Penon Orb

The Penon ORB




Smoothness:
As a reviewer I often get a new IEM and I'm torn between two emotions, that of infatuation, and that of dissolution. With the Penon ORB I knew out of the box what its imperfections were. Often upon first listening you can absolutely get the upper hand as to sound design imperfections. I mean, no IEM is perfect…..but some are closer to perfection than others. The Penon ORB showed its attributes and deficits right off, plain as day……it is clear as glass in its make-up……the ORB has two issues of incompleteness. One, the bass is slightly rolled-off at the very depths, lessening authority, and Two, the treble isn’t all that sparkly, having its own style of smoothness. Did I say smoothness! Smoothness was really the very first word that came to mind when I put the Penon ORB into my ears! And…….the word smoothness will be what word I use to end this very review!

But then......
Something happened……….Yep, whatever you perceive to be true doesn’t always remain as fact. Nope, perception of sound is a fickle bride, and not always as it seems. The second thing you think upon placing an IEM in your ears is……."They made it.” They (Penon) beloved Penon Audio believed that this single IEM was good enough to have PENON emblazoned across the faceplate. They believed in its capabilities, in fact it’s an older IEM with a past track record. As far as Penon Audio goes, the ORB is actually a big part of their history. With that said, the ORB crossed my desk…….and maybe because I have too many IEMs, maybe because the little ORB isn’t the most expensive, or maybe because the ORB came out at the very end of June 2020.........that I didn’t view it as much……..it didn’t get the respect it deserved. And this review finds itself the next of 13 ORB/Head-Fi reviews in a row……….possibly, quite possibly it wasn’t something to get super excited about?

Or was it?
Yep, the little ORB is something. Maybe it was the week long burn-in that changed it? Truly it’s not the different music I played, because it’s very well rounded? Same cable? Same DAP? So maybe burn-in really did some special treatment, especially with the ORB? I mean that area of the treble now has subtle little accents which fall farther-out to the right and left? The Bass now is truly authoritative and big? But it’s of course the midrange now...............that is the show…………of course this is Penon, so the midrange was always the focus, yet now there is a magic, an involvement, an accessibility…….a transfer of musicality that is hard to argue with…….in fact I love the little ORB……..and it turns out to be an unexpected favorite? That’s right………..there can be a no-nonsense “purity” with only using two drivers. Only one 10mm driver and only one “full-frequency” BA. Less money too……at only $249.00! Yep, they Penon Audio are doing a lot with a little………..my gosh, just look at it! Does it look like an IEM you have seen before?

It probably gets the award for doing the most with the least…………..I love Hybrids anyways, and while some full-range BAs seemed to have cohesiveness, they added the 10mm graphite fiber silk paper dome dynamic driver, to really get the authority here! So you are kind-of witnessing the cohesiveness and bounce that a great single DD can do when well implemented. It’s this size (of soundstage) and thickness with just the right touch of highlights that makes the Penon ORB a keeper. I also started to do side-beside tests to try and ascertain the true sound value of the ORB. This review, like all the ones before, it will take place as a personal diary of exploration. An exploration into the Penon ORB!

The Penon ORB and Penon Audio:
Released in June of 2020, this is Penon Audio’s second only release. Still it’s safe to say this IS the Penon sound. While the ORB has inspired a total of 13 other previous reviews, I haven’t read a one. So after this review is completed I may possibly scan those reviews for parallels. In this case the ORB is accessible and understandable, with-out need for research or plagiarism. In fact after so many interpretations, I hope to bring a new perspective to how the ORB is perceived, or at least be true to my ideas, original due to one-persons perception. I don’t need to read any prior viewpoints, as in the end, this is a single subjective review, with no other input needed. Penon got its start around the year 2013, and in many ways that time was the start of a couple concepts, all happening at once. IEMs were just then starting to be taken seriously. Sure there was IEMs taken seriously sooner, Jerry Harvey Audio got its start in 2007, after making monitors for rock stars. And of course people were learning of the sound quality of “inner-ear-monitors”.....even then. But the full-size headphone got a head-start being invented in 1910. Still it could be argued that the idea of IEMs was way sooner than 2007; I mean Knowles was first a maker of BA styled hearing-aids in 1954............that in essence is really the start of “inner-ear-monitors”. But it wasn’t until the popularly of the smartphone that IEMs really started to take off. Before that time, only a few mildly eccentric Head-Fi members were really into it. But around 2013 two things happened. One, the internet as a retail force was becoming a reality and Two, there was all of a sudden all these IEMs from China. So Penon was at the right place at the right time. They invented cables to connect the IEMs newly invented to these cellphones now in common use. Penon then expanded their line of products to include Penon IEMs and ISN IEMs/cables. Penon was addressing the needs of the audiophile community. Penon doesn’t just make IEMs & cables. Besides the Penon brand, they are a retail house that currently represents/sells well over 120 different audio brands. Not only a retailer but a renowned cable builder, making slightly under 50 different cables/adaptors right now. Penon also currently manufactures 10 separate earphones as of late. With a history going back to 2013, Penon is the logical result of years in the business. With a Penon product there is no middle-man……as this is a factory direct purchase. Penon are simply more grassroots in demeanor. Such focus of intent expands even to their whole IEM line. With the introduction of ISN; a subdivision of Penon Audio...........ISN got their start making cables, then at end of 2019 ISN introduced their first IEM, the legendary H40. Today ISN makes about 20 different cables, and 7 ear-phones. With such creativity in such a short time span the ORB becomes something of a classic………Really in more ways than one it’s a very safe purchase. Safe due to the size, safe due to the build, safe due to the tuning. If we add up the progress the ORB belongs to a group of 17 different ear-phones…….with a full understanding of statement and unification of purpose, the ORB was introduced as the quintessential example of Penon sound. Coincidentally I received the Fan 2 along with the ORB, as an example of the latest and greatest Penon creation. While I have already posted the Fan 2 review, I have gained further understanding, as to the true nature of the Fan 2. Distancing myself from the Fan 2, I came back to it once more during cable tests…..to further gain understanding in how the Fan 2 and the ORB are related. Believe me, upon taking the two out of their perspective boxes, and first putting them in my ears, I never thought they could show familiarity! Nope! The Fan 2 a strict departure from the Penon House sound, and the ORB a perfect example of what Penon makes. I have the Vortex, the Serial, the Globe, the Fan 2 and now the ORB. In becoming enlightened what happend was the midrange go the two IEMs, the Fan 2 and the Penon ORB became somewhat familiar……..of course it was the midrange……as that’s Penon’s forte…….to go about and provide every single IEM with this magic in the midrange. How they accomplish this, I’ll never know?

But truly after you bath in IEMs for a while, you start to gain respect for quality in the midrange, as almost in thinking they are truly the most important part of the frequency response. In truth, it’s the mids that hold most of the musical information……..but more than that……If there is quality to the midrange presentation, often you can overlook another aspect of replay that you may have a small issue with. Needless to say, if the midrange rocks, normally the whole response carries over.



Sound Design:
Midrange:



KMFDM
Paradise
"Oh My Goth"
44.1 kHz - 24 bit

Surprisingly the ORB came about with a full-coverage sound. Strangely it’s not exactly thick or even dark……no…….just clear and competent. Depending on what you are used to, it may be thought of as warm, yes probably warm. Though first focuses is on the mids…….it’s really balanced to the point of being dead-on correct, at least for me it is……………and the thickness, well that brings a priority to the signature, the priority of note weight. Guitars are big, crunchy and fun…….holding a style of pace which transcends any questions as to musicality present. Yep…….these rock. The guitar sound is ruthless, in that this particular sound can come-off many ways………somehow this crunchy guitar can be embellished with off timbre at times………but not here, it’s exactly perfect. This song is an ultimate favorite of mine. At 00:15 the bass thumps come in. At 00:23 the guitar strums start to flow………at 00:30 the beat kicks in and 1/2 a second later the vocals arrive. While coming out in late September of 2019, I’ve grown to truly understand this song…….being one of the few songs I've used (everyday) to help ascertain the frequencies and technicalities brought about in IEM replay. Here are three very fast arriving points of interest. The bass thumps, while not as fully delineated into focus, they do hold the thump. The guitar I’ve heard slightly more crisp, but this is 100% correct in tone replay; more important. And finally the full-on drum beat at 00:30. This as well as the vocals are super important as they are actually more of the focus of the song. What I’m getting at is the tone of the major beat…….the roundness and the texture is in essence what this song is about. You know that’s how they wrote it, that the major beat was first put down, that and the main vocals………thus supreme importance in the songs message. Such a character in replay is where your money is going when you purchase the ORB. The fact that at any price paid, this beat-tone and this vocal-tone is 100% correct, it’s that Penon have to be musicians to fully get what’s going on here, and make an IEM which delivers. In truth, I can’t exactly describe the tone…….it’s a set of character and timbre response that words only go so far to explain………and that’s OK, as you will understand when you drop the ORBs in your ear. This is the midrange section so this song was chosen really for the vocal rendition, how Lucia Cifarelli’s vocals are accentuated and laid-down. That and the wonderful separation that takes place with the crunchy guitar out to the sides. It’s this interaction of guitars and vocals that make the song for me, that and of course the underlying beat. But here is also noticed a support……..a support in maybe the lower midrange………everyone who has heard the ORB must know what I’m getting at? A backdrop of air…….not air like treble air, but deep air like room response reflections……..the room that becomes another member of the band…….just sitting there responsible of those 1/2 second delays that go to thicken the soup. It’s this realism that’s a part of IEM replay that’s crucial to realism, yet not all IEMs have it. In a way it sucks up detail, and overlays a slight fog, where that 1/2 delay is putting cotton in between the beats…………yet it’s forgiving and so very right............when it’s done well. Somehow that “plus” adds a sprinkle of magic dust to every harmonic in this song, yet it doesn’t sound artificial, only realistic, like being in a room and just barely hearing those room reflections. And truly it is centered in the lower midrange. Much like hearing a stereo playback in a room, the sound waves reflect off the inside of the speaker cabinet and then reflect off the room back wall and side. Those deep notes then mix with the forward firing sounds you hear coming off the front of the speaker to add a bump in response. With the ORB they go into the response add note weight and body. This tone strangely travels though-out, even up to the higher registers, providing a warmth and soul which is audibly seen like a golden light shining from within. And in fact, this slight echo is found to be (at times) positioned far out to the sides………mostly the sides which contain bass and lower midrange. The gloss-over provides note-weight that substantiates the vocals, where even the vocal echoes which are added as a slap-back reflection to her passages and are somehow enhanced. The main thing is this generates not an ounce of BA timbre……….and that my friends is the ultimate trick. The fact that a BA is used with-out any of the BA drawbacks. Pure Gold. Any (if there is any) BA sheen is somehow covered up, or it’s not there in the first place? Besides the vocals here, the guitar is also included in the perfect timber accessed. This one feature in a way makes the ORB timeless and of value to the IEM community long after the ORB was first launched on the world.


A few comparisons to the $549.00 qdc Anole V3 IEM



The ORB Graphical Response:


Treble:
While it could be said the treble isn’t exactly sparkly, yet it is crisp. While holding texture and pace, the treble is given this same (extra) body as the mids. It’s this thickness that’s endearing……..normally you don’t associate thickness to the treble, but the way it’s done is both smooth and rewarding. Reason being is that the treble is exactly bright enough and detailed enough. When I do reviews I actually center on this feature and then make a value judgment call as to the quality…………..and Yep, bright enough and detailed enough. Though the way I’m wording it must give you the clue………yes? That’s right, just enough….and not overboard with any treble tone; just barely enough. Such a stunt goes miles to make the ORB both forgiving of bad recordings and well rounded of any genre of music file you may drop on it. The final well-rounded feature is the ability to use any source. While the ultimate treble boost from the Sony Walkman WM1Z gifts the ORB an unarguable benefit, the ORB is going ahead and scaling-up an up to meet with the quality. At the same time more subdued trebles don’t (for-some-reason) don’t make anything dull or featureless? This in itself becomes another mystery to the ORB. Yet my job is to simply report on findings and to not give reasons as to why, even though it’s surprising? Also note, the very best IEMs are this way……..never needing to adjust to a different a DAP quality change out, or change EQ to get a desirable tone. It’s the spacial rendition that the spread-out treble takes hold in use with the WM1Z…………it’s that such replay of harmonics and crispness bring about the thoughts of grandeur and largeness. The replay is big, and maybe the single feature that had the ORB wins-out on the qdc Anole V3, that and the bass authority? The treble is simply bigger in size holding all elements of replay of that sector up-higher and further away form the center head-stage, to bring about simply more involvement and greater entertainment though presence. The next level is the actual timbre responsible, as reiterated in the last midrange section. This slightly laid-backness is fortified with still being responsible with full-range response, yet slightly set back in demeanor. The basic 6k to 7k dip is fully hearable, and gives the ORB its characteristic tone.

Bass:
There was maybe a time when many would actually choose the ORB just for its bass in relationship to its price bracket. And while that may still hold true in the time frame from June of 2020 to today...........I hold the ORB representing more. Meaning it’s the whole package that’s still a novel approach……….yep, these few years later the ORB still holds chops and abilities making it a still a value. How do I know? In reference to the 50 or so IEMs that have arrived at Redcarmoose Labs in the last 9 months, the ORB still somehow finds its way to such a place, that it fully still represents a bargain and a value. It’s just like anything in life, it’s an individual IEM, fully enabled with its own distinct personality. I would be remiss if I didn’t explain that yes, bass is a big part of that personality. Yet Penon in their wisdom put out the (the sub-brand) ISN and made bass more their forte. Where Penon IEMs focus more on the midrange, as the (midrange) meat and potatoes encountered. Does that mean the bass plays second place to the mids? Not at all, I mean you would just need to hear the ORB to realize the bass is a full-on emphasis. Just the size of the bass soundstage, makes for the unavoidable focus. Where I think the uniqueness here is a single 10mm graphite fiber silk paper dome soft driver is pushing most of the bass, yet it’s also combined with a full range BA. If you’ve ever heard a full-range BA they typically roll off the bass to a point that they can only do so much. Where in this case the 10mm DD is added to the full-range BA to accomplish the authority not physically possible with a single BA. This “size” for lack of a better word, is large and noticeable……..yet there is a doubling-up where the mids overlap and a complete, offering a barren desert where the treble takes place as the 10mm takes no part in that. Now if all this is simple speculation due to knowing the driver make-up before hand, I will never know? Still this is how the ORB sounds to me. But better than simply studying the make-up of the ORB, there is a freedom in knowing that the bass is holding the number one attribute that bass can hold……….fun. Yep, if the bass is fun, it cancels out any type of inquisitive investigation as to quality. And in fact it may still be due to that driver frequency over-lay that somehow the bass never feels exactly like an add-on. I know that I’m going out-on-a-limb here, describing a blending of middle frequencies, which fuses the tone, but I have no other explanation to how it was done? So I can guess it really doesn’t matter as long as those attributes are there? And while there is a doubling-up of tone, such spectacles go to add a style of thickness at hand. This singlehandedly gives the ORB both a logical technicality but also adds to the uniqueness in character. A wideness and forgivably, almost a softness, yet I won’t say that exactly. I have experimented widely as to somehow come to absolute terms to the bass character. As with fit, the ORB allows a multitude of tip choices, yes, long tips, low-profile tips and even wide-bore tips go the full gambit to showcase the bass into a multitude of responses. And somehow just like DAP choices, genre choices and cable choices, there can be found a forgiveness to ear-tips which goes ahead to gift you the listener, many different ways to skin-a-cat. In fact, it’s this well-rounded-ness that has moved forward, more forward than many IEMs to showcase this (easygoingness) as a single feature of workability to the ORB. As you know, at times we are in an environment of few choices, left with only one way to gain ground............to put out fires so to speak. Here there are a multitude of playful hobby encounters which offer a spectrum of tones and bass characters. Such a response from wide-bores offer a tighter and more subdued bass response, which as guessed, opens-up the midrange and treble to a more perceivable quality. In testing the wide-bore tips added to the overall soundstage, yet pushed the bass back a tad. Overall though, the pace was exhilarating to the point of perfection. In fact the bass was tighter and cleaner, and surprisingly more detailed. The crazy part here is normally an IEM enclosure enables only one specific placement or seating of the shell to be called good. Here laughably there are all kinds of choices……….due to the smallness or should I say medium-smallness of the actual IEM itself, combined with this amazing shape, there are many tip-choices. Now keep in mind, this choice of tips can be confusing. As if the wide-bore somehow allows even better air-tight pressure blockage, a more robust bass can be obtained just through a change in driver distance to ear-drum. There can even be the perception of better bass though separation at times, still that is not needed here ever with any tip combination. I will have to give the wide-bore tips the best award in my uses, where first I though I was getting a better air-tight fit with the longer barrel tips, yet no, this sound is the ticket. Where there is such a nice Goldilocks bass environment where you have the ultimate freedom to explore tip choices……..ending (for me) with the ear-tip that provided the best soundstage in the end. It’s the tail-off of the decay that’s magic. In fact it’s that and the overall midrange and treble note weight that is the cats meow. Where my single IEM comparison, the qdc Anole V3 universal comes with the notoriety of great bass for it’s time. Great BA bass is why I purchased it. Back in 2018, I was sitting in a shop and going through qdc’s full line-up, while the Anole VX was still a few months-out from being released, I found the upper range (of most of the qdc line-up) to be slightly to analytical and tame. Robust bass was what I was after, and I called the qdc Anole V3 home. But to call it like it is, the less than 1/2 expensive ORB was to come out two years later and fully beat-out the Anole V3 at it’s own game. While during this single review I have done multiple back-to-back tests, simply to try and get to the bottom of how each IEM performs, the 3 BAs of the Anole are slightly more cohesive and together, but they have less to hold together for starters. There is slightly more detail in the midrange of the $549.00 qdc Anole V3, but less overall size and stage. While obviously DD bass is better at showing decay of bass notes, the qdc is known for great bass, it’s just they can’t compete with progress.




