DUNU FALCON PRO

Falcon Pro are Dunu’s entry level model on their Eclipse lineup – the one featuring Zen / Zen Pro and Luna on its higher tiers.

Featuring a single dynamic driver and a $219,99 price point Falcon Pro compete on a quite interesting market segment, populated – as usual – by a lot of underwhelming (or downright garbage) competing products alongside a few very solid longstanders.

Full Device Card​

Test setup​

Apogee Groove / Sony NW-A55 mrWalkman / Questyle QP1R / Ifi hip-dac2 / Cowon Plenue 2 – final E clear eartips – lossless 16-24/44.1-192 FLAC tracks.

Signature analysis​

Tonality​

Falcon Pro feature removable earpiece nozzles, and a selection of 3 different alternatives are bundled with the package – labelled “Reference”, “Transparency” and “Athmospheric Immersion”. Each nozzle has different sizes (diameter and length) and a different mesh, resulting in some audible impact on the delivered musical experience.
Auditioned with their Reference Filter at first, Duno Falcon Pro offer an obviously low-enhanced presentation, coming accross as warm-coloured and laid back. Low mids and especially midbass notes are definitely bloomy. Timbre is smooth, rounded.
The Transparency filter very modestly tames the bass line, by ear I would say by less than 1dB, and enhances highmids and presence trebles by a more significant margin. The result is a bit more highend openness but not enough de-accentuated midbass, the combination of which does not reach a balanced presentation level. The general tonality stays warm colored. Timbre stays smooth as the added treble accent doesnt come with particular edgyness. Curiously enough for a single-DD I notice a slight but perceivable lack of cohesion between such enhanced trebles and the persisting midbass importance.
The Athmospheric filter applies the same minimal taming to the bass line as the Transparency one does, and enhances highmids (slowing their transients down a bit in the process) sooner than its Transparency sibling, but a down-tame this time is applied to presence trebles, and an even more serious tonedown happens on brilliance. The result is an even more soft-toned, relaxed, more intimate and warmer presentation.
For my own tastes Athmospheric is a no go: its evident bass accent pairs badly with too relaxed transients, and a general blurryness that transfers a too dark and unresolved feeling to me. In terms of horizontal coherence Reference is best, but in terms of tonality I still find it too invasively bassy so I settled for Transparency, accepting the modest tonal incoherence I mentioned above. I conducted most of my audition on Transparency nozzles.

Sub-Bass​

Sub Bass on Falcon Pro is modestly rolled off but most of all subdued to mid-bass slowish transients and warmth. Very little rumble emerges from that, and it’s a pity. This applies to all nozzles.

Mid Bass​

Falcon Pro’s midbass is not overall bad, but it surely plays the elephant in the room’s role, which is I guess a quite objective reality, and in addition to that I find it too bloomy, which is a much more subjective point of course. It’s anyhow evident that midbass is conditioning the entire presentation setting the ambient to warm, soft and relaxing mood, lacking on punch and definition and showing only limited texture.

Mids​

Mids on FalconPro are recessed in positioning but OK in quality. Note weight especially is good, on the other hand they don’t sound particularly “organic”. On their low part they are subdued to midbass and this generates more than some limitation in terms of definition and layering. Highmids are much better. Transparency nozzles make highmids leaner, which is in some case a pro, othertimes a limitation – depending on musical requirements of course.

Male Vocals​

Male vocals are full, lush but slow so for example baritones fail to be organically cavernous. A bit better are tenors which are still a bit too bloomy but definitely better detailed and closer to reality.

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Female Vocals​

Females are also nicely bodied, and less bloomy than males which makes them nicely liquid, pleasant. Transparency nozzles make them a tad faster and clearer, but on the flip side they bring them dangerously close to sibilance at times.

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Highs​

Treble is no doubt my preferred part in Falcon Pro’s presentation. They come accross reasonably vivid, polished and clear on the Reference nozzles, and a bit furtherly enhanced and slightly clearer on the Transparency nozzles. On the other hand they don’t go as far as being sparkly, let alone airy – not even on the Transparency nozzle. And the clarity from this section is not enough to compensate on the warmth and intimacy imposed by midbass.

Technicalities​

Soundstage​

Referred to direct competitors Falcon Pro draw an average stage, with some decent depth and height. Reference nozzles are best at this, Athmospheric worst.

