TinHifi, known for their bang for buck IEMs makes some of the best IEMs under $150. Among those are their lineup of planar based IEMs. Critically acclaimed for their accuracy and definition these IEMs usually sit on top their price range. I have a brief experience with their P1 but that was their 1st gen planar. TinHifi has come a long way since then and have a handful of Planar IEMs under their P1 series.
But this time around they have a budget offering which is not under the P series. Housing 13mm Planar drivers, priced at $80, DUDU is one of the cheaper single Planar IEM. Facing direct competition from Hidizs MP143 and Letshuoer S08.
I will like to thanks Linsoul for this unit.
Get one from this links:
UNBOXING AND ACCESSORIES:
Open the box, lift the padding and we have the IEMs stuffed in foam while both the cables and tips are placed inside a paper compartment under it. We get a pair of foam tip, 3 pair of red core narrow bore and black wide bore tips and a cleaning tool. The biggest problem is , we do not get a carry pouch or case with this $99 IEM, which is kind of baffling.
BUILD QUALITY and ERGONOMICS:
DUDU has a aerospace grade aluminum shell which is sturdy yet lightweight. It has a fairly generalist shape though, we don’t have any semi custom like wing structure here. I did not had any problem with heavier IEMs and this lighter IEM is a lot more comfortable and stable inside the ear. One problem is the narrow but shorter nozzle length. I struggled with the shorter wide bore tips but the longer red core tips are decent. It is sturdy and strong and definitely won’t break if dropped but that might dislocate the drivers inside. Matte grey shell and brushed metal finishing on the back plate gives it a decent yet boring look. It has two pressure releasing vents and I wonder what will happen if one of them is closed..
CABLE:
I got the commemorative version and this comes with two cables, one Type C cable and one 3.5mm cable. I wish it had a 4.4mm though. It doesn’t matter how you look at this but both the cables have 4 cores of OFC cores and are average at best when it comes to build quality. These low profile cables look decent, have decent looking parts but the cables guides are thin. These do not look as good as the Letshuoer or Kefine cables but compliments the IEM and get the job done.
The good thing is, it behaves nicely, it’s not bouncy and barely has any microphonics to worry about. I am not impressed with the SQ of the Type C cable. It’s okay but is unable to deliver enough power to the planar drivers, restricting the dynamics and stage. TinHifi has plans to make an app to add more functionality to this cable in future though.
PAIRING WITH SOURCES:
I saw a few posts stating that Dudu is efficient but I will like to disagree. I tried it with my mobile phone and it was struggling to drive it to 60-70 DB without sounding bland and boring. Then I used Hip DAC 2 and 3 and it needs around 75-80 volume while my phone with USB 3.1 is at 40% volume.
But the good thing is, using a decent source is enough for this IEM. It doesn’t change much with sources, it’s finihsing definition and transparency remain nearly same irrespective of the source used.
SOUND QUALITY:
While working on the Dudu, I had 3 other planar IEMs lying around and one of them had the same 13mm Planar drivers but that doesn’t sound anything like Dudu. I have to admit Dudu is something special. It has one of the bass depth irrespective of driver type, very good mid range clarity and airy treble.
It has a slightly W shaped signature where the bass isn’t forward but vocals and treble can be slightly more engaging. I love Dudu’s neutral tonality but the timber slightly dry which does give it exceptional cleanliness.
I am using Hidizs S8 pro and stock tips for this review.
BASS:
Planar drivers have limited resources. They usually aren’t the best at delivering everything at once like DD so it comes down to how is it tuned and TinHifi has tuned Dudu for better sub bass presence. It’s not bassy but guess what, it has one of the deepest subs and beautiful rumble. Yes or doesn’t move a lot of air but which budget planar does? Mid bass is not bigger with volume or body but has decent area of impact and punchy impact but can feel a bit rapid and slightly less organic. I won’t call it lightweight but notes aren’t heavy as the decay is paced to have better cleanliness and control. This control presents us with very good texture and layered delivery. Dynamics is good and we get one of the cleanest upper bass notes under $200. It has no softness to upper bass notes but it doesn’t have as much variation as Letshuoer S08 and Kiwi Ears Quartet and sounds a bit monotonous.
