Sound
The part on sound was done with the HiBy Music R8 reference DAP as source.
Again, to get the best possible sound from an earbud, the conditions need to be perfect. Do this and you will be awarded with an very open, very natural and speaker like presentation of sound.
With earbuds I personally feel that you don’t have that typical IEM experience where the sound is coming from the left or right ear piece. With earbuds the sound is more around you, just like a speaker type of sound. For me this is the biggest advantage of earbuds, and the SUN DICE delivers just that.
It’s also easy to fine tune the sound of the earbud depending on how it is placed in your ear. Bring it closer to your ear canal with a better “seal” and you will notice the SUN DICE getting more body, impact and especially bass presence.
For me the SUN DICE has good body and presence from top to bottom and you get a very full sound, with good impact. It’s a more warmer sound, musical sound with a smooth delivery, but I kind of like it. The sound stage and extension for me isn’t the best with the SUN DICE, but the spaciousness and openness is impressive. This earbud will not win any awards for being precise and detailed, but you do get a dynamic, engaging and musical, fun sound. The SUN DICE is not he most clear sounding earphone either.
Sound Classics
Bass is big, impressive and comes in with bang. It’s not the tightest or most detailed bass but it has a lot of punch. The SUN DICE’s bass is not very refined but it does go down low really low and it has great rumble. Bass quantity for me here is more important than the bass quality, and that shows in tightness and speed. But it sure is fun.
I do feel the bass runs a bit in to the mids, but luckily the mids share the same character when it comes to body and presence. The mids are full, sweet and have a sexy smooth timbre. Voices sound very natural and the open, spacious presentation makes the mids really nice and easy to listen to. The mids are probably my favourite part of the SUN DICE’s tuning, especially with vocally strong music (both male and female).
The top end on the SUN DICE to my ears is soft and easy, it’s not the most energetic or lively kind of treble but there’s enough to keep things exciting. Basically it’s an extension of how the mids are tuned, but the soft and smooth approach just works well.
All-in-all the SUN DICE is not a technically strong performer, but it it’s musical, relaxing and very easy to listen to.
Quick VE Comparison
Like before the comparisons are done with the R8 as source. So does the SUN DICE perform better than the VE ZEN, my favorite earbud? No, not for me.
The ZEN also is a warmer sounding, just like the SUN DICE, and it shares the natural sound, openness and spaciousness. For me however the ZEN fits better, and it doesn’t take me as much time to get the fit right. The ZEN’s bass is also big and impressive but I feel the ZEN has better control over the tightness and speed. It to me also doesn’t run into the mids as much as the SUN DICE does.
The improvements over the SUN DICE for me come in 2 ways. First of all in the treble section, where you get more energy and a much more lively, detailed sound. Second, in the overall clarity and cleanness of the presentation. I also feel the ZEN scores a bit better when it comes to precision, and detail retrieval.
The ZEN for me has a great mix of impact, smoothness, warmth, energy, detail and clarity and therefore it still is my number one earbud.
Going back to the Monk Plus earbud coming from the SUN DICE is quite a shock to be honest. While I still think they for the price offer great value, it’s hard to say these are anywhere near technically performant. Compared to the DICE SUN and ZEN, the Monks are all over the place with big bass, more forward vocals and a closer more intimate presentation. I can still enjoy the body, warmth and smoothness of the Monks, but you can hardly describe this as a refined sound. I actually prefer the original Monk earbuds over the Plus version. I feel it’s more coherent and civilized, but I don’t think it’s for sale anymore. Too bad as that one was killer for $5 USD. Let me know if I’m wrong (or right) in the comments. Do you feel the same perhaps?
I’m also convinced that my non-audiophile friends might even prefer the Monks over the SUN DICE and certainly the ZEN, as it for them will be most fun to listen to with the bigger bass, forward vocals and energy spike on top.
Conclusion
I really didn’t know what to expect from the SUN DICE earbuds, but I was hoping for them to be a close contender to the VE ZEN 2.0 earbuds.
After going back and forth between these models, I can see the differences between them but in the end it will depend on your ears and your personal preference. Some will prefer the fit of the DICE, other will not and the same goes for the typical tuning of the SUN DICE and the ZEN.
For me the ZEN 2.0 still is the best performing earbud in my collection, with the SUN DICE as a second. The biggest success of the SUN DICE to me is that it has made me want to listen more to earbuds again, especially at home before going to bed.
I do look forward to a new VE earbud, which will be able to compete to the ZEN 2.0. Or maybe I should go and steal loan Matty’s EM5 he loves so much.
fokta
At last… some resource info about the mysterious ZEN DICE…
Thank you for the insight, it does help me.
I do hope you can get the hand for ZEN SUN Copper.
as owner of ZEN 2.0, I am in love and hate border…
Lieven
Not sure Lee will be sending that one