The DUNU EST 112 is a very good mid-fi that employs three driver (tribrid) types to produce sound. A fairly large 13.5mm dynamic driver for low frequency, 1 balanced armature for mid-range and 2 Electro static tweeters for higher frequency.
This is a fairly well tuned IEM that sounds quite beautiful with most genres of music.
I have spent many hours listening to these with a variety of gear. These shiny pair of IEMs sound as sophisticated as it looks.
The DD on these is well behaved and delivers a solid punchy sub-bass when called for. Although the tuning here is largely mid-bass focused, the good news is they don’t end up smearing the vocals.
The single BA controlled mid-range is quite pleasant and has good resolution. Vocals are nicely centered but male vocals lack a bit of weight. Upper mids to lower treble is an area where the Dunu ESTs come alive!
This is my first encounter with an electrostatic driver & tri-brid set up. I am highly treble sensitive and dislike IEMs that are too splashy. The Dunu EST 112s produce treble very differently than all my other BA or DD based IEMs. There is so much sweetness in the high frequency spectrum here with no hint of sibilance. This not only brings in life to the music but also makes the sound feel wider and creates a airy sound stage.
The Dunu EST 112s are not the widest sounding in-ears in this price segment but they aren’t too bad either.
Overall these manage to create an engaging and beautiful presentation that your music truly deserves. These aren’t the ones to choose if you are an analytical or critical listener. Dunu has managed to make a very lively and energetic sounding monitor with a big price to performance advantage.
The accessories provided are top notch. I don’t think there is a competitor in the mid-fi category who does it better than Dunu in this regard. The MMCX cable is one of the best out there not only in terms of quality but also in its versatility. Included in the box are switchable plugs with all the 3 terminations that is needed, 3.5 mm single ended, 2.5 mm and 4.4 mm balanced. Now we see players like Fiio & Moondrop following Dunu’s footsteps but Dunu is way ahead in the quality of stock accessories in my opinion.
One area that took a while for me to get it right was the tips. I have rather deep ear canals and none of the stock tips gave me great seal or comfort. Sound of in-ear monitors are highly fit/seal and tip dependent. Finally I switched to the double flanged Spinfit CP 240s & these resulted not only in above-average isolation but also gave the bass a solid definition and created a wider sound stage.
Gear(s) used iPhone with AQ Dragon fly black DAC/AMP, Luxury & Precision W2 DAC/AMP, ALAC and locally stored hi-res music.
Lastly kudos to The Audio store team for bringing brands like Dunu to all the casual listeners as well as enthusiasts like us.
Cheers!