TANGZU Wan'er S.G
HiFi 10mm Dynamic Driver PET Diaphragm in Ear Earphone

• 10mm Dynamic Driver, Remarkable Performance
• Dual Cavity Chamber, Fine Tuning
• Durable & Reliable 0.78mm 2Pin 5N OFC Cable
• Ergonomic Shape, Comfortable Fit

$19.00
https://www.linsoul.com/products/tangzu-waner-s-g?variant=43530411180249

Linsoul website: https://www.linsoul.com/
Linsoul Aliexpress Store: https://ddaudio.aliexpress.com/store/2894006
Linsoul USA Amazon Store link: https://www.amazon.com/s?i=merchant-items&me=A267P2DT104U3C

Disclaimer:
I want to thank Kareena of Linsoul for the love and the TANGZU Wan'er S.G Universal IEM review sample.

Disclaimer:
These are one persons ideas and concepts, your results may vary.

Equipment Used:
Sony WM1Z Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm and 3.5mm
Sony WM1A Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm and 3.5mm
Sony TA-ZH1ES DAC/AMP Firmware 1.03
Electra Glide Audio Reference Glide-Reference Standard "Fatboy" Power Cord
Sony Walkman Cradle BCR-NWH10
AudioQuest Carbon USB
UA3 Dongle DAC/Amplifier 4.4mm and 3.5mm

Driver 10 mm dynamic driver
Distortion Rate <0.5%
Sensitivity 107dB (1kHz)
Channel Difference 1dB (1kHz)
Impedance 20 ohm
Frequency range 20-20kHz
Cable Material 5N OFC 4 braid 38 wire (0.05)
Cable Length 1.2m± 5%
Interface 0.78mm 2Pin Connector

What’s in the Package
Wan’er S.G IEM
5N OFC Cable
Cleaning cloth
3 pairs of Silicon ear-tips (balanced)
3 pairs of Silicon ear-tips (vocal)




TANGZU:
While I have only had the opportunity to hear one other TANGZU product, it was a doozy! That’s right, probably my favorite Planar IEM out of 10 Planar IEMs in my possession. Now at first that single fact may not resonate upon reading it. The best of ten? That means all year long additions of Planar IEMs examples and 8 reviews written about them. While the ZETIAN WU isn’t the most analytical it is definitely musical.

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/th...ar-in-ear-monitors.26114/reviews#review-29383

To make a long story short there is also a new version of the ZETIAN WU where they tuned the frequency response to provide a slightly more even (not so V shaped) character. So simply taking off a little from the treble and a little from the bass possibly offers more view into the midrange, I don’t know I haven’t heard it. But that’s a pretty good explanation of what is going on. Today I am challenging the Wan’er S.G IEM against a legend, the Salnotes 7Hz Zero. But I may be a little late to the party? Who knows? Maybe not? Probably still, these two are still totally competitive and at battle. While Salnotes really offered the world a new idea of quality in sound for the under $20 realm, the Wan’er S.G IEM is doing exactly the same. Only some places now offer the Salnotes 7Hz Zero for a new price of $24.99, the Wan’er S.G IEM remains true to that wonderful under $20.00 price point. Years and years of passed since the value sector of the industry started to show just what could be acquired for under $20.00. To be honest I left that exact value segment in 2019, as I thought I was too good for it. But just like it can, the value segment started to pull me back in. Stories of great sound and little cash expenditure perked my interest. Not to bore you but looking at my list of equipment, I have had a history going as far back as 2010 when I started to truly find love in cheap IEMs. And while the Wan’er S.G IEM is not perfect, it does summersaults which endear it, somehow wiggling into the limelight............being just what you want for $19.00, providing a sound to enjoy your afternoon by.


The Salnotes 7Hz Zero IEM v The Wan’er S.G IEM

First you’ll note how the Pinna gain arrives at 2.5 kHz instead of like the Zero at just short of 3.5 kHz. This may not look on the surface to be a big deal, yet this is exactly where our hearing is most sensitive. Little changes in the pinna gain area affect how the whole signature is ultimately perceived. And I took time comparing the two way before seeing how it plays out on this graph. In hearing it almost sounds like the midrange is brighter or slightly more forward and in contrast to the slightly more sleepy ways of the Zero. While the amount of frequency is similar on both, note how the The Wan’er S.G IEM is just slightly bigger covering more ground. That’s kinda how I hear it…..less laid back. Then the second treble peak for the The Wan’er S.G IEM at 8 kHz, where the Zero takes until 10 kHz to peak. And while the after 10 kHz is debatable as to accuracy, the Zero has way more playful itemizations of trebles going-on, and that is exactly what you hear. In fact my main take-away from my first listening secession was the fact that I called it “typical for the price-range” treble details. Remember too, that this style of perception depends deeply on what IEMs you were listening to prior. And in fact that first impression of the The Wan’er S.G IEM was after using more expensive IEMs with a more involved treble and enhanced dexterity in high-pitched playback. Yet I was right regardless of prior exposure, that if anything we still have the 6 kHz anti-sibilance dip, and graphically the Zero and the The Wan’er S.G IEM are almost the same when it comes to bass. But is it in reality?



Bass:
The Wan’er S.G IEM v The Salnotes 7Hz Zero IEM
First off the Wan’er S.G is slightly more efficient which makes comparisons more difficult, but with the included bass it comes off about the same quality. Really though, in the end the Wan’er S.G is slightly more vibrant. Moving the two peaks of the Wan’er S.G’s output to the left increases what almost could be interpreted as brightness? While it’s interesting as the main issue people have with the Zero is it’s lack of bass presence. In my Zero review I still enjoyed the bass playback, while the bass in general (while still there) but is not the main focus of the replay, where it’s more about how the Zero does midrange which is so captivating! And.......the same goes for the Wan’er S.G, only it’s midrange happens to come-off even more vivid, which in the end sounds almost like a clearer IEM……….almost?

Midrange:
The Wan’er S.G IEM v The Salnotes 7Hz Zero IEM:
The mids are where 80% of the information is, in fact little is often talked about the importance of midrange as often bass artifacts or treble artifacts remain of higher noticeability. Meaning often the midrange is just a given that it’s there and doing its job. When in fact that job is in reality the whole sound almost of what the IEM is doing. The character of the mids is behind the scene and of less noticeability, because in reality it’s bigger and takes more precedence, but there is less you can do with it and get away! Where giant treble shelfs get interjected into the highs, or tremendous bass excursions get brought into play............there is simply a more critical and less flexible area inside of the pinna gain due to its inherit sensitivity to any change. The other ways change is brought about is the relationships to bass and treble energies and to the effect which they are perceived in relationship the pinna gain. So it can be put into less dominance through extra energies in the treble/bass. Here regardless of those factors the actual midrange itself (in a way) are almost identical. It’s really the 2 kHz to 17 kHz range where these two (slightly) pull apart, yet of course that upper Wan'er S.G (treble) area is emits far less persuasive energies into the mix, in relation to the pinna gain area. Such upper treble energies could almost be looked at as jewelry in affect, they add a tone but it’s ornamental at best and often lacking any emotional connection like you would find with-in the midrange. And of course this isn’t always the case, as some super bright IEMs challenge the midrange for emotional movement as do bass heavy IEMs, which create a fuss no matter what music is playing due to heavy bass influx.

Treble:
The Wan’er S.G IEM v The Salnotes 7Hz Zero IEM:
Laughably the treble (while tuned down to equalize volume) is dramatic to the point of almost calling the Wan’er S.G the better IEM. There is not a lot of difference in the way-up-top extensions, except that 8 kHz to 10 kHz difference in cymbal tone. Where as far as clarity goes I would almost give it to the Wan’er S.G here. Why? Because the replay is slightly more forward both in imaging and in attack and decay, the sound is absolutely more vibrant and clear.

Soundstage:
Staging..........while the Wan’er S.G offers an up-close rendition, such differences are neither good or bad as far as image placement. Is it different, absolutely, does it matter? In whole the Zero is slightly more laid back on all fronts, exuding a slightly more forgiving stance, yet if vibrancy is what floats your boat choose the Wan’er S.G as it delivers that on a different level, despite the similarities graphically.

Pace:
Both IEMs do well with pace, which is understandable with how the emphasis is not on the low notes, here we are gifted a faster mid-centric sound which prevails due to good separation and imaging into the stage. Musical elements are introduced and pulled away fast due to the dexterity of the enclosed single full-range driver.

Conclusion:
In so many ways this came as a surprise. Not by first listening to the Wan’er S.G, but after setting-up side-by-sides the truth in contrasts between the Zero and Wan’er S.G started to emerge. While at first more similar than apart, after many many back and forth movements a climax in understanding was achieved, seemingly a clearer picture of this sonic reality. The Wan’er S.G? Well you maybe don’t need me to recommend it as a few others have beat me to the point here? But just incase you are curious…….yes, by all means yes. Get it, especially if you don't already have the 7Hz Salnotes Zero.

TANGZU have slightly reinvented the wheel, they have beat Salnotes at their very own game. TANGZU have gone and disrupted the market that 7Hz Salnotes disrupted a few months ago. Seemingly overnight this new player gains credibility and confidence justly deserved due to playback. Add exceptional build and fit and we now have a stone-cold deal. Does it really matter if you already have the 7Hz Zero? Yes, and no. Yes, because the vibrancy is real…….no because if you are short on funds they almost do the same style of replay. Meaning they are closer together in more ways than they are different. But if you have an extra $19.00 laying around and wanted to place it towards audiophile endeavors, I am not sure I have found a better tune to throw money at?

Extras:
Build:
Three piece construction afforded by a resin shell with a metal nozzle. Such metal lips hold tips on wonderfully. Weighing in at only 4 grams a piece (compared to the 6 gram Zero) they are the perfect size and shape. And while not necessarily the most expensive looking build, they have a 3D quality where they have incased these gold inner markings. These strange marking at the tip of the faceplate and center area of the faceplate (as shown in the pictures here). The inner-driver mechanism is encapsulated in gold finish and two separate air-vents make themselves noticeable on the back side. There is a set-back fine mesh-screen which is set-back inside of the nozzle. There is a protruding qdc style two pin mount which still accepts any style of 0.78 2 pin required. The 5N OFC cable is the usual expected in this style of package, yet you may find sonic upgrades with aftermarket cables. The main reason I chose an aftermarket cable is to access the 4.4mm balanced out put of both my WM1A and Sony WM1Z DAPs. And while the Wan’er S.G was fine from a phone, noticeable up-scaling took place when joining in with a better source.



Cable:

Packaging:

Seriously?
What more could you ever ask for at $19.00? Oh a better tune, nope the Wan'er S.G has that too. More ear-tips? Please.......just look at them. All and all it is a very carefully constructed ear-phone with a great assortment of adds.

I really want to thank Thibault for sending the ONYX in exchange for this review. I can totally get behind what the ONYX is doing; happy to join in the release hoopla!

Get em here. Sold only factory direct.
https://www.earsonics.com/onyx/index.html

The EarSonics ONYX is incredibly revealing of source. Be it your amplifier, digital audio converter or song file......the ONYX simply replays stuff. This can be quite confusing as its bass and lower midrange are boosted, provided they are boosted in your song file. So it will not make your thin files sound better, but it will offer an incredible window into what’s provided with your audiophile playback. Note, this will take into account your amp personality, DAC personality and basically everything else in your signal-chain.

So try the ONYX from a phone and get its basic personality. But switch to an audiophile DAP or desktop and prepare to be floored. Strange but true, this is simply how it is.

Does the ONYX have a personality of its own? With-in the realm of playback the ONYX does bestow traits of its own. Yet those traits are so darn pure and admirable, they almost are not perceived as color; but ultimately they are!

So maybe the best way describe the bass here is to tell you what it’s not.

1. It’s not poofy in any way shape or form
2. It’s not thuddy or one dimensional
3. It’s not omnipresent
4. It’s not boring
5. It’s not slow
6. It’s not incorrect
7. It’s not foggy
8. It’s not fake
9. It’s not distorted
10. It’s not dry
11. It’s not in the way
12. And most importantly......it’s not wet

Every time I write the word “bass” I am not actually meaning just bass. That’s right. What I mean is the most visceral, deep-reaching, physical and timbre complex bass you have ever heard...........ever in your life.....bass. The best placed, best toned, most complete bass you or I have ever heard...............ever. It’s quite simply bass you do not know yet. It’s bass you can’t imagine. It’s bass that has to be heard to be believed.

Now the crazy part is I’m not exaggerating, I’m communicating. Does bass tone define the EarSonics ONYX whole signature? I mean is there still a balance...of sorts? Yes, and no.

Bass IS the first thing you notice upon placing them in your ears, there is no denying that. So…………the question that comes to mind is surely this must get old? Fun for ten minutes, but then you have had your thrill, and its overstayed its welcome? No............you never tire of this bass. In fact, you endlessly find new tunes to exploit and love. It’s just that good. The way the tone is integrated IS special. For the segment of folks reading that have already made up their minds about the ONYX………….that it’s too much.......I feel sorry for you.

While the ONYX sounds fine from a phone, they beg for more power. Also you will not appreciate their sound till at least 75 hours of burn in, full burn in at 100 hours. The ONYX is roughly 6dB more efficient than the IER-Z1R. So typically the WM1A/WM1Z Walkmans have just enough power on high gain for the IER-Z1R. 6dB doesn’t sound like a lot but it is. Try out a desktop amplifier to find the ultimate scalability. This was very surprising and the most up-scaling IEM I have ever heard. So they are efficient but keep getting better with better gear! The ONYX just keeps scaling up and up.

The bass tone and placement are so correct, how could any of this be bad? The bass is taken apart, delineated and re-introduced in such a way......we haven’t heard before. Due to the texture, pace and timbre, we are now in the presence of all we could ever ask for.

Much of the time it’s not truly the bass quantity but the bass quality that makes for this experience.



Could the EarSonics ONYX be too dark?
This is an interesting question? I mean……….I like darker signatures so? But before burn-in and mentally adapted, yes, it could seem too dark. It’s not forward (due to a forward midrange) also it’s not bright due to an overwhelming treble. So? I mean yes, it’s a slightly tilted response, yet totally comfortable and smooth. But still it depends what sound you are after? There are always going to be people looking for more of a flat reference sound, and we don’t have that here!

The Acclimatization:
(biology) The climatic adaptation of an organism that has been moved to a new environment.

It takes a while. That’s all I can say? Maybe 100 hours burn-in, and a couple days listening. So for any noobs there is a way out of the woods.

I mean we are always going to feel there is a give and take to IEMs. We are raised to believe you give and get. Even the tooth fairy gave you money, but took the tooth under your pillow. Still you get a lot with the ONYX and have to give up very little. It effectively plays 90% of my library better than I ever heard it.

The Treble Experience:
While never strident, it seems to walk that proverbial line where just a smidge more would be too much? So I guess you would say it’s perfect frequency wise. I mean this treble section is needed this way to counterbalance the bass.......and it does. There are obviously other IEMs which offer an embellishment in treble. This is not that way. Meaning the frequency is correct with no real bumps out of place. But where the embellishments are to be found happen with what the soundstage imaging does. So not everything goes way outside the soundstage, but when it does it’s fully surprising and accurate! The treble is not as harmonically enriched as some, but somehow this causes the ONYX to seem more accurate? It’s interesting too, as the technology has not been disclosed yet. I have no idea how this treble is made. Thus all the better in case of predisposition getting in the way. Obviously by this time this review is published I’ll know the technology.

The best part of the treble is how the correct rendition of elements fall outside the center. I’m pretty sure this is due to created correct phase? They are using Acrylic Heart technology, offering sound rigor and phase control. Plus TrueWave technology allowing optimal work on phase control, and a first-order “Magnitude Curve”. It’s also maybe the black background which is results in such a contrast between elements? To add to the effect, the transient response (across the board) is top level! When all of these attributes are placed together, the results are greater than the sum of each individual trait! Everything is totally cohesive and not one area of the treble seems like a bolt-on?

To get back to the dark background, it seems this is especially what’s going on when you hear small minuta arriving from a distance.

The Bass Experience:
Simply it’s real bass. It has all the factors of timbre and texture that you hear in real life. The ONYX sounds like bass guitar played live. The rhythm of the bass and how it interacts with the other constituents of the song is correct. If its bass by itself you seem to simply hear it clearer. You are closer to it, you understand its character better.

The Midrange Experience:
I don’t think the mids will let all that many people down. It’s the IER-Z1R mids in a way? So if the midrange didn’t work out for you with the IER-Z1R, well history is going to repeat itself. Really this is the IER-Z1R sound, if not better!



Scale:
Scale is everything, unless you don’t care about sound quality. Maybe you’re just interested in convenience? Whatever your value system is the ONYX has you covered. From a phone they don’t sound bad, due to their sensitivity. But get them a proper DAP or desktop, and they will surprise you. Bigger soundstage, more authentic instruments and better PRaT. Not only that but the desktop is the most natural way they sound. Interesting my TA does not offer EQ.......but really I don’t necessarily need any!



Is the EarSonics ONYX only for Rock and Metal Genres:
Absolutely not! While it does excel at Rock and Metal, the ONYX is much more well rounded than that. In fact if EDM was the only genre listened to, you would be right at home. Due to the same attributes that make it a winner for Rock and Metal, those same qualities carry directly over to EDM. In fact it may do EDM even better than Rock and Metal? Big synth washes and emotional breakdowns make the ONYX special. But it’s probably the over-all pace that makes it work, that and tone character? Nothing overlaps or is buried. Umwelt just happens (coincidentally) to be a French musician and one of the greatest Techno Artists. His work “Days Of Dissent” was used excessively to understand the limits and capabilities of the ONYX!

What about OSTs?
It’s not really a surprise that all of Hans Zimmer sounds incredible. John Williams is another composer that comes off clear, exciting and natural. Why? Due to the grand soundstage, true to life pace and instrument texture. OSTs are great! The ONYX seems to simply convey what’s in the recording. It’s just that if there is nothing stopping it, from unveiling what is there, if a heavy bass is lurking, that’s what you hear! That means if it’s a heavy Dub style, you get that.



The EarSonics Company:
EarSonics was founded in 2004 by Franck Lopez, a musician and sound engineer who wanted more than he could find from off-the-shelf monitors. Eventually EarSonics split into two sides, offerings professionals high quality stage monitors, and our side, the audiophile side. Today EarSonics now offers a full line of CIEM as well as Universal IEMs. David Guetta, Elvis Costello and Johny Holiday use EarSonics monitors, to name a few. They supply nearly 90% of the industry in France.

• CUSTOM AUDIOPHILE
• CUSTOM PRO
• UNIVERSAL AUDIOPHILE
• UNIVERSAL PRO

EarSonics SAS
ZAE Via Domitia,
171 Avenue Des Gardians
34160 CASTRIES (FRANCE)
Phone:+33 (0) 467 72 22 12


EarSonics makes/has made The SM2 iFl, The Velvet, The Velvet 2 HR Edition, The S-EM6, The EM32, The ES-3, The ES-2, The ES-5, The Aero, The EM3-Pro and the EM64, just to name a few.

Besides new models introduced like the Acrylic Purple Pro, we are just starting to see EarSonics branch off into solid metal universals like the Grace Platinum, Grace and Corsa.....most interesting (for us here) are the recently introduced Blade and Stark EarSonics Hybrids.

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/earsonics-blade.24175/
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/earsonics-stark.24174/

As it seems that in many ways the Blade & Stark is our nearest kin.

The EarSonics Hybrid Monitors; The Stark and Blade have proportionally increased in smoothness with extended burn-in. The Stark and Blade have 8mm DD drivers. The Blade is the lower priced version with 3 drivers, the Stark has 5 drivers, respectively.



Take note that for 50% of the review process I didn’t know what the ONYX was. EarSonics sent out review units not disclosing the cost or driver methodology. We were not allowed to share any impressions or anything until the release date on February 8th.

This, it turns out, was a great way to get started. Many times knowing how something makes music will give us expectation bias, actually changing the landscape. Here we had to estimate things. I started to try to guess the technology, then after e-mailing EarSonics and getting no answers, I simply forgot about the hows and whys and let the music take over. I will say that I was pretty confident of DD. Also after a week I was able by happenstance, to create driver flex. Yep, (only one time ever) my first week and only in the right ear. That pretty much answered part of my questions. Obviously bass like this doesn’t come from BAs.


Friday February 4th, 2022:
The Specifications have arrived from EarSonics: THE CAT IS OUT OF THE BAG! $561.00


This is a four driver hybrid design. One bass DD, 2 BA medium frequency drivers and single treble BA.

I sincerely wish to thank Jean Pierre Pinaud for his handy work!



Take note, this is exactly how they are packaged. The IEMs are placed lower into the foam to protect them. The cable is attached and coiled into the carrying case which is partially zipped.

In The Box:
The ONYX
UnHR 4C cable 4 core (2 pin 0.78mm) (silver) 3.5mm
2 pairs of memory foam tips of different sizes
2 pairs of mono flange silicone tips of different sizes
2 pairs of bi-flange silicone tips of different sizes
1 cleaning tool
1 Carry case
Manual
Builder ID card

Specifications:
Metal black mat shell
Sensitivity : 122dB/mW
Frequency response : 10Hz-20kHz
DCR: 16.5 ohms
Drivers (QUAD)
1X dynamic bass
2X balanced medium
1X balanced treble



IEM Tips:
I ended with many various tips which seemed to work. The included foam tips fit well. Though I stayed using some white no-name tips in daily use. I ended placing them somewhat in the middle length of the nozzle and allowed them to “find” the spot where they could perform an air-tight fit. Also the tips stayed on upon removing the IEMs from my ear. The white tips where not seated at the total back of nozzle in daily use. Thus the nozzle opening was not pushed to the complete end of ear-tip on regular use. Surprisingly the original Sony Hybrid large tips worked very well also. Normally the diameter of the Hybrid tips nozzle opening will restrict treble and create a more bass heavy response. Though with the ONYX, this was not the case. Sony Triple Comfort tips did not work (neither gray or old school black). The clear silicone IER-Z1R Hybrid tips didn’t work-out that great either.

The nozzle (diameter) circumference is on the smaller side. This will mean that your choice of tips will always need to be smaller nozzle circumference. Even though the nozzle does not have an end-lip, narrow circumference tips should stay on. Like the original Sony Hybrids, regular size tips will work, but due to their inner nozzle circumference, are not optimal and will not necessarily stay on after removing the IEMs from your ear.

Cables:
The included UnHR 4C cable worked well for much of my use. Though I ended with the 4.4mm HanSound Zen 4 wire in daily use. Even using the included UnHR 4C cable did show an improvement in quality in desktop use, but 4.4mm was simply better.

Fitment:
This is maybe the most important part of the review, as if you don’t have fit, you can’t hear the IEMs correctly. The metal bodies of the IEM are large, though they are wonderful to wear. They are not cold, but have a great feeling in the ear. The ergonomic build really comes through in daily use. I found the ONYX to stay in place and not ever even change frequency response when I placed my finger on the outside when they were mounted in place in my ear. This finger test means that the response is consistent and you have achieved optimal placement for tone.

Comparisons:

This shows a subjectively chosen list of IEMs I own or have heard in an order of less bass to more bass. Only the amount of bass is listed. Things like bass detail and technicalities are not listed in order. This is useful only as a guide to understand bass quantity. The only two on this list I don’t have near by for reference are the 64Audio N8 and the qdc Anole VX; the rest are accessible on-hand through ownership. The IEMs below the surface of the water exhibit a deeper bass response than neutral.

Comparison To The Sony IER-Z1R:
The EarSonics ONYX is about 6dB more efficient than the IER-Z1R. The ONYX is kinda like IER-Z1R in tone. While the IER-Z1R offers a slight smoothness over the ONYX, the ONYX offers vibrant imaging, separation and detail. That detail, imaging and separation is in the midrange and the bass areas, especially.

This is tough:
THE ONYX IS BETTER THAN THE IER-Z1R. So.............that’s a pretty big statement I know? But it is what it is. I had previously guessed this but it took side by side tests to totally confirm it as a reality. I don’t have a way to electronically verify the volume difference or equalize volumes, but I feel fairly confident in these statements. In many ways it’s rather amusing how similar they are!

So if you already have the IER-Z1R, would it be advantageous to get the ONYX? You don’t need two IEMs with very close to the same tune? But fit is something totally different between the two. So for those who for whatever reason didn’t get the IER-Z1R to fit but loved the sound, get the ONYX.

But if you have money to burn and really want a variation of the IER-Z1R (more on that in a minute), by all means go ahead and get it.

With the ONYX being roughly 6dB more efficient than the IER-Z1R, it theoretically gives you the ability of playing with more virtual damping factor? That said, if your DAP is on the border with power for the IER-Z1R, the ONYX is a better choice.

To tell you the truth, it’s really hard to compare two IEMs which when volume is adjusted are almost equal. Though I think the IER-Z1R is slightly less stark. The ONYX seems to exhibit a slightly brighter midrange and slightly better vibrancy across the playback spectrum. I can’t totally tell you if one is superior or not, as that MAY be subjective? If this vibrancy is wanted or not would be the choice of the individual. But…….I like the ONYX more!

It really boils down to specific tone. Meaning even though they have similar characteristics; the ONYX colors the instruments a different color. I know this is a strange statement but....

What is unique about the ONYX is guitars (as only one example) they have a slightly darker aspect across the board. So you are probably thinking that since the tone is different than the IER-Z1R that it must be off, but it’s not. That is the magic actually. Everything sounds totally correct, but there is a completely different feeling at times to the instruments. In a way they are more detailed and have a unique tone that sounds right? Also there is a slightly different soundstage if you try and compare both. It’s amazing as you wonder how two IEMs can be the same and different yet both also be correct? But they are! And it’s not exactly like someone changed a slider on a mixing board during the mixdown. These differences are deeper than that and are an intrinsic way the whole instrument sounds. It has you saying “I have never heard the instruments sound like that?” Yet it is not wrong at all. So it almost takes you to the point of questioning everything. What I’m saying is these tones are like hearing the instruments (in a way) for the first time.

I’m also still waiting for this phenomenon to get old, but I don’t think it will.

I have never heard a response character like this? Yes, in many ways it’s like the Sony IER-Z1R, but also something very fresh and unique. It’s that uniqueness that has you coming back over and over again. You are simply reconfirming what you heard the day before, because you almost can’t believe it was real! I guess in basic terms you would call this tone special. Still it goes against many ideas of audiophile playback being one single way? What happens is you hear it, and do a double take. As normally something that’s a departure from the norm is not acceptable, but in this case it is.

How can the IER-Z1R and ONYX both have the correct tone response?
The original musical event was lost in time. It’s gone, we don’t have it any longer. There in-fact is no way to recreate it. We can’t recreate it as it was not there (recorded) in the first place. It’s not some narrow restricted set of frequencies which will then recreate it, as there is nothing to exactly recreate from the file. Instead there are interpretations of what it could be. Those interpretations can actually be many things. The only thing that’s important…………..is if you can partake in the illusion. If there is communication of the emotional elements of the musical event, then the IEM serves it’s purpose.

The tonal response terms of even, complete and correct are in truth very abstract ideas to reach IEM success. Terms like accurate and true to life, actually have way more leeway than you might expect.







Undoubtedly……..if the IER-Z1R is a Akira Kurosawa movie, the ONYX has to be the Luc Besson movie!

The other descriptor that is fitting is lushness. Yep, in case you wanted one more word to help understand what is going on, that sums it all up! Now the interesting part of “lushness” is typically we trend to think of less resolution or cloudiness, maybe? No, that’s not exactly what’s happening here. It’s more liken to a pleasure of the senses thing? Think French cooking like Pâtisserie. The ONYX is a dessert.

64Audio N8 Universal:
I have to admit I don’t own the N8, and the unit (I heard) was a universal demo to be used to order customs from. I also have been informed that the CIEM N8 have even more bass. So this direct comparison is only from memory. While the overall instrument balance was similar I don’t remember the soundstage being as big as the ONYX? Also the bass and drums didn’t offer our extreme detail as the ONXY seems to convey on a regular basis. I really liked the N8 but felt the bass was somewhat crude, even though plentiful? Still it was a very “analog” sounding IEM. Take my comparison with a grain of salt, and rest assured the two will be compared side by side often by others.

qdc Anole VX Universal:
Another I don’t own, but I have a very clear memory of what it is in-fact! The two are pretty much complete opposites. Really this is a great one to explain what the EarSonics ONYX is....by contrast.

Some may if fact find the treble too hot on the qdc, a character trait which is not present with the ONYX. The qdc Anole VX is kind of clinically doing everything right, yet doesn’t exude any single aspect with flamboyant confidence? Where the ONYX has a healthy dose of panache! The BA set-up has all the bases covered as far as midrange and treble. Though you know with-out guessing the ONYX bass is more detailed and emotional. The Anole VX brings a lot to the table, and our VX tune is maybe more mainstream than our ONYX, though I’m not so sure? Both are so very different they are not really comparable?

Sony XBA-Z5:
In so many ways the Z5 is beat at its own game! Bigger bass, bigger soundstage, bigger imaging...........bigger everything. I can’t help but still hear a relationship between these two. They approach music from the same ideas. Still.......I guess this (of anything) shows the 2014 XBA-Z5 as dated and owning ineptitude on all fronts. It’s probably because at it’s soul the ONYX is attempting to better exactly what the XBA-Z5 does. Only here is progress in areas not even dreamed about. The ONYX effortlessly showing big drums and bass as detailed and refined subjects of substance and emotion. It wipes the floor with the Z5. Doing everything it does many times better. Besides that, the ONYX imaging is icing on the cake! Even the ONYX midrange showing beautiful and showcased vocals, the one attribute the XBA-Z5 struggled with. And if you tried to work with the XBA-Z5 and lift-up the mids, you didn’t like what you found waiting! Here with the ONYX......adding very small amounts of EQ goes to find alignment in the midrange if needed.

XBA-N3:
Really I look at the XBA-N3 as the little brother of the XBA-Z5. It’s the same comparison. The ONYX wipes the floor with the XBA-N3.

Bass Is Subjective:
First off how many reviewers have judged an IEM as inept due to bass character? Really this subject is difficult as it’s hard to be totally objective at times. In reality every reviewer is only trying to be objective, we are ALWAYS referring to something in the past to gain perspectives as to what we are currently listening to. But we see it all the time; reviews which end up critical of an IEM due to a failure in some bass quantity/quality. Probably in a perfect world the bass would end up like real life? It wouldn’t color any instruments and would stay behind the scenes until called for.

When introduced this bass would emulate life. This bass would have all those things you have come to really enjoy about live music. It would have tone, timbre and separation from nearby frequencies. The texture in effect is just that, an added dimension which goes further to delineate the bass from other nearby frequencies. So it of course is not the quantity but the quality of bass. But let’s go one step further. What would happen if there was a slight increase in quantity as well as quality? What if the ability went to the next level? What if the bass was not only more real but was real due to texture, timbre, relief and delineation? That’s what we have with the ONYX, a new and previously unknown bass experience! This style of playback would at first appear impossible, but EarSonics has made it possible.

What the ONYX ultimately teaches us is variation. There would be different amounts and character in bass tones, but until you hear it, you have no idea how infinite it is. Now we can approach bass leads and hear the emphasis and filagree placed-in as an extra detail. Whole bass lines are now emphasized and separated from what was once simply just a bass tone and buried in the mix. There has always been bass leads but often they have taken 2nd place to the regular guitar leads and vocal elements. Now the bass doesn’t have to only support the rhythm section; a strong reproduction ability will actually unearth whole new levels of creativity, never before heard, except in live replay.

Room Response:
There is something called room response. Or better yet, room response simulation. Normally stereo speakers will have a slight low-end bump due to room response. This is the result of sound energy bouncing around inside the speaker cabinet walls. The energy gets sent off the rear and sidewalls of the speaker and results in bouncing off the rear & side listening room walls, directed back towards the listener. The energy is combined with whatever regular response comes off the front of the cabinet. Such a phenomenon is also always present in night-clubs and live performances when music is played. Typically this style of sound is what separates headphone tone from live music.

Being able to recreate the room reverberations is critical in getting a believable tone from a IEM. The only issue starts with the listener, as he or she is now asked to believe. It’s critical to acceptance of an IEM tone if this set of frequencies is not noticeable. Typically our brains filter much of this out in a live setting. We hear it but consider it non-important. Probably much of brain burn-in is connected to learning to ignore this phenomenon in IEMs, especially with the ONYX. It’s one of the first things you notice upon hearing the ONYX, yet slowly diminishes until you’re fully acclimated.

Typically room response simulation doesn’t effect fidelity unless it creeps into the pace and rhythm area. This is often a double edge sword as it’s needed for body, but can seem to infringe on the space between notes. Not only note fall-off, but the critical attack impulse. Many striving to seek balance in this area are the Sony XBA-Z5, XBA-N3 and the IER-Z1R.................and of course our EarSonics ONYX here.

So even though these are slightly bass head IEMs, there is nothing boomy or smeared. The notes have body.....but nothing is blended. Everything is separate and has its own tone, timbre and texture. This is why the bass is so real. Also there is an interlocking affair with the drums. This is how pace is created. Because all that was just described about the bass is also going on with the drums.



Drums:
I can’t help but realize these were made by a man who plays bass……….but fully aware of the dependence upon drum timing. Why else would we hear the drums in perfect clarity? The drums are for lack of a better word simply real.



Swagger:
The ability of music to somehow find its core groove. This results from capturing and replaying the subtle nuances that make timing and pace special.


Hans Zimmer
The Dark Knight Rises: OST 192 kHz-24 bit

There are very few perfect things in audio. Sure, there are perfect experiences. Jimi Hendrix was talking about an experience too, but I don’t think it was audio.

With this style of soundtrack, Hans Zimmer has done what everyone who makes OSTs attempts to do; connect the images with emotion. To carry the emotion of the story to the next level. But somehow after seeing the movie, the soundtrack now by itself is stronger? And stronger again hearing it with audiophile clarity, especially matched with the ONYX. It is almost that you don’t need the movie anymore. Thus music in the OST genre being taken to the next level. Maybe this is always the case with soundtracks? Still this one seems much more emotional?

This is Batman’s IEM! And......with this soundtrack it’s absolutely perfect. Perfect in every way, shape and form. First off, look at the IEM. Does it look like Batman’s only IEM? Of course it does. This IS the Batman IEM!

Sonically we have just entered the whole realm of the Dark Knight! There is a breadth and scope here that only this IEM can provide. Song 2...”On Thin Ice” slowly graduates to a climax, yet before it does it offers a sadness of emotion fully outlined by the strings. At the end of “On Thin Ice” starting at the 2:17 minute mark is the strings. This dovetails into “Gotham’s Reckoning” a song filled with drama. Our bass is exemplified right from the start of it. It’s tactical and real, you can reach out and touch it! Besides the spoken chorus, a wonderful almost whispered affair.......things get going at the 2:35 minute mark. The drums are emanate and clear. And again another seamless transition into “Mind If Cut In?” The piano theme is weighty and echos.....but then at the 2:06 minute mark the bass drops! Glorious and full, 3D and omnipresent. This is life and we are alive! We are in the moment, nothing else matters.

What? “Underground Army” is here. Interesting as this song offers a “rhythme” that has angularity. A syncopation that’s shifting and obtuse? Just the fact that it is slow to understand makes it all the better once it falls in place. Finally counterbalanced with “Born In Darkness” we have some light? As apparently contradictory as that sounds...........everything has a place and is displayed just as it was created to sound! The EarSonics is in its element. Nothing is left out, yet what is added holds the moods and emotion of the event. At the 2:44 minute mark “The Fire Rises” there is nothing more than violins being plucked, yet they are not violins as we know them to be.....no.....they are sound elements, abstract and formless. There is a slight distortion as the recording can’t capture all the elements with faithful intensity, so it simply does what it can. “Nothing Out There” at 42 seconds brings in abstract sounds......almost like crows. They fly across our audible landscape to be scooped up by the reoccurring piano once more. And again the strings.....the strings showing us the way. Really this soundtrack is held together with strings, even though they are not always present. “Fear Will Find You” starts out and shows it’s not all bass tone, but I have a feeling it’s setting us up for more? Then the second half comes through. “Why Do We Fall? Finally reintroduces our theme.........but with added energy. A more mature evolution just like I suspect the ONXY is parlaying over it’s younger brothers, the EarSonics Stark and EarSonics Blade, even though I’ve never heard them. I can guess?


Dead Can Dance
Into The Labyrinth (Remastered)
“Yulunga” (Spirit Dance) 88.2 kHz-24 bit

Lisa Gerrard’s vocals are all you could ever ask for. One thing special here is the side to side panned rattles. You can only imagine the complete obsession with tone that beholds DCD fans. Most DCD fans are very well versed on the music. And the ONYX takes them where they want to go. The reverberations are spot-on with Lisa Gerrard’s voice. The fact that everything is correct. The ebb and flow of the album takes place with-in the intended boundaries. Really.......I have never heard the bass in this played exactly this way. It’s primal and authentic. The 2.07 minute mark drop can be bewildering for beginners! The showstopper and instantly accessible quality of this song make “Spirit Dance” the perfect demo.....into the world of the ONYX.


Mick Gordon
Doom Soundtrack (2016)
“At Doom’s Gate” 48 kHz-24 bit (USB keycard)

This has often been the ultimate test of an IEM due to the high tech recording and relentless musical style. “At Doom’s Gate” shows some of best the ONYX has on offer. We are greeted by heavily layered music which the ONYX takes apart with ease. Probably the best part is the visceral attack and soundstage, showing every ounce of authority present. This takes the cake as I’ve never heard this song replayed quite this way! There are all kinds of elements here that most IEMs seem to have difficulty in separating? Here we find the ONYX tour de force!


Black Sabbath-Black Sabbath 1970 (Remastered)
2002 Victor (JPN) VICP-61710 44.1 kHz-16bit

This comes to life with the ONYX. One key factor here is replay timbre; the ability to hear a difference between the tone of the guitar and bass playing the same notes. Add to that the great live drum sound.

First off, many are critical of this first album being recorded with a substandard quality? It’s not true. The band are totally familiar with this material. They played these same songs over and over again in a live club setting before finally making into the studio. Maybe what is simplistic is basic tracking, where elements are not ornate or polished? Still now with the ONYX the reality of playback takes place. Instruments don’t have to have anything extra because now we are witnessing the sound as closer and of its true nature. What I love is how the guitar has this unique tone. And truly if you listen you can tell where they did multitrack to bring a fullness to the sound. Geezer Butler’s bass is insane. Behind The Wall Of Sleep is mind bending! You can hear every little embellished bass emphasis. Everything! The fact that the guitar and bass are separated and the bass is in the middle. I’m speechless really?

Ozzy is front and center clear as day! Any questions about vocal replay can be put to rest. The special tone of the guitar as it reaches the climax of this song! It’s darker a little but actually normal, just the continuously new way the ONYX does guitar. It has a thicker and deeper tone, but it’s normal, just new? And all the room reverb, it’s not distracting but adds to the recreation of the “live” sound. And I’ll end this and say that it’s probably that fact that this playback is all so close and a factual.

We are drawn into a kind of one to one with the playback. It’s real, and near. It’s big, bigger than you can imagine! Perfectly separated into all of the key elements. And those elements have life! It’s not a 1969-1970 recording anymore, it’s being played for the first time right now!


