‘I never thought cheap wired earbuds could sound so good’: here's how the $39 Dunu Titan X change the budget hi-res game

Dunu Titan X IEMs — (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

The last few years have seen the resurgence of retro tech. Video cameras have been inspired by and designed after Super 8s. iPods, MP3 players and even cassette players have grown in popularity. And, best of all, wired earbuds have made a strong comeback.

More and more people are ditching wireless buds for wired ones, not just for style, but because wired earbuds — or in-ear monitors (IEMs) — deliver superior hi-res audio. Something Bluetooth can't compete with.

I, for one, am thrilled that wired earbuds are back in vogue. Thanks to wired connections, you don't lose any data (as you do over Bluetooth) so you can listen to music just the way the artist intended. And because technology has come leaps and bounds, you don't need to spend hundreds on a good pair of IEMs either — just look at the Dunu Titan X.

The Titan X cost just $39. Thirty. Nine. Dollars. Given that most of the other IEMs I've tested cost over $100, the Titan X feel like a game-changer. Having used them for a week, I've been blown away by their detailed and spacious soundstage, premium build and design, and their sheer value for money.

I never thought budget IEMs could sound so good.

All about the bass. And treble. And mids

Using wired earbuds or IEMs has its advantages, the biggest being that you don't lose data as you do over Bluetooth. This means that you can enjoy plenty of detail across frequencies, and the Dunu Titan X are up to the challenge. These IEMs are fitted with 10mm dynamic drivers and dual-magnetic circuits to cover a frequency response range of 5Hz to 40KHz.

I never thought budget IEMs could sound so good.

The average human hearing ranges from 20Hz to 20KHz, so this means that the Titan X are more than capable of reproducing sound accurately.

Truth be told, the only other time I've been able to appreciate the sheer amount of detail in my favorite tunes was through the Sennheiser IE 200 — IEMs that cost $150. That alone says a lot about the Titan X as these cost just $39.

Regardless of the song I listened to — whether that was Tame Impala's psychedelic tracks, Lana Del Rey's liquid smooth vocals, or an orchestral arrangement from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 — I was left gobsmacked. The Titan X's vocal capabilities are incredible as voices possess striking clarity. Bass response is powerful and controlled and it never sounds booming. Treble is vibrant without sounding too piercing.

The highs, lows and mids are all well-tuned and refined.

The highs, lows and mids are all well-tuned and refined, and Dunu has really knocked it out of the park. For a detailed analysis of the sound quality, check out my full Dunu Titan X review.

Bang for your buck

I know what you're thinking, "The Dunu Titan X cost $39, surely there's something wrong with them — perhaps the build quality is shoddy." It really isn't. Unlike pricier IEMs, like the Sennheiser IE 200 or the Sony Inzone E9, the Titan X's earpieces are enclosed in high-density alloy housing which is scratch- and sweat-resistant. The gunmetal finish lends the IEMs a premium touch too.

In addition to the fantastic earpieces, the Titan X's braided cable features a 2-pin detachable design, which means you can swap the cables with ease, so the IEMs can still be used if the stock cable breaks.

The silver-plated copper cable itself sports an anti-tangle design. As someone who spent countless hours untangling wired earbuds as a teenager, you have no idea how much I appreciate this design choice.

I'll be honest: I'm usually skeptical of super-budget audio products. I've tested a couple that I dare not even think about, so I was a little apprehensive about the Titan X. They sounded too good to be true — but oh, how they have proven me wrong.

They're ridiculously comfortable. They sport a design that makes them look classy and pricier than they are. They boast insanely good sound for the price.

$39 can buy you perhaps six iced coffees in Los Angeles — bang-for-your-buck IEMs really don't get better than this.

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Nikita is a Senior Writer on the Reviews team at Tom's Guide. She's a lifelong gaming and photography enthusiast, always on the lookout for the latest tech. Having worked as a Sub Editor and Writer for Canon EMEA, she has interviewed photographers from all over the world and working in different genres. When she’s not working, Nikita can usually be found sinking hours into RPGs on her PS5, flying a drone (she's a licensed drone pilot), at a concert, or watching F1. Her work has appeared in several publications including Motor Sport Magazine, NME, Marriott Bonvoy, The Independent, and Metro. You can follow her photography account on Instagram here.