Dunu Mirai -You’re not ready.
I’m retesting this with positive results from some different tips included that are taking the treble down a great deal. I might be updating this review in 2 days or so.
First off I have no affiliation with Headphones.com and am a small reviewer who hasn’t been active very long. I am a customer and a user and that is all.
I also have a YouTube channel that I started about three months ago. Any subscriptions or comments are appreciated as they help motivate me to continue to do reviews in general. It’s not a financial decision to do YouTube but more of a social decision, a mental health decision, and a decision to be an active member of the community as I find it good for my mental health, but poor for my wallet.
I can say that I have tried the Mirai, and different models of it and that I am impressed. And this had led partially to my purchase decision. I’ve been in the market for a bassy set, and I chose this based on its price and the deal that I got being a loyal Headphones.com Customer, with a free Dragonfly Cobalt that I will probably sell for 100-150. This isn’t a professional review in any case, but just a simple fan review. I’m going to try to do the best that I can and only speak of this iem as to not only give you an impression if you should buy it but a feeling of how it might sound. This is mainly to help those that can’t afford this and give into the fantasy of such an iem. I come across a lot of iems on my desk being a buyer of many iems, and having a few friends in the hobby that lend me their sets, and on very rare occasions getting a few samples. This iem is special to me and is a unique iem, so I want to be clear about my opinions of it, and this review might be longer than some of my reviews.
My experiences with the team at Canjam and in the past have been positive. I enjoy their sales team Sam, April, and the other nonreviewers are all very nice people and easy to deal with as some of my questions have been extensive and probably annoying. I am a bit of a troll and a loudmouth in my hobby as my day job is sometimes dull and unexpressive. I appreciate the kindness and warmth that I have experienced on the forums, on the headphones.com site, and meeting the staff at Can Jam and listening to this iem both at the Headphones.com booth and the Dunu Booth. The Dunu booth was probably more fun, as they were a riot to talk to as they had a gentleman there who was closer to my age and had some fun industry insights to share their booth was a little more quiet and less front stage being in the back corner. This has impacted my decision to buy this iem, but also have the experience and ability to demo an iem. I think this is important, as one should never buy an iem or audio piece this expensive without trying it first. Also, the ability to return this iem for credit someday is a valuable thing, 365-day returns and all that. Nobody can fully keep up with the audio game as each month has multiple major iems that release. I doubt I will ever buy an iem this expensive again if I don’t get the chance to demo it first as it’s a crazy hobby that I’m only learning more about as time passes.
So having said all that positive mushy crap, let’s let into the review in more depth.
I have a fair and solid ranking list of how I rank my iems with over 89 iems ranked and many more that have demos and some impressions of them. I try to update it weekly if things or recommendations change. As this is an expensive iem, the max rating of value that I will be giving this is a 5, and I can tell you that this has earned a 3 score and is a good value at it’s price, but not a great value and we’ll dive very specifically into why I am giving this lowish score in a bit.
Finicky brightness
So I have to be honest, I’m not much to believe that sources make a huge difference. But to be sure, I’ve done a lot of testing as this channel is founded loosely on graphing and science. I graphed this from my Topping D70 Pro and saw no statistical difference. If there is it is what I call graph sniffing, and being hyper-picky about graphing. Having my own rig, and having graphed and regraphed a lot of stuff, I have a middling sophomoric knowledge of graphs and am developing my skill set. I also graphed this with impedance adapters only to find that it had a linear impedance across all grades. The extra impedance was almost impossible for my apple dongle to drive, thus matching db and looking at the graphs was very hard. Yet, I am fairly confident that unlike the Truthear Red or some other iems impedance or sources weren’t an issue, but that was my limited testing. Impedance just made it harder to drive and was overall linear in my testing
I tried all the audiophile stuff, swapping cables, swapping tips and everything else that you can thing of. Suffice it to say, this iem could be extremely bright for some. Like as bright as the sun, and sibilant as can be on many tracks. Many people will reject this iem instantly.
I say this as this is one of my major criticisms of this iem and I have done my best to mitigate those and figure out what it is. I tried a great deal trying to figure out the issue, not just say bruh it’s bright then moving on.
