Penon Vortex

Technical specifications

Impedance: 24ohm +/- 15% (@1kHz)

Sensitivity: 108db SPL/mW

Driver type: DLC (diamond-like fibre)

Connector: 2pin

Plug: 3.5mm, 2.5mm (BAL), 4.4mm (BAL)

Cable: CS819 (copper & silver mix)

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Source: Cayin RU6 (4.4mm, high gain, NOS)

Burn-in: >100hours

The Vortex was provided by Penon Audio at a discount, in exchange for a review. As always, what I provide here is my own honest opinion on performance – Penon does not see my reviews prior to publication or have a say on content herein.

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Preamble

The review sample was kindly provided free of charge in exchange for an honest review.
I didn't receive monetary or any other kind of compensation and I don't use affiliate links.
The price of the Vortex is $219 and you can buy it from Penon Audio.



Penon Audio

The Penon Audio online shop was born in 2013 with the main goal to sell the best selected audio products at the most affordable prices for both the audiophiles and business users.
Together with selling products from various brands, Penon have started building their own earphone cables and after a few years they have expanded into making earphones.
Now, they are a well established brand with many well received products that are valued among the personal audio community.



Penon Audio Vortex

The Vortex is a single dynamic driver IEM with a DLC, diamond-like carbon fiber material.
The molecular structure of the compound is similar to diamond, the resolution and transmission details are precise and neat, clear and natural. Similar to beryllium metal used in aerospace research and high-end speakers, it is a light metal, and the density of DLC diamond-like carbon is comparable to that of metal beryllium. The ideal diaphragm needs to have the characteristics of light weight, proper damping, and small divided vibration. The key point is that the forward and backward delays of the vibration should be just right: vibrate immediately when a signal is received, and stop in time when the signal disappears. Diamond-like carbon achieves a perfect balance in terms of sound conduction velocity and internal impedance, that is, it has ideal performance on forward and backward delay , ultra-high sensitivity and excellent transient response, which can accurately restore sound.



Build quality and fit

The ear shells are handmade from a medical-grade resin compound that is skin friendly and they come available in two colors, dark-blue and white-blue.
They have a custom-like mold that follows the natural shape and the anatomy of the ear.
They are well made with a smooth shiny finish and they look robust and quite durable.
They are compact sized and lightweight, offering a very comfortable wearing experience.
They fit well, but not too tight, they are discreet, stay in place without falling from your ears and have good passive noise attenuation.



Cable

The Vortex comes with a 1.5m long, detachable cable with the 0.78mm 2-pin interface.
It is the Penon CS819 cable that retails for $49 and when ordering the Vortex you can choose between a 4.4mm or 2.5mm or 3.5mm termination plug.
It is an OCC & silver-plated mixed braided cable with 8 strands, a single strand has 19 cores so a total of 8 x 19 cores.
It is a well made, albeit a little heavy and not very beautiful looking cable with solid aluminum plugs, that doesn't get tangled and it has low microphonic noise.
A quality cable, well worth the Vortex but it should be noted that most of the competition at this price point now comes with modular plug cables.



Accessories

The Vortex comes with three different types of ear-tips in three sizes each.
Transparent green, gray-green and EPRO, horn shaped silicone ear-tips.
You also get a high quality, roomy and beautiful looking carrying case, a leather pouch, cable clip and a cleaning brush.




Associated gear

The review sample was burned for more than 100 hours in order to make sure that it had fully settled down.
I have ordered it with a 4.4mm balanced cable so I was able to use both balanced and unbalanced sources like the FiiO M11S, EarMen Angel, iBasso DX240 and others.
The Vortex is rated at 24Ω with a 108dB SPL/mW of input sensitivity so it is very easy to drive and you can enjoy it on the go with USB DAC dongles like the iBasso DC03 Pro or something similar but you should also remember that it scales pretty well and it fairs better with higher quality sources.



Listening impressions

The Vortex is one of the most balanced and well tuned earphones that I have reviewed lately.
It has an almost perfect neutral and natural sound signature with a very realistic timbre, lifelike tonality and supreme sense of musicality.
The low end is well extended to the sub-bass without too much of a roll off, and evenly tuned up to the lower mid-range without any significant emphasis deviating from the linearity.
The bass and the mid-bass are well balanced without getting boosted or any unnecessary coloring.
Every single instrument, from the bassoon to the double bass, is reproduced with great tonal accuracy, realistic pitch and excellent articulation.
Overall clarity and definition are very good, the bass is textured and layered with great separation between the various instruments, no matter how many of them are playing at the same time, without any kind of audible masking or frequency overlaying.
The driver is technically capable and can sound impactful, dynamic and contrasted when needed but the bass texture is not that visceral and full bodied although not dry or thin, just somewhere in the middle of the intensity grade.
The bass is also fast, tight and controlled with a good sense of rhythm and strict timing.
This is not an earphone exclusively made for listening to classical and acoustic music and despite really excelling in these genres, you can use it for almost everything else as long as you don't like your bass emphasized and explosive.
Anyway, listening to Kalevi Aho Timpani concerto was an extremely impressive and rewarding experience not that far in sound performance from the much pricier competition.



The mid-range is absolutely joyful and engaging, balanced and naturally tuned, transparent and open sounding with clear articulation and plenty of harmonic variety.
The whole range is handled with the same gravity without any significant peaks or dips so all voices and instruments are represented well blended together in an immersive recreation of the music.
The Vortex is like a bird singing with the most colorful voice, the texture is sweet, lush and rounded without shouting notes and harsh tones.

Rising higher, the Vortex is displaying the same kind of a balanced and evenly handed tuning with a smooth and easy sounding treble that doesn't have any fatiguing or sharp peaks.
Don't be mistaken though to think that it is lacking in extension and clarity, on the contrary it has plenty of energy and sparkle, it is extended and not subdued but it always stays polite and controlled.
The Vortex is a quite forgiving earphone but this doesn't mean that it is short of transparency and clarity or that it is not resolving and detailed enough.
Surely, it is not an analytical or magnifying glass type of an earphone but at the end of the day you will find that everything is in place, nothing really missing but there is always some kind of humility in the presentation manner.

Time decay is also very natural, not fast nor slow, just balanced and realistic in the shimmering effect of high pitched percussion instruments that maintain the fullness of their texture without sounding thin and splashy.
The single dynamic driver is very cohesive sounding, there is a great evenness throughout the whole frequency range with uniform intensity from the top to the bottom.
Generally speaking, the Vortex is not the most resolving or fine sounding earphone, there is a touch of roughness and coarseness, especially in the treble, but it certainly fairs a lot better than the price would suggest.

The soundstage is quite spacious and open sounding by the means that is not contested but it is relatively narrow and not that wide but fortunately not too close and intimate when positioning the listener in proportion to the performers.
Instrumental separation is quite sharp and accurate so listening to overloaded music passages doesn't cause any significant problems except that you don't get a satisfying sense of grandness and holography.
The thing is that the overall tonality and balance of the Vortex are so well done and suitable for listening to classical music you will find yourself willing to sacrifice this lack of expansiveness even with symphonic works like Mozart's 41th.



Compared to the FiiO FD7 ($599)

The price difference between these two earphones makes this comparison an unfair one but it is included not for letting you know how much better is the FD7 but rather for highlighting how close the Vortex is to it.
They have the same kind of a very musical, balanced and tonally correct presentation and an almost similar tuning except for the more extended sub-bass of the FD7.
The FD7 is my reference single dynamic driver for reviewing and listening to music alike and while the Vortex is not a much in overall technicalities, resolution and refinement, it is so shockingly close that it have rightfully become my second reference that I am going to use from now on for reviewing similarly priced gear.



Dunu Falcon Pro ($219)

This is a much more fair and appropriate comparison since both are single dynamic driver earphones with the exact same price.
The Dunu Falcon Pro is made from stainless steel and it is almost as confirmable as the Vortex which is slightly more compact and lightweight with better anatomy which closer matches that of the ear.
For the same price, the Falcon Pro comes with interchangeable sound tuning filters, four pairs of silicone ear-tips, a modular cable with 2.5mm, 4.4mm and 3.5mm plugs, a high quality carrying case, a cloth pouch, a cleaning brush and cloth and a 3.5mm to 6.5mm adapter.



The Falcon Pro is slightly better extended at the sub-bass and it sounds more impactful and dynamic with a more visceral texture but it is not as tight, clear, textured, fast and controlled as the Vortex which is also more neutrally tuned in the lower mid-range.
As a result the Falcon Pro is a little darker and warmer sounding with less mid-range transparency and clarity but not deprived of musicality and timbral realism.
It is even smoother and easier sounding in the upper mid-range and treble than the already controlled Vortex so it sounds more relaxed, not as extended and with less sparkle and energy.
Two earphones with different sound signatures that are addressed to opposing listening habits, the reference - neutral Vortex against the warmer, darker and thicker sounding Falcon Pro.



In the end

Extremely well balanced with a reference tuning, natural timbre and full of musicality with great technicalities for the category, the Vortex is one of the best sounding single dynamic driver earphones that you can buy without giving it a second thought.

Test playlist

Copyright - Petros Laskis 2023.

TONALITY: 8.6/10
TECHNICALITIES: 8.8/10
CONSTRUCTION: 8.2/10
SOUND VALUE: 8.5/10


Penon is mostly known as an audio distributor and cables maker, yet they begin to release earphones years ago. Their IEMs like the Serial triple DD or Globe hybrid DD+2BA have a solid fan base. It seems the Vortex I will review today is quite appreciated by the audio community too.
Priced 219$, the Vortex is a single dynamic drivers earphone using a 10mm DLC diamond-like carbon fiber dynamic driver with a Strong magnet
Since I’m quite a fan of the Serial, my curiosity drives me to contact Penon for testing this IEM, so, these don’t come out of the blue but are lucid independent decisions driven by pure audiophile curiosity.
Now, let's see in this review if Penon achieves a cohesive tuning and technically performant sounding IEM even if it uses only one single dynamic driver.

Specification

Brand: Penon
Model:Vortex
Driver: 10mm strong magnetic DLC diamond-like fiber diaphragm
Input Sensitivity: 108dB SPL/mW
Frequency response range: 10Hz-35kHz
Impedance: 24Ω±15%(@1kHz)
THD: ≤1%@1khz
Connecter: 2pin 0.78mm
Plug: 3.5mm audio, 2.5mm balanced, 4.4mm balanced
Cable length: 1.2M

CONSTRUCTION&ACCESSORIES



The construction is nice but not mind-blowing for an IEM of this price. It uses good quality resin plastic, the housing is small and has a comfortable ergonomic shape and the 2-pin connector is fully embedded in the housing and feels solid. The backplate is beautiful and I love the dark blue color of the housing too. Nothing to complain about, these feel sturdy, offer decent passive isolation and most of all are very comfortable for long-term listening, you don't feel them in fact since they are so light and tinny.