The Cure
Faith (Remastered)
“All Cats Are Gray” 44.1 kHz-16 bit

Finally we end with some “comfort music”. The important part of this is again electric-bass tone, but also how everything else is put on-top. I’ve been listening to this since its release in April of 1981. The electronic drums are clear as day. There is a recording artifact at the 9 second mark; it’s maybe a microphone-cord or dirty knob-twist. The 1/6th of a second “buzz” is shown in perfect resolution. The best thing here is the balance.....the balance of every part of the song. Nothing is out of place. The cymbal splash at 2:10 minute mark means on the very next cymbal splash Robert Smith starts singing. These cymbals are higher pitch than natural and electronically processed as they are supposed to be. The main theme is the keyboards, coming-off understated yet present throughout the entire song. The songs mood is from the keyboards primarily. While the keyboards are two, each occupies its own area of the head-stage, with the left dominant and louder and the right of a higher pitch. It’s really the same synthesizer preset for both, yet the variations are golden. The second and maybe most important feature is the continuous electric-bass line. The bass is the songs foundation yet with subtle emphasis changes. The ONYX has the ability the show just how different that emphasis is. Smiths voice is almost lackadaisical, but if you listen very carefully it’s not. There is a slight room reverberated echo to his singing, and the fact that the second verse is sung way more direct. Also it’s quite interesting that his voice is multitracked too. A progression into silence as the piano plays....and the song ends..........

Disclaimer:
The Secret:
If you have made it this far in the review, I congratulate you. But also I will bestow the single secret to understanding the ONYX.

Sound signature success (with the midrange) only happens at certain volumes. Is this a deterrent to the IEM? Yes and no.

The issue is the midrange will only surface at a certain volume. That means these are not low volume listening IEMs. The ONYX is a medium and higher volume listening IEM. Unless of course if you enjoy the character of the ONYX at low volumes, then OK? Frequency graphs may only give us clues to the complete perceived tonality.

The Four Curves:

1. The ONYX true sound signature. (what they emit in reality)
2. The ONYX personal to you sound signature. (depending on ear anatomy and hearing physiology) This is what you hear.
3. The ONYX tested frequency response graph. (the machine)
4. The ONYX specific sound character in response to volume used. (Depending on volume level chosen, a different midrange response)

So you can see there are actually four individual frequency responses, though only one is measurable. The wild-card here is replay volume used.

Frequency Graph Representations may pose a challenge to truly understanding the ONXY midrange.

I’ve come across this before with one other IEM, and three full-size headphones. This is nothing new, but in a way rare; confusing to those who don’t find the tonal response to match the group understanding. In simple terms it just means you will need a certain volume to get into the midrange. Too low and everything will sound foggy and dark. At optimal volume the ONYX will come alive.

And Finally:
The 6dB difference in efficiency between the IER-Z1R and the ONYX is a conservative estimate only. This means that it could in reality be a 8dB or 9dB difference. That in reality the ONYX is maybe 9dB more efficient than the IER-Z1R?


Regular Disclaimer:
This is a single reviewers experience, your results may vary.

After-impressions:
Normally an IEM has first-impressions. In this case really after-impressions are much more pertinent. Normally though-out the photography sessions I’m very careful not to scratch or break the IEMs I’m working with. Amazingly after a while I came to realize just how tough the ONYX was built. After maybe 7 cable changes I came to find the 2-pin very robust. I also started to realize just how bulletproof the actual IEMs themselves are, never showing any scratches, paint-chipping........or discoloration in the handling process. They are some of the most robust products I’ve come across.....ever.

After full burn-in and realization that volume truly delegates the tone, I found myself continuing to find old music to become new. There was always albums that I suspected had bass lines but I could never hear them in such delineation or clarity! All and all I’m still being surprised at the ONYX and wonder if it’s still getting better and better? The ONYX is a special product that breaks preconceived notions of what is possible with an IEM in 2022!

Equipment Used:
Sony WM1Z Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm/3.5mm
Sony WM1A Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm/3.5mm
Sony XBA-Z5 Universal IEM 4.4mm Kimber Cable
Sony XBA-N3 Universal IEM 4.4mm Stock Cable
Sony TA-ZH1ES DAC/AMP Firmware 1.03
Electra Glide Audio Reference Glide-Reference Standard "Fatboy" Power Cord
EarSonics ONYX Universal IEM
UnHR 4C cable (4 core)(2 pin 0.78mm)(silver) 3.5mm
HanSound Zen 4 wire 4.4mm cable
Sony IER-Z1R Universal IEM 4.4mm stock cable
Sony Walkman Cradle BCR-NWH10
AudioQuest Carbon USB
Apple iPhone

The first thing you realize is there is a new level of information, and in fact that information “world” has stratifications and delineated forms of life. This life has been there all along yet never revealed or visited. These details are in the form of reverbs and cymbal tails...among other life forms. Such existences illuminated and spread across the horizon for inspection. These would be considered bright headphones, yet the LAND challenges everything you have grown to understand about the abilities and characteristics of bright. Because there are two styles of bright. One would be staring directly into the sun, and the other a million point light sources reflecting the sun off of water. The LAND is the second example. Such a tune reintroduces you to all your music. But not looking into the sun, but rather millions of reflections. Such found reflective elements go ahead to introduce timbre, tone and full-on shapes. This of course is not without expense or trade. You can’t have midnight light and lunchtime light simultaneously. Though you can embrace sun-set light as the example of such compromise. As such the character is the LAND, a fabulous example of a sparkling sunset, hence the faceplate.

This single IEM may be my retirement monitor? When I heard about it I knew I’d love it. Of course we all believe possible delusions of IEM grandeur, most of us ARE searching for the promised LAND. I learned a few years ago that I don’t have a preferred FR target curve.

Why would you limit yourself to a single FR response curve? We are experiencing music that music was mixed in mix-down studios at loss for standardization. So…….it’s anyones guess if playback is correct or not. Yet the LAND does something else……because of the EST drivers, in addition to BA drivers and the tonal-tilt, it becomes holographic. This stage seems bigger than the Sony IER-Z1R, it’s touted as bigger than anything offered by TSMR, and frankly the biggest soundstage I have ever witnessed.

Just wait a moment and let that sink in.

Yep, it’s all that…..the stage has a forward and back, a side-to-side and top and bottom. It couldn’t do what I’m about to explain to you with out doing all four metrics concurrently. The LAND immersions you....................such realities present themselves as fact.

Who is Tansio Mirai (TSMR)?
Tansio Mirai is a Chinese manufacturer who currently makes a number of specialized IEMs. TSMR or TANSIO MIRAI was registered as an IEM maker in China by the Beijing Tang Song Bouyan Technology Company in 2016.

The TSMR name is actually a play on words originating from the English language translation of “Tang Song era”. The Tang Dynasty and The Song Dynasty was an era of immense social change, scientific, agricultural and artistic progress. The Chinese invented gunpowder during that time as well as the printing press and the magnetic compass. The first paper money was invented in Song Dynasty in China during the 11th century. The name TMSR is in remembrance of such eras, ultimately bringing such values and dynamics into the future.

TANSIO MIRAI production as of today 10/25/2022
TANSIO MIRAI ZODIAC - 12 BA Flagship $1349.00
TANSIO MIRAI TSMR 8 SPACE - 8 BA $729.00
TANSIO MIRAI TSMR 6 - 6 BA $529.00
TANSIO MIRAI TSMR 5 - 5 BA $419.00
TANSIO MIRAI TSMR 4 PRO - 4 BA $319.00
TANSIO MIRAI TSMR 3 PRO - 3 BA $219.00
TANSIO MIRAI TSMR 2 - 2 BA $169.00
TANSIO MIRAI TSMR 10 - 10 BA Flagship $1029.00
TANSIO MIRAI Spark - 4 EST 7 BA Flagship $1499.00
TANSIO MIRAI Land - 2 EST + 3 BA + 1 Dynamic Driver $599.00
TANSIO MIRAI Akiba - 7BA + 4 EST Hybrid $1550.00
TANSIO MIRAI Sands - 1DD + 3 BA Hybrid $319.00

Navigating the LAND:
The only way we will be able to navigate this narrative is through songs. No simple descriptions or random concepts will work. So let’s start.


The Cure
Faith
“Primary”
44.1 kHz - 16 bit



My first favorite Cure song. Such vibe was the 1980s in vibrancy and up-beat pace. A study in studio trickery. Was all this detail truly necessary to put into an album? Well it’s there for us to partake of, so let’s jump-in and start swimming! At 4 seconds in we hear a crash cymbal double accent. But this is new, all these years (of hearing it) and the accent is now separated from the regular track of the cymbals……..it is also given the extra dose of reverb (for only that accent moment)…..yet it holds a space all its own. Of course this was always there, but never shown for what it was/is. Speakers in a room never quite did what I’m hearing? Because speakers are upfront and we have gone swimming in the sonic aquarium of the LAND replay. It’s around us, but only obedient to the songs potential, I would guess this is accurate, as a first……I’m without reference.

“Primary” is the lead single off Faith and the second charting in the UK. The song is unusual in that both Simon Gallup and Robert Smith play bass, with the effects pedals on Smith's giving the leads a unique sound. There are no guitars (other than bass) or keyboards played in the song.

So while the bass is everything here as far as string instrument examples, the (bass) signal processing showcases sonic embellishments and new found treasures. This is a tandem of musicians, with one centered and one to the right. They are able to get a full-sound due to the tone processing, and you tell me if anything more is needed. At 24 seconds in the phase shift is an instrument all unto itself. What more do you want from the LAND when effects character starts to showcase creativity beyond the instruments, as a gateway into this full-on new world?

Already we are clued-in that something is different here…..and the fact I can put this into words makes me grateful!

The innocence of sleeping children
Dressed in white and slowly dreaming
Stops all time
I slow my steps and start to blur
So many years have filled my heart
I never though I'd say those words
Further we go
And older we grow
The more we know
The less we show
The very first time I saw your face
I thought of a song and quickly changed the tune
The very first time I touched your skin
I thought of a story and rushed to reach the end too soon
Oh remember
Please don't change
And so the fall came thirteen years
A shiny ring and how I could forget your name
The air no longer in my throat
Another perfect lie is choked
But it always feels the same
So they close together
Dressed in red and yellow
Innocent forever
Sleeping children in their blue soft rooms
Still dream

The vocals here start at 35 seconds. This is the perfect example of Robert Smith in his prime, with a new six string bass to boot. As such we are taught..........taught the endless possibilities of creation with simple rock templates and structures. Taught first the simplicity of an art piece. Such complexity or actually lack of complexity would go to stylize the early 1980s, showing the world that a new breed of performer had arrived and this striped-down attitude was now needed to clean house from all the eccentric over-indulgences of the 1970s. What we find is this production suits the LAND fine. We can simply place each element into the soundstage and enjoy tonal balance. In fact the simplicity shows each reverb for the full character it contains. Each additive has a new shape, and we can choose our volume levels. In fact the whole song is a simplistic exercise in adding and taking away……waiting for the opportunistic moment to come-in and go-out. At 58 seconds the chorus starts………

And older we grow
The more we know
The less we show

When heard (the prior) starts to take on a (possible) prophetic wisdom. We realize there is also a back-up heard as a subtle synth, yet so sparse but crucial to the song. Way off to the right…..it is miles away from the rest of the instrumentation. This is where (maybe) the LAND name came from…..the sheer size of it all. The same instrumentation from the start is always with us…..reminding us of this simple/genius at work.

“Other Voices”
This next song has bass effects all in a row! The first show of such creations is at the 20 second mark. And while other IEMs would go ahead and introduce this bass deeper, there is a level of detail and instinctual satisfaction that sedates……….leaving us with-out a want.

Whisper your name
In an empty room
You brush past my skin
As soft as fur
Taking hold
I taste your scent
Distant noises
Other voices
Pounding in my broken head
Commit the sin, commit yourself
And all the other voices said
Change your mind you're always wrong
Come around at Christmas
I really have to see you
Smile at me slyly
Another festive compromise
But I live with desertion
And eight million people
Distant noises
Of other voices
Pulsing in my swinging arms
Caress the sound, so many dead
And all the other voices sing
Change your mind, you're always wrong

And just like the previous song, this is the first time I've heard it this way, though somehow totally correct? Ahh an IEM that makes a song sound correct and new? A song I have studied for 40 years? It’s simple really, if we introduce the elements at a spread out placement, we will be able to identify more (in-depth) character and textures. It’s the reason the statues have space to walk around at the museum. Seeing the statues from a-far brings a new and dramatic visual experience.

“All Cats are Gray”

I never thought that I would find myself
In bed amongst the stones
The columns are all men begging to crush me
No shapes sail on the dark deep lakes
And no flags wave me home
… In the caves, all cats are grey
In the caves, the texture coats my skin
In the death cell, a single note rings on and on and on…….

Here we are profoundly amused at simple drum tracking. And while again there is a simplicity here, the LAND goes a head and makes speedy transients and pans. Such percussion somehow sounds more real. All these years I thought it was a sampler or drum machine……but now the opposite of guessing what clarity would show? The tone is as I remember it, no messing with that…..in fact it’s just right, not showing any BA timbre or sheen. But of course it’s a step-up in tone-profile and partly (the bass part) questionable as to quanity? Yet I’m in, all in to where this is taking me. The bass notes show more variation in emphasis……..which again is the opposite of what common sense says less bass is capable of providing? Seeing it as a new world for the first time.


Ear-tips:
Finally a switch to medium UC (Ultra Clear) ear-tips made by Softears, I reached a state where maybe in some ways the soundstage was ultimately too expanded............as such due to my constant use of low-profile “donut” wide-bore tips. Now I was taking a step-down in size from (L to M) to accommodate the “High Liquid Permeability” Liquid Silicone Softears ear-tip. Due to construction as well as the LAND’s ultra-wide nozzle diameter, I reached a balance in size. Though it should be noted, I was ultimately getting an even deeper fit, making the distance shorter from the nozzle-end to the eardrum. Such a deep fit accentuated the bass combined with the medium orifice (ear-tip) nozzle diameter.

Now the ultimate bass test:

DCD
Anastasis
"All In Good Time"
44.1 kHz - 24 bit

Fit and comfort is now 10/10. There was some strange crinkling sound of the tips forming inside my ear, like rubbing a balloon, yet that’s gone away. The amazing thing is how the LAND is somehow held in place by the ear-tips. The PAC480 cable also has relaxed ear-hooks which generate a high level of ergonomic reliability.

The bass starts at 00.00 and is it a treat. Somehow coming in with even more texture and pure detail. This possibly is the texture covered-up by regular thicker Dynamic Driver slowness? Here the bass is both indicative of the synth source, yet holds textures anew!

Keep in mind I’m also getting synergy by catering to the LAND’s weaknesses. By using the PAC480 cable, Softears ear-tips, the Sony Walkman WM1Z and the dip-switches on the LAND 1 down, 2 up and 3 down......the stock setting. Such attention has proven to result in the ultimate IEM experience! The bass has a breath that almost precedes it, this may be in fact be perception of details inside the transient response. Such attack of notes becomes truly welcome and shows both note fall-off and decay to be correctly accentuated. This bass has full round notes and fascinating volume differences in emphasis. The bass truly comes off as natural, but missing slight authority due to FR emphasis. I have no complaints, only realization momentarily of the fact. It’s kind of like wondering and discovering, then confirming the bass quality (amount) then moving-on undisturbed. This style of bass seems to generate added detail across the board due to bass perspective forming analogue pulses............synthesized.

Vocals:
At 28 seconds the vocals start. Such separation from the mix is enjoyable. This separation gives life and dimensionality to everything in the song display. It's a blank canvas, with the bass and synth washes becoming the backdrop for vocals. Brendan Perry’s Voice has never sounded better. Better because it’s now shown for every detail and fluctuation contained. He has about six characteristics to his vocal replay, which are the detail of the embellishment painted across the canvas. To hear all this is to hear the song anew, even though I play it (lately) every day. The sound (after-effects) processing has been used in good-taste to give a separate feeling to the vocals.

There is no-covering up of talent here, only accentuating the mood of the experience due to his voice. Along with the vocal-echoes there is a form of either multitracking or vocal processing to make Brendan’s voice a chorus of Brendans. It is the rhythm of such echoes, along with synth washes and bass, which adds to the song’s pace as no other form of rhythm has been introduced.

All your ships
Have left their moorings
Cast adrift
On the Sargasso Sea
Waiting for the wind
To set your sails free
When you reach
The end of your rainbow
Chasing shadows
And down on your luck
Look for the sign
Look for a sign
As you rise to the very top
Of your mountain
Just remember those
Poor lost souls
On their way down
You taught me patience
Was a virtue
I took my time
Let Nature take her cause
All was revealed
All in good time
Turn back your clocks
Open up your memories
Beneath the veil
Where time stands still
You showed me a sign
You showed me the sign

The rainbow word has an exquisitely sung tremolo, and the LAND lets us hear such in effortless form. These are vocal specialist IEMs, and just like the TSMR Sands I recently reviewed, you know they were tuned by the same person. The PAC480 cable, the Walkman…..all cater to the LAND and Sands IEMs identically. Such a simplistic song has left room for details to be found. The effects which seem to hold the same amount of creative input as the actual notes and vocal adds. The LAND’s soundstage and tonal focus accentuate such sonic life-forms and bring them into motion traveling across this sound-field. This softness through detail makes the whole event take-on an expensive indulgence. Like your teeth biting through expensive chocolate, you simply hold on to the moment.

TSMR Sands Universal IEM vs TSMR LAND Universal IEM

For the sake of simplicity the exact same equipment parameters were used as in the sound demo above. Here the LAND is slightly bigger in ear, but despite the size difference, both fit great, with that slight extra low weight feeling a the Sands gets you.

These two IEMs were probably made by the same design team and tuned by the same designer/designers.

TSMR Sands:
1 dynamic driver + 3 balanced armature

1) 10mm custom dynamic driver for low frequency
2) 2 Sonion balanced armature for middle frequency
3) 1 Knowles balanced armature for high frequency
4) 3-way crossover, 3-channel design


TSMR LAND:
1 dynamic driver, 3 balanced armature and 2 ESTs

1) 10mm custom dynamic low frequency driver
2) 2 balanced armature intermediate frequency driver
3) 1 balanced armature high frequency driver
4) 2 electrostatic high frequency driver
5) 4-way crossover 4 channel design

Due to the polish and detail enhancement and the added sound tube and drivers bring, the LAND offers close to the same tune, though the bass is slightly forward with the Sands. Such differences could be from trying to drive all the drivers in the LAND with the same volume? Yet noticeable is the way wider soundstage and itemization of sound elements included. While I love the Sands, for you Sands owners (already) who were wondering...............there is no reason to ever revisit it, after you have experienced the LAND.

In this PM quote Dsnuts goes on to educate me on the Sands tune:

“Sands have a treble shelf from 7Khz to 9Khz the most sensitive portion for trebles. A shelf. Most IEMS have a mild spike in the region for treble presence, mostly focused at 8 to 9 Khz. A shelf that covers that entire range is uncommon. This is the reason why every single treble note will be heard easily.
One of the headfiers that bought those early was initially disappointed with them and then I talked him into trying out some different cables and then he started to enjoy them. Turned that person into a cable believer. Lol.”

Such is the tune we are dealing with. While I reached success with the PAC480 cable and Walkman, many may have to provide some footwork before entering the charms of the TSMR LAND/Sands. And even then, possibly the sound signature is not for everyone. In comparison of the Land/Sands there is no better place to side-by-side the additional qualities the LAND brings to the table. There is a primal quality to how the Sands displays the notes, yet those notes are (in-comparison) are fully drawn-out and sculpted with the LAND. The result is actual timbre improvement due to improved sound color; in fact this case is the very definition of timbre. Literally a more realistic LAND replay due to the higher level of timbre definition, relating to distinction of heard instruments and voices due to better tone timbre! Experienced folks could guess this as a natural occurrence due to comparison of two IEMs of the same tune but different driver count! Here of course we are dealing with the intrinsic qualities of added drivers expressing the same general FR. It’s just the general character of ESTs showing, and probably the best example of EST win in my experience! Though it’s interesting that the two LAND/Sands bass drivers are creating the same tone, though you can tell they didn’t use the same DD model number. That’s right, the detail included with the LAND's 10mm is a whole different ball of wax. Seemingly stepping back to throw out a whole different level of detail, while representing the very same musical note. Such bass notes are in essence the very definition of refinement, yet only with side-by-side tests do you totally witness such improvements. So to summarize the comparison, same FR, different technicalities.

Build:
The LAND comes with the feature of different dip-switches. Normally I’m never game for such tom-foolery, except the bass switch on the DUNU SA6. But the LAND changes are more involved than a simple bass switch. Note this whole review was done in 020 (balanced) just because that’s how I roll. I have always felt this “defacto” setting was the tune the IEM was built around. The medical grade resin shells feel comfortable in contact with your ears. And the 0.78 2 pin connects work flawlessly. But to state my favorite feature. It’s that the LAND never ever moves out of place once it’s been set into ear-fitment. This shape success may not fit everyone, but it works for me?




Tuning mode instructions

0 means push down, 1/2/3 means push up
Mode 1:
100: Bass enhancement mode
120: Mixed tuning
Mode 2:
020:All balanced mode
103: Mixed tuning
Mode 3:
003: high frequency enhancement mode
023: Mixed tuning
123: Mixed tuning (lowest impedance)

Remember this test involved extreme bias due to happiness in the 020” balanced mode. Your excursions into sound profile changes could easily result in finding gold and staying with the new “un-balanced” setting.

Seven variations, yet only six as a departure from stock.

100: Bass
Yep more bass, actually this is a lot of bass?
120: Mixed
020: Balanced
103: Mixed
003: High frequency
This seemed to make the soundstage even bigger! Yet the vocals lost physicality and started to edge on sibilance, not sibilance but going that direction. But really not bad, not exactly good either? I’m surprised, as I thought I’d be a fan (only) of the 100 Bass?
023: Mixed
123: low impedance mixed
Maybe more vivid, still I miss home……….with 020.

All and all this dip-switch stuff is pretty easy to do. I used the wax-removal brush wire loop end. The switches make a noticeable click into place with out a doubt of positioning. And while balanced mode is where I am, I do have a curiosity to fulfill going into bass mode after the review is finished. Remember these switches are simply an addition to the whole set-up. Being Cables, DAP, Ear-tips, EQ (I don’t do) and actually the variations of sound files arranged for playback, if you really want to get down to it!


Now that we have that out of the way lets concentrate on sound values:

Treble:
With most IEMs concentrating on the boost at 8Khz to 9Khz, here we have a 7Khz to 9Khz shelf. Such aspects go to delineate a whole level of forwardness in treble. This has been thoroughly addressed as an entity and dealt with by both Dsnuts and I though the PAC Cable change out. Such a polish and smoothing out, is simply the way to go for most listeners. With the included Sands cable and the included LAND cable being lesser examples of the cable art in this particular case. We are gifted with substantial harmonic complexity and clarity. But you may be thinking I just meant treble clarity, yes? Well it’s a balance of everything, so pace clarity is also component too...................which obviously centers on bass speed and midrange focus. This is not complicated stuff, as it is simply trying the various tone changing abilities you have at hand until a balance is arrived at. Such a balance is totally subjective. The creative arraignment here offers a new window into music you listen to all the time. Normally such (borderline higher) tone can be limiting in both listening time and volume used, due to treble intensity. Though here the goal is to find entertainment, constant entertainment, with-out focus on replay, but to transcend the methodology and get lost in the music. Though often I will chose a small percent of lesser volume to reconfirm the relaxation of the tone. The LAND (laughably) will never be the one you turn-up to find the midrange. And just like all really good IEMs, there will be a place in your listening moments when that audio illusion takes over and makes the entire replay almost sound like midrange! That’s when you know you have reached the PROMISED LAND. And……….even when you have arrived at such a local, file quality is still mandatory to success. Why? Due to the critical resolve we have achieved. The files now are under a microscope and seen for ultimately what they are. This sword is two sided, as thin low-res files will often become unenjoyable, yet at the same time, full-featured files will open-up to show you more than you ever dreamed possible. That’s the magic of the LAND. I can pretty much guarantee you there are attributes to your music you haven’t found yet. Remember the (previous) talk of looking into the sun vs seeing a sunset? When you have dialed the LAND in you will be experiencing the sunset with your best of files. Just sparkles of light……and a romantic sunset tone, full of detail yet digestible.



Midrange:
GIANT TEXTURES:
I’m not even going to call it the midrange, no…………..I’ve chosen to view it as textures only. Remember rewinding (a file) back to hear a favorite part of a song, a part which the music conveyed a sound that was startling? Why does this happen? It’s like viewing into slightly a different world, the next step into sound playback which takes place when everything comes together.



Hans Zimmer & Junkie XL
Batman v Superman OST
“New Rules”
96 kHz - 24 bit

Here we are exploring the LAND midrange with file content. You see, most of my words about this particular IEM only relate to specific song files. There is a reality present which can only be seen when a song file is directly connected to an IEM. And this track does it for the LAND. Reason being is that it’s a full-featured TOTL playback scenario! The fact that the song is well produced, and offers a dynamic contrast that the LAND eats-up. First off, I don’t seem to notice a metallic timbre, but it must be present? The addition of EST drivers reduces this effect by a large amount, or at least helps cover it up, up-top? But the endearing factor is how far the drums seem to exist? The sheer size of this playback is like full-size head-phones almost. When folks are explaining soundstage (with various different IEMs) I can’t help but think, the LAND offers up a new baseline to which all IEMs will be compared to. In my history this is by far the biggest soundstage. Bigger than anything I’ve ever heard or owned. Why am I speaking of soundstage in the midrange section? Because of the fact they are endlessly intertwined. Often add midrange ability and you add soundstage ability.

The next level that’s going on here has to do with increased levels of soundstage detail outside of what is normally found. As an example, the 3 minute 11 second air sound hits right before the songs climax. “New Rules" shows us sonic fireworks in playback. Such song is really more emphasized in low-end and treble sounds, but offers beautiful midrange none the less. A vocal song was not needed here as we already went over how great of a vocal IEM we have here. Just super-fast transient ability and noticeability of transients due to the FR focus! This is the very definition of fast replay, there is no low-end playing catch-up to our signature........thus the lows go right along with the program. To call this a technical beast, is an understatement. Actually there is no comparison in my experience, though remember this whole detail focus is partially due to cleaning-up the low-end involvement so it can be witnessed. Thus you trim the bass and make the treble provocative through ESTs! The two intermediate BAs in addition to the 3rd high BA, under the ESTs give substantial body weight to the mids as well as pin-point imaging and tonal accuracy.

Bass:
A DD first for TSMR, that’s right, the first ever TSMR utilized dynamic woofer….then the Sands came out and added a DD woofer model. Before such inventions TSMR had only bass BA IEMs. The fascinating realization was the comparison of the Sands bass to the LAND bass. Where the Sands promoted a simpler bass texture, it was slightly more forward in nature. It was less detailed, yet almost seemed to add a slight bit of extra bounce. Where the underage Sands was unrefined slightly in the bass department, the sophisticated older/pricier LAND shows experience and character not even attempted with the Sands. Such bass plays detailed and well imaged inside the stage. Such character is also benefiting from being full toned. Meaning even though some may say the bass is reserved, it still holds a full amount of frequency display, creating a realness where ever it goes. Turning to my EDM I was surprised to find that due to full-frequency and DD, the LAND remained exciting and robust. It’s just that many genres use pure bass emotion as their focus, often drowning-out the character of other frequencies to introduce such a stance. And here the LAND will then try and make sense of such off-kilter music and sophisticate it too much. So it makes your EDM files into what I guess would be called a refined and spacial sidestep, often filled with wonderment as to the treble and midrange imaging.



Flowjob EP
"Fall From Space"
44.1 kHz - 16 bit

Here we are truly amazed at the treble imaging. Though maybe in two places it showed to be almost too much. Electronic cymbals are often boosted even higher than normal to balance the lows. And while the bass is there, it’s obvious the BOOM-BOOM-BOOM is not a genre this IEM fully excels at. It’s more of a boom-boom-boom, yet totally entertaining and listenable none-the-less!





The box opening experience:
While minimal stuff is included, I’m guessing most will find this ample. Though the case is a little difficult to place IEMs into after putting these giant cables on. Included are 9 pairs of ear-tips, a switch-tool X2 as well as a cleaning brush. The silver-plated OFC cable will maybe be quickly replaced to go balanced, yet if someone wanted to use the LAND with the included cable (and phone) it’s super easy to drive.

• Driver 2EST + 3BA + 1 Dynamic driver
• Impedance 15Ω@1kHz
• Input sensitivity 110dBL/mW
• Passive noise reduction 26dB
• Frequency response range 10-70KHz
• Connector 2Pin 0.78mm
• Plug 3.5mm

Conclusion:
Holding a special place in my heart, the LAND goes to show new uncharted places to visit. Greeted by vivid textures and an other-worldly soundstage, such technicalities make for an exciting phenomena. Big and often spacial reverb imaging goes the extra mile to guarantee you’ve never been to this town before. And while this IEM would be considered bright by most definitions of the word, it’s much more than that simple descriptor. Fine-tuning the LAND, just like the later released Sands, created a balance, a balance that brought a connection and involvement rarely discovered. For it is upon such experiences that fun and awe are found, that we become a traveler right at home, in our own house. To reach these horizons in replay we would have never guessed. While $599 USD is a lot of cash, the six-drivers playing create what could be interpreted as a deal. While on the larger size, the LAND has size in all the best places, and while I am only curious about the tuning switches, there may be a few owners who adore them.

Though beware:
Such detail and resolution levels offer zero forgiveness for bad files. Yet, if that’s the worst of problems, I can deal with it. And while the bass is incredible, there is still the placement of balance in relation to the mids and highs that may leave EDM searching for more? Yet big/heavy OSTs like TRON Legacy by Daft Punk end being one of my favorite experiences on the LAND. The LAND brings the bass emotion and feeling due to a DD. The LAND brings the timbre for the strings and clarity for the synths…….really I am 100% satisfied with playback……………..but more than that...........I’m speechless? There is a level to describing the playback I am not able to convey. So I’ll leave it at that………..I will leave you to the PROMISED LAND.

$599.00 USD
https://penonaudio.com/tansio-mirai-land.html

$49.50
The PAC480 cable. “Your’e going to need this.”
https://penonaudio.com/pac480-iem-cable.html
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/penon-pac480-iem-cable.25228/reviews#review-28808

Disclaimer:
I want to thank Penon Audio for the love and for the LAND review sample.

Disclaimer:
These are one persons ideas and concepts, your results may vary.

Equipment Used:
Sony WM1Z Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm
Sony WM1A Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm
Sony TA-ZH1ES DAC/AMP Firmware 1.03
Electra Glide Audio Reference Glide-Reference Standard "Fatboy" Power Cord
Sony Walkman Cradle BCR-NWH10
AudioQuest Carbon USB
UA3 Dongle DAC/Amplifier 4.4mm/3.5

PENON RENATA (Beta) CABLE
Redcarmoose Labs November 25th, 2023

Disclamer:
This model of the RENATA (Beta) had a different sound than the finalized version. Penon decided to change the product tone and introduce the Penon RENATA with a slightly different forward tonal stance, in-turn adding regular midrange clarity. Hence the actual cable described here will never be widely produced for consumers. While the new (final form) RENATA could still be considered warm, it is in general more well-rounded finding home with most IEMs, oppose to this (in this review here) darker treble and subdued midrange energy model.

Probably the very best way to approach this is with a story. Yes, it’s true that all cable interactions are stories, except this particular cable, the Penon RENATA is vastly different from any cable I have come across. Different only because when I first got it I didn’t value what it did. I thought it was weird because it tilted my favorite IEMs into a wrong position. The RENATA made certain frequencies dull and lifeless, boosted others. I was perplexed…….then I started to get a clue as to what its uses were……..yep. The Penon RENATA does things different, and actually doesn’t go with all IEMs like the Penon ASOS cable I just reviewed. It’s almost the opposite of the ASOS cable.

As far as cables go (to over-generalize) we can place them into two categories. One being clarity (ASOS) so the cable simply gets out of the way and lets the personality of the source and IEM shine through. Two being color. Yep, some cables have use into aligning a sound different, almost vibrantly into a specific direction. Now vibrant may or may not be the very best word to use, except let me explain. Even with the 1st category (regular clarity cables) they can use a slight midrange or treble lift to bring things into greater focus. Even the bass can be slightly enhanced by itemization, a sculpturing of sorts. And while there is many different qualities of such taking place with different cables………this clarity group is wanted and needed as an alternative from the cable they gave you with your IEM. Group one simply makes the IEM you purchased better. Why? Because they couldn’t provide a more expensive cable with your purchase due to it thowing the over-all price out of whack, and because cables do less for the overall sound than the IEM. So manufactures know this, and get you most of the build effort inside the IEM, not the provided cable.

Except what on the other hand if your IEM was too intense, too bright or too forward? And even the manufactures supplied cable still didn’t work to make the new IEM you have listenable for long periods of time. Sure everyone has their own personal threshold into the perception of this energy. Some like excessive brightness, yet that’s not the norm. And typically with these types of IEMs we don’t know what to do. Number one we like them due to the ability to enhance detail. But as far as long listening runs there is a point to where we feel it’s just too much. Sure EQ can help, different ear-tips can totally go along to decrease our nozzle opening, to decrease the tone frequency…………but what if you want the widest soundstage? And what if you don’t want to use EQ? There is the solution of using different sources too, as at times we have a wide range of tones available at our disposal. But let’s just say even though all those methods do work, there is an easier way to reach success. There really is.

RENATA:
Renata is a feminine Latin name meaning “reborn.” It is derived from the Latin Renatus, meaning “born again,” which comes from the word natus, translating to “born.” Renata is a popular name in Italian, Portuguese and Spanish, with Renée being the fashionable French version of the name.



PENON RENATA CABLE
At first before I found my way with this cable I thought it was strange. As if you attempt to join the RENATA with balanced IEMs that don’t need correction you will hear things sounding almost off balance. The color will be apparent and you will wonder why anyone would make or use such a cable. Here at Redcarmoose Labs the respect meter goes down as there doesn’t seem to be an application for such a product. Even with first realizing the cable is a type of smoother……………..it still doesn’t smooth everything out in an even and correct manner? So imagine with me that even coloring sound needs to be somewhat even and correct………….a correct change. But then I started to come to terms with what the RENATA did well. Yep, I actually owned a number of IEMs that were in need of what alterations the RENATA did. Not only were they in need of exactly what the RENATA was up to, they were the very best sounding after the RENATA treatment.....the very best they could be! At least to me they were the best? So the character of the RENATA had a use, but more than that, there was no cable on earth (or at least one that I tried) that did what the RENATA did.

The RENATA is a singularly different cable than any cable ever made. Wow, that’s a big statement. Let me clarify.

First off probably the closest to what it does can be found with the ISN CS02. Yet the CS02 comes with a permanent plug surfaced with Rhodium. Now I have no idea what a regular plug would do with the ISN CS02, because I don’t have a separate permanent plug cable made with the regular style plug. Yet, what I can do is put on a Rhodium Plug onto the RENATA. Thus my attempt to make the RENATA more like the ISN CS02. Yet that flopped……….where the Rhodium Plug does make the CS02 great, it added a little too much intensity to the RENATA. Basically that is kinda what Rhodium does, there is an increase in treble energy and a forwardness or sorts, actually in many ways it’s clearer than a regular plug, but at some expense at times. But the real reason the RENATA is different is in sound, the resulting sound with taking a few IEMs and making them be the very best they have ever been.



Did you read the Latin description of the name RENATA? Guess what, Penon told me about the name two days after I already discovered what the RENATA did. So that in itself was mind blowing. I’m going to go over a few IEMs in use with the RENATA and simply try to explain what’s happening. You don’t need to research them, except in my reviews I will talk about the IEMs character drawbacks. Typically what this group has in common in brightness. So even if you don’t have any IEM in the test group, but do own a forward or bright treble or midrange IEM that delineates lesser listening times, then the RENATA may be the avenue to try. I mean that is what it is about, to have an older IEM become reborn!

Tests:
First off I could probably find more examples of success, yet it would be redundant. I literally received the RENATA a few days ago and it reduces my time (to write) to test every bright or forward IEM in my collection. Plus while fun, the results are the same and we would basically be going over the same ground over and over, which would be a little boring. Except for the “what if”.

What if:
What if is a term which in many ways encapsulates the discovery and mystery of IEM testing. What if means that often cable tests can be predicted, but other times surprising. Surprising just because often IEMs and cable unions don’t always play-out as guessed. Still there is a wide ranging group here to test, and they each offer different price ranges and popularities. There are truly different frequency responses, as how could there not be? But beyond what we can learn from graphs into viewing the FR response, there are unique abilities due to the various drivers displaying their own unique sound sculpturing. Yep, different balances of bass, different resonances, etc, etc.

The test subjects:
The TSMR Sands: 3BA x 1DD-$319.00

The TRN BAX: 1BA x 1DD x 2EST-$312.88

The MEAOES Eagle: 2BA x 2DD-$149.90

The SIMGOT EA1000: 1DD-$219.99

The Geek Wold GK100: 2BA x 2 Piezo Highs x 2 Piezo Ultra Highs x 8mm DD middle x 8mm DD lows x 8mm DD ultra lows-$200.00

The KZ AS24: 12BA-$112.00 (switchless model)




The TSMR Sands:
As always, I’m rooting for the underdog. You know a great IEM, yet not perfect, except shining as far as price-to-performance goes. Why else would I surround myself with so many budget IEMs? Truth to be told I am always looking for that bargain, an IEM that leaves you satisfied regardless of cost. But I have to say the Sands was and is different. Joining the mid frequency duties are 2 Sonion BAs. It was at the end of May, 2022 that I reviewed the Sands, and I have to say I was spellbound by what how the implementation was done of these two magic BAs. Maybe it was that they were “nude” in a way, having to procure so much of the sonic statement? One Knowles tweeter, one DD……..yet the midrange is what made the Sands, at least it is what you remember after the dust settles?

Today I’m using the Sony WM1A with MrWalkman’s firmware and my regular wide-bore silicone tips on everything, all of the test IEMs here today. And while the midrange is again the first and foremost the notable “thing” I can’t help but be persuaded by the increase in bass authority. The RENATA is expanding and separating the stage elements into both smooth and itemized elements of entertainment. I mean I choose this one as the first to write about just because cable changes have been a big part of the Sands life, ever since introduction, people have been concerned with getting the most out of the Sands via a new cable. Yet, here we are at home, as it seems like this combo was meant to be together, that the Sands and the RENATA were made for each other. Don’t get me wrong, that treble is still there, yet softened and digestible……seemingly smothered in golden light? Attacks are instant, transients fast and encapsulating imaging into a reality into which we view the stage positioning. And while of course the Sands isn’t everything, it is the best it has ever been here today. The ear-hooks too, go ahead and add positioning.