Build and design:
In all of the IEMs I've ever encountered, the Penon ORB is different. Probably the first thing you notice is the clear transparency, next the smoothness in touch. One of the main features to the touch is the fact the the 0.78 two-pin holes are absolutely flush to the sides. The 0.78 two-Pin is not in a socket, but actually rounded into the existing form-factor.........yet the apex of the curve is the center of the installation....so the pins sit perfectly flush. How much thought in design is that? And the fact that it's a first here for myself, remains a mystery.

The next thing you notice is the nozzle, while crafted entirely of resin, it holds a tip on well, not like those nozzles that don't contain a lip. While not really small in length, or long the size, the shape fits me perfect. This results in a multitude of features. Number one, being you should find yourself with a wide range of ear-tip choices. This level of freedom is rare in an IEM, actually almost never found. What it means from a user point of view you don't need ear-tips to get perfect fit. The IEM itself has perfect fit and the tip is simply going along for the ride and offering an air-tight placement. Literally this means ear-tip selection is incredible, it means whatever ear-tip you happen to stumble upon you can use. This results in much more than first guessed, as wide-bore, or narrow-bore, even a choice of (ear-tip) materials soon becomes of use in your daily experience. Believe it or not this results in more tone choices as your not dependent on the ear-tip for fit. Different tips can often surprise the listener and not be the same sound you found with prior IEM uses. Meaning just experiment, as the last ear-tip you think will work, may come out to fit you the best. There is a theory to this, but it is truly best to simply go for random tests. With that said Penon themselves have gone and supplied you with 9 sets of great fitting ear-tips.

While there is a single vent off the right under the faceplate, it turns out such a vent is actually directly under the faceplate seam, it holds what looks like a small metal tube fully protected by a screen. There behold inside shows to be a small electronic crossover filter to the BA/DD and a small dot of red paint for the right IEM, blue for the left IEM. While the tubes exciting the BA driver and DD driver are submerged in clear resin, the whole top portion of the IEM is open to the resonate chamber. Such craftsmanship is a first in my time with IEMs. Meaning most IEMs have such insides hidden by smoky plastic which hides a less than stellar display of quality. I even found an ant glued inside one (other) IEM that would have gone fully unnoticed if it wasn't for me and my love of looking at IEM build. Here we are gifted with the finest craftsmanship in that there is no excess glue to be found, no wires out of place, or even smudges of clarity inside of the IEM. I tried to show this in photographs, yet the ORB is even more spectacular in person. Pride of ownership starts right at this ground level, and works it's way up in attitude with a solid week of burn-in......finally coming to fruition upon getting used to the sound, all this apparatus was designed to produce.

The included complete Penon ORB package:
The package comes with everything you need. If you are just starting out, you only need a DAP or low powered desk-top rig to get you into the action. Remember the ORB can be ordered as Express Shipping for just $10 more. The only other choice is you cable plug style. The ORB comes with a 3.5mm, 2.5mm or 4.4mm balanced plug. Included is 9 pairs of ear-tips, a shirt clasp, a cable tie, a cleaning tool and a pouch.

The Cable:
The Penon Globe/ORB supports 4 shares of silver plated OCC being one of my favorite Hybrid cables. Alone the cable comes in at a special value at $18.90. Outside of use with the ORB, what is cool is it can be ordered in both 0.78 2 pin or MMCX, and have your choice of 2.5mm balanced, 4.4mm balanced or 3.5mm single ended. It's a very well rounded cable in its own right. It can be even ordered with media transport controls and a microphone. Probably the most striking feature is the cable texture, the physical texture in your hands. Such a cable rests in the top tiers of ergonomic usability, simply due to the flexibly and pliability contained!

https://penonaudio.com/penon-globe-orb-cable.html

Copy and pasted from Penon Audio site:
Penon Orb Balanced Armature + Dynamic Driver Hybrid 2Pin 0.78mm HiFi Audiophile IEM

Description:
The use of medical grade resin material, light and beautiful, comfortable to wear, no strange feeling in contact with the skin.

Made by hand, the earphone shell is solid and more durable.

Balanced Armature+ Dynamic Driver Hybrid 2Pin 0.78mm Detachable Audiophile IEMS

Exclusive customization,10mm dynamic driver, graphite fiber silk paper dome soft, grainless overhanging diaphragm, long-stroke, high-sensitivity surging bass.

Brass is processed by precision lathe, the size is accurate to 0.1㎜, and the surface is specially treated to prevent oxidation. Compared with stamping parts, the cost is higher. And the sound is especially improved in the low and middle frequencies.

Specifications:
Brand: Penon
Model: ORB
Driver: Balanced Armature full frequency + 10mm Dynamic driver
Impedance: 10 Ωm @ 1kHz
Sensitivity: 112 ± 3dB @ 1kHz
Frequency response: 20hz-20Khz
Connector: 2Pin 0.78mm
Plug: 3.5mm, 2.5mm balanced, 4.4mm balanced
Cable length: 1.2M

Technicalities:
Such features can make or break an IEM response. And while I'm not listing a full-on list of what the technicalities are, let's just say they are everything besides Frequency Response that adds to realism in response. Believe it or not this also goes along to provide entertainment. Yep, music the more real the music is, the more entertaining it is......who would have thought?

Anyway with out going into too much, the actual timbre is really good, way better than the price would have you believe. Timbre is the character of instrument tone which goes to differentiate themselves from instruments of the same tone value. Now while showing the BA timber (maybe) ever so slightly, it's something that you can tell Penon Audio have addressed and somehow figured-out a way around. I have a whole collection of BA infused IEMs which will go ahead and display this technicality trait more vivid.......meaning bad......we don't want BA sheen to offer a style of unnaturalness to the tone.

Pace:
Interestingly enough pace is great, yet there is the double edge sword as much of the midrange is holding this "dual driver" character, this even maybe spills into the bass too? It's not really a bad thing.....but bass and drum attacks offer only a slight loss of edge. Now what makes-up for that is the sheer size of the response. Meaning the emotional results of a big sound can go far to make you forget of any of this nonsense. The problem for me as a reviewer is I have heard all styles of responses and my goals are always to keep this cost relative. Which means judge an IEM accordingly to price and always keep entertainment value as a priority, never worrying as to IEM being exactly perfect. But some are more musical than others.....and some are more natural than others. The interesting thing is that this slight blurring goes and smudges the detail while possibly adding to musicality. As the tones are doubling up and creating harmonics fully above the price asked, normally with this doubling you would think would askew tone, but it does the opposite, it seems to enhance tone. It's this smooth agile projection of soundstage out to the edges which gives the feeling of a grand stage, all from only two drivers?

Conclusion:
While not made of a lot of parts……….looking nonchalant………….and not costing an arm and a leg, the ORB delivers. It really delivers on all fronts. If you read my past reviews I don’t always blend with the IEM I’ve been given………what does it take to get approval at Redcarmoose Labs? An even, correct and complete Frequency Response character, that’s what it takes. But more than that, it’s attitude, yep the little ORB has attitude…….the attitude to be simply more than the sum of its parts…….delivering more than cost would have you guess and feeling/fitting better than most IEMs.

Due to scale in size, the ORB is on the medium small size, yet the soundstage has you guess something totally different. In fact the smoothness and soundstage was the very first attribute I found when placing the little ORB into my ears for the first time. Yet I never though I would ever reach this (special) point with the product? Almost all products are first met with suspicion and skepticism upon first finding them in possession. It’s only after time and trials do they ether prove their worth or prove their inadequacy.

In fact I will say it again because it’s surprising. The ORB doesn’t have any business sounding as big as it does. The ORB has no business having the midrange as complete and vivid as it does. The ORB has no business sounding this good in relation to cost. If you don’t believe me, simply don’t take my word for it, buy a pair, see for yourself what’s up. It’s probably one of the best sounding under $250 IEMs I've ever heard. Not only that, but it fits like a million too. It’s built fantastically, and has a cable with any termination you choose. The ORB comes with a 18 month warranty, and you can choose $10 express shipping if you can’t wait for the fun to begin!

If you’re reading this (whole) review and you wanted to know what the issue was, if you want to know the dirt and the thing that separates the ORB from more expensive IEMs, it simply the upper-end details and separation. There is a place where the top-end (while clear) doesn’t have every last quota of delineation or itemization. Even though you can focus on that aspect and realize the reality present, there is still a stance where the ORB glosses over such inadequacies, and somehow becomes interesting and listable, none the less. In fact, if you didn’t have way more expensive IEMs to do direct comparisons with, you may not even be aware of such drawbacks. Also it has a subtle BA sheen, yet everything is so well puzzle-pieced together that you actually get used to it. While offering a hybrid sound, there is maybe a slight disjointedness to how the sound is presented, but it’s all done in such a way to remind me why Hybrids are my very favorite driver methodologies. Big-wide sounds that hold a kind of attitude where the soundstage doesn’t go off and thin-out to the sides, but goes out and opens up with big interactive items of musical invention. That’s the thing………this isn’t one of those IEMs which offers a quite expanse into the stage, no........what we are given is full-on note-weight and structure to inhabit that note-weight. What it ends with is sound replay size. Sadly the ORB full-on won out on my $549.00 qdc Anole V3. Those 3 qdc BA drivers offer a slightly more cohesive sound due to all being BAs, still the DD decay of the ORB wins out not only offering more natural decay, but the bass is just bigger. And while the ORB bass is not as authoritative or dynamic in relation to spending way more money, the bass is still totally complete. Of course there is more defined and sculpted bass out there, except it cost a lot more money!

There is a way about the midrange where the whole sound-signature gives the illusion at times of being all consumed by midrange frequencies, that is of course until the bass slams show-up offering its own little soundstage outside of the soundstage. All this goes to provide a relaxed yet totally entertaining IEM experience. It’s even a great sports IEM in that the thickness (in sound) it puts out is the perfect tone to battle incoming noise pollution. It’s the perfect sports IEM in that it fits totally snug against your ear. It’s the perfect sports IEM due to offering really good natural sound occlusion. Such a stance truly becomes the ultimate out-and-about IEM due to staying in place and offering a style of all day listening. All day because the ORB is not only entertaining, but slightly relaxed which gets you the (all-day-long) longevity and musicality. It’s this thickness of sound that never asks for more volume. If you just happen to be the type that lets the music play on random, the ORB is so well rounded, that it playsback every file quality and every genre of music. Older thinner files have a nice body and modern full-frequency recordings come-off even better. Yet this LO-FI playback has me truly inquisitive, in that I guess it does it by offering extra smoothness? So those thin and harmonically challenged songs are still totally accessible and fun, and better than fun as they sound great. Though your true audiophile favorites come in loud and clear. Big natural displays of detail, and the size that comes with bigness. Bigness and the subtle ways imaging falls into its natural areas of separation. It’s the bounce that’s priceless, in fact if a person reached over a whole slew of more expensive IEMs to choose the ORB, it’s more likely the groove he was chasing………….that and the genuine smoothness at hand.

Get them for $249.00 here:
https://penonaudio.com/penon-orb.html

Disclaimer:
I want to thank Penon Audio for the love and for the ORB review sample.

Disclaimer:
These are one persons ideas and concepts, your results may vary.

Disclaimer:
I have spent a total of 20 days listening to the ORB, learning the ORBs ins and outs.

Equipment Used:
Sony WM1Z Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm
Sony WM1A Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm
Sony TA-ZH1ES DAC/AMP Firmware 1.03
Electra Glide Audio Reference Glide-Reference Standard "Fatboy" Power Cord
Sony Walkman Cradle BCR-NWH10
AudioQuest Carbon USB
UA3 Dongle DAC/Amplifier 4.4mm

Introduction

Once again, I have the pleasure of reviewing a model from Penon, the well known portable audio retailer. As many people will already know, they also design their own products, and it's not just cables or earbuds. This time, it's an ambitious project, given the price range in which it moves: a hybrid model that uses a 10mm dynamic driver and a full-frequency range balanced armature driver. Of course, it has a 2Pin 0.78mm connection and the capsules are made of medical grade resin, completely transparent, with a very pleasant shape and ergonomics. Of course, it is accompanied by a good silver-plated cable and an extensive number of accessories of remarkable quality. I will now go on to describe all these details at greater length, as well as its sound, of course.



Specifications

• Driver Type: Balanced Armature Full Frequency + Dynamic driver 10mm.
• Frequency Response: 20Hz - 20kHz
• Sensitivity: 112 ± 3dB @1kHz.
• Impedance: 10Ω @1kHz.
• Jack Connector: 3.5mm SE
• Capsule Connection Type: 2Pin 0.78mm
• Cable length: 1.2m

Packaging

The Penon ORBs come in a yellow box, relatively compact in size. Its dimensions are 130x103x61mm. The colour of the outer cardboard is yellow, with some orange tones under the realistic photo of the capsules. On the main side, top left, is the logo of the brand. In the centre, the photo of the two capsules. On the bottom right, the description of the model, in black letters. On the back side, there are only the brand's contact details, also on the bottom right. Once the cardboard has been removed, a simple rectangular box appears, with purple on the larger sides and red on the lateral sides. On the main side is the brand's logo, in the centre, in gold lettering. On the back is a short description of the brand, the specifications and, again, the manufacturer's contact details. All in white lettering. The specifications are on a sticker. Inside the box are all the components and accessories. In a nutshell:

• A blue zipped case with the logo inscribed in gold on the lid. It is rectangular and tall.
• A leather pouch with a clip closure.
• ORB capsules.
• One cable with 3.5mm SE plug, 8-strand silver-plated copper.
• 3 pairs of grey silicone tips with orange core, sizes SxMxL.
• 3 pairs of grey silicone tips with green core, sizes SxMxL.
• 1 pair of bi-flange tips, single size.
• One metal clamp.
• One cleaning tool, with brush and mini fork.

The cable is available in a 2.5mm balanced version as well as a microphone version.

The presentation is simple, even austere. The packaging may look generic. But the contents, its carrying case, accessories and cable, live up to the price. I do miss some foam tips, but they come with the excellent branded carrying case and a mini leather envelope pouch, which is useful for storing other accessories. The tips are slightly different from each other. Finally, the cleaning tool should be common in many other presentations, due to its great usefulness. It's a nice touch that Penon includes it on a regular basis.
The packaging is a point of attraction for customers. Audiophiles may be curious about them. But for us, it's all about the content. I prefer a compact, generic design with quality accessories and variety rather than a large, empty package that takes up a lot of space in my cupboards.
So that's simple, but very effective - why bother?



Construction and Design

The capsules are completely transparent and one can see all their contents, the connections, the internal cables, some components and the drivers. Also visible are the conduits from the drivers to the outside of the mouthpieces. The shape of the capsules is semi-custom, classic, with a medium-high thickness. With an external face in the shape of an African continent, in the centre of which one can read the model name (left) and the brand name (right) in gold lettering. The 2Pin 0.78mm connection is integrated into the inside of the capsules, at the edge. The inner face has a slight protrusion at one end, although smooth, not as pronounced as on other models. The mouthpiece grows naturally and is relatively wide at the base. At one point it narrows rapidly, forming a ring, from which the last section of the mouthpiece emerges. The length from this point is almost 4mm and its thickness is 6.3mm. It has no external grille, but two ducts leading to each driver. The conduit that goes to the BA driver has a small brass tube (it seems) inside. While the duct that goes to the dynamic driver also has another small tube, but closer to the outside. If one zooms in on the inside of each duct, one can see that there are grilles in each. The BA driver grille is brass coloured, while the dynamic driver grille is white.
The inside of the capsules is mostly empty. A point of higher density is at the connector, where a build-up of resin can be seen to give solidity to this important part of the design. Rounding the corner of the connector, also at the edge, is another conduit with a metal tube inside and another white grid. The other point of greatest density is near the nozzles. The drivers are carefully resin-bonded and carefully arranged to fit into the ducts leading to the mouthpieces. There is a curious but well thought-out detail: the cables seem to be secured to the drivers, thanks to a kind of hardened blue paste on the left side and red paste on the right side. It is an easy way to distinguish each capsule, thanks to the high level of transparency of each one. This paste falls on the back of the dynamic driver.
Capsules with such a high level of transparency do not allow for any faults. Any error in their internal assembly could be seen. The quality control must be exquisite, as well as their manual manufacture. It must not be easy to make each capsule perfect, as you can see.
The SPC cable consists of 8 intertwined, handmade strands. Inside, the cable has a number of silver-plated copper wires. The whole thing is very manageable and has no stiffness whatsoever. The sleeve of the 3.5mm SE connector is a silver-plated cylinder, which tapers gently in the middle. Lengthwise, the brand logo can be seen in white lettering. The cylinder tapers at the cable exit and the cable is covered by a few millimetres of plastic sleeving. The splitter piece is of a similar style, but half the size. The adjustment piece is a small metal cylinder, inside of which there is another transparent cylinder, which has just the right inner diameter to perfectly perform the function of fixing the cable. It has a guide on the ear and the sleeve of the connectors is of the same type and material as the rest of the metal parts of the cable. It is worth mentioning two thin rings of little thickness, close to the guides and a white letter marking the side of each connector. The connection is 2Pin 0.78mm.
As I said, the design leaves nothing hidden, therefore, the quality of its assembly is totally evident: it is excellent.



