My take on the Penon IEM here.
A
mini-review:
Accessories:
3 pairs of single tips (S/M/L)
Design:
Aluminum housings, no strain relief on them. Straight plug fairly, well relieved. Cable is ok, not too thick, doesn't tangle much and average on microphonics; lacks the chin slider.
Fit/Comfort:
They are actually quite comfortable thanks to the rounded design and isolation is not bad at all with the stock tips already.
Sound:
Penonaudio suggests about 100-200 hrs of burn-in. While I do agree they improved after 80hrs, the changes aren't that noticed after 100+. A regular 40-50 hrs should be enough.
What the Penon IEM really need is some EQ to really shine. Without EQ, they are very, very warm and too mid-bassy. They sound big but that strong bass emphasis takes a lot of attention. Mids are rich and full, but strongly affected by the bass bleed, making them congested and lacking definition. although nothing to complain about for the $10 price, but they can do better...
Now, with some good EQ these very affordable little earphones can be taken to a higher level. For best results I used the Hifiman HM700 excellent 5-band EQ, but could achieve similar results even with the Clip Zip cheap EQ.
The first thing to do was to take down the mid-bass peak, and that'd have been enough to start enjoying the IEM much more, but as they respond quite nicely to EQ, I actually added even extra sub bass, elevated the midrange and added some treble as well. The results were fantastic, really, really enjoyable. Bass is deeper and much more controlled, yet big and powerful. Mids are rich and very warm and engaging, carrying better separation and able to show higher detail. Highs are more crispy as well, but remain on the smooth side, though there's a certain grain on the upper mids/lower treble due the EQ applied, but nothing I'd complain for just the asking price.
Stage is fairly large but you won't get the dynamics or imaging of more expensive sets. Yet, they sound bigger than the Philips she3580 series (and faster on the bass) or the Fidue A31s (although the A31s are better balanced and detailed). Amping didn't do a real change.
All-in-all, the Penon IEM are a great "Free Gift" to get along with any purchase from penonaudio for just extra $10.
Here a couple of pics:
