Penon OS849 premium IEM cables

Penon OS849 in included case.


The cable is made of 8 cores with each core consisting of 49 strands of Silver plated 6N crystal copper. A tried and true IEM cable formula. The OS849 was provided for the purpose of a review. You can purchase the OS849 here on Penon web site.

Here we have the opportunity to take a good look into the Penon OS849. While this is not a newer designed cable it is more of a staple in the Penon cable collection and it is easy to see why. You can read the numerous reviews on this particular cable and I have seen nothing but praise thrown it’s way. With the cable tested. I have to agree with the reviews.

The cable at its core is 68% crystal copper material which makes the bulk of the sonic qualities to be about the copper but the silver plating is what makes these shine literally and figuratively.



I can recall my first ever aftermarket IEM cable which I still own was an SPC or silver plated copper cable. It was the first time I heard sonic improvements from using such a cable and it has been a downward spiral since. My cable collection is a bit embarrassing actually. I might have more cables than earphones. For me it is all about tweaking my favorite earphones with the best matching cable I can find for the money and the OS849 is a cable to consider.

Where's the Beef you ask? Not with the standard 8 core.

A bit of a back story. My IEM collection was in the making for years. It has grown in size and types and has overtaken a corner portion of one of my living rooms, much to the chagrin of my wife. She thinks I am crazy. I suppose I am a bit crazy but hey audio is something I have a passion for so why not. One of my favorites ever since I got them is my Ibasso IT04. It is Ibassos flagship hybrid IEM. IT04s are a technical reference tuned IEM with excellent stage and detail. It is tuned to be more neutral ish with a wide sonic presentation more so than having a full body of sound like a Solaris or something like the ISN H40.


So my cable obsession came alive really after my acquisition of the IT04. It sounded great with the included cables but I wanted a bit more meat to the presentation especially the mid bands.

If you have never used aftermarket cables before or think these cables are snake oil. Well I can tell you, you are wrong but I can say that cus this is my review and not yours. Lol. Hey I didn't ask you to read this.


Cables are a lot like the clothes we wear. Sometimes I want a loose fitting casual wear and sometimes I want something tight and sharp for them nights with the misses. At its core cables don’t make the earphone it is attached to all of a sudden become something different. Just because I am wearing sweats don’t change who I am but if I put on a sharp suit. I will most definitely stand out of a crowd. Or at least I think I will.


So my analogy might not be the best but that is in fact what cable upgrades do for your earphones. I actually love the cable that came with the IT04. Ibasso is one of a hand full of manufacturers that seem to throw in an actual optimized cable to use with their earphones. Many are guilty of cutting corners in the IEM game. You get that nice looking earphone with a massive 12 drivers in the housing only to find out the cable it comes with is a random throw in. You experienced it and so have I. Too often than not. Or even worse when they throw in a cable that actually enhances the flaws of an earphone sound. Ya this happens too.

It seems the people that make earphones and the people that package them are not the same. This happens too often especially for sub $200 to budget earphones. Sure cost cutting is not something new but just know there are a lot of limitations on the cables that are thrown in with most earphones. This will not change. So it is up to us to find aftermarket cables that do one better.


In my humble opinion. Much like included tips in an earphone package if there is not a nice variety of tips included I end up tossing most of it in a container and that is that. I always end up using premium tips that work best for me. So what about the cables.

Cables are not just dress up for your fancy in ears. They do have an effect on the sonics as well. Yes they look fancy but the sonic enhancement if you listen to your earphones with a critical ear, will be noticeable. So back to the topic at hand. The OS848 cable has been sold for a while on Penon and if you're new to getting cables in the $100 plus land. These cables will make you understand why they cost like they do.


The OS849 happens to be a supercharged silver plated copper cable. If you frequent Aliexpress and the various cables that are available you will notice similar looking cables that all cost differently. The cost is set by the sellers of the cable based on brand name, material and workmanship. It is not all true that a more expensive cable will yield better results. I think it is more dependent on how the cable matches with the host IEM more so than cost being a factor. However in general I do notice more consistent workmanship, better premium materials ergonomics and sonics out of the more spendy $100 plus cables.


OS849 is such a cable. At its core it is a high quality crystal copper 68% of it according to the specs. Then the cable is coated with a pure silver finish which make up 32% of the bulk. The silver aspect of the sonic enhancement means your gonna get an uptick in perceived detail, clarity and stage. The copper adds fullness, warmth, and bass impact to your earphones base sound. When you add the two together you get something that will enhance the sound character of your IEMs.

Standard 8 core SPC left VS Beefy OS849 SPC cable to your right.

Not all SPC cables are the same. I am fairly certain many of the sub $10-$50 SPC cables you see on the express are made of much cheaper lower grade copper. What seems to be silver coating or plating could be in fact silver paint on that lower grade of copper. But even these cheaper cables end up being better than a lot of the included cables you get with earphones. That is saying something.


The thicker 49 individual cores that make up a single bundle of cores X8 means these cables have some bulk. Thicker than your average 8 core cables. You are getting a heaping love of them cores in this cable that all enhance the sound perception of your earphones. You can take a wild guess which earphone I tried them on right away. I know the sonic goodness of my IT04 like the back of my hands and what it did that a lot of my other cables have not is as follows. Mid range enhancement. Fuller richer tone in the mid band. Vocals sound more pronounced in the mix resulting in a better perception of layering. It is exactly what I was looking for. I also notice bass has greater weight and impact. Treble retains its clarity, detail and extension. Stage sounds even more spacious.

My IT04 sounds like a new earphone because of a greater presence in the perceived mids of the earphones. I finally feel the IT04 has met the cable it deserves. This is exactly what I was looking for. I have tried a good 20 plus cables on this particular earphone and even higher end ones. Pure silver gives them the best definition overall but ends up leaning out the mid range even further with a leaner bass. Pure copper even higher end ones thicken the sound but smooths out the excellent treble performance of the IT04. So I needed something in between and got that with the OS849

Again the IT04 did not all of a sudden become a different earphone but the enhancements to the sonics are noticeable. This cable woke up the bass end with more presence and better texture than the stock cable which makes the IT04 sound more musical sounding. My IT04 sounds beefier. Pure muscle added to them bones. Even after I try it on some other earphones. These will stay on the IT04.

This being said I will see how the OS849 did with some of my other in ears.

With my Solaris

OS849 matches well with the Solaris. Solaris is known for its holographic imaging big spacious musical stage with excellent balance of sound. These cables enhances what the Solaris does best. More spacious even fuller sounding with flagship level imaging. Sounds more expansive with greater fuller body of sound vs the stock Alo litz cable. Treble shimmer and air. Love the pair up.

OS849 with the ISN H40. While sound expansion is not as great as the Solaris. The sound is even more spacious with better mids focus, definition and body. Bass is the best I have heard on the H40 using this cable. Treble is clear with slightly better extension. It brings yet another different flavor to the H40 tuning.

So I do hear a commonality among the earphones I tried this cable on. The thicker cores here matters and they add to a fuller more expansive sound scape. OS849 helps the mids have more projection and bass end roundness on earphones The silver aspect adds a better sense of treble refinement, clarity and stage. These cables will be a substantial upgrade on just about any earphone you want to use them on especially for neutrally tuned earphones. Thanks again for reading my take on the Penon OS849 and as always happy listening.