOR][COLOR=222222]
[/COLOR][COLOR=222222]
[/COLOR][COLOR=222222]Initial sound impressions:[/COLOR]
- [COLOR=222222]Bass: overall great quantity and frequency response range, yet managed to be both punchy and boomy at the same time (not quite organic). Varies drastically in quantity depending on eartips used. (7/10)[/COLOR]
- [COLOR=222222]Mids: there, but seems somewhat recessed and thin (later discovered it's not lush) (5/10)[/COLOR]
[COLOR=222222]
- [COLOR=222222]Highs: Revealing and detailed (more on that below) (6/10)[/COLOR]
- [COLOR=222222]Soundstage: fairly good for an IEM[/COLOR]
[COLOR=222222]- Overall ranking: 6/10[/COLOR]
Note the majority of this testing was done connected to my Android cell phone, with a tiny matchbook-size FiiO E06 amp.
Next, upon wearing these on my bicycle trip, I observed that, like all silicone tips, these let in too much wind noise - almost unbearable. Then, upon plugging these into my older laptop directly without a dedicated soundcard - I hate to say it, but it really sounded craptastic. Super thin / bright piercing highs and mids very recessed. Connecting my tiny FiiO helped a bit, but I still felt the need to spend a good 90 minutes finely tuning EQ's, multiband saturation and compression plug-ins to get it to finally sound pleasing off this setup.
IMPRESSIONS - DAY TWO:
Same as above, except also I finally noticed how good & impactful the dynamics are when trying it with a powerful amp - but on the downsides, the mids don't seem lush enough, and, as noted below there are issues with the highs, lows and the earphone fit size.
For some strange reason, listening again later after altering nothing on my portable setup, these began sounding super thin and bright with screechy highs. So back at home I spent another two solid hours the 2nd day testing all the tips, along with others I had laying around, only to find that my personal set of even larger round Comply foam tips sound best to me. Now the bass is 'back', but more in a boomy way and not natural / organic enough for me. And about the highs: the highs are coming across in a very analytical way - as if they are too revealing, and in a bit of a disconcerting way enough to actually ruin my mood. Think if a window breaks and you have to endure the sound of each and every pellet of glass falling. And even changing eartips or reducing the EQ this still remains; that's just the signature of the highs on these earphones, and probably from a dynamic tweeter.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=222222] [/COLOR]
[COLOR=222222]I also tested the bass rings carefully, only to discover the changes aren't audible to me at all.
Also a major problem I've had with the 2000J all along is about the LENGTH. Goodness - these are made for people with shallow ears! Every time I put these in, the chord of the earphones hit my ear before they're able to insert deep enough to get the better sound from proper isolation or a very secure fit. Even with the metal colored rings, it doesn't seem to do anything, leaving one side usually at least 20% less than 'snug' no matter how I push / turn / screw it into my ear.
Then upon comparing these to my former portable headphones (Beyer. DT 1350 on-ear headphones), I noticed that I prefer their sound being more laid back / slightly veiled and speaker-like. Yet another problem was that for some odd reason, even if I attain a good seal and have the bass EQ'd up to snuff, the bass always disappears whenever I'm in wide-open spaces like on a commute, versus while in a quiet room the bass sounds blaring on the same setup. But this is something that seems to be universal with all IEMs / earphones. I think it has something to to with the lower frequency vibration from headphones around your ears vs. from earphones in your ears or something.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=222222]- So I'm wondering if I will ever be able to find any tips that can make the 2000J sond right for me, in terms of: laid back treble, lush mids & more natural sounding bass. Or any other earphone recommendations?[/COLOR]
[COLOR=222222]- Or maybe I'm just not an in-ear guy at all.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=222222]
SUGGESTIONS HIGHLY WELCOME. Thanks for reading[/COLOR]
I honestly thought you jumped the bullet too quick not only with the review...but also with the purchase.
I wasn't sure if this would have suited your needs but alas, this is the head fi life. You gotta spend more time reading out their reviews knowing everyone has their own preference/bias.
