DUNU - DK3001BD

Lately, I've been using the DUNU SA6 EST and DK3001 BD quite a bit. The original Zen Pro used to be my daily IEM, but after using this single DD IEM for so long, I wanted to try something new. The SA6 EST is also versatile across different music genres, while the DK3001 BD has a more distinctive tuning—it’s fantastic for instrumental and jazz tracks, with resolution and separation that can rival some super-flagship-level IEMs. But you might want to be cautious to DK3001 BD If you're sensitive to treble. If there's a chance, I'd love to pick up the Sony IER-M9 at a discounted price, which I've been waiting for but haven't been determined to purchase.

The Candy tips are my favorite fit for the DK3001BD, I like them much better than the stock white tips. I love that Dunu included high quality tips like the Candy and S&S.

How do you like the Dusk compared to Brain Dance's? I was torn choosing between those 2 and ended up going for the DK3001BD, solely because of all the quality control issues I've read about the Dusk. All the poor reviews on Amazon scared me away. I received the Dunu's the other day and I'm impressed by the build quality, beautiful cable, unboxing experience, etc. Oh and the IEM's sound pretty damn good as well.

I got mine a few days ago and you have to try it with an impedance adaptor. I am using a 30ohm and the difference in bass response is pretty staggering and balances it out really well. I am also using it with Spinfit W1 which sound better than the SS tips for me.

Hey man welcome. I think I can help! Most audiophiles come at this with a different view than what you posed, simply because we have different priorities. I'll also try to correct some of the things you wrote that are not true. You posted so many good questions and points, though. This is going to be a long response. >i just found it expensive enough Yes and no. Some high end stuff has crazy prices. Some of the super expensive stuff straight up sucks, too. But good IEMs can be had for under $50. >not even wireless Not the main priority of IEMs or headphones for audiophiles/musicians. We generally prefer a reliable connection that doesn't rely on a time limit (battery). We also want to squeeze every drop of audio quality, and wireless means bluetooth which means compressed data. (That's changing, though!) Wires are 100% reliable and gives 100% of the performance. More importantly, ANC IEMs (e.g. Apple Airpods Pro 2) tend to be much more expensive for the sound quality they provide. Going back to the last section, IEMs are not more expensive than their wireless counterparts. Wireless is convenient! You'll see many people here rocking ANC IEMs for our daily, and going home to our wired IEMs. I'm one of those many. >Headphone provide better sound noise isolation No, they don't. Ignoring ANC, IEMs tend to isolate the best. Some can isolate even better than actual earplugs. They isolate so well, musicians use them to isolate themselves on stage during LIVE performances, and those get super loud! >Headphone are more comfortable More of a preference thing. Generally speaking, headphones will rarely have a "bad fit" issue because they go around your ears. Any decent set of cans (hehe) is light enough to be mostly unnoticeable. IEMs can be very comfortable, and doesn't get in the way of anything. But, you'll run into more fitment issues on larger IEMs or IEMs with thicker nozzles. >Latency Yep, wired means close to 0ms latency, software and interface aside. Again, we're trying to squeeze every bit of performance. For music making, we want <10ms. For gaming/listening, hardly matters. Most people aren't dropping big money to buy IEMs for gaming. Honestly, how many of us is good enough to warrant that for gaming? lol **Okay! Now to your questions.** 1) Advantages and disadvantages. You'll have to understand the differences first, and it is one of preference. Normally we listen with our entire ear and head. Like the fleshy bits of our ear is a bit part of our listening. But with IEMs, we bypass the ears entirely and the sound goes right into our earholes. It creates a completely different experience than headphones/speakers. It's like the music is in our heads, and feels different than "listening". Advantages: - If you prefer the aforementioned sound, the IEM sound cannot be replicated by headphones, speakers, or earbuds (the ones that sit outside your ear canals). - Dollar for dollar, IEMs will provide more performance than headphones and definitely speakers. - Portability. Not even close compared to even headphones. And speakers lmao. ANC buds and IEMs win over wired anything in this category; you'll have to pay for it, though. - Isolation. It keeps the noise out passively, without ANC. I'd say for certain frequencies (e.g. human voice), a good passive isolation is superior to ANC. ANC just isn't very good for higher frequencies. And for most audiophiles, they'll pick open-back headphones, which provide basically negative isolation. Disadvantages: - Soundstage, or how it replicates space in audio recordings. Because you're bypassing the earflesh, space is not replicated correctly. If you love to "hear" the stage, headphones are much better than their IEM equals. Some IEMs are great with this, but a good headphone will still beat it easily. - Fit/comfort. Not every IEM is for everyone. Most are fine, but look up reviews/try them would be ideal. This is more of an issue with more expensive IEMs ($250+) that shoves a ton of audio components into the IEM form factor, and the shell/nozzle has to be enlargened. Famous examples: Sony IER-Z1R, ThieAudio Monarch Series, etc. You also got something that is touching your ear canals for potentially hours at a time. Some people can't stand it. Some people have no issues. Again, personal preference. 2) What is the best overall IEM (ignoring the price)? Oh boy. Ignoring price? Probably the Subtonic Storm. But it's $5K, has very few reviews, and the waitlist is closed. It's been reviewed well by reputable reviewers, but hype is a thing in this space. Time will tell, but that seems to be the one to have if you can swallow the price tag. Outside of that outlier, best overall IEMs will cause arguments in this hobby. People have differences in preference, but they can be summed up in a few categories: 1) neutral tuning, 2) mild-V/U tuning, 3) V/U tuning, 4) bassheads, 5) trebleheads. I'm condensing a few groups together for the sake of brevity (ironic), don't @ me. Let me know if you read this far and want me to provide examples for each. The best IEMs or headphones in the world don't attempt to do everything the best. They do one or two things exceptionally well. For most people? You don't have to spend anywhere near $1000. You want something neutral? Hisenior Mega5EST. You want something a little more exciting? Moondrop x Crinacle Dusk 2. You want to feel like your brain is on meth? DUNU Braindance. There are so many more great IEMs in this price bracket. There really is a great IEM for around $500-600 for every taste. Even just 5 years ago we did not have this level of luxury in choice. Anything beyond $500-600 really is diminishing returns. Not really worth it, and this is from someone who has many IEMs over $1K. 3) Are there any accessories/peripheral for IEMs (other than eartips)? Yes, but eartips make the most difference. Required: buy Q-tips, lens cleaners, small brush (like from an electric razor), and, if your wallet can stomach it, an IEM vacuum. Cleaning your IEM is important and not often talked about because frankly it's so boring. Debated: buying cables for sound quality. Buy a cable if you want an upgrade in comfort or cable noise (microphonics). If you don't like the sound of an IEM, return it. No cable is going to solve that for you. Also debated: DAC and AMP. Again, you don't have to spend a lot, or at all. If you have an Apple Dongle, it really is good enough. Especially for IEMs, power is almost never an issue unless you're deaf or you want to be deaf. However, if you want to get into the hobby of finding amp sounds, that's a different story, and outside the scope of this post. DACs should be colorless and we've basically perfected the technology. You're paying for features now. Which brings us to the point: you can buy portable bluetooth DAC/AMP combos for your wired IEMs! (Back to BT compression, a little sacrifice of sound quality and money for added portability.) Welcome to the hobby, hope this helped!

