DUNU - Studio SA6 MK2 / SA6II

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)

It’s honestly hard to find something that’s Tea Pro–warm (or warmer), Tea Pro–level quality, and more comfortable than the Tea Pros. Here are the warm IEMs I’ve tested: (1) Truthear Pure – Warm-ish, but comfort isn’t better than Tea Pro. (2) Mega5EST – Warm-ish, but whether it’s more comfortable is debatable. I also personally think the Tea Pros (and Dusk) sound better. (3) RSV Mark 1 – Definitely warm. Pretty comfy. Still debatable if it’s actually more comfortable. Sonically, this is better than Tea Pros *to me*. (4) Dusk – Warm-slanted, but the nozzle is bigger. Tea Pros are more comfy. (5) Dunu SA6 Mk2 – More neutral-warm than truly warm. I prefer Tea Pros by a lightyear. (6) Ziigaat Lush – Neutral-warm. Comfort isn’t better. (7) Aful Explorer – Better comfort. Definitely warm. Worse than Tea Pros. Worse than Kima 2 imo. (8) Kima 2 – Genuinely punches hard for the money and is really comfortable. Neutral-warm done right. Comfort is along the lines of Senn / Tanchjim stuff, i.e. small shells. Alternatively, you could look at the IER-M7. The IE600 wouldn’t be my recommendation for what you’re looking for — it’s more V-shaped with sharper highs. Edit: There’s also the Softears Volume S. I didn’t keep it long because it reminded me too much of the Truthear Pure (with Tang Sancai balanced bore eartips). That’s not a knock — it’s actually very good — but the Pure makes it feel redundant, and it tends to do that to quite a few IEMs.

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.

Same with the alba and the monarch mk4! Also the dunu sa6 mk2

Dunu SA6 MK2 is around $500 but you’ll never need any other headsets ever again.

Mid-high: Moondrop Variations, Sa6 Mk2 (530€) Both better than all you wrote. High: 7hz Supernova, Monarch Mk2 (800-900€) And there are much more better +1400€ For me, of your list I think best overall will be Estrella, Tea pro and Odissey. Different tunning.

Dunu SA MKii - neutral detailed sound, treble is not too bright. Simgot Supermix 4 - warm and good bass.

Ive demo’d the mega5est before in Japan. It’s a fantastic all rounder, there’s no genres it performs poorly in. But as others have said, it lacks any specific tuning oddities to be especially exciting to listen to. I own a SA6 mkII. It is well tuned for female vocals and most genres where you aren’t looking for bass impact and slam. The lack of a dynamic driver makes the more anemic BA bass noticeable. Other than that however, it is a well tuned iem. I have tried someone’s pair of meteors a while back, so these impressions are a little more fuzzy. I wasn’t too happy about how there was no venting in the iem. As a result, the isolation was excellent, but the pressure feeling in the ear was unpleasant enough for me to dismiss owning a pair altogether. I will say however that I probably liked its tuning more than the SA6mkIIs. It has a U shaped tuning with more emphasis on the bass and treble, which can make it more engaging to listen to. As a result, this one has more coloured tuning compared to the previous 2 iems. I prefer iems with this type of tuning, as my favourite pair is the 64audio u4s. However, it is less natural sounding than the others due to this. To be honest, I personally would just get a pair of Hype4s. I find them more interesting to listen to, and they have enough technical performance to satisfy most people. However, if you want something that sounds mostly neutral and safe, the mega5ests are good. You might want to include what kinds of music you listen to, and what are you looking for in an iem when asking for a recommendation

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

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

I'm quite pleased with them. I started in iems in the wrong direction, the expensive ones. So far my history is shure se846, Noble k10, campfire Solaris, anole vx, empire ears legend x, and then Oriolus traillii. Then I wanted to get into headphones the same way, settled with the dunu sa6 mkii and fatfreq maestro mini for my iems. Found a good deal on tea pros, got em and it's what I listen to the most now. I do miss some lushness in the mids, but my music is better suited to v shape anyways, probably my ideal would be u shape (EDM, pop, hip hop) and I only got it because I heard it was good for gaming. It's so good at all of that, that I listen to it more than the Stax setup I bought. At retail price, I'd strongly consider it. At sale or good condition second hand, it's an instant buy for me