Introduction

This one was a surprise even to me, and a welcome one at that. My recent review of the DUNU FALCON PRO happened because it was a more affordable release from the brand, one that had more marketing budget thrown at. It was and still is the easiest entry to experience what DUNU calls ECLIPSƎ, a new patented driver platform that impressed with the technical performance of the FALCON PRO. ECLIPSƎ itself came about from lessons learned making the all-beryllium foil LUNA, a $1600 set of IEMs that seemed more like an exercise to show the world what the engineering team at DUNU could do. The DUNU ZEN, launched last year, debuted at a much lower price and felt more like a finished retail product with compromises made in terms of the diaphragm material. It launched to rave reviews, but there clearly was room for improvement. So here we are taking a look at the current ECLIPSƎ flagship—the ZEN PRO—and thanks to DUNU for providing TechPowerUp a review sample.


This one will be interesting because deliberately next to no ZEN PRO review samples were sent out, especially in the absence of competitive single dynamic driver IEMs in its price range. Instead, DUNU opted for a private test with a few reviewers who had previously reviewed the original ZEN, and generally found positive feedback across several categories. As a general statement, the quick turnaround from ZEN to ZEN PRO may well have irked some, but note that the two don't directly compete in pricing anymore, either. The ZEN PRO aims to address some of the concerns with the original ZEN—the darker treble response in particular. Getting this right with a single dynamic driver requires more tricks than I could practically go on about here, but we'll address some of the tech that has gone into the ZEN PRO in this review which begins with a look at the product specifications in the table below.

Specifications

Packaging and Accessories

DUNU operates a web shop out of Asia, and I do appreciate the notice about potential COVID-related delays you have to acknowledge before ordering lest you are disappointed by the time taken for your precious order to ship. This sample shipped with DHL and took ~4 days to reach me across a couple of oceans. Not bad! The shipping packaging is on point with an appropriately sized cardboard box and bubble wrap protection all around the product box itself. Speaking of which, we see an iridescent coating for the sleeve that is a different color based on the incident light. The design is otherwise simple and clean, with the company logo and product name on the front, in addition to the now-expected Hi-Red Audio sticker, of course. On the back are product specifications and contact information for the parent company in both English and Mandarin, and a look at the side shows this is a sleeve that can be slid off the inner box.


The inner box is textured and black, with "DUNU" in glossy letters on the front. This is in fact the lid that unfurls open from the side as seen above, revealing a gift-box style unboxing with a wax paper sheet over the contents. DUNU is using a two-layer packaging, with the top layer composed of thick foam that has machined cutouts to snugly hold the IEMs, as well as the cable alongside. Two ribbon tags on either side help lift this layer up to access the bottom layer.


Removing the IEMs means digging your fingers into the small gaps surrounding them, and it's easier to do so at the top. Note that there is no plastic seal over the glossy shells, so you may well have fingerprints on them at this point. It's a good thing then that a soft, branded microfiber cloth that can be used to wipe the ZEN PRO shells clean from time to time has been put into the bottom layer, among other things. Included also is a QC certificate with a pamphlet going over the functionality of the modular cable, where the illustrations are thankfully self-explanatory in the absence of an English translation. This is where the three modular plugs come in, covering 2.5, 3.5, and 4.4 mm terminations we will get to in more detail on the next page. A plastic box also has two sets of silicone ear tips neatly packed here, which come in multiple sizes (S/M/L) and mostly differ by flange softness.


The cardboard box in the bottom layer is also where we find the carry case. This time, it is genuine leather—or at least fools me enough to act like it—in a tanned dark blue color. The DUNU logo is on the front for branding purposes, and the sturdy zipper has it, too. This being DUNU, the case has even more accessories inside, and these come bagged separately. We see the same light brown drawstring fabric pouch that shipped with the FALCON PRO, and it remains similar to what we saw included with the Campfire Audio IEMs. I don't really like this static shock magnet of a bag, so I don't plan on using it personally. Some of the other accessories are a gold-plated adapter for a 6.35 mm single-ended source output courtesy the 3.5 mm to 6.35 mm adapter, as well as a cleaning brush, airline adapter, and plastic clip to secure the cable to your dress/shirt should you be wearing it down the front as most do. The clip will reduce microphonics, and can still be handy even if going the recommended route down the back.


But wait, we are not done yet! As with the FALCON PRO, DUNU includes even more ear tip choices to potentially confuse the end user. Whether or not these are for specific things I do not know. What I can say is that one set is size M memory foam for those who prefer it, and the second set is silicone but with longer flanges. Clarification from DUNU what the different ear tips supposedly do would be nice, especially for someone new to the IEM hobby. It's also somewhat strange that the foam tips come in a single size only.


Thus far, it has all been about the unboxing experience of the DUNU ZEN PRO. However, DUNU had also sent along two digital adapters that really showcase the potential of its fantastic modular cable system termed Q-Lock PLUS. These shipped in smaller,separate boxes with a note on the back clarifying whether you have the USB Type-C or Lightning port option. Inside the cardboard box is the adapter plug that comes protected in a bubble wrap bag.


There is a single color option for these digital plugs at this time, with DUNU opting for the matte champagne and black color scheme that fits their cables, too. These being digital adapter plugs, one end plugs into the mobile device on the platform of your choice, while the other end is a female 4-pin plug that mates with the cable itself. Inside each is a DAC that converts digital signals from the mobile device to analog stereo fed to the IEMs; the DAC is nothing to scoff at in this form factor, with a THD of -84 dB, SNR of 102 dB (at 1 kHz), crosstalk of -80 dB, and power output of 30 mW at 32 Ω—plenty to drive the ZEN PRO. For those interested, the Type-C plug costs $30, and the genuine Lightning plug version costs $36; blame Apple for the price difference.