Hey guys, I hope everyone’s staying hydrated as summer comes around. It’s finally Dunu time - we’ll be talking about the SA6 MK2 today, and as many of you may know the hype was through the roof when the Ultras released with many many complaints about the limited run and FOMO. So then how does the MK2 stack up against the Ultras and OG? And should you buy it? Well, let’s find out.
Starting with the low-end the bass is more audible compared to the Ultra and the OG versions. Bass-lines are slightly more forward and easier to pick out from the rest, and there’s more slam to the mid-bass on hiphop tracks. Speed and separation is still fast, clean with zero masking like before, but it’s not going to have the extended sub-bass rumble and physicality of a DD from the B3 EQ for example. So overall, still an improvement in the bass over the other two versions, but ya, it’s still BA bass, lacking the overall heaviness in-terms of note-weight and the ending impact.
As for mids, it’s very relaxing, and even more pushed back than the OG and Ultra. I don’t think anyone will have problems with the vocals being too forward or sounding harsh since they’re very smooth and gentle, and everything feels very open, airy, as instruments are beautifully layered and float around your head space. But, my major nitpick of the MK2 is that the mids are too recessed for me. I don’t think Dunu should have lowered the gain even more than before. For example, Natalia’s voice sounds too light and soft with little power or emotional impact. The Ultras were already borderline being recessed, so this change pushed it over the edge for me. I also often found vocals to be buried and pushed back just slightly too much on busier tracks like Traces of Time, just like other mid-range instruments such as pianos, strings, and flutes which can get hard to pick out, especially with the increased emphasis in bass and treble.
Vocal timbre is too light and distant for me, and overall lacks the engagement compared to other sets like the RSV. Now, I understand some people like this relaxed, pushed out feeling of the vocals because it gives a sense of a more open soundstage, but the details in the voices are lost, and the last bits of extension from the singer’s breath becomes masked in a away by the other frequencies, and harder to pick out.
So, even though the treble is very airy, extended, and smooth - just like the Ultra, the MK2 actually highlights more of the treble, making micro-details more noticeable and easier to pick out versus the other two, although it does get slightly spicy for me at higher volumes, depending on your ears. However, because Dunu shifted the focus onto the lower and higher end more, this decision instead takes away your focus from the mid-range, making the mid-range feel too pushed back and harder to hear. The mids feel like they’re getting buried from both sides even though there’s this open sense of space, and this change to me makes the MK2 basically a more v-shaped and funner sounding Ultra and OG SA6.
So, if that’s what you’re looking for then go for it. It’s very capable in-terms of layering and resolution or note-sharpness, easily punching above its price range and more, but just be prepared to take a hit in the mids. For a frame of reference, the MK2 is slightly better than the B3 in-terms of overall technicalities, but I’d rather have the DDs in the B3 and EQ it, or wait for the B3 Dusk since it’s just way better value (or just buy the EJ07M/ mid-centric with better bass texture and holographic staging). And if I were to rank the SA6 line-up my favourite would be the Ultra because it’s just a better SA6 with better treble extension, followed by the OG (both are more mids forward), and then lastly the MK2s because the other two scales better, and I just like my mids and vocals ok, shoot me. But ya, that is all. Thanks for reading