Baycode
Headphoneus Supremus
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- Dec 21, 2004
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Dunu Titan 1 (Price: 115 USD): A Review by Baycode
CATEGORY: IEE (In Ear Earphone)
All the images which have copyright symbols and Baycode name are copyrighted by me and can't be used for "commercial purposes" -without my permission-.
Feel free to use other than commercial purposes.
I always prefer to see "detailed but simple and easy to evaluate reviews" on head-fi. So I ended up using the graphs. Each factor you see in the graph are provided after 200h burn-in and extensive listening and A-B'ing with other iems. The higher the value, the better that factor gets. Anything less than 5 is below average, 5 is average, 10 is max. These numberings are not based on any other reviews. For better understanding the terminology and graph please see the notes section on the bottom of this page and read this glossary. To see the summary of the graph just look at the red and orange bars (red bar is average value of all factors while orange is the average value of only the sound quality). For the other factors you can find short notes under separate headlines. I want my reviews to be as fast an effectively understandable as possible which reflects only the TRUTH and as you already know -IMO-. Some of the review products are free review samples sent to me while some of the others are purchased by me. Always feel free to ask any questions.
I compare and put the values for each category which is specifically evaluated (calculated) values for that "CATEGORY". So please do not attempt to compare an IEM category with full sized HP's.
Each ranking on frequency ranges are equated values of the each fq response and its technicalities. I create the graph after MANY listening sessions. There are NO measurement tools used for these values except my ear/brain.
So all these values should be taken as "IMO"
Thanks for your visit and valuable contributions!
Dunu Titan 1 Graph:
Note: 5 is neutral level for "Discrete category".
Below 5 means that the iem/hp gets cool.
Summary:
Dunu Titan 1 is a single dynamic driver (13 mm diameter Titanium diaphragm) in ear earphone (iee), aimed at the audiophile user who needs excellent clarity, airiness, crisp highs and good amount of bass with a very wide soundstage. Sound character is not exactly linear, V or U shaped but something in between (in order to better understand what I mean, please check the graph for freq ranges).
It is not exactly an iem, but a breed in between ear-buds and iems. But I have to say, Titan 1 is a terrific value and sound!
So who may like the Titan 1? If you need an iee which is suitable for diverse kinds of music, if you appreciate neutral sound signature but need some more emphasis on the highs and low range, if you need top notch clarity, if you like very wide sound-stage, if you need speed for fast music, if you like to hear whats going on around you but couldn't achieve this goal with your noise isolating iem, if you're looking for a durable allarounder iee with great comfort, then Dunu Titan 1 is for you!!!
A Side Note for Resemblance (or association) of Titan product name: I believe the "Titan 1" name is derived from the Dunu Titan 1's diaphragm material: Titanium. But it also reminded me the Titans from the Antique Greek Mythology! Among the Titans, Atlas is very well known (pictured on the below). This idea came to my mind not only because of that Dunu used the "Titan" title in its product name, but also "Titan 1" is bearing a 13mm (giant size diaphragm for an iem, normal for a earbud) reflects the GIANTS (Titans): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titan_%28mythology%29
Oh BTW, as being a die-hard head-fier I am not seeing the Atlas holding the world on his shoulders -instead- I am seeing the huge Titanium diaphragm of the Dunu on top of his head!
Source of The Image: http://eden-saga.com/en/greek-mythology-titans-gods-giants-gravity-straighten-up-earth-atlas-achievement.html
Titan 1 box is completely covered with a vacuum nylon. Because of this you can
be sure that you're the first person to open the box.
After removing the nylon wrap leaves you with the matte finished black box.
This is the Box front view. Dunu really excels in package design and quality.
Gives the feeling of a premium product that you are holding.
Box cardboard materials are heavy weight.
I love this explanation! : Delicate, Unique and Utmost
Box side view (note that the specs are written in 6 different languages!).
Box back view (all the extra info you need to know is here).
Details are everywhere... It's a nice and useful idea to put some cloth fabric on the required places of the flips for easing the opening process...
First flip opened... Mmm, nice
And the second flip opened... Under the second flip cover of the box you reach what you are looking for
Close up look "inside the box".
Dunu Titan 1 iee.
Separately packed eartips and a gold plated 3.5mm to 6.5mm convertor are included inside the Dunu iee box.
These are the accessories you get along with the Titan 1 iee. I love the quality of the included items,
especially the flip open plastic box. This box have two different layers of stiffness.
Inside and walls are made of some kind of an elastic rubber. Included shirt clip is a nice touch.
The black silicone eartips on the top have large bore and increased the soundstage slightly.
But I like the sound from red core ones more. My Titan 1 came fitted with a Sony Hybrid type of black Medium silicone eartip.
