Disclaimer
This headphone was graciously loaned to me by Matthew at Bloom Audio for nothing in exchange other than an honest review to read. How cool is that? Somehow he also knew that I have a sweet tooth and sent over a delicious chocolate bar to enjoy while listening.
If you would like to purchase a pair of these headphones for yourself, please consider checking Bloom Audio out. They’re based in New Jersey, carry an huge selection of some of the best audio gear available, and they’re just great folks!
Here’s a link to the Arashi: https://bloomaudio.com/products/dunu-arashi
PS: I promise the chocolate did not have any impact on this review and that these are my honest and untainted thoughts and opinions!
Without further ado, let’s jump right in.
Introduction
DUNU is a brand that needs no introduction. For the past few years, the in-ear monitor market has seemingly grown exponentially in terms of better sound and affordability, and DUNU has played no small part in this. Today, DUNU IEMs are among the most recommended and revered at any price point. At the same time, headphones haven’t seen the same sea change… until now.
In 2024, Chi-fi companies turned their attention to the headphone market. Moondrop has released multiple headphones, each improving on the next, culminating in the commendable Para, and one of my favorite headphones today, the Moondrop Cosmo. Meanwhile, companies like Fiio have taken the budget market by storm, releasing the FT1 and FT1 Pro, redefining what is possible, sonically, at the $150-200 price point.
While these headphones deliver excellent sound, their build quality and comfort often leave much to be desired. Enter the DUNU Arashi.
DUNU IEMs are consistently recognized for their excellent sound reproduction and for their consistently high-quality build and rigorous quality control. $1399 is a steep asking price for any headphone, let alone a first entry into a new transducer category. Not surprisingly, my expectations going into this review are very high.
Can the DUNU Arashi bring something to the table that hasn’t been done before? Let’s find out!
Unboxing
From the moment you handle the packaging, you get the sense that no corners were cut. The box itself is hefty and substantial in size.
Upon opening the inner box, you’ll find the headphones securely nestled within a soft, silky fabric cutout. And continuing the trend of quality, included are two robust, fabric-covered cables, terminating in XLR and 1/4″ connectors. DUNU is known to include excellent cables with their products, and that certainly is the case here. The XLR cable, specifically, has a very premium Neutrik XLR connector – similar in quality to the Pro Co and Mogami cables I use for my speakers.
Overall, the unboxing feels at least on par with the Sennheiser HD800S. Kudos to DUNU for paying extra attention to detail here.
Build and Comfort
The DUNU Arashi is a relatively heavy headphone, coming in at 500g, but in the realm of summit-fi headphones, it falls right in the middle of the pack.
Build quality is nothing short of excellent and I can’t think of any other headphone that outright beats it in build quality. The headphone drivers are encased in a gorgeous magnesium-aluminum alloy housing, supported by a sturdy, yet flexible metal-framed suspension strap system and decent amount of swivel to ensure that it will fit comfortably on any head. The construction is impeccable and the chassis looks to be machined to very precise standards. I couldn’t find any apparent points of potential structural failure and there is no creak at all when handling the headphones. It’s a joy to handle and feels ready to endure the test of time.
Aesthetics are subjective, but personally, the Arashi is among the most beautiful headphones on the market today. Placed on a stand on my desk, it fulfills a second purpose as an art piece when not in use.
Comfort-wise, DUNU nailed it. Despite the hefty 500g weight, the suede suspension strap is implemented flawlessly. Along with the moderate but comfortable clamp force, the weight of the headphones is distributed evenly – there are no bothersome hotspots on the head.
The earcups are also relatively spacious, so they will likely work for folks with most ear sizes.
Sound
To sum up the sound of the Arashi, one just needs to take a look at the etymology of its name for an apt description. Arashi or 嵐 is the Japanese/Chinese word for tempest or storm. The Planar-magnetic Arashi is a punchy and engaging headphone to say the least. The overall tonality of the Arashi is U-shaped, with extra emphasis on the lowest bass regions and the air and sparkle regions in the treble.
Bass
The Arashi has a nearly perfectly linear bass response, extending to the lowest audible frequencies without any noticeable roll-off. While this characteristic is not uncommon, particularly among planar magnetic headphones, a subtle elevation in the upper mid-bass region transitioning into the lower mids provides additional weight to individual bass notes. When listening to tracks like Massive Attack’s “Unfinished Symphony,” the Arashi delivers a satisfying sense of slam and rumble. For those looking for even more rumble, the Arashi readily takes equalization and, in my testing, easily handled a 7 dB bass shelf added.
However, despite the considerable weight behind the bass, the initial attack of bass notes is not the most defined. In other words, the transient attack on notes can sometimes lack immediacy. While this may not be a concern for all listeners, those who prioritize transient definition heavily might find the Arashi satisfying but not exceptional. Nonetheless, the bass is far from soft or indistinct, and its pronounced rumble will likely satisfy most listeners.