Now when it comes to packaging, their nothing to say apart from the fact I was worried about the number of accessories seeing how small the box was. But then, I was overwhelmed by the generous amount of what's included. Don’t judge anything by its size! Here we have high quality carrying case, not a basic one, something durable and elegant. We have a cable leather pouch and holder, a cleaning brush, and a clamp cable holder. 6 pairs of good quality ear tips and, just wow, this high-end balanced cable. A nice and welcome addition is the ePro Horn ear tips which are truly soundstage openers, so these can be used with any IEM that you feel will benefit from extra spatial deepness and tallness. While I like them with the Vortex, I prefer using KB07 wide-bore ear tips for more forwards mids, and bass.



This cable is the Penon CS819 OCC & Silver-plated Mixed Braided 2.5mm balanced cable and sells for 50$ at their Ali express store. It's well-built with a sturdy connector. It's smooth and flexible and I appreciate it won’t have an ear hook for more versatile use. It doesn’t drastically affect sound rendering, perhaps add with of warmth and timbre density, yet keeping the resolution, transparency, and dynamic scaling intact. This might become one of my fav cables. You can choose between 3.5mm single-ended or 2.5 mm-4.4 mm balanced models. Very impressive.

All in all, these are excellent accessories that put to shame a lot of pricier IEMs.

SOUND IMPRESSIONS




We can say the Vortex delivers a gently bright near neutral to slight V shape tonality with vivid treble and punchy low end, but it's all but a boring listen, so we are into maturity meet fun musical territory. Its immediate and lively tonal balance is highly cohesive and abrasive, let's say the dynamic driver isn't lazy in there and is always ready to show the talent of its excited transient response.

The first time I put these in my ears, it was evident that it wouldn't be a dull or technically limited listen, it suck me up into music right away and I was ready to rock. The thumping mid-bass was well defined and textured with well-felt punch, the mids were gently brightened in presence and forwards in dynamic, while the treble bite fits perfectly the tone of electric guitar abrasive chords. Yes, at first listen I was headbanging and it wasn't a basshead IEM kind of joy, but an engaging macro dynamic that feels neutral as a whole yet not tamed in amplitudes freedom.

Musicality was nailed at first listen. Which by itself is a positive subjectivist appreciation on its own.

What the Vortex sound doesn't offer: mellow mid-bass impact, boring neutrality, dark treble, recessed mids, lean dynamic, and overly safe tuning.

What he offers: fast textured punch and grunt, forwards lively mid-range, sense of impact and weight, above average detail, fast attack, and versatile well balanced brightness.

While these aren't for basshead like the ISN H40 or as much focus and extension in sub-bass as the pricier Penon Serial, the Vortex isn't lacking in speedy impact due to a mid-bass boost that is well-defined and has enough texture bite to offer edgy electric bass or rich contrabass resolution. It's the type of bodied tight slam that can keep its pace even on a very speedy track, and this is the rare type of low end that favor kick drum too, so it does as well with rock as funk or EDM, old-school rap to is well rendered while Trap rap or Drum&bass will lack a bit of thick rumble and sub-bass boost.
For jazz, the result can be quite good too, unless contrabass solo, it will tend to magnify the drummer more than the bassist even if the presence of bass line is well rendered in definition and does not bloom by resonance. I would not say it's the cleanest bass separation since we have a hint of sustained excitement that can add a hint of warmth and density to mid-range. As well, this low end can deliver some grunt, which will be rewarding for bright electric bass, this extra texture help to define the layering separation between kick drum and bass as stated in jazz, but for rock, it can be incredible, folk too and I would say that acoustic instrument, in general, is very well rendered which is a proof of bass quality. Just avoid the Vortex if you are a sub-bass boost seeker that needs to magnify rumble.

Textured is the mid-range with good note weight, bright but not particularly open resolution, and minimal sense of transparency that permits decent layering. This is the kind of versatile mid-range that can offer appealing male and female vocal, which doesn't sound thin or too recessed. yet stay centered in the middle of the stage. Low harmonic isn't lacking, so male vocals are perhaps a bit more flavor in natural full-bodied presence while the highest pitch of a Soprano will feel a bit tamed, but for soul singers that need breathy timbre, it will fit perfectly. The upper mid is softened here, but not lacking in energy, pinna gain isn't too high, and avoid shoutiness by a notch.
Saxophone sounds quite good too, dense and rich with detailed texturing that will make you not miss any blow subtilities. Listening to Charles Loyd playing is a real delight with the Vortex since we have both the syrupy tone richness and smoothness, the airy density of the instrument, and the edgy articulation of the melody line. The sax sound is multi-layered with texture richness which we can explore with excitement. Piano too sounds very good, due to felt note weight and good presence resolution, in fact, I haven't encountered any instrument sounding plain wrong with these, from violin to synth to piano to electric guitar (so yummy), the Vortex offers a realist and full sounding tone with textured just a hint -bright-grainy timbre.


And now the treble.
We can say it's the center of the show since we have a sense of fullness from the lower to highest region. This isn't understated nor overly boosted treble and it extends far too. Yet, it's not the type of highs I would call ultra crisp or extremely sparkly, since it's more about the crunchy attack and just a hint of extra air on top to avoid macro resolution compression. I never have enough sparkle and brilliance it seems and the Vortex offers this treble brightness that tames hint of natural resonance after percussion impact but here it doesn't go saturated due to fast sustain with a scooped release that keeps its spacing between high pitch instruments.
Still, we do have some minimal sparkle and brilliance, it's just not very boosted and stock cable doesn't favor that, but the attack edge does offer this sharp snap when needed.
Minimal spacing, yet, just enough to be able to follow percussions with some effort, since it's a balanced treble, not a spiky nor an analytical one. The cymbals crash is smoothed a bit, yet keeps its sense of fullness and avoids unpleasant splashiness, snappy metallic percussions are edgy enough with just a pinch of brilliance.
The snare is focused, well-defined, and fast in control. Both clavichord and acoustic guitar sound full, not thin or overly boosted in a metallic sheen, but as noted you will lack this sparkle release-decay and full airy resonance after impact, so, it can feel overly scooped and even a bit darkened depending on the pitch played. The only instrument I find truly problematic with these is the harp, which needs clean treble extension between 8kz and 20khz, very few IEMs can achieve this and Vortex isn't an exception since its fullness stop around 10khz. But another thing that IEM struggles to present properly is the electric guitar and the Vortex excel with delivering full richness of distorted instrument, which doesn't sound fake fuzziness, it's abrasive, dense, and vibrant. Again, rock fans would be happy about this.

The Vortex isn't an IEM offering gigantic and bigger-than-life spatiality, it's intimate and immersive. The center stage is a bit more recessed and left and right stereo imaging. It's not very open, nor very airy, or perfectly clean. It sticks around your head so in that regard, it's a bit average. It's like wearing a big helmet with 2 speakers at each side of you and a third smaller one in front.

Yet, the imaging isn't bad at all. Sure if it's an intimate soundstage the space between instruments wouldn't be very wide but the fast transient response permit decent layering which benefits more bass and mid-range instruments than high-frequency one.

SIDE NOTE:
These are easy to drive and in fact, benefit from a low-impedance source. Like big boi, these have the potential to scale up with a higher-end source that is powerful in dynamic but low in THD and impedance. As well, the Vortex is ear tip sensitive and this whole sound impression is based on Kbear KB07 wide bore ear tips. With the Epro , overall tonality is a bit sharper and more open and deep in spatiality (bigger soundstage), but have more distant and thinner mids and vocals too, as well as more aggressive treble.


COMPARISONS


VS PENON SERIAL (3DD-300$)

You might wonder why this Serial only cost 80$ more even if it has 2 more dynamic drivers than the Vortex...well I wonder too, but this confirms again how great of a sound value Serial offers.
While the tonal balance is quite different, I don't think the Vortex can handle this battle in terms of technical performance since even if the Serial is warmer and thicker sounding, it offers clearer resolution higher transparency, and better imaging and layering.
The Serial has more sub-bass extension and thickness, the bass is better layered, fuller, and more natural in extension. It feels a bit slower in mid-bass punch and not as edgy in the definition yet the richness of the bass line is without a doubt superior. The mids are wider in presence, vocals aren't as bright in presence but more natural in timbre, and mids are more open and effortless in detailing, cleaner and clearer as well as smoother and fuller. Treble is darker but more realistic in detail, and the overall presentation feels 2D with Vortex and 3D with Serial. The soundstage is wider and taller but not deeper. Imaging is superior as stated.

All in all, the Vortex is more energic and bright but it just can't fully compete against this budget end-game miracle called Serial.

VS Sonic Memory SM2 (1DD-240$)

Crisper and more technical sounding, the SM2 offers a DF-neutral signature that magnifies the sense of clarity. Treble is more open and airy, but less abrasive so it doesn't work well for electric guitar, it's a hint more shouty too due to higher pinna gain. But we have sparkle and natural resonance. Attack speed seems faster and more controlled than Vortex too. But both bass and mids sound leaner and thinner too, yet with higher resolution and better imaging capacity. These SM2 are phenomenal IEM and it's a hard fight here, Vortex bass sure is more thumpy and well define in impact, but separation with mid-range isn't as good. Yet, the mids of SM2 are a bit cold and more prompt to slight sibilance than Vortex. Spatiality is notably more open, airy, tall, and deep than Vortex. Imaging is more precise and sharp in positioning. Technically the SM2 is superior but the balance isn't as full sounding and versatile as the Vortex.

All in all, tonality is more appealing, engaging, and realistic with the Vortex, and feels more distant with SM2 which has thinner and less natural timbre. For me, the Vortex screams musicality, and offers a more balanced tonality.

VS DITA FEALTY (1DD-1200$)

Whathit first is how more open and airy is the Fealty, then, it's how more treble-centric they feel too and not as well rounded in overall balance.

If the Vortex is smoothened crisp V shape to a bright neutral, the Fealty is inversed L shape to a bright neutral.
The bass is dryer and leaner and lacks the punch of the Vortex, the sub-bass extension seems, even more, rolled off and the overall definition feels more scooped in presence, lacking a textured bit of the Vortex. Mids are leaner, more recessed, and thinner, female voice as well as overall upper mids are more prompt to sibilance. The resolution isn't as well defined in layers and feels more shouty too. Overall tone and timbre of Vortex are notably more realistic and full sounding. Now for the treble, it's more in your face with the Fealty and tends to put the percussions more upfront, so it's less cohesive and balanced highs than the smoother Vortex, yet these are more airy and sparkly on top but more scooped in definition edge too, so it's more an illusion of clarity than the Vortex.
Soundstage, as noted, is taller-wider and deeper with the Fealty but imaging seems all about the upper treble and quite darkened in proper positioning for low and mid-range instruments due to lack of full definition.

