[Kunlun]

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Runs and hides...

 
My cat friend might I'll have to wake him up with my stun gun.
 

w-whut happen'd?
 
 

 

[Inks]

Well I do have hopes for Sleek now, seeing as how they moved the manufacturing back to the States. What I'm not so sure about is the pricing....

 

[mark2410]

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I don't actually think that's quite accurate.  He scores the Monster Gold, MD's, Radius DDMs, SM3, 530 highly.  Those are all warm and not paragons of brightness.  Don't forget, it was the SM3 that caused him to readjust his scale.  I for one think he does a great job not over emphasizing FR in his scoring.  Oh well.

oh he does, as do many but for me having read lots and lots of reviews i know that we all value certain aspects more than others.  this is why there has never and will never, be 1 IEM to rule them all.  there is the Top Tier which in theory everyone agrees belong at that top table but  i wouldnt ever say the 530 is better than the TF10 or the TF10 is better than the IE8.  at the level they all operate its all about what it is you are looking for and where your tastes lie.  there is no "the best" and i wouldnt say any were better, just different.
 
ie what i mean is once you get to the good stuff no one should be looking at numbers, its silly.  like arguing car X is better than car Y because it goes 196mph and X can only do 195. 
 
 
 

 

[Inks]

Right on, this is isn't a perfect science (specially the sq-ratings). This should be looked at as a guide rather than thinking this is Joker's attempt at trying to condense the IEM world into an absolute hierarchy. Joker does the best he could do, but he is going to value certain aspects more than others. This applies to any other reviewer, so it's just a fact one has to accept. Nevertheless, Joker is easily one of the best at trying to be impartial regardless of the inevitable. 

oh he does, as do many but for me having read lots and lots of reviews i know that we all value certain aspects more than others.  this is why there has never and will never, be 1 IEM to rule them all.  there is the Top Tier which in theory everyone agrees belong at that top table but  i wouldnt ever say the 530 is better than the TF10 or the TF10 is better than the IE8.  at the level they all operate its all about what it is you are looking for and where your tastes lie.  there is no "the best" and i wouldnt say any were better, just different.
 
ie what i mean is once you get to the good stuff no one should be looking at numbers, its silly.  like arguing car X is better than car Y because it goes 196mph and X can only do 195. 
 
 
 

 

 

[Confispect]

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w-whut happen'd?
 
 

 

 

[Anaxilus]

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Agreed.  It's all about finding 'your sound' as Nikongod put it.  No measurement or review can replace what you hear individually.  They are support tools for your ears and brain.   

 

[ljokerl]

If anyone is interested in a loan of the DDM2/TWF21 for review, shoot me a PM. Active members with positive feedback only please.

 

[kostalex]

Update:  Dunu DN-13 Crius added.  
 
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(2C38) Dunu DN-13 Crius


Reviewed June 2011

Details: Mid-range earphone out of China clearly inspired by the design of the Monster Jamz
Current Price: $81.50 from ebay.com (MSRP: $81.50)
Specs: Driver: BA | Imp: N/A | Sens: N/A | Freq: 10-20k Hz | Cable: 4’ L-plug
Nozzle Size: 5.5mm | Preferred tips: Stock single-flanges
Wear Style: Straight down or over-the-ear

Accessories (5/5) – Single-flange narrow-channel (3 sizes) and wide-channel (3 sizes) silicone tips, bi-flange silicone tips, zippered carrying case, drawstring carrying bag, and integrated cable wrap
Build Quality (4.5/5) – Styled much like a squashed Monster Jamz, the Crius is surprisingly well-built, with sturdy metal shells, mesh filters, aluminum cable cinch and y-split, and good strain relief all-around. The rubberized cable is a bit stiff for my liking but the attention to detail is very good on the whole
Isolation (3.5/5) – Quite good with the right tips but the housings of the pricier Ares can be inserted a bit deeper and provide slightly better isolation
Microphonics (3.5/5) – Bothersome when worn cable-down; not an issue otherwise
Comfort (4/5) – The Crius fits like most other straight-barrel earphones but the shells are wider and shorter than those of the real Monster Jamz. Since the Crius weighs about the same, the weight distribution is more favorable to the Dunu earphones staying in the ear

Sound (6.9/10) – While its sound is extremely similar to that of the Ares on the whole, the Crius is a touch lighter on the low end than the higher-end model. The mid-bass quantity is a bit closer to neutral and the sub-bass roll-off is slightly more noticeable. As with the Ares, the bass is more tight-and-punchy than full-and-boomy – well-measured but not quite analytical and lacking some depth. The diminished bass quantity means the midrange is less warm and more prominent in the overall balance. Detail and texture levels are good and the midrange is smooth and pleasant. Similarly derived from the Ares are the issues the Crius has with busier tracks – despite being cleaner and more balanced overall, the Crius gets overwhelmed a bit too easily

The treble of the earphones is smooth and forgiving, just like that of the Ares. There are no notable treble peaks and similarly low levels of treble sparkle. A bit of top-end roll-off is still noticeable but the slightly more balanced sound of the Crius focuses more on the midrange and treble and less on the bottom end. The presentation is a little airier as a result and the sense of space is increased very slightly. Congestion is still an issue as the separation tends to collapse as things get busy. One thing is certain, however - the Crius sounds way better than real Monster Jamz.