Adjustment and Ergonomics

The classic semi-custom shape is an ergonomic life insurance. The protrusion at the end of the inner side is soft and never bothersome. The shape is compact, but stubby, due to its relatively high thickness. The design of the mouthpiece, somewhat wide and short in its last section, favours a superficial insertion, which can be medium, if one's canal and morphology allow it. In my case, with my large foam-filled tips, the insertion is totally superficial, but very occlusive, reaching a high level of isolation.
The weight of the capsules is minimal and thanks to the perfect seal I get, the fit is optimal and very durable. The design and size of the capsules prevents them from rotating and there is no possibility of movement. This is probably one of the most perfect fits I have ever tested, despite the thickness of the capsules.
On the other hand, the over-ear guides are soft and barely touch my ears. The cable has no microphonics and is very manageable. The comfort of the set is very high.



Sound

Profile

I would go so far as to say that the profile of the Penon ORB's resembles a diminishing W. There is a sub-bass boost at a point that I find very much in line with my Bass Lover preferences. Then, there is a gentle emphasis on the mid-highs and, finally, a sparkle in the mid-treble. The result is a signature with a gently diminishing balance, with a warm but respectful tendency.



Bass

I feel that the tuning of the low end has been taken from a theoretical plane to a real plane in a cathedral-like manner. I believe that there are few IEMS that have such a smooth and linear decrease in intensity as the ORBs. It is clear that theory is one thing and reality is another. But, in this case, the tuning result is a success. The depth of the sub-bass is commendable and its sonority totally natural, physical, sensitive and perceptible. The timbre, mixed with the soft warmth of the ensemble, plays in favour of enhancing the naturalness of the bass, enhancing its realistic, yet powerful character. The texture is favoured by the speed of the strike and by a not-so-fast decay. On this occasion, this slight point of greater extension in time sweetens the bass and enhances its texture, turning it into a very pleasant murmur, a soft purr that is never gimmicky, but caresses the eardrums with its excellent descriptive power and its great musicality. This is how the basses are utterly pleasing and euphonic. They are able to assemble structured layers and well layered planes, without losing realism or sounding forced. They retain a thickness to the notes that provides a very enjoyable weight and forcefulness, expanding their presence within the soundstage, to fill it but without crowding out the other elements and without sounding oppressive. Despite the power of the lower range, the bass is gentle on the midrange. The power and presence of the LFOs cannot be denied, but there is room for everything in the ORBs and their technical qualities allow the bands to be represented with good harmony and independence from each other.
Finally, in my classic very low frequency pure tone test, which I use to determine the loudness, depth, naturalness and realism of the bass, I thought I noticed some influence of the BA driver. It is clear from the specs that the BA driver is a full-range driver. So it would not be surprising if there is a beneficial support of the BA driver over the dynamic driver. If so, such a combination, in inexperienced hands, could be disastrous. But the result is nevertheless highly beneficial. It is a well-known fact that depth, punch and realism are not the forte of the balanced armature drivers to represent the low end. However, they do possess other qualities that are very beneficial for the lower range, such as speed, accuracy, quickness, fast decay and... texture. This may be conjecture, but I believe that this test has revealed a certain influence of the BA driver to enrich the texture, the surface, the relief of the bass, its level of definition, its resolution... In short, to enhance them in those aspects that the dynamic driver alone cannot reach. If this is so, the overall result has an explanation. But, on the other hand, it also increases the value of the ORBs, because on this occasion the combination of the drivers is not about divide and conquer, but to complement and conquer. And I think they succeed.



Mids

Starting from a powerful and present, but never oppressive low end, the middle range begins with warmth, body and forcefulness in its first bars. The smoothness and linearity of the transition allows the musicality of the initial phase to be deepened, achieving a performance characterised by a good density, while still maintaining a fundamental harmonious thickness, but without being fat or flabby. Again, the tuning design comes to the rescue, to avoid negative consequences. In this sense, the presence of the first mids is full and effective, not forward, but with a compact and regular presentation, without any hint of sluggishness. This is how the male voices manage to emancipate themselves from such a stellar lower section, but without being the protagonists. The restraint of their situation, both on stage and in the presence of the audience, is established in the middle, but sweet. And I say sweet, because they possess an ambivalence that allows them to be savoured in both short and longer shots. The distance of the male voices is such that the nuances and textures can be appreciated in a very complete way, but without occupying a main space in the image. This means that the resolution of the ORBs makes it possible to enrich elements that are not in the foreground and are not bass notes. It is clear that this ability is also transmitted to the rest of the instrumentation, conjugating and mixing elements with a wise harmony, which achieves a highly melodious, pleasant, sweet, enjoyable sound, but without losing any descriptive attributes, nor nuancing the resolving power of the drivers as a whole. Again, I think that the BA driver is capable of adding precision and delicacy to the notes, to extend the definition beyond smoothness, avoiding falling into a musical facileism, lacking technical rigour. Not so, the ORB drivers again complement each other to bring their virtues, to overcome mediocrity and unfinished performances. In this way, the midrange is much fuller and richer, broadening the descriptive level, extolling nuances, but without losing that warm, rounded and smooth character. That is the great achievement, to unite softness and definition in a measured representation in all the dimensional axes.
However, it is also worth noting that this level of resolution does not go into an analytical level. There is a remarkable level of clarity, but the tuning does not seek to enhance the mid-highs in order to gain presence, transparency or proximity to detail or micro nuances. In this aspect, the tuning seeks more fluid patterns and a more organic, neutral and analogue exposition of the elements. In this way, the BA timbre never appears and its technical capabilities have a tendency to be more complementary than protagonist, as at no time does it seem to expose all of its nature uniquely. As a consequence of all this, the first impression of the ORB midrange may seem slightly toned down or muted. But, in reality, it's just an anecdote, a process of adjustment of our ears, coming from tunings with overexposed mid-highs, to gain clarity and technicality. None of that will be found here. The upper midrange has just the right emphasis to bring closer, to clarify, to highlight and to demonstrate that a theoretical drawing can be equally impressive in reality. This is the result of a winning tuning, which seeks to linger in our memory, leaving a pleasant, but also tasty and captivating aftertaste.



Treble

The decreasing tuning character of ORBs tends to be represented to a greater extent in the high range. Undoubtedly, the treble has a smooth, fatigue-free face and a pleasant representation. The brightness is respectful, it is a definition that is still rich in expressive level, but not in emphasis or presence. The result is a balanced top end, consistent with the rest of the range, which does not seek to highlight or stand out.
The upper phase begins with a measured flare and energy, which quickly enters a weighted control zone, and then spreads with relative joy into the air zone. In this way, the treble pattern has a perceptible, but inoffensive, comfortable edge. They are not muted and have the necessary information to give the sound the vigour required by the upper range, but without being obtrusive or overbearing. It is not a complementary upper part, since the treble has the necessary character to last in the atmosphere. But do not seek absolute prominence.
On the other hand, such characteristics do not imply a reduction in the level of precision or definition of this range. ORBs are quite capable of exposing the elements of this phase, in a clear way, with sufficient vivacity, experience, insight and refinement required. However, it is in the air zone that they are not as extensive or present. Perhaps this is the weakest point in the sound of the ORBs, which prevents a clearer, more crystalline and resplendent presentation. The sum of all the properties of the upper range give the sound a more organic, relaxed, balanced, sweet and melodious character, lacking a hint of polish and enough sparkle to raise the level of resolution in the micro details.



Soundstage, Separation

The Penon ORB's representation of the scene is, above all, realistic. The width is above average and, from the front, the image is perceived as large and wide. The distances of the elements feel well defined and it is easy to locate them in space and to guess where they come from. It is easy to mentally separate and isolate each musical component. But it is true that there is a slight aftertaste around, a subtle lack of air that gives a less dark and transparent background. This is the anchor that fixes ORB to a natural reality and separates it from a more analytical or cold sound. It is clear that they have a warmer, organic profile, also with an analogue feel, where the separation is built on these parameters.
The very good corporeal feel of voices and instruments incorporates a sense of the three-dimensional formation of these pieces on the frontal plane. The holographic feel is not great and the vaporous feel is average. Again, the soundstage feels structured and alive, without getting out of the head, but with very good laterality. The axes that stand out most are width and height, while depth has a duality to add volume to the mids, but without reaching the size of width.



Comparisons

Yanyin Aladdin

One of my absolute references in this price range are my prized Yanyin Aladdin. A priori, I thought that both shared more similarities than differences. After a quick test I have seen that this is not the case, at the sound level, I mean. In the shape of the capsules these similarities are present. It is true that the ORBs are transparent and the Aladdin are opaque and have metal mouthpieces. But, you could say that the capsules share a very similar mould, including the side grille. I don't have a precision scale, but I would say the ORBs are lighter.
In terms of profile, the Penon ORBs have a slightly warmer profile, with a more noticeable and perceptible low end in their texture. The ORB's body excels in a quick change, as well as a more homogeneous and tapering profile. Whereas the Yanyin has a bit more sparkle, liveliness and projection. Not that the Aladdin does not possess a certain warmth, but it is represented in a different way. There is a superior emphasis on the upper mids and a technical edge provided by the BA, which gives it tighter definition and a more accentuated brightness and clarity. But this penalises the corporeal presentation of the elements, and this is where the ORBs offer their virtue, as opposed to a more cleanly defined sound in the Yanyins.
It should be noted that both models drive very well and have an equal impedance, as well as a very similar overall sensitivity, although the ORBs have a higher sensitivity.
In the low end, both IEMS have a clear sub-bass accent. But the Aladdins are somewhat more concise, tighter and drier. The ORBs are more textured, slightly thicker and rounder, with a slightly slower decay. This gives them more overall presence and the ability to produce a more pleasing tingle in my eardrums. Technically, the Aladdin's bass is more technical, while the ORB's are more organic, robust, wide, broad and noticeable.
The ORBs' mids are characterised by the warmth they carry, the fuller body and their more natural and comparatively muted timbre. The Aladdin's greater emphasis on the high-mids offers superior projection on vocals, especially female vocals. But they also feel more isolated. Whereas on the ORBs they are perceived as tighter and denser. More edges and edges are noticeable on the Aladdin, the more precise character of the larger number of BA drivers can be felt. The ORBs gain in musicality and are more melodious, more focused on macro detail, while the Yanyins reveal more micro detail on a shallower, yet brighter and more luminous listen. But, on closer listening, the level of descriptive background can become similar, although the Aladdin is more expressive at first glance.
The higher explicit level is more easily revealed in the high end of the Yanyin, more because of the technical character of its higher driver count than because of an obvious difference in tuning in the high end. In this respect, there are slight differences and more sparkle in the Aladdin. Although there is a more perceptible sense of air, which helps to expand and extend the treble over time, giving a more standard feel. Neither IEMS is a headphone to boast enhanced treble, but the more stretched and slightly more energetic range of the Yanyin does it a favour.
The scene has similarities in the X and Y axes, while it seems that the depth is more effective in the Yanyin, as well as its holographic capability is more apparent. While the ORBs have a more pronounced frontal corporeal recreation, something that could be called micro three-dimensionality or the virtue of recreating volume in a smaller space. In this aspect, despite the greater sense of air and vaporousness, the Yanyin's elements are perceived as flatter, although well separated. The bottom end is cleaner and more discernible in the Aladdin, while the mellowness of the ORB's sound weaves through the lower fabric.
In conclusion, both are great IEMS and I feel fortunate to own both. One is more technical and one is more melodious and pleasant. But both are capable of similar sonic quality, but with different nuances. Although the level of prolonged and pleasurable enjoyment is assured in both models.



Conclusion

The Penon ORBs are possibly the best matched single hybrids I have ever heard. In this sense, the drivers are not a "divide and conquer", but rather a "complement and conquer". I think that the marriage of a full-range BA driver, to a powerful dynamic driver from the low end, is felt from the inferior region, expands in the mid-range and culminates in the high end. The harmony of the dual tuning and the mastery of the combination of both drivers imply a clear and strong synergy, which results in a full, melodious, harmonious, warm, euphonic, defined, textured sound with a remarkable resolution. The consequence is direct, the music is fluid, very pleasant, lingers in our ears and in our memory, activating a very pleasing, attractive and desirable memory. I want more.



Sources Used During the Analysis

• S.M.S.L Sanskrit 10th MKII + iFi ZEN CAN.
• Hidizs AP80 PRO-X.
• HiBy R3 Pro.
• Earmen Colibri.
• xDuoo Link2 BAL.
• Burson Audio Playmate.

Ratings

• Construction and Design: 91
• Adjustment/Ergonomics: 95
• Accessories: 85
• Bass: 93
• Mids: 91
• Treble: 80
• Separation: 85
• Soundstage: 87
• Quality/Price: 92

Purchase Link

https://penonaudio.com/penon-orb.html

You can read the full review in Spanish here:

https://hiendportable.com/2022/05/15/penon-orb-review/

Intro

The Orbs are the first In Ear Monitors (IEM) from Penon which I have heard. The Orbs are a hybrid, Dynamic Driver (DD) and Balanced Amature (BA) set of IEMs.



Disclosure and Note
Penon Audio provided me with a set of Orbs for review. I provide my honest opinion of the Orbs without limitation, nothing I say is given to anyone for approval. All views I express are my own views. I am not influenced by anyone, and I am not paid, and I have never been paid, to express any views positive or otherwise on any product.

Form, Fit and Function

Form

The package: The package is mid sized colourful cardboard sleeve which covers another more solid cardboard box. The inner box contains a Penon labelled storage box, the IEMS, cable, impedance adaptor, generous selection of tips, no less than three pouches of varying sizes, a brush and shirt clip. You can be in no doubt that Penon wants to ensure that you are provided with everything you need to get started.


The IEMs;
A silver cable;
A capacious faux leather rectangular case;
Two fabric pouches;
An impedance adaptor;
A selection of tips,
A cleaning brush; and
A shirt clip.

The Orbs are a hybrid, with one dynamic driver (DD) and one Balanced Armature per ear piece. The DD is a graphite based fire silk paper dome.

The shells are hand-made medical grade resin, which is light in weight. As the name suggests the Orbs are completely transparent and quite striking. A useful touch is to have a tasteful blue blob on the dynamic driver in the left earpiece and the same in the right ear piece except the colour is red, obviously to denote the right earpiece.

There Orbs come with a two-pin, 8 wire woven silver cable. The cable is soft and supple. They are a bit chunky but they fit my ears well.

Once inserted, the isolation is on the higher end of the scale, cutting out, my guess is close to, 70% of external sounds.

My setup for this review
I paired them with Samsung galaxy note 10 Plus and Fiio M11, as my source, and for amplification variably, The HAA FEE HA11, Fiio BTR5, the Littlebear B4X tube DAC/Amp, Rod Ran Audio DAC/Amp and Xduoo MT604 tube balanced Amp, using mostly 2.5mm and 4.4mm. I also used Amazon Music, YouTube Music, but primarily UAPP music player.

Synergy
The Orbs are easy earphones to drive and work perfectly well on a smartphone with or without a dongle (where the option exists). I used various portable DAC/Amps and the sound was good, so was the synergy between the Orbs and Fiio BTR5. The fixed (not portable) Xduoo hybrid tube amp fed through the Rod Rain DAC/Amp (solely as a DAC) sounded quite very good and I would say provided the second best synergy with the Orbs after the BTR5.



The sound

Instrument separation, Imaging, Stage, and Timbre,
The Orbs produced good clarity and detail retrieval. Separation of instruments is very good, and sound stage is perceptible depending on the track being played but not exceptional.

Above all, timbral accuracy on the Orbs is exceptional, instruments sound incredibly realistic on the Orbs. To my ears this is one of the strongest qualities, if not the strongest quality, of the Orbs.

You may want to check out the discussion on the “Random Thoughts” thread on Headfi, where an interesting group of people (from all walks of life, including musicians, of course). The discussion was whether earphones have timbre, and consensus was, “no”, musical instruments have timbre not earphones, or any other monitors, I paraphrase, and I agree. Each instrument has a particular “voice” just as human instruments, our voices are unique, each has a particular sound.

It is therefore arguable that headphones and earphones are at best, instruments of reproduction of that unique sound, timbre and for me, the Orbs just shine in their ability to make the instruments sound so realistic, to the extent that they probably accurately reproduce the sound of instruments. I do not know what the original instruments sound like, but when the earphones make the piano, guitar or saxophone sound just so realistic, I am prepared to wager a bet on the Orbs being close to an accurate reproduction. I digress!

