Disclaimer: I purchased this set for my own personal use at a discount from Hifigo. These thoughts and opinions are my own and were in no way influenced by AFUL or Hifigo.
If you would like a set of your own after reading this review you can purchase them here:
Introduction:
The AFUL Dawn X is the latest flagship IEM from a brand that has been known to push the boundaries, offering excellent sound quality that often exceeds the asking price.
This time AFUL is taking aim directly at the flagship market. Priced at a staggering $1,300, the Dawn X is AFULs bid to establish themselves in the kilobuck segment, directly competing with stalwarts from ThieAudio, 64Audio, Unique Melody, and other brands that have been dominant in the top tier price bracket for years.
This in-ear monitor (IEM) utilizes a complex quad-hybrid configuration with a whopping 14 total drivers per side:
- 10mm LSR Dynamic Driver
- Eight Balanced Armatures (BAs)
- Four Sonion Electrostatic (EST) drivers
- One Sonion Bone Conduction (BC) driver
Coupled with a 6-way physical and electronic crossover systems and wide-band EST implementation (active from 5 kHz and up), AFUL claims that the Dawn X is a highly technical, yet naturally tuned, IEM. Let’s dig in!
Who is this for?
- Anyone who indexes on natural timbre and prefers a balanced sound signature.
- Those who appreciate the tonal balance of the AFUL house sound (warm-tilted balanced) with rich low end and mids with smooth treble, but want something with top tier technicalities.
- Those looking for an versatile IEM than can handle all genres of music with ease.
Who is this not for?
- Those looking for super exciting sound signature. There are IEMs at this price range that lean heavily into excitement over realism and if you don’t care for a smoother and more natural listen, then you might be better served looking into an Elysian IEM for example.
- Those who like female vocals up front and center – the staging of the Dawn X is realistic and does not artificially bump up female vocals in the mix.
PROS:
- Flagship Technical Performance: Stellar clarity and resolution rivaling $2,000+ IEMs.
- Non-Fatiguing Treble: Refined, “silky smooth” treble that completely avoids sibilance and sharpness.
- Rich and Natural Mid-range: Excellent timbre and natural sound with a good sense of “physicality and density.”
- Visceral/Impactful Bass: Very well controlled low-end texture and impactful sub-bass with good weight and urgency. Bass does not linger or cause any muddiness.
- Natural Staging: It’s not expansive but it is very realistic. One of very few IEMs that have a seemingly three dimensional soundstage – layering is very clear with good depth, width, and height, imaging is precise and instruments are very well separated.
CONS:
- Accessories: Accessory package is disappointingly similar to AFULs much cheaper sets.
- Bulky Design: Large, chunky shells that may stick out of the ears a bit. The
- Cable is Just Okay: It’s not a bad cable but at the price, one might expect a bit more. For one, modular terminations would be a welcome addition.
- AFUL Branding: The name AFUL reads as Awful, which the IEM is not – they should have just put Dawn X on the faceplates. to avoid this issue.
Build, Fit, and Accessories
In the Box
For a $1,300 flagship, the included accessories feel very spartan and uninspired. In the box you get a large blue leatherette case, a set of silicone tips, and a cleaning brush. It is clear that AFUL dedicated the budget almost entirely to acoustic engineering, leaving the unboxing experience feeling less “premium” than most if not all direct competitors. That said, while the IEM’s sound quality is what truly matters, AFUL could have spend a few extra bucks to improve the unboxing experience a bit.
Shell, Design and Comfort
The shells are inherently large and thick, which was necessary to house the 14-driver setup, but thankfully the bulk is mostly vertical and not horizontal in ear and despite the large volume, they fit nicely and comfortably in ear. For some people, the shells may stick out a little bit but most should not have issues comfort wise.
As with previous AFUL IEMs, there is a pressure relief system which supposedly helps with comfort and relieving pressure. There is no driver flex and from personal experience, I did not have any issue listening to the Dawn X for longer listening sessions so in the very least, the pressure relief system seems to be working well.
The IEMs feel very premium in hand with a stabilized wood faceplate covering a filled resin shell – in terms of durability and comfort, this is probably my favorite type of build. Aesthetically, the stabilized wood faceplates look much better in person than in photos and they play with the light quite nicely. No two units will look the same given the nature of real wood – this also means some units will look better than others. That said, the looks aren’t going to appeal to everyone and there are IEMs that look similar that cost far less.
The one knock I have against the Dawn X in this section – and this is one that is quite commonly mentioned in the community so I’m not alone in this – is that rather than putting Dawn X on the faceplates, AFUL put their brand name on them, which unfortunately, is often misread as AWFUL. That said, the text is small and not really readable except from up close and it’s not something that people near you will notice.
