You know, in some ways, I feel sorry for Game. Here we have a rapper who started so strongly with a great debut album in The Documentary which went on to sell over 5 million copies and has been sliding downhill ever since, tipped off by a high profile and seemingly never-ending feud with 50 Cent and G-Unit. He has never been able to match his previous success with each album he’s released and not for lack of trying. To me, 50 Cent is the rapper who got rich and stopped trying, Game is the antithesis. He has tried so hard over the years and two more LPs but he has never been able to reach the stardom and status as a rapper he feels he deserves.

That’s what makes listening to the R.E.D. Album so difficult. It’s almost as if studio executives have no faith in Game’s ability to sell albums by himself so they set him up with feature after feature. That is the only reason I can envision as to why this album is so incredibly jam packed with R&B singers on the choruses and other rappers to back Game up with guest verses. On the entire 21 track album, Game is only alone on five songs. As much as Game seems to idolize Dr. Dre, one of the prototypical Compton-based West Coast rappers, the only tracks seems to have any involvement in are mere interludes.

The disappointment in this review echoes the disappointment I feel from the album. The Boyz n the Hood sampling Ricky is a standout track that showcases Game’s ability to tell a story and the Big Boi and E-40 featuring Speakers on Blast is a catchy and upbeat song that also shows off Game’s ability to adapt his voice and delivery style to make him sound like a completely different rapper. He can also be surprisingly affectionate, in the songs California Dream and Mama Knows, expressing his love for his Mother, wife and infant daughter. The album is a collage of so many different feelings and tones that going from track to track is surprisingly jarring.

Game is one of the hungriest and most expressive rappers I’ve heard in my many years of listening to Hip-Hop. He’s aggressive, in your face, and completely unashamed about it. He wants more, he wants to be better and what’s almost sad is that you can hear how disappointed he is that he’s not there yet.

Make no mistake; this is Game as you’ve heard him before. Nothing much has changed from years ago. He still drops names like he’s thumbing through a celebrity phone book (which Tyler the Creator amusingly points out in his verse on Martians vs. Goblins) but not as often. He’s still lyrically competent, he still wants you to know that he’s straight outta Compton, so to speak and he’s still backed up by a solid selection of beats. If you like Game, you’ll probably like this album. It’s unfocused and unpolished, but it gets the job done. I guess that’s part of the problem I have because, as long as this album has been in the cooker, it seems like it should’ve been better. Perhaps the music industry needs to take Game as seriously as he takes himself so he can truly shine.

Favorite Tracks - Speakers on Blast, Ricky, Born in the Trap, California Dream, Mama Knows

Introduction

First, I’d like to thank the folks at HiFiMan for providing a sample to review.

No doubt, I’ve been a fan of HiFiMan’s products for about a year and a half now ever since buying a pair of RE0s early last year. I’ve tested a number of their products and reviewed them right here so it should be understandable that I was quite excited to review the RE242. This is HiFiMan’s first entry into the budget market since the well-received RE2 and one of the most intriguing sets I’ve come across in terms of design. So, with that in mind, read on for my full review of HiFiMan’s RE242 earphones.

Packaging and Accessories

The RE242 comes packaged in a basic plastic box, which is acceptable for an earphone in this price range and doesn’t seem wasteful or unnecessarily extravagant. In terms of accessories, you get a pair of medium bi-flange tips and two pairs of single flange tips, both of which were a bit too large to fit comfortably for my small ear canals so I ended up using a pair of Sony Hybrids. I wish these would’ve shipped with some form of carrying case and a larger selection of tips but I guess that can’t be helped. It does make the RE242 look a bit worse in terms of sheer value when compared to MEElectronics’ M9 and its excellent accessory pack.

Design and Build Quality

I have to say these IEMs have the smallest housings I’ve ever seen. The metal (likely aluminum) shells are painted blue for left and red for right, making them very easy to identify in most instances and feel very solid but aren’t weighty. At the rear of the housings is a pinhole vent and a rubbery but stubby strain relief which extends down to a disappointingly cheap and plasticky-feeling cable. This cable does feature an integrated three-button remote and microphone, which is nice a surprise, as I’ve never seen a set of earphones in this price bracket to feature such a remote. At the end of the double-sided cable is a beefy 45-degree 3.5mm TRRS jack which looks like it can take a beating.

