DUNU - SA6 MK2

can't judge about others. got the monarch mkiv only as 2025 release and enjoying them quite a bit. my only comparison is the dunus sa6mk2.

Never tried the mk3 but own the 4 and agree with most of your impressions. Particularly that they are much more unforgiving on poor recordings than my Dunus SA6MK2. I can’t listen to some Bob Marley tracks unless they are remastered with them, even though all my files are flac. Also agree that the bass is a tad heavy, and so is the high trebles to my ears. Am going to spend some time eqing them to my taste over the weekend

DUSK(default dsp) - neutral, non-fatiguing, but still fun sa6 mk2 (u can buy it cheap) - super non-fatiguing and musical, bass off mode is more warm than neutral, still highly recommended mega5est - satisfies your description perfectly except the price is a bit higher Neutral: mega5est > DUSK > sa6 mk2 non-fatiguing: mega5est \~= sa6 mk2 > DUSK acoustic: mega5est >= DUSK >= sa6 mk2 vocal: sa6 mk2 > DUSK >= mega5est

IEMs:- Campfire Andro 2020 > Shure se846 > Sennheiser ie800 > Dunu sa6 > Sony mdr ex800 > Sony xba N3 > final a4000 > Sennheiser ie200 > etymotic er2xr > Sennheiser ie600 > Kiwiears Cadenza > Shure se215 > blon bl03 > Moondrop Space travel Headphones:- Audeze LCD2C > AKG K701 > hd600 > hd660s > hd6xx > hd650 > Meze 109 > Koss porta pro > Grado sr225 > Grado sr80

The $400 range is where it really maxes out. It doesn’t get better at $500 or more. I swear I’ve seen this exact discussion before. I basically have $400 sets that perform better, or about the same, as $500, $600, even $1,000 sets. That’s where the improvements stop. Dusk is $400 and Tea Pros are around $340. Softears Studio4 is currently around $350. We’ll use that as a reference. Dunu SA6 Mark 2 is $600. One of the most overrated and overpriced IEMs I own. Sounds like flat coke. I’d take Studio4, Tea Pro, or Dusk over it — all around $350–$400. Xenn Top Pro, even at $500+, isn’t “better.” It’s just different. I have cheaper sets I like more, like Kiwi Ears Astral, Cadenza4, Studio4. I extensively tested the oh-so-hyped Mystic 8. My Studio4 still beats it (for me). Mystic 8 is $1,000. Studio4 is $300–$400. I like the IE600 and IE900, but they weren’t better than what I own now. And those things are stupid expensive. Mega5EST a few months ago was $500+. It was eh. Murky. I like Dusk and Tea Pros better. Again: things don’t really get better past $500. I also have zero interest in the Mega7. Would not be shocked if Kiwi Ears Astral or Xenn Top Pro kicks its ass. And while unrelated, this is exactly why I don’t bother with 99% of Thieaudio. They make it SO easy for me. Stupid expensive, stupid huge. If your idea of “premium” is building IEMs the size of BOULDERS that don’t even fit smaller ears, then thanks — you just removed yourself from consideration. I demo them, I try them, and I literally can’t wear them for long. So you never get my money, and you never will. You’re basically the GORUCK of IEMs: stupid expensive, stupid big. Easiest pass in the entire hobby.

Sony IER M9 Sony IER M7 Andromeda 2020 Xenn Tops Pro Mega 5EST Dunu SA6 Mark 2 Moondrop Variations Softears RSV Mark 1 Softears RSV Mark 2 Letshouer Mystic 8 Sennheiser IE 600 Sennheiser IE 900 Andromeda 10 (Canjam) All of these are $400-plus sets I’ve spent real time with, whether through ownership or extended testing. They’re not significantly better than the five I listed earlier in the 199-$400 range.

From experimenting with a ton of IEMs, I’ve found there are three real “value peaks” where performance jumps make sense: **$80–$100 tier:** Defiant, Explorer, Xuan NV, Dunu Kima 2, Truthear Pure — this is where good sound starts. **$200 tier:** Performer 5+2, Kiwi Ears Astral, Letshuoer Cadenza 4 **$400 tier:** Dusk, Softears Studio 4, Tea Pro — this is where things get *really* good. **Beyond $400, returns drop off hard.** For my preferences: * Mega5EST didn’t beat Tea Pro or Dusk. * Dunu SA6 Mk2 fell behind Studio 4, Zigaat Lush, and Dusk. * Top Pro is good, even great, but not $550-good — Astral and Studio 4 gave me more. * Mystic 8 at $1000 disappointed; Studio 4 still sounded better to me.

