This is a personal unit I bought from a fellow hobbyist. It has been with him for a few months now, totaling to nearly a year being used. The product has been burned in, and has shown signs of oxidation due to frequent usage. Nevertheless, the oxidation of the cables is the user’s fault, not Penon’s. In storing earbuds with cables that are prone to oxidation, use silica gels or other desiccants to get rid of moisture as to avoid oxidation.
Currently, Penon sells the BS1 Official in 3.5mm standard termination and 2.5mm balanced termination. You can purchase them at the Penon official website for 109$ at the least (https://penon-official.com/product/bs1-official-version/) or via Shopee if you’re from Philippines (https://shopee.ph/Techshop28-Penon-BS1-Final-Edition-Earbuds-detacheable-i.16685303.1167000149)
Disclaimer:
I am not affiliated with PENON Audio in any manner. I do not receive any cash incentives, rewards, or anything from them. This review is my non-biased comprehension and appreciation of the said earbud.
Personal Preferences:
As I have said before, packaging should always be taken seriously, as first impressions always matter. In this price range, one cannot expect a product to have ridiculously bad packaging. Thankfully, Penon delivered their earbuds in a small, discrete way that still gives a premium unboxing experience.
The Penon BS1 Official comes in a small, red and blue themed, high-quality cardboard box. The etched text up front reads the company name in gold, “PENON”, with their logo beside it. The right side of the box displays the model of the earbud purchased, which indicates whether the BS1 the buyer purchased is terminated into 3.5mm TRS of balanced 2.5mm TRRS. Behind the box is the product description in English, together with Penon’s home and email address at the bottom.
Lifting the lid of the packaging, the buyer is greeted with a small, stubby, cylindrical wooden container. The company’s logo and name is also etched in the container’s cover. The wooden case houses the beautiful BS1 in all its glory.
Besides having the wooden container, there is a small, velvety, carrying pouch which houses the various donut and full foams, color coded in black, red, and blue. There is also a vintage-style metal shirt clip included.
In total, the buyer receives:
Build:
The BS1 Official does not fall short in build quality. The buds scream premium just by feeling and looking at it. The metal housing of the shell and stem, the thick, braided hybrid cable, the carbon stripped y-split with the branding “BS1”, hell, even the circular chin slider is premium. These buds do not just please our hearing, they please our sight and touch, too.
The shell of the drivers looks like an alien spaceship you see in conspiracy videos. At first glance, I thought the buds would seem uncomfortable as they do look intimidatingly large. However, they do fit very comfortably. At the back of the shell is where the company name is etched, “PENON”, in a manner that it wouldn’t be erased through handling as to boast confidence to the owner. There are three noticeable bass vents below the metal grilles in each driver. The stem is relatively cylindrical and color-coded, with blue being the left and red on the right.
The copper and silver-plated mixed cable is a sight to behold, though my unit has its fair share of oxidation. The braid is elegant, with no mismatch in constructing the cable. The braid is homogenous, reliable, in a sense that there is no single strand that is in conflict with the braiding. The copper and silver-plated cable is wrapped in soft TPU that doesn’t degrade over time. While other TPU coverings become sticky and icky, as if melting away, the ones in BS1 remains fresh, though the cable can be springy sometimes, retaining the bends from how it is kept away.
Penon did not hold any bars in constructing the BS1, even in the y-split and the chin-slider, and the termination. The circular chin slider is a great add on, though I do not really use it. The y-split has the branding “Bs1” on top, a carbon strip at the middle, and is hex screwed to increase longevity. It does not have a strain relief, though. The plug also has a carbon strip down the middle. The company name, together with its logo, is also printed in the gold plated copper 2.5mm plug. The plug feels durable with a lengthy strain relief to reduce the chances of wear and tear.
Great build quality means longer longevity. After all, for a 100$ earbud to last, it has to have premium build to withstand everyday usage. Again, Penon did an outstanding job in sourcing the materials used to creating the BS1 Official.
