Penon Space

2X the size of the regular Penon OS133 "big" cable:
Penon doubled-up the regular OS133 IEM cable. Yep, they took the regular OS133 and doubled up the wires, then they added a 3-in-1 cable plug system. Such differences in cable-size are noticeable as you would expect. Meaning if you hold the regular OS133 cable in your hands and guess what 2X the material would do to increase the diameter of the cable……that’s what the Penon Space is.

There is a really good chance that the cable that came with your IEM had just enough copper, or silver-plated copper to transfer the signal……and that’s it. So it’s easy to see how Penon can come along and improve the transmission.

4 shares, single share is 133 cores, a total of Silver Plated OFC 532 cores.

More Oxygen-Free-Copper:
Now while the Space cable IS slightly bulky, it severs a purpose. But the creativity here is that the Space never really alters the IEM tone. What the Penon Space does is increase the perception of stage and layering in every direction. What goes along with that character improvement of your IEM is an increase in note-weight and dynamics.

The special part of this cable is that it almost goes with every IEM made in the world. And it never changes the tone of any IEM, it simply adds soundstage and note weight, layering and dynamics. The only IEMs that may take issue are extremely bright IEMs that you may chose only pure copper for? You may think that sounds simple, and it is simple. Yet it does this for Planar IEMs, Hybrid IEMs, BA IEMs…….even single full-range Dynamic Driver IEMs! So it’s a simple solution to a more common issue than you think…….the issue of stock cables. There is a real reason that there is a heard performance increase after switching to an aftermarket cable with your favorite IEMs……………not always, but regularly.


^A regular included cable ^
Here is an example of an included IEM cable that shows just enough material to transfer the signal. So it’s no wonder adding signal transferring material improves performance.




Penon Space 4 Shares OFC Silver-plated HiFi Audiophile IEMs Cable with 3-in-1 Detachable Plugs

Description
OFC silver-plated cable
Black nylon sheath
4 shares, single share is 133 cores, a total of 532 cores.
3-in-1 detachable modular plug
3.5mm audio,2.5mm/4.4mm balanced gold-plated plug
Gold-plated copper + carbon fiber plug accessories
MMCX connector
2Pin 0.78mm connector (positive and negative concave grooves facing outward)
Length: 1.2m

https://penonaudio.com/penon-space.html
Price $99.90

Examples of IEMs:
Penon Serial with Space Cable:

I have recently found the Serial to a perfect test subject for cables. Reason being is the signature has a bunch of different paths it can go down and still be correct and totally accessible. Where at times BAs can be either brittle or off-tone due to timbre, yet because the Penon Serial finds itself built simply with 3 various sizes of dynamic drivers…..there is more room (maybe) to explore. Here upon the start I found the stage to become enormous. Such findings warranted a quick referral back to the included CS819 cable. Laughably it was like the Serial had the wind taken out of its sails. While a section of the midrange was still there at almost the previous (Space) volume, the total low end was now missing. But more than that, there was dramatic contrasts and imaging size that was gone. Now stay with me…..I gave the included CS819 cable high marks in the Serial review, only because I felt it gave Serial owners a window into which to view what the Serial was about………but also I didn’t have anything like the Space cable around for comparison. While the CS819 is a $49.00 cable on its own, and much more manageable, still this difference is crazy. The first thing that hits you emotionally is the physical difference between the two cables when doing the cable changes. Where the CS819 is the very definition of a thin cable, then the Space is about as big of a device as you could get away with hooking between you IEM and DAP!

But to lay the groundwork here, the Space matches the colors really well with the Serial IEM. Because the Serial is primarily black, the looks totally go together. I will not lie, the Space is noticeable when hanging-off your ears, connected to the Serial. Yet no issues were observed as far as the weight pulling the IEM out, or even dislodging it. I use typically wide-bore silicone ear-tips and found placement to be remarkably consistent.