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Imaging​

Macrodynamics (a.k.a. imaging) is the single aspect where Falcon Pro excel: instruments and voices are all given very good body, almost a 3d-personality, and they are wonderfully positioned on the stage. Which makes scarce layering and microdynamics an even bigger pity.

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Details​

Detail retrieval is very modest, both on highmids and trebles, and even more so on mid and sub bass. While this sounds coherent with the general laidback tuning choice, I still believe something better might have been made here

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Instrument separation​

The aspect I liked less on Falcon Pro is the general – and quite evident – lack of resolving power. Instrument voices are always at least somewhat “mélanged” together, which may be nice from the musicality standapoint, but when excessive it fails to deliver proper separation and clean layering.

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Driveability​

Falcon Pro are quite sensible therefor “easy to drive” loud enough even from lowend systems. Beware though – as always amping power is not the same as amping quality, and Falcon Pro do require a good bass-controlled source, and surely not a warm one, or their naturally slow midbass would resonate even warmer/darker than it already is.

Physicals​

Build​

Falcon Pro shells are made of stainless steel and appear evidently sturdy and greatly designed and realised. The finish on the external side is very elegant, with sandblasted logos onto mirror-chrome surface. Interchangeable nozzles are threaded for secure screw-in/screw-out operations. Ace stuff, really. Multiple air vents are present on the internal housings’ side.

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Fit​

Falcon Pro fit me quite easily, thanks to relatively long nozzles and medium-sized well-shaped housings which sit quite well into my conchas.

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Comfort​

Once fitted Falcon Pro feel definitely comfortable to me, I can wear them for protracted lengths of time easily.

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Isolation​

Just average: the passive effect of well fitting housing shapes is limited by the multiple vents.

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Cable​

The bundled cable is very nice from many respects. Modular termination, with a 3 main plug modules included (3.5, 2.5 and 4.4mm), a high purity (6N) silver plated OCC structure, accepbtable flexibility, and very well working MMCX connectors (patented, according to Dunu)

Specifications (declared)​

Some critical comparisons​

vs Tanchjim Oxygen ($260)​

The comparison is pertinent on the “similar” pricing and technology (1DD) standpoints, although it must be noted that Tanchjim Oxygen are by designed tuned towards a “lean harman”, neutral organic target, Falcon Pro towards a V shaped warm one, which of course should set different apriori expectations from either product.

With that being said, Tanchjim Oxygen’s midbass is way faster, more controlled and articulated. Mid bass, down to sub bass notes are much more textured and technical on Oxygen compared to the bloomier ones issued by Falcon Pro.

Although not a detail monster by design, Oxygen also retrieve significantly more subtleties both from highmids/trebles and bass. Note weight is leaner on Oxygen accross the spectrum – maximally so on midbass, but on mids and trebles too. Oxygen are better at layering and separation.

Overall, Oxygen are obviously preferrable on acoustic music (classic, jazz), Falcon Pro’s “meatier” personality may be preferrable on folk, progrock & such.

vs final E4000 ($149)​

Oppositely from the previous case, there is quite some common ground between Falcon Pro and E4000 in terms of intended tuning as both are clearly designed aiming at a warm-colored tonality.

With that being said, E4000’s tonality is evidently more balanced, with a much less invasive, color-imposing, slow bidbass, a bit, but definitely, clearer highmids and trebles.

On a more technical level, Falcon Pro deliver more solid note weight in the trebles, but less definition on trebles and everywhere, really. Falcon Pro offer a somewhat more extended stage size (both on width and depth), E4000 are way better in terms of layering and instrument separation.

Falcon Pro are easier to bias, E4000 require more current to properly open up.

Considerations & conclusions​

Dunu Falcon Pro are honest, well executed single-DD IEMs, exuding design and construction quality from all the angles you can watch them from. Their tuning is very sided, so to say, towards a warm, laidback, intimate presentation which clearly aims at pampering the user more on the overall musical experience then at stunning on technicalities.

Their features do not coincide with my personal preferences neither from the audio nor from the musical standpoints, but that’s of course totally personal.

I received a sample unit kindly provided by co-blogger Kazi. This article originally appeared on audioreviews.org last year, here.