Could try something with EST and very smooth extension if you want minimal masking like HBB Punch which is basically a KE4 with ESTs, though you're going to want to eq the bass down on punch if you want technical. Or you can try something bright like the Braindance. Also harman tuning overall like Volare/Variations would be good as they have a midbass tuck which leaves a clean impression and wider stage, or a bass-light airy harman like Studio4. Lower mids and 3k scoop can also open up the stage a lot, make everything sound very wide and enveloping and leave a very technical impression/much more layering/better perceived detail retrieval like SA6 mk2 (or ultra if you can find one) which are tuned rly similarly to Anole VX. EPZ P50 could be a good more affordable choice it's still a tribrid, with microplanars handling the treble.

It won't be a huge difference since it's similarly tuned and you're hitting diminishing returns, but the quality of the bass/treble is a bit better with the better DD and the ESTs. It's also not muddy stock as most of the boost is concentrated in the subbass which is moreso felt as a rumble than heard and tapers down by 200hz, so it won't bleed into the mids or drown out the sound, and if you turn the bass down you get something pretty much identical to a Mega5est. \\ If you already have a KE4 you aren't going to be that much more impressed by another meta iem, they're just going to be slightly more refined like 5-10%, Braindance would be too bright if you're sensitive to lower treble or don't want a lot of air, it doesn't have as much mid treble as Supermix4. But it doesn't have the same X factor/special sauce when it comes to layering and separation as the SA6 series like SA6 est or SA6 ultra, the overall flatness with small peaks/dips gives that holographic imaging and staging where some things can literally feel like they're wrapping/circling around your head clockwise instead of panning left/right for instance and you get a good sense of width, depth and height. Techs are moreso a psychoacoustic illusion than a driver thing, and those pull it off very convincingly, this is the sort of IEM I'd look toward if I wanted to be impressed in that way. You can try to EQ it in as well, but lots of IEMs just sound way off mark when you eq them that way, imo only certain IEMs can really pull off this tuning like the Mest mk1 or Mest mk2 which are often touted as endgame for separation/layering but mk2 is crazy expensive like $900 best case scenario on sale and mk1 is discontinued. Dusk is neat if you want DSP on the cable, but if you use EQ on your system or just use it stock analog, EPZ P50 has almost the same base tuning as the Dusk and near identical driver config with 1dd+2ba+2planar instead of 2dd+2ba+2planar while costing much less.

I haven’t seen any. I’ve come to the conclusion I’m set for a bit. I grabbed the dk3001bd over 11/11, and it’s really surprised me

Picked this set up over 11/11. Very fun and enjoyable tuning and one of my favorites of the year. Definitely didn’t expect to like it as much as I do. Grabbed it due to some early review praise, and a different tuning than anything in my collection. Great cable too

Hi! So I listen to a fair bit of metal and I have noticed that not only is it a challenging genre for IEMs, but apparently also for whoever masters the tracks. It seems to somewhat depend on the band I'm listening to if my IEMs can manage a clear playback of a given song, no matter if I'm using my $500+ sets or the <$100 sets. I would, however, certainly suggest going for one of the newer micro-planar tribrids. Separating the frequency range into multiple drivers seems to help a lot and the micro-planars are fast enough for *zingy* cymbals and the like, while a dedicated whoofer-DD adds some fullness that might be lacking in the Orchestra Lite. While I have not tried the Performer 5+2 myself that looks to fit the bill. Otherwise I'd name the Simgot SuperMix 4, the Moondrop DUSK or the Dunu DK-3001BD. The later is my current favourite IEM for all the music I listen to, not only metal, but ofc it also has a decent price to it.

