Fit and Comfort

Seen above is the right channel of the DUNU DK3001BD placed into an artificial ear mold with the pre-installed size M silicone ear tip installed. I have average-sized ears, and the ear mold above represents my own experiences well enough as a proxy. Size M silicone tips are my go-to for testing, since foam tips are not included by some brands, and I actually had a good fit with these tips that also seemed to offer the most balanced tuning for my ears. Obviously your mileage may vary here, as getting a secure fit is necessary to be able to better appreciate these IEMs and their somewhat unique sound. The shells are thick and may well jut out of your ears though, and them being larger than average in the other two dimensions probably doesn't help either. Going for a deep fit also means getting more of that conical nozzle in the ear canals, which can be uncomfortable for those with smaller ear canals as it goes from a more manageable 6 mm at the end up to 6.5 mm at its highest. The good news is you can get a good seal without cramming these in your ears, and you can also try using longer bore ear tips to help. The softer curves in the smooth shells combined with some leeway to get the nozzle in at a more amenable angle results in plenty of contact points throughout to support the weight. These IEMs weigh ~8.5 g per side, and feel dense compared to others without being heavy. It makes for a more solid feeling instead, and the cable also provides additional support with the ear hooks and the cinch—provided the ear hooks work for you out of the box. Having the cable come out at an angle helps here, the cable connectors rotating easily also helps you better position the ear hooks in a more comfortable manner around and behind the ears. The DK3001BD sample did not have any driver flex and there was minimal pressure built-up in the ears thanks to the generous venting on offer too. Despite this, I'd say isolation is on par with most other IEMs in that there's minimal leakage to the outside—I would not classify this as a semi-open set.

Audio Performance

Audio Hardware

The DUNU DK3001BD is a tribrid driver set of IEMs, meaning these use three different driver types. The lows are handled by the same biocellulose dome + independent surround dynamic driver used in DUNU's current IEM flagship, the Glacier. A custom dual balanced armature unit takes care of the midrange, with another dual BA driver responsible for the highs before giving way to four micro-planar magnetic tweeters for the super high frequencies. These are not the same as the full-range planar magnetic drivers we've seen in the likes of the 64 Audio Solo, and are closer in size to tiny BA drivers. The net result is a 1+2+2+4 4-way hybrid physical + electronic crossover. The DK3001BD is extremely easy to drive, with a rated impedance of 26 Ω and sensitivity of 108 dB/mW (122 dB/Vrms). You can use a basic dongle too, let alone a more powerful portable DAC/amp. The 4.4 mm connector might be overkill in some cases thus, since it is likely you will have a short volume range of control on your source before things get too loud too quick.

Frequency Measurement and Listening

I will mention that I have a general preference for a warm-neutral signature with a slightly elevated bass, smooth treble range, detailed mids, and good tonal separation. I also generally prefer instrumental music over vocals, with favored genres including jazz and classical music.


Our reproducible testing methodology begins with a calibrated IEC711 audio coupler/artificial ear that IEMs can feed into enough for decent isolation. The audio coupler feeds into a USB sound card, which in turn goes to a laptop that has ARTA and REW running and the earphones connected to the laptop through a capable and transparent DAC/amp—I used the Questyle M15 here, but also used the provided dongle adapter which performed identically. I begin with an impulse measurement to test for signal fidelity, calibrate the sound card and channel output, account for floor noise, and finally test the frequency response of each channel separately. Octave smoothing is at the 1/12th setting, which nets a good balance of detail and noise not being identified as useful data. Also, the default tuning was used for testing, and no app-based settings were chosen unless specifically mentioned. Each sample of interest is tested thrice with separate mounts to account for any fit issues, and an average is taken of the three individual measurements for statistical accuracy. For IEMs, I am also using the appropriate ear mold fitted to the audio coupler for a separate test to compare how the IEMs fare when installed in a pinna geometry instead of just the audio coupler. The raw data is then exported from REW and plotted in OriginPro for easier comparison.


The IEC711 is such that you can't really compare these results with most other test setups, especially those using a head and torso simulator (HATS). The raw dB numbers are also quite contingent on the set volume, gain levels, and sensitivity of the system. What is more useful information is how the left and right channels work across the rated frequency response in the DUNU DK3001BD. The left channel was separately tested from the right one, and colored differently for contrast. I did my best to ensure an identical fit for both inside the IEC711 orifice, so note how the two channels are basically identical across the entire useful 20 Hz to 20 kHz range! Keep in mind that this is a randomly chosen retail unit, albeit one of the first ones made, and this is all the more encouraging that all retail units will be similarly impressive. Measurements taken after 50 hours of testing, which included these playing a mix of various songs as well as white or pink noise and sine sweeps, showed no difference. There was no perceived burn-in effect thus, and none was measurable, either. The response with the anthropomorphic pinna in place matched the ideal scenario in the coupler quite well, and here too I need to point out the insertion depth can change how the resonance peak (matched at 8 kHz) and frequency response thereafter behaves, even with the fact that these couplers aren't the most accurate in this range.



Here is the average frequency response for both channels of the DUNU DK3001BD plotted against my personal target taken from VSG.squig.link, which also gives you an idea of my personal preferences to better correlate any possible biases. The tuning of a set of headphones or earphones does not have to match my target as long as it is tuned with some direction, makes sense, and is executed well. After all, no one set will appeal to everyone, and having different options is what makes this hobby so interesting and hard to quantify. This is in addition to a second graph using a newer target that's based on a more scientific methodology involving a -10 dB tilt (-1 dB/octave) applied to the diffuse field target for the newer, more reliable B&K 5128 but then compensated for my exact 711 coupler instead. Do scroll down to the targets in my database linked above and see the new 5128 section to the left where you can click on the yellow question mark for a brief primer. The bottom line is this target is closer to what many people are likely to prefer out of IEMs and headphones alike. I have chosen to plot this graph with the frequency response normalized/compensated to the target to make it easier to see how the DUNU DK3001BD is tuned—U-shaped with a pronounced sub-bass boost and pronounced low + high treble energy.