Build Quality
The build quality of this iem is great. I don’t like metal-shelled iems that much, as they tend to get cold and slightly bother me. Is this a big deal no, but I prefer shells like this. I also don’t have a green iem, and I find the packaging of this iem and build to be unique and beautiful.
There is a vent on the iem that I notice often when putting it in my ears. It isn’t a bad thing but adds a texture to the iem that I don’t particularly love. Almost as if a hole in a favorite pair of pants or gloves. It sort of triggers my OCD, but other than that the build quality of this iem is very nice. I want to say a medium-sized shell that is fully enjoyable.
It has a slightly longer than-average nozzle and a slightly larger shell. For those who like a smaller iem a Symphonium meteor, or Gizaudio Chopin might be a better go. I find this not small, but not uncomfortable. I overall do like the build quality of it, as it is a bit of green overkill but the iem shell is beautiful and the cable and case match the green and white them.
Shell size is so often discarded as a secondary thing. When talking to real audiophiles this is a very real thing. I find this shell very comfortable and enjoy it. It doesn’t hurt my ears during long sessions, and yes I can do the drake while I sleep with these iems. So this is a benefit to me.
Cable
The cable included is this white cable. For those following Headphones.com had some minor issues in getting this cable and that might have delayed the iem overall. Boy, this cable is worth it! Many of their photos come with a darker more boring cable. This cable is fantastic. The connectors are quality and it includes all four types of connectors, I generally don’t find a sonic difference but it can happen in a poor cable. (Note I’ve had two bad cables in my life, and it can happen.) It feels oddly like paper, but it is a great-looking.
A premium earphone costs over 300, and better than average cable should be included. Cables are very subjective but this one is good, in fact, one of my favorites. I don’t love the 90-degree connectors but that’s a nitpick for me and how I use an iem. I think this is a fantastic choice as it has all four major connections which is a bonus for many for studio use. I would rate this cable as a 150-dollar cable and of exceedingly high quality. As it matches the theme and has a unique color, I fully enjoy it. This adds thematically to the value of this iem and is an appropriate cable for a high-priced iem. I find this to be the best stock cable that I have used save the one of the Kinera Loki which is a 3100 dollar iem.
Case
The case is solid. I enjoy it for what it is. I do appreciate a solid, well-built case and for me, it is an expectation in any iem past the 30-dollar mark. (I’m looking at you Ziggatt Cinno). The poor performance and sound quality of the Cinno are part of the reason, that I bought this instead of the Jupiter. It’s a little bit odd as it doesn’t open up the entire way. But it does include little iem booties, which I find to be super enjoyable and premium. I like putting on my iem socks, and I enjoy that they come together, as when they are separate they are easy to lose. They add a nice touch and detail. In fact, I did find a link to purchase a similar iem from NCKHACK on Alliexpress thanks to community member Trio-N on Super Review discord, a person who I consider a friend and a great guy. I’m happy to say I’ve bought some to add to my collection and they are coming!
The feeling of the case is very nice. It feels plush, and premium, and it isn’t after afterthought or a cheap product that I can easily buy on Alliexpress for 20 bucks. It’s a product that adds true value to a set like this, and helps justify the price, but more so adds to the experience of the iem. To me with headphones.com I not only want a quality product but one with great care, thought, and precision. As most iems that I’ve unpackaged feel themeless, I will say this one feels exceptional in that regard. There is a great deal of preference for the sound, a quality unboxing experience is highly important and valuable. For me it’s like someone showing up to a job interview and having good hygiene, it doesn’t take a great deal of effort but it shows care and precision. 
Suffice it to say that I am extremely happy with the build quality and presentation of this iem. It’s a treasure to unbox and own. I fully enjoy the quality of the build.
Song Choice: Tidal list here:
I listen to a wide variety of music. I pick the songs because of various reasons. But I picture myself locked away like Andy Dufresne from Shawshank blasting music and shut off from the world. It’s a blissful image.
The Marriage of Figaro -The opera song from Shawshank Redemption, terrible recording but fun and gets me in the mood to listen to music.
O mio Babino caro -This is a modern less operatic version but a song with great female vocals.
Video Rigoletto - “La donna e mobile” Sung by one of the three Tenors, great song for high-performing male vocals. Pavarotti is the greatest classic singer maybe ever. Fight me!
Iron man - The sound at the beginning is hard to make sound great, great drums, and cymbals, and if done right it feels like an old-school band.
I Will Survive (1981 recording, I like her voice, and the old vocals, the drums, and various natural instruments really make this a favorite for me.
There is a light That never goes out - Smiths ( A classic, I just love it. It’s mellow, and I can tell a lot of the tuning if this song is done right.)
Jump (I like how the sound effects are in this!)
Star Child Someone recommended this song to me, and I like how funky it sounds and has nice vocals and a mix of music and things going on.
Dicke Titten Ramstein The beginning is amazing and the bass hits hard. Great song. I love rock and metal. The German language fascinates me
Master of Puppets: Very fast song. Helps me determine if the driver can keep up.
This is a newer version of my 10 favorite songs that also work for audiofile music.
This is a copy of a bunch of good audiofile music. Some are on my favorites, but all are great to test headphone tracks. (70+)
This is my favorite overall music. 300+ songs
Music genres
This iem is very good in certain genres but lacks in some female vocal tracks. It has good detail and resolution. I find it good in Rap, rock, and metal, but extremely poor in vocal tracks including most RB music. It’s very technical and when you get used to the tuning it does a lot of music well. I’d say it does 40 percent of my library at a 10/10, 40% of my library at a 7/10, and the remaining part of my library is a 5/10. Some nights I prefer an iem that is more comfortable but this is a contender and does a lot of music very well.
If I compare this to the Gizaudio Binary Chopin, that does 50% of my library at a 10/10, and the remaining part at a 9/10. Its issue is the Bass tuck, and maybe some high-end technicals but that’s it.
From a purely music experience, some music is fantastic if the track is recorded well. Other music is horrible, sharp, and sibilant. I just can’t recommend it all as an all-around for music or as your only iem, but when it hits, it’s exceedingly enjoyable.
Bass (20-60 Sub Bass, 60-250 Hz Mid Bass)
The details of the bass are strong and everything sounds good on this iem, strong impactful, and fun. The bass seems well-controlled and fun, but it doesn’t have the thundering crack that I wanted. Does anything? Hard to say. I enjoy the bass on this, but find the dynamics could be better, a little stronger. I don’t find it partially lean but it does feel a tiny bit light. The Sub Bass is fine and good, but the Midbass is very lacking for me. I feel the percussion on it sounds great. It has this nice timber that just sounds amazing, but it doesn’t slam in the way that I wish it would have, yet sounds very good and not lacking or boring in the bass. I am not a bass head, but I am very sensitive to the bass quality and quantity, and when it’s done wrong it is not for me. I wish this set slammed a little harder, but it’s very strong in the bass. Does this slam and resonate the way the Monarck MK 3 does. No, but it’s still enjoyable.
Midrange (250 HZ to 800 HZ Low Mids, 600-200 Hz Mids, 2000-5000Hz Upper Mids)
The timber and tone are great on this iem, but is this class-leading? I think that it’s solid and appropriate for the cost of the iem, does it dethrone the Supernova for me in mids? Supernova is a special Tone and mids are nice, and this is a solid performing little iem. No weird artificial feeling, voices sound right with no plastic feeling.
I don’t find it shouty at all but fun, smoothe and enjoyable. Podcasts and voices all sound great on it, and it has a good feel to it. Overall this iem is fresh, fatiguing, and just an easy clear listen. The vocals sound detailed and life-like. The resolution is life-like, and it’s almost daunting compared to my average speakers and car audio setup!
Treble (5000- 10000 Trebble/Highs, 10000 ++ HZ Upper Trebble & Air)
The treble is a good part of this set and this iem has great detail and sparkle for me. No issues here. I’m able to game, listen to music, and a podcast all at once with this iem. It has incredible details that come across in the treble. Looking at the frequency response I would think it would sound a bit peaky or off but it was good.
Air
The air is the issue for me. While I wanted it to be my bassy set, I think it might be my spicy air set. For certain podcasts, I just feel I’m getting a lot of detail that is making it a thing that is a bit harsh. The vocals sound a little much in that region. It’s like I’m getting a part of the frequency response that I don’t exactly want. It’s harsh and poor. Really ugghhh.
