PENON RENATA (Beta) CABLE
Redcarmoose Labs November 25th, 2023
Disclamer:
This model of the RENATA (Beta) had a different sound than the finalized version. Penon decided to change the product tone and introduce the Penon RENATA with a slightly different forward tonal stance, in-turn adding regular midrange clarity. Hence the actual cable described here will never be widely produced for consumers. While the new (final form) RENATA could still be considered warm, it is in general more well-rounded finding home with most IEMs, oppose to this (in this review here) darker treble and subdued midrange energy model.
Probably the very best way to approach this is with a story. Yes, it’s true that all cable interactions are stories, except this particular cable, the Penon RENATA is vastly different from any cable I have come across. Different only because when I first got it I didn’t value what it did. I thought it was weird because it tilted my favorite IEMs into a wrong position. The RENATA made certain frequencies dull and lifeless, boosted others. I was perplexed…….then I started to get a clue as to what its uses were……..yep. The Penon RENATA does things different, and actually doesn’t go with all IEMs like the Penon ASOS cable I just reviewed. It’s almost the opposite of the ASOS cable.
As far as cables go (to over-generalize) we can place them into two categories. One being clarity (ASOS) so the cable simply gets out of the way and lets the personality of the source and IEM shine through. Two being color. Yep, some cables have use into aligning a sound different, almost vibrantly into a specific direction. Now vibrant may or may not be the very best word to use, except let me explain. Even with the 1st category (regular clarity cables) they can use a slight midrange or treble lift to bring things into greater focus. Even the bass can be slightly enhanced by itemization, a sculpturing of sorts. And while there is many different qualities of such taking place with different cables………this clarity group is wanted and needed as an alternative from the cable they gave you with your IEM. Group one simply makes the IEM you purchased better. Why? Because they couldn’t provide a more expensive cable with your purchase due to it thowing the over-all price out of whack, and because cables do less for the overall sound than the IEM. So manufactures know this, and get you most of the build effort inside the IEM, not the provided cable.
Except what on the other hand if your IEM was too intense, too bright or too forward? And even the manufactures supplied cable still didn’t work to make the new IEM you have listenable for long periods of time. Sure everyone has their own personal threshold into the perception of this energy. Some like excessive brightness, yet that’s not the norm. And typically with these types of IEMs we don’t know what to do. Number one we like them due to the ability to enhance detail. But as far as long listening runs there is a point to where we feel it’s just too much. Sure EQ can help, different ear-tips can totally go along to decrease our nozzle opening, to decrease the tone frequency…………but what if you want the widest soundstage? And what if you don’t want to use EQ? There is the solution of using different sources too, as at times we have a wide range of tones available at our disposal. But let’s just say even though all those methods do work, there is an easier way to reach success. There really is.
RENATA:
Renata is a feminine Latin name meaning “reborn.” It is derived from the Latin Renatus, meaning “born again,” which comes from the word natus, translating to “born.” Renata is a popular name in Italian, Portuguese and Spanish, with Renée being the fashionable French version of the name.
PENON RENATA CABLE
At first before I found my way with this cable I thought it was strange. As if you attempt to join the RENATA with balanced IEMs that don’t need correction you will hear things sounding almost off balance. The color will be apparent and you will wonder why anyone would make or use such a cable. Here at Redcarmoose Labs the respect meter goes down as there doesn’t seem to be an application for such a product. Even with first realizing the cable is a type of smoother……………..it still doesn’t smooth everything out in an even and correct manner? So imagine with me that even coloring sound needs to be somewhat even and correct………….a correct change. But then I started to come to terms with what the RENATA did well. Yep, I actually owned a number of IEMs that were in need of what alterations the RENATA did. Not only were they in need of exactly what the RENATA was up to, they were the very best sounding after the RENATA treatment.....the very best they could be! At least to me they were the best? So the character of the RENATA had a use, but more than that, there was no cable on earth (or at least one that I tried) that did what the RENATA did.
The RENATA is a singularly different cable than any cable ever made. Wow, that’s a big statement. Let me clarify.