How *I* Rank My IEMs (and Headphones): Best-in-Class by Price and Use Case ## My **Personal** IEM Tier List (with reasoning, specs & use cases) Figured I’d share how I’ve ranked the IEMs (and a few headphones) in my collection. These are **not** ranked by raw technical performance. Instead, I ranked them by **best-in-class for their price and use case** — what I reach for in real-world listening; these are just *my* opinions. > **Note**: Specs have been corrected after third-party review. A few values are estimates where official data was missing (especially for DSP-based IEMs). Feedback welcome. --- ### **Rank 1a – Hifiman HE1000 Stealth** - **Price**: $1,399 - **Drivers**: Planar Magnetic - **Impedance**: 32Ω *(unverified)* - **Sensitivity**: 93 dB/mW *(unverified)*, 108 dB/Vrms *(estimated)* - **Freq Response**: 8Hz–65kHz *(unverified)* - **Why**: My overall best headphone. Expansive stage, technical mastery, and refinement. - [Link](https://store.hifiman.com/index.php/he1000-stealth-magnet-version.html) --- ### **Rank 1b – Thieaudio Valhalla (CIEM)** - **Price**: $2,200 - **Drivers**: 19BA - **Impedance**: 9Ω *(unverified)* - **Sensitivity**: 103 dB/mW *(unverified)*, ~112.5 dB/Vrms *(estimated)* - **Freq Response**: 10Hz–44kHz - **Why**: Overall best IEM. Forensic detail, expansive stage, CIEM fit. Endgame for analytic listening. - [Link](https://www.thieaudio.com/products/thieaudio-valhalla) --- ### **Rank 2 – Thieaudio Prestige LTD** - **Price**: $1,299 - **Drivers**: 1DD + 4BA + 4EST - **Impedance**: 22Ω - **Sensitivity**: 99 dB/mW, **115.6 dB/Vrms** *(recalculated)* - **Freq Response**: 20Hz–20kHz *(unverified)* - **Why**: Refined tribrid with excellent resolution and smooth tuning. - [Link](https://www.thieaudio.com/products/thieaudio-prestige-ltd) --- ### **Rank 3 – Hisenior Mega5EST** - **Price**: $549 - **Drivers**: 1DD + 2BA + 2EST - **Impedance**: 25Ω - **Sensitivity**: **100 dB/mW** *(corrected)*, **116.0 dB/Vrms** *(recalculated)* - **Freq Response**: 10Hz–50kHz - **Why**: Smooth and airy with that EST treble sheen. - [Link](https://www.hisenior-iem.com/products/mega5est-hybrid-iem) --- ### **Rank 4 – Dunu DK3001BD** - **Price**: $499 - **Drivers**: 1DD + 4BA + 4 Planar - **Impedance**: 26Ω - **Sensitivity**: 108 dB/mW, **122.0 dB/Vrms** *(official)* - **Freq Response**: 5Hz–40kHz - **Why**: Crisp and detailed. Unique tribrid stack with strong technicals. - [Link](https://www.dunu-topsound.com/product-page/dk3001bd) --- ### **Rank 5a – Aune SR7000 (Closed-Back Headphone)** - **Price**: $599 - **Drivers**: Dynamic (MLD) - **Impedance**: 55Ω - **Sensitivity**: 106 dB/mW *(unverified)*, ~123.4 dB/Vrms *(estimated)* - **Freq Response**: 5Hz–44.5kHz - **Why**: Best closed-back I own. Balanced and natural. - [Link](https://www.aune-store.com/en/aune-sr-7000-high-res-headphone_110211_1252/) --- ### **Rank 5b – Hifiman Edition XS (Open-Back Headphone)** - **Price**: $380 - **Drivers**: Planar Magnetic - **Impedance**: 18Ω *(unverified)* - **Sensitivity**: 92 dB/mW *(unverified)*, 104.6 dB/Vrms *(estimated)* - **Freq Response**: 8Hz–50kHz *(unverified)* - **Why**: Massive soundstage, excellent value in open-backs. - [Link](https://store.hifiman.com/index.php/edition-xs.html) --- ### **Rank 5c – Xenns Tea Pro** - **Price**: $339 - **Drivers**: **2DD + 6BA** *(corrected)* - **Impedance**: 13Ω - **Sensitivity**: 104 dB/mW, **122.9 dB/Vrms** *(recalculated)* - **Freq Response**: 20Hz–22kHz - **Why**: Smooth and musical. Despite spec confusion, still enjoyable. - [Link](https://shenzhenaudio.com/products/xenns-mangird-tea-pro) --- ### **Rank 6 – Simgot ET142** - **Price**: $220 - **Drivers**: 12.5mm Planar + PZT - **Impedance**: 14Ω - **Sensitivity**: 106.5 dB/mW *(derived)*, **118 dB/Vrms** *(official)* - **Freq Response**: 8Hz–40kHz - **Why**: Unique design with tuning nozzle system and solid tech. - [Link](https://www.linsoul.com/products/simgot-et142) --- ### **Rank 7–17 – Budget & Specialty Picks** **Niche roles, convenience use, or just plain fun:** - **Letshuoer S12 Pro** ($169) 14.8mm Planar — 16Ω *(assumed)*, 102 dB/mW *(assumed)*, **120.0 dB/Vrms** *(recalculated)* [Link](https://letshuoer.net/products/letshuoer-s12-pro-magnetic-planar-earphones-hi-fi-planar-in-ear-monitors-for-audiopiles-and-music-lovers) - **FiiO FT1** ($149) 60mm Dynamic — 32Ω, 105 dB/mW, **120.0 dB/Vrms** *(recalculated)* [Link](https://headphones.com/products/fiio-ft1-headphones) - **AFUL Explorer** ($120) 1DD + 2BA — 26Ω, 108 dB/mW, **123.9 dB/Vrms** [Link](https://afulaudio.com/products/aful-explorer) - **Letshuoer S08** ($119) Planar Magnetic — 26Ω, 105 dB/mW, **120.9 dB/Vrms** [Link](https://letshuoer.net/products/letshuoer-s08-fourth-generation-in-ear-monitor-earphone-for-audiophiles-musicians-studio) - **Artti T10** ($79) Planar Magnetic — 16.5Ω, 84.8 dB/mW, **102.6 dB/Vrms** [Link](https://artti.cn/products/artti-t10-huge-planar-headphones-wired-in-ear-monitors-hifi-earphones) - **Kiwi Ears Cadenza** ($35) 10mm Beryllium DD — 32Ω, 110 dB/mW, **125.0 dB/Vrms** [Link](https://kiwiears.com/products/kiwi-ears-cadenza) - **Moondrop Chu II DSP** ($25) DSP-only — 18Ω, 106.4 dB/mW *(assumed)*, **123.9 dB/Vrms** *(recalculated)* [Link](https://moondroplab.com/en/products/chu-ii) - **Truthear Gate** ($19) 10mm DD — 28Ω, 108 dB/mW, **123.5 dB/Vrms** *(user value was incorrect at 93.5)* [Link](https://shenzhenaudio.com/products/truthear-gate-dynamic-driver-hifi-in-ear-monitors) - **ND Planet** ($18) 12mm LCP DD — 32Ω, 97.9 dB/mW, **112.9 dB/Vrms** [Link](https://www.linsoul.com/products/nd-planet) - **Qudelix T71 IEM** ($229) 1DD + 3BA, DSP — ~12Ω *(assumed)*, ~105 dB/mW *(assumed)*, **124.2 dB/Vrms** *(recalculated)* [Link](https://www.qudelix.com/products/t71-iem) - **Koss Porta Pro** ($40) On-ear Dynamic — 60Ω, 101 dB/mW, **113.2 dB/Vrms** [Link](https://koss.com/products/porta-pro) - **Qudelix BalPods Open** ($29) 14.3mm Earbuds — 150Ω, 103 dB/mW, **111.2 dB/Vrms** [Link](https://www.qudelix.com/products/balpods-open-type) --- ## Final Notes - This list is **contextual**, not absolute. Rankings reflect real-world use, not just raw specs. - I’ve corrected spec errors and recalculated all dB/Vrms values using verified formulas and sources where possible. - Some models (especially DSP-based or low-profile budget sets) still rely on estimated or assumed specs. Corrections, additions, and debate welcome. Thanks to those who caught errors — this hobby’s better when we all help keep things accurate.

