Dynamic Motion DM200H

crabdog

Headphoneus Supremus
Pros: Great instrument separation and clarity. Comfortable. Unique driver design.
Cons: Fixed cable
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If you have enthusiasm, you have a very dynamic, effective companion to travel with you on the road to Somewhere. (Loretta Young)

Introduction

Dynamic Motion is a Korean based company that has been around since 1982 but were recently acquired by Lefrig Audio and as such have had somewhat of a hiatus during the transition, however will be forthcoming with new releases in the near future. They produce headphones and IEMs in various flavors but for today's item rather than utilize existing technologies they went out and created something unique. This patented solution is called BED™ (Bulls Eye Driver™). What they've done is made a dynamic driver with a hole in the center and taken a wide band tweeter balanced armature driver and inserted it through that hole effectively joining the two together. Now what this supposedly does is minimize the phasing issues that are inherent in traditional implementations and also reduces the space needed to house the drivers. The BED™ has been utilized in the company's DM200H high fidelity earphone which is what I'm looking at today. Interesting right? So how does it sound? Does this new technology work? Well, let's find out!

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Disclaimer

This sample was sent for the purpose of an honest review. I'm not affiliated with the company and all observations and opinions are my own, based on my experience with the product.

Special thanks to Wonsok for arranging the sample and his timely responses. Can't wait to see what Dynamic Motion does in the future.

The DM200H is available at $229 directly from the Dynamic Motion website.

At this stage it seems to be only available directly from the Dynamic Motion web store. There are some listings on Amazon and eBay but they're grossly overpriced.

Packaging and accessories

The DM200H arrives in a black box with a foldable flap on the front that's held in place magnetically. On the outside is a cardboard sleeve with an image of the earphones on the front and on the back are some of the features as well as some information about the Bulls Eye Driver™. Opening it up you see on the inside of the cover is some more detailed information on the company's innovative BED technology.

In the box is a black foam inlay with the earphones and accessories seated in their own cutout sections. The presentation is gorgeous and looks really premium. Let's take a look at what you get:
  • DM200H earphone
  • 4x pairs silicone eartips (XS, S, M, L)
  • 1x pair Comply foam tips
  • Airline adapter
  • Shirt clip
The carry case is pretty nice and big enough to comfortably fit the earphones inside but can still fit in a pocket.

For most people the bundle should cover everything they need but for me as happens so often all the eartips were far too small for my ear canals. I'm so used to this happening I usually don't make a fuss over it but when an earphone costs over a hundred dollars I expect it to come with a wide range of eartips in various sizes. It's nice to see the Comply foams included and for the majority of people they'd probably find something suitable in the box. Apart from that the overall unboxing experience is a very pleasant one.

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Build, comfort and isolation

Specifications:
  • TYPE: Bulls Eye hybrid · 11mm dynamic + Single Wide BA
  • Frequency response: 5Hz ~ 40kHz
  • Impedance: 24Ω
  • Sensitivity 104dB±3dB@1kHz/1mW
  • Weight: 16.7g (including cable) / cable length: 1.25m
The DM200H's black shells are constructed of a lightweight metal and have a 40 degree angled nozzle. The rear section where the cable is attached has a rubberized coating and there's a pinhole sized vent near the base of the nozzle. There's also another vent just in front of where the cable connects. On the back of the shell is the company logo.

The dual coated cable which has a winding lead-in for extra durability feels and looks great. It sits pretty well and is very smooth and resistant to tangling. Where it connects to the housings there's a decent strain relief and there's a similarly good relief on the L shaped, gold-plated plug.

The winding lead-in on the cable is said to reduce microphonics but unfortunately it's still very present. There is a shirt clip included in the bundle to alleviate the cable noise. I would have preferred if the earphones were designed to be worn over ear which is easy to do with this kind of housing design and when getting into a higher price range I also expect to see detachable cables. Fixed cables just seem to be a little outdated in the current market, with even many ultra budget Chinese IEMs offering MMCX or 2-pin detachable options and I believe going into the future those who don't utilize them are putting themselves at a disadvantage.

Comfort wise, these are pretty darn good and I can wear them for several hours without a problem. The angled nozzles make it easy to get a good seal (provided you're using the right tips) and they sit securely when you're moving around.

Isolation isn't great due to the dual vent system but it's not at all bad and I've used the DM200H in all types of noisy environments without it being a problem. While not as effective as a sealed housing it's obviously much better isolation than what you get with earbuds. One advantage of the vents is that you don't get any pressure build up inside your ears and that's always nice.

Overall I find the build quality to be really good and what you'd generally expect at the given price.

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Sound

Gear used for testing:
  • Acoustic Research AR-M20
  • ATC HDA-DP20
  • Samsung Galaxy Note 5
  • MusicBee/flac > Arcam irDAC-II
This IEM is easy to drive and sounds great from all the sources I've tested from my smartphone to my desktop setup.

The DM200H is rather interesting with it's unique BED driver and I'm curious to see future iterations of the technology. The presentation is fairly balanced or slightly mid-centric so it's a great one for lovers of vocals and acoustics but there's a lot more to it than that. What really struck me about the DM200H is the instrument separation and overall clarity that comes through, along with the cohesion the BED brings to the table blending the dynamic and balanced armature to sound like a single entity. I think the company could be onto something great here with their unique hybrid system. It's a non fatiguing IEM to listen to and I've really enjoyed my time with it. It works well across a wide range of genres.