The sound experience:
The Sony WM1A was hooked-up to the Space and the Serial with minimal cable noise. Though to be perfectly honest, if you took your fingers and rubbed the nylon sleeving you could in-fact here a transfer of noise to the IEM. Walking with the Space in place (especially on a windy day) could in fact generate some cable noise. This cable is huge, yet doesn’t really act-up or go where you don’t want it to move to. Though again, it would be hard to imagine any larger cable in regular use. With that said cables like the Totem do cause more ruckus due to their inherent thickness and resulting manageability. You see here we are dealing with four stands and they are separated and more bendable than two giant (Totem) cables. So (to get to the sound finally) the first thing again is the size of it all. I challenge anyone to note notice the huge differences between these two (CS819/Space) cables. It’s is a powerful difference and instantly noticeable. Where often my cable comparisons deal with small unique differences, but no, here the differences are as big as day, and easy to report on. The bass contains more weight and while never changing the original tone, we are now experiencing size differences which are bringing the bass notes closer and farther away. Such physical size gives weight to the pace and yet is not over-powering or even messing with the mids. Often when bass is described as larger you tend to feel that it oversteps boundaries, yet here is not the case. Why? Because everything is larger…..more focused and more real. Yet due to the size it simply seems like a more pronounced bass (in comparison to CS819) where yes, the bottom-end is vastly larger, but the mids now travel out to be placed right on-top of the bass. But more than that, there is this smoothness and nimbleness that is purely silver coated OFC…….it’s a texture really. The way the vocals fall-off, and the attack, the effortlessness of the whole experience.

EFFORTLESS: (My word for the day is effortless)
I rarely use a word to start a new chapter heading with all capitals, except this smoothness and gracefulness needs to be reiterated upon! Simply put (the cable) is allowing more to be heard and while I have often used more expensive cables on the Serial, I am not sure I have ever heard this exact tone before? Wait........I’m positive I have never heard this sway and softness of effortless movement! Characters of itemization simply arrive and travel-off into the distance, and the next arrives, all so pure and as they should be. While I have heard brighter renditions of the Serial response…..I’m not so sure I have ever heard a more connected playback. Simply warm and analogue, while represented in size, connected in fullness.



Conclusion of the Serial and Space:
I could have written pages of script poetically reiterating on this enigma presented before me, except you have other things to do and I feel I have got my point across. Though if I could, I would like to at least say a few things about this style of treble. Golden colored and copper washed……there is nothing brittle of even possibly thin, the Penon Serial is not thin anyway, by nature. But our wonder is if the Penon Space is too warm or congested. Laughably the Space is the farthest from congested as you can find…..so with-in this found open-ness, all treble informations seem to arrive into the most smoothest of placements, and while never totally dislocated into form. Even stridence in the music is somehow subdued and closer to perfection. There simply is no off-tone…….nothing standing out in this complete package? Such instruments seem to follow the rules and fall into timbre as they exist. And while memory serves me to recall enhanced and higher-up itemizations of treble separations…..with brighter cables, nothing is exactly too dark? And while even vocals inside of the upper-midrange seem to be heard, there is a slight reserve of separation in them, a closeness to home so to speak….though remember this was the Serial (character) anyway regardless of cable choice.



The Noble Audio Kaiser 10 Encore Universal:
I want to point-out that right here would be a good area to talk about the Fan 2 response. Only the Fan 2 came included with the first generation of the Space, called the OS133 cable. Yep exactly the same cable minus the 3-in-1 plug system and 1/2 less cable material. So you can imagine the Space difference, more cable and a bigger picture in-which to view the Fan 2 movie. All the image positioning and tone are the same, only bigger imaging and (what seems like) larger instruments, yet all in the same relationship to one another…..need I say more?

The K-10 Encore is a challenge. Why? My history of it has been with the 4-wire OCC copper Litz Han Sound. Yep, the Han Sound has not an smidge of silver……..pure copper. Then a new favorite has been the Penon Obsidian cable……again not a smidge of silver. Now to be honest there have been mixtures (like the Totem) (like the Leo Plus) where rudimentary ingredients would show silver as an additive in those cables. Yet to get to he bottom of this, it’s not exactly the use of silver, but the total sound signature arrived at. Meaning the Totem cables and the Encore I could ride off into the sunset with and have those two products be my one-and-only loves. Where the Leo Plus was another take on another idea of a sound, but maybe it is best used with IEMs which don’t spark-up at the 6K (anti) sibilance zone? Ultimately what I’m getting at is the Penon Obsidian was a cable far above its price with the Encore.

