Product links: https://www.dunu-topsound.com/product-page/dn-142
Headfi.org: https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/dunu-dn142.28758/
Preamble:
Headfi.org: https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/dunu-dn142.28758/
Preamble:
The good fellow Kevin at DUNU has kindly sent out the 142 iems for review with no expectations of a positive review – and that’s exactly what he’s getting.
The 142s represent the drivers inside, which consist of 1DD+4BA+2Planars, with an impedance of 37 ohms and a sensitivity of 107dB/mW.
They also represent the ancient Chinese Prince – Ao Bing, son of the Dragon King of the East Sea, hence the deep watery representation.
They retail for $249 USD.
I like to add on all my reviews –
I’m listening with my ears, not yours.
I’m listening with my gear, not yours.
I’m listening with my love of audio, and not yours. YMMV…..
Gear:
For the review, my portable gear consists of my trusty Fiio M23 DAP, my Questyle Sigma and Cayin RU3 (review soon) Dac/amps linked to my Samsung Z Fold 7.
I’m also using the new Fiio K13 (review soon) and XDuoo DP-10 Streaming Transport (review soon) as source.
Unboxing and first impressions:
The 142s represent the drivers inside, which consist of 1DD+4BA+2Planars, with an impedance of 37 ohms and a sensitivity of 107dB/mW.
They also represent the ancient Chinese Prince – Ao Bing, son of the Dragon King of the East Sea, hence the deep watery representation.
They retail for $249 USD.
I like to add on all my reviews –
I’m listening with my ears, not yours.
I’m listening with my gear, not yours.
I’m listening with my love of audio, and not yours. YMMV…..
Gear:
For the review, my portable gear consists of my trusty Fiio M23 DAP, my Questyle Sigma and Cayin RU3 (review soon) Dac/amps linked to my Samsung Z Fold 7.
I’m also using the new Fiio K13 (review soon) and XDuoo DP-10 Streaming Transport (review soon) as source.
Unboxing and first impressions:
Lovely bright blue oceanic-themed box, great illustrations.
Tips, tips, tips and more tips…….SS, candy, silicone, you name it.
I started with the candy and really liked them. I tried the SS tips too. They were comfier but presented a tad more boosted treble. I persevered as I can handle treble more than most. I also tried the silicon ones.
One gripe – the 142 nozzle’s as wide as Aunty Regina’s left……nevermind.
Bloody difficult to swap out, which makes quick ABing very hard.
I ended up with the large Candy tips (I’m normally a medium but these feel ok and reduce a touch of the treble crispness that the other 2 sets displayed, particularly on the portable gear).
The cable…… It looks the same as the Vulkan 2s. It’s excellent quality! It’s thick (like me!), balanced (unlike me!) and has a 3.5mm modular adapter.
There’s a lovely case, a brush and a pack of 3 collectible Ao Bing-inspired anime cards. Nice.
And now the bad boys themselves……I have to admit, I love the look!!! I love the feel, they’re comfortable.
The shiny blue squall of the face-plate with 142 and DUNU written in silver and the blue smooth body feels premium.
Tips, tips, tips and more tips…….SS, candy, silicone, you name it.
I started with the candy and really liked them. I tried the SS tips too. They were comfier but presented a tad more boosted treble. I persevered as I can handle treble more than most. I also tried the silicon ones.
One gripe – the 142 nozzle’s as wide as Aunty Regina’s left……nevermind.
Bloody difficult to swap out, which makes quick ABing very hard.
I ended up with the large Candy tips (I’m normally a medium but these feel ok and reduce a touch of the treble crispness that the other 2 sets displayed, particularly on the portable gear).
The cable…… It looks the same as the Vulkan 2s. It’s excellent quality! It’s thick (like me!), balanced (unlike me!) and has a 3.5mm modular adapter.
There’s a lovely case, a brush and a pack of 3 collectible Ao Bing-inspired anime cards. Nice.
And now the bad boys themselves……I have to admit, I love the look!!! I love the feel, they’re comfortable.
The shiny blue squall of the face-plate with 142 and DUNU written in silver and the blue smooth body feels premium.
Playlist:
I’m having a bit of a Powerwolf moment (German Power Metal band who sing about werewolves, fantasy, sometimes in Latin and often about religion).
Also, just Power Metal in general.