Overall, the RE242 isn’t an earphone that amazes me with its build quality because of the plasticky cable and short strain reliefs on the housings but I can’t say I don’t have confidence in their ability to last a decently long time and for an earphone in this price range, the RE242 seems adequate.

Comfort and Isolation

Being the smallest IEMs I’ve ever come across, it should come as no surprise that these are the most comfortable I’ve ever used as well. The tiny housings make insertion a breeze and once they’re in, they melt away. It’s easy to forget you’re wearing these at times and allow for just about as deep an insertion depth as you’d like. With aftermarket triple flanges, you could probably use these to tickle your eardrums if you were so inclined (though that is extremely dangerous and no one should try it, ever).

Isolation on the other hand, is a bit below average, even for a vented dynamic. The vents at the rear allow for more ambient noise than usual to leak in so these probably won’t be the best for a commute or in other noisy places.

Sound Quality

Normally, I place a small burn in notice here but these earphones are a special case so I’m going to go into more detail this time. The RE242 were given upwards of 50 hours of burn in time and they are, without question, the most drastically affected by this time, for the better. When I first heard these upon taking them out of the box, they were, to be blunt, garbage. I abhorred the sound the RE242 were putting out and was almost willing to write them off based on this first listen but of course, I would be remiss in my duties as a reviewer if I did that. So, to the burn in machine they went. Listening to them again, many hours of burn in later, I was shocked to hear that the RE242 sounded dramatically better. So, if you happen to buy a pair of RE242s, make sure you burn them in first before judging them.

Moving on, the low end is more prominent than I’m used to from HiFiMan earphones but is still calm and controlled compared to other, bassier sets such as the MEElectronics M16, M9 and M6. Extension is about average, rolling off smoothly after about 50Hz or so and still rumbly and perceptible at 20Hz.

The midrange is a bit warm but not really full sounding, quite the opposite actually. The midrange sounds a bit hollow or “sucked out” to my ears. Vocals have a bit of shrillness about them that makes them sound a bit forward, but aren’t really and instruments don’t seem to have the right amount of impact or presence to me so everything just sounds…off. Technically, the midrange is decently detailed for something in this price range and it doesn’t do much wrong aside from the aforementioned shrillness but just doesn’t sound quite right.

Treble presence is decent. Extension is mostly even on the way up, with a fairly big peak between  8 and 11 KHz which tends to create some rather piercing sibilance but isn’t a major problem and rolls off steadily at the highest of highs. There’s a decent amount of shimmer and sparkle but these will likely not be the choice of the treble fan.

The soundstage sounds rather open and spacious, likely causing that hollowness I spoke about, but imaging performance isn’t all that great. To be fair, I don’t really expect it to be for something in this price range but there are others that perform better for around the same amount of money.

Conclusion

As far as I know, the RE242 isn’t available for purchase yet but I’ve heard it will retail for around $30 or so, give or take when it is made available. At that price, the 242 faces some stiff competition from MEElectronics’ budget lineup as well as DUNU’s slightly pricier but oh so good Trident. This is the cheapest set I’ve encountered that features a full three-button remote and microphone for use with iPhones and other such smartphones that support it so that does add some value over many other headsets in this price range that only feature one button and a microphone. Nonetheless, I can’t help but feel a bit disappointed in the RE242. Sure, the 242 is a competent pair of earphones that doesn’t really slack on the detail compared to its competition in this price range but given HiFiMan’s track record, I was expecting better from them.

Introduction

First, I’d like to thank the folks at DUNU-TopSound once again for providing samples for review.

As DUNU’s current flagship IEM, the Hephaes has a lot to live up to. Competition in the sub $100 price bracket is stronger than ever, with strong entries from several companies such as HiFiMan, MEElectronics, Spider Cable, Eymotic, among others. So, does the Hephaes have what it takes to compete in this heavily contested group? Read on to find out.

Packaging and Accessories

I’ve already gushed about DUNU’s excellent packaging in previous reviews so I’m not going to go into meticulous detail here but I can safely say that the Hephaes does not disappoint in its price range (or beyond it, really).

In terms of accessories, the Hephaes ships with a pair of ear guides which will assist in over the ear fitment, several different pairs of eartips in various sizes and shapes, from narrow opening to wide and single and bi-flange tips in multiple sizes, which should be enough to cater to just about anyone’s needs. Two cases are included with the Hephaes, including the leather(ette) drawstring pouch and the shiny black hard case I like so much. I do find it odd that the suede case that came with the Ares wasn’t included with the Hephaes, as one would think such a case would be reserved for the highest end earphones in DUNU’s present catalog but I guess you’d be wrong. Not a big deal as the clamshell case should be more than enough to satisfy but I figured this was worth mentioning all the same.