Dunu has been at the forefront of the single-dynamic driver IEM resurgence, with their retired flagship Luna being one of the few pairs of pure Beryllium-foil dynamic driver IEMs. Later, the Dunu Zen and Zen Pro kept the legacy alive and even debuted new patented technologies to increase driver performance further.

Dunu’s Falcon Pro are an entry into the realm of high-performing single-dynamic driver IEMs. The OG Dunu Falcon C were a single-dynamic driver offering, and the Falcon Pro retain that heritage.

WIth an upgraded driver and attractive shell design, the Falcon Pro appear to live up to this legacy. Let’s see if the sound quality also lives up to the expectations.

This review originally appeared on Headphonesty.

Packaging​

The packaging is relatively small in size (measuring only 15x10x8 cm). Dunu has made the best use of the compact space by packing many accessories within the carrying case itself.



The Falcon Pro puts many TOTL IEMs to shame regarding the quality and quantity of stock accessories.

First up is the carrying case. I love the shade of green they use here that subtly shifts in color depending on the surrounding light. It’s roomy enough to carry the IEMs, the filters, and the extra terminations.



Attention to detail carries over even to the zipper with a laser-etched Dunu logo. This case is not small enough for carrying in the pocket, but as a storage case, it is fantastic.



Next comes the cable. I dislike the stiff sheathing but other than that – no complaints.



The cable’s Q-lock LITE modular termination is one of Dunu’s main selling points. The terminations connect to the cable via a 4-pin mechanism. The cable is internally fully balanced, so there is little need to invest in a third-party option. Dunu also supplies all three popular terminations by default: 2.5mm, 3.5mm, and 4.4mm.



Last but not least: we get the tuning filters. For storage, they screw into a solid metal card.

Design​

Dunu went for a small, over-the-ear shell design that prioritizes comfort and ergonomics. The shell has a polished metal faceplate with a laser-etched, ornamental matte surround. The laser-etching is especially well done, and forms patterns as light catches it at various angles.



The Falcon Pro utilizes a heavily vented shell design, with five different vents equalizing the front and back pressure of the driver diaphragm.

Comfort and isolation​

Comfort is excellent, as the shells are small, ergonomic, and lightweight. Isolation is poor due to the front vents.

Internals​

The Dunu Falcon Pro house a 10mm Amorphic Diamond-like Carbon (ADLC) diaphragm, coupled with a very strong 1.6 Tesla N52 Neodymium magnet assembly.

The Falcon Pro are their cheapest IEMs to use Dunu’s ECLIPSE driver system. This system doesn’t necessarily indicate the diaphragm material but rather how the dome, driver surround, and voice-coil attachment process is executed.



As the nozzle itself acts as part of the acoustic structure, it warrants a closer observation. As can be seen from the picture below, the nozzles have differing lengths.



Dunu did a clever trick here: adjust the intensity of high frequencies by increasing the distance between the eardrum and the driver.

High-frequency sound waves have a short wavelength. As such, their intensity drops as the distance increases.

This is why you can hear the subwoofer playing in your neighbor’s house but can barely, if at all, hear the high frequencies. Since we perceive sound as a whole, the reduction of high frequencies makes the IEMs sound bassy, even though the bass quantity remains the same.

Dunu Falcon Pro Sound​

The following sound impressions are formed with stock white tips and cable, using a Questyle CMA-400i and Sony NW-A55 as the source. Test tracks are available on Tidal as a playlist.

Click to expand...

In terms of tuning, the Falcon Pro is V-shaped, with prominent mid-bass and upper-mids. That description sells them short, though, as the bass is rather impressive.

The Falcon Pro sound “physical,” with each note having a distinct weight.

Changing the filters to adjust the sound​

Before delving further into the sound description, I will discuss a bit about the filters and why I ended up with the Transparency filters instead of the other two.

With the longest “Atmospheric” filters, the treble region sounds too “dark.” Cymbal hits are distant, and the mid-bass bloom seeps into everything. With some laid-back acoustic tracks, this filter works well, but for most of my playlist, this one did not work out.

Note: All measurements are conducted on an IEC-711 compliant rig.

Then comes the mid-length “Reference” filters. Unfortunately, the sound with these filters is not very resolving. On the plus side, the mid-bass, upper-mids, and lower-treble are fairly even in terms of magnitude. The highs do not sound as dark as before, but they could do with more sparkle.



Finally, I ended up with the shortest “Transparency” filters.