First off probably the closest to what it does can be found with the ISN CS02. Yet the CS02 comes with a permanent plug surfaced with Rhodium. Now I have no idea what a regular plug would do with the ISN CS02, because I don’t have a separate permanent plug cable made with the regular style plug. Yet, what I can do is put on a Rhodium Plug onto the RENATA. Thus my attempt to make the RENATA more like the ISN CS02. Yet that flopped……….where the Rhodium Plug does make the CS02 great, it added a little too much intensity to the RENATA. Basically that is kinda what Rhodium does, there is an increase in treble energy and a forwardness or sorts, actually in many ways it’s clearer than a regular plug, but at some expense at times. But the real reason the RENATA is different is in sound, the resulting sound with taking a few IEMs and making them be the very best they have ever been.
Did you read the Latin description of the name RENATA? Guess what, Penon told me about the name two days after I already discovered what the RENATA did. So that in itself was mind blowing. I’m going to go over a few IEMs in use with the RENATA and simply try to explain what’s happening. You don’t need to research them, except in my reviews I will talk about the IEMs character drawbacks. Typically what this group has in common in brightness. So even if you don’t have any IEM in the test group, but do own a forward or bright treble or midrange IEM that delineates lesser listening times, then the RENATA may be the avenue to try. I mean that is what it is about, to have an older IEM become reborn!
Tests:
First off I could probably find more examples of success, yet it would be redundant. I literally received the RENATA a few days ago and it reduces my time (to write) to test every bright or forward IEM in my collection. Plus while fun, the results are the same and we would basically be going over the same ground over and over, which would be a little boring. Except for the “what if”.
What if:
What if is a term which in many ways encapsulates the discovery and mystery of IEM testing. What if means that often cable tests can be predicted, but other times surprising. Surprising just because often IEMs and cable unions don’t always play-out as guessed. Still there is a wide ranging group here to test, and they each offer different price ranges and popularities. There are truly different frequency responses, as how could there not be? But beyond what we can learn from graphs into viewing the FR response, there are unique abilities due to the various drivers displaying their own unique sound sculpturing. Yep, different balances of bass, different resonances, etc, etc.
The test subjects:
The TSMR Sands: 3BA x 1DD-$319.00
The TRN BAX: 1BA x 1DD x 2EST-$312.88
The MEAOES Eagle: 2BA x 2DD-$149.90
The SIMGOT EA1000: 1DD-$219.99
The Geek Wold GK100: 2BA x 2 Piezo Highs x 2 Piezo Ultra Highs x 8mm DD middle x 8mm DD lows x 8mm DD ultra lows-$200.00
The KZ AS24: 12BA-$112.00 (switchless model)
The TSMR Sands:
As always, I’m rooting for the underdog. You know a great IEM, yet not perfect, except shining as far as price-to-performance goes. Why else would I surround myself with so many budget IEMs? Truth to be told I am always looking for that bargain, an IEM that leaves you satisfied regardless of cost. But I have to say the Sands was and is different. Joining the mid frequency duties are 2 Sonion BAs. It was at the end of May, 2022 that I reviewed the Sands, and I have to say I was spellbound by what how the implementation was done of these two magic BAs. Maybe it was that they were “nude” in a way, having to procure so much of the sonic statement? One Knowles tweeter, one DD……..yet the midrange is what made the Sands, at least it is what you remember after the dust settles?
Today I’m using the Sony WM1A with MrWalkman’s firmware and my regular wide-bore silicone tips on everything, all of the test IEMs here today. And while the midrange is again the first and foremost the notable “thing” I can’t help but be persuaded by the increase in bass authority. The RENATA is expanding and separating the stage elements into both smooth and itemized elements of entertainment. I mean I choose this one as the first to write about just because cable changes have been a big part of the Sands life, ever since introduction, people have been concerned with getting the most out of the Sands via a new cable. Yet, here we are at home, as it seems like this combo was meant to be together, that the Sands and the RENATA were made for each other. Don’t get me wrong, that treble is still there, yet softened and digestible……seemingly smothered in golden light? Attacks are instant, transients fast and encapsulating imaging into a reality into which we view the stage positioning. And while of course the Sands isn’t everything, it is the best it has ever been here today. The ear-hooks too, go ahead and add positioning.
