Disclaimer: I purchased this unit from Hifigo at a discount in exchange for my honest review.
PROS
- Solid build quality and fantastic fit and comfort
- Great Cable – best of the SA6 models (IMO)!
- Smooth and laid-back listen with excellent technicalities
- Treble is airy and sparkly and quite well extended
- Bass extends deep and with Atmospheric Mode On adds nice body to the sound. Bass is an improvement over the previous models and is very textured
- Stage is expansive
CONS
- Lacks a bit of upper-mids/lower-treble
- Not an incredibly natural/organic timbre/tonality
WHO THIS UNIT IS FOR:
- Those looking for a very smooth and laid-back listen
- Fans of the SA6 looking for an upgrade and who weren’t able to buy the Ultra.
- Those looking for a set with fantastic techs
- Those who are looking for an expansive stage and presentation
- Those looking for one of the best all-rounders available!
WHO THIS UNIT ISN’T FOR
- Timbre-heads
- Those who prefer more forward vocals
- Those who prefer a more intimate stage
- Those looking for a more natural/organic listen
Introduction
As a fan of the previous two SA6 models, I was eager to get my hands on the MK2 when it was announced. The original SA6 has been a favorite in the audiophile community for what seems like ages and the Ultra took the world by storm late last year, competing with much more expensive IEMs for a fraction of the price – only being hindered by the limited nature of the release, with only 300 units available world wide. In the month since the announcement of the MK2, there has been much speculation (and in some cases drama). Is the MK2 basically an Ultra released for the masses? Will it be an improvement over the Ultra? I just had to find out for myself!
Build, Fit, Accessories
It will come to no surprise to those familiar with the original SA6 and SA6 Ultra that the build and fit of the MK2 is excellent. Included in the small box is a wide assortment of ear tips and unlike some other companies that don’t include any usable tips, some of the tips included in with the MK2 are actually among my favorites.
The cable included is the Hulk Pro Mini, a modular termination cable using robust Dunu’s Q-Lock system. Of the cables included with all of the SA6 models, this one is probably my favorite. Yes, it is technically the cheapest cable of the bunch, but it’s significantly less stiff and heavy, which makes it much more usable and comfortable.
The SA6 and Ultra shared the same shell, an incredibly well built, semi-custom molded resin shell that quite frankly was among the best fitting IEM shells I’ve tried. When it was revealed that the MK2 would use a newly designed and larger shell, I was skeptical and worried it might be a step back from the fit of the previous two models. Thankfully my fears were unfounded and the fit of the MK2 is actually an improvement and I’d venture to say it is probably the best fitting IEM I’ve tried to date! Of course, as with all things related fit, your mileage my vary. I did have my wife try these and she was able to fit these with no issues with her much smaller ears.
Also, for those of you who see a full-BA set and run for the hills because of vacuum and pressure build issues – fret not! These use a vented woofer which relieves pressure and prevents the IEMs from sealing too aggressively!
As with previous SA6 models, there is a randomized aspect to the faceplates and each unit will be unique! I think it is a handsome looking IEM, with a natural piece of hardwood embedded in resin!
Overall Sound
In a nutshell the MK2 is a very laid back listen. Following in the footsteps of the previous models, the tuning on the SA6 MK2 is a flavor of neutral with a U-shaped frequency response – the bass and treble regions are well extended and elevated. When done right, this generally lends to a very clean and uncolored listen. The interesting thing about the MK2, and to a lesser extent the SA6 and Ultra, is that the upper-mid/lower-treble regions are dialed down. This is the region that I like to think of as the shout region. On the MK2, this tuning leans even further into the laid-back aspect of the previous models.
As a result, the MK2 is a very relaxed listen while still maintaining quite a bit of articulation and an excellent amount of air and sparkle.
The “Atmospheric Immersion” switch is basically a bass-boost switch. When turned off, you get a similar bass tuning to the Ultra. Turned on, the MK2 gains a nice heft and body to the sound.
Bass
Despite being a full balanced armature set, and contrary to the common belief that BA bass is bad compared to DD, the bass on the MK2 is quite fantastic. One of the things I wished the previous models had was just a touch more bass emphasis, and Dunu delivered! The bass has is a good amount of impact and tactility as well – there is a nice physicality to the bass. With the Atmospheric Switch turned on, it rumbles, slams, and punches on demand, while still being very well textured, delivering tons of detail.