The Stock Cable
The included two-pin cable is high-purity 6N single crystal copper and handles well, and is on the soft side with minimal memory so it’s not prone to kinks and tangles. However, the lack of a modular termination system (like swappable 3.5mm and 4.4mm jacks) is noticeably missing. Overall the cable is just fine. It’s not a deal breaker but at this price point one might expect a bit more.
Sound Impressions
The Dawn X adheres to AFUL’s signature warmish-neutral house sound with a distinct bass elevation. This tuning results in a very forgiving and palatable, yet engaging sound that is surprisingly detailed and technically capable. This is an IEM that will appeal to most and very little will find offensive. Overall, it’s possibly the best combination of tonality and technicalities I’ve heard to date.
Dynamic and Visceral Bass (9/10)
The low end on the Dawn X is quite capable. The tuning is slightly above neutral with a rise that starts in the upper/mid bass region, extending all the way down to the lower registers, delivering a deep, visceral rumble and punchy impact. At the same time, bass hits don’t overstay their welcome and this prevents it from ever getting muddy. Overall bass is fast, detailed, and very well controlled, without any muddiness or bleed into the mid-range. This is some of the best bass I’ve heard on any IEM at any price.
Rich and Present Mid-range (10/10)
The mid-range of the Dawn X is rich and full with excellent clarity. The subtle warmth from the mid-bass lends some weight and body to instruments and vocals. Vocals are clear, present, and possess a sense of density and fullness, creating an intimate, almost immersive feel without sounding cramped. Female vocals have good presence without going too far, maintaining their natural timbre without becoming overly forward or shouty. The midrange is very hard to fault here. Those accustomed to Harman might find female vocals a bit too pulled back but I find them to be well positioned, neither too forward too far back in the mix.
Silky Smooth Treble (10/10)
The treble on the Dawn X is incredibly well tuned, with significant energy and extension while also also maintaining a silky smooth and pleasant characteristic to the sound. This provides exceptional air and micro-details without any hint of peakiness, or sibilance. This makes the Dawn X analytically impressive yet tonally polished. It’s a set that will let you hear all of the nuances and details (and also the unwanted artifacts) of any recording without getting fatigue.
Technicalities (9.5/10)
The Dawn X absolutely excels here.
- Resolution and Detail Retrieval: Excellent (class-leading) micro-detail retrieval without aggressively forcing the information into the listener’s ears. Among the most “detailed” IEMs I’ve heard to date regardless of price.
- Imaging and Separation: Positional cues, layering, and instrument separation are exceptionally well defined, contributing to a highly three-dimensional presentation. This is probably the first IEM with this sort of lush and warm leaning tuning I’ve heard that has been able to achieve this. Often this sort of tuning can have some blending between individual instruments/voices but that does not happen here.
- Transient Attack: The initial attack on notes here is very well defined but in a way that remains smooth, which is to say, it’s not the super incisive style but at the same time, notes are very clear and not over-exaggerated. It may not satisfy those looking for the most incisive sound but in a way, this is closer to how things sound in reality than a lot of IEMs that have a hyper contrasty/macro-dynamic focused sound.
So what is the Bone Conduction Driver doing here?
For those, like me, who have been confused by what Bone Conduction drivers do in the past, especially given how rare implementations of these drivers have been in the past, BC drivers are a type of transducer that delivers sound not by pushing air into your ear canal (like dynamic, balanced armature, or planar drivers do), but by vibrating solid material (bone/cartilage of the ear), which then transmits those vibrations directly to your inner ear (the cochlea).
This distinction between moving air and moving cartilage can be useful in allowing an IEM tuner to enhance certain regions of the sound in isolation to other aspects of the sound that are tuned via more typical drivers that move air. Roughly, used in the bass regions, BC drivers can add physical rumble/impact without needing to increase air-driven bass. Used throughout the entire frequency response, it can give music an increased sense of separation and realism and it can make the mids and treble feel a bit more present or lifelike. It can also help reduce fatigue that might be caused by cranking up the bass or treble via other driver types.
On the Dawn X, the BC driver is active from 500 Hz to 3 kHz which seems to help with the increased sense of separation that one will not usually find with such a lush and rich sound signature if tuned purely via DD, BA, EST, and Planar drivers. Needless to say, the result is nothing short of excellent.
