The Watercooler -- Impressions, philosophical discussion and general banter. Index on first page. All welcome.
Feb 9, 2023 at 1:30 AM Post #48,376 of 91,329
Penon Impact Impressions

3EF1ADC9-1137-4222-B967-475E72E8089C.jpeg

Cross post from the Penon thread

The Penon Impact is a wonderfully tuned iem, with wonderful texture, resolution and breadth of stage. I would say these traits are its stand out qualities. It is a very easy transducer to like and even fall in love with. As a previous Traillii owner and spending quite a lot of time with The Bird, I can say that Penon has a big win on its hand for timbre and listenability. The musical tuning works with just about any music you throw at it, however it does excel with Vocals and more laid back music. This is where I found myself really gelling with Impact much like Traillii in this regard.

Since selling the Traillii a few months ago, I have come to realize I have a tendency to prefer BA or Piezo Treble tunings in favor of EST, and while the Impact has 2 Ba for the lower treble, the upper treble has 4 est. Dont get me wrong, I enjoy the occasional shimmer and sparkle however, the treble comes off a little dry, where I would like a bit more wetness, grip and texture. There is plenty of air in the upper registers to create a nice sense of space and separation/resolution. Overall a nice treble range with great clarity and detail.

The mid-range is forward and Vocals are exceptional, with great texture, timbre and clarity. I mean really wonderful vocal performance across the board with Male and Female alike. The only issue I hear in the mid range is a lack of depth of stage. This lack can create some smearing in very busy passages i.e. Metal and Large Jazz ensembles and Symphony Orchestra. Instrument timbre is natural and life like, I have not heard any instrument that did not sound full and authentic or lacking with Impact. I am not sensing much BA plasticky timbre if at all which is a huge plus. I really enjoy the midrange with Jazz trio, singer songwriter, blues, ambient electronic, solo instrument, chamber and modern classical and R&B.

The bass is very balanced and has enough mid bass to give the entire FR some nice warmth, without any muddiness or smearing into the mids. It is nicely textured and delineated with a full sub rumble and some serious mid bass punch. There is actually some(aka a little bit) air moving with these BA’s. However I would not mistake them for DD, they are very much BA in speed and quickness of decay. This speed and quick decay creates a very nice layered bass response. I still miss my DD bass!

Technicalities are def at TOTL levels. Wonderful breadth of stage with a good amount of height, my only qualm is the depth of stage. Resolution and imaging is very well done. While more laid back than say U12T or Diva, the Impact is not a slouch and has very natural transient transitions. It is not a detail monster and will not shove them in your face, although they are all there and can be heard, it’s just not the focus. The Macro dynamic swings are more vivid than the micro dynamic swings, much like Trailii here but with better resolution. My main gripe again, is the lack of depth in the Mid range as it is pushed forward and in doing so congests the mid range instruments when things get busy creating a more flat 2D feeling. SO be warned if you listen to energetic or complex music.

Overall, Impact is a very naturally engaging monitor. It isnt going to jump out and bite you with excitement as this is not the purpose IMO. These remind me of my TGX buds in timbre and staging, with more detail/clarity. Impact is very similar to Traillii and yet different but both going after the same type of sound. I do wonder if Penon is a little late to the party though as used Trailli’s go for $3000 these days and Impact at $2500 may be a tough sell. BUT what sets impact apart from Traillii is the closer mid range. I do not have Traillii on hand to compare vocals but The Impact vocals are up there with some of the best I have ever heard. Big Question is, would I purchase this iem? While I like this tuning and find it very well done, I have moved past this sound, big reason I sold my Traillii. I’m just finding myself a little bored with this type of tuning. However if I found one used at a great price it would be a no brainer to add to the collection.

Considering the cable, I am not the biggest fan, as it tangles and has pretty bad microphonics. I am not a fan of the modular plug system either, if Impact had a better cable I would be willing to pay more as I am not a cable seeker. I do believe cables make a difference, but I do prefer to stick to stock cables for the most part especially in the upper echelons of the hobby. I only used the stock cable for these impressions.

Fit is great, very comfortable and iems are not too big or small. They are made very well of high quality. I used large Oriolus wide bore stock tips.