I’d personally remove the SA6 from your list. It never really resonated with me — I found it quite overpriced for what it offers, and the sound signature felt a bit bland. I’m glad I didn’t pay full price, because I don’t think I would have been happy with the value. In my experience, options like the Tea Pro, Dusk, and even the Studio 4 outperform it, and all of them are more affordable. To me, the SA6 just doesn’t justify its price. (Edit: I'm referring to SA6 Mark 2)

Its more fun trying iems around 100-200 range than searching end games. This is interesting because I owned ie200 at some point. I quite enjoyed the base with tape mod. Found it better than ie800 and dunu sa6 I had then. I kept for that reason alone, but in the end, I didn't need it and sold it away.

DUNU SA6 MK2. But if you're asking about preference, I prefer the TOPPING ArpegEar Hane with 1010 configuration, it just has a lot more emotion, the DUNUs sound boring imo

I've used a DUNU SA6 MK2 (844 SGD) before getting TOPPING's ArpegEar Hane (200 SGD), and yet I still prefer the Hane

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.

0.5k I would say. I am quite happy with SA6, had a few kilobucks before that. When I got sa6 I was running Andromeda 2020 as my daily drivers and I felt more happy with sa6. Enough technicalities for my needs and somehow more fun!

Monarch MKIV came in last week and I've really been enjoying them. I've been in the iem game for quite a few years, starting with the KZ ZS3, Moondrop Starfield, Etymotic ER2s, etc. I think I've finally found something that checks all the boxes for me. Like many of you here, I initially struggled to find out what my preference for tuning was. I thought I liked a lot of bass until I tried Etymotics. I realized I liked a leaner sound, but felt something was missing. Tried the og Moondrop Blessing 2. Loved them and the DD bass, but overall still wanted more. Ran a pair of Dunu SA6 for a couple years. Loved the tuning there, but with all BA bass, found myself missing the physical oomph down low. Something else I want to mention other than sound is comfort. People talk about comfort here and there, but its always just a small part of a review. For me, and I think a lot of people, comfort can make or break and iem. The Etymotics fit were pretty much a dealbreaker right from the start. Any tug of that cable was instant pain. When I finally landed on the Dunu SA6, they were the most comfortable iems I ever wore, and might still be. Small, perfectly contoured, they disappeared into your ears. Yet, I wanted more sound wise. Eventually led me to the 64 audio U12Ts. Of course, they sound amazing. Maybe lacking in the treble range for me, but nothing an EQ profile couldn't fix. Bass even amazing. But comfort eventually was a big downside for me on the U12Ts. They offer no contour on the shell, and after a couple years trying different tips and whatnot, I still could never get them to fit. I thought about getting custom A12ts, but with the price and release of 4th Monarch, I decided to take the leap. I've been eyeing the Monarch ever since the original release. A lean signature with thicc DD subbass really appealed to me on paper, and thankfully, it also very much appeals to me for real. The MKIV feels like the true final evolution of the series. So to continue with the comfort feel, I was initially worried about the size of the shell, and yeah, they're freaking huge - BUT they are contoured well, and because I have fairly large ears, they fit me perfectly. I don't have to keep adjusting or pushing them back into my ears like I did with the U12Ts. Anyway, as for sound, well like the original Monarchs, they are indeed a somewhat lean, but the MK4 has the addition of the "rumble" switch that adds a +3db shelf to the subbass region. This versatility really makes this thing shine. As a metalhead, there are times where lots of bass can be overpowering and ruin the mix, so leaving the rumble switch off is perfect for certain styles or songs. But for those slow hard hitting drops the rumble switch adds a needed big physical impact. As for audio, I finally found the tuning that I really prefer, a slight V shape with thicc DD bass and the ability to raise or lower the shelf right on the iem itself. Technicalities more or less on par with the U12Ts - maybe not as fast with decay and transients, but its 90% of the way there. Timbre on some parts can be a bit unnatural/plasticky compared to the U12T, but it depends a lot how the song is produced. Got this paired with the Questyle M15i or the Qudelix 5k with Tidal via UAPP on my phone - about as good as it gets for mobile audio bliss. And as for comfort and everything else, these things disappear in my ears with the included M size tips. The main drawback for this iem is the included cable. It does have 4.4 and 3.5mm modular terminations, but it feels and looks like it was made in the 70s - brown, kinda sticky, and kink prone. Had to replace that with a nice blue Kinera Lara cable to match the faceplate. I'm not a fan of the flashy looking iems, so these look amazing to me. Anyway, thanks for reading this wall of text, I'm not much of a reviewer, but seeing as there aren't many posts about the MK4 yet, I just wanted to share how happy I am with the sound, fit, and looks of my current setup. Finally feels like I've solved every issue I've had portable audio wise.

