Reviews by Dsnuts

ISN H20

H20 is the newest creation from our friends at ISN. As you all know these guys are not new to making some compelling sounding IEMs and the H20 so happens to be their next release. This one incorporates a large 13mm dynamic handling the bass to the mids with an addition of a specialized treble BA for the highs.

I know we get caught up on driver count and what all them drivers do for IEMs but here we have two drivers utilized for what they do best in complete cohesion for the end sound.

Before I get into the nitty gritty on what the H20 is all about, I am going to highly advise folks to BURN in the H20 before taking them seriously and here is the reason why. Out of the box it was clearly evident that the larger 13mm dynamic is the focus of the sound which is not a bad thing but it was to the point where it was masking some of the treble presence and its details. What is the point of utilizing a separate BA driver to handle the highs when I am hearing a masked treble out of the box? But that is out of the box.

Let me put it this way. The sound has to tighten before you will hear the balance ISN has done with the implementation of the BAs to work properly. I was actually concerned as the graph that was released for these does not show a lack of trebles. It seems to have plenty of presence in the work of the BA. The trebles almost had a veil over its presence, and this clearly changes. But once again burn in, even if you don't believe it comes to the rescue. The sound changes within a 24 hours of burn in that start to show what the H20 is about. A large 13mm dynamic, believe me, needs burn in. I feel these need a full week's worth or about 100 hours for full sonics.

Standardly disclaimers. The ISN H20 was provided by Penon for the purpose of an early review. They have been burned in for over a weeks worth of time and are now ready for reviewing. You can get yourself a set from Penon web site here. Sources used for testing the H20. Fiio K9 pro ESS, Fiio M15s, M15, IBasso DX180, IBasso DX300MAX, IBasso PB5 and IFI Signature for amping.

The H20 continues the more full bodied musical approach to sound aka ISN house sound. These are anti meta in tuning yet they are a properly balanced set meaning you're not going to have a recessed nothing in the balance of how it actually sounds. The H20 ends up being their version of the classic V tuning but one with a fundamental balance and some excellent technical chops. They can be a touch aggressive in the low end but I do know that many of you prefer it that way, especially if you have heard prior ISN IEMs. At the heart of the new H20 design is a newer 13mm dynamic used for its bass and mids presentation. It has a big bold forward presentation with good height and depth, fundamental clarity and to my surprise excellent timbre. The H20 stays true to the ISN brand by throwing out a strong authoritative bass presentation, with more emphasis toward sub bass. Plenty of mid bass slam with even more sub bass energy. A mild lift toward upper mids and trebles with a laid back lower mids balance. These are tuned for modern genres of music. Natural in tonal character exhibiting excellent imaging especially after the required burn in. I have quickly grown to become a fan of the larger 13mm dynamic being used on the H20. Trebles are done via specialized treble BA handling the high notes. Present, on point yet non fatiguing. Trebles exhibit just enough emphasis, sparkle, detail and energy to balance the sound presentation. Hence these will be excellent for EDC listening. Excellent for Rock, pop, Jazz metal and hip hop with the room filling bass you want for EDM genres.

The shells are a compact medium in size with a good ergonomic shape. No weird nozzle angles or does the shells stick out too much. Most owners will not have issues with fitment. Build is all resin as most ISN IEMs are. The sound is like a more refined and upgraded NEO1 for folks that have those. The sound quality is clearly there and tuned to be a crowd pleaser. If you're into your meta tunings then you might not get into these but if you like your bassy IEMs with clarity, a semblance of balance, all with some very good timbre exhibiting a natural tonal character via a large and in charge 13mm dynamic. Yes these are worth taking a good look at.

In focussing the large 13mm dynamic to handle the important bass and mids presentation, there is a lot of driver surface that handles the bulk of your music. Hence the height and depth with a good amount of spacious headstage are all a part of the sound make up. I know there are some folks that are not fans of BA timbre and what BAs bring to the table. For those folks I present to you the H20. The BA on this set are relegated to the treble duties which leaves the dynamic driver to handle up to 70-80% of what you are hearing.


What they come with
The ISN H20 is a budget level IEM but with a sound that easily eclipses what you are expecting for a budget set. Hence ISN packaged them like a budget set. You get a simple 4 core silver plated single crystal copper cable in single ended or balanced. Two sets of silicone tips, a shirt clip and a zip up rectangular case. All simple but where the surprise will be is when you get them nicely burned in and start listening to them.

Technicalities.
Here is where I feel this large, nicely resolving dynamic separates itself from the crowd. The driver chosen here happens to be the largest single dynamic driver used by ISN for any of their IEMs and upon evaluating the sound, I can now understand the decision to use a dedicated treble BA to handle the highs on this set. Just based on how good this driver is being used I can tell it can probably be tuned to handle the highs just fine but in doing so I bet it would take a bit out of the mids to do so. Just a guess on my part. Another reason to burn in your set has to do with cohesion. Not the most cohesive listening out of the box. All that will be amended with some running in on the drivers.

What stands out for the H20 happens to be its outstanding imaging in space. The layering in a 3 axis field of how it sounds is surprising. These have a legit dimensional sound. Something that is difficult for sub $100 IEMs to pull off correctly. It can sound at times like it has multiple drivers handling the mid bands and bass. But its highly musical sound is coming out of a single driver plus a treble BA. Its sound separation, imaging and detail level are all exemplary. Which again is not common among sub $100 level IEMs. This is where the H20 really struts its stuff. If these IEMs were just about the elevated bass emphasis and being yet another bassy IEM then ok I can see how they are a $69 level IEM but it is when you really listen to how they sound for more complex well recorded tracks with layers and layers of sound on the recording. That is when these will put a big smile on your face. They demand attention because of this aspect.

H20 presents with a natural tonal quality meaning it is not a bright sounding IEM nor does it have an overly warm tonal quality. It can have a warmer tonal quality in the beginning when you first listen to them but that also changes with the needed burn in cycle. The masterful tuning means there is no real influence from the two areas that are synonymous with tonal changes. Its mid bass and upper mids. Its timbre is quality on the H20 which is uncommon among sub $100 IEMs. Dynamic timbre brings about the most complete and realistic timbre around and hence these have no issue with both vocal and instrumental timbre. None of it sounds superficial or forced. I can tell the driver are resolving due to the detailed level of sound they have. It's not the be all of detail, you have to be realistic about a budget offering but when you have superb imaging involved, fundamental layering for its sound, a natural tonal quality with very good timbre. Yes these sound better than you would imagine. Whatever IEM you last heard in the $69 price bracket at least for me anyways. Has been outdone by the H20. The sound quality and its dynamism, its superb technical aspects are all done to a nicely elevated level and that is not something I can say about most sub $100 level IEMs I have heard and reviewed.

Trebles
Now here is where I feel they are generally in the ample yet supportive category, trebles performance is just ever so slightly lagging behind the quality of the 13mm driver. It's not that it doesn’t have enough emphasis or presence, its quantity and ability is definitely not lacking. The treble end here is a bit like the cable that was included with the H20 package. It's good enough to not restrict the sound but not exactly special on the other hand. The treble BA was utilized well to free up the dynamic driver to clearly handle the mids and bass full tilt. These do have a anti sibilance 6khz dip involved with a main emphasis in the mid trebles. Also exhibiting somewhat of a mild drop off in the upper trebles. One of the reasons why I was concerned with how the treble sounded out of the box was due to the fact that I just did a review for a TOTL level IEM with 2BAs and 2EST that handle the highs for that set. A complete and articulate high end treble performance was the result.

Then I got the H20. The reason why burn in is completely necessary was due to how the dynamic driver tightens up which opens up the trebles in the balancing of its sound. Once I got the burn in done and have been listening to the trebles here, it ends up being just fine for the tuning. From a design standpoint, dedicating the BA to handle the high notes lets the star of the show shine in full glory and that is the 13mm dynamic. It's just that the quality level of the dynamic driver is so surprising. Do I wish these had a set of 2 BAs and 2ESTs handling the highs to cap off what the dynamic driver is doing? Absolutely, but I know these guys are very calculated in what they do. They planned the H20 to be more of a budget friendly offering and last time I checked I have yet to see a 2BA & 2EST set on anything budget so a single specialized treble BA it is.

In the end, these are not tuned for treble heads, on the other hand I don’t feel the trebles hamper or lag behind what the sound here is about. True to ISNs housing tunings. These are more of a bass driven IEM with mids and trebles to balance the beefy bass it has. You can’t go into this one expecting some of the best trebles in the industry. The IEM is $69. If you accept that for what it is. The trebles here are just fine. I do wish there was a bit more in the upper trebles but for what it is, the trebles are complementary to the sound and do not lack in its ability to portray the high note on any of your music. Some will actually prefer the non obtrusive treble presentation of the H20, this will depend on how one likes their trebles in the mix. For folks that would like a bit more treble bite. I highly recommend a more transparent cable pairing and your best larger bored tips. For what it is, I have no issue with the trebles. I suppose you have to leave a bit left on the table for the next iteration. I hope they use this driver for a future product and I would love to see a more higher end treble involved with this dynamic. H20 MK2 perhaps.

Mids & Bass
Since the main driver here is handling both I am gonna go into the reason why you want to check out these IEMS. I truly hope this is not the last time I see ISN using this particular driver as it is a marvel what this driver is pulling off. The mids of the H20 fully burned in is so natural and effortless in its presentation. It handles music passages with ease and perhaps that is why they are called H20. It actually has a refined sound quality and you figure since it is a V signature there would be some recession. I just don’t hear it. Sure its lower mids are more neutral in presence and it does project female vocals to be a bit more forward in the mix vs male vocals but, again that imaging is done so well. It is forgivable the balance of the mid bands which are a bit uneven but again this is a design choice due to the bigger bass emphasis it has, something like the ISN H60 has more even mids presence and bit more dimensional in sound but the natural tonal character of the H20 mids are done incredibly well for its price point.

Amping the H20 is where I feel they truely come alive. Much like most dynamic based IEMs, amping the H20 brings the sound into a different plane of existence. Here is where I feel these punch way above what they are being sold for. Using them on a simple portable amp or if you got the means, something like the Ibasso PB5. The sound quality jumps. This is where you will not comprehend how these can cost what they do, it is when you connect them to a high-quality source with some power.

Try amping them is all I can say.

The mids to bass transition is masterful, with no bass bleed due to the design being more sub bass infused. The mids are clean of unwanted bass shadow or emphasis. And it is when the bass hits however, you will understand what the H20 was designed for. It has a quality and quantity low end that is supernatural at times. Bass is not only deep but its texture level only gets better as you age the driver. Both bass and mids get tighter and more refined over time. Stage expands and gets much better cohesion as well.

ISN IEMs traditionally are tuned with bass emphasis even their newest higher end EBC80 has some outstanding dual silicone dynamic bass that is a hallmark of that sound. Hence it is not a true ISN IEM without that bass. The H20 is following suit with a quality bass end that sees an increase of emphasis toward its sub bass. Has plenty of impactful mid bass and a stout sub bass presence. I would say its speed is about average but does show an increase of tightness the more burn in time they get. Bass stays well behaved but definitely comes out to play if it's in the recording. A deep hitting bass end is only as good as the rest of its sound and here is what the H20 sound does exceptionally well. Bassy music be it Reggae or hip hop to EDM all sound proper. More than proper, excellent. Its punchy mid bass brings the aggression for metal music, has enough upper mid presence for proper grinding guitar riffs for rock.




The quality of this driver clearly shows just how capable it is with your most demanding bass tracks. It's not just the bass end that delivers its mids are fantastically spaced out in how you are hearing your music. And the trebles here are good enough to handle what the mids and bass ends are doing.

Final thoughts
ISNs newest hybrid IEM was a surprise in many ways, and I realized just how good these sounded as they didn’t tragically fall off the map after reviewing a $2700 TOTL level flagship product. That is saying something about a budget set. When an IEM sounds good, it doesn't matter at what price they are at. They will sound good and that is what the H20 represents. It's a hugely engaging set and I feel bass fans will gobble this one up but more than that. Seasoned bass fans that demand balance and scalability with their favorite sources will absolutely love these. The H20 sounds great on everything I tried them on but it is when you amp them you will be rewarded with a dynamism that is uncommon in the sub $100 level of IEMs. Uncommon even among much pricier options. The truth is they scale my friends to everything you throw at them. Be it better tips, cables and sources. When you hear them in their full glory you really can’t ask for a better performing hybrid.

I think ISN has found some magic with these new 13mm drivers that are throwing out sonics on a much higher level than you would imagine. And it is because this dynamic sounds so quality that I only wish it had the trebles to equal its quality. But then I realize if ISN used more expensive drivers or something like planar drivers to handle the highs it could have cost more than what they are charging. In that regard, these are a substantial release by ISN. The H20 has proven to me that budget sets have come a long way and as far as I am concerned, I have yet to hear a budget set quite like the H20. Its tuning matches what the drivers here can do and how it performs. Burn them in, throw on your wider bored tips, throw your best sounding amps into the mix and when you hear them in their full glory. I am willing to bet you, you will be glad to own a set. Thanks for taking the time to read and happy listening always.

Lime Ears Maris

“Maris, Latin meaning “of the sea” , represents the ultimate expedition into the depths of sound. Its deep blue aesthetic with subtle green accents reflects the oceanic depths where life itself began. Like the vast oceans covering most of our planet, it offers endless possibilities for exploration, allowing seasoned audiophiles to rediscover their entire music collection with unprecedented depth and clarity.”


The Lime Ears Maris is the top end of the Power Trio series of hybrids. In this case, is a quadbrid. A darker blue-gray color scheme for the alloy metal shells and a sparkly blue to metallic green synthetic Opal shell color. Bringing the best of the best drivers used for IEMs in the industry. The Maris like its other two siblings is an all metal build consisting of 2X 8mm dual layered membrane dynamics for bass+ 2 Knowles BA for lows-mids+ 4 Knowles BAs for mids-highs+ 2 Sonion ESTs for ultra highs and 2 Sonion full range Bone conduction drivers.

Dual Sonion BA Bone Conduction drivers are a relatively newer method of adding a bit of special sauce, as they say to a sound. If you have never experienced these premium 2ndary drivers used in IEMs, let's just say there is a reason why high end IEM manufacturers are using these drivers. I do believe this is the first time Lime Ears has used these drivers on one of their designs.


The Maris is the 4th IEM I have reviewed using these unique drivers and what it does for all IEMs that uses them turns out spectacular. Add a nicely balanced tuning with some outstanding dual dynamic drivers handling the low end, stack some capable higher end BAs in the mix with some proven EST drivers and you have the makings of an excellent high end sounding IEM. I would imagine the drivers themselves are fairly expensive considering what it does. Needless to say, it is the Maris out of the Power Trio of IEMs, the others being the Terra and Incognita. That not only adds BC drivers but also utilizes 2X Sonion ESTs for the ultra highs in comparison to the other two IEMs customized RAU Knowles treble BAs. What you get for sound using all these added drivers becomes something that only higher end IEMs can truly reproduce. And that is a nicely refined, highly dimensional and spacious element to a sound that lesser IEMs strive for but just don’t reach.

From the looks to the material make up, the Maris seems to be sharing the same light but sturdy universal metal shell design from the Terra and Incognita but what separates the Maris is that Its now playing on TOTL level sound vs the other two. Its classy looks with eye popping shiny blue to green metallic opal like colors exudes a premium look and finish to the Power Trio line up.

This early look for both the Incognita you can read about here and now the top end Maris on this reader was both sent to me from their designer, Emil Stolecki from Polish Manufacturer Lime Ears, a company that has been making IEMs for 13 years. The Maris is currently in production mode and will be introduced to the world here in the month of March 2025 for the RP of $2,699. These were on loan for an early preview/ review and will be returned to their maker after my review. My views on these IEMs are based on how I hear them and how they sound. My purpose for these reviews has always been about what to expect when getting a set for yourself. In that regard I am only the messenger.


I would first like to say that to me, it is the Incognita that is the best value out of the Power Trio for its refined, balanced and dynamic sound signature. However, the clear higher level of the tower of Power Trio of IEMs, well that distinction goes to the Maris. Even with the drivers additions I feel there is a level of diminishing returns happening which the Incognita represents. To be honest this goes for every IEM in the kilobuck range, it seems the more higher end the IEMs are, the more diminishing returns happens. But as they say, we pay to play. Top end stuff has its crowd, its fans. And to those folks I present to you one Lime Ears Maris.

Compared to its siblings, if you took out the Sonion ESTs / BC drivers and replaced it with a RAU knowles treble BA and also taking out the two extra BAs used for the mids on the Maris you would essentially be getting something very similar to the Incognita. However, there is a reason why the Maris is the clear bigger brother in the group of the IEMs for Lime Ears power Trio line up.

What I am talking about is that it now has that next level of stage, imaging and articulation to the sound that is presented on the Maris that the other two while not exactly lacking in but is not exactly there. The customized RAU treble BA driver used on both its siblings the Terra and Incognita are simulating what Sonion ESTs do. And that is to cover the ultra high frequencies as does the dual Sonion ESTS that are being used on the Maris.

And to Limes Ears credit, both the Terra and Incognita treble implementation will not leave one wanting for EST drivers. They do an excellent job at a fantastically present and extended take on the treble emphasis for both IEMs. However, as they say, imitation is the best form of flattery. The Maris is the only one out of the Trio that got it. ESTs bring a sense of air and an articulate high definition to the treble notes that are synonymous with the drivers. As good as the trebles are for its siblings I have to admit the Maris has one up on both of them as it should. It's not that it does definition better. ESTs make treble notes sound more dimensional to my ears, more ethereal and a bit more nuanced in their performance. There is something to a well implemented EST design and I can say the Maris has this.

Add to this new level of treble refinement with added BA drivers for the mid bands. It is difficult to tell if the added BAs for the mids do anything really special for its sound presentation but I can say without a doubt the dual Sonion BC drivers in conjunction with the added BAs elevates the mids to a dimensional level that seems synonymous with its use for higher end IEMs. If imaging and layering of your music presentation is your thing. You will love how the Maris sound. The Maris is all about the inner waves of details for how you're hearing your favorite tracks. Uber higher end IEMs like the Maris give you more of that imaging in space that I simply can’t get enough of. The Maris elevates that experience.

It is interesting to me that the Maris name has to do with the ocean's vast depths. How does that relate to the sound you’re hearing? It is all about that big spacious deep and expansive stage. Maris so happens to have the widest deepest stage out of the power Trio, again the specialty of the dual Sonon BC drivers. What is interesting here is that just because the Maris uses higher end BC drivers in its inner workings does not mean the other two are weak in that department. Not at all, both the Terra and the Incognita have excellent spacious wide and deep stages. But it's not exactly how the Maris presents your music.

BC drivers help elevate and amplify the technical aspects of an IEM. While it does not seem to affect tonal and timbre qualities which are more the results of tuning and the quality of the drivers used. A well implemented set of BC drivers clearly elevates how you hear the spacial element of your sound. Imaging, layering, sound separation and stage. All of it is enhanced which will give you more than a few WOW moments when you hear the Maris.

Then we have the tuning.
Maris is a balanced tuning and seems to have the most neutrality out of the 3 brothers. Its tonal qualities clearly show the drivers which were handpicked for the Maris sound are decidedly high end. Natural in delivery more spacious than you are accustomed to. The Maris fluid cohesion bodes extremely well to an eclectic music listening experience. The dynamism of the sound is where the Maris excels. I am a big eclectic listener myself and there was not a genre the Maris sounded even remotely average at. It does precision as much as musical. All is done well with the Maris with some of the best imaging for IEMs in town.

Trebles
The Maris has proven to me that you don't need more ESTs to do what ESTs do better. I have done reviews for IEMs with 4ESTs and even 8ESTs. Yes 8ESTs. Truth is, there is not much of a difference in the presentation of 4ESTs vs 2ESTs. If you blind folded me and asked me if I could pick out the IEM with 4ESTs and or the one using 2ESTs for upper trebles. I would actually fail and I am thinking even golden ear folks will fail in that department. Once again it comes down to implementation. I know at least 2 BAs are working in conjunction for the trebles with the 2ESTs in the Maris. What you get is a complete, exemplary imaged and present treble experience. Air is a plenty and with excellent sparkle when called for. Every single higher end IEM I have heard that considers itself as a higher end IEM has a ghostly level of detail with treble notes that hover in a headspace area that you were not expecting. That is what I get with the Maris. Treble is well balanced and unforced. What I mean by unforced is that it's not a treble first IEM I suppose the Terra could have the most treble emphasis out of the trio but to me the Maris has refinements where it counts and the treble is spectacularly represented in the Maris.

Mids
I want to say where the dual Sonion BC driver really brings its meat n potatoes, is for the mid bands. How do you name an IEM which is described as “ of the sea” if you got a confined sound. The answer to that is you don’t. The Maris brings an imaging aspect to is mids performance which is best described as top of the line. A well recorded track brings a spectacular level of imaging in space for the Mids on the Maris. Its spread out imaging is something to behold and you have to really focus hard to figure out what is missing. Actually it's the opposite. You are filled with a sensory overload. So much information coming at you in a 3 dimensional headspace spread out delivery of your tracks. The mids are balanced, ever present and will do your music 100% justice. It really does not get much better in the way mids are portrayed on the Maris. I posted on my Incognita review that these drivers being used for the mid bands sound amazingly natural and not at all BA timbre like in character. Truth is the higher up in the BA models being used, the less BA timbre presents. It is amazing to me that timbre this good, tonal qualities this organic is happening with the BAs used on the Maris. I am gonna doubt folks will complain at all when it comes to timbre and or tonal presentation on the Maris. But then when you add layers and waves of the mid bands in a pinpoint accurate display for the sound, this is what separates the Maris sound presentation from the myriad of lesser IEMs.

Bass
Here is where the bass end shares a lot of similarities to its brother the Incognita comes into play. I do believe the Maris is sharing the same type of dual drivers for its bass vs the incognita as I find their ability and emphasis to be identical. However, this is not a bad thing at all. I will go as far as say, I love these drivers being used. It is all about the quality bass. To me, a high end bass presentation has to be real bass. Unfortunately as good as BA bass has become. There is no replacement for displacement. Dynamic bass and even more better dual dynamic bass has come to play for the Lime Ears team.

True story. Even before I knew anything at all about Emils plans to bring out 2 more IEMS which makes up the Power Trio of IEMs. I did a review for the Terra which uses an outstanding single 7mm titanium dynamic handling the bass. Which he has used for his prior IEMs with great success. I sent him a message telling him. If he could double up the dynamic for bass. Oh how that would translate to even greater bass performance.

I bet he was smiling when I messaged him that. A month later he told me about the rest of the power Trio line up, the Incognita and the Maris both using 2 x 8mm dual membrane bass dynamics. So what's better than a very capable highly specialized bass dynamic driver for your hybrid IEM? How about using 2 capable highly specialized bass dynamic drivers for your IEM.

An Iem design is more than just tuning. It has to do with hand picking the best of the best when it comes to drivers and what type of presentation a sound designer is trying to achieve with them hand picked drivers. Dual dynamics for bass brings a level of control and physicality that is unmatched vs just using single dynamics. Sure some come very close in that regard, believe me the 7mm titanium driver used on the Terra is no push over. But there is something to the presentation of a well designed dual dynamic array, more power, more fluid, more tactile, more controlled, more physical with even better texture at the same time. We are talking about supreme quality bass here.

With a bass end that reaches beyond your hearing, the transient and sheer power qualities of the Maris bass is on display. When bass is called for, it is called for with not a tiny inkling of struggle. Every bass note, every decay, every bass tonal character, pitch and pratt. The ability of the Maris quality bass is what you're paying the money for. Its muscular bass end lets me know Emil is a bass head. But not just a bass head. He is all about that quality.

You simply can’t have sloppy one note bass involved in a high end sound. Can’t do it. Maris bass is definitely high end bass material. So well controlled, refined and defined. Its sub bass is about as textured as IEM bass gets. Its tight accurate tonal character is onpoint like the rest of the sound. It's the speedy tight well mannered sculpted yet muscular bass.

Conclusion:
Lime Ears Maris is the most refined sounding IEM out of the Power Trio line up. These are for the most demanding listeners in our hobby. My time with both the Incognita and the Maris is up and I am thankful for Emil to let me have a peek into his newest creations. Knowing the level of sonics we are dealing with for both these IEMs I have zero doubt these IEMs will be met with success and appreciation by the community. I was very surprised with these two and especially the Maris where the top of the line brings a level of refinement that can only be described as TOTL level for sonics. I think Emil is onto something with these releases and just my opinion but both these IEMs will stand the test of time as both are made so well and more importantly sound spectacular. In an ideal world we would have every single higher end IEM on a large table so we can audition all of them to find out what sounds best. I can say the Maris will compete with anything out there as far as high end IEMs goes. It's aesthetically clean looks with its classy dark blue hues and ocean colored green which shimmer as you look at them gives a bit of an insight into what the Maris is about. Its large dimensional stage, its fully enveloping dynamics that surrounds your hearing. Powerful sculpted bass, fluid rich holographic mids character and a well extended smooth sparkly EST driven treble brings a high end finale to the Power Trio line up. It definitely has the most refined sound out of the power Trio line up. Thanks for taking the time to read and as always happy listening.

Lime Ears Incognita

“INCOGNITA
Derived from “terra incognita” ( unknown land) takes you further into uncharted territories. A bold black design with volcanic red accents hints at the powerful, transformative listening experience that awaits brave explorers. Here, familiar music reveals new layers,rewarding the adventurous listener with deeper, more profound musical discoveries.”


The middle child of the new Power Trio series of hybrids, the new Lime Ears Incognita I would consider the sleeper. Here is what I mean by this. It's not the intro to the Power Trio, that distinction belongs to the Terra. The Terra for the intro level price of $1200 gives the listener an insight into the sound qualities of the Power Trio line up. However here is where the Incognita comes into play as the level above the Terra. The Incognita adds a new eye catching all black and a gorgeous flashy red synthetic opal design. It adds a new dual layer double dynamic array for bass. However it's not just the addition of an upgraded bass performance that sets the Incognita apart. It also has to do with its more balanced and refined tuning. The other parts of the driver make up seem identical, 2x Knowles BAs for low- mid, 2X Knowles BAs for mid-highs and their customized Knowles RAU treble BA for the ultra highs. The driver make up is nothing too exotic however when you're using 7 premium drivers per side. It always comes down to tuning and implementation.

Lime Ears is a smaller IEM manufacturer based out of Poland, and from how I understand it, has been making higher end precisely tuned and designed IEMs for 13 years so certainly not new to the IEM scene. The Power Trio is the latest Creation of their founder and sound designer Emil Stolecki. Who frequents the pages of headfi and Can Jams around the world always looking for his next inspiration for sound. The Incognita sample is on loan to me for sound evaluation. I appreciate the opportunity to hear how. “Others do it.” Considering 95% of my reviewing has to do with Chi Fi made and designed IEMs. It is always refreshing to hear something different from other manufacturers around the world outside of China.

Everyone has a take on what they consider proper sound and to hear the handy work of Emil Has been enlightening. The Incognita will be sent back to their maker after review and hence this written report has nothing to do with any type of compensation or incentive. What I write about the sound here is based on my own years of hearing, evaluating and reviewing IEMs. What you get out of my reader is hopefully what to expect if you're considering a purchase. The Incognita is currently in the manufacturing process and will be released in March is what I was told at the RP price of $1699.

The Incognita and the rest of the Power Trio of hybrids are all finished in a moderately larger side of medium all metal type shell, a longer than average nozzle stem with some outstanding artistry happening. The Incognita happens to be the most bold, clean and eye-catching with its all frosted black color enhanced using a very shiny synthetic opal red shell plates. The shell design is an imitation opal Lime Ears calls. A polymer impregnated synthetic opal. PIMS. So the benefit of this design is that it mimics the color hues of opal, different angles emit different radiants of light. In the case of the Incognita, hues of deep red and metallic green with a hint of yellow depending on what angle you're looking at the shells are very eye-catching. Unlike the soft gem that is actual real opal. The shells seem to have a thick glass scratch resistant coating, because the last thing you want is to spend that kind of money and have your shiny shells scratch up on you. Very eye-catching but more importantly Lime ears has clearly thought about everyday wear and use of the Power Trio. All 3 IEMs use the same design but with different eye-catching colors.

Much like the dynamism of what you hear from your music, each view of the Incognita brings a change in the red glistening colors that emanate from the face plate. Out of the 3, Terra, Incognita, and Maris. It will be the Incognita that has the best eye-catching design but that's just my opinion. It's not that the other 2 aren’t lookers. It's just that this simple black and red brings an eye-popping look to the Power Trio that is more memorable, a bit luxurious and rich I might add.

Ergonomics/ package.
I am not certain of the final accessories package that will be included with the Incognita but I do know the final cable was specifically designed to match up well with the Incognita sound. So far from what I know about the cable is that it is a higher end pure copper variety. For what it is I find the cable matches extremely well with the sonic properties of the Incognita. This universal housing is a bit bulky if I am to be honest but nothing egregious or something that will cause most ears to not agree with when it comes to comfort. If you have smaller ears this might be a bit big for you but for most folks with medium to larger ears these will fit fine. Its longer stem design I appreciated simply due to the fact that it will easily fit most aftermarket tips without issue. From how I know Emil and his work. He will most likely include some premium aftermarket tips to go with the Incognita. The Puck aka circular grain leather carry case is excellent for everyday carry and use. I do wish the carry case was just a touch bigger in size as you really have to get a tight coil for the cables in order to fit the case with the earpieces themselves, especially noticed for the cable that was included with the Maris which is a touch bulkier. The cable for the Incognita actually fits better in the case. In the end no worries about proper accessories. Emil is on it.

Sound.
The Incognita to my ears has a balanced yet very dynamic sound profile. Some might even say a slight mid focused sound. What I appreciate about the Incognita is that it can sound a touch mid forward at times but then when the bassline or the trebles are highlighted in your favorite tracks. Details come at you in waves just effortless in presentation.. There is nothing holding back the excellent quality bass lines for the incognita. I feel the Terras is a touch more in the way of treble first IEM bringing them to sound a touch more on the cleaner spectrums of sound due to ample upper mids and trebles. The Incognita's excellent neutral and natural tonal character means its tonality is leaning ever so slightly toward warmth which ends up giving a very natural take on sound vs the clean somewhat analytical angle of the Terras tonal character. Very natural and organic are the sound qualities that come to mind when describing the Incognita. But then it is when you add its technical ability that makes the Incognita stand out.

Technicalities.
Incognita sounds like several pairs of high end speakers are working inside your ears. Its sound layering in space images so well it does have an excellent surround like stage your hearing and this is without using BC drivers. Speaking of stage, you can’t have a high end sound with a confined, in your head stage. That is just high end audio 101. The sound throws out a larger than average circular IEM head stage that hovers outside for your head. I find the sound depth and width of sound exemplary for IEMs that are not using BC drivers. While the Maris the top end Power Trio IEM uses BC drivers that help with how they sound. The Incognita does not. Even without the use of BC drivers the sound tuning was masterfully done so well you can hear a tremendous depth within a fantastic spacious spread out sound.

It's quite addictive to hear actually. Other technical elements, its timbre, transients, sound layering, imaging and the details associated with a higher end sound are all there. Once again exemplary. I have hybrids that actually use more drivers but it goes to show how important it is to implement the drivers being used for optimum sound. I can’t imagine this sound to be more spacious than it already is, let me put it that way. A big win for the incognita is that it is not only highly technical but due to its excellent balancing with its natural tonal character, the sound is effortless, extremely cohesive and very addictive. Even though Lime Ears is making liberal use of some higher end Knowles drivers for the bulk of its sound presentation. BA timbre is not all that noticeable. In fact I will go as far as to say the timbre aspects for the Incognita sounds fantastic to my ears. There is nothing on the sound of the Incognita I can point out and say. This or that could have been better. This is a good sign of an extremely well designed IEM.

Trebles
A single RAU Knowles BA was customized to be used a bit like ESTs for how it works in conjunction with the other BAs for its treble presentation. Treble extension is on point with a crisp detailed sparkly treble note that has decisive weight and substance. This was also the case for its brother the Terra. I do notice the RAU driver on the front end of the nozzle stem. Which means it will be the crisp high treble note that will get to your ears in a proper speedy snappy manner. I know there are some folks that are not fans of the treble BA in the nozzle design but again it comes down to implementation. As I am getting older in my age. I appreciate a decisive treble presentation that none of the Power Trio of IEMs have any issue with. It's not just the trebles that present fine to solid details, it's both ends of the spectrum that sound ideal on the power trio of IEMS with excellent extensions.

Having a well balanced treble presentation with plenty of sparkle on tap is never a bad thing and the treble sparkle and shimmer is clearly on display for the Lime Ears Incognita. For my own taste in sound I do prefer the more present mid range of the Incognita over the Terra which actually has the Incognita sounding better balanced and harmonizes better with the treble emphasis and it shows in its liquid organic tonal character.

Mids.
Here is where the Incognita was tuned with a bit more fullness and body of note vs the Terra. To my ears the strength of the Incognita is just how dynamic and fluid its mids are but with an underlying substantial note weight to the sound. For the mids in a sound presentation to actually be good in the case of the Incognita, very good. The mids have to have some substantial body and fullness of note. There is not a note that sounds thin or brittle sounding at all, has an underlying highly detailed, excellently imaged in a spacious presentation. While the Terra was good for its mids, the Incognitas mid bands sound spectacular at times. There is a very clear distinction of mids layering and imaging that is uncanny on the Incognita that just let you be immersed in your music. The mids on the Incognita is substantial and is very much a feature of the Incognita balancing.

I find in particular the layering in space and the imaging associated with the Incognita to be ideal. This time around the trebles does not highlight the tonal character for the mids for the Incognita hence the tonal character is more organic and natural in presentation. Mids can sound even a touch forward which is not a bad thing at all in my book. It is when you get bassy tracks the bass end being supreme quality you will take notice but for acoustic and vocal tracks the Incognita is indeed an upgrade vs the Terra. Ideal in presence, pristine in its imaging with excellent timbre with accurate transients. The Incognita is a refined experience due to its balance. A presentation that will have you take note of just how substantial your music sounds.

Bass.
OK so I am gonna put it out there, the bass end of the new Incognita is a work of art. The deep full hitting satisfying bass end has a level of physicality and reach that sounds effortless, culminating in a rich bass end to finish off a well balanced sound. The new dual dynamic driver being used seems to be a nice upgrade from the single titanium dynamic that was used for the Terra. Its rich bass tonal character for all things bass related is one aspect but beyond that its ability to morph into whatever bass note you are listening to is effortless. Tight, clean, extremely well rounded and once again with the right amount of body and physicality to the bass note. Perhaps the best aspect of a sound descriptor that can also apply to the bass end of the Incognita is that everything is so well sculpted and detailed from its treble to the bass end. Bass drivers used on the Incognita matches so splendidly I can’t imagine the Incognita using different set of drivers actually.

I am a huge fan of solid quality bass and once again you can’t have a sloppy one note bass and call that high end bass. What makes the Incognita bass end so special to me is that it also has the perfect amount of impact. Physical when it needs to be but clearly stays out of the way when it is not called for. Control is the game here and not only does the Incognita presents with a clean rich bass tonal character but adding that physical nature of its bass. It is exactly how I would like to hear higher end bass in a higher end hybrid IEM. I even call this very close to my ideal bass. I can clearly tell Emil is a bass fan, how can you be a music fan and not be a fan of a quality low end? It clearly shows in his designs. All 3 power trio IEMs have fantastic bass ends but this newer dual bass design in particular has me smiling from ear to ear every time a bass line drops in my tunes. If you're a fan of great clean tight speedy detailed bass presentations but with some power behind the drivers. That is the best way to describe the bass end I am hearing.

In the end
The Incognita for me is perhaps one of the very best hybrid IEMs I have heard. Everything on the design gets an A+. Its sharp, good looking design. Its universal appeal. Its extremely well balanced yet clearly dynamic sound presentation. Its marvelous extensions and highly technical presentation. Its musical soul and an impactful physical high quality bass. It's fantastic imaging for its mids presentation. All of it equals a high quality product to my ears. If you were not a fan of the Terras more upper mids full treble emphasis on its tuning. I encourage a listen to the Incognita. To me this IEM is the dark horse out of the Trio line up. It doesn't cost like the Maris their top end while it is everything the Terra was with better balancing, refined to a polish using a set of highly detailed bass dynamic drivers. The price of these are a good indication of why the Incognita is priced as such. It does bring a higher level of sound vs the Terra and hence the price hike. If you're taking a look at the Trio line up and have the means. I would say it is the incognita you should be looking at. These will easily go toe to toe with anything in its price class and come out proud as one of the best of the best and in that regard I feel these are a huge success. Do not overlook what Lime Ears has achieved with these new offerings. They are all standouts in their own way, all 3 with different levels of sound. The Incognita will bring musical joy to your life and is that not why we spend the money to achieve? Thanks for taking the time to read.