Sound check
You may want to put on your monitors of choice and check out the music using the links.

Bass
Sub-bass on the Orbs is huge and so is mid-bass and the quality of the bass is very very good. I initially thought the mid-bass was a bit much, but with time the quality shone through, still hard hitting but with good quality and realism of the timbre of the instruments it felt more like vibrations you feel at a live concert (limited to your ears rather than whole body) visceral sub-bass and palpable mid-bass.

London Philaharmonic Orchestra - Adagio in G Miinor -

I know this classical piece is not for everyone but the sub-bass is worth listening to. The sub-bass is almost thunderous in this piece. The orbs tuning delivers the sub-bass with ease and that sub-bass backbone is softened with beautiful violins and organ.

Dr. Saxlove - Use Me -

Mids
The mid frequencies are not forward, but that is not to say they are shy. The mids are quite full and generous, both in relative volume, compared to the other frequencies, and quality. To my ears both male and female vocals are full and lush without bias to either, instruments plying their trade in the mids are rendered beautifully.

Barcelona Gipsy Klezmer Orchestra - Djelem Djelem -

Caro Emerald - Tangled up -

Carlos Santana and Sarah Mclachlan - Angel -

Treble
Treble is detailed and clear without being sibilant. The treble on the Orbs give you plenty of information and will match anything under the $300 mark, these are just wonderful treble . Notes which were missing on other sets I had previously heard sound came through on the Orbs, mellow and absorbing on the Orbs. They are not over stated and yet giving you the minutia of the sound.

Schindler’s List - NL Orchestra -

The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Take Five [ Check out the cymbals] -

Conclusion
In conclusion, the Orbs in my view are, for someone who likes good quality bass in large quantities, with slightly, but only slightly, less prominent mids than earphones tuned to highlight mids and highs which are just absorb you into your music, the Orbs are worth picking up But requires burn-in (and for those who do not believe in burn-in.....time) to tame the mid-bass quantity.

Enjoy your music!

Intro
This is a bit of a polarizing set and has taught me some lessons about riding the hype train. Back when these came out everyone was saying these are better than the ISN H40 and worth the extra cost, but I beg to differ. Either way, let's break down my impressions of these. I will provide my opinion on how I think others might like this, as well as how I feel about these personally. My personal rating will differ from my actual rating because I take into account how others will probably like this set when trying to give it a fair rating. Hopefully my hundreds of hours of reading reviews and other people's opinions help here. Also I don't really understand why so many ppl rate almost every iem 4 or 5 out of 5 lol, if a 2.5 is considered average iem ratings should vary a lot more to help people actually differentiate what's good and what's bad.

Bass
Great bass for a bass focused set, normally I find bassy iems too fatiguing but these aren’t at all. It’s very nice textured bass. It does bleed into the mids and make them a bit warm but it doesn’t make things sound as bloated or muddy as badly as the graphs indicate so I bet these would have sounded great if they were tuned better. But let me expand on that, if you look at the graphs these DO look like they bleed into the mids a ton, so I'm of mind if they actually tuned these any decently they wouldnt bleed into the mids at all. There's definitely too much bass quantity for all but bass heads, depending on the type of bass head you are.

Mids
Mids on these are great, easily some of the best I heard. While warm, they are very smooth and have a lot of nice note weight, but it is a bit overemphasized by the copious amounts of bass bleeding into the mids. This makes this set sound amazing on some tracks, where there isnt a lot of bass already (think about vocal focused tracks, especially with male vocals, like tracks by Keshi, and Jeremy Zucker).

Treble
The upper treble is terribly done, it’s super tame which I’d like if it didn’t have a very big peak somewhere, and if it didn’t roll off so hard. At least that’s what I suspected and the graph I've found posted pretty much confirms that. The mele has this same issue but the mele is 6 times cheaper.

Comfort
Super comfortable feeling against skin/to the touch, as it should be at this price point, having medical grade resin and what not. Super comfortable shape too, for me at least. By far one of the lightest iems I've owned. 5/5 for comfort, one of the most comfortable iems I've ever worn.

Everything Else and Conclusion
These are the smoothest sounding iems I’ve ever heard, they sound so sweet and musical but the short comings it has make it terrible as an all rounder. Like I mentioned it’s better for vocal focused tracks, like keshi, etc. I didn’t even realize these had a ba driver for a year now lol so it doesn’t suffer from ba timbre at least. I'm pretty sensitive to ba and metallic timbre (which is why I dont like the dusk or fdx1 much), but I didn't notice much or any in this set. Tonality is decent and natural sounding. If they fixed that peak, added some extension, toned down the bass, these would be perfect. In pop tracks these sound too sharp and the bass overwhelms everything, not sure how so many ppl ended up culting over these lmao. They’re amazing for tracks with very little going on other than vocals but that’s it. This is a good set if you like rotating iems for different genres but still a bit over priced, especially when you can just filter mod a dq6 and have a better all rounder iem in that.

Personal Rating 3.5/5
On a personal level, I rate these a 3.5/5, and that's just as a rotation piece for listening to tracks its more suited for, not accounting for it's overpriced cost either. I like these a lot for the tracks theyre good for, but that's it, and that's where my personal rating comes from.

Actual Rating 2.5/5
If you listen to a lot of male vocal tracks without bass or are a bass loving nut, and are just looking for a very smooth sounding rotation piece to throw in your collection maybe consider picking these up from the used market if you see a good deal. Otherwise I can't recc these at all. There are better sets out there, especially at this price point. These just make for a terrible all rounder and are expensive. I think these would compete okay in a lower price bracket like $100-$150 but definitely not above $200.

Here's a badly taken picture of my orbs on a xinhs cable cause that's the best this set deserves.

Intro/Mission Briefing: After having ISN H40 for a short time, and not being impressed with their extra warm, bass-smeared presentation, I decided to load up an Orb on my ship to see if the sailing was(hopefully) any smoother. I've always seen a lot of potential in Penon's IEMs, as they have always been a top-notch company from the customer's end(at least), but have they reached that potential with Orb..?

Description: Orb is a very lightweight, hybrid, 2-pin(0.78mm) universal IEM, powered by 1 dynamic driver(10mm, graphite fiber silk paper dome) and 1 balanced armature driver. The solid, smooth, transparent shells are made of medical grade resin, by hand. It currently sells for $249 USD with stock options. Options include: 3.5mm or 2.5mm balanced cable; extra microphone cable(+$15); expedited DHL/UPS/EMS/FEDEX shipping.





Accessories & Unboxing:
- 1 set silicone tips (transparent; green core); S/M/L
- 1 set silicone tips (transparent; orange core); S/M/L
- 1 set silicone triple-flanged tips (black); one size
- 1 brush
- 1 cable
- 2 pouches
- 1 zip carrying case
- 1 cable/shirt clip
- 1 velcro cable strap thingy
- 1 lifetime of love from Penon






Fit: I would describe these as normal-sized, and they fit me quite well. I have no complaints here. I also have no issue with how the stock tips fit or feel, but I used my Spiral Dot tips for the sake of familiarity.

Bass: There is good extension, high strength, OK/fair definition and satisfying kick. The strength and kick are my favorite characteristics of Orb, with mids in general coming after. Bass, the likely most prominent feature of Orb, is definitely boosted, which is rarely a problem in my book. These are fun, not neutral, and can sometime get slightly boomy. My main wish here would be for more texture/definition. Bass guitar has nice body and growl, though comes off a bit soft due to a lack of texture/definition.

Mids: Male vocals sound very good overall; natural sounding with no real sibilance or harshness. Probably a bit thin, and not as clear as could be, to critique. Mids in general feel a little distant and thin, but vocals often sound correctly placed. Female vocals can sound more warm than normal, and seem more subdued/lifeless/soft, and less correct/natural, than male, though far from bad sounding. Piano and keys have a mostly good, natural tone(on the warm side) that is enjoyable. Acoustic guitar sounds quite good and smooth, though can sometimes sound slightly thin and soft. Electric guitar sounds better, overall.

Treble: I find treble to be the most difficult area for audio reproduction devices to nail, and this is also the area where Orb's tuning takes a major left turn. I would broadly describe it as muted/muffled, though some portions still have good detail and sparkle. Horns/brass can sound pretty muted and lacking texture. Acoustic guitar string plucks do not have the expected crispness and tautness at the finish, and synthesizers lack top-end bite. The trade-off for this is a heavy dose of smoothness, and directing the focus more toward the mids and bass. It seems that the lower treble offers the most clarity, therefore sounds occurring in/near the lower end should sound more natural than those toward the upper end. Overall, I find common instruments like electric guitar and drums to sound good and tonally correct, but simply masked/muted. This masking effect may be making Orb sound lower resolution than it otherwise might, as small details in my test tracks were difficult to hear. Cymbals, bells, the upper octaves of piano, and similar sounds at similar upper frequencies render more dry and woody than they ought, though cymbal splashes and decays sound correct.

Soundstage: I would describe the amount of space presented as average or one step above, where there is a noticeable amount of distance between you and the source of the sounds you hear, but nothing extreme. Good instrument air can be heard, under the right circumstances, though most things sound well-grounded. I find imaging to be pretty good from ear to ear, frontally, but depth into the sound is more two-dimensional/flat than I would like at this price. I don't find the soundstage properties of Orb suitable for FPS gaming or similar 3D environments where positional audio is a priority, though it is perfectly acceptable for typical music or similar applications.

Conclusion/Mission Debriefing: Unlike many IEMs I've heard and disliked for obvious reasons(sharp peaks, sibilance, ear pain from a sharp shell, etc), Orb really has nothing bad about it. Whether you would like such an IEM comes down to tuning preference. Orb certainly sounds unusual to me, with a sound equally as unique as Fan and H40. If you have a general aversion to treble, or prefer it toned down more than usual, with very nice vocals and meaty bass, Orb should be a great option. Or, if you're just looking for something very different sounding than the usual recommendations/tastes. Personally, I have to take points off mainly for the lack of clarity, since I feel the tuning/balance is off, and secondarily for the lack of precision(depth, texture, air, resolution, etc). I feel Orb is best-suited for straight-up, bright rock material, such as:



Special thanks to @Ace Bee for the endless, supernatural moral support and laundry tips, and to @Penon for being such a genuinely kind, caring, fast-working company that makes and sells interesting, unique product such as Orb, Sphere, Globe, and hopefully one day Cannonball and Space Marble.

Penon Orb – Male Vocal Dream
Penon Orb can be bought from Penon Audio (https://penonaudio.com/penon-orb.html). Big thanks to Penon Audio for great service and fast delivery. Review 100% based on my experience using Penon Orb for ± 100 hours..

Sneak-Peek Penon Orb
MSRP: $259
Tuning Style : L-shaped, warm, musical, non-fatigue, really good Male Vocal
Frequency Distribution (Total 10): Low (4) – Mid (3) – High (3)
Suitable Genre : Male Vocal, Ambient Music
Wear Comfort : Excellent / Good / Normal / Poor
Build Quality : Excellent / Good / Normal / Poor
Isolation. : Excellent / Good / Normal / Poor
Microphonic : None / Minor / Normal / Poor
Analytic Level : Excellent / Good / Normal / Poor
Mic : Optional
Balanced Cable : None
Detachable : 2-Pin 0.78mm

Frequency Graph:


Brief Introduction to Penon Orb
Penon Audio, one of the well-known audio retailer based on Hong Kong, also known as retailer that brings “unknown” brand to international market.
Penon Orb is the second IEM (after Penon Sphere) from Penon Audio, using 10mm Dynamic Driver and 1 Full Range Balanced Armature with impedance 10 Ω so it’s supposed to be easy to drive using your phone. Orb housing using clear shell which you can see the driver inside.
Penon Orb equipped with lot of accessories such as 6 pairs eartips (3 pairs S-M-L green silicone eartips and 3 pairs S-M-L orange silicon eartips, 2 Velour Pouch and Big Blue case and lastly 8-core SPC silver cable.


Sound Quality Evaluation
This Review using YinLuMei A1S, KAEI DAP MK2 and F.Audio FA2 as source

High Frequency
Smooth, relaxing with just enough sparkling, airy, good detail though lacks a bit micro detail, there is Roll-off on upper –treble, non-fatigue,

Mid Frequency
Male vocal has nice position with very good imaging, rich and thick enough which give perfect weight note especially for Heavy Male Vocal (such as Zhao Peng, Christian Willisohn, Andrea Bocelli, etc), though for female vocal you will find it recessed sometime. Sibilant Free and clear midrange but Upper-mid a bit surpressed which make some instrument lacks of "bite".

Low Frequency
Deep bass, sub-bass focused, quite impactfull mid-bass, well-controlled, Good atmospheric presentation, Authority bass.

Separation, Soundstage & Resolution:
Soundstage width is good, depth is really good in Orb. Instrument separation is good. For Resolution it lacks a bit in micro-detail.


Personal Comment
First of all, Penon Orb is not your all-rounder IEM, it's warm bassy IEM so don't expect it will does well on song with lot of energy in the upper mid - lower treble area. So, which song will make the Orb shine? Male Vocal / Heavy Vocal, the heavier vocal the better. For Example: this Caruso by Christian Willisohn is presented really well, or you can choose any song from Zhao Peng. Rather than being all-rounder Orb is Very good at Heavy Vocal, probably the best in the price range

This is my third encounter with Penon IEMs, and I would say Penon really know how to tune relaxing and musical IEM. Orb still relaxing and musical, but it does very well for Heavy Vocal which reminds me with my tube speaker setup

Should I buy Penon Orb?
I would suggest Penon Orb if your playlist have a lot Heavy Vocal singer. it does excellent job at that genre for the price range. and yes Female Heavy Vocal does exist such as Chie Ayado, Imany, Shirley Bassey, Jamyang Dolma, etc

That’s all my review of Penon Orb, hope it helps, Cheers~

*Thanks for Neptone to help me provide the Frequency Graph

Introduction:
I have forever preferred a sound that is slightly on the brighter sound, brings out the tingles in the highs beautifully, paired with a punchy bass that can be felt and a not too thin not too thick midrange. I must say, all of these requirements never got fulfilled together, and generally I tended to prioritise the highs a little bit more, as it makes the sound more exciting, and I hate a dull sound.

But I faced a problem - during phases when my mind wanted to relax as well as to listen to songs, the brightness tended to intervene with the relaxing, and subsequently I had to stop listening to songs and just rest.

When I read about the Penon Orb, I was honestly not impressed. I was still a bit fresh into the audiophilia and thought that if dedicated drivers for high, mid, and low are not provided, separation and soundstage will be affected. One single driver can not, of course, provide separation and soundstage like multiple drivers. That the sound signature was smooth was also a reason of disinterest to me. Smooth was equivalent to Dull to me then. I had no idea how much influence tuning can have on these aspects as well.

Honestly, if it wasn’t for one friend who assured me of their brilliance, I would not have gone for it. But after I went and acquired it, I discovered that I really really needed it in my life.

And I have to say, the Orb is a looker! Looks so beautiful in its transparent shell with the drivers so boldly presented...creates a signature of its own.



Configuration:
Driver: Balanced Armature full frequency + Dynamic driver 10mm (graphite fiber silk paper dome, soft, grainless overhanging diaphragm)
Impedance: 10 Ω @1khz
Sensitivity: 112 ± 3dB @1khz
Frequency response: 20hz-20Khz
Connector: 2Pin 0.78mm
Plug: 3.5mm Audio
Cable length: 1.2M
Price: $259

Packaging:
Pretty barebone packaging, and I love that. No extra unnecessary foam cut out iem capsule housing or extra packaging. Penon kept it short and simple: A beautiful premium blue zipper case of a good size, a smaller felt carrying pouch with snap button (that I use daily), a tiny felt pouch for no idea what purpose. Penon also included a small metal clip, but I failed to understand its purpose as it has no provisions to attach to the cable. A cleaning brush with metal loop is also provided, it has a little magnet at the end of it also.

2 different sets of eartips (S, M, L). I am using the green wide bore one.

The SPC cable is very supple, strong connectors, and aesthetically very pleasing. Sonically it performs very well as well, perfectly complementing the iems.


Sound Impression:
I will have to tip my hat to Penon for the tuning they have done with just one single BA and a single DD here. I did not expect the performance of the full range BA driver to be as extended as this one. And attaining the level of separation and staging is quite a feat in itself!

Bass:
A very tastefully tuned one - that’s all I have to say. I love my bass to have a good punch, to have a good body, just enough rumble, and an average decay so that it does not linger more than necessary, but does not feel hollow. Orb almost hit that sweet spot. Just the right amount of punch, a good amount of body, satisfactory rumble, and slightly longer decay but not too much - together they create one of the most refined bass responses ever in this price range. Subbass is the star, it reaches deep, the rumble is pretty good, and puts a smile on my face. Subbass rumbles may occassionally sound very slightly on thicker side, but not obscenely obese. Brings out the texture pretty good as well, but the body sometimes gets precedence over it. Basslines are a delight to listen to on Orb. Kickdrums sound just perfect. But one thing to note is that Bass absolutely stays away from smearing the mids.

In Massive Attack - Teardrop, the subbass rumble is very much present and slightly on the thicker side. The articulations may feel less pronounced because of the thickness, but not at all smeared.