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/penon-obsidian.26143/reviews#review-29789

A past flagship the $1850.00 Nobel Encore uses 10 un-disclosed BA drivers to deliver its stance. And at first the $149.00 Obsidian Cable (on-the-surface) doesn’t seem up to the job of being a soul-mate? But that’s before you truly investigate what the Obsidian is………

The Obsidian Quote From Dsnuts:
"Obsidian is pure OCC copper but with 2 simple cores out of 400 has a pure gold plating. The genius of that design is it barely has gold plating just enough to affect the tonality to be slightly richer. If the entire thing was plated in gold that brings a bit too much coloration. Reason why cables like the Totem and the ISN Solar use partial plating of gold. I own a few gold plated copper cables and those are not as versatile as the obsidian.

Only works great on brighter neutral IEM to give them some flavor.

Then the accessories or the connectors and plugs are also gold plated copper material further enhancing the richness factor of the Obsidian. It is mostly copper in sound properties but with enough gold in it to give IEMs a touch of richness and better texture for the sound."

So after all that….lets throw the Encore a curve-ball, and just see/hear what will take place, shall we?
I was apprehensive (because I tried the Space/Encore) momentarily before when it arrived, but only shortly. Truly I didn’t know how this whole senereo would play out. Using the Sony 1A and a slightly different form of wide-bore tips than I regularly use, the playback was great, yet the 6K peak was noticeably there. The bass was nice but not as romantic or as smooth as with the Penon Serial. BA bass is regularly not found to be as visceral as found with common DD responses anyway. Going on to EDM styles the Space was interesting and listenable, though not a first choice in my cable collection. Here while not exactly overall bright or glaring in any way…….there was missing a slight aspect of soul. Still things like hi-hats were spatially reproduced and fun, just that you had to imagine the rest of the playback (bass) was taking a back-seat.

I have one more example here. Just call this a gut-instinct, but this I think will be cool to try!

TANGZU Zetian Wu with Space Cable:
Yep………the TANGZU Zetian Wu with Space cable. My instincts were dead-on, dead-on. The thing is the Zetian Wu is normally a $149.00 IEM, yet the Space cable completes whatever slight congestion issues the Wu may have and takes it to nirvana! Planar IEMs typically have an extra supply of bass nimbleness which goes ahead to give them an extra sound quality which goes above and beyond (and delivers) what you typically expect for the money. That’s (one reason) why people buy planar IEMs in the first place. Now it must be stated that I choose the TANGZU Zetian Wu randomly (call it luck) but also (due to) a little intuition from understanding it, still nothing could have prepared me for this inevitable out-come. Nope………….nothing! I mean this is what Head-Fi is about, finding synergy and running with it. Finding two common place objects and adding them together and finding gold. In fact there is little-to-nothing not to like about the Space/Wu combination. Let me explain!



Increased bass texture:
While (normally) the Zetain Wu bass is fast, there is a slight room for improvement which could in-fact make it seem even faster and even better textured. While it should be noted that this may not be the case with every Planar, of the 10 Planar IEMs I reviewed last year, the Wu was totally special. In fact if you have a planar and want me to give the Space cable a try, just shoot me a PM, and I would be happy to give you time. The trick here is not to remove any of the naturalness the TANGZU Zetian Wu brings to the table anyways. This tone arrives due to the structure of the timbre for one thing. That’s right, gone is some of the Planar Timbre that is often found on the street. Now maybe some is still lurking somewhere, yet the Space cable doesn’t enhance it, and possibly improves it. The reason timbre is almost subjective and individual in perception, is it is dealing with recognizing instruments for their original tone………and part of that original tone comes across by the very music you are listening to. So it has to do with both your personal ideas as to tone, and the instance of hearing them in a musical piece. So often my ideas are they can be a style of buried, meaning a cable that separates the stage and brings about “clarity” could in fact cause danger in this area, but all is well, being the style of timbre remained the same.