Fit and Comfort:
For me, the yuin shell offers the most comfort out of all the shell types in earbuds. Though the BS1 does not sport their buds in a yuin shell, they manage to be comfortable still, though not as comfortable as yuin. They have a shallow fit in the cavity between the tragus and anti-tragus, but they still manage to stay in my ear despite violent head shaking. The stem barely sticks to the ear notch due to the large housing. The cable is not on the heavy side, though it does have a little bit of weight to it, probably due to the chin slider and y-split, but it does not hinder the listening experience.
The BS1 demands to be felt. The fit and comfort of these earbuds are great, not in a sense that they are the most comfortable out there, but for an earbud to shine, it has to stay in the user’s ear for his or her long listening sessions without delivering fatigue. The BS1 has no compromises in comfort when using premium materials. The design of the shell is unconventional, yet still comfortable.
Sound:
In sound observation, I found that donut foams delivered the most detail while still managing to have a punchy bass and non-fatiguing signature.
The BS1’s sound signature is phenomenal. It is balanced across the spectrum, with a slight elevation in lower vocals. The vocals sound closer than the instruments. The sound stage is wide. Bass performance is exceptional. There is no sacrifice in details. Overall, the BS1 Official has a mix of both analytical and relaxed tuning, resulting in an engaging sound with smooth presentation.
Bass –
The BS1 handles the lower frequencies very well. Bass extends deep with adequate rumble and fast decay. The response of both the mid bass and upper bass is fast and controlled, not meddling with the affairs in mids or highs. There is a decent amount of sub bass. The earbud adjusts accordingly to whatever song genre the user is playing. If the song requires a good amount of bass, it does not fail to deliver. If the song requires minimal and controlled bass, the BS1 does not come as too powerful. The sound delivery of the lower frequencies adds smoothness while still maintaining clear and crisp details
Mids –
The amount of vocal detail is intense. The vocals are not too meaty, nor dry. They are presented in a smooth manner, while demanding itself to be felt by the listener, whether it be sweet serenades or loud screamos. They can be quiet shouty at some busy songs, but nevertheless, the vocals are still presented in a forgiving manner.
Instruments in the mids section are distinguished. Layering is very prominent against each other, and against the vocals. The mids can sound sexy, melancholic, and relaxing, whatever genre the user is playing. Overall, the BS1 delivers a natural and smooth approach in the mids section.
Highs –
Analytical earbuds can be an earsore for long listening sessions. While BS1 does deliver great sparkle and crisp details in the highs, it does not come off as fatiguing. The natural presentation of the highs has great extension and a degree of space to it. The instruments in this section do not congest themselves; rather, the separation is excellent. What more can one say? For a 100$ price tag, these earbuds do not fail in details and separation.
Soundstage –
The BS1 has an airy feel yet still manages to be full-sounding. There is naturally wide soundstage to it, which, when coupled to how the instruments are well separated, results in a wonderful, wide and smooth presentation. Imaging is excellent, as instruments can placed very accurately around the listener
Conclusion:
ThePenon BS1 Official are by no means an excellent earbud. They perform very wellin all genres I throw at them. Though they can be quiet shouty at some time,the BS1 still manages to sound smooth and forgiving. It is the perfect mix fromboth analytical and relaxed listening. Everything is premium, from buildquality to sound. They do truly bring a remarkable listening experience.
Gallery:
Currently, Penon sells the BS1 Official in 3.5mm standard termination and 2.5mm balanced termination. You can purchase them at the Penon official website for 109$ at the least (https://penon-official.com/product/bs1-official-version/) or via Shopee if you’re from Philippines (https://shopee.ph/Techshop28-Penon-BS1-Final-Edition-Earbuds-detacheable-i.16685303.1167000149)
Disclaimer:
I am not affiliated with PENON Audio in any manner. I do not receive any cash incentives, rewards, or anything from them. This review is my non-biased comprehension and appreciation of the said earbud.
Personal Preferences:
- Packaging is important. First impressions can last a long time.
