Dunu Vulkan 2's Review

Intro

Dunu is no stranger in the audiophile community, especially when it comes to their mid-fi or even high end product offering. I have reviewed several products from the brand and also the OG of this model that I will be reviewing today, Vulkan 2. Design wise, personally i much prefers the shell of OG Vulkan, but that doesn’t mean the Vulkan 2’s design is bad, just a preferential thingy

As with most Dunu products, they do pay attention to the packaging a lot and I have a very good unboxing experience from it. The box consists of Vulkan 2 itself, several types of eartips. The cable that came with Vulkan 2 is very soft yet feels durable. It is modular but sadly it doesn’t come with Type C plug for convenience.

The shell is neither too big nor small, I have no issues listening with them in my ears for long listening sessions (2-3 hours). Build quality is solid and Vulkan 2 definitely doesn’t look or feel cheap

Gears used for this review

• ddHifi TC44 Pro E3

• ddHifi TC44 Grip

• Dunu DTC 800

• Aune S9c Pro Dac Amp

• Dunu Vulkan 2 stock cable and SS Tip

• Dunu Vulkan 2 + Effect Audio SSII Ares Lite

Sound

Vulkan 2 takes on the JM-1 and altered it slightly to Dunu’s preference, and to me they definitely sound good, it is quite well balanced overall with the exception of the bass noteweight is slightly lacking. The timbre sounds natural to my ears and I did not hear any BA timbre from them. 

Bass

• Sub bass extension is good although it doesn’t really rumble hard, but it made its presence when it is called for, i certainly wouldn’t call this a basshead iem, but it provides just enough impact for it to be musical in my opinion

• Bass texture is good but not excellent, Mid bass is just enough, although i crave for a little more for that extra oomph, but it is good enough with good body and warmth to overall presentation

• Bass is quite fast and it has no problem keeping up in tracks like Slipknot’s People = Shit, decent speed. Doesn’t sound bloated at all

• So, i don’t agree with others that says Vulkan 2 is lacking in terms of bass

Mids

• The mids of Vulkan has very good texture to it, quite lush sounding, the tuning kinda bring the vocal forward and separately them very well from the instruments, vocal focused to my ears

• Vocal positioning is not too in your face nor recessed sounding, sounds just right to my ears

• Male vocal does lack a little texture in my opinion, but other than that, it sounds quite good, when listening to songs of male with low baritone voice, it is slightly lacking in terms of the texture, doesn’t sound as full as it should sound, lacking a little warmth i’d say (Zhao Peng’s The Moon Represents my Heart)

• Female vocals on the other hand are excellent, very sweet sounding and good texture, listening to Billie Eilish’s TV with the volume cranked up on the iDSD Nano BL, literally gave me goosebumps, for those who are sensitive to the upper mids, this might pose as a con rather than enjoyment because it might be a little un-bearable to them, however, this can be remedied by tip rolling it to Final Type E’s eartip to slightly tame the upper mids if you are sensitive, as for me, i am good with the stock setup

• While vocal being the prominent one in the mids, the mid range instruments are not lacking as well, it is well separated and they don’t overpower each other

Treble

• Treble is crisps at the same time non fatiguing at all

• It is also not sibilant and quite airy

• Treble extension is very good

• Detail retrieval is good as there are some details which i need to pay more attention to listen, but that’s not the case for Vulkan 2, it just stands out

Soundstage/Imaging

• The soundstage on Vulkan 2 is amazing, it is wide and tall, it is very evident in Toto’s Africa’s Live

• Imaging is good whereas instruments separation is excellent, it stays well layered even in busy track like People = Shit

Driveability

• While the Vulkan 2 is easy to drive, it can sound reasonably loud even out from Apple Dongle

• Its true potential is unlocked when it is being fed with better source, i do notice with a bit more power, the bass is a little bit more controlled and the soundstage just opens up a little bit more, but going to desktop amp, i couldn’t perceive anymore differences

• Not to mention, Vulkan 2 also have very good synergy with Dunu’s DTC 800 Dongle

• When used on desktop setup, i noticed that it doesn’t really scale that much anymore due to the efficient nature of it

Comparison (Dunu Vulkan OG)

• In my opinion, the Vulkan 2 is definitely an improvement compared to the OG Vulkan

• With that being said, there are also time where i much prefer the smoothness and thicker lows from the OG Vulkan

• In terms of note weight, Vulkan OG is slightly better, with the OG being slightly thicker note weight compared to Vulkan 2

• Vulkan 2 surpasses the original Vulkan in terms of technical capabilities

Cable Rolling

• Pairing the Vulkan 2 with Effect Audio SS II Ares Lite offers a very unique listening experience in my opinion

• The soundstage is wider, taller and has very good depth compared to the stock cable

• Note weight is noticeably better but i wouldn’t say it is day and night difference

• The bass has better texture, the mids are slightly more forward, somehow the highs are slightly smoother compared to stock cable

• I have been listening the Vulkan 2 using this pairing for several days and i must say it is definitely different if you are looking for more note weight as well as smoother highs

Final Thoughts

In my view, Dunu's Vulkan 2 offers a unique, niche tuning that will appeal to some audiophiles while potentially not resonating with others. Personally, I find myself appreciating its distinctive sound signature and tuning. Although there is a slight trade-off in terms of note weight, which in my opinion is kind of like a seesaw effect for better technical performance, I have no issues in wholeheartedly recommending the Vulkan 2. It is an excellent choice for individuals who particularly favor a mid-centric IEM or those who are actively seeking a truly distinctive and memorable listening experience that stands apart from the typical offerings.

*This unit is sent to me from Dunu for the purpose of this review . I received no compensation nor am I in any way influenced to produce this review, all thoughts are of my own.

Dunu Vulkan 2’s Official Store Link - Non Affiliated