Value (8/10) – Priced just below the Ares, the Dunu Crius offers a slightly different sonic flavor on the same overall competency level. Personally, I prefer the more balanced sound of the cheaper Crius but the earphones share far more similarities than differences. As with the Ares, much of the value of the Crius lies in the care taken with the design, construction, packaging, and accessories and of course those looking to compare it to a ‘real’ Monster Jamz may just be very pleasantly surprised.

Pros: Well-built, well-accessorized, great attention to detail, competent sound
Cons: Cable can be noisy when worn straight down, not the best at handling complexity

Thanks to jant71 for the Dunu Ares & Crius loans!
 
 
 
 
 
 

Joker, may I suggest you to post updates like I shown above? This way we may read them in the end of the thread. Original post is too big for mobiles and even my laptop struggles with it.

 

[KainTFM]

Hey everyone.  Extremely new to these forums, and by new I mean "First discovered less than a week ago while researching IEMs"
 
Anyway, thanks to the massive wealth of information here, I was able to make an informed decision within my price range.  I purchased a set of MEElectronics CC51s from Amazon based on what I read here, coupled with the much lower price I found at Amazon.
 
My reason for posting is I thought that Joker may want to revisit the "value" rating for the MEElectronics CC51, since his original assessment was based on a price range of $79.99 to $89.99, while they can currently be found on Amazon with a price range of $49.99 to $54.99.  I likely would have looked elsewhere, possibly the Brainwavez M1 or M2, were it not for the drastic (and happy) price reduction I found on Amazon for the CC51s.  If they were a 9.0 out of 10 value at $80, I can only imagine what they would be at $50!
 
Thanks again for compiling this informative list.

 

[Niyologist]

It's at the MSRP. So therefore, the lowered price will not count, but although the score probably would've been a 10/10 at $49.99.

 

[Shufny]

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Street price changes a lot, especially on amazon. Ha can't track all of them. Probably gonna go back up soon anyway. Plus, that's US only. And as discussed on the last pages: Score doesn't really metter.

Ety HFs are keep changing between 100-130 too.
 

 

[ljokerl]

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Joker, may I suggest you to post updates like I shown above? This way we may read them in the end of the thread. Original post is too big for mobiles and even my laptop struggles with it.

Good idea. It's an extra step but I'll definitely try to remember to do it next time.
 


Quote:

Hey everyone.  Extremely new to these forums, and by new I mean "First discovered less than a week ago while researching IEMs"
 
Anyway, thanks to the massive wealth of information here, I was able to make an informed decision within my price range.  I purchased a set of MEElectronics CC51s from Amazon based on what I read here, coupled with the much lower price I found at Amazon.
 
My reason for posting is I thought that Joker may want to revisit the "value" rating for the MEElectronics CC51, since his original assessment was based on a price range of $79.99 to $89.99, while they can currently be found on Amazon with a price range of $49.99 to $54.99.  I likely would have looked elsewhere, possibly the Brainwavez M1 or M2, were it not for the drastic (and happy) price reduction I found on Amazon for the CC51s.  If they were a 9.0 out of 10 value at $80, I can only imagine what they would be at $50!
 
Thanks again for compiling this informative list.

Glad the thread has been useful. As for the value score and the actual pricing mentioned in the review/table, Shufny is right - I've ran into issues before when the review was posted during what everyone thought was a permanent price drop, then the price went up and I had to move things around and even re-write some bits. I try to keep it closer to the MSRP now. I also think 9/10 might be the value cap for the CC51 with that cable and its other quirks since the 9.5-10.0 range is reserved for 'outstanding/best-in-class' as per the chart in post #1. The A151 could definitely move up to a 10/10 if the price on that dropped to $40-50 since that has no real flaws.
 

 

[kanuka]

 
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Good idea. It's an extra step but I'll definitely try to remember to do it next time.
 



Glad the thread has been useful. As for the value score and the actual pricing mentioned in the review/table, Shufny is right - I've ran into issues before when the review was posted during what everyone thought was a permanent price drop, then the price went up and I had to move things around and even re-write some bits. I try to keep it closer to the MSRP now. I also think 9/10 might be the value cap for the CC51 with that cable and its other quirks since the 9.5-10.0 range is reserved for 'outstanding/best-in-class' as per the chart in post #1. The A151 could definitely move up to a 10/10 if the price on that dropped to $40-50 since that has no real flaws.
 

talking about that. what score would you give to re262 with the $150 price they have now?

 

[carfentanil]

I agree. While "objective comparison" may point a listener in the right direction, it's the subjective "experience" that should be the deciding factor. What about durability, etc. ? Experience is a good measure of things other than sound signature, too. It should always be about enjoying your own music as much as possible...
 
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remember, this is what joker thinks, not what the rest of us thinks. This is what he perceives, not what you perceive. Sometimes people will have the same impression for IEMs and other times not. Like most people say on this forum, "to each his own". Joker has done enough IEM reviews to know why he ranks things the way he does, and he knows how to tell good IEMs from bad IEMs. A score of 9 or 10 does not mean perfection, it means that it does a lot of things well and that joker liked the experience. I'm pretty sure he explains this in his opening statements, but for the most part, this is his opinion of these IEMs. Don't take it too seriously because what this provides for other people is a reference. Some people will agree and some other people like you will disagree, this forum is mostly opinion based

 

 

[ljokerl]

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talking about that. what score would you give to re262 with the $150 price they have now?

 
A higher one than now but below the GR07 still since the GR07 gets the build and fit more right than the RE262.