The TRN BAX:
A little harder to drive than the Sands…….here we are witnessing size, size and a different style of forward intensity. Normally I don’t bring-up gossip but since my BAX review I could not help to read the trash-talking. The first thing you learn is never become upset if someone doesn’t like the IEM you like. Only these folks on Facebook have never heard the BAX, they are only going by some graph. Yet as gossip goes, it is a wave of taking, with one and then another gaining force, simply by agreeing. LOL
I’m sorry, the BAX is absolutely one of my all time favorite listens. And again it’s not everything, and doing side-by-sides with the IER-Z1R did put it in its place. Only I’m a sucker for big-big stages, then if you itemize those elements into positioning into the stage, then dislocate the DD bass maker into it’s own HYBRID world, I’m completely satisfied. Yet some have found the intensity to be slightly overboard with what the BAX does. The new BAX Pro has an extra BA driver and tuning switches, so maybe that will attract more folks to this Hybrid paradise? But to me I’m in love and you know how love is blind……well the BAX doesn’t need a thing. Sure it’s intense, but the good kind of intense, the kind I can get lost in all day long. This style of forwardness brings with it clarity, yet the RENATA enhances such handiwork. Yep, the BAX is also now the best it has ever been. Sorry if you don’t believe me, but it is true. A slight separation, a smoothing of the edges and a new stage, a bigger stage than I ever guessed was possible. There is even better timbre maybe, as that is what can happen when you dial things down a tad, same as the Sands, offering a slightly more realistic take on daily file playback. Oh, and the ear-hooks……total win-win.
I know this sounds crazy, but with the slight trimming of intensity, the over-all cohesiveness also was increased as everything just flowed together more evenly. More of all-is-one, except this is a Hybrid and still has that marvelous separation, like home theater does.
The MEAOES Eagle:
OK, the Eagle could in-fact be the poster child for the RENATA cause. A perfect example of turning an IEM that after a while you may be on the fence as to possibly selling due to brightness? Yet saving the day, the RENATA is in place finding new found perfection. Well, not perfection, but close to it. In truth I forgot the retail price of the Eagle, yet it sounds like money now? Also the MEAOES Eagle was kind-of a surprise in that I don’t ever remember it sounding anything like this. Just super big expansions of detail and floating harmonics, all very natural and not steely or too bright? Also the two DDs are simply kicking it, bringing a welcome groove to whatever music is your choice. Yet it is probably timbre that is the most inviting here, as this typically is the style of IEM that can be controversial, being it is accepted by a few, and shun by others that don’t understand what the Eagle is trying to accomplish. Yet here is the cohesiveness, the completeness of tone, and an overall demeanor which gives it both a charming character, and an accessible one. It’s like that grouchy neighbor that was always complaining about this or that across the street, then you have him over for drinks and end up hugging……….well not hugging but you get my drift. LOL
Total acceptability here. Truth to be told I don’t know what price they are going to ask for the Penon RENATA, yet if by chance you end up buying it, it’s not too late to learn of the MEAOES Eagle. No doubt that it’s different, but so wonderfully different now, you know how it goes, a difference that becomes of an enchanting character, and one of singular value.....when you hear how the bass has a clarity and pace……..you won’t care that you only spent $149.90 because often this isn’t about how much you spend but the value of the synergy you have found. The bottom line is if you can enjoy your listening sessions, and while, yes the Eagle is still on the brighter side of the street, the DD balances that out just right. But most importantly it sounds natural and correct……..so much so that its tone is what I remember now with the RENATA, and keep coming back for more. Amazing! Some of the best sound per dollar out there. Don’t disrespect the Eagle……..don’t!
The SIMGOT EA1000:
So word on the street is this is the hottest thing since the last hottest thing. And while the EA1000 has its slight issues, most will agree that it is a lot of sound for the money. SIMGOT is going crazy introducing a full-line of budget IEM offerings, yet they may have hit the ultimate Pay-Dirt here? Did I say Pay-Dirt, that means finding gold, and I think they may have done it? I just wrote a long drooling review, a poem to the IEM GODs who bestowed this marvel upon us. That while great, the issues here have to do with what inherent issues single DDs have anyway.
The EA1000 was one of the very first IEMs I tried with the RENATA. Why? It was near by, and the sound was also near to heart. I had just done a review, but more than that, I wanted to find out where the RENATA would take the SIMGOT EA1000. There is another reason too, I had just tried a few “normal” IEMs and the RENATA was not always correct with them. What I mean was the Penon Volt and Penon 10th Anniversary didn’t become enhanced by the RENATA charms? They were too balanced and already did the magic that they do, and didn’t ask to be pushed into the direction the RENATA goes.