I also have been able to test it and i want to praise the treble, despite being foward is extremely well controlled and everything works in a cohesive way, it is an expensive iem, but as long as you like the sound signature, this IEM is worth the money. i would describe it as an analytical iem that still manages to be funny and engaging. Blind buy material for people that is not too sensitive to treble.

Well, maybe actually the Dunu DK3001BD but used with an impedance adaptader to reduce treble (it has quite a lot of rumble with a very clean sound, but mid-bass punch might be lacking). Or you can try the Kbear Rosefinch for starters as is a very cheap and basic set thay sports a bass canon kind of tuning, just so you can have an idea.

I have a few reviews published on my profile if you wanna check them (Models Reviewed so far are: Dunu Kima 2, Titan S2, Kefine Klean, Dunu DK3001BD, 7Hz Elua and Dunu Falcon Ultra). Oh, and also TRN Orca but is a very old and novice review xd.

# TL/DR: A neutral, bright leaning U-shaped iem, with extra sub-bass on top. Technically excellent, but with a lot of things to consider before pulling the trigger. Not a safe treble, pretty energetic and manages to keep it pretty smooth-ish but very forward; crystal clear vocals albeit somewhat on the thin side; and a very rumbly bass of overall very decent quality, but one that is more about the rumble than the punch, still, feels like your average amount of neutral bass even with the scooped mid-bass. \---------- **WOULD RECOMMEND:** * For people that enjoy very energetic sound signatures. * For treble-heads that want all that treble extension. * For people looking for a technical benchmark, especially on detail and soundstage. * For people that is not sensitive to treble at all. * A great upgrade in the $500 price range for neutral, U-shaped and bright tunings. * For people who like, or at least can handle planar timbre. * For people that like to listen to busy tracks (although I won’t recommend it for rock music at all). \---------- **WOULD NOT RECOMMEND:** * Not for people who are sensitive to treble. * Not for bass heads (even with EQ). * Not really recommended for EQ in general, it does kind of work, you sure can tame the treble with EQ, but it is not that versatile. * Not for people looking for very full-feeling vocals. * I won’t recommend them for high volume listeners, unless EQ is used to tame the treble. \---------- # The Intro. The absolute legends at Dunu decided that, this time, I should try some of their more premium offerings, so, with joy I present you, the review of the recent $500 wonder, the Dunu DK3001-BD (Brain Dance), that they kindly send me because… ***Full disclosure, this was sent by Dunu, I did NOT buy it with my own money.*** So, I want to preface this by saying a few quick things: My brain, in fact, danced… and I feel like some reviews genuinely didn’t make justice to this set, but that’s only my personal opinion anyway... This is pretty much end game material for me, I didn’t even knew I liked this kind of sound signature, it is kind of “Meta” for 2024 standards, and I already had it somewhat as a preference so yeah, in retrospective, is not really a surprise. Either way, I digress, let’s start with this one. \---------- # First approach. When I was kindly notified by Dunu that I was going to get this gem, I honestly freaked out, never in my life I ever expected being able to try something at this price range, so I knew I needed to lock in, but you see, I’m only human after all, and one with very little experience over the $150 price range at that, so I did some research, I checked various reviews, I tried to understand the mentality I needed to approach something like this, an IEM this up on the game, so, between most of the reviews painting a cautious yet promising description of the sound, and me feeling a bit uncapable, I approached the Brain Dance. When I finally could open the box I was nervous, in my hands, a fine-crafted flagship level IEM. In my mind, however, was this negative idea of an “U-shaped, pretty treble forward tuning that I might not like”, because, well, I was craving some good bass at this point, from the IEMs from Dunu that I recently reviewed: Kima 2 was not enough, and Titan S2 was just enough, but I wanted a bit more, and my bass preferences wasn’t all that aligned with the Brain Dance, so, “here goes nothing” I said to myself, I put them on, and… Wow… \---------- # The Bias. Before I talk about this set, I need to mention a few things about me. Remember, every person listens in a different way, and listening preferences are key to understand what each person specifically likes and dislikes and how that will translate into the opinions given for a review. My preference is neutral with bass boost, I don’t like too boosted treble, however, I can handle intense upper treble, so, what is not bright or too treble forward for me, could actually come as harsh for you, and what is bassy enough for me, could be too bassy or even muddy for you. As a personal detail, I’m a bit biased towards more bassy, not so bright stuff, because I’m from the group of people that like to listen music mostly at a “high volume,” not too loud, but I like to hear the sound close to me. Another relevant think to note is that I’m a bit susceptible to shoutiness and harshness on iems with energy around 4Khz-5Khz, which affects female vocals, high pitched male vocals, and part of the lower treble. A lot of people doesn’t have this problem, but I do, and it gives the sound this intense and harsh energy that doesn’t let me enjoy my music, so if I personally find something what I consider “shouty”, understand that I’m talking about this. I, also also, must mention that I don’t struggle much with iems with the called “Metallic / BA / Planar” Timbre that some people can’t really enjoy, not saying that is the same though, just that I personally don’t have problems with neither. \---------- # The Review. * **Fit and Drivability.