For me Dunu Titan 1 sounded great either with a pair of Comply T400 or red core Titan 1 eartips (YMMW).
Comply eartips definately makes the sound (especially highs region) softer. This is a good news because if you are not
used to bright highs you may en up disliking Titan 1. Comply T400 solves this problem.
I always appreciate the manufacturers who includes the warranty with their items.
So big applause here to Dunu, especially for making the warranty worldwide available.
The back leaflet of the warranty have the repair notes section.
This leaflet gives me the feeling of care, discipline, sustainability...
Genres Good for Listening with:
Pop, Rock, Hard Rock, New Age, Instrumental, Chill-out, Ambient, Heavy Metal, Vocal, Classical etc. Broad ranges of genres are suitable with this iem (written in order of my preference).
Suitable to Use for:
General listening in very quiet or relatively quiet places. Not so suitable for very noisy environments like bus, train, airplane; can be used while walking or daily works; not advisable for workout, sports, not suitable for water sports.
Iee native wearing position:
Native wearing position is cable-down. Can be worn cable-up (over the ears) as well but this changes the sound signature and sound becomes thinner (the fact is for my ear shape, YMMW). I have also tried cable-up position with changing L-R (I put right earpiece to left ear and vice-versa). But sounded thin again... (YMMW).
Fit and Comfort:
Very very easy to fit. Comfort is superb! If you wear Titan 1 in cable down position you need to use the chin slider to lessen the microphonics and increase the secure fitting. I like the cable design. It is covered with a fabric under the Y-splitter part. Above the splitter it is only covered with elastic rubber. Microphonic characteristics is not bad. While wearing Titan 1 over the ear, microphonics were nearly not existent. Though the native wearing position is cable-down, you will get some microphonics, but not on a deal-breaker level...
Fitting the Titan 1 very deep resulted narrower soundstage and mid bass-bass region lost its weight/fullness. Fitting very loose resulted in very thin and bright sound. So I advise you to fit the Titan 1 only with lightly pressing it (shallow or shallow to medium depth insertion, try and find your best sounding position).
Isolation:
Titan 1 is a cross breed between iem and earbud. It doesn't isolate well and not intended to do this. So that's why I separate "isolation" value in the graph and give the value in the Discrete Categories graph. Isolation is not poor like an earbud, not stellar like a real iem. If you ever used Ostry KC06 (supposed to be iem) you can understand better -Titan 1 is on that level- for isolation. Poor but not very bad... You need to increase the sound in the noisy environments. This way you have to hear everything clearer in the return of ear fatigue (and/or possibly ear damage in long term use). On the other hand if you listen to Titan 1 in a quiet place like a library, and if you are using moderately high volume levels, your surroundings may hear what you are listening to. I advise Dunu Titan 1 especially for relatively quiet office and home use where you like to enjoy your music and at the same time need to hear your colleagues or kids. Because of this future I like to use it in these two situations. This iee is definitely a keeper for me because of these features -in addition- to its excellent sound quality.
Large diaphragms are cleverly hidden inside these housings. They may seem very large but in reality
they are not too large. Fits very easily and because of its ergonomics and lightweight you don't even feel them
after sometime.
Cyan color for left ear, Red color for Right ear. Clever idea! Also Left and Right markings are inside part of each earpiece.
Many holes are drilled underside of the Titan 1. These holes are needed for the huge (13mm) titanium diaphragm to breathe (move) without extra effort
Also these holes leaks some sound which adds to the overall presentation of the sound from slightly outside of the ear-canal (and this adds a very little more
cohesiveness-natural perception of the music).
Remowing the eartip exposes the sound bore. Interesting design isn't it? And any resemblance to a kitchen utensil?
Very good strain reliefs are built on the Titan 1. Dunu nailed the strain relief design with these...
Dunu, please make Titanium and black color varieties of the Titan1. In my opinion dark Titanium shell color will mostly suit this iee.
It will give more premium look (IMO, YMMW).
Sound bore opening...
Angled nozzles... Note the single "back went" under the strain relief.
Fitted with the eartip.
Y splitter is metal and very good looking. Again strain relief is excellent. Note that the chin slider is in its place on this photo.
Back part of the splitter has the Titan 1 letter on it.
Now the chin slider is removed from the place. Good operating chin slider is also made of aluminum.
Nice design...
OK. Now we need an applause to Dunu for designing in this elastic cable management wrap (or band)!
It has a Dunu patent written on it! You see those different holes on it?: They have a purpose which is explained on the following photos...
Downside of the design? If you don't want to use the band and would prefer not to see it attached on the cable, you can't remove it
(unless you cut it with a model knife and be very careful while doing this - also: I don't advise you doing this!-).