Penon Totem Ultra.

So Penon is flexing their muscles and coming up with some new cables and the recent trend for Penon is that they are doubling up the core count for established cables to bring a more substantial cable in the ASOS+X and the newer Pyramid VI and VIII and now we have the Totem Ultra. First let's dive into the make up of what the cable is about and then I will get into how the materials translate to what has become Penons flagship IEM cable. The Totem Ultra.

Totem is made of what is essentially 3 different types of cables in one. Single crystal copper Litz 6 in silver plating. Palladium plated pure silver. Single crystal copper plated in pure gold then finished off with a stage enhancing OFC copper plated in silver for plugs and connectors.
The mish mash of material blend here adds some substantial effects to a well balanced IEM and when you double the core count. This only enhances the sound to a greater degree.

The new look is different here as well. Totem ultra is looking the part of an uber premium cable with its new shiny onyx black PVC sleeving with metallic red flakes and its liberal use of red coloring on the black hardware of the cable finishes a black and red theme, bringing an entirely new look for the Totem cable family. Doubling the material count from its standard 2 core variant now brings an increase in weight and bulk. It is by default only a 4 core cable but they happen to be 4 thicker substantial cores that are equivalent to the thickness of either the ASOS+X or the Pyramid VIII wired version. With the weight of the cable being very similar to the Pyramid VIII. It is made of a lot of premium materials. This is one cable you absolutely have to have ear guides for as it will be impossible to keep the wires wrapped around the ear due to material bulk otherwise.

Adding double the core count now makes the cable by default more stiffer but to my surprise they are not something like Code23 by Effect Audio stiff. Its relative looser weave helps to have some flex. I would say pliability is only moderate and it is a bit heavy over the ears which does not bother me. It might be for some folks however. If you're wanting a more flexible version of how I describe the sound enhancing characteristics for the Totem Ultra. I would take a serious look at the standard Totem. And by the way, there are clear differences between the standard Totem vs the Ultra version which might sway you one way or the other if you're curious about what these cables do.

The good there is that it is now the Ultra version of the Totem. Which brings a new sound profile. The bad being that it is a big beefy cable which increases the cost of the standard Totem from $699 to $999. Not exactly double the cost but it is a good $300 over what is already an established cable from Penon. So will it be worth punting for the extra cost? I will get into the reason why and perhaps why not. As the cost associated with these cables increases. I know it will be a commitment for either version of these cables but especially the Ultra. In any case. Here are my findings.

So this report is more for folks that buy into the idea that cables do affect the end sound for IEMs. My best advice for folks that get a good cable to pair with your favorite IEMs is that having a few higher end cables is not a bad idea especially if you are neck deep into the hobby and want the absolute best sound coming out of your IEMs. I will describe what the Totem Ultra does for your IEM sound and if you feel it is something you might be interested in. I can say the effects of the Totem Ultra and the standard Totem for that matter are not subtle like most IEM cables. You will clearly know you have this cable attached to your IEMs. On the Ultra you will feel the weight for certain but more importantly you will clearly hear an enhancement of the sound from your IEMs.

Pic shown with 2 color variants of the Totem.

Just because the old Totem has been doubled does not mean it is now obsolete. Far from it, the old Totem is still a very substantial cable, I will even go as far as to say it is the more practical version of the Totem family vs the new Ultra version and here is why I say this.

Sometimes a tonal enhancing cable is not a good thing and sometimes you want to add a bit of character to a sound for better musicality, a richer tonal character and maybe to help with its lack of technicalities. The Ultra here is a colored/ sound shaping/ enhancing cable meaning it is almost the opposite of what pure silver does in how pure silver has the most transparency for cables when it comes to sound output from your IEMs. I find the standard Totem colors a sound to a lesser degree vs the Ultra. I blame that on the Ultra now using double the gold plating for its central cores. Gold is the culprit for shaping a sound to enhance richness while all the copper elements add to the body of note for the IEMs. So while the idea of doubling a Totem on paper sounds great and it is, the Ultra can be a bit much for IEMs that are already warm sounding. See Ultra pairing with ISN EBC80 below for what I am talking about.

How I am assessing the Totem Ultra has to do with how they enhance a sound profile of your well heard IEMs from a neutral standpoint. Meaning, if you asked yourself what would this cable do to change a neutral sound with neutral balancing using a neutral source. So when I say it adds a richer tonal character. It will be even more evident for neutrally balanced IEMs vs something that is already rich sounding or an IEM with a warm bassy profile for example. It will enhance a warm character but I find the Ultra version of the Totem introduces a clear Rich full bodied dimensional character to an IEM based sound profile and that is just the beginning of how I would describe them.

There are some cables that color a neutral leaning sound to where a coloring sound enhancing cable like the Totems will help a lot to bring some better contrast and enhance that neutrality to where it will be much more musical and substantial sounding vs sounding thinner and analytical with a dry tonal character. It will be these types of IEM sound profiles that will absolutely benefit the best with the Totems.

Best synergies from an IEM signatures with a cable combo comes from opposites. What I mean is, unless you are a glutton for punishment. You do not want to throw on something like a pure silver cable on a neutral bright highly detailed IEM. That's like throwing cold water on a sheet of ice. It should actually be the opposite meaning a well designed copper based cable would actually enhance that neutrally bright IEM. On the opposite side of the sound tonal character. You should never use a warm copper cable for example on a warm sounding IEM. That's like wearing a thick wool jacket on a hot summer day. Can’t do it. Now if you use that pure silver on a warmer sounding IEM. OK now we are talking. This basic synergy synopsis for cable pairings just based on my own experiences with proper cable pairings for IEMs. I call it the rule of opposites. The Chinese were onto how wholeness comes about with opposites or the idea of Yin and yang. This clearly applies to cable synergies for IEMs pairing.

I noticed because the Ultra has much more cores made with copper, the foundational sound enhancing formula for the Totem is that it now leans more copper based on its sound signature vs pure silver. There is just enough pure silver in the mix here to enhance the detail and technical aspects but not enough to make the Totem a brighter sounding cable, either the standard version and especially the Ultra version does not lean toward silver properties. Add to that we now have double the cores with gold plating which is known to darken a sound and you have a cable that clearly colors a sound profile.

These are the sound changes observed through using a variety of IEMs for the Ultra and what I have noticed thus far

Pros
Enhances for a richer tonal character.- You will clearly know why Penon charges for this level of richer cable enhancing.

Enhances for a bigger broader stage.- This is even evident on a small totem pigtail let alone the entire cable now doubled.

Enhances stage and dimensional qualities for every IEM pairing. Any IEM that has good layering to the mid bands, this cable encourages a sound separation, imaging and dimensional qualities.

Due to the qualities mentioned above. Enhances BC driver effects. MOAR dimensions.

Enhances dynamics for IEMS. body of note and bass presence with excellent texture is your thing. Due to the healthy amount of copper infusion. Bass is exalted and texture introduced to the stock bass profile, while mids get a nice thicker full density of note.

Synergizes better with more neutral balanced less colored IEMs. I feel the stock Totem is a bit more versatile in that regard as the Ultra brings a bit more warmth vs the stock Totem cable. Due to much more copper cores and double the gold plating.

Cons
Heavy- big bulky using a lot of heavy metal. Unless you're not into your heavy metal not all will like.


Will sound a bit warm and my rules of opposites means it will not synergize as well with already warm sounding IEMs.
Will cost a lot of money to find out if it will synergize well with whatever IEM you own. But that is the nature of any IEM cable in the $500- 1K range.

With that out of the way. This is what it has done for Penons own greatest hits.

First we got the Penon Rival.
The Penon Rival already comes with a standard totem cable that is modular and has a newer Rhodium plug that I like quite a bit on the Totem sound. The new Ultra is different which introduces a touch more warmth and body vs the stock Totem but now the stage is enhanced to even greater effect. The Rival already has a crazy dimensional sound going on and the Ultra enhances that feature to the 9th degree. The sound is the true definition of encompassing. You are surrounded by high end audio with the Rival and the Ultra is a clear level over stock cable which was the standard Totem. Since the Totem material is a part of the Rival make up. Naturally if you end up getting one of the Totem variants the IEM will tilt a bit toward the Rival tonality. The EBC80 for example ends up sounding like a cousin version of the Rival when using the Ultra especially.

Here is where a bit of comparison of the 2 core Totem comes into play. Basically for current owners of the standard Totem, if you can imagine even greater spacious presentation. Deeper more grander sounding, even more separation, bass and fullness of sound from your IEMs using the Totems that is basically what you're getting with the Ultras. I would say the standard Totem is roughly 80% of what the Ultra is. I know paying $300 more for %20 more sound enhancement is clearly a diminishing returns type of thing. Double the cores here does not mean double the effects. The one negative aspect of the Ultra is that it now has double the gold plating which if you don’t know. You don't need a lot of the gold plating, especially on copper material for how it works. This in turn warms and enriches a sound even more so for the Ultra vs the standard 2 core Totem. I would say if you're happy with your Totem do you need the Ultra? That depends, if you're a huge fan of the material and make a good income. Why not? But for the rest of the folks. You're getting more of the same in the case of the Totem, which s not a bad thing.

Penon Voltage
Absolutely superb pairing on the Voltage. The other IEMs I am writing about both use Sonion bone conduction for an enhanced stage element so the effects of the Totem Ultra is even more noticed on the Voltage here which does not have that BC driver to enhance its stage. By traditional IEM standards the Voltage has a big spacious sound which is clearly enhanced even further using the Ultra. There is no comparison going from its stock Obsidian cable to a TOTL level IEM cable like the Ultra. The Voltage is clearly knocking at the doors of TOTL level for sound using the Ultra. The Ultra makes everything folks love about the Voltage balanced sound signature and takes it into the next level. Having the Ultra connected to the Voltage clearly shows just how much the Voltage deserves a nice quality higher end cable. Even over the Rival and the ISN EBC80 the Voltage benefits the most using the Ultra. Going back to my post about how the Ultra is the most effective toward more neutrality. The Voltage does not have any BC drivers like the other two but more importantly it is the more neutrally balanced and tuned IEM. What the Ultra does with the Voltage pairing for vocals is astounding. It is what you would expect a 1K level IEM cable pairing will do and it clearly shows on the Voltage. My absolute favorite pairing out of the 3. The Rival is a close second with the ISN EBC80 while enhancing its sound is a clear 3rd in line for synergy.

ISN EBC80
I was so very much excited to try the EBC80 with the Ultras and it does make them sound stupendous but I can tell sound wise it is not the best pairing out of the 3 and here is why. The EBC80 already has an underlying full bodied sound and tonal character especially for its lower mids. The Ultra here highlights that area, its bass, its stage, its imaging aspect but tonally the sound has become a bit too rich, almost dark in tonal qualities for its mids. Ultra in a nutshell is a bit much for the Sonic tonal qualities for the EBC80. It will be the Penon Pyramid either the VI or the VIII that synergizes better on the EBC80. This is a case where warm + warm = darker. I actually like the standard Totem better on the EBC80 for better synergy as it does all the positive aspects of the Totem but does not overly color the sound profile. Hence this is the reason why the older standard Totem should not be overlooked. So my thoughts on the synergistic aspect of the Ultra is that when it works it is mind blowing. It does enhance the EBC80 with all of what I included in the pros section of the descriptor but this is a case where the base sound profile is already rich and has that expansive stage using BC drivers. In other words you don't need to spend a 1K worth of Totem just to reach peak ISN EBC80 is my point. The sound is ethereal using the Ultra the other cables I mentioned does not quite do but it is very close especially the stock Totem and the Pyramid VIII. Don’t get me wrong it will be very impressive to hear the EBC80 connected to the Ultra but from a sheer synergistic standpoint I do like this cable on the Voltage over the EBC80 just because the other cables won’t enhance the Voltage at the level the Ultra does.

In closing.
We are getting some outstanding cables out of Penon land but this is a case where doubling the cores brings the absolute peak Totem cable for the masses. Connected to a well balanced sounding IEM the pay off is huge. It's unmistakable just how much this cable enhances for a richer, more bodied and nuanced sound. Stage elements in all directions get a jump as well as its imaging. The silver plated in Palladium elements within its cores balances the sound profile and lives up to its TOTL billing as Penons best cable. Penon house sound is clearly represented in both the standard and now even better with the Totem Ultra. If you're asking yourself if you need a cable like this for your IEMs? Well that all depends. If you feel your IEM can use a bit more stage, more density, more dimensions, adding a richer sound profile. Like your bass big bold and beautiful. Mids full bodied and nuanced.Trebles with all the ability of them EST infusions? The Totem Ultra will deliver in spades

Simgot ET142 AKA Prometheus

The newest IEM from Simgot is not without some minor controversy. Initial batches of the new Planar based hybrid from Simgot got some not so warm impressions from the regulars on the tube with some saying its good but the tuning is a bit hot. Some just outright did not like them. I do know on open listen they are not ideal. My own initial take on the ET142 was not all that complimentary of the IEM but this was one where I had a feeling a bit of time tinkering with its tuning nozzles with a bit of burning in would help. I have heard a lot of IEMs that don’t sound so good out of the box so the ET142 was yet another IEM that I don’t recommend actually taking seriously till you get some hours on the baking oven and I highly suggest trying out their included nozzles before assessing the ET142.

The sound gets smoother, more bodied with better cohesion, the trebles especially changed for the better. In other words, the sound has matured a lot and is not the grainy mess I heard on open listen. As of writing I have had the ET142 for a few months actually and it was due to Simgot pulling a bit of a surprise. Simgot looks at reviews and to their credit they have held onto the initial launch of the Prometheus AKA ET142 until they did some extra tinkering in the form of extra nozzles. They now include 2 more nozzles in their box package so you now get a total of 4 sets of nozzles including the two original ones that came with the initial batch of the ET142. With the ET142 getting a nice longer run in and with the new additional nozzles for the ET142 the new name for the ET142 is now Prometheus. Simgot is ready to launch their newest planar hybrid.

A few disclaimers on the way I assess IEMs. First of all I always burn in every IEM I review at a minimum of a week's time. I do take some notes between open box and their final sound so it has nothing to do with my brain getting used to the IEM. Guys that have a knee jerk reaction to how the new Prometheus sounds out of the box and take the sound for what it is without burn in are doing the IEM a disservice in my opinion. That goes for every IEM. I am a very firm believer of getting the best out of every transducer that goes into my ears to know the sound before reviewing. Take that for what it's worth because there are a lot of reviewers online and on the tubes that don't care to do any of that. Truth is some IEMs reveal themselves right away and some don’t. Prometheus is the latter. These take a bit of time and tinkering to get the best of which I will describe here for my reader.

I use a minimum of 5 different sources. Which in my opinion is the minimum for really getting to know a sound. But that's just me. I see too many reviews of guys using a single source for their review and once again that is doing the IEM injustice, as there are some that believe sources don’t matter. In any case, here are my thoughts about Simgots newest Hybrid the Prometheus.

I would like to thank Fia Lam of Simgot for providing a review sample of the ET142. You can find more information about them here. The ET142 has been burned in for a week period and has been listened to on and off for a period of 2 months. My sources used for the ET142 are the IBasso DX300Max, Ibasso PB5 amp, Ibasso DX180, Fiio M15, Fiio M15S, IFI signature and Fiio K9 pre ESS.

The old burn in debate might peep its ugly head on the topic but I know for a fact folks that don’t bother with any of that before doing any reviews, hence the not so positive reviews of the ET142. I suppose when you have over a dozen new IEMs on the review cue and no time to burn in anything, I can understand that. On the other hand, some IEMs need that time for the driver to settle and bring out its best version of itself. The ET142 sounded especially harsh on open listen. All that has changed due to Simgot recognizing a few aspects about the ET142 tuning that does not bode so well for western likes in sound tunings.

There are IEMs that don't need burn in but the ET142 is an IEM that absolutely requires it for them to show what they are about. To my surprise a lot of the criticisms I had earlier about the shouty nature and such are mostly gone but it also has to do with the new nozzles they have included. I am hearing much better cohesion between planar and PZT drivers which is yet another reason for burning in the Prometheus. Bass seems to have better clarity and definition. Mids sounds more smoother with an organic overtone, much more melodic, better density with more substantial note weight. It was the upper mids and treble which were the areas of contention on the open box listen. Trebles much better after a week of burning however it still has that Piezo characteristic timbre. The good news there is that It's actually integrated well with the Planar. Way better than on open listen. It has to be one of the best implemented Piezo drivers for its sound I can think of.

What they come with.
The new Prometheus comes with a gray colored rectangular medium sized box case with a magnetic lid. This case is just big enough to store the Simgot LC7 cable with its 3.5mm single and 4.4mm balanced plugs, A set of extra tips and the IEMs. This is a case where I feel the case does not account for the more substantial LC7 silver plated OFC cable which cost about $60-$70. It all fits in the case but barely. I think Simgot would have done better to provide a bit larger case for the Prometheus. It also comes with 3 sets of silicone tips and 2 new shorter filtered nozzles that clearly changes the tuning of the new Prometheus and if that's not enough, it also comes with a set of their tuning foams meaning you can customize the Prometheus to exactly how you like to hear your new Planar hybrid.

Sigmot tuning.
Simgot does several variances of the harmon tuning. Which some folks are not a fan of, but today's IEMs all seem to use a variant of the harmon tuning to one degree or another. It is now rare to see an IEM not have any pinna gain or an enhanced upper mids emphasis. The way our hearing portrays sound that emphasis is needed for sound balancing and presences for the mid bands. Prometheus is guilty of having a bit of extra in an early 2.5khz pinna gain with its stock nozzle and treble that has a spike at the sensitive 8khz region. If you end up trying their gold nozzle the sound does become a touch shouty and that 8Khz spike in the trebles causes a bit of glare for percussion noticed for crash cymbals for rock music. The mids are actually organic sounding with a smooth finish and its bass end is impressive with a boost towards its sub bass. Planar timbre is a thing for IEMs and while I perceive the Prometheus to have a timbre which is a touch soft it makes up for it with an organic smooth musical tonal quality. I really don't have issues with the timbre characteristics and surprisingly the PZT here does a splendid job with the upper treble notes, especially noted after burn in. The 2 new tuning nozzles are physically shorter and with more dampening material which lowers the areas I spoke about earlier.
The good news here is that with the inclusion of these two new tuning nozzles makes the Prometheus much more versatile. The Prometheus goes from analytical and a bit brighter in tuning to a much more musical and even a slightly warm one. Ya you read right, a warm Simgot? The nozzles don’t seem to hamper any of the technical traits of a highly resolving planar driver being used for the Prometheus.

The 2 new nozzles introduce a slightly warm one in the red ringed nozzle. The other set which is the same nozzle with different level of filter in it and black rings to differentiate from the other set is somewhere between the stock longer nozzles blue and copper and the new warm red ones. The initial longer nozzles have the most upper mids per Simgots harmon tuning philosophy and I had these nozzles long enough to actually get them to sound a lot like the new shorter ones. As they are, the gold nozzle has roughly 13dbs of pinna gain and to my ears does introduce a bit too much upper mids with the inclusion of that 8Khz emphasis. If the Prometheus was reviewed just using this particular nozzle, it would take a warmest sounding source and your thickest pure copper cable to tame that upper mid brightness.

Fortunately, we got choices. Using the longer blue nozzle things get a bit more interesting while still having what I am guessing to be about 11dbs of upper mids. This is the nozzle that comes preinstalled on the Prometheus. That enhanced 8 khz emphasis for trebles seems to highlight the upper mids even more so which makes the blue nozzle tolerable but not so much for your favorite rock tracks.

I know you're thinking, what would make these a good listenable IEM then? Even before Simgot created these two new shorter nozzles, I did some tinkering of my own. What I did was include the tuning foams from the EA1000 tuning kit. But that's a mod you say? Nope. If the inclusion of the new tuning nozzles are not enough for you. Adding a single foam piece underneath one of the included nozzles will smooth out the enhanced areas of emphasis for you.

For my ears I like a foam piece underneath the blue fired nozzle. It takes a bit of the edge off the trebles and the upper mids for me. A bit more clarity above the new black ring nozzles, yet similar in balancing. The new red ringed short nozzle brings down the upper mids of the Prometheus to about 7dbs which makes them sound more balanced, the blacked ringed one seems to be about 8-9dbs. Now we are talking.

Simgot has given the end user. Choices, that saying we all hear differently is so true. It all comes down to just how much upper mids and trebles you like. The included nozzles and foam pieces are all as easy as screwing them on and in my case just inserting a piece of foam underneath the blue nozzle. And with each nozzle change I would highly recommend tip rolling to get the best possible sound for your use case.

Trebles
I have heard plenty of IEMs using PZT or piezo drivers and the Prometheus has a very good integration of the PZT driver for its upper trebles air and detail elements. Its main point of contention is at that 8Khz where it clearly has some emphasis. Again, you can tinker with the foam pieces or the new included nozzles till you get that emphasis tamer than what comes with the copper nozzles. It's interesting that manufacturers seem to think they need to add another driver for upper treble extension and as you know PZT drivers were included to enhance that region. For IEMs that I have reviewed in the past, planar drivers seem to excel at trebles very well actually. I think I would have been more happy if Simgot used a more resolving dynamic driver for bass and just tuned the Planar here for mids and trebles. I know they have used the PZT in their quadbrids the SM4 and tribrid EW300 so maybe they are happy with the results of the PZT driver and carried over that to the Prometheus. In any case. If you're a treble fan you will be happy that the new Prometheus has plenty of treble presence and its extension is ideal. It might have a bit too much actually especially if you're sensitive to the 8Khz emphasized region. The copper nozzle is where it gets a bit much in the treble region in conjunction with the most upper mids for its tunings.
I doubt treble folks will complain about not having enough emphasis here. To be honest I actually like that the treble is not rolled off in the least bit. It's got a full on treble extension and presence for all things trebles. Tinkering with the included nozzles and foam pieces will get the trebles to be just right for you. As you can tell, all this takes a bit of time and my experiences with how I hear them now is in no way a knee jerk reaction to how they sound out of the box. This is one IEM where you have to spend a bit of time on it. In the end It will be worth that time to get them to sound just how you want to hear them.

Mids.
This is the strength of the Prometheus,
So here is where those tuning nozzles will play a part in how you like your mids tonal qualities. The foundation for some smoother full bodied mids are there. The nicely resolving planar driver does a very capable job with the mids presentation which is more bodied than the mids from the SM4 and is more spacious with a better stage than the EW300. Overall sound with the right source can bring out some really good layering in space. Imaging is a strong suit of the Simgot IEM and the Prometheus delivers with a well separated image. I noticed planar timbre was more evident on open listen for the mids more so than how I hear them now. Overall it has natural tonal quality but can be manipulated with the nozzles. It can sound brighter with a more forward female vocal presentation, also highlighting stringed instruments- copper and blue nozzles. Or with a slight warmth and more body highlighting male vocals with a more balanced mids presence-2 new nozzles red and black ring new shorter nozzles. The large planer driver used while giving a bigger sense of stage is not the most dimensional sounding. I would say dimensionalism is an aspect for sound that is difficult to relay correctly. We use the word holography and dimensional and how that translates to how I hear the Prometheus is that it sounds more single plane in sound or more neutrally present vs imaging that floats in space from much higher end IEMs for example. At the given price point this aspect is certainly not bad but something I have noticed as Bone Conduction drivers are the new bell of the ball nowadays which helps with the dimensional aspects of a sound. I have reviewed other Planar IEMs the Letshoeur S12 pro and Dunu Talos, both of which also has a higher degree of resolve. The new Prometheus not only goes toe to toe with them in how resolving the sound can be but It has much more in the way of versatility in its tuning via nozzles and foam dampeners vs both those sets.

Bass
Bass has a tasteful lift toward the sub bass with about 10 dbs of emphasis, an enthusiastic emphasized amount but not exactly basshead level. Simgot does not make basshead level IEMs, on the other hand I have yet to hear a Simgot made IEM with a weak neutral bass emphasis. Its bass ability is adaptable to all music types and genres but does portray the slightly quicker decay of planars for IEMs. And here is where I kinda miss the bass end of the old EA500 or better yet the EA1000. In comparison, that shorter decay does not bring the most textured bass performance. However, all is not lost, for something like speed metal and rock music with faster bass notes, planar bass is just as speedy as a well-designed BA driver. Advantage of the planar driver happens to be its speed, showing excellent tightness for the bass note. Now when it comes to a textured slower decaying woofer sub bass note, this is the area I feel a well vented dynamic will win just about every time for IEM applications. Prometheus has no issue handling a proper tonal character and emphasis for bass. The problematic area for me is in its texture for sub bass. Somewhat soft sounding but to be fair I am comparing the bass ability vs some of the best dynamic bass characteristics. For what it is, the bass end is very capable and even enjoyable. Its emphasis has enough mid to sub bass for proper pop, jazz, edm, hip hop and rock music but true bass aficionados will be wanting a bit more there especially from the sub bass notes from a quality perspective.

If sub bass especially is your thing for IEM performance. Even though the Simgot EA1000 bass emphasis is actually a bit less in emphasis. Its bass definition and texture are excellent at about the same price range.

Closing thoughts.
Simgots new Prometheus is one of those IEMs where they will benefit greatly with some time on the burn-in station and nozzle rolling is required, know this when going into a purchase. The good news there is that each of the 4 nozzles bring a different sound profile, and one is bound to suit your own likes in the sound balancing which can be even more fine-tuned with dampening foams which are included in the packaging. If the trebles are a bit spicy for you from using any of the nozzles, again them tuning foams will do wonders for how you like to hear your trebles.

I know Simgot has a following of enthusiasts that take their releases very seriously. The negative stuff you see and read about this IEM is not as bad as you think, and I don’t care who wrote or shot the video review about them. My advice is try not to take an open box review seriously. Because in my view that person is not actually testing the entirety of what the IEM is about or can do. The ET142 is an IEM that absolutely needs burn-in for better cohesion and fullness of sound. Then you have to tinker with the nozzles to figure out what sound balancing you prefer, then you have to tinker with your best tips after that to finish off that sound. For me it was a piece of dampening foam underneath the stock blue nozzle which ended up sounding good enough for me. The newer shorter nozzles Simgot has included on their newest packaging will actually get you closer to the sound balancing I have achieved, especially the black ringed short nozzle. If you're not one to tinker with nozzle filters you can just use that set. And it is with these newer nozzles that the sound achieves a good price to performance level for the Prometheus. Optimizing the sound of the Prometheus ends up being rewarding with an engaging musical sound, good technical chops with an organic tonal quality and why wouldn’t you want that for your new IEM. Thanks for taking the time to read.

NiceHCK NX8

NiceHCKs budget tribrid IEMs started with the first iteration of the NX7 tribrid IEMs back in November of 2019. The NX7s always consisted of dual dynamics for bass + 4BAs for mids and trebles, lastly a Piezoelectric ceramic or PZT driver for upper trebles. I had the opportunity to see the evolution of the NX7 sound as I have reviewed all 4 versions of them. The most discouraging aspect of the NX7 was that it was using a very confined smaller all plastic housing which limited the sound stage of the given sound. The MK2 version which was labeled as the NX7 Pro came with changeable face plates and different tuning nozzles. Better BAs were added with a newer look on the NX7 MK3 and finally the MK4 got a bit more smoother tuning overall.

So not exactly a huge leap in performance from one iteration to the next if I am to be honest with the one constant in that they kept using the same cramped confined housing for their entire 4 IEM NX7 series. Which resulted in the same confined in your head stage of the NX7 IEMs.Its not that the tunings were bad or even the tech behind the sound. It was going for a higher end sound but my point is, how many higher end sounding IEMs have you heard with a confined stage? The reason why I mention this as a negative is that it was literally a con even on the first NX7. I have never been a fan of the housing being used for this IEM and I have always wanted NiceHCK to try a new housing for this line up and the good news for the NX8 is that it is finally using a new 3D printed housing design.

The new NX8 no longer uses changeable face plates but it does come with a 2nd set of nozzles. Which I am actually glad they did and I will get into why later and show how users of the NX8 can upgrade the given sound performance via a simple nozzle change at the bottom of the reader. For now both sets of nozzles are identical in what they do. My review here is based on what you will get out of the box. It's not written on their web site that is what the 2nd nozzle is for, however they do hint at this aspect shown on this page. Again I will get into that a bit more later but for now the NX8 is using a single 10mm titanium plated dual cavity dynamic, 6BAs and a PZT driver for the upper highs all in a smaller side of medium sized 3D printed shells.

Standardly disclaimers: The NiceHCK NX8 was provided for the purpose of a review. The unit has been burned in fully for a period of a week's time and is now ready for full evaluation using my sources. Ibasso DX300Max, Ibasso PB5 amp, Ibasso DX180, IFI signature, IFI Gryphon, Fiio M15, M15S and Fiio K9 pro ESS desktop.


What you get.
The NX8 comes in a rectangular black box, included are NiceHCKs all black rectangular zip up case with enough room for tips, IEMs and cables and an extra cable or two if you wish. A nice plastic case filled with 2 sets of tips and new to me 4 pairs of NiceHCK C04 eartips in various sizes. Newer grippier type that I definitely appreciate. A 2nd set of nozzles, the cables, a cleaning brush and velcro tie. Its included cable a standard silver plated copper cable can be bought with either single ended or balanced. There is also an option to include some of NiceHCKs higher end cables when buying the NX8 on their website here and here. Amazon also sells them here and here.

Build
As I was mentioning before, the NX8 is a completely new design from what NiceHCK has done before. I suppose when you are physically adding more drivers here to call it an 8 driver IEM you will need a more roomier housing design. Something the prior NX7s did not do well as they barely fit the 7 drivers of the NX7s. It is about time they moved on from the housing used over and over and over again. The new housing shape and size is a compact smaller side of medium in size for universal IEMs and also has a new shell design called Resin droplet starry faceplate.

Which seems to be a printed design. The housing is a 3D printed plastic design and works well enough for the NX8. Its build quality is about par for what you would expect for a $200 IEM and what is important here is how they sound as per looks, I hate to say it but they aren’t the most premium in the looks department. Solid enough and compact in design which I appreciate but the colors of the NX8 don’t really match. Looks are just ok with a brown colored cable, a black housing and a purplish back shell and metal accents don’t scream premium. What matters here is the sound.

Sound
Meta tunings have become the norm nowadays and the tuning on the NX8 is best described as a balanced harmonish tuning with a lift for bass and lower mids. If you're wondering if the NX8 is an upgrade on the sound of the older NX7s. The short answer to that is yes it is but it will depend on if you end up doing a nozzle replacement shown at the bottom of the reader. As they are, it definitely has a more spacious meatier presentation vs the prior NX7 sounds and maybe it might be due to using more BA drivers for the mids and trebles. According to NiceHCK Web site. 2BAs dedicated for mids and 4BAs for trebles. The clear upgrade for the NX8 vs the NX7 is its mids presentation.

Trebles.( Based on the stock included nozzles)
Its treble presence is a touch reserved, smoother sounding vs being exaggerated and enhanced for the sake of fidelity. Trebles are balanced decently and has a nicely present amount of relaxed detail to the sound presentation. While I don’t find the trebles to be particularly airy, it does have good extension and is balanced with its overall sound presentation. What I don’t understand is how NiceHCK can use 5 drivers for trebles to make it sound a touch reserved. ( This turned out to be the nozzle filter underneath the stock nozzles, again see below) The treble is more moderate in emphasis and clearly lacks air and range for its treble region. If you're treble sensitive this is the type of treble you will appreciate but for me I am a bit underwhelmed for its stock treble presentation, especially since it is using a boat load of drivers just for the trebles at 4BAs and a PZT.

Unlike the hyped trebles of NX7 past, the NX8 trebles present a balance of presence with a slightly subdued level of detail. That is unless you start messing with different nozzles. The reason why NiceHCK has included a 2nd nozzle was not because the 2nd nozzle has a different tuning filter in it. I think they know folks have been modding their IEMs as I personally have been using Simgot nozzles on their Himalayas which I pointed out in my review of them in the past. The 2nd nozzle is exactly the same as the included nozzle. Which means you can easily replace them with any nozzle you wish including if you have any extra nozzles from Simgot IEMs. This smoother treble response from the NX8 focuses the sound for their mids and thicker bass end giving it more warmth and body to the sound. Which some folks will like the more musical approach on the NX7 sound formula. If you're happy with what you're hearing from the NX8, no reason to do any nozzle swap like I did but, I bet you're curious about what that nozzle swap does for the sound.

Pic shown of Simgot nozzle left. Stock nozzle right.

Which one you think will bring out a more open proper sound on the NX8?

Just my opinion but what NiceCHK should have done is used a longer/ roomier nozzle for their 2nd nozzle with no filter in it at all. ( A message to NiceCHK designers. Please study the Simgot filters and extra nozzle kit here. This nozzle design is superior to what you guys provide.) This nozzle does several things to advance the NX8 sound and fitment. I am not a fan of the stock nozzle of the NX8 as it is short and on top of that has their tuning mesh/ filter underneath that actually is the reason why the treble is a bit reserved for the stock sound design. When using the Simgot nozzles on the NX8. Not only does this nozzle fit like it was made for the NX8. Which also happens to fit their Himalayas and enhance their sound as well. It also provides a more substantial longer stem. Better fitment and deeper insertion of both the Himalaya and the NX8. You can use more tip designs for the NX8 and will seal better inside the ears which also brings a better sound using this nozzle. The different nozzle opens up the sound and stage of the NX8 is the idea here.


The great aspect of being able to use different nozzles is that you can now mod the 2nd filter with a denser foam piece underneath the 2nd nozzle set to bring down a bit of the upper mids and trebles of the NX8 for even more warmth or in my case. Use a different longer no filtered nozzle altogether for a proper treble presence on the NX8. I also noticed the Simgot kit has better foam mesh filters that are less dense which can get you somewhere between open nozzle and the stock included filter which you can't even see light shining through meaning it is a denser filter. Hampering the details the NX8 can actually portray.

The NX8 is using 5 drivers for its treble presentation. And here is a bit of a head scratcher for me. It's a smoother, easier listening, slightly restrained treble presentation and not all that dynamic sounding I might add but I have had hybrid IEMs in the past where one BA had more treble presence and detail aspects vs the trebles I am hearing on the NX8. I suppose you can’t make an NX8 with lesser drivers so having 4BAs and Piezo doing the treble work was done out of numbers sake more than actual function? In any case this is a case where more drivers don’t necessarily give you more or better sound. I certainly appreciate the trebles are easier to listen to but at the same time, I would much rather NiceHCK use their double dynamic array for bass and use less treble BAs and give us more Nozzle options with filter variations that matter. I suppose you have to leave a driver out for their next NX9 iteration.

Mids
And this is the reason why you would want to upgrade to the NX8. It was the first thing that I noticed was clearly an upgrade on the NX7 sound. The NX7s was not necessarily known for their rich mids presentation. And here is where the upgrade from the NX7s comes into play. The mids of the NX8 has a natural full bodied slightly forward and present mid range. NiceHCK is using two BAs, most likely a dual BA for the mids presentation for the NX8. Full bodied, meaty even with a natural tonal character. The balancing of the NX8 is a bit more tilted toward its bass and lower mids vs the upper mids and trebles which brings more body and fullness to the sound.

Where the mids of the NX8 shines is in its depth and height of sound which is good at the price range. Mids technicalities. Its stage, layering, imaging, detail and timbre are all kinda average here at the price. However I do appreciate a more substantial body of note. Which I can’t say was the best on the prior NX7s. So it is definitely an improvement there. However I find the stage of the NX8 to be average for hybrid IEMs but not confined sounding like the NX7s can. This bit of extra space in the sound presentation enhances the NX8 to also be an upgrade on the older NX7 sound. Though I find this to be yet another lost opportunity. I have reviewed and heard other NiceHCK IEMs that have better stage though they cost more, Himalayas. Don't know if it is due to BA placement in the shells or if it is due to the shells being as compact as they are. Its sound stage is more spherical but not exactly wide in presentation. It's certainly better vs their prior NX7s in that regard but nothing that will make you take notice, stage wise.

Maybe it was due to the more forward bass and mid range on the NX8 presentation that make the sound stage sound average but I do find music with a lot of busy aspects to sound somewhat limited in scope. Also adding the fact that its trebles are not the most present in stock form which seem to hamper better technicalities, stage, imaging, layering, sound separation and detail for the NX8 altogether.