Take the graph below with a grain of salt as it's measured with my own poor attempt at compensation but it should give you a ball park idea of the frequency response.
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Extension is great from top to bottom, as are transients but again, that magical separation, clarity and cohesion is what makes the DM200H well worth the asking price in terms of sound quality.

Bass is fast and tight with a short decay. Texture is good, very clean and controlled. At times the bass seems to lack presence but then all of a sudden it will surprise you with it's authority. It really draws on the properties of the track and accurately represents the recording. It's a testament to the BED technology's viability that bass can sound this good, even with a BA appendage speared through its center. Sub-bass is also satisfying. It won't shake your skull but you can definitely feel it when it's needed as it resonates nicely through the housings.

The midrange on the DM200H is stellar, being simultaneously very clear and smooth. Male and female vocals alike come across as lush and buttery, from the deep voice of Keb' Mo' on his "Live - The Hot Pink Blues Album" to the emotive crooning of Toni Braxton & Babyface in "Where Did We Go Wrong?". The tonality here is superb. It's natural and organic and in my opinion edges out a lot of the competition in its price range. Instrument separation is superb as is the definition.

Treble is masterfully reproduced and strikes the perfect balance between energy and comfort. It never gets harsh or strident yet has a strong enough presence to excite and invigorate the music. Extension is great with the shimmer and sheen of cymbals rolling off naturally with lifelike timbre.

Soundstage has good width and average depth. Listening to Henry Purcell-Dido And Aeneas (English Chamber Orchestra, Raymond Leppard 1985) shows the DM200H to have very good imaging and an ability to portray a large sense of space.

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Comparisons

TFZ Balance 2M ($199 USD)
This competent single dynamic driver IEM sadly went largely unnoticed among the Head-Fi community. It brings a much weightier bass than the DM200H with an authoritative punch and rumbling sub-bass. The DM200H in comparison has a more forward midrange, greater separation and more energetic treble. The B2M has a fuller and warmer midrange but it sits a bit further behind the bass. Both IEMs have nice width and depth in the soundstage. If you prefer a meatier bass and more full-bodied sound then this is the one to go for.

LZ A4 ($195 USD)
The most obvious difference apart from the driver configuration is the A4's tuning options which adds a lot of versatility to this IEM. Having said that I think the DM200H is every bit as impressive when it comes to sonic ability. Using my preferred filters on the A4 (black rear + gunmetal nozzle) the DM200H is a bit more authoritative in the bass with the midrange being less recessed in comparison. Treble has the same excellent clarity on both - hardly surprising as both use balanced armatures for the highs. Build quality is very good on both but people are less likely to have comfort issues with the DM200H as it conforms to a more standard design. The A4 does have the advantage of being able to use it over ear or cable down. These two IEMs have a decent soundstage with the A4 taking a slight lead. Both are outstanding value and are capable of amazing sound.

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From left to right: Dynamic Motion DM200H, TFZ Balance 2M, LZ A4

Conclusion

The DM200H was a bit of a surprise for me. I'm blown away by the sound these things bring to the table. Normally something that sounds this good will get more praise and hype in the enthusiast circles. Maybe it was only marketed in Korea and that's why so many people don't know about it, I'm not sure but hope to see more international exposure for DM products in the future.

Really the only negative I can find with these earphones is the fixed cable and for some that might not even register as an issue. The sound is dynamic, clear and lively. It continues to surprise with its nimbleness across all genres and music styles. It's all there really - sound, comfort and build quality. What more could you ask for? Bottom line is if you're shopping for something around the $200 mark and don't mind a fixed cable you should consider the DM200H because they really sounds amazing.

Francisk

Headphoneus Supremus
Pros: End to end frequency extension with great dynamics and soundstage
Cons: Fixed cable
I spent 2 days at E-Earphone Akihabara Tokyo on October 2016 and I was prepared to shell out top dollars for a top of the line universal fit IEM. I of course did the usual and started testing all those high end reputable brand multi-drivers IEMs (some up to 12 a side....lol) that cost no less than $1500. After spending time testing all these "high end" IEMs, I was not particularly impressed with any of them as I've also owned several good IEMs like FitEar TG334, Etymotic ER4PT, Phonak PFE022 (with grey filter and Comply tips), Phonak PFE232 (with grey filter and Comply tips) and headphones like Audeze LCD-X, Sennheiser HD600 amongst others.

I took a break and then stumbled upon the DM200H and I thought I'd just amuse myself and see how bad a $250 IEM from an obscure brand can sound. In fact I've never even heard of a company named Dynamic Motion before so I was merely trying to have a good laugh at it and boy....was I in for a big surprise. The DM200H left me speechless the moment I put them in my ears. I can't believe the sound quality coming from the DM200H and I have to check with the sales guy if the listed price is correct. In short, it totally blew me away with it's end to end frequency extension, it's transient dynamics on drums and percussive instruments, it's wide sound staging, it's tight and fast bass response, it's superbly detailed high frequencies that reveal all the micro details that's been missing from even far more expensive IEMs. I of course bought the DM200H on the spot and the rest is history. Moral of my personal experience is never to judge an IEM based on the obscurity of the company or price. Listen and judge the IEM based solely on the sound quality and put all your prejudice on brands and price aside.
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