All in all, apart from soundstage size, the Fealty is inferior both technically and tonally to my ears.

CONCLUSION

After my intense love of the Penon Serial, I didn't expect much from the single DD of the Vortex and to say I was taken by surprise is an understatement. Why? Because I've always struggled to find an IEM that delivers rock music in all its engaging, dynamic, and abrasive glory without going plain aggressive or too nicely tuned, and this is exactly what the Vortex delivers, a versatile bright neutral tonality with enough punch and texture to render both kick drum and electric bass line with punch and definition and enough treble bite and fullness to deliver electric guitar immediate and grungy musicality.
These aren't similar to the Serial at all and are perhaps the perfect complement since one favors sub bass and warm timbre while the other focus on mid-bass thump and treble texture and extension.

I would never have thought that I would become such a fanboi of Penon IEMs, those that know me for years are very puzzle about this too, even perhaps thinking I shill or something, well, let me underline then that I don't consider Vortex as mind-blowing as the Serial due to a more common spatiality and layering limitation inherent to the single dynamic driver as well as not the most competitive price.

Yet, apart from extreme nit-picking I can't really fault these IEMs, sure they're a slight sub-bass roll-off but the presence is clean and well-defined, sure mids aren't thickest nor lushest but the noted weight is there, and clarity is there and tone and timbre is realist and enjoyable and most of all, free of sibilance without feeling tamed in dynamic or scooped in attack edge. The treble isn't the most open, but again, we have snap and fast sparkle.

In an overcrowded IEM world where every new release seems overhyped and a lot of good IEMs stay in the shadow of mediocrity, the Vortex is worth every penny and delivers a lively sound that is both well-balanced and head-shaking.

These will rock your sock off even if maturely balanced.

Highly recommended! (not only for rock fans!)

The Single DD:

I've listened to over 20 earphones ranging in price from $30-$1500, and in just about every conceivable configuration of DD, BA, EST, Planar and BC. I've found each driver type has its pros and cons. A lot of earphones try to token the benefits of different drivers by using them in hybrid configurations. However, when listening closely it is fairly easy to tell the difference in timbre as you move up and down frequencies. This can lead to a very engaging experience, but I would consider it more interesting than natural. To my ears, single DD units consistently offer the most accurate timbre. Unfortunately most single DDs are packaged in oddly shaped shells, are tuned to be V shaped, and lack technical performance due to the slow nature of the driver.

I'm happy to report the Vortex doesn't suffer from these common single DD issues.

The Fit:
The shells are very small, a tad larger than the Sennheiser IE 600 but lighter and more form fitting to the concha. With the right tips and cable, I can wear these for hours without needing to readjust or take a break. I found the stock cable to be of nice quality, but it is lacking ear hooks. This puts a lot of pressure on the top of your outer ear, and unfortunately switching cables is a must. This is pretty shocking considering Penon is mainly known for their cables. The sound signature (especially bass) is extremely ear-tip dependent, so I highly recommend tip rolling before coming to any conclusions. Personally I found the included "ePro Horn" tips provided the most secure fit and balanced sound. Even though these tips have extended length, leading to a deeper fit, I still found isolation to be below average. I think these would be ok in an office, but wouldn't recommend them for mass transit.

The Sound:
I would describe the tuning of the vortex as a fun neutral. Bass has a steady glide down to about 800Hz. It has descent rumble and good slam. I wouldn't call this a bass-head's set, but all the details are there and satisfyingly above neutral. Then there is a gradual rise from 800Hz to about 5kHz, which brings mids forward but in a relaxed way. Male and Female vocals are equally well placed. Treble is extended well with dips that remove sibilance without taking out sparkle and air. I find the treble a hair elevated, which leads to a more exciting listen. Soundstage size is about average. The shape is mostly wide, with a good amount of depth and some height. Timbre as I previously mentioned is excellent. It has a very natural cohesive sound. Imaging is a little above average. You can position each instrument and nothing sounds jumbled. It is close to pin-point but doesn't have the darkest background to exaggerate space.

While the Vortex comes in two very different colors, mine is the darker shade. And just like the night sky, stars can be revealed glimmering their faint existence. But much like any real-life Vortex, the powers of the Penon Vortex suck you in and contain your attention. Such is the personality found, far out-weighing the $219.00 cost of admission, as this becomes one carnival ride you won’t soon forget.

Who is Penon Audio?
Penon Audio is really just like you and I. Through the love of music they started in 2013 building/selling cables, then expanded out to include a full gambit of merchandise. With sound quality as a priority they have single-handedly started their own following. Again with people just like you and I, the followers have had luck with prior purchases, so they are retuning to the watering hole. If there is a better validation of company worth than return customers, let me know? Penon Audio is doing day-in and day-out just what they specialize in.....making great audio products and supplying professional service to the Head-Fi community. And just like you they are into what they do, because all these sound making devices are art. So (in a way) you could say this is simply artistic expression. It's a passion and a hobby, a distraction and a focus. I will say one thing though.....of the limited three Penon Audio IEMs I've tried, they all share a certain sound....even a certain look and feel. And just like an artist, they keep reproducing a recognizable style. They slowly create and refine, then refine some more until a new product is ready for market. It's this total consistency that makes you realize they are onto something, that this is special for them to do, and maybe special for you too? Won't you join me as we traverse into the Penon VORTEX.

The Penon Audio VORTEX
Subsequently after the VORTEX arrived from Penon Audio I gave it quick listen and burn it on the burn-in bench. Surprisingly I wasn’t too impressed right off. Out-of-the-box the VORTEX offered a stuffy and somewhat uncollected response. Yet sure enough after 168 hours of burn-in and cable change we were gloriously in business. Finally I am now face to face with the VORTEX, in full realization of the vibrance and stature a 10mm single-full-range driver can produce.

Not to bore you with a written diary of multiple cable change-outs, one cable I used was the DUNU DUW-03 cable. At $199.99 it equals the VORTEX price almost of $219.00....but it is what it is. The other (and better value) cable was the Penon PAC480 which I will go over in detail near the end of review.

Dsnuts says........

"About the cable match up.
The Penon CS819 is made up with 8 cores of mostly OCC copper base with half the cores plated in silver. You can read more about this cable here. Some folks will like the added warmth, fullness and smoothness the CS819 cable provides but I can’t say it is the best match up with the Vortex and here is why. The Vortex is using a highly resolving DLC or diamond like carbon fiber diaphragm for the sound on the Vortex. Just based on some cable testing I have done it seems the CS819 cable makes the Vortex sound a touch smoother, a touch softer than it has to be. Of course, this will also depend on how this combination will synergize with the sources you're using as well. I noticed SPC type cables or something with more silver content than what the CS819 provides is a better match up with the Vortex sound profile. I will post cable matchups toward the end of the read."
End of quote.

Now even if you don’t believe in cables or burn-in, it may enhance your VORTEX experience to simply go through the motions? What we are witnessing here is a balance of all constituents in motion, an additive effect.

1. The DAP personality
2. The cable
3. Burn-in
4. IEM character
5. Ear-phone tip personality

I can recommend the Penon Audio PAC480 (below) mostly due to the specific $49.50 value it represents?



https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/penon-pac480-iem-cable.25228/reviews#review-28808

Coming in at only $49.50 it is one of the best audio values I have come across. So just like explained above, the results are a slight more vibrant rendition that what the included CS819 does. Strangely a cable reverse, attaching the CS819 to the DUNU SA6 revealed the same style of too much warmth and smoothies! Imagine a full BA set showing us that personality! So while the CS819 comes as a great addition to IEMs like the Penon SERIAL, in my book you can find a better VORTEX cable accessory!

The perimeters here:

1) Ear-tip material
2) DAP character
3) IEM character
4) Tip orifice size
5) Tips opening distance from driver/driver distance from ear drum as a result of tip
6) Burn-in
7) Cable personality

Cable personality:
Such is the balancing act, as a wider tip will increase the perception of soundstage, but also may reduce bass authority? A more forward cable may bring about a clarity, but the cable change needs to also be combined with the right DAP and ear-tip.

What does all this mean?
While everyone has different hearing, we are simply playing with the variables in order to tailor the sound and optimize the IEM personally. Once optimizations have taken place, we arrive at a place where nothing more can be done to make improvements.



Now that that’s out of the way, let’s get into how the VORTEX sounds!

Colorful!
That’s a risky word to use in an audiophile review, so vibrant is what I’m going with. The VORTEX sidesteps much of the regular issues encountered by single-full-range drivers. It’s in the midrange and treble, in how there is a grand separation, but also naturalness at hand. It’s this specific balance of spacial and tonal distancing out into the stage, but also a specific evenness and correctness of the mids. What I’m basically saying is the midrange is not too forward, as found in a few less than average single full-range DD IEM responses. It’s just right! And.....it was always just right, no matter what cable, ear-tips or DAP I used. This occurs due to there being a character quality we can’t fully change with these adjustments. So don’t worry as the sound of correctness with the VORTEX is easy to find. This is an audiophile web-site don’t forget. Also, who knows, the included cable may be fine, especially for the youngsters (18 and under) who own 100% of their hearing?

Treble:
A subtle V shape tune with the midrange Penon is famous for. The treble 6.5K dip issues anti-sibilance, but the rest of occurring treble shows an uncanny way of being both adequate and color free! Such a tune somehow provides clarity and a wash of excitement missing from so many single full-range DD set-ups. It’s a spacial imaging that holds just enough detail and doesn’t seem forced or synthetic? Here all three bands of treble seem equal with high-treble, mid-treble and lower treble represented in full character?

Bass:
Often sub-bass ends up a dominant factor with single full-range drivers, though not here.........here is a different take on what a correct display of tonal abilities could in-fact be. With the sub-bass taking backseat to mid-bass heard. Now while this may sound like a deficit, yet realistically a complete stance starts to form sonically. Meaning there isn’t any color to the VORTEX, but the balance of emphasis in treble, midrange and bass give it a character. It’s all about an expanded midrange really.....the finding of affinity for this style of balance is not always right-off. Meaning on first listen the VORTEX seems a little lackluster and missing a tad of BOOM, yet after about a 20 minute listen, the VORTEX effect starts to happen. I mean I truly think the VORTEX was named due to this phenomenon. It slowly sucks you in, it in-fact starts to show you the right ways of life and not the other way around. It’s surprisingly how that mid-bass has a pace which somehow joins up the midrange and treble to parlay what can become (perceived) as the optimal sound-signature. This will start to be understood especially when there is prominent bass tones (in the track) which come out........seen far off to expound deeply in the far reaches of the stage. Though I will say this politeness of demeanor isn’t the best with lackluster song files. Meaning there is contrast and vividness here, only a big part of it is actually from the song file, thus an honesty here which seems to pervade everything?