Bass
The bass is muscular and full on in the NX8 but I don't necessarily find that it is an upgrade to the excellent bass ends of the NX7s and here is also a bit of a lost opportunity. While I don’t feel it's an upgrade it is certainly not a downgrade in the area. But for a monitor which NiceHCK is charging double the price of the prior NX7 to attain. It would have been nice if NiceHCK actually improved in the bass area but I can’t say that it does. More manufacturers are using two dynamics for bass nowadays vs the single dynamics for bass. And yes it all depends on implementation. Bass on the NX8 is generally in the good category. It's a deep hitting full bored bass, beefy at times with enough presence for modern music. It's more of a moderate emphasized bass. Shows good texture, fairly tight with good level of definition and enough energy when called for. Its rumble is once again good, but it's not exceptional by lower midfi standards. Bass speed is once again just average here but it does show good definition and the ability to punch hard when needed. NX7s bass ends were always good for the price. Even the most critical reviews of the prior NX7s at least liked what NiceHCK was able to do with the bass end of them. The NX8 lives up to the bass end of what was established but I don't feel it moves the bass end forward enough. Everyone nowadays is making hybrid IEMs with decent to good bass.
I suppose I am a bit more critical of the NX8 bass as I have heard every single version of their NX7 and now the NX8 bass and it's a good present borderline meaty in the bass department but it's nothing special at the same time. I was hoping it would lean more toward exceptional here but. If you have owned any of the prior NX7s, you will know what I am talking about here.

In the end
The NX8 are a moderate step forward but certainly not a step backwards. It's not the leap I was hoping for, especially sold at double the price point of the prior NX7s. You are certainly not getting double the sound performance. I would say the main reason for getting the NX8 if you're already an NX7 owner would be for its better, more musical present mids presentation. The mids on the NX8 reminds me a lot of their single dynamic IEMs, the Himalayas mids and how those were tuned, down to the tonality. NX8 timbre and technical elements are not as good nor its stage element but you can certainly tell the NX8 was tuned by the same folks that made the Himalayas. The sound has decent technicalities and I do feel it is an upgrade in general over the older NX7s in both design and sound, but somehow I feel it could have been more. The NX8 nowadays is good for the money but certainly nothing exceptional. Everyone is bringing their A game for IEMs and here is where good is not good enough. Things have to be exceptional nowadays to create a buzz. Unfortunately the NX8 is another option in the sea of hybrid IEMs one can buy that don't necessarily separate itself from the crowd.

However here is where I will highly recommend using and trying a different nozzle altogether on the NiceHCK NX8. I know Simgot has nothing to do with NiceHCK products but you can purchase an extra nozzle kit on Simgot web site here. As stated above in the Treble section, I found out through trial and error that the included nozzles NiceHCK is using has somewhat of a thicker white filter mesh underneath the included nozzles that do exactly the same thing for both sets of nozzles. You can do one of two things here. Since the 2nd set of nozzles give you pretty much the same sound. Take a sharp pin and poke holes into the front mesh of the 2nd set of nozzles.

Or just buy the Simgot filter kit for something like less than $10 on sale and use their included nozzles here with no mesh underneath, or a single foam mesh to smooth out the overall sound of the NX8 a touch- this is nothing like the restrictive white thicker mesh NiceHCK has included on the stock nozzles. This is how you open up the sound on the NX8. I honestly believe this is what NiceHCK should have included as an option for their NX8, or something very similar I should say.

A longer more substantial open nozzle, one where it does not restrict the sound of the NX8 especially its trebles and upper mids. The sound now becomes more spacious with a wider stage, trebles not only have proper presence but sounds cleaner and more detailed showing some air and finesse, finally with some shimmer involved. I can say the stock tuning the treble sounds a bit dull in comparison. This open nozzle mod brings more present and proper trebles to the NX8 formula, making it sound like an upgraded NX8 to my ears in every way possible. The mids sound much more open with better clarity, imaging and precision. The stock nozzle filter can make the mids sound a touch too warm and a touch muted. The open nozzle mod opens up the mids. Bass has more reach and has more authority to my ears with this mod as well.

It makes the NX8 sound proper is the best way to describe what I am hearing. This nozzle mod is so substantial, I feel folks will be missing out on an optimized NX8. A veil has been lifted literally from its stock form and why wouldn't you want to get rid of a veil.

It isn’t like you need to actually do anything for this mod. You just have to screw on a different manufacturer's IEM nozzle which happens to fit perfectly with the NX8 and is a much better designed nozzle with nothing underneath. Simple as that. The Simgot nozzles happen to fit exactly into place like it was made for it. Add to this is that with the Simgot nozzle kit, If you find the sound to be a touch too forward for your likes, the kit does come with better mesh foams than what was included with the stock NX8 nozzles. The Simgot foams smooths out the sound just a touch and sometimes I prefer using a mesh depending on the source I have the NX8 connected to but it is nice to have an option here.

You can basically tune the NX8 to be as warm or as present as you would like. The NX8 with this different nozzle makes them sound more higher end to my ears with a proper treble presentation. Not so much the stock configuration. To me it is a simple but necessary fix. With Simgot IEMs you need to add tuning foams underneath their nozzles but for NiceHCKs new NX8.. YOU NEED TO OPEN UP THAT SOUND! And this is how you do it. Adding a better cable helps in this department as well. I know it's not common to see mods suggested for an IEM that is being reviewed but in this case. It will be worth your time and effort if you choose to go this way. You have literally nothing to lose but more so discover just how good the NX8 can sound.

In their stock state. They sound warm and thick but have zero shimmer to the trebles with an overly damped treble note. Not only does this add a proper presence for treble, it opens up the stage with better clarity and brings better technicalities altogether. I was hoping this was what the intended sound was going for and the good news there is it is as easy as throwing on a nozzle that was not a design aspect of the NX8. Let's call this mod the NX8s. The small s stands for Simgot nozzle or special edition.

If you like a smoother, easy to listen to frontal musical warmish sound to your IEMs presentation. There is no need for a mod at all. You will definitely appreciate what the stock NX8 sounds like in its intended form. But if you're like me where you own much higher end IEMs that actually have excellent treble notes and what that does for your sound. Track down a Simgot nozzle for the new NX8s configuration. Look at it as a special edition NX8 one where you don’t have to spend another $200 for another variant of the NX8 be it a pro or MK2 to find out what an upgraded NX8 would sound like. Do the mod and find out for yourself it won't cost much and if you actually own any of the Simgot models, any of their included 2ndary nozzles will work. Thanks for taking the time to read.

ISN EBC80

ISN is a sister company of Penon audio, not really a secret but the tuning direction of the ISN IEM has seen a slight shift. Actually we are seeing somewhat of an evolution of the Penon branded IEMs and even Tansio Mirai which is also a partner company that has seen a shift of sound direction. Traditionally ISN IEMs were the fun version of the Penon tuning angle meaning ISN IEMs always included some bass at the forefront of its tunings. The H60 and now the EBC80 both have that bass emphasis but now sound more like traditional Penon IEMs. I suppose there is no rule that says you have to strictly stick to a tuning method or a type of sound. This sub brand of Penon allows Penon to explore more different tuning angles.
Minus one Penon Turbo the rest of the Penon line up adheres to the “Penon sound.” The new ISN EBC80 sounds more like a Penon branded IEM than an ISN one which again, this tuning angle and direction they are aiming for was more than a surprise to me. If you called the EBC80. Penon Zenith or whatever you want to call it. It would fit in the scheme of their prior releases easily. Minus the naming scheme which indicates the driver make of the EBC80. Does not diminish the fact that it was designed perhaps by the same team that created their Voltage, And their flagships in the Rivals. The ultimate version of the EBC80 is the Rivals which deservedly gets the Penon TOTL title. So where does that put the EBC80?

Maybe it was because Penon did recently release their top end TOTL the Rival that they are using the same Sonion BC drivers for the EBC80. Just my opinion but if you ask me where the true start of diminishing returns begins. It starts at the mid fi level. Budget stuff for now is budget stuff, which always has some limitations for their sound. Open up the driver count, utilize higher end drivers and tunings for a well made mid fi level IEM and now we are talking something very similar to the top of the line IEMs in the industry. Sure the top end IEMs have more refinements to their sonics but going from a well designed mid fi offering to a top level IEM. We are talking about true diminishing returns. Case in point the EBC80 is ISN trying to outdo others in the price range and it has everything to do with the driver choices for its make up.

The EBC80 does not have gaudy numbers as far as drivers go. As the name indicates it includes 8 total drivers that brings the sound of the EBC80 to a nicely respectable higher end level. What makes the EBC80 sound great is a mish mash of driver tech. 2 Sonion Electrostatic Drivers + 1 Knowles BA for highs + 1 Sonion BA for Mids + 2x8mm liquid silicone dynamic drivers for the lows, + 2 Sonion Bone Conduction drivers. The shell size is on the larger side of medium in shape. Folks that currently own the ISN H60, the shell shape and its size are very similar, so you might get a good idea what I am talking about. The shell shape for the given larger sized drivers it has is compact and its looks are very clean in all blue. The classy metallic blue and gold flakes with a clean gold trim for the face plate exudes a bit of luxury and class. With the nicely matching all blue ISN C2, H2, or S2 cable it is arguably one of if not the best looking ISN IEMs they have ever made. The sound is where it's at, however.

The retail price will be sold at $699. The price on the EBC80 is quite aggressive imo. Comparable IEMs with similar drivers and more importantly their sound level will definitely cost more.

When you purchase the EBC80, you are given a choice of 3 different ISN cables. This is the first time I can recall any manufacturer giving the buyer an actual choice on which cable to get for the IEM they are about to purchase. ISN is no stranger to cables, I believe they were making cables even before IEMs. The well matching ISN C2, H2 and S2 are the 3 choices. All are well matching on the EBC80 and by design are modular meaning you will get both single ended and both balanced plugs to go with them. Depending on which cable you choose, you will get a slightly different flavoring to the EBC80 sound signature just based on what the cable introduces to the overall sound. For non-believers of cable effects, I am sure you can just get whatever cable out of the 3, but for folks that believe everything in the sound chain makes a difference these are my findings on what these cables do for the EBC80 sound.

ISN C2
Bass, you want the most impact and focus on the warmth detail of its outstanding bass, natural full bodied mids character while retaining a slightly smoother treble presentation overall. That would be the ISN C2. Its a pure copper cable and has no silver plating like the other two cables. If your main source you use is more of a neutral bright sound in tonal character. You should get the ISN C2 to match up with the ISN EBC80.

The middle ground of these 3 cables is the H2 as it has half the S2 cores and the other half of the C2 pure copper properties.
The H2 has slightly cleaner presentation from the C2 but it mostly retains the dynamics enhancing qualities of the C2 cable while having just a sliver extra better clarity on the EBC80 vs the C2 cable. If you can't choose between wanting the full bass vs the technical enhancing and clarity of the ISN S2. I would choose the ISN H2 as it is literally the middle ground between the C2 and the S2.

ISN S2
It easily will bring the cleanest tonal character out of the 3 cables, not to be confused with bright. The S2 does not have enough pure silver material to make them purposefully bright. This being said. The Copper material on the C2, H2 and the S2 is a higher end 6N OCC and is comparable to UPOCC in quality. Adding a pure silver plating over the cores brings the OCC material to a higher level of clarity and enhances the detail level of the EBC80. The biggest difference between the cables comes from when you compare the C2 vs the S2 as you're going from a pure copper presentation to a silver plated one. For folks that are detail freaks and want the most transparent version of these 3 cables that is where the S2 will be at an advantage. If you're using a warmer source. IFI, IBasso, Shanling. Fiio M15S for example. The S2 will match well.

The S2 brings out the full BA+ 2xEST implementation for its treble performance. It's not that the other two are somehow gimping the trebles here. It's just that the S2 enhances that area with highlighted detail while the C2 is the opposite or bass enhanced in emphasis. Choose accordingly

For an included cable these cables are good throw in and matches well with the Sonics of the EBC80. They are leaps ahead of your standard throw in cables. Not only do they match color wise but they match sonically as well. How you want to match cable performance with the EBC80 as its tonal character is more neutral leaning vs leaning overly warm or cool wise for tonality. So you can tip the sonic flavor toward which side of the fence you want your EBC80 to be enhanced. The smooth natural slightly warmer in the C2 to a more clean, clear, more detailed and airy side in the S2 or somewhere in between in the H2. You really can't lose with any of these cables.

However, I do encourage some cable rolling for seasoned vets at the game. The included cables will give you a good taste of what the EBC80 can do but I highly advise trying out your best cables to customize the sound to your liking. My favorite cable pairing for the EBC80 is the Penon Rivals thus far.

The ISN EBC80 was provided by Penon Audio for the purpose of a review. Was burned in for 1 week and are now ready for evaluation using my sources. IFI Signature, Fiio K9 Pro ESS, Ibasso DX180, Ibasso DX300Max, Ibasso PB5, IFI Gryphon, Fiio M15, and Fiio M15S. You can look them up on Penonaudio website. Here.

Sound of the EBC80 is utilizing one of the newer hotness in driver tech for the IEM world in the dual Sonion Bone Conduction drivers. All of the prior IEMs I have experienced using this driver tech have easily become some of my favorites of this year. The Tansio Mirai Shock, Penon Rivals and now the EBC80. IEM sound presentation becomes different. Way more engaging than your traditional hybrid or tribrid that don't use these drivers. In the past, you had to get a rather larger housing using a lot of drivers for a hybrid or an all BA IEM to present a larger more dimensional stage or at least without using BC drivers. What these drivers introduce for your sound presentation is a stage enhancing ability like nothing else in the market. We banter around the word spacious in how we describe a sound and this word when describing the use of Sonion Bone Conduction drivers takes on a whole new meaning. Sound is more spacious alright but the actual layering of the IEM sound becomes supercharged. It becomes holographic.

Sound separation within the elements of your music brings different layers of sound. How the vocals was recorded with the instruments in the background vs how the percussionists are laying down the rhythm all have their own sound field within the recording. When listening to conventional IEMs. A cohesive experience would have all these elements at play but within the same sound field of your hearing. Not so much with the EBC80. Sound separation between the different layers within the track becomes even greater, throwing out a true holographic dolby type sound. It can be quite jarring the first time you hear it and once you hear what that sounds like for your favorite tracks. Going back to how good you thought your IEMs sounded before does not sound as dimensional.

The out of your head stage on the EBC80 is one of the reasons why the EBC80 sounds more like a much higher end product than the price would indicate but then it also comes down to the tuning. The EBC80 is tuned similarly to its prior sibling the H60. The H60 was and still is a very popular IEM and so it was ideal for ISN to tune the EBC80 in a similar fashion. Now with added EST for its trebles and dual Sonion dynamic drivers. The prior H60 already had a wider stage for IEMs but you can only imagine what that would be like with these bone conduction drivers that spread the sound even more so. Big broad, wider than wide, deeper than deep. The layering of the sound is enhanced to the point where Everything playing in your tracks has a plane of sound. A floaty well recorded track of any type and you are completely surrounded by the music.


Trebles.
The trebles of the EBC80 get a nice upgrade in ability using dual Sonion ESTs. Trebles have plenty of sizzle and pop. Another reason why the EBC80 brings a higher end sound, its balanced and extended treble brings a higher level of treble detail for your music. ISN definitely brought their A game when it came to tuning the EBC80. The single Knowles treble BA does a splendid job at the macro detail level of the treble notes. ESTs handle the upper trebles which brings an articulate treble note handling a lot of the micro nuances for the trebles. Here is where burn in matters. The trebles out of the box was a touch grainy sounding, which no longer sounds like that after the burn in. Despite what you know about burn in. In my experience with EST drivers, these do need a burn in for them to function 100%. BAs on the other hand, while also needing burn in, does not benefit as much as the EST drivers or on the opposite end handling the EBC80 sound their outstanding coaxial bass. Trebles has a clean crisp detailed dynamic tonal character to the treble notes with some very nicely done airy sizzly treble notes when called for.

This track clearly lets the listener imagine the percussionist strumming along the ride cymbals. Each hit of the cymbal you can hear the input of the drummer's emphasis. This is how you can tell just how dynamic and detailed the treble notes are for the EBC80. The extended airy treble notes on the EBC80 clearly shows a higher level of refinement from something like the ISN H60 for example. It's not just a matter of tuning for more treble presence but more so its actual definition ability which I find the EBC80 to be more accurate in tonal character overall.

I was debating whether having 4ESTs or even 8ESTs vs the 2ESTs in the EBC80 makes a big difference. Having reviewed IEMs with multiple EST drivers in different IEMs for me anyways it all seems to come down to how the trebles are tuned vs the number of ESTs in question. There is more of a difference going from 2ESTs to 8ESTs vs going from 2ESTs to 4ESTs. Unless you have the hearing of a child the differences in EST ability and how they help for treble articulation is negligible imo going from 2ESTs to 4ESTs. Unless someone can prove to me otherwise this was my experience anyway with tribrids and hybrids that I have reviewed in the past and in the EBC80.

EBC80 has just as much extension, definition and shizzle as something like the 4ESTs in the Voltage, even more so vs the old Volts that both use 4EST drivers. Treble perception is all over the place due to physical and age limitations for the listener. The important treble end for a higher level of IEM I can argue is more important than even the bass end and how they are tuned. Because even budget fi has offerings that do some really good bass. What separates a higher end sound vs their cheaper counterparts have to do with the trebles and the important mids how it is ultimately presented to the listener. The very definition of articulation has to do with a clear and distinct sound, and or clarity in the production of successive notes. I would also like to add to that element of articulation just how dynamic and defined the treble notes are. The EBC80 trebles notes balances a fine line of high level of definition showing excellent transient qualities. Its extension adds to that an airy full range experience. This is what separates the EBC80. Trebles are just excellent in quality overall and that is just one of the reasons why the EBC80 is easily the best sounding ISN IEM to date.

Mids of the EBC80, when I was describing what the Sonion BC drivers are doing for the EBC80 sound. I was actually describing how its mids sounds. The dual Sonion BC drivers are a full range variety, so it covers the entire sound of the EBC80. Unlike cheaper dish BC drivers, I have heard in the past. The entire sound gets an uplift, most importantly that dolby processing you will definitely appreciate on the EBC80 mids. The mids tuning is masterful as it is not a forward or shouty type of mids character or do they have anything in recession. At the same time the sound is projected like the first time you saw the Movie Avatar on a 3D Imax screen but for your ears. The quality of the Sonion BC drivers in conjunction of the more accurate well balanced rich mids character of the Sonion BA makes it sound like you have 4 BA drivers. It's quite magical to hear your music being projected the way the EBC80 does. Its technical level is on a different level especially in the realm of sound separation and imaging due to what the BC driver is doing. I don't feel a conventional IEM even with 4BAs doing mids can really compare. I do know that using 2 BAs for the mids adds just a bit more extra for the sound imaging and layering. As that is what's on the current Penon flagship the Rivals. But if you told me without knowing a single BA driver was handling the mids of the EBC80. I would have said, you are crazy. Airy well separated, clearly defined levels of imaging that surrounds what your hearing is what I am talking about.

The Sonion BA handling the mids bring their sound character to the EBC80 sound, I would say the overall sound presentation is a rich holographic one. The rich tonal character for its mids are very familiar to me. This is the basis for the Penon house sound and is the reason why I feel these line up with more of a Penon branded IEM vs an ISN offering. Mids with its natural richness, full bodied, have the right amount of definition and clarity in space. Absolutely spectacular technical ability and layering. Imaging on a level of higher end IEMs. I feel the Sonion BC drivers while it will have an effect on all of the sound is the most effective for the mid bands. Mids clearly have a special presentation vs your conventional IEMs. BC drivers are the wave of the future my friends. If you weren't so sold on what BC drivers do for an IEM sound. I encourage you to try one with Sonion BC drivers. It is, in my opinion, a game changer.

Bass. Again rich in tonal character. Dual 8mm liquid silicone dynamics handle the bass and was the perfect choice for the sound of the EBC80. If you're going to have some special sound going on. You can’t just bring a standard bass end right? First time I heard a silicone dynamic being used for the bass for an IEM was on their older flagship, the ISN EST50. This tribrid brought a rich bold stout bass end. I can very much hear the tonal similarities for their sounds in the EST50 vs the new EBC80. However, that is the only aspect that is really similar. Minus the bass emphasis of the EST50, Just about every aspect of the old EST50 gets an upgrade on the EBC80 sound. The EST50 to this day set the standard for a rich bass end for me. The EBC80 using two of them in unison, the bass end is sheer quality. Every single bass note is clearly defined. Punchy, tactile and even edgy when called for. The bass end stays in place with a definition level that is easily as good as the bass end on its more expensive brother the Voltage.

Bass level is a moderate 8dbs of the stuff a bit less for its mid bass, which puts the EBC80 squarely in the more accurate bass category. If you have never heard a dual dynamic bass array punching the bass notes. The bass end sounds and feels like it has more physical emphasis than how it graphs. So the EST50 has about 10dbs of bass with a much more relaxed upper mid emphasis which gives that IEM a more warmer tonal character. EBC80s bass allows for a more refined balancing. It's enough bass to give an accurate punchy upper to low bass presentation. I own bass sets that might have more bass emphasis but the EBC80 has it where it counts, and that is its quality.

The bass end has a defined character that I can only attribute to higher level IEMs. Don’t know how you describe a rich bass character but the EBC80 is so well defined in character that it's nothing but rich. Providing a slightly darker tonal character the bass is the tight, punchy, textured rumbly with authority type when called for. Controlled, sculpted and highly organized. The bass clearly stays away from the broad wide mid range. The only other set that I would say has a richer bass character is its rich older cousin the Penon Rivals. Otherwise, I find the bass to be borderline special on this set. It's not surprising that ISN brought one of their all-time best bass performers on the ISN EBC80, but doubling down on the drivers. The bass end gets a nice quality upshot for its presentation that I absolutely adore on this set. This is the main reason why you want to do a nice one week worth of burn in. The silicone dynamic blooms and becomes the quality bass that it has after that burn in. The only real complaint I have is that the bass decay is a touch slower which makes it sound a bit slower at times but in reality, I don't feel it's slow at all. If anything, bass notes are very accurate with a real high quality bass performance and that is what matters to me.

In the end
ISN has done it again. I can remember their first big bang for buck hybrid that made some waves with the classic ISN H40, I still listen to them on occasion, and it was even evident with the H40 that ISN was onto something. It was more musical in approach vs being the strict harmon tuned or analytical. Nice wide stage, a fundamental warmth with a punchy bass end. The high-end flagship level version of the ISN H40, ISN H50 and the ISN H60 is the EBC80. It's the level of refinements for all parts of its sound that warrants the cost. I can easily say the EBC80 is the best sounding ISN IEM they have ever made. It still retains that musicality, a slight warmth to the mids with a punch bass end that is the house signature of the ISN IEM but now with a strikingly supreme higher end groundbreaking stage element that you have to hear to believe.

Headphone guys get open cans. In the IEM world there is no such thing as an open IEM. Well, I take that back. I do have a few that are semi open but let's be real. IEMs are in your ears and not outside of them. With the use of these new Sonion BC drivers we get something that works on an IEM level and in my opinion brings a level of imaging and immersiveness you would need to pay a premium for in other types of speakers for your ears to achieve. The imaging in space is just simply mind blowing at times and it is definitely unique to IEMs that use these BC drivers. If the true immersive grand 3D sound presentation does not get you to understand what I am talking about. Its supremely balanced tuning with its versatility will. The retail price for the sound you are getting, you better believe, is aggressive. This is a statement piece by ISN and until another IEM pushes the sonic level up one more time. These are the sets that set a new bar at the price they are asking for admission. To my ears there is nothing close and no close second. Thanks for taking the time to read.

Tansio Mirai Armor.

The Armor is the newest tribrid IEM from Tansio Mirai. So these guys are making moves in the industry. No longer are they sticking to a strict all BA diet of IEMs that was their staple, they are clearly moving toward hybrids and tribrids with the incorporation of what has become a staple bass implementation, dual coaxial dynamics for bass.

I remember not too long ago if a manufacturer tuned an IEM for bass performance you can pretty much forget about an immersive mids experience and or any type of articulate trebles to go with it but it seems Tansio Mirais new sound direction is this very idea of incorporating audiophile tunings with a stout bass end to go with it. So in turn, you get the best of both worlds. What's interesting here is that the new Armor is slotted in the scheme of things above their FEAT IEMs and below their Anniversary X IEMs. This clearly means it will be an upgrade on the FEAT but not exactly at the Anniversary- X spot in the line up. The good news there is that they have a sound and a performance of their own and in an interesting twist, is by far their warmest sounding IEM I have heard from the group. In general terms, it's not exactly an overly warm sounding experience but describing a Tansio Mirai IEM to have a warmer tonal presentation, well this makes the Armor not only unique among their line up but dare I say a first for the group.

The Armor is using a 5 driver configuration. Dual coaxial carbon based bass dynamics+ BA for mids+ BA for trebles and an electret electrostatic driver that are used for the upper highs of the sound configuration. Some trickle down aspects from its bigger brother the anniversary X in that it seems to be using a very similar set of dynamic drivers and 3 tuning switches that seems to have similar implementation from the X design. The surprising factor of the Armor is that it is a physically smaller side of medium in shell size. Which provides excellent long term use comfort and also has above average passive isolation due to the all resin design.

Included accessories are 2 sets of silicone tips, their standard SPC cable in 4.4mm balanced, a switch tool, cleaning tool and a brown rectangular zip up case. While I don’t make much about the case that manufacturers include with IEMs. I will give props to Tansio Mirai for actually including a usable case. They were guilty of using a very small square case in the past that barely fit the IEMs if at all with almost no room for the cable to go with it. Which made them kinda useless. See pic below with Tansio Mirai Akiba. These new roomy rectangular brown zip up cases are a great improvement as it will easily fit the IEMs, its cable, the tips and even enough room for an extra cable and extra tips if need be. Proper.


Traditionally the Tansio Mirai sound signature has been about technical, detailed monitor like experiences with what were usually enhanced trebles for their all BA IEMs. It seems those particular signatures are now a distant memory. For the past several years Tansio Mirai has been making hybrids and tribrids which utilize dynamics, ESTs and their outstanding Shocks got dual Sonion Bone Conduction drivers. This year has seen a shift in sound direction as they have clearly focused their sound toward the bass end of the sound spectrum. The Anniversary X, Shocks and even their FEAT all featured dual coaxial dynamics for bass and are all bass driven IEMs. I would say these newer IEMs all fit the “audiophile bass” descriptor with the very best of the lot thus far being the TSMR-Shocks, you can read about them here on my review of them. The new Armor is the latest tribrid to include their stout coaxial bass implementation.

However, the Armor here is a departure from the newer Tansio Mirai IEMs in one very distinct difference that will set the Armor apart to be more of an individual in the family line up than just a youngest of the bunch or even lower in the scheme of things. Just because an IEM costs less does not mean their sound enjoyment for the end user will be. I do believe it has to be their first ever warm Tansio Mirai IEM. I mean there were certain aspects of the prior Tansios IEMs tonal character that I would consider warm. Their bass for example but I am talking about tonal character for its mids which is more forward in the mix vs its brothers. With the Shocks that comes the closest to note weight of the Armor but the Armor has a fundamental warmth to its make up that I find quite different for Tansio Mirai. It seems there has been a new mix of sound direction as these are the first Tansio Mirai IEMs that sound like an ISN IEM. Which traditionally had bassy offerings with a slightly warmer tonal character. A more musical full bodied Tansio Mirai? That is exactly what I am talking about here.

These are like the opposite in tonal character from the Tansio Mirai Lands and Sands for example.

Sound.
Given the newer sound direction for Tanso Mirai. They have taken their version of an audiophile tuning and then added their bass element. Everything they have made in the past and present had some outstanding levels of technicalities involved but now with some stout bass. Dual dynamic bass is the rage in 2024. The Armor is the 4th IEM for Tansio Mirai to utilize coaxial carbon dual dynamics. In a way I can understand their newer sound direction and the newer eye-catching designs for their IEMs. I wager to guess that their newer coaxial bass series of IEMs are way more popular than their traditional all BA monitor series. Who doesn’t like bass? I mean even the most dedicated audiophile will have a liking for a quality low end. Well I take that back there are a few of you that like lifeless neutral bass. Can’t have a bass shadow right? Look elsewhere there is no point in getting an IEM that utilized coaxial dual dynamics. You would have loved the older Tansio Mirai. But that was then and this is now.

There are three levels of bass at play here that the Armor has on tap via switches, very similar in the way they work vs their prior TSMR-X anniversary edition. Standard tuning is bass down mids up and treble down or the 1 down, 2 up, 3 down on the switches out of the box. It is in this form that the Armor has a warm balanced L profile. The 1 bass switch up, 2 mid down, 3 trebles down this is the bassiest setting with what is roughly 15 dbs of sub bass lift. Which also has the most lower mids presence for all the tunings. All the switches down with the treble switch in the up position is actually the least L shaped tuning and is more of a V shaped tuning of the bunch, this is the mode that to my ears has enough trebles to balance out the bigger bass end of the Armors. It is also in this mode I find the Armor to have just a bit less warmth which makes sense as it has the least amount of lower mids out of the tunings. It still has a slight overall warmth but sounds more natural to my ears

Tuning switches here are effective in that it will introduce anywhere from a beefy 12dbs of sub bass to 15dbs of more beef. The trebles will only have a slight increase of roughly 3dbs of difference from its position off to on. The best form of hardware tuning was when Tansio introduced the tuning knob in their shocks. While the tuning switches here are not quite as effective on the Armor as the tuning knobs on the Shocks. It does have enough variability to give the end user some legit tuning options. Bigger bass L, balanced big bass, punchy V.

Trebles.
The Armor is utilizing a flat dish electret electrostatic driver which has its own sound channel to your ears. The non offensive trebles of the Armor are tuned with a smooth lower treble quality, its highlighted portions from the upper trebles comes from the electret driver. This is the first time I have heard this particular driver and if I am to be honest, they remind me a lot of piezo drivers in how they perform. Treble is not particularly airy nor does it have the best articulation but for what's there the trebles are ample for the given signature. A warmer Tansio Mirai means these are Tansios versions of the Bose, Sony big bass headphones. I can understand the tuning angle of what Tansio is going for as these are the least technical sounding Tansio Mirai out of the recent dual dynamic IEMs. Trebles are more grounded in how it sounds but allows for some accurate macro transitions from the trebles.

The idea of the electret driver is similar in function to the EST or Piezo drivers in that it only seems to be handling the upper registers for the treble note. It's certainly an interesting addition to the Armor make up but just in my opinion, a good treble BA could have done the exact same thing going on with this electret driver. On occasions I do notice somewhat of a thinner upper treble note which is the reason why they kind of remind me more of the piezo drivers in how they sound. Treble notes are clear and mostly clean sounding with good performance but somehow I am not all that impressed with the Electret and what it is doing. Might be due to the fact that I have heard plenty of EST drivers and what they do. It's definitely no EST driver. I will tell you that much. For me anyways, it's just ok. Nothing that will ruin the sound and your enjoyment of the Armor but nothing that will win you over, thinking you just heard the best treble performance for an IEM on the other hand. This is where I feel Tansio Mirai could have tuned the trebles just a touch better. This being said, it's just a nit pick of mine as its treble is ample for the bold forward projecting sound presentation of the Armors.

Mids
So there is some variability for the mids performance on the Armor. It has to do with how much bass you want in your overall sound. The upper mids seems to have the same roughly 10 dbs of upper mids presence found in its other siblings. It is the lower mids which seems to align with either bass switch up or down depending on your mood. Lower mids add the two distinct tonal characteristics that show on the Armor. Its overall warmth and its body of sound. The mids performance is out of a single BA and does have a richer fuller tonal character to its make up. But it's not the most dimensional or does it really compete with more balanced sets that have mids being the focus for their sound. The mids for the most part has a natural warmer tonal quality in its underlying sound presentation. Its technicalities here are not at the level of the Tansio MIrai X. The FEAT on the other hand is a bit dry in its presentation and mids are not as good as the Armors. The Armor is in the middle ground for its technical ability, its stage, imaging, sound separation, layering and overall detail is somewhat of a standard level at the price it's sold at but with a natural tonal quality that is very addictive at the same time. When you have a 15db sub bass lift, you're gonna have some lower mids coloration and that is what is happening with the Armor. Folks that are looking for ultimate clarity and higher end refinements. I would actually look into the Tansio Mirai X, to a greater extent their Shocks more so than the Armors. Here is where the Armors has a foundational warmth with a more fuller body of note in comparison to both the FEAT and the X. This is the reason why I mentioned that they kinda remind me more of an ISN IEM vs it sounding like a Tansio Mirai IEM.

With the bass switch in the down position the mids have slightly better clarity and its detail is highlighted more so. The mids have a good balance and while its more expensive siblings does a better job at fleshing out the mid bands for folks that are a bit more picky about having a more technical leaning sound. The Armor easily makes up for it with a forwardness that the other Tansio Mirai IEM are lacking at times. This forwardness in its overall sound does have somewhat of a negative affect on its stage presentation. The Anniversary X for example, the mids are not as forward but has a wider, broader stage presentation in turn. The Armor I would just put its stage as being average of the bunch. With the treble switch in the up position, the Armors timbre and tonal character sounds a bit more natural with a cleaner overtone vs the big bass modes of the bass switches.

Bass. So this might be the real reason why you are taking an interest in Armor. The bass adjustments and its impact and performance is very similar to the quality bass emphasis on the Tansio Mirai X. Bass end even at its balanced state is impactful and stays in control throughout a bassy track's performance. It is very clear to me this is the reason why Tansio Mirai is utilizing the coaxial dynamic array for their IEMs bass performance. Tight, speedy, decisive, punchy, textured and visceral. Bass is very much the focus of the Armors sound presentation. I can argue even that if bass is your main focus for an IEM performance and you can’t afford the Tansio Mirai X? Go for the Armor. Or if you like your warmth in overall tonal presentation of your IEM sound go for the Armor. You will get a very similar bass performance out of the box for much less. The warm tonal character here is mostly generated from the bass and its lower mids presence. The lower mids have an increase in emphasis with the onset of the bass switch and hence you get a more forward more frontal sound signature. Most hybrid IEMs even today utilize a single dynamic but the difference is very clear. Double the impact and its extension inside a well-organized shell and you get some outstanding bass performance especially at the price of the Armor. So much so I don't know too many IEMs that has the bass ability at both the FEAT or the Armors price points.

In the end
The Armor to me is not like any Tansio Mirai before it. Yes it utilizes similar bass tech as their more expensive brothers but what separates the Armor from them is that this one has a warm sound to it. Which in my book is actually refreshing coming from Tansio Mirai. It's not just a rehash or a trickle down product from what they have done in the past. It's got a sound unto its own. The FEAT on the other hand was ok at the price point, and you are certainly getting another dose of that dual coaxial bass performance but the rest of the tuning was a bit neutral and not as engaging as I would have liked. The Armor on the other hand has a forwardness to its sound that is bold as the bass end is and this works better in my opinion to bring a more immersive musical angle to the Tansio Mirai formula. Some notable warmer bassy tunings are something like Sonys XBA- Z5, their former flagship bass hybrid iems. JVCs FX850 woodie IEMs. So in a way this signature is reclaiming a bit of the past in how they perform. A nicely done warmer signature was a bit of a surprise to me as I would have never guessed this type of sound would come from Tansio Mirai. If you're in the market for a full blown bass IEM but one where musicality is the focus, the Armor is a set you have to take a good look at. It is because they are different in sound quality that I feel they fit into the hierarchy of Tansio Mirais recent dual dynamic series of IEMs. If you are even remotely considering the Tansio Mirai FEAT. I will tell you to spend just a bit more and get the Armor instead. It is a more bold, full bodied, much more musical, better designed set overall for just a bit more and why wouldn't you want the best for your money. Thanks for taking the time to read. Happy listening always.

The Armor was provided by Penon Audio for the purpose of a review. They have been burned in for a week and were evaluated using my sources IFI Signature, Ibasso DX300Max, Ibasso PB5 amp, Fiio M15, M15s, Ibasso DX180, IFI Gryphon. You can get yourself a set here.
BONUS
I was asked to compare a few similar signatured IEMs. Warm and bassy is the game as I mentioned in my review. I feel the new Tansio Mirai Armor is more similar in how it sounds to a a traditional ISN IEM.