And as with everything in this Hobby...YMMV :)

Thank you to Penon and @Dsnuts for the Demo and I look forward to checking out more Penon iem’s in the future.
 
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Feb 9, 2023 at 1:38 AM Post #48,377 of 91,329
Tnx for sharing your concerns! Those are great thoughts. I have collected 18 different ones and @Ace Bee has 2 more waiting for me when I reach Delhi. If I can somehow add the Max too then I'm complete (enough). Then, after buying a DAP it will be time to make up my mind about which tips to use, after which 95% will leave the house/backpack. If someone is interested in about 20 sets of Large eartips and is able to sanitize them after me using them for an hour max then I'm happy to send them out for free.

drftr
Did not realize you carried that many tips. Sorry I take medium size lol. It's just we don't talk too much about tips. And the situation can go like this, 3K iem + 1.5K cable + 2.5k dap and the sound gets all screwed up from the wrong $20 tips! So sad but true. :triportsad::upside_down::scream:
 
Feb 9, 2023 at 1:40 AM Post #48,378 of 91,329
Just saw this definition of Audiophile 😂 courtesy of @baskingshark:

Baskingshark.png

drftr
This is so funny! Since I'm on here, I stopped focusing on just getting the chills/goosebumps from my music (my old standard) and started focusing on whether my IEMs sparkle, have slam, have forward mids, are analytical, musical, and do I have the best source, etc. 🤣

I think it's time to go back to goosebumps and screw the curves and technicalities of the newest quadbrid or what DAC chip is the best!
 
Feb 9, 2023 at 3:10 AM Post #48,379 of 91,329
That's a lovely Melbourne waterfront image. I must make a trip soon to visit my brother (and while I am there, some Coolers)!
We would be delighted to host you at one of our regular meetups! :relaxed:
 
Feb 9, 2023 at 4:29 AM Post #48,380 of 91,329
Penon Impact Impressions

3EF1ADC9-1137-4222-B967-475E72E8089C.jpeg

Cross post from the Penon thread

The Penon Impact is a wonderfully tuned iem, with wonderful texture, resolution and breadth of stage. I would say these traits are its stand out qualities. It is a very easy transducer to like and even fall in love with. As a previous Traillii owner and spending quite a lot of time with The Bird, I can say that Penon has a big win on its hand for timbre and listenability. The musical tuning works with just about any music you throw at it, however it does excel with Vocals and more laid back music. This is where I found myself really gelling with Impact much like Traillii in this regard.

Since selling the Traillii a few months ago, I have come to realize I have a tendency to prefer BA or Piezo Treble tunings in favor of EST, and while the Impact has 2 Ba for the lower treble, the upper treble has 4 est. Dont get me wrong, I enjoy the occasional shimmer and sparkle however, the treble comes off a little dry, where I would like a bit more wetness, grip and texture. There is plenty of air in the upper registers to create a nice sense of space and separation/resolution. Overall a nice treble range with great clarity and detail.

The mid-range is forward and Vocals are exceptional, with great texture, timbre and clarity. I mean really wonderful vocal performance across the board with Male and Female alike. The only issue I hear in the mid range is a lack of depth of stage. This lack can create some smearing in very busy passages i.e. Metal and Large Jazz ensembles and Symphony Orchestra. Instrument timbre is natural and life like, I have not heard any instrument that did not sound full and authentic or lacking with Impact. I am not sensing much BA plasticky timbre if at all which is a huge plus. I really enjoy the midrange with Jazz trio, singer songwriter, blues, ambient electronic, solo instrument, chamber and modern classical and R&B.

The bass is very balanced and has enough mid bass to give the entire FR some nice warmth, without any muddiness or smearing into the mids. It is nicely textured and delineated with a full sub rumble and some serious mid bass punch. There is actually some(aka a little bit) air moving with these BA’s. However I would not mistake them for DD, they are very much BA in speed and quickness of decay. This speed and quick decay creates a very nice layered bass response. I still miss my DD bass!