Sometimes I love it and it sounds amazing, but on older tracks, I feel something is off in the recording or something and this set just comes across too bright and fancy. ACK, save meh. It hurts us! There is something in the upper tuning of this. The 11-15k frequency range? I don’t know, but it’s not great. It hits some tracks and is hyper-painful, and many people will find this bright. Again, not to beat a dead horse, but this is an iem to demo first., but also not great.
Gaming
Gaming is great on this iem, it’s cozy and has a world-class feeling of fit to me. Details sparkle for me, but the treble and space aren’t much better than the Aful P8 at 30% of the cost, it is fairly similar and on about the same level. It has a beautiful open and clean sound. It hits the V needed for gaming. Imaging is fantastic. The stage is beautiful and wide. Detail retrieval during fights is immaculate, and the imaging vertically and horizontally is fantastic. It has great imaging and a good sense of where I am.
Tip Selection - I was pleasantly surprised with the tip selection! I really enjoyed them. They are colorful and feel premium. They are solid and add value.
Comparisons:
While I could compare this to other iems, I’m focusing on the iems that I have in my collection as of right now as I feel that those are more fair comparisons. I try not to have too many iems on me all at once as I don’t find a great deal of value in having too many at the same time.
Vs Monarch MK 3
Both are end-game iems in my mind. Part of what it boils down to is the form factor. The Mirai has a bit more lush timber, while the Monarch sounds a bit more dry like a monitor with great reverberation that makes me feel like I’m at the concert. Both are great, but on a few rare tracks you hear something different on each set. I think the driver tech in the Monarch helps this shine, but we are talking about very minor differences. They are both very quality iems, and the fact the Mirai competes with an iem that is made with EST drivers is impressive in it’s own right. The tuning of the Monarch is closer to what I want out of an iem, and the timber and tone of it wins every time for me. I can’t deny that the Mirai is a good iem, and has great space and staging if that is what you are interested in.
VS Supernova
Supernova to me is a better set but it’s also my favorite no money as an option set, but that doesn’t take away from what the Mirai is and what it does. Supernova has amazing timber but sometimes is slightly lacking bass. The Mirai does have that element of space and is strong. But if you can wait, the Supernova is the better value, has a customizable faceplate and is 300 dollars cheaper.
Vs Meteor
I liked a lot about the Meteor, and I find it a solid semi-mid-fi iem that many have tried, so I feel it is a very solid comparison. To me, this is the shell improvement and sonic improvement to the Meteor. Both have some special sauce in the upper air, but the Dunu Mirai sounds a little more neutral and clean to me overall. The bass quality is slightly stronger in the Mirai and the vocals sound better. Meteor has that space, that the Mirai also has. If the tonality of the Meteor was too much, this set might be for you. Also, fit on the Meteor was a bit hard for me.
VS Gizaudio Chopin
Why Chopin, cause’ i like the Chopin a great deal. I think the fit is much different. The resolution and detail of the Dunu Mirai is much better than the Chopin, but that would be expected. I find bass quality and technicalities to be a bit better as well. Is it 900 dollars better? I think not. Chopin still remains a strong pick for me, and I’m going to talk about it when I think it’s relevant as it is a treasure at its price. The sub-bass is better on the Chopin. Both sets are bassy, and fun, but the treble on the Chopin feels a little less excessive for me and more like how I feel my music would be coming from the band, or live from a concert. Vocals are not as resolute, but it is still strong. This is important for me to have a good strong iem that is recommendable and comparable at a much cheaper price. The Mirai is expensive, and a designer product that isn’t accessible by many. I recommend all to try Chopin if they haven’t as is a reasonably priced iem that is 98% of many much more expensive iems.
Graph:
This is the headphones.com graph. The 11-15k region or whatever is as bright as the Sun for me. The Subbass is nice, but the midbass is poor for my liking. I do like this iem, and don’t find it too outlandish or unique.