Vs the ISN NEO5
The Neo5 is a bassy warm set using a dual BA for trebles+dual BA for mids+single 10mm dynamic for its bass. Compared to the Armor. The ISN NEO5 has only one tuning. The bass level is very similar to the bass setting on the Armor. Both their mids performance are similar in that they both have a slightly forward sounding mids presentation. Where the main difference between the two comes in the quality of the bass end. The Neo5s bass sounds a touch loose. Its got excellent impact and sub bass rumble but the rumble end is not exactly the quality textured bass end of the Armor. The ISN NEO5 is easier to drive so if power is a concern it will be the one to go with using something like a phone but even if you have a moderately power dongle or even a smaller dap. It should drive the Armor just fine. I also find the the trebles is a touch better defined from the Armor due to its use of electret driver for the upper trebles. It helps that you get an option to lower the bass end a touch and the option to increase the treble end a touch. This brings better treble presence to the Armor sound. For non bassy tracks actually helps with better clarity. On one hand I actually think the NEO5 slightly slower bass decay is addictive. A bit like a real sub woofer but then comparing the texture level of the Armor to the NEO5. I do think the bass end is better quality on the Armor. I also like that I can dial it down for better mids and treble clarity when called for on the fly. The SQ level of these two trade punches but I have to admit the tuning switches of the Armor makes it more versatile vs the NEO5.

Vs the EST50
These are yet another warm n bassy IEMs. The former ISN flagship utilizing 2xESTs+ BA for treble + BA for mids and a 10mm silicone dynamic.-- On a side note. I do believe the bass dynamic used for the EST50 was reinvented to be used on the newer ISN H60 and now on the EBC80. These have slightly more mid bass impact and are a bit more midbass focussed vs Sub bass. I feel the Armor is more sub bass focused but has very good mid bass impact. These I feel are on the SQ level of the Anniversary X more so than the Armor. Sounds a touch richer in tonal character, definitely has the edge on stage presentation and the EST implementation here makes a difference. A touch more refined sounding in its trebles and mids. The Armor is able to increase its treble notes a touch and also lowering the bass emphasis which both the NEO5 and the EST50 cannot do. So it does show better versatility but for sheer quality of its sound I would give the EST50 as being an upgrade from both the NEO5 and the Armor. What is interesting is that, it is the EST50 tonal character that the Armor is more similar to vs the NEO5. Its wider stage gives the nod to the EST50 as being a higher level of bass IEM. But as I mentioned before here is where the dual coaxial bass is so good, as impactful and textured the EST50 bass is. So is the Armors bass end for much less. If your more of a mid bass guy I think both the NEO5 and the EST50 set the house bass sound for ISN. The Armor while not exactly as refined sounding as the EST50 has the advantage from being able to adjust on the fly that has them being that much of a solid value for what it does.

Lime Ears Terra

Lime Ears is a Polish In ear company started in 2010 by their founder and designer Emil. Who reached out to me for a review of the Lime Ears Terra. I have to admit I have been so caught up in Chi fi IEMs as most of Headfi is right now, that it was quite the surprise to be able to audition how “others do it”.

After researching Lime Ear IEMs, my curiosity got the best of me and I just couldn't say no. Lime Ears products have nothing to do with the mass manufacturing processes of the Chinese made IEMs. Seems they are all handcrafted out of Poland with precise custom sound tunings out of their site here. The Terra was loaned out to me by the kind folks at Lime ears for the purpose of a review.

I have to admit I have been oblivious to Lime Ears and their history of making fine IEMs throughout the years. I am all too happy to have found out about them through my research and review process here. It's not a name that was immediately recognizable to me and upon reading about their numerous prior IEMs and reviews. One thing is very clear to me, these guys are serious about higher end sound. I had to know more and more importantly I had to hear a set for myself. Besides, the profile pic of Emil looks like the type of guy you would want to have a beer with to pick his brain about geeky sound stuff. Case in point exhibit A

The Terra was burned in for a period of a week's time and is now ready for evaluation using my sources. Ibasso DX300Max, Ibasso PB5, Ibasso DX180, Fiio K9pro ESS, Fiio M15S, M15, Shanling M6pro, IFI Signature, IFI Gryphon. The review sample is to be returned to their owners at Lime Ears after reviewing. I appreciate hearing my first ever Lime Ears IEM. Thanks to Emil for the audition.

The Terra comes in an olive green square box. Nicely packaged with an included thinner nicely resolving pure copper cable in 4.4mm balanced termination inside a round puck sized all leather case. If I was a guessing man, I feel this cable is much more resolving than your standard copper variants hence they are perhaps a UPOCC or OCC variety. The cable provided is a nicely matching highly resolving copper cable in 4.4mm balanced termination. By no means is the cable a standard copper variant. It does match well with the Terra sound but like most good things that goes into your ears. I am certain you will experiment with cables and sources. The good news there is that the Terra scales amazingly to upgraded cables and sources. Comes with a complete set of foams and Spin fit silicones, a small pouch and a cleaning tool. Just my opinion but if you find yourself using the cleaning tool often. You need to consider cleaning out your ears more frequently, just saying. Onto the reader.

The price of the Terra is give or take roughly $1200. A $1200 IEM nowadays in the Chi fi world usually means you have some ESTs or BCs involved. But for me, regardless of newer sexy drivers being used at the price range it comes down to how the IEM was tuned and how the drivers used were implemented. I will gladly take a well designed and tuned hybrid vs the use of expensive drivers that don’t really add to what the sound is doing but only raises the price. Case in point the Terra is a hybrid which uses some premium drivers in the mix in an all metal aluminum shell. The bass dynamic is a 7mm titanium dynamic that I have a fondness of and I will tell you why in my reader. Uses 5 BAs for the important bass to treble in its sound balancing. Two BAs representing lows-mids, two BAs presenting mids to highs and a single Knowles RAU BA specialized for upper trebles. A 4 way crossover design with some very fluid transitions and cohesion going on for its sound make up.

The shell of the Terra is an aircraft aluminum metal design in a pewter green tint. Its back shells has a unique multicolored colorway called a Polymer Impregnated Synthetic Opal. They stand out for their clean yet colorful looks finished off with smooth rounded edges for the housing. Their physical size is what I consider on the larger side for universal hybrids and with one clear distinction, it has a longer stem for the nozzle. Just my opinion but I appreciate a longer stem in an IEM that was made to go into your ears vs the shorter nozzles. However I can see a possible fitment issue with folks that have smaller ears to fit these correctly. I am seeing some mixed reviews on their comfort but for me anyways they were comfortable for prolonged use. The Terra has some decent passive isolation due to all the metal it is using on its design. The other aspect I find advantageous is that these are not as heavy as you would imagine. Fairly light vs other all metal designs that I have reviewed in the past.

Inside the longer stem, houses their RAU Knowles driver I was told was specifically modified to handle the upper treble extension and articulation. The BA in the nozzle aspect is something that I am familiar with as Fiio has done this exact same design in their hybrids with some mixed results. The idea of the BA in the nozzle is to get at your ears more quickly for one, less distortion and resonances with a pure sound is the goal. And much like the other IEMs I have reviewed in the past with the BA in the nozzle, you will most certainly hear a full range of treble emphasis for the Terra sound tuning. Which leads me to the sound of the Terra.

The Terra sound is what I consider a reference neutral type, a U shaped tuning but one using highly resolving drivers in the mix. I consider it a reference tuning because the Terra has refinements you don't hear in cheaper audio stuff that tries to do the same type of tuning using much cheaper drivers. The overall tonal character is airy, energetic, clean,well balanced, highly technical with details that pop. If you thought neutral tuned IEMs were boring, the good news about the Terra is that it is the antithesis of boring. Music sounds fresh, alive which is helped out by a larger than average headstage for universal IEMs. Its sound presentation is decidedly spacious and deep for IEMs. The sound presents a bit like a higher end open headphone like in imaging and presentation. But then unlike open headphones, these have superb sub bass rumble with a deep hitting organic texture most open headphones can’t do. Not to mention decent passive isolation. If you're the type that loves you, some sparkle to your sound. Well let me tell you about that. The Terra has sparkle for days and while that might sound a bit fatiguing. I don’t feel the treble steps out of bounds or is tuned in excess of balance. Treble articulation is just one aspect of what the Terra sound is about, but there is a whole lot more going on.

A traditional u shaped tuning means mids are deliberately tuned a bit behind the bass and the trebles. This generally gives a wider sense of space for your IEM sound and the stage of the Terra is the first sound element that I appreciated. It has a nicely wide, fairly deep stage to its sound make up for IEMs. Has more depth than height of sound but that depth of sound does well to bring out a full scope of the layering for its sound presentation.

The other aspect of the sound is just how technical and precise the sound is. Technical for IEMs means. Its sound presentation has excellent imaging, a wide spacious stage, superior sound separation, accurate details in all forms, a clean tonal and timbre aspects to its make up. I do notice a bit of BA timbre for its sound but that will happen to most technical sets that are utilizing balanced armatures. BA timbre is best characterized as a rigidness to timbre and at times with metallic overtones. Thankfully the Terra sounds natural and more accurate in tonal and timbre aspects to my ears than not. I took my time in trying a variety of sources and more importantly did some cable and tip rolling and if you pair them with the wrong source, cable and tips, the trebles can have a touch of glare with a thinner note weight. On the other hand, using a nice dynamic warmer sounding source with the right tips and cable pairing for the Terra, the sound becomes world class with a high level of technicalities, fantastic imagining and a clean tonal presentation that is crucial for what I consider reference grade sound.

Trebles of the Terra is a strong suit. A lot of how we perceive both macro and micro levels of details for our music stems from how we perceive the trebles in our music we listen to. The Terra does a wonderful job especially noticed in its treble articulation and present trebles with very good sparkle and shimmer to the sound. Treble imaging is done exceptionally well and I am certain jazz fans will love just how detailed and extended the treble sounds on the Terra. Lime Ears calls it a HERO super tweeter, its upper transients, air, nuances and its treble tonal presentation are some of the better I have heard in the price range that is not using a set of ESTs. Truth is, way before ESTs were ever invented. Folks were finding ways to extend and utilize the trebles like how Lime Ears has done it for the Terra.

However not all is perfect for the treble emphasis on the Terra. I do notice a moderate emphasized 8Khz region, not to be confused with a spike in the region, which means your crash cymbals for rock music will have a slight bit of extra bite to the treble notes. A spike in the region would mean rock and metal music would not be listenable at all but that's not the case for the Terra. The Terra is very transparent to the signatures of your sources. I do notice on more neutral sources that is where this emphasized 8khz region will clearly make you notice.

On one hand the detail level is top notch for the trebles but for folks that listen to poorly recorded music, it's not going to be so forgiving and will expose flaws in the recording. Where they seem to excel is for acoustic and vocal music. Orchestral, folk, blues and Jazz genres are what these excel at. However since they have a capable impactful quality bass end it makes something like EDM, pop and reggae music actually engaging. I don’t feel they sound bad for Rock and metal music in general but its unforgiving highly detailed nature will most definitely expose poorly recorded stuff. Live music sets sound absolutely sublime with them however.

Source matching.
To get the absolute best pairing for sources using the Terra. It will be the warm dynamic sounding source pairings that will rise to the top. IFI signature, Fiio M15s, Shanling Daps, IBasso DX300 & IBasso PB5 which turned out to be my absolute favorite source used on the Terra. A transparently detailed IEM needs a bit of coloration for it to shine. Hence its the warmer sources that pair extremely well with them. I also suggest pairing them with cables with a bit of gold plating to help with a richer tonal character to flesh out the sound even more so.

Mids of the Terra is broad and wide in how it sounds. Its imaging is impeccable and precise. Mids layering is also done nicely. It's not the most dimensional sounding mids I have heard but its excellent sense of depth to the sound does a remarkable job not to make the Terra sound flat and uninspired. Mids have a decided clean neutral tonal character with accuracy in mind and does a wonderful job with detail on a macro level. Vocal clarity and scope is where it should be in the mix and has excellent perceived imaging that is some of the best I have heard at its price point. The natural clean well layered tonal character means your music comes with vibrance and an energy I appreciate about the Terra. Making them one of the best IEMs I have ever used for lower volume listening. To get that clarity it does have more upper mids presence vs the lower mids. It's not the most full bodied sound or the most textured but for folks that prioritize clarity and accuracy that results in an energetic sound profile for the Terras sound experience. The Terra is as technical as some of the best I have heard in the upper level mid fi IEMs. I am used to reviewing Penon IEMs where mids have more substantial body and forwardness as that is a part of their house sound. I have yet to hear other Lime Ears IEMs to know what tuning angle these guys go for but if I am to judge based on how the Terra sounds. These guys seem to be very high on the traditional headphone reference sound signatures. The Terras remind me of a mix between Fostex, Audio Technica, AKG and Beyer Dynamic type sound signatures. So the sound tuning was immediately recognizable to me even on open listen.

If clarity and detail matters to how you like to hear your IEM sound, the Terra is exactly this. Its detail level is on point as are its other technical elements at play. When you listen to other IEMs after the Terra, they kinda sound a bit dull sounding in comparison. On the opposite token if you love some warmth in tonal qualities and a forward mids character. I would look elsewhere. I don't feel the Terras mids are recessed by any means, they are certainly not a forward mids presentation let me put it that way. Again the reason why a warmer sounding source matches so well with the Terra is that it needs that bit of warmth from the source end of things to make them sound the way I am hearing synergistically. A bright neutral source is not recommended as you will get the Terra to not sound all that great.

Bass. Here is where these have a bit of a surprise to my ears with some special sauce sprinkled on top. The bass was tuned with some enhanced sub bass emphasis, just enough bass impact over neutral in its mid bass tuning overall. It does have some nicely textured, organic sub bass rumble for its sound. Which means it's more accurate in emphasis vs being flavored too much. True bass lovers crave a beefy mid bass note. You're not going to find that with the Terras. It's more of an audiophile sub bass focused accurate bass experience. The nicely textured quality sub bass notes was the reason why the specialized 7mm Titanium dynamic was used for the Terra. Mid bass seems to be a combination work of one set of the dual BAs and the 7mm Titanium dynamic. The speed and tightness of the mid bass punch is top notch but when bass extension calls, it is the work of a fantastic 7mm Titanium dynamic. Bass definition as well as its impact is done very well with this particular set up as the sub bass notes are where the Terras supreme texture lies and for fans of low digging deep bass notes, the Terra is very proficient with a high quality well defined bass note. Its decay and sustain for bass is once again very natural in quality. I have always been a fan of the Titanium drivers bass ability and the Terra using this driver makes a whole lot of sense. I am a basshead at heart so I love a good quality bass end and while the emphasis is more on the accurate side of things the sub bass rumble is very satisfactory. The bass end was tuned to stay well clear of any of the mids hence the reason why the mids clarity works well on the Terra.

I have been reviewing a lot of IEMs this year using 2x dynamics for bass usually in coaxial form and one suggestion I have for the Lime Ears crew is that they need to try using two of these fantastic dynamics for the bass end in a coaxial form. Where one bass dynamic is capable, double that ability and you got a bonafide uber impactful quality bass end. What's on the Terra is satisfying but I can’t help suggest the potential there for even greater bass ability. I can’t even begin to imagine two of these bad boy titanium dynamics in a push pull array fully vented enclosure inside one of your IEMs dong the bass end. Some food for thought.

In the end
The Terra is one of those IEMs that you can turn to for listening engagement with accuracy and detail. I have heard IEMs that are even more detailed believe it or not but then anything more detailed in presentation over the Terras and it would end up being a bit of a fatigue pie. Sometimes a bit too much is not a good thing. The Terras are presented like a fine glass of wine, highly nuanced, some sweet overtones in the form of ample sparkle and shimmer for the highs, clean clear and well imaged for its mids with a organic rumbly low end. It's energetic and sophisticated but fundamentally correct in its presentation. A fine mix of highly technical with a good splash of musical. If neutrality and accuracy is what you prefer in your sound listening environment with a bit of extra treble and sub bass emphasis thrown in. This is where the Terra is at its best. I can fully understand what the crew at Lime Ears has made here. These are clearly playing a part of a higher end sound design. These aren’t for the casual or are they for the young. It's for the seasoned audiophile that would like an acoustically treated room inside the Terra shells that brings out your audio in the best of ways. Clean, clear, accurate, a broad stage for IEMs and highly detailed in all parts of the sound. If that sounds appealing for you. Look into Lime Ears, their line up. I have no reservations in recommending to my fellow enthusiasts the Lime Ears Terra.

So my time with the Terra is over but I am very glad to have had the honor of auditioning one of Emils handy works in the Terras. I appreciate the opportunity to see how “others do it.” For me what is universally high end be it from China or Poland is universally high end, and the Terra is a fine example of what the Polish can do. I now have a whole new appreciation for Polish fi, let me put it that way. A shout out and a hearty thanks to you Emil and appreciate the Terra team. The more folks from other parts of the plant that make higher end IEMs, the better our hobby is in my book. As always, Thanks for taking the time to read.

Penon Conductor

Everyone knows Penon makes some fantastic IEMs at all price levels but did you know they are gifted and talented at making earbuds? IEM guys are so caught up on the in head details and how the sound brings joy to your everyday and the one sound aspect IEMs have a hard time breaking through, is sound stage. I know some IEMs are much better at sound stage than others but buds on the other hand don’t really have that issue. Case in point the newly developed Conductor.

The conductor is the very first IEM to incorporate a full 11.2mm bone conduction driver housed right behind the large 14.2mm Sapphire diaphragm, sounds exotic I know, using a strong N55 magnet. Several new innovations here. Not only is the use of the BC driver in a bud format but you can also increase and or decrease the intensity of the BC driver working with the main diaphragm on the Conductor. It is interesting that it has 5 different levels of intensity.

In the stock reference form the BC driver is cranked one notch less vs the maximum effect. Much like how the recent FAN3 with BC driver you have the option of turning on the BC driver and or turning it off. In trying the different settings there is a variance in intensity but to be honest it will be more of an on or an off thing. I mean who gets a BC driver installed in a bud and uses the weakest setting is my point. In any case it does come with a multi tool flathead that can increase or decrease the effect as much as you would like.

What they come with.
The Conductor is a simple package. It comes with a multi tool 2 inch flathead driver that allows for adjusting the bone conduction dial. 2 pairs of rubber spacers for folks that would like the conductor a bit larger to fit better in the ears. 4 pairs of black donut foams, 2 pairs of red colored standard foams, 2 pairs of blue colored standard foams. Its included cable is a standard red PVC finished SPC or silver plated copper cable in any termination you wish when ordering.

A word on the cable and burn in. The all red theme for the Conductor is nice as its included cable is finished with a red colored PVC which helps the look of the Conductor. However, in trying out other cables on the Conductor. The included cable falls into the category of good enough but not exactly optimal. So much so, I actually advise folks to ditch the stock included cable for your better cables, that is if you wish to obtain maximum conductor sound. I review cables as much as I review IEMS so I tried some of my better mmcx cables on the Conductor to see if I can upgrade the sound performance. More silver based for more technical, more copper based if you like your warmth and fullness of sound. However you like your sound. It is very apparent to me that the Conductor is using a nicely resolving dynamic transducer for its sound. Unfortunately to get the sound to be optimal the included cable will show you what you're dealing with but not exactly optimize it. Penon is giving you what they can for the money unfortunately that does not include a better more synergizing cable. I will show some cable pairings at the end of the read.

Burn in. Whether you believe in it or not. I do recommend at least a week's worth of the song and dance that is burning in your new Conductor. Its driver can show you a sound that can sound amazing but unfortunately it won't be that out of the box. Burn in if you know what's good for you. They don't come to you burned in from the factory so you get your best burn in tracks ready. Burn them in, dial that bone conduction to be at max, swap out the cable for a more resolving one and you will see what the fuss is all about. The conductor is easy enough to drive but does scale tremendously to amplification like most dynamics do. Your better sources do appy. I can understand why they have included a way of increasing the intensity of the Conductors Bone Conduction drivers. I have seen posts of enthusiasts that are bothered by strong Bone Conductor vibrations and hence this particular Bud will give you the option of just how much Bone Conducting you can handle. The review here was based off the stock cable and with the Bone Conductor on full 5 out of 5 setting.

Sound.
It is imo a brilliant integration of such tech and a great idea to bring it in the form of a bud. The tuning is more of a balanced full bodied one as you would expect from Penon. And its mids are at the forefront of the sound, maybe the BC driver is focused more so for the mids and its sound properties but that is how I am hearing it. I mentioned Fan3 earlier and how the BC driver works on them. I find it has a similar effect on the Conductor. The stage is just fantastic on all levels. Much more expansive vs your standard buds and even most IEMs. Strings just float outside of your head. Vocals project with a contrast that I find very addictive. It is the first bud to really give off a full 3D sensation of sound for me. Standard buds sound a bit more grounded in how they sound vs the conductor is the best way to describe it. But floaty instruments and vocals in space with some fantastic imaging is what's happening with these.

Its tonal character is very natural with a slight warmth over the sonics, its detail level is outstanding here as well. I can tell the driver is highly resolving. I compared the conductor with the Serratus just to get a baseline of the detail level we are talking about here. And as good as the Serratus is, they are more or less a reference grade neutrally tuned IEM and certainly does not use bone conduction. The Conductor is much more easier to drive but it will be how the sound projects on these that will make you a fan of its BC utilization. The balanced tuning has some excellent clean and detailed trebles involved with the perfect amount of bass both mid and sub to balance out the full engaging mids presentation of the conductor. They give a very personal dimensional space to hear your music with and this is its real trump card. On top of that it has an excellent well balanced tuning which makes all your music come alive.

So while the limelight currently is on the new Fan3 and the new Rival flagship. Penon has secretly been working on the Conductor. These buds are special and while it might not be an end game level for bud sonics, I think bud sound lovers will be over the moon on just how engaging and immersive the conductor can sound.
I forgot to mention I know folks that have some smallish ears that worry about how a larger bud will fit inside their ears. The good news on the conductor is that it is actually physically smaller vs the standard bud shell. You can see what I mean here.

Top TGX Serratus, Left Penon BS1 and right Conductor

However, it does have a fairly thicker neck to the bud. They are comfortable for my medium sized ears but they almost disappear when I am listening. Love how compact the design is. It is the first bud that I feel fits even better over the ear vs straight down for me. If you're a vocal and instrument lover and the many genres of music that represents. You need to pay attention to the Conductor. The tuning is immaculate, the sound balance is for balanced heads. Bone Conduction makes your music pop like you wouldn't believe and the new Conductor is ideal for enjoying your music in the bud form. If you're a bud fan. You got something completely new with some new tech to look forward to. Even if you're not a bud fan. These will challenge your much higher end IEMs for sheer sonics. Absolutely fantastic offering from Penon in the new conductor.

Trebles. This is the area of sound that will improve upon 2 factors, burning in the Conductor will balance out the sound vs being a bit warm and mid focused out of the box. Adding a more transparent cable for your Conductor will give you better perception of details, especially noticed in the treble region. Treble's presentation is clean and while I would have liked just a touch more extension in the region, it does sound like a complete and well balanced treble end from the Conductor. I am currently using the open donut shaped foam on the Conductor which seems to open up the trebles and mids a bit more from the Conductor sound. The overall balancing of the Conductor is very musical in foundation. While other buds highlight and enhance treble range to make it sound a bit more resolving or reference sounding. The Conductor exudes detail without forcing undue emphasis upon the listener. Its slightly smoother natural treble tone is satisfactory and has excellent treble balancing. Its detail level is more than fine for the Conductor. Never stepping out of bounds the Conductors trebles enhance and balance the overall sound experience for the Conductor.

Mids. This is yet another Penon tuned product as you would imagine, the mids of the Conductor is a strong suit. This is the area of greatest effect of the Bone Conductor in that its mids layering is enhanced to the point where the sound is full on dimensional. I have had buds that clearly show excellent mid range but none that quite reach the mids separation in layers like what happens on the Conductor. That is music from the background, middle ground and foreground of what you're hearing. Most buds have decent to excellent mids performance but I don't know another bud in the industry that actually has a large Bone Conduction driver focusing its sound for that out of your head experience. The end result is a very addicting large holographic type sound experience that is unique to the Conductor. Its tonal character comes across very naturally with no off tonal character of any type. Not really in the warm or cold range in tonal qualities. Conductors' tonal qualities come off with just a hint of warmth but this only highlights an accurate tonal character that is portrayed across the sound spectrum. Timbrally capable with a much higher level of sound separation in the form of sound layering, the conductor is excellent for live music as you get a virtual imaging of how the live music event was recorded. It is quite the treat to hear and something that is truly addictive for the Conductors sound presentation.

I am mostly an IEM guy but for an IEM to have similar layering and imaging for sound qualities at the level of the Conductor would cost a whole bunch more than what the Conductor costs. For me anyways the Conductor is a hidden gem of a bud to the point where I can easily see myself using the Conductor over the IEMs I normally use. The Conductor is extremely versatile for all types of music due to its highly accurate, nicely resolving well balanced sound quality adding what the large Bone conduction driver is doing for the sound. I do notice the holographic effect of the Bone Conduction will be dependent on how well your music was recorded. High quality tracks that dimensional layering will be easily apparent. Not so quality tracks, not as much. I know some folks that got to hear the Conductor may or may not hear its effects but there is no doubt in my mind these are adding to the holographic nature of its sound.

Bass is not only adequate for the Conductor but is perfectly balanced to enhance the extremely immersive experience. Bass balance while I find excellent for buds meaning it has both mid bass to sub bass presence with zero bass bleed of any type. It will be more fit dependent on just how much bass you're noticing from the Conductor. What I mean by this is that the Conductor being a bud, if they fit tighter inside your ears you will get a more warmer, bassier version of the Conductor vs the well balanced version I am hearing. The looser the fitment the sound will skew toward the trebles, a thinner note weight and less bass. Experimenting with the different types of foams and its included expansion rubber ring will get you a tighter fitting Conductor based on your ear shape and size.

Bass is tight with an average speed for dynamic types. Nothing overblown or sluggish in the least bit. Bass is highly satisfactory of the Conductor experience. This is the first time I have heard bass from what is described as a Sapphire diaphragm but I hope to see more buds and dynamics using this material. Its definition for all parts of the sound is actually quite outstanding including the bass end. I know for buds, bass is purposefully enhanced to offset the open nature of the bud design but for the Conductor the solid quality bass end adds to what is already a holographic fully immersive presentation. I have buds that have more bass emphasis and some with less but I couldn't imagine the Conductor bass presentation being less or even more. Its punchy and surprisingly capable. It not end game bud bass by any means but it is more than capable to bring a good solid bass note to your music and does an excellent job balancing out the bass notes for the full sound presentation of the Conductor.

In the end
The Conductor was a pleasant surprise to me. Penon has been on a role this year and they have gone all in on the Bone Conduction craze. 2024 will be known as the Bone Conduction year and it is innovative products like the Conductor that will put these on the map. Between the release of the Fan3, Tansio Mirai Shocks, Penon Rivals and soon to be ISN EBC80. The Conductor is the first to utilize this large Bone conduction driver. Beyond what the BC driver is doing for the sound, the sound tuning and its surprisingly resolving technical ability is a strong suit for the Conductor sound. I think these would have drawn some praise regardless of the BC driver but then when you land on a track that clearly floats outside your hearing space you will understand what that BC driver is doing for the sound. It adds a special element to what the Conductor is doing for its sound presentation. When I was doing reviews for all these products. I found myself listening to the Conductors in between all of them and enjoyed my time, every time I heard them. The bottom line is the Conductor is extremely enjoyable to listen to, versatile for all types of music genres with an immersion factor that caught me off guard. If you're looking for something different, even unique but with a solid fundamental balancing for its tuning the Conductor is just this. Take a break from your in ears and try a bud that projects all around you. If the goal of earphones is to immerse a person when hearing your music. Then the Conductor is a huge success. Thanks for taking the time to read.

The conductor was provided for by Penon Audio for the purpose of a review. The buds have been burned in for over 100 hours and has been used for the past month on a variety of sources I use. Fiio K9 Pro ESS, IFI gryphon, IFI Signature, IBasso DX300Max, IBasso PB5, Fiio M15, Fiio M15S, IBasso DX180. You can get yourself a set here.

Penon OSG. Superb match up with the Conductor. Old school Fiio X3II stacked with E12a amp.

If money is no object. Get yourself a Totem and be done with cables.

Penon Pyramid VIII

Ok so I got my wish. I posted on my last review of the Penon Pyramid cables back in June of 2024 that an 8 wire variant does not exist. Well it seems Penon has been taking feedback about their cables and certainly my complaint that an 8 wire version does not exist. Well today I am bringing the very good news about what you guys will be reading about here in my review of the new Penon Pyramid VI and the Pyramid VIII. That is 6 wire and the 8 wire version of the Pyramids.

It is well known in the industry that when you add more material to what was already established there are a few design aspects that a cable maker has to consider. The main one being how exactly do you add 2 more cable cores to a 4 core cable or even doubling up to an 8 core cable? The type of braiding for the cable is everything with these IEM cables as it will depend on just what type and how tight the braiding is on the cable that will determine the flexibility, thickness and best of all how they look. The new 6w and 8w version of the popular Penon Pyramid cable is now a reality as Penon has done it once again. These 2 new variants were a bit of a surprise to me actually because I thought Penon would just do an 8w version but we have a middle ground between the standard 4w and the new 8w version in the 6w version. On this reader I will get into why either one of the two will be right for you or not. I think it will depend on what you're looking for in the new Pyramid variants.

Let's get this out of the way, both 6w and the 8w versions I would describe as being bulky. The standard 4w version is the only one that is even remotely normal thickness wise for IEM use but when adding 2 or 4 more physical cores, the cable becomes almost double or larger in girth and hence they become a bit bulky. With the very obvious fact that the 8w is truly a behemoth of a cable. If you have the type of personality that doesn't mind being bold in the pursuit of ultimate sound. Then the 8w here will be talking to you. Otherwise the nice balance of heft, girth, flexibility, usability, and arguably the best looking out of the 3 while taking advantage of more cores of the Pyramid, that would be the 6w version.

Pyramid VI shown ^

I have weighed both cables and the VI is 66.2grams. The VIII wire is a staggering 84.6grams. It will be difficult to get an IEM cable that weighs more than the Pyramid VIII. Know that you're dealing with a monster of a cable here in both bulk and weight. As of writing, Penon will give you the advantage of ordering either of these cables with cable guides or without. My review sample here is without cable guides and seems to work just fine with casual use. Don't know if I would be doing calisthenics using any of these cables but normal walking and using should work fine. And lastly in any termination you need for your sources. Single or balanced plugs.

Besides weight and girth, what does adding 2 to 4 extra cores of the Pyramid material here do for your IEMs? I will tell you it isn’t exactly double the effects of a given cable. But it does have a ramp up effect of what the Pyramid cable does best while adding an even greater stage and depth perception over the 4w version. All 3 cables bring a cleaner tonal character and enhance stage elements due to its liberal use of silver cores, silver plating and hybrid alloy metals within the cores. The Pyramid in a nutshell is more of an advanced SPC type cable or silver plated copper type cable. But utilizes 4 different types. Copper-gold alloy with pure silver. Copper- silver alloy with silver plating, single crystal copper with silver plating, Furukawa high purity copper winding. Ultimately what this mish mash of alloys, coppers and silver material gets you is a nicely resolving technical enhancing cable.

Technicalities are best described as the sound's ability for, sound separation, its imaging, details both macro and micro, tonal and timbre characters, and most of all stage elements. Each IEM you use has a level of this technical ability some better than others. The Pyramid is called the Pyramid as it is stacks of material on top of material that gets you the sound it is aiming for. I do notice the nicer your IEMs base sound is, the Pyramid helps with the given IEMs technical ability. It matches well with just about anything due to its ability to focus your attention on the layering, imaging and the detail level of the IEMs. The new 6w and especially the 8w version brings even greater if not a grander sound enhancing ability in the form of expanding that sound experience in what you're hearing. Much like the girth and weight of each cable the way a sound can expand and give greater, stage, height and depth of sound with all the technical enhancements of what the pyramid brings are magnified even to a greater degree with each upstep you go in the Pyramid ladder.

The stock Pyramid is still an expensive cable and just because a new upgraded version has come out does not automatically eliminate the standard pyramid to be something of a lesser cable. Not at all, everything I have described on this reader is a descriptor of all 3 cables and not just for the newer 6w and 8w variants. But much like when you add more cores to any cable the greater expansion and stage presence is definitely noticeable. This mish mash of material blend for the Pyramid is genius in what it does but adding more of it only brings greater efficiency in what the cables do for your IEMs which results in a higher end Pyramid cable.

So the ultimate pyramid is clearly the 8w version however before you shell out the bucks just to get the top of the line Pyramid. There are some negatives of the 8w that will make you consider the 6 wired version instead. First of all it is lighter and a bit less bulky. Yes the 6 wire version is still a bit bulky but not the brute that the 8wire represents. So the standard 4w version cost $350 which is still a premium price for a premium cable, the 6w clocks in at $450 and the 8w is $500. I know the price of the 6w vs the 8w version is not that much different however here is where the benefit of the 6w is.

While the ultimate Pyramid is the 8w version the 6w gets you what I subjectively guesstimate to be roughly 92% of the 8w version as far as stage enhancement goes and its technical enhancing ability is right up there vs the 8w variant. If you go from the 8w to the 6w and back n forth like I have, yes they both perform stunningly well on your favorite IEMs but the 6w is closer to the 8w version in performance vs the 4w let me put it that way. It is less bulky obviously but then one more aspect I would have never guessed until I had the opportunity to put all 3 next to each other and compare.

The 6w version is stunning looking. Simple as that. The 4w version has special looking hardware that separates it from other cables, the egyptian hieroglyphs on the hardware. Due to the 6w and 8w variants being as bulky as they are, Penon went for a more cleaner looking hardware on these versions. But it's not the hardware that makes them stand out, it's the actual cable weave. Don't know if I am just used to an 8 cored weave and don't have too many 6 wired cables. Actually now that I think about it, I don't have any cable in my overblown collection of cables that are 6 cored. The braided 6 weave of the 6 wired version is stunning. Unique even, supremely flexible for this much material which was a huge surprise and did I mention how stunning it looks?

I know Penon does some custom work and if you are in the mind that one of these Pyramid cables will work extremely well with your full sized cans. Yes, that is where I would actually recommend the 8 wired version. If you contact Penon, they have made a customized ASOS+X for a buddy for his HD800s and I can’t see why they can't do the same for the Pyramid 8w.

The 8w is so bulky, it literally looks similar in size to a smaller rope. It's not that you can’t use the cable for your best IEMs. You certainly can, especially if you don’t mind having a rope attached to your IEMs. It is literally a chain and not in a way we describe what your sources are connected to type. The thicker rope of the 8 wired is surprisingly as flexible as the 6 wired version but I do notice it has a slightly looser weave vs the tighter weave of the 6w. Allowing it to be flexible. The 8wire is just ever so slightly stiffer over the ears but certainly surprising that the cable stays in place. If you plan on being active or walking around with the 8w version the shrink wrap ear guides Penon utilizes, might be a good option for you. For me however I do prefer my IEM cables without the ear guides and I was pleasantly surprised to find out both the VI and the VIII pyramid cables stay in place just fine 84 grams and all.

Pyramid cables are described as follows. With some newer pluses and minuses.

Pluses!
-enhances stage presentations. Wider, deeper and taller more spacious for your IEMs
-enhances note weight with added stage element from 4w<6w<8w
-enhanced stage, height and depth of sound from 8w is maxed out for cables.
-enhances treble presence, better air and sparkle. Which affects the prior plus
-enhances detail perception both macro and micro for all parts of your IEM sound
-enhances imaging, layering and sound separation. Higher end cables do that.
-enhances dimensional qualities due to prior plus
-enhances w a tighter bass note, better defined and textured.
-versatile for all types of sound signatures.
-flexible, premium looking, minimum microphonics
-more silver influence for sonics vs copper, more resolving
-cleaner but not brighter in tonal qualities.
-Premium in looks, feel and usability 6w>8w>4w (subjective)
-Pyramid 6w arguably one of the best looking IEM cables in existence
-Pyramid 8w the best effects of the pyramid cables.
-All 3 variants are consistent with Pyramid cable effects
-Price difference between 6w to 8w is $50

Minuses
-8w is not double the effects of the 4w.
-4w is like 85% of what the 8w does.
-more silver influence in sonics vs copper, not ideal for brightly tuned IEMs.
-Pyramid 8w version weighs at an astonishing 84.6grams
-A cable called Pyramid needs a pyramid for a chin slider…Just saying.

To give a good example of what the Pyramid cable does. I used them on the Impacts.