** So yeah, I had to defile them with my ears, and they are big I must say, excellent build quality but a nozzle on the larger side for sure. Once again, after testing the included tips, I settled with the Dunu Candy Eartips included in the package – Man they are comfortable –, still, the fit was just ok with this one, the shells of the Brain Dance are pretty “chunky” so they do stick out of my ears a bit, and sometimes my left ear pushes the iem out a bit, either way, I did managed to get a good seal, but if you have small ear canals, this could be a risky pick for fit alone, I didn’t had majors problems with them, but your mileage may vary. As for amplification needed, the Brain Dance does show a noticeable change in the sound experience without the use a DAC, the treble gets less controlled, somewhat harsher, the bass has a bit more presence but feels a bit sluggish, and the overall soundstage and resolution take a bit of a hit in general, the detail is there, but you would be missing on the full experience if under-amplified, the good news, though, is that a basic dongle should be able to make this work totally fine, as in my test, my Moondrop Click DAC gave about the same good experience as the Dunu DTC 480 in the 4.4mm connection did, so you don’t really need to worry much of lacking amplification on those. \---------- * **Technicalities:** Excellent resolution, crispy as it should be, everything is crystal clear. This one boast of great detail retrieval, and is not ashamed of it, it will let you know about any sound you might be missing before, is that obvious about it. The soundstage is OPEN, not sure if I can call it big, but it sure feels like it for me, it’s the most open sounding iem I have had the fortune of listening to, that goes along with pretty good imaging capabilities, “3D-like sound” feels like an appropriate word to use with them. Can take on busy tracks like a champ, everything is well separated and cohesive. Timbre is very correct, very nice vocal replay I would say. The note weight is good, it gives you the presence when it needs to, but is not the most “aggressive” note weight that I haven listen to, it is like a middle ground. The replay is great, everything sounds as it should, not much glaring problems here, it, however, won’t make low quality tracks better, but do replay them pretty fine more often than not. \---------- * **Treble:** It is pretty, like really, forward, a bit too boosted I must say, but it’s a very well done treble, because it focuses on giving you every detail, every texture, every nuance possible, but without totally piercing your eardrums while doing it, the control is excellent, almost no harshness can be found. Now, don’t be fooled, it will get fatiguing sooner or later, even for a person that can handle upper treble like me, it is a bit too intense at times, if you plan to listen to like 6+ hours a day with these on, is not the best of ideas. The lower treble is also another great part, is done in a way that you have all the detail and fullness it can give without being offensive to the ear in any way. Surprisingly, the DK 3001-BD is very decent at dealing with sibilance, the IEM itself doesn’t present it much, but even with tracks with sibilance recorded it manages to not be too intense, still, this is not a safe pick for sensitive people at all. Bottom line, the treble on the Brain Dance is crisp, airy and well extended while also controlled. \---------- * **Mids/Vocals:** The vocals are also very crisp, clear, and center of the sound, but I personally feel like they are lacking some body, borderline thin at times I must say. As explained before, everything sounds very correct, vocals don’t have any noticeable coloration and the sound is extremely clean. Detail is there too and doesn’t get outshine by treble or bass at all. There is, fortunately, not much more to say about the mids, is just fairly well done, I just can’t complaint much about it, to be fair though, for what the BD cost, it could have been done a bit better no doubt. \---------- * **Bass:** I was scared of this one to be honest, because when I saw the graph, the first thing that crossed my mind was “Well, yet again, another iem with reduced bass”, I mean, you can see that the bass is not just flat until 120Hz, there is a literal dip in the 150hz area, I was dreading the bass performance at this point, but… If there is a dip in the bass, is nowhere to be hear in the sound, for me at least, not only that, but the bass doesn’t feel flat at all, it feels like your average “neutral tuning” level of bass, not that much, but present enough. Three times you see, three times I have been told by reviewers that “the bass feels more present on the sound than what the graph suggest”, that sentence gave me trust issues with iems that had a balanced amount of bass, but the Brain Dance helped me restored my faith. The bass reaches deep, of course it does, since it’s a sub-bass over mid-bass focus, however, the mid bass actually has just enough presence, it’s decently punchy and it is pretty fast, but is reduced nonetheless. The texture is there, is a bit on the background, but you can hear the detail in the bass, and when the song calls for it, it gives you some of that bassy energy. Now let me clarify, it is not a basshead amount or, arguably, quality of bass in any way, and at this price point could be done a bit better, but is pretty well done for being a literal flat liner, it does sometimes feels a bit too on the background versus the mids or treble, but is not that overshadowed either. If the song