The cable in the pic is this one;
It’s a great cable. Thin and really, really well made. Little pricey, obviously, but I didn’t pay that much.
Where do you plan on demoing the M33?
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Thanks! Might give that one a try. I’ve bought various cables in the past but a lot suffered from what people have called ‘friction fit’, i.e. the plug scraping against the inside of the connector.
My go to head fi store over here (Netherlands) sells all FiiO DAPs (plus iBasso, Astell, Shanling etc) and isn’t that far away. You can basically sit down and spend an entire morning listening so that’s what I’ll do. The one thing you hardly get over here is upgrade cables unfortunately, so you’re stuck with ordering online (and getting the 3.5 instead of the 4.4 you wanted 
).
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I can’t say I can speak on the ‘friction fit’ you’re referring to. I try not to be picky when it comes to cables. As long as it looks decent, doesn’t tangle, and doesn’t pull the IEM out of my ear, I’m good.
That is dope. We don’t have anything like that here, so I rely heavily on CanJam once a year and, of course, my amazing audio buddies to send me things if I want to demo anything before committing. I’d be interested in reading your M33 impressions.
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You sure are lucky…the “hifi” store over here on the other hand…
(the web store page for headphones)
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I think it mostly happens with brands that have variable quality, which you won’t now beforehand if you can’t try them. That’s why I appreciate the rec (and if it doesn’t sound familiar you’ve probably not encountered it).
I’ll definitely share my thoughts once I’ve heard it. FiiO is the brand with the DAC/amp combos I seem to enjoy the most so I’m looking forward to the opportunity.
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I think part of it actually is luck in the sense that the store is run by someone who really is into it as well. The fact the European distributor for a number of brands is based over is also fortunate. It’s not Elise levels but seeing how small this country is compared I’m not complaining.
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I have had this on some cables. At least one Effect Audio cable on ifi Go Blue, and some forgotten AliEx cable too I remember.
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I’ve read it can actually put too much strain on the conductors inside the connector, loosening them up and reducing its lifespan. That’s the main reason I want to avoid it if possible.
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Interesting. Now I’m curious if I have encountered it before but just never put a name to it.
I agree about FiiO, I invested early on their brand and they’ve yet to let me down. The only disappointing product from them that I’ve experienced personally is the K7. That thing was incredibly dry and flat sounding with little to no dynamics to the sound.
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I feel they put a lot of thought into their products, at least the ones I’ve tried. It’s not just the sound but also the design (tap to wake, multi function button etc) and the sturdiness and quality of the components. I too buy their portable products; in my case, it’s because it allows me to listen wherever I want at home (and using only IEMs means DAPs are enough, at least for me). It’s also easier to have different portable sources than multiple desktop units unless you’re Zeos and have a basement to spare of course 
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I agree. Although lately, they’ve been pumping out so many products that I can’t help but to imagine some of it is going to be troublesome for them in the future due to QC issues. Maybe not. Who knows. The M33 is built exceptionally well with a lovely design. I bet you’ll really dig it, man.
Can you imagine having a basement for your audio treasure? nuts.
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Agree on the potential issues with the volume (but hope they’ll avoid that pitfall). And yeah, audio basement would definitely be awesome (basements over here are scarce actually but one can dream )
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The Prisma Lumen
So even though I no longer have them in my possession, I still wanted to get some thoughts down on the Lumen. Since I had both the Lux and the Lumen at the same time, I realized I was in a rare and fortunate position that most people interested in the Prisma twins would never experience, and I figured it’d be cool to add in on the fun of comparing the two.
Quite frankly, Listener and Mark Ryan already added enough input for the community, but since my preferences are totally different from theirs, maybe there might be some value here. After all, I think both Mark and Listener aren’t the biggest fans of “bassy” IEMs and I’d go out on a limb and say that the Lux is actually a traditionally bassy IEM. It’s very sub-bass dominant. But this is not a complaint - I really did think the sub bass in the Lux was a standout in the overall frequency range. It was still clean, textured, and impactful with all of the rumble you could ask for without interfering with the rest of the tuning. The way Josh tuned the DD ensures the bass has a deep impact with a wave-like reverb that travels throughout the stage, width wise. The mids are lovely and forward with sensational texture and detail, and the treble is really where the special sauce comes in. It’s sparkly, forward, and airy - but not neutral or the most “natural” if that’s what you’re after.