90 degree angled 3.5mm gold plated stereo jack is very good quality. Strain relief is great too. Jack is covered with aluminum cap.
You can see the serial number on it (I am not 100% sure if this is a serial number but it seems so).
Close up of the under the Y splitter cable covering fabric. This fabric adds durability and aesthetics. I have to say that the cable is super flexible.
Not a thick cable but seems durable...
..but I have to mention that after some use I have noticed that the outer fabric started to show some imperfections -which you may be able to see in these two photos-.
Not a bad issue because you need to look with a loupe or macro lens to see whats going on... Also my previous full sized HP cables with similar fabrics behaved the same after some use.
So you can directly pass this one as being an issue...
Cable management is very easy with Titan 1. You just wrap the cable around your 3 fingers as shown.
Then wrap and secure the cable with the Dunu patented cable management band.
You need to use one of the three circles on the cable management band if you want to wrap all the cables...
...and if you just want to shorten the cable you can use one of the three narrow rectangle openings.
So why rectangles instead of circles when securing the shortened cable, because it gets loosed and
opens up and frees the cable automatically if you accidentally catch it up somewhere.
This prevents a possible damage. Bravo Dunu! This experimentation took some time to understand though
because it is not indicated/written somewhere. Very basic and clever design isn't it?
Source-IEM Matches/Mismatches:
Titan 1 is rated at 16 ohm and rated at 90dB. Because of this it can easily be played even from a weak source like a cell phone. Adding an amp to the link doesn't improve the sound substantially but may add some body to the bass and open the iee slightly more -depending on your DAP/AMP-. I got great sound from evry source I have tried. Of course, better sources means better definition/detail... To make a conclusion here I have to say that an amp is not a necessity with Titan1.
Also I have to add that brighter sources may not be a good match with Titan1, because its sound is already very detailed and slightly bright, so for my experience warmer sources match very well with these.
Brain and Driver Burn-in Period:
It needs at least 100 hours of burn-in for the biggest settlement (especially mid-bass starts to show its body at this point). Titan 1 completely settled after 200 hours (also 200h burn-in is suggested by Dunu for Titan 1).
At first listen I found Titan 1 to be slightly thin sounding. Also highs region were edgy. Some sibilance were effecting my ears (in some recordings only)... Mid-bass were not showing enough weight. But soundstage, clarity, airiness, all were excellent from the first listen. After 200 hours of burn-in highs region tamed slightly and midd-bass reached its final state. No bleeding of midd-bass to mids. Subbass is also great on the titan though not bigger than midbass. To my ears, Titan 1 definitely needs 200h of burn-in fellas.
Note on this Burn-in part: I do not listen to my iem/hp's while they are in the burn-in process. I just check their sound periodically (in different hours) with very short listening sessions, using the same test tracks. This way I try to prevent brain burn-in as much as possible. But keep in mind: I do believe in (because I hear/feel) both burn-in types (material and brain). I would prefer to use "getting used to a sound signature" instead of "brain burn-in" though... But, since the term "brain burn-in" is frequently used in head-fi for the brain adjustment, I will use it on my review as well.
Brain burn-in generally occurs in two ways: If you listen to a sound signature (Hp/iem) for along time without moving on different sound signature Hp/iem's (this is known as getting used to a signature) and/or when A/B'ing hp/iem's, in the first 10-20 seconds brain try to adjust itself to the new sound.
Quality and Durability:
Aluminum housing seems excellent in quality and also very durable. All the cable relief strains are nicely built and seems to protect the cables on the joint points. Included accessories is very than sufficient. I only wish that Dunu included "Comply" eartip with Titan 1 for mellowing general signature and softening the highs region for some users (like me). Box is excellent quality and designed very well. Everything brought me to the feeling that Dunu is valuing their customers. Also the quality of the Titan 1 carry box (case) is great!
Whom should avoid Titan 1:
Who needs good isolation, who needs to use this iee for workout or for sports, who doesn't like slightly more pronounced and crisper highs (can be remedied with Comply eartips, so not a real deal-breaker), who needs absolutely neutral sound, who needs over the ear design (though Titan1 can be worn over the ear I couldn't achieve good results); should avoid Titan 1.
Value for Money:
It has excellent value for money! I can't see a better sound at the similar price range or slightly above.
12 months guarantee also gives confidence to the Dunu brand.
Love Factor:
This term is new in head-fi (I prefer to use it). "Love factor" is very "personal taste" dependent and one should take care of this factor as a grain of salt (but if you ask me it's one of the most important factor). This factor summarizes my liking of sound quality, fit-comfort, durability, isolation, microphonics, aesthetics, etc. My love factor is on the well above-average level for the Titan 1 (check the graph).
