Introduction
Penon is a Hong Kong company that produces iems, earbuds and cables. They started out with their first earbud in the Penon BS1 Experience Version. Recently, they have released the Penon OS849 cable which I have reviewed earlier. In this review, I will be reviewing their latest earbud in the Penon BS1 Official Version. At the moment, you can purchase the Penon BS1 Official Version from https://penon-official.com/product/bs1-official-version/ .
Specifications
The BS1 Official comes in a red and blue package with Penon printed on the front cover in gold colour. After opening the package, there is a wooden circular case that contains the BS1 Official. Beneath the case is a soft carrying pouch that contains 2 packs of foams, cable wrap and shirt clip.
Earbud Build & Design
The BS1 Official has the Penon brand name printed on it in grey colour. The shell has a smooth matte black finish to it. It has a circular shape. The housing is made of aluminium. The strain relief has a blue and red housing to differentiate between left and right respectively. There are 3 vents at the bottom of the housing. The earbud is constructed well.
Cable Build & Design
The cable has a 8 core design and it is braided well. It consists of 19 strands per core and the material is a combination of copper and silver-plated copper. Moving down to the chin slider, it is black and circular in shape. The y-splitter has carbon fibre design and sports the model name in white colour. Lastly, there is a gold plated copper straight jack and the housing has carbon fibre on it with strain relief. There is the brand name printed on the housing. The overall cable design gives a premium feel and I find it aesthetically pleasing. The cable is quite soft and supple for a 8 core.
Sound Analysis
Lows
The BS1 Official has good sub-bass quantity and there is a nice boost. The sub-bass is being extended with a nice depth and there is a speedy rumble. The agility helps to inject excitement into the sound. There is a good display of technicality and the decay is pacey. The mid-bass on the BS1 Official has a moderate amount of quantity and the slam has enough weight for an impact. There is a strong control in its bass presentation. The combination of quantity and agility is able to produce a harmonious performance. Bass texture is smooth. The articulation is quite accurate. The approach the BS1 Official operates on presents the bass with speed and body.
Mids
The BS1 Official has a gorgeous midrange and it is displayed with excellent finesse. The midrange is able to tackle vocals with ease be it male vocals or female vocals. There is richness in the mids due to the body. Vocals are presented in a very intimate manner and the body helps to improve the realism of it. The lower mids has a great quantity to it and male vocals are being expressed without sounding hollow. It is able to convey emotions well. For the upper mids, there is body to it and it is presented with forwardness. Along with the crisp, there is a nice organic presentation. Female vocals are being displayed with intimacy and the definition is excellent. There is a high standard of details retrieval.
Highs
The treble is extended with a good depth. It packs details and there is clarity. There is no sibilance and harshness. The treble takes on a full-bodied approach with accurate articulation. The amount of air rendered has a great amount and this helps to allow the lighten the presentation which complements the overall full-bodied sound. There is a great definition to it. The treble has a smooth nature to it and packs energy.
Soundstage
Due to the full-bodied approach, the expansion of the soundstage is very natural and it makes the overall sound realistic. There is a great width and the depth has good space to it. The Penon BS1 Official can keep up with busier tracks and there is minimal congestion.
Comparisons
Penon BS1 Official vs Rose Masya
The BS1 Official has more sub-bass quantity and extension than the Masya. The mid-bass of the Masya is more agile and there is a quicker slam. However, the BS1 Official presents its mid-bass slam with more weight which results in a more impactful hit. The bass of the BS1 Official provides an extra punch to improve the overall dynamics. Bass decay on the Masya is slightly faster and the bass texture on the BS1 Official is rendered much more smoothly with great finesse. The lower mids on the BS1 Official has more body and it is able to tackle male vocals better. Likewise, the upper mids on the BS1 has similar forwardness as the Masya but it has the edge due to its body. The quantity helps to increase the organic level. Next, for the treble section, both have similar extension and with the extra body in the treble, BS1 Official has a more complete presentation. The air rendered on the BS1 Official has more amount with better details retrieval. Lastly, the BS1 Official has a more natural expansion in its stage width and the width is further. The depth has more space. The positioning of instruments and vocals is better on the BS1 Official. Resolution of BS1 Official is better.