That’s where the Lumen comes in.
The Lumen is undoubtedly more “natural” and “neutral” sounding. Even though I have a hard time defining those two terms in the audio world because everyone’s definition is different, the Lumen lacks most of the coloration the Lux has without ever sounding sterile or boring.
The most surprising aspect of the Lumen for me was the bass - even though we’re talking a considerable amount less compared to the Lux, the Lumen still packs a punch in the mid bass department during things like drum kicks, 808/909 electronic drums, and bass lines. The bass overall is punchy, snappy, and highly detailed, and dare I say, maybe a touch more detailed and textured compared to the Lux, albeit less impactful.
For the most part, the mids are the same between the Lux and the Lumen, to my ears at least. Besides the coloration in the overtones and maybe some husking of female vocals from the added bass in the Lux, I found them both to be very pleasurable. Timbre is on point in the Lumen, and the details and texturing in things like female vocals are some of the best I’ve heard at this price point. I will say, my HRTF did get hit by some glare at around 3k, & considering the gain region peaks at around exactly 3k, it makes sense. My hot spot is around 3.2k, so it checks out. I think the added bass and late treble in the Lux balanced this out for me, so I never felt any sharpness or glare during my time with them.
The treble is probably my least favorite part of the Lumen. After being spoiled by the Lux’s splashy, shimmery, and downright gorgeous late treble tuning, the Lumen came off a bit dull to my ears. The micro details didn’t jump out at me enough, but I will say that this is highly HRTF-dependent. Treble is by far the most subjective part of the frequency range. With that being said, the quality of the treble is incredibly high and tuned with such nuance. It’s smooth and never offensive in any way. It was just a bit… boring to me. Maybe boring is a bit strong, but it wasn’t as exciting as I’d like.
TLDR;
Get Lux if you don’t mind coloration on either end of the frequency response and want a more ‘fun’ playback.
Get Lumen if you want one of the best nuetral playbacks in the game right now under $2,000.
The Lumen is certainly one of the best mid-centric IEMs I’ve heard under $2,000, and if it weren’t for the slightly too forward upper mid-range around 3,000Hz, they would be at the top of my list.
To my ears, however, the Lux still reigns supreme.
Thanks for reading!
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Special thanks for @Sonofholhorse for lending me both his Prisma twins and @veebee for being the coolest mf in the Southern hemisphere.
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Co-signed on everything, although the 3khz doesn’t get on my ears as badly. I will have full reviews at some point for both Lux and Lumen, and they are both fantastic and which to choose truly is a matter of personal tasted and preference. I still haven’t decided which (if either) I prefer, but listening to both and trying to decide is fun no matter how you look at it!
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A full Guy review?!
GTFO. You better not be teasing me!
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May take me awhile, but they (and Josh) deserve it!
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I couldn’t agree more, brother. I genuinely look forward to reading your impressions!
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Super short and to the point review of the Dunu DN242.
Intro and Disclaimer
Both the DN142 and the DN242 caught my eye as soon as they hit the market. Dunu is known for their packaging, presentations, and finely tuned IEMs, and the 42 bros are no different. The SA6 series is one of the most legendary and sought-after IEMs if you’re an audiophile who enjoys a U-shaped tuning with a more subdued upper mid-range, which, by the way, is becoming somewhat rare in this hobby as of late. I’m happy to say that to my ear, the 242 is a modern interpretation of the older SA6 tuning. In terms of pure tuning, I really enjoy this set. From the clean and tactile bass response to the uber detailed mid-range and sparkly treble, the 242 has a lot to offer. Unfortunately, not everything can be perfect. It took a while for the 242 to grow on me, and depending on the source, they could come off as overly sterile and downright dry.
This set was provided to my tour group for our honest thoughts and opinions. All of these opinions are my own, and I’m offerred no compensation for this. The 242 will be sent out to the next person once I am finished with my impressions. Thanks to HiFiGo for sending these out.