In Muse - Showbiz, the kick-drum hits with a satisfactory punch, bass guitar sets up an immensely pleasing bassline right from the beginning that acts as a strong background which never becomes intrusive, yet maintaining a considerable presence throughout the track, surfacing and again submerging to the base as and when required.

In Battlestar Galactica Season 2 OST - Prelude To War, the big drums punch and rumble like thunder, yet never obscure the violin, the bass, or the other high-range instruments (failed to identify them sadly).



Mids:
The most refined mids I have listened to in this range. Overall it’s somewhat forward sounding - giving the sound signature a W shape. Transparency is very good throughout the spectrum: no muddiness at all. Lower mid has a very good body, very slightly on thicker side. Texture is quite good.
Male vocals are a bit on the smoother side but definitely not dull or blunt. It’s amazing how they sound detailed yet inoffensive - striking a very good balance (won’t say perfect, I wish they were just a bit more crisp). Tonality of male vocals are very good - does not sound unnaturally thin or overly thick - very natural.
Female vocals have a wonderful tuning. While they do not sound tonally off, the peaks of high pitched vocals are very thoughtfully tuned down. There is no lack of energy though, just no sharpness. And yet they manage to sound quite crisp, full of life, not at all dull or blunt, again (I may sound repetitive, but honestly I was amazed by this particular trait so much I cannot stress it enough). Although, I must say, I would not have minded if they were very slightly on the thinner side, but it’s not something to lose my sleep over.
Instruments sound similarly balanced between smooth and crisp. Snare drums sound a bit on the thicker side, but not offensively. They still retain the crispness. String instruments sound especially delightful. Speaking of guitar, the body is very good, crunch can be felt but won’t bite on your eardrums. No instrument in this region lacks energy.
And lastly, the air! Orb has a very nice airy presentation of mids, where all different sounds are cleanly and carefully separated, not masking each other. It’s incredible how a single BA can do this effortlessly.

In Battlestar Galactica Season 2 OST - Prelude To War, the snare drums sound slightly less emphasized, and slightly less crisp than how I would have liked it. But nevertheless, they are still very well represented, not mushy or washed out at all. There are a plethora of instruments in this track and each has its own distinct position in the headspace created by orb. Violins sound especially good.

In Yao Si Ting - Scarborough Fair, Yao Si Ting’s incredible voice sounds like a mildly chilling wind flowing gently within your head. Her voice has very audible sizzles in this track, which can cause discomfort on bright sounding iems. But Orb handles it so perfectly that you can enjoy her sizzling voice to its full extent without any discomfort. There is a very nice headspace created also by the background violins.

In Poets Of The Fall - Kamikaze Love (Temple of Thought) Marko Saaresto’s voice has the right amount of fullness and texture I look for. It sounds very natural, not restrained or overly bloated. From 02:50 minute the second voice can be clearly distinguished as soon as it comes into play.

In Silversun Pickups - The Royal We (Swoon) the electric guitar sounds unapologetically crunchy and gritty, yet never it crosses the threshold of comfort.



High:
This is something unique. On first listen I really wasn’t much impressed by the highs. It was tuned a bit smoother than my liking and had a bit less energy than my liking. But over time as I kept listening I realised even though the tuning was smooth and has slightly less energy, it is tuned very well and has good extension, and while it does not grab your attention, it makes its presence felt in a very skillful way that does not leave you wanting. Even I, a natural bright sound lover, got totally hooked on this tuning. Highs sound very right, but not seizing my attention and not offensive at all! It helps me enjoy the music in its totality without focusing on any particular aspect. The lower treble has the right amount of energy to pull off this tuning. Cymbal crashes are quite audible but not overly pronounced. Upper treble is slightly rolled off - which compromises the shimmer and sparkles a bit. I would have liked a bit more emphasis here, in a busy track the cymbal shimmers get difficult to distinguish occasionally. Depending upon the mixing of the track, the cymbals can also sound forward or in the back - whereas in bright sounding iems they are almost always in the forefront. Also, needless to say, highs have a pretty good amount of air too.

In Muse-Showbiz the cymbal crashes are very much audible, but the ride cymbal rolls are pushed to the background which on very few occasions gets lost behind the guitars, drums, and vocal. I do not mind, though.

In Silversun Pickups - The Royal We (Swoon) cymbal behaves the same way. Crashes are quite audible, shimmers sometimes become difficult to distinguish. But overall - the experience is still pleasing.

However, in Metallica - The Four Horsemen the cymbal crashes and shimmers are very much present, sounds brilliant, and easily distinguishable - that shows how the mastering of the track affects the presentation.

In The Witcher OST - Ladies Of The Wood there are some beautiful shimmery high notes playing all along the track. Orb plays them beautifully, and in conjunction with the deep subbass the overall presentation is very much musical rather than uncomfortable.



Soundstage and separation:
Soundstage is one of the best I have experienced in this price bracket. It extends very very well in all three directions: width, height and depth. Soundstage is one of the key factors in my preference, and I was immensely pleased on that front when I first put these on. Separation again is very good, different sounds can be easily distinguishable. It has a very airy presentation, no hint of congestion is there. Imaging is good also - I can easily pinpoint the positions of different instruments and vocals.
The only gripe here is that the background is not exactly black or clean. It is slightly foggy. Because of that, even though the presentation is very airy, the air feels slightly unclear. That is the only chink in armour for Orb. Although it’s nothing that will keep nagging in my mind. Once I put it in my ears, I immediately get immersed in music. I feel no need for any kind of analytical listening then - such is the unique trait of Orb.


Comparison:
Vs. BQEYZ Spring 2 - Spring 2 has a better treble. It has got more energy yet it is not uncomfortable at all. The treble is indeed brilliantly tuned on spring 2. The background is also cleaner compared to Orb. Mids have slightly more bite to them. But that’s where the superiority ends. Bass on Spring 2 sounds somewhat bloated compared to Orb. Orb has a better controlled bass, and much more expansive soundstage, better separation, and much more airy presentation. Compared to Orb Spring2’s representation sounds a bit compressed. Also, the fit of Spring2 is a nightmare.


Conclusion:
If you have not yet got the message, I am very very much impressed by the Penon Orb. The tuning of it is a very refined one, and I am in love. It is indispensable now for me. The deep subbass, musical midrange, and unique treble, coupled with an amazingly airy presentation totally won me over.

Introduction
Penon audio is well known as the online retailer for wide range of audio brand. They start their own house brand under the name Penon audio since 2017, and they manufacture the IEMs, earbuds and cable. In this review I am checking out the Orb, the drivers configuration is 1DD+1BA, price of it is $259.




Disclaimer
I would like to thanks Penon audio for given this opportunity, and the review will be based on my honest opinion through the music I listen to.


Package & Accessories
The Orb come with the small and compact box. The box has Penon audio logo in golden front located at the front, whereas the specifications at the rear side of it. After opening the box, there is the carry case with IEM and cable contain inside, along with the ear tips contain in small carry pouch. There are cleaning tool, cable wrap and cable clip contain inside the carry pouch under the bottom of box after removing the carry case.










Accessories list:
1 pair x Penon Orb In-Ear Monitors
1 pcs x 0.78mm 2 Pin Detachable Cable
4 pairs x Orange Silicone Eartips (size S/M/L)
4 pairs x Green Silicone Eartips (size S/M/L)
1 pcs x Blue PU Case
2pcs x Carry Pouch (Small and large)
1 pcs x Cleaning Tool
1 pcs x Cable Wrap
1 pcs x Cable Clip



The accessories it come with is rich and luxury. The carry case included are nicely made with PU material in blue color with golden Penon audio front and zipper, it allow the users to store a least one pair of IEM, with different sizes of accessories slots inside, which is great for cable, ear tips, cleaning tools or SD cards.... It also contain two different sizes of carry pouch finished in fluffy material with brand logo on top.







The Orb come with two types of ear tips to provide the the best fits and sound to users. It also come with the additional cleaning tools, cable wrap with their logo and cable clips, which is great for users.





The Orb come with the 8 core silver plated copper cable, it has 3.5 mm straight connector in silver metal finished with brand logo. It features the 0.78mm 2 pin connector with L&R to show left and right. The Y-splitter are in metal shell as well as the 2 pin connector. There are cable slider in silver metal finished. It is overall well build and flexible cable.




Design & Build & Comfort
The shell on orb has a good ergonomic design. The shell are superb clear and fully transparent. It is handmade with the medical grade resins, which is solid than the 3D printer shell. The faceplate has a word Penon in the golden color located on the left earpiece, while the word ORB located on the right earpiece. There are the blue and red mark on the dynamic driver inside of the IEM to indicate left and right. There are the vents on the back of the shell with filter.





The build quality on Orb are really good especially the shell are superb clear. The shell are well rounded, with out any gap and sharp edges. The Orb has resin filled in at the sound bore part of the IEM for holding the components. The BA and dynamic driver in side are perfectly placed at the place, while the wire inside are organize in the high standard. It has two sound bores and holes for each of driver, the nozzle are perfectly drilled and divided into two holes. The 2 pin female connectors are tight, and do not have sign of wear and tear after I swapped few times of cable.





The Orb has really good ergonomic design with short nozzle. The fits on Orb are really good with average isolation. There are no pressure build up after an hours of listening, thanks to the vents on the shell.






Technical Specification
Impedance: 10 Ω @1khz
Sensitivity: 112 ± 3dB @1khz
Frequency response: 20hz-20Khz


Sound

Paring
I use the orange ear tips with the stock cable run through my music library on the Fiio M11. The orange ear tips has less bass and more treble energy.




Overall tonality
The Orb has mildly U shape tonality, it has smooth and melodious presentation.

Bass
The bass is full bodies with slightly thick timbre. The sub bass has above average extension with moderate decay speed. It has above average rumble impact and punch. It has moderate speed with good levels of control. The detail retrieval are pretty well, while the clarity are above the average. The bass on the Orb is probably the best I ever heard for under the $500USD.

Mids
The midrange is well textured and musical. The low midrange has good amount of bodies and depth presented in lush yet clean manner. The upper midrange has well emphasis, it has good amount of bodies and presented in melodious yet lively manner. The midrange show extremely good levels of texture without losing the detail and clarity.

Treble
The treble has smooth yet clear presentation. The treble has average extended with a fatiguing free listen. The upper treble has average amount of airiness with moderate amount of sparkle and crisp. The detail retrieval and clarity are slightly above the average.

Soundstage and imaging
The soundstage is average on both of width and depth.
The imaging are slightly above the average, as the background is slightly muddy.



Comparison
BGVP VG4 ($229USD)

Bass
The ORB has more sub bass and bass quantity compare to VG4. The sub bass has better extension on ORB, whereas the VG4 provide the quicker decay. The bass has more weight on the ORB and sound warmer, while the VG4 has close to neutral type bass. The ORB has better punch and impact in the bass, while the VG4 has quicker speed and slightly better clarity. Both of them has good amount of detail, but the VG4 did it cleaner.

Mids
The midrange has warmer and lusher presentation on ORB, whereas the VG4 has more slightly less fuller and colder presentation. The lower midrange has more bodies and sound lusher on ORB, while the VG4 has more clarity and own the cleaner presentation. The upper midrange are both push forward and, the ORB has fuller timbre and sound more natural in my opinion. The VG4 has more vividly presentation with better transparency levels. The detail and clarity are better on VG4.

Treble
The treble are both smooth, but the VG4 has brighter tonality. The treble has better extension on VG4 with more open sound, while the ORB provide the smooth and fatiguing free listening. The upper treble has slightly more sparkle and airiness on VG4, whereas the ORB are smoother here.

Soundstage and imaging
The soundstage are wider on VG4, with similar depth.
The imaging are better on VG4


Oriveti OH300 ($299USD)

Bass
The sub bass on both has similarly quantity, the sub bass has better extension on ORB, while the OH300 has quicker decay. The bass has more weight and sound thicker on the ORB, while the OH300 has cleaner and less warmer presentation. The bass has better punch and impact on ORB, while the bass on OH300 are quicker with speed with better clarity. The bass on ORB has more depth compare to OH300. The detail retrieval are fairly similar.

Mids
The midrange has more texture and sound lusher on the ORB, while the OH300 has close to neutral tonality with tad of warmth. The lower midrange has more bodies and sound significantly lusher on ORB, while the OH300 has better clarity and sound cleaner. The upper midrange are more vividly on OH300 with better transparency levels, while the ORB has fuller and more natural presentation. The clarity and detail retrieval are both pretty good on both of them.

Treble
The treble on both are smooth, but the OH300 has brighter treble with better extension. Both of them provide the fatiguing free listening, while the ORB has fuller and softer presentation. The upper treble has similar amount of sparkle and airiness, but the OH300 feel slightly more open. The detail retrieval are better on OH300. The clarity on are well done.


Soundstage and imaging
The soundstage are wider on OH300, with similar depth.
The imaging are slightly better on OH300, as the OH300 has cleaner and darker background


Final audio E5000 ($269USD)

Bass
The sub bass on the E5000 has warmer tonality, while the Orb are cleaner. The sub bass has slightly better extension and quicker decay speed on Orb. The bass has thicker timbre with slightly more weight on E5000, while the Orb has less weight but offer clearer presentation. The bass has better punch and impact on the Orb, it also provide the deeper bass. The detail retrieval and clarity are better on Orb.

Mids
The midrange on both are smooth and well textured, but the E5000 has warmer and slightly lusher presentation. The lower midrange sound slightly lusher on E5000, while the Orb provide more clarity. The upper midrange has more lively presentation on Orb with higher levels of transparency, whereas the E5000 has more bodies, which sound more natural. The detail retrieval and clarity are bette on Orb.

Treble
The treble are both tuned toward the laid back manner. But the Orb offer slightly more airiness and sparkle. The E5000 has darker tonality, while the Orb has crisp presentation on the upper treble section. The detail retrieval and clarity on Orb are slightly better.

Soundstage and imaging
The soundstage are slightly wider on Orb, with same level of depth.
The imaging on both are pretty average.


Obravo Cupid ($250-350USD)

Bass
The sub bass and bass has more quantity on Cupid, while the Orb offer the better extension. The bass has more weight on Cupid, whereas the Orb has clearer bass with slower decay speed. The bass on boss has good levels of impact and slam, but the Orb has deeper bass and punch more pronounce. The detail retrieval and clarity are better on Orb.

Mids
The midrange are more recessed on Cupid with thinner timbre, while the Orb has lusher and warmer tonality. The lower midrange has more bodies and depth on Orb, while the Cupid has thinner presentation. The upper midrange has vividly presentation on Cupid with thinner timbre, whereas the Orb has fuller timbre, which sound more realistic and lively in my opinion. The detail retrieval and clarity are both pretty good.

Treble
The treble has brighter tonality on Cupid, while the Orb offer a fatiguing free listen. The Cupid has more airiness and crisp on the upper treble, while the Orb are slightly laid back here. Both of them have good amount of sparkle. The detail retrieval and clarity are better on the Cupid.

Soundstage and imaging
The soundstage are wider on Cupid, deeper on Orb.
The imaging are better on Cupid.


Etymotic ER4XR ($305USD)

Bass
The ER4 has less sub bass and bass quantity, whereas the Orb provide better sub bass extension and go deeper. The bass has more weight and sound fuller on the Orb, while he ER4 has quicker bass decay. The Orb has more rumble, impact and punch, while the ER4 sound relatively clearer. The detail retrieval and clarity are both pretty similar.

Mids
The midrange has more bodies and sound lusher on he Orb, while the ER4 has less bodies and tuned toward the neutral target. The lower midrange sound fuller with more bodies on the Orb, while the ER4 has slightly better clarity. The upper midrange has similar kind of presentation, but the Orb has slightly more bodies and sound forward in comparison. The detail retrieval are similar, while the clarity are slightly better on ER4.

Treble
The treble on both are smooth and tuned more laid back, but the Orb has more airiness and crisp at the top end. The upper treble has slightly more sparkle on the Orb. The detail retrieval and clarity are both similar, probably Orb did it slightly better in comparison.

Soundstage and imaging
The soundstage are wider and deeper on Orb.
The imaging are better on Orb, but the ER4 has better layering thanks to cleaner backgrounds.




Conclusion
The Penon Orb has top build quality, especially the internal driver wiring is the neatly I ever seen. The tonality on Orb are excellent, it has extreme musical and smooth presentation with enough of treble energy. The vocal has well texture with top tier timbre. The bass on Orb are just amazing. The Orb will be added to my best $250USD to $300USD list. If you are looking for IEMs in this price range should not miss it. Lastly, I am glad to tell you all, the Orb is the best IEM in my collection, no matter what the price is!!

Penon audio official website:https://penon-official.com
Penon Orb product page: https://penon-official.com/product/penon-orb/

Penon ORB: anatomy of sound

Hi friends!

Today we have Penon audio again, this time with ORB hybrid IEM. Quite recently we got acquainted with their earphones based on one BA - Sphere, and now an even more interesting two-driver model IEM, built on the dynamics (DD) and one BA driver, has arrived to us.

Penon ORB really turned out to be very, very interesting IEM, both in terms of design and ergonomics, and in terms of sound.