The TRN BAX:
A little harder to drive than the Sands…….here we are witnessing size, size and a different style of forward intensity. Normally I don’t bring-up gossip but since my BAX review I could not help to read the trash-talking. The first thing you learn is never become upset if someone doesn’t like the IEM you like. Only these folks on Facebook have never heard the BAX, they are only going by some graph. Yet as gossip goes, it is a wave of taking, with one and then another gaining force, simply by agreeing. LOL

I’m sorry, the BAX is absolutely one of my all time favorite listens. And again it’s not everything, and doing side-by-sides with the IER-Z1R did put it in its place. Only I’m a sucker for big-big stages, then if you itemize those elements into positioning into the stage, then dislocate the DD bass maker into it’s own HYBRID world, I’m completely satisfied. Yet some have found the intensity to be slightly overboard with what the BAX does. The new BAX Pro has an extra BA driver and tuning switches, so maybe that will attract more folks to this Hybrid paradise? But to me I’m in love and you know how love is blind……well the BAX doesn’t need a thing. Sure it’s intense, but the good kind of intense, the kind I can get lost in all day long. This style of forwardness brings with it clarity, yet the RENATA enhances such handiwork. Yep, the BAX is also now the best it has ever been. Sorry if you don’t believe me, but it is true. A slight separation, a smoothing of the edges and a new stage, a bigger stage than I ever guessed was possible. There is even better timbre maybe, as that is what can happen when you dial things down a tad, same as the Sands, offering a slightly more realistic take on daily file playback. Oh, and the ear-hooks……total win-win.

I know this sounds crazy, but with the slight trimming of intensity, the over-all cohesiveness also was increased as everything just flowed together more evenly. More of all-is-one, except this is a Hybrid and still has that marvelous separation, like home theater does.



The MEAOES Eagle:
OK, the Eagle could in-fact be the poster child for the RENATA cause. A perfect example of turning an IEM that after a while you may be on the fence as to possibly selling due to brightness? Yet saving the day, the RENATA is in place finding new found perfection. Well, not perfection, but close to it. In truth I forgot the retail price of the Eagle, yet it sounds like money now? Also the MEAOES Eagle was kind-of a surprise in that I don’t ever remember it sounding anything like this. Just super big expansions of detail and floating harmonics, all very natural and not steely or too bright? Also the two DDs are simply kicking it, bringing a welcome groove to whatever music is your choice. Yet it is probably timbre that is the most inviting here, as this typically is the style of IEM that can be controversial, being it is accepted by a few, and shun by others that don’t understand what the Eagle is trying to accomplish. Yet here is the cohesiveness, the completeness of tone, and an overall demeanor which gives it both a charming character, and an accessible one. It’s like that grouchy neighbor that was always complaining about this or that across the street, then you have him over for drinks and end up hugging……….well not hugging but you get my drift. LOL

Total acceptability here. Truth to be told I don’t know what price they are going to ask for the Penon RENATA, yet if by chance you end up buying it, it’s not too late to learn of the MEAOES Eagle. No doubt that it’s different, but so wonderfully different now, you know how it goes, a difference that becomes of an enchanting character, and one of singular value.....when you hear how the bass has a clarity and pace……..you won’t care that you only spent $149.90 because often this isn’t about how much you spend but the value of the synergy you have found. The bottom line is if you can enjoy your listening sessions, and while, yes the Eagle is still on the brighter side of the street, the DD balances that out just right. But most importantly it sounds natural and correct……..so much so that its tone is what I remember now with the RENATA, and keep coming back for more. Amazing! Some of the best sound per dollar out there. Don’t disrespect the Eagle……..don’t!



The SIMGOT EA1000:
So word on the street is this is the hottest thing since the last hottest thing. And while the EA1000 has its slight issues, most will agree that it is a lot of sound for the money. SIMGOT is going crazy introducing a full-line of budget IEM offerings, yet they may have hit the ultimate Pay-Dirt here? Did I say Pay-Dirt, that means finding gold, and I think they may have done it? I just wrote a long drooling review, a poem to the IEM GODs who bestowed this marvel upon us. That while great, the issues here have to do with what inherent issues single DDs have anyway.

The EA1000 was one of the very first IEMs I tried with the RENATA. Why? It was near by, and the sound was also near to heart. I had just done a review, but more than that, I wanted to find out where the RENATA would take the SIMGOT EA1000. There is another reason too, I had just tried a few “normal” IEMs and the RENATA was not always correct with them. What I mean was the Penon Volt and Penon 10th Anniversary didn’t become enhanced by the RENATA charms? They were too balanced and already did the magic that they do, and didn’t ask to be pushed into the direction the RENATA goes.

First off I mean, I’m not a fan of changing filters, and if an IEM is on the slightly bright side I can normally just deal with it, maybe my listening level may go down 5%…..or something? The way you know Schiit-hit-the-fan is I will recoil from my wide-bore tips and suggest some narrow bore tips to enhance bass and midrange authority while diminishing treble frequencies. But no, none of those shenanigans are needed with the EA1000, at least for me they regularly are not. Still there was room for improvement with what the SIMGOT EA1000 does and did. First off there is a pleasant overall warmth that is taking place, warmer than any other cable I tried. A warm blanket, yet due to the character going on with the EA1000 such warmth never seems to diminish the details. But there is a better stance of details as the stage is bigger, that and what could be perceived as closer realizations of elements oppose to Hybrids, the EA1000 now enjoys an immense bigger stage. Not the biggest ever, but a totally welcome improvement. What can add to those perceived improvements is separation, separation can at times be more important than stage. And that is what we have, a blacker background, littered with bigger imaging, and such imaging is in every direction……wider, taller, lower and deeper front to back. Next off the bass is both warmer and slightly deeper, bigger at least. And while bass it seems is not the stand-out value of the EA1000, it is totally intoxicating to me? And I don’t know why that is so? Maybe the fact that everything is so integral? Where the upper treble and pinna gain areas get a softening, where they don’t arrive as forward as say the Kiwi ears Melody, they are smoother now and still in perfect placement, as far as I’m concerned? Still if any drawback could be found with the RENATA and the EA1000 it would probably be how vibrant the vocals end-up? Just saying………..Yet remember I’ve just got done hearing 3 Hybrids, and just by the Hybrid nature vocals can be heard into more of a brighter toned color. But more than just tonal, they can be slightly more separated and dislodged into the mix spatially.



The GEEK WOLD GK100:
This makes the Eagle sound slightly less filled-in by comparison. Yep, all lot of fill-in due to a Smörgåsbord of drivers. All those GK100 drivers! Heck, there is everything but the kitchen-sink going-off in there. Yet it is all now smoother, and I like that? The RENATA is again making a love affair happen? Vocals are incredible, going from the SIMGOT EA1000 to this? I mean I call it just like I hear it, and while this is a test of a cable, you can’t help but compare IEMs you just heard. Yet this still isn’t a vocal centric IEM. Meaning vocals are better than the EA1000, yet still not maybe totally upfront? Probably GEEK WOLD accomplished that with the new GK200 which has just come out? Yet the RENATA improves the vocals here. I mean I’m sure I don’t sound believable with this review? Sure, I understand, yet it is what it is, the RENATA makes the GK100 the very best it has ever been. Again we are starting to grasp an ongoing theme of attributes. Bigger stage, rounded deeper, more authentic bass, more separated bass, more separated everything! HA

A smoother more natural rendition where instruments take on a more real timbre into their realization of occurrence. Literally there is nothing not to like here. In fact this may be the actual Poster Child of the ultimate RENATA cause…….why? Because it’s all here, all you could ever ask for from the GK100. If I was at a show (an IEM meet-up) and there was a table with the GK100 laying there…..I would blind fold a listener and simply ask how much he or she thought the sound value of the GK100 was with the RENATA in action………….it will in no way be a $200.00 IEM, no way. Yet it is these vocals that are special now, just the way they hold so much detail of expression? Just the way they are centered into a full-on stage with everything else going on around them….priceless?



The KZ AS24:
This is the full-on WHAT-IF style of hope. What if pigs could fly, what if the moon was really made of Swiss cheese? What-if…..the KZ AS24 could be turned into a masterpiece of an IEM, with just some added note-weight? In truth I wish I would have ordered the switch version as mine has no switches. Reviewers seemed to have luck adding a style of authority to the AS24 by changing switches. And while the RENATA does bring some warmth and spaciousness into play, the IEM itself still remains containing what it has. Meaning whatever magic was bestowed upon the above IEMs seemed to be a full miss-out here? Sure part of this could be me? Sure, I’ve only spent two days with the RENATA/AS24 combo……but I don’t think things will change? While yes, the stage is big, maybe I’ve simply been listening to too many Planar IEMs or DDs….or Hybrids, as the midrange here sounds a little dry, dry and lifeless? Sorry?

Ergonomics:
The interesting part of this review is yes, the cable is big, but not wild in how it acts. It actually goes where it is directed, so much so that I forgot to even write a part about it in this review. That is exactly how it is, you don't fret over what is not a problem, then someone commented as to size, and I was like...oh ya, people are going to see the pictures and be concerned with that. It's actually a little big, yet the ear-hooks do wonders, plus really it goes where you tell it, and I didn't notice microphonics happening, so in many ways it has the same magic as the ISN CS02 cable.




Conclusion:
I don’t know how the Penon RENATA was made, nor do I even know the determined price, yet all that stuff will be disclosed at a future date. That stuff is secondary to what benefits take place to a few IEMs in use. While this whole reborn thing was surprising, as I didn’t have a clue to what the name meant when I started this review. And truly names only have so much value, yet ultimately more when they explain what you have in your hands……right?

Look, this review has been a little long-winded, but more than that, this review has been filled with truths that border on the unbelievable. Which is fine. Remember in history most things that were different were not taken as fact when they first arrived. People didn’t believe the car existed when first told about it. They thought the car was a mechanical bull when they first saw it, little did they know it was something you could actually ride inside of!

And if anything, you can buy the RENATA as it will work with the brighter and more forward IEMs in your collection. It will give you longer listening times, and as a side benefit make the sound more cohesive and real. Timbre will somehow be affected with Hybrids.........resulting to transform the sound into more naturalness, when mellowed-down. The RENATA effect is real and one-of-a-kind over here at Redcarmoose Labs. And while the RENATA doesn’t make everything it touches better, a colored cable is like that, it picks and chooses who it wants to play friendly with.

All I can say is due to its uniqueness and politeness of character, the RENATA will stay in use with me......maybe daily, becoming a very special cable. Penon has a cable that does things no other cable in the world can do, and that quality makes it valuable, and even rare. You can partake of this phenomena once you get it into your sweaty audiophile hands too!

https://penonaudio.com

Disclaimer:
I want to thank Penon Audio for the love and for the RENATA (Beta) Cable review sample.

Disclaimer:
These are one person's ideas and concepts, your results may vary.

Equipment Used:
Sony WM1A Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm
Sony WM1Z Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm
Sony TA-ZH1ES DAC/AMP Firmware 1.03
Electra Glide Audio Reference Glide-Reference Standard "Fatboy" Power Cord
Sony Walkman Cradle BCR-NWH10
AudioQuest Carbon USB

"Paradise"
ISN H50 Universal IEM
Welcome my friends to another review. Before us is the latest IEM from ISN. Such a 4 BA/1DD design configuration results in something truly special. Hybrids at times offer more contrast and separation than planar or single DD implementations. I had to pull myself away from taking H50 pictures to make these notes about it. My favorite of the ISN stable. Meaning (to me) it’s better tuned than the H40, and more well rounded than the EST50. It’s not just frequency range.........the technicalities are something too. With the upper-midrange emphasis and upper-treble sparkles there broadcasts a clarity. Combine that with a super fast composite 10mm DD and I only have one word! Accessible! Won’t you join me in a review of the ISN H50............a Mid-Fi masterpiece.

Who is ISN?
The history of a portable audio Juggernaut!
In the beginning ISN made only cables; and even now they keep introducing new cable models. With 17 currently made different cables, it’s no surprise they understand what makes cables different from one another. If you by chance are reading this review as a steadfast cable non-believer, that’s ok. To have a company offer such a wide range of essentially the exact same audio-cable could be judged as ridiculous.

Donuts
Quote:
“Cables are a hot topic especially for enthusiasts. The IEM cable market nowadays has seen so many varieties and styles to choose, when it comes to cables. The big debate is do they actually help shape sonic qualities? On one side of the fence the objectivist enthusiasts do not believe in cables making any difference at all. I understand that notion but on the other hand there are people like myself that write cable reviews and talk about their finer qualities and how they affect sound for your earphones. I suppose my review here will help the folks that do like a good sound shaping cable to help with their IEM sonic profile more so than the science guys. My honest take on that is. Believe your own ears”
End quote:
So simply believe your ears. Truly it should not get in the way of hobby enjoyment, simply do what works for you.

The ISN Company:
ISN current cable offerings:
Silver-Plated IEM Cables: S4, S8, AG8, S16 and one Type-C Silver Plated USB Cable
Copper IEM Cables: C4, CU4, C16
Mixed Cables IEM Cables: Solar, G4, GS4, SC4, H8, H16
Gold-Plated IEM Cables: GC4, GD4
Pure-Silver IEM Cables: AG8

ISN Ear-buds:
Rambo
Rambo 2

ISN IEMs:
H50 10mm Composite DD (bass) 2 BA (mids) 2 BA (highs) $295.00
H40 9.2 DD (bass) 1 custom BA (mids) 1 composite 2BA (highs) $195.00
D02 10mm DD $79.00
D10 9mm DD $169.00
EST50 1 Knowles BA (highs), 1 Sonion BA (mids), 10mm DD (bass), 2 Sonion ESTs (ultra-highs) $459.00

Strangely, even-though making all this complicated stuff, ISN describe themselves only with one sentence.
“We are a wire production and R&D factory.”
That’s how they describe themselves. Yet what becomes obvious is they let the product do the talking. So far I have been lucky enough to review the H40, the EST50 and this is the H50 review. I have the D10 review coming up next. I also have the SC4 cable, the S8 cable in 2 pin and MMCX, plus the S4 cable. The only IEM they make that I haven’t heard is the D02. So I’m am beginning to get a grip of what they are about. So far I would sum it up in only one word………value. That’s really what it is. Though they also make silly expensive cables too. The H50 is a different kind of tune for ISN. After the H40 and subsequent emulation and expansion of the legendary H40 sound with the flagship EST50, they started a new journey. No one except ISN knows the next course of action to take place, but I believe it will be a TOTL flagship with the sound of the H50. I could be wrong, but the H50 is so mature and delightful, I can’t imagine a company not using it as a springboard to the next level. Still it seems pretty hard to beat? Extra EST drivers could be put in to make an EST60, but I question what worth that would truly give? The H50 is an exact tune, which will end-up being incredibly difficult to top. IMO It already has the staging, it has the bass, and with 4 BAs, its got an even, correct and complete frequency response. What more could they possibly do? They obviously could try and and super-size the whole shebang? Make the bass soundstage bigger, make the midrange be bigger somehow? I don’t know, this is science fiction?

S8 Cable:
Features

• High purity makes the cable extremely soft, providing the comfort of wearing,
• Gold-plated plug is more beautiful and durable, using insulation treatment technology.
• Natural and transparent sound, delicate and smooth; lift medium and high frequency, strengthen high frequency extension

Specification

• Model: S8
• Material: Single Crystal Copper Sliver-plated
• Number of cores: 8 shares, single share is 19 cores, a total of 8 × 19.
• Connector: 2pin 0.78mm
• Plug: 3.5mm audio/4.4mm/2.5mm balanced gold-plated plug
• Cable length: 1.2M

https://penonaudio.com/isn-audio-s8.html?page=2


Even-though priced at $32.50, and the second lowest priced cable in the ISN line-up, I still view the S8 cable as the Toyota Camry of cables. Truthfully, I don’t view/judge cables by price, only performance. Coming into the opportunity to review ISN products, I wasn’t sure what to expect from their included cables, even though before making IEMs they existed as only a cable builder? While other cables I used did offer other tonal and positioning discoveries, the major find was simply how good of a cable the ISN S8 ultimately was/is.

ISN started as only a cable manufacture. They then got an idea to become an IEM maker and cable maker. I actually put the S8 through the paces, changing cables and joining it to a couple amps before making a judgment concerning performance. While many members will upgrade their cable in quest of updating the H50 sound. While cable makers will add more silver and new cables construction designs, I am more than happy with exactly what the ISN S8 does. Truly I am not looking to make the H50 any brighter or more detailed. I’m more infatuated with how the S8 handles the lower midrange warmth and positioning. I mean, ISN are the cable experts, they could have included any cable from their arsenal, but they choose the ISN S8 for the specific performance to value ratio it provides. Such ISN S8 cable is also a standard, included with the ISN EST50 and ISN H40 IEMs.



ISN Audio H50 4BA+1 Dynamic Driver Hybrid MMCX HiFi Audiophile IEMS

Description
Brand: ISN Audio
Model: H50
Driver: 4 Balanced Armature + 1 Dynamic driver
2BA for high frequency + 2BA for middle frequency
10MM composite diaphragm Dynamic for low frequency
Impedance: 25ohm
Sensitivity: 108dB
Frequency response: 20-20kHz
3 channels 3-way crossover
Handmade resin shell
Stainless steel nozzle
Connector: MMCX
Cable: 8 Strands 19 Cores OCC Silver-plated
Plug: Gold-plated
Cable length: 1.2M

The box opening experience:

You get the ISN H50 IEMs, the S8 cable, a shirt clip, cleaning brush, six pairs of silicone ear-tips and a gorgeous case.

Build:
The ISN H50 is one gorgeous IEM. Just look at it! Taking the IEM aesthetic to a whole new level, you may actually miss what’s going on due to a subtleness in design? It took me a while to totally figure out what was going on. I actually thought the shell was solid black, then upon further study the insides could be seen, small colored wires and parts taking shape. The faceplate is the same way, at first it looks solid, then you start to be able to see below the layers to form vague outlines of the inner workings. At first the side of the MMCX mechanism, then the faint outline of drivers. Not to mention the gold-foil additives on top, swimming around in the middle, obscuring your view. For an IEM that is so direct and clear sounding, it offers totally the opposite in looks, offering only mystery in build. The ISN H50 is like see-through woman’s cloths, only getting us a taste of the underlying reality. Besides the looks we are met with solid resin semi-custom build making-up a medium size. Such attention to detail guarantees us close fitting with ample outside sound occlusion. The stainless steel nozzle has robust wire mesh screens, slightly recessed into beautiful aggressive tip holders, an improvement over ISN past creations. The MMCX mounts are polished flush to the sides, without even a raise to the feel. Finally the name H-50 with a R or L is imprinted into the back of the shells. Somehow ISN has gone the extra effort to provide both beauty and functionality in use?



Sound:
Sound generalizations:
If your coming from the legendary ISN H40 presentation there is a lot to be excited about. I feel ISN studied the H40 response and had the imagination to progress one step further. Except that one step outcome is a whole different deal. The IEM landscape is always changing and it’s important to introduce new and innovative tuning to keep up with whatever else is being offered by other manufactures. Only ISN outdid themselves here, they truly did. They went and added a subtle boost of midrange to the H40 tune, they also bumped the upper treble a hair. Just those small changes made a hugely different sound experience. Due to the upper midrange and upper treble boost there became a soundstage expansion. Next they included a whole new style of bass DD. Gone is the mid-bass authority of the H40, replaced by a tailored bass response that comes from a new 10mm Composite Diaghram Dynamic Driver. Such sophistication here means there is a separation between the midrange and bass driver. These 3 sound-bands coalesce together in place due to a 3-way crossover network. Thus each is represented in absolute singular clarity. I can’t help but imagine the 2 treble balanced armatures go to balance that beefy low end. This is the contrast I was eluding to earlier. If ISN has the wild idea to add EST drivers to a new flagship IEM, and offer an expansion of this tune, I would be worried the softness of those new ESTs couldn’t compete with the clarity provided by just the way this set-up performs? Those two treble BAs are precious. Meaning this is the ultimate ISN sound. IMO I truly don’t know how it can be improved upon? It’s absolutely beautiful, seamless and complete.

Because the H50 is so well rounded there is no correction to seek. Meaning it works well with every amp and source I have. Though because of the way the treble and bass balance each other I found a style of heaven with the more mid-centric Sony Walkman WM1A. So the 1A will be used for these sound impressions, but really any amps I have will result in pretty much the same overall sound. Crazy as it seems, even tips were not a concern here, meaning, yes, they did something but every style of response was ultimately acceptable. We were never needing a tip to make the sound correct, as there was so much leeway to be found.



Treble:
The two balanced treble armatures and how they are tuned provided a broad expansion of stage. So the imaging and ultimately characterizations of upper elements are found with-in this placement. The thing is, never are they attempting separation or detail with brightness. The treble actually has both detail and separation all with in this slightly warm expanse of replay? Nothing is too crisp or strident. Yet it’s all there, all of it. Gone is any want of higher pitched playback, as it’s just perfect......for me anyway? Obviously this is balanced armatures doing the duty and performance, at the level they were designed to be. Slight artifacts of spacial fall-out show-up just to give you a clue of this contrast going on. It’s so cool how these small details go to a much further extent to show the soundstage……..falling off in that quick decay that only balanced armatures do. Starlight flickering off into the distance as it fades into infinity, just to be brought back to life with the next beat rendition. Timbre and transient attacks are dead-on, and I don’t know how or why that could be? Also there is an interaction, an interaction of treble and bass, as this whole gig is interrelated, interrelated with the treble and bass in union. Maybe it’s just the groove, handled so very well? It’s this subtle extra upper-treble forwardness that seals the deal.

They bass is always leaving the correct room for this perfect soundstage of midrange.

Midrange:
Fast. With two balanced armatures tuned to perfection, we are witnessing a style of subtlety actuated midrange. Such frequencies are ever so slightly tilted to be heard as an upper midrange forwardness. Such delicacies add an ever so slight clarity to vocals and work to push-out the soundstage to it’s ultimate placement. This is really the meat and potatoes of our H50 response character. I can dilute the review with bass poetry, but you know as well as I that in reality, it’s all because of this area that we are here. And……again we are meet with the perfect balance of mids. I don’t have to remind you of all those shouty forward midrange excesses you have had to deal with. You know the ones that are not always intense, but when they are you have to deal with them. They are an annoyance and a burden to deal with. What do you do? Turning down the volume works, a different set of tips often does the trick, or better yet, go find a more subdued source and put water on that fire. Luckily we don’t have any of that stupid nonsense going on. None. That's why I can pull out my midrange-forward DAP and have a party. The Sony 1A is known to offer a brighter midrange than the Walkman WM1Z. That brightness is utilized to offer what could be perceived as a wider soundstage. The other extra accessory is the speedy bass. Way faster than the Walkman WM1Z.

Such balance mean that vocals rise-up to show themselves and add emotional involvement second to none. I don’t know if you have noticed, this is my favorite ISN tune, and not by a little, but by a lot! This is what BA implementation is all about, this sound, this sound right here. While maybe other TOTLs will do a slightly more authoritative response, I don’t know, there is a lot going on here, and in many ways, it’s everything. A W tune with a bass boost, an upper midrange add, the upper treble sparkles................Paradise!

Bass:
This (bass) was the first clue that I was in the presence of greatness. This style of bass is actually different than any I have ever heard. That and there is nothing odd-ball about it. It’s just that it is somehow utilized to placement into an area of the stage that is way out to the right and left. So it’s not just a tone like we typically refer to, but a positioning and a tone. It took me the longest time to get a handle of why it was different, but that’s what it is. That and it’s existing with this abnormal clarity? Such combination of values are rarely if ever found together. We are in witness of speed and texture, this tonal correctness that wins out over so many other bass styles. So let’s add this up, placement into the soundstage, a sub-bass tone mostly (as there is diminished upper bass)…….and speed. That and there is still a level of politeness in-spite-of-it-all? So normally sub-bass has a slowness that exists due to the lack of control. Here there is minimal lower bass fall-out. Its positional, clear and complete bass………which makes it fast. You combine that with the speed of the upper X4 BA composite decays and we have a terribly fast and responsive IEM.



Music:

Delain
Chemical Redemption
44.1 kHz - 24 bit

I have a love hate relationship with this album. Truth be told it’s a very different sounding album. A complex work-up of contrast and sonic tomfoolery. It’s the one of the strangest albums I’ve ever heard. Also many IEMs will have trouble reproducing the qualities held within its 13 songs. Let’s start off with the rhythm guitar here. Tweaked-up and processed to the hilt, it's big sounding, but more that, it’s a buzz-saw.....relentless and savage. It goes to become part of the basic rhythm section along with drums and bass.....all a back drop for the vocal includes by Charlotte Wessels. Sadly it’s the very last album with her up-front, being with the band almost from the beginning in 2005.

This is also such a strict and fully calculated style of music. By the numbers they create anymore, with very little room for personal leads or innovated outbursts. That’s what it’s about, a planned attack, fully programmed and orchestrated, with zero room for error. Somehow the ISN H50 goes along with the regimentation. Not only goes along with it............but excels at such framework. I truly believe this is how the song is supposed to sound? But better than that................we are partaking of multiple overdub vocal placements. Every take is alive in a new area of the stage, yet probably anyone would agree that it's the dialed-in pace that is setting the mood. I found the perfect song to get my point across, the pace ability is the ultimate statement of performance here. That’s right kids, the bounce........the stops and start-ups create this ultimate journey here. The fact is.......that they are playing with us, as the timing changes become the riddle.........such resources are tapped into. The chorus, the breakdowns.....it’s all wonderful. Yet it’s the vocals brought up just slightly by the upper midrange boost that become illuminated on-top of everything! That, and the fact that very few examples in replay do this song justice in pace. This song is super fast, and any not just quick in pace, but in instrumentation. Stuff has a super fast attack and decay. This music was made for balanced armatures.The instantaneous procurement of sonics, the shut off of decay. All with the support of the bass underneath, and texture only the H50 knows how to do.



DUNE OST
Herald Of Change
Hans Zimmer
48 kHz - 24 bit

We are now traveling to the other side of town. While this music uses an orchestra, the sounds are so processed and surreal, they may as well be totally electronic in nature. But it’s maybe Hybrid in that it’s electronic and orchestral in essence. Big drops in bass at 59 seconds. Really reaching out to the furthest of stages. All enveloping and omnipresent this bass tone is, yet textured and of the utmost quality. At 2 minutes 54 seconds we here a choir and a bass hit, at 3 minutes 41 seconds is the first of many of a progressively more textured bass introductions. We can hear inside the bass notes, and are swept away for a moment in time. Here while the attacks are of a more transient edge as opposed to the last songs bounce.....we still note the clarity of attack, just that the decays are longer and of less consequence. The whole album like many of Zimmer’s work revolves around a central theme, only to be reiterated over and over again, until the messages are spoken.

Side by side comparisons:
H40 Universal IEM: 9.2 DD (bass) 1 custom BA (mids) 1 composite 2BA (highs) $195.00
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/isn-h40.24083/reviews#review-28747
I can't help but think the H50 is named as such as it's a progression of the H40 sound. Costing $100.00 more and offering in many ways the opposite tune. Where the H40 midrange is recessed, the H50 brings it forward, where the H40's treble is reserved in both frequency and detail the H50 brings it up. Not only frequency wise but soundstage wise also, including such details to flourish out and about, playfully invigorated! Where there is an overall forwardness (in presentation not FR) to the H40, the H50 sits only slightly back relishing in 3D realms of alternate reality. Such a place allows the bass to become more sculpted and textured. Treble replay offers formation of imaging of transient response items.......out existing on their own.......on the outskirts of the stage! The H40 vocals are slightly set back in contrast to the exquisite H50 performance!

Over-all detail is different, with the H40 using layers upon layers, the H50 is more direct, using focus and delineation. This really isn't a question of preference, as the H50 is the more technically superior monitor. Though frequency wise the H40 has a magic that is difficult to compete with. My problem arrives judging the H40 objectively, in that it's difficult to be objective with the charms of the H50 being around.

EST50 Universal IEM: 1 Knowles BA (highs), 1 Sonion BA (mids), 10mm DD (bass), 2 Sonion ESTs (ultra-highs) $459.00
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/isn-est50.25254/reviews#review-28717
While the older and more pricy brother to the H50, The EST50 shows what is possible with more hardware involved. That, and an L shaped tune offer a more robust and dynamic bass experience. While complementary to the H50, just as the Sands is complementary. The EST50 is showing what bass hardware can ultimately do, the Sands showing what treble and brightness can reveal in your music playback. Such contrasts make you wonder how one person could even learn to accept both sides of the extreme as correct, when in reality all three the H50, Sands and EST50 are correct yet broadcasting there own unique flavor, ultimately representative of make-up and tune. All three are Hybrids..........and you already know how I feel about Hybrid sound. Each BA serves to showcase their individual job, and included is a dynamic driver to add decay and low-end. While BAs decay is their weak point, the correct implementation can turn that around into benefits. Add EST drivers on-top, and that's what we get with the EST50. A better finished response, yet of slightly less contrasting elements.

The Tansio Mirai Sands Universal IEM: 1DD (bass) 1BA (mids) 2BA (highs) $319.00
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/tansio-mirai-sands.25799/reviews#review-28568
In many ways these two offer the same over-all value and build. The Sands 3 BAs and a single DD, the H50 4 BAs and a single DD. They both have semi-custom shell designs with the Sands being slightly smaller and offering tuning switches. Where overall the Sands comes off way brighter and not offering the bass sexiness found with the H50. While the bass is still there and gorgeous as ever inside the Sands, the sub-bass is even more robust and authoritative with the H50. While the upper treble is juiced-up with the Sands, it's been way elevated to become tremendous detail and forwardness, where the H50 comes off more tame and conservative in manner. Where the brightness of the Sands needs taming, the easygoing clarity of the H50 comes off more well rounded and even handed. Both have their charms, though I feel the H50 becomes more accessible to the masses due to offering a more practical tune. Where the Sands is a study in correcting, the H50 delights with its overall acceptability right out of the box.

Conclusion:
The H50 is for those entertaining the thought of jumping into the $295.00 price level for the first time. Or for the listener who has become jaded in the mid-fi territory, seemingly lost to find a true winner. Don’t give-up! Don’t give up because a true multitasking entity is upon you. The ISN H50 fits everyone, offers a well rounded sound signature that plays all file qualities, all genres and works with all sources. Not only does it work, it turns your music into an emotionally involving experience. Such an experience is filled with excitement and fun. If you’re only looking for relaxation, the ISN H50 has your back there too, offering musicality at low volumes as well as forgiveness if you decide to crank-it. In all my reviews, in the many IEMs I’ve investigated, the H50 comes out near the very top.

If you think you have to give-up something in the mid-fi territory, you don’t. You can have it all and not look back. As ISN continues to move forward, adding sophistication to its line, I can’t help but think the H50 will be the stepping stone to the next super TOTL flagship. There is a chance that replacing the treble balanced armatures with electrostatic elements would add a flavor. Of course that would raise the cost of production and create a jump to a greater price-point. The thing is, that’s not needed. Meaning this signature is very close to perfection just the way it is. We already have our TOTL Flagship sound right now………….here. While no IEM is perfect, this is truly all I need in an IEM. It’s not cost that justifies quality. Again, it’s not the cost that justifies quality! The frequency response here is leaving nothing out, there is nothing more to want. The technicalities are staggering for this style of money. Timbre and note texture are on a level far above the mid-fi price category. The soundstage is to die for, adding a dimension to the H50 totally unexpected for $295.00. Every once in a while an incredibly complete and beautiful example of the IEM art crosses my desk. And when it does I first start to make sonic evaluations. With the H50 the bass first attracted me, being it's different yet totally capable and integrated. This bass is both authoritative and in great placement. The bass display grooves and bounces, always within correct distance of the mids. The treble is spicy yet never hot, and the gentle boost on the midrange shows how W signatures work.

$295.00 is a heck of a big pill to swallow, yet this is one IEM you can ride-off into the sunset with. The final purchase in your quest to find satisfaction..............yes, the ISN H50 really is that special!

Get them here:
https://penonaudio.com/isn-audio-h50.html

Disclaimer:
These thoughts and ideas are of one individual, your results may vary.

Disclaimer:
I want to thank Penon Audio for supplying the ISN H50 for review.

Equipment Used:
Sony WM1Z Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm
Sony WM1A Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm
Sony TA-ZH1ES DAC/AMP Firmware 1.03
Electra Glide Audio Reference Glide-Reference Standard "Fatboy" Power Cord
Sony Walkman Cradle BCR-NWH10
AudioQuest Carbon USB
Shanling UA3 Dongle 4.4mm
Apple iPad

Preface:
This review should have written itself. Why? Because really good IEMs (that match your desired frequency response) inspire writing. Think of it as “love poems” to the IEM art; you’re simply making a laundry list of what aspects went down so well. In fact, I’ve been waiting years for China to make this IEM…………….or really anyone to make it for that matter. Reason being.............there is always something. You know how it goes.....there is slightly too short of nozzle, or there is that small treble peak that is mostly hidden, but then appears. Also I’ll make a full-on list of more expensive past IEMs (that I own currently) and compare sound signatures. Heck, I’ve been looking and waiting since 2016 for this to arrive. So now that it’s here let’s celebrate!


Tipsy
Tipsy Life's "slightly drunk lifestyle"
Head-Fi is predominantly a US website. Even with international exposure, its readers are very much Americans. Having a maker with a name “Tipsy” is different to say the least. They have used a display “bottle” to introduce the IEMs. Yet, it’s all in fun. This is a lighthearted and creative marketing concept.

Here today we have the newly introduced TTROMSO IEM

The Name:
The name is simple marketing. In search engines, Tromsø brings up the town in Norway. But putting in TTROMSO will still bring up Tromsø, so they added PineStone Sea.



Tipsy TTROMSO PineStone Sea
Model-Tipsy TTROMSO Pine Stone Sea
Driver-12mm LCP dynamic driver
Frequency range-20Hz-20000Hz
Impedance-240ohm
Sensitivity-109+/-3DB
Connector-0.78mm 2Pin
Plug-3.5mm gold-plated plug
Cable length-1.2m
Cable material-dual core OCC silver-plated high resolution cable


Quoted from Linsoul:
“TTROMSO-Norwegian Aurora Color”
TTROMSO is a small town located in the Northern Europe that inspired Tipsy design team with its tranquil but ingenious aurora. The newly launched model bears a unique name-PINESTONE SEA, that not only is the best interpretation of Tipsy hardware aesthetic concepts but also concludes the development of Tipsy series of products over the year. In this modern world, Tipsy envisions a federation of art and industry to surprise those who love art and music.”
End of quote.

Comes with a 1 year warranty.

Get them here:
Linsoul website: https://www.linsoul.com/
Linsoul Aliexpress Store: https://ddaudio.aliexpress.com/store/2894006
Linsoul USA Amazon Store link: https://www.amazon.com/s?me=A267P2DT104U3C&marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DE


Color:
PANTONE 18-4250 TCX
Indigo Bunting



The Escapists:
Much is put into the escapist properties of this Universal IEM. Creating the Aurora Borealis Indigo Bunting Color, and naming it TTROMSO is to elude to a faraway place with beautiful night sky. Transporting the listener……..almost, while using the magical qualities obtained with IEM music listening.

Are the concepts above simply marketing tools without out any substance? Let’s find out if the sound quality backs up the look and theme.


Disclaimer:
Kareena Tang from Linsoul sent me the Tipsy IEM in exchange for this review.



True Wireless Stereo TWS.....only there are no wires, so no sound. Silly model, doesn’t she know these are not simply a fashion statement?



Besides the TTROMSO, Tipsy makes 9 other IEMs. There are also CIEM variations of the Tipsy Super 12, Super 5 and Super 9.

Tipsy Super 12 or Tipsy Super 12 CIEM
Tipsy Super 5 or Tipsy Super 5 CIEM
Tipsy Super 9 or Tipsy Super 9 CIEM
Lava V2
Dunmer Pro
Dunmer S
Dunmer
Blue Aurora
TWS/TM-1 (His/Hers)

While not the most inexpensive in the line-up, the TTROMSO sits in the lower echelon of products offered. Newly designed as a value IEM priced at $89.00, it offers an incredible bargain for those simply wanting to start at the introductory edge of IEM audiophile listening, or add an extra complementary sound-signature to an existing collection.

I will use the word TTROMSO and Tipsy interchangeably when describing this IEM; deal with it!

The Sound:
I’m actually going to get to the sound first. Reason being it’s the most pertinent subject in this review. That, and I’m incredibly excited to reveal it to you. What was at first interpreted as good became great.

First off, the TTROMSO PineStone Sea didn’t need any burn-in. Let me point-out this is highly unusual in my experience. It almost has me wonder if it was done at the factory? This single factor was the beginning of many special traits that makes this particular IEM stand out from the pack. Next is the tuning. To tell you the truth, I never expected to get such a dynamite tune. Normally there is something? A slightly hot pinna gain or some strange boost in the treble that makes you search for workarounds. There may be an off timbre in areas, but it’s not a deal breaker for me!

This is one of the best tuned IEMs I’ve come across. And....the fact that it comes in at $89.00 makes it all the more special. Mind you it’s not perfect. The FR is perfect, all it’s missing is a slight defect of technical aspects. But there are dimensions of fun so hypnotizing that you simply don’t care. Maybe that’s the Tipsy character part, you get swept up in the musicality at hand and ditch any scrutiny of technicalities? I mean, that’s what it’s about, right? FR is 80% of the path to win-win?

There is a special level of sophistication here. Though this is an extra-bass IEM. But even if I mention bass, you think of fog, or some kind of havoc which will ruin your day. When in reality it’s not like that, though bass is subjective!

The problem with the bass is it doesn’t have all the definition. But that’s OK because I’m comparing the TTROMSO to way, way more expensive IEMs. So if you were looking for issues maybe you may not get all the bass texture there is. But considering the price of admission…………..well. We are still way on top. But wait I’ve not told you my favorite part of the signature. Normally with subtle V signatures it’s the bass and the treble that gets emphasis.......and we are listening to that kind of tune. The bass and the treble will act to balance each-other out.

Still my favorite part of the TTROMSO is the midrange. What? How can the midrange be your favorite part of a V signature IEM? It’s simply the way they did the mids, that and where they find themselves existing in the soundstage. A perfect tune has you not find fault in any one area, and that my friends is what we have. Simply a fun and musical IEM for the masses.

Tipsy has a boatload of experience. They put all their eggs in one basket here. This was the one IEM, the one tune, that they knew everyone would like! Well, not everyone......there is always that stick-in-the-mud who needs this or that. But you get my drift. The most well rounded, best built and most fun $89.00 IEM they could make. The rest is as they say…………………..history.

Driver Burn-out Is Not Real:
Hilariously, there have been folks who listened past burn-in and wondered into mental adaptations which made them think they were listening to driver burn-out. No, not with the TTROMSO PineStone Sea. But such a phenomenon does occur. The listener mistakenly thinks he is experiencing a “window” of time where, post burn-in the listener is now experiencing burn-out. This is simply mental adaptation which in occurrence happens due to the brain slowly figuring out the whole signature spectrum. Think mental adaptation, then going past to mental boredom. It happens, but it’s rare. The fix is normally to add a smidge of treble with a silver cable, add EQ or change amps.

Why am I even bringing this up? Because with signatures like the TTROMSO there is always that chance. It will come a time when you possibly want just a smidge more treble. And the (easy) remedy is just change to a brighter cable or add EQ a little. The only IEM that I know that did this was the BLON BL-01. But I’ve read about it happening. Does this mean the TTROMSO is tuned to be borderline too dark? Darkness is a matter of taste. Still the TTROMSO walks that line so wonderfully, I wouldn’t worry about it. Still IEMs are very subjective creatures and everyone IS different.

