Penon Turbo

Penon Turbo Impressions
( My reference is extremely close to IEF2023 Adjusted)



This IEM is a part of the AudioGeeks Tour. Thanks to them for letting me audition for this set.

You know what? When it comes to bass, you can never doubt Penon. They really know how to make it happen. It doesn't matter what kind of driver setup you give them, they always manage to create the most amount of bass out of it. The same goes for their Penon 10thAE. They've worked their magic again with the Turbo and 6 BA driver, producing outstanding bass. I never expected BA drivers to deliver such powerful bass, but they exceeded my expectations. The attack comes with a massive amount of air, enough to shake my brain at high volumes. You wouldn't even realize that there isn't any DD driver responsible for the bass. And let me tell you, the bass isn't just good in terms of quantity, but the textures on the low end are noticeable. As someone who mainly listens to hip-hop for personal enjoyment, it was an absolute joy to experience the deep, physical bass with these IEMs. You can tweak the bass by switching on the 1st switch (X-000). This switch gives the bass a huge bass impact & By turning it off you can eliminate a lot of the amplitude. This is very helpful for people with smaller ear canals than usual. And this is barely noticeable. When I am in the mood for extra fun, I always find myself turning that switch on for that Omph.



The bass on this IEM remains confined within its boundaries, never intruding on the mids. These two frequencies are well-defined and distinct from each other. The mids exhibit clarity in presentation, retaining their presence without sounding overshadowed in most tracks. In instances where the vocals seemed too thin or nasally, the first switch proved to be a lifesaver. Due to the nature of these switch positions, vocals take a back seat to the bass. At high volumes, female vocals can come off as slightly piercing, but adjustments made with the second and third switches helped alleviate any issues with the midrange.



Treble enthusiasts will be satisfied with the amount of sparkle this offers. As someone who loves treble, I appreciated the extension. However, I understand that some may find the treble to be a bit overpowering. That's where the third switch comes in handy. It doesn't abruptly mute the treble but rather makes it more velvety and less shiny. This allows people who are sensitive to treble to enjoy these in-ear monitors without any problems. Personally, I've never found the treble overwhelming as long as I adjust the volume properly.



This IEM really stands its ground with its imaging abilities, which are not just only clear but also impressively fast and nimble. It always manages to leave me in satisfaction with its snappiness. Moreover, the soundstage is there, never making me feel cramped or restricted in any way. I can easily perceive the distance between myself and the instruments. It's like a spherical soundstage right in front of me. The resolution is also there.



I have one small issue with this IEM, and that's the stock cable. However, I've found a solution by using the ISN Audio T OCC Cable, and it has made a significant difference. The Midrange now has more texture, the low end sounds fuller, and the falloff is reminiscent of analogue-like. Additionally, the treble has become more refined, and there's a noticeable 20% increase in soundstage. Not only is the cable of excellent quality, but it also has a luxurious Though I recommend it.



Tuning Switch Recommendations

0-000 - This should not be used as instructed.
0-100 - HipHop Sounds amazing with this. Since the bass is the best at this stage.
1-100 - This is fun to the next level. This combination is for bassheads.
0-020 - This is very neutral and works with every genre for critical music sessions.
0-120 - This is a very POP-like tuning. Modern genres work best with this tuning.
1-120 - This is what can make bassheads happy. Bass is room-filling & boomy.
0-003 - This is for Analytical Music sessions, The Orchestra Sounds spacious with this.
0-023 - A more musical version of the tuning above, Instruments have a good body now.
0-123 - Jack of all trades, master of none.

4-May-24




A little about me: I prefer a balanced to warm sound for enjoying my music. I own sets like the 64 Audio Trio, Final A8000, and Thieaudio Monarch MKII. I dislike any one frequency overpowering or dominating all others, be it bass, mids, or the treble. Occasionally, I do also listen to reference/analytical sets with a flat sound signature. I very rarely prefer all-BA setups, no matter how high-end they are. Technicalities and capabilities aside, I always look for an IEM/HP that grabs my attention the moment it starts playing (trust me, IEMs/HPs that really connect with me always make me listen the moment they start playing). An IEM/HP should sound clear, fun, musical, melodious, draw me into the song, and most importantly make me feel the emotions! If a Rs. 1,500/- (USD 18) IEM does this, I buy it too (e.g., the 7HZ Salnotes Zero v1).



