Short answer: a tie on sound quality. Both are rated 3.7/5 (#635 and #643 of 1291 in-ear headphones) at nearly the same price ($349.99 vs $349), so choose on features and fit.
Why pick the CrinEar Reference: A very even tilt: the median of 30 measurements has a near zero tonal tilt and the mids hold close to target, giving a relaxed, inoffensive presentation. Watch for: Sub-bass falls about 5 dB short at 30 Hz and bass about 2 dB short, so it lacks the low end weight its two dynamic drivers suggest.
The case for the DUNU Vulkan 2: The median of 15 hobbyist measurements gives it a solid Harman preference score of 70 with a 2.16 dB spread, and its mids sit within about 1.1 dB of target, so vocals and instruments sound natural. The tradeoff: Presence sits about 5.3 dB low with a 6.9 dB dip near 4.0 kHz, so vocals and instruments lose some bite.
Buy the CrinEar Reference or the DUNU Vulkan 2 on features: they are rated the same for sound quality at close to the same price.
Still deciding? The full Headphones rankings cover every ranked option.
A very even tilt: the median of 30 measurements has a near zero tonal tilt and the mids hold close to target, giving a relaxed, inoffensive presentation.
Amazon $349.99 eBay
The median of 15 hobbyist measurements gives it a solid Harman preference score of 70 with a 2.16 dB spread, and its mids sit within about 1.1 dB of target, so vocals and instruments sound natural.
Amazon $349.00 eBayPrices on this page were last checked October 16, 2026 at 5:46 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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Specifications Side By Side
| CrinEar Reference | DUNU Vulkan 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $349.99 | $349.00 |
| Ranked | #635 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones | #643 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Hybrid | Hybrid |
| Drivers | 2 x 10mm dynamic + 3 x balanced armature | 1 x 10mm dynamic + 1 x 8mm dynamic + 6 x balanced armature |
| Impedance | 16 ohms | 35 ohms |
| Frequency Response | 2Hz - 44kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 5Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 70 (median of 30 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 70 (median of 15 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.12 dB standard deviation | 2.16 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.02 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | +0.14 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-5.0 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-3.7 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Sensitivity | - | 113 dB/mW |
| Weight | - | 0 lbs (8 g) |
Frequency Response Compared
Both headphones’ measurements overlaid on the Harman target. Above the target sounds louder in that range, below it quieter. Each curve is the median of several independent measurements, shifted so its 500 Hz to 2 kHz average sits at 0 dB, so only the tuning is compared.
Measurement data: the CrinEar Reference from aden, aftersound, animagus, atechreviews, audioamigo, bassaudio, bloomaudio, boizoff, breampike, dentreviews, dl, doltonius, dvewlsh, elrics, faxepremium, fernandagunsan, flare, hbb, hobbytalk, iemocean, jaraba, jaytiss, lestat, lumerion, practiphile, precog, soundignity, superreview, tdl and tonedeafmonk; the DUNU Vulkan 2 from atechreviews, audioamigo, dl, gadgetgenerations, hbb, hobbytalk, hu-fi, jaytiss, joycesreview, kr0mka, pw, soundignity, superreview, timmyv and treblewellxtended, all via squig.link.
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