First off I mean, I’m not a fan of changing filters, and if an IEM is on the slightly bright side I can normally just deal with it, maybe my listening level may go down 5%…..or something? The way you know Schiit-hit-the-fan is I will recoil from my wide-bore tips and suggest some narrow bore tips to enhance bass and midrange authority while diminishing treble frequencies. But no, none of those shenanigans are needed with the EA1000, at least for me they regularly are not. Still there was room for improvement with what the SIMGOT EA1000 does and did. First off there is a pleasant overall warmth that is taking place, warmer than any other cable I tried. A warm blanket, yet due to the character going on with the EA1000 such warmth never seems to diminish the details. But there is a better stance of details as the stage is bigger, that and what could be perceived as closer realizations of elements oppose to Hybrids, the EA1000 now enjoys an immense bigger stage. Not the biggest ever, but a totally welcome improvement. What can add to those perceived improvements is separation, separation can at times be more important than stage. And that is what we have, a blacker background, littered with bigger imaging, and such imaging is in every direction……wider, taller, lower and deeper front to back. Next off the bass is both warmer and slightly deeper, bigger at least. And while bass it seems is not the stand-out value of the EA1000, it is totally intoxicating to me? And I don’t know why that is so? Maybe the fact that everything is so integral? Where the upper treble and pinna gain areas get a softening, where they don’t arrive as forward as say the Kiwi ears Melody, they are smoother now and still in perfect placement, as far as I’m concerned? Still if any drawback could be found with the RENATA and the EA1000 it would probably be how vibrant the vocals end-up? Just saying………..Yet remember I’ve just got done hearing 3 Hybrids, and just by the Hybrid nature vocals can be heard into more of a brighter toned color. But more than just tonal, they can be slightly more separated and dislodged into the mix spatially.
The GEEK WOLD GK100:
This makes the Eagle sound slightly less filled-in by comparison. Yep, all lot of fill-in due to a Smörgåsbord of drivers. All those GK100 drivers! Heck, there is everything but the kitchen-sink going-off in there. Yet it is all now smoother, and I like that? The RENATA is again making a love affair happen? Vocals are incredible, going from the SIMGOT EA1000 to this? I mean I call it just like I hear it, and while this is a test of a cable, you can’t help but compare IEMs you just heard. Yet this still isn’t a vocal centric IEM. Meaning vocals are better than the EA1000, yet still not maybe totally upfront? Probably GEEK WOLD accomplished that with the new GK200 which has just come out? Yet the RENATA improves the vocals here. I mean I’m sure I don’t sound believable with this review? Sure, I understand, yet it is what it is, the RENATA makes the GK100 the very best it has ever been. Again we are starting to grasp an ongoing theme of attributes. Bigger stage, rounded deeper, more authentic bass, more separated bass, more separated everything! HA
A smoother more natural rendition where instruments take on a more real timbre into their realization of occurrence. Literally there is nothing not to like here. In fact this may be the actual Poster Child of the ultimate RENATA cause…….why? Because it’s all here, all you could ever ask for from the GK100. If I was at a show (an IEM meet-up) and there was a table with the GK100 laying there…..I would blind fold a listener and simply ask how much he or she thought the sound value of the GK100 was with the RENATA in action………….it will in no way be a $200.00 IEM, no way. Yet it is these vocals that are special now, just the way they hold so much detail of expression? Just the way they are centered into a full-on stage with everything else going on around them….priceless?
The KZ AS24:
This is the full-on WHAT-IF style of hope. What if pigs could fly, what if the moon was really made of Swiss cheese? What-if…..the KZ AS24 could be turned into a masterpiece of an IEM, with just some added note-weight? In truth I wish I would have ordered the switch version as mine has no switches. Reviewers seemed to have luck adding a style of authority to the AS24 by changing switches. And while the RENATA does bring some warmth and spaciousness into play, the IEM itself still remains containing what it has. Meaning whatever magic was bestowed upon the above IEMs seemed to be a full miss-out here? Sure part of this could be me? Sure, I’ve only spent two days with the RENATA/AS24 combo……but I don’t think things will change? While yes, the stage is big, maybe I’ve simply been listening to too many Planar IEMs or DDs….or Hybrids, as the midrange here sounds a little dry, dry and lifeless? Sorry?
