DUNU Falcon Pro Review
The only truth is music
Pros: – Balanced, smooth and natural sounding
– Lifelike and organic timbre
– Open and spacious
– Three sound tubes
– Not devoid of technicalities
– Fatigue free listening experience
– Comfortable fit
– Excellent build quality
– Great modular cable
– Large selection of ear tips
– Quality hard carrying case
Cons: – Slightly lacking in dynamics
– Could do with more depth and holography
– Mediocre passive noise attenuation
– Not very tight fitting
– Q-Lock Lite modular plug doesn’t inspire confidence
The Dunu Falcon Pro was kindly provided for the purpose of this review while it remains under Dunu’s sole property.
Dunu never asked for a favorable review and as always this is my honest and subjective evaluation of it.
All links to be found below are not affiliated and I don’t get commission by clicking on them.
The Falcon Pro is available from all authorized dealers and the price is $219,99.
Product highlights
10mm ECLIPSE dynamic driver
Following the trend of the single dynamic driver resurrection, Dunu designed the Falcon Pro, a dynamic driver iem with a newly developed 10mm ECLIPSE dynamic driver unit.
It adopts an Amorphous DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon) Dome and fully independent suspension surround sound.
The driver features a powerful magnetic system that produces a powerful magnetic flux of up to 1.6Tesla allowing for the swift, smooth movement of the diaphragm coil.
There is also a dual-chambered Resonance Control with Multi-Path Airflow Damping.
ECLIPSE is a DUNU’s patented technology where the dynamic driver is designed with the best quality materials providing full-range support with quality detailing and high-resolution clarity.
The Falcon Pro driver is specially designed from Dunu and it costs at least five times more than the usual OEM drivers that are usually used in this price category.
Full technical information and specifications are available here
Replaceable tuning nozzle design
Falcon Pro has a replaceable tuning nozzle design which allows the users to adjust the sound output as per their taste and preference.
The pair comes with three different sets of replaceable nozzles, one for “transparent” sound, one for “reference-grade”, and one for “atmospheric immersion”.
Judging from the size of the nozzles, the “transparency” is equal to the so called “treble emphasis” nozzle and the atmospheric immersion to the “bass boost”.
Modular cable design and quality
The DUNU Falcon Pro comes bundled with a high-purity 6N Silver-Plated OCC Copper Cable with the self-patented new Q-Lock Lite modular plug system.
This is advertised as a newly developed system for robust reliability without breaking the bank.
Falcon Pro comes bundled with a full set of 3.5mm SE, 2.5mm Balanced, and 4.4mm Balanced termination plugs in the package.
The cable has catch-hold MMCX connectors for an easy and stable connection with the earpieces.
The cable is of good quality and offers excellent handling without microphonic noise.
The splitter and the jacks are made from lightweight aluminium and my only observation is that this new Q-Lock system doesn’t look as sturdy and future-proof as the twist and lock alternative.
The female end of the plug snaps into place thanks to two tiny plastic lumps that fit into their respective holes on the male and I am not very sure about how many insertions can handle before wearing out.
Build quality and appearance
The Falcon Pro is crafted using a high-precision CNC machining process from shiny Stainless Steel material with mirror chrome polish and sandblasted logo motif frosting.
Build quality is excellent and I find it beautiful and classy, reminiscent of a much more expensive product plus they sit in the ear very discreetly if that is what you are looking for.
Fit and isolation
The ear pieces are compact and lightweight with an ergonomic shape so I was able to get a comfortable and stress free fit but not very tight so they wouldn’t be my primary choice for active sports.
Fit may vary a little depending on the sound tube used due to the differences in height and diameter, so sometimes I have reached for a larger sized ear tip than my usual.
The Falcon Pro has an open design principle so passive noise isolation is not the best and they aren’t very suitable for excessively noisy environments but on the plus side they can be used when you need to stay in touch with your surroundings.
Accessories
The Falcon Pro comes bundled with a nice, green colored, semi – hard carrying case with a zipper, useful for everyday carry of the earphones and the accessories.