calls for it, it will perform fairly well, the bass does have good quality, but this is not for the people looking for bass, it is better than a “complementary” kind of bass on most neutral iems by all means, it will rumble quite a lot, but at the end of the day, the overall experience does suffer from the scooped bass. \---------- * **Overall sound:** The BD is a neutral, bright leaning U-shaped iem, with excellent technical performance, a forward but very well controlled treble that is crips, airy and extended without hurting your ears while doing so. Very correct mid-range, vocals with nice presence, just somewhat thin at times, but not a problem in my books, very clean presentation. Detailed, rumbly, nuanced bass, mid-bass manages to be a bit punchy and fast, just the enough amount to enjoy music, and doesn’t get interrupted by the mids or the treble often. I would say that this is what you get when you make an analytical iem with almost clinical sound but, with some kind of Dunu witchcraftery, manages to make it engaging and funny to listen to, you have the detail and correctness of the sound, and you have the sparkly and rumbly energy you want for some music, again, it does have a too overly energetic treble, but unless a sensitivity, you will get used to the amount of it. \---------- # Unboxing Experience. This time Dunu will remind you that this is a top-of-the-line product from them, there is not “buts”, “ands” or “ifs”. The box is quite big, but it needs to be, if not, Dunu wouldn’t have the space to fit all the nice accessories they are known for. When you open the box, you will find a handsome large white carrying pouch that is below a beautiful DK 3001-BD iems framed by protective black foam. Down the iem foam you will find a plastic resealable bag with a bunch of Dunu accessories, and a white cardboard box that contains all the large variety of eartips included, finally, inside the white carrying pouch there is the cable and a small orange carrying pouch. \---------- # Accessories. * Dunu this time bring us a “4-Core Secondary Refined High-Purity Furukawa OCC Copper” cable that comes with 3.5mm and 4.4mm plugs with their great Q-Lock Mini plug exchange system, plus a 3.5mm to 6.35mm jack adapter for compatibility between some professional-grade audio equipment and consumer IEMs, the cable is of top quality, practically no tangle and sturdy build. * \- * Keeping up with their trend, Dunu includes now 5 different sets of eartips on the package, their 2 classic assortment of premium tips, 2 more “generic” ones, and a single pair of foam eartips, each pretty comfortable on their own right, but your experience will vary with each one: * \- For the S&S tips, this time, I managed to fit the small size (the second smallest one, since S&S has also extra small size), and it sounds fine, but the bass is reduced, the treble is maybe a bit reduced but still pretty forward, it mostly control lower treble more and pushed vocals a bit more forward, not that great unless you want even more openness in the sound. * \- The Candy tips seem to be, yet again, a pretty good match for my ears, it strikes a good balance between presence on the bass and controlled treble with decent vocals, so this ones are the ones that I’ll keep recommending with Dunu IEMs for now. * \- The red, atmosphere enhancement, tips turn the iem into more of a V-shape, pushing vocals to the back a bit and boosting both treble and bass, so, for this one, it wasn’t a great pairing, and wouldn’t recommend it even if you want some extra bass. * \- The white, balanced tips included in the package are fine in terms of fit, but versus options like the Candy, despite not reducing the bass, they feel somewhat closed-in, the fit I got from them with my small ear canals also wasn’t quite the best, so you should try your luck with them. * \- Finally, the single medium size pair of foams tips I couldn’t fit them in, this is usually my luck with stock medium size foam tips so yeah, not much opinion to give, I guess they will help with treble, but good luck if you have small ear canals. * \- Mentioning it again, most of these tips alone are pretty great and comfy to wear, you should try each pair to see what suits you better, also, if you have other iems, you probably should try them in those too. Oh, and before I forget, those come with some handy tip enclosures to store them, which is pretty neat. * \- * You get a pretty good white (apparently) leather carrying case that has plenty of space for the iems plus any accessories you need, but it, realistically, can be a bit bulky for some. * \- * Finally, you also get the classic Dunu extras like a cleaning brush, the cable management pin that has an extra attachment for better cable control, a small orange pouch that seems to be for protecting the iems shells when stored, and a soft gray cleaning cloth, I don’t think I will use any of them much, but having the options is always great. \---------- # Conclusions. The DK 3001-BD is no doubt a technical monster even in its price range, but is not an easy pick, you would need to consider if you can handle the amount of treble and the bulky shells, that said, if you pay the price, you will have an excellent, very transparent and detailed iem that will give you all that energy and detail you have ever wished for. If you want to experience it, but fear the treble, you can always EQ it down, but I don’t find the “DK-BD” as the type iem you should EQ much, for enjoying its sound, the raw, the better (as long as the treble is in check, of course). Anyway, using this IEM has been quite the experience, so I want to thank Dunu again for giving me this chance, really appreciate it. \---------- **Thanks for reading, the budget knight bids farewell, good luck. – O.E.** \----------