Ergonomics:
The interesting part of this review is yes, the cable is big, but not wild in how it acts. It actually goes where it is directed, so much so that I forgot to even write a part about it in this review. That is exactly how it is, you don't fret over what is not a problem, then someone commented as to size, and I was like...oh ya, people are going to see the pictures and be concerned with that. It's actually a little big, yet the ear-hooks do wonders, plus really it goes where you tell it, and I didn't notice microphonics happening, so in many ways it has the same magic as the ISN CS02 cable.
Conclusion:
I don’t know how the Penon RENATA was made, nor do I even know the determined price, yet all that stuff will be disclosed at a future date. That stuff is secondary to what benefits take place to a few IEMs in use. While this whole reborn thing was surprising, as I didn’t have a clue to what the name meant when I started this review. And truly names only have so much value, yet ultimately more when they explain what you have in your hands……right?
Look, this review has been a little long-winded, but more than that, this review has been filled with truths that border on the unbelievable. Which is fine. Remember in history most things that were different were not taken as fact when they first arrived. People didn’t believe the car existed when first told about it. They thought the car was a mechanical bull when they first saw it, little did they know it was something you could actually ride inside of!
And if anything, you can buy the RENATA as it will work with the brighter and more forward IEMs in your collection. It will give you longer listening times, and as a side benefit make the sound more cohesive and real. Timbre will somehow be affected with Hybrids.........resulting to transform the sound into more naturalness, when mellowed-down. The RENATA effect is real and one-of-a-kind over here at Redcarmoose Labs. And while the RENATA doesn’t make everything it touches better, a colored cable is like that, it picks and chooses who it wants to play friendly with.
All I can say is due to its uniqueness and politeness of character, the RENATA will stay in use with me......maybe daily, becoming a very special cable. Penon has a cable that does things no other cable in the world can do, and that quality makes it valuable, and even rare. You can partake of this phenomena once you get it into your sweaty audiophile hands too!
https://penonaudio.com
Disclaimer:
I want to thank Penon Audio for the love and for the RENATA (Beta) Cable review sample.
Disclaimer:
These are one person's ideas and concepts, your results may vary.
Equipment Used:
Sony WM1A Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm
Sony WM1Z 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
Redcarmoose Labs November 25th, 2023
Disclamer:
This model of the RENATA (Beta) had a different sound than the finalized version. Penon decided to change the product tone and introduce the Penon RENATA with a slightly different forward tonal stance, in-turn adding regular midrange clarity. Hence the actual cable described here will never be widely produced for consumers. While the new (final form) RENATA could still be considered warm, it is in general more well-rounded finding home with most IEMs, oppose to this (in this review here) darker treble and subdued midrange energy model.
Probably the very best way to approach this is with a story. Yes, it’s true that all cable interactions are stories, except this particular cable, the Penon RENATA is vastly different from any cable I have come across. Different only because when I first got it I didn’t value what it did. I thought it was weird because it tilted my favorite IEMs into a wrong position. The RENATA made certain frequencies dull and lifeless, boosted others. I was perplexed…….then I started to get a clue as to what its uses were……..yep. The Penon RENATA does things different, and actually doesn’t go with all IEMs like the Penon ASOS cable I just reviewed. It’s almost the opposite of the ASOS cable.
As far as cables go (to over-generalize) we can place them into two categories. One being clarity (ASOS) so the cable simply gets out of the way and lets the personality of the source and IEM shine through. Two being color. Yep, some cables have use into aligning a sound different, almost vibrantly into a specific direction. Now vibrant may or may not be the very best word to use, except let me explain. Even with the 1st category (regular clarity cables) they can use a slight midrange or treble lift to bring things into greater focus. Even the bass can be slightly enhanced by itemization, a sculpturing of sorts. And while there is many different qualities of such taking place with different cables………this clarity group is wanted and needed as an alternative from the cable they gave you with your IEM. Group one simply makes the IEM you purchased better. Why? Because they couldn’t provide a more expensive cable with your purchase due to it thowing the over-all price out of whack, and because cables do less for the overall sound than the IEM. So manufactures know this, and get you most of the build effort inside the IEM, not the provided cable.
