I found with d2kj I have to be a bit selective with the music I listen to. Same as when I use my hd800's. They are going to reveal everything in the the recording. That's what's fun about this hobby and owning way more earphones than a normal person should.
Couldn't agree more! I don't have the HD 800 myself, but it's obvious to me that DUNU's engineers have used reference recordings while tuning DN-2000J. With the "wrong" recording the DN2KJ can sound pretty bad. For example, an inherently sibilant recording can become quite unbearable whereas a reference recording can sound like nothing else.
This track I can't quite stand with the DN2KJ (listen from 7:10) . It simply becomes a sibilant inferno (although divine music!). With this recording I use my beloved Carbo Tenores instead.
This track on the other hand is IMO rendered near perfection by the DN2KJ:
The point of the post was directed to peeps like @Aero Dynamik who can probably go on and write 50 more pages as to how advanced this technology is found on the dn2000j (even though half the technology could pretty much swoosh above his head lol.
Case in point, not everyone is gonna enjoy a bright iem. God, there was this guy named Levi on this forum that bought it and went through a nightmare trying "customize" it down to his liking. He didn't make it. I'd rather read a proper review with a grain grain of salt than spend another 200 hours trying to convince myself this thing is for the average Joe. Oh trust me, Dunu is the one that sets the tone when it comes to hybrid listening when it comes to bang for buck.to each their own.
Sorry if I bore you 1TrickPony (or anyone else). It's certainly not my intention.
Reasoning about the differences between the DN2KJ and other phones and the DN2K in particular is simply my rather heavy-handed way of trying to get a better understanding of the workings of IEMs. I realize others may find it useless or boring, but hopefully one or two may find it interesting as well (although not guaranteed). Anyway, if you don't care much for what I have to say you can simply block me.
Oh, I should perhaps mention that I've owned the DN-2000 and found it to be an absolutely excellent phone, and I know I would have preferred it with some tracks, but overall I find the DN-2000J so much more enjoyable and competent.
For a while I managed to successfully avoid buying iems by staying clear of head-fi, but I was unable to resist the urge to read up on some threads and I stumbled upon this one. I was skeptical until I started to read about how they were in the same league as the K3003's by members whose opinions I view as reputable.
Long story short, I purchased the 2KJ's about 2 months ago and they are stunning to listen to with the X3ii. I will post more impressions when I have time but I wish to thank everyone for posting their honest impressions. Truly amazing iems.
Yup, it is just crazy how well the DN-2000J is able to produce body as well as speed, though impact is on the softer side. Kind of comparable with the LCD-X.
I've had a few good amps (and IEMs, see my profile) but never felt they did anything really substantial for the overall SQ of any of my IEMs. I've pretty much given up on amps/dacs and now spend my money on headphones instead.
I'm not saying you're not getting a "lifelike response and decay" from your ALO amp. Only you can be the judge of that, but to any newcomers to this hobby I most definitely recommend spending your money on different kinds of headphones first and foremost. If you believe that this or that amp is going to turn your current IEM into something they're not, chances are you're going to be disappointed.
EDIT: Just to make sure; of course a descent source is required, but it doesn't have to cost a fortune. I firmly believe a DAP such as for example the FiiO X3 that I happen to have myself is more than sufficient for most IEM needs. Also, descent files is a plus too. I pretty much reject anything below CD quality (16/44) and MP3s with a lower bit rate than 128 kbps.
I totally agree with pretty much everything you've said. I'm a musician that probably spent more on crazy gear (surprise surprise I'm a timbre freak).
128kbps mp3s are the dumbest thing I've heard so I stuck around lunging my CD player for the longest time. The biggest difference between 320 kbps vs wav or ape files for me is subtle. In fact the subtle things come up more in lossless. I'm usually on the go so 320isn't something that'd bother me unlike mushy 128kbps guitars. As for amps,I simply bought the Alo because the store owner highly recommended it and some will reputed reviewers spoke well about it here on h-fi and elsewhere. But yeah, it's always nice to hear different impressions that paint the big picture. Peace out.
I totally agree with pretty much everything you've said. I'm a musician that probably spent more on crazy gear (surprise surprise I'm a timbre freak).