Introduction: I received the Turbo as a part of its India tour conducted by Audio Geeks. The Turbo is a 6 BA IEM (2 Sonions for the high frequencies, 2 Knowles for middle frequencies, and 2 Sonions for the low frequencies). Turbo comes with a 0.78mm 2-pin cable and has 4 tuning switches.

Tuning switches- first, a little more about these tuning switches because they make meaningful changes to the sound signature and played an important role in enabling me to get the sound I desired. The Turbo has 1+3 tuning switches, i.e., total 4 tuning switches.

There is an independent 1 switch which is the super bass boost switch. It can be used with the remaining 3 switches at the same time, and it can also be used independently, i.e., just by itself to give the bass a super-boost.

The remaining three switches are for the Lows, Mids, and Highs.

The way to read these switches is that 0-000 means all the switches are ‘down’ or ‘off’, According to Penon’s website this 0-000 is an invalid mode. Minimum 1 of these 4 switches must be ‘up’ or ‘on’.

So now, if we leave the 1 independent super bass boost switch aside, 020 would be vocal mode, 100 would be low frequency enhanced and one can use the 1 independent switch to enhance it even more. 003 would be high frequency enhanced. 120 would be low and mid frequency enhanced (this was my favorite as explained later on).

There are obviously many combinations you can try, 14 to be exact. I suggest you take time with the switch combinations as they do make noticeable adjustments to the sound. It would be worth the time spent experimenting with different combinations.

Now with that out of the way, let’s get into the IEM and listening impressions.


Design, build quality, fit, and comfort: The first thing that I noticed is how light the Turbo is. Once in the ear, it disappears as its size is also small to medium. One could say that I am used to bigger IEMs like the Monarch MKII but I doubt that anyone will find the Turbo big, heavy, or uncomfortable.

The IEM shells look good and are jade green in color with natural pearl shell panels and a transparent green resin cavity. As can be seen from the photos, all the drivers and wiring inside the shells is visible.

The Penon website tells me that the stock cable’s specs are- 8 shares, 19 cores, OCC & silver-plated Mixed Braided IEM cable. The cable itself is very light and supple. It rests easily and I did not find it to have any microphonics. At this price point, the cable seems fine to me. Nothing too grand and nothing too shoddy. It’s ok for what it is.



Chain-1: HiBy R8 à Penon Turbo stock cable (4.4 mm) à Penon Turbo à Penon Liqueur Black ear tips

Brief impressions on the sound quality: I found the Turbo to have a balanced sound with the switches providing audible changes in the sound.

1-100 mode: Too much bass! I think a bass head would like this . The bass booms and almost overpowers everything. I’d say that it does bleed into the mids there by affecting the vocals. Due to the boosted warmth in this mode, the details all disappeared for me. I could not hear any modulations in the singers’ voices and hardly any sparkle or treble details came through. The separation also suffered a lot and I’d put it at way below average. It was like a warm blob of bass for me. Not my cup of tea but I think bass-heads may like it.

0-100 mode: Immediately the bass was in much better shape and control! It became tight and punchy, and the overall sound was also very clear and clean. The bass did make its presence felt when needed. It was more mid-bass focused. The vocals were clear and balanced and now I could hear the modulations in the singers’ voices. Male and female vocals both sounded nice. Maybe a little recessed though, like a V-shaped sound. The treble too was well-presented with rare sibilance coming through occasionally. The amount of detail was good, but never harsh, over-bearing, or fatiguing. It is now an energetic and balanced to bright sound signature with a BA style tone and timbre. This could be a pro or a con depending on your preferences. For me, I prefer DD sets, and hence it was not the most natural sounding for me. But I’d be willing to bet that for listeners who prefer a BA sound, this would be a good listening experience. The separation also became much better in this mode.

0-020 mode: To me, the bass sounded more or less the same as 0-100 above. There could be a few minor differences here and there. I don’t know if it was a placebo effect, but I could perhaps say that the bass sounded more in balance with the vocals here. The bass took a step back and accompanied the vocals, is another way to put it. Vocals were definitely pushed forward and in a good way. They had good presence and came across very clearly. The male vocals sounded fairly natural while the female vocals also sounded good. Treble was not sibilant at all. Here I got the good amount of detail with the right presence.

The separation in this mode was also noticeably better than any of the previous modes I had tried.

0-120 mode: Here the bass definitely increased as compared to the 0-020 mode. This is obviously expected. And what this did is that it added a good weight to the overall sound. The male and female vocals became much more natural, and I think the increased bass caused this effect. The vocals gained some nice weight and sounded more melodious now. Their edges were nicely rounded off and the bite and sharpness reduced.