Comparisons with iems (it will be fair to compare a special iee design like Titan 1 with an iee but I don't have anything with the same or similar design to compare, so, yeah anyway, I will do some comparisons with two well known/popular iems):
Dunu Titan 1 vs Havi B3 Pro1
Both have very wide sound-stage. B3 Pro1 is known for its excellent sound-stage/imaging/clarity/neutrality. I can say that Titan1 slightly wider sounding than B3P1 but difference is not very huge. Clarity on the upper high, highs and mid-highs range is slightly better on Titan1. On the lower frequencies I feel clarity is better on B3P1. Because of the clearer and more pronounced highs region Titan1 feels airier sounding. Bass body is better pronounced on Titan1. When A/B'in I can feel that the Titan1 is brighter phone but also has a good bass emphasis. Also diaphragm is slightly faster moving on Titan1. You feel the difference while listening to the tracks like Infected Mushroom's "Savant on Mushrooms". Overall Titan 1 produces more vibrant and airier sound, though B3P1 is more balanced across the spectrum.
Dunu Titan 1 vs Sony MH1C
In general Titan1 sounded better to my ears. To my surprise Subbass is better pronounced with MH1C. Goes deeper than Titan1. Soundstage is definitely wider with Titan1. General sound signature feels more meaty with MH1C while airier with Titan1. Although MH1C and B3P1 incorporates micro-drives which supposed to move faster than say a 13 mm driver, the opposite case is true here: Thanks to Titan 1's titanium diaphragm design. What I really appreciate with the MH1C is its highs region. With some songs, extended use with moderately high volumes can "sometimes" cause fatigue with Titan1 which is not the case for MH1C. Detail retrieval is better with Titan1.
Sum-up:
I think Titan 1 is a very great sounding iee which have the potential to satisfy many customers. It's material (or build) quality and accessories definitely deserves the asking price. Anyone who likes a slightly U shaped signature (without sacrificing the midbass) with an excellent soundstage must definitely get the Titan1! A high caliber iee with a refined sound!
Availability: Penon Audio
Guarantee: Yes, provided by Dunu, 12 months. I always appreciate the guarantee on the audio equipments. So, big applause to Dunu!!!
Specs:
Contents & Accessories:
Detachable Cables: No
Microphone: No
Acknowledgements:
Thanks for Penon Audio and Dunu for sending me a Dunu Titan 1 for this review.
Sources Used for This Review:
Meizu M3 (Music Card) for hissing test
Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4" for tablet as a source and warmer source test
LG G3 32GB mobile phone as a source and colder/analytical source test
Sandisk Sansa Fuze (Rockboxed) as a cheap pocket size DAP test
iPod Touch 4th Gen 32GB DAP test
iPod Touch 4th Gen via lineout to Topping NX1 amp for amping tests
GeekOut 720 Headphone out used for DAC/AMP test
GeekOut 720 lineout to Darkvoice TH336SE (front Psvane 6SN7, back RCA 6AS7G SAC JAN tube) DAC to Tube Amp as a source test
... and Various Hi-Res tracks were listened from these Genres:
Rock, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Pop, Trance, EDM, NewAge, Chillout, Ambient, Classical, Instrumental, Vocal, Soundtrack musics.
About me:
My age is 42 (as of this writing). I have 24 years of background in listening to music with quality headphones (I don't count the crappy equipment period) and I am a member of head-fi since 2004. For further, please check my profile.
Notes:
1- Most of the terminology used in this review is depending on this excellent write-up by multiple headfiers: http://www.head-fi.org/a/describing-sound-a-glossary
2- Specifications and/or color of the equipments covered by this review may change in the future by the producer. And these changes may not be reflected inside the review in the future (although I prefer to update).
3- The bar-graph review technique is a new one and its my way to show readers to understand an equipment at first look. It’s easier to understand IMO rather than reading dozens of pages. But I also advise any reader to look for the other reviewers pages and other contributors ideas. There is no single way to reach the truth.
4- The values in the graphs may change “slightly” over time. This is because my equipment collection is growing and comparative evaluations will always be in the process (even after review). So please feel free to come back and check the graph in the future (for example 2 months later). But usually these values are created after extensive burn-in and listening/comparing periods. So will mostly be stable.
Here I like to add some more images from different angles. Enjoy!
Nothing is better than washing your soul with the music under the bright winter sun, energizes your body and soul
(the place where I live we have 4 seasons and winter time is never too cold).
Apart from office and home, frequently visited places like Starbucks where I really enjoy using Titan 1.
Subscribe: Baycode's Upcoming Reviews (in the graph sytle)
CATEGORY: IEE (In Ear Earphone)
All the images which have copyright symbols and Baycode name are copyrighted by me and can't be used for "commercial purposes" -without my permission-.