Select Quick Comparisons:
- 64Audio
- U12t – The U12t stage sounds much more spacious at the cost of some having some timbral issues. Dawn X stage is more realistic. Both layer very, very well with excellent instrument separation. U12t bass decay is quicker and initial attack on the bass hits is slightly more crisp. Dawn X sounds fuller and more natural. Dawn X has meatier bass notes with more satisfying body. U12t treble is more shimmery compared to Dawn X which is smoother and less peaky. Dawn X sounds softer and more rounded, U12t sounds more direct and analytical but both resolve similarly well – which is to say they’re both top tier detail retrieval monsters. Overall I prefer the Dawn X because the U12t can come off as clinical and boring sometimes where the slight warmth of the Dawn X just makes it more pleasant and interesting to listen to.
- Tia Trio – Similar warmth between these two IEMs but in practice they sound completely different. Tia Trio is the much more engaging IEM with strong emphasis on both micro and macro dynamics where the Dawn X has stronger micro-dynamics than micro – which is to say that transients on the Trio are much more well defined – both are able to render the slight gradations and changes in volume extremely well with the Dawn X coming out ahead here. Dawn X has the more realistic and clear image with better layering than the Trio. The Trio has the better bass response (possibly the best bass I’ve heard in an IEM). Dawn X is smoother and has better timbre, Trio is more exciting and engaging by far. Pick your poison – I prefer the Dawn X slightly but it isn’t replacing the Trio.
- U4s – Supposedly a mini U12t with DD bass. I found this to be softer sounding than the U12t and more rounded and a step or two down technically. The Dawn X has a similarly rounded/smooth presentation but the U4s has some peakiness in the treble that the Dawn X does not. Dawn X techs are a clear step up from the U4s with better sense of separation between instruments, layering, and imaging. The Dawn X does cost more but in this case, I’d say it’s more than worth the extra cost to go from the U4s to the Dawn X.
- Elysian Audio
- Diva – Another IEM that really stands out to me for imaging and layering. The Dawn X gives me the same feeling here. The Diva is much more forward in the upper-mids which brings female vocals up in the mix. I preferred using the middle switch and the bass boost mode on the Diva to balance out the upper mids a bit which at times could get shouty. There is also a mid/upper bass dip on the Diva that gets filled in a bit in the bass boosted modes. Overall the Dawn X sounds a bit more subdued than the Diva which comes off as a bit more contrasty but it can be a bit fatiguing after a while whereas the Dawn X is much more suitable for long listening sessions. The Dawn X is a slightly more resolving set and detail retrieval does seem to be at least slightly better.
- Gaea – Dry, bright, and intense but not in a bad way. The Gaea comes off as much thinner sounding than the more lush Dawn X. Detail retrieval between the two is similar – both are very good at detail retrieval. Bass could not be more different between these two sets. The bass decay on the Gaea is incredibly fast (almost too fast) which makes it sound very incisive and precise but at the same time it’s not super physical or weighty. Overall mids and treble tuning on the Gaea could sometimes be fatiguing whereas the Dawn X never gets fatiguing. Bass on the Dawn X is more meaty in comparison. I really enjoyed the Gaea for classical music but the Dawn X is by far the more versatile pick.
- UM Mest 2 – Another IEM that makes use of a BC driver. The Mest 2 is one of the most physical, visceral sounding IEMs I’ve listened to. It’s very exciting to listen to and very often can get pretty intense. In comparison, the Dawn X is much more restrained with a more balanced tuning and smoothness. The Mest 2 is an IEM that will hold no punches while the Dawn X is a lot more subtle. Tonally, the Dawn X is far more balanced compared to the Mest 2 where there is practically no pinna gain – interestingly, this isn’t as offensive sounding as it seems on graphs. Nonetheless, there really is no overlap between these two IEMs – if you prefer a balanced sound signature, you’ll prefer the Dawn X, if you want something that captures your attention immediately, the Mest2 could worth looking into.
- Mangird Top Pro – Hyperbole seems to be the name of the game with this IEM. Some reviewers have made claims that this IEM performs at 99% of a flagship IEM for 30% of the cost. And as a hobbyist, I wished this were true, but it simply is not the case. This is not to say that it’s not a great IEM, I really enjoyed the Top Pro. The Top Pro is a incredibly well tuned, balanced IEM roughly following the flavor of the month JM1 tuning with a bit of spice up top. I was hesitant to include this in the comparison section because the Dawn X is nearly 3x the price. In fact, I’d say it shares the same smooth and rounded characteristic of the Dawn X but in terms of ability to render instruments distinctly in the sound scape and retrieve details, the Dawn X is just much better. I’m not knocking the Top Pro but the Dawn X is simply on another level.
