Intro
No intro needed for Dunu i believe? They’re pretty much very well known in the audiophile community with their SA6 and EST 112. Today I have here with me the reboot of their entry level series, Titan S, A 11 mm dynamic driver with a multi-layered, poly-condensated liquid crystal polymer (LCP) diaphragm. Let’s find out how it will pit itself against today’s sub 100$ mark’s IEM.
Packaging
I would say the packaging is reasonable for the asking price. However, when i unbox it, i’m very surprised to see such a nice and premium looking storage pouch, it doesn’t look generic, this pretty much shows the thought that goes into it.
Build/Comfort
The shell of Titan S is made from durable and lightweight zinc alloy, you will feel a little weight when you are holding the IEM, but when you are actually wearing it, it is very comfortable and you won’t feel like something is weighing you down. No weird nor sharp protruding edge that causes discomfort.
Design wise, it does have a cyberpunk kind of feel to it. Including the box’s artwork. I like the design personally.
Source
Foobar2k -> RHA L1-> Titan S(Stock Cable and Tips)
Ibasso DX160 -> Titan S(Stock Cable and Tips)
Windows 10 Tidal(MQA) -> Audirect Beam 3 Pro -> Titan S(Stock Cable and Tips)
Sound
The overall tuning is very balanced except there’s a slight elevation at the upper midrange’s 3k freq from the official FR in Titan S’s product page, personally i kinda like this slight gain as it gives the music a little more excitement and stand out a little bit compared to a smoother curve which often feels a little dull to my taste.
Titan S sounds pretty neutral to my ears. However, if you prefer a colored tuning, you can easily match it with any cooler/warm source.
Bass
Bass is done very well here in terms of quality and quantity
Bass extension is pretty much spot on
Tight and fast
Doesn’t bleed into the mids
Sub bass rumble is there when it’s called for, very evident in Dune’s OST Dream of Arrakis, not lacking in any way
Not bloated and has got good texture to it
Mids
Vocals are forward but not intimidating in any away
Both male and female has got good texture to it
I personally liked the slight elevation on the upper mids, it does highlight and put some emphasis to certain instruments, but it’s not too intrusive that made you feel like it is overwhelming
Treble
Not sibilant nor harsh
It has got enough air and sparkles to not made it sound dull and dark
Extension can be better but at the asking price,it’s just nitpicking
Plenty of perceived detail
Soundstage/Imaging
The soundstage is wide, if you are listening to live music, very very good
Good imaging and instruments can be pinpointed easily
Good layering between instruments,it doesn’t feel like one is trying to drown/over-power the other instruments
Overall, very good considering the price point, anything more than this is just nitpicking
Driveability
Easy to drive, you can easily get a listenable volume level straight out of a phone’s jack
Doesn’t need amping to sound good, but scales very well with it
Comparison (Ikko’s OH2)
OH2 is a bit more mid centric and laid back
Tonality wise its tilting towards the warmer side of spectrum
Generally a more laid back listening experience comparing to Titan S which has got more energy and revealing nature (Not a good or bad thing,it’s all down to personal preference)
Detail wise,Titan S takes the lead as OH2 is not tuned to be a revealing set in nature
Soundstage on the OH2 feels more in your head rather than having a more open kind of sound like Titan S
Comparison (Moondrop’s Aria)
Aria being slightly bland(darker),Titan S has got more sparkles and air
Smoother top end
Less analytical than Titan S
Bass quantity is slightly higher on the Aria compared to Titan S, but both exhibited good control
In terms of treble presentation, both are different being Titan has got more energy and Aria is more reserved in terms of a smoother response
Both are going head to head,to my ears and my setup
Final Thoughts
Well, what do I think about Titan S? I absolutely like it and it is very easy to recommend to someone who dislikes Aria due to it being bland. Titan S is the alternative and in fact, it is a bit more resolving compared to Aria based on my listening setup.
Dunu has really set a benchmark on how budget IEM should sound and you don’t even have to pay a significant amount of money to enjoy good sound. I will definitely be keeping an eye out to see what they have to offer up next. At the time of writing, Titan S is going for 79.9$, which has a high price performance ratio.
An easy 4.5/5 stars from me (Do take into consideration that what i mentioned in this review is based on how i hear it via my own setup,YMMV However, rest assured that you will still be getting a good sound out of Titan S even if you don’t share the same source as i have)
*A Big thanks to Kevin and Thomas from Dunu for sending over this tour unit and providing the opportunity for others to review the Titan S as well. I am in no way influenced to write a positive review by participating in this tour