For those who skipped a summary of the previous series: Penon audio is one of the largest specialty stores in China and is the official dealer of most of the world's brands in the portable audio field. Apart from the dealership, Penon is also successfully launching its own developments on the market: excellent IEM's cables, as well as earbuds and IEMs.






Specification

Driver: Balanced Armature full frequency

Dynamic driver: 10mm

Impedance: 10 Ω @1khz

Sensitivity: 112 ± 3dB @1khz

Frequency response: 20hz-20Khz

Connector: 2Pin 0.78mm

Plug: 3.5mm Audio

Cable length: 1.2M



Appearance, kit and ergonomics

The earphones are carefully packaged in two layers: the upper part is a printing wrapper in a juicy yellow color with a photo of the headphones, a brand logo and a description of the contents. From it we extract the pretty purple-terracotta cardboard box with the gilded "Penon" logo on the front side and technical characteristics on the other, already familiar to us from the previous brand's products.








In the bowels of this box, we find a soft beige wallet case and a chic blue hard case made of leatherette with a zipper. We solicit the latter and find a lot of interesting things inside: the ORB IEM with a detachable cable, a soft case with two sets of silicone tips of different sizes, a brush for caring for the sound guides, a velcro strap and a metal clothespin for attaching the cable to clothes. In general, as always with Penon, the "all inclusive" package, you don't even know what else to wish for!







Fully transparent PENON ORB shells are made of medical resin using 3D printing. Through them, in the smallest detail, you can see all the internal content of the IEMs: wires, dynamic and BA drivers, as well as acoustic tubes. Well, just the anatomy of sound!







The shape of the earbuds is reminiscent of CIEM, made from an individual ear impression. Indeed, ergonomics are at their best, everything is very comfortable.








On the outside of the IEM is the golden logo of the "PENON" brand. On the inside of the shell, there is a sound pipe with two outlets, to which acoustic pipes are connected. In the upper part there are connectors for a cable plug with 2pin connectors.


In addition to the aforementioned convenience and remarkable appearance, I would like to note that ORB is even just pleasant to hold in your hands - there is some kind of attractive tactility in them.






The IEM is expected to be worn behind the ear. Sound insulation is above average, which allows you to enjoy listening to your favorite songs even in noisy city transport.



Silver-white cable, extremely lightweight and flexible, with soft silicone earhooks. Consists of 4 braided veins. Jack plug - straight, TRS 3.5 mm. He's really good: handsome, comfortable, very flexible. But I did not expect anything else, we know perfectly well that PENON are real masters in cable making!







In general, the appearance, workmanship and ergonomics of ORB evoke extremely positive emotions in me. Nothing to say, well done PENON!

But the most important thing is ahead: let's prick up our ears and move on to the sound.



Sound

Listening (audio testing) was conducted on: MyST DAC 1866OCU V.2, Lotoo paw Gold, iBasso DX220 (AMP7), iBasso 220 MAX, QLS QA-361, & iFI xDSD.

ORB sounded good with all devices.

I recommend taking a responsible approach to the tips selection process, as it makes a significant contribution to the creation of the sound picture.

Let me remind you that each IEM contains one BA and one 10mm DD driver.








I would describe the sound of PENON ORB as well-balanced, comfortable, with a technically forced section in the low-frequency register, smooth, extremely musical, melodious middle and the most comfortable, delicate high-frequency range. It's a warm and rich manner.






ORBs deliver massive, extremely melodic sound, rich and euphonious, with a lot of focus on macro contrast. Listening to such a sound is an incredible pleasure. He, like a duvet, softly and gently wraps you up and you don't want to get out of there at all.



This pair of dynamic and BA drivers in ORB is implemented perfectly. There are no gaps in the sound processing that interfere with listening due to the inconsistency of the two types of drivers, but there is a solid canvas, stitched together from all broadcast sounds, where the sound registers politely and harmoniously complement each other. But, I emphasize again, you will get such a rich and cute musical picture if you take the time to choose the right tips.







The beat is powerful, deep, going to the very bottom, the bass parts sound rich, clear and distinct. The dynamic driver is well tuned and produces a solid, dense "Boom", filling the mids with living bodily substance. There is no hum and daub, but there is a clear working out of the low-frequency range, which most tactfully contributes to the overall sound tonality.

The low-frequency register works harmoniously with the mid-frequency range, without overlapping it in any way. This skillfully creates a light velvety background and adds mass and depth to the overall sound. Beautiful, juicy and massive - you won't find fault.



The mids are smooth, detailed, comfortable and melodic.

Musical images are drawn large, convex and tangible. The middle is rich, mature, without the slightest hint of distortion. At the same time, ORB chicly convey the emotional component of the composition. They easily charm the listener, lure him into the deepest musical pool and do not let go of the mellifluous orgy until the very end.

Vocal parts are conveyed cleanly and expressively, and strings sound rich and realistic.

The timbres and reverberations are conveyed beautifully, musically, deeply and tirelessly.

I would call such a presentation thick and detailed at the same time. Mids seamlessly transition into the low frequency range and are carefully complemented by high frequencies.



High frequencies are clear and concise. They are energetic, moderately restrained and charming. Where necessary, they can throw a graceful "spark", in other cases, they will work out their own precisely and harmoniously, and then with dignity, fading away, they will go into silence. This register is transmitted correctly, clearly enough, without excessive sharpness and obvious distortions. Their quantity and quality raises no objections.







The virtual stage is medium in size, it is spaciously built in width and slightly shallower in depth.

In terms of genre preferences, Penon ORBs are quite universal, they beautifully and interestingly play instrumental music, jazz, electronics, rock, and brutal genres.







Conclusion

I declare with full responsibility that PENON ORB are wonderful IEMs with their charm and graceful, extremely luxurious musical flavor. PENON engineers tinkered with sound tuning once again, bravo!

Good kit, high quality workmanship, design, and of course the sound are all commendable. In their price range, ORBs are completely competitive.

On the website of the penonaudio manufacturer, the cost of the ORB IEM model is $ 259. As you might guess, I recommend this model for purchase without any hesitation. PENON ORB are simply made to enjoy music!

Fit, Build & Isolation
The Penon Orb features a fully transparent medical grade resin material shell, highlighting excellent craftsmanship of its internal. The Shell is on the smaller side and very lightweight. I found the Orb to have only average isolation, but the shells are so light I am not too suprised. This shouldn’t be an issue in real world condition for most with music playing except for noisier environment if you’re a low volume listener like me. Note that the shell is quite deep to lodge it’s dynamic driver meaning it protrudes significantly, something that can be of importance if you want to listen in bed lying on the side.

Other than this disclaimer and unusual use case, the Orb is very comfortable IEM to wear with an average depth insertion and very lightweight it’s quickly forgotten and disappears in the ear.


The Orb features a 2 pin socket and comes with a low footprint small gauge 8 wire cable in my case a 2.5 balanced version but the Orb comes with a 3.5 cable unless you take another option. The cable is supple and with good ergonomics. The sockets on my unit was fairly tight, better be careful there at first and plug – unplug a few times with the stock cable before trying out upgrade cables.



Introduction
Like most people I know I have enjoyed Penon as an online shop, a trusted distributor of many brands I love like Dunu, Astrotec or ISN to name a few. Penon started building IEMs (the BS1 earbud in 2017) and great value for money cables (like OS849).

In 2019 they launched their first IEM the Sphere and it was a success. Lately they have been on the roll with many highly praised products : the Orb and the flagship Volt IEM as well as cables such as the OSG cable (I’ll soon review it) and the flagship cable Totem.


As can be seen in the picture above the Orb packs a dynamic driver. This is a fairly unique design that I know of as its a custom 10mm driver is made of graphite fiber silk with a paper dome driver featuring a grainless overhanging diaphragm. Interestingly it also packs a full range balanced armature, quite an interesting choice as it implies a crossover-less design. Overall quite an advanced design at this price point.

The Orb is not just another hybrid IEM, Penon clearly had an intent to build something different there and it’s very nice to see this kind of effort at this price point. Penon advertises punchy bass, crystal clear vocals, crispy and sparkly high frequency with a holographic soundstage.

Does that hold true? How does the advanced technical design translate in terms of sound quality? Let’s check it out!



Sound
Upon the very first listen (after proper burn-in), it’s clearly apparent that Penon’s tuning goals are fulfilled : the Orb features powerful and physical yet controlled and refined bass, full and smooth mids, energetic and well extended treble. The stage has very good width and depth but more impressive is its height which is excellent, with a very coherent image.

The Orb is a very engaging listen, a clearly fun IEM built on solid technical foundations. Let’s dive a bit deeper!



Bass
Bass is clearly an outstanding feature of the Orb and is nothing short of impressive : it’s a powerful bass but strikes a rare balance of power, control, punch and rich textures. Usually IEMs tend to fall either towards faster, snappier attack and quicker decay for a punchy and clean bass or towards a smoother attack and a bit slower decay with richer textures. The Orb is quite singular in that respect in my opinion as it seems to have squared the circle with usually contradictory qualities.

Could that be that the full range balanced armature is complimentary to the dynamic driver in the bass section providing both the qualities of the BA and DD? Just a theory but I think Penon has built a very special IEM there : it’s both punchy and richly textured, detailed and physical with good slam.

The sub bass is well extended with good rumble and a welcome physicality and presence is to my ears spot on. I like to have enough sub bass to feel the subs but not too much as to not overshadow the main message. The Orb is able to provide a sub woofer like bass like few can, only other IEMs that come to mind are ISN H40 (comparison at the end of this review) or Campfire Solaris. My usual test tracks like Sohn “Falling” and Aphex Twins “Ageispolis“, Marian Hill “Differently” and Phanee de Pool “Amstram” were so enjoyable with the Orb.

The mid bass is very balanced in terms of presence with the sub bass and there is no tilt either way. The bass line is strong with beautiful textures, in Ruben Gonzàles “La Lluvia” the double bass is really sublime and as good as I have heard it with lot of interpretation nuances conveyed. The deep percussions on Ayo “Throw it away” is equally impressive, as is Nenad Vasilic “Lupafte” or Okvsho “Algoriddim”. Again, regardless of price point the Orb is simply one of the best bass around, please Penon keep the recipe for future IEMs as it’s really something special!!!

Let me say I spent much more time on the bass section for this review than any review I have done for a while, as it’s so enjoyable and impressive. I just kept delaying going into the mids testing all the tracks in my bass review playlist. I really was shocked at how good the Orb is again at any price point, especially with cable upgrades like PW n°10. I would need to compare but it’s reminiscent my memory of 64 Audio N8. The maturity of the bass tuning and its performance is a shocker. Hats off!

Mids
The Orb mids are full bodied but with good bite, with clear vocals that are forwardly positioned. It’s an engaging and lively midrange with good balance and good instrument timbre.

The lower mids have good presence, the Orb doesn’t rely on lower mids dip for clarity but rather as we’ll see on its upper mids presence and treble extension. Instruments are full bodied but not thick either, a wise choice as given the bass presence it would have made the Orb congested. Instrument separation is not the greatest but it’s quite good for a full bodied IEM thanks to its upper treble presence.

The upper mids are tuned both for forward vocal placement and for instruments to provide good energy : snare drums are crisp, hi hats and cymbals have good sizzle and brass have a nice bite making for an engaging presentation and a good balanced with the full bodied mids. This makes the Orb a versatile IEM as well and I enjoyed jazz very much there.

Both male and female vocals are a treat on the Orb. Thanks to the full mids male vocals are deeply seated with good power, Pete Alderton “Malted Milk” and Jack Savoretti “Written in scars” gritty voices were adequately portrayed with both power and nuances. In a very different register, James Blake “Vincent” benefits from the upper mids bite conveying a lot of emotion. Depending on tips, on some tracks like Diana Krall “Let’s fall in love” I found hints of sibilance though but it’s very slight (your mileage may vary) and is also source dependent. Only DX160 exhibited this, while Lotoo PAW S1 and AAW Capri lightning cable didn’t. Cable rolling can also help there, I tried the 8 wire copper Null Audio Tiburon and PW n°10 with the DX160 and it definitely smoothens out the issue.

Treble
The Orb treble is very balanced with slight lower treble emphasis. It’s an exciting treble but not a fatiguing one either.

The lower treble energy is spot on to my ears with an accurate tone. The Orb is energetic and it shows, electric guitars in Spin Doctors “So bad” have satisfying buzz, piano notes in The Hot Sardines “Come love (l’amour s’en fout)” have good weight, presence and overtones are faithfully portrayed. The Pixies “Where is my mind” is a good test of how safe your treble is and the Orb does a great job of being totally engaging the hi hats sizzle as well as guitar riffs play with the limit without ever crossing the threshold and I loved it on the Orb.

The upper treble has less presence than the lower section but it packs very good extension and is what I consider to be a refined presentation with the right amount to provide air and boost resolution without placing details too forward like some IEMs which I always find detrimental to the musical message. The Orb doesn’t disappoint and tracks like Guthrie Trapp “Buckdancer’s choice” or Laurie Anderson “Born, never asked” are portrayed with a level of refinement that I didn’t expect at this price point.


Select comparisons

ISN H40
If you’ve read my ISN H40 review you know it’s among the best value for money of its segment and given their respective tuning the Orb and H40 will naturally be compared. How do they respectively fare against each other? Let’s see!


The H40 massive bass presence was a memorable aspect of its signature and it holds true : the H40 sub bass extends a bit more but more importantly it has more presence and is clearly into bass head territory. The H40 sub bass is more physical and is more prominent in the signature while the Orb is physical but with a more balanced signature. The Orb bass has less presence but it doesn’t mean it lack punch or physicality, just that it’s less predominant. I also find the Orb bass to be more detailed with richer textures so I’d give the Orb the edge on bass quality where the H40 has the edge if bass quantity is your priority.

The midrange is maybe where the H40 and Orb are more similar than different with a full bodied midrange with good bite. Despite the similarities there are significant differences. I hear the H40 being fuller, more forward with a more forward vocal placement as well as more upper mids bite. The Orb has better clarity and transparency and is the more balanced of the two, with also better instrument separation.

The H40 treble is again not too far off the Orb at least in the lower treble department : both feature very good energy and remain safe of any hotness with the Orb being a bit smoother and nuanced. The main difference lies in the upper treble were the Orb clearly takes the edge with more extension and presence. This is where the Orb leaves the H40 behind in terms of sheer resolution as well as better air and separation between instruments. The H40 has the edge on soundstage size but the Orb features a much more precise imaging.

If I had to sum it up the H40 and Orb share quite a bit with great bass, full exciting mids and energetic treble but the H40 is the more physical and powerful while the Orb is the more refined and mature tuning.

Dunu DK-2001
If you’ve read my DK-2001 review you know how high I rate it in the segment in fact it might be my favorite along with H40 so far. Given it’s pricing and tech, it’s only natural to compare with the Orb. Let’s see how both fare against each other!


Bass wise the DK-2001 has good slam but comparatively to the Orb a softer attack and decay and the Orb is therefore the punchier bass of the two. This is furthered by better sub bass extension on the Orb providing more physicality on top of a snappier attack and quicker decay. Both provide very nice textures but the Orb packs more detail. Overall DK-2001 is engaging but more relaxed than the focused and more energetic bass of the Orb.

The midrange is somewhat of the same story, the DK-2001 is a more relaxed IEM with a more linear midrange. The Orb has both a bit more lower mids presence as well as much more upper mids bite and more forward vocals. It’s both fuller and clearer and overall more articulate with better separation. Both feature surprisingly refined mids for the segment, but the DK-2001 is more relaxed and linear where the Orb is more exciting and forward.

The treble of the DK-2001 shares the same balance as the Orb treble with no particular focus on either the lower or upper treble in terms of presence but they differ in how this is executed. The DK-2001 has a slightly warm tone to its lower treble where the Orb is accurate. The Orb also has a bit more energy and again the DK-2001 is more relaxed. Both have good note weight but the Orb has slightly more and piano notes for instance are more accentuated. The upper section is more of the same story, the DK-2001 is well extended and has good upper treble presence and good air smoothly delivered but the Orb has a snappier treble with faster decay. I hear the Orb has having more air and being more resolving.

If I had to sum it up, I’d say the DK-2001 like the H40 shares quite a bit with the Orb in terms of the general tuning but with very different execution : the DK-2001 is more relaxed with softer attack and longer decay where the Orb is snappier and more energetic across the range with better resolution and imaging.


Verdict
It’s really hard to believe that it’s only Penon second IEM after the Sphere given both the maturity of its tuning and the price to performance ratio reached by the Orb. The Orb is up there with the best in the segment namely ISN H40 and Dunu DK-2001 which is no small feat in my opinion. As we’ve seen there are similarities but the Orb is both snappier than the DK-2001 and more refined than the H40 so it will come down which tuning fits your preferences best. Note that the Orb also scales very well with better sources, I plugged it into my Hiby R8 and let me tell you with more power and headroom, it reaches even more impressive performance and refinement levels. If you have a desktop amp handy, plug it in and see!

If you’re looking for an IEM with of the very best bass, a full yet clear articulate midrange and refined treble then it’s hard not to recommend the Orb as one of the very best value for money on the market! A no brainer in my opinion. If you’re a basshead then the H40 might suit you best and if you’re looking for a more relaxed listen then the DK-2001 should be on your list.