Feel free to use other than commercial purposes.
I always prefer to see "detailed but simple and easy to evaluate reviews" on head-fi. So I ended up using the graphs. Each factor you see in the graph are provided after 200h burn-in and extensive listening and A-B'ing with other iems. The higher the value, the better that factor gets. Anything less than 5 is below average, 5 is average, 10 is max. These numberings are not based on any other reviews. For better understanding the terminology and graph please see the notes section on the bottom of this page and read this glossary. To see the summary of the graph just look at the red and orange bars (red bar is average value of all factors while orange is the average value of only the sound quality). For the other factors you can find short notes under separate headlines. I want my reviews to be as fast an effectively understandable as possible which reflects only the TRUTH and as you already know -IMO-. Some of the review products are free review samples sent to me while some of the others are purchased by me. Always feel free to ask any questions.
I compare and put the values for each category which is specifically evaluated (calculated) values for that "CATEGORY". So please do not attempt to compare an IEM category with full sized HP's.
Each ranking on frequency ranges are equated values of the each fq response and its technicalities. I create the graph after MANY listening sessions. There are NO measurement tools used for these values except my ear/brain.
So all these values should be taken as "IMO"
Thanks for your visit and valuable contributions!
Dunu Titan 1 Graph:
Note: 5 is neutral level for "Discrete category".
Below 5 means that the iem/hp gets cool.
Summary:
Dunu Titan 1 is a single dynamic driver (13 mm diameter Titanium diaphragm) in ear earphone (iee), aimed at the audiophile user who needs excellent clarity, airiness, crisp highs and good amount of bass with a very wide soundstage. Sound character is not exactly linear, V or U shaped but something in between (in order to better understand what I mean, please check the graph for freq ranges).
It is not exactly an iem, but a breed in between ear-buds and iems. But I have to say, Titan 1 is a terrific value and sound!
So who may like the Titan 1? If you need an iee which is suitable for diverse kinds of music, if you appreciate neutral sound signature but need some more emphasis on the highs and low range, if you need top notch clarity, if you like very wide sound-stage, if you need speed for fast music, if you like to hear whats going on around you but couldn't achieve this goal with your noise isolating iem, if you're looking for a durable allarounder iee with great comfort, then Dunu Titan 1 is for you!!!
A Side Note for Resemblance (or association) of Titan product name: I believe the "Titan 1" name is derived from the Dunu Titan 1's diaphragm material: Titanium. But it also reminded me the Titans from the Antique Greek Mythology! Among the Titans, Atlas is very well known (pictured on the below). This idea came to my mind not only because of that Dunu used the "Titan" title in its product name, but also "Titan 1" is bearing a 13mm (giant size diaphragm for an iem, normal for a earbud) reflects the GIANTS (Titans): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titan_%28mythology%29
Oh BTW, as being a die-hard head-fier I am not seeing the Atlas holding the world on his shoulders -instead- I am seeing the huge Titanium diaphragm of the Dunu on top of his head!
Source of The Image: http://eden-saga.com/en/greek-mythology-titans-gods-giants-gravity-straighten-up-earth-atlas-achievement.html
Titan 1 box is completely covered with a vacuum nylon. Because of this you can
be sure that you're the first person to open the box.
After removing the nylon wrap leaves you with the matte finished black box.
This is the Box front view. Dunu really excels in package design and quality.
Gives the feeling of a premium product that you are holding.
Box cardboard materials are heavy weight.
I love this explanation! : Delicate, Unique and Utmost
Box side view (note that the specs are written in 6 different languages!).
Box back view (all the extra info you need to know is here).
Details are everywhere... It's a nice and useful idea to put some cloth fabric on the required places of the flips for easing the opening process...
First flip opened... Mmm, nice
And the second flip opened... Under the second flip cover of the box you reach what you are looking for
Close up look "inside the box".
Dunu Titan 1 iee.
Separately packed eartips and a gold plated 3.5mm to 6.5mm convertor are included inside the Dunu iee box.
These are the accessories you get along with the Titan 1 iee. I love the quality of the included items,
especially the flip open plastic box. This box have two different layers of stiffness.
Inside and walls are made of some kind of an elastic rubber. Included shirt clip is a nice touch.
The black silicone eartips on the top have large bore and increased the soundstage slightly.
But I like the sound from red core ones more. My Titan 1 came fitted with a Sony Hybrid type of black Medium silicone eartip.
For me Dunu Titan 1 sounded great either with a pair of Comply T400 or red core Titan 1 eartips (YMMW).
Comply eartips definately makes the sound (especially highs region) softer. This is a good news because if you are not
used to bright highs you may en up disliking Titan 1. Comply T400 solves this problem.
