[DUNU-Topsound]

@DUNU-Topsound Send the Zen pro to legit reviewers please. No useful impressions of those that I could find.

Yeah, crossed it off my list as it doesn't seem to really exist. Talk is going on for over 2 months now. Why would we have faith in spending $200 more than the Zen which was already too expensive with first impressions saying it's not worth it and is worse on important points? Maybe Dunu is reconsidering the launch, knowing the Pro is impossible to sell at this price?

drftr

• We launched the ZEN PRO on September 17th, so it has been only one month since its international launch.
• Because we were launching three different products in quick succession (in addition to the ZEN PRO, we launched the FALCON PRO simultaneously, and will be launching the TITAN S next month), we made a conscious decision not to do heavy promotion of the ZEN PRO. Our operating budget is finite, and we have to pick and choose what to promote.
• We have a lot of confidence in the ZEN PRO and how it performs; it was already measurably better in objective metrics we use for our internal testing. We're not just referring to frequency response either. There are also numerous metrics we use that we do not publish or discuss. We also had members of our organization listen top to bottom and the consensus was clear that the ZEN PRO was better than the ZEN. The real-world feedback at audio shows in the US and China both have been overwhelmingly positive.
• In our pre-launch testing, we purposely chose listeners who were known to be tough. We specifically told them not to mince words and to be brutally honest in their feedback. So on the contrary --- we are very happy with the assessment of these listeners and their feedback has given us more confidence that the ZEN PRO is a great product. That the ZEN PRO was assessed to be better than the ZEN in 16 of 20 categories of sound is not an accident.
• Beginning next month, we are doing only a listening tour with only current owners of the ZEN. We will reconsider sending the ZEN PRO for review, but we're not in a hurry to do so. Reviewers who have reviewed the ZEN in the past will be prioritized.
• It costs a lot of money to develop dynamic driver techniques that do not exist anywhere else. We're not getting a driver off the shelf or modifying any previous design. There is no reference design. The driver in the ZEN PRO, while it remains an electrodynamic driver, is highly complex. For instance, to get the specific W-shaped morphology in the magnesium alloy dome of the ZEN PRO and ZEN, we entered a deep, long term technical partnership with our suppliers. This is a rare occurrence and one that is only possible because we've been in operation for nearly 20 years. Our partners and suppliers trust us and thus are willing to perform unique, exploratory measures they don't embark on with other clients, such as:
  • changing the composition of the magnesium alloy to allow for higher specific strength and better thinness
  • finding solutions for making the sharp deep-dish crease in the W-shaped morphology without allowing the metal to crack
  • allowing us to use a high-temperature cathode arc coating technique that is not a part of their usual standard operating procedures, which results in our nanoDLC coating
• Consumers, of course, are free to make their own decisions. But we can state categorically that we understand what we have here, and stand by it as one of our most complete, well-conceived products.

 

[drftr]

