My Soundmagic PL-30 fell apart after slightly less than a year of use. With the really bassy EB50 (along with the lovely PortaPros) holding out as a substitute for a while, I had to source for a new earphone to replace the dead PL-30. Being budget conscious (and with my mum stopping me from spending too much), I capped my budget at slightly over 100SGD (approx 80USD).
In order to decide on the final purchase, I listened to the following:
-Etymotic Research MC5
-Soundmagic PL-50
-Dunu Ares
-Dunu Trident
-Dunu Crius
-Dunu Hephaes
Etymotic Research MC5, is in my opinion, quite well built. It looks good, though the shells may be a bit too long for over the ear insertion. Isolation is truly phenomenal, almost to the point of being eerie. However, sound signature leaves me wanting more. It does sound a bit too "dry" and "boring" to me. Yes, it is technically proficient at the price range, but it is not engaging at all. Good for analytical lovers and people who like their sounds true to source, but not for me.
Soundmagic PL-50 is not as well built. In forums there are cases of shells splitting apart due to the weak glue. However, while I believe the issues are solved now, the build quality doesn't really inspire confidence. Fit is excellent, and isolation is decent as the stems are actually long enough to reach into the ear. When I listened to this, the first thing that attracts me is the midrange. It seems to shout "I am the most important" as it takes the center stage of the presentation. The midrange is so smooth, so rich and creamy and it is lovely. However, it lacks the slight mid bass I was looking for. If I did not buy the Ares, I would probably buy this and put this on bass boost.
Dunu Ares is just solid, almost feeling indestructible unless in the most extreme of situations. Fit is good and isolation is about average. It is warm, with slightly forward mids. I have purchased this so I would elaborate on it in the review.
Dunu Crius is also equally solid (as all Dunu IEMs are), fit is slightly worse due to the shorter shells. It can be said that the Crius and Ares are born from the same mother, with slightly different characteristics. While the Ares is slightly warmer and lush, the Crius is slightly colder and more analytical. However, it isn't analytical to the point of being an Audio Technica CK10 or Fischer DBA-02. It is still mid-forward, with a slight emphasis on the treble, making it seem ever so slightly clearer in comparison to Ares. However, I picked the Ares over the Crius as I prefer a slightly warmer low end than the Crius can offer.
Dunu Trident is also solid, with trumpet looking shells. Fit is decent, though the shell might feel weird to some. Its sound can be considered consumer centric. Bass is impactful yet not a true bass monster. Mids are warm, pretty thick but not as clear as the Crius or the Ares. Very good value, with great sound, excellent build quality and wonderful packaging with plenty of accessories to go along. However, I did not buy this because it is a bit bottom heavy for me and the mids pales in comparison to the more expensive Crius and Ares.
Dunu Hephaes is like an upgraded version of Trident in terms of sound. Solidly built and with a relatively good fit like the Ares, it is expected to be a lot better than both the Ares and Crius given the price. Bass is impactful and slightly tighter than on the Trident. Clarity is slightly better than the trident but not as good as the competition, and also perhaps even the BA based Ares and Crius. The bang for back ratio is not as good as it hopes to be in the end.
After listening to these, I decided to purchase the Dunu Ares, which I did not regret buying. More will be discussed in the review.
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