The reason for (the coming) TTROMSO popularity is simple, but at the same time it escapes many a manufacture. The 12mm Dynamic Driver is huge. The venting is incredibly precise. There is a gold vented device on the side made in such a way as to carefully do out/in air-pressure. There is also a very critical vent on the bottom of the IEM which also lets air in/out. If you study inside the TTROMSO you will see part of its construction is solid, and part is chambered. This is the first I’ve seen of this exact style of construction, though there are a few semi-chambered designs.

The reason for the coming popularity is:
The frequency response/tone
The fit and form factor
The style
The cable
The value
The construction


Here are traditional instruments the Tipsy does perfect!

It’s not easy to get this exact tune. If it was, more manufacturers would offer it.

Tone and Timbre:
Tone and Timbre can be perceived as slightly off, which is often the case with IEMs at the price. Though it’s interesting electronic music has no such issues. The reason for this is guitars, bass, drums and the orchestrated instruments have real-life counterparts, so we have a reference in our sonic memory. Typically this style of criticality will be a learned talent, such a phenomenon that often new comers to the hobby will not even notice the issue. I do hear guitars ever so slightly off, but in reality it doesn’t bother me one bit. Remember the actual musical event is gone, all we have is a recording. Typically a recording can be “off” due to a worldwide non-standardized process of studio recording. So to benefit the Tipsy sound, it is sometimes closer to real and sometimes not. But badly recorded music get a full dose of forgiveness with the Tipsy, that’s worth the price of admission alone. DCD Anastasis (2012) is a perfect example of music that sounds wonderful, 100%. Somehow the instruments are not common, or electronically generated. So with music like this the only concern would be the vocals. Such vocals are one of life's gifts, and while they are siting slightly back in the mix, especially for Lisa Gerrard, it really is not cause for alarm.

Guitar:
The guitar replay is special, as not only are they forward and in relief, but they somehow find a focus in the best part of the soundstage. The magic with the TTROMSO is that not only are the guitars clear, they show what goes on with-in that clearness. The replay is dynamic and conveys the emotion and articulated realms only found within (your) music. Take for example Opiate2 by Tool. The song has a style of multiple guitars (gradually introduced) which seem to unfold into more, unexpectedly. This unfolding takes place as each track seems to open within the soundstage; like a flower. You can hear all of the emphasis and ways the guitar becomes subdued and finally restrained. Yet somehow they are using a guitar synthesizer in exactly the same notes of the guitar fully placed way behind in the mix. Due to the organic reverberated aspect of the TTROMSO those guitars seem to be right where they are supposed to be, not only in placement, but overall tone also. Believe it or not this $89.00 IEM is able to discern these elements? And while this song isn’t the most busy, it’s complex in having multiple instruments which find themselves very close together in tone. There is actually way more studio trickery than at first expected. There are areas where the vocals are reverberated back on-top of the vocal performance. As an effect, those multitrack elements are swung out outside of the regular vocals. With the TTROMSO we get to hear such curiosities and experience the wonder of intricacies in the (Tool) performance art.


I tried to cause some trouble for the TTROMSO!

Cutting Crew - (I Just) Died In Your Arms Tonight
Revamped by At the Movies

Contrary to what you would think....my plan backfired on me. I thought At The Movies take on the eighties sound would be too much for the TTROMSO! Truthfully I dislike the Cutting Crew as well as this new artists take on their hit song.

Those big eighties drum sounds, I thought for sure this song would be simply too much, being the TTROMSO might accentuate the reverb?

What? How? Not only did they get the exactly what they needed in playback, a phone....a regular phone sounded fantastic. Even the guitars are perfect. In fact the YouTube video playback was clearer then the MP3 off my DAP. They must be optimized for phone playback (More on that to follow?) Whatever is going on....... it’s one of those times when you come to realize that stuff IS getting better, and not just a little better but drastically way better!

The multi-tracked vocals.........you can hear each person singing individually. The bass is tight and punchy.......getting low but fast and carefully accentuated. The guitar parts, all fully heard, yet gritty and full. Personally I don’t even like the song, but that doesn’t mean it’s not the perfect tool to test what we have in front of us.

Treble:
I found that one thing that was interesting was the treble was never hot, but you could make it hot with too much volume. It was this area of pinna gain where it was simply too bright if the volume was taken to the extreme. So the Tipsy is never strident or harsh at regular volumes. Meaning it was the pinna gain that would have you lower the volume, and nothing else. Probably most would never listen at that specific volume level.....so I don’t really see it as a fault. But the top is so refined and smooth……………..that really (with-in the realm of everyday listening) it stays prim-and-proper.

We are actually gifted with the edge of high-end audio. I can only imagine the youngsters trying these out and getting their first taste of real audio.

Yes, obviously there are more expensive IEMs with better “more defined” treble experience. Still here we are met with an amazing and satisfying level of competence, especially for the price asked.

The Midrange:
Amazingly......thick, meaty....and big! Note weight has nice volume and dignity! At times there would be a slight congestion, and obviously more expensive IEMs show a sense of separation which this humble $89.00 IEM can’t touch. There was a sense of congestion especially with super fast progressive metal, where our TTROMSO was pushed to its technicalities limit, yet always a superstar at doing frequency response. Obviously slower music didn’t ask as much from it, but as far as instrument tone and texture it was fairly accurate and real. I heard a small amount of distortion which is the end result of the TTROMSO simply biting off more than it can chew………………..which is maybe not consistent but none the less a reality which can be found if one attempts to look for trouble! Such examples of sound character seem to be part of the DD experience.

The Bass:
Ahh.....the bass, the bass. Really well done. While a place can be found where of course the TTROMSO drops the ball. Still, it seems to save the show with complete, even and correct frequency response. This style of response gets surprising low, showing you a side of your library you didn’t know you had. Yet it’s not necessarily playing favorites with any one frequency? Meaning the quality of the bass, while maybe more emotional, is found also stretching up to the treble area. Lower piano keys have a weight and timbre that draws you in. Especially with the decay. The decay is where it’s at with the TTROMSO, making up for some lost technicalities!

Much of this hobby of ours is like cooking. There can be regular changes of equipment which bring about an understood and expected/desired set of results. Take for example the Sony WM1Z DAP. With the included TTROMSO 3.5mm cable it was exceptional. Still I wanted to find out if there were any sonic gifts to be found using the 4.4mm optional 1Z amplifier, a plug and cable switch away. The Sony DAP offers two complete separate amps inside.

A switch to the DUNU DUW-03 4.4mm cable and we are greeted with a slightly bigger soundstage. Still the (exact-same) sonic attributes (characteristics) are still there. Time to switch to the more midcentric Sony WM1A! Ahhh.....I think I may have just found the key! The Sony WM1A also offers two complete separate amps inside, again I’m using the 4.4mm balanced.


TTROMSO IEM
Sony WM1A Digital Audio Player
DUNU DUW-03, a 4.4mm balanced cable

Because the Tipsy does contain a high level of amber tones, we have room to explore. Such slight darkness and shadow mean there is an freedom to experiment with different cables. If anything new vistas are illuminated to then be explored. Let’s just call this a new perspective extra-sparkle, like that of hair color, stuff has more detail.

The new introduction of a silver DUNU DUW-03 4.4mm balanced cable brought about new found depth. Such are the choices found with ample amounts of sonic leeway.

You can basically use your own subjective judgement here, as the tone is so smooth anyway............we are never putting out fires or looking for correction, well maybe a slight correction......but I found it! Bass has a whole new level of speed, any slowness (somewhat) was instantly replaced with dexterity! So what’s happening here is a profound reaction to source character!

That my friends is the FR value in a nutshell! And while the Tipsy may not be for everyone, I can’t see any of the general populace taking offense to the tone. If anything (for most buyers) the Tipsy/TTROMSO experience will enlighten aspects of the audiophile hobby in ways unexpected!

Cables and Digital Audio Players:
Typically I’ll use the provided cable when I start. Reason being is I want to experience the whole package, the way the IEM was intended to sound. Still with the included cable the Sony WM1Z digital audio player seems a hair too warm. Also (as mentioned earlier) some believe that different amps and cable composite materials/construction change the sound.

The new choice of the DUNU DUW-03 4.4mm balanced cable utilized a different amplifier in the player. Yet the TTROMSO was still exhibiting the tonal character of the WM1Z. In a nutshell the response was just ever so slightly too dark for my taste. Now what I came to learn later was the TTROMSO was simply doing its job being transparent. The Sony truly is considered a warm and dark digital audio player. So my solution was to switch DAPs. In comes the Sony WM1A. The difference in players can be found with the 1Z offering a deeper bass, warmer response and brighter treble. In contrast (totally) the WM1A is way more midcentric and has an actual reduction of bass and treble. The crazy part is here I’m using a $199 cable with an $89.00 IEM.

A Phone:
The actual way the IEM plays as provided (with stock cable) is wonderful. Any source you use it with will bring about optimal results…….almost. Though I would maybe stay away from slightly darker responses? Much of the true sound character has been designed to wake with simple phone use along with the provided cable. The fit, finish and cable texture provide an 10/10 experience from a phone!



Un-boxing Experience:
This is by far one of the most complete un-boxings of the year for me. It may seem mundane but even the small blue strap with the TTROMSO name was a nice touch. Literally just like the sound-signature, everything is important to Tipsy. When you pull on the strap it lifts the foam holding the IEMs out; like they are in a tray.



The Box:
First off, it should be noted that for someone at an actual store, there are full-specifications on the underside of the box. “Please store owner, can I use your microscope?” There is even THE (sexy as hell) headphone response curve included. The graph is the most beautiful I’ve ever seen!



Also included, the company name and address. They have included a serial number for each unit, itemized in the lower right-hand corner.

Packing list:
Headphones
72-core single crystal copper silver-plated high-purity custom-cable (1.2m)
Earphone storage bag
S/M/L silicone tips
1 set foam tips
Cleaning cloth
Card case (electronic manual-warranty card) (thank-you card)
Aromatherapy tablet

Opening the Box:
You are greeted with a magnetic latch. Interestingly enough the actual cardboard is flush against the box. This will trick even the highest IQ of Head-Fi into attempting to slide the box out!

Upon opening we are met with the company slogan “Tipsy Life”. Looking down we are greeted with a company thank-you card/information package and a beautiful gold designer tissue cover. The tissue cover here is simply like nothing I’ve ever run across, reminding you this is a rare and imported item. The tissue seems to be abstract gold art, a conceptual creation of waves and maybe bubbles? Also just so you know the maker; the word Tipsy is embossed in gold in the off-center area of the tissue. Maybe the tissue is for the tears?

All this and I haven’t even got started:
Below this is a strange package, it has the letter S encased. Supposedly there are 5 different Aromatherapy Tablets. Each letter offers a random scent corresponding to the letters in the name TTROMSO. So you have no idea which single one you will get!

So you’re probably wondering, with all my years of headphone un-boxing, when the time would be when I’ve seen it all? Yep, I’ve seen it all now.

There was also a twist-tie on the holding the cable together. Unfortunately during the box opening I seem to have misplaced it?

Now below all that is a final layer, almost like a false bottom to the box which contains a (embossed) carrying-bag and folded (embossed) cleaning cloth. Inside that bag we find two sets of silicone tips and one set of foam tips. The earphones themselves are also shipped with a set of silicone tips.

The Cleaning Cloth:
Normally such extras fail to impress due to the selected quality being sub-par. With Tipsy on the other hand things just keep getting surprising better and better.

So the cloth is super heavy and giant. It’s folded into 1/4s and comes open with this super heavy feel. Luxurious is the only would I can come with for this? Tipsy is continuing to out-do themselves on every level. The cloth opens to 5”X5” and has the Tipsy name embedded!

Also included is an electronic user manual, and some style of MP3 music your supposed to get on-line? So....you wear the headphones, sniff the sent and listen to the provided tunes!

Comparisons:
The Tipsy was left to burn-in at 59 hours, before testing. The test methodology was to simply sit with all the IEMs in question while listening. Contrary to normal, I used Sony Black Hybrid Tips on every IEM in the collection including the Tipsy.

The Sony XBA-Z5:
The Z5 was notably harder to drive. The surprise was how good it was, noticeably better at revealing the highs. Still the XBA-5 had a brittle nature to the highs which was replaced by smoothness in the Tipsy. This is simply BA character, while offering more pinpoint detail, it comes with a price. I have to also note the ergonomics was superior in every way with the Tipsy. The truly scary revelation comes with bass quality. The Tipsy out does the bass of “the legend”. While the XBA-Z5 offers slightly better bass detail…….I’m totally surprised at what I found. Also amazingly soundstage was almost (except for one thing) completely equal. Though take note the Tipsy offered a slightly more congested midrange, where the BAs of the Sony XBA-Z5 offered a spread-out offering with slightly more detail. So the treble and midrange elements were farther outside with the Z5. As noted the real amazing thing was the bass soundstage. So anyone here that relates with the Z5 knows what that bass soundstage is! This isn’t always a contest if one is better than the other.

The BGVP DM6 Universal IEM:
Again BA qualities, but while the Z5 was a hybrid, the DM6 is 5 BA drivers. There is a notable lower midrange happening with the Tipsy. Also the DM6 was slightly more efficient. And while I have been into the BGVP DM6 for years the guitar was different. Not bad mind you just different. The fun started when I thought I was listening to the BGVP DM6 and found the treble to be slightly steely (like a BA) when in truth it was the Tipsy I was listening to! The female vocals were slightly more forward with the BGVP DM6. The bass was surprisingly good with the DM6, though the Tipsy won due to a thickness present in the bass. What I was surprised at was how close these two were. The obvious main difference was BA timbre with the BGVP DM6. Still the DM6 does a great job of hiding it. One of the main issues was tips don’t stay on the DM6, As you can see, the Tipsy has the most beautiful metal nozzles for perfect tip placement. There is a bonus track on Assembly by Theatre Of Tragedy, in 44.1kHz-24bit. The song a cover of “You Keep Me Hangin’On." I don’t know where this track is from but the truth was finally noticeable. It actually may be the quality of the track, but the BGVP DM6 made the track sound like garbage, just compressed and lacking and any substance or dimension. Clear winner the Tipsy, it’s simply more forgiving, and has a better overall tune.

See Audio Yume Universal IEM:
The bass is way better than the See Audio Yume, as well as the soundstage is much fuller. But in reality they are night and day. They are so different there is no way to compare them. Fit is on par with the Yume, though nozzle is better on Tipsy and it has a better overall tune.

Thieaudio Legacy 4 Universal IEM:
The Legacy 4 has faster bass, tighter bass and more bass definition, though it lacks in soundstage and bass authority in comparison to the Tipsy. Fit is on par with the Legacy 4 though nozzle is better on Tipsy, and it has an overall better tune.

Triptowin TC-01 Universal IEM:
While I haven't heard the last two Triptowin offerings the HBB Olina or Mele. I was the first to review the TC-01. Let me just say the Tipsy has way better mids than the TC-01. I have the Triptowin Lea, but haven't got around to hearing it yet. It should be noted that the TC-01, the Mele, Olina, Lea and Tipsy are all single DD design. The TC-01 also has slightly short length nozzles which can create fit issues. Tipsy fit is 10/10.

The Earsonics ONYX Universal:
Ok, the above tests are questionable due to the Sony XBA-Z5 coming out in 2014, and the BGVP DM6 coming out in 2018. So let’s take a risk here. A TOTL Earsonis ONYX IEM. A four-way one DD combined with a set of two BAs for the midrange and one for treble. All drivers are custom made. It comes in at $561.00 Factory Direct. So this test used the track “Anabasis’ from DCD’s Anastasis in 44.1kHz-24bit. As suspected the Tipsy has more midrange. That really is not surprising knowing the ONYX tune. Though when the bass kicks in there is approximation with the Tipsy of that bass presence, thought not the quality or texture. The fascination came with how close they were in bass quantity? Something I would have never guessed in a million years. The ONYX is known for having borderline bass-head bass. Basically heavy bass with definition to satisfy the masses but also just enough bass for bass-heads. And that my friends, sums it up.

Closing This Up:
Well it’s been quite the experience reviewing the Tipsy. I learned once again that you can’t always judge an IEM by price. My final thoughts are a total recommendation. Still there are an elite few with a fairly large TOTL collection near-by. So the secondary question is.....what does it offer for them..........talk about first world problems!

Probably the Tipsy would be my out and about IEM. Why? First off, it is vented, but the two vents are super small. The fit is really what occludes sound. But your main form of sound-blocking comes from the way the FR works. Such a tune helps stifle the motorcycles and cars. But the other super cool reason to buy it is because they did everything right..........everything. The box it comes with, the nailing of the FR, the way they fit and the included cable.








And while I didn’t do 8 cable change-outs, I was slightly worried about the 2pin in the IEM itself, only doing about 4 cable changes. My concerns could be just paranoia, due to it being plastic. This was an easy run as I wasn’t really curious about trying more cables. The sound conclusion to follow............

The Good:

1. Nice detail and sparkle in the highs
2. An extra wide display of lower treble on the outskirts of soundstage
3. Note graph, super balance between highs and lows
4. Laid back but with authority and charisma
5. Totally correct tone and (almost) timbre (way above price)
6. Correct imaging and relatively fast speed
7. Great separation and placement in soundstage
8. Incredibly musical included with a world-class soundstage
9. The Frequency Response of Dreams
10. The very definition of fun sound-signatures

The Bad:
This is nitpicking at its best.

1. Not the last word in (general) detail though overall fantastic
2. While there is good note weight not truly the best
3. At times the leading edge holds slight distortion
4. Obviously it’s not the end-all, end-all in treble detail.
5. Slightly blended bustling, compacting of elements
6. Does better with slow (not detailed) music
7. Jumbled in fast sections (still price?)
8. Not the last word in bass definition
9. Female vocals ever so slightly set back
10. Not containing a super fast pace structure at times
11. Bass is at times blunted holding less texture and definition

The escapists realm:
The Tipsey TTROMSO follows though establishing a new value paradox in the IEM market today. The $89.00 price-to-performance ratio makes the TTROMSO a no brainer purchase decision. Deeply changing what was once thought of as the budget realm, the TTROMSO is truly all you need to visit the Stars!

Disclaimer:
These are my humble opinions take them with a grain of salt.

The thread for the Tipsy/TTROMSO
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/tipsy-ttromso-pinestone-sea.962618/

The SIMGOT EM6L Universal IEM
Redcarmoose Labs August 17, 2023

SIMGOT
SIMGOT has been on a roll recently with the EW200 and the previously loved EA500 (with red filters). And the truth is many normal people (who don’t spend all their time at Head-Fi) are just learning about the EA500. The China mainland actually received the SIMGOT EA500 two months prior, so the heat started there. Truth to be told, the EA500 was and is special……..but could it be improved upon? And that has always been the question, if adding more BAs couldn’t make a better IEM? You see, I view SIMGOT as incredibly responsive to the marketplace. Responsive because SIMGOT seems to be doing exactly what the people ask for? I mean what better way for your company to reach success than to make people happy? Right?



Graph:
Normally I don’t delve into graphs to this extent, except the graph here in many ways explains the development in tuning ideas for SIMGOT. And…..I will try and walk you through it as I see it? The EA500 was slightly hot. Yet we found a way around it. SIMGOT offered two filters with the black being the SIMGOT curve, reminiscent of the past SIMGOT EN1000 and EA2000. The red filter is a version of the 2016 Harman Target. Now I want to state that all these examples are still only approximations. Meaning the Harman target was the goal, but pretty much never ever are you going to totally reach that goal. Reason being is every IEM is an individual music maker, they have different resonance, and drivers that put out a certain frequency, so the aligning is simply a target direction only.

But SIMGOT got feed-back. The fact that some felt the EA500 lacked bass and was too hot upstairs. So what did they do? They adjusted their production to make people happy.


(dark blue line)
For starters I want you to focus on the dark blue line……3kHz to 4kHz. That is the EM6L pinna gain. Such ear-gain is actually at the very center of our hearing, meaning it was designed through creation or evolution to maximize hearing your Mother's voice. So the connection is both partially physical, and partially mental, that we are sensitive in this exact area. The other thing that needs to be taken into account is the fact that super small changes to this area of an IEM’s response change dramatically the outcome to our perception of the IEM’s character. Note the green line, the EW100P.



EW100 (green line)
The EW100P got a crummy 3 star review from me. It was slightly too hot. Now it wasn’t as bright as this above GIF, but the lack of bass and the brightness shelf from 2.5kHz all the way up to 5.5kHz created a form of drama here at Redcarmoose Labs.

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/simgot-ew100p.26454/reviews#review-30887

In fact (as we speak) SIMGOT has also rectified the EW100P too! Yep, they came out with a new version of the EW100P which is powered by an on-board DSP, which alters the frequency curve to make a complete world of difference. Such qualities are difficult to fully test, meaning I’m not sure if the FR response is simply the DSP amplifier, or the IEM itself as the cables and not detachable. But it doesn't matter, the new EW100 DSP is a roaring success! Also it will get a great score from Redcarmoose Labs.



The EA500 Bass (light blue line):
To go back to the SIMGOT EA500 I don’t really hear the bass so attenuated? Meaning, sure it may be just like measured, except there are other things going on. You see, bass texture is a funny thing. If we add texture (which the EA500 has) a form of illusion starts to take place. This has been a well known phenomena at Head-Fi so don’t think I’m pulling this out of my backside. What happens is fully detailed bass actually can get mistaken for more bass. Yep, the smaller roundness, the texture, the delineation starts to perform a kind of personality where there seems like adequate bass, when in-fact it’s less bass, just as measured. And it’s perfectly fine to gain hold of this illusion, as we are music listeners, not measuring devices.



EM6L Treble (dark blue line)
From 5kHz upwards till the end of the high hearing spectrum there is a lot to talk about. I want to start off with the fact that there are a few things going on. One is the fact that more expensive IEMs will showcase this area more. This is a big part of where the money goes into providing an expensive sounding reality on display from top-end performers. As it seems, this section is truly showing where the money is spent, especially as of recent. Now I don’t want to sell the SIMGOT EM6L short or exaggerate what it is, I simply want to convey what we have here. The main thing to note is BAs like Sonion drivers cost more, probably more than the BAs they used. Yes, Sonion drivers can generate (at times) great harmonics, tone and technicalities. They are the most expensive BAs, still they also still generate a slightly metallic BA tone, like all BA drivers do. That’s the ultimate skill here to somehow fold in the frequencies and not have the IEM (in question) be too dark or uneventful, but show treble details for the sake of entertainment purposes. And regardless of the BA manufacturer here, SIMGOT has done a few magic tricks.

Same graph in full-view as earlier:

EM6L
Number ONE:
Do you see the 6kHz to 8kHz bump? This the presence region, can go ahead and help delineate details with-out being sibilant. This slight bump is a huge part of us feeling like we are getting all the information needed. In fact this 6kHz to 8Khz is kinda the new tuning thing. If I was to make a list of the new ideas in IEMs for 2023, this bump would be at the top of the list, offered now by a few manufacturers.

Number TWO:
Do you see the added range put forth in the 8.5kHz on up? Such a change is a huge step for SIMGOT, and in and of itself makes the EM6L unique from past SIMGOT efforts (that I've heard). Still though it should be noted this area holds very little force to perception and comes-off more of a style of performance…….the farther away we get from the pinna area.

SIMGOT EM6L
1DD + 4BA Hybrid Driver In-ear Monitor

• 1DD + 4BA Hybrid Drivers
• Tuned Towards the H-2019 Target Curve
• HiFi Earbuds for Gaming
• 3D-Printed Resin Housing&CNC Processed Faceplate
• High-Purity OFC Silver-Plated Cable

PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS
Impedance 26Ω±15%(@1kHz)
Sensitivity 119dB/Vrms(@1kHz)
Frequency Response Range 8Hz-40kHz
Effective Frequency Response 20Hz-20kHz
Earphone connector 0.78mm 2-pin

$109.99
https://www.linsoul.com/products/simgot-em6l

Testing:
In my testing I actually found a few set-ups that worked well. Such finds are reminiscent of a well-rounded IEM. Yet I also had better luck with a few systems. Starting with the WM1A and WM1Z I found the 1A having a more forward stance into the mids, which seemed to work. Even using the new ISN CS02 cable with the EM6L and Sony WM1A was a treat, Yet much later, (days later) after days of burn-in, I found the ultimate set-up. Let me try and explain what I have going on. The TA-ZH1ES is one of the most laid-back units you could buy for headphone audio. It was borderline too dark with the EM6L, yet the low-end dexterity was fantastic, it just didn’t have the mids and highs.

https://www.sony-asia.com/electronics/audio-components/ta-zh1es

In comes a GRAPHENE CABLE:
My final testing set-up ended with the Sony WM1A DAP, and ISN G4 cable. While the included cable is really nice and probably fine for most uses, I’m accessing 4.4mm amplification, which is a completely separate amplifier in the WM1A. So later in my music tests, you can realize that this is the set-up I stayed with. And I truly will repeat this later in the review, the fact that the included cable was really fine. I used the ISN CS02 cable and the ISN G4 Graphene cable, finding the included SIMGOT cable to fall right in the middle tone wise. Still we are splitting hairs adding an aftermarket cable. Just realize the EM6L totally has the ability to show you the character of your amplification/DAC or the cable you in-the-end decide to use. Probably any improvement from the Graphene cable was in part the 4.4mm amplifier (which is different from the 3.5mm amplifier) and the Graphene adding midrange and treble separation and thickness……adding 8% of the change?



Packaging:
The first thing that separated this set-up is the fact that the EM6L and the EW100DSP came in custom boxes. At first this may not be noted as a big deal, but no one ships exactly this way…..no one. IEMs often just get thrown in a shipping bag, or if they do get boxed-up, but not in a form fitting box.

Some may think the included extras with the EM6L are minimal or limited? Though I felt they were adequate for $109.99, and even more elaborate when you see how the box with-in a box, form of interior packaging is done. Call me impressed?







Build:
At 5 grams each it has to be one of the most comfortable IEMs, simply due to weight. A 4 piece design shows a regular faceplate atop a 3D printed resin hull. Each IEM has printed EM6L and Phoenix with R or L printed on in gold letters. A chrome nozzle sits atop with no lip. There are two air-vents, with one a-top the faceplate and one right next to the qdc 2Pin.




Cable:
Really it’s the little things that float my boat here…….like the fact that the qdc plugs are angled outwards so you can tell they are right and left. The fact that the actual terminals (the pins) are slightly extend out on the 2Pin, as shown in the photo. Of cable testing the included cable falls directly into the center tone between the ISN CS02 (being darker) and the ISN Graphene G4 being brighter. And really that’s what you want from SIMGOT. It’s not like they are going to include a $99.50 Graphene cable with a $109.99 IEM. And that’s fine……..the included cable has low microphonics and feels wonderful. My choice of switching cables was to 1) access 4.4mm and 2) to try and up-convert the midrange and treble to a slight expansion.....to find clarity and improved entertainment. Truth to be told, the Graphene maybe did an 8% improvement overall. And such changes could still relate to alining the EM6L to my hearing. For your hearing the EM6L could absolutely end-up perfectly balanced and bright enough, as it was perfectly bright enough for me while in use. Still remember as talked about earlier, the tune is really walking that line of having enough playful treble and midrange action to sedate any emotions to grabbing other IEMs you may have. Different from some included cables I encounter, the daily ergonomics were somehow included here, finding the cable holding extra dextrally and maneuverability? It was simply nice……..the metal plug, and chin-cinch……the subtle ear-hooks?



The BLON x Z JOJO Cable:
The SIMGOT EM6L Cable:

Music:
This is the fun-part.


KMFDM
Paradise
Disturb the Peace
44.1 - 24 bit
So the first part of the show shows wicked fast bass here, I mean that’s my job, to organize a blast…..a sonic blast in music sounds……….I mean all of us are out for thrills.......are we not? I mean why else would we be here? Well, maybe to drown-out the outside world…….cars, trains an angry Wife? But here I could have chosen any song on this album, except here there is a specific bass tone going down…..one that is explanatory of what we have purchased. The Dope. The Stuff. It’s here, it really is. This is some form of antique Rolland bass/drum machine, or an emulator of some sort? Whatever it is, it's perfect here. Just fast, round, complete and better than expected. I mean that’s why we are here, to get more than we paid for……….why else would you be reading this? And of course, later I’l get to the mids and treble….because they are special too, but this bass, it’s crazy!

Part of this bass is because of the bass-fast Sony WM1A, part of it is of course the EM6L. This 8mm High Polymer driver kicks….it’s faster than you could imagine, really the bass is perfect once you do a few days of burn-in. Out-of-the-box, no way was this a reality. Though now fast and authoritative, but in place. Really the way the mids and treble are done, they make way for this bass to be heard. There is a large part of my bass experience here today that I can’t put into words……..but rest assured it’s all good. Just way, way different than what the graph shows, because if you totally go by the graph, you would think the bass is the same as EW200, and it’s different. I have never heard the predecessor, the EM5, but I can’t imagine, the bass would be the same? Where the tone follows the 2019 Harman, so nothing is ever too drastic, where other songs on the album don’t (quite) showcase this Roland bass action, they seem to fall into a more careful and calculated bass response? And just that difference is enchanting, and showing a character in and of itself. Where the bass can be poised and in the zone, yet provocative and a thrill?



Hans Zimmer & Benjamin Wallfisch
Blade Runner 2049 OST
Mesa
44.1 kHz - 16 bit
OK, OK I’m still on bass, but I will get to the rest. The reason this part is so important is I’ve now gone to a completely different style of recording. Here we are gifted with a large, super-large stage and in comparison........the last song was a direct to mixing board bass/drum machine. So we are moving now from a calculated firm clear style, to this open and diffuse style of bass…….minus the bass rhythm. Here what is important is bass soundscapes, holding a new and different attack and decay. Still the quality of the driver will be needed to actualize this event. Wonderful and really special. First off to the right, then left, then the drop at 00:08. Haha…..seriously if you took the EM6L to a show (and ear-placed-them into someone's ears) and put this song on, then asked how much the IEMs cost that were…..I guarantee that the price would not be $109.99 guessed. Of course I’m not saying it’s everything because it’s not, but very good for the money!

Ok, now we are going to shift gears….same song though rewinding to the start. At 00:00 the piano starts off the mood. It is one of these processed tones yet you can still identify timbre…..real piano timbre. And you know what, it’s perfect. This is a tone that back in 2019 almost every BA IEM stumbled with, and many still do. The metallic timbre and colder texture of BAs. It is one one the reasons why people boycott them and travel over to full-range single DDs. But me, well Hybrids are my favorite way to go. Of all the IEMs I’ve heard, Hybrids seem to open the stage and let each style of driver work its magic. The DD here, the 8mm bass driver does its stuff and inherently knows how to provide bass notes and fall-offs better than bass BAs. Next the 4 BAs in use, separated by the crossover and using three separate sound channels.

Probably the style of separation found is my favorite part? Being of course there are three items in the sound design, the bass, the mids and the highs, except they also sound even, complete......and connected here? This OST is a lot like a gaming soundtrack, which is another angle SIMGOT is using to merchandise the EM6L. I don’t play games anymore, but the spatial aspects and frequency range/demeanor seem like they would be good for games?





E-Mantra
Daydream (Dense Remix)
Ascending (Compiled by E-Mantra)
44.1 kHz - 24 bit
Finally this music section rounds off with another electronic piece. And there are specific reasons I have shown this song. The fact that yes, the EM6L is well rounded, but that also doesn’t mean it’s not better with certain music than others. Truly the way music is, I’m not sure why I like this song so much with the EM6L? Probably the itemization, maybe the evenness that takes place, where there are a few other IEMs that can make electronic music be too vibrant or too forward. While here once again it’s the separation that’s remarkable. The fact that each band of frequencies has their very own area in playback, but more than that, they are also connected unto themselves as a whole? But the stage here......the stage is one of my favorite aspects of this song. The BAs seem to have fall-off and note weight with this particular song, with most songs, but especially with this song. Of course it could be just the vibrancy of electronic music, that this was recorded straight into the mixing board. The throbbing bass hits at 01:25…….but before that there are all kinds of instruments going on. A Didgeridoo, heck I’ve never seen one in real-life, but they produce a special sound. The fact that this music holds sparkles prior to the bass drop at 01:26, and we can hear them, yet they don’t sound metallic, they simply sound correct? Really it is some kind of string instrument with effects in the beginning, though it almost makes you think it’s keyboards almost? It is exactly like waking-up from a daydream. There is a very specific way the effect is panned to the right and left, and it contains thickness with the EM6L. Now when the bass does come in at 01:26, I’ve heard it stronger and more vibrant, but that's not what the EM6L is about, it’s about being even and complete, at the expense of everything. Yet with a song like this.........that is the magic, as every section, every component has its place in today’s replay. Each instrument has its own identifiable texture. At 02:08 the drums make their entrance. The value here is they are the complete opposite of a thud, holding a firm yet authoritative personality. There is an evenness…….that it’s all you need…….it’s all I need right at the moment?

Really I found one of the best songs for the EM6L. When you start to forget about the IEM you are testing and become side-tracked by the music, isn’t that what this is all about?




Conclusion:
So in the end I put on the included ear-tips. I already had an idea that they would go with the nozzle design. Reason being is that the nozzles don’t have a lip on them, which is slightly different than I’m used to. The included tips are kind-of a medium wide bore, but the fit happens due to the tips grabbing-hold of the nozzle diameter. Such discoveries would have been good to try at the very start of this review. Except it really doesn’t matter, and reinforces a super important component in today's testing. That the EM6L is so well-rounded, you can’t hurt it. At only 5 grams each they weigh almost nothing. Just so you know 4 or 5 grams are about as low weight as IEMs get. So after spending a day listening to the EM6L I decided to do an experiment. I went and returned to the provided cable, put the provided ear-tips on and went and tried them with my desk-top once more. The cables are shaped so that you simply place them so the 2Pins are leaning outwards, no need for any red or blue markers, of course if you want to look they are marked with a R and L. And that’s the thing, the provided cable and ear-tips sound great. Then I grabbed my phone…….and what do you know, they sounded fine again! About 80-90% of all the attributes I already talked about straight from an old Samsung phone. Where am I going with this? Simply that I could have tried them with all the included stuff right at the start, and even used my phone to begin with……but as audiophools we do stuff a different way. What’s it all mean? It simply means that the EM6L doesn’t need to be catered to, nope, you can use it any which way, and still come out ahead. There is no overly bright treble or midrange that needs to be addressed, yet somehow the EM6L also goes along with whatever way you decide to use it. The SIMGOT EM6L provides the midrange and treble detail………..oh, and the bass............that bass! I could even hear a big part of the bass personality from a phone. Really all this Chinese gear is getting better and better. More well rounded, more easy-going at the same time, it's even getting vibrant and provocative. Sure I could spend an evening with the EM6L hooked to a DAP, or if I was out of the house, the EM6L plays nicely with a phone, or even a desktop……….it’s all good. It really is!

From 5 years ago..........I never heard the prior EM5, but it dawned on me why the EM6L is code named the Phoenix. It’s the raising from the ashes of the EM5, a rebirth into today's market.

$109.99
https://www.linsoul.com/products/simgot-em6l

Linsoul website: https://www.linsoul.com/
Linsoul Aliexpress Store: https://ddaudio.aliexpress.com/store/2894006
Linsoul USA Amazon Store link: https://www.amazon.com/s?i=merchant-items&me=A267P2DT104U3C

Disclaimer:
I want to thank Fia Lam from SIMGOT for the EM6L review sample.

Disclaimer:
These are one person's ideas and concepts, your results may vary.

Equipment Used:
Sony WM1Z Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 3.5mm and 4.4mm
Sony WM1A Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 3.5mm and 4.4mm
Sony TA-ZH1ES DAC/AMP Firmware 1.03
Electra Glide Audio Reference Glide-Reference Standard "Fatboy" Power Cord
Sony Walkman Cradle BCR-NWH10
AudioQuest Carbon USB
Shanling UA3 Dongle DAC/Amplifier 3.5mm and 4.4mm
Samsung phone 3.5mm

SIMGOT EW200 Universal IEM (10mm DD)

SIMGOT EA500 Universal IEM (DD x 1BA)

EW100P Universal IEM (10mm DD)

EW100 DSP Universal IEM (10mm DD)

The SIMGOT (new 2019 Harman) EW100 DSP and SIMGOT EM6L have much in common. Note graph sticker put over old graph.

The ISN Neo1
Redcarmoose Labs November 27, 2023

Introduction and build:
The Neo1 comes in at an easy to wear 4 grams a piece. A 10mm CNT driver does the sound, and there is one single air-vent in the middle of the back of the housing. Due to the exquisite form/shape and weight the Neo1 may actually be the most comfortable IEM I have come across all year. Such charms can double in value once you leave the house. Seemingly not that thick, yet sporting a wide treated wood faceplate, we are gifted with aesthetics of a much pricer IEM. As seen in the pictures here, the nozzle is also the perfect length allowing me to go ahead with my preferred wide-bore silicone ear-tips. With dealing with a single 10mm CNT driver and Penon it seems have actually built a housing around the driver, maximizing ergonomics found when you don’t have to build a giant IEM shape to accommodate the innards. The shape arrives simple, as a single driver laid facing upwards into the nozzle, invents such a wide, yet thin shape. With the back body I can see formation of construction lines traveling the whole length, even up to the nozzle. Such lines are very different from the standard 3D printed resin formations regularly found here at Redcarmoose Labs. Yet maybe it’s the material, or maybe the shape or maybe both, but it is truly a joy to wear, as long as I want, never even moving or acting fussy.

The filter kit:
The birth of the Neo1 happened it two stages. It was released, yet some wanted a slight reduction of the 4.5kHz peak. So as a permanent fix you have both a Dampening mesh or Cotton mesh to add, if you prefer. I will be moving forward in this review with the Cotton mesh in place. Yet, remember if your game for exactly how it sounds out of the box, go for it!

$39.90
https://penonaudio.com/ISN-Audio-NEO-1

Sound journey:
Often I will start off my tests with a song that is simply easy to get (play-back) right. I mean why cause trouble at the start, we want impressions to be gifted, yet accurate.



Dead Can Dance
Anastasis
Kiko
44.1kHz - 24 bit (ISN Neo1 in place)
Look, while easy to play back, this number also has what we are looking to test as far as dramatic dynamics in sound. Meaning a while later the vocals will show-up and the question is, are they too forward, or too intense, or both? Yet at the start we are gifted with a big round and fully accurate drum rhythm. This is where the money is as far as this IEM goes. Vibrant, big, accurate and holding the most correct timbre. Why? Because it’s a 10mm CNT driver silly. Yep, it is all here the way this 10mm is reproducing accurately the overall sound, feel and vibe of this drum. I know I said the word big, but I’m going to say it again……also the decay is exactly correct. At times IEMs this price range will seem short-handed, especially with note-weight or stage. I can say, that if you took the Neo1 to an IEM show and placed it in someone's ears, no way, no way would they guess (this is) an under $40.00 IEM, this would not happen.