Penon Impacts have some of the best mids in all of IEM land and it is the focus of the sound on the Impacts. Penons flagship IEM brings flagship levels of technicalities but brings that astonishing emotive dimensional sound character that is the hallmark of a much higher end IEM. The one complaint I have seen some folks say was that they wished the sound stage was a bit wider. The Impacts use a slightly modified version of the same Obsidian cable that is used for the Voltage. The Pyramid is a natural upgrade on the Impacts. Not only are the lush rich dimensional mids intact using the Pyramids seems to enhance every part of the Impact sound characteristics. Its bass gets a more defined punch. Its mids get better sound separation and imaging for better, more clearly defined dimensions. Its trebles are highlighted better vs the stock obsidian cable. The surprising aspect of the Pyramid on the Impacts is that it more than retains its outstanding mids tonal and technical performance. It actually enhances all of it. Pyramid adds a greater note weight even over the Obsidian, going back to the Obsidian the stage and scope of the sound kinda shrinks. Believe me the Impacts does not have a small sound per se I am just talking about how they sound after going from one to the other . Folks that are looking to upgrade on the Obsidian cable but want to retain the Impacts full rich mids and tonal character helped out by the Obsidian cable will do extremely well with the Pyramids.
The Pyramid does for the Impacts what it does for every other IEM I tested them on. Makes what is already an outstanding flagship IEM, sound even better.

FAN3, So this IEM is the first Penon made IEM with bone conduction and if you were smart you took up on Penons offer for an additional cable on the sales page for the SPACE cable which is double the cores of the OS133 cable or the stock cable that came with the FAN3. This is a good example of what doubling the cores for a cable brings to the table for an IEM. No question the SPACE cable is a nice upgrade on the stock cable, so much so I would say your experience of the FAN3 as good as they are, you will not experience 100% FAN3 without the SPACE cable. So what does adding a much higher end Pyramid do for the FAN3? Absolutely spectacular pairing on the FAN3. But here is where spending a lot on a cable makes zero sense for the FAN3. The Pyramid cables cost as much or more than double what it costs to own a FAN3 so it makes no sense. However let's say you're a collector of all things Penon and want one of their Top end IEM cables. That is where the Pyramid would be an idea addition to your collection. Pyramids are extremely versatile and only lose out to the Totems in ability. Otherwise these cables will enhance and pair well with every IEM you own. The pairing with the FAN3 is just superb and makes the FAN3 sound way more expensive than what they cost. More holographic, more dynamic, better improved sound separation and imaging. Clean tonal character, even an uptick in stage vs the Space. I suppose you have to be on the crazy fence to buy a cable worth more than the IEM itself but in the case of the FAN3. If your a fan of its sound and what this IEM brings and want the absolute best. I say Pyramid 6w and you will be smiling from ear to ear.

Tansio Mirai Shock
So the included stock cable for the Shocks are nothing special. It matches the color scheme for the Shock and is a decently transparent SPC type cable but going from them to even the 4w version is a nice upgrade. Going from the 4w to the 8w and much like what it did for the FAN3. It does the same for the Shocks. Brings a much better technical element to the Shock sound system and once again you gain even more dimensional character, better perceived imaging and details. Trebles are cleaner and slightly better extended. Bass notes are better defined. Stage a bit wider and sounds deeper. This IEM already sounds large but with the Pyramid cables it definitely enhances what the Shocks are about. That dimensional aspect of Shock sound is amplified to a much greater degree. I recently let a coworker hear the Shocks with the 8w pyramid and he was floored with the sound that was emanating from the Shocks. It was all the reaction I needed to see. The synergistic aspect of the Pyramid and the Shock was clearly apparent. If you want maximum shock. Yes go for either of the 6w or the 8w. You will not be disappointed with the pairing.

Voltage. What you read about how the Pyramids matching up with the Impacts actually is identical to what the Pyramid does for the Voltage. Due to the Voltage coming with the stock Obsidian cable. Once again the Obsidian is a good copper based cable with a few shares of the material plated in gold. This helps to bring a richer tonal flavor to the IEMs the Obsidian cable is paired with. It is for the most part a good copper based cable that brings out a bit of a richer tonal character and the IEMs dynamics. But it is far outclassed by the Pyramids in any form. Even the 4w brings better clarity and better imaging with an expansion of sound. The 6w and 8w the Voltage becomes optimal. A greater expansion of its sound presentation in all directions. Music notes have better definition and clarity. Trebles are highlighted and bring cleaner overtones for the excellent EST implementation for the Voltage. Mids get an uplift in sound separation and imaging. Bass is better defined for both its impact and subbass. Voltage is definitely proper with the 6w and even to a greater extent with the 8w.

Conclusion.
Pyramids are fascinating, how they were built to bring a peak sound to the IEMs they are attached to. The new 6w and 8w variants are all about what the Pyramid brings but at a higher level. The positives of adding more cores are clearly evident in the new versions of the Pyramid but it comes at a cost. What was good in the original design is enhanced with the addition of added cores. I can say both are ideal but the 8w version has to be on record as being the heaviest IEM cable in existence. It's a bold cable beyond looks and the tempting aspect of the 8w version is that it is only $50 more to get there from the 6w version. The 6w version is the middle ground of ability and substance between the 4w and 8w, but has a tighter cleaner looking weave among the 3 which arguably gives it the most premium in aesthetics among the pyramids. I am all for thicker cables and there is a geeky sound guy side of me that says bring it on! And let others be jealous as my cable is thicker and chonkier than yours. The pyramids are an excellent gateway to the uber buck cable land and what better way to do that than to get yourself the thick boy 6w or the ultimate 8w.

I know I mentioned the 6w version to be a good balance of material bulk, looks and usability but this is the type of cable if you go with the 4w version. It will be very likely that you're gonna be curious about the 6w version which in turn will be curious about the 8w version. Well don't be, you will be more than fine with any of these cables as they will be what you're seeing in a higher end cable to bring the very best sound from your IEMs. As I posted above about what additional material does for a cable's sound. It was only a wish of mine to have double the cores for the 4w pyramid when I first did a review for it. It is now a reality and I have to admit I am smitten by both these cables. They are both works of art and now that I have used both of them for various Penon IEMs I have to say they both turned out splendid. I would say if you don’t mind the 84.6 grams of added weight to your lowly IEM. Then go for the full meal deal in the 8w version, just do more neck exercises at the gym. If you're concerned in the long run a 84.6 gram cable will be a bit too heavy for you. Go for either the 4w or the 6w version. Thanks for taking the time to read.

Disclaimers: The pyramids was provided by Penon Audio in a loaner for the purpose of a review. The new 6w an 8w got a good weeks of burn in and use before this write up. Happy listening always. You can get yourself a set here.

Bonus.
Cus you asked.
ASOS+X vs the 6w and 8w Pyramid
I call this segment the heavyweight championship. Ding and Ding!
ASOS+X was the biggest kid on the block with 12 cores of ASOS+ material, but that crown is now taken over by 8w version of the Pyramid. Each core of the Pyramid has much more material in makeup and is thicker vs the ASOS cores, which results in a much more substantial cable. What these respective cables do for IEMs are magnified with the addition of cores for each cable. The ASOS+X was and still is a stage magnifying IEM cable and is arguably one of the best cables Penon makes. I was asked to compare the effects of the ASOS+X and the new Pyramid cables to see which ones come out on top for the Tansio Mirai Shocks. My test method was literally going from one cable to the other using the same music track to hear any differences in the presentations for the Shocks one after the other. This was the tester that made me realize just how good both these cables are for the Shocks. The expansion of stage for the ASOS+X on the Shocks made them sound world class. The Shocks already has a big bold stage due to using Bone Conduction drivers but when adding the ASOS+X into the mix. That overall presentation goes into overdrive.


The ASOS+X eclipses the original 4w version in sound projection when it comes to stage enhancement. It took the 6w version to have very similar stage levels. But there were fundamental differences even with the 4w version that was better than the ASOS+X and that was the Shocks technical ability in that grander sound presentation. All the Pyramids presented the sound with better note distinction. While the ASOS+X is no slouch in that department. Music sounds a touch more smoothed out vs the sound separated imaging you hear from the Pyramids. The balancing for both cables are on a similar level, meaning both cables don’t focus too much on one aspect of the sound tuning vs another part. I would say the Pyramids gives better distinction for notes in general hence treble notes become more fleshed out giving a touch wider sense of stage in comparison to the ASOS cables. The addition of the technical enhancing nature of the Pyramid material with its ability for a grander stage presence is what separates the Pyramids from the ASOS+X. For the money I would say the ASOS+X is an excellent value in every way. However, for the demanding audiophile that wants the best of the best in what these larger cables do. It is the 6w and the 8w that comes up on top. The one cable that actually beat the ASOS+X in stage enhancement is none other than the Pyramid 8w version. Not only the widest stage possible for cable land but also adding greater note weight, clean separated imaging on top of that grand signature. For a Shock IEM that uses 2 Sonion Bone conduction drivers, the enhancement here with the Shocks is one for the ages. The increase of its dimensional imaging ability with that stage, depth and height makes the Shocks sound like a much more expensive IEM than it already is.

This is where the ASOS+X is actually more advisable and it is against the 4w Pyramid on the Shocks. While the 4w clearly gives a more distinct sound flavoring to the Shocks sound presentation the ASOS+Xs stage enhancing ability is only bested by the 8w Pyramid and is very similar to the presentation of the 6w version. The 6w version costs much more than the ASOS+X. So if you feel your technical ability of the Shocks is good but would like a large grander version of that sound. Believe me it synergizes excellently with the Shock sound. I can argue that it will be the ASOS+X that will bring that for less money and will be a better match up with the Shocks for the similar price of the 4w pyramid. It will be the 6w and especially the 8w version that will be the upgrade on the ASOS+X with the Shocks.

The increase of the imaging and detail aspect of the Pyramid cables over the ASOS+X brings even better holography, better perceived layers of sound from your Shocks sound and if that is worth it for you, then such a cable exists. The 8w is the epitome of what I have described, the 6w is not as heavy and will give you roughly 90% + of the stage enhancement of the 8w with all the technical enhancing ability in a lighter and better looking package. Which cables you pick my friends will be up to you.

Penon Pyramid VI

Ok so I got my wish. I posted on my last review of the Penon Pyramid cables back in June of this year that an 8 wire variant does not exist. For folks that don’t know the original Pyramid cable is a 4 wired variant and quite excellent I might add, you can read my take on them here. Well, it seems Penon has been taking feedback about their cables and certainly my complaint that an 8-wire version does not exist. Well today I am bringing the very good news about what you guys will be reading about here in my review of the new Penon Pyramid VI and the Pyramid VIII. That is 6 wire and the 8 wire version of the Pyramids. Not only are you able to order an 8w variant but also 6 wired variants of the Pyramids. My review here is more or less about both cables but will focus a few additions to each type of cable for the readers. Onto the review.

It is well known in the industry that when you add more material to what was already established there are a few design aspects that a cable maker has to consider. The main one being how exactly do you add 2 more cable cores to a 4 core cable or even doubling up to an 8 core cable? The type of braiding for the cable is everything with these IEM cables as it will depend on what type and how tight the braiding is on the cable that will determine its flexibility, thickness, its looks and best of all how they make your IEM sound. The new 6w and 8w versions of the popular Penon Pyramid cables are now a reality as Penon has done it once again. These 2 new variants were a bit of a surprise to me actually because I thought Penon would just do an 8w version but we have a middle ground between the standard 4w and the new 8w version in the 6w version. On this reader I will get into why either one of the two will be right for you or not. I think it will depend on what you're looking for in the new Pyramid variants.

Let's get this out of the way, both 6w and the 8w versions I would describe as being bulky. The standard 4w version is the only one that is even remotely normal thickness wise for IEM use but when adding 2 or 4 more physical cores, the cable becomes almost double or larger in girth and hence they become a bit bulky. With the very obvious fact that the 8w is truly a behemoth of a cable. If you have the type of personality that doesn't mind being bold in the pursuit of ultimate sound. Then the 8w here will be talking to you. Otherwise the nice balance of heft, girth, flexibility, usability, and arguably the best looking out of the 3 while taking advantage of more cores of the Pyramid, that would be the 6w version.

I have weighed both cables and the VI is 66.2grams which is basically a similar weight as the Penons ASOS+X. The VIII wire is a staggering 84.6grams. It will be difficult to get an IEM cable that weighs more than the Pyramid VIII. Know that you're dealing with a monster of a cable here in both bulk and weight. As of writing, Penon will give you the advantage of ordering either of these cables with cable guides or without. My review sample here is without cable guides and seems to work just fine with casual use. Don't know if I would be doing calisthenics using any of these cables but normal walking and using should work fine. And lastly in any termination you need for your sources. Single or balanced plugs.

Besides weight and girth, what does adding 2 to 4 extra cores of the Pyramid materials here do for your IEMs? I will tell you it isn’t exactly double the effects of a given cable. But it does have a ramp up effect of what the Pyramid cable does best while adding an even greater stage and depth perception over the 4w version. All 3 cables bring a cleaner tonal character and enhance stage elements due to its liberal use of silver, silver plating, a silver layer and hybrid alloy metals within the cores. The Pyramid in a nutshell is more of an advanced stacked SPC type cable or silver plated copper type cable. But utilizes 4 different types. Copper-gold alloy with pure silver. Copper- silver alloy with silver plating, single crystal copper with silver plating, Furukawa high purity copper winding. Ultimately what this mish mash of alloys, coppers and silver material gets you is a nicely resolving technical and stage enhancing cable.

Technicalities are best described as the sound's ability for sound separation, its imaging, details both macro and micro, tonal and timbre characters, and most of all stage elements. Each IEM you use has a level of this technical ability some better than others. The Pyramid is called the Pyramid as it is stacks of material on top of material that gets you the sound it is aiming for. I do notice the nicer your IEMs base sound is, the Pyramid helps with the given IEMs technical ability even further. It matches well with just about anything due to its ability to focus your attention on the layering, imaging and the detail level of the IEMs. The new 6w and especially the 8w version brings even greater if not a grander sound enhancing ability in the form of expanding that sound experience in what you're hearing. Much like the girth and weight of each cable the way a sound can expand and give greater, stage, height and depth of sound with all the technical enhancements of what the pyramid brings are magnified even to a greater degree with each upstep you go in the Pyramid ladder.

The stock Pyramid is still an expensive cable and just because a new upgraded version has come out does not automatically eliminate the standard pyramid to be something of a lesser cable. Not at all, everything I have described on this reader is a descriptor for all 3 cables and not just for the newer 6w and 8w variants. But much like when you add more cores to any cable the greater expansion and stage presence is definitely noticeable. This mish mash of material blend for the Pyramid is genius in what it does but adding more of it only brings greater efficiency in what the cables do for your IEMs which results in a higher end Pyramid cable.

So the ultimate pyramid is clearly the 8w version however before you shell out the bucks just to get the top of the line Pyramid. There are some negatives of the 8w that will make you consider the 6 wired version instead. First of all it is lighter and a bit less bulky. Yes the 6 wire version is still a bit bulky but not the brute that the 8wire represents. So the standard 4w version cost $350 which is still a premium price for a premium cable, the 6w clocks in at $450 and the 8w is $500. I know the price of the 6w vs the 8w version is not that much different however here is where the benefit of the 6w is.

While the ultimate Pyramid is clearly the 8w version the 6w gets you what I subjectively guesstimate to be roughly 92% of the 8w version as far as stage enhancement goes and its technical enhancing ability is right up there vs the 8w variant. If you go from the 8w to the 6w and back n forth like I have, yes they both perform stunningly well on your favorite IEMs but the 6w is closer to the 8w version in performance vs the 4w let me put it that way. It is less bulky obviously but then one more aspect I would have never guessed until I had the opportunity to put all 3 next to each other and compare.

The 6w version is stunning looking. Simple as that. The 4w version has special looking hardware that separates it from other cables, the egyptian hieroglyphs on the hardware. Due to the 6w and 8w variants being as bulky as they are, Penon went for a more cleaner looking hardware on these versions. But it's not the hardware that makes them stand out, it's the actual cable weave. Don't know if I am just used to an 8 cored weave and don't have too many 6 wired cables. Actually now that I think about it, I don't have any cable in my overblown collection of cables that are 6 cored. The braided 6 weave of the 6 wired version is stunning. Unique even, surprisingly flexible for this much material and did I mention how stunning it looks?

I know Penon does some custom work and if you are in the mind that one of these Pyramid cables will work well with your full sized cans. Yes, that is where I would actually recommend the 8 wired version. If you contact Penon, they have made a customized ASOS+X for a buddy for his HD800s and I can’t see why they can't do the same for the Pyramid 8w.

The 8w is so bulky, it literally looks similar in size to a smaller rope. It's not that you can’t use the cable for your best IEMs. You certainly can, especially if you don’t mind having a rope attached to your IEMs. It is literally a chain and not in a way we describe what your sources are connected to type. The rope of the 8 wired is surprisingly as flexible as the 6 wired version but I do notice it has a slightly looser weave vs the tighter weave of the 6w. Allowing it to be flexible. The 8wire is just ever so slightly stiffer over the ears but certainly surprising that the cable stays in place. If you plan on being active or walking around with the 8w version the shrink wrap ear guides Penon utilizes, might be a good option for you. For me however I do prefer my IEM cables without the ear guides and I was pleasantly surprised to find out both the VI and the VIII pyramid cables stay in place just fine 84 grams and all.

Pyramid cables are described as follows. With some newer pluses and minuses.

Pluses!
-enhances stage presentations. Wider, deeper and taller more spacious for your IEMs
-enhances note weight with added stage element from 4w<6w<8w
-enhances treble presence, better air and sparkle. Which affects the prior plus
-enhances detail perception both macro and micro, especially trebles.
-enhances for better imaging, layering and sound separation. Higher end cables do that.
-enhances dimensional qualities due to prior plus
-enhances w a tighter bass note, better defined and textured.
-versatile for all types of sound signatures.
-flexible, premium looking, minimum microphonics
-more silver influence for sonics vs copper, more resolving
-cleaner side of neutral tonal qualities.
-Premium in looks, feel and usability 6w>8w>4w (subjective)
-Pyramid 6w arguably one of the best looking IEM cables in existence
-Pyramid 8w the best pyramid cable.
-All 3 variants are consistent with Pyramid cable effects
-Price difference between 6w to 8w is $50

Minuses
-8w is not double the effects of the 4w.
-4w is like 85% of what the 8w does.
-more silver influence in sonics vs copper, can brighten trebles.
-Pyramid 8w version weighs at an astonishing 84.6 grams
-A cable called Pyramid needs a pyramid for a chin slider…Just saying.

To give a good example of what the Pyramid cable does. I used them on the Impacts.

Penon Impacts have some of the best mids in all of IEM land and it is the focus of the sound on the Impacts. Penons flagship IEM brings flagship levels of technicalities but brings that astonishing emotive dimensional sound character that is the hallmark of a much higher end IEM. The one complaint I have seen some folks say was that they wished the sound stage was a bit wider. The Impacts use a slightly modified version of the same Obsidian cable that is used for the Voltage. The Pyramid is a natural upgrade on the Impacts. Not only are the lush rich dimensional mids intact using the Pyramids seems to enhance every part of the Impact sound characteristics. Its bass gets a more defined punch. Its mids get better sound separation and imaging for better, more clearly defined dimensions. Its trebles are highlighted better vs the stock obsidian cable. The surprising aspect of the Pyramid on the Impacts is that it more than retains its outstanding mids tonal and technical performance. It actually enhances all of it. Pyramid adds a greater note weight and stage over the Obsidian, going back to the Obsidian the stage and scope of the sound kinda shrinks. Believe me the Impacts does not have a small sound per se I am just talking about how they sound after going from one to the other. Folks that are looking to upgrade on the Obsidian cable but want to retain the Impacts full rich mids and tonal character helped out by the Obsidian cable will do extremely well with the Pyramids.
The Pyramid does for the Impacts what it does for every other IEM I tested them on. Makes what is already an outstanding flagship IEM, sound even better.


FAN3, So this IEM is the first Penon made IEM with bone conduction and if you were smart you took up on Penons offer for an additional cable on the sales page for the SPACE cable which is double the cores of the OS133 cable or the stock cable that came with the FAN3. This is a good example of what doubling the cores for a cable brings to the table for an IEM. No question the SPACE cable is a nice upgrade on the stock cable, so much so I would say your experience of the FAN3 as good as they are, you will not experience 100% FAN3 without the SPACE cable. So what does adding a much higher end Pyramid do for the FAN3? Absolutely spectacular pairing on the FAN3. But here is where spending a lot on a cable makes zero sense for the FAN3. The Pyramid cables cost as much or more than double what it costs to own a FAN3 so it makes no sense. However let's say you're a collector of all things Penon and want one of their Top end IEM cables. That is where the Pyramids would be an ideal addition to your collection. Pyramids are extremely versatile and only lose out to the Totems in ability. Otherwise these cables will enhance and pair well with every IEM you own. The 6w pairing with the FAN3 is just superb and makes the FAN3 sound way more expensive than what they cost. More holographic, more dynamic, better improved sound separation and imaging. Clean tonal character, even an uptick in stage vs the Space. I suppose you have to be on the crazy fence to buy a cable worth more than the IEM itself but in the case of the FAN3. If you're a fan of its sound and what this IEM brings and want the absolute best. I say Pyramid 6w and you will be smiling from ear to ear.


Tansio Mirai Shock
So the included stock cable for the Shocks are nothing special. It matches the color scheme for the Shock and is a decently transparent SPC type cable but going from them to even the 4w version is a nice upgrade. Going from the 4w to the 8w and much like what it did for the FAN3. It does the same for the Shocks. Brings a much better technical element to the Shock sound system and once again you gain even more dimensional character, better perceived imaging and details. Trebles are cleaner and slightly better extended. Bass notes are better defined. Stage a bit wider and sound a bit deeper. This IEM already sounds large but with the Pyramid cables it definitely enhances what the Shocks are about. That dimensional aspect of Shock sound is amplified to a much greater degree. I recently let a coworker hear the Shocks with the 8w pyramid and he was floored with the sound that was emanating from the Shocks. It was all the reaction I needed to see. The synergistic aspect of the Pyramid and the Shock was clearly apparent. If you want maximum shock. Yes go for either of the 6w or the 8w. You will not be disappointed with the pariring.

Voltage. What you read about how the Pyramids matching up with the Impacts actually is identical to what the Pyramid does for the Voltage. Due to the Voltage coming with the stock Obsidian cable. Once again the Obsidian is a good copper based cable with a few shares of the material plated in gold. This helps to bring a richer tonal flavor to the IEMs the Obsidian cable is paired with. It is for the most part a good copper based cable that brings out a bit of a richer tonal character and the IEMs dynamics. But it is far outclassed by the Pyramids in any form. Even the 4w brings better clarity and better imaging with an expansion of sound. The 6w and 8w the Voltage becomes optimal. A greater expansion of its sound presentation in all directions. Music notes have better definition and clarity. Trebles brings a tighter transient ability and brings cleaner overtones for the excellent EST implementation for the Voltage. Mids get an uplift in sound separation and imaging with greater note weight in the process. Bass is better defined for both its impact and subbass. Voltage is definitely proper with the 6w and even to a greater extent with the 8w.

Conclusion.
Pyramids are fascinating, how they were built to bring a peak sound to the IEMs they are attached to. The new 6w and 8w variants are all about what the Pyramid brings but at a higher level. The positives of adding more cores are clearly evident in the new versions of the Pyramid but it comes at a cost. What was good in the original design is enhanced with the addition of added cores. I can say both are ideal but the 8w version has to be on record as being the heaviest IEM cable in existence. It's a bold cable beyond looks and the tempting aspect of the 8w version is that it is only $50 more to get there from the 6w version. The 6w version is the middle ground of ability and substance between the 4w and 8w, but has a tighter cleaner looking weave among the 3 which arguably gives it the most premium in aesthetics among the pyramids. I am all for thicker cables and there is a geeky sound guy side of me that says bring it on! And let others be jealous as my cable is thicker and chonkier than yours.

The pyramids are an excellent gateway to the uber buck cable land and what better way to do that than to get yourself the thick boy 6w or the ultimate 8w. I know I mentioned the 6w version to be a good balance of material bulk, looks and usability but this is the type of cable if you go with the 4w version. It will be very likely that you're gonna be curious about the 6w version which in turn will be curious about the 8w version. Well don't be, you will be more than fine with any of these cables as they will be what you're seeing in a higher end cable to bring the very best sound from your IEMs. As I posted above about what additional material does for a cable's sound. It was only a wish of mine to have double the cores for the 4w pyramid when I first did a review for it. It is now a reality and I have to admit I am smitten by both these cables. They are both works of art and now that I have used both of them for various Penon IEMs I have to say they both turned out splendid. I would say if you don’t mind the 84.6 grams of added weight to your lowly IEM. Then go for the full meal deal in the 8w version, just do more neck exercises at the gym. If you're concerned in the long run a 84.6 gram cable will be a bit too heavy for you. Go for either the 4w or the 6w version. Thanks for taking the time to read.

Disclaimers: The pyramids was provided by Penon Audio in a loaner for the purpose of a review. The new 6w an 8w got a good weeks of burn in and use before this write up. Happy listening always. You can get yourself a set here.

Simgot EW300

Simgot folks are hard at work to bring personal audio enthusiasts some very good bang for your money IEMs. Just because an IEM is considered in the budget sector, does that mean it has to sacrifice sound quality to do so? The answer to that is not really. If any of their IEMs are indicators on what Simgot has been doing. You can guess the newer EW300 will also have some formidable chops when it comes to sound quality. The EW300 is a tribrid meaning it is using 3 types of drivers for its sound quality. A nicely resolving 10mm ceramic composite dynamic for its bass to mids coverage + 6mm planar driver for its trebles + 1 piezoelectric ceramic driver for the upper highs. Included in an all-metal compact smaller shell.

This shell design is very similar in shape and size to the prior EA200, being able to cram 3 complete non BA drivers into a shell of this compact size is an achievement. An all metal design gives fairly decent passive isolation with the added strength of being a metal design. The EW300 as far as comfort and use, should last the test of time. Most Simgot IEMs use metal vs something like Resin or plastics for the housing. An accidental drop per drop, it will be the all metal build that might get scratched but will definitely be ok from the occasional drop or scrape. Resin and plastic builds, not so much. Its Build and comfort due to compact size with an average yet decent passive isolation is on the good side of all things IEMs.

EW300 comes with an oval zip up case, 3 sets of standard silicone tips, an extra set of tuning nozzles in a different golden colored nozzle vs the silver colored nozzle that was installed from the factory. Comes with extra small rubber ring spacers for the nozzles, apparently the rubber spacers tend to break off from the nozzles. A bit of a bonus is that the package also includes some dampening foams. The idea of the foams here is that if you feel either of the nozzles here brings a bit too much brightness to how you like your IEM sound than you can stuff one of these small foams underneath one of the nozzle sets for the EW300 for a less forward upper mids to lower treble presence. This small included foam mod for the existing nozzles effectively smooths out the tonal character a touch and tones down the trebles a bit to where you can actually tolerate aggressively recorded music.

Of course this will all depend on just how much hearing sensibilities you have with clarity and or brightness you like for your IEM sound experience. It might also depend on what genres of music you listen to as well. I do notice Simgot IEMs in general does not excel for rock and metal music where upper registers crash cymbals and screaming guitars at play brings a bit more presence than I would like for Rock and Metal music but otherwise clarity is the name of the game it seems for the Simgot IEM including the EW300.

Simgot IEMs are all harmon tuned so you know. That means they all incorporate at least 10dbs of upper mids emphasis. The famous Simgot harmon tuning brings more presence for the upper registers of what you're hearing. If you're looking for analogue type warmth from any of their IEMs then you are looking at the wrong brand. When reviews mention warmth on a Simgot IEM, they are more closer to neutral in all things tonal quality vs any real warmth, true warmth in an IEM sound means they would have much more balanced mids presentation where there are more substantial lower mids at play to be balanced with the upper mids. Unfortunately most “harmon” tuned IEMs will lack in the lower mids department vs having substantial upper mids meaning most will be either neutral or slightly bright sounding or both in the case of the EW300.

The included gold nozzle is a modified version of the stock harmon tuning and it is a touch more reserved in the upper mids and treble registers to my ears but otherwise the actual technical character and their sound seems to be fairly similar with the gold nozzles being a bit more forgiving vs the silver nozzles. In tinkering around with the foams I like the silver nozzles with the foam inserts which sounds more balanced to my ears and best of all I can actually appreciate my rock and metal tracks. To be fair, most Chinese manufacturers are not going to care so much for your rock music library. They tuned them for more vocal and instrumental presence, especially female vocals so I can understand the harmon approach, I do appreciate that the foams are a part of the package here to help bring greater variability for their EW300. My review is mostly based on using them foams with the silver nozzle as it was a part of the package.

I do recommend a good burn-in for the EW300 because it is using 3 drivers that are not the same. I did notice an increase of coherency and dynamism after burn in so it seems these definitely need some run in with some music. How long you do that for is up to you but I would recommend a solid 100 hours at least.

Just because the EW300 is yet another Simgot harmon tuned IEM, does not mean it will sound exactly like its brothers that came out before it. I do find that the EW300 reminds me the most of the little brother to the acclaimed EA1000. Which in of itself is a bit surprising, however it does have its own sound presentation and is not exactly as refined as the EA1000. Where it reminds me of the EA1000 is just how technical they sound. The idea of utilizing 3 different types of drivers for a sound design is to bring the strengths of each driver to be taxed in a certain portion of the sound to your ears. In the case of the EW300, it is clear to me the bass and the mids are handled by the 10mm Ceramic composite dynamic, the 6mm annular magnetic planar handling the trebles and the Piezo ceramic handling the ultra highs.

With two dedicated drivers handling the high notes you can guess what the sound angle is for the EW300. It is a surprisingly highly detailed and technical sounding IEM, almost leaning analytical. I say almost because of its technical ability and its detailed treble presence. If you feel that either of the stock nozzle configurations sounds a touch aggressive to your ears for the upper registers of sound. Again that is exactly what the included foams will help with.

Trebles
It is interesting that Simgot is using a smaller planar driver for its treble performance. Planars have no issue with treble articulation and extension. Its timbre is another matter. Trebles have a slightly rigid metallic timbre with a thinner note presentation than the mids and or the bass. This being said, It actually does an amicable job at the treble note being taxed with every bit of the treble presence and its note transients. Simgot is not the only manufacturer tapping into the ability of the planar treble here and it is good to see folks use this particular driver for its strengths. For the most part the cohesion is good but not outstanding here due to the thinner treble notes vs the mids and bass. Adding a piezoelectric ceramic driver for the ultra highs, which handles that shimmer and the EW300s high overtones and you get a nice pronounced crisp picture of your trebles for a budget level IEM that is not all too common. Using 2 types of drivers for the highs are more reserved for higher end IEMs in the market. The piezo ceramic tweeter is basically a poor man's EST driver used on much higher end IEMs. For the most part does a good job at what it is taxed with but does have its limitations due to a characteristic tinny metallic tonal character. It's not exactly what ESTs do for the upper trebles but for the money paid, if the implementation is good, it's not a bad way to hear your trebles like what is on EW300. You will get a type of treble articulation that is not heard too much in the price range albeit that characteristic planar & piezo timbre. Its timbre it's just a touch rigid and not as liquid as it could be but otherwise what you're actually getting is a snapshot of higher end IEM treble performance on the cheap. And that is never a bad thing.

Mids
The coherency of the 3 drivers are surprisingly good and the mids of the EW300 brings Simgots clean clear midrange into view. Its stage while average for IEMs is another surprise. Sounds spacious for its average stage and depth. I do notice the EW300 benefits from some amping, even though it is an easy to drive IEM. I can understand why Simgot markets a DSP version of the EW300 to be for gaming as much as music listening. The mids are clean and more neutral in foundation, meaning it's not a forward sounding IEM nor is it recessed. Its harmon mids tuning definitely has a bias toward female vocals vs male vocals. Male vocals are not bad here but I can’t say any Simgot tuned IEM will be a male vocal specialist. It's just ok, where it sounds more forward will be for female vocals. Of course if you have an affinity for female vocal performances. Simgot IEMs will be right up your alley.

The ceramic composite driver used for the bass and mids has a resolving ability not too common at the price range. Simgot IEMs have a natural ability for the technical elements for the sound presentation and the EW300 is no different. Its mids imaging, timbre, stage, sound separation and tonal character are all done very well on the EW300. Its tuning for the most part is balanced with a bias toward clarity and its mids are a strong suit for its overall sound quality. I noticed the EW300 amped is where they sound much more spacious with well defined edges to music notes for better imaging. Its technical character is evident regardless of the source you are using but definitely comes more alive with your better amped sources. My IFI signature, Ibasso PB5 for example. On the Ibasso PB5 they don't sound anything like a sub $100 IEM.

Mids have good clarity as just about all Simgot IEMs do, its imaging is a stand out and sounds for the most part, accurate in tonal character to my ears but can sound a touch bright without the foam inserts inside the silver nozzle. The gold nozzle reduces some of the upper mids extension and does come off a bit more subdued in its clarity vs the silver nozzle, adds a touch more lower mids and bass emphasis which brings a slight bit of warmer tonal character vs the stock silver nozzle. If I was to complain about the mids, it would be that it's lacking a bit of depth and note weight. Hence not exactly good for male vocals. Its lack of real warmth does not bother me but using a warmer sounding source synergizes much better with the EW300. IFI Signature, Fiio M15s, Shanling M6 pro, Ibasso DX300Max, Ibasso PB5. Its mids are a touch dry sounding but otherwise makes up for it with a clean and mostly accurate tonal character.


One thing I always try to do, especially with budget level IEMs is to maximize its potential. Simgot is limited in what it can include with a $69 IEM which goes without saying, hence the included stock cable will get you there but is by no means optimal for the EW300 to sound its absolute best. I highly suggest cable rolling. I suppose it will depend on how much weight you put into the effects of a good IEM cable upgrade but the stock cable is the type that will show you the sound of the EW300 and will certainly let you know what you are dealing with. However, in trying out Simgot’s own LC7 cable. It is very clear to me that the stock cable limits the ability of the resolving drivers in the EW300. That lack of depth and note weight can be mitigated with an upgraded cable of all things. It is when I am using the LC7 cable on the EW300 on my Ibasso PB5 and this makes the EW300 sound like a much more expensive IEM vs its actual price tag. If you own the EW300, I know the cable here costs as much as the IEM itself which breaks my own rule about not using a cable that costs as much as the IEM. BUT, you can definitely hear the potential of the EW300 with stock cable and all. Just know you can get it to sound even better with better cables and a warm dynamic sounding source.

Bass
Another strong suit for the EW300. Its bass is surprisingly good in quality. This is another aspect that reminds me of the EA1000. So you will never hear a Simgot made IEM with the sloppy burly type bass. It is the tighter, speedy and well defined bass notes that I am used to from Simgot. They seem to have an affinity for quality and not quantity for the sake of more quantity. I would say emphasis is just a bit more than what I consider moderate bass. It's not quite basshead level yet it will clearly punch and rumble with good distinction to its notes. It is more accurate in all aspects of bass with good speed and tightness. EW300 leans more subbass emphasis vs mid bass with an accurate decay and good texture. Bass on a Simgot made IEM is never inadequate but seems to straddle a fine middle line of emphasis but always with good to excellent quality for bass. The bass quality is not exactly at the level of the EA1000 but it's got a surprising quality to the bass notes that brings solid detail to the low notes that is well represented in IEMs at double the price point. I am sold on the driver being used for the bass and mids. It is clear to me the ability of this driver is on full display and the good news there is that your average consumer of personal audio will have no idea just how good this particular driver is for the sound it is taxed with. For the given price point the bass end is the one very strong point of reference for this IEM. I am more impressed with the EW300 bass ability than the bass ability for the higher end Super mix 4 to be honest.

Gaming.
Ok so that is the one area where Simgot has put in their marketing that these IEMs are well suited for gaming. And I have to agree. These are not only good for gaming they are excellent at gaming. Its detail and imaging element is really what makes these IEMs a standout for gaming. The ability to hear faint noises and positional cues are very important to gaming. Not to mention the addition of enough dynamism for dramatic shifts in sound presentation at all times. The Simgot EW300 are very good at media of all types let alone gaming and music. Watching movies on the go with them is a treat due to decent passive isolation with the ability to hear clear vocals and something like explosions with sound effects ranging from gun fire to speeding cars all sounds great. I suppose you can use your premium expensive IEM to watch movies and game with but why? These will sound just as good and not to mention you can carry them around and not worry they might get dinged up or mishandled somehow. I am impressed with the sound quality and the usability of the EW300. It is a clear step up from the EA200 in my book and in many ways hangs with the EA500 and the LM version. I actually prefer these to their recent supermix4, which cost more and with a SQ that is not exactly better than the EW300. I can understand why Simgot has made 3 different versions of the EW300. Don't know anything about the HBB version, apparently it's just a color thing and the DSP version which I have yet to open up and listen to. That is what's next for me.