Midrange:
The VORTEX midrange is the reason why you’re buying it. Its exquisite midrange is our goal, and the answer to why we came! There is no better place for the naturalness of timbre and correctness of tone to shine through! Some full-range single DDs have this “all-togetherness” where the sound is totally cohesive and coherent, but there is a loss of separation and itemization into the stage. It’s as if the sound is too close to home? Here we don’t have that issue. While only a moderately large soundstage, it’s filled with spacial positioning and action.

Uniformity:
It’s that there is nothing really sticking out at any one place.....gone are the steely artifacts of BA reproduction, replaced with a style of smooth reality. There is an honesty here which pervades and gifts us a closeness to the music played. With such truth the thinness and reduced soundstage of older songs will be witnessed too. Sonic truths often can end-up unarguable and firm in their existence. As yes, this is the Penon sound, but you realize why they picked this tune. Penon is milking every last drop-off sound quality possible from this driver. Probably the best thing I could say about the midrange is Penon didn’t make a clinical sounding IEM or an overwhelmingly warm one either? The VORTEX really does walk that line that so many single DDs strive for but fail to reach.

Accessibility:
Namely it’s accessible, and different than many Chinese IEMs, the VORTEX does not have the heavy sub-bass emphasis normally found in Chinese IEMs, it’s mid-bass. The upper-mids have more emphasis than the lower mids, though.......which does happen to be a Chinese tuning style, if you’ll permit me to over generalize.

Build:
Incredibly small, among the smallest, of any 10mm DLC designs? Weighing in at 4 grams a piece with out ear-tips, they are maybe the ultimate sports IEM? Really the VORTEX comes to us as a three-piece build structure design. A choice of two faceplates and a back shell with a aluminum port. Such a vent greets us as the main vent, with a small almost not noticeable vent located at the very base of the stainless nozzle. Upon even closer inspection it is revealed to be a double chamber design, with the larger round vent in support of the rear chamber, with the front area having the driver mechanism reach-up and actually attach to the nozzle. Such a tubeless design is a first around Redcarmoose Labs? The 0.78 2 pin is flush mounted, and with only (gold) nomenclature on the front faceplate. Also while such gold letters look like they would have texture, they are beautifully filled in with resin to complete the build. And while the VORTEX is lightweight and small, that doesn’t mean it’s not strong! Also the semi-custom form factor means easy fit can be achieved, but do note, the nozzles are on the slightly shorter side of the street. Still fit is fine with allowance of multiple different ear-tip choices for this reviewer.



Honesty:
While hearing of such non-vivid playback with older files may at first come off as a detriment. In fact it holds the key to everything we are talking about. Realness for the sake of realness, as a commodity now-days, is in short supply! Because what ends up happening is the same phenomenon that happens with the VORTEX in general. You start listening to those older files and they start to bloom, as there is music there. And later as the whole album plays about 7 minutes in we start to forget what year it was recorded, we start to overlook any imperfections and start to meet up with the music head-on. Now obviously there are better and worse recordings, and just like in listening, we can go back to our modern favorites and get reassured they ARE better sounding, but still there is something to be said of leaving the harmonics and dynamics alone with older recordings. As such when we do change albums we can be re-aquatinted with the purity at hand, to bask in maybe the most realistic playback $219.00 ever sounded?

The coherence is there, the pace is there, the tonal balance is there, the dynamic contrast is there and the soundstage is there. But most of all there is a sophisticated, polite demeanor which ends endearing and fully digestible for long listening runs.

Specification
Driver: 10mm strong magnetic DLC diamond-like fiber diaphragm
Input Sensitivity: 108dB SPL/mW
Frequency response range: 10Hz-35kHz
Impedance: 24Ω±15%(@1khz)
THD: ≤1%@1khz
Connecter: 2pin 0.78mm
Plug: 3.5mm audio, 2.5mm balanced, 4.4mm balanced
Cable length: 1.2M




Package
Penon Vortex:
Copper and silver mixed cable CS819
Transparent Green Silicone eartips (SML)
Grey-green silicone eartips (SML)
EPRO foam eartips (SML)
Earphone accessory case
Cable tie X2
Cable clip
Cleaning brush



Sound impressions VORTEX:
All tests done with the VORTEX, wide-bore ear-tips. Penon PAC480 cable and Sony Walkman WM1Z.

Hans Zimmer & Junkie XL
Batman v Superman OST
96 kHz - 24 bit
“New Rules”

I’m cheating in a way, and (in a way) I’m not cheating! Such a song is giant, and due to the incredible file dynamics we are pushing the VORTEX to its limits. There is a bass drop at 1 minute 38 seconds that is insanity........pure insanity. There is a rumble that is tailing-off that sounds like an earthquake or something. Under the correct circumstances the VORTEX goes the full-route. The moving OST is really the apex of what can be considered a TOTL showcase recording. And there is no debate the VORTEX just happens to be in the top echelon of single dynamic drivers. But to tell you the truth, at the start, I didn’t think we would get to this mountain top, I had doubts. And yes, the VORTEX is well rounded and parlays a middle of the road careful tune, it’s just to witness true fireworks you have to cater to it. It doesn’t try and put lipstick on a pig and try and then introduce it to you, no.......we are dealing with sound reality here. But for fun let’s start at the beginning again. 18 seconds in there are drums, almost war like sounding drums, and the VORTEX shows you the mood. This whole album is really the mood of the modern day Batman franchise, maybe even too much mood? As it basically broke-even at the box office, yet had an unbelievable and entertaining OST. We hear the bass drop again (the one described earlier) and it grabs us again, this is real-life and we are experiencing the VORTEX full-tilt. At 3 minutes 14 seconds the climax of the song occurs. Yet running up to that point is a maximum lead-up. If you ever had a friend over and he said, “I want to hear something intense.” this maybe would be it? All the ingredients go together, to bring the emotions.......(practically) tears of emotions. This is the audiophile escape, it is why we have little sound reproduction devices in our ears. And for this exact moment in time we are inside the music, we have been transformed (in thought) away from the mundane and pedestrian. Musical involvement, that’s a simple request, though at times there can be road-blocks in our way. Hans Zimmer is borrowing tricks from the history of modern OSTs. Hans Zimmer has something to say and he doesn’t use words. This sound juxtaposition is all planed and orchestrated with maximum emotional impact, and the VORTEX simply goes along for the ride. There is nothing added by the VORTEX and nothing remiss. It is all here, all of it. If you were at the movie house maybe this style of music would even be too much while combined with a visual image? Yet on its own “New Rules” takes the cake! At 3 minutes 14 seconds a metronome style of syncopated-bass-throb takes place........we were waiting the whole song for some movement and here it is! There is a lot going on here, yet nothing is too much. As it is heard the way maybe it’s supposed to be.....orchestrated stabs come at us, again and again, this is an action movie and the OST has a form of ultimate action. At 3 minutes 22 seconds we are met with a style of silence. This form of pace is called “edge of your seat” it has been used for years to build tension. I don’t remember this part of the movie, except really this style of music uses a theory (of the fact that) it cannot get any more intense, so the only way to add anything else is to provide quietness........to take a breath and feel the moment. It’s this moment where the story is transitioning and anything can happen, we are curious. At 3 minutes 40 seconds the main theme is reinforced and there is both a familiarity and an add of drama. At around 3 minutes 50 seconds that syncopated sequence of deep low-end returns and surprisingly the VORTEX seems to give us the goods, this becomes a section where other IEMs might struggle, but the pace of the track is fully transferred to the listener. At 3 minutes 57 seconds there are wash-out sounds letting us know the song is almost over. Such sound artifacts are drifting to the side, becoming a memento of previously heard involvement and action.

So the song has ended and looking back from memory a couple points could maybe be guessed.

1) The VORTEX handled the quick nature of the song well.
2) The over-all intensity of the song was relayed, yet nothing was too much.
3) The instruments all contained correct tone and timbre.
4) While other renditions can parlay a greater soundstage, they cost more money too.
5) The VORTEX was surprisingly gifted with low-end.
6) Such deep expressions of bass were both detailed and fast.
7) The top-end treble, while complex was handled well.
8) And finally, the replay made us forget about the equipment and focus on the music at hand.

Now this is from a Walkman that you probably would not take out running with. Also a cable that is not exactly a sports cable. So for fun, let’s try a regular single ended 3.5mm cable and a regular phone and just see how this involvement works.

A regular phone:
Grabbing a quick listen off a 5N OFC 3.5mm cable and an Android phone showed the playback to be acceptable. Yet I longed for something similar to the DAP playback. I know a quick solution. Yep, the plug in of the Shanling UA3 Dongle. This was used in regular 3.5mm output into the same 3.5mm test cable. And you know what? While the regular phone sounded OK, I was brought very very close to full-scale quality with just this simple Dongle. The same album and same song was played and sure enough the bass drop at 1 minute 38 seconds was incredible once more. The separation, the depth in the stage, the size of everything! Just a little reminder that I could take the VORTEX out on a bus ride, or to the Gym and utilize the UA3 Dongle reproducing about 90% of the same quality I previously enjoyed at home. So to wind this up, the VORTEX not only steps up to the plate and becomes a cherished audiophile IEM while at home, but then puts on its work-hat and gains new usage out and about. Due to the form-factor and size we are truly (maybe) one-of-a-kind as far as size and sound. Big sound/little size. It does run well off a phone but it leaves you wanting more, but combined with a simple $109.00 USD Dongle and your home free!

Soundstage:
Let’s talk about soundstage, as it’s one of the single most impotent aspects of the VORTEX, as such a display creates either a form of success or failure. Once again I will go back to my test song “New Rules” to help explain where I’m going with this. With a single full-range DLC driver there can always be the threat of a condensed soundstage. This occurs due to the fact that only a single driver is doing it all. Gone are any pinpoint “extra” placements afforded by an extra BA. As noted with other releases, often this style of adding a driver is a double edge sword, being yes, it gives you more soundstage normally, but the price you pay is the sound isn’t always connected or uniform. Not to mention timbre issues. But here (possibly) is the best of all worlds……..why?

Cohesiveness of soundstage:
That’s right, there is no off-sound or even wrong placement into the stage. But beyond that (and possibly the most important aspect) here is stuff is truly spread out, never are we greeted with congestion. Now realize this sound stage is also dependent on frequency and driver characteristics. So what ends up as a soundstage is slightly more midrange focused. At least that’s how I hear the VORTEX. I have heard more low-end soundstage with other IEMs. Is this bad? Not really, it’s just an indication of the drivers personality. Now here is the kicker…….this IEM actually has insane sub-bass too, but you have to nurture it, you have to find ways to bring it out, slightly. But when that happens it’s fantastic…..the staging and delineation found in the separation into the stage…..the area of the soundstage where the sub-bass resides is it’s own zone, as I hear it somehow in a different area, maybe even farther out than the midrange soundstage, but it’s less common due to sub-bass being less common.