I have the DK3001BD braindance that I use Harman tuning on. Been thinking about Valhalla. What is your opinion in comparing the two? I tried the MMK3, and I find them too forgiving, not having the resolution on the Braindance while not really better in imaging, soundstage and separation, so I've been wondering if Valhalla might do it. Headphones wise I own the HD800s on Harman and DCA Noire X (very neutral Harman conforming).

I'm testing the BrainDance now. It's so clean. Super clean, with tremendous treble extension. But it lacks sub-bass despite a surprising amount of mid-bass, and the note weight is a bit thin. It's not warm and musical; it's more chilly and clinical. But there's absolutely no doubt the BrainDance could keep up with your preferred genres technically. It's a technical beast.

There's good mid-bass. More than I expected. Decent thump. But the sub-bass is thin. You're not going to be enveloped in a growl.

So just got my dunu brain dances. Had some issues with the postal service and dunu customer service was great. 10/10 in that regard. I've only given them a quick listen but I love them already. Drums and treble are super crispy and detailed. Sub bass sounds deep. Very detailed and good wide sounding. Definitely happy with them. The accessories it comes with are great. Great build quality and really nice cable. Will definitely consider dunu in future purchases and releases.

Fit and seal is great. They are a larger iem but I had no issue there. I used the largest white tip provided with the brain dances and actually was the best fit of all the IEMs I have used seal wise. Tomorrow I'm going to try some tip rolling with the provided tips and some I have stored as well as trying out the impedance adapters. But I loved the stock sound. I will still check out what an impedance adapters does to the overall sound though. Out of all the IEMs I have (like 13 pairs in a month) coming from the 80-120 dollar iems the quality is an immediate upgrade. The sound is definitely worth the price. My two midfi pairs the dusks and the braindance just smoke the cheaper IEMs, which sound good in their own right but the difference is apparent right away.

I like both sets a lot but prefer the BDs. The dusk sound amazing too on the DSP cable. But I don't always want to use the cable. Both sets sound really good though just depends what flavor I want. There isn't anything I dislike about both pairs besides the dusks not sounding as good (still sound pretty damn good) without the DSP cable. I'll have to find the EQ settings for the dusks so I can replicate it on my dap and headphone amp. The braindance is a more fun sound to me. The treble is just so crisp. Really like the sound of drums on them. Both are amazing sets so it's hard to make a choice. I'd probably take the BDs just cuz I don't need to screw around with eq to replicate the DSP cable.

Not really. I haven't got a set I don't like. My current favorites are the dusk, dunu braindance, kiwiears aether, and kiwiears orchestra lite.

If budget is not an issue, Dunu Brain Dance is the final boss of sub bass.

I'd say Tanchjim Origin and Elysian Pilgrim are the best on that list for soundstage size (pilgrim has slightly better separation but origin is no slouch). Braindance (and, by extension, the Dita Project M) I personally love but wouldn't recommend because it seems to be quite anatomy dependent (some people find its treble god awful while others love it. If you can get it from Amazon or a store that let's u return it then maybe go for it). Tangzu bajie is on Shenzhenaudio and linsoul for around 510usd rn and that can be a consideration (I typically like neutral to neutral-bright but that iem blew me away). I actually like dusk in analog the most and its midrange is beautiful imo (especially vocals)

EBC80 is really impressive in technical aspects. Tuning wise, the bass is just the right amount, BC driver doing it's stuff of making the sound fuller, and EST drivers making the treble extension better. Personally I really like my Mega5EST Bass. The tuning is just right for my preference. If you are looking for super resolving sets, then DUNU DK3001 BD might be a better choice.. Tea Pro is the best meta tuned set you can get under 400USD, period. Don't expect it to punch above it's price tier though. EST and BC drivers are there for a reason lol.

