Reviewed February 2014
Details: Dunu’s dual BA – dynamic hybrid earphone
MSRP: $215 (manufacturer’s page)
Current Price: $160 from amazon.com | $170 from ebay.com | $215 from CTC Audio
Specs: Driver: Dynamic + Dual BA Hybrid | Imp: 10Ω | Sens: 98 dB | Freq: 16-22k Hz | Cable: 3.9′ L-plug
Nozzle Size: 5mm | Preferred tips: Stock wide-nozzle single-flanges, Stock & Comply T-400 foam tips
Wear Style: Straight down or over-the-ear
Accessories (5/5) – Single-flange wide-channel (3 sizes), single-flange narrow-channel (3 sizes), and bi-flange silicone tips, 4 pairs of foam tips, eartip spacer set (6 pairs in 3 sizes), shirt clip, ¼” adapter, airline adapter, cleaning cloth, pair of cable guides, soft carrying pouch, crushproof metal carrying case, and integrated cable wrap
Build Quality (4.5/5) – As with all of the other Dunu products I’ve tried, the construction of the DN-1000 is very solid. The metal housings have a nice finish to them and the latest iteration of Dunu’s cable is soft, smooth, and tangle-resistant. The machined aluminum y-split and cable cinch add to the premium feel. It may be a little more impressive to see this same level of build quality on Dunu’s sub-$100 models but that doesn’t detract from the DN-1000 in the least. There doesn’t seem to be any driver flex on my unit, either. My one complaint is that the silver L/R markings can be tough to see and the small bump on the left strain relief meant to help identify the left earpiece is too close to the earphone housing
Isolation (3.5/5) – Very good for an earphone with this form factor
Microphonics (4/5) – Good when worn cable-down; excellent when worn over-the-ear
Comfort (3.5/5) – The housings are on the heavy side and large enough to hold the hybrid driver setup. The weight and size can lead to mild discomfort in the long term but the earphones lend themselves nicely to over-the-ear wear, which helps with the weight. Overall, the DN-1000 is similar to the AKG K3003 in size and fit, though its strain reliefs are not offset like those of the AKGs. Dunu’s new eartip spacers help position IEM housing farther out of the ear and can also have an effect on sound, similarly to what we normally accomplish with tip rolling. That said, the DN-1000 is a little pickier with fit than sets like the RHA MA750 and some of the possible tip/spacer combinations make it easy for the tips to slip off the nozzles
Sound (9.2/10) – Balanced armature / dynamic hybrid earphones have been gaining popularity in the past year or two, but few have impressed me as much as the DN-1000. Dunu’s new flagship does what every hybrid hopes to – combines the bass performance of a good dynamic driver with the strengths of a BA setup, in this case the popular Knowles TWFK. The bass driver of the DN-1000 performs very well, providing plenty of both mid-bass and sub-bass, and should satisfy all but the most die-hard bassheads. The bass extends deep and is pretty quick considering the quantity. The RHA MA750, for example, is slower and can sound a bit “bassier” in the conventional sense as a result.
The DN-1000 has a thinner note presentation than the RHA MA750, especially in the midrange, but also sounds clearer than the more veiled RHA set. In keeping with other TWFK-based earphones, the mids of the DN-1000 are a touch thinner compared even to some BA setups, such as the InEar StageDiver SD-2 and EarSonics SM64. That said, the DN-1000 has very little bass bleed and superb midrange clarity, helped further still by the excellent treble energy. The DN-1000 has more perceived clarity compared, for example, to the HiFiMan RE-400 and StageDiver SD-2, which both sound duller at the top end.
The top end of the DN-1000 is bright and crisp, and again rather typical of a TWFK-based earphone. It can be a touch splashy, especially at high volumes, and it takes some playing with all of the included tips and eartip spacers to get the optimal (i.e. smoothest) treble performance out of the DN-1000. I personally found foam tips (especially Comply T-400s) with a deeper seal to work best for me, and the wider single-flange silicone tips with the red spacers to be good as well. In truth, I tend to listen at lower volumes and generally quite like TWFKs, but those who expect to crank up the volume with the DN-1000 to maximize bass impact may find the treble a little too prominent. The RHA MA750, for example, has overall smoother treble and makes the DN-1000 seem a bit fatiguing in comparison. The same goes for the pricier EarSonics SM64 – its treble is smoother, especially at high volumes.
