Dunu Falcon Pro Review – Reinvigorated

Comparisons –

Dunu Falcon-C ($219): The original Falcon-C is a cleaner, leaner earphone with a more U-shaped character. It’s bass emphasis is more sub-bass focused, the foundation for its cleaner tonality and more neutral note size. The Falcon Pro is warmer and fuller with a lot more mid-bass impact. However, it isn’t as clean and separated. The Falcon-C is a bit faster and tighter delivering better definition but less body. The midrange is more balanced on the Pro while the C is leaner and more laid-back. The Falcon C lacks the same inviting tonality and natural voicing of the Pro. It has a sharper articulation and is more upper-mid biased. While female vocals are mostly flattered, male vocals can sound thin and dry. The Falcon Pro is a more refined and mature performer here, it is more coherent with an improved timbre all around.

However, it does take a step back on clarity and separation if that is to your preference. However, I feel the biggest advancements are in the treble. The Falcon Pro is much more even and has a superior technical performance. The Falcon-C is brighter and crisper but also more brittle and its transient response isn’t as clean either so it skims over more fine details. The Pro has better extension and its tuning is improved, delivering more accurate note body and greater texture. The Falcon-C to me has a larger soundstage in all aspects by a good degree, but this comes at the cost of imaging which is more multi-dimensional and nuanced on the Pro. The C also has better separation while the Pro is more coherent.

Campfire Audio Satsuma ($199): The Satsuma is a more mid-focused in-ear with a smoother treble. The Falcon Pro actually has a warmer bass tuning and reaches deeper with its dynamic driver setup. The Satsuma has a warm voicing too, but noticeably less bass presence. Lacking the same extension, it is not as dynamic and its impact and slam are both substantially less visceral. However, its bass is also cleaner and faster, being much more articulate mid-bass. The Falcon Pro has a bit more texture and drive in return. The midrange is more forward on the Satsuma and has a cleaner tonality alongside a smoother articulation.

As the treble is smoother, the upper-mid peak doesn’t feel as sudden, however, the Falcon Pro does sound more even-handed and progressive with less strain to its vocals. The Falcon Pro is more balanced and has a warmer, fuller expression. It sounds more cohesive while the Satsuma is more defined with higher clarity but less body. The Satsuma has a smoother lower-treble but more crispness in the middle-treble. It has a slightly more defined leading edge but lacks the same body and texture as the Falcon Pro. The Dunu also extends a bit better and has a bit more air. The Satsuma has a wider stage while the Falcon stretches deeper. The Satsuma has sharper positioning.  

Final Audio E5000 ($250): The E5000 is a bassier earphone and smoother in the top-end giving it an even more coherent sound. However, it also has a cleaner upper-bass meaning its midrange is actually a touch cleaner tonally. The E5000 provides greater deep over mid-bass focus and a more assertive attack. It is weightier and more dynamic. The Falcon Pro is a bit more articulate and detailed in the mid-bass and has a warmer, smoother presentation. The Falcon Pro has a more balanced midrange presentation while the E5000 is one notch more laid-back. The E5000 has slightly more midrange body but a touch less warmth due to its lesser upper-bass presence.

The Falcon Pro is slightly more separated as a result of its more accurate note body, but as it has a bit more fuzz and warmth, isn’t much more defined. The E5000 sounds more structured with a smoother articulation. The Falcon Pro sounds slightly more vivid and contrasted with greater clarity. The Falcon Pro has a bit more treble presence and its treble is more linear. The E5000 has a slightly crisper leading edge but the Falcon Pro has more body and texture alongside a more accurate decay. It is airier and more extended above. The E5000 has a much wider soundstage while the Falcon Pro is deeper. The Falcon Pro has sharper imaging and better separation altogether.

Verdict –

The Falcon-C was a popular in-ear for Dunu and a personal favourite at the time. However, the added tunability and modularity of the Pro mean that, for the same price, it is a much more versatile buy. Its tuning nozzles are especially effective, offering three valid signatures. Build quality also feels excellent as does the cable and design albeit at the cost of weight. While the Falcon Pro isn’t technically outstanding, it is much more refined than the Falcon C and certainly is in the company of the better performers at this asking price. Moreover, the tuning is appealing and genre versatile in every regard. The treble tuning, in particular, I consider to be outstanding unless your preference were for a bright, high-clarity sound.

As for the bass and mids, they follow a kind of warm-Harman-Esque curve but with a more forgiving warmth. Arguably, they over-compensate as all three tuning nozzles are still providing a warm and full sound and I do not believe this should be the case if one were trying to maximise appeal to many buyers and preferences. Still, in the grand scheme of things, this can hardly be considered overly warm or overly bassy. If you find the typical Harman IEM fatiguing or intense, this is a fine solution that delivers greater body and robustness without sacrificing vocal presence. The Falcon Pro strikes me as a forgiving and flexible in-ear that I enjoyed from both a tonality and technicality perspective.

The Falcon Pro can be purchased from Dunu for $219 USD at the time of review. I am not affiliated with Dunu and receive no earnings from purchases through this link.

Track List –

Billie Eilish – dont smile at me

Beach House – Space Song

Bob Seger – Night Moves

Courtney Barnett – Rae Street

David Bowie – Glastonbury 2000 (live)

Eagles – Hotel California

Elton John – Honky Chateau

Fleetwood Mac – Rumours

H.E.R – I Used To Know Her

Jeff Cascaro – The Other Man

John Mayer – Continuum

Johnny Cash – American IV

Kanye West – Donda

Michael Bublé – Crazy Love

Missy Higgins – The Sound of White

Nirvana – Nevermind

Portugal. The Man – Woodstock

Radiohead – In Rainbows

The Beatles – Abbey Road

The weeknd – After Hours

Vampire Weekend – Father of the Bride

Vance Joy – Dream Your Life Away