Sound:
My main sources for listening were the iBasso DX200 (AMP2 module) and HiFime 9018d.
At first, the ear tips that I used were the largest included grey silicone tips – the dark grey ones with blue stem just didn’t want to provide a nice and easy seal for my ear anatomy. Then and for all comparisons, I however switched over to the included SpinFit tips, even though I personally generally don’t like them, but in case of the DUNU they reduce the somewhat sharp treble edge a bit to my ears.
Tonality:
The Falcon-C’s sound is quite fit- and insertion depth-dependant – depending on fit and insertion depth, especially its treble output might vary rather noticeably. Especially the latter is affected quite a bit depending on individually different insertion depth, wherefore the in-ear might sound tendentially edgy and sharp in some ears and only moderately bright in others. In my ears and with my ear anatomy, the first is rather the case.
Depending on your individual ear anatomy, the small front cavity vent might remain either free (= a mild bass boost of ca. 5 dB compared to an in-ear that has a diffuse-field flat bass, such as the Etymotic ER4SR/S, would be the case then) or will be completely blocked. A sub-bass difference of ca. +6 dB (= a bass boost of ca. 11 dB in relation to an in-ear that has a diffuse-field flat bass, such as the Etymotic ER4SR/S) compared to a fully open vent would be the case with a blocked front vent, with the sub-bass being the strongest area – in my ears, the vent remains rather free, and what I am hearing is a boost of ca. 7 dB compared to an in-ear that is diffuse-field flat bass, such as the Etymotic ER4SR/S, and it mainly takes part in the upper and midbass, with the sub-bass being slightly behind in quantity but not lacking either.
This elevation stays nicely out of the vocal range and fundamental range wherefore the Falcon-C is no thick or full sounding in-ear, which is because the elevation starts climbing at 500 Hz and reaches its climax right below 100 Hz, wherefore it, as just mentioned, stays nicely out of the midrange.
Mids are, which is nice, on the flat and neutral side, although they aren’t the closest in the mix due to having lesser quantity compared to the bass and highs, but they also do not appear hollow or thin as it can be the case with in-ears that are on the brighter side in the highs. Yes, voices are rendered with correct timbre, as it is desired and expected from a higher-end in-ear, and the Falcon-C avoids the 3 kHz upper midrange glare/presence range forwardness that some of DUNU’s other models have – in fact, the in-ear is even very slightly relaxed here.
Not exactly the same is what I would say about the treble – it is generally on the brighter side, and while it isn’t really peaky, it can come across as a bit edgy due to a forward 6 kHz range, as well as emphasised 8 kHz, 12.5 kHz and 16 kHz, the latter two obviously being in a less important area (although that 12.5 kHz lift adds air and subtle super treble extension and glare to the sonic presentation). Of these, the 8 kHz lift is unproblematic, but the 6 kHz emphasis is a bit too pronounced and therefore introduces some sharpness.
While the sound isn’t exactly unpleasant, treble-sensitive people should certainly look elsewhere, and the treble presentation, especially cymbals, gains a slightly unnaturally metallic and somewhat sharp edge due to that elevation.
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So all in all, one could say that the DUNU Falcon-C has got a brightness- and clarity-oriented, balanced v-shape, which is no surprise and kind of represents DUNU’s house sound, however its 6 kHz elevation can be a bit too strong and adds more edginess and a bit more unnaturalness to the treble (mainly cymbals) than how the sound should be and compared to what I would expect to find above $200. Reducing that 6 kHz lift leads to an audibly better treble timbre with still plenty of glare and splashiness, but clearly lessened edginess.
So the general tuning is done well for most parts, but that middle treble 6 kHz lift is just somewhat too much and almost twice as loud as it should be using the grey or blue stem silicone tips that come included. It works with some tracks, but most recordings with cymbals suffer a bit from an edgy/metallic hi-hat timbre that is not like this in real life.
However, there is one thing that improves the tonal tuning – treble realism becomes audibly better with the included SpinFit tips (that I actually generally don’t like much, but whatever, they work rather well with the Falcon-C) to my ears since they reduce the glare to some degree by reducing treble quantity a bit (but using them also leads to a bit more forward upper mids), but the 6 kHz range is still a bit too forward and not yet perfect with them, although noticeably tamed compared to the other included tips. Yes, I definitely recommend the Falcon-C with the included SpinFit tips when it comes to tonality since they reduce edginess in this case. It still sounds somewhat too strident though if there’s too much treble action going on at the same time, so those tips won’t cure the 6 kHz lift completely but will still tame it a bit.