Select Comparisons
T-Peos’ dual-driver hybrid is a rather unique-sounding earphone with a bright and cool tonal character. In comparison to the H-100, Dunu’s DN-1000 hybrid is bassier but also clearer – an impressive accomplishment. The midrange of the H-100 appears to be more scooped out, sounding more distant compared to the Dunu. The H-100 is also brighter and has greater upper midrange emphasis, which causes it to sound a bit “nasal” with the vocals on some tracks. The DN-1000 consistently sounds more natural in comparison. Still, despite its brightness, the H-100 is a touch less revealing of sibilance than the DN-1000, though that’s not quite enough to shift the balance in its favor. The T-Peos unit also exhibits more driver flex compared to the Dunu.
VSonic’s dual-armature release is based on the same Knowles TWFK driver as the DN-1000, but without the dynamic driver of the Dunu. The performance of the two earphones is very close despite the differences in sound signature. The most glaring difference is, of course, the far greater bass quantity of the Dunu. However, even in comparison to the bass-heavy DN-1000, the VC1000 sounds pretty punchy. Its bass is also tighter, and it has a more prominent midrange next to the somewhat v-shaped DN-1000.
Clarity is on par between the two earphones but the VC1000 has a slightly smoother top end, which is especially noticeable at higher volumes. On the whole, these earphones illustrate two very different tunings but neither really has the upper hand in performance. The DN-1000, for example, consistently seems to have too much bass when heard back-to-back with the VSonic set. The VC1000, likewise, seems to have too little but, admittedly, is closer to my own personal target than the Dunu.
The Fidelio S2 is a dynamic-driver earphone with an accuracy-oriented tuning. The DN-1000, which boasts a v-shaped sound signature, has much more of a “wow” factor to its acoustics. Its powerful bass easily outpaces the Philips set, which itself is no slouch when it comes to depth and impact. More surprisingly, the Dunu seems a bit clearer than the more balanced-sounding Philips, due in part to its brighter tonal character. The Fidelio S2 is not the most exciting earphone in the first place, and next to the DN-1000 it sounds especially dull. On the downside, the treble of the DN-1000 has a more “metallic” timbre than that of the Fidelio S2, especially at higher volumes, which is not uncommon for earphones based on the Knowles TWFK driver. The Fidelio S2 is significantly less efficient than the DN-1000, and while it is undoubtedly very proficient and more accurate overall, I couldn’t help but reach for the Dunu when given the choice.
VSonic GR07 Bass Edition ($179)
I’ve always maintained that in the case of this GR07 model, “Bass Edition” is a bit of a misnomer – while it is bassier than the regular GR07, it’s far from a basshead earphone as the name may suggest. The DN1000 has significantly more bass, especially deep bass, than the GR07 BE, and on the whole its sound signature is more v-shaped – closer to the GR02 Bass Edition than any of the other VSonic sets I’ve tried.
The GR07 BE is overall more balanced with less bass emphasis/more linear bass response and mids that are more in line with everything else. Due in part to the treble boost, the DN1000 can sound a little clearer and while the Dunu can be a little sibilant, the GR07 fares worse in this respect. The DN-1000 also has a slightly deeper, more layered presentation than the GR07 BE.
Moving well outside of the $200 price bracket, the 1964-V3 triple-driver monitors offer a bass-heavy BA sound in a custom-fit form factor. While the dynamic driver of the DN-1000 affords the Dunu set better bass depth compared to the 1964EARS, the 1964-V3 actually has more mid-bass, which gives it a characteristically warmer, more full-bodied sound. At the same time, the BA-based bass of the 1964-V3 is a little quicker while the DN-1000, in a way consistent with its dynamic driver, has slightly softer, less immediate bass impact.
Overall, the DN-1000 sounds more v-shaped than the V3, which has a relatively forward and energetic midrange. The mids of the DN-1000 are thinner and more withdrawn while its treble is a little brighter. The Dunu is also more sibilance-prone, though the V3 itself is not perfectly smooth, especially at higher volumes.