About the title
The title was inspired from a Shakespeare quote from the Merchant of Venice : “There’s not the smallest orb which thou behold’st But in his motion like an angel sings”

Listening notes
I spent approximately 30 hours with the Orb, listening on iBasso DX160 and Lotoo PAW S1 using the stock cable, Null Audio Tiburon 8 wires and PW n°10.

Special Thanks
Thanks to Penon for providing a review unit of the Orb. As usual, this review is my honest opinion. No incentive was given for a favorable review.

Accessories

• Hard leather carry case
• Tips
• Stock 8 wire SPC cable

Specifications

• Driver: Balanced Armature full frequency + custom 10mm Dynamic driver graphite fiber silk with a paper dome driver featuring a grainless overhanging diaphragm
• Impedance: 10 Ω @1khz
• Sensitivity: 112 ± 3dB @1khz
• Frequency response: 20hz-20Khz

Just like some other Chinese stores Penon had also jumped into the IEM market a few years ago but the recently launched ORB has been making plenty of waves in the audiophile market. After the success of the Sphere which was received well both critically and commercially they had to up the ante and added an extra dynamic driver to a full range BA driver.

The Penon ORB has only one color option, clear and is priced at $259. It faces tough competition from DM7, DK2001 and ISN H40. Let's find out what is so special about this piece of earphone.

Get one for yourself from here:

https://penonaudio.com/penon-orb.html

https://penon-official.com/product/penon-orb/



WHAT'S IN THE BOX:-

The ORB comes with a small but aptly spacious looking box. Most of the accessories are placed inside the Blue colored carry case, which is slightly on the bigger side with room for an extra cable or even a DAP with small pouches for I think adapters or ear tips. The case is made out of semi hard material but still can withstand plenty of beating and rough handling. The earphone, cable and all the tips are placed inside the carry case. There are few things placed under the case too.

There is small and soft velvet pouch if you just want to carry the earphones. A cleaning tool along with a cable clip is placed inside it. Another interesting thing is a small pouch to carry some extra accessories, it can't hold cables so I assume it is for tips.



WHAT IT FEELS LIKE:-

Just like most of the earphones in this price range the ORB too uses medical grade resin material as the shell which eliminates any type of irritation. The shell is not exactly semicustom type as it lacks a concha wing for better traction and grip inside the ear. Thanks to lack of higher number of drivers the shell is marginally smaller than the DM7 but the DK2001 is even smaller. The ORB has a basic type of driver setup and only has two bores design and thanks to that the nozzle is not big and can fit anything from T200 to T400 size tips without much problem. Some might find the nozzle to be on the shorter side but it is perfect for most of us and provides plenty of isolation with right tips.

The build is sturdy. Don't put brute force on it and it will survive without any problem. It might not survive drops on marble or concrete floors either. Thanks to the resin material and lesser number of drivers the ORB is very light and stay comfortably inside the ear without falling out.



HOW IS THE CABLE:-

The ORB ships with an audiophile grade SPC cable with total of 8 cores braided fairly loosely without having any memory problem. The cables are really supple, suppler than any other cables in this price bracket. It has a more premium feel than the TSMR 4 and AF180 mk2 cables. It complements the ORB aesthetically.

The cable guides are very supple, holds the ear nicely and don't exert much pressure on the ear. The cable splitter has a low profile. The cable slider or chin slider is neither very loose nor very tight and slides smoothly on the cable. The straight 3.5mm is very light and feels solid to the hand. This cable barely has any microphonics to worry about.



PAIRING WITH SOURCES:-

The ORB has a sensitivity of 112 ± 3db and get very loud without dialing up the volume, much louder than most of the hybrid earphones. Impedance value is just 10ohm at 1khz. It is a nearly a child's play to drive the ORB. It does scale well with more capable source but it still plays well with most of the mobile phones and less capable sources.

Is it necessary to feed it properly? No, not at all, the difference is insignificant but yes, it is better if you can.

SOUND QUALITY:-

The ORB has only one DD and one BA driver to do the heavy lifting. What impresses me is the way the ORB does it effortlessly. There is no holding back at all. The bass is deep and full, the mid range is well balanced and the treble is well projected. Its tuning is inclined towards a musical sound without sacrificing technicalities.

The sound signature is on the warmer side but still is on the more balanced side than most hybrid earphones. It doesn't have much emphasis on any part of the spectrum and the W type sound signature is bound to please most of the consumers with very good details and clarity.

I am using Wide bore tips for this review. The ORB has been put through 70-80 hrs of various noises and sweeps. I am using the Shanling M6 and HUD100 mk2 (paired with LG G7) for this review.

BASS:-

The lower end is pleasing. The 10mm dynamic driver earphone is capable of delivering some of the deepest bass notes under $500. There is barely any earphone that can do deeper bass than the ORB. The rumble along with the sub-bass extension is the icing on the cake. It just makes the lower end much more satisfying and complete. The mid bass region has a bit more volume which gives the lower end its fuller and meatier feel. It is not huge but the impact is bigger. Decay is on the slower side, it is slightly slower than the DUNU DK2001. The precipitation gives it the juicy feel. It rides on very good amount details and texture. The slam has the much better dynamism which I had not seen with earphones in this price range. Most of them at times get monotonous. The ORB can adapt much better to the need of the track. The slam can be more delicately hard and soft depending upon the track. It is not forward or emphasized while contributing to the more rounded and punchy feel. The upper bass is nicely contained and melts nicely into the lower mids. The dynamic driver has a nice organic feel to it.

Where does it stand? Far above the DM7, more than both Spring 2 and DK2001 and slightly less than the ISN D10.

MID RANGE:-

The ORB most uses the single dynamic driver to best effect and delivers an engaging and tonally accurate mid range. The whole mid range has excellent transparency and very good amount of details. The transition from upper bass to lower mid is nicely done without losing much energy or forwardness while maintaining very good amount of details and clarity. Instruments have appropriate amount of bite to them along with accurate body giving the ORB natural timber and organic feel. None of the instruments have sharp finishing except the cymbals. They have a bit of unnatural transparency and shimmer to it. If in the song, the cymbals stand out of the whole spectrum. Notes have nice agility and good amount of crispiness. It does not have a very technical feel to it as the background and foreground instruments do not have separation like the DM7 or AV3.

Vocals have excellent tonal accuracy and crispiness. Both male and female vocals are equally impressive with very good amount of texture and details. The decay is paced with musicality in mind, the crispiness of background instruments is slightly compromised but this thing emulates a neat and clean feel. The upper mid range is well under control with good amount of details and clarity. It doesn't sound lush in any way but is not unnaturally presented. If you can forgive the elevation of a few instruments it doesn't have anything else to worry about.

HIGHS:-

The ORB has no extra tricks under its belt. The single BA driver with its full range abilities manages to deliver a very good treble which is not exceptional but does get the work done without exhibiting any obvious flaws. It has good amount of spark and energy but things are a bit muffled at the upper treble region. It has very good amount of air between instruments. Thanks to its neutral nature it resolves good cleanliness and transparency. It still lacks a bit of micro details but it is nothing a non critical listener will notice. The transition from upper mid to lower treble region is nicely done without losing transparency or clarity.

The ORB has very good treble extension but it starts losing some spark once it's past the mid treble region. Level of details retrieval is up there with other hybrid earphones but BA based IEMs do better. Cymbals and pianos have very good transparency. If you like an organic kind of feel and an inoffensive notes presentation the ORB doesn't disappoint. Separation and layering is good with good amount of air between instruments. The treble stage is well spread and has a spacious feel to it.

STAGE AND IMAGING:-

The ORB has very good stage with excellent width and height providing good amount of space in between. It does lack a bit of depth when compared to the DUNU DK2001 but it still is well rounded. Instruments are evenly distributed without overlapping. The imaging is placed more inside the head with only a few instruments and cues are dynamically placed outside the head. Slight nit picking will be the not so clean stage floor, which feels sticky and a bit muddy.

EFFECT OF CABLES:-

The stock cable is very good, it looks nice and sounds aptly good too. I am a bit critical about how the cable looks but what if you have something with improved visual appeal and sound at the same time? The ORB deserves a good sounding cable and buying an upgrade cable makes much more sense.

PENON ORBIT ($129):- What is an upgrade to the stock SPC cable? A Type 4 LITZ SPC cable with 154 strands in each core. The first thing that comes to attention is the bigger stage size. It feels much more expanded in every direction with improved distribution of instruments. The bass get deeper with slightly better sub-bass rumble while the mid bass sheds some body delivering equally good amount of texture and details. The bigger change comes with improved clarity of the mid range. The Vocals are a bit more delicate and accurate. The whole mid range sounds slightly more organic. Treble gains some maturity with better control over notes and the bigger stage makes it much more enjoyable. The Orbit brings more details and accuracy with excellent contrast between background and foreground instruments. The treble region feels a bit more extended, energetic and sparkly.

If you have an IEM you hold close to your heart, you definitely should invest in a decent cable and the Penon ORB should lead the way with excellent price to performance ration.

COMPARISON:-

BGVP DM7 ($270-$289):-

The DM7 houses 6 BA drivers and is tuned for accuracy and precision. It is a more technical sounding earphone with similar build quality and set of accessories. The DM7 is tuned for a more analytical output, delivers cleaner and clearer notes. The ORB is tuned to be a fun and engaging earphone.

The lower end is not very voluminous and lacks a bit of extension in comparison. It moves lesser amount of air but still have good thump to it. The mid bass is smaller with body but still delivers satisfying amount of slam. The decay is tighter without losing texture. The mid range of the ORB is a bit more forward but the DM7 counter it with more pleasing timber. Both male and female vocals are better with texture and details. It can feel a bit dry and thin against the ORB's thicker notes. Instruments have more energy in general but do not have the upper mid emphasis of the ORB. Treble maintains better energy till the end and has better micro details too. Layering and separation is better than the ORB. The stage size is a bit less wide and tall but has better depth to it.



Vs DUNU DK2001 ($300) and BQEYZ Spring 2 ($140-170):-



CONCLUSION:-

The Penon ORB has a lovable tuning. It is cohesive and engaging. The tonality is unique. Notes are not very detailed but involving. It has excellent lower end with class leading sub-bass extension and rumble, the mid range too is very engaging and involving. The treble is well presented with good amount of spark and energy but it is not the most detailed sounding IEM for under $300. What It is, is one of the most fun still relatively detailed sounding IEM. It has a unique kind of tuning which gives a different kind of tonal balance and engagement. What sets it apart is its ability to cater to all kind of listeners. No one will regret picking it over anything else.

Before starting this review, I would like to share technical aspects and package details.

Here is the link of Penon Audio ORB: https://penonaudio.com/penon-orb.html


Specifications:

Brand: Penon Audio

Model: ORB

Driver: Balanced Armature full frequency + 10mm Dynamic driver

Impedance: 10 Ω @1khz

Sensitivity: 112 ± 3dB @1khz

Frequency response: 20hz-20Khz

Connector: 2Pin 0.78mm

Plug: 3.5mm Audio

Cable length: 1.2M


Package Details:

Penon Orb with cables

Silicon tops

Cleaning tools

Case


Test Equipment:

Opus #1

THX AAA 789 & D50s

Earmen TR-Amp

Chord Mojo


Package, Design;

Penon Orb comes with fairly small yellow cardboard box. All the accessories, earphones and cables are inside of the beautiful blue carrying case. There is a plenty size of tips which you might easily find the best for your ears. Blue carrying case feels nice to touch with great build quality. You don’t have to worry about potential damage when you store it inside. It has solid feelings. There is also plenty of room, so if you want to upgrade your Orb with thicker and bolder cable, you can still keep it inside of the case. Orb body is made of medical grade resin with translucent color, and yes there is no any other color option, but it is so beautiful in its naked form. You can see the drivers and other components inside and that looks pretty gorgeous. There is a gold Penon and Orb print on the faceplate. Orb uses industry standard 2pin socket that you can always upgrade to aftermarket cable. Stock cable looks good and feels pretty ergonomic with its soft form but I think that Orb deserves a much better cable. There are 2 cables coming with Orb which exactly the same but one of them has microphone. Body is not small but not big either, I believe that most people may find it pretty comfortable with its ergonomic shape.


Sound:

Trebles is not the most successful part of Orb and they are more of a smooth and warm texture. There is no roll off, and it does not have high level of details and resolution but It is extremely comfortable to listen with its smooth and creamy presentation, and it doesn’t give any fatigue while long listening session. It lags a bit behind in terms of performance when it comes to giving micro details, but I can say that it has quite sufficient performance when the tag price is remembered.


The Mid frequency is quite rich and full, and this full-bodied presentation combined with the natural timbre which creates a sound that is extremely musical and comfortable to listen to. The partially leading vocals combined with the natural and warm presentation give a pleasant performance. The details and resolution level of the mids are also quite adequate and better than most of the earphones I have heard at this price band. The instrument distinction is also extremely successful and you can easily distinguish its placement in the stage. However, I prefer to listen to Orb with high bass performance EDM style instead of instrument-heavy music.


Bass are undoubtedly the most delicious part of Orb. Greetings to the dynamic driver that produces strong and deep bass, it is very pleasant to listen. Rich and full bottoms go well with any kind of electronic music. EDM with Orb relation is like meat and wine combination. The level of bass in terms of quantity is definitely at the bass-head level. Basses dominate the general atmosphere a bit, but still cover the mids and highs and never give a muddy presentation.

Soundtage, Orb does not promise a great wideness and holographic presentation, but it is still quite spacious and successful enough to distribute the instruments well onto the stage.


Comparison:

Penon Orb vs Dunu DK2001:

Both earphones are great in terms of design and material quality. DK2001 is made of aluminium while Orb has resin body. There are no fit issues with DK2001 which is great with its smaller form factor but Orb provides better seal and fit, even with its bigger body. Both earphones’ stock cables are great but DK2001’s modular cable is better and it offers more flexibility. Orb’s sound is fuller with its rich and vivid presentation while DK2001 is more balanced and brighter when I compare side by side. Bass notes are more punchy and powerful with Orb which is more exciting while DK2001 has better control and speed, it’s slightly tighter. Mids are bold and thick on Orb which is more natural and smoother while DK2001 is slightly recessed and brighter on upper mids. Trebles are more extended and brighter on DK2001 which is slightly better in terms of resolution and details but on the other hand it might be sharp and fatigue for some people. Orb is smoother and relaxed on trebles but it extends pretty well and provides good details and resolution. Soundstage is slightly wider and more open on DK2001 but there is no obvious difference to be honest.


Penon Orb vs Audiosense T800:

Audiosense T800 is really great earphone for its price and it’s pretty popular in community with its sound performance. T800 has 8 balanced armature drivers per side, while Orb has 1 dynamic driver with 1 balanced armature driver. Both earphones’ material is resin and has similar body shape. Both earphones provide great seals and fit in ears and pretty ergonomic for long hours listening. Like Orb, T800 has also fuller and richer sound with powerful bass notes and warm signature. Bass is almost same in quantity but Orb has some extra rumble and it goes slightly deeper. T800 has better control and speed but it is lack of texture and punch that Orb has. Mid frequencies are thicker and bolder on T800 which gives you warmer tonality while Orb is slightly better recessed feelings with natural and smooth response. Trebles are smooth and warm on T800 which gives you more mellowish notes while Orb provides slightly more quantity and extension in this area. Soundstage is almost par but somewhat T800 is slightly wider.


Penon Orb vs JH Audio Billie Jean:

Billie Jean is 2 balanced armature drivers earphone and price tag is $100 more, but I would like to compare it anyway. BJ is made with ABS plastic and its body shape is smaller than Orb. BJ provides pretty good seal and isolation on ear but Orb is much better in this sense. Orb looks and feels more premium in hands. BJ comes with cheap thin black plastic stock cable while Orb comes with 2 stock cables and the cable quality is much better. Bass is quite powerful and deep on BJ but Orb is better for both quantity and quality. It goes deeper, articulated, textured and dynamic driver bass is so delicious when compared to BJ’s dry and dull bass performance. Both BJ and Orb have recessed mids but vocal performance is more forward on BJ. Trebles are more pronounced and extended on Orb which provides better details and resolution, BJ is laid back, feels rolled off. Soundstage is wider and deeper on Orb and separation is more distinguishable.


Verdict:

Penon Audio continues to make great earphones since Sphere and it is obvious that we will see better earphones in the near future. Orb is really great performer for its price with thunderous bass with lush, musical atmosphere. Bass performance is so great and it keeps you to listen with bassy tracks. Orb proves that you don’t have to spent big numbers for the good sound. I can easily recommend Orb who wants dynamic, punchy and musical earphone.

Friends audiomaniacs.....
till recent years was trully an odyssey just to get a decent sound from in ear monitors and could easily cost everyone a fortune to get a high end sounding in ear monitor set.
Nowdays this is just a bad dream from the past...since more and more audio companies from all around the globe have gained a strong reputation in audio market proving themselves each and every day with their products...
A veteran in Audio business ,PENON being a retailer in the industry for years now ,just recently started producing IEMS with their own brand name
- First example were the SPHERES (1BA) which gathered some very positive opionions from audiophiles around the globe,followed soon after by the ORB (1DD,1BA) which grabbed my attention and finally purchased it after all.....
You can purchase the ORBs directly from penon for $259 at the time...