MID RANGE:
This IEM has to be one of the best under $150 for details and it shows with the mids. It’s definition, resolution and clarity are top notch. We get some of best transparency and energy with slightly less taller notes. Notes are tight, dry and crisp, exhibiting a lot of precision and cleanliness. Great thing is, it has one of the most uniform emphases across the spectrum and has no peaks or excess energy to worry about but yes, its dry and crispy notes can feel less emotional and engaging for those looking for analogue tonality and warm timber.
Vocals have very good texture and definition but male vocals are not very throaty while female vocals are more accurate with little bit of extra energy at finishing. This extra bit of energy can feel a bit tiring to some of us. In spite being a budget offering DUDU’s technical abilities are so good that it can put clean air with some of the best separation of instruments. While the competing planar IEM, LetShuoer S08 is no slouch, DUDU is in another level. We get very good attack and transparency in the upper mids which can come off as a bit tiring to some but enhances its clarity, giving it a more detailed presentation.
TREBLE:
DUDU has an excellent treble region especially when we look at the transparency, lively, agile notes, clarity and details. I will go on to say that this is one of the most detailed IEM one can buy under $150. It has very good accuracy and clarity as the notes have clean and well defined floor and very good finishing definition without any piercing or unnecessary sharpness to worry about. We get very good separation with plenty of air between instruments and decent layering. The biggest positive is consistency, it has some of the best uniformity when it comes to emphasis and energy across the spectrum. We get Class leading extension and energy up till the end.
I know this is not a thing to worry about for most of us but for those looking for a smooth and calm treble might find this a bit too agile and maybe slightly tiring. It’s the extra bit of energy that can cause a little bit of discomfort. Do not expect a lot of micro details and clarity at the floor and it’s gonna deliver.
STAGE AND IMAGING:
One thing mostly all the planars are good at is stage and DUDU has one of the biggest stages under $100. Biggest contributor in this is the cleanliness of tighter and precise notes. This stage is aptly big and brings very good amount of air between instruments. We have a stage with slightly shorter height but one of the best X-axis width. Yes, Z-axis presence is not great and okay at best. DUDU has a more stereo kind of presentation where most of the notes are projected to the sides. Most of the vocals generate inside the head and end out of it. Bass notes hit and move in. Some mid range and treble notes find themselves placed totally out of the head giving it a big stage. Sonics and transient effects are very good and clean.
COMPARISONS:
VS Letshuoer S08:
Both have similar sized planar drivers but have totally different signature. S08 is warmer and musically tuned while the DUDU is more technically capable with cleaner and transparent notes.
DUDU has deeps subs, smaller mid bass and faster decay. S08 has a more punchy, bigger and fuller bass with better variation. Both have similar texture and layered delivery. mid rangre is where S08 is better with warmer, taller and cohesive tonality and analogue timber. DUDU is slightly thin and dry sounding and a bit less contrasty. Treble is where the DUDU pulls ahead with better air and extension. Both have similar stage but S08 has slightly better Z-axis presence.
Please have a go at my Comparison Video:
VS Hidizs MP143:
MP143 has a bigger driver but has very similar tuning. Both have similar bass extension but 143 have bigger impact and more rumble. MP143 has a bit more natural body and slightly sharper finishing which can feel tiring. DUDU has better control there but is a bit more lean sounding dry timber which lacks a bit of emotion. Tonality and timber are fairly neutral. Treble is where both these IEMs are exactly same with clairty, definition and details but 143 has a bit more energy and better layering. Stage is where the 143 dominates the DUDU with better height and Z-axis depth while the DUDU has a wider stage.
Here is my comparison review video:
CONCLUSION:
Let’s keep this short and simple. DUDU is an easy to recommend IEM, it has the details, clarity and definition with a big stage. With its W shaped signature its balance of the spectrum is unique. Its strengths are in its stage and technical abilities. It has very good bass depth, clear mid range and airy highs with excellent extension while keeping the sibilance or unwanted sharpness away.
On the down side, it can be a bit thin and dry which can be tiring. Pairing it with a warmer source is better but that doesn’t eliminate its finishing energy. If you want a musically tuned, warmer, meaty sounding IEM, this might not be it.
Thanks for reading, enjoy your music.