The Sennheiser IE 800 is a rather unique earphone that does a few things very right but is somewhat let down by its design. The DN-1000 reminds me of the IE 800 in several ways, right down to the fit sensitivity. The IE 800’s treble has an extra spike that appears unless it’s inserted very shallowly, thanks to its proprietary D2CA tuning system, while the DN-1000 seems to work the opposite way with my ears, requiring a good seal for the smoothest sound. In terms of performance, the IE 800 is overall more detailed and refined, and sounds warmer without a drop in clarity. When it is inserted properly it is less bright and more forgiving of sibilance than the DN-1000, but it is five times the price with a very slight gain in refinement, which speaks volumes for the Dunu DN-1000.
Though the K3003 and DN-1000 are separated by a huge gap in price, they are both triple-driver hybrid designs and don’t differ all that much in sound signature. To me, the DN-1000 makes for an excellent reasonably-priced approximation of the K3003. Compared to the AKGs with my preferred “Reference” filter installed, the DN-1000 has more prominent bass and a more subdued-sounding midrange. The two earphones have similar overall treble energy but because of its extra bass emphasis, the DN-1000 appears less bright overall.
The K3003 has a stronger midrange, dipping down less than the DN-1000 for a less v-shaped overall signature. Its mids appear a little clearer but overall aren’t too different from the Dunu’s, especially on tracks where the DN-1000 doesn’t have occasion to exhibit its explosive bass. The K3003 is somewhat less prone to sibilance despite similar overall treble energy – something about the way its treble peaks are positioned often makes it stop right on the verge of sibilance when the DN-1000 oversteps. Lastly, the K3003 has a slightly more spacious sound and images a touch better, though again it’s hard to justify the price difference based on the performance gap between the two earphones.
Value (9/10) – The Dunu DN-1000 is a high-end earphone of a very rare breed – one of a select few that are both quite bass-heavy and superbly clear, and also rather well-isolating. This is an especially unusual combination because bass-heavy earphones tend to have large, often vented, dynamic drivers. The DN-1000 uses its hybrid configuration to obtain rumbling, hard-hitting bass from its medium-sized dynamic driver while maintaining excellent clarity outside of the bass region. Its V-shaped signature makes it especially great for modern music – EDM, pop, and so on – and the excellent construction, though typical for Dunu, still stands out among other $200 IEMs.
Pros: Voluminous bass with excellent midrange clarity; lots of eartips included with many possible fit configurations; very well-made
Cons: Treble can get peaky typical of a TWFK earphone; a bit heavy in the ear
Note: the DN-1000 receives my first-ever “recommended” badge. Products that achieve a 9/10 value rating, make one of our buyer’s guides, or are otherwise especially worthy of recommendation will be eligible to receive this badge in the future. It is my hope that this will further help our readers make sense of the increasingly large number of competent in-ear earphones.
171 Responses
Oh would also like to hear your thoughts on the t-peos Altone200 vs the Dunu 1000 and Gr07Be. Thanks.
Hey joker love the website and thoroughness of the reviews and articles. Was wondering if the dn1000 is a worthy upgrade/sidegrade from the gr07be. I really like the treble of the gr07 and dont really notice/mind the sibliance. I just sometimes wished the gr07 had some more bass.
Yes, I do consider them an upgrade over the SE215 but also a different sound signature, so maybe not “direct” upgrade. The SE215 has enhanced-bass but also sounds warm and very smooth, with somewhat relaxed treble. The DN-1000 has at least as much bass but also has a good amount of treble energy giving it an overall “v-shaped” sound signature and a brighter sound. The Music One is more flat/balanced than both and has a smooth but more “reference”-type sound than either the SE215 or DN-1000.
Thanks for the review! Do you think these are an upgrade over Shure SE215? I’m trying to decide between these and Custom Art Music One’s…
It sounds like a channel imbalance, which would be a manufacturing defect. To be more certain about what you’re hearing, it helps to put your audio source in “Mono”. If you’re using an Apple device like an iPod Touch or iPhone there’s a setting for that under General->accessibility. Then you will eliminate stereo effects and it’ll be easy to hear imbalances.