Non-affilited link;
https://hifigo.com/products/dunu-dn242?srsltid=AfmBOoqAZNcu8fOP6kFCjHFppAApN-3oszszwD9-KljTMOCKAxUNLFLB
This review needs to be on the shorter side, as I just haven’t been the best at time management lately. Plus, not to mention that there are already an abundance of reviews out for the DN242 - Quite frankly, I couldn’t be any later to this party.
Bass
The low-end on the 242 can be described simply as clean and tactile, with a snap to every note and a shorter decay. None of the low-end encroached on the mid-range in any way, and while the 242 is NOT a basshead set by ANY means, far from to be honest, the bass is very satisfying to my ears with a healthy mid-bass kick and a present sub-bass rumble that simply complements the rest of the sound signature, but never steals the show. I would need a bit more sub-bass presence and a lot more depth to the mid-bass here, as I’ve been spoiled as of late by the likes of the Canpur Silver Flash and the Prisma Lux/Lumen. There is next to no 3-dimensionality to the bass to my ears, which is a shame.
While I can’t downright say the DN242 has terrible bass, because that would be disingenuous, I can say that the bass is severely average. Now, if the mid bass has some depth to it, maybe even lingered a little more within the stage and reverbed out with a touch more texture, I’d say the entire sound would be rounded off to be a more cohesive and healthy presentation.
Mid-Range
I think this is where the DN242 really steals the show for me. More specifically, with female vocals. The more I listened, the closer I listened, I was picking up on depth, texture and details in some vocals that I actually have yet to hear with more expensive sets. Female vocals sound stupendous to me on this set - they have a slightly drier presentation with an almost, and I need to emphasize almost, glarey presentation, they ride that line between too much and just enough. Almost perfect, even.
Needless to say, I really do enjoy how the DN242 presents the upper-mids for my library. It’s downright impressive.
The only criticism I have happens to be a pretty big sticking point to me and that also bleeds into the treble…
Treble
The Micro Planar epidemic needs to come to an end. Seriously. I’m sorry for going a bit off script here, but the Micro Planar timbre that hits my HRTF around 4-6k straight up ruins IEMs for me. Seriously. Instrument overtones, especially with guitars, take on this horrendous metallic sheen sometimes, and it genuinely can take me out of the music enjoyment experience. I recently picked up a FiiO M33 and the 242 sounds incredible on the M33 - Even though the MPL timbre can still be heard a touch, it’s subdued a bit by the added note weight that comes with the R2R architecture in the M33.
It really is a shame. The tuning on this set is so great to my ears. Really nicely balanced with a mid-range-forward presentation that really is impressive with a ton of my library.
Techs
Techs, I’ll say, are a mixed bag with the DN242.
Detail retrieval and overall resolution is fantastic. Really top-notch and competitive with higher price point IEMs.
Staging is decent - I never felt claustrophobic whilst listening, but I also never got that ‘wow’ effect from the stage size. In all directions, I’d say it’s about average for an IEM.
Layering is very good, I must say. None of my music ever sounded like it was being pushed through a small tube, tripping over itself. I could pick up instruments during very busy passages just fine. One of the more impressive aspects to the 242 I’d say.
Imaging also seems fine.
Timbre… timbre is where the DN242 trips up this is where it damn near is ruined completely for me. The 142 did have some MPL timbre that I could pick up, but the added low-end really helped to mask it most of the time. The same cannot be said about the 242 - the mid-range is front and center and the star of the show.
Conclusion
This IEM really is a double-edged sword, which makes it rather frustrating and difficult to review. I sat here for a week with pretty severe writer’s block because of how… sterile this came across in the beginning. Then, I really listened and discovered the magic in the mid-range and female vocals, enjoyed that for a bit, felt inspired, then… then timbre hit me, and I stopped in my tracks once again.
If you are not sensitive to MPL timbre and you’re looking for a clean and mid-range forward tuning with stupendous female vocal resolution, an extremely attractive shell, and an overall great unboxing experience befitting of the Dunu name, then the 242 is for you.
If you want something more fun and bombastic at the expense of accuracy, the 142 is the one you want. It’s the one that I want & it’s the one that I got.