Back to the song:
There is also a cymbal of sorts right at the start and while I have heard it played back slightly more separated into the stage, away from the drum-sound. Still this is nothing to get your panties in a bind about. Truly if I had never heard the song before, it would sound exactly correct, especially how the pace is done……pace, note-weight and timbre…….is there anything else? Oh…..and the staging is nice, where everything has that 10mm cohesiveness and while not the biggest stage it is in-between large and middle size………..which is provocative and truly nice to have here, especially at this price-point. At exactly 00:18 a dramatic introduction of drum emphasis and added instrumentation lets us know we are now getting somewhere as far as moving forward. And here is an example of layering, that in-fact the separation and delineation at hand is what is truly endearing. Often I get called-out as a shill or a talker of un-truths. The point here is I truly like IEMs, and I get them for free, to borrow. I’m simply relaying the character as I hear it, there may be a slight exaggeration at times, but that’s the force of both being an enthusiast and a writer. This is truly how I encounter the ISN Neo1.

At 00:39 a guitar-like (world string) instrument takes place, the thing is, it is in no way too forward or wrong sounding at all. Such a sound grabs onto other effect channels and is brought back into the track reformed into a slightly different tone, also holding different positioning into the stage. Upon further study this is really a form of decay or echo, such an instrument then gets combined with a synth accompaniment, taking our little tune to the next level. At 01:14 Lisa Gerrard’s vocals make an entrance. The ultimate question here is where are they, both in tone and contrasts? This is the tale of quality because the human hearing is specifically tuned to hear the female voice the strongest. This may be designed by our creator or evolutionary………yet the Pinna Gain area either makes or breaks an IEM. This occurs due to micro-sensitivity into perception of this area of hearing. Literally 1/2 or 1/4 kHz will be commonly noted by everyone listening regardless of experience. They may not be able to describe what the effect is exactly, but they will perceive the mood. You see part of this formula is balance, meaning get us a deeper and more robust bass and the Pinna Gain area gets played down. Same almost gets us some treble splashes and also it will ask you to lower your listening volume to in fact reduce again the perception of Pinna Gain. What we are looking for is balance, balance and technicalities. Because at times a boost (unneeded) into the treble can get us the feeling of more detail, when it is just pushing-up the detail that is there. Same as the bass, where there can be a formed and adequate bass, yet set back into the mix. Here is in fact Penon/ISN’s house sound for the bass. Such a display of low end is why people purchase a Penon/ISN. The best way to describe it is full, warm and textured, but not overbearing. ISN is Penon’s company that aligns itself to more bass heavy replay than Penon branded products. And it’s true this has ISN bass DNA written inside of the bass replay.

With that said, the small peak at 4.5kHz takes precedence over all up top, perfectly balancing the bass with maybe a dB or two more energy up-top. This results in the V shape character we experience. Also typically single full-range DDs will always exhibit this style of treble. What this does is offer a very cohesive, non-treble boosted romantic, warm and vibrant tale for your music. Where the thing to look-out for here is still the 4.5kHz peak exploiting dominance over all other aspects of the Neo1 character. This becomes in the end a double-edged sword. One adding the clarity into which we find the vocals moved from the back seat, in some other replays, to front and center. This in and of itself works to create a big stage and takes notice slightly way from the ISN bass. But ultimately it makes these very much vocal IEMs, with a bass boost.

Lisa Gerrard’s voice is something I can touch, and will end-up a spectacle of fascination for those who have never come across such a juxtaposition. At the same time it limits the well-roundedness as experienced with other IEMs, though there is nothing except maybe the SIMGOT EW200 that offers this level of entertainment, at the price of lunch out for two. Except the EW200 has a different tune, to make having both truly complementary.


EW200:
Here is the same song played with the EW200. Such impressions taken from my EW200 review:



Dead Can Dance
Anastasis
Kiko
44.1 kHz - 24 bit (SIMGOT EW200 in place)
While the cymbal ride at the start is not as vivid as I’ve heard with more expensive sets, there is nothing really to complain about. At 00:38 this stringed instrument hits. Seeing Brendan Perry play this live he uses a 8 string Greek Pegasus Trichordo Bouzouki. And while I’ve heard this song for years it is probably the first time in the (this) review that a slight subdued realism is noted. Meaning the treble in the first song and the lows in the last song were fully there and for the most part realistic. And I don’t know why this is but I have often heard it more forward and jumping-out in the mix? Still it’s incredibly natural and while slightly subdued, not in any way a party pooper. In fact once the synth accompaniment takes place it goes to add vibrance and fullness to the song. Though the main concern will be vocals and how they are addressed. At 01:13 Lisa Gerrard makes her entrance, and what an entrance it is! Now all is well, and it wasn’t that the string instrument was bad in any way, it was just slightly farther back and didn’t show the separation that I’m used to, and remember I’m used to hearing this on a more expensive set. It is kind of like different sequences of information take your focus, first the intro of world guitar, then Lisa Gerrard takes the spotlight, only to take it all that much further with her ideas of music on the seductive yangqin (a Chinese hammered dulcimer). At 01:48 we are really at the center of the musical message with both the Yanggin and Greek Pegasus Trichordo Bouzouki playing side by side. The special part is we can differentiate between the instruments. The major part of this success is the note weight, that and the fact that over-all the character of the music is complete, even and correct. At 04:30 there is a wonderful pace to the song that almost becomes a feeling of floating, that’s when Lisa Gerrard comes back again for more vocal tremolos to take this number over the top…….as who needs lyrics?



ISN Neo1 v the SIMGOT EW200:
Let’s cut to the chase here. The EW200 is a full 9 grams, 1 gram more than double the Neo1’s 4 gram weight! And yes, you do notice this stuff, I mean how could you not? In comparison the EW200 has a fuller lower midrange, combined with a less forward pinna and we are basking in a style of murky waters. Don’t get me wrong here, I love the EW200 and have been recommending it to everyone and their Mom…….their Dad and little brother too……even their Sister. The whole Family.

More Nimble:
But here is a chance to find a lighter and more nimble replay, where the bass is actually better defined with the Neo1, and especially when you take away the lower midrange blanket. Now this is where it gets slightly complicated, even though the EW200 is probably more well rounded, it is because of what it's leaving out. Yep, where the Neo1 is fresher sounding and faster, yet at times there is that Pinna Gain which can make some music slightly problematic. Where the EW200 is simply extra lush and more forgiving all the time. But what gets me maybe the most is how the Neo1 stage seems bigger, not so cluttered and cleaner, cleaner to let the pinna gain imaging have more contrast……as it is simply more forward, away from the rest of the mix. Here was the surprising part, before the side-by-sides I would have guessed the EW200 to be the winner across the board. I have more experience with the EW200 and it holds a position of respect here at Redcarmoose Labs. Yet back-to-back the Neo1 showed its character. And when you hear the Neo1 by itself you don’t notice the bass as being careful as it is when you compare it to how the EW200 does bass? You don’t notice how the soundstage is expanded compared to the EW200 when listening to the Neo1 alone?

End of comparisons and end of DCD album Anastasis song review:



Kaveh Cohen, Michael Nielsen
Forza Motorsport OST
Brotherhood
44.1 kHz - 24 bit
While probably the best feature here is how a lower frequency drum can get replayed. Normally this isn’t something I regularly notice because when it comes in at 00:09 it kind-of can get ignored. Meaning this drum is literally the metronome for the whole song holding pace information. Yet once you are clued into the pace of the song, the drum takes on more of a utilitarian role, providing pace substantiation behind the scenes. Of course it’s not behind the scenes, it is just because it never changes your mind looks for other changes and finds them to be intriguing. So this drum just is. Only when you start to compare IEMs there turns-out to be very different ways this metronome drum can be heard. This is a style of orchestra music with electronic music that serves to be a backdrop for game play. So you can imagine how this drum offers a pace and adds drama even while being downplayed by any changes. Except there is one dramatic thing here…………often BAs don’t get this timbre right. Nope, they will go ahead and replay this drum as more of a slap sound. As IEM listeners we have made small compromises. Compromises where we were not too critical of timbre at times. Now the best part is really it is not so bad of a slapping sound with Hybrids, no where it is bad is with all BA IEMs. Yet now with the Neo1 the sound is like a drum, where it’s round and full, containing not a bit of slap…….and I like that. Zero smacking noise! The reason we go with single full-range DDs in the first place.

Bass:
The next part of this song that is money is the bass. Because the standout feature is the fact that the bass holds actual note frequency, and that note frequency is clued in on, and subsequently displayed correctly. The bass is the whole foundation of this song, and I don’t need to give time clues as it is everywhere. Besides note information, we are also given texture. And while it’s not totally the best ever, it is better than the EW200 so that maybe makes it the best bass quality I have heard in the under $40.00 range? Sure it is an ISN product so what do you expect? The bass is simply more clear than the EW200 and with that clearness comes detail…….etc…..etc.

Midrange:
Here we are kind of following the mix as it unfolds. This is an instrumental. As no vocals. Yet the piano keys take that job and run with it. Nice offerings of echoes and such commingling with the bass to create a dance of sorts.

Treble:
And while much of the time (with more expensive IEMs) I will note better separation and itemization inside of what the treble is doing. Here the message is the forwardness to fight the bass in the 4.5kHz region. That is how they can get away with the IEM sounding correct and balanced with-out adding excessive treble energy to the replay. Still due to just how it is tuned we find all is here that is needed or could be asked for. Yes, the treble is downplayed yet, if you had never heard better you would not know. As Penon/ISN are masters at finding a tune, and they found it with the Neo1. The best part of the Neo1 in that regard is the fact that every tone has an area and there is nothing left out to cause concern.

Song summary:
Probably the organic fluidness is what is the most charming here, the fact that all is one, yet each element has its place. The way the bass finds a natural yet smooth and robust way to come into the farther reaches of the stage, the way there can be times when that same exact bass jumps down a few octaves into the sub-bass zone and is relayed with a special style of magic that will have you content no matter how many $$$ big-gun IEMs you have laying around.



Dead Can Dance
Within The Realm Of A Dying Sun
Summoning Of The Muse
88.2 kHz - 24 bit
Ok, now comes the fireworks……………maybe? I mean this is a random test to see where this goes. This album is very well recorded and has great female vocals on the second part of the album. Here we want to discover if things are too much, too little, or just right. Just like the story of Goldilocks………..

At 00:00 it is the ultimate introduction, with fanfare abound……the very first instrument is a bell sound, in fact there is a whole symphony of bell sounds. Slowly at 00:15 our mind is able to slowly find home and in doing so is taking this whole thing apart. Yet surprisingly nothing is too bright, as surely these bells take that sonic positioning, of course, it is the treble doing its thing………only. And again while I have heard this showcased with more detail, treble energy and spatial clues, opening-up a kind of vista to view, here maybe it’s just the price-point? We are fine. Holding regular if not slightly compromised positioning of elements, this is the style of what DDs do in this situation. At 00:26 the vocals join us. And I’m waiting for it………but it never comes, the balance is correct and well done, while I have heard this showing vocals more forward in separation, there are other added vocals which fall out farther to the sides, and even the climax at 02:14 is filled with dramatic luster, yet never any fear of too much or too bright, or too forward. What we are left with is truly balance, the balance to enjoy the music and forget which IEM is in our ears. At 02:29 there is this synthetic stand-up bass or something which goes along with the bells finding the vocals right in the middle. Again the redeeming factor is the naturalness and fullness of replay. The way of the fall-offs of reverbs, the correct Oboe tone, where this IEM truly allows you to figure out which instruments are real and which are sampled or created with synthesis……and that is more than I would ever ask an under $40.00 IEM to do.





Packaging:

The Cable:
While it's easy to shoot arrows at the included cable quality, we are not talking about a $300.00 IEM here. Therefor the cable works and is of adequate quality for the money asked.

Out and about:
Possibly the most overlooked feature here at Head-Fi will be just how valuable the Neo1 is from a simple phone. Yep, if you were to truly only use a phone with the Neo1, you have just struck solid gold. Reason being is the sound is full and possibly more correct in stature. Honestly I can’t believe it? Big stage, big imaging and most importantly note-weight. Yep…..even any worry about any 4.5kHz pinna gain has been totally smoothed out. But, what am I really getting at? Simply musicality my friends. This is singlehandedly one of the very best IEMs for phone use in recent memory? Somehow it sounds better from a phone than audiophile sources? 1st lets start with bass……..please is this really how good these are from a phone? What? Big, deep, powerful and well paced………don’t believe me? Just get a pair and see for yourself. If I wanted to join the ranks on the subway or walking, I can’t think of a better way to go? Big imaging, hefty note-weight and a fun playful signature, and best of all clarity, with nothing harsh, just making stuff sound natural and wholesome.




Conclusion:
Is there a reason to buy this? Sure it showcases the Penon/ISN sound characteristics and performs the very basics of sound reproduction well. Nothing is fake or really wrong inside of regular replay. With that said, some may find the murkier waters of the SIMGOT EW200 better or at least more forgiving. Normally this would be the place where I say that the EW200 may be better for Rock or EDM, but no……not here as Penon/ISN have really put together an IEM that (for the money) does it all. Sure the 4.5kHz peak is still there, but becomes an attribute once you really understand what the Neo1 is up to. You see this 4.5 little kHz peak is what makes the Neo1 have openness and clarity, pace and distance. This distance is created so that the bass has imaging and texture, form and character. I have spent 21 days learning about the Neo1, do you think I truly don’t know it as an IEM?

The best part is the sound, but secondary to that the build and the fit. I mean look at it, it’s gorgeous, and the wood faceplate means every build will look slightly different. It is the style of IEM that allows long listening runs due to both fit and sound. Truly I feel Penon/ISN are making a great value statement by releasing such a bargain……get yours today!

$39.90
https://penonaudio.com/ISN-Audio-NEO-1

Disclaimer:
I want to thank Penon Audio for the love and for the ISN Neo1 review sample.

Disclaimer:
These are one person's ideas and concepts, your results may vary.

Equipment Used:
Sony WM1A Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm
Sony WM1Z Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm
Sony TA-ZH1ES DAC/AMP Firmware 1.03
Electra Glide Audio Reference Glide-Reference Standard "Fatboy" Power Cord
Sony Walkman Cradle BCR-NWH10
AudioQuest Carbon USB
Samsung Phone 3.5mm output

SIMGOT AUDIO DEW4X Dongle:
Redcarmoose Labs January 25th, 2024



Simgot, Simgot....such offerings get to the very core of why we are here. Besides a great audiophile modular plug cable............the Simgot LC7, they also make the IEMs everyone is talking about. The EA1000, the EA500, the EA500LM, the EW100DSP, the SIMGOT EM6L, the EW200.....the EW100P and the EN2R, to name just a few. I have to have all this IEM stuff written down as I can't remember just how they are all named. But one thing I do know is SIMGOT is on a roll.....they have made history in 2023..........heck they even sent me a coffee maker for Christmas and New Years........oh and it was red too! If there is a company that knows how to please the regular working-man audiophile, SIMGOT AUDIO knows how!



In doing research for this review I found a history leading up to our DEW4X. Yep……..a DEW3, DEW1 and a DEW0……….but no DEW2? But I did find a DEW4..............So right off the big improvements to the DEW4X would be the chipset and offering 4.4mm balanced output.


Above the DEW1
DEW1:

• Decoding chip：ES9270C DAC chip
• Input jack：TYPE-C
• Output jack：3.5mm audio jack
• Output load：10Ω ~ 300Ω (self-adaptive)
• Signal-to-noise ratio：117dB @ 32Ω (A-Weighting)
• THD+N：0.0007%@32Ω
• Output power：61mW@32Ω
• Frequency response range：20Hz-40KHz
• Metal material：aluminum-alloy silver-color mirror-like electroplating technique
• Cables：4-strand silver-plated OFC wires mixed braided
• Power regulator chip：RICOH low-noise LDO
• PCM：32bit 384KHz
• DSD：DSD128

DEW3:

• Chip：AKM-AK4377ECB Chip
• Input：(Standard version]) Built-in USB-C to USB-C cable.
• Output：3.5mm audio interface
• Output load：10Ω~300Ω（self-adaptive）
• Signal to Noise Ratio：123dB@32Ω（A-Weighting）
• THD+N：＜0.0006%@32Ω
• Output power：64mW@32Ω
• Frequency response range：20Hz-40KHz
• Metal material：aluminum alloy, sandblasting oxidation and laser engraving process
• Cable：4 strands of silver-plated OFC mixed wires
• PCM：32bit 384KHz
• DSD: DSD128

The DEW4X
PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS
DAC Chip Dual C43198
Decoding specifications PCM: 384 kHz/32 bit/DSDop 128/Native 256
Body material Aluminum alloy sandblasting oxidation black
Interchangeable Line Design YES
Cable material High quality OFC wrapped shielding layer
Connector Type-c
Output plug 3.5mm,4.4mm

As you can see the DEW4 (with-out the X) with a slightly different set of specifications?

DEW4
Product description
𝟏.𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐮𝐬𝐞
Use the included data cable to connect to a phone or other front-end device that supports OTG decoding. After successful connection, the DEW4 indicator light will stay on to indicate normal connection. It is recommended to first reduce the volume of the phone when connecting to the DEW4 for the first time, and then adjust it to a level suitable for oneself to avoid excessive sound. It is recommended to use high bit rate or lossless audio sources for a better listening experience.
𝟐. 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
·The volume level has a power down memory function.
·The button volume adjustment function of DEW4 is independent of the phone volume adjustment function.
𝟑. 𝐒𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐔𝐀𝐂 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞
·After power on, DEW4 defaults to working in UAC2.0 mode.
During work, UAC mode cannot be switched.
·With DEW4 disconnected (power off), first press and hold the "Volume+" button, then connect DEW4 to the interface of the computer, phone, or game console (power on), wait for the indicator light to slowly flash, and then release the button.
DEW4 will work in UAC1.0 mode.During the operation of DEW4, pressing two buttons simultaneously can switch between high and low level modes.
𝟒.𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
It is prohibited to insert 3.5mm and 4.4mm headphone
sockets into headphones simultaneously for use.
𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬:
DAC Chip: Dual CS43131
THD: ≤0.0002%
Decoding specifications:
PCM: 768 kHz/32 bit
DSDop 256/Native 256
Body material: Aluminum alloy sandblasting oxidation black
Interchangeable Line Design: YES
Connecting wire material: 4-strand oxygen-free copper and silver plated wire mixed weaving

The DEW4X
Where I found the DEW4X to be incredibly easy to use, as it is fully plug and play. You can even unplug it and turn the unit over to reconnect to the Type-C plug and have the music only stop for a 1/2 second. Why you would ever want to turn the Dongle belly-up from belly-down, I’m not sure, but you can. There does not seem to be a light that would confirm bit-rate, but there is a green or red LED which can be seen from inside the unit from the 3.5mm plug hole while in 4.4mm or the intended place, a small hole on the opposite side. From what I can figure this is showing high or low output. Red for low, and green for high output?

This product supports CTIA TRRS 3.5mm plug headsets with added microphone, hooked to a laptop!! Simgot makes it clear in the manual that the headphone/microphone needs to first be connected to the dongle then the computer. SIMGOT also supplies the regular USB adapter to plug the Type-C into to adapt to computer use. SIMGOT recommends never plug both 3.5mm and 4.4mm in simultaneously.

Packaging:

Build:
I have to say the build on the DEW4X is something else. First to note it is really small, smaller than the Shanling UA3, yet slightly thicker. The second thing to note would be the volume buttons. Using my teeth to feel, I found the two buttons to be made of aluminum. As is 100% of the DEW4X construction. Where the UA3 back-side panel is plastic, where you place the USB Type-C into. Here we are gifted with 100% aluminum, yet they have gone one step further to sandblast the entire shell and then anodized in black.

The two buttons are the largest maybe I have seen for Dongle control? 30 individual steps of control. And they are aluminum which along with the precise mode of travel really makes them a joy in daly use. Pushing both buttons at the same time goes from low gain to high gain. Green is high gain, red is low gain…….though there is almost no difference between the two levels of gain?

So smallest Dongle/biggest buttons…..in my limited experience.

SIMGOT QUALITY:
Then SIMGOT AUDIO wrapped copper wire around the chipset to help insulate the DEW4X from unwanted signals, just like the WM1Z is made entirely from a block of copper then gold platted to ward off unwanted signal interference.

The DEW4 Sound:
Way way louder than anything so far I’ve come across. Way louder than I can even test with any IEM or Headphone? A signal to noise ratio of 130dB, and 0.0002% distortion in 4.4mm balanced mode. Such blackness of background means that (with any use of power level) a style of resolution is noticeable.

The Shanling UA3:
While the UA3 is more money and offering a bit-rate confirmation light, the DEW4X get way louder. Not that you may ever need such power, but the DEW4X also has a different sound. Where the UA3 offers a softer smoother bass, the DEW4X comes-up cleaner and more reserved in contrast. Showing a tighter bass while still offering a level of smoothness to the top end. Make no mistake, the Shanling has and will continue to be my often pulled-into-use Dongle, yet here we are noticeably into a different league of power. When using the full-size Sony TOTL MDR-Z1R this power came into play adding damping juice which increased transients and hence better imaging. Also trying the DEW4X with the past TOTL Sony MDR-Z7, the overall tone was slightly cleaner.




The HiBy R3II:
Trying the MDR-Z1R from the HyBy R3II alone showed a slightly better soundstage. A more luxurious stage with even an added smidge of lower midrange compared to the DEW4X. I mean I have often found the M response of the R3 II to better the UA3, and really it also probably betters the DEW4X, but it is more money and a standalone DAP. Yet, if pure volume is what you are after, the DEW4X takes the cake.

Sony pricing guide for reference here:
Sony TOTL MDR-Z1R $1,999.99 USD
Past TOTL Sony MDR-Z7 $699.99 USD
Sony TOTL IER-Z1R $1,998.00 USD
Sony (past TOTL) NW-WM1Z $3200.00 USD
Sony NW-WM1A $1200.00 USD



So even on high-gain the R3 II didn’t get quite as loud as the DEW4X. Still at this point all is ridiculous as no-one would even listen to the MDR-Z1R from the R3 II or DEW4X that loud. I normally take a few days of testing to come upon these results as only one day is not always truthful to come-up with ideas. Still after days of testing the M response of the R3 II was in fact slightly different from our tad brighter up-top rendition of treble of the SIMGOT AUDIO DEW4X. What this means is in a way the M response of the R3 II is plush and toned-down, thus an M response where the DEW4X is probably more normal in the treble department? The slightly forward treble then goes to effect balance of bass and lower midrange noticeability to make the DEW4X sound both cleaner but slightly more grainy.



DEW4X:
This grain was most noticeable when using the Flagship TOTL SONY IER-Z1R, meaning there is a far more noticeable top-end to understand through tone placement than the MDR-Z1R. Neither are really right or wrong as one is an on-ear full-size head-phone and one is an inner-ear-monitor. Where finally I was to note that the SONY WM1A and SONY WM1Z full size DAPs offered more resolution in the top end, and it was noticeably inside a wider soundstage and slightly smoother. Though with the prices of this Sony stuff, the differences in sound quality between the WM1A and WM1Z could be overlooked. And that is an understatement! Remember we are now reviewing a $79.99 DAC/AMP/Dongle!

SIMGOT DEW4X
HIFI DUAL C43198 DAC CHIP PORTABLE DAC/AMP

• Unparalleled Audio Quality with Dual C43198 DAC Chips
• Exceptional Sound Clarity and Low Noise Design
• Sophisticated Build and Aesthetic Appeal
• High-Quality Connectivity and Versatility
• User-Friendly Features and Adaptive Control

https://www.linsoul.com/products/simgot-dew4x

I mean sure if you want to lug around one of the Sony DAPs and then plug it in to your laptop while at a coffee shop………..I’m not sure if you would totally notice the sound up-grade from the Sony DAPs in public?

Bonus IEM test:
The Penon Quattro
My gosh, this right at this moment is a highly controversial IEM. Some listeners say you love it on one day and find it lackadaisical on other days. I argue that fact. As I believe it all comes down to power. Meaning most IEMs don’t have 4X DD drivers…..nope the Quattro is unusual that way, and they need juice to come alive. My personal belief is that more juice adds dampening factor which results in better transients. It is the transients which create imaging, I believe. So get great transients and find the imaging resulting in clarity and the Quattro comes out of the fog……to become one of the best under $400.00 IEMs I have ever come across. Match the DEW4X with the Quattro and gain a glimpse of heaven!

The Penon Quattro and DEW4 is the best sounding under $500.00 rig I have ever put in my ears? Just hook it up to a regular phone..........and you're all done.

Conclusion:
The DEW4X is a hit…….at least it is so far around here at Redcarmoose Labs. In fact after multiple days of testing the Sony MDR-Z1R, I was putting the ZIR in its case here.....then the DEW4X came up missing. Where was it? Really you have no idea how small yet powerful this little guy is. It is like the future I think? Anyway using logic, I determined that the last place I used it was with the Sony MDR-Z1R. Yet, as always I disconnected it? Well my friends, the little DEW4X and the USB Type-C were intertwined with the 4.4mm stock cable that comes with the Sony MDR-Z1R………imagine that? It was so small and lightweight it simply attached on holding on by a cable, actually two cables and became put away? There it was saying “Yep, I’m small yet powerful” HAHA. It is all too much at times!

Anyway, the DEW4X can power anything (I own), and while not as lush as even the HiBy R3 II, there is an added clarity which is in no way strident or sibilant. Nope, just clear and offering a surprising amount of detail and stage. Now the DEW4X is not as resolving as the WM1A or WM1Z, but at way under $100.00, who cares? Unfortunately I need a special 3.5mm to 1/4 inch (or 6.3mm) join my AKG k701 to find out how well the SIMGOT DEW4X will go to drive them………..but there is no way they would not be a success here? I mean this is the future here. Taking a thing smaller (way smaller) than a box of matches out and about to drive your k701s, in public no doubt? LOL

While even and balanced.................the DEW4X can be as quiet or as loud as you would want. It gets ever so slightly warm, but (even) at that place.......is almost indistinguishable from room temperature. It’s super easy to set-up and super easy to use in daily use. Only one time did it lock-up with using the HiBy R3 II and I simply turned the R3 II off and on to fix this singular hiccup. Really it could have been an issue with the HiBy, yet I have used the SIMGOT DEW4X for 5 solid days without issue, it worked flawlessly even with all the abuse due to the amount of times I plugged it in and unplugged it……while running. And it maybe isn’t always going to be about powering audiophile headphones, as the CTIA TRRS will allow you to use the DEW4 with a microphone headset. All and all I’m very surprised how well this worked as an audiophile Dongle…..and from all I understand I can recommend it to anyone. Cheers!

$79.99
https://www.linsoul.com/products/simgot-dew4x

Disclaimer:
I would like to thank Fia Lam from SIMGOT AUDIO for the opportunity to review DEW4X!

Linsoul website: https://www.linsoul.com/
Linsoul Aliexpress Store: https://ddaudio.aliexpress.com/store/2894006
Linsoul USA Amazon Store link: https://www.amazon.com/s?i=merchant-items&me=A267P2DT104U3C

Equipment Used:
Sony WM1Z Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm and 3.5mm
Sony WM1A Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm and 3.5mm
Shanling UA3 Dongle 4.4mm and 3.5mm
Samsung Phone USB Type-C output
HiBy R3 II 4.4mm output and USB Type-C output

These are the experiences and thoughts of a single individual, your results may vary.

Earbud Archaeology -The Sennheiser MX 500


Curiosity could be the number one underlying audiophile trait? Why would we drive or fly to shows, or spend extra money on equipment unknown? I always had heard about the Sennheiser MX500, and wondered what it was. What did it sound like? It must have been good because the exact case is now in use for millions of 2017 earbuds sold today.


Finding what the original production-run sounded like to people in 2001 would really require a futuristic style time machine. People never wrote much ink about silly cheap plastic speakers that attempted to be headphones then. It seems 16 years is an epic span of time in reference to portable audio changes. Now we live in the information-age where there are on-line descriptions of everything.




The Era Of The Original Sennheiser MX500 IS Gone.
The past IS forever gone! Still today a pertinent curiosity questions how granddaddy MX can go up against his offspring which have somehow proliferated everywhere! Could this old earbud have potential greater than what is commonly understood or described here at Head-Fi? Let's find out.


I started to get into earbuds in 2016, and discovered earbuds had a faint history. Still even today earbuds are just starting to be well regarded in the audiophile community. It seems that somehow the earbud has gained a slight air of respect in recent years for having a unique level of audiophile quality. Being the proverbial underdog and hard tryer, the earbud has a long way to go before being widely accepted as audiophile art among certain circles. So far true snob-appeal has escaped our qwerky earbud invention here. Enjoy that concept while it lasts kids, because it's a rare thing in the world of audio.

Still the aforementioned is "OK" .......better to keep the prices low and grounded for earbuds as long as possible. Just this year the earbud has arrived in many ways, now being slowly coaxed into the limelight of audiophile-billfolds with the edition of Monk/VE mystery white and black models which can even garner Cardas cables and special balanced plug-do-dads. Then of course there are the fan-clubs in recent years; those few who find that earbuds really do offer a slightly different way to listen. The difference they hold-up also offers some magical unicorn-uniquely-special unattainable pixie-dust-quality apparently only viewed and understood by a small growing inner-circle. Still the question remains to be determined if that magic-unicorn-sound was roaming the worlds of audio 16 years ago, yet mysteriously going about it's magical path simply unnoticed and secret?


I mean yes, The MX500s were popular and great selling in 2001 but no-one dared to name the MX500 audiophile. Could we have something of value here? Obviously the Chinese know (of the value) because they have regulated the MX500 case as the basic blueprint for millions and millions of future earbud "children". The only other manufacturing parallel would be using four wheels to make an automobile. This is the "case" ...........if you pardon my joke..........case at hand. And while some MX500 case-copied-modern-models are better sounding some copycats are not, though I have not heard all the earbuds.

Still how or why does this 16 year-old earbud sound good even today? Aren't things in audio supposed to be getting better and improving all the time with technology and all?

The probable answer though is that these older somewhat special transducers of yesterday now can get matched up with flagship DAPs of today causing an increase in basic fidelity unheard of in 2001. To believe this you have to subscribe to the idea that your $300 to $3000 audiophile DAP of today is simply better than 2001's Apple iPod, which most agree is fact. Still there are people switching out the old wires on the MX500s and liking what they hear even compared to current popular earbuds.

That......or it's all just audiophile nonsense? There is a lot of nonsense in audio, besides thinking a $19 earbud from 16 years ago could actually sound good.

Is It Just A Question Of Taste:
The question is always offered as to popular sound signatures being in and out of fashion; that this color is either IN or Out just like the colors worn by the worlds top fashion-models across the walkways. Is orange the new black and does it all really, really matter in the end if the color is nice? By the way, yellow and black are some of the hot colors for fall 2017 if you really wanted to join in.

A Classic:
But, are we not (in-a-way) all looking for things classic? You know......the sound of a vintage Les Paul Guitar, a Fisher tube amp. The stuff of audio that can't be improved upon. You know..............the timeless stuff of legend. There has to be an enduring quality maybe or this stuff wouldn't get widespread appeal resulting in financial success.

Imagine A Re-Cable Bringing The MX500 Up To Date:
All this basically has you really wonder how a re-cable would sound. The volume slider on my pair doesn't have any right or left volume inconsistency, though it can't be good for the final sound. There are aftermarket cables today for earbuds that were not available years ago. Still I will probably be looking for another pair to re-cable. It would be a sad thing if these didn't go back together right after surgery.

The Original Sound:
So let's just say right now the stock MX500s do really sound "nice" .........they do! They actually sound better than nice, they sound great! They offer a surprisingly smooth and well rounded signature offering both a full detailed soundstage and extended response both in upper-bass-mids.......and treble areas. They have their own sound which is both somehow wildly unique but utilitarian at the same time. I can safely say they would sell very well today and could remain as competitive as ever. The MX500s are the best sound old Sennheiser earbud I have found. Now I have not heard them all but garnered a quick listen to maybe 7 or 8, with many more expensive models to come later looking better but sounding inferior, at least that's my take on this. But upon first listening after burn-in my greatest find was that they scale up with better equipment to a point. Now for many listeners that scaleability means potentially unlocked audiophile quality as sources could potentially be better. These old earbuds can simply join in as long as the mini-jack stays as an option for connecting up.


The Verdict:
So let me so humbly submit that,.....yep......to my ears it's a classic. It's not the total all-killer best ever-best ever, but the MX500s (straight in semi-vintage stock form) are easy to like, easy to drive and hold a well built quality you could hold up against much made today. In a way it's strange Sennheiser doesn't make them anymore as I figure they would still sell. They sound "nice" and of course they don't go all the way down to the lowest bass frequency, but no earbuds do. They sound really good with modern well mixed EDM, where many of today's earbuds fail. They somehow sound great with modern rock vocals and instrumentation. Heck.......they sound really good with just about every genre you send their way! They just have that basic "Oh" factor..........you know, when your listening and you think "wow" these do that or these actually also do that. In the end I guess it's surprising, as they really do sound better than I thought they would sound. They still sound like an earbud which is a statement that folks around here can take two ways. Take that last statement for what it's worth.

The Rest Is History:
The Sennheiser MX500 is known as the grandfather of all earbuds. Fair to say the VE Monk earbud would not exist today if the VE transducer was not placed in a copy of the MX500 case. After studying the MX500 case design I arrived at the conclusion that 100s of earbud brands today are descendants, effectively carrying the Sennheiser DNA off into the future of earbuds. There is a pretty good chance the case design could be around for another 16 or so years..............or more? All this makes you ask questions like who invented the MX500 case? Does Sennheiser get a profit today from China manufacturers replicating the exact case? Funny too, there are not any earbuds that even seem to be close in design to the MX500 case. Every Monk earbud is an exact one to one copy. All the other Chinese MX500 earbuds are also exact copies except for very small variations like the ever so slightly different width of the oval plate on the back. Still these differences are so small that you wouldn't even notice till it was pointed out.



Do You Want A Pair Yet?


Let's Find A Real Pair Of Originals:
But, with the first generation of original Sennheiser MX500s produced in 2001, the original product has been long since discontinued and lost in time. Still my curiosity got the best of me. I wanted to hear an original production unit set from 16 years ago! I didn't want used and found out it was one of the most counterfeited earbuds in history. So after a small education on exactly what the real ones looked like, plus a list of the small but revealing tell-tale signs of the counterfeit examples, I started my journey.

Instead of buying online I walked the streets wondering into an old camera store. "Do you have any headphones for sale?"............I enthusiastically asked? Sitting in the back-room untouched for 16 years was a couple of original early 2000 Sennheiser earbuds. After studying the packaging and transducers I made my purchases, packages still unopened and sealed. The owner thought I was crazy, and I truly am!

This earbud archeological find still needed to be somehow audio-carbon-dated and tested further. Upon closer inspection there is always that element of risk as even the best educated buyer can fall victim to a fake product. Fakes can still fool you based on how good the product and packaging look. Luckily the shop owner only wanted $8 a piece as he thought they were simply old stock....................and they were! If they were fake, it wasn't a big loss.


One of the best tests for fakes is to simply take a listen!
Upon first listen it's safe to say, it's the bass response and sonic image placement that created such a fuss so many years ago. Even in comparison to today's earbuds the Sennheiser MX500 holds it's own. What's fun is finding that the original MX500 had an easy to like sound. After about 60 hours of burn in the treble became a little more smooth and expanded out into the sound-stage. Maybe fun is simply finding an $8 dollar earbud that's a keeper?

Early MX500 iterations had the black shells with no volume control, so those are maybe still out there. Another early model (The one this review is about) had metallic blue cases and a small volume control slider. The volume control option was notorious for channel imbalances at low volumes. Originally priced at $19.95 they came as a popular replacement for the first Apple iPod earbuds as in 2001 phones were not even imagined as audiophile DAPs. The Sennheiser MX500s were also popular for listening to the very first wave of MP3 players, the grandparents of the DAP market today. Later Sennheiser made a big marketing swing creating white MX500s to go along with the early 1st generation iPods. One way to notice the newer white MX500 2001 IPod Model is the chrome accent across the back of the wand.

Ok! So what do we have here?


The Real McCoy:
Opening the bubble wrap and cardboard back the blue MX500s sit snuggly in the clamshell carrying case and cable winder. The included foamies located on the bottom had long since turned to dust. Luckily the plastic cables, and driver housing all aged really-really well, with the plug, chrome finished, all looking brand new. Even the lower Sennheiser earbud models received the upgraded gold plugs like the MX460 from days gone by. Other Sennheiser models would even have fancy branding in places on the cable. Still our early original MX500 included a "Plain-Jane" nondescript generic cable and plug with a simple chrome finish as noted in the included photos. If you find a pair don't worry about how plain they look, the real ones simply look that way.

Fake?
In many ways it's the generic style of the early MX500 edition which could lead many into thinking it was a fake. Though each transducer housing faithfully displays the Sennheiser logo and MX500 branding, but apart from that........nothing. Each earbud is marked with a distinct R and L symbol at the base of each wand. Even at the introduction price of $19.95, the original MX500 had a funny "dollar-store" vibe about it until you get them plugged into something and your jaw drops!


Later:
Sennheiser even raised the retail price as the MX500 started to gain popularity and market share, becoming one of the best loved earbuds in the early mobile HI/FI era. You could guess that the special case design separated the earbud from the pack in it's day. Much of the success was due to the lovely bass response from an earbud in 2001.


Disclaimer:
Original MX500 came in a small plastic clam-shell protective case with the word Sennheiser is spelled across the top. Mine came with the case, but I could not locate it during the morning of the photo shoot and only remembered a shot of the case would be a good idea. Still there is enough detail in my photographs to help spot an original MX in the wild.

Sound Quality Disclaimer:
Earbuds are lacking bass for many. The sound depends on if you use foam covers or not. The sound also depends on how exactly the transducers match up to your own ear shape. Your end results may vary.

Penon OSG OCC Silver-plated Mixed with Graphene HiFi Audiophile IEMs Cable

Description
Type-4 Litz configuration
Material: High purity single crystal copper silver-plated wire mixed with graphene
Number of cores: 4 strands, single strand is 71 cores
Sheath: environmental protection transparent PVC
Configuration: Carbon fiber metal splitter and slider,The solder joint is silver–contained tin
Plug: Rhodium-plated plug
Cable length: 1.2M
Package
Cable
Storage bag

The first ever graphene silver plated copper cable from Penon. Being introduced in the late summer of 2020, the OSG made quite the stir on the IEM forums. Probably its prolonged success has been due to three things. One, it has a particular sound. Now this sound is totally natural and remains true to your source and IEM, except there is a slight, ever so slight redeeming character. Two, the overall ergonomics are profound. Meaning I get a lot of cables that need excuses as to why they sound good, but are often difficult in use. Meaning they are stiff, or thick……just something that makes them cumbersome in daily use. Though you know us audiophiles, we will put up with a lot to add sonic benefits to our daily listening. And three, the OSG is actually a value. I have done a few comparisons and the OSG delivers both build and sonic qualities, that simply goes to show Penon are offering a down-to-earth cable that delivers on many fronts. Whether it’s exactly what you're looking for remains to be found, I will try and explain more in detail.