I always appreciate the manufacturers who includes the warranty with their items.
So big applause here to Dunu, especially for making the warranty worldwide available.
The back leaflet of the warranty have the repair notes section.
This leaflet gives me the feeling of care, discipline, sustainability...
Genres Good for Listening with:
Pop, Rock, Hard Rock, New Age, Instrumental, Chill-out, Ambient, Heavy Metal, Vocal, Classical etc. Broad ranges of genres are suitable with this iem (written in order of my preference).
Suitable to Use for:
General listening in very quiet or relatively quiet places. Not so suitable for very noisy environments like bus, train, airplane; can be used while walking or daily works; not advisable for workout, sports, not suitable for water sports.
Iee native wearing position:
Native wearing position is cable-down. Can be worn cable-up (over the ears) as well but this changes the sound signature and sound becomes thinner (the fact is for my ear shape, YMMW). I have also tried cable-up position with changing L-R (I put right earpiece to left ear and vice-versa). But sounded thin again... (YMMW).
Fit and Comfort:
Very very easy to fit. Comfort is superb! If you wear Titan 1 in cable down position you need to use the chin slider to lessen the microphonics and increase the secure fitting. I like the cable design. It is covered with a fabric under the Y-splitter part. Above the splitter it is only covered with elastic rubber. Microphonic characteristics is not bad. While wearing Titan 1 over the ear, microphonics were nearly not existent. Though the native wearing position is cable-down, you will get some microphonics, but not on a deal-breaker level...
Fitting the Titan 1 very deep resulted narrower soundstage and mid bass-bass region lost its weight/fullness. Fitting very loose resulted in very thin and bright sound. So I advise you to fit the Titan 1 only with lightly pressing it (shallow or shallow to medium depth insertion, try and find your best sounding position).
Isolation:
Titan 1 is a cross breed between iem and earbud. It doesn't isolate well and not intended to do this. So that's why I separate "isolation" value in the graph and give the value in the Discrete Categories graph. Isolation is not poor like an earbud, not stellar like a real iem. If you ever used Ostry KC06 (supposed to be iem) you can understand better -Titan 1 is on that level- for isolation. Poor but not very bad... You need to increase the sound in the noisy environments. This way you have to hear everything clearer in the return of ear fatigue (and/or possibly ear damage in long term use). On the other hand if you listen to Titan 1 in a quiet place like a library, and if you are using moderately high volume levels, your surroundings may hear what you are listening to. I advise Dunu Titan 1 especially for relatively quiet office and home use where you like to enjoy your music and at the same time need to hear your colleagues or kids. Because of this future I like to use it in these two situations. This iee is definitely a keeper for me because of these features -in addition- to its excellent sound quality.
Large diaphragms are cleverly hidden inside these housings. They may seem very large but in reality
they are not too large. Fits very easily and because of its ergonomics and lightweight you don't even feel them
after sometime.
Cyan color for left ear, Red color for Right ear. Clever idea! Also Left and Right markings are inside part of each earpiece.
Many holes are drilled underside of the Titan 1. These holes are needed for the huge (13mm) titanium diaphragm to breathe (move) without extra effort
Also these holes leaks some sound which adds to the overall presentation of the sound from slightly outside of the ear-canal (and this adds a very little more
cohesiveness-natural perception of the music).
Remowing the eartip exposes the sound bore. Interesting design isn't it? And any resemblance to a kitchen utensil?
Very good strain reliefs are built on the Titan 1. Dunu nailed the strain relief design with these...
Dunu, please make Titanium and black color varieties of the Titan1. In my opinion dark Titanium shell color will mostly suit this iee.
It will give more premium look (IMO, YMMW).
Sound bore opening...
Angled nozzles... Note the single "back went" under the strain relief.
Fitted with the eartip.
Y splitter is metal and very good looking. Again strain relief is excellent. Note that the chin slider is in its place on this photo.
Back part of the splitter has the Titan 1 letter on it.
Now the chin slider is removed from the place. Good operating chin slider is also made of aluminum.
Nice design...
OK. Now we need an applause to Dunu for designing in this elastic cable management wrap (or band)!
It has a Dunu patent written on it! You see those different holes on it?: They have a purpose which is explained on the following photos...
Downside of the design? If you don't want to use the band and would prefer not to see it attached on the cable, you can't remove it
(unless you cut it with a model knife and be very careful while doing this - also: I don't advise you doing this!-).
90 degree angled 3.5mm gold plated stereo jack is very good quality. Strain relief is great too. Jack is covered with aluminum cap.
You can see the serial number on it (I am not 100% sure if this is a serial number but it seems so).
Close up of the under the Y splitter cable covering fabric. This fabric adds durability and aesthetics. I have to say that the cable is super flexible.