Sound - Final Impressions
While this iem is very good and something that I could daily, I can see how others might find it ever so slightly bright, ok I lie I find it insanely bright on many tracks, but I’m old and have older ears. I could see how others might want to save up for a more expensive set that might be better. But is this an absolutely beautiful set that knocked it out of the park? I think so. I fully enjoy it despite it being expensive. I wish it were cheaper, but sonically I think it is a treasure, and I fully enjoy it, but it definitely isn’t my favorite iem at the price. The design language is pristine, and I wish more sets would have cohesion like the Dunu Mirai. I don’t like dip switches, impedance adapters, or any nonsense. I want a good set that someone backs with 100% of their heart, and I feel that this is the case with this set. I feel that this is the set that Theo aka Precog has done and it is a treasure for what is it. It reminds me of him and is a fine set that gives me a taste of what I want to hear. But is it my sonic bliss? It is not, I find myself liking a slightly more dark and less bright set with more sub-bass.
Do I wish it had more visceral bass and impact on the low end? On certain tracks, it comes across bright and harsh. Is this a cohesive all-around that is a beautiful set with one of the greatest unboxing experiences and cables I’ve ever had? Yes, ohh man yes. I love this unboxing experience. I find this iem to be exceeding great, but I feel we could do better.
Hifi Guides Exclusive
I’m not sure exactly where I would change it from a presentation, maybe adding more tips, maybe adding a Precog Waifu, or better yet Andrew Waifu he loves the Cartoon Child? Here ya go guys, this is my ai AI-generated waifu. She has glasses and some green and white, what can I say. I think she is beautiful. Note I tried posting this to headphone.com discord and it was instantly deleted, so this is Hifiguides exclusive. Love you guys, you make me a better reviewer rather than following into the traps of shills who love everything.
I also want to make a few things known to others who buy from Headphones.com. They allowed others to get a free Dragonfly cobalt with their purchase. I know one of my commenters on Youtube who bought this took a huge loss on the return of this iem. Think 10% restocking, plus 5% for an iem, plus the FULL price of a dragonfly cobalt. He claimed to take a loss of 400 dollars which is understandable, why another user was selling his for 950 on Head fi. I posted this to iem deals on Hifigo the other day as I write my review. Please note, be careful of free stuff, and read the fine print. Nothing is actually free, and they do need to make money. In my version a way to get ride of a poor product that is practically useless as an overpriced DAC amp. You’ll likely see this up for sale from me soon.
This iem is great, and beautiful, and reminds me of the trip of my life meeting a few reviewers and really thinking about what it is like. It’s a special set for me, that I’ve enjoyed purchasing and think it is a solid pick and that it plays my library well, but it has some moments of Brightness and the visceral bass needed in some sets doesn’t work. If you like Precog’s library (Seemingly a lot of country) it does that music exceedingly well. I don’t recommend this set to those who are saving money as it will cure your depression or make every song sound perfect. There are better sonic sets out there.
But for someone who spends a moderate amount on audio a year, this is a great purchase. For those that have money to burn, and want a beautiful unique set that will complement other sets. I’m going to tell you that 100% that you won’t be disappointed. You’ll love the presentation, the sound, and what the Mirai does. It’s a special iem, that can do much of your music well. Again, demo it first, I can also see how this set might not be for everyone. Bassheads will find this dull and bland lacking a crazy slam of the monarch mk3. Treble-sensitive people might find the air region just too fatiguing. Don’t take my word, but demo it, but I think this is a special set for audiophiles to own and enjoy.
Do I recommend this set for those with exactly 1100 looking to get their first iem? Absolutely not, to quote Precog: “Ultimately, this begs the question: how much extra should you be willing to spend for premium materials and for what is essentially functional jewelry?” The sonic quality of this green iem is strong, it’s fun, it’s enjoyable and I look forward to comparing it to other sets as they come in. As far as sonic quality goes, it’s hard to rank something, but I’d go as far as to say I think this iem is a bit overpriced.
I think the bass dynamics and physical impact of the Monarch MK 3 is better, and I think the timber of Mirai isn’t same level as the Supernova, it is no slouch and a great iem in its own right. To my humble ears a fantastic all-around that doesn’t disappoint, but it isn’t an easy recommendation due to the poor sub-bass and the brightness that is just way too much for me.
Recommended EQ: I use Peace APO to EQ on the PC. This EQ is done to my preference. I recently set up a preference curve on My Squig. So for at least iems, I can use my own graphs now. Please feel free to use the measurements as you want… Jaytiss.squig.link
Overall this is an amazing iem that could easily be a game for most. The goal for me with an iem is to have an that doesn’t need EQ.