The bass quantity remains the same, but the upper-mids and lower-treble gain more focus. Lower-mids still sound recessed, and the upper-treble is not pronounced using any of the filters. But the Transparency filter has the greatest resolution among the three and strikes a nice balance overall.

For this reason, I analyzed the Falcon Pro using the Transparency filters. I encourage trying the other two filters and finding the one that suits you the best.

Bass​

Falcon Pro's bass is bold, brash, and overzealous at times.

Dunu swept aside the Harman target (mimicking what has become a trend nowadays) and went with their own flavor of bass tuning. Bass starts a very early rise, being +5dB over the lower-mids from 300 Hz and increasing in magnitude as the frequencies drop.

Snare hits and percussion sound dense. The understroke of the keyboard and pianos are in focus, and notes have added weight behind them. Sub-bass has a good amount of rumble, though the rumble is not as pronounced as IEMs targeting the Harman bass shelf.

Bass bleeds into mids on tracks that have mid-bass bloom. Bass decay is also longer than I prefer, which results in bass notes bleeding into each other in fast bass sections. Bass texture is good, and can be made even better by slightly toning down the upper-bass region via EQ.

Midrange​

The Falcon Pro are devoid of any shout or shrillness in the mids, which is great. The bad news is the lower-mid recession.
Male vocals sound drowned out. Subtleties are lost, and vocal articulations are not well-reproduced.

Female vocals fare a lot better and sound tonally correct. Strings sound denser than they are in the mix, though this may be desirable to some. If you like a sharper or more “neutral” reproduction of strings, the Falcon Pro might disappoint in that regard.

I do enjoy the denser reproduction, even though distorted guitar riffs lose their sharpness or “attack” as a result.

Treble​

Treble is most present using the Transparency filter. Even so, the treble response is most prominent around the lower-treble peak near 5kHz.

Beyond that, the Falcon Pro lose treble sparkle quickly, and upper-treble response is mostly mute. In The Ocean’s Rhyacian, snare hits are more prominent than ride cymbals, highlighting this deficiency in upper-treble and mid-treble response.

Thankfully, the treble has great timbre. There is no splashiness or sibilance, and this tuning will be desired by those sensitive to treble.

Soundstage and imaging​

Due to the vented design, the soundstage is excellent for the price tier. Stage width is above average, whereas stage depth and height are excellent.

Imaging is just as impressive, with spot-on positional cues while gaming or watching movies. You will be hard-pressed to find IEMs with better imaging than the Falcon Pro in the USD$100 – 250 segment.

Dynamics and speed​

Macrodynamic punch, i.e., sudden increase or decrease in volume, is a mixed bag.

When it comes to bass drops, the Falcon Pro deliver with gusto, as the bassy tuning helps deliver the sense of physicality. When it comes to the other end of the spectrum, things change. Orchestral rise or crescendo lacks the excitement one should feel.

Microdynamics (subtle gradation in volume) are excellent, class-leading. On Counting Crow’s Miami, the vocals have a slight increase and decrease in volume, and this can be picked up easily on the Falcon Pro.

Comparisons​

Vs Moondrop Kato​

The Moondrop Kato are single dynamic IEMs with a single-dynamic driver like the Falcon Pro, having a similar (but not the same) DLC diaphragm.

Dunu puts Moondrop to shame with the supplied accessories, both in terms of quality and quantity.

As for the build quality, I find them both excellent, though the Falcon Pro offer a more snug fit. Comfort is good on both, though isolation is better on the Kato.

In terms of sound, the tuning philosophies are the opposite of each other.

The Kato goes for a leaner, more neutral, or reference-like tuning. The upper-midrange is prominent, and bass is controlled in the mid-bass region. The bass can even sound anemic on the Kato, which is not the case on the Falcon Pro.

Lower-mids are better on the Kato, with a more neutral reproduction of string instruments. I prefer the Kato for monitoring or such tasks, as they do not color the sound as much as the Falcon Pro.

Treble is also livelier on the Kato, even though there is a hint of splashiness there. I find the Falcon Pro to have better timbre in the highs, even though extension is lacking.

The Kato also come with replaceable nozzles, but those do not change the sound as drastically as the Falcon Pro nozzles. Imaging and staging are where Falcon Pro pull ahead. Microdynamics are another aspect where Falcon Pro stand apart.