Powerwolf – Kyrie Kitorem
Kissin’ Dynamite – Let There Be Night (Powerwolf cover)
Amaranthe – Army Of The Night (Powerwolf cover)
Battle Beast – Out Of Control
Epica – Sacred & Wild (Powerwolf cover)
GloryHammer – Universe On Fire
Judas Priest, Ozzy Osbourne – War Pigs (Charity Edition)
Megadeth – I Don’t Care
The Important Stuff:
I’m having a bit of a Powerwolf moment (German Power Metal band who sing about werewolves, fantasy, sometimes in Latin and often about religion).
Also, just Power Metal in general.
Powerwolf – Kyrie Kitorem
Kissin’ Dynamite – Let There Be Night (Powerwolf cover)
Amaranthe – Army Of The Night (Powerwolf cover)
Battle Beast – Out Of Control
Epica – Sacred & Wild (Powerwolf cover)
GloryHammer – Universe On Fire
Judas Priest, Ozzy Osbourne – War Pigs (Charity Edition)
Megadeth – I Don’t Care
The Important Stuff:
I started the review listening with the medium candy tips, the SS tips and the silicon tips on some of the portable gear.
Clarity and detail were there in spades, bass was deep and mids were actually just right. So maybe a tad-V-shaped?
The treble with the SS and silicon tips had some crispness and sibilance that was just a bit unnatural and unpleasant to my ears.
I retried the large candy tips on the Cayin RU3 and the sibilance had disappeared. There was still plenty of treble but the unnatural hiss had disappeared. Much better.
Then, on the Fiio K13 R2R, a similar experience. The warmer, smoother R2R Dac had helped to tame the crispness of the 142s (especially with the SS and silicon tips).
I spent a lot of my review time on the Cayin RU3 and the Fiio K13.
Power metal is more than often bombastic, it’s huge, relentless and damn exciting!!
On Kirie Kitorem, a latin tumult explodes. There’s a lot going on in this track and the 142s handle it very well.
There’s good bass extension, although they aren’t bass canons. The mids are certainly prominent, as vocals seem quite forward. They aren’t suffocating but they are right there in front of me. Treble is prominent and clarity and detail is very good.
Universe on Fire is next and vocals are again up front but they aren’t offensive. Bass is well controlled and mid-bass has a punch and a kick. The bass guitar is clean and punchy. Staging is not huge but it is around me, left to right and front to back. Separation is also very good. I can pinpoint instruments.
Near the end of the song, a synth/keyboard plays upper frequency notes and this is clean, resolving and fun. Then just the bass guitar comes in and it’s deep, punchy and has great presence/authority.
A great song for the 142s.
Let There Be Light is a slower but still huge, colossal power metal rocker by a great young German band – Kissin’ Dynamite.
This is clean, powerful, well balanced through all frequencies and exciting.
Hannes’ vocals are natural, powerful and clean. The band is tight, the song is resolving, clean (unlike Aunty Donna’s left……..nevermind).
Midbass is tight and well controlled, without bleed. Mids (upper) are forward but not offensive in any way.
Staging is round again, not massive but quite good.
Sacred & Wild by Epica (cover) starts out in a church (?) with creaking doors and latin singing by a choir and a child.
This is a great example of staging, separation and placement. Very clean, tidy and focussed.
Simone Simons’ vocals are smooth but natural and sit nicely in the middle of my head.
Treble is definitely not overdone or sibilant, it’s clear and resolving and the guitar solo sounds great!
Synths off to the right, Latin choir vocals all around and the band is all throughout my head.
These aren’t the endgame in technicality but they are clean, dynamic and fun.
Out of Control by Battle Beast is a heavy-hittin’ power beasty!!!!!
Bass comes in hard and it sounds tight and punchy. Not sub-bass deep but what it does, it does well.
Nitte Valo has such a commanding and authoritative voice. Her voice sounds great on the 142s, as does the guitar. Both are right in the middle of my head and really well balanced.
Treble again is clean and detailed.
Another cracker song on the 124s – fun, exciting, energy in abundance!
I Don’t Care is next and Mustaine’s vocals are presented as not smooth, but punchy and sitting beautifully in the mix.
The bass run is clean, hard-hitting and the drums are snappy without being crisp or crunchy.
Staging goes left and right, but not necessarily up and down.
Punchy, fun, clean and I realise I’m repeating myself now. And I realise I’m repeating myself now. And I realise…….oh……..
A GREAT rendition of War Pigs is next and it’s colossal!!!!!!
Ozzy’s voice (vale Ozz-Man!!) is detailed, exciting and commanding.
The band backs him up beautifully and everything has its place in the 142s, they showcase this song wonderfully.