Now this part maybe should have gone in the bass descriptions, but since this is a whole connected review I will say............ the prim and proper bass details are quite well done, showing sculpturing and quick transient response. But the main thing here is nothing seems out of place. There is a perfect balance of tone, timbre and stage……even the bass becomes perfectly adequate once you fully get used to the overall sound, and become acclimated to the environment the VORTEX is producing.

Shape and soundstage reaches:
The soundstage is not that tall, but (it is) wide and thick. Now crazy as it seems, I chose to do this section after the phone use with the VORTEX. The order I explain things in just that, an order. With phone tonality the VORTEX only goes so far to get immersion going. This is because the VORTEX is honest, it’s not really adding any extra sugarcoated illusions to your listening. So in phone use only, it is what it is, not bad and very well balanced, but not all it could be. The soundstage held, instrument character is affected by the amplifier/DAC. But switch to something like the Shanling UA3 Dongle and everything comes into focus. A $109.00 add of this Dongle in comparison to a regular phone, and the magic happens, it’s one of those super rare night and day moments that we have so few of in audio. Now stuff is filled out and brought to life, communication is happening and emotions start to flair.

Conclusion:
This one example of Hans Zimmer and the contained production skill becomes the epic showcase to delineate the charms the VORTEX brings to life. One reason is the 96 kHz - 24 bit recording and the way it contains bass and audio contrasts. In daily use if the sonic personality is actually in the recording, then the Penon VORTEX delivers it. If the dynamics of the song-file are in full display.....then the imaging becomes big. When the imaging becomes big, then we are immersed..............we are at one with the music. While the VORTEX is not perfect, what it gives is a very careful and honest replay of your files. While we are not met with staggering pin-point treble, and not gifted thunderous bass notes, we are still supplied with tonal and timbral honesty, something I can’t always say about other more expensive IEMs. Does this mean you should buy the VORTEX? Well, there are enough reviews out there to give an informed consent to move forward. But don’t take my single review as permission, as I’m a lone reviewer with his personal likes and loves. Of course of the three Penon IEMs I’ve heard each one is a different due to driver make-up, yet their similarities make them close the same. No surprises, just a continuation of the Penon house sound, with each new IEM reintroducing that house sound with-in the constraints of the inherent abilities of specifically used driver methodology. Yet here there are no crossovers and not a whisper of BA timbre or steeliness. There may be a fraction less bass than the Penon Globe I just reviewed, but the sound is also slightly more consistent and uniform. Does that make something good or bad? Are apples better than oranges? I think it really depends on personal preference in the end? The size too, as these will pretty much fit everyone, with very little fuss. They make the perfect sports IEM in that not only are they lightweight, but they sit close to your ears. They are built strong enough for outside use and have great noise occlusion. Penon is on course to continue to simply do what they do.....this in many ways is a conservative purchase, due to the natural tone, due to the shape and fit, due to the reputation for Penon Audio for continuing the quality of sound they are famous for! If anything this is the next logical step for Penon Audio, and just maybe.........it could be the next logical step for you?

$219.00 USD
https://penonaudio.com/penon-vortex.html

Optional PAC480 cable
https://penonaudio.com/pac480-iem-cable.html

Equipment Used:
Sony WM1Z Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm
Sony WM1A Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm
Sony TA-ZH1ES DAC/AMP Firmware 1.03
Electra Glide Audio Reference Glide-Reference Standard "Fatboy" Power Cord
Sony Walkman Cradle BCR-NWH10
AudioQuest Carbon USB
UA3 Dongle DAC/Amplifier 4.4mm/3.5mm

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

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

Introduction:
Penon has a pretty long history in the field of audiophilia, starting from their e-commerce website for audiophile products, going into the cable venture, and subsequently the IEM. The first IEM of Penon that I got my hands onto are the Orb, which I loved. The second was Fan, which was quite interesting and a very well done smooth sounding IEM as well - quite laid back and with a nice sense of space.
Since then, I fell in love with single DD iems, so the subsequent offerings from Penon, like Globe, Volt, Legend etc. did not entice me much. Serial was quite interesting as a triple DD IEM, but I had other competitive IEMs in that price range so never really got interested in it.
However, when the Vortex was announced, my curiosity got really perked up. A single DD at around $200, and it was rumoured to be entirely differently tuned than the previously signature smooth tuning. I somehow felt that I just HAD to listen to it, kind of a gut feeling per se.
So I reached out to Penon, and they happily agreed to provide me with a review sample! However, due to some unavoidable circumstances I was not able to deliver the review within the timeline they expected it. However, they graciously accepted my inability to do so, and I thank them for being so understanding.
That said, I also felt that I required the time I took to let the driver develop, or burn-in properly, to properly understand the tuning, and thereby I was able to properly analyse and put down my impressions.



Specification

• Driver: 10mm strong magnetic DLC diamond-like fibre diaphragm
• Input Sensitivity: 108dB SPL/mW
• Frequency response range: 10Hz-35kHz
• Impedance: 24Ω±15%(@1khz)
• THD: ≤1%@1khz
• Connecter: 2pin 0.78mm
• Plug: 3.5mm audio, 2.5mm balanced, 4.4mm balanced
• Cable length: 1.2M

Disclaimer: Penon provided this item to me free of charge for my honest impression. The impressions recorded below are solely mine and in no way affected by any outside influence.



Packaging and Accessories:
Penon follows a consistent style of packaging ever since Orb (with Fan being the only difference), and honestly I somehow like how simple and puritan it is. No flashy colours or design, very simple jacket and box, albeit appropriately sturdy. Inside, the accessories remain also the same irrespective of iems, (may be some minute add-ons in the recent models) - which proves the fact that the price difference solely reflects the actual difference in the sound tuning and drivers since there are next to nothing changes in the accessories.



The copper and SPC hybrid CS819 cable, despite being 8 core, is quite slim and soft. Very user friendly, and not bad sound-wise either.



There are a total of 3 types of eartips - Grey-Green, Transparent-Green, and ePro horn eartips. I played with the Grey-Green and Transparent Green eartips for a while, but eventually decided to settle on something else to suit my preference.
Cleaning brush and cable clips are standard. Never understood how to use the cable clip though.



The blue carrying box feels quite high quality, as always. There was also an added tiny faux leather pouch that I used for a while to carry the Vortex in my pocket - pretty handy I must say.



Build and Fit:
Penon Vortex is…tiny! Honestly, I was not expecting them to be so small! They just disappear inside the ears - the perfect pair to sleep on (not that I ever do it.) The form factor is quite compact without any unnecessary extra space, in fact, the 10mm DD occupies more than 85% of the shell cavity - and I love it! I forever wondered, regarding other iems, why the shell needs to be so unnecessarily large if the actual drivers are so small? Seemed like a waste of material, and by reducing them maybe a bit more raw material cost could have been saved. Well, with Vortex I had no such gripes!
The shell itself seems to be made of semi transparent blue plastic, which feels quite sturdy. The faceplate with blue and white swirls looks really beautiful.
The fit is rather shallow, though, so tips with long nozzles were required for me to get the best fit and isolation. One other thing to note here - Vortex has ZERO driver flex.



Source:
Shanling M7 balanced out medium gain
Shanling UA3 balanced out
Qudelix 5K balanced out

Sound:
So now, to the important part - How does the Vortex sound? Is it a vortex of notes? Swirls of emotions? What is it?
Well, I am gonna tell you what it is, but let me tell you before that, that this little piece blindsided me completely with its sound! I have had my run in with Penon’s iem, through Penon Orb and Fan. Orb was an extremely pleasing sound to say the least - smooth, warm, with a pleasingly full low-end and organic sound. Fan was not so much, but it still had its distinct merits. And then came this little guy, taking me completely by surprise!
Because Vortex is the complete opposite of the regular Penon house sound that I heard last or read about! For starters, it is one of the fastest dynamic drivers that I have ever heard. Despite being fast it still packs a punch. The tonality is generally on the bright side, which felt a bit overbearing in the beginning but settled down with time. The incredibly clean background it portrays is one of the first I have heard around $200, even more than Hiby Lasya that I reviewed some days before. Penon has truly hit it out of the park with the Vortex - such a brilliant and mature sound it has!



Low is where everything starts. And low is where Vortex surprises. From the initial listen my immediate impression was meh, the bass is lean. But somehow it still seemed fairly interesting, and as time went by and burn in progressed, I could clearly identify the strength the bass has. It is fast and tight, slams reasonably hard, disappears quick, but never sounds lean and weak.
The Subbass reaches quite deep, despite being not enough voluminous to qualify as juicy, but the body still feels appropriate enough. The magic here is in the textures. The subbass textures here are reproduced quite prominently, which, combined with notes with sufficient weight and body gives way to a very detailed subbass. There is a certain bite to the notes that captures the one’s attention easily.
Then comes the midbass, and along comes another surprise. Despite the polite tuning, the midbass slams reasonably hard. There is no sense of restrain here. Granted, the body of the notes are not entirely up to my satisfaction, however, they do not feel incomplete or half-hearted either. Hits reasonably hard, decay fast, does not clutter the stage - to my ears, they sound unique and successful at what they were trying to do. Yes, I am well aware of the bass mod that is being actively explored in the Penon thread; I, however, felt that doing that will rob it off its signature that Penon was trying to achieve, and I should respect it.
The underlying rumbling bassline in Deep Purple - Chasing Shadows and Eluveitie - Inis Mona sound quite pronounced and distinct even beside the drums. The hard slamming drums in Red Hot Chili Peppers - Dani California and the fast but slightly soft kickdrums in Metallica - The Four Horsemen declare their presence quite prominently and never sound weak. However, the thunderous bass drums in Bear McCreary-Battlestar Galactica Season 2 OST: Prelude To War do not exactly reach their full thundering glory, but still, sound quite full. In Hans Zimmer - Why So Serious, the subbass sure reaches low, but due to the lack of volume cannot exert as much pressure as it should to become atmospheric.



Midrange of Vortex is a clean and quite magical affair. It might not give an orgasmic fullness, but it will give you a clean, crisp, and quite transparent presentation while not skimping out on the body of the notes…it caught me off guard from the very first listen! String instruments are an absolute treat to listen to on Vortex. Crunchy? Check. Well-bodied? Check. Detailed? Check. Dynamic? Check. Peaks not exaggerated? Check. For example, I am listening to Tina Guo - Cello Metal album, and I cannot stop grooving along with the tracks! The electric guitars sound quite crunchy and the textures are to die for. And then Tina Guo’s marvellous Cello comes into action, goodness! In one track the dynamic rawness and the gritty texture just pops out and takes one’s breath away! The next track the cello is strong but melodious, taking the centre stage, transitioning between a fast noisy nature and slow musical nature - Vortex accurately portrays that along with all the minuscule variations, bringing out the finer micro-details in the textures effortlessly. And hereby Vortex pulls off another great feat - by bringing the finest details of the background instruments to immediate notice. No, Vortex does not push them forward, but despite how busy the tracks are, the microdetails of the instruments background pops out quite well.