Penon OSG stands for OCC copper (O) silver plated copper (S) and graphene (G)

Penon:
Really it's no wonder that Penon is successful. They started in 2013 making and selling cables plus other manufactures audiophile products. Personal Audio Replay is what they focus on. They don’t sell turntables or speakers, they don’t sell big power-amps or speaker cables. Penon sticks with just the sector of the market that they know and have been known for. This results in a specialty retail establishment that offers value. There are no products known for being overly highbrow or condescending in stature, all Penon offers is down-to-earth value. While they still have top-of-the-line expensive flagship earphones, those too are in many ways undercutting the competition, offering the same sound or better than the same sound for 1/3 of the asking price. This would all be enough, except Penon developed their very own house sound. And not only a single house sound for every IEM they make they split the house sound into two similar offerings….Penon Audio and ISN Audio. While both established themselves with starter IEMs, they have progressed along the years offering now the full gambit of product choices. This whole shindig has resulted in groupies, yep…….consumers which have slowly explored the ISN/Penon line of products and made selections on which ones they would call their own. So only imagine that there are consumers who are getting their feet wet with one or two products and finding a relationship. Mostly this relationship centers around finding a sound, an IEM response which is further brought into focus by cable experimenting. Such values are just that………..value, in that often the sound is found to be more involved than similarly priced products from the other guys. Such success could be from Penon being more in-touch with customer needs, but I will go out-on-a-limb to proclaim that Penon just beats the personal audio retail system by providing good sound, plain and simple. In fact as of late, somehow Penon has jumped-ahead of many retailers one buyer at a time. Just like that a beginner has good luck with a single purchase, then expands his or her needs to include a higher-end purchase and on and on. If we add up Penon and ISN’s output they currently have 2 ear-buds, 45 cables and 15 different IEMs with a 16th IEM released any day. When you realize this you start to see how Penon is really still cable focused, as they got their start making cables and haven’t forgotten where they came from.

About me and cables:
I get a lot of cables in for review, and to tell you the truth, reviewing cables is the easiest thing to do, for me. I simply hook a handful of IEMs up to them and switch sources and write about it. No mystery or real difficulty in doing so, though often I wonder if the same cable realities will be held by other readers across the board? Due to feedback and reports over the last year I have come to understand I’m probably at about an 80-90% parallel to what others think. Now that doesn’t mean I’m right all the time, you have to realize the variables at hand here. Sources, IEMs, Ear-canal anatomy…….there becomes a myriad of variables, still with the same cable and IEM normally I’m pretty close to arriving at an opinion that is shared by many. This is super important as the last thing I would want is to recommend a cable and have the buyer not find the joy I found. At times cables can be too bright, or too muddy or whatever. Where this is important is to know the difference between the extremes and the close-calls. That means being able to tell when a cable will be generally liked across the board, or when it is even questionable in places. It’s these issues on-the-fence that are the most difficult to relay factually. When at times it’s a change of DAP, or a rotation of ear-tips that seem to do the trick…….still this does not mean everyone will experience the same results. So take whatever I write with a grain of salt, yet still realize that you too may also come to the same conclusions as I.



The OSG Cable change:
So this resulting change in sound frequency could be looked at as a boost, but is it natural and always pleasant? To cut to the chase here the OSG affects both the stage as well as tonality across the board, as bass holds a more focused and clear position. Midrange is both showing an alternative tone (higher-up) and improved clarity. Yet this is an IEM by IEM experience. Meaning (personally) the OSG simply works better with about 90% of the IEMs I tested, but in a 10% of cases this “boost” is not desirable or wanted. Though typically acceptance of this new tone will be subjective and depend on the individual's sonic preferences.

Combinations:

Penon OSG and Penon Globe:
Normally when I try a cable I’m attempting to bring the IEM into line with what I hope to achieve with music replay. In actuality I’m trying to either add a quality that I don’t have with another cable, or take away a quality. That or leave everything the same, except maybe generally make the IEM have a blanket character, like overall warmth, while still being somewhat true to the original character. Yet some cables affect certain parts of replay and add an unexpected character…….be it an expanded stage with-in the midrange and parlay a very specific midrange character. Where it’s both detailed but enhanced into better imaging and almost a crunchy effect that is hard to put into words. Now when I say unexpected character, that change can still keep the tone relatively true to life. Meaning yes, there is a definite character yet the changes remain within the realms of acceptability and naturalness. And this my friends is what we are experiencing today with the Penon OSG Cable and Penon Globe. Probably to continue to over analyze this OSG effect, with the Globe……..it is somehow making the midrange BA character of timbre more real. Darn it, I didn’t want to spill the beans so soon in this review but that is what is going on. Where certain IEMs have this BA character which is a double edge sword, the BA methodology goes ahead and adds fast transients, but the actual timbre can be ever so slightly off. Now the other benefits of BA character is they can spread the good way out farther into soundstage perception. So just imagine, you’re paying for both better (really almost perfect) BA timbre, a bigger soundstage and natural and correct positioning inside of this soundstage. And finally the background is deeper and blacker, which affects everything, but somehow gets a more focused and clearer bass tone? Just a reminder, Penon is already known for these magic midrange playbacks………well now it is taken up and over the top!



The Globe is a 3 way $339.00 IEM that sports a single Knowles BA for treble, a single Sonion BA for mids and a 10mm dynamic driver for bass. So interesting enough maybe what’s happening here is the OSG is making the most out of every driver, but due to the number drivers included being only 3, the sound is more focused and clear? While in my timbre testing the guitar tone is accurate and full, except maybe not as forward or as sparkling as in some replays, this actually could be from the sound coming from a single BA. But the end results are in fact that there is an exploitation of that single Sonion tone……it’s magic. Sonion BAs are my favorite BA re-players, and here is just another perfect example of why. Why? Because this is all you need, it’s totally accurate as far as timbre goes, just not as forward or as sparkling as some replays. To sum this up, it affects all day listening scenarios. This set-up also provides a style of ample leeway being I have a choice of using either the Sony mid-centric WM1A for a more midrange expanded effect, or a switch to the more robust bass Sony WM1Z………confirming that we are never really trying to make playback correct, but enjoying many variations of (close to) perfection. I could ramble on about this Globe/OSG combination for paragraphs but I guess at this point you have my basic ideas. We have ground to cover here, it’s just if you were wondering which IEM I migrated to upon first testing the OSG Cable, the Globe was one of them! In fact the OSG made the Globe actualized into being a slightly different IEM in all the best of ways. It made the Globe more of what it already was…………but in ways I never could have dreamed? Also I don’t want to remove it from my ears here?

What if I told you a story? You know those long-winded talks that could happen over a campfire? Would you be willing to listen? Because this story relates to another accomplishment of the OSG cable…..yep there is more to the story here………..



IER-Z1R:
Does this Graphene do anything to make the IER-Z1R different? What does this do different than the included IER-Z1R cable or the Kimber IER-Z1R cable? Our OSG Cable build is an OCC Copper and Silver infused Graphene mixture………..and yes, the results are different than the included cable or the Kimber Cable. I will confess I have not tried a myriad of cables with the IER-Z1R. I bought the Kimber MUC-M12SB1 as a $367.00 additive to the Sony IER-Z1R when it came out, hoping to get alignment like the Sony MRD-Z1R did with the Kimber. In the end I found out like many that the included Sony IER-Z1R cable is better. The price you pay to be an early adopter!

With that out of the way…….let's get down to it shall we. First thing that hits you is the stage is different, less cluttered, more clear. While always keeping the tone/timbre inline with what the IER-Z1R does anyways. I have to ask myself if the midrange is corrected. Now as you know the IER-Z1R mids are a question of ability. The treble the IER-Z1R does is without question world-class if you can get a deep fit, and the bass……well let me just say I still haven’t ever heard an IEM with exactly this bass timbre…..the IER is both deep and a complex beast that seems to provide ample doses of both bass density and bass amount? Bass notes are normally full-bodied, in correct timbre and detail. So what do we have now? Truth to be stated I’ve always wanted the IER-Z1R to be faster and hold a more midrange stance, hence preferring it from the more mid centric Sony WM1A over the slower and bombastic Sony WM1Z. So believe it or not we are now in many ways like the Globe before it. Enjoying a bigger soundstage than stock cable. Just to let this be known the IER-Z1R has a naturally big soundstage, but now somehow it’s bigger. Much of this may actually be FR response into which the soundstage can be frequency dependent…….get the IEM more mids and soundstage expands. Yep, it goes in every direction, but more than that the treble and bass is just slightly more curtailed than I remember them to be, which goes further to increase the perception of stage. I hate to say this but the IER-Z1R is now all mids (it seems)……….and I love it!

Faster, more defined bass, and a big and involving midrange that takes you away. Strangely this also added to make the IER-Z1R more well rounded than it’s ever been. Yep, OST’s, Rock, Classical, Pop….really if they were good at all these things and even great at a few genres, now they are optimized across the board with all genres of music. While I approach the IER with concern with regards to vocals……really there is very little to ruffle any feathers. Yes, vocals are not their strong point, and to tell you the truth somehow even now that the mids are accentuated……there are moments when vocals could use a lift slightly. Now not all the time, as in songs I know well I was expecting to be let down in the vocal department, only to actually be surprised at just how complete and thorough the vocals were? One reason the IER-Z1R has remained well liked all these years is partially due to distraction. What I mean is they do replay so good in the treble and bass department, you kind-of get distracted to not care how good the vocals are.

With all this talk about Vocals……you may guess the IER-Z1R has issues? But truth to be told it’s my absolute favorite IEM. And now with the OSG it’s just that much better. Faster imaging, bigger, wider, taller, deeper soundstage, and more air placed between instruments. Due to the bass being DD still the IER-Z1R has this slight slowness that simply is a side-effect of DD bass, but the OSG trims the involvement slightly, though at the same time makes it appear bigger and more dramatic farther out into the stage. Like imaging is more vivid and the bass is both slightly polished, yet more contrasty and larger in size, but slightly subdued. There is this slight crunchiness that takes place with the mids in the Globe due to the BAs revealing more of their texture, yet here almost none of that takes place. While the IER-Z1R is a three driver IEM, the DD for the treble and DD for the bass seem to makeup the brute-force of its demeanor? While there is a Sony custom single BA at the center midrange/treble............these (crunchy) effects seem to be lost to it?

I really want to do a music section now as there is no better way to disclose what I’m experiencing.

Sony WM1A>Penon OSG Cable>2 pin/MMCX Adapter>Sony IER-Z1R:

“Chemical Redemption”
44.1 kHz - 24 bit
Delain
Apocalypse & Chill

Probably the sequenced opening simply lets us know just how dynamic and thorough all is taking place. Remember this is a TOTL Flagship style of response and if you are not getting it here, maybe you should look for kicks elsewhere? The opening has both a somewhat deep syncopated rhythm that shows right off the pace we will encounter in the song. The deepness here is truly satisfying. At 00:08 the guitars and kick drum enter. One thing I always count on is the sound of the guitar to offer clues as to timbre. Because nothing is off here, but still I have to ask myself, is it exactly like it should be? The rhythm here is so clean and moving, and most of all lightning fast! Yep, we are getting our due involvement emotionally! At 00:24 Charlotte Wessels arrives and we have to question, is she forward enough? Is she clear enough? While not forward into the stage like vocal specialist IEMs, she is slightly more noticeable in replay than with the stock cable, still the OSG Cable is not working miracles here…….yet that’s OK! Why? Because everything in the midrange is more prominent, but it’s also so balanced that it all totally works in the end. While maybe the IER-Z1Rs key to success has always been its musicality despite being slightly dark, yet through timbre is 100% accessible…….and we still have all that……as the IER-Z1R character has been left intact. It’s just cleaner, faster and more clear, while still always doing what it does.

"Here is the dealio"
Truly we have to start wondering about stuff. The Penon OSG debuted in late summer of 2020…….and a lot of cables have come since then. As of late there has been the Penon Vocal, a $69.00 force of nature that has out-cabled many a cable before it in terms of capabilities. Namely vocal contrast, but also the Penon Vocal does more, creating great pace and vibrance, all for $69.00. So our test today is if the Vocal Cable is really better for the ISN EST50 IEM than the Penon OSG? I mean the Vocal is legendary for the money, and tons of people have partaken of its charms…..probably just what it does for the money. So we are going to discover what adding $230 to the equation does. We need to know if the $299 OSG is really better than the $69.00 Penon Vocal Cable.


ISN EST50 with both the Penon Vocal Cable and OSG Cable:
I have to say I cheated a little in this test. Yep, I threw in a side test to kind-of reconfirm what I was thinking. I used the Vocal Cable and the ISN G4 Cable with the IER-Z1R. To make a long story short, the more cables you compare the closer you get to understanding what you have. So I can simply say upfront that the Penon OSG is slightly smoother than both the ISN G4 and the new Penon Vocal cable. Why I didn’t pick-up on this right off, who knows, but the end answers are what is important. So let me start this with saying the OSG offers a wider stage than the Vocal Cable with the ISN EST50, but more than that there is an area of midrange which is less forward than the Vocal Cable. Now with the FR structure you may think that the EST50 would need what the Vocal provides 100% of the time. Now this is where it gets tricky. The smoothness of the OSG and the EST50 still makes the OSG/EST50 totally exciting and one of the best cables for the EST50 I have come across. Why? Well there is just this giant stage to start with, there is this added 3D effect where elements emerge from farther back and show a wonderful delineation due to the blackness. The Vocal is slightly more busy, while still one of the best cables for the EST50. But if you are wondering about an upgrade to the EST50 and already have the Vocal Cable, I would say absolutely the OSG is delivering the goods here……….there just is this organic smoothness that somehow is even more complete, where images take up a more (slightly relaxed) but clearer picture that simply goes to become proof in the putting that the extra price difference of $230.00 goes to refine the display of detail and romantic smoothness. This OSG newly found completeness occurs in a slightly darker yet totally entertaining new sound over the Vocal Cable. In all honesty here, I could have listened to the OSG and ISN EST50 for the remainder of the day and be totally satisfied. I started the ISN EST50 section of this review at about 9AM then went to the gym, and returned and it’s now 4:13 PM in the afternoon, and I’m still feeling it. When I have seemed to strike gold, I am guaranteed to return to this combination after all is said and done…….as it is just that good! I don’t have any other way to describe it. The ISN EST50 has somehow become endgame?

If there was any part of this review that was a profound surprise............and the OSG Cable/ISN EST50 was it. Probably because I just got done giving it such good accolades about the Vocal Cable and EST50, so I wasn't expecting such emotional success? But the clarity of bass, the density of bass, and the contrasts enabled, took this combination over the top. Often blackness of background makes a difference, yet here it was profound......and just the way the stage was re-imagined out into new positioning...........priceless!


Penon OSG Cable and IMR BC 2023:
Guess which ISN cable was the top performer in tests with the IMR BC 2023? Another Graphene added cable. Yep, it was the ISN Audio G4.

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/imr-bc-2023-dual-dynamic-driver-iem.26426/reviews#review-30571
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/isn-g4-iem-cables.25670/reviews#review-29405

Now to try and understand the differences here, the ISN G4 is simply brighter in nature. Now both do a magic trick in that they both expend out the midrange like crazy…….to the point that you have to start believing that there is truth to this Graphene additive. Why? Because no other cable sounds exactly like these two, where pure silver goes higher-up the FR and adds goings on in the treble as an additional feature, here we are more midrange based. But to reiterate the OSG is just smoother and holds more of a texture into which itemizations form and flow out into the stage. The G4 is more forward, nothing wrong with that, as you can kinda see how both cables are great with the IMR BC 2023, but in different ways. Where with the IER-Z1R the OSG was fabulous, but the ISN G4 was too clean and took away a little too much of the IER-Z1R bottom-end. Where realize the IMR BC 2023 has bottom-end to spare!

The tests:
This is exciting, you know why? Well the IMR BC 2023 was one of my very first IEMs to try out the OSG with……..really it’s a blur, but it is the first memorable IEM here at Redcarmoose Labs! I mean here is a new release bass centric IEM that benefits from a forwardness into which the mids can be perceived. Now also remember that the IMR BC 2023 midrange balance is the key to the IEMs success in not sounding murky or muddy in the end. While the BC 2023 is never going to portray these sparkly treble itemizations, we don’t care. We don’t care because we are distracted in the very best of ways…….by the midrange. So now with the Penon OSG the midrange still isn’t as forward as the ISN G4, it is still totally accented and brought to life. I like it better than the G4, only because it’s drawing back that forwardness of the G4 and replacing it with romance. Yep, tonally it is very complete and equal in many ways to the G4, only we now have an influx of somehow everything more coherent. The stage is different too, between the two cables, with both big, yet the OSG offers kind-of a pool shaped smoother and slightly more relaxing bathing experience, where the G4 is more about up-front showing bigness. The results in the end are actually more details for the OSG, that and more texture in the bass gifts. It’s 3X the money than the G4, so obviously Penon would sell the OSG for $99.50 if they could, and clean-up. But they can’t, so the OSG ends up becoming kind-of an upper-midrange priced cable that delivers in what monies you allocate to it.


The IMR BC 2023:

“An Upward Curve in the Horizon”
44.1 kHz - 16 bit
Globular
Holobiont
This abstraction of sound was recently introduced to me. Though the quality of the mixing was first-off readily apparent. While the bass is slightly sculptured into smoother and more inherently aligned focus by the OSG anyway, I have now used the freedom to migrate over to the bass heavy WM1Z. In the pocket, in the zone, in focus and readily available to all that want to partake. But what is startling about this little number is not the bass except the wild soundstage imaging and the air brought forth. It’s airy in the best of provocative ways, sliding sideways and gaining ground as only this style of music has ways to do. Yep, it’s perfect, the whole song is simply dialed-in to becoming at one with our listening. At 9:58 the ultimate drop takes place as kind-of the completion of the song's original mode of progression. At 10:39 the song is just seconds of ending, yet continuing to evolve and relay a message……..as the drums stop, and the melody takes us off to an ending only this style of music could have. To go back to the beginning and try to forget about the music, and truly analyze the bass, as to why this perfection gifts us this balance? What is different in comparison to other cables? Switching cables to the ISN G4 at 02:05 the beginning bass drops, yet now we are experiencing a different Graphene cable and its sonic contrast becomes our message.

Yet, readily noticeable and difficult (inside of a number like this) due to no real instruments played, nope this is a wonderful synthetic environment that holds tones that possibly could be difficult to memorize or even behold differences. Yet they are there and seen for the reality that is taking place. The midrange is of course more forward with the ISN G4, yet we already know this from before. But the $$$ talk now.........and what your getting for your extra jack is quite simply better bass with the OSG, a more complete and satisfying display with the OSG, but more than that, there is a realness and wholesomeness (even with music like this) that shows the OSG is simply more…….more cable. Due to the bass being slightly more heavy and swimming in a smoother pond to play.


Sony WM1Z, Penon OSG Cable, Penon Serial:
The Penon Serial is kind-of a phenomena right now. And rightfully so being at the same time almost neutral, yet showcasing the warm inviting midrange that Penon has built its name on. Obviously there is more to the equation here, the way everything simply blends together and becomes your dear friend for life. But today we are concerning ourselves with the possibility of the Penon OSG being an optimization for the Serial. I will make this really easy…..this review is long and we can’t beat-around-the-bush. The OSG makes the Serial some of the cleanest I have ever heard. Faster and more nimble, slightly thinner without losing the thickness it is kind-of known for. Is it the best cable ever for the Serial? It really depends on what you are after? If the Serial needed more clarity to your ears and for the sake of losing a little of its thickness, well then maybe yes. Still it doesn’t fix the slightly backseat focus of the vocals with-in the Serial, I mean it doesn’t work miracles. The OSG does what it always does, which is offer a blacker background (even with the Serial) and holds a wider/bigger soundstage and places items inside under stronger relief from the backdrop gaining more contrast. I’ve heard the Serial even thicker than normal with a cable like the Space 3-in-1, yet still there is nothing wrong with this playback, even though it could be looked at as the total opposite.


Sony WM1Z, Penon OSG Cable, Penon ORB:
The ORB represents an era for Penon. The ORB is one of the early IEM ideas unto which Penon started the Hybrid legacy, a legacy of mixing and matching IEM methodology to enhance the best part of different drivers in use. And in fact the ORB came out around June of 2020, and the OSG Cable just months later in August of 2020. Yet at the ORBs retail the Penon OSG ends-up $50.00 more money? With that said, the Penon OSG fully optimizes the Penon ORB. Due to the ORB being born with slightly excessive bass and a smoother than average midrange and treble………..here the OSG goes to work to maximize the ORBs potentials. Cleaner and purer than expected, and truly maybe the way it was envisioned to sound by the Penon wizards? A clean-up of sorts, yet combined with the needed expansion in dimension of stage, that opens it up and showcases the newly found details. The end results are a far more gifted sound than you would guess looking at the additives? A faster bass and a kind of correctness that is on that exact border of bright and clear. A true difference in sound than the ORB experienced out-of-the-box with the included cable!


Sony WM1Z, Penon OSG Cable, DUNU SA6:
This is a difficult section of the review to write; for two reasons. One, the DUNU SA6 (original) is a high profile IEM, well regarded and known throughout the enthusiasts land. And….two, the Penon OSG has been nothing short of a party in my ears adding just what (sound) I was after in use with most of the IEM contestants here today. I have listened and put down the DUNU SA6 numerous times though-out the week, hoping that something would change, when I knew deep down inside that this paragraph was coming anyway………no matter how I attempted to avoid it. So I’ll just get this over with. One, the bass hasn’t always been the friend of SA6, while yes it’s complete, it hasn’t always been known to have the full-on quantity for some……and the OSG sculpts it even farther back. The next thing happens in the midrange, where yes itemization into the stage takes place, but the OSG accentuates the swerves and curves of the upper midrange/treble into a style of wonkiness? It simply sounds off, like it is doing the opposite of what you want? The included DUW-03 OCC silver plated cable creates a neutral response, providing a transfer of both bass energies and showing the DUNU SA6 midrange and treble for the truth the IEM produces. And while there have actually been many successes into changing the SA6 character in the past, the OSG isn’t one of them.

Comparison of Penon Leo Plus Cable to Penon OSG Cable:

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/penon-leo-plus-iem-cable-from-penon.24270/reviews#review-30398

The Leo Plus is made with 8 strands of gold-silver-palladium alloy wire, the original Leo (non-Plus) cable is $50 less and only made of silver. So on the surface it seems the Leo Plus is $50 cheaper than the OSG. The Leo Plus has gold-silver-palladium alloy wire where the OSG has single crystal copper silver-plated wire mixed with graphene. In the photograph we see just how different each cable is physically from one another.



1) Penon Vocal Cable
2) Penon Leo Plus Cable
3) ISN G4 Cable
4) Penon OSG Cable

The Leo Plus has possibly the most ergonomic shape and character. Does this make it delicate? I’m not sure but I keep the Leo Plus inside its own case during storage, away from other cables. The sound difference is the OSG is simply offering a deeper blacker background for which notes can emerge from. Due to this audio effect bass notes can almost appear bigger but they are actually equal in size. Where OSG vocals also have an ounce or two or forward clarity too, due to the blackness phenomena……continuing to parlay a style of relief against a deeper backdrop. This ends with the OSG being in-a-way more contrasty, offering more clarity. But really gets me is the OSG staging, yep…..more separated and not as filled in? The stage is actually wider and taller, deeper and fuller. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the Leo Plus, it’s just the OSG is kind-of a show-off of sorts?

Conclusion:
The Penon OSG Cable experience was a personal journey. With what started as a way to add clarity to bass heavy IEMs, I was then introduced to new magic tricks such a cable is capable of. With a few combinations the IEMs became the best I ever heard in performance. Yet the surprise was I had to learn to perceive these nuances, to learn to realize that new changes (in-fact) were taking place. The OSG Cable offers an aftertaste which is both sophisticated and subtle…..more noticeable the more you learn to understand what (in-truth) is taking place.

Ergonomically the OSG finds itself (positioning itself) way better than many cables costing $100 more or $500 more. It’s the fact that the size and maneuverability are not extreme, that it’s supple and easy going, never arguing or hostile in shape. No cable noise, nor does the OSG try and pull-on the inserted IEMs.

But most of all the attributes that will endear you center around the smooth repositioning and glorious clarity/pace the OSG offers users. It simply cleans up the town, going and attenuating the bass baggage, spreading-out the midrange into the biggest stage you (or I) have ever heard. And adding detail due to comprehension of a blacker background. None of these changes come-off as strange or even sonic mishaps, but are a welcome difference that results in never wanting to take the IEMs out of your ears...........and that’s what we are here for!

$299.00
https://penonaudio.com/penon-osg.html

Disclaimer:
I want to thank Penon Audio for the love and for the Penon OSG Cable review sample.

Disclaimer:
These are one persons ideas and concepts, your results may vary.

Equipment Used:
Sony WM1Z Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm
Sony WM1A Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm
Sony TA-ZH1ES DAC/AMP Firmware 1.03
Electra Glide Audio Reference Glide-Reference Standard "Fatboy" Power Cord
Sony Walkman Cradle BCR-NWH10
AudioQuest Carbon USB
Shanling UA3 Dongle DAC/Amplifier 4.4mm

Packaging:

Provided is a cloth case, a shirt clip, a cable strap, a brush and a wooden box. Photograph provided by Penon Audio.

The BLON BL-01 10mm Biology Fiber Diaphragm IEM

Every once in a while you get surprised. Surprises are fun and the best ones are unplanned...........a style of happenstance, resulting in an enjoyable outcome. What if I told you one of my favorite IEMs is priced at USD $22.99? You probably would not believe me and that’s OK. Understanding the price to performance ratio here………it challenges our ability to make sense of it all. So for the sake of simplicity I’m not going to mention the price again in this review. In many ways price is irrelevant really? I mean if you buy something you don’t like.......it doesn’t matter if it’s $20 or $2000, you still don’t like it. So from here on out we will forget about price and just try to judge the BLON BL-01 like we found it and had no idea what it was.

Build:
Made from Kirksite (whatever that is.....maybe zinc alloy I hear?) we find the BL-01 rather heavy for it’s size. Yet in fact it’s very small and offers a nozzle just about the right length....though on the short side. It’s a shape resulting from ear-shape-data-base findings. Also it’s way smaller than even the semi-custom BA IEMs you’ve seen. It’s like what has been taken away in size is actually helping the form-factor achieve success. The finish results in a newfangled resistance to corrosion...........even not showing finger prints...........how I have no idea?

Model: BL-01
Driver unit: 10mm Biology Fiber Diaphragm Driver
Impedance: 16&Omega;
Earphone sensitivity: 102dB/mW
Frequency response range: 20-20KHz
Plug Type: 3.5mm Gold Plated L Type
Cable length: 1.2m&plusmn;3cm
Color: black/silver
Earphone Interface: 0.78mm 2pin

The BL-01 comes in a choice of silver or dark silver/black. You have a choice of a cable with a mic or not. Purchase link below at review end.

Sound:
Interestingly this sound is all about being complete. Yep, in a world of incomplete sound signatures that seem off and wrong……it’s the completeness and correctness here that’s the joy of it all. It’s how it’s all interlaced together, the glue here? In many ways this style of replay is a little scary? I mean if they can do all this with a single driver what’s next? I mean really what’s next? Are BA’s going to be a forgotten technology?

Smoothness:
I should talk about the bass, but I’ll wait. I want to just poetically reveal the smoothness here. It’s this aspect of long drawn out reverberations which don’t seem wrong but simply totally right. Right at any price? The fact that that smoothness is also seemingly interrelated to a realistic timbre. Stuff just sounds real here? Meeting the BLON is like meeting a new friend and hitting it off; those times when you just know about a relationship. The smoothness is everywhere showing BA IEMs who's boss!

Reality:
I kind of have to be careful as if this review ends too “off the ground” then it will create the reverse effect. All I want is for people to get a set of IEMs and be happy. Yet we all know about HYPE. What is hype? It quite simply is fame. Fame is all it is. It comes when many folks dig a piece of gear, and their enthusiasm goes on and on and creates more enthusiasm until at some point it dies down and folks are left with reality. Still the fame much of the time is founded on truth and ability. And while I don’t suggest people sell all their gear and get the BLON BL-01, I suggest to not fear the HYPE that’s about to come down in the next 100 days or so. Embrace the HYPE. The Hype will in many ways have a basis in reality. Befriend the HYPE.

Bass:
It’s not that it’s excessive? It’s there but offers people on board with this sound.........a firm and slightly slow foundation. If you choose to judge that slight almost stop-step in bass PRAT, it’s probably a matter of taste? Because, when you get used to what the BL-01 is trying to do in the bass department, things start to get good. That same tiny slowness starts to become provocative and sexy. After a day of listening something happens where you start to look for that character…….........and need it.

In a famous suggested mix of fantasies and mixed realities the BL-01 has been compared to the Sony IER-Z1R. I am not in any way responsible for such malarky...........yet?

I have the $1600 Sony flagship loved by many a review and reviewer. And of course there are technicalities available in TOTL IEMs not found here. Still it’s amazing how close these two IEMs can be in personalities at times. My best way to describe this is overall tone goals. The IER-Z1R and the BLON have the same goals in mind. They approach this thing called IEM music replay in the same fashion and with the same sonic methodology. So? If you like the Sony sound, it’s a good chance you’ll like what’s going on here.



The Future:
This IS 2020 after all, and a style of "the future" I could have often guessed and dreamed about being a possibility. I mean........if your into IEMs, and simply wondering how far and fast stuff has moved on since the Audio-Technica ATH-M50 from 2012?

Yep……….this is that future and there is no way a person would want the $200 ATH-M50 after getting a taste of what’s gong on here. What is happening is IEMs are slowly getting better and better and the price is getting lower along with build quality and sound getting better. This bass has real timbre, it has detail and a style of speed. It’s just so darn musical for what it is.

So at the risk of sounding totally 5150………I’ll say this is (almost) some of the best bass I’ve heard at any price.

Is It A BASS-HEAD IEM?
Well…….the bass is pretty much exactly like the Sony IER-Z1R in amount. So? If you think that’s bass-head territory then yes, but to me it’s perfect bass. Stuff like the CA Atlas or 64Audio N8 are bass-head IEMs to me..........the IER-Z1R is not. So I tend to generalize this style of bass as bass emphasis and even bass heavy, yet not bass-head style truly.

Midrange:
There is of course many IEMs in the $200 range which will singularly do a better midrange. The BL-01 comes off exactly like the modern Sony house sound in this regard; where there are no illuminated from within vocals. The vocals sit just like the IER-Z1R. Luckily there is no lower midrange bass bleed into the mids, like the price point would normally provide. I normally listen to rock, metal and EDM. Those genres demand special interaction where the lower midrange glues everything together. It's of critical importance.......as too much lower midrange causes a loss of PRAT........or too little, distinct disconnection. Here none of these issues are found! The term for what’s going on here is called "an even and correct frequency response". Yep. It’s all here, all of it. Everything is so complete there are not enough stars at the top to fully get the point across. My views are probably due to BLON completely nailing my favorite overall IEM frequency response. Out of the box the mids may seem slightly off but after a few hours of burn-in, the party starts…….and does not stop.

Grain:
If you’re new to the IEM game there are special characteristics in the delivery of tone which is indicative of the methodology. Typically DD (Dynamic Drivers) are smoother. BA (Balanced Armatures) actually provide many special attributes though can emit a style of grain and off timbre and tone. And while DD drivers have their own issues.............grain/distortion they can freely walk around. With many full BA IEMs it’s the midrange detail they excel at but also inclusion of BA grain. If you were wondering why IEM designers don’t just keep developing BA ideas, it’s trying to achieve detail and tone quality characteristics with DD drivers. It’s the natural personality and advanced smoothness that seems to help raise the BLON above many competitors and many rivals occupying even much greater price points. The results of this advanced smoothness means extended listening times and a fatigue free experience. Historically full DD driver IEMs have not had a history of accurate or dynamic imaged high frequency replay. This is where the importance is centered in discovering a great single DD IEM. That lack of DD full-range detail inspired hybrid IEM makers to add the BA drivers........seeking a band-aid for the flawed single DD response. It's the BLON single full-range Biology-Fiber-Diaphragm ideas which are responsible for the science fiction in sound here.

BLON Treble:
Personally I don’t think this IEM can be beat for less than $500....maybe much more? I know that’s a big statement........ but whatever my reputation is........ I’m vary happy to add such a remark, even though fantastic. The fall-out will be possibly divergent.......yet among those folks will be a fair share that will absolutely agree. While the BL-01 does not have all the TOTL detail, the tone is spot on, everywhere.......for the most part. Of course if there was a less than perfect place I would say to focus on the understanding of the treble. It’s of course the treble right? As mentioned earlier it’s the treble that’s always needed to be fortified (adding BA units) thus making DD drivers complete, resulting in hybrid IEMs. Here we have far from the biggest soundstage to work with, and within that soundstage the treble can still humbly make it out in places.........showcasing what’s there. Yet it is ever so slightly muffled or harmonically not as complex as TOTL flagships. In contrast, any laid-back-backness in the treble is just added pixie dust to the magic charm going on.

The soundstage is average, the imaging above average yet I say all this because whole listening experience is so simply enjoyable. It’s like IF stuff is left out it’s not in a way that sounds wrong. In fact despite of the flaws in treble there is an overall style of unification of tone. Everything is held together firm and tight with what sounds like not much conflict. It’s this oneness and togetherness that’s so appealing even with-in what soundstage exists.

Conclusion:
This style of IEM release is a game changer. The BLON is so great at what it does it’s startling. It’s obviously the next in line to have arrows shot at it due to a perception of unearned HYPE.

Yet:
The BL-01 success will be eminent. If somehow perceived as IEM market manipulation or plain old fashioned street shilling, it will simply be what it is. My simple suggestion is to give the BL-01 a try, you may be pleasantly surprised.....I was.

The Future:
Well, this IS the future. A quasi-audiophile IEM for under $25? An IEM to make a budget-fi monopoly. An answer of sorts as something many have been hoping for for a very very long time. With the BL-01 the future is yours......

Music Used:
Korn-Issues 192/24bit
Green Carnation-Leaves of Yesteryear 44/24bit
Mastodon-Leviathan 44/24bit
Yello-Point 48/24bit
Korn-Twisted Transistor 96/24bit
Hawkwind-Space Ritual 48/24bit
Kamelot-The Shadow Theory 44/24bit
Haken-Virus 44/24bit
Katy Perry-Witness 44/24bit
Wintersun-Wintersun 2.0 44/24bit
Vader-The Messenger EP 44/24bit
Korn-Follow The Leader 192/24bit
Judas Priest-Firepower 48/24bit

Equipment Used:
Sony TA-ZH1ES Firmware 1.03
Sony NW-WM1Z/ NW-WM1A
Walkmans running MrWalkman DMP-Z1 emulation firmware

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/sony-walkman-os-custom-firmware-non-android.943661/
Walkmans changed to “J” region with Rockbox region changer.
https://www.rockbox.org/wiki/SonyNWDestTool

I tried different cables and tips but settled with:
The $18 FAAEAL Hibiscus 4.4mm High Purity Copper 2pin Cable
DUNU L Blue Tips

Edit: Many have experienced a style of correction using SPC over OFC cables. The BLON BL-01 may show slight resolution improvements and a more balanced tone with SPC in the end? In my tests both styles of cables brought something special in their own way to the BL-01. Your results may vary.

Disclaimer:
This IEM was sent to me by the Yaoyaotiger HIFI Audio Store on AliExpress for review. I’m clueless as to how the $20 IEM market is today, yet I’ll take a leap of faith and guess the BLON BL-01 is special. Of course this is a single review and a single opinion, your results may vary.

Get Them Here:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/100...w_Detail&utm_source=admitad&utm_content=47843


Edit:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/blon-in-ear-monitors-impressions-thread.916702/post-16034788
These were just tuned perfect and made into soundstage monsters with the inverted tip modification and SPC cable. Truly amazing!

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/flip-tips-or-fliptips-prepare-to-have-your-mind-blown.906357/

Let’s forget everything OK? I mean let’s forget Knowledge Zenith’s history. Just for this single review, OK? In fact I’m not even going to list the history. I mean, if you’re here and reading you probably already know what’s up with KZ. They are a budget brand from China and they offer incredible value. That’s all I’m going to say........let’s move forward shall we.

KZ AS16 Pro 16BA Balanced Armature Units Earphones HIFI Bass In Ear Monitor Earphones

• Break high price barrier
• 8 BA units on each side, flagship-level configuration
• Three-channel professional conduit structure, sophisticated electronic frequency division
• Advanced metal inlay resin process
• High purity braided silver-plated cable with 2 pin changeable interface design

This is the best tuned, best fitting, best sounding $56.00 I have ever heard. I’m serious. Here is the link to buy them.

https://www.linsoul.com/collections/all/products/kz-as16-pro?variant=43093693268185

If you are into IEM sound reproduction, there is no reason for you to not get a pair. At least I can’t think of a reason? Though there is one thing. The AS16 PRO is very sensitive and will sound slightly different on which ever device you decide to use them with. It’s not only an impedance thing, they just are a window into whatever is up-stream. Even changing cables/ear-tips will make a difference. When I first got them I started to use them with the new Shanling UA3, now the funny part was they sounded like the Shanling. They did all these features that the Shanling did. They had the laidback presentation, the style of bass the Shanling has, everything! Then I moved to the Walkman WM1Z, thinking they would sound the same way. Nope, nothing of the sort. They didn’t sound like the UA3 at all. They were almost a different IEM. I’m exaggerating, still you get my point. They were 1/2 way like the source, and halfway like the AS16 PRO. So to level with you, I’m going to describe the sound, but it’s only one way to hear them. If you have a wide range of different players, and/or impedance adapters, you can alter the sound. They were a little hot with the treble-boosted Walkman WM1Z. Now I was using the AS16 PRO with a copper/silver aftermarket Hybrid cable, so that could have made a difference? Still the true character of the AS16 PRO is that they are mid-centric. That means they don’t have a super bright treble or a prominent bass, but they do have a nice treble and bass response.

I know what you’re thinking, for this kinda money, it’s just to good to be true, they must have cut corners somewhere? They must have thrown-in a hodgepodge of different BAs that they found on the factory floor and hoped for the best. Nope.

They must have somehow used the cheapest BA drivers and it sounds like it. Nope!

It’s cheap, it must, it must sound cheap? Nope.

You know in the marketing script where it says “Break high-price barrier”.......they forgot the word "the". So what, they are Chinese, it's not their language. Give them a break!



Value:
That’s exactly what’s happening. This sounds like a $500 IEM, or better, I’m ashamed to say! It really does. I'm writing this and I know how it sounds, believe me............I know. It sounds ridiculous. The point is this is the future. They (the Chinese) are moving this whole thing forward at an alarming rate. Maybe this is the first glimpse of a new era? This is not an accident, things like this don’t happen accidentally. This is an elaborate process where everything was put in its place. There are 2X 22955 BA bass units firing bass frequencies. 2X (midrange) 29689 BA units, and 4X 31736 (highs) units per IEM= 8 BAs per side. A PCB sound board crossover network and a physical sound tube separation process called the “three channel conduit structure”.

Product model-KZ AS16 Pro
Earphone type-BA IEM
Frequency-20-40000Hz
Impedance-18Ω
Sensitivity-114dB±3dB
Pin Type-0.75mm
Plug Type-3.5mm
Cable Length-120±5cm


They could have put any name on the KZ AS16 PRO they wanted. They could have called it a CCA, they could have even named it something completely new. But they wanted to build the Knowledge Zenith name even stronger. They maybe wanted to redeem themselves a little? I will be the first to admit that the IEM looks (maybe) like a $56.00 IEM. It comes in Cyan or Black, with a microphone or not. If it did look like a $56.00 IEM, it’s because it is a $56.00 IEM, but the sound is another story.

