Dunu Titan 3 Review

Taking a break from enjoying some gorgeous Spring weather, I’m sitting down with the Dunu Titan 3 earphone.  Retailing for $139, this hi-res model utilizes a stainless steel construction and removable cable.  But how does it sound?

Dunu Titan 3 Review

The Titan 3 comes with a carrying case, six pairs of eartips, removable hooks for in-ear stability, a cable clip, and a 1/4” stereo adapter plug.

With a solid feel and a little bit of weight, the earpieces seem a bit heavy – until you put them on.  Once positioned in my ears, that heft melts away, leaving me to enjoy the sound.

Measuring 4 ft (1.2 m), the removable cable ends in a right-angle 3.5mm stereo plug.  The cable, despite being feather-light, remains sturdy.

Specs

Frequency Range: 10-40,000 Hz
Impedance:  16 ohms
Sound Pressure Level (SPL):  110 dB
Total Harmonic Distortion (THD):  NA

The specifications reveal a wide frequency response and low nominal impedance – perfect for portable devices like an iPhone or a hi-res music player.  Sound Pressure Level is about what I would expect from an in-ear headphone.  While not supplied by Dunu, the Total Harmonic Distortion seems fairly low – I’d peg it being around <0.3%, if not lower.

Low End

Boasting a strong low end, the Dunu Titan 3 offers some detail while keeping things lively and energetic.  Ample bass works in tandem with decent control – leading to a relatively clean and crisp sound without too much bleed, compression, or distortion.

Mids

Like the low end, the midrange hosts a fairly clean and crisp sound.  Instrumentation and vocals sport an equal level of clarity and definition, though the low-mids may exhibit some compression.

High End

Not too bright and nowhere near piercing, I both love and hate this high end.  On one hand, the smoothed-out highs totally jive with the meaty low end.  However, when actively listening for certain high notes, I get the impression that the Titan 3 is doing some serious clipping.  The resultant sound is less detailed than I’d hoped, but not a total loss.

Soundstage

With an adequate amount of depth and placement, the soundstage on this Dunu earphone suffers from its own design.  While in-ear headphones are notorious for a very in-your-head kind of sound, the Titan 3 still provides a sense of depth and placement that shines through.

Other Observations

The Titan 3’s low end is growing on me.  Usually preferring a detail-rich sound, that lively bass and smooth high end work wonders on electronic and vaporwave tunes.  There’s just the right amount of “oomph”…

While it’s a shoe-in for energetic dance numbers, this is not the headphone for classical listeners.

Even after almost two hours of listening, I still have yet to experience any ear fatigue.  I have to give props to Dunu for the ergonomic design of the earbuds, as well as the inclusion of so many eartips.

Recommendations

For those in need of high-end detail or overall balance, skip the Dunu Titan 3 and opt instead for a good Audio Technica earphone, like the $99 ATH-E40.  Despite claiming tons of bass, this specific Audio Technica model seems to go heavier on mids and highs – the exact opposite of the Titan 3.

However, for anyone in need of bumping bass and a relaxed high end, the Dunu Titan 3 offers plenty of bang for your buck – even with that $139 pricetag.

Final Analysis

With a luscious lows and relaxed highs, the Dunu Titan 3 offers plenty of emphasis where bass is concerned.  While relatively clean and articulate throughout its frequency range, the mids and highs may lack enough detail for critical listening.  The bottom line?  At $139, this earphone lands in the upper-tier of casual-listening headphones, offering plenty of quality while still not breaking the bank.

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