Despite the crisp trait, male vocals still sound adequately organic and natural. They preserve enough of the weight that adds the pleasing throatiness, while avoiding any unnecessarily thickening of the notes. What’s more astounding is that the notes do not lose any of the textures in the process - there is no smoothening, and neither is there any over-accentuation of the peaks. Even in the rough vocals, like Metallica - The Four Horsemen, Enter Sandman, Eluveitie - Inis Mona, or strong vocals with peaks, like RHCP - Dani California, it never gets uncomfortable. Rather, they pop out quite nicely even from inside the busy mix they are in. Leonard Cohen and Mike Saaresto have a nice deep voice with evident sibilance. Vortex does a wonderful job in bringing out the weight, while hinting at the sibilant parts but keeping them under a tight control. In my opinion, the way Vortex makes the vocals stand out, however recessed it is (Metallica - The Four Horsemen, Tool - Stinkfist), is truly impressive.

Let us focus on the female vocals, which get a largely similar treatment like that of male vocals. They are brilliant, silky, textured, full of details, occasionally hinting at the inherent sibilance but never going overboard, just right tonality - yeah, I cannot find anything dissatisfactory in them. Even the body seemed quite appropriate - never felt unnaturally thin, never felt unnaturally thick. They have a distinct presence with the original nature intact. Sara Bareilles’s slightly raspy voice in Love Song sounds alive and kicking - yes, the roughness is present, not smoothened, peaks can be clearly apprehended, but never becomes uncomfortable. Same goes for Yao Si Ting in Scarborough Fair, her voice here is silky, but has occasional sibilant peaks - Vortex reproduces those peaks in their original nature, neither smoothens them down to comfortable level, nor accentuates them to make me wince. To be more precise, Vortex presents the female vocals in the way they are intended to sound - the transparency helps to enhance the overall experience even more.



The High frequency region does not disappoint either, in fact, they are equally impressive. It’s not easy to find an IEM that manages to reproduce all of the frequencies in an equally satisfactory manner, but somehow, Vortex does. The whole high frequency region has quite a fair amount of brightness, and there is not a bit of early roll-off. The lower treble sounds quite energetic, neutral in tonality, and very very well-textured. What’s even more pleasing is that the upper treble has an equally pleasing amount of energy, enhancing the air with all those fine micro-details. Not a hint of smoothened edges, but no uncomfortably accentuated peaks either. The brilliant cymbal crashes, the sparkling cymbal rolls, the fine textures popping out from the decays - coupled they create one of the most pleasant treble representations. I can confidently say these are some Sweet, sweet Treble. Metallica - Enter Sandman, The Four Horsemen, Steely Dan - Do It Again, RHCP - Dani California, Tool - Stinkfist, Neil Young - Misfits…all of them have varying degrees of brilliant treble showcases, complete with cymbal crash, roll, hi-hat, sticks, cowbells, etc. Vortex brings out the best of them with distinct notes, vibrant tonality, and superfine micro-details.



In the Technicalities section, as already multiple times mentioned, Vortex pulls quite ahead of the other competitions in terms of the brilliant textures and fine details. The notes do portray a very nice sense of realism. It has a very nicely clean background as well, along with a high degree of transparency. And if it is not evident already, the whole presentation is highly dynamic and engaging.
Now, coming to the soundstage, interestingly it seems that Penon has gone for a somewhat intimate stage. The forward midrange might be a reason for that. The width of the stage is quite commendable though, extends well outside the head on both sides. Depth I would say is above average - it does not extend very deep, but it most certainly is not flat. Height is one aspect that Vortex’s soundstage lacks, and frankly this might be the only chink in the otherwise solid performance of it.
However, one aspect has to be highlighted here - despite the intimate stage, the presentation never felt boring because of the impressive imaging it has. The front-to-back layering is quite excellently done. Each instrument is placed quite distinctly inside the stage and while it might not be completely three-dimensional, it still gives me much satisfaction.

With an Upgrade Cable: Now, I felt compelled to include this special section as I genuinely felt that Vortex had more to give. Make no mistake, the CS819 cable provided by Penon is a pretty good hybrid cable in its own merits. However, the incredible tuning of Vortex sparked a curiosity in my mind that what would happen if I pair it with a different, and more importantly, pure copper cable.
Hence, I swapped an Empire Ears Alpha-IV cable on it…and voila! I could detect an immediate improvement in the stage depth. The midrange also got pushed back slightly which attenuated the intimacy ever so slightly. I could also perceive a tiny bit more space between the notes. All these improvements gave way to slightly more enhanced imaging as well. No considerable improvement could be detected in the textures and definitions, although they did not need any to start with. The treble got accentuated very slightly, and a tiny amount of weight felt added to the bass slam and subbass rumble - which made it even more pleasant.

I threw another pure copper cable, EarAudio Anasa, 8 core 28 AWG 4N Monocrystalline Copper, on Vortex. The difference with Alpha-IV was imminent. With Alpha-IV the midrange was a bit more hard hitting with slightly bigger note, subbass rumbles had slightly more body, and stage was also slightly more intimate. With Anasa, the midrange notes became very slightly smaller with slightly softer attack (which in no way had any detrimental effect over the complete soundsignature), subbass rumbles body felt very very slightly lean, and the stage opens up a bit with increased depth. Overall, I liked the final effect it had on the sound.

And with this, I can say this with confidence, that simply a cable upgrade has made the Vortex earn a complete from me!

Effect of Tips: Now, this is another section I have not ever considered to include, but somehow, given how moody the Vortex is depending upon tips, I felt compelled to mention it separately. Here goes:

Azla Sednaearfit - Soundstage becomes larger, at the cost of bass slam.

Stock Grey/Green - Nothing satisfactory, neither bass slams, nor stage expands.

Stock White/Green - Better bass slams, but still nothing special.

Final Type-E White/Pink - Best bass slams, but stage becomes more intimate and space between notes reduces.

Generic Red core Grey umbrella - Long nozzle, hence nice stage, but despite the narrower bore from stock White/Green, bass slam is not much improved due to soft umbrella.

Tanchjim Bass (from Ola) - This provided me a lot of satisfaction in terms of very nice bass slams and very nice stage. But the bores were too pliable, and came out of the nozzle once on its own in normal handling itself. Changed it promptly.

FAudio Instrument - This is my current pairing. Provides a beautiful balance between bass slams and stage.

It was quite difficult to get a perfect seal because of the slightly shallower fit, hence it took me quite awhile to land the best pairing.

Click to expand...

Comparison:
Vs. Hiby Lasya ($199): I very recently reviewed the Hiby Lasya, which is an outstanding IEM in its own merits. As the Penon Vortex is also around the same price point, I felt it would be justified to make a comparison of them.
The first difference that sticks out immediately is the tonality. Lasya follows a largely smooth and laid back approach with just enough dynamics and a distinct touch of warmth so as not to make the overall sound dull. Vortex, on the other hand, has a largely technical approach to the sound, which is also quite dynamic, and has a rather bright tonality with a very slight hint of warmth.
Regarding Bass, Lasya has a tiny bit more quantity. The subbass rumbles have definitely more body and feels distinctly more atmospheric. The midbass slams, on the other hand, despite having a bit more body, feels slightly softer in comparison. Vortex pulls ahead in sheer quality of the bass. The whole low end region is more tight and snappy in comparison. The textures feel notably more pronounced and detailed. Midbass slams a bit harder. Both of the mhave their own strengths here.
In the Midrange, Lasya is a bit more smooth and feels a touch more organic. The notes have a tiny bit more body in the comparison, but not a lot more. In line with the bass, Vortex mids are noticeably more textured and details feel more pronounced. The notes of Vortex also feels to have more bite.
Treble region is where Lasya plays a bit more safe than Vortex. No, it is not muted, but it is not super energetic either. The extension in the upper treble is above average whereas the lower treble has a fair amount of energy. Vortex has a notably more energetic treble region, with more brilliance in the lower treble and more sparkles in the upper treble, the extension is better as well, as are the textures.
Soundstage is where lasya excels notably over Vortex, owing to its much better height and depth. Lasya has a distinctly more expansive stage over Vortex.Vortex, however, seems to perform slightly better in terms of imaging - the positioning of instruments feels more distinct. Layering seems to be about similar in both.

Conclusion:
Fast, Precise, Incredibly Well Textured, Vibrant, Clean, Transparent, Dynamic - these are all the words that are associated with Penon Vortex in my mind. It is an incredibly solid performer in a surprisingly small package. The fine microdetails, prominent textures, transparent and dynamic sound, intimate stage coupled with pinpoint imaging - all of them envelop you from all sides, slowly drawing you nearer and nearer to the centre of the music. The more time you spend with them, the more enamoured you become. Quite frankly, I was not expecting such a mind-blowing performance from such a small and compact IEM…but it really proved how an incredible driver tuning works the magic! This is now my default recommendation for anyone who wishes to get a sound as described in the very first line of this section. Penon Vortex is truly a maelstrom of small ingenuities that might not sound much impressive from the get go, I remember I found them a bit bright and thin sounding with a rather lacklustre low-end in the beginning, but the more time I spent, the more trapped I got in its flow, and now I can say this is one entrapment I am not looking to get out of anytime soon.

Penon Vortex.

The Vortex is a newly developed single dynamic IEM made from the ground up utilizing a smaller form resin shell and a 2 pin connector lovingly crafted by our friends at Penon.

Penon is a bit like your small ma and pa eatery. Seems they take pride in making high quality, excellent sounding IEMs each customized with a clear sound direction in smaller batches of whatever they are cooking. Penon is not a big name in the industry but more boutique in what they do. But the one constant is the Penon house sound. Unlike a lot of IEM manufacturers that do the, let's try something and see what sticks method of tuning. Penon clearly has a direction and a tuning philosophy which comes through with each new release. The new Vortex is a culmination of years of know-how and tuning prowess from the makers of fine IEM cables and IEMs. I appreciate how Penon tunes each IEM as they consider what the end user experiences are with each and every release. The new Vortex is the 2nd single dynamic with the Penon brand name; their first was the limited edition Fan. I suppose the triple dynamic, Penon Serials comes the closest to the cohesion timbral and tonal characters of a single dynamic but not exactly a single dynamic.

If you have never heard a Penon made IEM. Now is a great time to explore what they have to offer as the new Vortex is 100% pure Penon sound. Another aspect I appreciate about Penon is that I can clearly tell these folks actually listen to music. Just based on how they tune an earphone. The Penon sound is more based on a musical experience meaning music has to have body, it has to have substance, it has to move your soul with a solid bass foundation, it has to have a proper space for its presentation and most of all it has to be versatile with all types of music.

This philosophy comes through loud and clear with their new Vortex. Let's find out how this new single dynamic will win over folks that have never heard of Penon or have never tried one of their creations.

Disclaimers: I would like to thank Penon for the review sample of the Vortex. I am never asked to give a favorable review on any of their goods. If you would like to purchase a Vortex you can log onto their sales page here to check them out. The Vortex was given a weeks' worth of burn in and now are ready for evaluation through a fairly large eclectic music library of music played through the IBasso DX300Max, IFI signature, IFI Gryphon, Fiio M15, Shanling M6 pro, M5s, M3s, IBasso DX160, Fiio X3ii, Fiio K3 2021,

What you get/Build.
I appreciate how Penon reads what we write about. You can join the discussion about the Vortex and any of their goods on the official discussion page here. The Vortex comes with their standard, fairly no frills package. A medium sized zip up rectangle case. Roomy enough to throw in your IEMs, an extra cable and the tips. The reason why I know Penon reads the forums is that a headfier suggested some tips in the past that seem to mesh really well with their IEMs. Called the ePro horns. So what did Penon do? They reached out to the manufacturer and got a deal to include ePro horn tips and I can see them including the ePro horns on future IEMs as well. EPro horn tips can also be purchased separately here. Vortex now comes with a set of ePros in all 3 standard sizes. Horn shaped silicone with graphene inlay the ePros for the most part expands an earphone sound and are like a horn to your ear drums. Works well with just about any IEM but if I was to complain a bit about them it would be the ePros are a bit flimsy in make-up. Wish it was using a stiffer slightly thicker silicone. In any case these are the tips to try on the Vortex and any Penon IEM you own.

The package also includes 2 other sets of silicones, one of these two sets the green stemmed tips are very similar to the popular Symbio W tips. Identical in size and shape. So they are providing good tips all around. A cleaning brush, a shirt clip and to finish off the package. You get the CS819 cable and any of the popular terminations you want when ordering.
Build of the Vortex is using a solid poured resin material and inside encases a 10mm DLC fiber dynamic with a larger vent out back. Its physical size is smaller than a medium in bulk/size. Meaning these will fit just about anyone. They are small enough to lounge around with, so fitment will not be an issue with the Vortex. They come in 2 blue patterns: a dark sky blue and a smoke swirl embedded dark blue. Both sets are very aesthetically and ergonomically pleasing to look at and comfortable to use.

About the cable match up.
The Penon CS819 is made up with 8 cores of mostly OCC copper base with half the cores plated in silver. You can read more about this cable here. Some folks will like the added warmth, fullness and smoothness the CS819 cable provides but I can’t say it is the best match up with the Vortex and here is why. The Vortex is using a highly resolving DLC or diamond like carbon fiber diaphragm for the sound on the Vortex. Just based on some cable testing I have done it seems the CS819 cable makes the Vortex sound a touch smoother, a touch softer than it has to be. Of course, this will also depend on how this combination will synergize with the sources you're using as well. I noticed SPC type cables or something with more silver content than what the CS819 provides is a better match up with the Vortex sound profile. I will post cable matchups toward the end of the read.

Burn in
Seems to affect the Vortex. I do notice a tightening of the sound on the Vortex after a week's worth. Sound is cleaner, more precise, bass sounds tighter, treble is also more apparent vs open listen. Burn in is recommended. Vortex sounds great out of the box but you're not exactly getting a 100% of their sonics on open listen.

Sound.
Prior experiences with DLC drivers in other iems, even before getting the Vortex I was assuming it will have a tighter cleaner a more detailed sound profile. And this is what I get with the Vortex. Which would lead one to think these are analytical by nature but analytical is not really a Penon house sound trait, well at least in a traditional sense. Highly detailed yes but short of being a true analytical tuning, the Vortex still shows that Penon pedigree. A part of the analytical stigma is that IEMs that are considered analytical would have a leaner, neutral and or a weaker bass profile.

Right off the bat the Vortex has a solid bass end like all Penon made IEMs. Not the weak, barely there neutral type of emphasis with a mild impact. No way, I doubt Penon will ever produce an IEM with a true analytical or overly neutral anything. On the same token I have yet to hear a true basshead level of IEM from Penon. Too much or too little bass emphasis and this does not bode well for one of the main parameters for Penon sound. The Vortex is tuned for versatility as its foundational balancing is there.

Overall, the Vortex is tuned masterfully, balanced with a mild v shaped tuning but with no recession and certainly not too much upper mids presence. It has good balancing with a clean technical approach to the Penon house sound. Has a deep textured impactful bass, a spacious tall and deep mid-range and a clean extended treble all mixed with some really good technicalities.

Technicals
Showing excellent accurate timbre and a natural clean tonal quality, the Vortex is one of the least colored sounding Penon tuned IEMs they have produced. Showing a very good sound separation, a dimensional type imaging in conjunction with a well-rounded holographic moderate sized headstage, the sound quality of the Vortex is a highly technical earphone but tuned to not be too clinical or sterile sounding. The Vortex shows an ample body of note and fullness to your music but more importantly is textured well in all parts of its sound. The higher end levels of technicalities and a surprising degree of definition brings a very immersive sound quality to the Vortex sound.

Trebles
Just about all IEMs use the enhanced treble tuning to emphasize the treble to show some sparkle and presence for your music. The Vortex’s treble detail and emphasis is spot on for its presentation. Enough presence and sparkle to make everything sound fresh, clean and highly detailed. The treble here has good balancing with and a rangy tonal quality even though just looking at the graph of the Vortex makes its treble look a bit uneven. The main points for its treble presence has well placed emphasis in all 3 parts of its treble areas. Lower treble, mid treble and upper treble all have some emphasis with a well-placed anti sibilance dip in the 7Khz range. Which also happens to be a Penon tuning trait as you will never hear any of their IEMs emit any type of sibilance or treble grain of any type. Trebles are clean, extended well and detailed without sticking out in the mix.

Trebles don’t have any influence on the Vortex tonal quality which is a good sign that treble tuning is right where it should be in the presentation. The well-placed moderate treble peaks gives just enough treble coloration and extension to balance out the sound but not enough to cause any type of undue fatigue. This aspect is important as nothing is more grating than treble tunings with irritating treble peaks become the rays of the sun everytime you're listening to your rock and metal tracks. No such issue for any Penon made IEM and none for the Vortex. Transients for the treble are well executed, seamless and fluid for its presentation and the Vortex lets you hear every treble note with a natural tonality, ability, detail and sparkle when called for.

Mids.
Mids are the bread and butter of the Penon house sound. I have yet to hear a Penon made IEM that can’t do mids well. The Vortex is no exception. Mids imaging is exceptionally good here as its timbre quality is not only accurate, but complete and satisfying with a natural clean crisp tonal character. Vortex mids have plenty of body and texture in conjunction with a taller and deeper than average presentation for its mids; there is no part of the mids that makes the Vortex sound anemic or recessed in any part of its presentation. Mids have a bit more emphasis for its upper mids vs its lower mids but nothing that seems too lopsided or overly skewed toward upper mids presence. Vocals are well represented for vocal lovers and instruments sound superb especially strings in their complete execution and command in a track. Again the strength of the DLC dynamic is clearly evident in just how clean the mids are portrayed for the Vortex. Sound has an excellent sense of scope as the Vortex has a rangy taller and deeper sound vs your average single dynamic IEM. Penons use of the sound stage is once again evident on the Vortex as there is nothing on the presentation that sounds confined or compressed.

Vortex is not the widest staged IEMs Penon produces. I would give that honor to their flagships the Legends, but its moderate stage with good height and depth makes for a very immersive quality to what you're hearing. Mids have excellent layering and a well imaged dimensional character here as all Penon IEMs have a tendency to do and when you add that highly technical aspect to the overall presentation. The Vortex is nothing short of an excellent sounding single dynamic IEM as a result. It is the mids highly technical, timbral and rangy quality that you can tell the DLC fiber dynamic used on the Vortex, is a very resolving driver being used.

Bass
Bass end of the Vortex as I noted before is very good on the Vortex. I feel the sound quality in all parts of its presentation is consistent and shows a higher level of sound quality in general. Its bass performance has a bit more in the mid bass emphasis vs its sub bass. The quantity and the quality here is not playing a supporting role vs the other parts of the sound. It is most definitely featured. A good sealing tip and you're going to get an ample amount of some very nicely textured quality bass in full glory.

Much like the rest of the sound tuning on the Vortex. Bass comes tight, the entire presentation is tight, fairly fast for dynamics and has an excellent well textured sub bass presentation. Vortex has roughly 7dbs of bass emphasis which if you actually hear the bass end seems to punch with greater authority than that. This is a case of you have to listen to the IEMs to really get a good idea of their ability vs just looking at a graph. Bass when called upon has some solid detail much like the rest of its tuning and is most definitely the clean and punchy type of bass once fully burned in. Some might prefer to have just a bit more in the sub bass but as a person who listens to a lot of bass genres I have never thought the bass end was lacking in the least bit for its presentation on the Vortex. The Bass end is once again a featured tuning aspect to the Penon sound. This is the true reason why Penon will never tune a truly neutral or full on analytical IEM. Highly detailed yes but you can’t add a booty shaking deep impactful bass to a neutral presentation and call it neutral. You just can’t. But having aspects of a detailed presentation is never a bad thing for any IEM. The Vortex is yet another excellent offering from Penon. Overall It has a lively tight spacious sound presentation with excellent technicalities, timbre and tonal character. Its mix of the technical with an excellent body of sound comes through in the Vortex to immerse in every type of music you're going to listen to.

In the end.
I have to admit this one caught me by surprise as I was not expecting such a highly technical offering from Penon at this price range. But here we are. One of their absolute best IEMs comes in the form of a single highly resolving single dynamic IEM that is affordable by most enthusiasts. The Vortex I feel is a statement piece by Penon. They squeeze maximum sound out of a 10mm DLC fiber dynamic and it has so much right about its tuning and sound. As much as I have enjoyed listening and writing about the Vortex. I would like to see them take it one step further. I am certain whatever Penon is cooking up next it will have to top the Vortex. That I can’t wait for. The Vortex is not perfect, I mean it is a $220 earphone but they are very enjoyable and has that perfect mix of technical ability and immersive quality to it that is just as good as anything that has come out lately if not just out right better. If you're looking for a highly competent, detailed and technical IEM yet musical in every way. Look into getting yourself a Vortex. These are simply excellent sounding IEM and if your a fan of just how far single dynamics have come in 2022, give the Vortex a go and you will not be disappointed. Thanks for taking the time to read. Happy listening always.

Bonus extras.
Cable match ups are a bit of my contribution to how I hear better synergy with aftermarket cables. This section is for folks that want to fully maximize the sound output of the Vortex. Believe me they have huge potential and every part of the sound chain connected to the Vortex makes a difference including their tips. What I am showing here is not cardinal rule. I encourage folks to optimize your investments, I mean who doesn’t want the best sounding Vortex.

First up is the ISN S4. This cable is not only affordable but I felt should have come with the Vortex but it is not exactly a Penon cable. For folks that like a thinner lighter form cable the S4 synergizes with the Vortex to a greater degree vs the CS819. It has a much higher silver content to its make up making the S4 a more resolving cable. The great aspect of the Vortex tuning is that no matter what cable you use you really can’t make them sound out of line in any part of its sound. It's just that the detail and timbre aspects of its sound is so good you want more of it highlighted and that is where an SPC type cable like the ISN S4 brings out those qualities better and brings out a more robust treble presence vs the included CS819 cable. A more detailed Vortex is never a bad thing and that is what the ISN S4 enhances not to mention it opens up the treble aspects of the Vortex to a greater degree.

A level up from the ISN S4 is Penons own OS849
This is a fantastic pairing if there ever was one with any IEM. The OS849 enhances all parts of the Vortex sound. This pairing gets to a point where you start to wonder just how much value you got from your uber expensive single dynamics vs the Vortex using the OS849. This combination brings out greater note weight, enhances stage, dynamics, bass extension and impact, treble articulation and presence. All of it. In the scheme of things the OS849 is not too expensive and you do have to be OK with a thicker cable profile but in the name of enhancing a sound this is what you need to try if you want something that will enhance everything about the Vortex.

ISN AG8
This is a substantial upgrade for the Vortex. A pure silver cable thicker than any you have seen. The advantage of using a thicker pure silver cable is not only does the AG8 enhance the detail aspect of the Vortex sound but these give the absolute widest biggest stage possible for the Vortex. The prior OS849 enhances the stage of the Vortex to a greater degree but not quite like how this cable does it. If you want a grand sounding Vortex and while pure silver mostly gives a slight minus for bass impact and presence the AG8 being a thicker cable that minus is not much. You like how technical the Vortex sounds but want to stretch out that sound stage to an ample degree the AG8 does just this injecting more air for trebles, more air for its mids presence and enhancing all the technical aspects the AG8 sounds fantastic on the Vortex.

Each of these cables brings something new and higher end to the Vortex tuning and by that alone the Vortex is showing just how much potential they have with aftermarket cables. Its highly resolving make up with a combination of a more resolving silver-based cable and you get a much higher end Vortex.

Introduction: When Penon Audio first branched out and began making their own IEMs (as opposed to being a general retailer and boutique cable manufacturer), they quickly honed in on what came to be known as their house sound: a warm, full, and musical lower midrange in combination with a wide and expansive soundstage. They produced several well-received iterations on this formula (ranging from single driver models like the Fan and Sphere all the way to EST-tribrids like the Volt), but recently they have begun to develop what is to my mind an evolution on this house sound — exemplified in their most recent IEM, the triple-dynamic Penon Serial which I reviewed here. The expansive soundstage is still there, as is the musical midrange — but with a significant maturation of the sound, no longer staking claim to such openly euphonic coloration, but rather prioritizing a more natural and refined take on musicality. Now Penon is out with their new single-DD Vortex, coming in at an MSRP of $219 (you can purchase a copy here).

Penon generously offered to provide me with a sample unit in exchange for my honest review, and of course I was very eager to see in what direction they would take their house sound for this model, even more so as I am extremely partial to single-DDs. It certainly comes in at what is a very crowded and competitive price point for single-DDs these days — read on to discover my take on them, as well as on how they stack up to the competition.

The specifications are as follows:

• Driver: 10mm strong magnetic DLC diamond-like carbon fiber diaphragm
• Input Sensitivity: 108dB SPL/mW
• Frequency response range: 10Hz-35kHz
• Impedance: 24Ω±15%(@1kHz)
• THD: ≤1%@1kHz
• Connecter: 2pin 0.78mm
• Plug: 3.5mm / 2.5mm balanced / 4.4mm balanced

Packaging & Accessories: We have here the standard Penon Audio yellow/blue packaging, so I will not go into much detail on that front. We also have the same revised blue zippered faux-leather storage case as recent Penon IEMs have featured, which I personally like very much. As far as eartips, Penon has included a set not only of their standard green/dark gray silicon eartips but also a new set of green/light gray silicon tips which I have not previously encountered. There are no foam tips, but instead something in my opinion even better: a full set of ePro Horn EP00 graphene tips, which possess some of the best synergy with Penon IEMs of any tips I have ever rolled. For the stock cable they have once again opted to include the Penon CS819, a copper and silver mixed cable which retails for approximately $50. A cable clip, cleaning brush, and small leather case for the cable round out the accessories — all in all, there is little doubt that Penon has been extremely generous for the $200 price point.



Build & Comfort: Penon has once again opted for a resin housing, but this time it is by far the smallest shell size of any Penon IEM I have experienced, and indeed one of the smallest of any I have owned more generally. The buyer is offered a choice of faceplates upon ordering, one darker blue (which I myself received) and another with white swirls amidst the blue background. Personally I find it to be the best-looking IEM that Penon has released to date.



As is typically the case for single-DDs the shells are double-vented, with one small vent on the nozzle and a larger one atop the IEMs. Despite this, the isolation is slightly above average. I did have some issues with fitment due to the combination of the small shell size and the nozzle angle, and ultimately solved this issue by going up a tip size for a more shallow insertion. Once accomplished, I was able to wear the Vortex for a long time with only minimal discomfort/physical fatigue. I will note that I seem to be an outlier as most people have reported uniformly excellent fit (my ear anatomy can sometimes be finicky with many IEMs).



Signature: Penon IEMs are always a bit difficult to pidgeonhole in terms of standard tonalities, and while this remains true of the Vortex it is true in a much different sense. Whereas most previous Penon IEMs were all about the lower midrange — with various takes on the bass and treble in complementary roles — the Vortex is actually getting pretty close to an overall bright-neutral signature, showcasing what is by far the best treble response that Penon has achieved to date. With that said, I would not go so far as to say that the Vortex actually is bright-neutral, since there is a modest mid-bass bump that gradually tapers off into the lower mids, yielding an overall U-shaped tonality that balances mild warmth in the mid-bass and lower mids with mild brightness in the treble. The mid-bass elevation gives the Vortex a welcome grounding in musicality, but even so this is without a doubt the most analytically capable IEM Penon has produced to date.



Bass: Penon has opted here to eschew their usual bass quantities in order to prioritize quality instead. The elevation is modest and biased toward the mid-bass, with sub-bass being not at all absent but still somewhat rolled off. However speed, tightness, and texture are all impeccable, especially given the price point and driver configuration. Decay is on the quicker side for a DD (and especially for a Penon IEM), keeping the presentation quite clean. Out of box my only complaint was that the upper bass came across as a bit bloated on certain mixes, however tip-rolling and/or burn-in alleviated this issue entirely.

Mids: The trademark Penon euphony in the lower mids has been drastically curtailed on the Vortex, to the point where I find there to be very little coloration to the sound. It’s still certainly not neutral as the mid-bass elevation does continue its organic descent for a good ways into the true mids, but in balance with the respectable level of pinna gain the overall midrange tonality is now quite firmly in the “natural” rather than the “fun” category. The effect is that note weight is perfect for my tastes, giving a full-bodied sound to male vocals without unnaturally emphasizing the role that certain instruments such as cellos play in the mix. Female vocals take an equal place with male vocals, without any shout or sibilance that I encountered. Meanwhile texture and detail are extraordinarily good, especially for a single-DD in this price range. Instrumental timbre is quite accurate as well as subjectively pleasing.

Treble: Here’s something I thought I would never write about a Penon IEM: the treble is the Vortex’s bread and butter, with this being easily the best treble I have yet heard from Penon Audio. It's very well extended, sparkly and clear but without any offensive peaks or brightness. From the graph I was afraid that the lower treble scoop would result in muted instrumental harmonics, but the size of the scoop turns out to be quite judicious, and while it might be lacking much shimmer I also never found it to sound muted or hollow either. There is a clarity bump around 5K that some people might find to be a bit fatiguing, though personally it is well within my tolerances and it isn’t exaggerated enough to impact the timbral accuracy, which remains excellent.



Soundstage & Technicalities: It's very clear that the DLC dynamic driver Penon has chosen for the Vortex is highly resolving, with a nice sharp attack and lots of texture from top to bottom. In fact this may be the best resolving single dynamic I have ever heard (though I've never spent more than $600 on one). There is also very good staging and imaging on the Vortex, and it even boasts a certain amount of depth which is quite rare for single-DDs in this price range. Layering is quite good, and I never encountered congestion despite the fact that the warmth in the mid-bass and lower mids means that there is not a tremendous amount of air between the instruments. All in all, the technicalities of the Vortex are absurdly good, rivaling even hybrid units in its price range and quite frankly stomping on other single-DDs even at multiples of the Vortex’s price.



Select Comparisons:
vs. Moondrop Kato: The Kato is widely perceived as a benchmark for single-DDs at this price point. It is more dynamic than the Vortex and has greater bass impact and elevation, however the Vortex is hands down the better technical performer, and has substantially higher bass quality than the Kato which has something of Moondrop’s pillowy feel to it. Those sensitive to upper mids will find the Kato shoutier than the Vortex, but those with sensitivities around 5K might prefer the Kato to the Vortex which has a peak in that area.

vs. BQEYZ Autumn: This one is more of an underdog, but one of my personal favorites amongst single-DDs around the $200 mark. While I found the Autumn to have very good technicalities the Vortex still dominates here, including in resolution but especially in the imaging department. Where the Autumn has its appeal is in tuning versatility with its three magnetic filters, as well as in its more relaxed and laid-back warm-neutral tonality. I find these to be very complementary sets for DD lovers.

vs. NF Audio NM2+/NA2+: Unless you really need to save $40, just buy the Vortex. To me it has totally made the NF Audio entries obsolete by beating them in technicalities without their extreme upper mids and lower treble elevation, as well as possessing superior musicality from top to bottom.



Conclusion: Penon is breaking out from the niche they have inhabited up to this point with their house sound, and are now challenging the wider market. The Vortex is playing at an absolutely class-leading level in the technical department, while retaining a much more restrained version of their trademark lower mids tuning prowess. It doesn't have quite the full-bodied atmospheric musicality of the Serial (much less their other IEMs), but makes up for it with much better resolution, transient response, imaging, clarity, and treble tuning. @Dsnuts once said that the Serial was the closest Penon will likely get to a neutral tuning; for my part, I will say that the Vortex is probably the closest that Penon will get to an analytical tuning, and it is a testament to the Vortex' tonality that very few people will find any lack of musicality even so.