The Dunu DK-3001 Pro is an updated model of the original
DK-3001 released in 2015 and will be discussed today in this review. This is one
of the latest models from the China-based Dunu brand. Unlike many of the other
Chinese products I’ve reviewed recently, this company isn’t new and unheard of
before. They’ve been around since 1994 and have a long history of making
earphones and accessories.
Now, with that said, I have not heard any Dunu products
before for any memorable amount of time. In this case, Dunu contacted me
directly and offered to send me the DK-3001 Pro and DK-2001 for review. I will
cover the $299 DK2001 in a future review soon, but today I’ll take on the $469
DK-3001 Pro model.
Package
The Dunu DK-3001 Pro is a 5-driver in-ear monitor earphone
that sports 4 custom Knowles balanced armatures and a 13mm beryllium-coated
dynamic driver within its unique housing style. The housing is made of
stainless steel and comes in kind of a dual chamber look. The main driver and
nozzle are in a circular portion of the shell, while the mmcx connector is in a
cylindrical housing that is connected. I found this design to be very
comfortable despite being a shallower fit.
One of the more exciting things I was looking forward to
trying was the Dunu cable. They’ve come out with a patented line of cables that
feature a Quick-Switch connector that allows you to quickly change out the
source cable type without detaching the entire cable from the drivers. This
makes it a breeze to change between my phone (3.5mm), DAP (4.4mm) and my
desktop amps (1/4 inch or 3.5mm). The package itself comes with connectors for
3.5mm single-ended, 3.5mm TRSS balanced, 2.5mm balanced, and 4.4mm balanced, as
well as a ¼ inch adapter for the 3.5mm connector.
The cable itself is a 1.2 meter (4 feet) copper cable that
is braided in 4 strands that is very soft and easy to handle. The connectors
are well built, and easy to replace and remove. There is also a chin strap for
improving fit and stability.
Within the box, there is also a good number of additional
accessories. Along with the Quick-Switch modular plugs, there is also an
airplane adapter. Dunu also provides a large green-colored carrying case and a
lot of tips. There are a couple packs of generic silicone tips, as well as a
pack of Comply foam tips and a variety of SpinFit tips (CP360 from the looks of
it) and inserts. Finally, there is also a cleaning brush and manual and various
other documents.
Sound
The DUNU DK-3001 Pro, to me, has a warm-tilted and laid-back
tuning that is still pretty close to a neutral sound. It does imaging and
separation rather well and has an average soundstage with an above average
amount of depth to go with it. I wasn’t sure what to expect, really, and some
people haven’t been fond of some of Dunu’s previous offerings, so I was
surprised to find that I really have enjoyed the DK-3001 Pro despite some
limitations.
I spent the majority of my Dunu DK-3001 Pro listening using
the iBasso DX160 audio player, the iPhone SE, a Samsung Galaxy S10e, and the
Topping DX3 Pro DAC/Amp and RME ADI-2 DAC. One thing to note is that I did find
the DK-3001 Pro to be a little sensitive to source output impedance. This became
a small problem with the pairing with the Topping DX3 Pro v2, which has an output
impedance of 10 Ohms. This slightly raised the amount of bass and lowered
treble slightly, giving a noticeable bloated effect to the upper bass and lower
mid-range.
Bass is presented just slightly warmer than what I consider
neutral, and really, it hits a sweet spot for my bass level preferences. The
driver is well-controlled and I haven’t experienced any loose or bloated
messiness with it as I pace it through songs of all genres. In fact, for
dance-oriented songs with heavier influences in this region, I find the DK-3001
Pro to have just enough rumble and impact to keep me satisfied, with only a
slight mid-bass focus. That said, I think those who prefer more body, more
slam, and more long-lasting decay may find the presentation a little soft. There
is a small roll-off in sub-bass, however I don’t find it affecting my normal
listening.
The mid-range is presented with a small amount of body and
thickness over my neutral target. Male vocals sound on equal level with female
voices. There’s no issues with coherency from my listening despite the multi-BA
and DD hybrid setup. Resolution in this region is just about average, if not
slightly better than so at this price range. I find that the mid-range in general
doesn’t any specific “wow” factor nor does it do anything that makes me feel
there are any legitimate flaws.