And while I believe this style of definition arrives by the actual Space cable attributes, in metallurgy, I can’t help but think that the physical size of the cable is doing something too? So in a way we are replicating the Serial success, yet with a total different driver methodology. Yep, both are warm/darker side of neutral, yet showcasing natural tone and with the Planar......a more natural form of planar timbre.

Conclusion:
This is by far the best I ever heard the Zetian Wu to be. Also I always wonder when I hear room for stage and pace to be improved upon. It’s not like there was anything wrong with the original Wu cable, but I myself didn’t have access to 4.4mm balanced. Though keep in mind I’m using balanced (4.4mm) to simply access a different amplifier circuit in the Sony 1A. And for a fact, you can order a 4.4mm balanced combination from TANGZU when you order your Zetian Wu, they just didn’t supply it to me. In essence the Penon Space 3-in-1 supplied exactly what we want, both preserving the naturalness of the Wu, while still improving on the found technicalities. While playback is slightly cleaned-up, such characteristics are not in anyway detrimental to the over-all character of the Wu. The Penon Space simply opens the stage and creates larger renditions of instruments that are already there. Being spread-out in fact makes the Zetian Wu, closer to being my ultimate sound in the sub $300 price point. And while my best attribute besides stage increases, is that tonally the Wu is exactly the same, yet this increase in stage size somehow makes the completeness the Space in known for, leaving nothing out nor rearranging anything, to become the ultimate add. That in fact, it doesn’t add anything except while making everything bigger, the end result is somehow things becoming more complete? At times I have to go ahead and ask myself if in-fact I wish for more, more tone or more personal involvement with a specific sound response. Here I can say truly the Space cable is a style of completeness and accuracy. I mean what else is missing? Well for some they may think they need to throw more money into the random chance of finding more? And again I wonder what more? What more could you possibly ask of the Wu? What more could you possibly ask of the Serial? Where I pretty sure the Wu became all it could be, there of course could be directions in tone that could make the Serial a new and different animal. Except (often) those places are often simply another flavor on another take on just what is possible. There was always avenues to travel down with new vistas and new towns to visit with the Serial, still my place arrived at with the Space cable was special. There were also other places to visit with the Wu, but I’m pretty sure I found the very best idea of how it could sound with the Space cable. If in-fact your up for an adventure, I can’t recommend the Space cable more, especially if your using the stock included cable with your IEM.

At $99.90 it’s worth every cent in some applications.
https://penonaudio.com/penon-space.html

The 3-in1 adapter is amazingly easy to use. You can look into for the alignment pin, but I don’t, there is simply no other way for it to go into the slots to line-up in the pins, other than the correct way. Once fastened the exterior friction keeps the two pieces joined. Once the two pieces are together the have a look and feel of a regular plug.

Disclaimer:
I want to thank Penon Audio for the love and for the Penon Space 3-in-1 Cable System review sample.

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

Equipment Used:
Sony WM1Z Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm and 3.5mm
Sony WM1A Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm and 3.5mm
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
Shanling UA3 Dongle DAC/Amplifier 4.4mm and 3.5mm

The Penon Purple Plug System:
Bonus Palladium Plug
Let's just say you were listening to the Space cable and wanted to make an additive?

What if I told you there was a way to add the spacial dimensions and separation qualities of Palladium to the Wu experience? Well in reality this also works with the Serial too, but since I have the Wu in my ears and can quickly confirm differences, I’m going with the Wu.

Call me surprised, because to be honest I don’t hear an improvement with every cable/Purple Plug/IEM combination? HAHA……maybe just my luck that I’m using the Purple Plug with a Purple IEM? But to reiterate on this additive, normally overpriced cable builders will add a $100.00 add-on to have your plugs terminated in Palladium, yet here is a quick and easy way to access the powers of the metal plating at a fraction of the cost!

