[Scubadevils]

I have been a bit rude, I reckon. But Phylyps Track was unexpected to me as an answer. Anyway, enjoy your night and yes, please, if you have some other tracks in store for comparison, and you have, it would be great to read about the differences. I will do the exercise myself, but your take on it matters to me.

Not rude at all my friend! Catch up soon, enjoy the mountain retreat.

 

[XERO1]

This is one of my go-to tracks for bass.

 

[Dsnuts]

Zens been a blast to get to know. Shot up to the top of my list of earphones I use weekly. Your weekend reader and my take on the Zens, ZEN by DUNU - Reviews | Headphone Reviews and Discussion - Head-Fi.org (head-fi.org)

 

[antdroid]

My review of Zen: https://www.audiodiscourse.com/2021/01/dunu-zen-review.html

 

[Redcarmoose]

My review of Zen: https://www.audiodiscourse.com/2021/01/dunu-zen-review.html

Nice!

 

[Mehran]

My review of Zen: https://www.audiodiscourse.com/2021/01/dunu-zen-review.html

Nice job on the review, shouty upper mids means high pitched and unnatural vocals?
I had a problem with Clairvoyance's vocals and the Dusk was way shouty and unnatural for me.
Is this kind of tuning better for some string instruments , like violins, while it's a compromise for other aspects, namely vocals?
I ask because natural vocal tonality is important for me . Thank you

 

[davidmolliere]

I wonder if it's not source related... for me the mids are silky smooth I could understand this kind of upper mids / treble sensitivity with Luna but Zen to me and out of both DX300 and M8 is silky smooth. I'll try with PAW S1 and the R6 2020 I'll get this week and see if that's an issue I encounter.

 

[Dsnuts]

I agree with David. If anything the mids while highlighting vocals is superb on my set. Nothing shouty for me either and they were paired with a lot of my sources and amps.

So I do notice that using narrowed bored tips will enhance mids and bass more. I like using my Azla Sendafits on these. It might have to do with just the sheer size of the dynamic being used but I feel wider bored tips gives a more dimensional sound properties to the Zen tuning vs narrow bored tips. Opens up the sound more for me and gives better balancing.

 

[Redcarmoose]

That’s the great thing about lots of reviews, they can get many opinions on stuff from different directions. Obviously people would like some unified stance, yet if you read reviews, often there never quite is. That’s the mystery.............yet folks still read Head-Fi to find a style of objective truth in the interpretation of FR.

The IEM mystery it seems is based on tips, inner ear character, cable impedance and amp impedance. Outer ear character affecting the length of the driver to the ear drum. Not to mention style of music genres used and DAC personality. And that’s not all but just the beginning as people are also sensitive or less sensitive in that critical area. The factor of age related hearing changes....etc etc.

There must be reasons but we still don’t have all the answers!

I wonder if it's not source related... for me the mids are silky smooth I could understand this kind of upper mids / treble sensitivity with Luna but Zen to me and out of both DX300 and M8 is silky smooth. I'll try with PAW S1 and the R6 2020 I'll get this week and see if that's an issue I encounter.

 

[Mehran]

Well, no source and tip could save either the Clairvoyance or the Dusk for me. The Dusk sounded particularly bad ,lol.

 

[Redcarmoose]

I agree with David. If anything the mids while highlighting vocals is superb on my set. Nothing shouty for me either and they were paired with a lot of my sources and amps.

So I do notice that using narrowed bored tips will enhance mids and bass more. I like using my Azla Sendafits on these. It might have to do with just the sheer size of the dynamic being used but I feel wider bored tips gives a more dimensional sound properties to the Zen tuning vs narrow bored tips. Opens up the sound more for me and gives better balancing.

I’m so happy to read that, as mine should arrive in a few hours. I think tips are a big source of change. Also the changes are not what you would always expect. Wide bore tips can fan out the midrange then add extra treble soundstage seemingly removing mental focus on that critical mid/upper-mid area. IMO

Or narrow bore can add congestion making the midrange shouty when you think adding bass would be the fix. IMO

 

[Dsnuts]

I noticed some was saying the upper treble need more extension. Could be due to the tips I was using as wider bored tip has an added effect of properly portraying treble extension better as the outlet of the wider nozzle is not so crowded fighting with the mids and bass projected in the ear. At least that is the way I perceive it.

Looking forward to your take on the Zen @Redcarmoose. I am certain your gonna like. Especially since your a huge fan of the SA6. You will recognize tonal balancing of the Zens. Think dynamic version of the SA6 and you might get a good idea what your in for.