Does the Mirai need Eq,? no but to my ears it sounds about 5% better with this eq. Yes, the final question of what is my preference target has been solved.
Preamp: -5.2 dB
Filter 1: ON PK Fc 20 Hz Gain 0.9 dB Q 2.000
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 73 Hz Gain 1.8 dB Q 0.500
Filter 3: ON PK Fc 270 Hz Gain 0.9 dB Q 1.700
Filter 4: ON PK Fc 560 Hz Gain -0.9 dB Q 2.000
Filter 5: ON PK Fc 2500 Hz Gain -2.5 dB Q 1.400
Filter 6: ON PK Fc 3400 Hz Gain 1.5 dB Q 2.000
Filter 7: ON PK Fc 5700 Hz Gain 5.0 dB Q 1.800
Filter 8: ON PK Fc 9100 Hz Gain -7.0 dB Q 2.000
Filter 9: ON PK Fc 11000 Hz Gain 7.9 dB Q 2.000
Filter 10: OFF PK Fc 0 Hz Gain 0.0 dB Q 0.000
Who is this for?
First I wanted to talk about that on my ranking list I’ve listed 5 different buying categories. It is up to you to decide which one you belong in. The person who is looking for a 50 and under set, a 50-400ish set and one and done, an iem collector with 3-5k a year budget (Which I would fall into), a fan of the company/collaborator, or Mr. Money bags who can spend a lot. Now my philosophy is built around someone owning 5 iems at the top 3 categories and only 1 at the lower categories of 50 and 50-400 range.
Gifting: I think this is a nice hifi iem to gift to someone, but it being so expensive it might not be the one to gift. I think this is more the kind of iem you will want to keep for yourself, but would make a fine gift as needed. My go-to at this price would probably be the Aful Performer 8 or Celestee Phoenixcall as they are packaged well and very beautiful, sound good, and not the cost to you. This is exceptionally packaged, much better than other iems at this price that I’ve tried. I like the intelligent use of colors and find it a joy to use.
Pairing: I used a Quidelix 5k for mobile, my dongle Dac iBasso DC04 for my laptop, and my SMSL 6S Dac through my Topping A70 pro for my Desktop PC. Normally pairings are an afterthought but this iem was very bright on the Topping A70 Pro, and often too bright, like piercing insanity bright for me. I also tried the iem briefly on the Apple dongle as well. This iem had no issues being driven, but was seemingly source and tip dependent. Typically I only find overears to have a hard time being driven and maybe some planar iems. Again, when you get a treble-sensitive source it is a challenge to deal with.
Summary-
Bottom line, this is a bit of a Niche listen that will sound good on some music but not all. It can get to be a little too much in the treble, but is generally a safe set but not exception for what I wish it would be.
This is what you get if you want something bright with some bass, and not overly bad. It’s an experience, that I feel isn’t for me, but it is growing on me the more that I listen to it. I struggle to find if I love it or just accept it for what it is. The more I a/b vs other iems I find it resolute, clean, and detail-rich, but I worry that it might slap me with the sharpness that I hate so much. As of right now, it only get a cautious recommendation as I don’t feel it is all that I wished it were, having some issues in dynamics but not exactly being terrible, just in no way worth the price tag that it is, despite it being a strong product from a technical standpoint, having a very good frequency response and technicals, yet the upper treble is just death for me. I’ve a/b’ed vs a few 200 and 300 dollar sets and it doesn’t sound as good. Take that for what you will, but this set isn’t something that will take the spot of those who own 5000 dollar sets, but it will be a part of an army of those who already own a few thousand-dollar sets. Again know what category you belong in of my recommendations 200 a year no, 3600 a year maybe, fan of the brand yes, People with huge budget yes.
I’ve recently redone my ranking system drastically, and I often times will update it daily after reading my listening notes some of which are crazy mind maps and just cursing. I am also releasing a video on YouTube. It went live a few days ago but is still very recent. If you’d like to visit there and comment, I’d appreciate it. I just do this for fun and social reasons.
Thanks for reading, and maybe even watching. Any feedback is welcome.