Not a thick cable but seems durable...
..but I have to mention that after some use I have noticed that the outer fabric started to show some imperfections -which you may be able to see in these two photos-.
Not a bad issue because you need to look with a loupe or macro lens to see whats going on... Also my previous full sized HP cables with similar fabrics behaved the same after some use.
So you can directly pass this one as being an issue...
Cable management is very easy with Titan 1. You just wrap the cable around your 3 fingers as shown.
Then wrap and secure the cable with the Dunu patented cable management band.
You need to use one of the three circles on the cable management band if you want to wrap all the cables...
...and if you just want to shorten the cable you can use one of the three narrow rectangle openings.
So why rectangles instead of circles when securing the shortened cable, because it gets loosed and
opens up and frees the cable automatically if you accidentally catch it up somewhere.
This prevents a possible damage. Bravo Dunu! This experimentation took some time to understand though
because it is not indicated/written somewhere. Very basic and clever design isn't it?
Source-IEM Matches/Mismatches:
Titan 1 is rated at 16 ohm and rated at 90dB. Because of this it can easily be played even from a weak source like a cell phone. Adding an amp to the link doesn't improve the sound substantially but may add some body to the bass and open the iee slightly more -depending on your DAP/AMP-. I got great sound from evry source I have tried. Of course, better sources means better definition/detail... To make a conclusion here I have to say that an amp is not a necessity with Titan1.
Also I have to add that brighter sources may not be a good match with Titan1, because its sound is already very detailed and slightly bright, so for my experience warmer sources match very well with these.
Brain and Driver Burn-in Period:
It needs at least 100 hours of burn-in for the biggest settlement (especially mid-bass starts to show its body at this point). Titan 1 completely settled after 200 hours (also 200h burn-in is suggested by Dunu for Titan 1).
At first listen I found Titan 1 to be slightly thin sounding. Also highs region were edgy. Some sibilance were effecting my ears (in some recordings only)... Mid-bass were not showing enough weight. But soundstage, clarity, airiness, all were excellent from the first listen. After 200 hours of burn-in highs region tamed slightly and midd-bass reached its final state. No bleeding of midd-bass to mids. Subbass is also great on the titan though not bigger than midbass. To my ears, Titan 1 definitely needs 200h of burn-in fellas.
Note on this Burn-in part: I do not listen to my iem/hp's while they are in the burn-in process. I just check their sound periodically (in different hours) with very short listening sessions, using the same test tracks. This way I try to prevent brain burn-in as much as possible. But keep in mind: I do believe in (because I hear/feel) both burn-in types (material and brain). I would prefer to use "getting used to a sound signature" instead of "brain burn-in" though... But, since the term "brain burn-in" is frequently used in head-fi for the brain adjustment, I will use it on my review as well.
Brain burn-in generally occurs in two ways: If you listen to a sound signature (Hp/iem) for along time without moving on different sound signature Hp/iem's (this is known as getting used to a signature) and/or when A/B'ing hp/iem's, in the first 10-20 seconds brain try to adjust itself to the new sound.
Quality and Durability:
Aluminum housing seems excellent in quality and also very durable. All the cable relief strains are nicely built and seems to protect the cables on the joint points. Included accessories is very than sufficient. I only wish that Dunu included "Comply" eartip with Titan 1 for mellowing general signature and softening the highs region for some users (like me). Box is excellent quality and designed very well. Everything brought me to the feeling that Dunu is valuing their customers. Also the quality of the Titan 1 carry box (case) is great!
Whom should avoid Titan 1:
Who needs good isolation, who needs to use this iee for workout or for sports, who doesn't like slightly more pronounced and crisper highs (can be remedied with Comply eartips, so not a real deal-breaker), who needs absolutely neutral sound, who needs over the ear design (though Titan1 can be worn over the ear I couldn't achieve good results); should avoid Titan 1.
Value for Money:
It has excellent value for money! I can't see a better sound at the similar price range or slightly above.
12 months guarantee also gives confidence to the Dunu brand.
Love Factor:
This term is new in head-fi (I prefer to use it). "Love factor" is very "personal taste" dependent and one should take care of this factor as a grain of salt (but if you ask me it's one of the most important factor). This factor summarizes my liking of sound quality, fit-comfort, durability, isolation, microphonics, aesthetics, etc. My love factor is on the well above-average level for the Titan 1 (check the graph).