Rating (with Penon Liqueur Black ear tips): 8/10.
I take off one star due to the consistent presence of a BA timbre that I cannot ignore. Call me prejudiced towards DD sets but it is what it is.


Chain-2: HiBy R8 à Penon Turbo stock cable (4.4 mm) à Penon Turbo à Penon Liqueur Orange ear tips

0-120 mode: Boy what a difference the Orange ear tips have made! I am so glad I tried them. The sound quality went up by many notches and the BA timbre was entirely gone. If someone gave me these IEMs to test blind, I don’t think I’d ever be able to tell that they’re an all-BA set. The vocals were extremely natural and grabbed my attention. The complete sound was clearer, better separated and balanced, and much more cohesive, natural, and musical. The sub-bass and mid-bass both improved in quality and quantity. The male and female vocals were both superb! Treble was rolled off a bit but there was enough detail for me. This is the chain that reminded me of the Quattro’s analog-ish sound that’s done extremely tastefully and which had connected with me deeply.

Rating (with Penon Liqueur Orange ear tips): 11/10.


Conclusion: Here’s what I think. There is so much that can be tried with an IEM – cables, ear tips, sources, DACs, AMPs, etc. It can be endless. And the Turbo has its tuning switches too! I have barely scratched the surface as I’ve just tried two different ear tips. That being said, the way the Turbo has responded to the change from Black to Orange ear tips is very encouraging for me. The Orange ear tips have proved to me that the Turbo is an inherently capable set, one which with the right combination of gear, will give an output that can easily compete with hybrids and more. It will draw you into the music and connect with you. Unless one has heard sets twice or thrice the cost of these, there is no fault to find. Only musical enjoyment and bliss! This is another example of Penon’s house sound that I have come to adore. It is warm, detailed, balanced, musical, cohesive, and most importantly connects to me, holds my attention, and makes my enjoy my music!

Overall rating: 11/10

First of all I would like to thank Penon Audio. She supplies me with the turbo for a tour in Germany. I would like to publish my review here on Head-fi. I used Chat GPT to help with the translation. I hope this doesn't affect readability too much. I became aware of the Penon brand through a dear friend who is currently no longer active in the community. He had organized the Penon Serial Tour back then. The series remains in my memory because of its excellent tone.

For everyone who is in a hurry:
Advantages:

• Pleasant musical performance
• Still excellent detail
• Very good separation and instrument positioning in this price range
• Above-average sound in this price range
• Cable without microphones
• The tuning system enables an extremely variable sound (from audiophile to bass-heavy).

Disadvantages

• (Turbo) bass switch may not be suitable for audiophile interests

First I would like to briefly introduce my musical experiences and my equipment:
Musically, I'm at home in rock & metal, but I also like to listen to some pop, currently also from my youth, which was a few days ago. I prefer a balanced, slightly warm tonality. However, I don't want to miss any details. The bass should be strong, but not dominate the mix or go into the middle. Good instrument separation, combined with good positioning, enhances the musical experience and creates a comfortable stage. However, too much energy in the upper midrange spoils my enjoyment of music.

The Turbo was heard on the A&K SP2000T and was compared to the ACTIVO CT10, A&K PEE51 and A&K XB10.

Package contents
This time the Turbo arrived without any additional packaging. This is not relevant to the evaluation of a tour and avoids additional waste. In the typical Penon blue hard-shell housing, we find the well-known CS819 cable (silver-plated OCC) from the series next to the earphones. The braided cable is soft and supple, not too thick and does not produce microphonics. Additionally there are 3 different 4.5mm silicone tips (grey-green, clear-red and clear-green). The package is supplemented by tools for cleaning the sound outlet pipes and adjusting the tuning switch.





Comfort
I was a bit biased, especially when it came to tightness. Previously, I always had problems when IEMs had a printed seat for the eartip. The position of the tip was then not fully defined and the tip could move backwards when inserted into the ear. This made complete sealing difficult or impossible. This was a dealbreaker for me, even with 64Audio IEMs. That's why I prefer IEMs with metal sleeves etc., like those from Penon Serial or Thieaudio. Fortunately, things are different with the Turbo. The tips are defined and firm and do not push back on the tube during insertion. This eliminates the need to frequently adjust the fit in the ear and ensures a perfect seal. Once the turbo is in your ear, you quickly forget about it and can concentrate fully on enjoying the music. The Penon standard cable, as already mentioned, is microphone-free and offers good resolution and tonality. To my ears it plays very musically. If you are already happy here and hear a lot of switch details depending on the position of the tuning, an upgrade may not be necessary.

