The Falcon Pro is Dunu's latest ECLIPSE-based single dynamic driver in-ear monitor that uses trickle-down technology from the Zen and Zen Pro and their flagship Luna. This new IEM comes in at a relatively low price of $219 and is packed with goodies, which I'll talk about a little bit more below.
First off, I'd like to thank Tom of Dunu for providing me this review unit to try out and provide my impressions here.
The Falcon Pro is not only just a new IEM, but it also features the first use of Dunu's new modular cable connector system that I'm aware of. This new mmcx and silver-colored wounded and braided cable is very clean looking and easy to use. The new connector is a little bit easier to use as it is just pulled on without any moving mechanism to secure it into place. You do have to make sure you have it aligned correctly for it to fit. The new connector may look large in marketing images, but in reality, its actually a lot smaller than I thought and is a little more compact than the original Dunu modular connectors.
As with other Dunu products, there is a lot of tips provided, as well as a zipper carrying case. The case included with the Falcon Pro is a green canvas-like material and has a netted pocked on the inside. There's plenty of space for the IEM and tips and small accessories. My little Sony Walkman NW-A55 will actually fit inside this case as well!
Dunu uses a metallic shell that has a polished mirror look with 5 vent holes on the interior side. The shell design is tear-drop shaped and small to medium sized with a medium depth nozzle. My overall comfort level wearing these with SpinFit tips was excellent and I never felt like I needed to take these off nor had trouble with seal.
Sound Impressions
The Dunu Falcon Pro exhibits a warm-bodied and smooth sound no matter the filter choice. Now, each one does something with the amount of bass and treble output, but overall the Falcon Pro has a warm and elevated bass response, and a slightly dark and relaxed treble range that makes it a comfortable listen for long periods of time. If anything, the Falcon Pro has a very vanilla, yet elegant sound.
For most of my listening, I decided upon the least bass, and more treble filter called the Transparency filter. This one provided a little bit less mid-bass, and just a tad more treble than the standard Reference filter, and the very interesting Atmospheric filter. With the Atmospheric one, it's hard to pinpoint exactly what is going on, as it doesn't necessarily sound as dark as it graphs, and provides an interesting level of depth and imaging that sounds a bit diffused out, and I don't tend to notice the dark FR response that it exhibits.
With the Transparency filter, I found the bass to have the least amount of bloat, though I wouldn't necessarily say that the other filters are excessively bloated. They have a very mid-bass focused sound but does not necessarily translate into a great amount of punch and slam. Instead, I find this to be a smooth and warm-bodied experience, with any of the filters. The Transparency filter, however, allows just a little bit more texture to shine, but at the end of the day, the Falcon Pro isn't the most resolving and texture-filled experience there is for an IEM nor does it compare to Dunu's higher-priced sibling, the Zen.
The Falcon Pro's midrange is even-keeled. It's warm and subtle and does not do anything to make it really stand out. Perhaps, this has to do with the elevated lower bass, and the Hifiman-like subdued 1KHz range, which gives the Falcon just a bit more space to play with in an otherwise warm-tuning that can cause music to come across just a bit more intimate than my normal preferences.
The treble response of the Falcon Pro shows a mature smoothness to it that isn't overly bright or sharp, but also not too dark either. It's got a decent amount of treble extension, but a softness to it that makes it sound very refined, especially at the price point it is targeting. Many IEMs in this price range don't really give the listener proper treble extension, and many mask treble extension-less with just peaks in the lower treble to give an overly sharp but "clarity" sound. In the case of the Falcon Pro, treble is present, but it does not stand out, which is nice. I wouldn't classify it as sweet totally, but it's nearing that type of sweetness that I desire.
The Falcon Pro's technical performance is a bit of a mixed bag. It's solid given its low price point, but I wouldn't consider it above average against other competition either. It has solid separation, and treble extension, but it lacks microdynamics and punch. It doesn't slam as hard as you may think given its FR graph, nor does it provide a great level of bass texture given its dynamic driver. But it does not falter in any of these cases either. It's just, average.
I gave out the sample units of the Dunu DK2001 and DK3001 Pro a couple years ago to the boys at Headphones.com and they still have them, otherwise I'd love to compare how these fare against one another. I think the Falcon Pro may go well head to head against these two, as a very similar cross of the two IEMs, with the bass/warmth of the DK2001 and the relaxed sound of the DK3001 Pro, but with more treble extension than both.
I did compare this to the smaller, but pricer Zen from Dunu. The Zen is punchier, more dynamic, and just an overall better IEM in many of the technical categories. The Falcon Pro does best the Zen in soundstage distance and treble extension though, and provides better instrument separation, but the Zen has better resolution, slam/punch, and a more exciting overall sound. I do like the Falcon Pro's tonal balance just a tad more just because the Zen can be a bit too forward in the upper mids, which can be fatiguing to me. That's never a problem with the more chillax Falcon Pro.
Wrap-Up
The Falcon Pro is a nice entry for Dunu. While I don't think it's something that is uniquely great or a world beater, I do think its a nice overall package when you consider the cable, accessories, and build quality. The tonal balance works well for many genres, and is smooth and warm and should work well for long listening sections. Plus, it has some treble extension!
Its not the most technical IEM on the market, nor even in its price class, but it sits in the average to above-average category of IEMs as a whole. That's not a bad thing, as it probably won't disappoint those spending their hard earned cash on this little package.
Comments
Post a Comment