- I do not have a specific genre that I listen to. The songs I listen to differ greatly from billboard tops to old classics, pop, rock, edm, acoustics, alternatives, metal, and all of its sub-genres. I incline listening to metal music, specifically to power metal, death metal, and the likes.
- I enjoy variety of sound signatures, ranging from bright analytical, balanced with only a slight dip in mids, neutral warm, and neutral bright. I generally lean to neutral-bright sound signature, with a certain degree of analytical sound. I dislike over powering bass, as it diminishes my experience of enjoying listening to music.
- I prefer iems over earbuds, earbuds over headphones.
- I review the products in both quiet, such as in my house or when I’m lying in bed, and loud environments, such as my daily commute.
- When listening to earbuds, I cycle around full, donuts, and just plain naked. I generally incline to using donut foams.
- When listening to iems, I prefer using my Symbio Wide bores as they are the most comfortable of my collection, and they bring a good amount of detail and extension in both lows and highs.
- Shanling M3s (both low and high gain)
- Zishan Z1 + OPA1692 as dac (PC and my phone) and dap
- Zishan Z1 + Muses02 as dac (PC and my phone) and dap
- Sony NW-A45
- IBasso DX120
- Sensitivity: 120dB
- Impedance: 32Ω
- Driver: 15mm Dynamic Driver
- Frequency Response: 14Hz – 28,000Hz
- Cable: 8 Core 19 Strands Copper & Silver-Plated Mixed Cable
- Plug: 2.5mm Straight Copper Gold-Plated Plug
- Cable Length: 1.2m
As I have said before, packaging should always be taken seriously, as first impressions always matter. In this price range, one cannot expect a product to have ridiculously bad packaging. Thankfully, Penon delivered their earbuds in a small, discrete way that still gives a premium unboxing experience.
The Penon BS1 Official comes in a small, red and blue themed, high-quality cardboard box. The etched text up front reads the company name in gold, “PENON”, with their logo beside it. The right side of the box displays the model of the earbud purchased, which indicates whether the BS1 the buyer purchased is terminated into 3.5mm TRS of balanced 2.5mm TRRS. Behind the box is the product description in English, together with Penon’s home and email address at the bottom.
Lifting the lid of the packaging, the buyer is greeted with a small, stubby, cylindrical wooden container. The company’s logo and name is also etched in the container’s cover. The wooden case houses the beautiful BS1 in all its glory.
Besides having the wooden container, there is a small, velvety, carrying pouch which houses the various donut and full foams, color coded in black, red, and blue. There is also a vintage-style metal shirt clip included.
In total, the buyer receives:
- BS1 Official earbud
- Wood case
- 1 pair of Hiegi foam donut eartips
- 1 pair of Hiegi foam solid eatrips
- 4 pairs of donut foam eatips
- 4 pairs of solid foam eartips
- 1 pair of transparent earhook
- Pouch
- Clip
Build:
The BS1 Official does not fall short in build quality. The buds scream premium just by feeling and looking at it. The metal housing of the shell and stem, the thick, braided hybrid cable, the carbon stripped y-split with the branding “BS1”, hell, even the circular chin slider is premium. These buds do not just please our hearing, they please our sight and touch, too.
The shell of the drivers looks like an alien spaceship you see in conspiracy videos. At first glance, I thought the buds would seem uncomfortable as they do look intimidatingly large. However, they do fit very comfortably. At the back of the shell is where the company name is etched, “PENON”, in a manner that it wouldn’t be erased through handling as to boast confidence to the owner. There are three noticeable bass vents below the metal grilles in each driver. The stem is relatively cylindrical and color-coded, with blue being the left and red on the right.
The copper and silver-plated mixed cable is a sight to behold, though my unit has its fair share of oxidation. The braid is elegant, with no mismatch in constructing the cable. The braid is homogenous, reliable, in a sense that there is no single strand that is in conflict with the braiding. The copper and silver-plated cable is wrapped in soft TPU that doesn’t degrade over time. While other TPU coverings become sticky and icky, as if melting away, the ones in BS1 remains fresh, though the cable can be springy sometimes, retaining the bends from how it is kept away.