Tuning-System
Over the course of my HiFi journey, I have heard or owned several IEMs with a tuning system. As examples I would like to mention Shure with interchangeable sound tubes and IMR Acoustics with a tube and filter system. In both variants, the components have to be screwed together, which takes some time. Penon has chosen a switch system that can be adjusted easily and without much effort from the outside. The system consists of 4 switches in two groups:



Single switch (Bass Boost)
Switch 1 on the left is a bass boost switch. It can be used together with the other 3 switches or independently. When used independently, it is a low frequency super boost mode. The remaining 3 switches from group 2 can be used to further change the sound, including the bass.

3-switch system (tuning)
The number corresponds to switching on and 0 to switching off:
100 – Low frequency gain
020 – Emphasis on the voice
003 – High frequency amplification

Sound
In all three tuning modes, the Penon Turbo has a rich bass that doesn't necessarily sound like a balanced armature (BA) bass. It can provide volume and fullness while remaining clean and accentuated. There is no booming sound in the lower middle as long as you don't use the turbo switch. This is ensured by the lowering of the frequency response immediately after the bass. The rest of the vote does not show any outliers that would disrupt the enjoyment of the music. The mittens are perfectly coordinated and are slightly forward facing in the mix. Guitars have bodies and an excellent timbre. You can follow the attack of the string acoustically. The vocals are slightly in the foreground and, like the overall mood, are very clear. Even at high altitudes, the turbo shows no weaknesses. They sound BA-like, smooth and detailed. There are no hissing sounds or sharp hissing sounds. The sound is very good in the price range, but not oversized like the Sennheiser HD800, for example. This is due to the not very pronounced tuning in the air frequency range. As already mentioned, I find the Penon Turbo extremely successful with its musically detailed playing style.

Influence of the tuning system
In my opinion , the individual bass boost or turbo switch is not suitable for audiophile enthusiasts. When activated, the boost is very powerful and the bass penetrates into the middle. The sound reminds me a little of the Fatfreq Maestro Mini. However, the Maestro Mini had even more bass energy. The Turbo avoids the sharp upper mids and highs presentation that the Maestro Mini had.

The 3-switch system represents (fine) tuning because it works much more subtly than the turbo switch. At first, since I came from the Penon Serial, I often listened with the setting 0-123. With this setting, the Turbo already has an infectious musical bass and the overall colorful playing style that Penon is familiar with. Finally, I would recommend it for albums from before the turn of the millennium to bring the sound up to date.

In my opinion, the settings 0-020 and 0-023 are suitable for current productions when you want to emphasize the tone towards the black background, separation and stage. Whether you adjust the height switch is ultimately a question of privacy and music production. Even age-related hearing loss at high frequencies could be compensated for with the third switch. For example, the album “Ghost – Opus Anonymus” sounded better to me with 0-023 than without the treble switch. The vocal setting 0-020 can sound brilliant on very well produced music and make additional details more audible.

EQ
Basically, the Turbo is suitable for me for playlists. My playlists contain titles from the late 60s, good and not so good recordings, originals and remasters. Fortunately, the Turbo is an earpiece that allows listening across decades and productions without the need to constantly change tuner switch settings. If you still want to work on tuning, the Turbo is an IEM that responds well to EQ. I've only experimented with minor corrections. For example, you can slightly fill in the small depressions in the transition to the lower mittens to create more mittens and counteract the V-shaped tuning. Perhaps a slight lowering of the mid-bass could be considered if the production is over-mastered. Otherwise, “central bleeding” can occur. Without these fixes the turbo will remain clean and clear. Increasing the air frequency range can be beneficial if the music you listen to is too bass heavy or you simply prefer it. I quickly got used to the dynamic playing style of the Turbo and was therefore able to forego the use of an EQ.

Ear plug
The sound can also be subtly influenced by the tips included in the package:
The gray-green tips provide high-frequency extension, amplifying the fundamental tone and improving the sense of space and layering. On the other hand, the clear red tips reduce sibilance, bring the vocals forward and make the music sound more balanced overall. The clear green tips also deliver clear voices and slightly improved details due to the reduced fundamental tone. I also like to use the Softears silicone tips, which seal perfectly for me due to their shape and thus amplify the bass. Even though they are intended for TWS (True Wireless Stereo), Spinfit CP360 goes in a similar direction. Spinfit W1 brightens the sound while Azla Crystal sits between the two. Spinfit CP145 makes the sound a little slimmer and more balanced.