• We launched the ZEN PRO on September 17th, so it has been only one month since its international launch.
• Because we were launching three different products in quick succession (in addition to the ZEN PRO, we launched the FALCON PRO simultaneously, and will be launching the TITAN S next month), we made a conscious decision not to do heavy promotion of the ZEN PRO. Our operating budget is finite, and we have to pick and choose what to promote.
• We have a lot of confidence in the ZEN PRO and how it performs; it was already measurably better in objective metrics we use for our internal testing. We're not just referring to frequency response either. There are also numerous metrics we use that we do not publish or discuss. We also had members of our organization listen top to bottom and the consensus was clear that the ZEN PRO was better than the ZEN. The real-world feedback at audio shows in the US and China both have been overwhelmingly positive.
• In our pre-launch testing, we purposely chose listeners who were known to be tough. We specifically told them not to mince words and to be brutally honest in their feedback. So on the contrary --- we are very happy with the assessment of these listeners and their feedback has given us more confidence that the ZEN PRO is a great product. That the ZEN PRO was assessed to be better than the ZEN in 16 of 20 categories of sound is not an accident.
• Beginning next month, we are doing only a listening tour with only current owners of the ZEN. We will reconsider sending the ZEN PRO for review, but we're not in a hurry to do so. Reviewers who have reviewed the ZEN in the past will be prioritized.
• It costs a lot of money to develop dynamic driver techniques that do not exist anywhere else. We're not getting a driver off the shelf or modifying any previous design. There is no reference design. The driver in the ZEN PRO, while it remains an electrodynamic driver, is highly complex. For instance, to get the specific W-shaped morphology in the magnesium alloy dome of the ZEN PRO and ZEN, we entered a deep, long term technical partnership with our suppliers. This is a rare occurrence and one that is only possible because we've been in operation for nearly 20 years. Our partners and suppliers trust us and thus are willing to perform unique, exploratory measures they don't embark on with other clients, such as:
  • changing the composition of the magnesium alloy to allow for higher specific strength and better thinness
  • finding solutions for making the sharp deep-dish crease in the W-shaped morphology without allowing the metal to crack
  • allowing us to use a high-temperature cathode arc coating technique that is not a part of their usual standard operating procedures, which results in our nanoDLC coating
• Consumers, of course, are free to make their own decisions. But we can state categorically that we understand what we have here, and stand by it as one of our most complete, well-conceived products.

Your response is HIGHLY appreciated...

drftr

 

[Scubadevils]

Fantastic response and transparency as always - incredibly impressive customer engagement.

 

[Audio Addict]

My Falcon Pros made it here yesterday. Out of the box you really could not listen and enjoy. I put them on Roon and played a PAD track repeating for 18 hours and have been just listening today. They seemed to have settled in much better and you can listen and enjoy them now. I have only listened to Friday's 96/24 release of the remastered Let It Be album and the Natalie Hemby album Pins & Needles.

However, at this point I don't think they are at the enjoyment level comparative priced recently released IEMs like the Alladin and Tea. I will give them more time before deciding.

 

[Ace Bee]

My Falcon Pros made it here yesterday. Out of the box you really could not listen and enjoy. I put them on Roon and played a PAD track repeating for 18 hours and have been just listening today. They seemed to have settled in much better and you can listen and enjoy them now. I have only listened to Friday's 96/24 release of the remastered Let It Be album and the Natalie Hemby album Pins & Needles.

However, at this point I don't think they are at the enjoyment level comparative priced recently released IEMs like the Alladin and Tea. I will give them more time before deciding.

You have the alladin? I would really like to know a comparison between the Aladdin and Falcon Pro.

 

[Ichos]

Dear friends I have reviewed the Falcon Pro.

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/dunu-falcon-pro.25438/review/27067/

In contrast to the most of other reviews I awarded it with a five star rating because it is one of the most musical and engaging iems I have ever had the pleasure to test.
Timbre and texture are very very natural and organic.
Very good for classical music.

 

[cqtek]

You have the alladin? I would really like to know a comparison between the Aladdin and Falcon Pro.

Without having compared them directly, I find the Aladdin very silky, but with less warm and less full mids.
They really are different signatures, but the body of the mids, the contrast of the warmth with the precise treble tuning, I really like in the Falcon Pro. I should also say that I've only had the Aladdin for a short time. But there is one thing that happens to me with them and that is that unconsciously, I turn up the volume to fill the first half of the mids and I end up with a lot of volume and without finding the body that I am looking for and that the Dunu's do have.

 

[darmanastartes]

My review of the Falcon Pro is up on my blog:

https://medium.com/bedrock-reviews/dunu-falcon-pro-review-3b77aabc5d41

 

[Audio Addict]

I must say the more I listen to the Falcon Pros, the more I enjoy them. At this $200-$300 price point, at least for me, I find they all are quite good and difficult to recommend one over another.

 

[Ichos]

I must say the more I listen to the Falcon Pros, the more I enjoy them. At this $200-$300 price point, at least for me, I find they all are quite good and difficult to recommend one over another.