Mr Halford comes in and sounds as beastly as Mr O. The guitars are clean with good extension into the upper mids and the drums hit nicely in the back.
When the cymbals snap, waiting for the vocals to come in amongst that iconic riff, they do it with aural precision and accuracy.
The oohs and aahs at the end are quite haunting above the band and it sounds cohesive and well executed.
Last drinks….I mean song….. of the night is Army of the Night (another Powerwolf cover….I know, I know…..). And this finishes like a punch to the nether regions (I’ve seen Granny Tahlulah do this exact move to Grampa Tyson when he returns home from the pub blotto……..). Massive in all directions. It’s just colossal. It’s clean, detailed and well balanced across bass, mids, and treble. This is NOT a copout explanation. I don’t hear any emphasis on any frequency on this song. It’s well balanced, detailed, punchy and a pleasure to listen to.
Clarity and detail were there in spades, bass was deep and mids were actually just right. So maybe a tad-V-shaped?
The treble with the SS and silicon tips had some crispness and sibilance that was just a bit unnatural and unpleasant to my ears.
I retried the large candy tips on the Cayin RU3 and the sibilance had disappeared. There was still plenty of treble but the unnatural hiss had disappeared. Much better.
Then, on the Fiio K13 R2R, a similar experience. The warmer, smoother R2R Dac had helped to tame the crispness of the 142s (especially with the SS and silicon tips).
I spent a lot of my review time on the Cayin RU3 and the Fiio K13.
Power metal is more than often bombastic, it’s huge, relentless and damn exciting!!
On Kirie Kitorem, a latin tumult explodes. There’s a lot going on in this track and the 142s handle it very well.
There’s good bass extension, although they aren’t bass canons. The mids are certainly prominent, as vocals seem quite forward. They aren’t suffocating but they are right there in front of me. Treble is prominent and clarity and detail is very good.
Universe on Fire is next and vocals are again up front but they aren’t offensive. Bass is well controlled and mid-bass has a punch and a kick. The bass guitar is clean and punchy. Staging is not huge but it is around me, left to right and front to back. Separation is also very good. I can pinpoint instruments.
Near the end of the song, a synth/keyboard plays upper frequency notes and this is clean, resolving and fun. Then just the bass guitar comes in and it’s deep, punchy and has great presence/authority.
A great song for the 142s.
Let There Be Light is a slower but still huge, colossal power metal rocker by a great young German band – Kissin’ Dynamite.
This is clean, powerful, well balanced through all frequencies and exciting.
Hannes’ vocals are natural, powerful and clean. The band is tight, the song is resolving, clean (unlike Aunty Donna’s left……..nevermind).
Midbass is tight and well controlled, without bleed. Mids (upper) are forward but not offensive in any way.
Staging is round again, not massive but quite good.
Sacred & Wild by Epica (cover) starts out in a church (?) with creaking doors and latin singing by a choir and a child.
This is a great example of staging, separation and placement. Very clean, tidy and focussed.
Simone Simons’ vocals are smooth but natural and sit nicely in the middle of my head.
Treble is definitely not overdone or sibilant, it’s clear and resolving and the guitar solo sounds great!
Synths off to the right, Latin choir vocals all around and the band is all throughout my head.
These aren’t the endgame in technicality but they are clean, dynamic and fun.
Out of Control by Battle Beast is a heavy-hittin’ power beasty!!!!!
Bass comes in hard and it sounds tight and punchy. Not sub-bass deep but what it does, it does well.
Nitte Valo has such a commanding and authoritative voice. Her voice sounds great on the 142s, as does the guitar. Both are right in the middle of my head and really well balanced.
Treble again is clean and detailed.
Another cracker song on the 124s – fun, exciting, energy in abundance!
I Don’t Care is next and Mustaine’s vocals are presented as not smooth, but punchy and sitting beautifully in the mix.
The bass run is clean, hard-hitting and the drums are snappy without being crisp or crunchy.
Staging goes left and right, but not necessarily up and down.
Punchy, fun, clean and I realise I’m repeating myself now. And I realise I’m repeating myself now. And I realise…….oh……..
A GREAT rendition of War Pigs is next and it’s colossal!!!!!!
Ozzy’s voice (vale Ozz-Man!!) is detailed, exciting and commanding.
The band backs him up beautifully and everything has its place in the 142s, they showcase this song wonderfully.
Mr Halford comes in and sounds as beastly as Mr O. The guitars are clean with good extension into the upper mids and the drums hit nicely in the back.