Technicalities are def at TOTL levels. Wonderful breadth of stage with a good amount of height, my only qualm is the depth of stage. Resolution and imaging is very well done. While more laid back than say U12T or Diva, the Impact is not a slouch and has very natural transient transitions. It is not a detail monster and will not shove them in your face, although they are all there and can be heard, it’s just not the focus. The Macro dynamic swings are more vivid than the micro dynamic swings, much like Trailii here but with better resolution. My main gripe again, is the lack of depth in the Mid range as it is pushed forward and in doing so congests the mid range instruments when things get busy creating a more flat 2D feeling. SO be warned if you listen to energetic or complex music.

Overall, Impact is a very naturally engaging monitor. It isnt going to jump out and bite you with excitement as this is not the purpose IMO. These remind me of my TGX buds in timbre and staging, with more detail/clarity. Impact is very similar to Traillii and yet different but both going after the same type of sound. I do wonder if Penon is a little late to the party though as used Trailli’s go for $3000 these days and Impact at $2500 may be a tough sell. BUT what sets impact apart from Traillii is the closer mid range. I do not have Traillii on hand to compare vocals but The Impact vocals are up there with some of the best I have ever heard. Big Question is, would I purchase this iem? While I like this tuning and find it very well done, I have moved past this sound, big reason I sold my Traillii. I’m just finding myself a little bored with this type of tuning. However if I found one used at a great price it would be a no brainer to add to the collection.

Considering the cable, I am not the biggest fan, as it tangles and has pretty bad microphonics. I am not a fan of the modular plug system either, if Impact had a better cable I would be willing to pay more as I am not a cable seeker. I do believe cables make a difference, but I do prefer to stick to stock cables for the most part especially in the upper echelons of the hobby. I only used the stock cable for these impressions.

Fit is great, very comfortable and iems are not too big or small. They are made very well of high quality. I used large Oriolus wide bore stock tips.

And as with everything in this Hobby...YMMV :)

Thank you to Penon and @Dsnuts for the Demo and I look forward to checking out more Penon iem’s in the future.
Solid impressions. Thanks for sharing.

I'm looking forward to giving them a test run through the tour soon...
 
Feb 9, 2023 at 7:48 AM Post #48,381 of 91,329
Hey my dear Coolers,

After a lot of thought, and tons of back and forth, I have decided to change directions in my audio life. I'm a professional jazz guitarist and it's been on the back burner somewhat the last few years, (partially due to new baby and covid) and I want to put it back in the spotlight, pun intended. I want to improve my recording studio and get back to playing live again. My heart yearns to play, I feel it in my bones, and while I really enjoy Hi-fi listening, I no longer l want it to occupy all my resources, financial and emotional. Also, when I am travelling as a photographer, which is months a year, I just can't bring any of this TOTL gear with me anyways. I'm actually writting this from the back of a jeep bouncing around in the middle of Northern India :)

I of course want to keep enough gear to keep listening, but I want to scale back quite a bit. Be happy with less, focus those extra funds into my studio, and to recoup from the extremely expensive guitar I just bought. So I am putting my LP6 AE, Orpheus and maybe even Jewel and Aroma A100TB + PSU Pro on the market. I dearly love these pieces, but I just don't need them the way I used to, and they should go to someone who has the respect and love for what they are. Of course I will be sad, of course I will miss them, but it cannot compare to how much I miss playing and recording music, these funds would enable that for me, I simply cannot afford both.

While I would eventually list them, what I would prefer is a trade plus cash scenario, for some great, but lesser gear. This could offer others the chance to upgrade to the best of the best, and for me to more simply downgrade. Of course if someone just wants one of them that's fine as well. Everything is in fantastic condition, babied and with receipts, boxes et al. The Jewel is a custom, so it would need to be reselled.

I would be interested in the Sony M2, P6 Pro or even something cheaper if it's really cool. Needs to be pocketable. I am open to other ideas, at this point I am just feeling the waters of what might be possible. Cable could be FT or 1950s, or something else that's (again) cool but cheaper.