In the end the EW300 is a solid IEM and even though it still adheres to Simgots harmon tuning and all, there aren’t too many technically proficient IEMs at this price range that does all the things the EW300 does well. I like that Simgot has considered its user base and added a way of quickly modifying the EW300 to ones likes in a sound. Versatile with decent passive isolation. Its technicalities are what wins the day for the EW300 over other budget sets. Clean tonal character with headroom for improvement via the type of sources and cables you can use on them. I have heard the peak EW300 using the LC7 cable and my Ibasso PB5 and one of these days I am gonna test the hearing of a good friend to see if he can tell the difference using this combo vs using an optimized EA1000 to see if he can hear much of a difference. While the planar and piezo combo does not bring the absolute tops in timbre or articulation. It does more right than wrong with one of the better implementations for piezo ceramic super tweeters. For a sub $100 that in of itself makes these a solid recommend but also that it is using one of the better dynamic drivers I have heard being used at its price point for bass and mids. I went from reviewing a $4,000 IEM to this $69 IEM and you know what? I enjoyed the EA300 for what is and that says a lot about what Simgot has done for the EA300. Thanks for taking the time to read.

Standardly disclaimers: I would like to thank Fia Lam of Simgot for providing the Simgot EW300 for the purpose of a review. You can look up their Simgot EW300 IEMs here

Penon Rival


RIVAL
“a person or thing competing with another for the same objective or for superiority in the same field of activity.”

I know a lot of folks are surprised to see a new TOTL IEM from Penon fairly close to the release of the Voltage. While Voltage was marketed as a flagship product. The actual TOTL or Top Of The Line IEM Penon makes up till now is the new Rival. I am fairly certain they planned its release and every facet of its design the way they have. With the inevitable release of the Rival the jump in performance from prior flagships are represented by the jump in the price tag. The new Rival will be in the market for the very premium level price of 4K us dollars.

So what makes the PENON Rival their top-of-the-line IEM? Penon does not price a product to be where it is for no reason. There are some included accessories that make the IEM what it is. The Rival includes one of Penon's absolute best cables to date in the Totem. IEMs may change over time but the great cable stays and here is the same flagship cable that was used on the old Volts to go with that IEM. No denying just how good the Penon Totems are. So good that Penon has made numerous pigtails, dongles and interconnects using the Totem material. Anyone that has experienced the Totem for themselves will know just how substantial this cable is.

New for Rival Totem all clear sleeving. Old Totem AKA the hose on the right

The Rival now comes with an all-white Totem, its included material make up includes silver plated crystal copper, palladium plated pure silver, pure gold-plated single crystal copper, 2 thicker cores of it. The colors might change but the material is the same. Also with a small addition to the Totem worth noting. The new Totem will now have Penons newest modular screw on plugs. You will get a complete set. A standard 3.5mm, 2.5mm balanced, 4.4mm balanced plugs but then there are the addition of two extra plugs. A 3.5mm and a 4.4mm Rhodium plated plug.

So Penon is going all out, a newer Rhodium plated plug will slightly tighten and alter the overall sound experience for better details and definition especially for its upper registers of sound and so it is the one metal that the Totem natively does not have so adding it for good measure is not a bad thing. In a way, the inclusion of these plugs makes it a specialized Totem, not to mention the all clear sleeving, which again is a first for the Totem cable in looks. Current Totem is an all black nylon covering you can buy on Penonaudio.com.

The IEMs package also includes 2 handy but small instruction booklets that will give some directions on how to adjust the Rival to one's liking. Unlike the standard instruction reader you get with other IEMs that you toss out in the trash bin. It is highly advisable you take a good read as it will show you what you're getting into. I do wish Penon would have used some bigger print here as its included graphs and instruction I can guarantee you will take out your magnifying glasses. Magnifying glasses you're gonna need not just to read the instructions but also to do the damper swaps. Penon includes one actually, no kidding. So therein lies something that a lot of TOTLs IEMs are missing or do not really dive into. My theory of this is that folks that make higher end IEMs usually make one tuning for that IEM and will come out with an adjusted version in the future and the idea there is that if you want the latest and greatest tuning adjustments, then you have to fork up an increased price tag for folks to buy the MK2 or Mark III version of the same IEM again and again. I mean why have one IEM that can make all those adjustments when you feel the need right? But that is in fact what the Rival is all about.

There are 3 sound tuning adjusters on the hardware level that make the Rival more versatile than any IEM let alone a TOTL IEM you have ever heard and here is why. First it comes with a bass dial. With a twist of a tiny 2 inch flathead screwdriver you can adjust the powerful coaxial bass to your liking. Adjustment is easy enough. Left turn counter clockwise for more, right turn clockwise for less. The recent Tansio Mirai Shocks uses a very similar method of increasing or decreasing the bass end and it is by far the most effective method of personalizing just how much of the rumble you want. Cuz we all know your good buddy Dave wants a lot of bass, you can do stupid high quality basshead levels on these easily. But then your other buddy Jack is bass sensitive as he doesn't want that boom stick, only needs a moderate amount of bass as he wants to hear the floaty air surrounding them vocals and instruments. Well you can have that as well. Yes I am talking about this on the same IEM. It is a level of hardware bass adjustment that you will not see too often for IEMs for the exact reason I posted above. You have to have a reason to buy yet another IEM right?


Then there are the two groups of BA dampers/ filters to use on the nozzle holes of the BAs representing the mids and trebles for the Rival. You get 14 pairs extra on top of what you got inside the stock Rival. That means you get 7 levels of adjustments for what essentially will be the upper mids and lower trebles, also 7 levels of adjustments just for the trebles. And if you do the math on that. The combination thereof is quite astounding. Good luck actually nailing down the exact amount of sound combos.

So this allows one to custom tune their own TOTL. What a novel ideal! However not all is green with this particular way of customizing tunings for your liking. The included tools and the dampers themselves are all made for small children and with perfect vision. Tiny is the word I would like to use when describing this process. I am a middle aged average sized male, and I can only imagine a large bigger human being struggling with the dampers and tools. Sausage fingers are not gonna work well with these is what I am saying. So you have to be ok with trying out something you're not accustomed to. And that is taking out a tiny damper using an equally tiny screw tool, then proceeding to replace that damper with an equally tiny damper of a different color representing greater or lesser resistance the damper represents. This in turn effectively tunes the IEM to exactly how you like to hear your Rivals.

This entire process is a lot like that nicer Ice cream shop, you can sprinkle as much peanut butter and chocolate chips as you want. And what is the likelihood the next guy will like as much peanut butter and chocolate chips as you do? This is essentially the idea behind the design here.

The sheer amount of sound variations from the Rival is mind numbing. I know a lot of you are looking at something like this with a. “I want a single tuning that is done extremely well.” Well how's about a minimum of 30 different TOTL level tunings that are done extremely well? This is literally the one IEM you will never ever get bored with. Cus it will become completely new, a Rival II or Rival MKIII with every single damper and bass adjustment you try. I know many of you guys are a set it and leave it type of guys when it comes to onboard hardware adjustments on an IEM. Nope, I am willing to bet that you will be messing with the dampers and bass dials. Because once you hear just how airy, spacious and dimensional, powerful and full bored the sound is. Oh yes you will mess around, I guarantee it. Why would Penon include tools and dampers for you not to? Once you try it. It becomes much easier to adjust the sound to your liking than you might imagine.

So let's talk about the default out of the box experience. Why is this important you might ask? Well that's because out of all the IEMs I have ever owned and heard. I will say the Rivals need a solid break in period. I mean solid! I highly recommend some drum n bass music played at listening volumes vs colored noise at a conservative number of at least 150 hours. My set has easily over 200. Reason for that is because of all the drivers that are not all BAs for example; ESTs and BCs, especially due to the dual dynamics and even the TOTEM cable if you believe in burning in cables. All of it is fresh. I found out through trial and error and over time burning in the Rival that it clearly changes in tonal character and ability after the longer run in period.

In an ideal planet, it would be fantastic if Penon did a minimum of a 100 hours of burn in at least before sending them to you but reality is when you get this rather spendy package. They are not going to be the way I am explaining things on this reader. They sounded decidedly un TOTL like with a syrupy dark bass, a bit too warm sounding with somewhat of a reserved treble end out of the box which was not what I was expecting let me put it that way. All that changes with burn in. It is simple, if you're not a burn in believer for IEMs. I will not recommend the Rival to you at all. I have 2 weeks of notes that can back up my claim. The sound shapes up like you will not believe. IMO the instructions should include that they need a longer burn in period. Here is the number one reason why you want these to be firing off at 100% capacity.

The last thing you want is to make a damper adjustment, which while not too difficult to do is a bit nerve racking, especially the first time you try it, only to find out the stock damper is what should be on there in the first place. Which is exactly what happened to me.

Damper replacement is a bit more surgical vs the adjustment switch or the tuning dial. It does require a steady hand. If you ever played the game operation. If you can win at that game you should be just fine trying out the damper replacement.

Rivals foundational sound.
Is relatively safe balancing for the bass mids and the trebles, It's not that the quality of these aspects including its adjustable bass is not up to par for a TOTL after burn in. It's just that every time you adjust something on the tuning here your overall sound balancing will be affected. So starting out with a more balanced safe tuning out of the box makes a lot of sense. Once you discover the sound adjustment you are looking for from that balanced tuning. That is where the Rival starts to take some very interesting shapes in its sound.

Refined balancing.
The parts that make up the Rival is a who's who of the best drivers in the industry, all masterfully crafted with a know-how that ends up with something more than just special. It is literally the absolute top end sounding Penon IEM, fully realized. I mean I can tell what sound they were going for with each adjustment. The prior flagship the Penon Impacts, current Impact owners, can you guys imagine what a higher end coaxial bass can do for something like the Impacts sound and then adding in some extra higher end dual bone conduction drivers with the Totem cable for good measure? Also, the addition of the ability to increase trebles for more presence shimmer and air? The musical angle of the old Volts. Can current Volts owners imagine a much higher degree for its rich mids tonal character with an equally rich stupid high level of bass and shimmery more present trebles to go with the foundational mids of the Volts also done with bone conduction drivers and the Totem cable? Penon seems to have taken every part of what they do well, ramped it up and put all that inside the Rivals. Including a new benchmark for Penon bass for IEMs.

There is literally no part of the sound that plays a supportive role here. All of it is featured and that is the exact reason that separates the Rival from anything Penon has made in the past. There is not a part of its sound you can point to and say. Well, this is not as good as this part or it doesn't quite have enough, bass impact, extremely textured rumble, a broad holographic surround like stage, crazy depth or expansive imaging, vocal forwardness, superior sound separation, accurate timbre, a natural rich tonal character, immaculate dimensional treble shimmer and extension. I hear no weakness or supportive role for a part of the sound balancing that applies to your Rival, as it has all of that in spades. You would expect that from a TOTL but the one real trump card that separates the Rival from anything else you have owned on this level, is the ability to adjust to your specifications how much or little of that balancing you want.
It's not a matter of just how good each portion of the sound really is. It's about adjusting the quantity of those parts to how you like it. You like a lot of that EST airy treble shimmer for your TOTL experience? Ok you can have that. You're a basshead!? But not just a basshead, I mean you require actual subs in your IEM presentation? A finicky bass head you are? Ok you can have that as well. But no way you're gonna let treble and bass be in the way of your glorious dimensional mids? Ya you can have that as well. Or how's about all 3 aspects included in your Rival sound? Imagine all these sound aspects coming together for a sound that you are not likely to hear on a daily basis from your other IEMs.

Once again here is where burn in the Rival plays a very crucial role in the end ability of the Rival. Because you can tweak the emphasis for each of the regions as much as you would like. It makes a whole lot of sense to get the sound to be in its’ fully burned in state. Especially when dealing with two carbon hybrid coaxial dynamics that are handling the bass.

Build quality
The Rival is an all Resin build and while it is an average sized large all Resin IEM it's not as big as it could have been considering what it houses. The sheer number of larger drivers that are included. It's not all BAs in there, it is also housing dual coaxial 8mm dynamics, 2 Bone conduction+4EST drivers, with 5 crossovers and 4 sound channels all inside a compact shell. Each single Rival is hand built by the Penon team and if you are into your artistry when it comes to IEMs. These are the very definition of an art form. Its standard .78mm 2 pin form means you can cable roll to your heart's content but I have to say the Totem matches and enhances what the Rival is doing perfectly. Penon did you a huge favor by including the best matching cable from the get-go. I got word that they have tried several of their higher end cables but none quite reached the sound peak of the Totem and the Rival, I highly advise the Rhodium plugs here as well. With so many parts inside a solid Resin build.

These are superior for passive isolation. So good I am gonna guess at least 30dbs of passive isolation. So not only can you adjust that subwoofer bass but you can use the Rivals on the go and it does a splendid job blocking out the noise. However there is some report that the dual Sonion bone conduction vents will let out a bit of music chatter so it isn’t perfectly silent. Personal passive isolation is what I am talking about here.

Trebles
I have to say the quality of the treble presentation of the Rival is a new benchmark for Penon. Its definition is not only on point but its the solid weighty type of treble note your hearing. Every single treble note with any effect going on for the trebles are easily heard. Its transients are top notch, crisp, clean, extremely detailed, airy, subtle and or blunt if it has it in the recording. ESTs while handing the upper regions for the treble note brings that air and a quality that is an absolute blast to listen to when implemented masterfully and Penon are seasoned vets at tuning the EST infused treble. With each newer iteration of the EST treble design they have improved their treble tunings and as you can guess the top of the crop trebles come from the Rival. Its extension and floaty, airy treble note is extremely addictive. It is now my litmus test for trebles and oh wait.

I can crank up these super high quality refined trebles? Love how dimensional and complete the treble note comes from the Rival. Early on in my damper trial and error. I replaced the included white damper with the gray ones which bring the trebles a bit more forward in the mix. To be honest I was very close to keeping that gray damper but in the end changing out the mids damper got me to go back to the stock white treble damper. To my ears this sounds perfectly balanced with the mids presentation and it has been there ever since.

The Trebles ability to be ghostly and pin point in its transients and even one step further. I can actually hear the ambience of the room from the particular tracks the trebles that are portrayed. How's that for treble detail? The treble ability and how it portrays the treble note in full is actually about as perfect to my ears as it gets. Its detail level is at an all time high with zero ear fatigue. A refined treble note means it has to have the right amount of sparkle, note weight and shimmer when called for, has to have exact precision and this goes without saying on the Rival trebles. If you're a high quality treble fan, I can write an entire review just based on how good the trebles are here but I will just leave it at that. It is easily my new bench for trebles.

Mids
Penonized is the new word in describing their mids. Thanks to fellow headfier @dharmasteve who came up with this word. I have yet to hear an IEM or bud Penon made that are weak in the mids department. It is very much a foundational part of their house sound. It's not a question just how fantastic the mids are on the Rival. What is interesting here is that it's not all parts of the mids that are adjusted with the mids damper, it is more so the upper mids/ lower trebles. Which brings a different level of clarity and presence to the mid bands. Its standard tuning with the brown damper for the upper mids is a mild pinna gain, again very safe which lends to the tonal character to be slightly warmer with an overlying richness I appreciate about the Penon sound. In its default tuning it will be more a matter of how much upper mids and lower trebles you are wanting out of the Rivals but for me I wanted just a hair more upper mids to offset the warm full on rich bass notes. Plus I feel it needed just a touch more clarity for strings and female vocals. So I changed up the damper to the white one or the one level lesser in resistance in the upper mids from the stock brown damper. Long story short it is in this form that I found my sound nirvana for the mids.

Mids with any of the dampers are extremely dimensional, there is nothing flat to the sound of the Rival, it is the very definition of dimensions and layering. What puts the Rival mids over the top has to do with its layering in space with precise imaging of every instrument with vocals in whatever part of the sound field that was recorded. Instruments are on a different playing field where they are represented in that hearing space and this effect is much more pronounced due to the dual Sonion Bone conduction. But then the Rivals design is more than that. I am willing to bet the sound will be dimensional regardless of the bone conduction drivers but then they enhanced this even further by adding a Totem cable which helps with its stage enhancing, sound separation, imaging, richness in tonal character, and its body of sound with added texture.

So you can only imagine what was already a dimensional balanced tuning for the Rival + dual bone conduction with a cable that enhances and adds to all of it? The mids of the Rival are the best I have heard not just from Penon but it is literally the best full on dimensional sound I have ever heard from a headphone format. There are other cables out there that I am sure will add an equal amount of colorization that will enhance, a bit differently with the Rival experience but there is absolutely no need to try a different cable on the Rival. I feel it is already pushing max high quality sonics to your ears in every way possible.

The dual Sonion bone conduction is for real my friends. This is my 2nd go around with this particular set of bone conduction drivers by the esteemed BA manufacturer Sonion from Denmark. It was also used for Tansio Mirais Shocks. Much like how it worked on those IEMs it does the same for the Rival but since each part of the Rival is reference grade. You can only imagine what these do for the overall sound of a super high end TOTL. The sound becomes ethereal in the truest sense of the word.

These are the IEMs you use when you want to hear just how good a recording is because these will let you hear the environment where the track was recorded. Studio or live sets, its imaging is on another level. The actual dimensions and ambience of the sound is heard. Its definitions in all dimensions of the stage presentation is more of a surround sound experience more than anything I have heard in an IEM format. It sounds like you got speakers firing off from all directions. Way in front of you, intimate up close and way behind you, far left and right. It is quite the virtual sound experience.

Mids have more than just substantial body, timberally perfect, tonally rich, a weighty sound with a roundness to every note. Every single reverb, after effects from instruments and vocals that are in the recording, the ambience of the air in the studio or venue that is inside of an amphitheater you can gauge just how large or intimate the venue is by listening to it with the Rivals. All this with the added effect of some of the best sound separation I have ever heard in an IEM format. Little nuances; the distance the vocalist is to the microphone, the vibrancy and emphasis of the strings to the whisper accented drums to how much emphasis the drummer has. There is nothing that overlaps or is unheard on the Rival. Its detail element is not just on one plane of sound, it is all around you. You can hear the distinction and dynamism of notes from every recording be it more forward, central or way behind your head, a true surround experience. Up till now, the best mids from Penon were the Impacts and not taking anything away from them. The Rival takes the level of the impact mids presentation but then takes it one step further into another realm altogether. Fine tuned with some of the most involved rich full ranged, full bodied, well balanced, immaculately spacious broad sounding mids w pin point accuracy. It is simply the very best Penonized mids they have ever done and if that's not enough reason to admire the Rival experience, then there is the bass.

BASS.
My prior benchmark for high quality bass playback from an IEM would be my IER-Z1R. This IEM amped is one for the ages. Sony has made a name for themselves with the landmark IEM in the IER-Z1R and just about anyone that owns a set will tell you they have some of the all time best bass presentations on the planet. For an IEM that was introduced in 2018, it has a staying power that other IEMs only wished it had. I can’t really recall any other IEMs that still get new buyers even today from the time. How surprised was I when I finally found an IEM that not only surpasses the greatness of the Z1R bass but leaps every other bass infused IEM I have ever heard.

Never in my wildest dreams was I prepared for the Rival bass. It was actually a huge point of concern for me on open listen. And this would be the number one reason why you want to do a nice long break in period for your Rival. It is the bass end that shapes up like a rough cut dull looking diamond meticulously transformed into its shiny sparkly crystalline final form in the end. Just know what you hear out of the box from the bass is not its final form at all. Be prepared for a wild road trip of a break in for these and it has everything to do with the bass of the Rivals.

The bass here uses similar tech that Penon has been involved with past IEMS and when I asked what material they are using. They are keeping a tighter lip on this one. To my ears they sound a bit like silicone dynamic bass but I was told it is a carbon hybrid they call it. So it is made of several materials that they aren’t exactly saying outright what it is and I kinda don’t blame them. Because I tell you what, they are definitely onto a winner with its bass presentation. Whatever it is. It's got a bass character that you would never expect from an IEM format.

What they actually end up sounding like are powered high end subwoofers in your ears. IER-Z1R as good as its bass end is, it is still IEM bass and done right I might add but the Rival bass is easily a good tier above that bass presentation. The amount of bass impact and presence you want for your Rivals will be as easy as messing with that dial on the backside of the shells. The amount is how you like it but it wouldn't be a TOTL IEM without what Penon brings for their absolute best bass effort in the form of quality.

Bass quality.
Coaxial bass is both 8mm carbon hybrid dynamics working in unison to bring out the power of both dynamics in a push pull array. So it would behoove Penon to bring out their absolute best effort for bass and my goodness did they deliver. The bass definition is one of the absolute best I have ever heard. Its texture is on a level you can only hear from actual subwoofers and this might be the reason why I mention actual subs but that is exactly how these sound like in your ears. It's got it all from bass tightness, agility, tactility in spades. Bass transients here is something to behold as these might be the very first IEM I have ever heard where the attack and decay of the bass notes are extremely variable and transformative to every single bass note and emphasis represented accurately with not just a few of my tracks but all of them. I have yet to hear a bass note that these can’t handle with ballz. I have plenty of IEMs that dig deep but these things dig deep with power not too different from the dedicated powered subwoofer from your 5.1or 7.1 channel sound.

I mentioned its agility which is a standout feature of the coaxial bass format, when combined with a highly effectively defined characteristics of all things bass. The accuracy for bass playback in the Rivals is at an all time high point for IEM sound. Slower decaying sub notes have some of the best texture from an IEM presentation I have ever heard. Sub bass notes have a certain power and a texture level that is among the very best for IEMs. Tight, speedy, supremely defined and Impactful. The bass end of the Rival is really 2nd to none in its ability and definition.

Bass tonal character of the Rival kind of reminds me of all IEMs, ISNs EST50s silicone bass rich tonal character but with the texture level of a carbon dynamic. A refinement level for the bass end I have never heard before on a Penon made IEM. They have had plenty of excellent bass infused IEMs if you count Tansio Mirai and ISN IEMs but the Rival bass surpasses all of them and has no equal among any of the current Penon produced IEMs. It has a wicked cameleon-like adaptability to all genres of music. Much like how the mids are portrayed. The Rivals bass presentation is a supremely rich bass experience. Bass notes capture everything from subtle bass notes to full on impact of 80s 808s with nearly a struggle. Even when turning down the bass knob it maintains this level of refinement throughout. What is even more impressive is when you crank up the bass and the Rivals bass stays well in control. A big beefy slab of Wagyu or a delicate filet mignon in true buffet style as much or as little as you want. What am I getting at? The bass presentation here is as special as the mids and its treble and that is what makes the Rival so damn good sounding. So complete, so soulful, so masterful. The sheer ability for this high end quality bass to be adjusted easily via adjustable knob. I can feel my manhood leaking out of my eyes a bit just thinking about it. It is way more awesome than you would imagine. Especially if you're a fan of super high quality bass presentations from speakers and headphones. You will most certainly appreciate what Penon has done for the bass end for the Rivals

In the end
The Rival is the culmination of years of knowhow and tuning expertise from the group that is known for their musical angle for their house sound. It was only a matter of time until they brought out an IEM that reaches for absolute peak performance of all their hard work. Make no bones about this one my friends. These are not just good, they are mind blowing. Even more so due to just how much customization it has in store for the true finicky enthusiast that wants their cake and eat it too. If you get a set of these and are complaining about not having enough rumbly bass, or the “ I am not a fan of harmon tuned IEMs due to too much upper mids” Or the “ these don’t have enough treble sparkle for my taste.” COMMENTs!. I will go over to where you live and swifty kick you in the shins. You are missing the point. You can tweak these to what you want. Sure I can see the complaint about how small the dampers are or how you might have lost one of the dampers due to your sausage fingers but. If I see something like, “ The bass end is a bit gentle for my taste.” Yes I will come over and egg your house because you deserve it!

This is the one IEM that will literally morph into whatever sound signature you please, more importantly done with a very high degree of refinements at all parts of its sound with a variability and adjustment level I have yet to see on a hardware level for any IEM. It would be one thing if the variance in the tunings sound completely off or incoherent but that is not the case. Truth is, it didn't take much of an effort for me to find the exact sound balancing I prefer as I had plenty of time to mess with the dampers and its bass dials. Once you get that sound just right for you. It is game over. I know there is no such thing as a perfect sounding IEM but the Rival has now become my litmus test. All other IEMs are lacking in comparison. I know folks are gawking about the price point but once you realize the sheer numbers of sound signature tweaks the Rival can do, with its unbelievable ethereal surround sound presentation. Yes it's game over. This is the level of IEM that I am certain most high end boutique manufacturers strive for but the reality is, it is usually one signature and that is it. Then you have to wait for another iteration or the “upgrade” to the newer version of the unobtanium TOTL that tweaks that sound so you can then spend a good chunk of your savings yet once again. You want more of that airy treble? You want more forward vocal presence? You want more rumbly subs to rattle your jaw? How about letting you choose that? It's a crazy idea but I do think Penon has achieved a peak performing IEM. Personal IEM sound just does not get much better.

PERFECTION
the action or process of improving something until it is faultless or as faultless as possible.

Fidue Thunder.

Earbuds fill a very specific niche. Either you're a bud fan or an IEM fan and in some cases a headphone fan that wants to dab in IEMs but like the convenience of using an in earbud vs in ear monitors. Some folks swing at all levels of transducers that throw sound into the ears and are ok with a bud as much as an IEM. In any case, what sounds good and is comfortable to use can easily become a favorite way of listening to our music. The new Fidue Thunder is a bit like a combination of the 3 types of headphone I have mentioned all in one.

This mish mash of design uses a larger 15mm dynamic which actually sits outside your ear a bit like how headphone drivers or on ear headphones would do. Then the inner insertion portion goes into the ears not too dissimilar from using a bud or an IEM. For bud fans it's not all that uncommon to see a larger dynamic and in this case a 15mm dynamic used for a bud but it is however not too common to see dedicated tweeter BAs incorporated with that large driver for the full sonics of a hybrid earbud.

The Fidue Thunder is exactly this, two dedicated BA tweeters which use separate channels with an inclusion of a large 15mm silica gel diaphragm encased in compact all metal housing. The interesting design aspect is that the sound nozzle is the part you insert into the concha, similar in shape, fit and size to an apple airpod. A bud housing with an airpod like protrusion where the sound comes out of. The sound nozzle portion is much smaller vs the back of the housing that encases the oversized 15mm dynamic, which sits outside of the ears. So that means you aren’t stuffing a large 15mm dynamic inside your ears. It's the much more compact sound nozzle protrusion part that fits inside your ears. This makes the Thunder one of the most comfortable ergonomic earbud type hybrid you will ever use. If comfort for longer listening sessions is an aspect you consider for buds and or IEMs. The Thunder is easily one of the most comfortable for longer listening. It's not exactly an IEM here either due to that nozzle bud portion not fully inserting inside your ears like an IEM. Hence the comfort level is amazing with these.



The Fidue Thunder comes with a simple accessory package. A solid matching 2 pin cable which was clearly designed to enhance the looks of the Thunder. The cable also happens to have a screw on modular plugs in both 3.5mm single ended and 4.4mm balanced. This allow the Thunder to be use on all manners of sources. They come with a nice square matching magnetic case to carry all of it and some nice mesh booty bags to cover the nice-looking shells of the Thunder.

Standardly proclaimers: the Fidue Thunder was provided for the purpose of a review from Penon Audio. My review sample here was burned in for a week and are now ready for review using my sources. IFI Signature, Fiio M15, M15S, K9 ESS, Ibasso DX300Max, Ibasso PB5, Ibasso DX180. Fiio X3ii & Fiio E12a amp.

Upon careful inspection it is clear to me where the BAs sit, and it is inside the airpod-like protrusion/ insertion portion of the housing. It seems to me these guys have tackled exactly how the housing will sit comfortably inside the ears and more importantly how that design will result in a much higher end bud sound to your ears. Another interesting observation. The pentagon shaped rear housing which houses the large dynamic has large sound vents on the underside of the housing that faces your ears and apparently this is where that Patented acoustic waveguides does its thing to help with the overall acoustics of the Thunder. Just out of curiosity I pressed those wave guides against my ear to see if I can hear music coming from them and what you know, they do emit some music chatter, which apparently has an effect for the sound presentation of the Thunder. Will get more into that in the sound descriptor.

Comfort is not an issue, if anything they fit just a touch loose for my own ears which is actually designed that way. If you press the earpieces into the concha for a deeper tighter fit. They sound muffled and no way as detailed as the way I am hearing them. I am mostly an IEM guy so it was a bit strange to me that the pod portion was not sealed inside my ears perfectly. It almost feels like it will fall out at times actually. But to my surprise they fit very comfy in place and I can walk and do physical activities while I have them in my ears. Much like most buds and their open nature, these have almost zero passive isolation. I would say if passive isolation is what you absolutely need, for traveling for example. A good form fitting IEM will do the trick every time.

The slightly loose fit is easily mitigated with the housing fit over the ears with the stems of the Thunder facing forward and the cable draped over and behind my ears. Yes you have to use the left shell on the right side and the right shell on the left side there is no marking on either shell which one is right or left so as long as the nozzles are pointed toward the ear holes you're good. Straight down unfortunately does not work so well for how they fit me. It does increase bass and mids perception but the way it sits facing forward the treble portion of the nozzle is blocked from reaching my ear so the sound becomes muffled. Nobody wants a muffled sound. However using them over the ear fixed that issue right up for me and I am now able to give this report. If you have smaller to medium sized ears these should fit just fine in one way or the other, straight down or over the ears. How you can tell if the fitment is right for you is if your hearing the crisp defined ghostly like trebles these can emit and the sound becomes balanced. They come with a silicone sleeving that fits around the bulbous nozzle/ pod sound opening that gives a bit of a better grip inside the ears for folks that need it. The sound channels and how the sound is projected into your ears is a bit different than how your traditional bud sound is transmitted.

So the way the Thunder emits sound is interesting due to the fact that it's not a conventional method but highly effective nonetheless. The nozzle end includes a center channel with a grill and two separated channel holes next to that central mesh. The two channel holes are where the BAs are doing their work which were taxed with the treble notes and the center mesh part is where the large dynamic handles the mids and bass of the Thunder sound. Apparently Fidue includes a patent for the way these are channeling sound to your ears. Two of them actually. The way the channels are separated for its sound and also a patent based on how the rear cavity acoustic waves are used to enhance the sound output and overall performance of the Thunder. The design includes some interesting looking vents all along the bottom part of the housing of the Thunder facing your ears that are used for just this effect.

So while that is good n all how do they sound?
I will first say that these need a full burn in period just due to the fact that it has one of the larger dynamic drivers for earbuds in existence at 15mm. They sounded a bit thin sounding out of the box which no longer sounds that way after I burned them in for a greater part of a week.

This hybrid bud/iem has a nicely imaged wide spacious stage, even more so than your average ear bud or IEMs. It was quite surprising the type of stage I am getting using these. But then a wide stage dont matter if the sound is somehow off or tuned wonky but that is not what I am getting. Like I previously mentioned I was guilty of judging these fairly harshly out of the box and the sound and its presentation has turned 180 degrees on me over time. The tuning to my ears sounds like a reference tuned IEM meaning it's a neutrally balanced IEM with a mild boost for bass and treble emphasis for a bit of a U tonality. Where these have a special sauce element to its sound has to do with how the BAs are being used for trebles and its airy spacious wide and deep sound.

A lot of the detail elements and micro nuances to sound comes from the treble aspect of a sound presentation and this is the specialty of the Thunder. I know you're thinking Thunder is a name given to a bud with a big 12dbs of mid bass to bring the Thunder stick bass right? The surprise with the Thunder is that it's tuned a lot like how a higher end open headphone sounds, airy, perfectly balanced, highly detailed and nicely refined in all parts of its sound. It's not an overly forward thick sound like a lot of buds can sound, nor is it an overly distant sounding presentation on the other hand. They sound decidedly neutrally balanced to me, bringing the best aspects of both the larger resolving dynamic and its inclusion of the two customized BA tweeters. The treble details on these are ghostly. Which is difficult for single dynamics to portray if not impossible for lower-level earbuds. The treble detail can happen outside of your hearing for example. I happen to own one of the most resolving earbuds in the TGX Serratus and those have excellent extended trebles but not the ghostly out of your head crisp treble detail the Thunder has. Its micro details are simply outstanding. Music that needs good trebles for it to truly shine. Jazz, acoustic, orchestral, large set pieces of music that needs precision and detail. If you're a Jazz fan. YES these are the ones! The Thunder is calling your name.

While there is a timbral shift from the dynamic bass and mids presentation to the BA treble. Transients for trebles are tight and crisp in how they sound vs its natural dynamic presentation but the sound is overall timbrally and tonally accurate. It's really not that different than having dedicated tweeters in your speakers so you can imagine that effect for a bud that can do that inside your ears. Trebles are clearly separated from the mid bands which I find is very addictive especially for Jazz music. And this is where I am hearing them ghostly fine details for treble notes. It's not the type of treble notes that fatigue or sound unnatural in any way. Treble clarity and transients are better than your buds. Buds to my ears have somewhat of a limitation factor to how crisp, detailed and airy treble notes can come due their loose fitting nature but the BAs here does a fantastic job to let you know it has separate tweeters at work here.

Mids of the Thunder images with a nicely wide, spacious, confidently well layered presentation. The imaging, sound separation in space and instrument placement is among the finest I have heard in a bud format. I mentioned that the overall sound is airy and it is one of the most airiest sound presentations I can think of for all IEMs and buds category in sound. I am thinking those acoustic waveguides have something to do with that. I noticed any type of reverb for any vocals or instruments has a slight bit of extra sustain to it adding to that airy and deeper sound presentation. Vocals are also very surprising on the Thunder. Vocals have excellent fullrange of sound and has the right amount of body as much as the instruments do. Stings, guitars float in the air with timbral accuracy and that was another strong aspect of the Thunder.

Bass. So here in lies a bit of a variability and what I mean by that is. It will depend on just how they fit your ears. Because of their loose fitting nature. If you have smaller ears with a smaller concha then I am gonna guess you will have greater presence for mids and bass. If you have medium to large ear holes and they fit a touch loose like for me. Then they will present with a punchy bass end but nothing earthshaking or bass dominant and certainly not much in the sub bass department. The Thunder name does not mean Thunder bass. My prior review right before my write up here is for an IEM called the Tansio Mirai Shock with dual coaxial carbon based dynamics in ear with a bass tuning dial. You want to talk thunder bass. Yes those have it. Going from something like that to these “ Fidue Thunder.” These are not gonna slap you across the head with 15dbs of boomstick bass, but they are not weak in this department by any means. I am thinking the bass portion of the Thunder was designed more to enhance and compliment the mids and trebles presentation of the Thunder more so than being tuned to be featured. Hence the bass has a moderate boost and sounds more accurately balanced for the region vs being enhanced to take your attention away from the lovely treble and mids of the Thunder. Much like most buds, the Thunder is tuned with ample mid bass, has plenty of punch with a tight detailed presentation. Its sub bass is a touch rolled off but nothing egregious or is missing altogether. Subbass portion of the Thunder will once again depend on how the Thunder fits your ear shape. As I mentioned before, when I press the housing into my ears the bass and mids become much more full bodied and forward in the balancing. It is already very subjective on how we all hear a bit differently but it does not help that the bass end especially will be presented differently for each person, slightly different due to how they will fit for you and for me. To me they sound a bit south of neutral which is more accurate to real music with good detail and speed for the bass end.

For my own taste, it could use a touch more sub bass presence but otherwise I have no concerns with the ability of the bass end for the Thunder. If anything its presentation is very much complete from sub bass to upper trebles with its tuning which leads me to my final thoughts.

In the end.
The Fidue Thunder was a bit of a surprise for me. I remember when I first took them out of the box for listening. I was thinking. No way these are gonna sound as good as my prior buds or IEM. Over time I found out I was completely wrong in my initial assessment to the point where I can easily see myself using these for critical listening and definitely enjoying music in a diffuse manner. Large wide holographic like sound in a bud form, there is something to them acoustic wave guides that present these with an open sound that is just awesome to hear. While I mentioned they sound exemplary for acoustic, orchestral and jazz music but truth be told I am an eclectic listener and my music collection is as varied as the ethnicities that consider the earth their home. Its balancing is what makes them versatile and if you're a detail fan and like you a crisp treble presentation with your big staged bud sound. These might be what you're looking for. They do sound like speakers in your ears and that is what I think Fidue was going for. I appreciate you taking the time to read my thoughts on a very innovative hybrid product.