A slightly more tricky but even more sensitive way is to use a frequency sweep. Youtube is not the ideal platform but it will do: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mX27e9SrlfA
If your headphones and hearing are balanced, the sound will remain “centered” in your head for the entire sweep. If you feel like the source of the sound is moving left or right, there’s a balance issue. Treble is almost never balanced so just ignore everything ~3-4kHz and up.
There’s a nice variety of eartips in the box – you should be able to find something that fits.
Also, any recommendations for good eartips ?
Hi Joker, I recently bought a pair of DUNU DN-1000’s. I was so excited for it but when I first listened to music with it, I felt like the left earphone was louder and had more bass than the right. I tried all the different eartips and even switching sides but it still felt like the left one was louder. Do you think this was a factory defect and I should exchange it?
Quality is similar, but I would say the quantity is actually a little greater with the DUNU because the midrange is a little more recessed.
Hi there |joker|, how does the bass of these compare to the Shure SE215s in terms of quantity and quality?
Thanks for the answer man, I can find Brainwavz less expensive, so I will try them, I hope they fit my preferences.
Great minds think alike – this is already on the to-do list and in progress to a small degree. Probably not going to happen until next year though with all the other things that need to be written up.
Hi joker, it’d be great if you could post our own “THL – Sound Glossary”. As there might be few terms (layering, separation etc) that would have been missed out in “Describing Sound A Glossary” – Head-Fi and there might be few terms which have a slightly different meaning from your point of view…
Out those the B2 has the tightest bass by a good margin. I’d go for that (Or the similar VSonic VC1000 – whatever is less expensive). Second place would probably be the GR07.
Hi, thanks for all the reviews, my phonak pfe 122 have just broke, I am cosidenrinn what IEM should I buy now, I liked the pfe 122(black filters) signature, I found the bass, a little muddy, I have a budget around 200 dollars, I am thinking about Dunu 1000, hifiman re 400, brainwavz B2 and vsonic gr07 classic, I dont know much about sound sig, since I have try few headphones, Which of these do you think would fit my preference more?, I listen clasic rock and metal, and I dont like bassy sound.
Thanks
You’re better off with the DN-2000 as your starting point as bass is one of the easier things to add. As long as you’re doing it in moderation there shouldn’t be any adverse effects.
hey joker as you mentioned the dunu 2000 has a larger soundstage but less bass. my question is would you be able to boost the bass to dn-1000 level with an amp or software and achieve a better overall sound. Vice versa is there any point in doing the same with the dn-1000. which option will give me the better sound overall.
Yeah, sorry, force of habit. The B2 is just a rebranded DBA-02
Thanks for the quick response. I have already auditioned the Dunu DN 1000 and it is really great compared to my B2s. Honestly, I felt that I don’t wanna use my B2 anymore after trying it out. Will try to spend more time auditioning the IEM on the next couple of weeks. I wonder how it sounds like if I am to use a comply t-500? The demo unit is using the stock transparent tips.
I feel like that I am gonna drop the idea of buying a full sized headphones and just settle with an IEM. My ears are sweating too fast when using them.
By the way are you referring to Brainwavz B2 when you are mentioning DBA-02? I know that they are somewhat similar.
It’s an upgrade only if you feel that the DBA-02 is lacking in bass and want what is basically the closest you can get to a DBA-02 with enhanced bass. Otherwise it’s a sidegrade at best.
Can’t say much about those cans as I’ve only tried the Momentum briefly and the MDR-1A not at all. The Momentum has a warm and smooth signature so you probably won’t get as much detailing out of it as you will out of a good in-ear monitor, but it’s good for what it is.
As for amping, there’s a lot of factor to consider but I generally don’t consider it necessary for most IEMs given a decent source. I went a little more in-depth on the subject here: https://theheadphonelist.com/headphone_review/vsonic-vc1000/#comment-27328
Hi Joker
I am currently using a pair of Brainwavz B2 and Cowon J3/ smartphone as my music player. Is this a good upgrade for me? I am also thinking of getting a headphone (momentum over the ears/Sony MDR-1A). If you are to choose between an earphone or a headphone what will you choose?
Also is there a need to buy an AMP? Based on the number of reviews I have read, I think it is ok to just use it directly with most of the recent players.
I often listen to POP songs by the way.