Speaking of accessories you get the modular cable with three plugs and three pairs of interchangeable tubes that are screwed on a small metallic card so you don’t lose them.
Then there is a great selection of various silicone ear tips, 4 types with three sizes each, making a total of 12 pairs but no foam tips.
The ear tips came packed into small plastic bags without some kind of a sorting holder.
The accessories continue with a small fabric storing pouch, a microfiber cleaning cloth, a cleaning brush, a 3.5mm to 6.35mm adapter and some spare plastic o-rings that are used to mark the different sound tubes.
Amping and related gear
With an impedance of 26Ω and a high sensitivity of 112dB/mW, the Falcon Pro is easy to drive and can get pretty loud from mobile phones.
Nonetheless I strongly suggest the use of at least an entry level USB DAC like the ddHiFi TC35B or even better because the Falcons scale well and they do need a quality source to unlock their full potential.
I have used a variety of high quality sources such as the EarMen Sparrow, THX Onyx and FiiO M11 Plus.
Sound impressions
Sometimes, while evaluating an earphone, it is very tempting for the reviewer to browse into frequency response graphs but I have found that this procedure can be deceiving and strongly derail my thoughts into the wrong direction, so I prefer to do my listening without letting measurements affect my mind.
The general sound signature of the Falcon Pro is that of a quite balanced earphone with a mild mid-bass emphasis that adds a welcomed warmth and a natural instrumental timbre without manipulating the sound too much.
This is an iem that prioritizes tonality and texture over excessive technicalities that nonetheless are not still missing at all.
One of my favorite tracks is this magnificent tune by Henry Purcell, ingeniously improvised by Christina Pluhar.
https://open.qobuz.com/track/14945427
The double bass sets the pace and with the Falcon Pro the pitch is just slightly above reference, it sounds full bodied and controlled with excellent timing and a very tight pinching staccato.
Then after some clearly plucked chords on the lutes, enters the soprano, singing with her crystal clean voice that is portrayed with outstanding timbre and articulation, just a step in front of the orchestra.
Harmonics and overtones blend together in the most spontaneous manner and later on we can hear the shimmering high huts that fade away with the most real – like decay.
Then comes a delicious electric guitar solo, very engaging and musical, shining without being masked by the lower pitched instruments.
From the start till the end of the song the Falcon Pro sounds satisfyingly resolving but without being over-detailed, so we can enjoy micro details like the instrumentalists plucking the strings and touching the frets but we need to concentrate in order to do so since detail remains a part of the background.
The ambience of the recording venue is well communicated with a scene that excels in width and while it is slightly lacking in depth, it feels very open sounding with pinpoint imaging and ample space between the performers.
The Falcon Pro is one of the most open sounding earphones in the market with an airy presentation that rivals open back headphones.
I could invite you to listen to the whole playlist but let’s be realistic and just share another classic track, the Sultans of Swing.
The bass drum is full and convincing, only slightly lacking in ultimate dynamics while high huts sound brilliantly shimmering and not thin or lifeless.
There is a great interplay between the electric guitars while the bass holds the rhythm in the background without clouding the song.
Knopfler’s voice is engaging and realistic, we can hear all the shades of his tone as for the famous guitar solo; it is plainly addictive and electrifying, not artificially projected in front of the scene nor stepped behind.
The Falcon Pro sounds natural, organic and musical with exemplary coherency throughout the whole frequency range without overemphasizing any given part of it in favor of another.
This iem really shines in the way that it presents the unamplified instruments with the most realistic timbre and a surplus of harmonic wealth.
Sub – bass extension is not the deepest but there is no problem for the Falcon Pro to deal with bass heavy genres, just don’t expect it to sound overly emphasized with a fully rumbling effect.
Bass is neutral with a pinch of mid bass emphasis that adds some welcomed warmth without clouding the mids or masking the bass line when it gets busy and complicated.
It is quite full but not too weighty, tight enough, controlled, clear and well defined with good layering and a convincing dynamic contrast.
The mids sound breathtaking and engaging, vocalists shine and sing in full glory with excellent articulation in an effortless and fluid manner but not at the expense of the other instruments that get their own share of the show, blending together with voices in a highly musical presentation.