Resolution:
The Falcon-C delivers just what you want from a technically capable dynamic driver in-ear at this price point – a pretty tight, clean and fast bass for dynamic driver standards, a detailed midrange with good speech intelligibility, a well-separated and detailed treble (unless you are really sensitive to highs, the DUNU can still pull off its emphasis due to the good treble resolution) and sharp, precise instrument separation.
Here’s not much to describe, the Falcon-C just delivers and doesn’t really show technical flaws.
There isn’t any area that really lacks behind the rest, and the details appear distributed quite evenly, and not much surprisingly for a single-driver in-ear, the Falcon-C sounds coherent.
Given that the Titan series in-ears however already performed exceptionally well for dynamic driver in-ears at their price point, the Falcon-C doesn’t have much room for further technical improvements and only appears slightly tighter in the lows in comparison and has got just a small edge in terms of midrange details – on the whole, their resolution is however quite similar.
Soundstage:
The imaginary room the Falcon-C presents is quite spacious and appears open – not fully as much as the Titan 1, but a bit more than the Titan 5 that was already really good in this regard.
So there is plenty of width that early exceeds the base between my ears, with some spatial depth as well, however the general soundstage seems rather oval than circular.
Instrument separation is precise and clean and just as good as on the Titan series in-ears while it doesn’t fully reach the level of good multi-BA in-ears.
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My main sources for listening were the iBasso DX200 (AMP2 module) and HiFime 9018d.
At first, the ear tips that I used were the largest included grey silicone tips – the dark grey ones with blue stem just didn’t want to provide a nice and easy seal for my ear anatomy. Then and for all comparisons, I however switched over to the included SpinFit tips, even though I personally generally don’t like them, but in case of the DUNU they reduce the somewhat sharp treble edge a bit to my ears.
Tonality:
The Falcon-C’s sound is quite fit- and insertion depth-dependant – depending on fit and insertion depth, especially its treble output might vary rather noticeably. Especially the latter is affected quite a bit depending on individually different insertion depth, wherefore the in-ear might sound tendentially edgy and sharp in some ears and only moderately bright in others. In my ears and with my ear anatomy, the first is rather the case.
Depending on your individual ear anatomy, the small front cavity vent might remain either free (= a mild bass boost of ca. 5 dB compared to an in-ear that has a diffuse-field flat bass, such as the Etymotic ER4SR/S, would be the case then) or will be completely blocked. A sub-bass difference of ca. +6 dB (= a bass boost of ca. 11 dB in relation to an in-ear that has a diffuse-field flat bass, such as the Etymotic ER4SR/S) compared to a fully open vent would be the case with a blocked front vent, with the sub-bass being the strongest area – in my ears, the vent remains rather free, and what I am hearing is a boost of ca. 7 dB compared to an in-ear that is diffuse-field flat bass, such as the Etymotic ER4SR/S, and it mainly takes part in the upper and midbass, with the sub-bass being slightly behind in quantity but not lacking either.
This elevation stays nicely out of the vocal range and fundamental range wherefore the Falcon-C is no thick or full sounding in-ear, which is because the elevation starts climbing at 500 Hz and reaches its climax right below 100 Hz, wherefore it, as just mentioned, stays nicely out of the midrange.
Mids are, which is nice, on the flat and neutral side, although they aren’t the closest in the mix due to having lesser quantity compared to the bass and highs, but they also do not appear hollow or thin as it can be the case with in-ears that are on the brighter side in the highs. Yes, voices are rendered with correct timbre, as it is desired and expected from a higher-end in-ear, and the Falcon-C avoids the 3 kHz upper midrange glare/presence range forwardness that some of DUNU’s other models have – in fact, the in-ear is even very slightly relaxed here.