The first thing I noticed about the upper end of the DK-3001
Pro is that it sounds like it has an abrupt cut-off. The measurements seem to
go along with this, as there’s pretty much zero upper treble response to this IEM.
In practical listening, this isn’t a huge concern, as I do prefer less or no
upper treble to an overly abundant amount of it, but it can make the DK-3001 Pro
lack some air and excitement to it’s sound signature – and that’s kind of how I
find things presented here. It’s lower treble sounds just fine. It’s got a
little bit of sharpness occasionally, but never to the point where I find it
fatiguing or sibilant.
There’s a good amount of treble qualities that I do like –
good resolution and a somewhat laid-back approach that gives this IEM a good
rating for prolonged usage. Some may scoff at the lack of upper treble still –
I would prefer a little more than what is offered, however I am also okay with
the roll-off.
Music
In actual music listening, I found the DK-3001 Pro to be very
engaging with an intimate and enjoyable listen. There’s a nice smoothness to
the sound without being overly lush nor muddy and without any real focus to any
specific frequency area. In general, I found this a very listenable IEM.
On Chris Stapleton’s “A Simple Song”, I find the bass guitar
has a nice low end response that provides a nice foundation for the song. It
doesn’t have the best textures and resolution I’ve heard before on this track,
but it works. Focus is still on Chris Stapleton’s vocals and it has the right
amount of thickness and grit that I like. His wife, Morgana, can be heard
without taking over the song and doesn’t seem to present any real issues.
On “Leave a Trace”, Chvrches’ kick-drum heavy track from their
“Every Open Eye” sophomore album, I find the DK-3001 Pro’s separation to shine. Each
kick drum hits with a good amount of authority and the electronic keyboards
present the track at a good distance that still sounds clear and distinct. The
sweet howls of Lauren Mayberry have the right depth and distance and she doesn’t
sound shouty nor harsh which this song can present a challenge to some headphones
and IEMs I’ve tried in the past.
On Tool’s “Fear Inoculum”, the initial ringing can be a tad
sharp and at the same time sound a little smeared without as great resolution
as I’ve heard on an IEM such as the qdc Anole VX. The opening cello-like guitar
panning sounds massive and has a nice level of decay and texture. The
introduction of the drums has a nice impact and the driver has no issues
handling Danny Carey’s intricate and fast drumming. In general, the DK3001 Pro
handles this complex song with ease and still retains the bite, power and
gravity that I want a Tool song to sound like. It takes me in, makes me feel
everything, and yet I am not dizzy as a result of it.
The self-proclaimed movie soundtracking-sounding song, “Time-Lapse
City” by GoGo Penguin has a warmer engaging listen than what I experienced on
the Hifiman Arya and Hidition Viento. The song is led by both the piano but
also the bass guitar which feels like it takes over the song here at times,
where on the prior headphone experiences, I felt the piano led the track. The
slight emphasis in the lower mid-range and bass pushes the bass guitar work, as
well as the drums just a little bit more forward. Despite my preference for
this song to sound a little more balanced and neutral, it still works pretty
well here. Sometimes the bass and drums become a little overbearing on the
piano parts, and there’s some occasional messiness with imaging, but it doesn’t
ruin the song playback either.
Comparisons and Overall
As mentioned before, I also received the lower priced and 1-less driver DK-2001 at the same time as the DK-3001 Pro. I haven’t had an extensive listen of that product, however a few small differences besides the one driver design is that it comes in a variety of color choices. I received the flashy orange colorway which I really like.
On a sound comparison note, the DK-2001 has a more V-shaped
sound signature as compared to a more balanced tuning on the DK-3001 Pro. The
bass is a little more elevated and the mids are more recessed. There is more
upper midrange and treble energy on the DK-2001, which makes it a little more
exciting and have sometimes a more perceived clarity. They both suffer from
lack of upper treble however, and I find the DK-2001 is a step below in the
DK-3001 Pro in terms of mid-range coherency.
So, overall, I find the DK-3001 Pro to be a nice addition to
the mid-fi market. It has some limitations such as the lack of upper treble,
some average bass resolution and texturing, but the general sound signature is
indeed its strongest suit, at least to my perceived targets. It’s generally
coherent, has a nice low end elevation, and an engaging sound that can sometimes
sound a tad boring and relaxed, but works well for prolonged listening sessions
where I just want to escape, but still enjoy the finer parts of music.
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