Mids
While the Arashi is not a mid-range focused set, mids are pleasant and I find the mid-range to be both relaxed and clear. Despite a midbass bump that on some headphone can sometimes cause the mid-range to sound muddy, the Arashi maintains clarity throughout the region. Most instruments sound natural and well separated. In terms of mid-range clarity, the Arashi is pretty fantastic – it’s easy to pick out where each instrument and voice is presented without any congestion or blurring. There is a bit of a recession in the typical ear gain region around 2-3khz, however, and this recession presents itself by pulling back some instruments and voices a bit in the mix. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing but it is worth noting that this have an effect on perceived stage as it imparts a sense of sitting in the audience listening to a stage performance. Overall, mids on the Arashi, while a bit on the relaxed side, are very pleasant and relaxed while maintaining excellent clarity.
Treble
The Arashi has a noticeable upper treble emphasis in comparison to the upper mids with a somewhat peaky frequency response. This adds an ample amount of sparkle and air without it being sibiliant. This, in conjunction with the potent bass tuning, imparts a very energetic character to the headphones. At the same time, however, this is the region where the Arashi can sometimes struggle.
While the lower treble region is largely within my own personal preference bounds (and within the preference bounds of the Harman target), there is a skew towards the upper treble that, while not harsh or stringent, can sometimes add a glare to the overall sound that can impart oddities to the timbre for certain instruments and can cause some instruments to be positioned unexpectedly. This is less of an issue with electronic instruments, but with recordings of live instruments, this can sometimes be a bit distracting. This effect is most noticeable with stringed instruments and percussion.
For example, stringed instruments like violins and cellos benefit from a more typical ear gain that begins rising at around 1 kHz, peaking at around 2-3kHz. The Arashi renders the “meat” of these notes in a relaxed and softer manner. Coupled with a darker and smoother treble, this could still fall within the range of natural sounding. But the upper treble elevation of the Arashi can often place extra emphasis on more secondary aspects of the sound – things like the buzzing vibration of the strings, the subtle “tch” sound when a violinist/cellist initiates a bow change, the sound of the bow being placed on the string, etc. At first, it can be exciting and fun to hear these “details” in the sound. But the balance of these sounds to the main pitch of the notes is skewed very strongly towards the details rather than the note itself and this can sometimes be very distracting, depending on the recording. This can come off as an unnatural/digital sheen to the sound that isn’t too much of an issue with electronically produced/rendered music with less of these aberrations.
In the case of percussion, this style of treble tuning can bring higher pitched percussive instruments forward in the mix – things like snares and hi-hats are front and center and with the bass emphasis, can feel like the drum kit is right in front of you.
Technical Capabilities
The DUNU Arashi excels in details and separation. Both micro and macrodynamics are excellent. And there is a satisfying depth and width to the sound stage. There is noticeable space between each instrument and it’s easy to pinpoint where each is positioned. In terms of techs, the Arashi sits comfortably among other similarly priced headphones from more established brands like Sennheiser and Hifiman.
Comparison to the Moondrop Cosmo (the other Chi-fi flagship headphone)
The Moondrop Cosmo is likely the headphone that is positioned closest to the DUNU Arashi given that it’s a flagship headphone from an established Chi-fi brand that has historically been focused on the IEM market. The Cosmo, as of this review is priced at $999, which is about 30% lower than the Arashi. For the extra $399, the build quality of the Arashi is head and shoulders above the Cosmo – handling both simultaneously, it’s immediately apparent which headphone is built better. In terms of comfort, the Arashi also comes out far ahead of the Cosmo, which not only weighs 50 grams more than the Arashi, but also has a awkwardly proportioned headband that, without mods, will likely not fit any but the largest of heads. For example, I wear the Focal Bathys and Azurys on the largest headband position and the smallest position on the Cosmo, without mods, is still too large for me. The finishing of the Cosmo also has sharp edges and looks like stamped metal, whereas the Arashi gives the sense that it was crafted with precision and care. Sonically, the two headphones trade blows, with the Cosmo being more natural sounding at the expense of some bass impact.
Both headphones could use some EQ and given the same conditions, I think the Cosmo does come out ahead sonically, especially in terms of neutrality and timbre. But I can’t stress the ergonomic and build quality flaws of the Cosmo enough. The Arashi wins in engagement factor, aesthetics, and build quality.
Conclusion
The Arashi definitely lives up to DUNU’s stellar reputation. Not only is it among the best built and designed headphones available on the market today, but it also offers flagship level sound at a relatively competitive price (for a summit-fi headphone).
While skewing towards warm and relaxed, the Arashi is still very engaging. Its weighty bass response and sparkly treble, coupled with excellent clarity and instrument separation, make it a very fun headphone to listen to.
The Arashi is a formidable headphone debut from DUNU that, in my opinion, is a great combination of form and function. More often than not, some great sounding headphones are held back by ergonomics that make them unwearable and vice versa, often a headphone can look and feel great, and yet sound anything but. The DUNU Arashi not only sounds great, but it also looks and feels great. Yes, $1399 is a steep price to pay, but it holds up well among its price competitors and in certain categories, comes out ahead. Needless to say, this reviewer is looking forward to seeing what DUNU can come up with next and to seeing how other manufacturers respond!