Who knows? Burn in more hours. I don't use dunu tips with my dn2000 and I'm a lot happier.
willyvlyminck
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That almost sounds like the Grado GR10 with more bass?
KC33
500+ Head-Fier
@levi, If I were to review the Fidue A83, after 2 days, your review would pretty much sum up my initial impressions. (of the A83) It took me a week just to get the correct tips for my ears and adjust my brain to the differences between the A83 and DN 1K which I listened to almost exclusively over the past 6 months. I now adore the A83 and I cannot tell you how happy I am that I worked real hard to give them time to settle in and find the perfect fit. I cannot speak to burn in but I have read that the 2000J needs around 30+ hours.
Providing your not under the gun to return these I would recommend having more patience and give yourself more time before making a final decision. I do think that the sound sig that you've described, to be your preference, may not be perfectly matched to the 2000J but I can't imagine given time that these will be "painful" to listen to.
tldr,
give them some time.
Providing your not under the gun to return these I would recommend having more patience and give yourself more time before making a final decision. I do think that the sound sig that you've described, to be your preference, may not be perfectly matched to the 2000J but I can't imagine given time that these will be "painful" to listen to.
tldr,
give them some time.
1TrickPony
Headphoneus Supremus
I am actually good/satisfied with my dunu 2000 (with over a 100 hrs burn in). Before that I'd normally spend 10-12hrs, even the titans were pretty good from the get go.
Hopefully Levi gives it another go - be a shame to sell it immediately after spending so much on the J version.
i have the dunu dn 1k already it is one of my favorite iem. Is it worth upgrading to the Dn 2kj or should i get something else in the price range or cheaper maybe A83 or the shure 425 or 535 maybe the dn1k and the 2kj will sound almost similar ?
1TrickPony
Headphoneus Supremus
DecentLevi
This. I also happy recommend the dn2000 - I'm pretty sure someone will flip theirs for the J version (no not me
).
KC33
500+ Head-Fier
@1trickpony, sorry dude, I just realized it wasn't your review. That's what I get for coming on so early..LOL
jeffhmason
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Long time lurker to the thread but first time posting here about these 'buds. I want to thank everyone in advance for their detailed reviews; they helped me to decide to get in on the first Massdrop for these and I've had what I feel is sufficient time to evaluate them. I mainly want to strongly support the suggestions given here that the 2000Js cannot truly be evaluated until they've had significant time for burn-in. At first I found the highs way too harsh for me, so I started plugging them in to my phone at night and running pink noise from an app through them overnight. I believe I've run them through at least 50-60 hours of burn in via this method to date. I'd speculate that after about 40 hours, the sound really started to change, most notably the highs were not has harsh to me. I do not believe this is fully attributable to me just "getting used" to the sound signature. I actually found them to be very difficult to listen to the first few days and was tempted to return or sell them. Now I couldn't be happier. I do not use the "bass ring" as I find the bass to be more than adequate for me. I do use the red spacer rings and for now have settled on "custom made" (by me) hybrid tips using the medium white silicone tips included with the 'buds but with foam added via (for lack of a better term) the "Singapore" method I read about on this site. This gives me the best sound signature/comfort combination although I don't find these to be terribly comfortable over about 45 mins to an hour of use. I have not done anything else such as the "blu tack" mod as I don't feel my pair needs any more taming on the high end. I also agree that the tips chosen make a big difference on the sound. I was hoping the Comply tips would do it for me, but as others have stated, I felt it de-emphasized the highs too much, creating a bit of a "muddy" sound in my opinion.
Overall, I'm very happy with my purchase, so thanks again!
Overall, I'm very happy with my purchase, so thanks again!
raybone0566
Headphoneus Supremus
Just scored a like new pair for $230.00 and after two days with them would have gladly paid full msrp. Comply tips seem to work best for me. Have to agree with most of brooko's review. These are excellent earphones. My fx-850's may get a good bit of downtime now.
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