$29.00
https://penonaudio.com/penon-purple-copper-plug.html

Only though the easiness of switchable plugs can you find the freedom of discovering if they work for you or not. I mean of course you could buy two exact same IEM cables and have the 3.5mm or 4.4mm plug coated with Palladium on one, then switch to the other and continue to investigate if you could in-fact hear a difference between the two or not. Here with a quick cable plug switch we can access the Palladium experience. Now maybe because no Palladium is used regularly with the Penon Space Cable System, that in fact it was noticeably different and totally recognizable in this case, for me? But what happens is an increase in stage, a separation of elements and a slight density of characters. I especially noticed it in the male vocals of the Wu in that they were a hair more weighty and carried just a slight bit of clarity? Placebo or not, the change was real, and at the cost of admission you can’t help to be curious. Probably what got me the most was the Wu is really not known for its resolution in general, so being able to visualize a change really meant something here. One thing to note is the plugs themselves have little flower symbols on them so you can easily distinguish them from regular plugs when in use.

Penon Space

“Space the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise, a five year mission..To explore strange new worlds..To seek out new life and new civilizations..To boldly go where no man has ever gone before.” Captain James T. Kirk Star Trek Enterprise..


Strutting a name like “Space.” For a cable? Well yes. As it pretty much describes the effect of these cables on attached IEMs. The Space is a premium version of Penon’s OS133 cable, it was only a matter of time before the idea of the Space cable came into fruition. Double the core count of the OS133, now with complete modularity, the Penon Space is a substantial upgraded cable for your IEMs included cables.

Aftermarket cables for IEMs are even more numerous than the IEMs they are used for. It is arguable which included accessory is more important to a well designed IEM the tips or the cables. Tips are a dime a dozen, but a well made cable that works to enhance the IEM sound is imo much more important than the tips. Case in point the Space is such a cable that does exactly that. Enhances the spacial aspects of the sound of your IEMs.

The Space has been provided by Penon Audio for the purpose of a review. They have been used with a variety of my top IEMs vs their included cables for analysis. If you feel the need to get yourself a substantial upgrade for your IEMs you can look up Penons sales pages here.

Penons newer cable designs all include modularity. I was told their classics like the Penon Mix which already got the modular upgrade will be upgraded to modularity. Probably when they sell out of a particular cable they have in stock I would assume. Penons version of modular plugs are a simple plug and play design. The cord part is the female end and the plugs themselves are the male end. Since the plugs have 4 protruding pins that only sit one way there is a groove in the female end and a slot in the male end of the plugs. You do have to pay attention to what you're doing when plugging in the plugs as that last thing you want is to mash your plugs into the female end carelessly and bend some of the pins. Technically it would be difficult to actually mash the male in as it will only go in with the grove that aligns and guides the installation.

Other vendors use a screw cap to make certain the plug does not fall off. To be honest that screw aspect is not really needed as you have to really pull out the plug with some force in order for the pins to come off. No worries if the pins will accidentally pop off the female portion. It just won't happen. The entire cable will come out plug and all of a player before that ever happens.

Penon also sells an enhanced palladium plated plug to interchange and or to replace the included plugs if need be called the purple. You can look up the sales pages for those here.

The purple plugs while looking very similar to what is included with the Space is actually more specialized as it was manufactured with a palladium coating vs the stock copper and gold plating. What the Palladium plating does is it slightly enhances a stage aspect and gives a greater definition for the high notes on your IEMs. I know it sounds hokey but I tested them using a Penon Mix cable going back and forth from the stock plugs to the purple and it does change how the stock plugs sound for the Mix cable. The Space cable here to a bit lesser extent as it seems pure silver cables are more affected vs SPC type cables the space is. In any case at least it is an option.

The Space at its cores are OFC copper cables plated in Silver and here is what separates the Space from the OFC cables that are included with your IEMs. OFC stands for Oxygen Free Copper and this is a standard material used for numerous IEMs but the main difference is just how little of it they include for IEMs. You usually get a few strands of the stuff, just enough for audio transmission and that is about it. For example the included cable for Tansio Mirai IEMs.

