Review: Dunu DN-2000 (natural, balanced hybrid IEM)

Firstly I would like to thank Dunu for sending me this sample to review, I will write as honest a review possible, these received over 50hrs of burn-in, no real differences were noted.

Gear Used:

iPod Classic 7G > DN-2000 (Comply tips)

iPod Classic 7G > Silver LOD > JDS Labs C5D > DN-2000 (Comply tips)

Hidizs AP100 > DN-2000

Specification

·         Driver Unit: Dynamic (10mm)*1+Balanced Armature*2

·         Sensitivity: 102dB+/-2dB

·         Impedance:16Ω

·         Frequency Range: 10Hz - 30kHz

·         Plug: Ø3.5mm stereo plug

·         Cable length :1.2m

·         Weight:22g

Package

·         DN-2000 in-ear earphone

·         10 sets of Eartips

·         1 pair of Earhook

·         3.5mm Female to 6.5mm Male Adapter

·         3.5mm Female to 2-pin Male Adapter

·         Aluminum alloy box

·         6 pairs of metal adjust ring

·         4 pairs of fitting rubber

·         Shirt Clip

Packaging, Accessories and Build Quality:

Packaging is similar to all Dunu models, with a black box, that magnetically opens to show the IEM's, this one however has a window instead of them being just secured in the tray, also on the opening flap there is a lot of info about the IEM's (tips, ear hooks, spacers, etc...). Specs are featured on the side of the box, and information and list of accessories can be found on the back. The IEM's are tightly secured in felt covered foam, the carry case can be found directly below and houses all the accessories. Very well packaged and also eye catching as always, good job Dunu.

Accessories are plentiful as with all Dunu Models, loads of tips (S, M and L) in two different single flange silicone tips, (S, M and L) bi-flange tips, (M) Foam tips, different ear hooks and guides, 6.3mm to 3.5m adapter, airplane adapter, cable clip, spacers (more on these later) and a very neat metal carry case. Everything you could possibly need is included in the DN-2000 package.

Build quality is excellent as is the norm for Dunu products, solid metal housing, great strain relief everywhere and a rubbery cable that feels like it should hold up well over time. Shame they don't have replaceable cables, but this does keep the size of the housing down.

Comfort, Isolation, Cable noise and Driver flex

Comfort is good, but depends on the tips, I personally found Comply T-400 tips to work best and I can wear them for a few hours with no discomfort. The metal edges of the housing are not the smoothest, so this can cause some discomfort to some people.

Isolation is good, and these can easily be used on most public transport.

Cable noise is not a problem, and there is always a cable clip it you really cannot stand it.

Driver flex is very little, I can only detect it on occasion, so it is not a problem at all.

Sound:

Split in to the usual categories, with a conclusion at the end.

Spacers and tips:

These IEM's come with tip spacers and different tips for the end user to tune the sound to their preference, I used Comply tips. But included are Clear single flange tips for a more bass oriented sound, and Grey single flange tips for more neutral/detailed sound. The tip spacers are colour coded, and the wider the spacer the deeper the fit and also the more detailed the sound.

Lows:

The lows are deep and create a full bodied but slightly soft punch, the DN-1000 gives more of a kick, whereas the DN-2000 gives a full bodied punch, extending a little further. The lows lend their hand to all genres, but do lack a little in speed for faster paced music. Decay is very natural, articulation is also superb and the lows don't lack any detail and never bleed in to the lower mids. Controlled, soft, full bodied lows, keeping in balance with the rest of the spectrum.

Mids:

The mids portray every detail in the mix without sounding too clinical, they have a little bit of warmth to them, but never sound congested or muddy. both male and female vocals come through sounding real, no harshness or sibilance can be detected either. Just very pleasant realistic mids, distortion free, fatigue free, slightly forward in presentation and perfect for acoustic and jazz, handing itself to almost any genre equally well. Listening to well recorded female vocals, you just want to listen over and over again, as these render female vocals so perfectly, you would have to spend a lot more to achieve this from another IEM (Audiofly AF180).

Highs:

This is the only place that leaves me craving for more, the highs are not as present as I like, yet the detail and extension is there, just it sits a bit too far behind the mids. Tips do change this, and the Comply is not the best option if you like your treble like me, but it does mean that you can listen fatigue free for hours. So the treble has good sparkle and detail, extension is also not an issue, but I would like them to be a little bit more forward in presentation, but these are great for treble sensitive listeners.

Soundstage and instrument separation: Soundstage is wide and fairly deep, and instrument separation is excellent, especially in the mids where there is real air around all the instruments.

Timbre is excellent and detail retrieval is very good for the price, but not quite as good as the H-300.

Conclusion:

Well a lot more likeable than the H-300 which is a very exciting but fatiguing hybrid IEM. This is a grown up DN-1000, with a more refined and balanced sound, the highs do sit a little in the back of the mix but overall these are fairly balanced IEM's. They put their hand to almost any genre, are well built and have great sound, in an accessory packed package all for a great price. What more could you ask for, if you are looking for a natural, but budget hybrid design, the DN-2000 ticks all the correct boxes. If you want gobs of bass with extreme detail and sparkle in the highs, the H-300 is a better fit.

Sound Perfection Rating: 8.5/10

Thanks for reading