- AFUL Performer 5+2 – AFULs most recent release (before the Dawn X) and an IEM that shares a very similar tuning. AFUL has a definite house sound I’d almost say that the Dawn X is a refinement on this formula – the same slightly warm tilted, balanced sound signature with a slightly dialed down upper mid tuning that doesn’t fatigue. It’s very clear that these two IEMs share the same DNA but the difference between the two is very noticeable when listening. The P7 sounds very compressed and one dimensional compared to the Dawn X. Interestingly, the P7 sounds crisper than the Dawn X in terms of initial attack on notes but the Dawn X is much more nuanced. The imaging on the Dawn X is much more precise and going from the P7 to the Dawn X can feel like going from 2D to 3D. Going from the P7 to the DX feels like more than just a refinement on the same formula. Nonetheless, the P7 is an excellent IEM for the price, coming in at about 1/5 the price but the Dawn X is clearly a flagship IEM in comparison.
Conclusion:
The AFUL Dawn X is a flagship IEM I can safely recommend to anyone looking for a very well tuned, balanced sound signature with top tier technical performance. To me, this is not just the ultimate evolution of the AFUL house sound, but it is also a completely different beast. If you’re familiar with the tonal balance of the Explorer, Performer 5 +2, Performer 8, or Cantor, you’ll likely have an idea of how it might sound tonally, but the improvements made are more than just a refinement of the same formula.
AFUL has been known to release IEMs that compete in higher price brackets and in many cases they have succeeded in doing so. When they announced the $1299 price tag, I was immediately skeptical. For the longest time, I’ve held the belief that you don’t need to look past the $500 price bracket to get close to the best sound. I’ve always thought that spending upwards to $1000 is a luxury that most can safely skip. But in the case of the Dawn X, I can emphatically say that this one is worth the price tag given what it brings to the table sonically.
If you are looking for a highly technical flagship that has a warm-tilted, balanced sound signature that is incredibly versatile, the Dawn X delivers. Despite the spartan accessories package and questionable aesthetic choices, it delivers acoustic performance that places it firmly in the flagship arena, often outperforming more expensive incumbents.
Note on Perceived Value
One thing I’ve come to learn from countless discussions with members of the community is that sonic performance is not the only factor that goes into justifying the perceived value of an IEM and two things are pretty clear to me:
- There is a significant portion of the community that will not buy an IEM they don’t find aesthetically pleasing regardless of how it sounds. Conversely, many a company has made a killing on selling multi-kilobuck IEMs that look great and sound anything but.
- Sonic preferences vary greatly and not everyone wants an IEM that sounds natural or can even tell if an IEM sounds “balanced” or “correct.” Musical genre preferences will play into this a lot as well. There are companies whose entire ethos and philosophy towards tuning eschews what sounds natural, and instead focuses on making IEMs sound as grandiose and as technically impressive as possible, many of which are considered the “best” IEMs available today.
Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, the Dawn X is an objectively a subdued/subtle looking IEM and it isn’t one that will immediately wow you with an overwhelmingly technical sound signature, which may preclude a large chunk of the flagship IEM market. For this reviewer, however, this is a breath of fresh air. I highly value natural timbre and realism, and the Dawn X is the best I’ve heard to date that does this while still offering “top of the line” technicalities. Aesthetically, it is an IEM that doesn’t draw attention to me but still feels premium in hand.
At the end of the day, I wouldn’t be surprised if sales of this IEM are severely limited by aesthetics alone, which is unfortunately because it really does sound a lot better to me than most flagship/kilobuck IEMs I’ve heard to date. It’s one of the few IEMs I’ve heard that have not relied on weird tuning techniques to sound “impressive,” and thus is one of the very few flagship IEMs I’ve heard that actually sounds “correct.” If AFUL had chosen to put a bit more thought into the faceplate design, this could have been a home run. And since I don’t particularly mind the aesthetic choices here, and actually kind of like them, this IEM is a grand slam in my book.
Thoughts from Drew’s Better Half:
Disclaimer: By popular demand I’ve decided to add a section to some of my reviews to include my partner’s thoughts. She does not care for the audio hobby as much as she cares about good sound. As a conservatory trained, professional violinist with a DMA, to say that she has better ears than me would be a gross understatement. Now that I think of it, it’s not surprising that some of you care more about her thoughts than my own!
- Bass notes are deep with very quick decay while still sounding very full.
- Staging and imaging are clear and precise. The sound stage is enveloping with distinct depth – most IEMs [that she has tried] seem to be present the sound in one straight line in front, going left to right, with instruments kind of blending into each other but with this one, it’s very clear where the instruments are presented, forward and back. Really great with everything from Kpop to Classical.
- Very natural sounding – instruments sound as they should.
- Sounds like this cost over $2000. Was this $3000?
- Note: the Dawn X is now my partner’s personal IEM, taking the spot of the Tia Trio she has owned for a couple years now.