If you don’t know which aspect is more important to you then you might as well go for the less expensive DN1000. Its a fine earphone.
thanks for the help joker i just have one final question. You mentioned the the dn-2000 is more open and has better clarity but the dn-1000 has more bass. i want the best combination of these two elements because they are both important to me. i listen to rock R&B pop rap hip hop and classical music. which should i go for?
Someone asked a similar question here: https://theheadphonelist.com/brief-review-dunu-dn-2000-fidue-a83-t-peos-altone200-sony-xba-h3-triple-driver-hybrids-compared/#comment-26022
do you think the price difference is justified? the dn dn-2000 is only 100 dollars more if it’s noticeably better then i don’t mind spending a bit extra. this also applies to “The other hybrid earphones” if they are noticeably better.
In this price range and with this sound signature I haven’t tried anything better. There are some other hybrid earphones fitting that description as well (especially the Dunu DN-2000) but they are higher-priced.
Hi joker as you mentioned “The Dunu DN-1000 is a high-end earphone of a very rare breed – one of a select few that are both quite bass-heavy and superbly clear, and also rather well-isolating.” and these look amazing for the price. if there any other contenders (even if they don’t have a full review) that fit your previous statement then let me no. i just want an ok before i buy them and to be sure there the best bet. thank you
Thanks for the insight.
Chances are you won’t get more than a minimal improvement amping these from two such decent sources. The DN-1000 is a hybrid system and can be affected by source but in my experience the iPhone and 5.5+gen classic are both very capable of driving both BA and hybrid earphones properly.
I just bought these because my HA-FXT90 began to rattle :/ Would you recommend I purchase an amp? I source music from Spotify at 320 kbps from the iPhone 5s, or music with an AIFF encoding at 44.1 kHz at 16-bits from a 6th gen iPod Classic. I read over the details and feel that I inadvertently conveyed a pretentious tone but I just want to provide a comprehensive breakdown of my setup for your best insight. Thanks for the advice 🙂
That’s not really a question I can answer for you – there’s definitely diminishing returns in play here and with all things audio you never get 2x the performance for 2x the money. The sound of the Philips I rate somewhere in the upper 7.x range and the Dunu is a 9.2. It’s a noticeable gap, but it won’t be night and day to most listeners (those with more audio experience will perceive the gap as being larger, of course).
In any case, whether it’s worth the money depends on how important the incremental improvements are to you and to your wallet. Some people can use $10 earphones without ever wondering about what could have been, and others spend thousands of dollars upgrading their DAC for that 1% improvement.
Before I buy the DUNU DN-1000, just wanted to ask you one last last last question! 😀
Is the price difference between the DUNU DN-1000 and the Philips SHE3590 worth it? How much better is the DUNU DN-1000 over the Philips SHE3590 really? Big margin or small margin, not worth the price gap between those two?
Thank you Joker! Am really looking forward to my foray into the audiophile world 😛
Thanks Joker, Dunu DN-1000 it is! 🙂
I doubt you will be able to EQ the RE-400 and especially VC1000 enough to keep up with the SHE3590. The difference in bass volume relative to the midrange is quite large – at least 10dB at the bottom end. With the huge number of enhanced-bass earphones on the market, I don’t see why you would want to do that anyway.
The EPH-100 is a great bass-heavy earphone but it is not really v-shaped, and also a little behind the DN-1000 in clarity, etc. I like it quite a lot for the price, though.
The DN-1000 is the best v-shaped earphone I’ve tried in its price bracket.
Thank you for the recommendations Joker! Just a few more questions re. EQing up the HiFiMan RE-400 Waterline and VSonic VC1000.
If I EQ up the bass side of these two IEMs, how do they respond to it? Does the sound get distorted? Can they then compete with the SHE3590 on bass levels with EQing?
I also came across the Yamaha EPH-100 and wanted to know how does it compare to the rest of the IEMs I’ve mentioned here…
Finally, if I go for the Dunu DN-1000, I’m going to get it from bigbargainsonline on Ebay. They’re going for $210, and I was wondering if I should be considering any other IEMs in this price bracket. Is there any IEMs I’ve missed and should also consider?