128kbps mp3s are the dumbest thing I've heard so I stuck around lunging my mp3 player for the longest time. The biggest difference between 320 kbps vs wav or ape files for me is subtle. In fact the subtle things come up more in lossless. I'm usually on the go so 320isn't something that'd bother me unlike mushy 128kbps guitars. As for amps,I simply bought the Alo because the store owner highly recommended it and some will reputed reviewers spoke well about it here on h-fi and elsewhere. But yeah, it's always nice to hear different impressions that paint the big picture. Peace out.
it's great to have a good DAC/Amp in my opinion. sure a fiio DAP is a great source but these days more than half the time i am listening to tunes via my desktop or laptop via Google Play Music. so an LH Labs Geekout V2 is worth every penny to me. and i am sure to many others.
I totally agree with pretty much everything you've said. I'm a musician that probably spent more on crazy gear (surprise surprise I'm a timbre freak).
128kbps mp3s are the dumbest thing I've heard so I stuck around lunging my mp3 player for the longest time. The biggest difference between 320 kbps vs wav or ape files for me is subtle. In fact the subtle things come up more in lossless. I'm usually on the go so 320isn't something that'd bother me unlike mushy 128kbps guitars. As for amps,I simply bought the Alo because the store owner highly recommended it and some will reputed reviewers spoke well about it here on h-fi and elsewhere. But yeah, it's always nice to hear different impressions that paint the big picture. Peace out.
it's great to have a good DAC/Amp in my opinion. sure a fiio DAP is a great source but these days more than half the time i am listening to tunes via my desktop or laptop via Google Play Music. so an LH Labs Geekout V2 is worth every penny to me. and i am sure to many others.
Yes, a desktop amp/dac is convenient. I have it too (Objective DAC/O2) but as far as improved SQ it doesn't do much for me. It's more matter of very slight differences. SQ wise I'd be more than happy with my FiiO X3 2nd gen. or my iPod Touch gen. 4.
Comparing descent sources is in my experience mostly just a matter of sightly different sound characteristics and what we prefer we tend to label as "better".
So, in my opinion the most affordable and efficient way to improve sound to our liking is to invest in headphones.
I've had a few good amps (and IEMs, see my profile) but never felt they did anything really substantial for the overall SQ of any of my IEMs. I've pretty much given up on amps/dacs and now spend my money on headphones instead.
I'm not saying you're not getting a "lifelike response and decay" from your ALO amp. Only you can be the judge of that, but to any newcomers to this hobby I most definitely recommend spending your money on different kinds of headphones first and foremost. If you believe that this or that amp is going to turn your current IEM into something they're not, chances are you're going to be disappointed.
EDIT: Just to make sure; of course a descent source is required, but it doesn't have to cost a fortune. I firmly believe a DAP such as for example the FiiO X3 that I happen to have myself is more than sufficient for most IEM needs. Also, descent files is a plus too. I pretty much reject anything below CD quality (16/44) and MP3s with a lower bit rate than 128 kbps.
I totally agree with pretty much everything you've said. I'm a musician that probably spent more on crazy gear (surprise surprise I'm a timbre freak).
128kbps mp3s are the dumbest thing I've heard so I stuck around lunging my CD player for the longest time. The biggest difference between 320 kbps vs wav or ape files for me is subtle. In fact the subtle things come up more in lossless. I'm usually on the go so 320isn't something that'd bother me unlike mushy 128kbps guitars. As for amps,I simply bought the Alo because the store owner highly recommended it and some will reputed reviewers spoke well about it here on h-fi and elsewhere. But yeah, it's always nice to hear different impressions that paint the big picture. Peace out.
I'd never be able to tell the difference. I even had a really hard time passing the "MP3 artefacts" challenge on the "Silver Ears" level of Philips' Golden Ears challenge. After having passed that test I made up my mind never to waste memory again.
I've had a few good amps (and IEMs, see my profile) but never felt they did anything really substantial for the overall SQ of any of my IEMs. I've pretty much given up on amps/dacs and now spend my money on headphones instead.
I'm not saying you're not getting a "lifelike response and decay" from your ALO amp. Only you can be the judge of that, but to any newcomers to this hobby I most definitely recommend spending your money on different kinds of headphones first and foremost. If you believe that this or that amp is going to turn your current IEM into something they're not, chances are you're going to be disappointed.
EDIT: Just to make sure; of course a descent source is required, but it doesn't have to cost a fortune. I firmly believe a DAP such as for example the FiiO X3 that I happen to have myself is more than sufficient for most IEM needs. Also, descent files is a plus too. I pretty much reject anything below CD quality (16/44) and MP3s with a lower bit rate than 128 kbps.
