Dunu DK-4001 Hybrid with 13mm Beryllium Dynamic

Nice writeup, @shotgunshane ~~

If anyone's interested, I transcribed an interview I did with the CEO of DUNU and their chief audio engineer here:
https://cymbacavum.com/2019/01/09/the-dunu-dk-4001/

It includes more insight into how the product got developed and the company as a whole. Obviously, I'm biased positively towards them because I've met the people behind the company and have gotten along with them quite well, but I really do think this is a company that genuinely wants to improve, and has. In the past, they've gone with the usual strategy of letting anyone and everyone review their products, hoping something sticks. I've encouraged them to be more judicious, and get their stuff in the hands of people who aren't afraid to deal out constructive criticism when warranted. That's why hopefully we can get a tour going here; additionally, @La Cenric will be getting one to deal out one of his usual bare trodden breakdowns.

Without a doubt, however, the DK-4001 is the company's best product by far, and I think it's well worth its price tag.

A few notes of my own:

• The cable is really something very nice. The quick release mechanism is what sets it apart from other modular cables like the Dita Awesome cable and MEE Audio cable. The Dita cable is probably more durable in the long run because of its screw-in mechanism, but takes longer to switch plugs as a consequence. The MEE Audio cable can be easily switched, but is liable for early failure. The DUNU cable seems to minimize 'hot-swap' time while preserving durability. I'm really hoping DUNU can make this cable available somewhere easily accessible like Amazon or what-not, because it's just a great cable. The gauge is thick enough to appeal to cable size queens, and the insulation is still soft/supple enough not to be cumbersome.
• I think SGS did a really good job summarizing the tonal differences between the 4001, Solaris, and Andromeda --- of which the latter two are common denominators around these parts.
• On a couple of listens, I preferred the DK-4001 to the Andromeda, probably because I only used demo units of the Andromeda, which have been battered up over the last couple of years. I'll need to get more listens of the Andromeda to really tell. On a personal note, I do feel both the Solaris and Andromeda do not present enough upper midrange for my own tastes, and that may be why I prefer the DK-4001's midrange tonality, despite its relatively in-your-head presentation.
• I feel the main difficulty people will have with the 4001 is the depth of insertion. The sound signature will vary quite a bit with tips and insertion depth, and I suspect there will be a few different camps of how people perceive the DK-4001 to sound.

 

Of all the iem loaners (that wont make it to the EU) this one is the one i was curious the most, since i had 2 of their products in the pass.

I think the modular cable is an amazing idea. One question though @shotgunshane , how was the comfort level?

Thanks for the impressions.

 

@Walderstorn did you ever own the 3001? The comfort of the 4001 is a big step up. When I get a chance I’ll take pictures of the side by side between the two units so you can get an idea of the changes to the insertion angles and depth.

 

BTW, if any TPE-based people, i.e. @gixxerwimp or @TomHP want to listen to it, let me know and we can arrange a mini-meet.

 

Yes I did. Enjoyed the sound but some aspects my IMR R1 were better.

That would be great. Thanks.

Edit: unfortunately due to my small and shallow ears holes double flange are impossible to fit. I usually have to really in foams or hybrids (if they fit).

 

I agree. It's probably not @purr1n 's cup o' tea.

 

The angle of incidence is closer to 108 than 135 now, and because of the slightly more bulbous shape, the 4001 naturally inserts at a slightly upward angle, which is more natural for most people. The changes seem small but really make a big difference.

 

@Augmentin if there's word of a EU Loan please give me a heads-up.

I like the new shape, hopefully it will sit better and don't force itself out like the previous model. It kinda pushed itself out with the help of my cartilage.

 

PM me and I’ll give you their contact information — it might be possible to get a loaner from one of their European distributors; I don’t know what their plans are for the EU market, though.

 

From @La Cenric : https://crinacle.com/2019/02/19/dunu-dk-4001-first-impressions-and-measurements/

 

First, thanks for the opportunity to put ears on these, I'm greatly appreciative.

Ergonomics: nothing but praise; fit is great. I didn't play around with the supplied tips, but compared Spiral Dots, stock K10U single flange silicone, and Comply with and w/o wax guard removed. Form factor is great, very low profile when inserted. No qualms with comfort.

The cable is f'ing smart. I'd buy it in a second if it becomes available separately and if it's not stupid money.