Design and Build Quality

The Hephaes is clad entirely in metal with red accents resembling flames around the inner silver metal housings which is not just aesthetically pleasing, but serves as an additional buffer to help prevent unwanted reverberations within the housing. A bit more disappointing are the two stubby strain reliefs, similar to those on the V-Moda Vibe. These strain reliefs are simply too small to be very functional in the long run but thankfully, the cable itself is pretty robust, identical to those featured on DUNU’s lower end Ares, Crius and Trident.

The metal Y-splitter and cable cinch is very nice and I like the lettering on the rear of the splitter, spelling out “Hephaes”, in case you somehow forget what these IEMs are called. Frivolous? Sure, but a very nice touch nonetheless. L/R indicators are seemingly laser-etched into the sides of the IEMs and will be virtually impossible to see in the dark but are nice on their own.

Overall, I am rather impressed by the build quality of the Hephaes. There is nice attention to detail and while I don’t think these are quite as durable as the lower end Ares due to the stubby strain reliefs, the build quality is certainly in the upper echelon.

Comfort and Isolation

The Hephaes is a comfortable IEM that, thanks to its large assortment of various sizes of silicone tips, should be a good fit for just about anyone. Wearing them over the ear was especially easy to do with these IEMs because of their stubby strain reliefs and the included ear guides and resulted in a fit that was relatively free of microphonics. Isolation was typical of vented dynamics in that it was average.

Sound Quality

Burn in: These earphones were given upwards of 200 hours of burn in time prior to evaluation. The earphones did appear to be slightly more balanced and less bassy (but not very much so) after burn in.

Bass. Gobs of it. The kind of massive bass that only a dynamic driver could deliver. That is what the Hephaes specializes in. No doubt about it, bass heads will be in love with these as the sheer amount of bass these things can put out is rivaled only by the MEElectronics SP51 with the extreme bass ports in place. Listening to these for the first time, I was actually quite surprised by the level of detail and sub-bass presence these things were capable of. The Hephaes doles out a deep, textured and rich bass that’s surprisingly well extended. Even down to the lowest of lows, I could still hear (and feel) the bass rumbling. Yes, it’s bloated and a bit muddy due to the slow decay times but it’s a pleasingly bloated bass to me. If you don’t like your bass big and rumbly, look elsewhere. These earphones are not for you.

The midrange is warm and mostly smooth, expectedly warmed up by the low end which hurts clarity but not too much so. Neither forward nor recessed, the midrange is situated right where it needs to be and in a world of IEMs with big bass that tends to occlude the midrange, the Hephaes’ ability to present a midrange that’s mostly unobstructed by the low end is actually rather impressive, but one would expect that from a pair of earphones in this price range.

Unlike the lower end Trident, however, the midrange and treble presentation isn’t as smooth as I would’ve hoped. During testing I noticed that there are some sharp peaks in the midrange, specifically around the 3 – 5 KHz region which straddled the line between uncomfortably sharp and downright painful to hear at different times during my testing, particularly with vocals. The treble is similarly peaky in response, which I ended up having to EQ down. This is likely an attempt by the engineers to ensure that midrange detail isn’t lost under the weight of the bass these things pump out (it really can’t be said enough) but it just ends up being a bit unpleasant.

Presentation is about average, with a decently sized soundstage and decent imaging. Nothing spectacular but nothing terrible either, just…decent. The Hephaes is an earphone that I find a bit hard to quantify in terms of tonal balance. It’s not quite dark because of the midrange and treble peaks but it’s far from bright too. Pairing them with a cold or bright source (such as an iPod Touch) may not be the best choice as that will exacerbate the sibilance issues but probably not to one who isn’t as sensitive to peaks as I am.

On the whole, the Hephaes is a good sounding set of earphones that could be better for the price. To me, they are a guilty pleasure. They’re a set I reach for when I’m listening to Hip-Hop or Electronic music and want to be bombarded by big bass. They’re a “fun” set, not necessarily the best for a broad range of genres, but great for headbanging.