I totally agree with pretty much everything you've said. I'm a musician that probably spent more on crazy gear (surprise surprise I'm a timbre freak).
128kbps mp3s are the dumbest thing I've heard so I stuck around lunging my CD player for the longest time. The biggest difference between 320 kbps vs wav or ape files for me is subtle. In fact the subtle things come up more in lossless. I'm usually on the go so 320isn't something that'd bother me unlike mushy 128kbps guitars. As for amps,I simply bought the Alo because the store owner highly recommended it and some will reputed reviewers spoke well about it here on h-fi and elsewhere. But yeah, it's always nice to hear different impressions that paint the big picture. Peace out.
I'd never be able to tell the difference. I even had a really hard time passing the "MP3 artefacts" challenge on the "Silver Ears" level of Philips' Golden Ears challenge. After having passed that test I made up my mind never to waste memory again.
I should add that I now settle for approx. 200 kbps (VBR) on all of my compressed aac files. In the "Golden Ears Challenge" mentioned in my previous post it took 100 % of my focus to learn how to hear the difference between 128 kbps and 160 kbps. What's funny is that I preferred the sound of the 128 kbps file which I found a very tiny bit crisper/clearer.
So, from that experience I just concluded that I would most likely never be able to tell the difference between 160 kbps and anything above it. That's why I settled for 200 kbps (once and for all) to make absolutely sure.
I should add that I now settle for approx. 200 kbps (VBR) on all of my compressed aac files. In the "Golden Ears Challenge" mentioned in my previous post it took 100 % of my focus to learn how to hear the difference between 128 kbps and 160 kbps. What's funny is that I preferred the sound of the 128 kbps file which I found a very tiny bit crisper/clearer.
So, from that experience I just concluded that I would most likely never be able to tell the difference between 160 kbps and anything above it. That's why I settled for 200 kbps (once and for all) to make absolutely sure.
Hmm. I find it easy to tell 192/320 Just listen to 8kbps then 16kbps, and so on. You'll pick up what the difference you're looking for is.
As for Desktop dac, the main use is convenience, sure. But between an onboard sound card vs a decent dac, it's a massive difference, especially the noise floor.
I can buy them for 360e (almost 400$) in Europe. Do you think that I should go for it, or is it better to wait for the new model or add some money and go the CIEM route?
I can buy them for 360e (almost 400$) in Europe. Do you think that I should go for it, or is it better to wait for the new model or add some money and go the CIEM route?
I can buy them for 360e (almost 400$) in Europe. Do you think that I should go for it, or is it better to wait for the new model or add some money and go the CIEM route?
a) I think that sounds a bit expensive. I'd recommend "Lend Me UR ears" (Singapore, I believe). They have them for USD 330.36 which includes Express shipping to many European countries. Got my Fidue A83 from them and it was 100 % fuss free. (4 working days to Sweden, and the way they handled customs and tax was rather shrewd).
b) Go for it if you believe it has the signature you'd like/prefer. That provided, it's just a stellar phone, and even though the newly advertised phones from DUNU are interesting we so far have no experience of them (I guess!?).
c) My personal recommendation is to be cautious about CIEMs, and here's why.
I should add that I now settle for approx. 200 kbps (VBR) on all of my compressed aac files. In the "Golden Ears Challenge" mentioned in my previous post it took 100 % of my focus to learn how to hear the difference between 128 kbps and 160 kbps. What's funny is that I preferred the sound of the 128 kbps file which I found a very tiny bit crisper/clearer.
So, from that experience I just concluded that I would most likely never be able to tell the difference between 160 kbps and anything above it. That's why I settled for 200 kbps (once and for all) to make absolutely sure.
Hmm. I find it easy to tell 192/320 Just listen to 8kbps then 16kbps, and so on. You'll pick up what the difference you're looking for is.
As for Desktop dac, the main use is convenience, sure. But between an onboard sound card vs a decent dac, it's a massive difference, especially the noise floor.
If you listen for a particular difference, chances are very good you'll hear it, but I'm convinced its all then in your head. A blind test (which is basically impossible to conduct in a safe way) is the only reliable way to tell whether there's a difference or not. Did you try the Philips Golden Ears MP3 artifacts challenge? If so, did you nail it immediately, or did you have to practice first? If you haven't done it I recommend it. It's quite entertaining!
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