Love the drivers DUNU is using on these. I can argue these Magnesium- Aluminum Alloy coated with nanoDLC drivers is just as cutting edge as a pure Beryllium driver.
And DUNU got more up their sleeves this year using this platform.

 

[Redcarmoose]

I noticed some was saying the upper treble need more extension. Could be due to the tips I was using as wider bored tip has an added effect of properly portraying treble extension better as the outlet of the wider nozzle is not so crowded fighting with the mids and bass projected in the ear. At least that is the way I perceive it.

Looking forward to your take on the Zen @Redcarmoose. I am certain your gonna like. Especially since your a huge fan of the SA6. You will recognize tonal balancing of the Zens. Think dynamic version of the SA6 and you might get a good idea what your in for.

Love the drivers DUNU is using on these. I can argue these Magnesium- Aluminum Alloy coated with nanoDLC drivers is just as cutting edge as a pure Beryllium driver.
And DUNU got more up their sleeves this year using this platform.

It should be a fun ride. I mean I actually have been able to cultivate three or four mental sound signature affinities. I will not go into it here, but yes, the fun is the mystery at hand and the unknowing. The wild part is FR is probably 80% of what people key into, yet the whole balance thing is still the greatest mystery; that we as interpreters get different sound signature likes not always due to FR, but how focus is placed due to balance. That, it seems is also one of the added things that can not always be seen in FR graphs. Crazy too as you would think balance would be the first thing to judge with a graph? Lol

Since no record production companies on earth use a standardized series of monitoring playback we are left with the circle of confusion.

These circles represent the fact that no one single FR reproduction will actually play back recordings (like the people who make them heard them) as there is no full standardized system. All we are left with is nice generalizations. Also the affects of the less-tangibles like the time delay FR equation, the soundstage, the decay.

So it’s going to be interesting. I’m all over the road still liking multi-BA units despite the issues. But maybe many are going to key in on the ZEN single DD coherency and never look back? It’s actually fun waiting as the mystery increases reading the reviews. Also all the hype where it seems there is a new level of quality coming around which is way beyond the price point. We live in wonderful times for IEM music!

Cheers!

 

[Scubadevils]

I've been reading up on the SA6 and curious as to whether they offer a sufficiently different signature and worth adding to the collection? I only said last week I wouldn't buy anything else for a while but they do look tempting... or indeed stick with the previous plan and hold out a while for the IER-M9 - decisions.

 

[Redcarmoose]

I've been reading up on the SA6 and curious as to whether they offer a sufficiently different signature and worth adding to the collection? I only said last week I wouldn't buy anything else for a while but they do look tempting... or indeed stick with the previous plan and hold out a while for the IER-M9 - decisions.

I should hear the ZEN today so I can’t comment on that. You it seems already have the ZEN, and the XBA-N3. All I will say is the value of having complementary IEMs. I have not received the ZEN, but I have a feeling we are looking at complementary experiences here? I mean why would a company make two close priced different sounding IEMs (ZEN/SA6) unless they were playing with offering a complementary experience. Just knowing their make-up and reading the reviews on the ZEN so far shows they are going to be complementary in nature.

What I can say is the SA6 is absolutely complementary to the N3. So together they basically allow ways to explore music in different ways. The N3 is slower and has way less active top treble area in comparison to what the nature of the SA6 is all about. If you study Crinacle’s introduced IEF Neutral Target in contrast to the SA6, it simply reinforces just how conservative the SA6 is tuned. I have not heard the M9 so I can’t reiterate. Also the only reason I even subscribe to his IEF target is simply due to his understanding of neutral midrange. Truly as far as midrange that level is seen by me to coincide with all I’ve heard ever understood of classic neutral midrange with all the gear I own. The rest of the FR, I could almost care less about because it’s affected by balance. Also the only area I ever have issue with is the 500 to 1K-2K energies. Meaning I’m figuring if the graph isn’t squiggling......then there is always a chance I’ll like the IEM, as long as the mids sit right? The bass, well that’s hard to judge and I’m OK with a treble creative interpretation. But see where the mids lay, also how the lows come into the mid-range; that’s the SA6, and what makes it special. People will complain about the treble dip, but I view it as simply creative? I’m sure the dip may have a purpose in reducing sibilant responses though. The stuff above 10K I never worry about as it’s just an area we are way less sensitive about. IMO

If you end up going along with his target, like I do, this explains the subtlety of the SA6. Remember too, the 8K spike is an artifact of coupler resonance. The 200 to 2500K; that’s the magic area.