Conclusion

The DUNU Hephaes is available for about $99 or so on eBay and at that price, I honestly have to say, you can do better if you’re going for pure bang-for-the-buck performance and technical capability. These are for the bass lover who’s willing to spend a bit extra to get the biggest oomph. On a technical level, I’d recommend the RE0 or RE-ZERO over these and for sheer “musicality”, I’d recommend the Spider RealVoice or MEElectronics CC51, all of which are cheaper and are superior in different ways.

That being said, I can’t fault anyone for wanting to pick these up. Don’t get me wrong, they sound pretty good for the price and I love the bass thump but trying to be objective in my recommendation, I realize that there are better options. Few earphones out there will offer the end user the number of accessories you get with the Hephaes and the packaging is really second to none out of all of the sub $100 earphones I’ve reviewed. So, while the Hephaes doesn’t compete with the best earphones in its class for best overall value, they are still a very nice option for bassheads and pretty much anyone else who likes a bit (read: a lot) of “oomph” in their music.

First off, I’d like to thank the folks at DUNU-TopSound for providing me with samples to review

Up for review today are a pair of balanced armature based IEMs. Priced solidly within the bracket I would consider “mid-range”, these have a great deal of competition right out of the gate and one has to wonder whether or not DUNU’s newcomers can stand up to that competition. For my full review, read on past the break.

Packaging and Accessories

Both IEMs are packaged almost identically to the Trident, which is a very good thing, as I really like the packaging of the Trident.  The packaging does a great job of keeping the contents safe and is presented very nicely, even if it is rather frivolous at the end of the day. The two unsurprisingly differ in terms of accessories In addition to the leather(ette) drawstring pouch included with the Trident and requisite additional sets of eartips, the Ares and Crius both include a nice clamshell hard case with an inner pocket which is bigger and more elaborate than those from MEElectronics, which I’ve taken a liking to, without being too big to be considered “pocketable”. Strangely though, the Ares also comes with another case, this one featuring a (pseudo?)suede exterior and a magnetic clasp. Very classy.

Design and Build Quality

The first time I saw these, I couldn’t help but think of Monster’s IEMs, specifically the Turbine Pro Gold (Ares) and Jamz (Crius). Of course, you’ll be able to tell the Ares and Crius apart from their respective Monster counterparts but it’s obvious that the design of these IEMs was inspired by Monster’s design. It’s hard not to see the Ares and Crius as highly derivative given the obvious similarities to Monster’s designs but this doesn’t bother me as I only care if an IEM’s design is functional and comfortable. In this case, the housings of the Ares and Crius are entirely metal with nice mesh filters, functional L/R indicators in the form of blue and red rings around the housings (respectively) and feel very solid and durable without being overly heavy.

Extending down from the housings of both are short and decent strain reliefs, those of the Ares being longer than those on the Crius, and a cable that feels identical to that of the cheaper Trident which is a tad rubbery for my tastes but seems durable enough. The metal Y-Splitter and cable cinches are a very nice touch both in function and form and the 45 degree 3.5mm jacks are decent enough, though I would prefer a standard 90-degree right angle plug.

On the whole, despite the style of the Ares and Crius, the two of them are very solid feeling IEMs and should last a decently long time.

Comfort and Isolation

Ares

Being a fairly conventional straight design, the Ares is very comfortable to my ears with the stock tips. As said above, the housings are solid without being heavy so I never experienced any discomfort or ear fatigue in my tests, even over fairly long periods. Being that these IEMs are balanced armature based and don’t feature any visible vents, isolation is expectedly higher than your average dynamic driver IEM. Microphonics weren’t an issue when worn over the ear but were present when worn cord down.

Crius

Featuring short and somewhat stubby housings, the Crius isn’t quite as comfortable to me in my tests. Fitting the stock tips on the short but surprisingly wide nozzle was a chore and even once they were fitted, I never felt like I got a complete seal. I could feel the housings against the opening of my ear canals, making for a very shallow insertion. Personally, I needed to fit these with longer (and larger) bi-flange tips to get a full and comfortable seal with the Crius. Of course, your mileage may vary.

Upon getting the seal that I was looking for, isolation was, much like the Ares, above average. Microphonics were present when wearing them cord down but weren’t an issue when worn over the ear.

Sound Quality

Burn in: Both of these IEMs have been given upwards of 100 hours of burn in time. No significant changes were heard.