I am on a roll lately with IEMs that don't sound like anything else on the market, at least among those I've listened to personally. The Craft Ears Omnium was one, and the DUNU DK3001BD joins that party to the point where I know multiple people have been trying this set purely to see if their ears are trained enough to pick out the tuning nuances employed by DUNU. This will be a divisive set though, predominantly because of how the tuning is. All of that bass energy is focused in the sub-bass, and this gives you a prominent subwoofer like effect in your head. A lot of bass hits that you think are primarily in the mid-bass might still surprise you here, although the DK3001BD won't give you that decay and meaty bass notes from kick drums and percussions. Instead, it's more about fast, snappy bass that works beautifully for EDM/trance music. The extra energy in the highs complements this too, and suddenly that brain dance analogy comes back into the picture. Bump up the bass slightly at 150-200 Hz and you have a more traditional Harman-style set, yet this loses the punch from the stock tuning. It's not a set I'd recommend for classic rock or metal tracks necessarily though, at least not without some EQ customization. I would say it's worth the effort regardless given how detailed the set can be.

That dip in the 150-200 Hz concentrates the subwoofer effect, but also makes for some of the cleanest mids in IEMs you can try today. There's plenty of range for various instruments thus, and I can even see the DK3001BD being handy for more analytical listening thanks to precise imaging and an arguably wider and deeper soundstage than many IEMs exhibit today—height is on par with most IEMs. The flip side is a lot of audiophiles like some warmth and heft for the mids, especially vocals, which again is not what the DK3001BD is for. This is a specialist set for instruments more than vocals, especially as you see the more laid back ear gain that can put some female vocals a touch recessed sounding. This is all the more emphasized with the lower treble being somewhat prominent too, making the DK3001BD sound bright to those whose length modes—a function of where these IEMs sit in your ears and where they resonate prominently—coincides here. Combine this with the leaner bass and now you have a set that overall comes off bright and potentially fatiguing to some, if not many. Yet, again going back to what the DK3001BD markets its sound signature for, this is exactly where you see resonances for electronic music and even acoustic jazz. This is what ultimately won me over—there's some sizzle here which worked well for my preferences and HRT, ultimately making me smile. I don't think vocals get sibilant necessarily, purely because their fundamentals are not overly forward in the first place, but also because the treble is smoother and more controlled than the graph suggests. It's overall on the more energetic side, yet not fatiguing to my ears and the air in the highs is likely what contributed to the soundstage psychoacoustics rather than causing, say, cymbal strikes to ring incessantly in my ears. Those who dislike planar timbre might want to stay away though. Overall, I have to give props to DUNU for coming up with one of the more interesting sound signatures and executing it well.


I realized as I was testing the DK3001BD that I don't really have a lot of recently released ~$500 sets. The Hisenior Mega5-EST is all the rage now, going for what's effectively a new tuning meta. I have yet to even hear it properly, so of course I can't say much about it. So we end up with some sets that cost less or more than the DK3001BD thus, and honestly I felt these IEMs are proficient enough to hold their own against the more expensive ones. DUNU's own SA6 MK2, for example, has an MSRP of $80 more but goes on sale at times for the same price as the DK3001BD, if not slightly lower, owing to it having been released last year. I appreciated that DUNU went with a safe, relatively tame tuning there but the execution felt off to me. The DK3001BD is basically the opposite—a risky, spicy tuning that's implemented so well that I honestly prefer it more. This is even considering the part where the SA6 MK2 is more comfortable in my ears, comes with better accessories, and uses stabilized wood faceplates that can be quite stunning too. You do get more mid-bass here by default, and more so with the bass switch turned on, and yet it wasn't as hard hitting as the DK3001BD. The recently released ThieAudio Oracle MKIII is in a similar situation, although it has an even more aggressive bass shelf and upper mids/lower treble presence. It can be highly energetic thus, and my first time with the set was at CanJam London this year when I really liked it. My review sample, however, doesn't sound as good—the mids are clearly recessed, making for a less enjoyable experience for many vocals and instruments, and Linsoul said it's within their parameters, so I can't even tell you this is worth the money based on this one unit either.

The XENNS Mangird TOP is one more unit I'd like to bring up, and this is arguably the best of the three contenders in also offering a similar, yet better executed sound. You have a Harman-style bass shelf, albeit with more mid-bass rather than the bass tuck there, and the TOP can subjectively hit very hard while still being dynamic and resolving. It has a good sub-bass presence too, and female vocals in particular are forward-facing. We see some of that spicy treble here too; the XENNS Mangird TOP can be fatiguing and sibilant to many. Yet again it holds up with smooth mid/high treble, and there is not too much in the upper treble to be annoying either. Comfort is on par with the DK3001BD since both are large sets, yet DUNU wins on the design and accessories front in my opinion. The two can be complementary sets too, given their different strengths. The MOONDROP x Crinacle DUSK is also worth considering, albeit this goes for a more neutral w/bass shelf tonality. It costs less, comes with a DSP cable with various tuning presets, has some DAC limitations, isn't as comfortable, and honestly is more a reference set you should have before you come to terms with whether you want a specialist set or not.