Comparo against the new Penon Conductor.
The Conductor is the newest Penon Bud with a dedicated Bone conduction driver included in its design. I am using their included cables for this comparo.

Conductor has to my ears more bass with a more forward mids presentation for its tuning vs the Fidue Thunder. Could be the way they fit for my ears as they are a more conventional earbud in fitment vs the Thunder. Overall tonal character is slightly warm, a bit smoother and forward sounding vs the more neutral technical presentation of the Fidue Thunder. Unfortunately, I feel the Conductor's included cable is restrictive of how good the Conductor can sound. Its driver is much more resolving than how they sound out of the box but it does take a higher end cable for the sonics to fully come out. In its stock form I feel the Thunder is clearly the more higher end sounding IEM. Especially due to the treble aspects being much more fleshed out in the Thunder.

The Conductors special sauce has to do with its inclusion of a larger bone conductor driver in the back end of the housing that helps emit the sound to be more spread out spherically. The Conductor sounds a bit more meaty with greater height and depth of sound but surprisingly the Thunder matches its stage with an equally wide stage if not a bit wider and does sound more airier in its sound presentation. Thunder is more neutral balanced while the Conductor to my ears sounds a bit more traditional in how buds are presented. More forward mids and bass with a slightly rolled off treble note. Conductor is more musical sounding while the Thunder sounds more accurate and detailed in its sound presentation. This being said I would highly advise for Conductor owners to try different cables. I bet you will be surprised with just how much better the Conductor can get and you might find yourself preferring the Conductor over the Thunder in the end, that is how much it can change for the better.

The Thunder has a bit more upper mids presence which sounds cleaner and airier vs the mild upper mids presentation of the conductor which brings a slightly warmer yet natural tonal character to the conductor. The Thunders shows better technicalities in the form of sound separation, imaging and detail levels with the inclusion of the two BAs that seem to help lift the sound of the Thunder. Its airy sound presentation is really what give them a bit of a special angle to how they sound. The Conductor unfortunately needs a much better cable for it to compete in these departments to the Thunder but at least you can achieve a higher level of technicalities with a cable upgrade of all things. Imo both these buds are well represented in the price points but the surprise here is that it is the conductor that can makes leaps in the sound department where the Thunder is more or less what you get.

There is absolutely no comparison to which bud is more comfortable to use. They are both comfortable for me, as the Conductor is actually physically smaller than most buds in the industry. The Thunder is by far the most comfortable anything I have ever put into my ears so both of them are comfortable with the Thunder being the new level for comfort for anything bud wise in the ears. If you have ever used an airpod before you will know what I am talking about here.

TSMR-Shock



Recent earphones for Tansio Mirai have seen a change of sound direction, both the Tansio Mirai FEAT and the Tansio Mirai X utilize coaxial dynamics which if you have never tried an earphone with coaxial dynamics. The sheer energy that is emitted with two powerful dynamics handling the bass coaxially brings instant attention to its presentation. Now we see the best utilization of that dual coaxial bass presentation in the Tansio Mirai Shock. From all indications, the Shock seems to be using very similar drivers to the Tansio Mirai-X but with one very distinct difference. The inclusion of dual Sonion Bone Conduction drivers.

Traditionally Tansio has always been about balanced monitor presentations with ample extended treble presence using mostly BAs, it has been a privilege to hear the gradual changes for their tunings and today I am even more fortunate to get their newest in the Shock in my ears for this bit of impression and review. The new Shock incorporates a lot of newer technical advancements. While your traditional hybrids are about incorporating the best of BAs and dynamic abilities, it is when you add two bone conduction drivers from Sonion, things get a bit interesting.

The new TSMR-Shock. A proper name indeed as these are gonna SHOCK and surprise a lot of folks that hear them for the first time as it did for me. Out of the box, it has to be one of the beefiest sounds I have ever heard and when I say beefy. I mean BEEFY! The shock is that this has to be one of the most dynamic full bored sounds I have heard in an IEM form. Unlike the laid back mids from both the Feat and somewhat on the X. It is a full frontal, full bored meaty sound with a large spherical encompassing dimensional stage from the get go.

But then that means it's colored quite a bit? YES it is, but that is just its stock settings, keep reading. These don't sound anything like a traditional Tansio Mirai IEM if I am to be honest. But then it kinda does especially when you turn the bass dial down and then it becomes this more technical level of the sound. But then it kinda doesn't due to the awesome adjustable full frontal visceral mid to sub bass it has. I think it was the Tansio Mirai Lands which was their first IEM that used dynamics and their Sand which brought some insight into the bass prowess of Tansio Mirai IEMs. It took the use of dynamics for this new bassy sound direction and is now fully realized with the use of coaxial bass. What happens when you get the ability to dial as much bass and treble as you want with the inclusion of some higher end Bone Conduction drivers?

So now I am understanding the flashiness of this design, its theme, its name. What it is going for. Forget the traditional strict house sound designs you know. This is all about a full assault, full on immersive fun yet technical sound experience. And just because a tuning is fun does that mean it has strayed away from its mothers sound? Not by a long shot. See the Shock has a trick up its sleeves that most IEMs don't know anything about or have tried to do in the past. Most IEMs with switches have its limitations and while some IEMs are better than others when it comes to tuning variations using switches. The Shock incorporates a first time for me, two tuning dials. Because tuning switches are so last year.

The Shock includes a small flathead screwdriver. A very small roughly 2 inch flathead fits perfectly in the notch of the knobs. With the twist to the left of the knob, you get an increase and or a twist to the right a decrease. Yellow knob for bass with 5 settings and brown knob for treble also in 5 settings. Question is how effective is this tuning knob? Much more settings and sound combinations than you can imagine. It goes from full on V shape tuning with a big blown up bass to a mild neutral level of bass performance. If that is not enough, you can dial down the treble for a warmer tonal character and or bring up the treble to your heart's content. A warm L shaped tuning or a more technical r shaped tuning or as balanced as you would like and just about every level in between. I know there is some debate on the colors chosen here for the knobs as they do look a bit Legoish, however the effectiveness first hand is actually done extremely well. I would guess the full bass end has roughly 15dbs of eyeball shaking bass to a very mild 5dbs in all of its settings. I am not a graph guy so I have no idea exactly how much each setting here gets you but that is just how I am hearing it. The treble variance is not as drastic, but I do get a mild emphasis to a real pronounced bright one so I am guessing about 5-6dbs of increase from the lowest point to the highest for the TSMR-Shock. This gives you a whole lot of variability when it comes to how you like your sound.

However not all is intuitive with the knobs. Now here is the bit of the issue with this particular design. The knobs are initially somewhat puzzling to figure out which side is what. I will post a pic of what I mean but I think I figured it out. And if the sound is not good enough how about a puzzle element to figure out which way the knob goes is correct? It turns out that you have to literally flip one of the housing upside down in order to get all the knobs to align for adjustment. Once you figure out which way the dial goes. It is as easy as setting each housing with the correct emphasis and whala you get instant bass or trebles and any combination there of. The greatness of the instant basshead version of your IEM is something to behold. I know the prior TSMR-X used tuning switches for this very same factor but the tuning knob this time gives even greater tweaking variations of the bass and trebles. Overall I feel this new knob direction is not only a novel idea but highly effective at the same time. I have to admit this dial a bass idea has quickly grown on me the more I used it. Where I find it very kick ass is when you are out and about. By the way, the thicker more bulky design of the Shock does extremely well to block out some passive isolation. Basshead mode out and about is what I am talking about. Turning the knob to lower the bass when critical listening is more ideal at home. Because of its excellent passive isolation and its bass variability. This all purple thick IEM is the ideal travel companion/ airplane IEM.

As a side note it is one of the very best for movie watching on the go and some seriously immersive gaming. Personal THX my friends. The Shock blocks out the noise and lets you enjoy the full surround like stage with some tasty bass to go with it.

But then I haven't touched upon what the dual Sonion Bone conduction drivers are doing here.
I recently wrote a review for Penon for their new Fan3 as it uses a different type of Bone Conduction driver which is highly effective in bringing that sound to a dimensional level.

As do the dual BC drivers on the TSMR-Shock. However with one clear difference. The sound gets a level of texture and body that the Fan 3s version of the BC driver doesn't exactly emit. Low notes for bass have an increase of physical impact and rumble but it's more than that. Its texture gets a clear upgrade. Not just the bass but all of the sound. The mids has a spatial and layering element to its sound that brings a bit of a special sauce to the mix. Its sound height and depth is some of the best I have heard. I have heard plenty of IEMs with wider stages. This is a given on the Shock but its height and depth is something to behold. Its layering for mids presentation gets an uptick on the very reason why we love to hear music with vocals and instruments. When percussive notes happen in the background it's more than just a background it's way behind your head, or way off to the left or right of you for example.

I know some of you are not so convinced about Bone Conduction and what it does for your IEM sound but for me, it clearly has a substantial effect on how you perceive the sound presentation. The dual Sonion BC drivers in the Shock is different in how it presents sound vs the Coil BC driver in the Fan3. It seems to bring an extra density and a higher level of texture, a definitive dimension to sound immersion that is not really apparent without. The coil conduction driver in the Fan3 seems to spread out the sound more horizontally, the dual Sonion BC drivers in the Shock brings more density to the sound and spreads out sound more spherically in comparison. The TSMR-Shock does not quite sound like your conventional hybrid because of it and I am just merely touching what the Shock sounds like and can do here but the sound output from the Shock to your ears is definitely a treat to behold.

I am no expert at what BC drivers do for your sound but my first experience with them is on the OG Mest which everyone in the IEM game should know by now but being my first IEM that uses Bone Conduction, I went into that IEM with no expectations on how it will sound. One aspect consistent with that IEM and the new Shock is that you get a dimensional sound on a different level. I have had plenty of IEMs that throw out layering of your tunes that sound dimensional but actually hearing different areas of your hearing that has different parts of the music is another level. That is how I am experiencing the Shock. There Are many layers to the sound that seem to expand more so than your conventional 2 channel sounding IEMs. Then there is the ability to insta tune the bass and trebles to your liking. Everything depends on your mood right? Feel like cranking up the bass? Then go for it. Want some spicy treble to go with that juicy full blown bass? You get that as well. The sheer versatility on the fly is actually one of the best implementations of a physical way of tuning your IEM on the fly, I have ever used on an IEM.

Build/ Ergonomics.
So the Shock is a bit on the bulky side and it does stick out of your ears a bit and it has to do with the tuning knobs. Taking a good look into the shells shows its interior and the back shell houses a flat plate that protrudes out via knob through the backside of the shells. This plate houses the internals to make both the bass and the trebles have greater or lesser effect on how you like your Shock but apparently in order to include this plate in the shell the housing is decidedly bulkier than most IEMs. The good news there is that this does not have any effect on the actual fitment of the Shock inside your ears. They fit exactly the same as the TSMR-X as the overall shell shape and the relatively short nozzles are identical. The nozzle itself is a bit short but is easily mitigated by a longer stemmed aftermarket tip. Its included tips work ok but I prefer longer tips for my own ears for the best seal. Which brings me to my next point. BC drivers require a tight good fitment inside the ears for them to work correctly. I would say the overall shape is medium in size in the way they fit but is physically a larger IEM which sits a bit outside your ears due to the backplate adding that bulk. Fitment is not an issue for me and is comfortable for extended listening sessions. I suppose when you add so many drivers inside of a compact shell with physical tuning knobs and all. It is better that the shell is longer/ bulky vs being physically larger fitting inside the ear which can cause hot points in the ear leading to discomfort. No such issues to report. They are kinda curiously geeky in all purple sticking out of your ears but who cares when you are surrounded by your favorite tunes.


The other gripe I have is that the nozzle end basically has a very minor lip to it. It's a more smooth rounded nozzle end meaning certain aftermarket tips will slide off of them making some of the tips you favor, to not work well with the Shock. I am not expecting folks to modify the nozzle to add an extra lip somehow just so they can use their favorite aftermarket tips, JVC spiral dots for example. While it actually fits the nozzle it will easily come off of it due to the lack of lip on the nozzle end. Longer stemmed tips actually work better not only for best sound output but also due to how it can sit on the nozzle more securely. Last thing you want is to be walking around and lose a tip while you're enjoying your daily walk or flying on an airplane. Losing one of your favorite tips is like finding out you lost your wallet. You don’t want that to happen is my point. I hope Tansio Mirai reads my review here and actually changes up the nozzle end a bit so it is more tip friendly.

The all clear purple design with the purple metal hardware of the included SPC cables work well to bring a younger energetic aesthetic to the design but. This design in an all clear black with white and black knobs with an all black cable would have made it look even better imo. To be fair the purple in person looks a lot nicer vs pics. The yellow and brown knobs however I have a feeling was what colors these guys had at their factory when coming up with this design. The colors don’t really match the clear purple and looks a bit toyish if I am to be honest. But in this case, it is function and sound over looks. If anything you will never mistake this IEM for one of your others.

If Prince was alive today I am sure he would custom order one with two different shades of purple for the knobs to go with the all purple resin shell. He would have loved it.

Sound.
As much variety of sound you can get from the TSMR-Shock. I will go over the baseline sound and its technicalities first and then you can imagine adding more bass and or treble will do for that tuning.

At its most balanced mid state of tunings the TSMR-Shock is similar in balancing to the TSMR-X in reference form but with one aspect that adds an entirely different dimension to the sound and that is those dual Sonion BC drivers. Every part of the sound gets more substance in the form of note weight and added texture. I am not a 100% certain but it seems the drivers used for the Shock looks to be similar to the X except for the BC drivers. But it's like all the drivers got an upgraded revision with the use of the Sonion Bone Conduction drivers. There are two outlets where the drivers meet the inside of your ears and it is in this form the BC drivers does its thing. Creating a personal stage and space for what you are hearing.
The variance in the degree of bass and treble varies so greatly that you can tune the Shock to exactly how much one likes bass and or treble or both. You can get some legit varieties of tunings using the knobs and I found myself liking the middle settings for both bass and trebles. One notch increase for both bass and trebles when I am out and about. And if I am really in the mood, the Bass on full blast. Full bass end is excessive, it does cause fairly large bass shadow but when the bass is this juicy, textured and ground shaking. They are just an absolute blast to listen to, especially out and about.

Its foundational sound, believe it or not, is more balanced in form and is nicely technical, it is similar to the Tansio Mirai X in tonal character, its imaging, sound separation and detail level is similar here as well but all with a more spacious dimensional aspect due to the BC drivers. In fact it is in this form you can tune the treble to be moderate with a moderate level of bass and it will sound more or less like the Tansio Mirai IEMs of old. Monitorish, with more accuracy in all things. But who gets IEMs with a bass knob to listen to how neutral they can get? That's like getting a 5.1 surround system with dedicated sub woofers and not turning them on.

Included cable
It matches decently with the TSMR-Shock in what it is doing, especially in looks but much like most throw in cables. These are fairly basic SPC type cables and don’t do anything egregious to limit the sound of the Shock but they don’t necessarily make for the best synergistic pairing either. Once you venture into this level of IEM I am certain you will find your aftermarket upgrade for cables to be better matching. Just know the sound gets better with a better quality chain hooked up to these earpieces.


Trebles
The trebles here reminds me a lot of what was on the Tansio Mirai X but I think it was a good idea to give the user some greater variability for the trebles and that is due to the BC drivers. It might be just me but I feel I need a bit more treble emphasis for a balanced sound with IEMs with BC drivers and I think it has to do with how I hear music with them permanently on at all times. That extra body and textured sound the Shock emits seems to bring more attention to the the bass and a bit lesser extent to the mids in how I am hearing my music so a touch extra in the treble emphasis actually seems to sound more balanced than what was on both the FEAT and the X for example. I also noticed this phenomenon on the Fan3 as well. The good news is it takes a 2nd to the highest setting for the Shock to actually make it sound a bit too emphasized. Each position only seems to add a db or so of emphasis in comparison to the jump you get in the bass end. The good news is the trebles here are very much grounded to help out the sound presentation of the Shock. The only thing this presentation is lacking in is a bit of extra articulation from the use of EST drivers. Otherwise it's got plenty of detail and sparkle when called for, even more so if you feel it could use more of it. That is the appealing aspect of the Shock. Tilting the bass end up and the trebles down a bit brings immediate attention to the bass end and its included warmth. This tunes the shock for more body and warmth of sound effectively giving it a more L shaped tuning. Increasing the treble here gives more details associated with the region and if you turn down the bass the sound becomes more technical and resolving. There is bound to be a setting that will be just right for you.

Mids
This is what was really surprising on the Shock. The mids are much more present and significant for the Shock vs FEAT, and are closer in emphasis to the X but have better depth and height of sound with greater density of note projected with a layering that is greater than their prior IEMs. And it definitely has something to do with the BC drivers. The dual Knowles BAs does a splendid job at the mids and that extra body of note with added texture from the BC drivers gives a fullness with more dimensional aspects to the sound. The mids of the Shock has the least amount of coloration for the overall sound and while it might not have the most richest of tonal qualities, it more than makes up for it with some spectacular imaging. Its cleanly balanced mids presentation is more neutral in form meaning it's not a forward nor are they recessed in emphasis. It has some excellent clarity with even a better level of precision compared to that of the prior X. Instruments and vocals at times image outside of your head. This effect just adds to what the Shock is about. Music sounds extremely immersive due to how it presents sound.

Depending on how you like your bass, the mids are not exactly at an equal footing as the big bass can be or the trebles and I find you can tune both aspects down to a more balanced neutral style of presentation. I don't find the mids to be the complete focus for the Shock but it definitely compliments the crazy levels of bass you can crank up to your liking.

Vocals and instruments have their own space to work with but it is how dense your music sounds that brings a smile to my face every time I hear these. Going from these to IEMs that don't use these BC drivers sound a bit plain. The tuning here works well with the Shock and the mids is the one constant for its sound presentation. With more bass comes a bit more warmth and fullness to the lower mids, this was also the case for the TSMR-X but these sound even more cohesive than the TSMR-X. Somehow them BC drivers just tie the sound together so well it's a presentation that you cannot forget anytime soon. The mids are a good quality and with just enough quantity and focus to work with that crazy adjustable bass and treble. Somehow I have a feeling if the mids were more forward in the mix it wouldn't work as well as it does with its crazy bass and treble dials. A solid clean foundation for its sound, both vocals and instruments are well spaced out in how you hear them. Which is the effect of the BC drivers but then the sounds have a level of density to the notes that makes the Shock sound substantial to hear.

Bass
Turning the bass dial to the middle position or 3 position of 5 brings plenty of bass, I am guessing at around 8dbs of bass which is also a similar emphasis for TSMR-Xs reference position. You can find tune the bass as you can go in between the slots for a mid emphasis between the 3 and the 4 for example, a 3.5 emphasis if you like. To keep things more simple I have been using the settings on the notches. I find myself using the 3 setting the most as it still has plenty of impactful bass with some of the best extended bass compared to IEMs I own. My reference for bass extension is the Sony IER-Z1R and I find myself just as satisfied with the Shocks bass as I do with that set. Considering the Shock will be sold for 1/3rd the cost of the IER-Z1R, it is quite the achievement. I find its stage to be of a similar level to the IER-Z1R here as well. So basically what I am saying is, if you can’t tell already. The Shock is quite the value statement in my opinion.

The bass end of the Shock uses two 8mm Carbon composite dynamics in coaxial form. It will leave a lasting impression here. Tunes with low underlying bass tones in the background of your tracks can be clearly heard. Any music with bass lines will be heard on the Shock. The definition, tightness and quality of the bass here is once again similar to the Tansio Mirai X but it is what the BC drivers bring for the bass end that really puts the Shock at a different level. I mentioned the entirety of the sound seems to be getting a texture boost from the BC drivers. The quality of bass has a lot to do with its texture quality. It's not a matter of just how low the bass notes these can handle. They reach the abyss with no struggle. But when the bass notes hit you want to hear and feel the rumble and that is what the Shock brings. Its bass definition, its impact, its solid tonal character, its speed and tightness is all top tier stuff for dynamics. I am very familiar with Carbon based dynamics and I have owned numerous carbon, diamond like carbon, graphene, carbon nanotube dynamic based IEMs where all of them bring a higher level of bass impact and rumble for IEMs. But I have only a few on hand that actually have coaxial dual bass. The physical power is there, the rumble is for real and the good news there is that you can turn that up to your heart content. The Shock is the very definition of audiophile bassy. This is the reason why you want to venture into the Shock waters. Its tasty bass comes in all manor of flavors. You can dial up or down this bass and this is the real trump card for the Shock. Its ability to be adjusted on the fly is done splendidly well.


Conclusion.
The surprising aspect to all this is, it is all done with a wide spherical stage where you hear stuff happening outside your head. Hence that is the reason why these sound so engaging if not just outright blast to listen to your music with. They are more of a fun leaning set but can get serious when needed. The versatility of the Shock is what's on full display and you are bound to find a setting you will like between trebles and bass. Instead of just tinkering with the settings here. Each setting is a legit sound tuning. You can go from neutral bright, to neutral warm, to full blow bassy and everything in between. I have to give Tansio Mirai credit for bringing the goods on this one. And yes I am gonna overlook the fact that the knob colors don’t match. They have quite the energetic look to them and it is called SHOCK! That is how they wanted you to perceive this sound and it is in a good way. I found myself grinning from ear to ear on more than a few occasions listening to these. Hidden behind that look, the sound is serious business. These have easily become my reference bass tribrids for its price level. Its variability is just fantastic. It all depends on what your mood is. I listen to everything from a bit of country to hard core speed metal, EDM, orchestral,jazz, pop to hip hop, just about all manner of good music. I am the very definition of an eclectic listener. They might not be an end game for a mids lover but more than makes up for it with some outstanding adjustable bass and treble. In the past I had to change up IEMs for certain genres of music but not so much the TSMR-Shock. It can be a chameleon like in how it performs with music. That is what is astonishing about the Shock. Its technicalities are at an excellent midfi level to match the high level of energetic sound output you get from the different levels of bass and its treble. How it portrays your music with bone conduction is very effective, and when you put all these aspects of the sound and its design together. You get a nicely done if not a sheer blast of an IEM to listen to, uniquely looking knobs and all. Thanks for taking the time to read.

Penon Fan3

I think Penon learned a thing or two when they introduced their Fan2. The shell design was a bit of a hit or miss due to an unconventional shape, with just about every review on the nets mentioning that they had an awkward longer nozzle shape. Which means if you didn't have the correct ear shape or a larger ear canal, then the Fan2 was not going to be comfortable or will they sound correct for you. This caused some issue among enthusiasts that got to hear them. The reviews and impressions of the Fan2 was all over the place and it definitely had something to do with how they fit. For me, the Fan2 in full glory sounded every bit as musical as any Penon made IEM and could even be a poster child for Penon house tunings.

The other design aspect that the Fan2 started with was Penons use of the dual dynamics for bass. It was the first Penon IEM to use this design for bass and if you follow their more recent creations, they are all using the dual dynamics. 10th, Quattro, Voltage and even the new ISN H60 and now used on the Fan3. The new Fan3 uses two powerful 6.2mm bio diaphragms. It seems to me, Penon sound tunings evolve like all good manufacturers should, I have learned through the years that they learn from prior IEMs they have made to always do one better. Utilizing some of the best drivers in the industry and then when you add their tuning know how you get some arguably excellent sounding IEMs.

The new Fan3 takes Penon house sound into the next level using a new much more ergonomic yet slightly larger housing design but now with an added full range 10mm coil type Bone Conduction driver. So that equates to 2x 6.2mm bio DD for bass, a full range Sonion BA for mids and a specialized Knowles treble BA for the highs but then this driver configuration was what the Fan2 basically was. The Fan3 adds a first for Penon, a new full range BC driver which has a big effect on the sound of the Fan3. What is interesting about the Fan3 is that it now has an added switch element that turns the BC driver on and off.

Penons house tunings are all about the mids but always implement tasteful present trebles and a punchy deep low end to compliment the mids. Their TOTL Impacts have some of the best mids I have ever heard on any IEM but then what does that have to do with the new Fan3? Well the Fan3s full range coil BC driver has the most effect on the Fan3 mids character. This time around there are two very legit sound tunings in the Fan3. A full on 3 dimensional U shaped tuning with BC driver engaged and a mild yet balanced V without the BC engaged. What is interesting is that I do believe Penon will be the first in the industry to introduce the ability to turn off the BC and turn it on when you feel the need. The BC driver does something very interesting to mostly the mid bands but also has an effect for the bass end and a bit of the treble as well.

Switch engaged. A bit of a warning on this mode. It might be the reason why you are interested in this particular IEM. In being the first to fully test the Fan3 both their prototype and the retail version I am posting about here. You have to do a full burn in cycle for these. Music playing at listening levels for at least 50-75 hours is what I would recommend. But more importantly I would dedicate some time to get used to how the sound is presented. Meaning you have to get used to the sound that is presented with the BC driver on. Drop all your IEMs and have a good listen. I can already see a variance of impressions just based on the open box sound. It almost sounds like the Fan3 is out of phase, that is when you accidently connect your 2 pin cable in one side backwards. But it is when you keep listening you will start to understand what Penon was going for. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if you felt the sound was off to you on first listen. The entire sound presentation changes. I think folks that own IFI amps and dacs might get a good idea of what is happening with the sound here but it is very close to how IFI amps process the sound for 3D enhancement. The 3D switch on IFI amps and dacs have always been a part of an extra they throw on via switch on their sources. If you have owned one of these you will get a good idea of what I am talking about here. And much like how these devices are engaged for that 3D sound so does the bone conduction implementation is engaged via switch on the Fan3. The end result is quite astonishing. Once fully burned in and adjusted for its grand sound signature. Accept that the sound is now out of your head. Way out of your head.

Penon has always been good about tuning the mids and with the BC engaged the spacious element of the Fan3 sound goes into overdrive. It has to be one of the most spacious dimensional airy sounds that Penon has ever made for an IEM at the price level they will be charging for these. The mids are not pulled forward like you might think but more laid back in the mix with the BC engaged. This gives a grander soundscape for how you're listening to your tracks, then it also seems to add a greater depth with an added ambience to the sound that is not exactly there with the BC driver in the off position. The mids sound much more broader, deeper, more ethereal, airy and its bass now has better focus for sub bass in both impact and rumble. Trebles are the least affected but are definitely balanced well to enhance the experience the BC driver brings. Trebles has been fine tuned to work with the BC on and it also has a hand in the presentation of the Fan3 BC mode on with a slight bit extra focus for its upper trebles. This tuning trick in conjunction with the BC driver brings one of the most unique sound experiences for IEMs in the industry and for this reason alone you should take some serious interest in these. But then what about with the switch off?

Switch turned off. This is where they remind me of a newer version of the Fan2 in sound. One with a greater mid bass impact and extension for its subbass and with more treble presence in emphasis and extension. The mids now sound more forward, more intimate, much more grounded in how it sounds which has an effect for its stage presentation. Sound is not as roomy, spacious or as airy as it was with the BC on but that intimacy is now cranked up a notch. Truth is in this mode it could easily be sold as the official Fan3 tuning and we are back to a more conventional hybrid sound. But it also happens to be a bit more colored, a bit more exciting vs the old Fan2 in sound signature. Sound becomes much more intimate. More impactful mid bass, a thicker bodied lower mids, and even a slight added emphasis for trebles. With the BC off. These sound similar to another Penon product in the older Globes even closer to the newer Dome in tuning. Folks that love them some body and warmth to their music this is the mode that will please. What makes the Fan3 more versatile than your garden variety hybrid IEM is that you're actually getting two fully realized tuning options, 2 completely different sounds with the ability to engage or disengage the BC switch. And by no means does the sound all of a sudden shrink with the switch off. Far from it, again has a nicely spaced-out sound with nothing that is confined or canned. In this mode I think folks will love the more musical tuning of the Fan3. It's just that it has another completely different side of its sound presentation with the BC on.

It seems to me that this IEM is more of a show piece as they call it a FAN IEM which means these will have some special pricing for folks that get their mailer and subscribe to Penons website. Folks that have bought the Fan or the Fan2 in the past know what I am talking about.
Don't know how many manufacturers you guys know that purposefully design an IEM dedicated to and for their patrons but that is what this series of IEMs are about. And I am all too happy to report. Penon has made a doozy in the new Fan3.

Did I mention they fit a million times easier in the ears vs their prior Fan2 but more importantly there will be much more uniform impressions of these IEMs due to that much better ergonomic fit. And what was good about the Fan2 is much more alive on the Fan3.

Sound
If the lush full bodied dimensional airy mids experience don’t get you, the deep impact of the punchy dual dynamics for bass and the smoother present well detailed extended trebles that balances out the full bored sound of the Fan3 certainly will. In all honesty I don't know if you can optimize a 4 driver tribrid for better cohesion vs what's on the Fan3. It's like the BC driver ties the 3 bands together for better cohesion here. There is some magic fairy dust stuff happening with these that is difficult to explain until you hear a set bone conduction and all.

The idea of listening to your music is for full immersion, no? I think using the word immersion is a good way to describe how the Fan3 sounds. It is more than immersive. With BC engaged, it almost sounds like some type of dolby surround. But then when you turn it off. You get this big bold sound with a more intimate forward sound signature that is just as equally enjoyable. From how I understand it. Penon has been designing this one for a while now as I actually got to hear a prototype of these. And there are some aspects from the early prototype that worked and that didn’t. One of them was that they have now changed out the treble BA to be much more present and with a better tuning and then that was not good enough. I bet they realized with the BC off it brings yet another flavor, something more akin to what they have done in the past. Having 2 legit signatures is not a bad thing if you ask me. This is not a case of one being outright better than the other. It is about unleashing the full potential of the driver configurations here to take advantage of what the BC driver does and does not do. If you ever wondered how BC drivers affect your music? Well now is your chance to hear it for yourself.

Trebles.
Fan3 trebles are a solid example of how Penon tunes trebles to be complimentary of its mids presentations. The new driver used for the treble tuning now brings a better transient element to the treble presentation. Prior prototype was a touch unbalanced and imo not as detailed. This new tuning and new driver now bring the detail level you would expect from the 3rd iteration of an IEM made for their patrons. The treble clarity is improved, has better sparkle and is better balanced in all aspects of its trebles. From how I understand it, this treble BA has been used for another popular IEM in the past with great results and hence was used for this particular set. Tuning the trebles to be detailed but not fatiguing has to be a challenge even more so as the BC engaged means it requires a certain level of treble enhancement for greater effect. The great thing about Penon tunings is that they never tune the trebles to be harsh or do they tune the trebles to influence the tonal character of an IEM. Deliberately does a mild 6khz dip for better vocal clarity. I do notice the treble this time gets better emphasis from prior Fan2 IEMs and this is a good thing. For utilizing a single treble BA, it is quite good actually and I think Penon has achieved their goal with the treble tuning and ability here. While something like a multi BA and in conjunction with multi EST implementation can provide the absolute higher tier of treble presentation and articulation, this single BA in the Fan3 clearly shows how good a well implemented single BA can handle the treble notes. It shares equal emphasis to the mid bass which balances out the tonal character of the Fan3 perfectly.

Mids
Mids of the Fan3 as I posted above is where the BC driver mostly effects. I do believe Penon is using a full range BC driver on these as it has an effect on all parts of its sound. The more airier style of sound is something to behold. Since there are two types of mids presentation that the Fan3 does. It's a good idea to try both with the BC on and BC off to see which you prefer. BC off brings a more intimate forward weighty sound vs the BC on where music notes sound more floaty more smoother yet becomes this airy presentation that brings a bigger wider picture of your music. Timbre seems to be slightly affected as music gets more depth of sound in the process with the BC on. It's a bit like listening to the music in a bigger hall or theater vs a more intimate venue with BC off. To maximize the effects of what the BC driver does, Penon will be selling an upgrade to the cable that comes with the Fan3 in the Penon Space cable. And while this reader was based off of its included cable, I would be telling you a lie if I said the OS133 maximizes the effect of what the Fan3 is doing for sound. It will be the Space cable that does this.

Then why not include that cable instead of the OS133 you may ask? You have to understand there are some price elements at play here and to keep the Fan3 at a certain price level Penon is aiming for they cannot include a premium higher tier of cable with their FAN3. Including the OS133 gets you a very good understanding of what's happening here with the Fan3. To be fair it's not that the OS133 cable is not any good for the Fan3. It was actually designed with the cable in mind. It's just that the Space cable actually enhances the tuning angle and the inclusion of the BC driver to a fuller, more grander extent. The Space cable which uses the material make up of 2X OS133 or double the cores is clearly superior and synergizes even better with the Fan3 vs the stock cable. This cable will be sold with a discounted option at $50 or 50% off of RP and in my opinion is a very generous offer from Penon. If you are a cable believer and have experience with what cable synergy does for your IEMs, the Space cable option for $50 more should be an automatic inclusion for the Fan3. Just for the fact that it does what it does for the Fan3 and any other IEM that is attached to them. Believe me, it is a special synergistic pairing on the Fan3 and is the reason why it will be included on the same sales page as the Fan3.

With Space cable.
You keep on seeing my descriptor for the Fan3 as being spacious sounding with BC engaged, well imagine yet going one step even further with added note density and even a wider presentation than what the OS133 gives you. What starts out as a wow becomes an OH WOW! Even more spread out in how you will hear the Fan3 it goes from a large sounding IEM to a grand sounding IEM and that is reason enough alone, but I have a feeling this was what Penon had in mind when they designed the Fan3. It is with the Space cable, unfortunately you just get a taste of it with the OS133. It is by no means a 100% necessity but then again after testing out the Fan3 with the Space cable. I can pretty much tell you. Yes it is a 100% necessity! Because you can’t unhear just how good the Fan3 can sound with this cable. If you can afford it. Go for it, you will not regret it.

Now the only exception to this would be if you plan on getting Penons newest ASOS+X cable. Then you would be better off putting that $50 toward the price of the ASOS+X to use with the Fan3. There is a reason why the new ASOS+X costs 3X more than the Space cable. The Sound expansion here is not exactly 3X more than what the Space provides but it also happens to be a much more resolving cable over the Space cable. I would say the synergy of the Space + Fan3 is so good you might even just get it due to the discount even if you own the ASOS+X just to use with the Fan3. In any case just know the Fan3 gets even better than how I describe the sound to be using the Space cable and that is what's good for you.

Bass
Now here is a bit of an interesting aspect of what the BC driver engagement provides. If you ever wonder if the BC driver affects the bass, well yes it does. With BC engaged, this seems to focus the bass end more so for its rumble aspects, by default the Fan3 has plenty of impactful bass end with its dual bass emphasis, but the rumble gets a bit more rumbly, a bit more tactile with the switch on. Its mid bass gets a touch more physical even though there is more mid bass with the switch off. It feels more impactful with the switch on. With switch off, I don't think it loses the low extension of the sub bass, it is there regardless but the mid bass now gets a bit more emphasis. A nice little option and a quick way to utilize the switch for bass emphasis. It makes sense that the stage seems wider with the switch on as the mid bass and lower mids are pushed back in the mix in comparison with the switch off. Hence a wider roomier perceived sound. The bass end here is about average in speed so it's not exactly the speediest type of bass nor does it have absolute texture but I do find the bass to be decisive, tight, well defined and is satisfactory for the given presentations. Bass is more or less moderate regardless of switch on or off but it's got very good definition even more so with the switch on. The bass end is very complimentary of what the Fan3 is all about and that musical spacious sound presentation is in full effect with a bold bass end. The bass end of the Fan3 is a marked improvement over the prior Fan2 which was tuned more neutrally with a milder bass emphasis. Fan3s Bass sounds weighty, has good solid definition and with the switch on has some extra textured rumble and physicality that just simply enhances the sound of the Fan3. Where this full bass comes into play is for large scale music be it EDM or Orchestral scores.

Fan3 for ambient type music is a treat to behold, while I find the Fan3 to be a very good allrounder, where it really struts its stuff is when you listen to ambient music. It is remarkable just how spacious and airy the sound can get.