Ok, let me put some history in..............
"KZ, the brand name under which the Guangdong-based Shenzhen Yuan Ze Electronics Co. operates, was founded in 2008, making it a legacy brand by Chi-Fi standards. The founders are Keith Yue, a former Audio-Technica engineer, and Zen Li, a Western-trained classical musician. The name KZ isn't just a nod to the founders' initials, but is also short for "Knowledge Zenith". The company offers an impressive range of low-priced earphones that crib the form-factor from many moderately priced earphones provided by the mainstream brands.

KZ originated, in 2013 advocated ultimate, fashion and simplicity focusing on the faith of revolutionary pursuit ultimate attitude forward life.

KZ is the world's leading audio earphone device manufacturer, provides professional audio KZ service covering more than 100 countries and regions."

So they are saying they borrow the design of higher priced brands. Basically everyone copies everything and everyone. That’s just how it is. Does it make KZ something to be embarrassed about owning? If they sounded bad, well yes, but these sound incredible. The KZ AS16 PRO is an improvement over the KZ AS16 that came out 4 years ago. (More history)




The Cable:
2 pin high-purity OFC core silver coated

Source components:
I started off with the Shanling UA3, migrated over to the Walkman WM1A with a silver/copper hybrid cable, finally gravitating to the Walkman WM1Z with a 4 wire pure copper cable. But I didn’t stay with that. Word on the street is they purportedly used 18 Ohm tuning gear/source to tune the KZ AS16 PRO. What that means for us is we have a chameleon on our hands. All I can say about this is it looks like the KZ AS16 PRO is capable of many different sound signatures. It’s related to the impedance, but also the character of your source. In the end it really means that not only do we have a remarkable sounding IEM on our hands, but we are able to choose many different ways to have it react.



Yep, depending how you drive the KZ AS16PRO, It can offer a wide range of frequency response characteristics.

This multi-response was quite confusing to start with. Meaning, I used a Shanling UA3 Dongle to start with, and I thought that was how the AS16 sounded. Moving over to a DAP and you have a different sound, basically a window into whatever gear you put in front of it. I don’t look at this as bad as you can have (in a sense) many styles of replay. All IEMs react to sources but the AS16 way more than normal. Above is a graph where an impedance adapter was used to modify the signal, and look at the change in frequency response. So like always, the character of the DAP makes a difference. If you have both 4.4mm and 3.5mm outputs on your DAP, that will cause a difference. The cable you choose (copper/silver or copper even silver only) will affect the signal also the tips you ultimately decide to use. To tell you the truth I didn’t have a favorite source, as each had a special character to explore.



Music:


John Powell
Solo: A Star Wars Story OST
Train Heist
44.1 kHz - 16 bit
Such strings takes us back to first seeing movies with beautiful soundtracks in them. Though maybe the music wasn’t singled out upon seeing the movie? At 1 minute 44 seconds the action starts. The AS16 is fully showing what’s up with the many moving parts in our soundstage. While bass is not overly prominent, there is enough and it’s well replayed, especially the explosion at 3 minutes 7 seconds. What........a timpani or maybe a piece of metal used for thunder sound effects? It’s a bass response that makes you to pay attention in awe. At 3 minutes 39 seconds there are so many inclusions……and the 8 BA drivers are playing all the details. Probably the one thing I take away from all this is the involvement and spellbinding spectacle this music truly is on the AS16. While at times it maybe is borderline too intense, the deep drops in contrast to the horn and violins are truly mind-bending. The transient attacks of the drums in this are incredible, and go to show the ultimate attribute of BA listening, the speed of attack and the instantaneous drop off of notes. While timbre is just ever so slightly off, we as listeners are too distracted to even notice.



Daft Punk
TRON: Legacy The Complete Edition (OST)
44.1 kHz - 24 bit
Outlands
More strings, yet they diverge into different placements with-in the soundstage, like replicating and reproducing to become more. Such wandering makes everything one-step bigger. At 32 seconds the drums blast…..and sure enough we hear the reverberations, though BAs aren’t about reverb, and the notes quickly fall-away. The stage is wide and there is a progression of a theme, as you can only tell……louder…..bigger....louder. The strings are wonderful and make this song for me. There is a tightness and correctness that has you fully paying attention. 49 seconds “boom” 56 seconds “boom” it is this fast attack and decay that’s the entertainment here. The way the reverberations have a quick fall-off outside the stage……..incredible! The imaging here, it’s tell-tale of BA composure and exquisite.



Mick Gordon
DOOM Eternal (Original Game Soundtrack)
The Only Thing They Fear Is You
48 kHz - 24 bit
Since this came out I have used it often to judge IEMs. Probably the biggest surprise here is how forgiving the AS16 is? Meaning I was expecting way more intensity, as this music is 100% intense. The spacial positioning and texture is fabulous. The pace at which this takes place is great, but probably the way the 8 BAs do the transitions from one attack to the next is what seals the deal. The transients here are where we payed our money, wait? We didn’t pay much, we are getting way more than our moneys worth! The way the elements have life, and they are totally separated and delineated here. And while the bass is not the lowest rendition in how I’ve heard this song done, it’s fine in that it’s fast, clear and authoritative. This ends with a war chant!



Mick Gordon
DOOM (2016) (Original Game Soundtrack)
At Doom’s Gate
48 kHz - 24 bit (24/48 USB Key)
This has been a test of BA drivers since it came out. And I am not the only reviewer who choses this particular song. Such quick pace, fast changes and intensity are a hallmark of this style of gaming music. Yet, here we are only in for a taste of it as the song is only 1 minute 10 seconds in length! They say dynamite comes in small packages and, yes it does. The first startling thing has to do with the initial blasts………I mean these blasts start at 00.00 seconds! Before the song has officially started we are greeted with this onslaught of blasts. Then at 24 seconds the full-scale blasts hit, but that’s the thing, they are not as intense or as loud as with other IEMs. We are witnessing a style of smoothness which is the direct indication of this IEM’s character. This can be played back any number of ways and still be correct. Though I have had renditions of it that were unbearable! Here no. We are fine, and it truly is the forgiving character that we are at one with here. The bass is not as delineated or as intense as I have heard, it's fast and falls-off instantly. There is way more bass with other IEMs, though that doesn’t make these bad, only that they are truly more mid-centic than we even realize. They have a way to sound like they do more, though when we put them to the test, they show both how forgiving they are and how mid-centric they truly are in the end!

Build photos:

Treble:
So you could only imagine my predicament, a slightly different sounding IEM with whatever you combine it with. So how do you write a disclosure about the treble? While most of the changes (you already noted) took place in the (lower) mid-range in relation to impedance. Still the treble was affected by things like cable make-up and source personality, where I truly believe I was hearing deep into the character of each source. Regardless, those changes were really only partial as a true treble character could be surmised. The upper treble is innately connected to the AS16 soundstage. After burn-in I found a fluidness and a smoothness. I know this is all BA, but it does have a crossover network. The stage also seemed to become enhanced with burn-in, revealing better imaging of forward and back elements. The treble is airy and of less physicality than you may expect, is this due to the BA used or the crossover, or both? Yet such politeness is welcome and appreciated. If anything this stance adds a level of all-day listenability surprisingly found. Probably the separation makes the treble that IS there more delineated as each element has a place in the stage. So even though it's not as bright as you may guess, it's getting resolution due to positioning. My gosh, this tune is wonderful. I'm not going to say perfect.......because...nothing is perfect, yet we are going that direction here. There is also an aspect when we don't have a DD/Hybrid set-up to worry about. Meaning there is no big DD to have to balance or fight with. Such unity is found and noted, if not maybe slightly thin? Still better than I have ever heard $56.00 sound. There is a softness and it gets put into place to work, but alas I have heard more expensive IEMs produce a more direct and physical rendition. Still this is relaxing and complete whatever it truly is.

Midrange:
There is a compression, a composite of imaging which separates the AS16 from true TOTL replay. I don't want to give the wrong idea here, I mean it sounds like a bunch of drivers, because it's 8 of them. No matter what sound-tubes or crossovers they can only corral those frequencies so much, but it's a softer effect, and one that's genuinely inviting. Everything has a slight BA fuzz layered across the top, and even though there are fast transients, there is a wonderful subtle confusion that's endearing. My other 10 BA IEM is the Noble Encore and at $1850.00, it of course does a better job, but in many ways the SA16 is more well-rounded. Still when I think (all BA) I always kind of imagine the Encore sound. And while the soundstage isn't as quite as grand as the Encore, it has the same big soundstage due to all these frequencies going-off at once. Both the AS16 and the Encore are special due to how they add back the guitar-fuzz that got lost in recording. So you can only imagine, this does't affect the whole signature, but electric guitars get an added separation in the soundstage, finding a crunchy provocative replay that only comes from BAs. As for as off-timbre and metallic tones, I may have heard more of it when I was first listening to the AS16. Meaning there is a hair of steeliness, but not really, and not as bad as some offenders I have heard. Timbre is just BA timbre, yes, but nothing to shake a stick at. Due to the tune you may expect vocals to be wildly separated and forward, and they are not............surprisingly. They are just simply in-place, not forward or back, though clearly heard due to BA separation. These are not vocal speciality IEMs in any way, but they are so even and correctly tuned that they seem to play all styles of music?

Bass:
Here I may have to over-compensate due to the stigma attached to BA replay. No it doesn't have the earth shattering rumble of an actual DD. Still what is provided goes miles forward to have you gain complete satisfaction in the bass department. I personally love how the bass comes out of nowhere to fully surprise you with it's ability. There is no way these are bass anemic! The speed is the thrill here, being it has way faster attack than any DD is capable of. Here we witness a special separation due to just how many drivers are utilized. Despite my previous words, there is a singularity of focus that has to be heard to be believed. This coming together is no better heard than in the bass here. A style of purpose that is special in all IEM replay that makes the AS16 unique. What I'm trying to say is I've never heard bass exactly like this. It's this curiosity that has me coming back over and over to truly learn what's up with the AS16. Each new song is slightly different than I remember, and not different in a bad way but holding true to what I have heard before from full-BA installments, yet anew? It's hearing the bass once more in this correct but different way that allows for continued listening and instances of joy. It's not the most authoritative, or as delineated/clear as some bass providers, but it has it's own wonderful accessible character.

Conclusion:
What do you want for $56.00? Well, what you are getting is way more than you expect. Way more! I know, you're worried that the tune will be off. Let me reinforce this......it's not. In fact it's the merger of a great tune with great technicalities that moves the KZ AS16 PRO forward. Still the price-point is the biggest issue, as half of Head-Fi won't touch a $56.00 IEM, no matter how big the hoopla and gossip is. If I went to a show and blindfolded listeners, then asked what they thought the (AS16 PRO) price was, it would be at a minimum $500.00! This is the era we live in, good IEMs are just about free now. The fit, build quality and shape of the AS16 are perfect, though they are on the big side. The nozzle length is great, the cable is "OK". Seriously if you are an IEM music listener, you owe it to yourself to at least try this new chapter in IEM history. It's the most sound possible for $56.00. They upon releasing this have broke the price barrier. There has never been a release to offer this level of value......ever........make them yours today! Be a part of history!


Get it here:
https://www.linsoul.com/collections/all/products/kz-as16-pro?variant=43093693268185
If you buy from Linsoul you get a one year warranty and free shipping, world-wide.


Disclaimer:
I would like to thank Kareena Tang from Linsoul for the opportunity to review KZ AS16 PRO.

Linsoul website: https://www.linsoul.com/
Linsoul Aliexpress Store: https://ddaudio.aliexpress.com/store/2894006
Linsoul USA Amazon Store link: https://www.amazon.com/s?i=merchant-items&me=A267P2DT104U3C

Equipment Used:
Sony WM1Z Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm
Sony WM1A Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm
Sony TA-ZH1ES DAC/AMP Firmware 1.03
Electra Glide Audio Reference Glide-Reference Standard "Fatboy" Power Cord
Sony Walkman Cradle BCR-NWH10
AudioQuest Carbon USB
Shanling UA3 Dongle 4.4mm

PENON LIQUEUR SILICONE EAR-TIPS
Redcarmoose Labs February 21, 2024

Penon:
Penon started getting internet fame around 2013 with their retail set-up called Penon Audio, a place with hundreds of personal audio items for sale. At first Penon made cables only, yet in a short time they were making and selling their very own IEMs. Using additional IEM accessories like ear-tips to enhance sound into a new direction can be tricky as everyone has their own ideas as to what a perfect sound signature is. But beyond that we are taking a foreign object and joining in to the human body. Each human has a slightly different ear-hole shape, yet they are closer to the same person by person than the outer pinna area of the ear, which is photographed and used to identify people just like fingerprints.



Little if ever do people speculate on this, but in fact there are many sound tubes and nozzles internally inside your IEM. The shapes and curves and sonic resonant chambers are all very convoluted and hidden from plain sight, yet the end results are really the most important here............the final nozzle (at the end) and the blossoming of frequencies which takes place at that final destination point.



Ear-tips:
One thing is certain…….ear-tips affect sound quality. But beyond that this ear-tip selection rabbit hole is quite deep and convoluted. Yep, it goes on forever with Head-fi being the place to go to learn about the latest ear-tips. You see that is one of the most valuable aspects of Head-Fi, learning about a new product and getting it to perform just like (another human) you read about on-line. You see that saves money and footwork trying to understand the value of a product that deals with sound...........sound that we can only verify by listening to (the product in question) ourselves. Yet when these parallel results start to surface…….then another, then another….a reality is found. There is maybe truth to be found if experienced by a number of listeners, that has been the key to Head-Fi success ever since day one around this place.

Ear-tips:
It is safe to say not all ear-tips are created equal. I mean this understanding is really a learning curve, but also it's filled with personal biases. Personal bias as often we disregard a style of ear-tip that came with an IEM because “we don’t like wide-bores”. Or maybe we only use expensive ear-tips because expensive is 100% always better……right? Wrong! This psychology in ear-tips goes on forever.........even forming opinions inside our mind as we proclaim the reality of results upon listening. Yep, we can gravitate towards using a specific style of ear-tip.............and just like your favorite jeans or shirt…….they go with everything………we make them go with everything……….even if they don’t go. With that said there has always been aftermarket ear-tips, yet as of late the technology and use of ear-tip technology has blossomed into a new roaring sub-business (offered-up) for IEM lovers. And in the end this concentration on the ideas of ear-tips changing sound is further developed with more designer ear-tips arriving to market monthly. Head-Fi is filled with these ear-tips stories on a daily basis.

The ear:
Probably the most confusing thing about trying a new IEM is even when we think we have the best fit, we don’t. That occurs because we have never truly heard the IEM before and don’t realize its sonic potential. Imagine we never heard a new IEM correctly, yet we don't even know it yet. Yep, we think we have the best fit, yet an hour later and with the 4th ear-tip we say WOW, to ourselves. Why, well that can be from many factors, one is that folks (even at rare times) enjoy a semi-fit as a way to diminish bass. And the small Orange and Black ear-tips allow that kind of fitment with me.

But getting back on track here. An air-tight fit is what most are looking for, now that is achieved by having pressure of the material pushing out, on the inside of the ear canal. If uniform then a fit starts to take place. Yet we are still not out of the woods yet. Why? Because bass is determined by the sound waves maturing inside the ear canal with the IEM in place, yet every brand of ear-tip positions the IEM nozzle at a different distance from the ear drum. As some ear-tips seem to use an exceptionally long shape combined with a special style of silicone to really get an airtight fitment. Yet the other factor here is ear-tip inner circumference, the size of the ear-tip nozzle port. And not only the size but the shape of the port. Some are like trumpets, others get narrower and so on. Yet one simple thing we can all argue about, sorry…….I mean agree upon is that wide-bores open the stage and narrow bore close in the stage and add bass.

The physical fitment:
So it is a rabbit hole that when success is reached we seem to know it. The next component of this adventure deals with IEM placement outside the ear. Meaning there is a physical relationship between the foreign (object) IEM and the human. As such the IEM can be positioned too far outside the ear and move around, or can be positioned too close to not work due to being in the wrong position to get the ear-tip to lodge in place. What this means is we are concentrating on the inner ear canal air-tight fit, and the distance the IEM is sitting in the end. Where too far out and the fit is not consistent, or too far in and we lose airtight fit too. Remember the make and construction of the ear-tip must be both soft enough to find air-tight fit, but firm enough to possibly be put into use to hold the IEM in place. Now when I say hold, the IEM needs to be correctly positioned at times so the outer ear holds it partially, and there is a little ear canal holding due to material coming into play. So it is a blend, but one of the main reasons those throw away ear-tips that come with your IEM are thrown away is the walls are too thin and change form into a non air-tight fitment when attempting to be used. This is sad to me because typically new folks will try and put these cheap tips into use with their new IEM and never really hear the IEM in the first place. This results in not knowing you have or don't have perfect fit, thus they mistakenly complain about the iEM, or EQ the Schiit out of it........with the worst part being they never achieve soundstage. Soudstage is 100% dependent on IEM fitment, and secondary imaging......ect,ect. Yet the most common negative effect is lack of bass.

Nozzle shape and size:
The actual nozzle (of a specific IEM) has its own singular diameter and nozzle length which affects fitment. Yep, there can be pressure lost from escape around the nozzle between the ear-tip and nozzle, rare but it can happen. There is also the way some ear-tips seem to lock into place (seemingly joined to the nozzle) and some are slide-prone to find a new position every time you use an IEM. Though some folks get an advantage with this IEM slide...........and use it every time, to find the sweet spot where the IEM sits outside your ear. So there are not always right ways or wrong ways, as it is totally individual, as ear-tips should be.

So there are lots of choices:
There are a lot of personal results to be found, yet we do know one thing. There are better ear-tips which get regarded by the masses as better and the throwaways. Yet one other factor is materials and the combinations of materials. So foam has been used, and multiple styles of silicone offering dual density even in one IEM, and there are as many different styles of silicone as there are fingers and toes on your body……(maybe) more as it is a specific formula where sound is altered by a union of formula and shape/design. There is also size to be chosen, and surprisingly with these Penon tips, they fit so well I have a choice of three different sizes that seem to fit. That means I can go slightly deep (with the bigger size). Or way deep with the (medium) size, also noted is how the smaller size fits more firm. Why, it is more firm because it is farther inside your ear canal thus grabbing more support by a larger contact area.



Penon LIQUEUR silicone ear-tips:
As such you have a choice of two flavors Orange or Black, and you can get one or the other or both colors. The noticeable thing here is you get a case and a wide selection, with three pairs that are regularly found in size and one pair that takes the cake as the largest ear-tip I have ever seen. Yet for me I can fit the largest and the second to largest, maybe even the third to largest. I mean just look at them, don’t they look unique…..they are unique because of material and shape…….but most importantly the walls are extremely thick yet soft, so they really find fitment in a slightly macho way........even the Orange ones are macho. We are not messing around here, and audio success is a science, and Penon applies that science to shift the outcome paradigm.

Specification
Brand PENON
Materials: Silicone
Tube diameter: 4.5mm
Height: 9.2mm
S/M/L/XL Diameter :
S :11mm
M : 12.5mm
L : 14mm
XL : 15.5mm

The other brand ear-tips:
The thing is once you travel down the ear-tip rabbit hole these new GUCCI designer ear-tips seem to be priced terribly expensive? At times up to $50.00 for a two pair ear-tips. It’s like they think that their ear-tips are made of gold or something, that or they know audiophiles will pay as these ear-tips are unique, often being one of a kind. Still Penon supplies a nice reusable case which snaps closed, just like this review!

https://penonaudio.com/Penon-Liqueur-Silicone-Eartips

3 Pairs of 4.5mm Penon Liqueur Series Silicone Eartips
Description
Penon Liqueur O (Orange color)
Enhanced low-frequency atmosphere, clean background, clearer vocal, reduce the sibilance,high resolution.

Penon Liqueur B (Black color)

Rich details of low frequency, high frequency is transparent, clean background, the vocal is clear, and reduce the sibilance

Here is the deal:
The two colors are totally different in sidewall construction, and or material. I'm not privy the material differences, except in your hand (and between your fingers) they are somewhat different with the Black holding genuinely more tactile resistance, then the Orange which go to display a thinner more dexterous stature. These physical attributes are real and go to set the two ideas of sound responses apart, allowing each color to gently position your tonal response into an avenue of town, while subtly the same, also genuinely different.



The difference between Orange and Black:
Probably the very first thing is to notice the texture of the ear-tip in hand. Now of course the Blacks are thicker walled, but most likely also a slightly different material, though because they are in truth different ear-tips................it’s hard to tell if the stability they offer is only from the thicker walls, as it could in fact be different materials here? As all the ear-tips here today have the exact same center diameter regardless of size, this 4.5mm inner tube placement is uniform.

Where you want to concentrate on is the actual feel of Orange to Black, as even with your eyes closed the Black is noticeably more tough to move the walls inward with your finger, the Orange offering a more flexible stance. What all this means is the Orange are a little higher in resolution because of their makeup, and the Black are actually reducing slightly the treble energy in the highs.........probably absorbing the energy? This also takes place even if you compare both side-by-side as the Orange (can) go in slightly deeper to engage more treble and reduce the bass wave maturity.

I mean sure the Orange walls are thinner, and the Black are actually incredibly macho…..yet usable and strangely comfortable due to enhanced tactile feedback from the walls. Yet they are so soft, nothing is too intrusive. Though I have to say with further testing the Black are strangely well fitting, in that I could easily get the XL, L and medium tips to find perfect air-tight fit, a first here at Redcarmoose Labs. As a result the bass wave maturity was altered with the farthest back being the XL, and the closest distance from the nozzle end to my ear drum being the Medium, creating a wonderful choice of tones and textures. The small Black did fit, but offered a non air-tight fitment, which made the bass even faster, except the stage and imaging suffered as well.

This style of replay change is as real as it gets and may be some folks' ultimate way of understanding the best from their IEM purchases. Though remember the inclusive results affect both sound and physical fit. As such it may come down to resulting in only less adjustment on the listeners part, in addition to the sonic benefits.



The Results:
I don’t want to say it would be a make it or break an IEM's tonal difference, only you are enhancing a direction that was first established by the song file choice, then the DAP, then the cable……….only to be polished off by the ear-tip. That or of course if a problem arises where the tone is somehow not as desired, a certain ear-tip can come about a fix, and alignment into what your sonic expectations are/were. The other really important thing is the Blacks can offer maybe (for most) the tightest fit (as they are pushing back the hardest) which for many would be an added benefit for TWS sports IEM, seemingly getting the most noise occlusion out and about from the well fitting union of IEM and ear, plus getting deeper low end which drowns out any outside distractions. Plus the bore circumference enables a tight lock on your IEM nozzle enabling only a separation at will and not by happenstance when involved with activity other than the Lazy Boy recliner.





Conclusion:
Are the Penon LIQUEUR silicone ear-tips for you? If you use IEMs they most probably are. As this is very different from IEM reviews, and different from many other ear-tips. Why? Well they give you an option of more resolution with the Orange and a more meaty lower midrange and bass with the Black. Then the next level is they offer different sizes that enable a choice of insertion depth…….how cool is that? I’m not you so I can’t guarantee you will ridiculously find three sizes to work, but I can almost guarantee at least one size will work. The sonic results here may be the differences from DAPs, where one is more forgiving and reduces sibilance, where the other is coercing brighter tones. Yet when I say there are differences depending on the IEM, it’s not that much, not night and day, except you knew that. But it is noticeable. Lucky we are here on the retail side of this venture in sound, and not inside the factory with the development of the LIQUEUR ear-tips. You see this LIQUEUR development curve wasn’t an easy thing to do. Somehow it was complicated to get to the place we are now, with many prototype tips made and sent out, finally arriving at what we now have in our mitts. So even though you can get them relatively fast now, I advise you to slow down once you get them……..to try and listen and not make judgments right off. As what shows up in the package is very different from anything you have probably come across. And interfacing with each IEM they seem to be defined to use Black for brighter IEMs, and Orange for darker IEMs……….of course nothing is writen in stone as far as ear-tips go. Truly the only way to learn is to forget your biases and take the tips one day at a time, like the first moment you ever used IEMs, as at times playing stupid in life is the fastest way to learning something.

$9.90
https://penonaudio.com/Penon-Liqueur-Silicone-Eartips

Disclaimer:
I want to thank Penon Audio for their love and the LIQUEUR Orange and Black Ear-tips review samples.

Disclaimer:
These are one person's ideas and concepts, your results may vary.

Equipment Used:
Sony WM1A Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm
Sony WM1Z Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm
Sony TA-ZH1ES DAC/AMP Firmware 1.03
Electra Glide Audio Reference Glide-Reference Standard "Fatboy" Power Cord
Sony Walkman Cradle BCR-NWH10
AudioQuest Carbon USB
HiBy R3 II DAP in 4.4mm balanced output
Penon Tail Dongle in 4.4mm balanced output

Currently Penon/ISN manufactures and sells.
ISN Audio Cable Products:
1) AG8 Cable
2) C16 Cable
3) C2 Cable
4) C4 Cable
5) CU4 Cable
6) CS02 Cable
7) G4 Cable
8) GC4 Cable
9) GD4 Cable
10) GS4 Cable
11) H16 Cable
12) H2 Cable
13) H8 Cable
14) H8Plus Cable
15) 8 Core Cable
16) S16 Cable
17) S2 Cable
18) S4 Cable
19) S8 Cable
20) SC4 Cable
21) Solar Cable
22) Type C Audio Adapter

ISN Audio IEM Products/Earbud products
23) D02 IEM
24) D10 IEM
25) EST50 IEM
26) H30 IEM
27) H40 IEM
28) H50 IEM
29) Neo 5 IEM
30) Neo 3 IEM
31) Neo 1 IEM
32) Rambo Earbuds
33) Rambo II Earbuds

Penon Audio Cable Products
34) Bass Cable
35) CS819 Cable
36) Fiery Cable
37) Flow Cable
38) GD848 Cable
39) HiFi Balanced Adapter
40) Penon Impact Cable
41) Leo Cable
42) Leo Plus Cable
43) Mix Cable
44) Neo Cable
45) Obsidian Cable
46) Orbit Cable
47) OS133 Cable
48) OS133 Adapter
49) OS849 Cable
50) OSG Cable
51) Space Cable
52) Storm Cable
53) Totem Cable
54) Totem Adapter Cable
55) Totem Adapter Type-C DAC/Amp
56) OS133 Type-C/Lightening DAC/Amp
57) Vocal Cable
58) ASOS Cable
59) RENATA Cable
60) Rhodium Plug
61) Purple Plug
62) OFC Copper Plug

Penon Audio IEM Products
63) Penon IEM
64) Impact IEM
65) Legend IEM
66) Globe IEM
67) Serial IEM
68) Sphere IEM
69) Volt IEM
70) Vortex IEM
71) Turbo IEM
72) DOME IEM
73) Quattro IEM
Possible new TOTL Voltage
75) Penon Tail Dongle

Almost 75 individual personal audio products.

The Penon USB OS133 Type-C Dongle

Reviews:
You know I get sent stuff to review all the time, but every once in a while something super cool comes along. Now this item is one that I would have least expected to be writing about at this place in time. Why? Well I have about 7 other reviews in sequence to tell about. Yet, this little, yet big OS133 Dongle has jumped to the start of the line. Why, sound of course silly. We often judge stuff by price or by looks……..and normally bigger is better. Bigger TOTL Flagship IEMs, bigger more expensive desktops, heck look at the systems (the full systems) posted here on Head-Fi, and they take up whole rooms with $1000s of dollars in gear. And this OS133 Dongle review doesn’t go to undermine any of those efforts........as they are personable, and commendable for what they are…………..only most of this stuff never leaves the personal listening room, as it can’t.

Around 2007 Apple created the Apple Dongle and what was to follow was a complete shift in how we use tail technology. If you were wondering, Apple must have known at some point they were going to part ways with the 3.5mm jack audiophiles used for listening. I mean sure audiophiles have always been near the bottom of the Apple hierarchy…….seemingly this small group of fanatics who focus on every little detail of playback. The mainstream are after only ease of use and decent sound and when the two ideas are conceptually joined a marketable item is introduced. And sure I have nothing against the Apple Dongle, except I feel it is way overrated.




The Apple Dongle:
Sorry, but ever since the unit in question came out I have been on my soap-box telling the world that it is limited in quality. Many reviewers ended up being known for telling how the Apple Dongle is all you really need. They will quote specifications and talk of noise floor and crosstalk, that 48 kHz and 16 bit is all you will ever need in your life. As such use is totally convenient, and it is hard to grasp how darn spoiled we are up to this point, with so many low cost digital sources.

In fact I went at one point and tried to get a grip on just how resolving the Apple Dongle truly was……meaning I don’t care about specifications, as at times we don’t know why a product is so musical, but it is. So I took the Apple Dongle and amplified the signal and did comparisons to other amplified signals. And guess what I found? There was a limit to just how wide the stage was, there was only so much separation of imaging, and while neutral, there was only so far the Apple Dongle went to generate a fully involving low-end. I was looking at the Apple Dongle under an amplifier microscope. Of course that was in the days when there wasn’t all kinds of Dongles in 3.5mm and 4.4mm to be had.

So amplifiers are different. This may sound stupidly simple to say, only many still are found to hold out in there opinion. I mean if it has been your cause to enlighten the world since 2007 about the infinite specialness of the Apple Dongle, it is a little hard to backtrack now……so the best thing to do is shut-up………and that is what is taking place by the old promoters…….as you almost never in 2024 hear about anyone promoting just the Apple Dongle for pure sound quality alone. Now those promoters speak about size and convince………and later sound quality.

But what if, what if there was a new invention which changed the course of history once more? Is there room for it? Do you really need more than this Penon USB Type-C OS133 Dongle? Remember I’m a snob, in that I normally always gravitate towards more expensive gear being of higher quality. Yet audio is probably 10-20% psychology! Meaning when we look at the apparatus in place the sound magically improves, yep……more lights, more cost, more hype, better sound quality. Except not here……………

You see I learned a lot from this OS133 Penon Dongle we have here. But somehow I felt, I had an intuition about it, don’t ask me why. Intuitions are those things that are outside of logic, the messages we hear from our inner voice taking, and normally that inner voice doesn’t give reasons why it chooses to like stuff, it just does.

Again, this doesn’t totally make a whole lot of sense, except if you do glance at the specifications they are good and maybe seem to answer the reasons why this little piece of wire rocks?

One of the great ways to test a new piece like this is to combine it with a new great IEM. Now what that does is confuse the listener. Due to possibly liking the IEM tone and having it multiply the Dongle tone we are slightly disoriented as to where this quality is coming from. Sure reviews are about trial and error and using known devices to (still subjectively) test other newer devices. Except the opposite ways also are going around your expectation biases to form a kind of new bike Christmas party.

Those new bike Christmas parties are what Head-Fi is all about, never let anyone convince you otherwise.

The realities discovered:
So I don’t want to rain on the Penon Type-C OS133 Dongle parade so soon, but I really need to go over this concept even at this early point. The file server you choose, meaning the digital input will have a slight effect on how this guy sounds. Why……again we are bucking heads with the sound science folks who state that 1s and 0s are all the same, that any form of digital input is exactly the same. I review stuff now, but back in the day I was truly all about digital sources making a difference, not a lot of difference but it is there. Maybe it’s my hearing, or it could still be psychology that affects this………except what I believe is the digital source you use makes a difference. What that means with daily use, is that a small percentage of quality boost will come from a dedicated file server, that a phone with 10 things going off in the background will create digital noise, that there are clocks in place digitally that align the pace and instrument/vocal quality into slightly better resolve and better (faster) imaging. So in real time, going out of the house and hooking this OS133 Dongle to a phone is going to be great, but there is always a chance hooking it to a computer or DAP may allow you a clearer window, just slightly.

Tone:
This is a totally subjective thought. And once again this does not always go along with our preconceived ideas on the tone we ourselves normally like. You see I’m totally into warmer and more musical ways of hearing music. That in itself could be the reason I was only moved so far emotionally by the Apple Dongle, as it is by many accounts thin and sterile sounding, I needed to warm it up, to thicken it up, to basically mess it up, and put the sound into a bigger room. Yet what if I told you this Penon OS133 Dongle does something which even convinced me that I could get into its sound? Yep, resolution, and while the Penon Dongle has full-on thickness of sound, I have heard warmer tones……………I would even chance to call it neutral with technicalities.



Neutral with technicalities:
What is that? It is what you will hear when you find better up steam signals. Simply put everything is clearer so you hear pace and imaging effects clearer. You are closer to the actual source therefore walking into the middle of it. When finding yourself inside this zone, the overall effects are simply that things like reverb and transients take on a new level of separation, you hear this separation. Part of this can’t be easily put into words………and I’m sorry but using an old audiophile term just seems to work here, and I have no other choice but to use it.

Effortless:

Yep, effortless:

It means that there are subtle separations into the perception of stage which keys in on specific movements of speed into which we perceive the time domain. This time domain is where effortlessness comes from, yet it always has to be connected with an increase of detail to see it.

The end results are again an old audiophile adage……..sorry but no other way to write this down.

Transparent:
What this transparency does is offer that extra level. Now you may question what are the signposts of this illusion. And while of course it’s real, yet all this is a regeneration of the original recording, and therefore a delusion of reality, except the closer we can get, the real this virtual reality is. And of course detail is a huge part of that……….except what if I told you part of that detail is the construction of reverbs, and the transparency is the actual texture of those reverbs. Sure they have always been there, especially in the midrange and treble……..but the closer we are positioned the more intricate stuff starts to appear. And when you add separation to that (reverberation) detail, now those textures can be viewed holding 3D realms of size being forward and back holding air and their very own almost infinite drop-offs. Where sure most of all this is always taking place, only the spot lights were tuned-on and now all the trees and animals of the forest can be accounted for.

So? We are going somehow into the realm of both note-weight, transparency and neutral. Yet still holding enough 3D imaging to make this somehow beat out a murky overly warm example of music. So the musicality and the trigger of excitement is thoroughly simply from the details and balance here.

Take note:
Both of these Type A USB to Type C USB adapters do exactly the same thing, but the longer one is shown in the above photograph.



PENON OS133 Type-C to 3.5mm Audio/4.4mm Balanced 384KHz/32bit USB DAC AMP Cable Adapter for Android and IOS

Description
CX31993+ MAX97220 Type-C 384 KHz/32bit digital audio USB Amplifier

It‘’s a Type-C digital audio headphone USB adapter PCBA solution.

The built-in CX31993 digital audio codec chip and MAX97220 power amplifier chip support up to 384KHz/32bit sampling rate.
Excellent mobile compatibility Android

Specification
Interface: Type-C
Analog Earphone impedance: 32ohm
Decoding rate: up to support DAC 384KHz/32bit; ADC 96KHz/24bit
SNR @1kHz: 100dB
THD+ N@1 KHz: -93dB
Crosstalk suppression @1 KHz: -55dB
Cable material: 4 shares,single share is 133 cores.Black nylon sheath,OFC silver-plated cable with carbon fiber plug accessories
Cable length: 8-9cm (without plug)
Cable total length with plugs : 3.5mm is about 14-15cm , 4.4mm is about 15-16cm
Available type :
Type-C to 3.5mm Audio for Android and IOS
Type-C to 4.4mm Balanced for Android and IOS

Power draw:
My phone........I would have used the phone, but I could here the quality prepared from an Audiophile DAP as a file server to genuinely improve playback performance. Meaning phone playback was great, but there was the extra smidge of nice detail from the USB Type-C port of the HiBy R3 II. That meant that is was simply better and more listenable. As discovered the OS133 Dongle never even hints at changing temperature.....it never gets warm or ever hot? You would think there would be some clue as all this metal hardware at the decoding plug, but no it never changed. So no waist in power management, and the benefits of running most of the day at loud volume levels from the internal HiBy R3 II DAP. In fact it seems like it helped the DAC play longer as the DAP was not using power reserves for amplification?


The cable part:
Now let’s talk about the actual cable material used. Many of course don’t believe in cables, yet here everyday I experience differences. So it is safe to say even if you don’t hear differences, at least you're buying insurance that they are there, in case one day you do hear differences, or are beginning to hear differences.

The OS133 is a highly transparent conductor which Penon has specifically chosen to be put in use. As such many of us have had a history with the OS133 cable, only Penon has one upped the clarity. Yep, the question is how do you improve transparency. You simply double-up the transparency and the overall stage gets bigger, taller, wider, thicker. And that is what happened, as they 2X the cable material to make a Space cable to go with the Dongle.

Type-C:
Where of course you could use an adapter to make a Lightning connector for your OS133 Type-C Penon DAC/Amp except that adds extra connections and may or may not get the same exact signal. You see if you look here, there are less parts than a regular Dongle as no stand alone cable is needed the Dongle IS the cable.

Comparisons:


Penon Tail Dongle:
Simply thicker sound and while still very much like the Penon OS133 USB Cable. But there was a totally different sound to a point where not using the Tail resulted in a slightly less bass laden sound, yet not as thick meant that there was crispr imaging, and faster transients to boot…….and it was smaller. While you may not ever know it when using IEMs, the authoritative power of the Penon Dongle simply drives full-size headphones better. I mean sure you may hear a slight bit of this authority seeping in even when using IEMs, though that is what this whole review is about, the subtle gratefulness of the OS133 Dongle, making having both complementary and more necessary than you may first guess.

Shanling UA3 Dongle:
Maybe slightly softer and polished than the Tail and the DEW4X? Where the stage was definitely more relaxed and not so in-your-face as we have with other Dongles. The Shanling is refined yet holding a softer style of replay, still I love the UA3 and could never imagine life with-out it. Still this new Penon OS133 Dongle is way cheaper and still holds a style of personal magic, taking steps to bring the details slightly more forward and airy with increased vividness over the treble areas present and still adequate with the UA3.

SIMGOT AUDIO DEW4X Dongle:
Great wide stage offering again a well done performance, at while different, yet the same, the Penon cable simply was actually thinner but crisper again? The DEW4X offers up again more power to drive full-size headphones, really to a place you can't even try as it is so loud, but along with that we are given dampening which seems to increase low-end girth and stature? This same personality is still offered by the DEW4X into which the midrange is heard, simply more present and accounted for. Yet that is not the avenue we are driving down with the OS133 Dongle, we don't care about power, we simply want vivid clarity without the lower midrange baggage and slowness, we want what we have found is neutral with the OS133 Dongle.



Penon USB OS133 v the HiBy R3 II:
This is the hardest test of all. Only because we are also using the DAP to be the digital file server to our device in question. Set up like the picture shown, we are utilizing the Penon ASOS Cable, the Penon Globe and changing from the output of the DAP to the output of the OS133 Dongle. This in fact is a super easy way to judge sound because the time lapse between signals is about one second. The thing I want to emphasize here is that none of our Dongles and Dap were really that different, as none of them were exactly bad. We live in a beautiful age, really many are calling this the Golden Age of portable audio, being since 2013 huge changes have taken place in regards to the quality of personal audio. Basically it’s all good. The DAPs invented, the IEMs that have risen to popularity, the advancements shown at Head-Fi promote a lifestyle previously unknown in 2013…………….this has been a strong 11 years, no one will argue about that. The OS133 in ways outperforms the R3 II, yet it may be due to it's drawbacks that this takes place. Meaning because the OS133 is less powerful, it's cleaner and hold a more trim midrange, which just happens to promote top end detail.