Thanks so much for reading. Take care.
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Hi Guys - A buddy of mine on Discord named Ben, who goes by Ratchet, took on the crazy task of creating his own IEM, and I was very lucky to be able to have it in-house the last week and a half. Comparing it to other IEMs, including the OG Dark Magicians, which was one of the inspirations behind the tuning.
While I really enjoy the tuning and overall sound of the Sabertooth, I prefer the tuning of the Dark Magicians. The Sabertooth has a very nice sub-bass presence, and it’s by far better and more satisfying than the Dark Magicians, but everything else I would say goes to the DMs if we’re talking about my preferences.
The stage has an overall more open and airy presentation on the DMs and for my HRTF, the DMs genuinely have one of the widest stages I’ve experienced in any IEM. Dynamics are also a big strong suite with the DMs. The illusion of a blacker background whilst listening to the DMs allows me to pick up on the smaller nuances of music. Generally, if your HRTF is similar to mine, the DMs will sound more open and less intimate. Whilst the Sabertooth is going to present more intimately, but not claustrophobic. It’s simply two different presentations and neither of which are wrong or right. It’s all about what you’d prefer. I just happen to prefer the DMs on this particular day. There’s room for an intimate presentation in the lineup, though.
If you want an IEM with a thicker, more meaty presentation, then the Sabertooth is fantastic for that. The bery driver in here leads to some snappy bits of the music to shine like basslines. They have some authority behind them. They feel tactile and weighty.
Female vocals are husked up quite a bit on the Sabertooh and are far more laid back. Initial transients take a back seat while the harmonics are boosted a touch. This did lead to some sibilance in some cases, but nothing that made me wince. The Dark Magicians are still, by far, my more preferred vocal presentation in every way. Keep in mind though, most of my library is female vocals. The added lower-mids of the Sabertooth does well with male vocals, giving them ample body and authority. If you’re after a life-like female vocal experience, the Dark Magicians are still one of the best IEMs I’ve heard up to this point for this. A great example of this would be the vocals in the album Lush by Snail Mail. If I were to close my eyes during some bits of that album, it really does feel like Linsey (Lead singer) is in the room with me. Props to the recording engineer in the studio and props to the Dark Magicians for being able to present them in such a lovely way. On the same album though, the low-end is more enjoyable from the Sabertooths… So, compromise where you can.
The treble is a bit of a toss up in my opinion - I enjoy them both. I’d say the Dark Magician is giving me more micro and macro details here where the Sabertooth is more laid back in it’s approach. There’s less air in the Sabertooth as well. Cymbals and hi-hats have a touch more presence on the Dark Magicians where as the Sabertooths version of the top end is more in relaxed - I’d say it’s bit too laid back for my liking, as I tend to enjoy exaggerated later treble but, neither the DMs nor the Sabertooths excel in this area. To my ears, the Darks Magicians have a more ‘naural’ treble presentation and If I had to choose, I’d choose the more natural way of presenting the treble.
I like the Sabertooths a lot, I think they have a lot going for them, considering the stunning shell design, fantastic, and I mean fantastic, fit & the warm and intimate playback. They instantly reminded me of the Symphonium Meteors without the splashy treble up top and a more tactile and incisive bass response. The 2 things I’d say they lack, however, is that last bit of treble sweetness and the x-factor for me. They didn’t grab me and pull me in. With that being said, the cohesion from a single DD cannot be matched from other driver configs - I’ve been comparing these to the OG Dark Magicians this entire time which is a steep hill to climb, without question. Comparing it to the rest of the market around the projected price point of $250 without accesories, I would take the Sabertooth over some of the hottest tribrids under $400 that have hit the market lately if we’re talking sound alone. The natural and sweet timbre of the bery DD in here is a breath of fresh air.
All of this to say that the tuning is still not finalized. It’s close, but there’s still work to be done. According to Ratchet, he plans to clean up the vocals a bit and add some treble. In my opinion, if he can achieve these two things, the Sabertooth would be a formidable competitor to the Dark Magicians at half the cost.
Don’t ya just love passion projects?
If anyone has any questions about these, please let me know and I’ll be happy to pass them on to him.
Thanks for reading!
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