DUNU - SA6 (Studio SA6)

Technics AZ80 (possibly AZ100 soon) if I need the ANC and/or want to be more mobile. Otherwise Dunu SA6 OG with my BTR15 or JM21.

I would argue that the Dunu SA6 has a very nice cable, the SA6U and MK2 also have very nice cables. I didn’t like the hulk mini at first but it gets better with use. They wrap easily, don’t kink whatsoever, and generally are very well behaved. Plus they feel like they are built like a tanks

OG SA6 is still S tier

Save for the dunu sa6 mk1. Cheaper iems kinda suck for metal. I like my airpods pro 2 over most tor the genre.

Best iem in the world for me is the dunu sa6 (1st gen) at $600

Dunu SA6 MK1. My gf makes fun of my small ears, but those fit like a glove.

Been really enjoying my Astrals, had them for a couple months now, I did find the included ear tips didn't work for me as they are quite stiff, but give them ago as ear tips are different from person to person, as it can change the sound too. The Dunu S&S and the Penon Orange Liqueurs have been working great for me though.

Yeh I thought the same when I received them, but they are actually nice, they fit and seal really well. I feel a little more bass too, compared to the Dunu S&S I was using with them. Ear tips can really make a difference for comfort and sound too

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

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.

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.

Because chi-fi advertisements and/or sponsored youtubers said so? Then why IER-Z1R, ie600, SA6, ej07, Variations are stil among the very best totl iems - at least certainly better than another hyped and freshly released "this time its 100% engame, trust me, bro" 200-300 usd hybrid iems? Some of the listed above are "just" 1dd, must be really old tech and even older "generation" of the driver...  And why my OG and Glamdring foam modded S12 are still so good for 3,5 years that you need to pay 400-500 USD to get more or less significant upgrade? "Hey bro, heard of that super hyped meta tuning? Now the shit must be real end game! What? What do you mean it's just another neutral + bass boost?!".  None are spreading FOMO more then sponsored reviewers - it's their fucking job.