Out of ZX2 (fake balanced) using red-throated single flange grey silicone tips left over from K10U:

• Mild hiss
• Mild upper midrange honk
• Less "chesty" compared to Andro
• Kinda wonky/peaky lower treble region—4khz edginess; stringed instruments sound fake
• Seems rolled off a bit above 10khz
• Slightly less air than andro, but exaggerated lower treble sounds like fake microdetail
• much better sub-60hz impact and definition than Andro
• "Three-blob" soundstage, with the L&R blobs exagerated side-to-side, not very cohesive, but less diffuse/more specific than Andro
• A little more "in-the-head" soundstage compared to Andro
• Less seamlessness between DD/BA drivers than Solaris

Out of Fiio X5 Gen 3 using the same tips, 2.5mm (real) balanced out:

• No hiss
• A little more "put together" in the mids, but they're still a bit recessed for my preferences
• Bass is very controlled and maintains a slight (tasteful) 40-60hz emphasis; very, very well done bass
• Bass transition to mids is also very cohesive, but perhaps lacking a db or so in body/fullness region
• Less peaky lower treble than out of ZX2, but there's still a slight edge, 2-4khz (e.g., "Tah" and "Dah" have overemphasized attack, and "esses" have a touch of grit)
• Bowed strings still sound unrealistic
• Upper treble roll off is still there, gets a bit shouty on male vocals
• Soundstaging is less exaggerated/pushed L & R than out of ZX2, but less convincing placement from L to center/R to center than Andro

 

Just a few notes I jotted down from my time with the loaner.

I'll preface this by saying I mostly used these with my phone at the time (Galaxy Note 5) and a variety of headphone amplifiers of various topologies at work, along with a Mojo. Didn't get a chance to use them with a dedicated DAP.

I was honestly a bit disappointed with them. Maybe it simply comes down to my anatomy, but I felt frequency extension was clearly lacking on both ends of the spectrum (which was surprising for the bass given the massive DD), and the presentation felt veiled with little bite in the upper-midrange.

Overall seemed both dynamically and tonally veiled compared to most of the IEMs I've owned and used for extended periods (Andros, Tias, IE80, Rockets, even the Noble X)

Timbre was smooth and mostly inoffensive, but I couldn't get past the tone, which felt very prominent in the mid bass through lower mids.

Different tips didn't help. Maybe synergy would have improved with a dedicated DAP. But from what I heard, not for me given the price. I prefer many of the much less expensive DDs out there.

The packaging, accessories, and visual aesthetic were all very nice, though.

 

What I'm seeing is that there is a large range of opinions related to how the 4001 sounds, and I can only surmise that it is related to depth/angle of insertion, which I feel is an issue for the 4001 overall. I think the hallmark of a truly well-designed IEM is that it sounds relatively consistent between users, i.e. the shape limits the range of insertion depths/angles to a 'happy medium'. With the longer port length of the 4001, they've increased the 'degrees of freedom' for how the IEM interacts with the ear canal and tympanum, leading more variable sound impressions. From what I'm seeing across different forums, aside from the positive impressions (like mine), it seems sound impressions of the 4001 can be quite polarizing. There is a subset that feels it's far too bright, and another subset that feels it's too warm and veiled.

For myself, I get worse treble extension if I insert too deeply or if I have it too shallow (it's actually brighter in tonality this way, but worse for treble extension). Sub-bass and mid-bass levels of perception increase with increasing depth of insertion (and by extension, seal).

It seems like @E_Schaaf 's thoughts are more in line with @gixxerwimp 's (at least that's what he related to me when we met last time --- he felt the bass was somewhat wooly as well), though I am surprised that @E_Schaaf felt that sub-bass extension was lacking, leading me to imagine his canal anatomy is simply not as compatible with the shape of the 4001. There seems to be a seal issue that isn't remediable with tip selection, and the tonality that he describes is more similar to what I hear when I insert very deeply (to the point where I feel they're too deep, and somewhat uncomfortable). I do feel my ears are relatively small --- I've gotten remarks that the size of my external acoustic meatus wouldn't be able to accomodate a proper triple-bore setup in a CIEM design --- so I get a really good seal with the smallest SpinFit tips included. Additionally, I get a lot more driver flex than most other people, and if I get too good a seal, I get poor driver excursion, leading to a weird, small sound. With large dynamic drivers, I do feel that there needs to be some kind of pressure equalization between the diaphragm and tympanic membrane, or that the dynamic driver needs to be mounted in a manner such that it isn't susceptible to driver flex (e.g. the EX1000).