Ares

Starting on the low end, the Ares is surprisingly full and rounded for an earphone based around a balanced armature. Bass is tight and punchy, typical of armatures, but isn’t as quick.  It makes the Ares sound similar to a dynamic driver based IEM, which is interesting. Extension is decent and  Make no mistake, this is not the earphone for bass heads, not by a long shot but the bass presence and presentation should be enough for everyone else.

Midrange presence and detail are about average for this price range. Nonetheless, it sounds a bit recessed to my ears. Vocals aren’t as prominent as I’d like and instruments seem to be situated farther back than I’ve come to expect. Don’t get me wrong, the Ares doesn’t skimp on the detail and does present notes clearly and cleanly, just in a more relaxed manner.

Treble is presented similarly to the midrange in that it’s relaxed and easy going. There are no unpleasant spikes to my ears but the Ares does a good job of presenting the treble in a sufficiently airy and sparkly fashion while rolling off smoothly at the highest levels. Fans of prominent treble with a bit more bite will probably prefer the more treble happy Crius. I, on the other hand, like a relaxed approach to the high end of the audible spectrum.

The presentation is good, with a nicely spacious soundstage and decent imaging performance. On the whole, the Ares is a warm and smooth sounding earphone, not unlike many similarly priced dynamic IEMs.

Crius

The low end of the Crius is typical of balanced armatures in that it’s tight, controlled and punchy. It gives up rumble and roundedness to most dynamic drivers I’ve used but it delivers enough in terms of quantity to satisfy. It’s a clean and deftly handled bass that doesn’t offend, even if it might not excite either.

The midrange is a stark contrast to the Ares in that it is more forward and lively. The way the Crius interprets detail reminds me a bit of the CC51P, in that it almost sounds, hyper-detailed. Of course, the Crius isn’t on the same level as the CC51P (and I wouldn’t expect it to) but it carries a similar bite across the frequency range, extending into the treble. This also means the Crius is prone to some sibilance which is absent on the Ares but it’s not anything that isn’t manageable with a little EQ or, perhaps some Comply foam tips. Extension is about the same as the Ares, which is to say it’s slightly above average.

In terms of presentation, the Crius is slightly airier than the Ares, though a bit more enclosed based solely on the soundstange and imaging performance, which, like most BAs I’ve used, is good. I can’t help but feel as though the Crius sounds a bit “metallic” on the whole. Not necessarily a bad thing, but something worth considering.

Comparison

The two of these are, at least to my ears, two sides of the same coin. On one side, you have a slightly warm, mid and bass driven sound while on the other; you have a mid and treble centered presentation that’s more on the neutral, perhaps a bit cold, side of the spectrum. Listening to them, they seem balanced towards each other’s deficiencies. The Ares is soft and mellow in its presentation whereas the Crius is more hard and sharp. Both are technically sound and surprisingly (in favor of the less expensive Crius) feature nearly equal amounts of detail overall but focus on presenting different aspects of music in different ways.

This makes it a bit difficult to recommend the Ares over the Crius on a purely technical level but of course, different people prefer different kinds of sounds. If you’re the type who enjoys a warmer, more relaxed presentation, the Ares is for you. If you like edgy, sharp sound, you’ll be better suited with the Crius.

Conclusion

The Ares and Crius are available now for around $75 – $80 and $67 – $73, respectively. Now, this is where things get a bit difficult. The Ares and Crius performed about evenly in my tests and I don’t feel as though one has a clear advantage over the other and both are tuned toward different users, as I’ve said before. That being said, in terms of sheer value, the Crius seems like an easier choice, given that it’s the cheaper of the two earphones but in this market, things like value aren’t cut and dry, especially when you’re dealing with IEMs with different sound signatures.

To be honest, I think there are some IEMs out there that are a better pick overall, such as the MEElectronics A151, one of the best sub $100 BA based IEMs I’ve heard but I don’t think anyone would be remiss in picking up either of DUNU’s midrange BA IEMs. The Ares and Crius are both enjoyable and technically sound IEMs in their own right and well suited to people who want a durable, good sounding upgrade from budget IEMs.

First off, I’d like to thank Rocky and the folks at DUNU-Topsound for the review samples.

Read on for my full review of the DUNU Trident earphones after the break.