When the cymbals snap, waiting for the vocals to come in amongst that iconic riff, they do it with aural precision and accuracy.
The oohs and aahs at the end are quite haunting above the band and it sounds cohesive and well executed.
Last drinks….I mean song….. of the night is Army of the Night (another Powerwolf cover….I know, I know…..). And this finishes like a punch to the nether regions (I’ve seen Granny Tahlulah do this exact move to Grampa Tyson when he returns home from the pub blotto……..). Massive in all directions. It’s just colossal. It’s clean, detailed and well balanced across bass, mids, and treble. This is NOT a copout explanation. I don’t hear any emphasis on any frequency on this song. It’s well balanced, detailed, punchy and a pleasure to listen to.
A quick comparison (or 2):
The closet match I have to the 142s is the Sivga Nightingale Pros (review - https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/sivga-nightingale-pro.28749/reviews#review-40540). They retail at $299, so $50 more.
They both look beautiful to me. The wood from the Sivgas and the striking sea-blue of the DUNUs.
Comfort and fit are equal.
Cable quality is also similar in quality.
Sound-wise (everything stock), the Sivgas present a vaguely more relaxed and slightly warmer listen. Bass goes a little deeper but isn’t larger in quality or quantity. Mids are slightly pulled back and a tad more balanced for my liking. Treble is ever so slightly recessed compared to the 142s also.
Staging goes to the Sivgas by a hair, as does placement.
Both are very enjoyable iems and have different qualities that I like on each.
More treble on the 142s means seemingly better resolution.
Slightly more balanced (smoother) mids on the Sivgas is a preference for me.
Bass goes just a hairy spider’s armpit deeper on the Nightinglae Pros.
This is actually very close and will come down to personal preference.
The closet match I have to the 142s is the Sivga Nightingale Pros (review - https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/sivga-nightingale-pro.28749/reviews#review-40540). They retail at $299, so $50 more.
They both look beautiful to me. The wood from the Sivgas and the striking sea-blue of the DUNUs.
Comfort and fit are equal.
Cable quality is also similar in quality.
Sound-wise (everything stock), the Sivgas present a vaguely more relaxed and slightly warmer listen. Bass goes a little deeper but isn’t larger in quality or quantity. Mids are slightly pulled back and a tad more balanced for my liking. Treble is ever so slightly recessed compared to the 142s also.
Staging goes to the Sivgas by a hair, as does placement.
Both are very enjoyable iems and have different qualities that I like on each.
More treble on the 142s means seemingly better resolution.
Slightly more balanced (smoother) mids on the Sivgas is a preference for me.
Bass goes just a hairy spider’s armpit deeper on the Nightinglae Pros.
This is actually very close and will come down to personal preference.
I won’t fence-sit. It was close. Overall the Sivgas get the win for me, but I appreciate both iems greatly.
The 142s are more of a playful, lively listen and the Sivgas have a more relaxed and warmer feel (but only by a bee’s elbow).
Conclusion:
To breakdown my final score I gave them:
Looks - 4/5
Accessories – 4/5
Overall sound – 4/5
Scalability/gear matching - 4/5
Overall – 4/5
The look great, come with lots of tips and a great balanced cable and case.
The sound is great for a fun and energetic listening experience. With an R2R Dac, the treble really balanced out.
Good solid bass, but not bass canons, and mids that many will love (they were a hair forward on some tracks for me).
Definitely an enjoyable set of iems and will appeal to many people, whether they be audiophiles or newbies to the in-ear monitor world.
Thanks Kevin for allowing me to review the DUNU 142s, it’s been fun.
And thanks again readers for sticking with me, it means a great deal!!!
The 142s are more of a playful, lively listen and the Sivgas have a more relaxed and warmer feel (but only by a bee’s elbow).
Conclusion:
To breakdown my final score I gave them:
Looks - 4/5
Accessories – 4/5
Overall sound – 4/5
Scalability/gear matching - 4/5
Overall – 4/5
The look great, come with lots of tips and a great balanced cable and case.
The sound is great for a fun and energetic listening experience. With an R2R Dac, the treble really balanced out.
Good solid bass, but not bass canons, and mids that many will love (they were a hair forward on some tracks for me).
Definitely an enjoyable set of iems and will appeal to many people, whether they be audiophiles or newbies to the in-ear monitor world.
Thanks Kevin for allowing me to review the DUNU 142s, it’s been fun.
And thanks again readers for sticking with me, it means a great deal!!!
More hifi audio gears at KEEPHIFI