If you're interested hit me up with a PM and we can discuss. Don't be sad, I'll still be around, you guys are too kind and cool to dissappear completely. :)
 
Feb 9, 2023 at 8:29 AM Post #48,382 of 91,329
Feb 9, 2023 at 8:42 AM Post #48,383 of 91,329
With your precious support and Mr. Musashi help i chose my first 634ears!
LOAK-T(CL) bocote will come soon :)
Nice one mate...Reading through the Blog, Cocobolo would be my go to. let us know when you get it. I´m curious about these tiny things. :)
 
Feb 9, 2023 at 8:54 AM Post #48,384 of 91,329
Nice one mate...Reading through the Blog, Cocobolo would be my go to. let us know when you get it. I´m curious about these tiny things. :)
I was in doubt betweem Ebony and Bocote and i chose the latter
634ears said me: "changing the wood will only change 10-30% of the overall sound, so the sound of LOAK-T(CL) will not change drastically."

loak-tcl-c.jpg


LOAK-T(CL)​

10mm dynamic driver x 1.
Front: Titanium.
Body: Stainless steel.
Rear: Wood (selectable) Closed type.

Price)​

LOAK-T(CL) 87,000 JPY (Shipping few will be added for overseas shipping.) 

DSC05890-1024x684.jpg
Tulipwood
DSC05896-1-1024x684.jpg
Cocobolo
DSC05463-1024x682.jpg
Snakewood

Sound Characteristics)​

It is a type of LOAK-T with a titanium front and a closed back (wood). All bandwidths, from high to low, are well balanced. This model is the ultimate normal model in the 634ears lineup, with a powerful and crisp sound that is typical of dynamic-type drivers, yet very natural.
  • The most neutral tuning.
  • Both powerful and easy to listen to.
  • Very good bandwidth balance in all low, mid, and high frequencies.
  • This model is easy to show the individuality of the wood’s sound.
  • This model is the ultimate in normality among the 634EARS.
g-loak-tcl-1024x376.jpg

Specifications)​

Produced with MMCX cable connection and disconnection.
Standard cable included(3.5mm)
Engraving is a logo mark on the right side of the housing.
Wood for the rear enclosure is selectable.

Accessories)​

Standard cable.
Earphone case.
Ear tips (S.M.L).
Others (sticker, simple manual, pouch with logo, etc.)


@CrocodileDundee Cocobolo looks amazing!


DSC_0346-1024x682.jpg
 
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Feb 9, 2023 at 8:59 AM Post #48,385 of 91,329
Feb 9, 2023 at 9:25 AM Post #48,386 of 91,329
Gorgeous piece.


Jokes aside, looking at ZMFs I've always been curious about how different materials play with the acoustic tonality. Is there a ranking list of sorts for timbreheads?
Yes! I am also very curious on the different wood play in the tonality on ear phones. Hence taking the plunge. As for the ranking list, I am not sure if there is any, but in acoustic guitar, I do hear some differences on different woods using the same body shape.
 
Feb 9, 2023 at 9:30 AM Post #48,387 of 91,329
Great to see all the 634ears love around here. Musashi is a super cool guy, so passionate about his craft. It's refreshing to go back to 'basics' with simple designs, natural materials and exceptional craftsmanship, stripping away the flash for some genuine artistry. I'm finally getting a chance to settle in with these guys, which I've had around for a while now, and very much look forward to sharing my impressions here soon.

634ears5.jpg
L to R: LOAK-TC (Closed) Copper, 9iNE Indian Rosewood, LOAK-TO (Open) Pink Ivory, 9iNE Zebrawood, LOAK-TC Cocobolo
Very nice collections of yours! :) Actually my initial thought is to try the Open. However, as my daily commute is on train, therefore decided that perhaps Closed is a better option as my first venture into 634ears. Keen to hear your thoughts on the Open :)
 
Feb 9, 2023 at 9:32 AM Post #48,388 of 91,329
Yes! I am also very curious on the different wood play in the tonality on ear phones. Hence taking the plunge. As for the ranking list, I am not sure if there is any, but in acoustic guitar, I do hear some differences on different woods using the same body shape.
I myself prefer the timbre of cork.

Especially when it pops out of the bottle :wink:

drftr
 
Feb 9, 2023 at 9:38 AM Post #48,390 of 91,329
Thanks for the guidance. The PS cable has red for right and blue for left. I have changed them since the pic and will post another pic tomorrow so you guys can tell me if I still have it wrong. No R/L on these, unlike even most cheap Chinese IEMs.
Just looked at this combo and it looks to be correct and so does the post pic. I just used the old “ grooved side out “ 2 pin method.
 

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