Music examples
Finally, I would like to talk about a few songs. The following descriptions are based on the A&K SP2000T:

Dream Theater – Octavarium & Avantasia – The Scarecrow
Both are my epic reference songs. The Scarecrow opens with some drums that sound powerful but dry. During the song, the guitars and drums show me whether the IEM is designed for effects. Then it quickly becomes tiring. The Turbo does an excellent job of reproducing many details throughout the song. With Octavarium it's the keyboard passages that sound very natural and let your mind wander. As the engine progresses, the turbo never loses control despite the increased number of instruments. Everything remains clean and absolutely audible; it never sounds too analytical. Luckily, guitars aren't scalpels; they don't sound too thick, too sharp or too thin. A thin-sounding IEM can quickly become annoying, especially in lead guitar solo passages from Dream Theater. Very good spatial effects can be heard in both songs.

Jefferson Starship – Jane & Freedom at Point Zero
The entire album contains songs or guitar riffs that can be quite challenging for listeners who are too bright or focused on presence and effects. The electric guitar can sound very shrill or scratchy. Fortunately, the Turbo doesn't show these effects, but still offers an excellent presentation. The stars of the song are clearly the guitars, which have an excellent texture. The bass plays minimally in the foreground and the synthesizer sounds absolutely authentic.

Ghost – Phantom der Oper (Iron Maiden Cover)
The guitars sound almost magical with a perfect body, simply impressive. The album Phantomime is modern and “weighty” in the mix. The turbo stays clean on the drums, and the separation and vocals also sound very good as usual. The (lead) guitar sounds confident and doesn't stand out from the mix.

Sophie Lloyd (feat. Michael Starr) – Runaway
My Focal Clear is having a bit of a hard time (separation) here because the drums and riffs are mixed really thickly. Not so with the turbo in position 0-023. Here he can take advantage of the speed of his BA drivers and play the songs much cleaner and still convincingly. Similar to the Maiden cover of Ghost, the dip between bass and mids no longer plays a role. In both songs I find the balance between musicality and details perfect.

Serenity – Wings of Madness & New Horizons
These songs are a benchmark for good bass rumble, and the Turbo does a great job of reproducing it.

Purple Disco Machine – In the Dark
Even though I mostly listen to rock and metal, this is a reference song for a successful modern mix. With clear female vocals, we have super-fast reproduced synthetic drums and beautiful micro details.

Whole Lotta Love – Led Zeppelin
I mean, that's how Zeppelin would have liked to hear the song. The guitar riffs start with a wonderful scratch, the bass line fits perfectly without dominating, and Robert Plant sounds like he was in his best days.

Comparison with other IEMs
For me, the Turbo represents a further development of the Penon Serial, even if one would generally assume that this is reserved for the Penon Quattro. However, I haven't heard the Quattro yet. Compared to the Turbo (0-123), the Penon Serial is tuned relatively similarly. Both music IEMs offer enhanced bass with warm tonality. However, the Turbo excels in resolution and soundstage.

The Penon Fan 2 is characterized by a solid fundamental tone and avoids increasing the deep bass, making it sound very balanced. However, it lacks the expressive midrange of the Turbo. Here too, the bass is noticeably less defined and enveloping due to the DD drivers.

Another competitor is undoubtedly the Softears RSV (5BA), which in my opinion has a leaner bass and is tuned too energetically in the highs.

On the other hand, the Penon Impact is a TOTL (Top Of The Line) IEM that plays above the turbo due to its performance. The bass is less pronounced and even clearer. When playing electric guitars, the mids have a somewhat magical feel to them. Thanks to the EST drivers, the highs are more energetic and reveal additional details.



Tone on tone
A green petrichor zombie cable. Which tips do you prefer, gray-green or clear green?

Conclusion
As you can easily see, I really like the Penon Turbo because of its musically detailed playing style. The 6 BA drivers work perfectly together to enjoy a wide range of music. However, they lean more towards the musically detailed side of the spectrum. They shine with beautiful details from the mids onwards. Anyone looking for an absolute analyzer should look elsewhere. The turbo accelerates and captivates me with its musicality. Over the years, I have heard many IEMs from Dunu, Moondrop, 64Audio, Thieaudio, etc. that were priced up to $2.5k.

Hardly any headphones have impressed me as much as the Turbo, apart from the unfair comparison with TOTL IEMs like the Penon Impact or the Thieaudio V16 Divinity.