Penon BS1 Official vs Astrotec Lyra Collection
The BS1 Official has more sub-bass quantity and extension than the Lyra Collection. The depth the Lyra Collection reaches is not too far from the BS1 Official. The mid-bass on the BS1 Official has more body and the slam is more impactful. It is being presented with heavier weight. Bass decay on the BS1 Official is more pacey and bass texture on both is very similar. The lower mids on the BS1 Official has more quantity and male vocals are better expressed without sounding hollow or dry. The upper mids on both have similar forwardness but I feel due to the extra body, the BS1 Official presents female vocals with more intimacy. BS1 Official is more capable than the Lyra Collection to showcase an organic vocals performance. For the treble section, the Lyra Collection has slightly more extension and there is more body on the BS1 Official. The crisp on the Lyra Collection is better with slightly more definition. Lastly, for the soundstage, the stage expansion is more natural on the BS1 Official and the magnitude is similar on both. The depth has more space on the BS1 Official. BS1 Official has a more realistic feel to its stage. Resolution is similar.
Penon BS1 Official vs Penon BS1 Experience
The BS1 Official has more sub-bass quantity and extension than the BS1 Experience. The mid-bass on the BS1 Official has the edge due to the extra quantity. The slam it presents has more weight to it. There is more musicality in the BS1 Official. Bass texture on the BS1 Official is rendered more smoothly with finesse. The lower mids on the BS1 Official has more quantity to it which aids in male vocals delivering a greater impact. The upper mids on the BS1 Official has more forwardness and body. The midrange takes on a full-bodied approach with intimacy. The treble on the BS1 Official has slightly more extension and the extra body it has creates an organic performance. BS1 Official packs more details and there is more control. For the soundstage, BS1 Official expands naturally with greater width. There is better depth. Resolution of BS1 Official is better.
Conclusion
The BS1 Official is a full-bodied sounding earbud that packs a high level of details retrieval with a smooth approach. It is able to provide an intimate and detailed sound. The stage is very immersive and gives a surround feel. The build quality of the earbud is constructed well. Furthermore, the 8 core hybrid cable is braided nicely with beautiful parts being used and it is aesthetically pleasing. The Penon BS1 Official is easily one of the finest earbud I have come across.
For more reviews, visit https://audio123blog.wordpress.com/ .
Penon is a Hong Kong company that produces iems, earbuds and cables. They started out with their first earbud in the Penon BS1 Experience Version. Recently, they have released the Penon OS849 cable which I have reviewed earlier. In this review, I will be reviewing their latest earbud in the Penon BS1 Official Version. At the moment, you can purchase the Penon BS1 Official Version from https://penon-official.com/product/bs1-official-version/ .
Specifications
- Driver: 15mm dynamic driver
- Impedance: 32ohm
- Frequency response: 14Hz – 28 kHz
- Sensitivity: 120dB
The BS1 Official comes in a red and blue package with Penon printed on the front cover in gold colour. After opening the package, there is a wooden circular case that contains the BS1 Official. Beneath the case is a soft carrying pouch that contains 2 packs of foams, cable wrap and shirt clip.
Earbud Build & Design
The BS1 Official has the Penon brand name printed on it in grey colour. The shell has a smooth matte black finish to it. It has a circular shape. The housing is made of aluminium. The strain relief has a blue and red housing to differentiate between left and right respectively. There are 3 vents at the bottom of the housing. The earbud is constructed well.
Cable Build & Design
The cable has a 8 core design and it is braided well. It consists of 19 strands per core and the material is a combination of copper and silver-plated copper. Moving down to the chin slider, it is black and circular in shape. The y-splitter has carbon fibre design and sports the model name in white colour. Lastly, there is a gold plated copper straight jack and the housing has carbon fibre on it with strain relief. There is the brand name printed on the housing. The overall cable design gives a premium feel and I find it aesthetically pleasing. The cable is quite soft and supple for a 8 core.
Sound Analysis
Lows
The BS1 Official has good sub-bass quantity and there is a nice boost. The sub-bass is being extended with a nice depth and there is a speedy rumble. The agility helps to inject excitement into the sound. There is a good display of technicality and the decay is pacey. The mid-bass on the BS1 Official has a moderate amount of quantity and the slam has enough weight for an impact. There is a strong control in its bass presentation. The combination of quantity and agility is able to produce a harmonious performance. Bass texture is smooth. The articulation is quite accurate. The approach the BS1 Official operates on presents the bass with speed and body.