Just about every aspect of the sound tuning and the ability for 2 legit sound signatures throws a very compelling argument why these are going to be yet another big hit for Penon. Its bass is an improvement from the Fan2 more bass impact with a deep digging quality textured sub bass. Its mids are the most affected by the BC driver which brings a spacial element to the sound that is unique among IEMs at the price they will be selling these for. And last but least they realized in order to balance out the more advanced bass and mids of the Fan3. They have redone the treble to be cleaner, more detailed solid extension with good sparkle when called for. Not too many BC IEMs will be sold at the Price Penon will be asking for a set of these so there is that. Penon seems to keep getting better at their craft introducing new elements to their IEM designs and I am very encouraged about what the Fan3 brings to the IEM game. If you're not on the mailer list. You should be as you will be missing out. This is just one reason to be on that list. The Fan3 is clearly an example of advancement for Penon. It shows they care about what they bring to the masses as evidence of them completely changing out what was already established for their treble BA. Now we have a better product to talk about. Oh and these will be talked about. I am most definitely looking forward to seeing what you all have to say about what the upcoming new Fan3 will bring to the table.

Penon ASOS+X

X stands for Xtra cores. Adding 4 more cores to the 8 on the original ASOS+ now makes it a total of 12 cores. That makes up a lot of ASOS+ material. A mix of a silver plated alloy copper and a silver plated OCC copper. Alloy Silver OCC Silver Aka ASOS.The plus being it also uses a palladium plated plug. Going from the 8 core ASOS+ to a 12 core variety adds 4 cores of what is already fairly thick material. More ASOS+ is never a bad thing and I believe it was our buddy @Bosk that suggested to Penon that they make a 12 cored version.

In case you didn't know Penon is always open to suggestions, especially when it comes to advancing what they do. So we now have a 3rd ASOS cable. The stock cable was good. The ASOS+ even better due to better refinement of the cable properties via addition of palladium plugs and now the 12 core version in the X. Does more material make the cable that much better and more importantly does it warrant an increase in cost?

Well yes. Is the short answer. The advancements into the new X version comes in the form of some premium looking connectors / new hardware that was chosen for the overall looks of the ASOS+X. Stunning looking and certainly makes the new X ASOS play the part of the premium IEM cable. So let's get this out of the way, this is a chunky heavier IEM cable, we are talking 67.10 grams of weight. To put that in perspective the total weight for the new Fan3 IEM with the OS133 cable is about 47 grams and that is with the IEMs included. With so much material, it has to be heavier. If you're that guy, that gets a neck cramp at just the thought of using such a cable, you will do better getting something a bit more lightweight. Something like the aforementioned OS133 for example. The X ASOS+ is a man's man cable. Looking like a full sized rope hanging out the ears. It's best to get a good fitting IEM using the ASOS+X due to the heavy nature of the cables. On a personal note I have always loved and appreciated the more bulky cables cuz generally with these bigger cables. More material= more effects for the cable, plus nothing says you're a sound geek like a thick 12 cored cable that looks like a rope hanging out the ears.

As much materials as the X ASOS+ cable has. It is surprisingly flexible. And does not form a memory due to the relatively loose weave of the cables which was done on purpose so it has some bend and flex to it. This means you can stow them away in a case and it will conform to the standard 3 finger wrap. I gotta say the cable in person takes the thick boy Penon cable into a new Bold category. Nothing is subtle about the looks, feel or use of them. These are gonna stand out in the crowd. If I ever see another soul in the greater U.S.of A dawning these spectacular looking cables hanging from their ears out in the wild. I will gladly walk up to you. Show you mine and I will clearly give you a bro hug because we are brothers from another mother. Friends that lost our way and fate have brought our paths together. It would be a cosmic event.

I don’t know about you but I am not afraid to use the 12 core ASOS+X out in public. Unlike other unwieldy types these are more than usable out and about. I would even say they might become a nice conversation starter and or a pass code that tells me. You are serious about your audio.

“Oh this?” It's just my ASOS+X!. It's like a middle finger to wireless users. Again nothing says your into your audiophilia like a thick 12 cored shiny silvery IEM cable. The evolution of the ASOS cable not only stands out in looks but more importantly how they make your IEMs sound.

This is how I would put the effects of material variance on sound properties.

Thinner sounding stuff tooo---------------------------------Thicker sounding stuff. More material you generally get more substance.

These are the uber ASOS cables. Stage enhancing is one aspect in every direction but due to the addition of the Palladium plated plugs. It makes them sound like a much more higher end refined cable overall. Better technicalities is a given but it's just the grand presentation of the sound that gets a boost. Whatever IEM you own that can sound better with added stage and dimensions, note weight and space. Well here you go. ASOS+X trump card is exactly this. Not too many cables have the stage enhancing element quite like the X here. And it has the technical chops to go with it as well. They seem to magnify what you're hearing with a dimensional element that you would never guess that comes from a cable.
The sheer amount of the product gives you more substance for what you are hearing. There are other cables that does what the ASOS+X do but certainly not at the price Penon is asking for and that is what makes this one special.

All this though comes at the cost of one of the beefiest rope like cables for IEM in existence so you will have to be more than willing to be like Mr. T and show off your hardware.


Disclaimers. The ASOS+X was provided for the purpose of a review by Penon audio. You can get yourself a set of their newest cable creation here on their website. I try to burn in the cables for at least a week's worth of time before doing any serious analysis. Testing out the cables is an easy process for me. I always use the stock cables that come with my IEMs first and then change out the cable to relisten to the same track to hear differences in the tracks that was brought out by using the cable. I try at least 5 different IEMs and then report the results on my reviews. So here it is.

First IEM tested was the new upcoming Fan3
Little did you know you're getting an extra bonus impression of the soon to be released Fan3. The new Fan3 uses 2xDD for bass, BA for mids, BA for treble and a new BC driver. This new IEM from Penon will be out soon but the reason why I feel this is a good match up with the ASOS+X is because its included cable is also a stage enhancing cable in the OS133 cable. However these two cables could not be more further from the opposite sides of the fence when it comes to design. The OS133 is one of Penons thinnest and lightest cables. The ASOS+X their heaviest and thickest. Since both cables enhance stage I figured the ASOS+X would be a natural upgrade.

Fan3 is a very musical, well balanced lush sounding IEM even more spacious vs your conventional hybrids due to the BC driver but its cable was included to enhance its stage even more so than what the designed sound throws out. The OS133 is a very neutral leaning cable meaning it does not enhance too much of the technical or the tonal character of an IEM it is attached to. Not flavoring an IEM sound is not a bad thing, it does however enhance an IEMs stage to expand. A much more higher end version of this cable is the 4 cored version of the OS133 cable the Space. Going back and forth from the OS133 which is an intro level cable to the ASOS+X. The Fan3 sounds like a different IEM. Not only does the stage expand in all directions but it gets an increase of body, imaging and detail on top of what was already a wide stage. The sense of air is very tangible when using the ASOS+X.

ISN H60.
The newest hybrid from ISN and this is where the H60 takes off into yet another level in sound. The ASOS+X stage enhancing element is something to behold on these as the H60 much like the Fan3 already has a wider than an average stage for IEMs. Now it is officially wide. It's more than just the width of what you're hearing, it seems to give more dimensions to your sound. This is what truly makes the ASOS+X special in my book. Who doesn't want a more dimensional sound from your IEMs? The ASOS+X enhances note weight and body of a sound. Whatever your IEM has for note weight the ASOS+X with all of its cores will bring that body of sound to a different level which actually ends up sounding even more dimensional and spacious.
Due to the inherent strengths of what the ASOS+X cable does. These would be a perfect cable for thinner sounding neutrally tuned IEMs. But then if you already have a sound that has plenty of body and soul. These cables bring these aspects to yet another level. You don't just hear your sound. That added space element now will give you more of a surround type of sound.

I have used much more expensive cables in the industry that does this but you better believe you will pay a premium for such an experience. Lets just say the next cable I have heard that does what these cables do for your sound cost exactly double. I am referring to Effect audios Code23 cables. From memory the Code23 does give a sound layering and sound separation one better than the ASOS+X here but I am willing to bet the ASOS+X throws out a wider stage than the Code23 cables. In fact not too many cables I have heard, even pure silver cables Lavricables V4 I did a review for or even Penons own silver based cable Leo + has the level of stage enhancing ability of the ASOS+X.

Voltage. Now here is a pair up that just makes a lot of sense. The included cable with the Voltage is no push over cable in the Obsidian. The Obsidian is more of a tonal quality cable meaning it brings a bit of mids coloring and a dynamic emphasis for IEMs it is attached to. It's not the most stage enhancing type cable as it is mostly Crystal copper based with a few strands plated with a gold plating. It brings a richer tonal character to IEMs but is closer to pure copper properties more than anything. The ASOS+X brings what was already dimensional sounding in the Voltage to a level that I had no idea it could do. It seems to me whatever the sound of the IEM is good at. The ASOS+X highlights it to a point where it becomes pretty mind blowing. No other way to describe it.

In a way, I can understand the stage enhancing ability of the ASOS+X as it probably has about the same amount of silver in its material make up to make a pure silver cable out of. I mean 12 litz cores is a lot of surface for silver plating. The palladium plated plugs of the ASOS+ cables enhances with a technical enhancing ability specifically for a cable's imaging ability. Better imaging, better sound separation, better details. What stops the ASOS+X from actually being a TOTL level cable is that it is not the absolute best for technical enhancement. But at the same time. Does it have to be? Penons own Pyramid cable does this element better as I did a comparison of the ASOS+X vs the Pyramids and the 8 cored ASOS+ here.

My point is. If your IEMs already have a high level of technical polish to its sound make up. The ASOS+X will actually magnify these aspects just due to the sheer sound expansion it provides. And in the end the Voltage sounds every bit the higher end IEM that it is with these cables attached. For me it is literally a toss up between the technical enhancing Pyramids and or the space enhancing ASOS+X. Pick your poison as they say.

Last but not least with the Impacts.
The Impacts uses a special edition of the same Obsidian cable that came with the Voltage. This cable is all about mids and dynamism more so than stage enhancing and I remember a few of the Impact owners were asking for a cable that can enhance the Impacts stage ability while retaining its sound characteristics. I can say the ASOS+X here matches exceptionally with the Impacts. The ASOS+X uncanny ability to expand an IEM stage presentation in all directions brings yet another level to the Impacts. It also does a great job and highlighting the lovely smoother treble response. Its bass also gets a slight uptick in presence using the ASOS+X. Overall it does exactly what it did for the Voltage as it does the Impacts and I have to admit it is difficult to use the stock Obsidian cable after using the ASOS+X on the Impact. I remember the pyramid cable did bring out the inner details and layering a bit better but for sheer stage enhancement the ASOS+X here is king. It brings a bigger sound overall to the projected sound of the Impacts without changing much its rich tonal character or its layering. All of it actually sounds enhanced to my ears and that is always a sign of good synergy among IEM and cable. If your looking for an upgrade and don’t mind you some heavy 67 gram added weight to get you that sound. The ASOS+X you should seriously consider. Now if you're not a fan of a heavy cable, I would look into the new Pyramid cable to use.


Thick boy cables from Penon. ASOS+X next to the OCC849
Overall conclusion with some pros and cons

Pros
-Resolving.
-Enhances dynamism for your IEM sound.
-More dimensional, enhancing stage elements in all directions
-More Spacious
-Better instrument separation
-Better imaging
-Better note weight and body to a sound.
-Price for performance.

Cons
-67 gram cable means you better have a thick neck and a thick mustache
-Folks that buy this cable and will complain how thick and heavy it is.
-Sound geeks unite. Folks will stare.

In the world of cables there are levels of resolve, and imaging and such they enhance. If I was to put it in numbers. I would rate the ASOS+X like this out of 10 possible ratings. Thanks for taking the time to read.

-usability- 7
-Looks-9.5
-Flexibility-7.5
-Technicalities-7.5
-Stage enhancing-9
-Dynamism- 8
-Note weight/ fullness- 8
-Trebles presentation-8
-Mids presentation-7.5
-Bass presentation-8
-Price per value- 9.5

Simgot Supermix 4

Simgot needs no introduction. I think most folks in the community know who they are by now and their dedication to great sounding budget friendly IEMs have garnered a well deserved reputation and more importantly a nice following among enthusiasts here on headfi. As an eclectic music listening enthusiast, I am always looking for the next big thing in audio and I suppose IEMs are my main passion. The last IEM I reviewed from Simgot was a refresh of one of their excellent dynamic designs in the EA500LM I did a review for here.

It's not that Simgot implements new cutting edge materials or has anything that will compete with the very top of the line IEMs in the industry. It is that these guys are able to show consistency. They make consistent quality IEMs for the enthusiast and they seem to pay particular attention to the budget friendly relatively affordable level IEMs. Simgot is not known for high end stuff. But more so that their IEMs actually sound and arguably perform at a higher level without the price tag to go with it. Case in point the new Supermix 4 is not exactly new to the community but introducing a quadbrid, 4 different drivers in combination for the IEM sound presentation is a new design for Simgot.

I don’t recall too many if at all quadbrids in the industry selling for an RP of $149. It will take the likes of a UM Mest level of IEM before you will read about quadbrids. Which you can add another zero on the Supermix 4 price to purchase a set when that was released about 4 years ago. One thing for very certain, the Supermix 4 is not anywhere close to the sound quality level of the MEST. But it does do a lot with its 4 drivers and I am here to tell you good folks how I hear their newest quadbrid, the Supermix 4.

Standardly disclaimers. The Supermix 4 was provided for the purpose of a review by Fia Lam of Simgot. They have been burned in for a week's time and now are ready for evaluation using a bunch of my sources I used for testing. Ibasso DX300Max, DX180, PB5, Fiio M15, M15S, IFI Black label, Signature, Fiio K9 Pro ESS. You can read more about them on Linsoul website here.

Build quality,
Supermix 4 is using a 3D printed resin housing with a CNC machined backplate. Its solid design incorporates 3 separate sound bores out the front of the sound nozzle. I appreciate this design for multi driver IEMs due to better sound separation of the 3 bands of sound on the Supermix4. It uses a 4 crossover technique all housed in a dark almost black resin material for the housing. Physical size I would equate to a solid medium and is very ergonomic for a universal design meaning most will have no issues with fitment using the Supermix 4. Resin IEMs in general gives some really good passive isolation and this is also the case with the Supermix 4. Its darker gray colored plate incorporates what looks like a simple but clean circular inlay of copper with a vent at the end of the circle. Clean understated looks. The vent on the Resin housing and one the back plate ensures there is no vacuum build up and more importantly that the dynamic driver gets plenty of air for full sonics.

What it comes with.
Simple silver plated OFC single ended cable.
3 pairs of silicone tips in various sizes
Zip up oval carry case in all black.

An observation I had was that the Supermix on open listen is not exactly a wow inducing sound. The mids BA sounded absolutely flat, the sound had zero dimensions to it. Bass stood out but not because it was big or brawny. It didn’t sound all that defined. Then you had this thinner sounding spiky trebles. But all that changed with a few things which I highly recommend for optimal Supermix 4 sound.

First thing you have to do when you get the Supermix 4. Is burn them in. Yes, the much debatable ritual for the audiophile. To burn or not to burn. Just know I always burn everything I put into my ears. Using your music and letting the drivers play out over time always works for me and that is what I did for the Supermix 4. I do a week's worth but how long you do that is up to you. I do know however that the Supermix 4 benefits from running music through its drivers. Utilizing 4 drivers to mesh well together means they all have to play together in optimal fashion for what the designers have intended.

Its included silver plated OFC in single ended is ok as an included throw in for a cable but to be completely honest your not going to get the best Supermix 4 sound using this cable.

Sound
Simgot does harmon tunings for balancing. The Supermix 4 was tuned very similarly in balancing to their much popular EA line of dynamics. The graph of the supermix 4 might as well be the graph of their EA500 or EA500LM or EA1000. Minus a minor elevation here and there they all look alike. However the one real standout of the supermix 4 is that it is using a different type of driver for each part of the sound spectrum. Given the strengths of each driver: a 10mm dynamic high polymer dynamic for bass+ Balanced Armature for mids+ Planar for highs+ multi layered ceramic piezo for ultra highs.

Using 4 different types of drivers this IEM runs the risk of the overall sound to not be so cohesive. Which is never an issue with their EA line of IEMs as those IEMs use a single dynamic for the sound. The Supermix4 for the most part does a decent job at cohesion but when listening critically. Yes there are literally 4 timbres at work here and this will cause somewhat of a disjointed sound. It's mostly a technically proficient set which is helped out by the 3 separate sound bores out the nozzle. These sound bores out the nozzle is a nice design choice to give better sound separation among the 3 sound bands which is a design done on much higher end hybrids, tribrids and quadbrids. This gives the sumermix4 with a nice technical ability to be present for trebles, its mids and its bass,

The synergy among the drivers mostly works and again when listening to music casually. It does give somewhat of a speaker effect inside the ears with separate tweeters and woofers all in one. The sound balancing to my ears is not the issue here. It's that you get somewhat of a softer slower slightly boomy bass, A much more precise BA with a slightly edged timbre aka BA timbre, and then a thinner sounding treble note and extension aka Piezzo timbre.

Trebles.
You have probably read about these much higher end quadbrids and tribrids that use Sonion EST drivers for ultra highs. You can say the ceramic piezo is used very similarly to the EST drivers used on much higher end models. A cheap mans EST? Well yes, I suppose you can look at it that way but at the same time if the Piezo driver worked and sounded just like EST drivers then they would be used for these kilobuck IEMs. Ok so the Piezo is not exactly what EST drivers sound like. The only real benefit of the ceramic piezo is that it seems to be more efficient to perform like ESTs. Otherwise there is no mistaking what piezos sound like. Planars do trebles with excellent extension just fine. In fact for IEMs it is one of their strengths. I have yet to hear a planar that couldn’t cover the entire gamut of the treble extension including air. So why the inclusion of the Piezo? Maybe it was thrown in just to say it has a 4th driver? Don’t know but the classic piezo thinner metallic treble timbre and thinner note is clearly evident. The trebles will be an either you love it or hate it type of thing. Its sharper etched tonal character is evident. Trebles are tuned to have presence in the sound tuning and then that added piezo on top makes sure you're hearing crisper treble tones. It will clearly be noticeable with percussion work on high hats and ride cymbals. If one accepts this treble presence as being a more detailed type of treble. This is fine but if you're a tonal purist I don't know if you're going to like the way trebles are presented on the supermix 4. Where this type of treble presence doesn't work well is for natural treble shimmer and sparkle end up being shiny sounding. Rock and metal for example brings on a lot of that shine.

On the positive end of such trebles is that it does give a nice sense of the micro details from the trebles. Its transients are fine but again not the most accurate sounding treble note or tonal character. I get what Simgot is doing with this planar and piezo combo and it ends up sounding like an alternative rendition of a higher end sounding treble is what it ends up sounding like. I suppose if you don't own higher end IEMs that do this correctly then you will be more than ok with the way the trebles perform. Supermix 4 trebles are generally tuned well with good micro nuances that will appear in the presentation, tuned in a smoother manor. Where I have some issue is that its macro details are a bit off sounding due to that piezo timbre.

Mids.
This is where I feel Simgot kinda missed an opportunity. What they should have done was used the dynamic for bass and mids and used the Planar for the trebles to finish it off. Its BA for mids is ok, I am betting it is a larger Bellsing single BA. Nothing wrong with the BA here but more so how it was tuned. Mids here are good but at the same time unremarkable. Because the way it was tuned. Mids are not exactly forward or all too engaging sounding. It's the laid back type of mids, more neutral in emphasis than anything forward or too detailed. It does show a good neutral tonal character with solid presence. As harmon tuned IEMs goes, female vocals sound better for this tuning than male vocals. Male vocals sound a bit reserved in comparison at about the same plane of sound as the instruments for example. BAs are known for their precision if not giving off somewhat of a rigid character to the sound they emit. BA timbre is present but does have an accurate clean tonal character in the process. If a multi BA or two separate BAs was used, it would have given the Sumermix 4 mids presentation a better sense of space and a dimensional effect which I feel is lacking. I am certain for the given price point Simgot has chosen the best driver they can use so I am not going to think these will be a world beater at their given price point especially for its mids presentation. The mids macro detail level is good but lacks micro details that that trebles does well at here. But for the price point it's good enough to convey an accurate note with just enough layering and body to tie the bass and the trebles together. Its layering is not bad but it's certainly not going to win any awards on the other hand either. I suppose Simgot could have used another BA to give greater depth and more meat to its mids performance or used a much more premium BA but I bet they are saving that card for later hybrid release.

Bass
Now here is where I find the 10mm dynamic driver Simgot has chosen to be a bit different and a bit surprising. Simgot can and does make higher end sounding IEMs and some are done with some outstanding bass in the process. I mean anyone that has heard the EA1000 bass performance will agree its quality is perhaps the best out of all their dynamic offerings. So it was a bit surprising that they have chosen what seems to be a higher end dedicated 10mm dynamic in what they call a high polymer nano-diaphragm. Described in its performance as a “robust natural low frequencies.”

Well not exactly. It's got plenty of impact and presence, however where I have issue is with its somewhat of a soft note for bass impact, a bit pillowy in presentation and I also find sub bass decay to be a touch quick. Bass can sound blunted and not all that defined if I am to be honest. I am not expecting Sony IER-Z1R type of woofer bass here but at the same time I have heard numerous sub $50 IEMs that actually have a more natural better defined bass note, tonal character and decay. It's like the bass end sounds overly dampened to the point where it doesn't sound all that natural. The amount of bass is there as the bass end seems to be playing more of a supportive role for its overall sound tuning vs being featured so it does its job perfectly fine. It's just that it is very surprising that the way Simgot explains what this particular IEMs and its bass ability sounds like does not really match what I am hearing from them. I noticed synthetic bass notes be it from hiphop or synth music just don't sound correct. If Simgot used their EA line of dynamics to just do the bass part I think they would have done just fine. I don't know what is not working well for its bass end to sound like it does but it's not the most believable woofer bass I have heard at the price, I much prefer Simgots EA line of dynamic IEMs for bass actually and those only use a full range single dynamic is my point.

I have read a few of the reviews of the Supermix 4 describing the bass end to be textured and such but to my ears it is the part of the sound profile that actually is the worst part of the 3 regions of sound I am talking about here. It's not that it doesn't have a proper punch or quantity of bass. Its quality however leaves me wanting something a bit better. A touch pillowy and sometimes hollow sounding, the bass end is only adequate but nothing more unfortunately. One positive of the bass end however is that it does stay in place and has some good speed. Its tonal and definition quality can be better.

I know this reader, reads like a list of complaints on every part of its sound but believe it or not I actually enjoyed listening to the Supermix 4 and definitely enjoyed nitpicking its sound characteristics. Am I being a bit too critical of the Supermix 4? I suppose I am. Its just that I had somewhat of a higher expectation of this one due to just how good Simgots EA offerings are. On a positive note, Its a versatile sounding IEM. It's more neutral meaning it's less colored in the different parts of its sound vs something like a clear V shaped tuning or anything too bassy or too bright. Folks that are overly sensitive to trebles might not like the Simgot tuning angle but the trebles on the Supermix 4 are as detailed as I have ever heard from an IEM at the price range. Which is both good and bad. Its stage got a nice board wider sound vs the having too much depth. Its laid back neutralish sound profile will bode well for detailed listening. Something like orchestral, classical, Jazz and yes it does do rock, well enough minus the brightly recorded poorly recorded albums. Its sound is much more versatile than I give it credit for. Which leads me to my point about the Simgot Supermix 4. If used for casual listening there is nothing on it that really makes you cringe or think that they need to be replaced by another one of your favorites. It is when you listen critically they kinda fall apart. It brings an ample amount of details and its sound separation is likable at the price. Even the bass end is punchy enough to be enjoyable for something like EDM and hip hop.

I do give props to Simgot for trying something new. Trying a driver combo that on paper could work out but to my ears at least these sound like a mish mash of drivers that don’t necessarily jive all that well. It works but then it doesn’t. Some advice regarding the Supermix 4 is that due to its very low sensitivity its sound quality will be a bit different on different sources. If you find the Supermix 4 a bit thin sounding and its cohesion is not as good as you would like. After burning them in, you need to try several different sources. It can be driven just fine from a phone but to get max synergy from the Supermix 4 try a minimum of 4 sources. I am willing to bet you will find one pr two that will jive better with the Supermix 4. Overall, the sound can be enjoyable best when listening to them casually. I suppose that was what its intended purpose was for. Did you burn in and try some different cable pairings? On a side note, the Supermix 4 makes for an excellent gaming and or media IEM due to its good detail levels and wider stage.

Cable pairings.
A bit of a extra as I am a huge cable believer. A good cable on an IEM can make more break an IEM sound which the Supermix 4 definitely falls into. The first cable I tried on the Supermix 4 is Simgots own LC7 modular IEM cables. The more cable pairings I try on the supermix 4 the more I am convinced you need to ditch the included cable and go with something much better preferably in balanced. The Supermix 4 despite being a sensitive IEM sounds better to my ears in balanced configuration from my various tests.

The LC7 cable brings better presence for all things the Supermix4 is doing. It brings a greater note weight which as I wrote about in this reader is sorely lacking. This cable is what the Supermix 4 should have come with imo. They actually inject some musicality the stock sound configuration of the supermix 4 and its included cable just does not actually have. I can even say I actually get some dimensions to its sound presentation using this cable. Another aspect of the sound that needs an upgrade on. Simgots own LC7 cable is highly recommended on the Supermix 4!

Penon OCC849
Ok so now we are talking about an upgrade on the LC7. These cables are not only versatile with any IEM it is attached to but they do exactly what the LC7 does for the Supermix 4 but even better. A natural sound expansion. Better sense of stage dimensions. Greater mids presence. Bass impact and a cleaner detailed treble is the end result. I would say if you can get a deal on the LC7, go for it but if you are serious about getting your Supermix to sound decidedly “better” Go for the OCC849. Thanks for taking the time to read.

Penon Pyramid.

IEM cables are more popular than ever and with an increase of types of IEMs, the sheer numbers of them. Beyond the sources we listen with these IEMs there will always be a need for the ultimate enhancement for these IEMs which comes down to two simple accessories. The best fitting tips and arguably even more important, a well matching cable. The idea of a hybrid IEM or a hybrid cable design is that a specific driver or material in the case of a cable is introduced to enhance certain aspects about a sound utilizing what that material does best in the given design.

While the staple for the IEM cable remains to be based on copper material, I have steadily seen manufacturers to be creative in how they manipulate the copper cable to become something different. Case in point, the Pyramid is an interesting name given to an interesting IEM cable with 4 different properties that combine for their make-up. These are the materials that are all included in each strand of the cables.

Copper-Gold Alloy + pure silver
Copper-Silver Alloy + silver plating
Single Crystal Copper + Silver plating
Furukawa high purity copper winding.

Copper when combined with silver for plating increases its resolve and as you all know it is the copper material that brings a fundamental sound character to your wired IEM sound. I have done numerous cable reviews with most of them utilizing some type of copper material and while the new Pyramid is no different, what makes it different however is that it is using several different additional properties of that copper all mixed to bring something new in cable land.
The first time I saw what these cables were made of I was thinking to myself, there are a lot of different elements that make up this cable it has to be substantial in what it does. A lot of enhanced copper but one important ingredient that seems to be the underlying theme of these copper cores is the use of a lot of silver.

I have noticed Penon has been using a lot of alloy metals as of late for their newer cables. Renata, CS02, Bass, Even the newer T-OCC all use some type of alloy material to shape their sound characteristics and the new Pyramid using a mix of gold alloy and silver alloy all plated in silver. If you look at the elements and what each strand of material is made of it goes beyond them alloys, it also incorporates some pure silver and crystal copper as well. It is actually made up of several different cable make ups to make the Pyramid what it is.

Pyramid is a 4 cored 147 strands of the material which makes up a single core. It's not a thinner 4 cored cable but has some weight to the cable that clearly lets you know it has enough of the material to make a difference. Cable is soft and flexible and is not prone to tangle or have memory. Nothing like the Code series of Effect Audio cables. Its copper hardware and brown PVC finish was designed with some ancient Egyptian aesthetics, I mean its name is called the Pyramid. The color and its copper accessories which highlights the cables, clearly has a theme here but I feel this was a bit of a lost opportunity by Penon. They could have done so much more to make these cables even more unique looking, maybe a bit more to stand out in the crowd of cables. It's not a bad looking cable per se with a good clean looking brown color but not too different looking vs your standard brown PVC finished 4 cored cable. It looks more plane or average looking than actually standing out in any way if I am to be honest in the way it looks. It's certainly not a bad looking cable per se but let your imagination run wild on what an Ancient Egyptian themed cable could look like is my point. So this is a case where the looks don’t necessarily equate to its performance. What is clear from the get go is that beyond the looks it's got it where it counts and that is its sound enhancing properties.

My testing method is simple. I try to use the cables that IEMs come with. I know that's not exactly a fair comparison as most manufacturers include the bare minimum for cables. But I am not going to assume your using a higher end cable in the first place to be replaced with another higher end cable is my point. Unless you ended up getting a cable that did not synergize well with your IEM. In any case. I go from the stock cable to the Pyramid to check out what the Pyramid is doing and visa versa. These were my findings.

Some pluses and minuses for the Pyramid.

Pluses!
-enhances stage presentations. Wider, deeper and taller more spacious for your IEMs
-enhances treble presence, better air and sparkle. Which affects the prior plus
-enhances detail perception both macro and micro, especially trebles.
-enhances imaging, layering and sound separation. Higher end cables do that.
-enhances dimensional qualities due to prior plus
-enhances low end rumble to be better defined and textured.
-enhances with a greater note weight.
-versatile for all types of sound signatures.
-soft, flexible, good looking, minimum microphonics
-more silver influence for sonics vs copper, more resolving
-cleaner tonal qualities.

Minuses
-more silver influence in sonics vs copper, can brighten trebles.
-An 8 core version of this cable needs to exist.
-A cable called Pyramid needs a pyramid for a chin slider…Just saying.
-Won’t be cheap.

Very first IEM I tried on the Pyramid was the Voltage and right away I was hearing a higher resolving sound. But then the attention came to me in the form of a sharper more chiseled imaging. When imaging is involved that simply means we are dealing with a higher level of cable. Its sound expands vs the stock obsidian cable which is not too difficult to do as the Obsidian is mostly crystal copper with some gold plating involved, not the best for stage perception as it is more focussed for its ability to enhance mids and bass emphasis with some extra body adding a slight richer tonal character. Voltage not only had a more expansive stage but its definition also got an increase. Its imaging was definitely more on point with better precision. I was listening to a leveled up Voltage and this was right out of the box.

Cable burn in.
Yes my friends, this is a thing, especially with cables that incorporate pure silver which the Pyramid has. This review was done after a week's worth of burn in. I notice the stage elements for IEMs I have tested the Pyramid on sounds more spacious than they ever have. Don’t know if that is the effect of the burn in on the Pyramid but I figure it wouldn't hurt to let it play music for a week. Back to the reader

The specialty for the Pyramid has to be its ability to make a well imaged IEM into even a better imaging IEM. Sound elements get better space between notes which enhances the imaging you are perceiving when listening to your IEMs. The Pyramid does something that your normal conventional IEM cables just simply do not do. Perceived definition from trebles to the rumble of the bass note gets a nice shot in the arm. The highly resolving nature of the Pyramid seems to come through again and again.

Another IEM tested was the newly released ISN H60.This combo is just simply stunning. Not gonna lie I feel the ISN H60 has to be one of the very best you can get at the cost of $350 price point. Imaging just like on the Voltage gets an upgrade. Going from the Stock C4 cable to the Pyramid is like getting a new higher tier of IEM. Everything sounds better using the Pyramid. Giving its sound presentation, which was already moderately wide to be decidedly wide, with a deeper more impactful sound. The H60 already has some really good dynamics to its sound performance but the pyramid adds a bit of a shine on what it does best. It is a do it all type hybrid that now brings some higher end imaging and detail ability. The Pyramid doesn’t just make a little difference here. It makes a substantial difference. Vocals have more range and emotion. Bass has a bit of extra rumble and decay. Treble has a bit of extra shimmer and sparkle. It makes the H60 sound like I have been listening to the Voltage. If a cable can help make a $350 IEM sound closer to a $1200 one then there must be something to the cable right? Just a stunning combo with the ISN H60.

But let's get real, this cable or any cable for that matter is not going to make your fake res budget set turn into a TOTL high end IEM. What it does is lift a slight veil from your IEMs overall sound signature and then elevates definition to where you will most certainly notice it. If you can’t tell the difference in cable parameters, then this review is obviously not for you but if you are the type that demands a better version of the sound you are hearing from your IEMS. Much like the tiers of IEMs you own there are tiers of cables that can be used with them. The Pyramid is a higher end IEM cable. For the folks that own Penon IEMs these are the results of trying out some of their greatest hits.

Quattro
Quattros are a 4DD set that brings a lot of natural old school analogish sound character to the masses, extremely musical vs being anything really analytical. One thing for certain: the Quattros were made for enjoying music vs analyzing it. If you read reviews and impressions of the Quattros folks say it's not the most technical meaning it kinda lags a bit behind similar priced hybrids and quadbids using BAs for technicalities. But to be honest this doesn’t make the Quattro less enjoyable when listening to music. Adding the Pyramid brings an instant expansion of stage elements with better sound separation. Its imaging is more enhanced. Its trebles with a touch more sparkle. Its bass with better impact and texture. I had a good feeling about the Pyramid combo with the Quattro and it is very clear after using the Pyramid on the Quattro that next level for technicalities comes into play on the Quattro using the Pyramid. I am seeing a constant here with the Pyramid cable. It simply makes IEMs sound more advanced, more spacious, more detailed. If that sounds like an upgraded Quattro, you bet your arse it is!

Volts
Just because the Voltage is the new pretty girl on the block doesn't mean the old Volt is any less of an IEM. I can argue that the Volt still represents the higher end Penon house sound. I chose the Volts to do a Pyramid change in cables due to its full-bodied sound quality that can use an uptick in imaging and definition. With the Pyramid what was already wide in sound becomes grand. Due to the Pyramids more silver influenced sound enhancing capabilities. The trebles are affected with an increase of resolve for the area. More airy more detailed the Volts mid bands get that increase in imaging that the Pyramids are so very good at. Big bold large and in charge the Volt clearly shows what the Pyramids can do with its rich bold sound character. If the Totem didn’t exist, I think folks would be pretty happy with the Pyramid for being an excellent match up with its sound qualities.

Last but not least the Impacts.
Penon Impacts have some of the best mids in all of IEM land and it is the focus of the sound on the Impacts. Penons flagship IEM brings flagship levels of technicalities but brings that astonishing emotive dimensional sound character that is the hallmark of a much higher end IEM. The one complaint I have seen some folks say was that they wished the sound stage was a bit wider. The Impacts use a slightly modified version of the same Obsidian cable that is used for the Voltage. The Pyramid is a natural upgrade on the Impacts. Not only are the lush rich dimensional mids intact using the Pyramids seems to enhance every part of the Impact sound characteristics. Its bass gets a more defined punch. Its mids get better sound separation and imaging for better, more clearly defined dimensions. Its trebles are highlighted better vs the stock obsidian cable. The surprising aspect of the Pyramid on the Impacts is that it more than retains its outstanding mids tonal and technical performance. It actually enhances all of it. Pyramid adds a greater note weight even over the Obsidian, going back to the Obsidian the stage and scope of the sound kinda shrinks. Believe me the Impacts does not have a small sound per se I am just talking about how they sound after going from one to the other. Folks that are looking to upgrade on the Obsidian cable but want to retain the Impacts full rich mids and tonal character helped out by the Obsidian cable will do extremely well with the Pyramids.
The Pyramid does for the Impacts what it does for every other IEM I tested them on. Makes what is already an outstanding flagship IEM, sound even better.

Final thoughts
It seems to me the Pyramid was under construction for a while. It's certainly a product that obviously required a whole lot of trial and error to figure out. I mean there can’t be a computer program that says if you mix this cable with this material it will amount to this particular effect on an IEM if you know what I mean. I can’t imagine the man hours it took to figure this one out is my point. Sometimes I wonder about how expensive cables and what real value they have vs something like an IEM for example. But there is a reason why manufacturers charge more for cables that have greater effect on a sound vs your standard copper or silver variants of cables. This cable has proven to be a consistent performer in what it does. It's clearly a much more resolving cable than what comes with most IEMs and I say most as it will take a kilobuck IEM with a kilobuck IEM cable that goes with it to top these for what they do for sound. If Penon came up with an 8 cored variant of this cable that would be endgame type level cable imo, simple and plain. What this 4 cored Pyramid does with its unique mix of materials clearly performs on a higher level for IEM cables. These cables are only bested by the one and only Totem in the Penon line up but then I am not certain, but I don’t think these will cost as much as the Totem. The best aspect of the Pyramid cable is that it has its own unique properties vs the Totem. They are easily the best IEM cables to come along since the Totem.