PAIRING WITH SOURCES:-
DUNU SA6 looks kind of tricky to drive from its specs. It has a sensitivity of 113db and get very loud without dialing up the volume but has a higher than average impedance of 60 ohm which is not recommended for mobile phones. Driving the SA6 out of a mobile phone must of difficult then, it isn’t thankfully. These values are kind of deceiving. SA6 is not hard to drive and gets fairly loud with day to day mobile phones, but it scales better with better sources.
When driven out of my daily driver Vivo V19 (Compared to LG G7) it sounds a bit more restrained with note’s depth and weight. Stage loses a chunk of depth while gaining some height and width. Details at the base are smeared but still plenty. When driven out of Earmen sparrow the SA6 sings at its fullest potential delivering excellent details and coherency, lower end gains a bit more body and the whole spectrum gains more definition and resolution. The stage exhibits more height and width.
Is it necessary to feed it properly? No, the difference is not a significant one but yes, it is better if you can.
THE SWITCH:-
Following the trend DUNU has jumped in the switch wagon but thankfully they did not use a multi switch setup. This switch only affects the lower end which is a much better way to distinguish it as studio equipment. When the switch is at 1 it does not emphasize the lower end making it sound more balanced but still has the sub-bass extension and rumble intact. If I have to use it for studio I will keep this switch at 1 but if I want to have some fun, not looking to go the analytical, flicking the switch ON does a wonderful job. It does not impact the sub-bass region but brings more volume to the sub-to mid bass and mid bass region good volume with most of its decay speed intact.
Long story short, “On” means a bit bassy, 1 means flat.
HOW DOES THIS SOUNDS:-
Dunu has been making some of the best dynamic and hybrid driver earphones in their respective price range. Their latest studio series focuses on multi BA IEMs and comprises of two IEMs and is led by the SA6. It uses 6BA drivers in a 3 way crossover with a configuration of two for all three primary frequency bands. It uses two Sonion acu-pass (vented) woofers for the lower end, two Knowles custom midrange driver and two Knowles custom tweeter for highs delivering an “impactful bass, smooth and natural mids, and transparent highs” (needs testing).
Even though the SA6 houses Two BAs for bass is does not have a huge lower end presence, it is fairly balanced without prioritizing a particular range of frequencies. Most of the BA based IEMs do not tend to have much added flavor to them while the SA6 has one of the most neutral and colorless presentation, even for BA standards. If you want extras.. Look elsewhere.
Burned for more than 80 hours I am using the blue core grey flange tips for this review with mixed use of Shanling UA1, Earmen Sparrow and Shanling M6 for this review.
BASS:-
Couple of years ago I was coming across IEMs with dual BA for lower end (AF1120, DM7, AF180) who lacked much of the lower end and barely had enough lower end when considering the dual driver nature, they were barely distinguishable from single BA bass driver earphones.
Thankfully the SA6 does not feel like that, at all. Much like any other typical BA driver IEM the SA6 does not have the highest amount of sub-bass rumble and best extension under its sleeves but It can exhibit satisfying level of rumble with tracks like “Skepta – Konnichiwa”. It has more rumble than ER-4 series and the 3 IEMs mentioned earlier but the Fibae 4 and Audiosense T800 makes sure that SA6 doesn’t take the top spot (T800 lacks some definition). It has more rounded mid bass as it maintains similar energy just before the mid-bass region till the upper bass region giving it the required amount of fullness. Do not expect an out of character impact or slam as faster than average decay speed keeps the precipitation well under the overwhelming margin. It does let the notes deliver weighty and thumpy notes while having excellent control. Upper bass has similar kind of energy and does the finishing job without exhibiting any agitation or clumsiness.
Even when I prefer the Bass switched on, it does not sound lifeless in 1 position either. It brings much faster speed as it takes the focus away from the lower end making the rest of the spectrum more prominent which helps with analytical listening or studio use.
MID RANGE:-
Even though the bass can come up as a bit heavier than typical BA drivers it does not hamper the mid range. SA6 has equal amount of energy and emphasis across the spectrum exhibiting excellent merging of frequencies at the crossovers. Transition from upper bass to lower mid region feels like an integral part. DUNU SA6 has done a better job here than Fibae 3 and BGVP DM8.
Just like any good BA based IEM SA6 has no problem with intricate details and separation, the whole mid range enjoys excellent clarity and transparency. Even after belting out some of the best details it does not sound sharp or overly aggressive. Instruments do not have the added depth we can find with EM-5H and CU-Kis or extra weight found with TSMR 4 and Fibae 4. SA6 strikes perfect balances of everything. Notes are agile, accurate with energy, weight, depth while retaining crispiness. The biggest plus point of SA6 is its technicality, the way it manages to deliver micro details of background instruments is praise worthy and the contrasty nature makes it the IEM to get. No need to worry about the upper mids either, they do not have any uncomfortable notes to worry about.
When seen from a bit afar the vocals can feel slightly forward compared to the rest of the mid range giving it a bit more pop. Both male and female vocals sound crisp and clear with a natural tonality, it does not emulate a more organic or warmer tonality like Fibae 4 or AV6 but the texture and emotions portrayed is much better. SA6 like to keep things as neutral, as colorless as possible. Decay is perfectly paced with precision and accuracy in mind, providing notes with accurate body and weight. It is not thin like the AF180 and fibae 3 or thick like the Shozy Pentacle and Fibae 4.
SA6 with its immaculate balance delivers the extra bit of resolution which brings a smile on my face.
HIGHS:-
There are primarily two flavors for BA based IEMs, either they try to make things more engaging by presenting a sharper and more energetic experience or they tend to blunt the notes and cut out the sparkle and aggression. With the SA6 one cannot say that its aggressive or calmer as it strikes a beautiful balance which provides the right amount of energy and sparkle while fending off unwanted depth or energy.
The transition phase from upper mid range to lower treble region is excellent with good transparency and clarity. SA6 has very good treble extension but starts to lose a bit of energy just after the mid treble region, this might be done to keep it clear of any unnecessary energy while catering to a wider range of listeners. Even with that I dare not to ask for more, as that has a small chance of affecting this extraordinary balance. Sa6 has very good details retrieval. It doesn’t miss out on anything while keeping the timber neutral. Cymbals and pianos have very good transparency, don’t expect it to sound very organic or loaded with texture (like the Pola39, SD5 and UM Mirage). Separation and layering is up to the mark with more than enough air and space between instruments. The treble stage is well spread, assisted by excellent sonicality. The bigger than average stage size helps a lot with instrument placements and density. If you love treble, tingling instruments and minute details but do not want any aggression, SA6 should top your list for under $600.