But just lets get straight into that, dont mean to waste any of your time guys
Before that, just want to say Thank You
@Dsnuts,if it wasn't for your suggestion I wouldn't had the opportunity to grab this wonderful iem..
Penon used for the shells medical grade resin material and each shell is made by hand resulting in jewel alike monitor very very pretty and with a high degree of craftamanship too....
Ergonomically speaking the fit is superb and fits my relatively big ears like a glove..
The packadge is simple enought with 2 sets of silicone ear tips a cleaning tool,a very handsome carrying case,some stickers etc....





Specifications

Driver: Balanced Armature full frequency + 10mm Dynamic driver

Impedance: 10 Ω @1khz

Sensitivity: 112 ± 3dB @1khz

Frequency response: 20hz-20Khz

Connector: 2Pin 0.78mm

Plug: 3.5mm / 2.5mm plug

Cable length: 1.2M

ORB prooved to be a real gem at least for my ears just straight out of the box,and really made me a very very happy person indeed.
Regarding the sound :

BASS
Really fast,fully articulated,speed and texture are both fantastic,providing this way a solid impact on each and every note there.....Even bassheads will be pleasantly amazed by the quality bass here...which do not overshadows any of the other frequencies nor bleed into the mid frequencies as well...this quality bass contributes in a fascinating dynamic presentation and do not dominates the scene by any negative way anyway
Subb-bass is more than noticeable here and comes across where called for, with authority and decent rumble....

MIDS
there is an open feeling all across the mid frequencies,vocals come across with depth and unbelievable clarity,so transparent but yet solid that makes you feel its the closest you can get from a monitor to real life circumstances....
the degree of clarity/transparency is more than evident in the mids
male & female vocals are much enganging and with plenty of musicality as well.....

TREBLE
High frequencies regarding the orbs are smooth as butter with zero to none degree of harshness or metallic feeling....Everything flows naturally here,the timbre of the cymbals/hi hats is most natural/thus mesmerising.....
even if not the most extended treble in iems ,the feeling remains extremely pleasant and quite natural as well providing this way a most relaxed listening and totally recommended for long listening sections without any sign of fatique feeling to your ears....
Its totally suitable for most music genres,from acoustic /instruments/vocals to modern produced IDM/eletrconica/heavy bass tracks (especially in this kind of music the bass impact /rumble is just out of this world.....)

SELECTIVE COMPARISONS
Having tested the ORBS with lots of different sources(sounded great and even greater when amped) and have compared them to some othere iems in my small collection like ISN H40,MANGIRD TEA & iBASSO AM05 this is what i found out:

Penon ORB:
It's the most natural /analogical sounding iem i have ever heard,on par with ISN H40 i would say.
I mean it's the closest to real life reproduction or studio master if you prefer..... Correct imaging and strong resolution in much highier volumes
Every note has the correct weight and presence, every instrument has it's correct placement in the scene, impressive separation & soundstage, dynamic life like presentation.

Mangird Tea:
The most airy/sensitive sounding of them all here.....
3 dimensional sounding portraying each and every tinny detail in the recording.
The most noticeable difference between this and the ORBS is the air flowing between the instruments giving a brilliant sense of space and in addition to this the TEAS compared with the ORBS its for sure a detail monster all right......not saying that the TEAS are in any way analytical sounding but its really extreme detailed particullary in the treble/upper treble region.

iBASSO AM05:
Precise, linear, reference like sound, very fair in the entire frequency spectrum not favoring any region in the cost of any other, musical and engaging as well..... Bass is linear & superb but feels light when compared to the impactfull bass of the ORBS, and in direct comparison the air flowing between the instruments seems greater on the ORBS

ISN H40:
Its a completely different animal or..beast i should say.....
BASS dominates everything here but.....in the most fantastic manner you have ever heard........
very thick but with quality as well,weighty sound,FANTASTIC soundstage hollographic,3D surrounding ,much more prominent bass than the ORBS and midbass especially,smoother treble and more extended than the ORBS as well
its more like a 3way speakers experience than any other iem i have tried so far.

FINAL THOUGHTS
At this price range (200-300 $) lies plenty of competition especially in the chi-fi market,where the ORBs could easily cost (at least to my opinion more than 300$ easily)
i could easily say that resolution & image quality there rivals straightly with way more expensive iems (Fearless S6ui/ iBASSO AM05 etc...)
The bass and only that, is one strong reason for listening at least to this tinny miracle
it's quality its out of this world..its a stellar BIG BASS performance guys....
IMO its a totall gem at this price and should grab your attention regardless the competition out there......

Penon Orb

I have been looking forward to this particular review as I am a big fan of what Penon has done with their Spheres I wrote about here. Using a single full ranged BA and tuning the heck out of it. The full ranged sound was very good. The only aspect of that earphone that I had some qualms about was the lack of a real bass impact and extension. Which is difficult for even multi BA offerings let alone a single BA.

So with that a half a year later Penon has released their newest offering in the form of a tried and true hybrid the Orb consists of a 10mm dynamic and a single full ranged BA. A continuation of the Sphere sound? Yes but this time the 10m dynamic driver addresses the only real weakness from an otherwise fantastic Spheres.

I would like to thank the kind folks at Penon for the review sample. These are my thoughts regarding this newest entry which also happens to be their 2nd IEM to the Penon line of products. What I know about Penon besides running one of the best online shopping experiences out of Hong Kong. If you haven’t shopped on their site here. You need to get to know these folks. They are serious about sound and isn’t that what you want in a vendor? Not to mention really nice folks. Even before I got to know them. They were the one shop that would happily send out a greeting card during the holidays and one year I even got a nice scarf.

How many scarfs have you gotten from your vendor? These guys do care about their customers and it shows. Big props to Penon and their dedication to their customers. Now onto the Orbs!!

The Orb is a fairly simple package. It is identical to the packaging you get for their renowned cables. The package consists of a hand made 8 core SPC cable unfortunately only in single ended. There is a 2ndary option to get an extra 2 pin cable with a mic on it for on the go use for an extra $12.50. A bit of extra but might be worth it for people that plan on using the Orb on the go. Two sets of silicones that have different sound effects on the tuning of the Orb, set of double flange tips and a nice handsome blue semi rigid zip up case. A soft felt case. Cleaning tool and clip.

While the packaging is minimal what you're getting is a very select handmade earphone that Penon put their own label on. You're not going to see a dozen models of earphones here. You're going to see 2 earphones on their website. 2 earbuds and a bunch of cables. Their 2 earphones are the Spheres and the new Orbs.These guys sell just about anything related to earphones and audio in general on their site yet they only have 2 earphones they sell. Very selective yes. So what they deem good to them must be good right?

The build of the Orb is as good as they look. It is a 2 pin .78mm variety all resin housing and that bodes well with folks that like to tinker with cables. Housing is a medium sized clear semi custom resin filled shell. You can see the design and how the drivers are put together in the clear shell. The smart venting design on the Dynamic means you won't get driver flex for one and passive isolation is simply excellent on the Orbs. It clearly passed my passive isolation test with ease. What does good passive isolation do for an earphone sound? You're not gonna lose out on the detail of your music. An earphone with weak isolation properties means you will hear more of your surroundings with your music and who wants that. In fact the Orbs make for a perfect out and about earphones. On your walks or in my case for my drive. I know it is not safe but this is how I test my IEMs for isolation. If I can hear detail and all that lucious bass then we have a winner. Not so scientific I know but this is a real life example here.

The custom 8 core SPC cable is a good cable but is nothing like the custom cables Penon sells. Just know that better cables on the Orbs does mean better sonically and so cable rolling is encouraged. Especially if you need to use your cables for balanced listening. Will cover some cable effects on the back end of the review but for now all sound analysis was done using the stock cable with my players Fiio M15, Shanling M6 pro, M5s,M3s, IBasso DX160 and Cayin N5ii.

The Orbs are very easy to drive being sensitive at 10 Ohms. However I didn’t find them to be particularly a hiss magnet like my CA Solaris. This being said it is recommended to have a source with a low IO to bring out the best sonic ability of the Orb. No amp needed but a good sounding dap is always a plus when using the Orb. Due to the already full bodied rich nature of the Orb sonically. Neutral sources are recommended for best synergy.


The base tuning of the Orb has its foundation in a balanced tuning. While their graph would show a slight V shaped Fr. These are much better balanced than the graph would indicate. First let's take a look at the abilities of the BA being used. BA timbre can be clinical and somewhat artificial, depending on how it is tuned and the quality of the BA. I can tell by the tonal quality of the Orb. The BA being used is of a higher quality. A smooth warm tonally rich in quality represents the Orbs full ranged BA. Music sounds natural without the artificial brightening for the sake of resolution. I have one too many BA based earphones where it clearly lets you know treble is at the forefront of the sonic signature. Orb is not one of them. The mids take center stage. Treble highlights the rich tonal quality of the Orbs mid range and not the other way around. The Orb is more tip dependent than your average in ears, so your can of tips will come in handy.

The Orb comes with 2 sets of silicones and both have a different effect on the sound balancing of the Orb and how you will hear the sonics. They both have a medium wide opening. What looks like a 3.5mm opening. The stem of the tips however are different. One set is shorter and another set is longer. The shorter tips the sound bores will sit closer to your eardrums which gives a more balanced fuller sound to the sonics. The longer tip gives a bit more to the treble and bass end giving a more fun take on the Orb sound. I went a bit further and experimented with my go to earphone tips. In the end I did settle on my Spiral Dots but tip rolling is encouraged to get the best sonically from the Orb for your particular hearing. You can enhance everything from bass, mid forwardness, to slight treble increase using the right tips.

Treble of the Orb has good clarity and is perceived in a crisp manner with no treble grain or piercing qualities. Dependent on the tips you choose you can get a bit more in the way of sparkle and shimmer. Reason why I chose the Spiral Dots. The Orb is not a treble first earphone as stated earlier and it shows in the tonal character of the Orb being slightly warm vs a cooler tone. Treble has an excellent non fatiguing presence about it that rises to the occasion and has good but not outstanding presence and detail. Here is where I feel muti BAs has an upper leg on the treble compared to a single BA design. Treble while adequate is clearly attached to the mids of the single BA. Transition is fluid as a result but for folks that live by high end detail and extension in the treble. The Orb is ever so slightly reserved in these aspects .

Treble end lacks a bit of micro detailing and is more apt at macro details in that if a track has good treble in the recording it will sound very natural and complete. However slight nuanced micro details in treble will not be as evident as a secondary higher end BA that is dedicated to the region. This is actually more nit picking on my end vs how the treble actually sounds. For what it is, a single BA that does the full range sound from the super highs to the lower mids the BA chosen by Penon will give you the goods where it matters. For folks that are sensitive to treble with a bit too much in the highs will not have to worry about that on the Orbs. Treble overall goes along with the smooth mids and has an overall non fatiguing good quality and detail.

Mids transition from the treble is seamless while upper mids has a natural and steady rise starting from the 1.5khz in the 3Khz region. The rise is done tastefully and is not prone for shouty or overly forward vocals that can be associated with the region. The sonic presentation is bold with a spacious height and depth with a wider head stage for in ears that throws out a surround sensation. The Orbs have a full body mid range and sounds very natural in tonal quality. I attribute the slight warmth in tone due to the ample bass and a treble end that is not exaggerated compared to a lot of earphones that try hard in the region. The mids here benefit with a rich tonal quality and comes at you with a full smooth sound.

A well tuned BA has the mids that sounds slightly forward. You will definitely take note of how good the mids are on the Orbs. While instrument separation is not quite as good as higher end multi BA designs. Layering of the mid range is exceptional and adds a euphoric weighty vocals rendition which sounds absolutely sublime. Be it female or male. Vocals have great range and depth. Instrument details come at you in an intimate form with a large spacious sonic presentation. Immersion is what the Orb excels at and you will be floating in your music with the grand sound presentation of the Orbs.

A clean crisp treble to a rich full bodied mids section, the bass is the area where Penon gave the Orbs some pure adrenaline. Penon gave us a plus on the dynamic aspect with a nice higher end 10mm dynamic driver being used on the Orb. Described as a 10mm graphite fiber wire paper dome, grainless vibrating membrane. It is stated that they took precise care in matching up the dynamic driver with the BA on the Orb and it shows. This driver is clearly several steps above your garden variety dynamic driver. Because these simply don’t sound like your garden variety dynamic drivers. Bass ability and definition is a stand out on the Orbs. Superb bass! .

Bass fans rejoice you are getting a benchmark level quality bass on the Orbs. Owning and reviewing my share of hybrids and dynamic in ears. The Bass end of the Orbs takes no prisoners. It will slaughter any bass note with emphasis you wished you had on your TOTL IEMs.

I am a fan of different sound signatures but going back to my roots of being a full fledged bass head. Who doesn't like some soul in your music? Bass can make or break an earphone sound and here we get a very nice high end dynamic pushing that air with subsonic goodness you deserve. Rumble is for real on these. Like a good well aged subwoofer the subs reach into the abyss and let you know every bass note in your recordings and how it is supposed to sound. The bass quality is crazy good on these and has plenty of juice when you feel you want to jam out with your bad self. The bass end injects some serious Ooomph to the sonic richness of the Orbs and what do you get when you have such bass on an already great sounding full ranged BA?

Bass has roundness, The type of bass real enthusiasts love to listen to. Subbass has that grunt with the perfect mid bass impact when called for. Morphs into every bass note imaginable. That textured rumble is one of the best if not the best in the price range I have heard. Fan of high quality bass? You got a 15 inch sub in your living room? You're gonna love the bass ability of the Orb. Oh wait it gets even better.

Since the Orb isolates extremely well. You're gonna get that rumble when out and about. Much better than other in ears. Need a warm bass massage?. That killer bass quality comes alive when walking about and who doesn't want that bass when walking? Bass for the most part stays away from the mids but this high quality bass is reason alone to get this earphone. It will not surprise me one bit of the bass on the Orb becomes your bass benchmark in the sub $500 range of earphones. For guys that are looking for neutrality. Time to look up something else with weak bass.

But this earphone is not a one trick pony. It has ability and versatility. Bass only comes alive when it is in your tracks. It can go from no bass to full on trunk o funk. Who don’t like the occasional trunk o funk? Mix dat low hitting punchy bass with a large spacious rich sound production. A well made, well isolating earphone with a very comfortable fit. And there you have it. The Orb. As always, thanks for taking the time to read.

BELOW CABLE SECTION. Your not a cable guy stop reading.

In this section I will cover some cable effects of the Orb. Myself being a cable aficionado, cables make changes to the sonic flavoring to the Orb like your favorite condiment to your steak. First up. Hows about supercharging the Orb. with Penons own highly regarded OS849 cable. My review on these here.

Due to the warm smooth nature of the Orb sonic character I feel silver plated copper variety of cables synergized well with the stock signature sound. A pure copper cable would add even more warmth which is not needed. The mix of copper and silver however does well to max out the abilities of the Orb. Stock cable also happens to be a hand made 8 core SPC cable.

This pairing is unreal. I just did a review of this very cable and how well it matched up with my IBasso IT04. Well I can say it is even a better one for the Orb. With this pairing you couldn't possibly get better sonically from a cable on any earphone. The Orb base sound was described as I stated above but what this cable adds are a lot of pluses. Better clarity, tighter better defined bass, better definition in all regions of sound. Better perceived treble sparkle. Meaning this helps address the one nitpick I had with the micro details. Better imaging. Better expansion of stage with added depth.

So the Orb goes from a very good sounding earphone to something great with this cable. I know I know the cable is expensive at $120. If you want the absolute best. The OS849 is not just an upgrade but a substantial one for the Orb. There simply isn't anything that will make the Orbs sound quite like how it sounds with this particular cable. I have tried the Orb with some generic aliexpress cheaper SPC cables. They all enhance the Orb to a certain degree but not quite like how the 0S849 does it.

Why a cable upgrade you ask? Well for one there is no balanced cable option for the Orb. 2ndly why not! You like a sound of a particular IEM why not get the best you can from it?

ISN SC4. Using both pure silver and a crystal copper wire. You can read my review on them here. ISN SC4 gives a wider stound than the stock cable. Treble has slightly enhanced and bass sounds tighter giving the ISN SC4 a well even balanced take on the Orb sonics. I would give the edge to the OS849 but where the advantage of the ISN SC4 comes into play is that these are only 4 cores very soft and is much lighter than the OS849. These are most definitely an upgrade on your stock cable and gives the best balanced properties to the Orb.

Last but not least my most expensive pairing the Penon Leo plus you can read more about this cable here. Leo Plus gives the best sound separation with the blackest of backgrounds and the widest stage on the Orb. So this is the one cable that breaks my rule of not using a cable that costs more than the earphones. But it does give the best definition to the Orb sonically out of these cables. Best clarity out of the 3 cables and stage but for sheer bang for buck upgrade again I would go with the OS849. But for guys that want a higher end sheen to the Orb and money isn't a problem. The Leo plus attached to the Orb injects more air to the sonics and ends up making the Orbs sound super high end. A very nicely matched pairing.