So Dunu recently released the dk3001bd ($499) and it has been a outstanding iem for me. I have had this iem for a week now and I can seriously recommend it despite its rather high price atm (may be discounted in the future). It's been extremely hard to put down this iem and really sounds better the more you listen to it as your brain readjust to the treble. Item was also purchased with my own money for this review so thoughts are all my own. Starting with the design, this is clearly a IEM that was designed with a both thought and intent. Whether you like it or not is another topic, but dunu nailed it when it comes to how the iem's execution and the memorability of it. Before even diving into the sound aspect of this iem, dunu manages to captivate a design idea and presentation so well with a cyperpunk look, and a intriguing brain dance naming scheme that perfectly matches its sound. The driver configuration is also on the more innovative side with 1 DD for bass, 4 BA for midrange, and 4 micro-planer for treble per side. The accessories are also up to high standards such as the cable considering dunu started out as a equipment manufacturer in 1994. The drivers are all vented properly in heaps with its design which you see at least three venting sites that relieves pressure buildup and preventing any signs of driver flex. \*\*Driver Configuration\*\* \* Dual-System, Four-Way Precision Crossover \* Flagship “Glacier” Low-Frequency Dynamic Driver \* Custom Mid-High Balanced Armature Drivers \* High-Performance Planar Ultra-High Drivers \*\*Specifications\*\* \* NET WEIGHT: Approx. 8.1 g (per side) \* FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 5 Hz - 40 kHz \* IMPEDANCE : 26 Ω \* SENSITIVITY : 108 dB/mW @ 1 kHz, 122 dB/Vrms @ 1 kHz \* TOTAL HARMONIC DISTORTION: < 0.5% at 1 kHz \* DYNAMIC DRIVER CONFIGURATION: \* 1 Dynamic 4 Balanced Armature 4 Planar \* HOUSING MATERIAL: \* Aerospace-Grade Aluminum Alloy \* WIRE MATERIAL: \* 4-Core Secondary Refined High-Purity Furukawa OCC Copper \* CABLE LENGTH: 1.2 ‡ 0.1 m \* CABLE CONNECTOR: MMCX \* PLUG CONNECTOR: \* Patented Q-Lock Mini Interchangeable Plug System \* INCLUDED ACCESSORIES : \* 4.4 mm TRRRS Balanced, 3.5 mm TRS Single-Ended, 6.3mm \* Cable, 5x eartip styles, nozzle brush, cleaner cloth, cable clip, iem pouch, and IEM carrying case Vocals have very natural energy. The treble while prominent, is effortlessly tuned to avoid sibilance while still providing air. It is one of the few iems on the market that delivers elevated treble without the harshness. It has a style that pays off which is competing with the TOTL IEM in terms detail retrieval. Eartip selection does make a difference so you can subtly alter the treble based on the supplied eartips or your own which is a testament to the finely tuned treble (long stem eartips works the best like spinfit w1, azla sednaearfit series, pentacon coreir al alloy, or a more narrow bore for a better soundstage and treble refinement). At the same time, it manages to make songs you heard before sound new but maintaining neutrality to not be too bass or treble heavy which can overshadow other nuances. No frequency feels like it's left behind, and the bass is textured and controlled with a crunchy sub-bass presence that contrasts excellently with the extended treble. Vocals are well placed in the mix, not too forward or too recessed. They are slightly pulled backed a little so it doesn't sound shouty and allows treble to have more attention. The treble doesn’t seem to overwhelm the entire frequency as it becomes the only thing you hear (unique melody mest 2 is a culprit of this with too much boost of a treble and sharp electrostatic thinness). Personally I find the sound characteristic of planar for the treble to be more satisfying due to their weight and immediacy compared to the softer, quick-decay of electrostatic drivers. It does sound a little less realistic, but also trades balance with not standing out with the other drivers (better coherency). Mid-bass is de-emphasized, but it works in favor with the tuning since every frequency has its place to shine and you hear the extension from both ends. Sub-bass is apparent and the transient speed is fast and dyanmic contributing to the coherence of the sound signature. Vocals are incredibly clear and undistorted, the trade-off in the mid-bass I think allows the vocals to have its own focus and feels clean. Overall, I think dunu has done a fantastic job with tuning these and utilizing the different driver configurations. At no point did I get the feeling the treble was overly separated from the rest of the frequencies like in electrostatics). Main source used was ifi go link MAX dongle which brought out more warmth in the overall mix and helped with powering the micro-planars which I found to be smoother. Treble was pleasant to listen to and I didn’t have to squint hard to hear the details which is a standout of this set, enjoyable enough sound from a neutral set with a nice bass boost and separation by the 9 different drivers. Sound signature can be described as neutral with sub-bass and treble boost. Before buying these, you should be aware of the more neutral presentation of the music and that the treble might not work for every genre if you want it be more forgiving, but serves as a fantastic flavor IEM for hearing all sound in the mix. TLDR; pros: \\- easy to pick out treble detailed trailed by the vocals, space for everything to breathe \\- manages to be extremely resolving without sacrificing midrange quality \\-non fatiguing treble despite being boosted and remains neutral for vocals in any mix cons: \\-fit dependent since the treble is so fine tuned, any adjustment is easily noticeable from tip rolling \\-planar timbre, sometimes the treble can sound too clean and analytical. \\-emphasis on sub-bass rumble rather than mid-bass warmth can also give a more analytical feel, but is still musical nonetheless because it manages to bring out treble excitement without the expense of piercing your brains out I will do a quick comparison between 2 other IEM that I am very fond of which are the sennheiser ie600 and ie900. Whenever I listen to these two iem, I hear a tuning with a purpose and thats the same energy I get with the dunu brain dance. Sometimes you can just tell the sound presentation of a certain IEM and if something is missing by how well they control peaks in the frequencies. IE600 definitely has a bit of sibilance to it despite the use of their resonator chambers, but you can tell sennheiser didn't go all out in evening out its frequencies and only used 2x resonator + a dampener near the nozzle, because it would kinda defeat the purpose of the 3xr resonators in the IE900. Treble overall sounds less refined and detailed than the DUNU but has more bass for a warmer and musical sound. A common theme between IE900 and dunu bk3001bd is their treble extension. The single dynamic driver IE900 has been praised for its unreal feeling in the treble and being being a bass extension rumble monster. Both of these iem have its cons and pro. Ie900 is a single driver iem and has coherency that helps with its naturalness, but is then counteracted by its wonky tuning (recessed upper midrange- vocal details gets lost and become nasally). Dunu is also recessed slightly, but that's honestly how your suppose to tune IEMs to prevent sibilance given how close iems are to your eardrums (without getting shouty and give a more wide separated soundstage.) On the Dunu bk3001bd it may be easier to tell the drivers apart (incoherency and timbre differences), but the more naturalness of the tuning help with it detail retreival (a lot more neutral with breathier vocals presence). Ie900 is on par and beats brain dance for musicality (expected because ie900 is like endgame u/v shape dynamic tuning which kinda makes every song a little bit too energetic; and emulate headphone/speakers by taking aways crucial vocal elements). Best way I can describe the treble in dunu bk3001bd is imaging the overall technical performance of planar drivers in general and now focusing all that on just the treble. It's definitely a detailed and dynamic listen that all BA sets simply just haven't inherently matched, and comes close to my ie900. Overall, I can recommend this IEM and its easily in my top 5 so far. Haven't been impressed with some IEMs I've purchased recently, but the dunu bk3001bd manages to scratch a section of my brain associated with clean audio precision and a purposeful tonality, vocals are centered in the mix despite a treble emphasis. Its kinda funny how sennheiser pours their heart and soul into tuning the treble with a tiny DD for naturalness and have to compromise with ie900 while dunu just places some micro-planars and it retrieve much more details at 1/3 of the cost of ie900 while maintaining natural driver coherency that works with its the sound signature. Not just on these two IEMs, but I have tried sony z1r, mest 2, anole vx, u4s, andromeda, monarch mk2, and have long stopped going above 1k for either worse performance in value or sound. If these ever go on discount, the decision is made easier.