The Space is 4 cores with each core having 133 shares. Do the math on that, it comes to 532 individual shares of the stuff. The sheer amount of the material here gives an sound enhancing aspect that lesser cables including its sibling the OS133 just can’t do. The OS133 cable has exactly half the share count of the Space. So what does doubling the material get you?

Greater Space. Sound expansion is what these cables are all about. Not as transparent as a pure silver type cable or are they all about a natural warmth of pure copper type cables. It is in the end a silver plated copper type cable. OFC might not be the uber high end UPOCC or OCC or even Crystal Copper Penon likes to use. But when you get this much material it has to enhance something right?

And it does. The tried and true OFC copper aspects give a natural, neutral tonal aspect to IEMs. It doesn't make IEMs sound brighter and they certainly don't make them sound warm either. If anything it ever so slightly leans toward the copper aspects in tonal character for your IEMs. Sometimes you want an enhancing cable that promotes the headstage and spacial character of the IEM without changing the tonal character or leaning out the musical notes.

The Space is exactly this. They don't influence tonal character in one way or the other but they increase some of the technical aspects of your IEMs especially when you want an increase in sound presentation in the form of an enhanced stage and layering of your sound. The Space expands an IEM sound in every direction. Gives,” space” for your IEM presentations in how you hear your music. Its natural tonal enhancing ability bodes well for all types of IEMs be it hybrid, dynamic or even planars. Extremely versatile as a result.
The difference in what these do vs the half the cores of the OS133 is that these expand sounds to a greater degree. Adds a thicker/ fuller note weight to music and due to that sound expansion enhances imaging and the holographic ability of an IEMs sound presentation all at the same time. They don’t enhance details and image like a pure silver type cable but more support the musical aspects for IEMs. Its natural tonal and stage enhancing ability also gets an uptick in dynamism for your sounds. All the elements that actually synergize for an IEMs sound capabilities more than detract anything from them.


My definition of musicality has to do with a certain emotive quality of a sound. Not talking about an analytical or thin note type of sound but I am talking full bodied, highly dynamic and spacious in sound character . The Space provides these aspects, hence increasing the musicality of your IEMs sound.

Neutrally tuned IEMs will benefit from the Space cable vs something that already sounds analogous. If it is already musical from the get go it will just enhance those aspects to be greater. But for neutral type IEMs, the space will add a fullness and an increase of the stage element that most included cables just don’t do. Good bass becomes great bass. Full mids become dimensional, articulate treble becomes airy. If that is what you are aiming for in an upgraded cable the Space is named as such due to what it does for your IEMs.

Nylon sleeving. Either you’re a fan or not. I believe the use of the tough nylon sleeving was used to hide oxidation for cables that can happen over time. But also as a design standpoint gives some solid strength and durability for everyday use for cables. There is a reason why some of the highest end aftermarket cables use the nylon sleeving.

The materials for the Space is OFC but then it does have that silver coating on the cores. Even though the Space is double the core count of the OS133 it is actually not as stiff as you would imagine. While they dont have the best pliability, they certainly are not noodle-like either. Has some very minor cord noise when walking using them. I think by nature anything sleeved with nylon will make some audible noise. What they do for your IEMs more than make up for the minor cons I have with them.

Overall the Space is yet another premium cable release from Penon that we could have predicted would have come. Make a whole bunch of sense to double up on the OS133 but the end results is much greater than the sums of its parts. The Space is what you get when you mix premium materials that synergize bringing out the best of your IEMs musical ability. There are cables that enhances an IEMs details and or warmth but not too many that actually enhances an IEMs musical sound characteristics. The Space is such a cable and one that can be used on any IEMs as it clearly shows consistency in what it does no matter what I attach them to.

I have used the word versatile when describing an IEM cable but these are probably one of Penons top versatile cables. They clearly enhance an IEMs sound to be projected to a greater degree and if that is what your looking for in a cable, the Space makes a whole lot of sense. Thanks for taking the time to read.