Наушники — AFUL Dawn-X

The Dawn-X is a multi-driver IEM with a detachable cable, built by AFUL Audio, which the company presents as its latest top model, priced at USD 1,299.99. Each earpiece holds 14 drivers across four technologies, a layout the maker calls a quad-brid design. Elsewhere in the AFUL range are the Magic One, the Performer 5 and Performer 8, the Cantor, the Explorer, the PolarNight and the SnowyNight.

Key specs that matter

Per side there is one dynamic driver, eight balanced armatures, four electrostatic drivers and one bone conduction driver. Impedance is 15 ohm with a tolerance of 13%, sensitivity is 101 dB at 1 kHz and the quoted frequency response is 5 Hz to 35 kHz. The earpieces use standard 0.78 mm 2-pin sockets. The supplied cable is made from 6N single-crystal copper in an 8-strand Litz braid, and buyers choose either a 3.5 mm or a 4.4 mm balanced plug at purchase, since the termination is fixed rather than swappable.

Engineering and use context

AFUL splits the band with a multidimensional 6-way crossover that combines electronic and physical filtering, built on RLC network technology. Separate internal channels, which the company calls 3D Micro-Resonance Acoustic Pathways, route each driver group to the nozzle on its own path. The electrostatic units run as a wideband system working above 5 kHz. A high-damping air-pressure balance system is added to prevent a vacuum from building up in the ear canal during long sessions. Shells are made from stabilized wood combined with resin, so the grain differs on every pair. Inside the nozzle, the bass tube measures 0.71 mm and the bone conduction tube 0.5 mm, while the nozzle itself is 6.1 mm across, which decides which tips fit. Balanced-type ear tips are supplied with the set. The cable strands are laid in a three-dimensional braid, and the 2-pin sockets accept standard aftermarket cables of the same type.

Pairing

Being low in impedance and efficient, the Dawn-X is easy for a phone dongle or a small portable DAC to drive, though a source with a very low output impedance helps with a multi-driver load like this one, whose impedance changes across the band. Owners who pick the balanced version should use a player or desktop amplifier with a matching socket, while the single-ended plug fits almost any portable device. The choice of plug is best made with the main source in mind, because changing it later means buying a separate cable.

Alternatives

The AFUL Performer 8 is a lower-priced in-ear monitor from the same company, part of its Performer series.