Penon did not hold any bars in constructing the BS1, even in the y-split and the chin-slider, and the termination. The circular chin slider is a great add on, though I do not really use it. The y-split has the branding “Bs1” on top, a carbon strip at the middle, and is hex screwed to increase longevity. It does not have a strain relief, though. The plug also has a carbon strip down the middle. The company name, together with its logo, is also printed in the gold plated copper 2.5mm plug. The plug feels durable with a lengthy strain relief to reduce the chances of wear and tear.
Great build quality means longer longevity. After all, for a 100$ earbud to last, it has to have premium build to withstand everyday usage. Again, Penon did an outstanding job in sourcing the materials used to creating the BS1 Official.
Fit and Comfort:
For me, the yuin shell offers the most comfort out of all the shell types in earbuds. Though the BS1 does not sport their buds in a yuin shell, they manage to be comfortable still, though not as comfortable as yuin. They have a shallow fit in the cavity between the tragus and anti-tragus, but they still manage to stay in my ear despite violent head shaking. The stem barely sticks to the ear notch due to the large housing. The cable is not on the heavy side, though it does have a little bit of weight to it, probably due to the chin slider and y-split, but it does not hinder the listening experience.
The BS1 demands to be felt. The fit and comfort of these earbuds are great, not in a sense that they are the most comfortable out there, but for an earbud to shine, it has to stay in the user’s ear for his or her long listening sessions without delivering fatigue. The BS1 has no compromises in comfort when using premium materials. The design of the shell is unconventional, yet still comfortable.
Sound:
In sound observation, I found that donut foams delivered the most detail while still managing to have a punchy bass and non-fatiguing signature.
The BS1’s sound signature is phenomenal. It is balanced across the spectrum, with a slight elevation in lower vocals. The vocals sound closer than the instruments. The sound stage is wide. Bass performance is exceptional. There is no sacrifice in details. Overall, the BS1 Official has a mix of both analytical and relaxed tuning, resulting in an engaging sound with smooth presentation.
Bass –
The BS1 handles the lower frequencies very well. Bass extends deep with adequate rumble and fast decay. The response of both the mid bass and upper bass is fast and controlled, not meddling with the affairs in mids or highs. There is a decent amount of sub bass. The earbud adjusts accordingly to whatever song genre the user is playing. If the song requires a good amount of bass, it does not fail to deliver. If the song requires minimal and controlled bass, the BS1 does not come as too powerful. The sound delivery of the lower frequencies adds smoothness while still maintaining clear and crisp details
Mids –
The amount of vocal detail is intense. The vocals are not too meaty, nor dry. They are presented in a smooth manner, while demanding itself to be felt by the listener, whether it be sweet serenades or loud screamos. They can be quiet shouty at some busy songs, but nevertheless, the vocals are still presented in a forgiving manner.
Instruments in the mids section are distinguished. Layering is very prominent against each other, and against the vocals. The mids can sound sexy, melancholic, and relaxing, whatever genre the user is playing. Overall, the BS1 delivers a natural and smooth approach in the mids section.
Highs –
Analytical earbuds can be an earsore for long listening sessions. While BS1 does deliver great sparkle and crisp details in the highs, it does not come off as fatiguing. The natural presentation of the highs has great extension and a degree of space to it. The instruments in this section do not congest themselves; rather, the separation is excellent. What more can one say? For a 100$ price tag, these earbuds do not fail in details and separation.
Soundstage –
The BS1 has an airy feel yet still manages to be full-sounding. There is naturally wide soundstage to it, which, when coupled to how the instruments are well separated, results in a wonderful, wide and smooth presentation. Imaging is excellent, as instruments can placed very accurately around the listener
Conclusion:
ThePenon BS1 Official are by no means an excellent earbud. They perform very wellin all genres I throw at them. Though they can be quiet shouty at some time,the BS1 still manages to sound smooth and forgiving. It is the perfect mix fromboth analytical and relaxed listening. Everything is premium, from buildquality to sound. They do truly bring a remarkable listening experience.
Gallery: