Penon Voltage

Penon ‘Voltage’
2x DD / 4x BA / 4x EST
RRP: $1,199



Available directly from Penon HERE

Introduction

Penon are one of those brands that once you’ve even a short amount of time in the hobby, you are very likely to have heard of them – fair to say they are known for providing high performing products at lower prices… they’ve recently taken a step up into the kilobuck zone, with the first in this segment being the ‘Voltage’, the subject for today’s review.

While this is my first Penon review, Voltage is not my first Penon IEM – I’ve owned Serial, Vortex and I think it was Fan 2 but moved all of them along during a rather chaotic phase for me in the hobby when climbing the IEM ladder at a ludicrously erratic and fast pace… I’ve definitely got the scars to show for it, and indeed the crazy hit to the bank account – I think I’m almost cured, is there a cure?! – hmmm.

Anyway, I was very happy to be offered the opportunity tor review Voltage as it is a highly regarded set in the community, and indeed hits a personal sweet spot for driver configuration being loaded with 2x DDs, 4x BAs, and 4x ESTs – in my experience, a nice balance and choice of drivers to really bring out the best in each FR zone… if done right of course.

Voltage was sent to me free of charge in exchange for my review, and as always, all thoughts and pictures are mine, with no input from the brand. Thank you to Penon for the opportunity, much appreciated.



About Me

I worked in the consumer electronics industry for a large part of my career and have been passionate about music and technology for as long as I can remember. Even as a small child, I would ask my mum to put records on the turntable (Abba, Supertramp, and Planxty if anyone is curious).

My music preferences are very varied—anything from classical to techno, indie rock to jazz, and everything in between. In my early teens, I was a big fan of bands like The Cure and The Smiths (still am all these years later). I was bitten by the dance music bug in the early 90s, becoming passionate about genres like techno, house, trance, and IDM. I amassed a huge collection of records and CDs, DJing at various parties and occasional pirate radio station slots. Although it remained a hobby, I still own thousands of records, and my trusty Technics 1210 turntables are still going strong 30 years later—a testament to Japanese engineering!

I am not a professional reviewer, just an enthusiast who loves music and the devices we use to listen to it. Over the last few years, I have become obsessed with IEMs and related gear. I've bought and sold many, and kept a select few—ranging from the $20 Moondrop Chu to kilobuck sets like the Aroma Jewel, Oriolus' infamous 'Traillii,' UM Mentor, and various beloved single DDs. Through this exploration, I like to share my thoughts with the Head-Fi community, hoping they might be useful to others. However, remember that this is a highly subjective hobby, and your mileage may vary.

While I've been fortunate to own and try a variety of the TOTL sets on the market, I honestly enjoy lower-priced sets as much - especially as the gap continues to close, many much cheaper sets now offering significant value and further driving diminishing returns.

I’ll admit I do suffer from happy ears—rarely do I find an IEM that I genuinely dislike. At this stage, there are very few truly "bad" IEMs; it all comes down to individual preferences. Since I listen to such a wide variety of genres, I almost always find synergy with some part of my library. Where I tend to deduct marks is in areas like value for money, poor accessories, or an uncomfortable fit—things that can detract from the overall experience.

About Penon (from the Penon ‘About Us’)

PenonAudio online shop (www.penonaudio.com) was born in 2013 and our main goal is to sell the best selected audio products at the most affordable prices for both the audiophiles and business users.

Many internet retailers sell thousands of products and provide you with nothing more than a generic description and a "Buy" button. We're different. We specialize in audio and head-fi gears, so our sales staff are fully trained on our products and are capable of answering detailed questions and making recommendations.

When shopping for audio and head-fi gears online, consumers often face a dilemma: buy from a reputable site and pay more, or risk buying from a not-so-trustworthy site to get the lowest price. With PenonAudio, you don't have to choose between low prices and a safe, high-quality shopping experience. You can have it all when you shop with us.

Specifications:

Driver: 4EST+4BA+2DD

• 4 x Sonion Electrostatic for ultra- high frequency
• 2 x Sonion Balanced Armature for high frequency
• 2 x Sonion Balanced Armature for middle frequency
• 2 x 8mm dynamic driver for low frequency
• 4-way crossover, 4 tubes
• Impedance: 13 ohm
• Sensitivity: 106dB
• Frequency response range: 5Hz~70kHz
• Connector: 2Pin 0.78mm
• Cable: 4 Shares OCC & 18K Gold-plated OCC Mixed
• Plug: 3-in-1 modular (3.5mm audio,2.5mm/4.4mm balanced)
• Cable length: 1.2M

Unboxing & Accessories

Nothing particularly fancy here, from memory the packaging and accessories are exactly like what I’ve had with previous lower-priced models, albeit perhaps for the IEM protective case. I’m a bit torn here between ‘if not broken don’t fix’ versus ‘hey, I’ve just paid over one-thousand bucks for an IEM, I’d like to feel a bit more special please’… I lean towards the latter though, and feel it should be a touch more premium at this price point.



Accessories

A nice bundle of accessories which include a selection of ear tips in small/medium/large, carry case, cleaning tool, protective case, tuning tool, and a smaller case to I assume carry various bits and pieces.





Cable

Not going to beat around the bush here – not a fan in terms of styling, and I have always thought Penon could up their game in terms of the cable bundled… to me, they look dated and a touch cheap – mostly the terminations to the IEMs and plug – I think the carbon fibre effect gives the dated vibe. The cable itself has a nice rubber-touch and does actually feel more premium, just if Penon could make a small tweak to the terminations and plug I’d be a happy Scuba.





Oh and I’d prefer to see a flat 2-pin termination when the sockets are flat... small but important detail that is often neglected.



Case



I think this is the same case with a lot of their IEMs, certainly what I recall coming with Voltage, Serial and Fan 2. It is a nice and practical case, comfortably fitting Voltage and also spare tips etc in one of the two net enclosures. A mandatory nitpick here would be that I’d like to see them up their game with a set at this price – the case should feel more premium to match the more premium price tag.



Comfort & Fit

The shells are a medium to large size, as you would expect when housing no less than 10 drivers. From a comfort perspective, the nozzles are on the larger size so I find myself dropping down a size in ear tips from my more frequently chosen XL options from the likes of Acoustune. I found with the XL AEX07 that I was actually getting a bit of pressure build, which is odd with a vented set but I could feel it, and there was a noticeable pressure release when unplugging from my ears. I’ve landed on a random set from my large arsenal of tips, but actually no idea what they are… they are however perfect in terms of fit and I suspect a medium size.



They carry the typical Penon style, which both from what I’ve owned, and what I’ve seen online, seems to be pretty consistent throughout the range. To my eyes they look fine, nothing bling, and nor too bland – they don’t excite me, nor do I find them offensive…





Listening Impressions

I have to note first of all that I have not adjusted the tuning switches – the reason being, I really dislike these options – I’m weird in that I just like to have a set and stick with the default tuning… and tbh, I loved what I heard from Voltage immediately out of the box, and didn’t want to introduce unnecessary complexity – but I hear you say, maybe you’d prefer one of the other options, how do you know if you don’t try? – that is indeed true, but I’m stubborn so the review is based solely on the default… plenty of others that go into wonderful detail as to how the tuning switches impact the sound. That was a lot of words explaining myself!



The Voltage have been plugged into quiet a few DAPs over the last few weeks – I often talk about my time with a set in the context of my morning walks, and in those scenarios mostly limited to my Aune M1p or Sony ZX300 – Voltage has been mostly a home set, and as such has had the benefit of my higher-end machinery such as the spectacular Lotoo GT2 or Sony WM1ZM2… two of my favourite DAPs I’ve had the pleasure of owning. For the purpose of this review, and while I type – I’m listening via the GT2 which would certainly be my preferred DAP based on the more neutral tuning with a decent amount of power on tap.

Anyway, two paragraphs of waffle and absolutely zero reference to the sound in a listening impressions segment! In the words of Roots Manuva… well, well, well – the Voltage sounds bloody good, shockingly so (sorry, couldn't resist) – what we’ve got here is a highly, highly, highly competent all-rounder… but not in the sense of a perhaps mundane ‘jack of all trades’ – no, Voltage actually sounds wonderfully engaging and musical with absolutely any genre – I can confidently choose anything in my vast FLAC library that spans back over two decades, and be delighted with the outcome. While not the last word in technical competency, you won’t get the most tiny details, nor the highest levels of resolution – the focus here is pure and simply musical engagement, with a heavy dose of emotive connection. The Penon midrange magic is absolutely evident, with an overall sense of ‘safety’ and warmth, delivered with an overall rich and vibrant signature that is just so easy to love.

Low Frequency

The bass is plentiful, but certainly not bass-head levels in terms of quantity – from a personal perspective, more than adequate as I prefer anyway a degree of balance ideally across the FR. The quality is very nice, there is a visceral sense of delivery in both sub rumble and mid impact, with a very pleasing timbre regardless of instrument. There is excellent distinction also when you’ve both a sub and mid-bass focus, very easy to hear both play out with a rumble and kick not becoming muddy or overpowering – I guess due to the dual dynamic drivers and competent tuning.

Midrange

Penon seems to be known for midrange magic, and I can certainly hear why with Voltage. The midrange is typically for a lot of music where the bulk of the activity is focused, and from an emotive perspective I feel you need a bit of weight and prominence in this region – Voltage absolutely delivers, providing a rich and incredibly engaging experience here – vocals, piano, synths, violins… I’ve not been left wanting. Clarity is excellent too, with no issues for any complex tracks – always enough pace and space to allow everything to shine.

High Frequency

In the same way Voltage is not a bass-head set, nor is it a treble-head set – quite safe up top and might leave some wanting in terms of zing and air. That said, you do still get a reasonable level of extension and sufficient detail retrieval in this zone, and the more subdued presentation allows for highly diverse genres and very forgiving of older or lower quality recordings.

Technical

Again I’d stay in the ‘safe’ theme where the focus is very much a musical performance, not a clinical analysis – that means you don’t get to zoom in on tiny details, and you also don’t get a massive stage with laser-sharp imaging… the Voltage is very much about good old-fashioned music enjoyment… a criteria that perhaps should be higher on audiophiles lists. That’s not to say Voltage is a slouch here – imaging is certainly very competent, and even within an overall more cohesive presentation, you can still stop and zoom in on various elements if you choose to, just that Voltage won’t demand that of you… preferring instead to focus on captivating you with an emotive experience.



Tracks

Cujo – Fat Ass Joint



This is the 3rd track from the recently reissued ‘Adventures in Foam’ by the brilliant Amon Tobin, going by the name Cujo for this first album which was originally released in 1996. This early offering has an excellent mix of breakbeat, drum & bass, jazz, and his signature ability to infuse a dark but melodic atmosphere. Voltage is pretty much perfect here – the intricacies of the percussion programming, coupled with the beautiful deep bass, saxophone, and the sprinkling melodies that are infused throughout simply sum up to a fantastic listening experience… Voltage doesn’t break a sweat in ensuring everything comes together as a cohesive whole, presenting a fun and captivating listen. I often reference moments of ‘analysis’ like this when I just want to shut the laptop and listen to the album – this is 100% of one those. Wonderful!

Floating Points – Fast Forward



Jumping forward to 2024 with the latest from Floating Points, certainly one of the standout electronic albums (of many!) from last year. Moving the BPMs up quite a notch here but in a less complex four-to-the-floor percussive pattern, really allowing Vortex to shine with an energetic up-front pounding kick-drum and busy enough mid-section in terms of the synths – there is a lot going on at times, but again no problem for Vortex handling any of the complexity or peaks – never straying into anything even bordering on harsh. Again… wonderful.

Glasbird – South Fen Pine



A recent purchase and one I often choose when nodding off to sleep, as such a completely different direction from the last two tracks where this brings us to a really beautiful ambient/modern classical offering. The mid-section immediately shines, highlighting the emotive and captivating nature of the music with ease. There is a large sense of space to the track, where you really feel submerged in the music. I do however prefer music like this with a more resolving set, as there are intricate nuances that I seek out and would usually reach for a resolving dynamic driver for example… absolutely not to say Vortex does a bad job, and I could certainly listen to this album in full appreciation, but with the choices available, I will still choose a single DD, and also a set that drives some more focus on the higher frequencies.

Submotion Orchestra – Always



This is a recent discovery for me when I stumbled across an article from 2019 on Bandcamp showcasing some more modern trip-hop albums, noting the genre is still alive and well, and indeed producing some gems – albeit in this case this album is actually from 2011, but I ended up discovering as a result of the article! Anyway – you get the point hopefully!

With ‘Always’ we get an opportunity to evaluate some female vocals along with a reasonably busy track – the vocals sit central, and a touch forward with good body and sense of note weight. There is again plenty of space for everything to occupy the stage, and I just feel like smiling when the sax makes an occasional entry, along with the overall very happy vibe this album conveys, and with a solid 10/10 performance from Voltage.

Deerhunter – Desire Lines



While not an ‘old’ album, this one does go back to 2010 and I must say that does feel like quite a long time ago for me now – I love the entire album, and indeed lots of other work from Deerhunter but this has always been a real standout track for me, and one I’ve often wished went on beyond it’s already reasonably long runtime at almost 7 minutes. I feel a bit broken record here but the truth is, Voltage again delivers – cohesive, musical, nothing offensive and infuses that feeling of simply enjoying the music.

I've added a few more tracks that I've loved with Voltage over the last while after the conclusion below...

Conclusion

Voltage for me has exceeded expectations, and a set I see myself continuing to reach for when I just want to kick back and immerse myself in the music, no matter what I select in my vast library – offering a tuning that while leaning more towards the overall musical, emotive experience, still maintains a solid performance from a technical perspective – just not the focus.

I do think Penon could step up in terms of packaging and stock cable, and only for that reason do I knock off half a star. Otherwise a very solid recommendation for those seeking a solid all-rounder that isn’t at all fussy about what you choose to listen to.

As a closing note, I've ended up going back to the full 'Halcyon Digest' album from Deerhunter - loving this revisit while I add some final touches to the review ahead of publishing!



Further listening... nothing more to say other than they all sound fantasic.

I had a pleasure of listening to Penon’s Voltage IEM as part of the Audio Geek EU Tour.

In short: wow! For me, the best IEM I’ve heard so far on the tour. Very engaging, organic and valve-like presentation; full of body and weight plus coherent and balanced across the spectrum; both musical and technical enough to get plenty of details from the music...a rare feast indeed. Well done Penon, you got me hooked

The shell are nicely designed and made of beautiful translucent red resin with golden lettering. Looking closely you can see the drivers inside.

There was a nice selection of ear tips provided in the box and after a bit of rolling I settled for grey-and-green ones (same ones I used with Quattro). Also inside the box were included modular connectors for your single-ended and balanced outputs, tiny cleaning brush for the tips and a tuning switch tool as well as little pouch bag for the IEMs themselves.


Voltage is a 4EST+4BA+2DD Hybrid design so you can guess it needs a bit of juice to drive them efficiently. It features tuning switches which work nicely and I was using it mostly on 10 setting for more bass.

Voltage has a dark background so dynamics presented are truly incredible, like for example on “Lovers in the night” track from TOTO’S famous IV album. The attack from brass section as well as synth sounds are phenomenal and never fatiguing. There’s a sense of space between notes and different instruments as if the music breathes more air, and on top of that vocals are super-clear.

That is what I have observed on certain tracks:

• Streets of Philadelphia by Bruce Springsteen: nice extension in the bass and forward sounding, intimate vocal;
• Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen: great layering of all vocal harmonies; very clear bass notes in the lowest register on even fastest passages;
• Midlife Crisis by Faith no More: great rumble in the sub-bass;
• Love of my life by Santana: great, deep sub-bass, fast and well articulated with nice punch; midrange slightly recessed with nice tonality, warm but not as lush as on Todi;
• Put your lights on by Santana: very fun and engaging listen; retrieved some details i haven’t heard before (like sleeves brushing against the acoustic guitar or something like that);
• YYZ by Rush: great details again, I could here the strings ringing occasionaly on the bass guitar;

Apart from the above tracks I listened to an entire “Final Cut” album from Pink Floyd catalogue. The soundstage that Voltage created was outstanding, wider than their little brother Quattro; it displayed very immersive layering of instruments and various sound effects that made me jump occasionally when they appeared suddenly at the back of my head. Piano chords sounded very realistically; saxophone, cello and other string instruments had a great timbre and huge dynamic range. It pulled plenty of details from the album, for example on “Not Now John” I could clearly hear vibrato notes on the bass guitar.

To conclude, I would highly recommend Voltage to anyone looking for a musical and coherent, nicely looking set at this price range. My only complaint is a slightly rigid cable and no ear-hook and a tiny bit of discomfort from the wide nozzles after longer listening session but sound-wise they are 100% my cup of tea.

Today, we look at Voltage, a kilobuck entry from Penon.

Forewords​

• What I look for in an IEM is immersion. I want to feel the orchestra around my head, track individual instruments, and hear all of their textures and details. I’m not picky about tonality, as long as it is not make the orchestra, violin, cellos, and pianos sound wrong.
• I rate IEMs within with a consistent scale from 1 (Poor) to 3 (Good) to 5 (Outstanding). An overall ranking of 3/5 or above is considered positive.
• Ranking list and measurement database are on my IEM review blog.
• The terminology for subjective impressions in this review is based on the Audio Wheel for reproduced sound defined in the technical report ITU-R BS.2399-0
• This review is possible thanks to the Australian tour arranged by my good friend @Tanalasta. Special thank you for making this tour possible!
• The unit retails for $1,199 at the time this review was published. Unaffiliated link: Penon web shop

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General Information​

Voltage is a tribrid IEM. It contains 10 drivers, split into four groups to handle four different parts of the incoming audio signal. The low frequencies are handled by 2 x 8mm dynamic drivers (DD) with hybrid diaphragm design (biofilm dome + flexible surround). The midrange is handled by 2 Sonion Balanced Armature (BA) drivers. The high frequencies are also handled by 2 Sonion BA drivers. The star of the show is the upper-treble, which is handled by 4 Electrostatic drivers from Sonion.

Voltage includes two tuning switches to allow user fine-tune the sound signature.

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Non-sound Aspects​

Packaging and accessories The box of Voltage is surprisingly small and simple for a kilobuck-class IEM. Luckily, the included accessories are quite generous and practical. Inside the box, you would find:

• A roomy carrying case
• A pouch to store individual earpieces to prevent them from scratching each other in the case
• An IEM cable that is soft and easy to handle + leather cable clasp
• 3 types of silicone ear tips + leather pouch to store all the tips
• Cleaning tool and utilities for flipping the tuning switches

Earpieces design Voltage shares the same shape and design as other Penon IEMs: hollow handmade acrylic shells, medium size, stubby nozzles.

Fit, comfort and isolation I find that the larger nozzles of Voltage do make my ears fatigued after an hour or so of continuous listening. Other than that, I have no fit or comfort problem. These IEMs are well vented, so I did not experience driver flex or pressure build up. Noise isolation is average.



Ear tips recommendation: Due the shape of the nozzles, I don’t have any particular ear tips recommendation, besides suggesting you to experiment with more types of ear tips than expected to fine a suitable balance between comfort and sound quality.

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Sonic Performance​

Test setup:

• Sources: DX300, L&P W4, Topping G5
• Cable: Stock cable with 4.4mm termination
• Ear tips: Pentaconn Coreir AL tips in medium size

The subjective impression is captured using the lexicon in the Sound Wheel below. I’ll clarify the terminology as I use them. If you want to see more details of the lexicon and related reference, please have a look at the technical report ITU-R BS.2399-0.



Timbre: It is helpful to think of an IEM as a filter that sits between the incoming audio signal and your ear drums. This filter makes some parts of the signal (frequencies) louder whilst other parts quieter. This effect can be measured objectively by the squiggly lines below, called Frequency Response (FR) graphs, which measure how loud an IEM is at different frequencies from 20Hz (bass) to 20kHz (upper treble). Ideally, an IEM should change the signal as least as possible (a.k.a., “flat tuning”) to avoid disturbing the balance between fundamental frequencies of instruments and their harmonics to ensure that they sound natural and life-like. Practically, IEM engineers can tune or “voice” an IEM to deviate carefully from the flat tuning to create interesting colouring and effects on the audio content. This voicing or tonal balance of an IEM can be denoted as its sound signature. Subjectivity is how your ears and brain interpret such sound signature and decide whether it is “enjoyable”



Figure shows the frequency response of Voltage against the Harman in-ear target. Measurements were done with an IEC-711-compliant coupler and might only be compared with other measurements from this same coupler. Above 8kHz, the measurement likely does not match the response at the ear drum. Visit my graph database for more comparisons.



How do you describe the overall sound signature of Voltage? Voltage has 4 different sound signatures thanks to the inclusion of two effective tuning switches. The left switch lifts the entire bass and midrange region below 1kHz by up to 3dB, which essentially double the amount of energy in this region and thus quite audible. The right switch lifts the treble region from around 5kHz by up to 3dB. You can engage both switches at the same time.

When the left switch is turned on (denoted as 1x configuration in this article), the tonal balance of Voltage becomes more bassy and midrange becomes thick, if not veiled. This tonal balance works well with sparse recordings rather than dense and complex recordings, which can sound rather congested.

When the right switch is on (denoted as x1 configuration in this article), the tonality and tonal balance of the Voltage remains the same, but the sense of definition and separation of elements in a recording as well as the details of these elements are elevated. The best way to describe the effect of this treble switch is like turning the fog lights on to reveal elements that were previously foggy. Fortunately, Voltage does not sound overly bright or piercing in this mode.

My favourite configuration, which I used for the rest of this review article, is 01. It strikes a right balance between warmth and correct tonality, whilst highlighting the details and resolution offered by the four EST tweeters.



How does Voltage balance different voices and instruments in a band? (Sample tracks: ABC feat. Sophia Black by Polyphia) The tonal balance of Voltage, at least in configuration 01, is surprisingly balanced. The singer is highlighted, but not at the expense of the rest of the band. Kick drum and toms sound powerful and prominent. Bass guitar is audible, though not overly highlighted. Cymbals and hats are audible and easily tracked. No part of the band feels recessed that makes me want to change the volume to hear more clearly.

How does Voltage balance different parts of a piano? (Sample tracks: Bach’s Goldberg Variations, recorded by Lang Lang) Voltage slightly emphasises the higher notes over the bass voice, though not overly so. I find the higher voice just a touch overpowering, masking the bass voice. If I’m more nitpicking, I would say the piano sounds just slightly veiled. Not significantly, but the middle notes of the piano do not come through as clearly as I wanted. I suspect the cut right at 3kHz contributes to this sensation.

How does the midrange of Voltage handle vocals? (Sample tracks: Dreamland Express by John Denver, Kiwi wa Boku ni Niteiru by See-Saw) Voices are where Voltage shine. John Denver sounds realistic, effortless, detailed, and simply pleasing. Chiaki Ishikawa, the lead vocal of See-Saw, also sounds beautiful. Voltage manages to make her voice clear, vibrant and emotive, without a overdoing the brightness to the point of shoutiness and harshness. Surprisingly, Voltage also does not smother her voice with a blanket of warmth either. The tuning for vocal is rather excellent here.

How does Voltage handle sibilant recordings? (Sample tracks: Shivers by Ed Sheeran) The theme of well-tuned vocal reproduction continues. Voltage does an excellent job at taming this harsh recording without smothering the brilliance in Ed Sheeran’s voice. Again, I’m surprised that Penon does not put a warm blanket on top of the voices like how I hear some of their previous IEMs. Well done.

How does Voltage reproduce strings and orchestra? (Sample tracks: Now We Are Free by 2CELLOS, Ciaccona from Bach’s Violin Partita No.2 in D Minor, performed by Kavakos, Synchro BOM-BA-YE by Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra) Does voltage handle cellos well? Rather good. The main cellos in Now We Are Free sound clear without lacking the low-end oomph, at least with the 01 configuration. With the 1x configuration, Voltage makes the cellos too boomy and unrefined. Voltage also does an excellent job with violin, reproducing a clean, clear, somewhat dry and textured tone, that is very close to how violin sounds in real life. The theme of tonal correctness carries over to orchestra and brass. I couldn’t detect any tonality problem in Synchro BOM-BA-YE, a track that usually reveals treble problems.



Percussion, Bass, and perceived dynamic: In this section, my focus is the not just the bass, but rather the sense of dynamic of an IEM. Can it convey the sense of beat and rhythm? Can it reproduce transients, the fast and large jump of loudness in the music? Simply put, is this IEM toe-tapping? Creating this energy requires all parts of the frequency spectrum working together: treble energy around 4-6kHz conveys snappy attacks of stick hitting percussive instruments at the beginning of a beat, bass energy around 150Hz conveys the punchy sensation of the beat itself, whilst the subbass energy below 60Hz creates the physical rumble sensation that convey power and atmosphere. Weak treble response dulls the attacks. Weak bass makes beats hollow. Too much bass makes bassline blurry and dulls the sense of rhythm. Thus, “dynamic IEM” is a balancing art.

How does Voltage convey “epic” bass lines? (Sample tracks: Heart of Courage (Live) by Two Steps From Hell, A Reckoning in Blood from The Ghost of Tsushima OST) Oh yeah, this IEM is toe-tapping in the 01 configuration, which is surprisingly given that it does not that much bass quantity. The first drum hit at 00:30 of Heart of Courage is a highlight of how Voltage does bass: refined attack, quite nuanced, without lacking the physical oomph of the beat. The theme continues with A Reckoning in Blood. Whilst the amount of bass is not high, the beats feel snappy and toe-tapping. Would I want more bass? Yes, I do, but not by turning on the bass switch, because the when I do, Voltage sounds “slow” and overly boomy, which actually reduces the sense of rhythm and dynamic.

How does Voltage handle a drum kit and bass guitar? (Sample tracks: Playing God by Polyphia) Quite nice! Every kick feels tight and speedy, with enough sense of physical impact. The bass guitar has clear note attack and great sense of texture. The patterns on cymbals and hats are also well produced. I particularly enjoy the drum section around 02:15. Very beat can be heard.

In conclusion, is Voltage … toe-tapping? Yes. A bit more bass quantity with the same refinement as the 01 configuration would be nice, but it’s okay as is.



Resolution: To me, “resolution” can be broken down into three components: (1) Sharpness, incisiveness, or “definition” of note attacks (see the figure below). (2) The separation of instruments and vocals, especially when they overlap on the soundstage. (3) The texture and details in the decay side of the notes. The first two give music clarity and make it easy to track individual elements of a mix. The last provides music details and nuances. Whilst IEMs can “force” clarity by boosting treble to unnatural level, it might still lack resolution as it cannot “peel apart” complex tracks with overlapping instruments



Can Voltage handle complex, overlapping recordings? (Sample tracks: ABC feat. Sophia Black by Polyphia) Yes, and surprisingly effortlessly. Now, we need a small clarification: it’s that the IEM is “effortless”, it is me, as the listener, feels “effortless” when trying to follow individual elements in a complex recording with Voltage. It should be emphasised that this level of resolution is not shown clearly after I turned the treble switch on and bass switch off. The opposite configuration (10) is rather disappointing.

Can Voltage handle recordings with congested lower frequencies? (Sample tracks: Now We Are Free performed by 2CELLOS) Yes, no problem. I did not detect any congestion when main cellos, cellos section of the orchestra, and the doublebasses play at the same time and occupy the same frequency range. Again, this performance is only with the 01 configuration.

How does Voltage convey micro details? (Sample tracks: Ciaccona from Bach’s Violin Partita No. 2 in D Minor, performed by Kavakos) The 4 EST tweeters in Voltage does a great job at pulling out micro details in both the violin and the reverberation. I’m particularly impressed by how detailed and nuanced Voltage convey the reverberation of the violin in the recording hall.

On the scale from fair (Moondrop Aria) to good (Moondrop Blessing 2) to great (CFA Andromeda 2020) to outstanding (AFUL Cantor), how resolving is Voltage? Voltage is outstandingly resolving (again, with bass switch down and treble switch up).



Stereo imaging and soundstage: Stereo imaging or “soundstage” is a psychoacoustic illusion that different recording elements appear at various locations inside and around your head. Your brain creates based on the cues in the recording, which are enhanced or diminished by your IEMs, your DAC, and your amplifier. In rare cases, with some specific songs, some IEMs can trick you into thinking that the sound comes from the environment (a.k.a., “holographic”)



How does Voltage position instruments in a complex, 3D-sounding recording? (Sample tracks: Original Sound Effect Track - Memory from Gundam Seed Destiny OST album) The soundstage of Voltage feels spacious, but with more width than depth. It means the stereo image of this track feels expanded to the side, even reaching outside the ears, but it does not convey a strong contrast between near and far sound elements. Therefore, it lacks a certain degree of immersion that I expected. On the plus side, the positioning of sound elements on the stage is quite precise.

How does Voltage convey a sense of space in spacious recordings? (Sample tracks: Shadow of Baar Dau) Even though the soundstage is still somewhat “2D” with more width than depth, Voltage still managed to make this recording sounds rather spacious. One of its advantage is the ability to contrast between the foreground elements and the distant background elements in the mix, by pushing the latter further into the, well, background.

How does Voltage handle sound positioning in FPS games? The soundstage is still wider and deep. However, thanks to the precise positioning, it is still rather easy to pinpoint the direction of gunshots and footsteps. The ability to gauge distance is not a strong suit of Voltage, but it is passable.

On the scale from good (Blessing 2) to great (CFA Andromeda 2020) to outstanding (AFUL Cantor), how good is the stereo imaging and soundstage of Voltage? I find Voltage’s soundstage and imaging to fall between Blessing 2 and Andromeda 2020. It sounds less 2D than Blessing 2, and its ability to position instruments on the soundstage is as precise, if not more than Andromeda 2020. However, it lacks the perceived depth to shape an immersive “3D” soundstage illusion.

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Driveability​

Specs:

• Impedance: 13 ohm
• Sensitivity: 106dB

How sensitive is Voltage? Does it get loud too easily or is it very difficult to drive? Voltage’s sensitivity is somewhat in the middle. It does not pick up hissing noise from amplifier nor get loud too quickly. At the same time, it is not hard to drive.

How does Voltage sound with a portable DAC/amp or a small music player? Voltage sounds surprisingly good with R3II, my primary setup for listening on the go. I don’t feel that I lose significant sound quality with this pairing.

How does Voltage “scale” with stronger amplifier? Adding Topping G5 as a pure amplifier between Voltage and a good DAC, such as L&P W4, does improve the sense of scale of Voltage’s representation noticeably. The soundstage feels more open, as if every element in the mix is more sharply defined and pushed further away from each other. From this perspective, I can say Voltage does “scale.”

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Comparisons​

Vs AFUL Cantor:

• Tonality: Cantor feels more even across the midrange whilst Voltage feels like it some edges and dips. The midrange of Voltage does sound slightly warmer.
• Bass and dynamic: Cantor has more subbass rumble, whilst Voltage has more perceived mid-bass thump. Depending on where the bass is in the mix, one or the other IEM would have more advantage. Personally, I find Cantor to feel more dynamic more often than Voltage, though the difference is slim.
• Resolution: Cantor has a slight upper hand when it comes to instrument separation in busy tracks. On the other hand, Voltage has an advantage when it comes to micro details and resolution of upper treble, which are particularly apparent in sparse recordings where I can focus on details.
• Soundstage and imaging: Cantor sounds more 3D, which makes it more immersive to me. Both IEMs are equally precise in terms of instrument positioning on the soundstage.

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Conclusions​

After years of holding the “mid-fi” IEM market by offering a unique cozy house sound and great value, Penon is advancing into the high-end IEM realm, with Voltage as one of the vanguards. And, it gets the job done. Voltage offers a slight twist on the classic Penon house sound to deliver a more neutral and, arguably, more correct tonality without removing the expected pleasing midrange. At the same time, the effective tuning switches allow you to get the classical thick sound back, should you prefer it over the neutral tuning. Voltage also does not disappoint on the technical performance front, taking full advantage of its quad EST tweeter array to deliver excellent detail retrieval, provided that you don’t turn on the bass switch, which in turn casts a veil across the presentation. The tonality, versatility, and technical performance makes Voltage a safe option for listerers taking the first plunge into the “kilobuck IEM” land.

What I like about this IEM:

• Midrange tonality, especially for vocal-centric music
• Detailed treble, without harshness
• The way dual DD woofer produces bass content
• The sense of rhythm
• Wide soundstage
• Versatility offered by the effective tuning switches

What could be improved:

• The soundstage is rather flat, lacking immersion
• This IEM could benefit from a focused sub-bass boost

Absolute Sonic Quality Rating: 4.5/5 - Great!

• Timbre and tonality: 4.5/5 - Great
• Bass and dynamic: 5/5 - Outstanding
• Resolution: 5/5 - Outstanding
• Soundstage and imaging: 3.5/5 - Good

Bias Score: 4/5 - I like this IEM



Updated: October 16, 2024

So, another day, another IEM as my saying goes. Voltage was my 103rd IEM that I purchased, it won’t be my last, but it certainly is a special one. The Voltage retails for $1,199 USD and can be purchased from penonaudio.com (where I got mine from!). This review isn’t sponsored, I just really like this one and want to share my experience.

Packaging is typical Penon, small yellow box, blue zip case, cable, IEM’s, and some tips. Functional and perfectly fine, but not the best at its price point. But we’re not here for boxes.

I had the opportunity to try a tour unit of Voltage for two days before my one arrived, this was quite interesting! The tour unit had some decent miles on it and when going to the new unit you can immediately hear the impact that burn-in has on DDs, bass had an overall better feel on the tour unit, everything else was the same, but anyone would pick the tour unit over the new one. Anyway, I left my new unit to burn in for the next few days and once it got to around 100 hours, they were sounding pretty much identical. For anyone who is doubtful about burn-in I hope you can get to try something like this at some point, it becomes very obvious. Trust your ears.

I’ve listened to the Voltage quite a bit now, and across multiple sources. These sound great out of anything however do scale well too. My main two DAPS are Sony WM1ZM2 and Luxury Precision E7 EE, this sounded magnificent out of both however I preferred it from the E7. Moving down in price it worked fine out of my Luxury Precision W4 dongle, HiBy R4 DAP, and iBasso DC04pro dongle. When it comes to the cable the stock cable works perfectly fine, I also paired with the ASOS+X for a period (which increased the stage and had an overall general improvement to the sound), and then tried to the EA Code 24C. My cable journey ended with the 24C, it pairs amazingly well with this cable and I have no desire to change it now. You don’t need to upgrade the cable, the stock cable is more than decent, however both the ASOS+X and 24C elevate the experience.

Before I get into the sound on these, the Voltage comes with some tuning switches. There are a total of four configurations. The first switch increases the bass, the second one increases treble, so you have default, increased bass, increased treble, and then increased bass and treble. I loved these on the default (down down) setting and that’s what my review and rating is based on. The switches work fine, and do what they say on the box, but I’ve got a plethora of similarly tuned IEM’s to these with the switches up so default was it for me.



On to impressions

Bass:

The bass on the Voltage is sublime, it’s not a basshead set (well switches up can get you a little closer to that), but it just sounds so wonderful and real. You get a wonderful feel to the bass, impact is there, overall just sounds extremely good. Speed is decent for a DD, certainly better than the Quattro. Doesn’t leave me wanting anything.

Mids:

The real star of a star-studded show. Smooth but detailed, forward (as you’d expect for Penon), sounds very natural / organic and I can listen all day. In terms of placing these, I prefer VE Aura and PHöNIX but these are probably third on my list. They’re that good. At this price point, if you love mids, this is the set for you.

Treble:

The weakest part of the set, but by no means lacking. Once again they sound very natural, lack a little bit of extension but the way it’s tuned means that there is no fatigue, and with the rest of the package this is an IEM that you can have in your ears all day and never get bored. Everything sounds quite detailed – not a detail specialist IEM, but more than enough for most tracks. Lacks some of the air that treble focussed sets have, but that’s not what this set is about.

Technicalities etc.:

Staging is nice, not overly expansive but enough room that nothing sounds congested generally, I’ve heard better layering and you can lose a bit of definition in individual instruments on extremely busy tracks, however these remain musical whereas I find IEM’s that excel in definition lose some of the musicality. Works well across genres, wouldn’t be my choice for when I really want to listen to a classical piece and explore the depth of the soundstage and what each section is doing, but for everyday listening it’s more than enough and when I want to sit and enjoy a classical work these are exceptional.

They are certainly a warm set, and paired with a warm source can push them further that way, hence why the E7 is preferred over the 1ZM2. Detail retrieval as mentioned is more than enough most of the time, if you’re after a detail monster this isn’t it, but it’s superbly balanced and natural.

Conclusion:

I love this set. At its price point I don’t think there is anything better for a warm leaning mid focussed musical set. The stock cable will be more than enough for most and sounds great out of any source. Upgrading the cable and source will elevate your listening experience to close to the top for what they’re going for, only bettered by much more expensive sets. I rank on price points, so at its price point this is a solid five star for me, and very highly recommended!

Disclaimer:

I’d like to thank AudioGeek, Sandeep Agarwal and @Penon for including me in the tour of Penon Voltage IEM. I was given a chance to audition this IEM for a week and provide my honest opinion about this IEM. The impressions shared in this write-up are my unbiased and honest subjective take on the Penon Voltage IEM.

Introduction (Design and Specs):

Voltage shells are made with 3D printed medical grade resin, in a beautiful ruby red color. They are surprisingly small and comfortable, especially considering that they are hybrid IEMs and house 10 drivers inside. They shells are medium-large in size and has perfect fit with my medium sized ears. No discomfort whatsoever even after 2 to 3 hrs. of continuous use.

Voltage driver configuration:

4EST+4BA+2DD Hybrid
4 x Sonion Electrostatic for ultra- high frequency
2 x Sonion Balanced Armature for high frequency
2 x Sonion Balanced Armature for middle frequency
2 x 8mm dynamic driver for low frequency

Impedance – 13 Ohms
Sensitivity: 106dB





Cables, Tips and Switches:

I received Voltage along with 2 cables from Penon – Pyramid and ASOS+X cable. Default cable was not included in the tour package.

Penon ASOS+X is a huge cable with 12 wires. I found it a bit heavy and big for my usage. I found this cable enhance the bass and staging properties of the Voltage IEM. Better imaging, better sound separation, better details compared to my generic IEM cable which I tried just to understand how cables affects the sound.

With Pyramid cable, there was an immediate wow factor. Pyramid greatly enhances the inner details, imaging, and layering. I feel the Pyramid is a specialist and has the edge when it comes to the technical details of the sound. Its imaging was more on point with better precision. For me the Pyramid was a clear winner when paired with Voltage IEM. I used Pyramid cable for the rest of review.

As for tips I found wider bore tips better with Voltage. For me the Penon Liqueur Silicone Eartips (Black) was perfect match hence I used that tip for rest of my review.

Tuning Switches: Default config is ‘00’. With this voltage is balanced sounding with perfect mids. Vocals and instruments are to the forefront. However, the bass is not as impactful or rumbly as I would have liked it.

‘12’ Config: This is my favorite setting and has the best engagement factor. The sound signature becomes mild V shaped. The subbass gains more presence, offering a deeper, more impactful rumble, while the treble becomes more extended and sparkly. I kept this setting throughout my review.

IEM setup – Voltage + Pyramid cable + Black Liqueur Silicone Eartips





Sources Used:

• IFI IDSD Diablo
• Topping G5
• Questyle M15

Lenovo Laptop > Tidal > Diablo

Oneplus Phone > UAPP > Tidal/local Files > Topping G5

Oneplus Phone > UAPP > Tidal/local Files > Questyle M15

Oneplus Phone > Spotify/Apple Music > Questyle M15

Voltage sounded the best with Diablo on ECO mode. Huge soundstage, details and layering with this pairing. Voltage is relatively easy to drive and sounded great with Questyle M15 dongle. The bass have great impact and rumble. With Topping G5, the soundstage and imaging remained perfect however bass was not as impactful as other pairings.





Sound Analysis:

Voltage is very natural and coherent sounding IEM with great technicalities. The bass has great quantity and quality for my preference, the mid is lush, very smooth and full of detail, the high is airy and well extended. Vocal lovers should try this IEM, its near perfect.

Bass:

Bass is handled by 2 x 8mm bio/composite dynamics drivers. The bass is quite impactful and has very good definition. Speed is quite commendable as well, neither slow nor too fast. Midbass is given a bit more focus than the subbass. Upon first listen I was shocked by the bass impact. It’s quite mesmerizing.

Bass doesn’t interfere with mids. Overall, no complaints here.

Mids:

The mids are highlight of this IEM. Very detailed and lovely sense of space and separation. Instrument and vocals are both given equal importance. Vocals and instruments have a forward presence.

Male vocals are full bodied. Female vocals are awesome as well. Clear and detailed.

The mids overall are excellent and Penon has done a seriously good job making it clean and well separated yet still having that lush organic tonality.

Treble:

I found the lower treble a bit more pronounced in voltage. The rest of the treble region is nicely done. No sibilance at all. Upper treble has good energy and shimmer. Cymbal crashes felt so real.

If I must nitpick, I felt the upper treble lacks a bit of extension. Apart from that treble is nicely done.

Technicalities:

Voltage really shines here. It got excellent stage, separation, and imaging. Detail retrieval is one of the best I have heard in this price range. Stage has impressive depth, width, and height which gives the perception of a 3D soundstage. Dynamics is terrific in Voltage. Sharp transients as well.

Instrument separation and layering is top tier. I would buy the Voltage just for this impressive technical prowess alone.

Gaming:

Tried gaming with Voltage to gauge its soundstage and imaging performance. Tried with my PS5 on games Fortnite Battle Royale and God of War.

The way Voltage presents soundstage in Fortnite is exceptional. Very vast, expansive and laser sharp imaging. I can clearly hear the players around me. Voltage clearly shows where the players are in the map. Whether they are above, below, or same level as me, Voltage clearly images that. I can clearly hear footsteps. I can even here gunfights happening very far away and its exact direction and distance. Minute details are shown perfectly. Overall excellent IEM for gaming.

Comparisons:

I owned/tried multiple kilobuck IEMs. Brief comparisons with few of them.

Kinera Verdandi:

I tried Kinera Verdandi recently (Courtesy of my friend). Verdandi is a beautiful IEM. The major issue with Verdandi is its huge size. It was not fitting my medium size ears well. Very uncomfortable after ~30 mins of wearing. Voltage fits my ears perfectly.

Coming to sound they are almost same on technical level. Voltage has better cohesion and is more musical. Verdandi uses a bone conduction driver, and its bass is special. Voltage with its 2 DD is no slouch either. Almost a tie in this regard. Verdandi has a weird lower treble boost/peak which I didn’t enjoy much. My pick would be Voltage out of these 2 IEMs.

UM Mest Indigo:

The next kilobuck IEM which I owned is Mest Indigo. It uses a bone conduction driver and a DD for bass. However, I would pick the Voltage over indigo for bass response. Indigo is a different beast when it comes to soundstage, resolution, and imaging. Voltage cannot really match that. No surprise here as Indigo is a much higher priced IEM. But after having Indigo, I have no problem settling with Voltage. Voltage is indeed a special IEM.

64 Audio U12T:

64 Audio U12T is another IEM which I owned. For bass, no contest Voltage is the winner. Even though U12T has one of the best BA bass, it’s no match for 2 DD bass of Voltage. U12T has a bit better resolution and soundstage. The problem with U12T is it’s a bit boring, not much fun factor. Voltage has better engagement factor, and I would pick voltage over U12T any day.




Conclusion:

Voltage is the first ever IEM I tried from Penon and I am really impressed with its performance. It is decently priced for the performance it delivers. Those who are looking for TOTL IEM with not sky-high price should consider Voltage.

So background on me, I’m an audiophile of 20 years started in 2-channel then merged into personal audio about 7 years ago. I listen to all genres except country and any of the Pops. I am uniquely atuned to bass, mids and spatial cues so I may not prioritize preferences that a treble head, vocal deviant or a timber junkie might. However I appreciate the full spectrum. I lean towards a non sterile sound.
I believe once you cross a certain threshold in iems the basics are going to be there ie resolution and details in varying degrees but to spend time talking about is it resolving? is it not resolving? which one has more details? I personally think budgets set have details - accordingly, I’ll focus on the particular presentation portrayed by this iem, For me.

Gear used for this assessment of the Voltage are:



WM1A2
The Hugo2 with 2go module and PW adapter
The mojo original with the poly and PW adapter
The yinlumei W0

Build

Disclaimer I’m not one to quibble about build, color or aesthetics, however; these are my thoughts. Going into build it feels like a quality resin Iem. The cable that comes with it pairs well and is a quality cable, as good as any stock cable you get with Iems even above this price bracket. I personally am a fan of the color scheme and overall aesthetics of the iem. Packaging is minimal which for me is ideal - as I don’t need an opulent unboxing experience to feel validated with my purchase. FYI I did in fact blind-buy this with Penon’s early bird discount.



Onto Sound.

With the switches bass can be minimal but articulate and deep, but when you turn the switch on, it becomes robust and full. There is texture separation and you can tell it’s two DD.

Interesting note here - the placement of the double dynamic drivers is towards the very back of the cavity of iem and that’s exactly where I hear the base in the stage. I could be wrong, but I feel the depth of stage is aided by this placement regardless it’s very satisfying. As someone who appreciates bass guitar and cello and the details that can be heard when Marcus Miller or Victor Wooten are pinning it down - nothing to my ear is missing in the bass.

Moving onto the mids, in predictable Penon fare - we have Penon mids. Which is to say, lush, articulate, slightly forward musical mids. There is excellent separation left to right but also; depth with layering. Imaging is precise even in busy passages.

Treble is extended, non-piercing and smooth. We have a switch here too, both tunings are smooth, one just has slightly more emphasis than the other. I generally listen with the treble switch off, except for while on a really warm source or a tube amp - in which case the extra treble definition is fantastic to have as an option.

Lastly, let’s talk about technicalities. I feel this is where the voltage really stands out. It’s got excellent stage, separation and imaging - while retaining a very cohesive and musical presentation. Which for me is very uncommon given the level of technicalities present. The stage is very wide, tall and deep making it quite 3-D. The dynamics are class leading, transients are sharp, but not so sharp that you lose musicality.

Now this section is gonna be about cable rolling so for the nonbelievers I bid you adieu - thank you for reading.

…..

If you’re still here, the voltage was hard for me to pin down. I’ve had this set for two months. It took me six weeks to find a cable pairing that I really loved with it, or maybe I should say pairing the Voltage loved. Because the stock cable while nice and complementary and actually provided a deeper stage than my ultimate favorite pairing, I didn’t feel that it showcased the true potential of the Voltage. I tried the pyramid cable (the original before Penon came out with the eight wire and six wire versions) and it sounded good too. But the Voltage TOLD me it had more in the stash that I wasn’t tapping into. I must’ve tried 15-20 cables ranging in price from 50 bucks to $1500 and I had just purchased a Rhapsodio cable that was on sale - because who can afford a Rhapsodio cable when it’s not on sale - right? I bought it thinking I would pair it with another Iem based on its materials. When it arrived in the mail, I was listening to the Voltage. So I just thought I'd try it out on the Voltage first and immediately everything just fell into place, so much so that I was a/b-ing with the Multiverses, the Unity and the Impact. And let me tell you that the Voltage belongs in the conversation with those Iems. With the right cable this Iem is magical. It’s got excellent dynamics in particular. There’s a song called dreamer by Hiromi at the very beginning. It’s got a drum and a piano just starting off soft and you can hear them slowly build intensity volleying back and forth - and on the Voltage much like the Multiverse much like the Unity and much like the impact this building is so musical and enthralling on these sets it really draws you in - for context I am not a piano aficionado - It’s quite simply not my thing, but with the Voltage, it became my thing. That’s now one of my favorite songs to listen to and demo. It’s one of the songs that tells me the most about what an IEM is capable of.



In closing the voltage is gorgeous. It’s flexible with its switches. It’s technical and it’s musical and it is one of my favorite sets. I’m so glad I bought one. For the price, this is one of the best things you can buy in my opinion.

I would like to thank Penon for that early bird special - keep sending those emails!!

Packaging:

The packaging of the product seems correct to me and meets the basics, the IEM is excellently protected, it is not a large and ostentatious box, there are times when I have the feeling that the box and the accessories have a high cost associated with the product that I would rather not pay, I like something functional, it is protected and takes up little space, there may be people who look for a more ostentatious packaging but in my case, it seems correct because it fulfills its main function.



Cables and accessories:

Penon includes a moderately generous variety of accessories that I think work quite well, there are several types of Tips that although they seem similar each color is oriented to enhance a certain spectrum of frequencies, to be honest, I have not used them all but I did try a couple of them and I liked the result, in fact I think it is a tip that is used under different brands in which only the color usually varies but they seem to be of good quality and they work well in general.

There is a strap to secure the coiled cable, a metal clip to remove and secure the cable to our clothing item and what I think is the best accessory of all, an orange mesh bag that works really well to protect the IEM capsules. The blue zippered box, although it can be used to store and transport the IEM safely, seems a bit small to me and I prefer to use other models even though it is perfectly valid for that.



Fit and build quality:

Voltage is a surprisingly small iem considering that there are 10 drivers inside of which the DD and the transformer of the EST take up quite a bit of space, I doubt anyone would have problems fitting it, given its moderate size, the shape feels good and fits the ear properly, you may have to struggle a bit to insert some models of tips since the nozzle is quite thick and slightly short since it does not stick out too much, otherwise it seems to me a very well finished iem, I cannot mention how much I like the handmade transparent resin iems, I love seeing their interior and the layout of the components, the interior of Voltage feels tidy and the space well used, the design is very personal but I like the waves generated between the red, yellow and black color, the switches feel solid and well integrated, they can be easily moved with a dedicated tool provided with the accessories.





Sound:

Before I start talking about the sound I would like to refer to what I consider to be Penon philosophy in their way of understanding sound. If I only had to use one word it would be balance. You will rarely see an IEM made by them with an extreme inclination towards a thin and analytical sound for example, nor an IEM with overwhelming bass, excessively swollen or warm, basshead or treblehead will not be concepts that you can associate with them. In any case they experiment with more powerful bass signatures with ISN. What I want to get to is that the sound will always be oriented towards balance and naturalness with a certain emphasis on the mids. We also do not have to associate it with something sterile or boring because it is very far from that. Balance, harmony and well measured is the perfect way to summarize it.

Driver configuration and specs:

Penon Voltage is a tribird composed of:
2 x 8mm DD (Bass)
4BA Sonion (Mids - Highs)
4EST third generation Sonion (Ultra-high)
4-way, 4-hole independent crossover
16 ohm - 106db sensitivity



Timbre, Tonality, Techniques and Overall Signature:

Penon Voltage can be classified in the warm category but to say that alone would be very simplistic, as despite its warmth it never feels slow or congested, it has an excellent soundstage width well above average and excellent layers and images, it boasts good dynamics and attack above average, the resolution is high and the iem is detailed but it is far from being considered analytical, the sounds are separated obtaining a precise, detailed and independent location, I would describe it as a natural and organic timbre with an excellent and realistic note weight, W-shaped sound signature with soft and lush mids, somewhat boosted high mids, pronounced bass, which while it can satisfy the vast majority, the most staunch bassheads will be left wanting more, well extended and defined highs never tiring although there could be a very slight greater extension in the upper treble or air.

There are people who I have heard say that the sound is thick, somewhat confusing and less defined, also that the high mids are advanced and can be a bit tiresome, well, let me tell you that my experience is quite far from that but I am very clear that a powerful quality power supply, a good selection of Tips and a change of cable oriented to silver will make the difference and it will not be small, the Tips are something very personal and we all know that they offer great sound variations but the rest of the components also have a lot of influence, Voltage benefits from tips like Spinfit or Kbear 07, Xelastec II, all of them make an excellent combination, they are tips with a medium-sized hole that do not cut the sound stage and favor the bass, in my opinion it is the right choice.

Regarding the sound source, they lent me a Shanling M5U, it sounded good, but I consider that they are not solving Voltage to its full potential and level compared to something like N7, and for me, the most fundamental change, Voltage is very sensitive to cable changes and believe me it can be greatly benefited. Obsidian is a great copper and gold based cable, its quality is good, the 'problem' is that it highlights the areas of Voltage that don't need to be highlighted, copper and gold will highlight the mids even more and will do nothing to favor the speed and dynamics that will be average with Obsidian, nor will they open the extremes as Voltage cries out for, find a silver based cable and the magic will happen, in my case, I use a pure silver cable that I think does an excellent job of handling Voltage, the entire review will be based on the use of Cayin N7, Xelastec 2/Hifigo Zeos and a pure silver cable from Cema Electroacusti that is very similar in performance to the excellent ISN AG8 but more comfortable and lighter as it is only 4 wires, both switches in 'on' mode.

I also briefly tried Voltage with Cayin RU7 and Ibasso DC-Elite, while it performs well with both I still think the best version of Voltage is developed with the use of a DAP, Ibasso DX180 is also a very notable combination with Voltage but I consider the pairing with Cayin N7 to be the best of all.



Highs:

They can be defined as moderately relaxed and natural, they never overwhelm and do not tire, the level of the Air is average, there could be a better extension of upper treble but the level of detail is very good, it is not for someone treble-head or someone looking for an excessively analytical iem but I consider them to be of very high quality and well made, the lower treble is not invasive or annoying either, there is the right amount with excellent articulation and precision, again they feel natural and not forced, as you can guess the silver cable helps to open up the extremes and the highs benefit from it, the use of quality silver does not add any artifacts or metallic timbre as is attributed to low quality plated cables, it simply gives a little more separation, presence and detail while preserving the timbre and its excellent quality. The cymbals and atmospheric effects produced by the ESTs get excellent clarity and definition, I get the feeling that the latest generation ESTs from Sonion offer a bit more weight and are a bit more substantial, finally I will add that if anyone wants a bit more presence in the upper treble area or 'Air' Voltage responds excellently to a bit of EQ.

Mids:

They tend to be the star of the show in Penon IEMs and with Voltage it is no exception, they are smooth and full, loaded with naturalness and excellent note weight, the high mids are somewhat advanced and with the stock cable let's say they can stand out from the extremes by 20%, with a cable change and the correct tips they still stand out a bit from the highs/bass but I would leave it at something like 10%, the advance of the high mids can sometimes cause the voices to feel close or 'in your face' but nothing extreme or as pressing as in other IEM models, that advance in the mids can make some effects be brought to the foreground creating a very pleasant 3D sensation due to the more than remarkable height and depth that the IEM exhibits, another thing that I really like is that it is capable of breaking down the sound into layers, each instrument or voice is shown with excellent individuality and positioning, the speed is average but manages to keep the pace in front of frenetic genres, yes If you are a fan of thin, ultra-detailed and ultra-fast sound you may want to look elsewhere but I find its realism and resolution very satisfying, this IEM is more about feeling the music than analyzing it.

Bass:

To sum up everything I'm going to say, I feel like I'm a user close to the basshead or with a taste for an extended bass response but always achieving a balance and not just having unfounded bass. At first you could say that the bass is in no man's land, but it's not entirely like that. With the switch down, it's close to neutral but still present.


With the switch up, it has a shelf of about 8db of extension with a successful focus on sub-bass. Well, why do I say in no man's land? Because I think with the switch down Voltage should have about 7db of gain and with the switch up 10db, the people I've seen get rid of Voltage is because of the lack of the last mile in sub-bass extension, if you have a good cable and a powerful source in that area the situation improves quite a bit, with a poorly suited cable and a more neutral or weak source it can fall a bit short, let's see how all this translates into the sound, in the case of electronic music in general that tends to focus on the sub-bass, I find Voltage to be very satisfactory and the vast majority of the time it doesn't leave me wanting more, at specific moments I would like a little more push but I feel that it has the right level, in other musical genres among which instruments come into play and not notes generated by synthesizers, is where the lack of energy is most noticeable, we are talking about the bass generated by a guitar or the kick drum of a drum kit, in those cases I do think that it lacks some force, nothing alarming, but I think that it would benefit from it and it would help at certain times to balance the advancement of the upper-middle classes.

To sum up, the bass is present and punchy but with some extra energy in the '1' position of the switch Penon would have won over most bassheads as long as they are not extreme bassheads, having said that let's talk about its quality, luckily the quality of the bass is very high and to make it clear on many occasions it can be very impactful, the speed again is average or slightly above average but it manages to hold up to busy passages and fast and precise hits, in turn it causes the not so fast instruments or kicks/drums to have realism and excellent decay, I doubt it would be a problem for anyone unless using the original cable and a source that is too warm like the aforementioned M5U, the texture is excellent and you can differentiate the different types of hits, instruments, layers and nuances, it also has the property of not being omnipresent if the track requires it and being 'focused' on one point which seems to me to be an outstanding characteristic and not always usual, so from all this we can deduce that the quantity is certainly high even though many We wish for a little more, regarding the quality shown it is undoubtedly excellent, always being a recurring focus in Penon, quality > quantity



In my opinion, the Voltage is an excellent IEM despite having its peculiarities and needing some adjustments here and there to get the most out of it. It has an excellent balance and natural sound, which is what you have to stick with. For the vast majority, that will be its virtue, and for others, that comfort zone will be its defect. I want to think that this safe approach to sound is due to the fact that Penon next TOTL will be more daring, and if not, I encourage Penon to have two product lines in parallel, one focused on the mids and its well-known balance, and a different line for more energetic forms but with the focus on high fidelity that Penon has accustomed us to. Another alternative would be a more marked use of the tuning switches or pressure modules to achieve a greater differentiation between the sound signatures offered by the IEM. I am sure that Penon will achieve this. In the meantime, we can enjoy the Voltage, which on its own is an excellent and more than recommendable product.

Thanks for reading

No affiliation with Penon here. Just grateful to be an AudioGeek and a new Voltage owner. Thanks Penon Audiophiles Reviews & Audio Geek "Brother_Hood of Audiophiles" for your trustworthy reviews...they led me to this spectacular blind buy. I saved up for this one.



As the name would suggest, the Penon Voltage️is a visceral, enthralling IEM. If Neo 5 is a chiller, then Voltage is a thriller!

As a longtime 64 Audio U12t owner, I feel the Voltage rivals its excellence for balance and technicalities. But it also has lush, forward vocals and a rich, emotional musicality. With these bad boys, I don't find myself switching tracks and analyzing, but savoring each song. The whole frequency range is stunningly vibrant & detailed. Soundstage has expansive width, height, and exceptional depth.

For me personally, both tuning switches up + the orange Penon Liqueur tips = audio bliss! These magic eartips have thick walls that smooth out the treble, and their seal tightens up the quality, thundrous DD bass. I feel the orange Liqueur tips are essential for this energetic IEM. (Later discovered that the corier brass eartips have a similar effect).

It's hard for me to find any need for improvement with the Voltage. But if I were to nitpick, the 5k peak (tameable with some EQ at 4k, 5k) might be the only thing. But I still prefer both the bass & treble switches up if that tells you anything. I'm upper mids sensitive, and it's not a problem. A smooth source pairs beautifully. With my My desktop amp/dac it sounds great, but with my new Cayin N7 it is absolutely sublime. I also started using a pure silver cable as recommended by a reviewer and it paired very well. Brings out some richness & smooths out upper mids.



With the Voltage️for home and the more laid back Neo 5 for travel, I feel I can take a break from gear for a while and just enjoy the music. Highest recommendation!

Paired well with:

- Cayin n7 DAP (amazing synergy)
- Rose Technics Rt5000 desktop dac/amp
- HibyR8ii DAP
- Cayin ru7
- Fiio ka11 (impressive $30 pocket rocket)

Preface:

I borrowed this unit from a dear friend to audition.

Also, I’m not a seasoned reviewer, so whatever I say is purely my observation and your results may vary.

I’m not the one to usually focus on specifications and numbers. I focus more on how happy I am with the equipment’s sound and that’s it.

Disclaimer: All impressions and opinions in this review are my own. I have not been paid or compensated by Penon or any other entity for this review. My assessment is based solely on my personal experience with the product.

Sources used:

• Dita Navigator
• iBasso DC07 Pro
• L&P W2 Ultra
• D16 Taipan
• RME ADI-2 Pro FS R

Introduction​

Penon Audio has been a name to watch in the IEM world, known for creating IEMs that strike a balance between technical performance and musicality. The Penon Voltage, priced at $1200, is their attempt to offer a high-end, customizable listening experience. While it delivers some standout qualities, especially in the midrange, it falls short in other areas, making the price tag feel a bit steep.

Design and Build​

The Penon Voltage impresses right out of the box with its solid construction and visually appealing design. The shells are made with care, featuring intricate faceplates that give them a premium look. The ergonomic fit is commendable, ensuring comfort during extended listening sessions. However, the stock cable, despite its stylish braided design, tends to tangle too easily, which is a bit disappointing considering the price. A more user-friendly cable would have been appreciated, especially for daily use.

Sound Analysis​

Sub Bass

The sub-bass on the Voltage is present but not as deep or powerful as some might expect from an IEM in this price range. Even in the enhanced mode, tracks like "Limit to Your Love" by James Blake reveal that while the sub-bass has some depth, it lacks the visceral impact that makes the low-end truly immersive.

Mid Bass

The mid-bass, however, delivers a punchy and controlled response. In "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson, the mid-bass carries a good amount of energy without overwhelming the rest of the frequency spectrum. It’s quick and responsive, but in its original mode, it can sometimes overshadow the lower midrange, affecting the overall balance.

Lower Midrange

The lower midrange is where the Penon Voltage excels. Vocals and instruments have a forward presence, giving them a lush and intimate quality. Adele’s "Hello" showcases how the Voltage brings her voice to the forefront with warmth and texture, though this can sometimes result in a slightly thick presentation, particularly with male vocals.

Upper Midrange

The upper midrange continues to shine with clarity and energy, making female vocals and higher-pitched instruments stand out. In "Rolling in the Deep" by Adele, her voice is clear and detailed, with a slight emphasis that adds emotion and presence. However, at higher volumes, the upper midrange can introduce some sharpness, which might be fatiguing for some listeners.

Lower Treble

The lower treble offers a good level of detail without being overly bright. In "Take Five" by The Dave Brubeck Quartet, the cymbals and high-hats are present but lack the crispness and sparkle that would make them truly shine. This makes the Voltage more forgiving for longer listening sessions but at the cost of some treble excitement.

Upper Treble

The upper treble is noticeably rolled off, which affects the overall airiness and extension. In "Baba O'Riley" by The Who, the upper frequencies feel a bit muted, leading to a somewhat closed-in sound. This roll-off makes the Voltage less fatiguing but also less detailed and open compared to other IEMs in this price range.

Staging (Width, Depth, Height)

The soundstage on the Penon Voltage is decent but not exceptional. It offers a reasonable sense of width, depth, and height, but it doesn’t create an expansive or three-dimensional listening experience. In orchestral pieces like Debussy’s "Clair de Lune," the stage feels more intimate than wide, which might not appeal to those looking for a more spacious presentation.

Layering and Separation

Layering and separation are solid, with each instrument and vocal line clearly defined in most tracks. In "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen, the Voltage handles the complex arrangement well, though it can struggle slightly with very busy passages, leading to some congestion. This isn’t a major issue but worth noting if you listen to a lot of densely layered music.

Tonality

The tonality of the Penon Voltage is warm and natural, with a slight emphasis on the midrange. It’s a pleasing, easy-to-listen-to sound, particularly for acoustic and vocal-heavy genres. However, the rolled-off treble and emphasized midrange can make the overall tonality feel a bit too smooth and lacking in energy for some listeners.

Timbre

The timbre is another strength of the Voltage, with instruments and vocals sounding natural and realistic. Acoustic tracks like "Norwegian Wood" by The Beatles are rendered beautifully, with the guitar strings resonating in a lifelike manner. The slight thickness in the lower mids does color the timbre somewhat, but it remains a strong point of this IEM.

Detail Retrieval

Detail retrieval is good but not outstanding, particularly in the treble. The midrange captures a lot of micro-details, but the rolled-off upper treble means that finer details in the higher frequencies can be lost. In "Bubbles" by Yosi Horikawa, the background textures and subtle details are present but not as pronounced as they could be, making the Voltage feel a bit lacking in resolution compared to other high-end IEMs.

Tuning Switches: Customizing Your Sound​

One of the features of the Penon Voltage is its two tuning switches, allowing you to adjust the sound signature to your liking. There are four possible configurations:

00: Original Mode

This is the default setting, providing a balanced sound signature that showcases the Voltage’s core characteristics. In this mode, the midrange is the star of the show, with a warm and lush presentation that brings vocals and instruments to the forefront. It’s a great starting point to appreciate the Voltage’s natural timbre and engaging mids, but it may leave bassheads and treble lovers wanting more.

12: High Frequency & Low Frequency Enhancement

With both switches turned on, the sound takes on a more V-shaped signature, boosting both the low and high frequencies. The sub-bass gains more presence, offering a deeper, more impactful rumble, while the treble becomes more extended and sparkly. This setting adds excitement to tracks like "Limit to Your Love" by James Blake, giving the sub-bass more oomph and making cymbals and high-hats in jazz tracks like "Take Five" by The Dave Brubeck Quartet more pronounced. However, this configuration can push the mids slightly back, making them less intimate and engaging compared to the original mode.

10: Low Frequency Enhancement

In this mode, only the low frequencies are enhanced, providing a more pronounced bass response without altering the treble. The mid-bass becomes punchier, adding weight and impact to genres like electronic and hip-hop. Tracks like "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson benefit from this setting, with the bassline taking center stage. The added warmth can slightly bleed into the lower mids, making male vocals thicker and possibly less clear, depending on the track.

02: High Frequency Enhancement

This setting focuses on boosting the high frequencies while keeping the bass response in its original state. Treble becomes more forward, adding extra clarity and air to the sound. Cymbals and high-pitched instruments in tracks like "Baba O'Riley" by The Who are more defined and prominent. However, the boost in treble can introduce some sharpness, especially in recordings that are already bright. It’s a setting that can add some needed sparkle but might be fatiguing for longer listening sessions.

These tuning options make the Penon Voltage versatile, allowing you to tailor the sound to suit different genres or personal preferences. However, while the switches offer some degree of customization, they don’t completely transform the IEM’s overall character. The Voltage remains midrange-centric across all configurations, with the other frequency ranges receiving moderate adjustments rather than drastic changes.

Conclusion​

The Penon Voltage is an IEM that offers a lot of strengths, particularly in its engaging midrange and natural timbre. The tuning switches add a layer of versatility, allowing you to tweak the sound to better suit your preferences or the genre you’re listening to. However, its shortcomings in the sub-bass, upper treble, and overall detail retrieval make it hard to justify the $1200 price tag. If you prioritize a warm, mid-centric sound and value comfort and build quality, the Voltage might be worth considering. But for those seeking a more balanced or detailed presentation, there are other options in this price range that might offer better value.

My intention is to review gear from the perspective of rock, progressive and metal music, which are the only types of music I like. My goal is that they can be used by all those who, like me, are looking for headphones that behave especially well with this type of music, so different from many others (which tend to be more to the taste of the average audiophile).

What kind of sound do I like?

Regarding IEMs, I think I could say that my ideal sound is neutral with a good bass boost. Basically, if I had to choose a prototype graph, I think it would be the IEF Neutral (but with that good bass boost).
Regarding headphones, I have always liked the Harman profile, I admit it. However, in IEMs the Harman profile is something I can't stand, since I find it shouty and not very enjoyable.
In any case, my type of sound is fun, with good bass and treble, without detracting from the mids. I like headphones with an energy profile, both bass and treble.
I don't think that metal should be listened to with dark headphones, I think that goes against the spirit of that type of music. And to really enjoy it, it needs to sound aggressive, without losing detail and intensity from the cymbals and distorted guitars.

My rating system

· 10 - 5 stars – Perfect (don't expect to find anything here)
· 9 – 4.5 stars - Almost perfect (destined only for the best)
· 8 – 4 stars – Great (very few flaws, but falls short of excellence)
· 6-7 – 3-3.5 stars – Good (it may be worth it for something specific, but not really great)
· 4-5 – 2-2.5 stars – Poor (not worth it)
· 2-3 – 1-1.5 stars – Very poor (why does this thing exist?)
· 0-1 – 0-0.5 stars – Null (better not say anything)

I truly believe in this scoring system, that no IEM/headphone should reach perfection in a review. Therefore, please do not be surprised that headphones that do have 5 stars in other people's reviews do not in mine. I like to be realistic, and in this case, for me that means being critical.

Penon Voltage



Disclaimer: I bought the Penon Voltage with my own money, with an small early bird discount. All impressions are my own subjective thoughts after using them since May 2024. I have no association with Penon writing this review.

PenonAudio (https://penonaudio.com/) is an audio products online store from China that also manufactures its own products, such as IEMs, cables or dongles, but at the same time sells products from other brands and manufacturers. They've been in business since 2013, and have a very loyal customer base who love the sound and tonality of their IEMS, where the mids always stand out.

The Voltage is my first and only IEM from PenonAudio.

Voltage configuration (10 drivers):
· Bass (2): 2 x independent Dynamic Drivers (fiber composite biofilms)
· Midrange (2): 2x Sonion BA Driver
· Treble (6): 2 x Sonion BA Tweeter + 4 x Sonion Electrostatic

Voltage specifications are:
· Impedance: 13Ω at 1 kHz
· Sensitivity: 106 dB at 1 kHz

Voltage shells are 3D printed medical grade resin, in a striking red color, and they are surprisingly small and comfortable, especially considering that they house 10 drivers inside (including 2 DDs and 4 ESTs).



As I said, the shells are really nice, well built, and of a moderate size, so they are very very comfortable, so you can use them for hours. They have two switches to modify the sound of the bass/mids and the treble: the switch “1” is for the bass and low mids, in “ON” position it increases the bass and midrange, between 20 and 500 Hz approximately; the switch “2” if for the treble, in “KE” position (I don’t know what “KE” means) it increases the treble above 5 kHz.
My favorite setup is with the switch “1” down (off), because in the up position the low-mids are boosted too much, making the sound too dense, heavy and, for my taste, affecting the dynamics and resolution; and the switch “2” up (“KE” or “ON), because in the other case the sound of the Voltage is too conservative for my taste, lacking extension in the treble.



Last but not least, its price is $1199, and it can be purchased on Penon website (https://penonaudio.com/PENON-VOLTAGE.html).

Unboxing

I think the Penon Voltage unboxing experience should be better for the price you pay for it, this is definitely something many brands have to improve on.
The box is very small, I was expecting something bigger, like the Monarch Mk3 or the U4s (quite similar in size), but the Penon Voltage's is much smaller.
Inside you can find:
- the main case, made of leather (or rather an imitation) and in a nice blue color, which contains the cable and a padded orange case for the capsules, with the capsules inside (they come well protected)
- another smaller case also made of leather but this one in brown, with 3 packs of tips of different sizes and colors, and cleaning and maintenance tools for the capsules or the cable
- a band for the cable, also made of brown leather



The standard cable is a very simple, cheap cable with a 3.5mm connection. It's not a great cable. For about $10 you can choose a much better quality cable with a balanced 4.4mm connection as an option. I highly recommend it, as this cable is incredibly comfortable, very malleable, and much higher quality than standard cable.



The cable that accompanies the Voltage is the Penon Obsidian (https://penonaudio.com/penon-obsidian.html), a $149 cable of which there are already some reviews on head-fi (https://www.head- fi.org/showcase/penon-obsidian.26143/reviews).
It can be chosen in a 3-in-1 modular version or directly in 4.4mm. I chose this last option.
For my taste, it is a very comfortable cable that does its job, but I consider it more suitable for brighter IEMs, since its characteristics soften the upper treble. Therefore, my recommendation would be to change it and use a copper/silver cable.

Sound

The Voltage is an IEM with a very natural sound, very safe, and that clearly focuses on the midrange. Its bass is fast and detailed, but measured in terms of quantity and power, and its treble is detailed but soft, and it does not extend them in an exaggerated way to achieve that natural and analog sound that many people like so much. Yes, if I have to define its sound with some words they would be warm, natural, and coherent. Its low frequencies transmit naturalness, warmth and a lot of body to its sound, while its advanced upper mids make it sufficiently detailed (without exaggerating), although they also cause the voices to be very close to the listener, with a slight sensation of having them almost "in face". It is a very direct sound, without a doubt.

Below you can see a graph of the Voltage with both switches in the OFF position:



On this occasion we cannot use the IEF Neutral as a reference, so we will use the Precogvision reference. As we can see, in the midrange and treble the Voltage graph adjusts very well to said reference, but not so in bass and high treble. This defines the sound of the Voltage well, since the mids and highs are where it mainly shines, but it is missing a little impact in the bass and a little more extension in the high treble, a little more "air".



If we activate the bass switch (1-0), we manage to bring the frequency response of the Voltage closer to the reference graph in bass, but the gain that this switch achieves reaches up to 500 Hz, thereby also increasing the low mids. This has a big effect on the sound, as it becomes congested and a large part of its dynamism and details are lost. Let's say the sound becomes "dirtier".
This switch has no effect on the high mids and highs, although by increasing the low mids, they feel even smoother than with the reference setting.



If, on the other hand, we activate the treble switch, the effect we achieve is to raise the frequency response from 5 kHz by a maximum of 2 dBs. The effect is very good, since it is possible to increase the level of detail without losing naturalness in the sound. In fact, according to my taste, this configuration would be the one that offers the cleanest, most natural and coherent sound of all. The treble is still not excessive or annoying in any way, on the contrary, it is still one of the most natural and soft of most IEMs I have tried.



The last configuration, with both switches activated, unites the two responses in previous frequencies, achieving the same increase in bass and lower midrange on one side, and treble on the other.
Although in this case there is greater clarity and detail in the sound thanks to the treble switch, the "dirt" and congestion in the sound that the bass switch adds is still present.

Finally, and in conclusion about the sound of the Voltage, I confess that I have a love/hate relationship with this IEM. Love, clearly, because I like the sound (and the look) and it's one of my favorites. And I hate it, because it bothers me that Penon hasn't risked a little more in their tuning, they have gone to ensure the sound and please as many people as possible, but they could have had a round IEM if they had included a little more extension/power in the extremes (sub bass and high treble). With 2 strokes, which they clearly could have done since technically the Voltage is an impressive IEM, with 4 EST drivers and 2 DDs drivers, they could have created the perfect IEM. But they haven't done it...

As you may have been able to extract from my previous words, my preferred Voltage configuration is 0-2, that is, activating the treble switch, and leaving the bass switch deactivated. So the rest of the review will be done in this configuration.

Bass (0-10: 7)

The Voltage's bass is good, fast and detailed, with just enough texture (but not overdone). It has all the characteristics of a good DD bass, but it needs to move a little more air, a little more impact and depth.
This dual dynamic driver could have done more if they wanted to tune it that way, because with EQ you can extract whatever you want from them without any distortion (which is a big advantage).

Mids (0-10: 9)

The mids are the real strong point of this IEM. Tasty, detailed, present at all times. They provide a great body to the sound, both its lower part (giving incredible tonality and warmth to the male voices) and its upper part (where all the voices shine, mainly the female ones).
Nothing to really object to here, at least for most people. I am a little sensitive to the upper mids, so on certain discs they bother me minimally, but this is not going to be a problem for 99% of people. Furthermore, it is almost non-existent.

Treble (0-10: 7)

The Voltage's highs are incredibly smooth and natural, as many people say now, they have that analog touch that is so fashionable today. They are detailed but not excessively, just enough to feel like you are not missing anything, but they are very rounded at the end, so as not to offend anyone.
At this point, my sound preference is not this, I like more extension and brightness, so to speak, I like a more exuberant sound, with more air, although it may be less natural.
Therefore, at this point I think that Penon could have gotten much more out of those 4 EST drivers that the Voltage incorporates (and again, the EQ shows us this), but they have once again played it safe (too safe, in my opinion ).

Details and Resolution (0-10: 7)

The technical level of the Voltage is very good, since it contains a good collection of drivers that are capable of giving a lot of themselves. However, its resolution is not among the best I have heard. The Voltage's type of sound is soft, analog, the kind that you could spend hours listening to without getting tired, and in this case it is accompanied by a good, but not clinical, resolution.
However, this should not worry anyone. All the details are there, you will never feel like you are missing anything. It's just that it doesn't overwhelm you with details over musicality.

Soundstage (0-10: 9)

This is other of the Voltage strong points. Its soundstage is very wide, it extends a lot both horizontally and vertically. After a few minutes of use, it's the closest feeling I've ever had to wearing headphones when you're actually using an IEM.
You get the feeling that the sound is coming from everywhere, and it extends incredibly far to both sides, while also going up and down quite a bit (not as much, but noticeably so).
It does not generate a surprising holographic impression like other IEMs, such as the Mest, can do, but its scene is perceived as larger (although we already know that this is something very personal and depends a lot on each person's hearing).

Equalization

Let's try to improve the sound of the Voltage with a few equalization filters. They will be slight changes, respecting the original tonality of the IEM, but I think they perfectly round out its sound. All the changes I mention are made to the Voltage 0-2 configuration.

It is not surprising that after so many comments made previously about the sound of the Neon Pro, my first equalization recommendation is to increase a little the bass, and more specifically the subbass. It will be something very small, but it is the only thing that, in my honest impression, the Voltage needs to round out its bass::

PEQ (UAPP) & A&K PEQ
- Peak / 60 Hz / +1.5 dB / Q 3

In this way, the bass of the Voltage is already completely satisfactory for me. For those more bassheads, you may need to increase the decibel number a little (+2 or +3).

I like the sound with the low mids not too loaded, that is, I prefer clean low mids, not too warm. For that reason, I'm going to add a rule to reduce the lower mids of the Voltage a little, this is not really necessary for most people, but I like it better this way:

PEQ (UAPP)
- Analog Bell / 500 Hz / -1 dBs / Q 0.71

Likewise, as I mentioned before, I am especially sensitive to upper mids and lower treble, so I am going to lower those frequencies a little (likewise this will not be necessary for most people):

PEQ (UAPP)
- Analog Bell / 2500 Hz / -0.5 dBs / Q 2
- Analog Bell / 4800 Hz / -2 dBs / Q 5

Finally, and I do think that more people may like this, we are going to "improve" the treble extension, raising the high treble from 10 kHz onwards, to give more air to the sound:

PEQ (UAPP)
- High Shelf / 10000 Hz / +1.5 dBs / Q 0.71

Remember that this is applied on the Voltage with the bass switch in the OFF position and the treble switch in the ON position (0-2 configuration). In this way, the sound is represented by the following graph:



NOTE: I have previously used @tgx78's graphs because he is the only one who has the Voltage measurements with all the different switch positions, but his squig does not allow the equalization function (I think he is the only one who has it disabled), so for this section I used the DucBloke graph (although this represents Voltage with configuration 1-2, it can serve as a representation).

Test tracks and gear

I am using the Voltage with a Xinhs Litz cable with 2 copper and silver cores and a 4.4mm balanced connection, which I love for its quality and comfort, and makes a great pair with this IEM.

For my review I have used an iBasso DX170 (high gain), a Cayin RU7 dongle (high gain), and mainly my A&K ACRO CA1000 (mid gain), and no type of EQ has been applied during listening, since the objective is to analyze the earphone as is, without external modifications.



I have a public playlist on Tidal that I'm going to use to do my reviews, and anyone who uses this streaming platform can use it. It has a wide variety of songs of all kinds, fast, slow, complex, simple... but all of the type of music we like the most.

This is the list: https://listen.tidal.com/playlist/bea90803-85dd-480a-b904-13581ae1a142



So I press play and shuffle on the list, and start the listening session:

1. Paradise Lost - Darker Thoughts

Tidal takes me to start with some classics, from whose album Obsidian I have added this song to my list. I admit that I love this album, despite having a somewhat dark and heavy production. This production does not suit the Voltage's sound too well, which adds a lot of body to a sound that already had it. In general this song sounds heavy, with a lot of texture, and with a certain dirt/grain, very different from the sound it has for example with other more technical IEMs, like the Neon Pro (which I consider more suitable for this song).

1. Pearl Jam - Porch

Total change of register that takes us to one of the kings of grunge, and one of my favorite songs of theirs. To begin with, it is necessary to lower the volume a little, since it sounds much louder than the previous song In this case we find a song (and entire album) in which the opposite of the previous one occurs, and that is that in this In this case, the Voltage sounds incredibly natural, emphasizing the guitars and Eddie Vedder's vocals like few other IEMs I've tried. Perfect synergy.

1. Riverside - Wasteland

New trip, in this case to the progressive rock of the Polish Riverside, who I have to confess are one of my favorite bands (it's not for nothing that my head-fi avatar was the logo of their fan club until recently).
This song is a true work of art, with slow, heavy passages, other faster ones, vocal parts, instrumental parts... it has it all, and for me it represents the high point of one of the best progressive rock albums of all time. history.
The Voltage makes it sound with incredible emotion and naturalness, it is impossible to finish listening to it and not play it again. While it's true that it's hard to find headphones that this song sounds bad on, the Voltage brings a sensitivity and soul to this song that I haven't heard in most of my previous headphones.

1. Brothers of Metal - Ride of the Valkyries

Let's go with heavy metal! This song is amazing, impossible to keep your legs (and even your arms) still while listening to it. I hear the horns are calling, I'm ready for the fight!!!
The production of this album appreciates using a headphone without too much body, because the music already has it, so just like what happened in the case of Paradise Lost, this thick and heavy song, which I'm sure many people love, but in In my case I would appreciate a little less body and a little more air between the instruments. Any case, it is still very enjoyable.

1. Megadeth - Holy Wars

If I had to choose one, and only one, song as my favorite in the entire history of music, that would be Holy Wars by Megadeth. It has everything, speed, strength, punch, a very powerful rhythmic base, and incredible guitar solos. Songs like these are what made me love this style of music.
This song has an aggressive production, with little body and where the treble can be a little annoying, so the Voltage fulfills it perfectly, softening that harshness, and making it sound natural but maintaining all its punch. The next album that I am going to listen to in full with Voltage when I finish this review is going to be Rust in Peace, it has already been decided.

1. Soen - Lumerian

It's the turn of, the current kings of progressive metal (IMHO). Joel Ekelöf's voice sounds incredible on the Voltage. This IEM perfectly transmits all the sensations that are hidden behind Soen's music, strength, rage, sensitivity, melancholy... All with a naturalness and without excessively coloring anything. Without a doubt, one of the best IEMs to enjoy this band.

1. Amon Amarth - First Kill

This song is a classic for me when it comes to analyzing headphones, and I will always use it last in my reviews. In my experience, when I like how a headphone sounds with this song, I like how it sounds in general, so for me it has become my fundamental pillar when trying a new IEM.
On this occasion, the Voltage perfectly demonstrates its DNA, with a thick, full-bodied sound that slightly contains the rage of these Vikings. For all those who enjoy metal with headphones that do not overdo the treble, and add body to the music, to be able to enjoy it for a long time without getting tired, you have a magnificent option in the Voltage.

Comparisons

I have had many IEMs throughout my life, but I always try to keep the number of them low at a time. Therefore, I am going to use for this comparison two of the ones I currently have with me, which in turn represent for me some of the best existing IEMs for listening to rock and metal music.

64audio U4s (price: 1.099 $)

The U4s is a hybrid IEM that uses 4 drivers per shell: 1 dynamic driver, and 3 BA drivers (including the brand's proprietary Tia driver). It uses the 64audio APEX modules, and in my case, being one of the first units, I got it with all of them (MX, M15, M20, and the new M12). For my taste, the M12 is the ideal module for the U4s, since the MX eliminates almost all the bass, and the M15 and M20 modules increase it too much (but they would be an ideal option for those bassheads who are reading this review). From this point on, all comments made about the U4s will refer to it carrying the M12 module (the gold one).

The U4s is another of my favorite IEMs. It is simply "easy to listen to and enjoy", it has a warm, colored sound that sounds fun with any musical style. It doesn't stand out in anything but I don't think it offers anyone either. It is not a very technical IEM, it does not stand out in scene or resolution, it simply sounds good, without the need to modify anything (something I cannot say about 95% of the IEMs I have tried).

The bass of the U4s is very good and enjoyable. It is not very fast, and it moves a lot of air, which gives a lot of depth, punch and warmth to the sound. The Voltage's bass is faster and more controlled, but much shallower and with less impact. When you listen to a song with bass or drums that are not very fast but punchy, it is more enjoyable with the U4s. I would give an 8 to the bass of the U4s, and a 7 to the bass of the Voltage.

The Voltage mids stand out over those of the U4s, and this is where the difference between these IEMs is most appreciated. The Voltage sounds clearer, more natural, less colored and more coherent. Vocals are closer with the Voltage (although perhaps a little too "in your face"), and sound more "alive" and emotional. Well, actually all instruments such as guitars or drums come more to life in the Voltage, sounding more natural and less colored.
The typical 64audio upper-mid dip plumps this area a bit, making it sound more relaxed and distant. It is something that I like, being especially sensitive to this area, but I am sure that this is not the same for everyone. I would give a 7 to the midrange of the U4s, and a 9 to the midrange of the Voltage.

Finally, the treble of the U4s is also completely different from that of the Voltage. In the U4s they stand out in extension and the upper treble is especially emphasized, while in the Voltage the most prominent is the lower treble, while the upper treble is not very extended or particularly emphasized. The ideal would be a mix of both. I would give both a 7 in this regard.

Conclusion

• Score: 8 points (4 stars)
• EQ score: 9 points (4.5 stars)
• Quality/price ratio: 70%

The Penon Voltage is a very good IEM, natural, coherent, that you can listen to for hours. Surely many people like it for styles such as rock, progressive, metal, since its sound is not aggressive at all, which allows you to listen to these styles of music for a long time, without getting tired.
Its manufacturing is impeccable, with very pretty capsules in a striking red color, and a fairly small size for the number of drivers it includes.
For now, it's a fixture in my collection and is currently number 1 on my list of preferred IEMs, mainly thanks to the very good result it produces after a slight EQ.

I would choose the U4s instead of the Voltage if you are looking for a sound with more bass and high treble, with a lot of treble extension, more colorful, and with more relaxed and distant vocals; and I would choose the Voltage if you are looking for a more natural and coherent IEM.

I would choose the Neon Pro over the Voltage if you are looking for a more energetic, technical, fast and bright sound; and I would choose the Voltage if you are looking for a warmer, more natural and analog sound.

I think that all 3 are perfectly compatible options, which is why they are all still part of my collection, and are among the highest positions in my ranking.

8-Jul-24




Introduction: I received the Penon Voltage as a part of its India tour conducted by Audio Geeks and Sandeep Agrawal. The Voltage is Penon’s flagship IEM with a hybrid 4EST+4BA+2DD configuration. Its details are- 4 x Sonion Electrostatic for ultra- high frequency; 2 x Sonion Balanced Armature for high frequency; 2 x Sonion Balanced Armature for middle frequency; and 2 x 8mm dynamic driver for the low frequency.

The stock cable has 4 Shares OCC with 18K Gold-plated OCC Mixed.

A little about me: I prefer a balanced to warm sound for enjoying my music. I own sets like the 64 Audio Trio, Final A8000, and Thieaudio Monarch MKII. I dislike any one frequency overpowering or dominating all others, be it bass, mids, or the treble. Occasionally, I do also listen to reference/analytical sets with a flat sound signature. I very rarely prefer all-BA setups, no matter how high-end they are. Technicalities and capabilities aside, I always look for an IEM/HP that grabs my attention the moment it starts playing (trust me, IEMs/HPs that really connect with me always make me listen the moment they start playing). An IEM/HP should sound clear, fun, musical, melodious, draw me into the song, and most importantly make me feel the emotions! If a Rs. 1,500/- (USD 18) IEM does this, I buy it too (e.g., the 7HZ Salnotes Zero v1).


Design, build quality, fit, and comfort: I found the Voltage to be a middleweight and medium-sized (I call sets like the Thieaudio Monarch MKII heavy and big/chunky). Once put into the ear, I did not find its weight to cause any discomfort at all. Its nozzles are definitely on the thicker side and medium in length, not too long, not too short. In other words, the Voltage’s nozzles are in good/correct proportion to its size.

The transparent red colored IEM shells with gold sprinkled/patterned faceplates look good. We get the ‘Penon’ brand name printed on the left earpiece and ‘Voltage’ printed on the right one.





I have no complaints with the stock cable which settles nicely around the ear. It is a little plasticky stiff to feel though. This is more of an observation and not a complaint. I did not find it to have any microphonics. It’s comfortable.

Voltage’s Tuning Switches: It’s simple. There are 2 switches, one each for enhancing the low and high frequencies. So, 00 is standard mode, 10 is low enhanced, 01 is high enhanced, and finally 12 is low and high enhanced. I tested with 00

Test Playlist:

Chain-1: HiBy R8 --> Penon Voltage stock cable (4.4 mm) --> Penon Voltage (00 tuning) --> Penon Liqueur Black ear tips.

Brief impressions on the sound quality: Before getting into the details, a few words come to my mind which describe the overall theme of the Voltage’s sound. These are- mature, refined, confident, balanced, mid-focused, easy to listen/fatigue free, and engaging. Now to get into the details.

Mids and Bass: I started by listening to the first song in my test playlist which is ‘Tu jaane na (unplugged)’ by Kailash Kher. The first thing that grabbed my attention was how the Voltage placed the male vocals in this song forward and all the instruments were pushed noticeably behind to the background. This literally ‘made’ me focus on the vocals and song wording so much so that I actually was listening to each word (not merely hearing). I played this song to its end and was left impressed at how well the Voltage presented the male vocals in this song with minor modulations being heard so clearly!

Next track was the live recorded track ‘Man Mast Hua’ by the Sounds of Isha. I’ve heard this playlist and its songs countless times now and hence immediately understand what an IEM is doing to the sound. In this song too both the female vocals were placed noticeably forward and presented melodiously. The accompanying bass and treble sounds were supporting the vocals very nicely. Once again, the Voltage made me ‘listen’ to the words and ponder on their meaning.

Coming to the track ‘Pepas’ by Farruko- this is one fast, energetic, and racy party track. It has heavy bass presence in the beginning till the 00:57 or so mark and then suddenly, a sharp treble-intensive instrument kicks in. I know from experience that this transition can be very sharp and piercing on some sets. But the Voltage (with its stock cable) handled this transition with ease and caused absolutely no discomfort. In fact, the sound continued to remain melodious and musical.

For testing the sub and mid-bass, I use the track ‘Don’t Bother None’ by Mai Yamane. Here I think that the Voltage presented the sub-bass and mid-bass well. If I had to say which is the Voltage’s focus though, I’d give the edge to the mid-bass. I’ve heard more rumble and grunt while listening to this song on some other sets. Here again, the moment the vocals started, I stopped typing and just listened. All the words were coming across beautifully with the guitars and other instruments supporting them beautifully. My testing stopped for some time, I just sat, listened, and enjoyed this song, yet once again!

Treble: The song ‘Into the New World by Girls’ Generation is energetic and spicy by nature. This is my go-to track for testing sibilance and the Voltage handled this with ease. No sibilance whatsoever. The details are there, and they’re rounded off for fatigue-free listening.

Another song, ‘Luka Chuppi’ from Rang De Basanti can sound very piercing on some IEMs. The male and female vocals in this beautiful emotional song get high-pitched in some passages and can come across as peaky and sibilant. But it was the same result as earlier on the Voltage - everything was well presented and very comfortable to listen to. Madam Lata Mangeshkar’s and Master A. R. Rahman’s voice come along in good harmony. The vocals and accompanying tabla were the focus while the guitar, harmonium, etc. all played in the background in harmony.

A note here: A little more about the treble- I am quite treble sensitive and heard the two songs above back-to-back. This made me think that the treble MAY get a bit much for some listeners if treble-intensive songs are listened to continuously. Maybe the EST drivers are at play here. So, then I played around a little with the EQ settings (MSEB) on my HiBy R8 and found the Voltage responding well to it. Of course the additional options of changing ear-tips and/or cables are there, should you want to tailor the sound some more.

Other aspects: Busy and messy tracks like ‘Popular Monster’ by Falling In Reverse are handled well. Here too, the vocals are placed forward and clearly heard in what I think is an extremely busy song that can trip up many IEMs. But the Voltage handled it confidently.

I think the Voltage has an average soundstage, nothing too wide or too congested. Correspondingly, the imaging and positioning are also done fairly well. Instruments positions can be pointed out in the Led Zepplin track ‘When the Levee Breaks’. I must add though that some other IEMs have presented this song in a more spaced-out manner with a much larger soundstage which then also naturally showed improved and better instrument placement. If there’s one aspect the Voltage is weak on for me, it’s this one.



Chain-2: HiBy R8 --> EarAudio Premium Silver cable (4.4 mm) --> Penon Voltage (00 tuning) --> Penon Liqueur Black ear tips.

With this cable, the overall sound immediately tightened up across all frequencies, and became airier, faster, better separated and clearer, cleaner, and crispier as compared to the stock cable. I also do think that the vocals, which were noticeably forward with the Voltage’s stock cable, got pushed back and the instruments brought forward. The end-result is that all three frequencies are sitting in one line and the sound is totally balanced.

I cannot say one cable is better than the other. Both offer their own flavor and style of sound delivery, and it would come down to individual preferences. I prefer the stock cable so far as I am always inclined towards slightly forward vocals.



Chain-3: HiBy R8 --> Penon Pyramid cable (4.4 mm) --> Penon Voltage (00 tuning) --> Penon Liqueur Black ear tips.



This is the best combination for me. It performs much better than both, the Voltage’s stock cable as well as EarAudio Premium Silver cable.

With this Pyramid cable, the Voltage moves the closest towards delivering Penon’s house sound which is lush and musical with a rounded off treble. Technicalities are sacrificed a bit as the sound shifts towards a more analog-ish delivery. It is the kind of sound that captured my attention and I listened to it literally the whole day when I was working from home. No listening fatigue whatsoever. I think it’s especially suited for more laidback, easy listening, and chill music. E.g., tracks like Sunrise by Coldplay (which sounds beautifully haunting on this chain btw), Judaai from Badlapur, Walls by Kings of Leon, Seen a Ghost – Acoustic by Old Sea Brigade, and so on. I put on my paylist with such songs and was lost in the music the entire day while it rained lazily outside. The cool breeze, visuals of the rain as it lazily falls to the ground, and my easy listening playlist on this chain was really perfect, to be honest!


Conclusion: The Penon Voltage is a great set that offers a mature and cohesive sound. It is a fundamentally capable IEM that has its basics right and hence, pairing it with after-market cables and ear-tips will only make it shine further.

Priced at $1,199, is it worth your hard-earned money or not is a subjective question that I cannot comment on. What I can say though is that this is a set that must be on your list of IEMs to try in this price bracket.

I received the Penon Voltage to demo courtesy of @ian91. All views are my own and there's no incentive to give anything other than an honest impression.

Disclaimer

This hobby is very much subjective and our listening impressions will no doubt widely differ due to a number of factors including; ear anatomy, hearing ability, age-related hearing loss, fit, seal, how deep you can insert the tips and so forth.

Therefore, everything I say hereon is my subjective opinion based on my experiences, yours may differ to mine.

A Bit About Me

So, I've previously owned a few Penon IEMs, namely; 10th Anniversary, Turbo and more recently the Quattro.

I purchased the 10th anniversary over a year ago and whilst I did like it, I never really got on with it, and found it lacking in treble extension with a bit too much bloat and thickness in the lower mids and mid-bass.

I then purchased the Turbo and wasn't a huge fan either and sold it only a few weeks later. I mostly took a gamble on the Quattro as it intrigued me being a 4 DD configuration, but to be honest I was disappointed and found it to be a bit of a muddy mess due to the overwhelming bloat in the mid-bass and lower mids, which just bled and smothered the rest of the frequency range.

Since then I have bought and sold a lot of IEMs (as you can see in my signature). I've come to learn what my preferences are and what I tend to favour and look for. I like a good sub-bass extension, not too much mid-bass, clean mids from 200Hz, a not too aggressive upper mid/pina gain and well extended treble up top.

As such, I stopped really looking at Penon IEMs if I'm honest, as Penon typically go for a lush organic midrange, which they're so well known for, however one of the compromises of this type of tuning is usually a thicker lower mid presentation, which I don't like.

Penon then announced the Voltage, and I heard some positive impressions from a few people I actively chatted with, and the general consensus was the Voltage is a really impressive IEM.

I also saw the measurements of the IEM in 0-1 switch configuration and thought this could potentially be a really nice IEM for me and my preferences. However at the RRP Penon placed on the Voltage, it needed to be pretty impressive to justify the price.

Presentation

The Voltage is a 10 Driver Hybrid and the spiritual successor to the Volt. It comes in a typical Penon package, with the yellow sleeve. Nothing too fancy, but it's small and compact. It doesn't quite scream premium like some other IEMs in this price range, but it's not a big deal, it's what's inside that counts, right?!







The Voltage comes with a plethora of accessories that's typically expected from Penon; three sets of tips each in small medium and large, a blue storage case, as well as the little mettle key that looks like a sim card remover for adjusting the switches.

I don’t have an issue with the accessories package, but I would expect better for the price of the IEM, as it's the same accessories that came with the three previous Penon IEMs I’d owned.






The IEMs themselves look great. I love the transparent red with the gold detail. On photo's I wasn't too sure, but in person they look fantastic. They also feel nice and solid, which I really like and is an improvement over the cheaper and lighter feel of the 10th Anniversary and Turbo shells.

The only nitpick I have is I’m not a huge fan of the font used for brand and model on either shell. However, the colour of the font matches the gold detail so it doesn’t detract from the overall aesthetics of the IEM.

The cable is really nice, it's black with some gold fleck and has a nice feel and weight to it. It's also modular however it is in fact not screw lock as I first thought. So unfortunately it is still friction secured only. Hopefully it won’t weaken over time and disconnect, which is an issue I’ve had in the past with these type of modular plugs.

My Set Up



I didn't use the included stock tips, not just because it's a loaner unit, but I'm not a huge fan of the stock tips. Whilst they're perfectly adequate, my go-to tips these days are the Whizzer ET100(ab)'s. They're kind of a plunger shape and fit my ears really well, whilst also providing a nice open sound and a good seal.

I'm not a cable believer so I didn’t see any reason to cable roll and therefore stuck with the one it came with. I also used my iBasso DX180 DAP for the majority of my listening and the comparisons.

Even before I first listened, I suspected my preferred tuning would be 0-1, as from the measurements, activating the first switch creates that lower mid bloat I dislike. I tried the various combinations anyway and I was right in my initial thoughts. I really didn't like the first switch on, I felt it made the lower mids a little muddy and raised the mid-bass too much.

I felt this negatively affected the openness and soundstage. I also felt that it kind of overwhelmed the upper treble and perceived detail. As such, all my listening impressions were from using the 0-1 switch configuration.

First Impressions and technicalities

From the first listen, I was impressed. It has a nice spacious sound without any muddiness or bloat, yet still sounds organic and detailed. One of the first things that struck me was how tall the stage was. I actually don't think I've heard an IEM before with a stage as tall as the Voltage. It’s not the best but perhaps above average. However it has a nice spherical presentation that envelopes you, with really good depth and laying.

Bass

I've heard a few people say the bass is a bit on the light side in the 0-1 configuration. If I was nitpicking I would say I'd like a touch more subbass, but the amount it has works really well with the rest of the tuning for me - giving it a really nice natural tonality without the bass being unnaturally emphasised.

It still has a touch more mid-bass than I've been used to of late, but it's really nice and I have no complaints, as it doesn't interfere with the mids and just adds to that organic cohesive tuning. The bass has nice texture, it doesn't sound too slow or too fast. I'm not a bass aficionado, so I won't go into great detail, but like DD's typically have, it has good texture and decay, I have nothing to complain about.

Mids

The lower mids have a lovely organic tonality to them, yet they don't muddy the rest of the mids, so there's a lovely sense of space and separation - yet there's no sign of any dryness which can often be the case when you keep the lower mids flat from 200Hz and also cause male vocals to sound a bit unnatural. Overall there's a real nice weight and heft to the sound. Really well done.

I wouldn’t say the upper mids are relaxed, which tends to be my preference. Instead the vocals have nice energy and are brought quite forward and close in the mix. The Voltage does a great job at not taking it too far and making it shouty, which I'm quite sensitive to - especially on typical Harman tuned IEMs. The mids overall are excellent and Penon have done a seriously good job making it clean and well separated yet still having that lush organic tonality they're so well known for.

Treble

The lower treble to me is a bit intense around the 5kHz region, it's one of the only gripes I have with the Voltage. I acknowledge and respect that this is personal and some people will be less sensitive than me to this region. Not all tracks I tried have a lot going on there, so it's not always an issue, however on certain tracks, I did find it a bit intense.

The rest of the treble region is really nice, with no sibilance for me. The upper treble has the right amount of energy giving that shimmer and detail, whilst also staying faithful to the natural tonality of the rest of the tuning, therefore not sounding overemphasized or artificial.

When I first tried the IEM in the 1-1 configuration, I initially thought it lacked extension. Whilst you could still hear the trail end of the cymbal hits etc, I found it was pushed back in the mix. However, going to 0-1, the upper treble came further forward in the mix, at least that's how I perceive it, as I felt the bloat in the low end in 1-1 configuration kind of overwhelmed it making it less audible. Overall I’d say the Voltage has really nice detail and technicalities.

Summary

The a voltage is wonderfully tuned, it has a nice heft to the note weight, organic mids and a very cohesive tuning, with very good technicalities and detail, that rivals other IEMs at this price point, with the depth of stage, the stage height and the layering capabilities being particularly stand out). It also succeeds in doing this without sounding bloated and thick or on the flip side too thin. The hype is justified, my only gripe is the 5kHz peak which can sound a little intense at times.

Comparisons



I thought I'd do some compressions with three of my IEMs; the Mega5EST, Dunu Mirai and the venerable 64Audio U12T. I appreciate these aren't really "fair" comparisons as the Mega5EST is half the price, and the U12T is almost double the price. However, I thought it would be interesting to use them as a measuring stick to see how the Voltage compares and if it not only justifies its price, but how it also competes with a similarly priced IEM in the Mirai and how it stacks up against the 64 U12T.

Hisenior Mega5EST



Whilst the Mega5EST is half the price of the Voltage, the tuning philosophies are not a million miles apart, they're also both tribrids, albeit the Mega5EST only uses a single DD, two BA’s and 2EST’s.

The first thing I notice is the stage is flatter on the Mega5EST with less depth and considerably less height. The width is decent though and comparable with the Voltage.

The Mega5EST is also smoother across the entire frequency spectrum with more subbass extension. The Mega5EST takes more of a step back, with vocals not quite as forward and nothing offensive popping out to me, which gives it quite a relaxed listen - with some fairly decent detail thanks to the EST’s and the well extended treble.

Switching back to the Voltage, and it just sounds like a step up on the Mega5EST, the imaging and layering are improved and it sounds more detailed to me with better dynamics. It’s also ever so slightly less energetic in the upper treble region than the Mega5EST.

If I was looking to upgrade from Mega5EST and wanted an IEM that still had natural timbre but with a step up in technicalities, I’d highly recommend the Voltage and for me, justifies the price increase.

Dunu Mirai



Whilst the tunings are quite different, the Mirai is the closest IEM I have to the Voltage in terms of its RRP. Whilst the Mirai is now being sold at a discounted price, if you take into account headphones.com’s delivery charge and then the import duty that you’d inevitably have to pay, the final price would end up being pretty similar.

The Mirai to me has a slight warmish-neutral tuning with a noticeable upper treble peak. The Mirai also succeeds in not having too much midbass but avoids coming across as thin and lean. Like the Mega5EST, the vocals on the Mirai are also quite pushed back, giving a nice sense of space.

To me, everything sounds bigger on the Voltage, and I’d also give it the edge on stage size and depth. I think they’re both fairly comparable when it comes to imaging and layering. Detail is more easily perceived on the Voltage, however it is still there on the Mirai.

Like the Mega5EST the Mirai to me is inoffensive across the spectrum and there's no harsh peaks - although some may find the 15-16kHz peak to be harsh and to be too much, but it's not an issue for me.

The Mriai was my favourite IEM for a long while, and still remains up there to this day. I can listen to it for hours and it If I was looking for a more smooth presentation for relaxed listening whilst having the peak in the upper treble providing that bit of zing and shimmer giving more perceived detail, then I’d still highly recommend it.

I wouldn’t like to declare an overall winner here however if I was forced to choose only one, I’d go with the Voltage. I also suspect more people would prefer the Voltage, and that's fully understandable. You also get the versatility of the switches. I would happily have both IEMs in my collection

64Audio U12T



The U12T is my most recent purchase and also most expensive to date. I know that comparing the Voltage to the U12T isn't exactly fair and I'm not expecting it to beat the U12T and nor should it really, being considerably more expensive. However I still thought it would be interesting to do the comparison as a barometer, to see how close the Voltage can get.

Switching straight from the Voltage to the U12T, it's immediately noticeable that they're quite different and far apart. The U12T is admittedly a step above in terms of technicalities, there's no other way to put it. It has a larger stage, better imaging and dynamics. Its detail retrieval and sheer resolution are also better. Like the Mriai, it also has a dip at 3khz, enabling the vocals to take a slight step back.

It's not all one sided though, the U12T sounds noticeably less natural and organic than the Voltage, with a more coloured tuning that is quite U shaped.

Overall I think the U12T is the better IEM and if it was a choice of one or the other, I’d take the U12T every time. However, that's not a knock on the Voltage, the U12T is considerably more expensive, and whilst the U12T has superior technicalities, the Voltage is no slouch in this department at all, and pushing to improve this will ultimately take away from its organic and natural tuning. Furthermore, technicalities aren't everything and I’m sure many people would prefer the Voltage, due to its musicality and naturalness that it offers.

Conclusion



Penon has really surprised me with the Voltage. It's the best Penon I've heard to date, easily. It’s a wonderful IEM and I’ve enjoyed every minute listening to it. My only real gripe is the 5kHz peak which I find a bit intense on some tracks, however it's not a deal breaker and doesn’t make the Voltage unlistenable.

So, the big questions are; would I buy it and does it justify its price?

To answer the first question is easy - yes, absolutely. I think it's a wonderful IEM and the Voltage would compliment my collection well, by bringing a more organic and natural sounding option, whilst still having really good technicalities and other qualities I look for in an IEM.

The second question is a little more difficult to answer. Diminishing returns are real and once you get past the $400-$500 mark, for me the improvements are small and incremental. I don't think anyone can really say a $1,200 IEM is three times as good as a $400 one. Especially in the current market with how good mid-fi IEMs have now become.

Therefore, you have to consider whether the improvements you get are worth the price hike for you, and also what you're willing to spend. For me, I think it does (justify its price), and comfortably hangs with other kilobuck IEMs I've tried and owned. In fact I like it so much, I'll probably look to purchase my own Voltage to add to my collection in the near future.

Review of Penon Voltage
I've had the pleasure to try the Penon Voltage IEMs as part of the Audio Geek European/UK IEM-tour. The Voltage is a 10 driver IEM with 4 EST drivers, 4 BA and 2 dynamic drivers, it retails at 1199 USD. It features 2 tuning switches which can alter the sound.
The design
I love the color scheme of the shell, it's a gorgeous ruby red with black and yellowish accents and is made of medical grade resin. The shells feel high quality. The nozzles are on the larger side but aren't overly long. The cable is also well design with carbon fibre and gold accents. It's the Obsidian cable which if it was bought separately costs 149 USD, it's a 4 Shares OCC & 18K Gold-plated OCC.
Fit and comfort
They fit very well in my ears. The shells are not overly large. There's no real pressure point that hurts after a while. I can use them for extensive listening sessions without discomfort. The cable however, would benefit from ear hooks because I have to tighten the chin slider quite hard in order for the cable not to fall off from my ear easily, I think it's mostly due to the fact that I wear glasses and the cable is quite thick. If this is an issue for you, I'm sure that if you ask you can order the IEMs with a cable with earhooks.
Sound impressions
I'm beginning to understand the house sound of Penon after having owned a few. They like to present the sound with a lush and warmish neutral tonality and the Voltage is no exception. But sometimes it can come across as a bit too laidback and maybe even analytical. This can both be a con and a pro.
I could describe it this way; the Penons are like the loyal, trusty, down-to-earth girlfriend you had which you loved. You always knew where you had her and she didn't really surprise you that much because of that, you started to feel a bit bored and you started looking for a more fiery and spicy experience. You left your old gal and started dating this fiery red head that soon turned out too be too needy, she shouted at you for no reason and after a while you started longing for your old trusty loyal down-to-earth ex who actually was right for you all along and you should never have left her.
Luckily, the Voltage will always be there, because it's an IEM and not an ex girlfriend so it's easy to just go back and once you do, you will immediately understand why you shouldn't have left it.
It has the details but not overly so, it feels very balanced with the switch at 0,0. I prefer some more bass so I keep the switches at 1.0. But even at the switch at 1.0 it feels that nothing is lacking in the overall balanced between lows, mids and highs. I think that's the real sign of a TOTL-iem done right. If feels like there are no bad peaks and valleys in the frequency response which can distract from the overall listening pleasure.
There is no sibiliance to be heard, nor is the treble very extended, but it's far from pulled back too much either, if there were more treble extension the balance wouldn't be as good, so the whole frequency response would need to become brighter, and that would not be favourable. Midrange is good, both male and female vocals sound natural.
Somebody said that they feel like the Penon Fan 2 on stereoids and I must concur. I was never a fan of the fan 2 (pun intended) but I am certainly liking the Voltage quite a bit more.
Summary
I give it 4 stars out of 5 because as a complete package with a good assortment of ear tips, the very nice Obisidian cable with interchangeable connectors and the gorgeous looking IEM it's a great buy for those that like well balanced, well tuned iem with a tonality on the analytical side. Don't expect a detail monster or an airy IEM however. The tuning is a non-fatiguing safe tuning that won't wow you but it will be the IEM you probably come back to most often.

Thanks to AG and Penon for the review tour of the Penon Voltage iems.
As always the opinions expressed here are mine only with no influence of any kind requested or endorsed.

OVERVIEW
The Voltage is the flagship of Penon with 4EST+4BA+2DD Hybrid with 2 Tuning Switches. They are available in both Universal as well as CIEM form.

The review unit as expected, is the Universal. It came with the well received Penon Liquer tips (both black and orange) in a nice blue carry case.

The iems are resin shelled with 2 tiny switches on either earpieces that adjust the bass and treble side of the sound respective.
The faceplate have Gold speckling on red backing plate with the name of the company and the iem on either shells.

The cable is a nicely braided 4 core OCC with a gold plated OCC as well as per the Penon website.

The nozzles are a bit on the thicker side, so people with small ear canals need to try to understand unit comfort.

DRIVEABILITY
In spite of the number of drivers, the iems are fairly easy to drive, running comfortably at a 40 mark on the Lotoo S1.

SOUND IMPRESSIONS
The iems with the switches at 00 on both iems, sound very balanced and neutral, with a good imaging, zero bleed and good representation across the spectrum. For vocal lovers, this is a very nice option.

The vocals are front and centre and with a lot of nuances. With Horikawa - Bubbles, the bass is very nice quality, and the balls, marbles etc are very accurately placed and the speed is excellent all round.
Stage is fairly wide, about the size of a large hall.

With the bass switch enagaged, the mid bass and sub bass get a slight boost in terms of presence. However, the bass boost is really realized with both switches at a 11.
The iems get a sudden boost in terms of liveliness, both from the bass perspective (more than just the 10 config), while treble has more sparkle to complement the nearly V shaped graph.
Mids are still clear of the bass intrusion, with no bleed. The vocals do take a slight backseat.

The 01 config of the iem switches however dont make the iems into a treblehead pair. They are still on the safer side of tuning. I would prefer a little more sparkle in the treble in the 01 config atleast.
Just a nitpick.
In summary
00 - Mostly neutral with forward vocals, details and imaging
10 - Slightly more bass than neutral
11 - More bass and treble with a V shaped sound (most lively)
01 - Little more treble weight

CONCLUSIONS
The Penon Voltage is a well made flagship pair, with tuning options, without true flagship prices.

Penon Voltage is a new 10-driver tribrid “flagship”; I put this in quotes because there is the real flagship, Penon Impact, a 14 driver hybrid BA/EST iem that retails at $2499. The difference here being that Voltage is a tribrid, trading out a lot of BAs for a couple of DDs, and the retail price being a provocative $1199. Why provocative at half the price of Impact? I think most Penon fans are used to excellent low-priced offerings and are reasonably nervous to spend a kilobuck or more, whereas most big spenders in the hobby often avoid Penon. I think Penon made a careful choice in pricing here. I’ll venture to say that they could have priced these at $1999 and that would still be a competitive price, but I believe Penon chose to not do so and actually underpriced the Voltage to bring in more of their big fans (which they maybe didn’t with the Impact or Legend, pricing them outside the fans’ comfort zone). In a vacuum, if Penon had priced Voltage at $1999, I would not have been surprised (nor jumped as fast), but regardless, they still would have exceeded that price level. I’ve heard nothing so far sub $2k that rivals the Voltage. I have spent an extended time with my other favorite in this price range, the $2k Oriolus Monachaa which I happily own. But if I’m going for a full and complete sound – meaning excellent sub and mid bass, clear weighty mids that give way to extended upper mids and treble so that the overall effect is an open and airy soundstage that has no glaring issues in any particular part of the FR, I’m going to say Voltage delivers this in a more complete way than Monachaa, which can sometimes feel lacking in the midbass and bright in the treble. Voltage, to my ears, has no apparent flaws nor does a particular part of the FR have a “star”; bass, mids, treble are expertly harnessed yielding a truly engaging, balanced and full sound that, while focused to some degree on the mids, never lets any part of the FR down. As Penons go, it’s moderately power hungry, but still easily driven by any DAP or decent dongle.

I purchased the Voltage directly through Penon with their standard, early bird discount to their VIP email list (it’s easy to sign up at Penonaudio.com), so I get nothing in exchange for this review, though I want to thank Penon for the generous discount they do provide to their fans. Starting with the basics, the packaging is no-frills Penon, meaning a selection of eartips (but no Liqueur tips!?), stock cable and carrying case are included. The Voltage itself is an attention-getter with its bold, red color and gold accents, constructed with integrity as are all Penons in my experience. Voltage is on the medium-larger side, protruding a little from the lower part of the ear, but is otherwise very light and comfortable. In fact, for 10 drivers including 2x DDs, it’s frankly pretty small and light. I have worn it for hours, sometimes too many without break, because I couldn’t put them down and they just disappear in your ears and become part of you. For reference, I think it’s not a great idea to listen to any iems for hours on end without a break – save those canals!!! But regardless, fit and comfort are not an issue for me and if you’ve been comfortable in any other Penons, these will be great. There are 2 switches that affect the tuning, though not radically changing its overall balance, with bass switch first and treble switch second. I’ll discuss that in a bit, but they could be left in the stock position out of the box (eg, both switches down) without a care in the world and just forget them. But I prefer to play with these things to see if there’s a sweet spot that works specifically for me (TLDR: there was, bass switch up, treble switch down, for me, YMMV). I already described the included Obsidian cable which is very good and capable of giving a great performance from Voltage. However, as I always do, I cable rolled and found that Voltage could be influenced greatly with cables as well as tips. Shame Penon didn’t include the black and orange Liqueur tips – they are actually perfect for Voltage and make some micro changes that will appeal to different ears! I don’t understand why they don’t include them here.

Ultimately, after a lengthy burn-in exceeding 100 hours, I began critical listening and by about 200 hours had settled on using the Effect Audio Code 24c cable and the Coreir brass tips. I listened mainly though my L&P P6Pro connected to my ibasso PB5 tube amp with the insanely good Penon Totem interconnect (which was a cheap upgrade for a lot of wow!). I found the combination of the Code 24c and Coreir tips to bring deeper staging, deeper bass, extended treble, and a nice, warm U-shape (or W) tuning with elevated subbass, forward mids and vocals, and highly extended treble with details, details, details. The combo of the P6Pro and PB5 is sublime and something to behold, so Voltage was properly driven! And those details rise out even more if you scale up your power for Voltage; if there’s stuff in your music you’ve missed before, this set can reveal those things. Breaths, guitar plucks, coughs, lost words, backwards messages, all come out when listening with Voltage. I have tried (and own) many Penons, but none have come close to what I’m hearing with Voltage! Deep bass sounds tight and incisive, and sufficiently booming like a subwoofer, while the highest cymbal crashes pierce through clearly and with authority. This combines beautifully with the Penon mids which are clear and transparent giving them room to shine. Again, the hallmark being one of the most balanced sets where no aspect takes a backseat – Voltage brings everything I really want in an iem.

I think this is due to the “Penon tuning” being perfectly executed here. What does that mean? To me, it means you get something very natural and balanced, cohesive that doesn’t necessarily sound like a bunch of different drivers being combined. Your brain tells you that it’s happening, because you feel the DD bass with impact and precision, and hear it lavished by the BAs, and then transition to ESTs, whose implementation here may be the best I’ve heard and certainly the best I’ve heard from Penon (admittedly not having heard the Impact, yet). The overall result is a tuning that is not exactly unusual, but rather mature without gimmick or tricks. This makes Voltage not only a banger from a bass perspective, but also a detail monster from the treble perspective. I really think treble heads would like this a lot. Bass heads, too, but it’s not exactly basshead, though it flirts in high bass mode. With its 2 switches you can veer it toward either of those tunings and the results are very satisfying. With the bass switch (#1) up, I hear something akin to a FatFreq MSE, but with tighter, less boomy bass, more air and better upper mids and treble. With the treble switch (#2) up, I hear something more like Anni 23 with better, but lesser bass, even though it’s hard to believe those words (and take them with a grain of salt, I haven’t listened to Anni in a while, and I did really like it a lot); both switches up does remind me of Anni 23. With both switches down (the “stock” tuning), the presentation is entirely balanced and again, doesn’t lack for anything.

As a Penon fanboy, why didn’t I try the Impact? Well, it was TOTL expensive for one thing, and I personally require DD drivers in my IEMs at this point in my listening life for the air they move and the way they render bass. Impact had 14 drivers but no DD, so I passed, though am still interested in demoing them to understand what they do well which I expect is actually a lot considering what they were trying to compete with. If Impact had been a tribrid with DDs, I probably would have bought it. And the point is, Voltage does have that DD driver setup I love, in fact, in a pair of DDs that have some special treatment from Penon that they explain on their website, excerpt here:

“The two independent 8mm Dynamic Drivers use fiver composite biofilms plus flexible hanging edge diaphragms. The characteristics of the high damping of biofilms ensure that the Dynamic Drivers will not produce additional resonance due to split vibration at medium and high frequencies, and at the same time bring smooth and natural timbre features.”

I’m not going to pretend that I know what that means, but the last words ring quite true: smooth and natural timbre features. Timbre is outstanding, again with this driver cohesion, no instruments sound thin or off, everything sounds like you would expect it to (and hope it to). The DD drivers in Voltage, especially when cranked up by the bass switch, are beautifully executed with powerful, precise, deep clear subbass extending to the low mids without mud or bleed, really a triumph of sorts as Penon has really stepped up its bass performance with recent releases like Quattro, showing their dexterity with DD drivers. Again, this is not basshead level stuff, but it’s not meant to be. Voltage wants to be an all-arounder that you can tweak to either the bass or treble. And it succeeds brilliantly in that way, though I expect most folks will test out the differences and arrive on a favorite config and leave it that way, with many just leaving it in the very fine stock setting. In any event, DD bass done very well here, zero issues or complaints, only happiness. What’s particularly nice is the quality of the bass, its transition from mid to sub bass and how upper mids blend, it has all really come together here in an unusually natural and balanced sound.

The tuning of the 10 drivers here achieves a stunning level of timbre and cohesion, the best I’ve heard from Penon to date, and among the very best I’ve heard from any tribrid. The tuning here is the sort where I think most people would say “yeah, that’s how it should sound”! The technicalities here are also incredibly well-done making Voltage a very detailed, highly resolute iem that truly extends from the deep subbass to the highest trebles with perfect handoff from DD to BA to EST, all in perfect harmony with each other so that it’s not clear what’s creating what, but that a symphony of well-matched drivers have been tuned to perfection. While not the most remarkable staging I’ve ever heard, it competes at TOTL level with wide and tall imaging that gives a sense of being in the studio with the musicians rather than being in a venue if that makes any sense. Separation of instruments is at the zenith with everything identifiable in detail with terrific resolution across the board. Despite all the detail, listening never gets fatiguing, it’s in fact an energizing listen without any fatigue or pain points.

When discussing the brand Penon, a lot of folks mention the “Penon mids”. Penon tuning in my experience thus far has indeed favored the mids. On each Penon iem I try, the mids are generally the star of the show, except in the case of Quattro, where I think bass and overall DD timbre steals the show. Quattro is a uniquity in the Penon line in many ways. But Voltage does want to present super mids – and it succeeds in spades – the mids are as perfect as I’ve heard them. It’s just that I can’t call them the star of the show here because everything is the star of the show. Want banging DD bass, check. Want clear, thick weighted mids, check. Want unscreechy upper mids, check. Want highly extended treble without sibilance, check. There’s no star of the show, the star is the Voltage itself which is the new, best Penon iem I have heard!!!

Penon Voltage

If you ask Penon fans which of the classic Penons catalog of IEMs represents their house sound. That would be the former flagship IEM, the Penon Volts. I did a review for that IEM here circa 10/2020. It was using a 10mm dynamic for bass, 2X Sonion BAs for mids, 4XSonion ESTs for highs. In hindsight I do believe this was the IEM that brought Penon into the limelight on the threads of headfi. Truth is Penon has always brought their best efforts when it comes to designing IEMs and even though the Volt has been out since 10/2020. We have had numerous new IEMs from Penon since including a new flagship in their Impacts.

It was only a matter of time before Penon started their cogs rolling on how to design a proper follow up to the Volts. This was going to be an important release as there are just too many enthusiasts and fans of the Volt that demand a proper follow up and I think Penon knew it. I have heard rumblings of a successor to the Volts since last year and today I am happy to report that tribrid follow up is now a reality.

The new Penon Voltage is the definitive follow up to the IEM that started a series of excellent higher end IEMs from Penon that sees a clear upgrade on their tribrid formula. The new all ruby red/ red marble colorway is an indicator of the caliente nature of its design. These not only look the part, stunning looking I might add but they certainly live up to the namesake as well. The new Voltage is utilizing upgraded drivers in sheer count and as well as its sound tuning to bring a new tribrid follow up to the Volts. Yes my friend it's finally here.

The Voltage is using 2x 8mm dynamics,2x Sonion BAs for mids and 2X Sonion BAs for highs 4X ESTs for ultra highs. Without even hearing the Voltage, this is a more proper count of drivers needed for a higher end tribrid. One of the only issues I had with the old Volt was that it lacked a bit of lower treble emphasis and could have had a bit more treble emphasis in general as the ESTs was handling all of the trebles. This works but it is well known ESTs are not proper for lower treble support. Hence you see BAs or other drivers handling that portion on most tribrid IEMs and the addition of 2x 8mm dynamics vs the single 10mm dynamic in the Volts.

Penon has been using a lot of the 2 dynamic arrays lately and for a good reason. Having two dynamics gives a bit more physicality, authority, reach agility and speed vs the single dynamic which I will get into in the sound section of this reader but for now. Just know Penon has utilized every single driver in the Voltage for full sonics.

But then they took it one step further. Included some very nicely done switches. Before you say switches are a gimmick. Not when it is done correctly it isn’t. Not only are the switches effective to give several sound designs in one but to my ears all the sound tunings involved with the addition of the switches to the base mode tuning are all done splendidly. Let's break it down.

With no switches on. The base tuning reminds me a bit of the Penon Impacts in tuning. Not exactly at that level of mids refinement but the signature is there. Full bodied, rich, fantastically detailed and layered extremely well all presented in a larger body of sound for IEMs. It's a more neutral leaning signature including a mild less colored 6dbs bass and mild treble emphasis that brings the mids more spotlight with a very nicely done balanced signature. This mode is all about acoustic music and clean vocal performances. You want natural timbre and an honest take on your music. This is the mode I would go with. This mode alone would have had neutral heads loving praising its signature but no my friends we get much more.

Turn up the 1 or bass switch and now we are tilting the bass end but this switch does more than just add 3dbs of more bass and it was done by design that it raises the lower mid portion of the tuning by a few dbs as well. This does a few things. While this little switch is more of a mild boost it brings a touch of a warmer tuning with a thicker note weight to music for the all important lower mids and bass. It is this mode that adds some traditional Penon coloration to the Voltages sound. This brings that warmth that Penon fans have grown to love in their tunings. Penon Fan2 anyone? This is the mode that brings body to male vocals, strings and impact to bass notes with greater texture and extension. Musicality is associated with the region which is also synonymous with Penon tunings. A Penon IEM is not a Penon IEM without this and this is where the folks that are familiar with the Penon Volts will appreciate.

Turn up 2 for trebles and this switch affects the upper mids and treble end of the tuning. Penon tunings are more traditionally has been about the mids. But I have seen a shift in their tunings and for the better. Upper mids get a mild db of extra boost but done very tastefully. The upper mids by the way are now at what I consider the goldilocks of upper mids emphasis at around 8dbs without the switch at around 6ish. With the addition of the upper mid boost it also gets a treble boost which brings better presence in the tuning for folks that want that. Without this switch the treble emphasis is mild and does remind me of the treble tuning on the old Volts but one with better presence for the lower trebles. With the switch on we get better extension, more sparkle and shimmer all handled by the EST drivers that were taxed with this important duty. This is one of those IEMs that you can’t really understand just by looking at a graph. While the trebles look decidedly rolled off. It really isn’t. Especially now that it has that necessary lower to mid treble emphasis that is crucial for IEM balance.

Trebles especially with the added switch is just simply excellent. Once again done in good taste. There is nothing in the trebles that will offend or step out of bounds and the tuning switch brings a variable treble option that is just as important as the 1 bass and lower mid switch. 2 treble switch on and 1 bass switch off brings a more traditional neutralish tuning that folks will love for the best imaging and precision for the Voltage. This is the mode to go with for classical and orchestral scores where precision and imaging is clearly needed for a proper larger body of imaging for your music. Where strings and its proper decay and timbre is important, this is the mode I would go with.
Both switch up. Now we get some fireworks. Folks that own the 10th anniversary can relate to this mode. This brings a mild but once again tastefully done v shaped tuning. I know there is somewhat of a stigma attached to V shaped tunings but this sounds soo right. So good. It is this mode you want your rock, metal, EDM, pop RnB, Hip hop. Modern music. This is the mode that folks that loved the 10th anniversary for its tuning will appreciate. I find this tuning to be so tasty, infusing that musicality we love from Penon tunings that jives exceptionally well with most of my music collection. If you're one of those folks that just leaves a switch alone in the best available spot. That would be this mode. In this mode is where I feel the Voltage's use of extra drivers and more importantly them EST implementation comes into play. It is in this mode you can get your groove on with some exceptional textured bass, rich well imaged mids and sparkly extended treble. The mids don’t just disappear here. This was the mode that I felt the Volts follow up would be. It is in this mode that you folks will understand why Penon has used two bass dynamics and two Sonion BAs to handle lower treble notes. Just my opinion but I think Penon could have made an IEM with just this tuning and called it a day. But the other modes don’t play 2nd fiddle to the two switch tuning here. Not at all.

There is something to be said about an IEM that will adapt to your hearing state. The Voltage can be the type of IEM to scrutinize your music with, and could even be used as a monitor since its basic balanced, more neutral state is less colored and more honest about your music. Certainly can be used as a vocal monitor for Penons excellent take on its mids performance.

It could have used one more level of bass boost for basshead fanatics and one more level of treble for treble heads (I would explore other cable options if that's what you're after) but for what it is. The Voltage in all of its forms came out tastefully exceptional in every way possible. So none of the switch settings will fully satisfy a bass fanatic or a treble fanatic but Penon tunings have never been just about the bass end or the trebles in the first place. What is consistent in all of the tunings is their extremely well done mids profile.

Fitment/ size.
The size of the Voltage I would consider in the conservatively larger bracket for IEMs. I certainly have even larger sized IEMs that actually use less amount of drivers so this design is agreeable in that they are comfortable for my medium/ larger ears. Ergonomically sound vs some that are just uncomfortable. Considering it is using some smaller sized BAs 4 ESTs and 2 dynamics, a total of 10 big boy drivers stuffed handsomely inside the shells, the engineering that is involved takes some serious know-how. The all resin shell also gives above average passive isolation for your excursions outdoors. I would give it roughly 26- 28dbs from my subjective hearing which is outstanding, good passive isolation means they are excellent to take out in your outdoor excursions.

The cable that is included is a well reviewed Penon Obsidian black modular cable which is composed of 18k gold plated OCC hybrid cable in 4 cores. A slightly customized version of this cable was used for their flagship IEM, the Penon Impacts. This cable by default highlights the mid bands with a honest take on trebles adding a bass emphasis with greater note weight and a richer tonal character on all of the sonics- Traditional of Penon sound. I will say in my opinion this cable is an excellent match up with the Voltage to highlight just how dynamic and rich the sound is. It's a better match up with the Voltage vs the Impacts imo. While it’s an excellent matching modular cable, it's not the most technical of cables that can be used on the Voltage. Hence If you plan on getting the Voltage, cables will enhance or highlight parts or all of its sound design to your liking more so. Included cable is just fine, more than fine reason why the Voltage sounds so full bodied as somewhat to do with this cable so it was deliberately chosen to accent and support the sound of the Voltage. However cable rolling will tune the Voltage to your liking.

Technicals.
So let's get this out of the way. The sonics of the Voltage is a higher tier of sound. Utilizing 4 sound channels/ tubes into the nozzle of the Voltage means you get 4 distinct zones of sound that are all jiving to make up with Voltage sound performance. The OG Volt had 3 zones/ sound bores in comparison. These separated zones of sound gives clear distinction of each part of the sound signature. Sound imaging with better perceived texture and instrument separation is the result. Something that represents an actual higher tier of sound from what the Voltage presents will be at a supreme premium and we are talking megabuck IEMs that promise the heavens decent on your ears. As it stands. Penons ability to not only bring the goods when it comes to technicalities but it is always infused with solid musicality. Its stage is just as wide and deep as the OG Volts. But it is the Voltage's excellent variability that is the upgrade on the one Volt sound signature. Where the upgrade in tuning is in both its trebles and its bass definition. Has a more proper lower treble emphasis vs the Volts giving a complete sense of treble performance. I would say the mids sound a bit broader over the Volts mids which stands out just a touch more forward in comparison otherwise the upgrade is for real on the Voltage, tuning switches and all. Bass ends rumble and low bass extension has been improved from the OG Volts here as well. Its sound imaging, layering, definition and timbre here are all playing at a higher level of sound regardless of which switch you try though the treble switch does lend to a better sense of micro detail perception, even without the sound is not lacking here in the least bit. If you're sensitive to trebles and love your warmth. You get that here as well with the 1 bass option and 2 treble switch down. More detailed take on the Voltage 1 bass down 2 treble switch up. Anyway you do it. All of it is tasty.

Trebles are overall well balanced with a moderate emphasis and extension. No treble glare and where ESTs are involved brings the sparkle and shimmer we associate with EST infusions. I have grown to be a fan of the EST timbre and while some say it does not sound natural. To me it gives the necessary distinction of the upper treble notes where other drivers are weak at. This is where the strength of the EST implementations comes into play and where micro detailing is vital for Jazz, classical and really any music genre where precision is necessary. EST timbre is superior to a lot of try hard BAs and most dynamic setups. The Voltage EST implementation on the treble aspects of its tuning is better utilized vs the Volts as it handles the upper treble notes with distinction and cohesion.

Mids has always been a strong suit of the Penon made IEM and you will never read about Penon bringing a recessed midrange on any of their IEMs. It is a vital part of their tuning make up and here the Voltage has several tuning angles to provide some of the best mids in the industry. Utilizing 2 Sonion BAs with very likable and well establish timbre characteristics. The think I love about Sonion BAs is they are less likely to emit the BA timbre you read about from other hybrids and IEMs. Not only are timbre aspects spot on but you get that richer tonal character of a well implemented Sonion BA. Two drivers are better than one in the region as this gives better sense of the dimensional proportions of your recording. Both instrument and vocals alike are always a strong suit from a Penon made IEM and the Voltage is yet another fine example of just how masterful they can tune the mids. The Voltage goes from neutral to full bodied with a hint of warmth and the mids will never be an afterthought but always featured for Penon.

Bass
The soul of the music you listen to. If the rhythm section dont move you. You must be listening to the wrong type of music. Bass design traditionally has been handled by a capable dynamic that brings the beats. Utilizing 2 x 8mm bio/composite dynamics with a newer type of hanging suspension design. These bring a physical nature to the bass impact that seem to have a bit of an extra. Some folks worry about coherency and bass speed due to the physical nature of how a BA produces sound vs a dynamic diaphragm. By nature the bass diaphragm needs air to move for that physical bass. So the bass end will be slightly slower than that of a BA based bass. Unless you listen to just speed metal all day long. This is really not an issue. Even when listening to speed metal I don’t perceive the Voltage bass to be slow or sluggish in the least bit. Since the mids are presented in a natural manner the bass here jives extremely well with what the other bands of sounds are doing for the Voltage regardless of going from dynamic to BA with EST sound. Cohesion is definitely a strong suite of a well designed tribrid in the Voltage.

Even without the extra bass 1 switch on. You are going to be surprised just how impactful and capable the standard mode for bass is on the Voltage. For a lot of folks this will be the preferred amount of bass as there is really nothing lacking in the ability or definition for the bass end to come full bored. I would never describe the bass end as being bass light or bass neutral simply due to the bass quality being so very good on the Voltage. Let me put it this way. You don’t name your IEM something like the Voltage and not bring it in the bass department.

Bass is natural, clean, tight and has very good definition. I never thought the Volts bass end was ever an issue, infact I loved the bold but impactful bass end of the Volts but I have seen some folks feel sub bass could have been better. Voltages advantage of using 2 dynamics is that it's got a complete ability for the bass end. Sub bass rumble is not an issue, digs a bit deeper with a proper transient response meaning its decay is sustained realistically for a woofer design. Much like the mids and the trebles that specialize in their portions of sound the bass dynamics handle the bass end with no struggle or weakness that I can detect. Its tonal character is spot on. Its textured sub bass, very realistic. Bass end here is very satisfactory and in the 1 switch bass mode, bass is not a supporting role but one that is actually featured. Bass keeps up with the rest of the signature easily and since all the drivers her was deliberately selected for ultimate cohesion. There is no part of the sound that stands out on their own. Bass end included.

Overall
With a name that exudes energy, the sound of the Voltage easily encompasses the namesake. Voltage is the end result of years of designs from folks that are master craftsmen at their work. Their ergonomic fit will work well with most folks and a solid all resin build means excellent passive isolation for when we need to be into our music on the go. The sound tuning is more than versatile, unless you're an extreme bass head or like all your sound to be brighter than the sun. There will be an option of the Voltage sound tuning that you will most definitely like. Voltage uses a high level of technical ability to its advantage in bringing forth a very even handed dynamic sound, not the other way around where technicalities are the only redeeming feature. Voltage brings a higher end tribrid to the masses with variable tuning switches that turns them into a different IEM every time you feel the need, when you add together all the aspects of what it can do and sound like, Its quality construction, stunning looks, highly refined design in both looks and sound. You get a new classic from Penon.


I know a lot of folks will want a comparison to the OG Volts so here it is. This comparison is a Penon flagship shootout all using their stock cables in balanced.
Vs. Volts

Penon Volt for $799 represents the first tribrid for Penon and the IEM that brings what their house sound is all about. Folks that owned the Sphere, Orbs, Globes will find the top of that particular sound in the Volt. The Volt is all about the mids performance and the bass and trebles playing a crucial supportive role in the tuning. Musical and dynamic sounding the Volts is what put Penon on the map. It is hard to argue where these IEMs lies in the hierarchy of Penon sound with their large and in charge sound performance even by today's standards. As mentioned before the voltage uses two Sonion BAs for its trebles and uses the EST drivers just for the upper trebles. This makes a difference in how much more complete the Voltage sounds for trebles, especially noticed with the treble switch in the up position. Where the Voltage sound signature becomes a bit similar to the old Volts is when you have that switch down. In this mode the trebles are smoother yet is not devoid of the reason why these are using 6 total drivers for trebles. Smoother trebles but still sound remarkably balanced. Where the Volt still has a bit of the upper hand from the Voltage I would say is its mids which is slightly more forward with decidedly richer tonal character. The Voltage sounds just a touch broader in the way it sounds, the OG Volt sounds just a bit deeper and with greater density of note. Otherwise they are trading punches for performance between each other. Where the Voltage is an upgrade in sound performance has to do with the way it can morph into a more bass infused sound, Is a bit more technical in that it does have better sound separation, imaging and detail elements vs the Volts. Voltage bass end is also an upgrade on the Volts single 10mm bass. It has better speed, sounds a bit tighter and has better definition and texture vs the Volts bass.

Vs the Legends.
The Legends has the widest stage out of all of Penon made IEMs if you're a stage head these are a set to look into if you prefer your sound to be wider than most IEMs. The all BA IEM. The Legend uses 13BAs per housing with a 4way crossover design. These were the first Penon IEM to use tuning switches. Its tuning angle is more of a w shaped signature with enhancements in the 3 regions of sound that represents the Legend. It's a highly technical yet exemplifies how Penon can tune for higher end sonics utilizing so many drivers. This 13 BA set is definitely one of my all-time favorite all BA sets in existence and compared to others that charge a lot for similar specs the Legends clearly stand on their own for sound. This is where these share some technical aspects to the new Voltage. Its imaging and sound separation are both exemplary and here is where you're not missing out on the EST drivers of the Voltage. Unless you did a head-to-head comparison the trebles is fully fleshed out and is just right on the Legends. It uses 4 Sonion BAs for bass vs the Voltage two dynamics and I find their mids performance to trage blows for detail and imaging the clear distinction as you could have guessed has to do with the Volage Bass end which has a decided leg up on the Legends bass which is not exactly a weak spot for the Legends. BA bass as good as it has gotten over the years still does not have the same physical nature as a moving dynamic. Woofer bass will win every time here. This being said the cohesion level of the Legends being an all BA design is ideal for a broad sound. The Voltage for cohesion is superb for being a tribrid but if you actually listen for timbre aspects in the 3 regions of sound, You can tell they are using 3 different types of drivers.

Impacts.
The Impacts are the newest flagship. 4EST with 10BAs. In many ways the upgraded Legends are what the Impacts are. That silky fluid EST implementation for upper trebles is the difference. The Impacts represent some of the best mids in the industry. It has some amazingly articulate full bodied, holographic mids performance and is the star of what the Impacts are about. The BA bass implementation gets a bit more punchy vs the Legends but it simply does not have the same type of physical bass the Voltage has. Voltage stage is a touch wider vs the impacts but if you take a premium for mids performance the Impacts cost as much as they do for a nicely done higher end mids, sparkly extended treble end, punchy BA based bass with an accurate timbre, with that classic Penon richer tonal character. The Voltage sounds more dynamic in performance and has the better bass quality out of the two and does lose out to the impacts in its mids presentation. Doesn’t sound as dimensional as the impacts as the impacts has better texture and body to its mids presentation. Voltage sounds a touch more dryer in comparison and is not as rich sounding but sounds equally airy for its mids presentation.

Voltage trebles has more presence especially with the 2 treble switch on which the dual treble BAs are more engaged. Impacts has a bit more upper trebles where the 4 Sonion ESTs are more engaged in the trebles. Sounds a touch cleaner tonal character vs impacts overall full bodied tonal character. As I posted above in the review about the Obsidian cable as both these IEMs use a variant of this cable. I feel it is the Voltage that benefits even more so using this cable vs the Impacts. It certainly synergizes better. The white Obsidian cable on the Impacts focuses a bit too much on its mids and bass character and not enough in the trebles, hence many were searching for a cable that can enhance the treble aspects while maintaining its mids performance. Since the Voltage has more bass and trebles it definitely jives better with the Voltage. This is a case however where if you never owned or heard the Impacts full bodied dimensional mids presentation. There is not much lacking for the mids performance on the Voltage, in fact it is quite excellent and has all the hallmarks of a Penon designed mids performance. However, there is a reason why the impacts have the superior mids presentation and that is because the Impacts uses 4 Sonion BAs just for the mid bands while the Voltage uses 2. The focus of the Impacts much like the Volt before it was its mids. The Voltage gives you the ability to enhance the treble and enhance the bass the Impacts cannot do. However, if you want the mids to be at the forefront of the tuning, lowering both switches does just this. I would say it is more balanced at this point and this in turn is the Voltage version of a more mid focused sound. The fact that the Voltage will be sold for much less vs the Impacts with the ability to engage its dual 8mm dynamics and 2BA+ 4EST for greater effect on top of an outstanding mids presentation makes the Voltage one of the best values for what they will be sold at.