Once more, thanks Joker, you’re the man! 🙂
The RE-400 and VC1000 have quite a bit less bass than the Philips. The mid-range earphones you are considering will do better in that regard, but aren’t hugely better than the SHE3580s overall. The Piston or MH1C, being as cheap as they are, are worth getting for a slight upgrade in sound quality but the MH1C is not exactly v-shaped. The DN-1000 has the best deep bass of all of these, a v-shaped sig, and clarity that is almost on-par with the VC1000. It’s the only one that can really be considered a full-on SHE3580 upgrade.
Hi Joker! I’m considering buying the Dunu DN-1000. This will be my first really true high end IEM. I’ve experienced only the Philips SHE3590 previously.
I really liked the Philips, with it’s v-shaped sound signature, but my second pair of the SHE3590 broke this week and I’m thinking about going in for a really good IEM this time.
I’ve narrowed my choices down to the Dunu DN-1000 here, the HiFiMan RE-400 Waterline, VSonic VC1000 as high end ones, or going for cheaper options like Sony MH1C or Xiaomi Piston 2 or VSonic VSD1S.
So I want to go either high end, or the cheaper low end.
My initial choice was the HiFiMan RE-400 Waterline, but I’m having reservations over the bass level. Is it comparable to the Philips?
Considering that the Philips SHE 3590 are my only reference, can you advise me how the above sound with regards to the Philips? I especially like the bass on the Philips, so please let me know which ones deliver bass similar or better than the Philips?
Thank you Joker! 🙂
Finally got a Dunu DN 1000 🙂 had it for a month now and underwent heavy mental / physical burn-in and comparison with my other IEMs.
Sub bass up my alley. Strong and fast, almost basshead level (depending on the tip, seal, and ring used), and does not overpower other frequencies.
Mid bass is slightly disappointing for me. They are there, is consistent, has great depth and positioning, but not enough for me to effectively distinguish bass tones because they are just lacking in loudness.
Mids are a bit recessed but not too alarming. It has some girth but for me nothing beats the mids on the RE400 with are lingering and revervey.
Mid Highs and Upper Highs are satisfyingly detailed and sparkly. I also managed to tone down the sibilance by using foam tips.
Virtual Imaging is the best that i have experienced by far. Very nice when listening to tracks that has lots of bleeps and bloops.
Soundstage is just enough to give the music depth and transparency.
Cables has a premium feel where it’s thick enough and squeezing them makes me aware that dunu did not go cheap with the amount of reinforced wire inside.
The included Ear Loops adds playfulness and diversity of usage.
I’m now planning to get the T Peos H300 for comparison 🙂
Thanks for the reply.
I actually worked backwards from where I said I was going to. I started with the MA750I’s.
Initial thoughts – HOLY BRIGHT. Tried all available tips that came with them – also tried some Comply’s – no matter what – they sounded far too ‘bright.’ SQ was awespme – just sounded like they were tipped a little farther ‘north’ than what my tastes liked. They were SUPER comfortable to wear – no doubt about that. Bass was ‘ok’ – some tracks it they seemed dead on – other tracks – they were obviously lacking. Took them back this evening to swap for a set of C5’s…
Initial thoughts on the C5’s – more subdued when it comes to the mids/highs. Bass seems deeper and more plentiful. I’ve only had them in for 20 minutes and can tell already that my ears prefer the sound produced from these suckers. Very ‘level’ sound – bass does not sound too heavy, and neither does midrange or high’s.
Still on the ‘stock’ tips – but will trial Comply’s tomorrow with them and see what happens.
Neither the MA750i nor the C5 can reproduce bass with the quantity that the VPulse’s did. I wish the quality control from Velodyne would get better – even after having trialed these 750i and C5’s recently – I would still jump back to the Velodynes immediately if I knew they were going to last for more than 6 months. The bass output from the first set I had was just out of this world – especially for a set of $100 in-ears.
Just wanted to say thanks for the honest recommendations!
I’m not a fan of the C5’s fit or sound, but if you have the ability to try both and decide which to keep, that’s definitely the best thing to do.