Mids
As with the previous models, mids are where folks will either love or dislike this tuning. The tuning of the SA6 models have been vaguely the tuning of some flagship/TOTL level IEMs like the Anole VX and to a certain extent the 64Audio U12T with tamer pinna gains and dialed down upper-mids/lower treble. For the OG SA6, this was part of the magic of the IEM, making it a smooth and relaxed set while still maintaining clarity through the mids. The Ultra model took that a half step further, taming that area slightly but still tastefully, and the MK2 takes yet another half step (perhaps a bit too much). Many will absolutely love this, but as a self-professed timbre-head and someone who prefers a natural/realistic presentation, this unfortunately might have taken it slightly too far for my tastes. The toned down upper-mids and lower-treble mean that certain instruments that are quite prominent in a lot of my library (classical, jazz, folk, etc) take a presence hit. For example, violins which are generally emphasized in orchestral performances can lose a bit of presence and get lost in the mix. The same applies to female vocals. This is not to say that they lack separation, however. Each individual instrument and voice is still fairly well separated, however, the presentation isn’t as I’d expect. It’s almost as if all instruments and voices are equally distant, rather than vocals and some instruments being more forward. Nonetheless, mids are crystal clear with a good amount of detail pickup and resolution.
Treble
Upper treble performance and extension is excellent – there is plenty of sparkle and air. The MK2 is a very articulate IEM that will likely satisfy most people. At the same time, there is no harshness or sibilance to be heard. Transients are crisp and the notes are clear, which helps improve instrument separation. Cymbal hits, for example, sound realistic and not overly harsh or emphasized.
My nitpick here is that lower-treble is a little bit tame for my tastes for the same reasons as previously mentioned regarding the upper-mids. However, I can see why this tuning might make sense – it prevents shoutiness and harshness and adds to the laid-back character of this IEM.
Technicalities
Details and Resolution: The MK2 is quite a detailed set and the level of resolution competes well with sets costing much more – definitely above average for the price point and there are some kilobucks that would pale in comparison.
Soundstage and Imaging: Arguably the most impressive aspect of the MK2 is the very large stage, it’s almost expansive. Imaging is decent as well – pretty much on par or slightly above average for the price. The interesting about the image is that it is out of head. You can tell the location of the instruments fairly easily, however, it is a flatter image that if I am to nitpick, lacks a slight bit of depth and layering.
Dynamics: Sets with good dynamics can almost seemingly come to life while sets with poor dynamics can sound flat and lifeless to me. The MK2 is a fairly dynamic set and I’d argue that they are above average for the price range. Two things that I find impact how dynamic a transducer sounds to my ear are transients and decay. Transients being the initial attack on the sound – the burst of energy that adds a bit of crispness to the start of notes. Decay being what follows that initial attack, specifically how quickly or slowly the sound trails and returns to the base level. Both of these are things the MK2 does exceptionally well, decay specifically.
Timbre: Timbre is not the strongest point of the SA6 MK2. The timbre of certain instruments and vocal ranges can sound a little unnatural – almost like there is a slight hollowness and lack of presence for those instruments. Most people will not take issue to this, however, so please take this with a grain of salt. Also, this can be fixed very easily with EQ to slightly bump up the upper-mids and lower-treble.
Comparisons
Xenns Mangird Top (review here):
Technicalities are similar with the SA6 MK2 taking the edge on staging while the Top takes the win for me in timbre. These two IEMs lead the pack at this price point for me but the tuning could not be more different. Top is a more more energetic set that is much more forward compared to the MK2 which has a more expansive stage and smoother/more relaxed tuning. Very much complements to each other and your pick between the two will come down to tuning preferences.
Dunu SA6 Ultra:
This is probably the comparison that most of you are interested in. These are more similar than they are different. Fit, build, tuning are roughly in the same ballpark. With the MK2 you trading a slight bit of tonality and timbre for slightly improved technicalities and bass, as well as a wider stage. If you have one you don’t need the other but if you were to pick between the two, you can’t go wrong with either. These are sidegrades through and through.
Conclusion
Dunu has once again shown us why the SA6 has been a perennial favorite in this hobby. With the smooth and laid-back tuning, it’s so easy to just pop these in my ears and just listen to the music. But at the same time, it is also quite capable of a more analytical listen, with above average technical performance. A lot of folks were wondering whether the MK2 would just be a non-limited version of the Ultra or whether it would be an outright upgrade. The answer to this question lies somewhere between the two. There are a lot of similarities between the two but also some differences. The MK2 does have more bass quantity and is a slight improvement over the Ultra in stage and resolution, but there are folks who will find the tonal balance of the Ultra to be more appealing.
Overall I do think the technical performance of the MK2 is nothing short of excellent. Compared to the Ultra, it is a step forward in techs, however, it does take a slight step back in timbre and tonal balance (this is subjective though and you may actually prefer the tonal balance of the MK2).
That said, they are similar enough where I would be hard pressed to recommend an Ultra owner go out and buy an MK2. But if you weren’t able to get your hands on the Ultra, the MK2 is an excellent choice!
