I just won a set of IEM’s from a fairly new earphone company named DUNU. There was a review competition and I was listed among the 10 people to review a set of their DUNU DN-18 Hawkeye earphones. First, I would like to say a big thanks to DUNU for their generosity. They retail around 60-75USD in the market according to Amazon.
Packaging
Starting off with the packaging. The packaging was solid with an outer box cover, covering a box which had a lid held together with magnets which will click shut. (can be seen in the video unboxing which i will uploading soon) The box is classy for a box made of cardboard, something I didnt expect for packaging on 60USD earphones. The earphones rest in a moulded plastic with felt holding case for you to “pop” out.
The accessories supplied on the other hand gave me a shock. The list is quite crazy, 6 pairs of earbuds (3 pairs which are color coded, two which are not and even a pair of double flange earbuds (all not including the pair of earbuds supplied with the earphones themselves giving it a total of 7 pairs), a soft pleather bag/pouch (I do not care for pleather, I prefer real leather, but it is apparent that they chose a very good pleather to construct their bag/pouch), another hard case (not in the pictures but in the video), a solid airplane adapter, shirt clip, cleaning cloth and lastly a 1/4 inch adapter. Sounds like overkill but I love accessories, then again who does not.
Looks and build quality chrome finish, CNC machined metal, flexible silver cable with a semi transparent sleeve, solid 3.5mm jack, well designed y splitter. Pictures should say it all. I love the looks but since I am a graphic designer I have to nitpick on the logo that is on the back of the earphones, they should just keep it at the letter “D” without the microscopic “dunu” inside or just replace the “dunu” with a dash, in my opinion would look much more classier as there is a limitation to the detail due to the type size. Otherwise, they look great! Took an excess of pictures so that people could indulge in some eye candy.
Solid Y split with an unusual shape, a bit tricky to push up and down as the wire is very very flexible. Probably due to the fact that its silver wire, as science says better conductivity equals better sound.
A side view of the earphones themselves with and without the tips.
Tips are color coded and even the mesh is superfine and consistent. To identify the left and right, the letters “L” and “R” are raised on the rubber pieces joining the cable and earphones together. The left earphone also has a raised dot to help identify which is left and right in the dark. Really appreciate their attention to detail.
The unusual shape for their right- angled 3.5mm plug, The end is raised to accomodate iphones with covers. The top is flat which I like as it makes it easier to push the plug into the female jack. Again more design details from DUNU! Great job
Lastly the backs of their earphones with their iconic “D” at the back. Like I said I do not fancy the “dunu” written in small letters. But the “L” and “R” indications are raised on the black rubber pieces.
Comfort wise they were great, not too heavy for metal housings and no cutting edges. Their wide range of earbuds really ensure that you would find a comfortable pair to suit whatever the size of your ear canals.
The Sound
I burned in these headphones the night I got them and so far I have around 60 hours on them. In terms of isolation I would rate them very well as the go very deep into the ear canals and create a good seal. They sound colored with a huge emphasis on bass and sub bass. I like how the bass sounds, smooth and deep, (great for listening to soundtracks) but I would prefer if the bass was more punchy, tight and accurate, lacking in definition and control like their sub bass as it can sound bloated at times. Clarity is not their main strength especially in their highs but this is due to the slightly overwhelming bass. Separation is their strong point, where I can easily identify instruments from each other with decent layering. The sound signature for me was mostly warm with bass which had good extension and control.
The upper midrange are something that these earphones do well especially reproducing the sounds of the strumming of a guitar, great for acoustic music giving a great contribution to the musicality of the earphones when combined with the bass. The midrange is never harsh and well controlled. Another thing to note is that the sound is smooth and is not harsh especially when listening to vocals. Vocals are decent, could use more clarity, nothing to scream about.
The main highlight of these earphones would definitely be how fun they sound. The earphones are not bright and the highs never touch the point of being harsh so they are great for many hours of listening. Ear fatigue could occur only of one cant bear the amount of bass these earphones offer.
