[Philomena88]

Hello all, I am a new member (but long-time lurker) at HeadFi, and have really admired the depth of knowledge and passion in the reviews and discussions. I will greatly appreciate your advice in upgrading IEMs for personal use.

My current primary IEMs are the DUNU 2000J, which I pair with the Astell and Kern AK100II DAP, bought back in 2016 during grad school days. At the time, I selected the 2000J from a range of similarly priced IEMS for its clarity and detail (I am not sure of the technical terms), which are subjectively the most important qualities in an IEM for me (for instance, the other IEMs and headphones I tried include the Sennheiser IE80, DUNU DN-2000 Hybrid 3 way, Sony XBA-300AP, and Etymotic ER4S, all of which felt too muddy, bassy, or unclear in comparison to the 2000J).

Basically I love clean detail, and it is my dream to get something along the lines of 64 Audio u12t, and the AK SP2000 DAP (or their upgrades in 5 years, when I can afford them!). In the meantime, I would like to upgrade to something more affordable, in the USD 300-550 range, in the vein of the 2000j when it comes to detail and clarity, but better.

My first choice (after reading reviews and comparisons) is the DUNU Studio SA6, which has been called the "baby" U12t in terms of detail retrieval, but is more affordable (not close to the real thing, but probably the closest in its price range). However, I can only find it in stock on Hifigo, which ships from Hong Kong (so additional customs fees and possible delays etc), and has a strict return policy (return only when defective, shipping and fees deducted). Their policy is understandable, but I am a bit concerned that if I order the SA6 and find it is not for me - or if it is uncomfortable (I never worn over ear IEMs before, only straight/under ear) - I will be unable to return it without a lot of trouble and expense, if at all.

I am also considering the Moondrop Blessing 2, which is much more easily available and costs $200 less. Though I am not so keen on it, it might be the more practical choice. I will be grateful for your advice on which of the 2 I should order. Is it worth taking the risk and ordering the DUNU SA6, or get the Moondrop Blessing 2?

I did read reviews and comparisons between the 2 in the forums, but my technical vocabulary is a bit lacking, so I may have misunderstood them. My understanding is that DUNU is above Blessing 2 in detail and clarity, but is the difference so pronounced as to justify the additional $200? Whichever IEM I order, I will use it with my AK 200II for now.

Any other suggestions for detail-rich IEMs in the same range are also welcome. Another option is to just order the DUNU 2000J again, and put the savings in my 64 Audio fund.

I will be grateful for your thoughts. Sorry for the long post, it is my first time posting here and I am a bit anxious about posting here for the first time and do not wish to miss any key details. Thank you for your patience and help.
[Edited to add info.]

 

[surfgeorge]

I don't know the Dunu 2000J but going by the available information and frequency response it looks like a moderately V-shaped tuning with rather aggressive treble balanced by a mid-bass boost, assuming that you are not using the "bass rings" which obviously boosts sub bass quite a lot.

The decision between Blessing 2 and SA6:
I have had the B2 and the tuning is really good, it should be cleaner than the Dunu, with a smoother upper mid/treble response and a more neutral mid bass response. The technicalities IMO are absolutely fine for the price, but going a step higher in the Moondrop line to the Variations, you get better bass quality, better separation, imaging and soundstage and overall an even cleaner and more even sound. BUT, the Variation's tuning is much more radical, with very lean lower mid/mid bass and massive sub-bass. So I think the B2 would suit you better.

The SA6 on the other hand has all BA design - so you'd have to expect a less impactful bass, a BA driver simply doesn't move that much air. Tuning wise it should be an slightly more neutral, less bright experience compared to the B2, but supposedly very balanced. In fact it looks like a great allrounder (It's very high on my personal shopping list too) and if you consider getting the U12T down the road it would be perfect to verify that the tuning is right for you. Another strong point for the SA6 seems to be comfort - it seems to fit people generally extremely well.
The B2 on the other hand has a pretty thick nozzle and for my ears I only managed to get good comfort, but not really great comfort.

In your situation I think both IEMs would be a good choice, but considering your planned upgrade path to the U12T I'd rather go for the SA6. In any case, it takes more than a week or two to really evaluate an IEM and know if it's right for you, and if you really don't like it you can easily sell it.

 

[Philomena88]

I don't know the Dunu 2000J but going by the available information and frequency response it looks like a moderately V-shaped tuning with rather aggressive treble balanced by a mid-bass boost, assuming that you are not using the "bass rings" which obviously boosts sub bass quite a lot.