Comparisons with iems (it will be fair to compare a special iee design like Titan 1 with an iee but I don't have anything with the same or similar design to compare, so, yeah anyway, I will do some comparisons with two well known/popular iems):
Dunu Titan 1 vs Havi B3 Pro1
Both have very wide sound-stage. B3 Pro1 is known for its excellent sound-stage/imaging/clarity/neutrality. I can say that Titan1 slightly wider sounding than B3P1 but difference is not very huge. Clarity on the upper high, highs and mid-highs range is slightly better on Titan1. On the lower frequencies I feel clarity is better on B3P1. Because of the clearer and more pronounced highs region Titan1 feels airier sounding. Bass body is better pronounced on Titan1. When A/B'in I can feel that the Titan1 is brighter phone but also has a good bass emphasis. Also diaphragm is slightly faster moving on Titan1. You feel the difference while listening to the tracks like Infected Mushroom's "Savant on Mushrooms". Overall Titan 1 produces more vibrant and airier sound, though B3P1 is more balanced across the spectrum.
Dunu Titan 1 vs Sony MH1C
In general Titan1 sounded better to my ears. To my surprise Subbass is better pronounced with MH1C. Goes deeper than Titan1. Soundstage is definitely wider with Titan1. General sound signature feels more meaty with MH1C while airier with Titan1. Although MH1C and B3P1 incorporates micro-drives which supposed to move faster than say a 13 mm driver, the opposite case is true here: Thanks to Titan 1's titanium diaphragm design. What I really appreciate with the MH1C is its highs region. With some songs, extended use with moderately high volumes can "sometimes" cause fatigue with Titan1 which is not the case for MH1C. Detail retrieval is better with Titan1.
Sum-up:
I think Titan 1 is a very great sounding iee which have the potential to satisfy many customers. It's material (or build) quality and accessories definitely deserves the asking price. Anyone who likes a slightly U shaped signature (without sacrificing the midbass) with an excellent soundstage must definitely get the Titan1! A high caliber iee with a refined sound!
Availability: Penon Audio
Guarantee: Yes, provided by Dunu, 12 months. I always appreciate the guarantee on the audio equipments. So, big applause to Dunu!!!
Specs:
- Driver: 13mm Titanium Diaphragm Dynamic Driver
- Impedance:16Ω
- Sensitivity: 90 +/- 2dB
- Reproduction Frequency: 10Hz-30kHz
- Cable Length: 1.2 m
- Plug: 3.5mm Stereo Mini
- Weight: 18g
Contents & Accessories:
- DUNU Titan 1 In Ear Earphones
- Carrying case
- 9 pairs of eartips (S/M/L)
- 3.5mm to 6.5 mm gold plated adapter
Detachable Cables: No
Microphone: No
Acknowledgements:
Thanks for Penon Audio and Dunu for sending me a Dunu Titan 1 for this review.
Sources Used for This Review:
Meizu M3 (Music Card) for hissing test
Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4" for tablet as a source and warmer source test
LG G3 32GB mobile phone as a source and colder/analytical source test
Sandisk Sansa Fuze (Rockboxed) as a cheap pocket size DAP test
iPod Touch 4th Gen 32GB DAP test
iPod Touch 4th Gen via lineout to Topping NX1 amp for amping tests
GeekOut 720 Headphone out used for DAC/AMP test
GeekOut 720 lineout to Darkvoice TH336SE (front Psvane 6SN7, back RCA 6AS7G SAC JAN tube) DAC to Tube Amp as a source test
... and Various Hi-Res tracks were listened from these Genres:
Rock, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Pop, Trance, EDM, NewAge, Chillout, Ambient, Classical, Instrumental, Vocal, Soundtrack musics.
About me:
My age is 42 (as of this writing). I have 24 years of background in listening to music with quality headphones (I don't count the crappy equipment period) and I am a member of head-fi since 2004. For further, please check my profile.
Notes:
1- Most of the terminology used in this review is depending on this excellent write-up by multiple headfiers: http://www.head-fi.org/a/describing-sound-a-glossary
2- Specifications and/or color of the equipments covered by this review may change in the future by the producer. And these changes may not be reflected inside the review in the future (although I prefer to update).
3- The bar-graph review technique is a new one and its my way to show readers to understand an equipment at first look. It’s easier to understand IMO rather than reading dozens of pages. But I also advise any reader to look for the other reviewers pages and other contributors ideas. There is no single way to reach the truth.
4- The values in the graphs may change “slightly” over time. This is because my equipment collection is growing and comparative evaluations will always be in the process (even after review). So please feel free to come back and check the graph in the future (for example 2 months later). But usually these values are created after extensive burn-in and listening/comparing periods. So will mostly be stable.
Here I like to add some more images from different angles. Enjoy!
Nothing is better than washing your soul with the music under the bright winter sun, energizes your body and soul
(the place where I live we have 4 seasons and winter time is never too cold).
Apart from office and home, frequently visited places like Starbucks where I really enjoy using Titan 1.
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