Not exactly the same is what I would say about the treble – it is generally on the brighter side, and while it isn’t really peaky, it can come across as a bit edgy due to a forward 6 kHz range, as well as emphasised 8 kHz, 12.5 kHz and 16 kHz, the latter two obviously being in a less important area (although that 12.5 kHz lift adds air and subtle super treble extension and glare to the sonic presentation). Of these, the 8 kHz lift is unproblematic, but the 6 kHz emphasis is a bit too pronounced and therefore introduces some sharpness.
While the sound isn’t exactly unpleasant, treble-sensitive people should certainly look elsewhere, and the treble presentation, especially cymbals, gains a slightly unnaturally metallic and somewhat sharp edge due to that elevation.
- - -
So all in all, one could say that the DUNU Falcon-C has got a brightness- and clarity-oriented, balanced v-shape, which is no surprise and kind of represents DUNU’s house sound, however its 6 kHz elevation can be a bit too strong and adds more edginess and a bit more unnaturalness to the treble (mainly cymbals) than how the sound should be and compared to what I would expect to find above $200. Reducing that 6 kHz lift leads to an audibly better treble timbre with still plenty of glare and splashiness, but clearly lessened edginess.
So the general tuning is done well for most parts, but that middle treble 6 kHz lift is just somewhat too much and almost twice as loud as it should be using the grey or blue stem silicone tips that come included. It works with some tracks, but most recordings with cymbals suffer a bit from an edgy/metallic hi-hat timbre that is not like this in real life.
However, there is one thing that improves the tonal tuning – treble realism becomes audibly better with the included SpinFit tips (that I actually generally don’t like much, but whatever, they work rather well with the Falcon-C) to my ears since they reduce the glare to some degree by reducing treble quantity a bit (but using them also leads to a bit more forward upper mids), but the 6 kHz range is still a bit too forward and not yet perfect with them, although noticeably tamed compared to the other included tips. Yes, I definitely recommend the Falcon-C with the included SpinFit tips when it comes to tonality since they reduce edginess in this case. It still sounds somewhat too strident though if there’s too much treble action going on at the same time, so those tips won’t cure the 6 kHz lift completely but will still tame it a bit.
Resolution:
The Falcon-C delivers just what you want from a technically capable dynamic driver in-ear at this price point – a pretty tight, clean and fast bass for dynamic driver standards, a detailed midrange with good speech intelligibility, a well-separated and detailed treble (unless you are really sensitive to highs, the DUNU can still pull off its emphasis due to the good treble resolution) and sharp, precise instrument separation.
Here’s not much to describe, the Falcon-C just delivers and doesn’t really show technical flaws.
There isn’t any area that really lacks behind the rest, and the details appear distributed quite evenly, and not much surprisingly for a single-driver in-ear, the Falcon-C sounds coherent.
Given that the Titan series in-ears however already performed exceptionally well for dynamic driver in-ears at their price point, the Falcon-C doesn’t have much room for further technical improvements and only appears slightly tighter in the lows in comparison and has got just a small edge in terms of midrange details – on the whole, their resolution is however quite similar.
Soundstage:
The imaginary room the Falcon-C presents is quite spacious and appears open – not fully as much as the Titan 1, but a bit more than the Titan 5 that was already really good in this regard.
So there is plenty of width that early exceeds the base between my ears, with some spatial depth as well, however the general soundstage seems rather oval than circular.
Instrument separation is precise and clean and just as good as on the Titan series in-ears while it doesn’t fully reach the level of good multi-BA in-ears.
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In Comparison with other In-Ears:
DUNU Titan 5:
The Titan 5’s sound, especially bass and warmth, will also depend on individual ear anatomy and by how much its vent is covered. I am one of those people who are lucky and get a good fit and seal with it, with rather covered but not fully blocked vents, hence the sound doesn’t lack bass or warmth and isn’t thin despite having bright highs.
Given how both in-ears are sitting in my ears, the Titan 5 is a bit more elevated in the bass, especially with the stronger sub-bass emphasis. It has also got a bit more body and warmth in the lower fundamental range as well to my ears.
High upper mids are more linear and neutral on the Falcon-C whereas they are a bit lifted on the Titan 5.
While the Titan 5 is actually brighter in the highs, its treble appears less edgy and slightly smoother in comparison to my ears.
Bass appears slightly tighter on the Falcon-C, which is likely due to the Titan 5 having more presence in the lower fundamental range. Speed and control are namely similarly good and neither of the in-ears has problems handling complex and fast bass lines.