It's personal leave me alone.........I want what I want.
Still all this is personal, it would be like smells of perfume at the perfume store, or vintages of wine, we have these moments of clarity and that’s mental clarity to where we relate with a tone, we are taken to this place between our ears inside the stage……….and whatever it is we relate at times to playback better than other playbacks. At times a thinner detail with less lower midrange stage can propel these small items of focus into the limelight, and it still is that perfume scent that is either loved by others or not……..really it is way lesser of an effect than the smell of perfume…….it’s almost nothing at all we are concentrating on. Yet those textures of decay, those effortless reverbs are real in our perception, so real we can remember those listening moments even days later. So that is real and meaningful, at least to us in our tiny little audiophile universe. As most would think we are slightly crazy, I would probably define it as obsessed. And not a little obsessed, a lot of obsessed. So the only way I can describe my experience is I took multiple days and long listening times, one because it was enjoyable, but two to make sure I was totally correct, at least to myself. So simply there are parts of the playback that are better with the OS133 Penon Dongle, that out shine what the HiBy R3 II does.

A unified and projected stage:
Simply a unified and projected stage holding elements of wonderful detail inside. Those detail grab hold of instruments and tones, detail of room reflections and transients to create what we are all here for, a moving and detailed replay. Now I want to emphasize that every IEM is different and there are many different responses and synergies to be discovered. Yet the point of this paragraph is that nothing seemed left out here, even though this Dongle is only $34.90……I may simply like the decoding chip it offers, and my option could be something as small as that?



Driving full-size headphones:
While it is interesting to finally test this one aspect out. As I don’t necessarily use Dongles to drive full-size cans…..It is still a test as to their power. And finally it really hit home here…….I mean I was waiting to find the drawbacks to the OS133 and it hit home here. As far as being able to drive even the easy to drive MDR-Z1Z……nope it was a total failure. I mean if you were away and had to listen to it, it was nice but in no way comparable to the Penon Dongle, the HiBy R3 II or the Shanling UA3. Even the little SIMGOT DEW4X did one hell of a job better. So that is that. What happens here is you can even turn the OS133 up all the way and it just gets loud enough, though due to limited dampening power we are only given so much bass presence. Upon taking the OS133 cable off and restoring playback with simply the HiBy R3 II it showed really who was boss of the full size cans………the Hiby was…….with its warm styled M response we are rewarded with not only clear bass, but the soundstage that a full on powerful rig accomplishes.

Conclusion:
Look, the Penon OS133 Dongle is easy to use and a lot of fun. You can go anywhere and find audiophile playback. Never in Head-Fi history has premium grade audiophile playback been to easy to afford and use, you simply plug it in and go. Sure the market is flooded with Dongles a this moment in time, there is no denying that fact. And sure they all sound slightly different and slightly the same. Still in my limited experience I have never come across such an item? Maybe they are for sale out there, maybe not. I can simply guarantee you will be happy with the tone, I simply don’t know how you could not be? There is even a chance that you may find the magic like I did……..it started one evening then continued till another evening and another. I tried to compare with other digital sources and found that while the OS133 Dongle was maybe not totally the size of the others stage size, it still offered a purity and a cleanness that was rare, rare and clear! Rare and still a great forward stage and back, top to bottom in imaging. If you have got my point, or not……I have done the very best to explain it nonetheless…….cheers!

$34.90
https://penonaudio.com/PENON-OS133-Type-C-DAC-for-iOS-Android

PENON OS133 Type-C 3.5mm Audio/4.4mm Balanced 384KHz/32bit USB DAC AMP Cable Adapter for iOS/Android

Description
CX31993+ MAX97220 Type-C 384 KHz/32bit digital audio USB Amplifier

It‘’s a Type-C digital audio headphone USB adapter PCBA solution.

The built-in CX31993 digital audio codec chip and MAX97220 power amplifier chip support up to 384KHz/32bit sampling rate.

Specification
Interface: Type-C for Android and IOS
Analog Earphone impedance: 32ohm
Decoding rate: up to support DAC 384KHz/32bit; ADC 96KHz/24bit
SNR @1kHz: 100dB
THD+ N@1 KHz: -93dB
Crosstalk suppression @1 KHz: -55dB
Cable material: 4 shares,single share is 133 cores.Black nylon sheath,OFC silver-plated cable with carbon fiber plug accessories

Cable length: 8-9cm (without plug)
Cable total length with plugs : 3.5mm is about 14-15cm , 4.4mm is about 15-16cm

Available type :
Type-C to 3.5mm Audio for Android and IOS
Type-C to 4.4mm Balanced for Android and IOS


Disclaimer:
I want to thank Penon Audio for their love and the OS133 Dongle review sample.

Disclaimer:
These are one person's ideas and concepts, your results may vary.

Equipment Used:
Sony WM1A Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm
Sony WM1Z Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm
HiBy R3 II DAP in 4.4mm balanced output
Penon Tail Dongle in 4.4mm balanced output
SIMGOT AUDIO DEW4X 4.4mm balanced output
Shanling UA3 Dongle 4.4mm balanced output

The 7Hz Zero Dynamic:
Once upon a time back in 2018 a team of engineers and audio enthusiasts got together to test their skills. Eventually they called themselves 7Hz. In 2021 their Timeless 14.2mm planar magnetic IEM launched them into the limelight. Reason being.........no other IEM under $300.00 has better technical resolvability. The unique CNC shell, the double-sided N52 magnet array made the Timeless almost a household name. The Timeless was (and still is) famous around these parts anyway. Priced at $219.99 they have sold boatloads. What if, what if they could introduce a dynamic driver that would challenge the entire market? What if that dynamic driver was only $19.99? Would that be a good thing? What if they gave you a choice of three colors and a groovy high purity OFC cable? What if it was tuned like no tomorrow? Would all that be a good thing? After a few good releases and one great (Timeless) release 7Hz goes and takes this game to another level. Providing a budget set with a premium sound was the main goal. To add innovations like tilted cable mounts and a crazy zig-zag shape made them stand out from the crowd. But as we will find out, the sound quality vs price is what will make this the best seller in 7Hz history.

The 7Hz Zero Dynamic:
Such an IEM offers both warmth and detail, a nice soundstage expansion and great fit. It plays all genres well, is easy to drive and even makes poor recordings sound good. Though in my testing the Zero wasn't always the most forgiving of sources. Meaning I found some combinations better than others. Though surprisingly the $109.00 Shanling UA3 was one of the very best combos found. So there's that? The tune is very sophisticated and mature, it's fast, full-range and involving. When you also factor in the price of admission for such summersaults, things start to become increasingly surreal. Under $20.00.......really? While the newly released sister product, the 7Hz x Crinacle: Planar Salnotes Dioko and the Zero often share common ground. Both have cables that almost look the same, with the Dioko being just slightly bigger. Both designs offer a smooth easy going stance with sub-bass being the most prominent style of bass response. Both offer well developed midrange abilities, and while my experience with the Dioko is very limited, they truly do share many common attributes, with listenability being probably the strongest? But the extra cash for the Dioko absolutely gets you better detail. Still so far in my testing the Dioko bass is not as noticeable. What you get instead is a kind of upper bass playfulness that is in combo with the sub bass extras, the Zero just can't reach. Does this mean you have to choose? I can say the Zero experience isn't terribly far from what you get with the Dioko even though one is a double sided planar driver and one is a dynamic. If anything, while they are similar, they are also complementary, offering slightly different windows into your library.


The 7Hz x Crinacle: Salnotes Dioko



The Box opening experience:

Above shows the clear plastic cover.

Included is 6 pairs of ear-tips, some wide bore, and some narrow bore. The Zero IEMs, the great OFC cable and user manuals.



Take note of the 2 pin plug receptacles offering a slight angle, which in turn angles the ear-hooks towards your ear. The body is 2 piece clam-shell resin design with a full-sided metal plate. Nozzles have a fabulous tip holder form as well as inset screens.

The gorgeous OFC cable that looks like the one that came with the 7Hz x Crinacle: Salnotes Dioko, but upon closer inspection it's smaller and thinner, yet still a great add.



Zero sound generalizations:
The first thing that hits you is just how cohesive and coherent everything is. Such a quality can go miles to add to the listening experience. Simply by being...........by having the sound be natural and true is a value, whatever the price. And within that trueness we are bestowed a critical placement of imaging, but also tone and decays. The decays becoming the realization of natural and how true to life the fall-off of notes become. But beyond that, I have a simple sound artifact that I use. When experiencing the first generalizations, I then will often move to this small static sound. At 8 seconds into The Cure’s “All Cats are Grey” there is this subtle noise. The sound is like a microphone cord movement or static electricity, maybe a dirty knob turn? Whatever the sound is from they didn’t have the ability to remove this artifact from the tape. Such small noise is actually (for me) a test of how well a headphone resolves. At times the sound will be buried in the mix, and when the IEM tuning is just right........the sound becomes a baseline standard in my IEM testing. Meaning there is a correct way for this sound to sound, and the best IEMs perform that quality and placement in the forward to back soundstage. After that there is a specific way the Zero does imaging that is both correct and splendid. Also the vocals in this song wait till the number is half-over before showing up. But when they arrive (at 2 minutes 18 seconds) they are in perfect relief among the backdrop of instrumentation.

Let’s rewind:
The drums are the first thing to be heard when this song starts, such heavy reverberated and panned “hits” are displayed with both the correct tone and placement, all-the-while traveling across the soundstage. It’s the playful right to left interactions which become a mesmerizing feature at the very beginning, and act like a skeleton to which all else is slowly added. All these super tiny individual drum reverbs and studio wall bounces are heard in the most exquisite fashion. There are also very subtle nuances of volume created by drum hit pressure that shows this is a looping of sorts, not a drum machine. It’s probably a long sample on a keyboard, but it's so intricate and detailed. Normally I key into the bass first off with this song. And while the bass is present and not missing in anyway, it’s slightly behind in emphasis this time. Still totally correct, and maybe more of a tighter and clearer bass, without that super low-end baggage bass can have. People are going bonkers over how this IEM tune takes place as almost perfect, and I agree it’s one of the best tunes for $20.00 ever! So polite and sophisticated..........pure and correct. You’re probably making judgments due to the price, not to believe my accolades, and I forgive you, as often price determines ability, but not always. And here is that not always!

Let’s just say, probably anyone would be smitten with the price to value quota expressed here. My single greatest complement here has to do with DD personality. That often there will be a FR which seems to not be even or complete. Really a combination of FR and driver technical ability which creates a stuffiness. DD singular composite error, would be my best made-up term for it. Where with DDs at times sounds don’t make it out into the airspace. They sit too close to home........but we are not experiencing that here. There is a polite placement, like eggs in an egg-carton, where everything is magically in place. Not only in place, but natural sounding too.

When I found out:
When I learned of the Zero’s existence, I showed my jaded attitude. Oh great, another single DD, and $20.00 too. Another review, another day, another IEM to cross paths with. First off I have a slight preference for Hybrids. I just really like the separation and contrasts they provide. I (at this point) view single DDs as having a limited soundstage and limited treble sparklers. If they do have an outshoot of character, often the midrange can be too forward. But no? Not here? Everything is right, everything is very, very, very well done. Even though I view the concept of the single DD as having to curtail most of the sparkles and most of the low-end rumble.............there is not truly that issue here? It’s an amazingly together tune, mixed with the right technicalities.

Treble and Bass:
The characteristic balance goes ahead to dial the Zero in. Meaning, just like just described above, there is a better and more natural separation of elements into the stage that makes the treble experience for me. It’s maybe a very subtle thing; that way the Zero moves its images out into the stage, just ever so slightly different, and better than most single DDs, regardless of price. Still most of this talk of perfection and forgiveness still centers on synergy. Yep, while I found the treble to be fine with the included cable, other highlights and sonic embellishments came with the use of a silver/copper Hybrid cable called the ISN S8. At $32.50 the S8 looms over the Zero in basic cost, but provides the goods accordingly. Yet a match-up with the Walkman WM1A proved to be slightly bright? My best overall synergy came believe-it-or-not with the Shanling UA3 Dongle. So wait, lol, let’s get our barring straight. $32.50 cable, Shanling Dongle $109.00 and the 7HZ Salnotes Zero for $19.99.....ha. All and all it’s all about synergy in the end, and not always about cost. The treble with the UA3 was incredible as it offered that perfect balance of detail and listenability. Such focus into the music is why we are here. Still the sub-bass balance is why we hear the amount of treble. Such ways are not by accident, but throughly calculated maneuvers in design and construction implementation. This 10mm metal composite diaphragm matched with the N52 magnet are offering a tight full-spectrum display. It’s like a 4K TV in sound for 1 cent under $20.00! Yes, they are wonderfully detailed, more than you would guess for the price point. Such treble seems well imaged into the soundstage. I can't believe there is only a single driver inside.



The Dark Knight Rises OST
“Mind If I Cut In?”
Hans Zimmer
192 kHz - 24 bit

This song parlays the detail, plus reverberations and contrast in both treble and bass authority. This song starts with a deep bass remnant of the previous song, then segues into the main theme of high piano notes and violin. We are enamored by the silence then taken to single piano notes. What is special is the decay of the notes, and the fact that they are rapidly panned right to left while still holding a theme. At 2 minutes 5 seconds the bass drops. This in-fact is some of the best construction of the Zeros bass elements, due to the sub-bass focus. That’s right, just like the other recent high profile release by 7Hz, we have glorious sub-bass as the central character of the bass region. Only this time we trade the 7Hz instantaneous planar bass response for a warmer DD in the Zero. Truly my 7Hz x Crinacle: Salnotes Dioko is burning-in but first impressions are that the Zero is warmer and offering a fuller more beefy style of tune. Added is the more analog feel, yet (due to balance) I can’t help but hear how these two are related. So far though (believe it or not) I like the Zero way better than the 7Hz x Crinacle: Salnotes Dioko? Why? Note weight, bass fullness and the ever-so-slight added authority of the Zero. Though the 7Hz x Crinacle: Salnotes Dioko could surprise with added burn-in. Of the other 2 planars I own, the HOOK-X and TINHIFI P1 Max..........both needed extraordinary long burn-in time before revealing the low-end. So I may eat my words here? I will say the Dioko at this point has more detail and a style of definition that totally wins-out on the Zero. The Dioko bass attacks are clearer and have better delineation. But do they dig as deep? No! It does have the overall sound of a $99.00 IEM, Still the Zero is strikingly close in abilities, way more than the $19.99 price would have you believe. It’s just that it’s not always about detail, it’s about musicality and low-end at times………it’s getting that last once of grand authority from the Zero that has it pull-away from the 7Hz x Crinacle: Salnotes Dioko in early comparisons. But still remember this is only a single persons viewpoint, the Dioko may grow to do way better vocals after burn-in. I have been wrong before by prejudging both the HOOK-X and P1 Max too soon. Somehow planars need a lot of burn-in, at least 75 hours.



The midrange:
What could be said? The main gift is what the Zero doesn’t do. It doesn’t have the permeating sound like it’s all midrange. This effect takes place due to the reality of a little rolled-off the top frequencies and a smidge removed from the lows. Yet here we don’t experience this phenomenon. Just a fantastic tune, backed-up by a driver that can actually pull-it-off. What we are left with is the three band experience of truly a natural treble, a detailed midrange and a provocative fully competent bass. This style of tune is maybe as close to perfect as it gets. Being that the mids go-ahead and offer it all. Gone is that need to crank-It to hear the midrange. Though the feeling of greater contrast does take place at louder listening volumes. The midrange is ever so slightly smoother than many IEMs. But after aquatinted, the details start to flow and become recognized for being the full gambit of information.

With the S8 cable, UA3 Amp/DAC and Zero IEM, the combination gave a firm level of freedom to listen to any file quality, and any genre. With a quick return to the stock cable (3.5mm unbalanced amplification) the UA3 showed only very small differences. The 4.4mm and S8 offered a tad greater contrast (through treble) and a slight (ever so slight) increase in soundstage. And while there is a difference, that difference is small. Another fascinating revelation came with adding the stock cable with the Zero to the more treble centric Walkman WM1A. While still showing a more forward treble than the UA3, all the troublesome brightness was (almost) reduced. It is truly staggering how I can prefer the UA3 sound to both more expensive DAPs, but that’s synergy and just how synergy works.



Conclusion:
The $20 market for audiophile IEMs is fierce. This is a sink or swim situation. To stay afloat IEM manufactures have to give more, more bang-for-the-buck. If they don't provide quality, they will be looked-over in this increasingly large ocean of new IEMs. They need good marketing exposure as well as a unique shape so consumers can identify them. Surprisingly this (zig-zag) shape only faces the exterior, as the semi-custom build and medium feather weight enable the Zero to feel fabulous. Coming in and disrupting the DD market was the goal of 7Hz, and they performed as scheduled. To think that this is the lowest priced single DD 7Hz made, hundreds less money than their previous single DD model. This is a gateway product, which will instill confidence in the 7Hz company and their abilities. Sure enough another single DD will soon follow, adding to the curiosity among 7Hz fans. This venture shows that 7Hz isn't just a planar company anymore...........they can pretty much do whatever they like. They have the tuning skills to make a winner, they have the building skills to provide first rate quality control, and they have the marketing infrastructure to move units. Won't you join in the hoopla and havoc this new release brings? There is truly nothing to lose.

7HZ Salnotes Zero
HiFi 10mm Dynamic Driver In Ear Earphone

• 10mm Dynamic Driver With Metal Composite Diaphragm
• Ergonomic Shape & Metal Housing
• Detachable High Purity OFC Cable/0.78mm 2Pin
• N52 Magnet
• Fine Tuning
• Impedance: >32ohm
• Sound pressure level: 108dB/v@1kHz
• Frequency response range: 10-20000Hz
• THD: <1%/1khz

Get them here for only $19.99
https://www.linsoul.com/collections/featured-home/products/7hz-salnotes
Free shipping and one year warranty when you buy from Linsoul.


Disclaimer:
I would like to thank Kareena Tang from Linsoul for the opportunity to review 7Hz Salnotes Zero IEM.

Linsoul website: https://www.linsoul.com/
Linsoul Aliexpress Store: https://ddaudio.aliexpress.com/store/2894006
Linsoul USA Amazon Store link: https://www.amazon.com/s?i=merchant-items&me=A267P2DT104U3C

Equipment Used:
Sony WM1Z Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm and 3.5mm
Sony WM1A Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm and 3.5mm
Sony TA-ZH1ES DAC/AMP Firmware 1.03
Electra Glide Audio Reference Glide-Reference Standard "Fatboy" Power Cord
Sony Walkman Cradle BCR-NWH10
AudioQuest Carbon USB
Shanling UA3 Dongle 4.4mm and 3.5mm



These are the experiences and thoughts of a single individual, your results may vary.

The Penon Solid Copper Modular Cable Plug

Review summery:
"Sure if response is too spicy we can easily change cables, or choose a different DAP to bring about alignment. But what if we wanted to keep everything in place, only because the set-up works 80% of the time? Yet there may be the possibility of the OFC Copper Plug simply smoothing-out that last 20% of usage scenarios, plus being a great add to the extra 80% that already worked out? "

Would such a sonic accomplishment be worth the asking price of $35.00?


Penon Audio and their history:
Penon got its start around the year 2013, and in many ways that time was the start of a couple concepts, all happening at once. IEMs were just then starting to be taken seriously. Sure there were IEMs taken seriously sooner, Jerry Harvey Audio got its start in 2007, after making monitors for rock stars. And of course people were learning of the sound quality of “inner-ear-monitors”.....even then. But the full-size headphone got a head-start being invented in 1910. Still it could be argued that the idea of IEMs was way sooner than 2007; I mean Knowles was first a maker of BA styled hearing-aids in 1954............that in essence is really the start of “inner-ear-monitors”. But it wasn’t until the popularity of the smartphone that IEMs really started to take off. Before that time, only a few mildly eccentric Head-Fi members were really into it. But around 2013 two things happened. One, the internet as a retail force was becoming a reality and Two, there was all of a sudden all these IEMs from China. So Penon was at the right place at the right time. They invented cables to connect the IEMs newly invented to these cell phones now in common use. Penon then expanded their line of products to include Penon IEMs and ISN IEMs/cables. Penon was addressing the needs of the audiophile community. Penon doesn’t just make IEMs & cables. Besides the Penon brand, they are a retail house that currently represents/sells well over 120 different audio brands. Not only a retailer but a renowned cable builder, making over 50 different cables/adaptors right now. Penon also currently manufactures 12 separate earphones and 11 ISN earphones as of late.

With a history going back to 2013, Penon is the logical result of years in the business. With a Penon product there is no middle-man……as this is a factory direct purchase. Penon are simply more grassroots in demeanor. Such focus of intent expands even to their whole IEM line. With the introduction of ISN; a subdivision of Penon Audio...........ISN got their start making cables, then at end of 2019 ISN introduced their first IEM. Today Penon/ISN are responsible for having almost 75 products in production and for sale!

Currently Penon/ISN manufactures and sells.
ISN Audio Cable Products:
1) AG8 Cable
2) C16 Cable
3) C2 Cable
4) C4 Cable
5) CU4 Cable
6) CS02 Cable
7) G4 Cable
8) GC4 Cable
9) GD4 Cable
10) GS4 Cable
11) H16 Cable
12) H2 Cable
13) H8 Cable
14) H8Plus Cable
15) 8 Core Cable
16) S16 Cable
17) S2 Cable
18) S4 Cable
19) S8 Cable
20) SC4 Cable
21) Solar Cable
22) Type C Audio Adapter

ISN Audio IEM Products/Earbud products
23) D02 IEM
24) D10 IEM
25) EST50 IEM
26) H30 IEM
27) H40 IEM
28) H50 IEM
29) Neo 5 IEM
30) Neo 3 IEM
31) Neo 1 IEM
32) Rambo Earbuds
33) Rambo II Earbuds

Penon Audio Cable Products
34) Bass Cable
35) CS819 Cable
36) Fiery Cable
37) Flow Cable
38) GD848 Cable
39) HiFi Balanced Adapter
40) Penon Impact Cable
41) Leo Cable
42) Leo Plus Cable
43) Mix Cable
44) Neo Cable
45) Obsidian Cable
46) Orbit Cable
47) OS133 Cable
48) OS133 Adapter
49) OS849 Cable
50) OSG Cable
51) Space Cable
52) Storm Cable
53) Totem Cable
54) Totem Adapter Cable
55) Totem Adapter Type-C DAC/Amp
56) OS133 Type-C/Lightening DAC/Amp
57) Vocal Cable
58) ASOS Cable
59) RENATA Cable
60) Rhodium Plug
61) Purple Plug
62) OFC Copper Plug

Penon Audio IEM Products
63) Penon IEM
64) Impact IEM
65) Legend IEM
66) Globe IEM
67) Serial IEM
68) Sphere IEM
69) Volt IEM
70) Vortex IEM
71) Turbo IEM
72) DOME IEM
73) Quattro IEM
Possible new TOTL Voltage
75) Penon Tail Dongle

Almost 75 individual personal audio products.

PENON Oxygen-Free Copper Modular Plug
Redcarmoose Labs March 22nd, 2024

Description
CNC cut shell, carbon fiber protective sleeve.
Gold-plated Solid Oxygen-Free Copper

Compatible models:
PENON 3-in-1 cables Penon OBSIDIAN, Penon Mix, Penon Storm, Penon Impact cable, Penon Space, Penon Totem, Penon Leo Plus, Penon RENATA

ISN 3-in-1 cables: ISN Solar, ISN H2, ISN S2, ISN C2

Ok, so to make this really easy to understand most cable plugs are not pure solid OFC Copper! Most cable plugs weight in the vicinity of 4 grams when weighted on a simple kitchen scale. So what right?



Well the material you choose for every pathway of the signal affects the final outcome to your ears. Yep. So if you have tried any pure copper cables you know the tone. Pure copper in many cable construction ideas has a smoother tone than silver plated copper, gaining weight yet also diminishing the treble energy at times.

4.4mm plug weight:
4 grams the Rhodium Plug in weight
5 grams the Purple Copper Plug in weight
7 grams the OFC Copper Plug in weight
4 grams regular 3-in-1 modular plug that came with modular Penon cable

Per Dsnuts

• Silver for its highest transparency and stage enhancing.
• Gold for that rich tone and depth.
• Palladium for that remarkable imaging and detail.
• Copper for body and warmth.

Material choices:
So if you have been collecting and using cables for even a short time you have come to realize that make-up the cable will in-fact sway the overall character into a personality. At times this is small, yet at other times it is large. This is all dealing with perception of tone and stage character. Meaning if you use the same output quality of cable in relation to what you have been using you are still in the same part of town, and any differences will be noted but not drastic. So as an example many silver plated cables will perform close to the same. Meaning there are parallel characteristics to where they get stage placement (results) and the cables convey a nice balance of warmth and detail. This is in-fact why silver and copper are used together throughout the industry.

Yet we all are questionable as to how much silver is used, especially with the off-brand $7.00 cable, as they can’t obviously use a bunch of pure silver. And while this is not a cable review as such I don’t really want to list all the properties of each material used, but today we are looking at a Rhodium plated plug, a Palladium plated a regular gold plated plug and a whole plug made from OFC. You see because this plug is at the front it affects everything downstream eventually getting to the IEM used.

The IEM used:
In my testing often I have found various cables to perform the same until I joined them up with a single new IEM. Imagine that? Well it is not that much of a big deal, as the FR response of this new IEM is somehow able to mysteriously actualize the differences found between cables. Now typically this situation is referring to different cables that I just casually place together into a group of performers. Dealing with large groups of cables, it is natural and expected to pigeon-hole groups of like performers in the end. Only to be surprised at the difference in separation one IEM allows you to distinguish. With that said the OFC Copper Plug performs much like any pure copper wire you have been exposed to. Where just like Dsnuts listed at the top Copper as a transfer material goes ahead and transfers body and warmth.

Yet the kicker here is we have the freedom to exchange the regular provided plug on Penon 3-in-1 modular cables into use of this warming device.

Oh…….and if you are wondering if there is a large or small difference here…….again it is the response of the individual IEM in question, and of course the intrinsic tone of the cable you are using. But, yes, often sometimes dramatic and sometimes subtle...............I have experienced differences.

Why?
Why would we go forward and change-out the plug they gave us with a $35.00 and twice as heavy plug? To start it makes a cable like the Penon Mix way smoother. But remember it still totally depends on the destination IEM in question. Simple really.

Let’s get started with IEM,Cable and the OFC Plug:
Before we start I just want to make something clear. That it gets to a point to where it is endless. Meaning just like cooking and the cables and plugs being spices, there are understood and practiced values at hand. Sure somebody can go crazy and combine chocolate and steak together for success, yet possibly everyone at the diner table isn’t ready for such caloric overload. Also it starts to become almost endless when you contemplate the various mixes of cables, IEMs and DAPs……………not to mention everyone’s own subjective listening signature wants and demands. So to make this review clear and basic I’m only concentrating on a basic list of three IEMs, and six different cable usage scenarios. Why? Well number one because I can, and two because it is fun.

But truly I’m limiting the tests because I feel these IEMs and cables go to truly designate the use profile of the OFC Plug.

So in some ways I’m enhancing character and other ways I’m correcting tone to more of my liking. Remember it is everything involved which goes forward to designate your end tone. Starting next to your ear with the Ear-tip, then the Cable Material and design, then the Plug…….and finally the DAP. The character of each constituent involved goes to add-up to your final sound.

Top to bottom:
Penon Leo Plus Cable $239.00
Penon Mix Cable $149.00
ISN H2 Cable $79.90
Penon ASOS Cable $169.90
ISN Obsidian Cable $149.00
Penon Renada Cable $269.00



The Penon Leo Plus Cable:
8 Shares Gold-Silver-Palladium makes this cable a very stand out player. Being finally landed upon out of many to grace the listening final music tests in my Penon Quattro review a little while back.

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/pe...iver-universal-iem.26959/reviews#review-32822



Why the success?
Probably there is a unique density and fullness that surrounds imaging. Gold alloy adds a deeper tone and depth, the Palladium adds imaging. Here we are trying to add a subtle deeper density to the start of the signal right after it leaves the DAP? For whatever reason here there was not too much of a difference between the regular plug and the OFC plug. Though the more and more I listened, the results came………like small rabbits quietly climbing out from the woods. This was not something drastic and not something totally that much different. Yet there was something there. What I can describe is a subtle separation of notes and an added contrast, though not a crazy new difference found….but none the less. It was as if the background became slightly blacker and notes were in better relief. Vocals were a tad bit forward, yet this was at such a level that it was anyone's guess if it was suggestive (confirmation bias) or real life?

I would like to write that there was in-fact added note density, because I have heard of such results from this Plug, but here maybe just the make-up of the cable made it close to a wash. But after five different back and forth changes, there was noticeable improvement, though it was subtle.

I was using the Sony WM1A and Penon Volt IEM.



The Penon Mix and OFC Plug:
Finally we are getting somewhere here. Yep, the results were real and of a noticeable difference here. Where I should have known prior that the energy of the pure silver wire mixed with the contrasts of pure copper inside the Mix would allow a window into this OFC Plug. Here is in fact maybe the very best definition, I mean really it is everything in the signal chain responsible for noticeability…..and I’m using my favorite Penon, the 10th Anniversary Model to test the cable and plug here. To be truthful the Mix is not something I use all the time with the 10th. The natural fall out of the Mix in place is that it is always using the energy of pure silver to maximize the treble spaciousness inherent to every test IEM. Whereas of late I have been learning to use stuff like the Renada and ISN CS02 to kind of open the stage in a softer yet still profound way. Subtly thicker darker tones of openness and detail. As such when bringing out the Mix it was like…..OH, ya…that is what silver air is like, I almost forgot. Yet this outcome is totally subjective……meaning you may want the extra energy of the Mix with the 10th and not even value the subtle reduction and added note weight of the Penon OFC Plug. Yet typically this understanding of tone is not always instant. It is the prolonged exposure to the brighter side that gives way to a (possible) recoil of wanting a smother darker tone. And while the stage was bigger with the included 3-in-1 plug, the images were not as heavy or warm. I mean this is crazy, coming from the Leo Plus ideas of subtle difference if any, we are now face to face with remarkable change in signal. The silver energy was candidate for remarkable alterations in tone differences to be found.

Is bigger always better?
Normally I will gravitate towards the bigger and more vibrant tone, yet here it is questionable if the standard plug (with its natural vividness) is the way to go in the long run. I mean sure I can go on and on about the added density and possibly inner details arrived by taking out the silver energy of the included plug, but you get the point. The OFC Plug is an alternative route to sound here, and a fun change of events at only $35.00. Here I used the 10th, and Sony WM1A.



ISN H2 and OFC Plug:
The company sister ISN introduced a trio of cables which all looked a little the same. You had the C2, the S2 and the H2. Where the H2 was maybe the most well rounded found, the C2 was copper and the S2 silver mixed with copper. After close inspection (together) each of the three had a distinctive different look from one another, yet apart they looked almost identical. Where this 6N+ OCC, silver plated OCC Hybrid is kinda the best of both C2 and S2 worlds with the right IEM and DAP. Also just to keep things real the original plug is aluminum where the outside barrel of the regular plug is steel, making the included plug weigh just 3 grams opposed to the regular 3-in-1 modular plugs which weigh 4 grams. At only 3 grams you can totally tell the weight difference of the 7 gram OFC Plug in your hand.

The results:
Noticeably more forward and real with the OFC Plug. A simple upgrade to a cable that truly (a cable made by iSN) deserves more love here around Redcarmoose Labs. There was obviously more room for noticeability of change with the Mix as there was more information range in the treble regardless of IEM in place for testing, I think? Where early on in the comparison of these two different plugs I got a clue as to it being bass replay differences. So that is kinda how these investigations go, where at the start side-by-side the differences may start to appear small but after further testing a style of (new) reality is discovered. Sure enough the included ISN H2 cable plug offered a great sound yet it seems there really was a small margin for improvement. First with bass volume and authority then added substance to the whole signal. In fact adding this plug really is a great route to go into continuing to get added life from this midrange cable! I used the H2 with the Penon Volt and Sony WM1A.


Stop and pause for a second.........things are about to get good!

Penon ASOS Cable and OFC Plug:
Laughably I just reviewed the ASOS+ cable and sure enough rolled in the OFC Plug (with the regular ASOS) for a moment just to hear how it differed from the Rhodium Plug and Standard Plug. The ASOS+ is a fixed Palladium plug and 2Pin Palladium pin plug.

In this case there is added soundstage girth offered from both the ASOS and ASOS+.

Yet there is an offered separation and note density apparent in the more expensive ASOS+. Still I don’t care, as the original ASOS and the ASOS Plus both are some of my most favorite cables to ever come out of Penon Cable Works. Yep, they are simply gaining ground from other choices due to almost not coloring the signal at all, but offering a wider fuller soundstage and signal clarity. So the question, which I already know the answer to, is how will the OFC Plug go with the ASOS once more!



OFC Plug and Penon ASOS Cable:
The Penon 10th Anniversary IEM:

You know as far as excitement goes, this is it. Why? Well combining one of my favorite cables ever with the 10th Anniversary is a treat. A treat because the last time I did this it was purely a blast. Only because now we are joining a big stage cable with a big stage IEM…………oh, and the fact that the 10th is my most favorite Penon ever.

Win-win:
Win-win is when you win the high school football game, get your picture in the small town newspaper, and because of what just happened get the girl in class you always wanted. Well...............that might be win-win-win, but you get the message here. And sure it can happen all in one night, in fact with this combo it is instant, the satisfaction and clarity and bigness is instantly happening.

Maybe the stage? Maybe the separation? Maybe the vividness? I mean I’m not alone in loving the 10th. Yet around these parts everyone is using a different cable and DAP. What that means is the 10th is well rounded, and it really is. And cables are funny things as they get respect for the amount of time they have been working-out in place. Call it job stability or kinship, but whatever it is this mental acclamation stuff is real and effective at having you keep a cable dear to heart. Maybe it comes from the trial and error of playing back so many songs from your library? Maybe it has something to do with cable ergonomics..........that you only perceive subconsciously? The results are the only thing that matters…….........that and if you get (the same) results time after time.

The 10th:
A lot of the times when we try to over analyze stuff we go right past the reasons why we like something. I mean the ASOS+ did more note density and was a tad warmer. The ASOS by itself and the OFC Plug is $169.90 + $35.00 = $204.90 and the ASOS+ is $215.00? Yes, the two cables are different in that I would probably choose the ASOS+ if I had to make a choice. Yet both cables are so different that you would be surprised how they were both useful and could almost be looked at as opposite. Yes, the 10th is really better with just the ASOS+ in place, offering thicker imaging and a style of un-cluttered activity that is truly special. It is like there is a forward sculpturing of events holding a warmer tone and a bigger stage still like you are getting the stage size from the silver included............only none of the harsh excitement often included with silver stage size.



Penon 10th and ISN Obsidian Cable:
Here we are utilizing the great Obsidian. Known for its use of gold to add weight as a personality asset, here we are trying to find out if we can make it that much better. Strangely this was actually a fairly big difference, which didn’t totally make sense being normally we would find more noticeability with the upper midrange and treble activities with a brighter cable. I have no answers here, except with the Sony WM1A the differences were truly noticeable and fun……..what was the most fun was just how the 10th was anyways with the Obsidian Cable pushing the low end thickness. More bass heavy than the ASOS and Leo Plus…….......here the drops were having a field day causing ruckus into maybe even how the midrange was interpreted? Still vocals with the OFC Plug were vibrant and forward, so strong that nothing, not even the bass could mess with them. This truly was a cable and IEM combo I should have given more time to. I mean it is heavier and meatier than most styles of playback I choose, yet today and now there is absolutely nothing to throw rocks at. Nothing! This is a winner through and through. Where the included 3-in-1 was great, it didn’t have the extra authority in places which this OFC offered.

Now I know that really the OFC Plug can work with both brighter and darker cables to add the same form of density, as has an IEM ever been too dense………I don’t think so?

Sure there have been times where playback could be too dull with whatever IEM we were trying, but simply note density (even if a small additive) is always welcomed and appreciated.



Noble Audio K-10 Encore Universal and Penon RENATA cable:
First off, if you forget what IEM is in your ears and try to concentrate on the cable at hand, you will be thrown-for-a-loop. Yep this Encore is one strange bird, really doing much against the rules as far as even, correct and complete playback. Even applied darkness...........any style of subduing, can’t keep-up with the brightness at hand.

The Encore is bright
That’s just the way it is. After trying the Sony WM1A with the Encore I found the Encore upper midrange/treble shelf to be that much more heightened by the midrange push of the WM1A…..so much so that while at times the RENATA has quieted that issue.........yet not here today. A quick transfer over to the WM1Z and HiBy R3 II showed that there was a way into enjoyment of the RENATA and Encore. And while shifting plugs back and forth there was a slight realness to the OFC Plug in relation to the provided regular 3-in-1 plug that came with the RENATA, there was only a small difference between the two.

Penon Rhodium 3-in-1 Plug $29.00


Other cables other tones:
Here is a photograph of other Penon choices. The Rhodium Plug by itself really does the opposite of the OFC Copper plug enhancing the upper realm and pushing the treble energy and actualizing the stage into a different position from regular included 3-in-1 plugs. Both the Penon OSG and CS02 come with Rhodium plugs permanently.

Photograph top:
Penon Rhodium 3-in-1 Plug $29.00
ISN CS02 with Rhodium Plug $69.90
Penon OSG with Rhodium Plug $299.00



Bottom:
A few in the 3 in 1 Modular Series:
Penon OBSIDIAN $149.00
Penon Leo Plus $249.00
Penon Mix (with 3-in-1 Palladium "Purple" Plug) $149.00 (Cable by itself)
Penon Space $99.90




Conclusion:
Here's the thing, the OFC Plug does (at times) add more meaningful changes, and at times the perception of change is small, yet still there. Sure the pure silver and pure copper vivid-contrast of the Penon Mix modular cable showed the most change. In some uses there could possibly be Mix Cable heat.............where changing to the Solid Penon OFC Copper Plug adds smoothness and predictability? All of the time there were noticeable changes; those changes were of a smoother tone and thicker density of overall response.

"Sure if response is too spicy we can easily change cables, or choose a different DAP to bring about alignment. But what if we wanted to keep everything in place, only because the set-up works 80% of the time? Yet there may be the possibility of the OFC Copper Plug simply smoothing-out that last 20% of usage scenarios, plus being a great add to the extra 80% that already worked out? "

Where the OFC Plug may not be always the final solution, but a combination of ear-tips and source changes may let you use a cable and IEM combo that you previously were limited in use on. Simply adding the plug can extend listing times, especially if your set-up is bordering on too hot. Or of course enhancing an already great IEM/DAP combo experience by simply going forward and adding the thickness and note weight realities.

$35.00
https://penonaudio.com/PENON-OFC-Plug.html


Disclaimer:
I want to thank Penon Audio for the love and for the Solid OFC Plug review sample.

Disclaimer:
These are one person's ideas and concepts, your results may vary.

Equipment Used:
Sony WM1A Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm
Sony WM1Z Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm
Sony TA-ZH1ES DAC/AMP Firmware 1.03
Electra Glide Audio Reference Glide-Reference Standard "Fatboy" Power Cord
Sony Walkman Cradle BCR-NWH10
AudioQuest Carbon USB
HiBy R3 II DAP 4.4mm
ifi GO bar Dongle

The Lotus Flower designates the Penon Purple Plug