Aful Explorer VS Dunu SA3

IEM Comparison: Expert & Community Scores Side-by-Side

IEMRanking.com Home Compare IEMs

Aful Explorer and Dunu SA3 use 1DD+2BA and 3BA driver setups respectively. Aful Explorer costs $120 while Dunu SA3 costs $140. Dunu SA3 is $20 more expensive. Aful Explorer holds a decisive 4.1-point edge in reviewer scores (7.1 vs 3). Aful Explorer has significantly better bass with a 4.5-point edge, Aful Explorer has significantly better mids with a 4.2-point edge, Aful Explorer has significantly better treble with a 4.8-point edge, Aful Explorer has significantly better dynamics with a 5-point edge, Aful Explorer has significantly better details with a 4.5-point edge and Aful Explorer has significantly better imaging with a 4.5-point edge.

Insights

Metric Aful Explorer Dunu SA3
Bass 6.5 2
Mids 6.2 2
Treble 6.8 2
Details 6.5 2
Soundstage 7 3
Imaging 6.5 2
Dynamics 7 2
Tonality 7 2
Technicalities 6.6 2

Aful Explorer Aggregated Review Score

Average Reviewer Scores

Smirk Audio Gizaudio Axel Shuwa-T Jays Audio
Jaytiss Audionotions
Z-Reviews Super* Review

Average Reviewer Score:

7.1

Generally Favorable


Dunu SA3 Aggregated Review Score

Average Reviewer Scores

Precogvision
Super* Review

Average Reviewer Score:

3

Very Poor


Aful Explorer User Review Score

Average User Scores

Average User Score: n/a

Based on 0 user reviews

No user reviews yet. Be the first one who writes a review!

Dunu SA3 User Review Score

Average User Scores

Average User Score: n/a

Based on 0 user reviews

No user reviews yet. Be the first one who writes a review!

Aful Explorer Gaming Score

Gaming Score & Grade

  • The gaming score is prioritizing technical capabilities of the IEM (Separation, Layering, Soundstage) and good value.

Gaming Score

6.7

Gaming Grade

B+

Dunu SA3 Gaming Score

Gaming Score & Grade

  • The gaming score is prioritizing technical capabilities of the IEM (Separation, Layering, Soundstage) and good value.

Gaming Score

2

Gaming Grade

E+

Aful Explorer Scorings

Average Technical & Tuning Grades

Average Tunign Grade

A-
  • Generally enjoyable tonal character with some noticeable unevenness. Maintains listenability while showing room for refinement in frequency balance.

Average Technical Grade

B+
  • Satisfactory technical performance. Handles basic detail retrieval adequately in most tracks. Maintains reasonable cohesion in simpler arrangements.
Bass B+
Good bass foundation with decent impact. Maintains acceptable control while providing satisfying thump in most tracks.
Mids B
Good midrange presence with solid clarity. Vocals are clear and instruments have reasonable texture and body.
Treble B+
Good treble response - clear and detailed without fatigue. Well-extended with proper air and sparkle.
Dynamics A-
Excellent dynamics with great contrast and speed. Transients are crisp and micro-details are clearly articulated.
Soundstage A-
Excellent spatial presentation - wide, deep and tall. Precise instrument placement with clear separation in all dimensions.
Details B+
Good resolution with clear articulation of nuances. Reveals recording nuances and maintains clarity in complex passages.
Imaging B+
Good imaging with precise instrument placement. Clear localization within the soundstage including front/back positioning.
Gaming B+
Respectable environmental presentation favors atmosphere over precision. Detects obvious directional cues while conveying game world ambiance.

Dunu SA3 Scorings

Average Technical & Tuning Grades

Average Tunign Grade

E+
  • Tonally jarring or fatiguing. Frequency clashes (e.g., piercing treble, bloated bass) make extended listening unpleasant. Poor genre adaptation.