You must be the second one after me to find them good and enjoyable!

 

[Jeozer]

I would say falcon pro at this price point is just too good, not only on techinicality front, the tuning is done so tastefully compares to stuff like kato.

 

[DivineCurrent]

Hey guys, I got in the Zen Pro a few weeks ago. Figured I would post a short review/comparison on it, since I have not seen basically any Zen Pro impressions/reviews anywhere so far.

I have been using the JVC HA-FDX1 exclusively for the past year and a half, and they are my go to IEM for all around use. I already think the FDX1 has excellent technical performance and sound signature, so to improve on that is an accomplishment. Thankfully, the Zen Pro does improve on many key areas in which the FDX1 already excels, and the Zen Pro also adds even more than I had hoped.

Before this, I tried the original Zen. I was floored by the impressive bass and midrange, but I was ultimately dissapointed due to the major lack in treble air extension. It seemed to me that all the treble air past 12kHz fell off a cliff and as a result, it was just way too dark for me. I tried some EQ, but it did not work very well to bring back the treble. In addition, there was a huge 7kHz peak that bothered me in much of my music. So, I decided to return the Zen in favor of the FDX1, which has much better treble to my ears.

The Zen Pro fixes the issues I had with the original Zen. Much better treble extension while keeping the excellent bass and midrange. That peak around 7kHz is also much reduced. I also prefer the tonality of the Zen Pro to the FDX1, as the upper midrange is lower in volume and not as emphasized as the FDX1. So because of this, vocals and instruments sound more natural and have more space to breathe. Instead of the soundstage being close up in front of you like the FDX1, the Zen Pro is more around you and further away, closer to that of an open back headphone. In fact, the Zen Pro very much reminds me of an IEM version the Focal Clear MG. It's got a very similar frequency response to the Clear MG, being a bit brighter and actually bassier. The bass also extends just as well as my Hifiman HE-500, and the quality of bass is similar too. The Zen Pro is now my new high end benchmark for bass in an IEM, and it is impressive for a full-size headphone let alone an IEM. The treble is wonderful on the Zen Pro, it is right in line with my preferences. It is just a bit peaky in the 10-11kHz range, but the detail and realism makes up for it. The FDX1 with the stock white filter is actually brighter and smoother, but you can tell it is not as effortless and realistic as the Zen Pro. Another thing to note, I really like the Zen Pro's stock tuning, while the FDX1 stock tuning requires either the included green or blue filters, or EQ. I use EQ with everything, so I have made a profile for the Zen Pro as well to better match my open back headphones. I can live without EQ for the Zen Pro, but honestly it adds that much more enjoyment to this IEM that I probably can't go back to no EQ.

Dynamics and sense of impact is also very good, just as good as the Zen from memory. The FDX1 to my ears actually has a quicker decay on the end of the note, so it's slightly snappier and tighter than the Zen Pro. But the Zen Pro has a much larger dynamic impact and scale, so the FDX1 kind of sounds small and closed-off in direct comparison. Which is saying something, because I already thought the FDX1 sounded large for an IEM. Like I said before, the Zen Pro is much better at conveying an open-back headphone feel, better than nearly every IEM I have tried. The Zen Pro is better for large orchestral tracks and really well mixed/mastered music, while the FDX1 is my preferred IEM when I want to focus on vocals and less busy tracks.

I am using the included clear Dunu branded tips, as those give me the best sound. I have also tried the Azla SednaEarFit Crystal tips, those increase the soundstage and treble even further but at the cost of some bass impact. I think it is a seal issue, so I am getting the next size up for the Azla tips to see if that improves the bass.

So as of right now, the Zen Pro is the IEM I have been waiting for that comes close to the feel of an open back headphone. I also want to try other eartips soon so I can get the best sound possible out of them.

 

[corgifall]

Falcon Pro review up for those interested!