Thanks for the reply. Am now trying to decide between the MA750i and the B&W C5. Seems like the B&W are reviewed well – but am not sure about the fit. On a positive, both are available locally and both have ‘easy’ return policies. Maybe I’ll start with the C5’s and if I cant deal with the fit, give the MA750i’s a try? There are too many choices out there! 🙂
These are much more hi-fi overall – clarity, detail, imaging, treble presence – are all much better, but they also don’t have the bass quantity of the vPulse. If you’re willing to give up some of the bass impact and rumble for a much more refined overall sound, by all means go for the DN-1000. If you would rather have something with bass closer to the vPulse, there are other options in this price, such as the Yamaha EPH-100, FutureSonics Atrio MG7, and RHA MA750.
How would you line these up against Velodyne Vpulse’s? I bought a pair of the Velodynes when they first came out – and recently the left ear bud started cutting in and out. I proceeded to buy a second pair which failed, literally a week afterwards. I enjoy how the VPulses sound – but need to get my hands on something that doesnt have such a high failure rate.
Thanks!!
I’m honestly not a huge fan of the XBA-3, which the XBA-30 is based on (not sure how much of an improvement it is). The XBA-3 to me is not very natural-sounding, a little too v-shaped and metallic in tone. I felt it was about on-par with the $100 MEElectronics A161P. I chose not to review it because I didn’t feel it was a great value at the time (it was about $200 then). Build quality on it seems a little above average, if you’re getting a great price (say, under $80) I would just get it and not worry about it too much – just treat it like you would any other expensive small piece of electronics.
I need PRO HELP Joker.
The dunu and vsonic seller here in our country stopped selling those bran of IEMs and i was forced to look for an alternative.
I found a seller that offers a sony xba 30 (triple BA) for a very affordable price but without warranty. Prob is, i couldn’t find any detailed review nor a test unit plus i’m in the dark when it comes to the durability of sony’s IEMs.
What do you think joker? Should i take a leap of faith or just keep looking for another option? Also, do you have any impression on how the xba 30 sounds like?
I feel the same way you do about the EPH 100, I love everything about them except for the distracting metallic treble.
The Klipsch X10 have a very similar listen IMO, but with a much more smooth/natural sounding treble. A/B testing the EPH 100 and X10, it is obvious that the X10 has a little excess bass bloat, and not as wide of a sound stage… But after listening to the X10 for a while it’s easy to forget (unlike the EPH100 treble) and just enjoy a natural and fatigueless music delivery.
That said, I’m here because the DN-1000 are enroute to my mailbox and I can’t wait to hear them!
The DN1000 has fantastic detail resolution through the mids and highs, as good as if not better than the others you’ve listed, but in the bass department it gives up a little bit of detail to the RE-400/GR07 just because it’s bassier than both of those. The X10 is the worst of the bunch here in detail – treble rolls off too quickly and it also has quite a lot of bass.
I would not consider the DN1000 for sleeping though – it’s not small and it doesn’t sit flush in the ear. Compared to it, the RE-400 is simply tiny and disappears inside my ear when worn, and the X10/GR07 aren’t far behind. It’s painful to think about falling asleep on my side with the DN1000 :/
I have a question joker,
How would you rank the detail production between the dn1000, re400, gr07, and x10?
Also, comfort became a big issue for me recently since my new job requires me to listen through recordings for atleast 4hrs a day and i have developed this weird habit of falling asleep with an IEM on (then to wake up with a soar ear because the IEM was pressed between my ears and the pillow), do you think the dn1000 will let me do those with atleast minimum discomfort?
Thanks 🙂
I’d go for DAC/amp over just amp for use with a laptop. You can get away with just a simple Fiio E7 or E07k, under $100.
Hey Joker, getting the DN-1000 soon, but my laptop has a pretty noisy headphone jack. Any recommendations for a small, portable dac or amp that would be suitable for these? Thanks!!
Unfortunately I haven’t tried the AX60 but from everything I’ve read it seems to lose out to the DN-1000 in value.
That said, the DN-1000 is just not soft on treble. It’s not harsh per se, but it tends to be very energetic up top. Otherwise it meets your requirements but if soft treble is a must-have you may want to consider something with slightly lower overall SQ but a smoother response up top. In the “fun”, bassy category this would be something like the RHA MA750 or Yamaha EPH-100.
If you’re willing to live with more accurate bass for better overall SQ, the Sony MDR-7550 has a fantastic soundstage and very smooth treble. It doesn’t have significantly enhanced bass, though.