Average Technical Grade

E+
  • Noticeably blurred or congested. Struggles with basic instrument separation; details are lost in simple tracks. Feels "flat" and one-dimensional.
Bass E+
Noticeably thin bass presence. Lacks body and texture, leaving low frequencies feeling hollow and underdeveloped.
Mids E+
Midrange is thin and hollow with noticeable gaps. Instruments lack body and vocals sound distant and weak.
Treble E+
Treble is noticeably dark and lacking extension. Cymbals lack shimmer and high-frequency details are obscured.
Dynamics E+
Limited dynamic range with poor micro-detail. Subtle volume changes are lost, and transients lack proper attack.
Details E+
Noticeably blurred and lacking definition. Background elements are smeared together and micro-details are inaudible.
Imaging E+
Poor instrument placement with unstable positioning. Instruments drift and lack fixed locations within the sound field.
Gaming E+
Compromised imaging significantly impacts gameplay awareness. Directional cues often lack accuracy or consistency.

Aful Explorer Reviews

Reviewed by: Z-Reviews

Z-Reviews 8.5 * score normalized
Ad
Using this affiliate link for ordering your Aful Explorer or any other IEM helps fund our free service at no extra cost to you.

Price: $119

Buy Aful Explorer on NiceHCK

Reviewed by: Super* Review

Super* Review 8* * score normalized
Relaxed upper mid-range. Vocals sound a little bit more forward than instruments. Smooth treble performance.

Super* Review original ranking

Super* Review Youtube Channel

Reviewed by: Jaytiss

Jaytiss 7.6 Reviewer Score
B+ Tuning
A- Tech
The mids still upset me, but it sounds magical.

Jaytiss original ranking

Jaytiss Youtube Channel
Mids: C+ Treble: A- Dynamics: A- Soundstage: A

Reviewed by: Audionotions

Audionotions 7 Reviewer Score
Relaxed and fun. Easy to listen to. A bit darker than my preferrd signature but I enjoyed this quite a bit. Loaner

Audionotions original ranking

Website (Audionotions)

Reviewed by: Smirk Audio

Smirk Audio 6.8 Reviewer Score
A- Tuning
B+ Tech
check links for more info:

Smirk Audio original ranking

Smirk Audio Head-Fi Profile

Bass: A- Mids: A- Treble: A- Dynamics: A- Details: B+ Imaging: B+

Reviewed by: Gizaudio Axel

Gizaudio Axel 6.5 Reviewer Score
A- Tuning
B+ Tech
Perfect for rock and metal. Smooth, relaxing tuning, great bass with good slam, rich mid-range, safe treble. Upper mids may be too relaxed for some, treble is a bit dark.

Gizaudio Axel original ranking

Gizaudio Axel Youtube Channel

Reviewed by: Shuwa-T

Shuwa-T 6.4 Reviewer Score
B Tuning
B+ Tech
check links for more info:

Shuwa-T original ranking

Shuwa-T Website

Bass: B Mids: B+ Treble: B+ Soundstage: B+ Details: B+ Imaging: B+

Reviewed by: Jays Audio

Jays Audio 6 Reviewer Score
A+ Tuning
B+ Tech
High volume set, very immersive, scales great with no sharpness, wide staging, enough detail/extension, good bass, just crank it up and enjoy the music.

Jays Audio original ranking

Jays Audio Youtube Channel
Ad
Using this affiliate link for ordering your Aful Explorer or any other IEM helps fund our free service at no extra cost to you.

Price: $107.99

Buy Aful Explorer on HiFiGO

Dunu SA3 Reviews

Reviewed by: Super* Review

Super* Review 4* * score normalized

Reviewed by: Precogvision

Precogvision 2 Reviewer Score
E+ Tuning
E+ Tech
A mess in the tuning department. Literally not sure what I heard.

Precogvision original ranking

Precogvision Youtube Channel
Bass: E+ Mids: E+ Treble: E+ Dynamics: E+ Details: E+ Imaging: E+

Aful Explorer User Reviews

Example User Posted on ...
0.0

"This is an example review"

Pros
  • Example pro 1
  • Example pro 2
Cons
  • Example con 1
  • Example con 2
No User-Reviews Yet

Share your experience and build your personal ranking list.

You need to be signed in to write your own review

Dunu SA3 User Reviews

Example User Posted on ...
0.0

"This is an example review"

Pros
  • Example pro 1
  • Example pro 2
Cons
  • Example con 1
  • Example con 2
No User-Reviews Yet

Share your experience and build your personal ranking list.

You need to be signed in to write your own review

Find your next IEM:

IEM Finder Quiz

new
Use this quiz and answer a few questions to get your individual IEM recommendation list
(1/2) How much are you willing to spend on the IEM?
(2/2) Which sound characteristics are particularly important to you?

Footer