Overall, the denser and more colored tuning of the Falcon Pro favors rock, pop, and such energetic genres well. For monitoring, or if someone needs a fairly neutral representation of music, the Moondrop Kato are more suited to such a workload.

Conclusion​

The Falcon Pro received a lukewarm response upon release, partly due to the mid-bass bias and partly due to the apparent lack of clarity and resolution.

They grow on you, though, as it took nearly half a year for me to realize that they are absolutely a keeper pair of IEMs.

The Falcon Pro have managed to garner a cult following, evident by how quickly Dunu’s Vernus (a re-tuned version of the Falcon Pro) sold out. Dunu did not buck the trend just for the sake of being different. Instead, they had a vision, one that mostly worked out.

Dunu’s Falcon Pro stand out amid a myriad of similarly tuned IEMs and walk the fine line between pleasant warmth and excessive bass. They may not be the most resolving and have a recessed lower-midrange, but the overall presentation is addictive enough to overlook those shortcomings.

DUNU is a well-known audio brand which managed to acquire multiple internationally-recognized acoustic research achievements and patents since long. DUNU has dedicated itself to the development and manufacture of earphone products since 1994. Their new offering The Falcon Pro is the latest entry to their ECLIPSE lineup. ECLIPSE is a proprietary driver technology that comprises three primary components: a standalone driver cone, patented glue techniques & a ring-type magnet with 1.6T field strength. This technology first came in DUNU's flagship IEM (Luna) .Now DUNU has finally made it to a price-point that's accessible to the masses in the form of the Falcon Pro.

Disclaimer:
I got the Dunu Falcon Pro as a part of review-tour organized by Hifigo. Thanks to Hifigo for including me in the tour.
All sound impressions are subjective to my listening/sources and are my personal opinion.
One can purchase Dunu Falcon Pro from the following link: https://hifigo.com/products/dunu-falcon-pro

Dunu Falcon Pro comes in a very compact packaging in the form of a zipper carrying case but having lot of accessories within it. It uses modular cable connector system & the mmcx and silver-colored wounded/braided cable looks very clean & eye-catching. The pack also contains 2.5mm-3.5mm-4.4mm terminations, 3.5mm to 6.5mm adapter, filters ,swappable nozzles ,cleaning tool, microfiber cloth & a mesh bag. That's a lot of accessories!!
The filters comes in 3 different flavors i.e. Transparent, Reference, Atmospheric filter. Little flavor changes are present with each filter which is a nice variety to add. For this review mostly Transparent filter was used.



Well coming to sound, I will simply say it has very smooth & musical sound with a tint of warmness. Does it beat other IEMs in its price line , let's check it out.

Dunu Falcon Pro treble is nicely extended one but is smooth at the same time. Its not bright or harsh but imbues a softness which is musical to ears. There is a feeling of airiness to it. The tuning gives you this relaxed treble response which is not overly detailed but is commendable. Mid's are nicely tuned in most aspects. There is feeling of slight recession , basically it is just one-notch down the Balanced set-up which one may expect. The texture is very good, in terms of resolution, the major emphasis is on the macro details rather on the micro ones as expected from the ECLIPSE technology which is very much stand-out when it comes to macro dynamics. Vocals come out clean with clear space & without any congestion. The bass response of Falcon Pro is quite authoritative. There is a very good attack to it and decay is also nicely tuned giving it a nice extension to mid and upper bass. Bass is warm-bodied & presents the required texture of corresponding instruments but not too much. The sub-bass is quite shy & will not impress one if they are keen of it. Basically the Bass is more on the "fun" end rather than the more resolving & clean bass which other IEMs can provide.



Falcon Pro has a wide & layered soundstage which one will notice almost immediately. The separation/imaging is also excellent & comprised with its spatial & airy characteristics provides a nice ambiance around your ears. Soundstage, Imaging & Layering is one of the parts where Falcon Pro seems far better than some of its higher priced IEMs.



Overall, Falcon Pro is a nice single DD IEM out there in the mid-fi range at a strongly competitive price of $219.99 & needs to be checked out. It may lack some of the micro-details but as a whole Falcon pro performs extraordinarily well. It has fun tuning, is smooth & musical, excels in layering, separation, imaging & macro-details. Moreover it comes with a quality modular cable, case & the plethora of accessories included adds the premium feel to the overall experience of the IEM.