DUNU LUNA Review (2) – Lunatically Good Sounding
Pros:
Excellent timbre and tonality, well balanced.
Smooth and rich mids.
Excellent technicalities for a single DD, perhaps comparable with some multi driver types.
Good dynamics/transients.
Modular system for cable to allow various balanced and unbalanced connectors.
Nice accessories.
Cons:
Below average isolation.
Subbass roll off. Higher treble roll off.
MMCX -> generally shorter shelf life than 2 pin.
TOTL sound comes at TOTL price!
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The DUNU LUNA is lunatically good sounding (no pun intended). I’d say it is the best single DD set I’ve heard, in terms of melding technicalities, timbre and tonality. Well, I can’t afford it in this lifetime, but too bad the ears can’t unhear it now and I can’t look at other single DDs in the same (moon)light.
SPECIFICATIONS
- Driver Type: 10 mm Acoustic-Grade Pure Beryllium Rolled Foil with Polyurethane Suspension
- Frequency Response: 5 Hz – 40 kHz
- Impedance: 16 ohm@ 1KHz
- Sensitivity: 110 dB at 1 kHz
- Cable: Patented Catch-Hold MMCX Connector with patented DUNU Quick-Switch Modular Plug System
- Tested at $1699 USD
ACCESSORIES
My set was a loaner tour sample, it is different from the actual retail package (which has more goodies like a type-C DAC dongle with a USB-A to USB-C adapter and an additional carrying case). FWIW, included in this loaner tour sample was the following (in addition to the IEM):
1) Lunatically large amount of different silicone tips of various bore and nozzle lengths/diameters (including spinfits) – do tip roll to see what suits your preference.
2) Leather carrying case – has pockets with zips and is of excellent build.
3) Cable – very well built. It is a mixed strand of furukawa electric ohno continuous cast (OCC) Copper & DHC silver, with silver-plated OCC copper shield surround. This cable comes with a modular system at the distal end for various adapters (3.5 mm single-ended, 3.5 mm balanced, and 2.5mm and 4.4mm balanced). This is an innovative idea that allows one to swap modules out at the distal end of the cable, so as to cater to whatever source you have. Do be careful that the 3.5 mm balanced adapter can be mistaken for the 3.5 mm single-ended one, and this may fry your source. The only difference is in the number of lines on the connector!
BUILD/COMFORT
The DUNU LUNA is made of metal and is very well built and comfortable for me. I have used it for long sessions without discomfort. No driver flex was noted for my set.
I was a bit disappointed that the DUNU LUNA came in an MMCX connector. I’m not a fan of MMCX connectors in general, due to their generally shorter life expectancy compared to 2 pin sets, but I guess the modular system at the distal end of the cable theoretically means that one doesn’t need to swap the cable out at the MMCX area to get access to various sources.
ISOLATION
Isolation is below average. Hence, I wouldn’t recommend the DUNU LUNA to be brought on the subway/bus due to this (to protect hearing health). But then again, I wouldn’t dare to wear a $1700 USD set outside. It’s not just a matter of perhaps getting robbed or the DUNU LUNA getting stolen (though I’m not sure if other than hardcore audiophiles, would the laymen robbers know what is a DUNU LUNA, perhaps they are more familiar with Beats and Apple stuff haha), but I would be fearful of scratching it or snagging the cable against something while outdoors! It’s so precious!
DRIVABILITY
I tested the DUNU LUNA with a Khadas Tone Board DAC -> Topping L30, Shanling Q1 DAP, Ziku HD X9 DAP -> Fiio A3 amp, android smart phone, Sabre HIFI DAC (ESS ES9280C PRO) and a Tempotec Sonata HD Pro. The DUNU LUNA does scale with higher powered sources but is drivable from lower powered gear.
SOUND & TECHNICALITIES
The DUNU LUNA I would say, is a W shaped set (see graphs below under “comparisons”). I would say it is the best single DD set I’ve heard, in terms of melding technicalities, timbre and tonality. It is a musical set, yet preserving very good technicalities. The selling point of the DUNU LUNA, would be that is has pure beryllium drivers, which theoretically would give fast transients and excellent dynamics. And I have to say, indeed, the DUNU LUNA manages to get smoothness with speed, excellent technicalities with authentic timbre, fast transients with good note weight all spot on.
Sound is rich and nuanced. Timbre for acoustic instruments is very good in keeping with its single DD roots. Technicalities on the DUNU LUNA like clarity, details, imaging, instrument separation and soundstage can easily hang with multi BA/hybrids, which is amazing for a single DD set. The usual adage that single DD types are superior in timbre/tonality, but weaker in technicalities than multi BA/hybrids is a common refrain in the audiophile world, but hearing a TOTL single DD like the DUNU LUNA will really shake this adage upside down. Soundstage is very deep and high. Soundstage width is on the wider side (though probably not classleading in width per se). I didn’t find any instances of muddiness or congestion, even in complex music, or fast movements.
Bass:
Bass on the DUNU LUNA is almost neutral, it is quite punchy in the midbass, but the bass quantity will not be for bassheads. It is a midbass focused IEM and the subbass unfortunately also has a roll off, that’s one area of weakness on this set. Quality wise, in terms of transient speed, dynamics and timbre, the bass is excellent. Texturing is very good. There’s no midbass bleed and decay is on the faster side. So the DUNU LUNA goes for a quality bass over overt bass quantities, I think everyone other than diehard bassheads will appreciate this.