Mids
The BS1 Official has a gorgeous midrange and it is displayed with excellent finesse. The midrange is able to tackle vocals with ease be it male vocals or female vocals. There is richness in the mids due to the body. Vocals are presented in a very intimate manner and the body helps to improve the realism of it. The lower mids has a great quantity to it and male vocals are being expressed without sounding hollow. It is able to convey emotions well. For the upper mids, there is body to it and it is presented with forwardness. Along with the crisp, there is a nice organic presentation. Female vocals are being displayed with intimacy and the definition is excellent. There is a high standard of details retrieval.
Highs
The treble is extended with a good depth. It packs details and there is clarity. There is no sibilance and harshness. The treble takes on a full-bodied approach with accurate articulation. The amount of air rendered has a great amount and this helps to allow the lighten the presentation which complements the overall full-bodied sound. There is a great definition to it. The treble has a smooth nature to it and packs energy.
Soundstage
Due to the full-bodied approach, the expansion of the soundstage is very natural and it makes the overall sound realistic. There is a great width and the depth has good space to it. The Penon BS1 Official can keep up with busier tracks and there is minimal congestion.
Comparisons
Penon BS1 Official vs Rose Masya
The BS1 Official has more sub-bass quantity and extension than the Masya. The mid-bass of the Masya is more agile and there is a quicker slam. However, the BS1 Official presents its mid-bass slam with more weight which results in a more impactful hit. The bass of the BS1 Official provides an extra punch to improve the overall dynamics. Bass decay on the Masya is slightly faster and the bass texture on the BS1 Official is rendered much more smoothly with great finesse. The lower mids on the BS1 Official has more body and it is able to tackle male vocals better. Likewise, the upper mids on the BS1 has similar forwardness as the Masya but it has the edge due to its body. The quantity helps to increase the organic level. Next, for the treble section, both have similar extension and with the extra body in the treble, BS1 Official has a more complete presentation. The air rendered on the BS1 Official has more amount with better details retrieval. Lastly, the BS1 Official has a more natural expansion in its stage width and the width is further. The depth has more space. The positioning of instruments and vocals is better on the BS1 Official. Resolution of BS1 Official is better.
Penon BS1 Official vs Astrotec Lyra Collection
The BS1 Official has more sub-bass quantity and extension than the Lyra Collection. The depth the Lyra Collection reaches is not too far from the BS1 Official. The mid-bass on the BS1 Official has more body and the slam is more impactful. It is being presented with heavier weight. Bass decay on the BS1 Official is more pacey and bass texture on both is very similar. The lower mids on the BS1 Official has more quantity and male vocals are better expressed without sounding hollow or dry. The upper mids on both have similar forwardness but I feel due to the extra body, the BS1 Official presents female vocals with more intimacy. BS1 Official is more capable than the Lyra Collection to showcase an organic vocals performance. For the treble section, the Lyra Collection has slightly more extension and there is more body on the BS1 Official. The crisp on the Lyra Collection is better with slightly more definition. Lastly, for the soundstage, the stage expansion is more natural on the BS1 Official and the magnitude is similar on both. The depth has more space on the BS1 Official. BS1 Official has a more realistic feel to its stage. Resolution is similar.
Penon BS1 Official vs Penon BS1 Experience
The BS1 Official has more sub-bass quantity and extension than the BS1 Experience. The mid-bass on the BS1 Official has the edge due to the extra quantity. The slam it presents has more weight to it. There is more musicality in the BS1 Official. Bass texture on the BS1 Official is rendered more smoothly with finesse. The lower mids on the BS1 Official has more quantity to it which aids in male vocals delivering a greater impact. The upper mids on the BS1 Official has more forwardness and body. The midrange takes on a full-bodied approach with intimacy. The treble on the BS1 Official has slightly more extension and the extra body it has creates an organic performance. BS1 Official packs more details and there is more control. For the soundstage, BS1 Official expands naturally with greater width. There is better depth. Resolution of BS1 Official is better.
Conclusion
The BS1 Official is a full-bodied sounding earbud that packs a high level of details retrieval with a smooth approach. It is able to provide an intimate and detailed sound. The stage is very immersive and gives a surround feel. The build quality of the earbud is constructed well. Furthermore, the 8 core hybrid cable is braided nicely with beautiful parts being used and it is aesthetically pleasing. The Penon BS1 Official is easily one of the finest earbud I have come across.
For more reviews, visit https://audio123blog.wordpress.com/ .