The decision between Blessing 2 and SA6:
I have had the B2 and the tuning is really good, it should be cleaner than the Dunu, with a smoother upper mid/treble response and a more neutral mid bass response. The technicalities IMO are absolutely fine for the price, but going a step higher in the Moondrop line to the Variations, you get better bass quality, better separation, imaging and soundstage and overall an even cleaner and more even sound. BUT, the Variation's tuning is much more radical, with very lean lower mid/mid bass and massive sub-bass. So I think the B2 would suit you better.

The SA6 on the other hand has all BA design - so you'd have to expect a less impactful bass, a BA driver simply doesn't move that much air. Tuning wise it should be an slightly more neutral, less bright experience compared to the B2, but supposedly very balanced. In fact it looks like a great allrounder (It's very high on my personal shopping list too) and if you consider getting the U12T down the road it would be perfect to verify that the tuning is right for you. Another strong point for the SA6 seems to be comfort - it seems to fit people generally extremely well.
The B2 on the other hand has a pretty thick nozzle and for my ears I only managed to get good comfort, but not really great comfort.

In your situation I think both IEMs would be a good choice, but considering your planned upgrade path to the U12T I'd rather go for the SA6. In any case, it takes more than a week or two to really evaluate an IEM and know if it's right for you, and if you really don't like it you can easily sell it.

Thank you for your detailed advice! I also think the SA6 is the way to go in terms of clean detail (I am not a huge fan of bass, or at least did not found the IEMs marketed as bass-heavy to be not for me).
Just one question if it's alright: the DUNU 2000J I use now is a hybrid, with 2 BA drivers and one dynamic driver. Could you please tell me what difference would the BA-only/no dynamic in the SA6 make? Alternately, would the Blessing 2 be a better choice, with 4 BA and 1 dynamic driver? I will appreciate advice if possible. Thank you!

 

[surfgeorge]

Thank you for your detailed advice! I also think the SA6 is the way to go in terms of clean detail (I am not a huge fan of bass, or at least did not found the IEMs marketed as bass-heavy to be not for me).
Just one question if it's alright: the DUNU 2000J I use now is a hybrid, with 2 BA drivers and one dynamic driver. Could you please tell me what difference would the BA-only/no dynamic in the SA6 make? Alternately, would the Blessing 2 be a better choice, with 4 BA and 1 dynamic driver? I will appreciate advice if possible. Thank you!

A dynamic driver can move more air, so it usually has more rumble and slam compared to a balanced armature. It also often has a more natural decay, as in having a longer trailing edge of notes. On the flipside, BA drivers are typically faster, delivering more texture and resolution, but less weight. That's why top IEM that are using BA woofers use 2 or 4 drivers in parallel, to reduce that weakness.

One of the challenges for a hybrid IEM is coherence - to get the IEM sound consistent from top to bottom, since the different frequencies use different technologies that is quite difficult to achieve. The Blessing 2 has a medicore DD which is a bit slow and on the other hand the BA midrange or treble driver can sound a little grainy sometimes. They are still good for the price but those are compromises in the design.
I haven't heard the SA6, but it seems to be a very mature and balanced design, and I don't remember reading anything about obvious flaws.
Even Precogvision rates them really highly, and he's the most critical reviewer out there

 

[Philomena88]

A dynamic driver can move more air, so it usually has more rumble and slam compared to a balanced armature. It also often has a more natural decay, as in having a longer trailing edge of notes. On the flipside, BA drivers are typically faster, delivering more texture and resolution, but less weight. That's why top IEM that are using BA woofers use 2 or 4 drivers in parallel, to reduce that weakness.

One of the challenges for a hybrid IEM is coherence - to get the IEM sound consistent from top to bottom, since the different frequencies use different technologies that is quite difficult to achieve. The Blessing 2 has a medicore DD which is a bit slow and on the other hand the BA midrange or treble driver can sound a little grainy sometimes. They are still good for the price but those are compromises in the design.
I haven't heard the SA6, but it seems to be a very mature and balanced design, and I don't remember reading anything about obvious flaws.
Even Precogvision rates them really highly, and he's the most critical reviewer out there

Thank you so much! I will look for Precognition's review.

 

[maisongoyard]

I just picked up a pair of U12Ts and love em! I had the blessing 2 dusks before and they were solid. I cant speak much about technical performance as I didn't compare them side by side but I can say that the blessing 2's are pretty big and could get a bit fatiguing if you're wearing them for a long time.

 

[surfgeorge]

Thank you so much! I will look for Precognition's review.

Check on the start page of his thread here:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/precogs-iem-reviews-impressions.937468/