It is the most neutral tuned Penon IEM. I consider you a FAN of Penon stuff. You own 3 of their best so you qualify. It is different than the others you own. However, do we ever need more IEMs?

Wired Earphones? Seems so Yesterday.....,

@https://www.head-fi.org/members/larrymagoo.456724/

Well many of us who use them, use them at home, just like you do with your wired full-size headphones. So.....really we are the same style of enthusiasts in that regard.

Awesome review! How do they compare to the Serial detail/separation wise?

Serial requires a bit of amplification for a similar level of sound separation. The Fan2s are 13 ohm, more efficient and easier to drive for full bored sound. Both have their advantages over the other. Serial has better more accurate timbre and more sub bass presence.

Fan2 has a bit more treble presence and extension over the Serial. I think their mids are where it is a bit of a toss-up. Fan2 mids are full bored from the get go on practically any source. Serial amped is where the mids start to really shine for me and can sound better than the Fan2 depending on cables tips and source.

Sonin BAs are used in some of the highest end IEMs for a reason. Its tonal character is imo better than most Knowles BAs. Richer a bit more organic sounding but also clearly showing the advantage of using a BA without the need for amping. It will come down to preference more than anything but they actually compliment each other nicely and both are excellent.

Thank you!

Having ordered the Fan 2 I am tempted by the Serial the more I’ve seen about them. On sound demos the Serial sounds so full bodied compared to, say, Moondrop style tuning. But checking the FR of the Fan2 and Serial the differences are subtle. Are they more distinctive when listening? Sorry, it’s sort of been asked already but I do value your opinion.

Serials are an easy listening yet very dynamic sounding experience. The main different in their presentation is how the treble of the Fan2 has a bit more emphasis in the upper trebles over the Serial. this brings a bit extra in the brilliance region of the trebles where you get a bit more shimmer and treble extension. This makes a difference for something like Jazz or orchestral scores. Serial has a smoother treble tone as well due to the dynamic it is using for the trebles.

Serials has a bit of extra for its sub bass presence where the Fan 2 has a bit extra for its upper trebles. So the tuning focus is a bit different between the two sets in that way. Their tonal character and timbres are different as they both use different types of drivers. I would get the Fan2 first and see how you do and I know it is always tempting to read about IEMs that are excellent but one at a time. Lol.

Thanks for the review, just received mines .... 1st thing I remark : chin slider is crap, absolutely useless !!
First impressions on sound are good.

@tashikoma this cable's poor construction choices destroy whole the experience. You might want to stick a bit of foam tape inside the slider to increase the friction. Lack of the earhooks also sucks ass.

You're missing the small plastic insert to get the slider to not move. Penon can send you that piece! As far as cables ear-hooks go that is totally subjective with many not liking ear-hooks and going for not having the cable force around your ears. The early versions of that cable had the slider like yours, but they added the piece later.

Do you have the photo of it ?

Yes I'm trying to make a URL, but I never have.....I may just link you to one here in a moment.

Edit:

Here, note how original photo of cable does not have the guide, but all the photographs in my review do have it. They will get you that small plastic piece. As far as cable guides it's subjective, as many people like them with-out, as with.

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/penon-os133-iem-cables.25829/

you go imgur.com
upload photo
open the photo in the browser
copy the url of the photo uploaded
insert the url into the form on this page

@Redcarmoose ok, thanks, will have a look there

The Imager link will still not let me load the photo here, but look closely at my review cable and you will get an idea of what you need.

@Redcarmoose ok, thanks, will have a look there

Why they would not include this plastic thing in the first place?

I don't have all the answers, but it's a small thing that (I guess) the first editions didn't have. You will be able to get it and install it. Cheers! No big deal.........

Muchas gracias señor

Just got mine today, super fast shipping and it's a holiday today, lol.

First impression was like.. yup, that's exactly what I expected! This was mildly disappointing for some reason, but I got over it.

I have the ISN H40 and EST50, but this is my first Penon IEM. Super familiar sound.

I'm using eHorn tips and ISN's GC4 cable (gold-plated copper cable) with Penon Totem adaptors.