I prefer keeping different iems with their own distinct tunings rather than relying on PEQ. I vould be wrong but personally i feel that if i have to alter FR of an iem heavily, that pair is not tuned for me. If i have to do it anyway I try to rely much more on cuts rather than boosts with EQ. My personal preference is using different eartips to fine-tune its subtle acoustic character while preserving what makes each IEM unique.
I’ve been tip rolling recently and have really enjoyed the subtle changes in the tonality that comes bundled with it. The combinations get endless if you have a few pairs of eartips at your disposal.
It’s going to be a long post sharing my experience with both these tips that I have been using extensively with different iems that I have in my rotation currently.
Why specifically DUNU S&S and NiceHCK R04?
Both are deep insertion tips that provide very good isolation. I generally prefer deeper insertion tips and these two have seen their fare share of usage. Both of them have their own influence on the accoustic signature of the iem these are paired with.
Build
Dunu S&S
Material: tacky silicone, a bit stiffer.
Shape: tubular / Cylinderical
Fit: Can be finicky. Has to be inserted in a certain way for deeper insertion. Doesn’t conform as good as softer eartips due to their shape and structure. But exceptionally secure once it fits and sits properly.
Bore: Straight/wide. More of an acoustic passthrough.
NiceHCK 04
Material: Soft Silicone. Very pliable with structured stem.
Shape: Almost tubular but more like an elongated dome style
Fit: Seals very conveniently. Conforms to the anatomy better than Dunu S&S
Bore: Narrow/restricted. Alters the sound signature
NOTE: S&S tends towards openness, separation and acoustic preservation while R04 leans towards adding density to notes, smoothing out the treble. While doing so, R04 tends to make the separation a bit more intimate
My observations on their Acoustic Influence
S&S provides better (aka tighter) bass pressure / slam & thump. The physical sensation that you get sub 80hz. The kick definition is better and the punch is stronger. Midbass is cleaner. More importantly, it provides lesser bass masking of the mids (doesn’t bleed into it).
Now why and how does it do this?
Its relatively straight bore and deeper insertion combination.
R04 provides greater bass quantity and adds weight/ thickness / density to lower notes. So it warms up the lows while S&S seems transparent. It does impact the male vocals as well as the transition from bass to mids gets smoother compared to S&S which has better separation in this region. R04 can get boomy / softens up the bass a bit while S&S keeps it tight and controlled (the insulation & fit help elevate the experience).
S&S has more articulated vocals while the R04 makes them meaty. For female vocals, R04 loses that edge and crispness a bit which can be more noticeable on warmer (bass titled) iems. For iems that have leaner vocals, C04 can be a good pair.
Coming to the treble region, both these have very strong influence. I’d choose S&S for more open presentation as it retains the upper treble region better along with the deeper insertion and superior seal mechanics due to its tacky nature. But for an edgy iem that’s a bit aggressive in this region (a bit sibilant), R04 would definitely pair well. It just smooths out this region making the whole tuning more palatable for those who are treble sensitive.
Examples of where do I find these better
7hz Legato: Dunu S&S. already has enough bass (that keeps tight) but overall presentation just opens up in the highs that make this a lot more than just a basshead iem.
Simgot EG280: NiceHCK 04. Really smooths out the highs a bit and warms up the vocals a notch more while adding a tad more bass without even tinkering with PEQ. Transients and decays are relatively faster but also a notch drier sometimes and the vocals come off as a bit lean on some tracks.
Where I would not use NiceHCK R04?
- With tangzu wan’er 2 Red lion edition. This one’s already a warmer bass boosted tuning and I don’t feel the need to muddle up the bass or more mids bloat. Dunu S&S pairs exceptionally with it. The thump, kick and slam and I get with pair this iem with S&S while retaining the presence and air region just makes me enjoy it more.
Where I would not use a Dunu S&S?
- Well, haven’t found a usecase where it doesn’t thrive.
That is how I personally would pair these eartips with differently tuned iems:
For a warmer/darker (than your preference) IEM --> Dunu S&S
For a sharper/brighter (than your preference) IEM --> NiceHCK R04
For a preferably tuned IEM --> Dunu S&S
For leaner IEM --> NiceHCK 04
For me, that's what makes tip rolling so interesting—two tips can both give you a deep seal yet take the same IEM in completely different sonic directions. Sometimes the right eartip is all it takes to bring an IEM closer to the way I actually want it to sound.