Both resolve and separate equally well in the highs.
In the mids, both are rather close, but to my ears the Falcon-C is a notch above the Titan 5 when it comes to small midrange and vocal details.
Both have got a rather comparable soundstage to my ears with the Falcon-C’s sounding just slightly more open. Separation appears to be slightly cleaner on the Falcon-C.
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The Falcon-C isn’t a revolution, which wasn’t really what I expected anyway given the Titan 5’s already really good basis. It is just tuned a bit more balanced in comparison, with slightly improved midrange resolution and instrument separation/spatial cleanness. It’s more like a small evolution than a revolution.
iBasso IT01:
The IT01 has got the stronger bass and sub-bass elevation, with the warmer lower fundamental range.
Midrange timbre is comparable with the IT01 having just a little more openness in the upper mids.
The IT01 is also a bit on the brighter side in the highs, however it is more linear here and therefore audibly somewhat more realistic in the middle treble in comparison, and it lacks the 6 kHz stridency the DUNU has.
Bass speed, tightness and control are equally good on both in-ears.
When it comes to minute midrange details, the DUNU is slightly ahead.
Treble separation on the other hand is a bit cleaner on the iBasso in comparison.
The DUNU has got the somewhat more open, wider soundstage while the IT01 has got a bit more spatial depth. In terms of separation and imaging, the IT01 is slightly more precise.
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The point is: both in-ears deliver really high technical performance for dynamic driver in-ears at their respective price points and are quite close overall. The IT01 however ultimately wins when it comes to treble realism, since it’s also bright here, but not as strident.
Sennheiser IE 800:
The IE 800 is stronger and warmer in the bass than the Falcon-C, with the more pronounced sub-bass, and has got somewhat more forward lower fundamental range.
Midrange timbre is comparable between the two in-ears.
Where they differ though is the highs – the Falcon-C is bright and a bit splashy in the middle highs where the IE 800 is relaxed, whereas the Sennheiser is bright and splashy in the upper highs (and here, it is noticeably brighter and splashier – however not edgier, albeit splashier and less realistic with cymbals in terms of timbre; the Sennheiser has timbre “issues” in the upper highs around 9-ish kHz, whereas the DUNU in the middle highs around 6-ish kHz. Using the Titan-C with the included SpinFit tips, I would give the DUNU a little more points when it comes to treble realism).
The Sennheiser seems slightly softer in the bass in comparison, while having just a tad more control with fast and complex tracks.
In the mids and highs, the Sennheiser is minimally ahead when it comes to minute details, but the difference is that small that one can say “indeed, technically well-performing dynamic driver in-ears in the more ‘reasonable’ price range have definitely improved when it comes to price-performance-ratio in the past few years”.
The Sennheiser’s soundstage appears even a bit wider to my ears, however with less depth. Separation is quite similar.
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The IE 800 is a technically well-performing dynamic driver in-ear – despite probably appearing a bit “dated” to some people, its technical delivery doesn’t get worse over the years and the development in dynamic driver in-ears isn’t improving either, let’s be honest and face it. However, we definitely do see several really well-performing in-ears popping up at price levels of $200 and even below that are very close to the IE 800’s performance – and the Falcon-C is one of those. While ultimately still being minimally behind the Sennheiser when it comes to minute midrange details, the DUNU comes with a removable cable that is of higher quality than the Sennheiser’s, and its treble, while definitely not perfect due to the 6 kHz lift, is overall a little less splashy than the IE 800’s.
Conclusion:
When it comes to price-performance-ratio for dynamic driver in-ears, DUNU’s Falcon-C simply delivers. It sounds detailed, tight, clean, controlled and fast, just like you want a great dynamic driver in-ear to perform. It is also spacious and nicely open sounding.
While it is definitely a technically convincing in-ear with great build and a unique, beautiful design, it doesn’t come without its unique flaws though – its 6 kHz elevation is, even with the included SpinFit tips, for example just a bit too strong and creates a treble timbre that isn’t perfect but rather strident, and something you probably don’t want in an in-ear costing more than $200, especially if you are treble-sensitive, and the included carrying/storage case isn’t as great as one would probably wish for an in-ear that is called dynamic driver flagship by the company.