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/dunu-falcon-pro.25438/reviews#review-27407

 

[Scubadevils]

Hey guys, I got in the Zen Pro a few weeks ago. Figured I would post a short review/comparison on it, since I have not seen basically any Zen Pro impressions/reviews anywhere so far.

I have been using the JVC HA-FDX1 exclusively for the past year and a half, and they are my go to IEM for all around use. I already think the FDX1 has excellent technical performance and sound signature, so to improve on that is an accomplishment. Thankfully, the Zen Pro does improve on many key areas in which the FDX1 already excels, and the Zen Pro also adds even more than I had hoped.

Before this, I tried the original Zen. I was floored by the impressive bass and midrange, but I was ultimately dissapointed due to the major lack in treble air extension. It seemed to me that all the treble air past 12kHz fell off a cliff and as a result, it was just way too dark for me. I tried some EQ, but it did not work very well to bring back the treble. In addition, there was a huge 7kHz peak that bothered me in much of my music. So, I decided to return the Zen in favor of the FDX1, which has much better treble to my ears.

The Zen Pro fixes the issues I had with the original Zen. Much better treble extension while keeping the excellent bass and midrange. That peak around 7kHz is also much reduced. I also prefer the tonality of the Zen Pro to the FDX1, as the upper midrange is lower in volume and not as emphasized as the FDX1. So because of this, vocals and instruments sound more natural and have more space to breathe. Instead of the soundstage being close up in front of you like the FDX1, the Zen Pro is more around you and further away, closer to that of an open back headphone. In fact, the Zen Pro very much reminds me of an IEM version the Focal Clear MG. It's got a very similar frequency response to the Clear MG, being a bit brighter and actually bassier. The bass also extends just as well as my Hifiman HE-500, and the quality of bass is similar too. The Zen Pro is now my new high end benchmark for bass in an IEM, and it is impressive for a full-size headphone let alone an IEM. The treble is wonderful on the Zen Pro, it is right in line with my preferences. It is just a bit peaky in the 10-11kHz range, but the detail and realism makes up for it. The FDX1 with the stock white filter is actually brighter and smoother, but you can tell it is not as effortless and realistic as the Zen Pro. Another thing to note, I really like the Zen Pro's stock tuning, while the FDX1 stock tuning requires either the included green or blue filters, or EQ. I use EQ with everything, so I have made a profile for the Zen Pro as well to better match my open back headphones. I can live without EQ for the Zen Pro, but honestly it adds that much more enjoyment to this IEM that I probably can't go back to no EQ.

Dynamics and sense of impact is also very good, just as good as the Zen from memory. The FDX1 to my ears actually has a quicker decay on the end of the note, so it's slightly snappier and tighter than the Zen Pro. But the Zen Pro has a much larger dynamic impact and scale, so the FDX1 kind of sounds small and closed-off in direct comparison. Which is saying something, because I already thought the FDX1 sounded large for an IEM. Like I said before, the Zen Pro is much better at conveying an open-back headphone feel, better than nearly every IEM I have tried. The Zen Pro is better for large orchestral tracks and really well mixed/mastered music, while the FDX1 is my preferred IEM when I want to focus on vocals and less busy tracks.

I am using the included clear Dunu branded tips, as those give me the best sound. I have also tried the Azla SednaEarFit Crystal tips, those increase the soundstage and treble even further but at the cost of some bass impact. I think it is a seal issue, so I am getting the next size up for the Azla tips to see if that improves the bass.

So as of right now, the Zen Pro is the IEM I have been waiting for that comes close to the feel of an open back headphone. I also want to try other eartips soon so I can get the best sound possible out of them.

Yes a really excellent upgrade on the original ZEN - I had a tour unit for a few days and was very impressed with the improvements.

 

[Raketen]

Crinacle posted his measurement. Looks right up my alley- very ety-like mids with boosted bass and a bit brighter- thinking this or Ety Evo next time I want to try a new IEM.

Although EST looks interesting too- almost like they fixed the upper mids of the 4001 tuning which was so close to being really good.