Introduction

Did you know DUNU stood for Delicate, Unique & (n') Utmost? I was informed of this at the brand's press conference kicking off the 18th Shenzhen International Audio Show in September. DUNU took to the stage to unveil multiple products, including a set of IEMs that are the latest in a renowned series it is known for. The DK3001 released in 2015 and is still acknowledged by many as of the pioneers of good IEM tuning which has since become almost a norm these days. This was then succeeded by the DK3001 Pro in 2019, and I was blissfully unaware of what DUNU even was at this stage. Almost a decade later, DUNU has released the third in the line in the form of the DK3001BD.


The BD here stands for "Brain Dance," a concept that was seen as early as 1990 in the famous Cyberpunk 2020 tabletop role-playing game, which in turn became more famous in CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077 video game. In DUNU's own words, the DK3001BD is "a device that connects to the sensory mind," allowing you to "immerse yourself in a hyperrealistic listening experience, like the Hyperdream." I get the intentions, and more relevant is the design itself that is clearly adopting a more cyberpunk approach. The DUNU DK3001BD stood out immediately at the Shenzhen audio show in a sea of increasingly similar looking IEMs. These are not plastic or resin IEMs, in case you were wondering that, instead using aluminium alloy given a durable and smooth zirconium ceramic coating for a white + orange aesthetic. I'll also mention right away that this is a tribrid driver set with a unique sound signature too, so the DK3001BD has a few different things going for it already. Thanks to DUNU for providing a review sample to TechPowerUp, and let's begin with a look at the product specifications in the table below.

Specifications

Packaging and Accessories

DUNU is one of very few audio brands that manages to have customers feel they are getting good value for money purely from the unboxing experience itself, and the DK3001BD is no exception. Matching the IEMs, the product box comes in white and orange with an external sleeve that has the brand logo and product name on the front and product specifications on the back in multiple languages. There's more product branding on the sides, as well as on the inner orange box that can be slid out the top or bottom.


The inner box employs a two-piece design with a thick cardboard lid that can be lifted to reveal the IEMs individually tucked inside thick foam with machined cutouts. They come with ear tips pre-installed, making it easier to get going with the DK3001BD. The storage/carry case is seen alongside, and is not easy to photograph against a pure white or black background. This is a white leather case that feels extremely nice in the hands, has the DUNU logo on the front, fantastic stitching all around, and opens up to reveal some of the accessories, including the IEM cable that has a protective plastic zip-lock bag over the connectors. We also get one of the source terminations here, again inside a plastic bag. The case has plenty of room for the IEMs with the cable thus, and there is a separate compartment for a small portable DAC/amp and spare ear tips too.


The rest of the accessories are in the bottom layer, including paperwork about the cable and how to use the modular terminations, a QC sticker, a branded microfiber cloth to help keep the IEMs clean, and a light brown drawstring fabric pouch if you wish to store the IEMs in the individually stitched compartments. We also get a shirt clip, a cleaning tool, and a 3.5 mm to 6.35 mm adapter before we get to the two plastic ear tip storage boxes and a plastic pouch that also contains more ear tips. Gone is the airline adapter, but we do get four types of silicone in sizes S/M/L each—including the DUNU S&S (which come in S/M/L/XL sizes) and Candy tips—and a set of size M foam tips to further sweeten the deal. This is quite generous and helps users have more options to get a good fit and seal with the DK3001BD in their ears.