Treble is perfect, a great balance between smoothness and agility, there is energy, transparency and extension so as not to sound dull or too dark but it never becomes bright and harsh.
Some of you are going to find the Falcon Pro lacking in ultimate extension and detail depth but then it was never meant to be as such, this is designed with the virtue of being forgiving and suitable for fatigue-free, long listening sessions.
Sound tubes
After testing the three sound tubes and the various ear tips I ended up using the “reference” with the purple ear tips as this combination yielded the best balance between the natural timbre I seek and the desired amount of technicalities.
All the tubes sound good and at the end it seems that each one sacrifices something in favor of something else.
There is no right or wrong here and individual preferences will determine which tube to use, sometimes you may end up alternating them depending on the song you are listening to.
As an example, the “atmospheric” tube due to the subdued treble gives the illusion of a fuller sounding bass but the narrower and short length adds some boominess to it, softening the dynamics and making it more dull.
In exchange we get more liquid and full bodied mids with even smoother highs.
On the other hand, the “transparency” gave better control over the bass, enhanced layering and more contrasted dynamics but mids became somewhat drier and while treble gained in air and detail it became a touch metallic and rushed.
Compared to the FiiO FD3 Pro
The FD3 Pro (review) is a 12mm single dynamic driver iem from FiiO featuring a DLC diamond like diaphragm and it comes with two different sound tubes and a detachable cable with interchangeable plugs.
The selling price is $149 so it is $70 cheaper than the Falcon Pro.
The FD3 Pro cable is a 8-strand 152-core Litz structure silver-plated monocrystalline copper cable and the interchangeable plugs use a screw lock system that is of higher quality than that of the Falcon Pro.
The included ear tips are a total of 12 silicon pairs, the same with the Falcon Pro but with the FD3 Pro we get an extra two pairs of memory foam ear tips plus everything comes nicely sorted and arranged in three plastic holding cards.
The Falcon Pro carrying case is of better quality since the FD3 Pro comes with an entry level plastic hard case.
Build quality is more or less the same and equally good for both but the Falcon Pro looks and feels much more premium and shiny.
Fit is good for both with the main difference being that the FD3 Pro sits more tight and snug inside the ear so it can withstand some head movement but the Falcon Pro is much more comfortable and stress free at least for my ears.
Both of them have venting holes so they are not the best in passive noise attenuation but I would count the FiiO as a little better in that respect.
Their tuning is slightly different and the FD3 Pro has deeper sub-bass extension and increased bass output that sounds more pronounced and full bodied, still tight and controlled although the presentation is on the drier side.
The Falcon Pro has a more liquid and sweet character to it and not only in the bass, while it presents the music in a more effortless and natural way.
Upper mid range is more forward on the FD3 Pro which is also cleaner and more detailed in the higher frequencies but a little thinner and rushed regarding the decay time.
Both of them are real champs when it comes to openness and width of the soundstage and they count in my book among the best options.
One last major difference is that the Falcon Pro has more natural timbre, finer articulation and better texture quality so it sounds lifelike and organic whereas the FD3 Pro has some kind of a monitoring quality in it’s presentation.
Both are great and I count them as one of the best values in their respective categories, especially the plain FD3 edition and I see many users preferring the one over the other according to their needs.
At the end
After having some great time with the Dunu Falcon Pro it was not a difficult decision to award it with a full five star rating.
And this is because the Falcon Pro is a very enjoyable sounding iem with a natural, organic and lifelike timbre, certainly not devoid of technicalities, suitable for all kinds of music, including all shorts of classical.
This is an iem for people who seek a well balanced and musical presentation to sit back and enjoy without overanalyzing too much.
If you are interested in hardcore technicalities, ultimate extension in both ends, hyper detailed presentation or some kind of a specific tuning like emphasized mids then you should definitely skip.
For the rest it is happily recommended as a great value, mid priced iem with excellent build quality and a full accessory pack that is going to reward you with endless hours of musical pleasure.
Copyright – Laskis Petros 2021