Mids:
Mids are my favourite aspect on this set, the term that comes to mind on hearing the mids are “romantic”. Lower mids on the DUNU LUNA are very sweet and lush. Mids are very layered and transparent and detailed and mid lovers will like this set. The upper mids area around 3 – 4 kHz is boosted, relative to the lower mids, but I didn’t find it that harsh/shouty, compared to a lot of CHIFI that boost this area. At high volumes (Fletcher Munson curve) or with poorly recorded material, one might find this 3 – 4 kHz area to be hot and jarring at times, or perhaps leaning to fatiguing with longer listening sessions, but by and large, I found the mids rather smooth. The added boost to the upper mids does make guitars and vocals have a bit more prominence and bite. Female vocals are more forward than male vocals in general.
Treble:
Treble extension on the DUNU LUNA is average. The treble preserves excellent microdetailing and clarity, without going into fatiguing territory. Cymbals sounded very natural and not splashy. However, the treble does roll off early for the higher treble frequencies. I’m treble sensitive and it is quite a safe and non fatiguing treble IMO, and I didn’t find any sibilance on it. The converse is that the DUNU LUNA does not have a top end sparkle that will cater to trebleheads, so YMMV.
COMPARISONS
Final Audio A8000 ($2000 USD)
The DUNU LUNA is usually discussed in the same breath as the other full beryllium single DD summitFI set, the Final Audio A8000. Between these 2 beryllium behemoths, I do think the Final Audio A8000 has better technical performance, though I found the Final Audio A8000 too bright/fatiguing for me due to the wealth of resolution and details and there’s a harsh peak somewhere at the 5 – 6 kHz region, so it isn’t my cup of tea.
TBH, I would say the Final Audio A8000 has the best resolution, transparency, transients and technicalities I’ve ever heard in a single DD set, though it needs amping as is quite difficult to drive compared to the DUNU LUNA. Other than the Final Audio A8000 besting the DUNU LUNA in the above technical areas, soundstage is also wider on the Final Audio A8000. The Final Audio A8000 bass doesn’t rolloff at the subbass as much as the DUNU LUNA, and has more subbass quantity than the DUNU LUNA. Mids are thinner and more “clinical” in Final Audio A8000, and treble is more extended and boosted on the Final Audio A8000. Vocals can instruments can sound a bit dry and thin on the more analytical Final Audio A8000.
Hence, the Final Audio A8000 goes for a brighter, thinner and crisper tonality compared to the warmer and smoother and fuller DUNU LUNA, so different strokes for different folks. For sure the Final Audio A8000 is the more technical and analytical IEM, but it is more fatiguing at the higher frequencies than the DUNU LUNA, so treble sensitive folks better be warned about it.
KBEAR BElieve ($159 USD)
I know it is kind of lunatical (no pun intended) to compare the KBEAR BElieve ($159 USD) to the $1700 USD DUNU LUNA, but since they are both advertised to have full beryllium DDs, here we go:
The KBEAR BElieve has poorer timbre and a thinner note weight. The KBEAR BElieve is less refined, has slower transients and has poorer technicalities/dynamics, but it costs 10 times less, so that’s kinda expected.The DUNU LUNA is much easier to drive, but has worse isolation. I wouldn’t recommend the KBEAR BElieve if you don’t have a suitably powerful source, as it can sound muddy and congested when underpowered. If I were to give a ballpark figure, I think the KBEAR BElieve can hit around 70% of the DUNU LUNA’s technical performance (when amped).
So between the 2, it depends if you wanna chase the last 30% sound for huge diminishing returns, or are happy with hitting 70% performance for 10% of the cost, but the only problem is I can’t unhear what I have heard (the 30% improvement) in the DUNU LUNA hahaha.
CONCLUSIONS
The DUNU LUNA is lunatically good sounding (no pun intended). I’d say it is the best single DD set I’ve heard, in terms of melding technicalities, timbre and tonality. The romantic and lush mids of the DUNU LUNA are the star of the show. The beryllium drivers really do provide great transients and excellent dynamics.
The usual adage that single DD types are superior in timbre/tonality, but weaker in technicalities than multi BA/hybrids is a common refrain in the audiophile world, but hearing a TOTL single DD like the DUNU LUNA will really shake this adage upside down. The DUNU LUNA keeps the excellent tonality and timbre of its single DD roots, but adds the resolution of a multi BA/hybrid set into the mix, amalgamating the best of both worlds.
If there are some nitpicks I have to make, they are that the DUNU LUNA has below average isolation, its skyhigh price (I can’t afford it this lifetime!), and perhaps the subbass and higher treble roll off.
It was an extremely enjoyable listen throughout my week of having the DUNU LUNA for a loaner tour. Too bad the ears can’t unhear it now and I can’t look at other single DDs in the same (moon)light. I was really quite sad to pass it on to the next tour member. Honestly, price is probably going to be the biggest stumbling block for more folks to own or hear the DUNU LUNA, so I really look forward to checking out the upcoming DUNU ZEN, hopefully DUNU manages to come up with a TOTL tuning at a comparatively cheaper price for a single DD!
DISCLAIMER
I would like to thank Tom from DUNU for having me on the DUNU LUNA review tour. The DUNU LUNA was passed on to another tour member after a week or so of assessment.
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