Packaging and Accessories

With the packaging of the Trident in hand, I can see that DUNU doesn’t skimp on the packaging, even with their lower end entries. The Trident ships in a cardboard box wrapped in plastic and sheathed in another cardboard sleeve which features the standard sort of pictures showing off the product as well as information on its contents and technical specifications written in Chinese and English. Upon taking the sleeve off of the box, you’ll find the DUNU logo on an entirely black box, its sides held closed by magnets.

Inside, the earphones are contained in a plastic inset which shows off the earphones as well as a small leather(ette) drawstring carrying pouch. Underneath you’ll find several additional pairs of silicone single flange eartips, in both narrow and wide openings and a small instruction manual, which is about average for earphones in this price range. Also, attached to the cable is an interesting cable winder unlike anything I’ve seen on any other IEM. Not only is it attached to the cable, virtually preventing you from losing it but it works unlike most other cable winders I’ve used as well. It’s easy to use, practical and very handy for keeping the cables together

All in all, DUNU has done an excellent job on creating attractive packaging and provided a decent set of accessories to go along with the earphones themselves.

Design and Build Quality

The Trident earphones are rather unconventional in their styling, featuring a metal housing that is flared towards the back, similar to that of a trumpet and looking at these, I’m suddenly reminded of those bell bottom pants that were so popular back in the 70s. Extending down from the housings are short rubber strain reliefs that don’t inspire the most confidence but seem adequate. The cabling is a bit rubbery for my taste but I can forgive that in an inexpensive IEM. Finally, the 3.5mm straight plug is adequately relieved and although I would have preferred a right angle L-plug, the straight plug seems strong enough to stand up to normal amounts of wear and tear.

As a whole, I’m impressed with the Trident’s build quality, which is almost unmatched in this price range.

Comfort and Isolation

Featuring an unorthodox metal housing design, it’s a bit surprising that these fit rather well but that may be due to my rather large-ish ears but then again, the Trident is quite narrow at the front and fits well with shallow insertion. Users looking for a deeper, tighter seal will need to invest in longer bi or tri-flange tips. On the whole, the Trident was comfortable in my tests with the stock single flange tips and Sony Hybrids.

In terms of isolation, the Trident fared about as well as most other vented dynamic IEMs, which is to say it was average. Nothing notable to report in that respect.

Sound Quality

The Trident offers up a consumer oriented sound signature with enhanced bass and treble. No doubt, the bass is big enough here to satisfy most people and stays in control nicely. There are some instances when the bass can be a bit overwhelming on particularly bassy tracks but for the most part, low end control is good for this price point.

The midrange is full and prominent, albeit slightly warmed up by the low end but, thankfully, not very much so. The level of detail these things put out is actually very impressive for the price, beating the similarly priced MEElectronics M21 and M6 and competes quite well with earphones above its price bracket. Overall clarity is good for the price but there is a slight but noticeable veil over the midrange which can lead to some finer details being lost but that’s forgivable given how much the Trident does right.

Treble is a bit laid back compared to the midrange and bass but delivers decent clarity and extension. As with other earphones which feature less prominent treble, the Tridents make for a fatigue-free listen and one that wasn’t sibilant at all, even for me. Quite the pleasant surprise from an earphone in this price range, given how many of them seem to focus on boosted treble and bass response.

Presentation wise, the Tridents have a fairly spacious and deep soundstage. I hesitate to call them “airy” in the traditional sense and instead delivers an enveloping soundstage, one that makes them a very engaging listen. Stereo imaging is on par with other earphones in this price range, meaning it creates a coherent image but falls short in delivering pinpoint accuracy. Overall, the Trident is a warm and full sounding earphone that is highly appealing to those who enjoy full, powerful bass and a rich, warm midrange.

What strikes me about the Trident is that all of these elements combine into one of the most engaging sound signatures I’ve heard in an earphone in this price range. You don’t pay attention to the shortcomings and instead allow yourself to get lost in the music. After a while you might not even realize you have them in your ears.

Conclusion

When using DUNU’s Trident earphones, more often than usual, I found myself getting lost in the music rather than listening to them critically. They’re just a very enjoyable pair of IEMs, a pair of IEMs that focus on the listener’s enjoyment rather than trying to pick out and present each and every detail. This will probably be a point of contention to some folks, likely detail freaks, but to just about everyone else looking for a good budget set will find something to like in DUNU’s inexpensive Trident earphones. And that’s the Trident’s biggest selling point. For around $40 (and under, depending on where you look), you’re getting a pair of earphones that hits above its price range and is one of my favorite bang for the buck earphones.