Hi all. My small ears (*literally* toddler-sized) have been somewhat of a barrier for my enjoying IEMs in the past years, but now that I have come to learn more about IEM and eartip sizes, my enjoyment has grown considerably. So I thought I’d do a quick guide for beginners with small ears, as it took me years (and too much money…) to figure out what fits me and what doesn’t. Hope it helps. **IEM body and nozzle sizes** One of the most important factors for a good sound is **whether you can get a deep fit or not**, as that makes a *huge* difference to the treble. I define a deep fit as being able to *comfortably* push the tips into your ear canals, so that no part of the tips are in your outer ear, but the near-entirety of the tips are in the canals. The first step to getting a deep (and comfortable!) fit is picking an IEM that is sized to your ears. A good fit for small-eared people is **largely dependent on a good shell size and a small nozzle diameter**: **IEM sizing** * It is unfortunately very uncommon to know the exact size of the IEM body; you just have to rely on reviewers describing the IEMs as “small” or “medium”. * A smaller size is good, but not everything. I actually prefer a well-shaped CIEM style IEM like the SA6 MKII or the Yanyin Mahina to very small options like the IE600. * More important for me personally is the **nozzle diameter at the widest point**. With my tiny ears I can fit a relatively big shell size, but any nozzle diameter over 5.8mm is simply a no-go. The cutoff point for everyone will be different, but I think anything under 5.5mm will fit most, if not all small-eared people. * Nozzle diameters is an exact measurement you can often find online, but it’s sometimes a challenge to find. For budget IEMs AudioAmigo always includes a nozzle diameter and is a great resource; otherwise it’s just a question of googling it and hoping someone on Head-Fi mentions the nozzle diameter. I find that using quotation marks after the IEM name (i.e., Aful Explorer “nozzle diameter”, or Aful Explorer “nozzle size”) gives good results, or ask ChatGPT to try and find it for you, it’s also quite good at that. * As for brands that I can personally recommend for not only making amazing IEMs, but also doing so with relatively small shells and small nozzle diameters, I can recommend anything from **Aful** (usually 5.5mm), **64audio** (usually slightly under 5.5mm, and **Yanyin** (4.5mm with a lip of about 5.5mm). Yanyin Moonlight 2023 is currently my favourite IEM. If you really have tiny ears and need the smallest possible diameter, the answer is **Etymotics** with ER38-14A Small Beige Foam tips. CIEMs are good if you have a unique ear shape. Feel free to suggest other brands in the comments. **Eartips** Once you have an IEM that fits you well, you might need to get small aftermarket tips. * Included stock tips are rarely small-ear friendly. I define small tips as anything under 11mm in diameter, but this varies with the stiffness of the tip and so on. For me, my goldilocks zone for tips is 10-10.5mm. Smaller will mean a bad seal, larger will mean too much pressure on my ear canals. * Let’s get straight to my recommendations for small tips. Impressions are based on my hearing, nothing final, just to give you a quick impression. * **Spinfit CP100+ in SS size**. 10mm. The most comfortable tip I’ve ever tried. Slight bass boost, very slight air boost. I suggest you start with these. * **Whizzer SS20 in SS size**. 10mm. Very cheap tips. Very short and small, good if you don’t want to go too deep or need a close fit for Bone Conduction Drivers (these were perfect for my MEST MKIII). Increases upper mids and soundstage. * **Moondrop Spring in S size**. 10mm. Very small and sticky, but the walls are too hard for me. I don’t like these, but many do, and they’re relatively cheap. Increases treble generally. * **Whizzer ET100 in S size**. 10.5mm. Interesting shape, though the end bit is too hard for me, I still quite like them. Increases upper mids, reduces bass. * **Spinfit CP240 in S size. Double flange**. These make the treble sound amazing, but I don’t like the fit. Buy if you like the idea of dildo’ing your ear canal. * **Dunu S&S in S and M sizes.** 9mm and 10mm. The smallest tips you can get probably, but they just don’t really work for me. Still, I do recommend them, many people swear by them. Reduces bass, increases soundstage. * I haven’t tried these yet, but all these also measure under 11mm: Azla Sednaearfit Light SS, Spinfit Omni SS, Divinus Velvet SS, Tanchijm T300 S. Well, that’s about it for this small guide. Hope it helps!