Except what on the other hand if your IEM was too intense, too bright or too forward? And even the manufactures supplied cable still didn’t work to make the new IEM you have listenable for long periods of time. Sure everyone has their own personal threshold into the perception of this energy. Some like excessive brightness, yet that’s not the norm. And typically with these types of IEMs we don’t know what to do. Number one we like them due to the ability to enhance detail. But as far as long listening runs there is a point to where we feel it’s just too much. Sure EQ can help, different ear-tips can totally go along to decrease our nozzle opening, to decrease the tone frequency…………but what if you want the widest soundstage? And what if you don’t want to use EQ? There is the solution of using different sources too, as at times we have a wide range of tones available at our disposal. But let’s just say even though all those methods do work, there is an easier way to reach success. There really is.
RENATA:
Renata is a feminine Latin name meaning “reborn.” It is derived from the Latin Renatus, meaning “born again,” which comes from the word natus, translating to “born.” Renata is a popular name in Italian, Portuguese and Spanish, with Renée being the fashionable French version of the name.
PENON RENATA CABLE
At first before I found my way with this cable I thought it was strange. As if you attempt to join the RENATA with balanced IEMs that don’t need correction you will hear things sounding almost off balance. The color will be apparent and you will wonder why anyone would make or use such a cable. Here at Redcarmoose Labs the respect meter goes down as there doesn’t seem to be an application for such a product. Even with first realizing the cable is a type of smoother……………..it still doesn’t smooth everything out in an even and correct manner? So imagine with me that even coloring sound needs to be somewhat even and correct………….a correct change. But then I started to come to terms with what the RENATA did well. Yep, I actually owned a number of IEMs that were in need of what alterations the RENATA did. Not only were they in need of exactly what the RENATA was up to, they were the very best sounding after the RENATA treatment.....the very best they could be! At least to me they were the best? So the character of the RENATA had a use, but more than that, there was no cable on earth (or at least one that I tried) that did what the RENATA did.
The RENATA is a singularly different cable than any cable ever made. Wow, that’s a big statement. Let me clarify.
First off probably the closest to what it does can be found with the ISN CS02. Yet the CS02 comes with a permanent plug surfaced with Rhodium. Now I have no idea what a regular plug would do with the ISN CS02, because I don’t have a separate permanent plug cable made with the regular style plug. Yet, what I can do is put on a Rhodium Plug onto the RENATA. Thus my attempt to make the RENATA more like the ISN CS02. Yet that flopped……….where the Rhodium Plug does make the CS02 great, it added a little too much intensity to the RENATA. Basically that is kinda what Rhodium does, there is an increase in treble energy and a forwardness or sorts, actually in many ways it’s clearer than a regular plug, but at some expense at times. But the real reason the RENATA is different is in sound, the resulting sound with taking a few IEMs and making them be the very best they have ever been.
Did you read the Latin description of the name RENATA? Guess what, Penon told me about the name two days after I already discovered what the RENATA did. So that in itself was mind blowing. I’m going to go over a few IEMs in use with the RENATA and simply try to explain what’s happening. You don’t need to research them, except in my reviews I will talk about the IEMs character drawbacks. Typically what this group has in common in brightness. So even if you don’t have any IEM in the test group, but do own a forward or bright treble or midrange IEM that delineates lesser listening times, then the RENATA may be the avenue to try. I mean that is what it is about, to have an older IEM become reborn!
Tests:
First off I could probably find more examples of success, yet it would be redundant. I literally received the RENATA a few days ago and it reduces my time (to write) to test every bright or forward IEM in my collection. Plus while fun, the results are the same and we would basically be going over the same ground over and over, which would be a little boring. Except for the “what if”.
What if:
What if is a term which in many ways encapsulates the discovery and mystery of IEM testing. What if means that often cable tests can be predicted, but other times surprising. Surprising just because often IEMs and cable unions don’t always play-out as guessed. Still there is a wide ranging group here to test, and they each offer different price ranges and popularities. There are truly different frequency responses, as how could there not be? But beyond what we can learn from graphs into viewing the FR response, there are unique abilities due to the various drivers displaying their own unique sound sculpturing. Yep, different balances of bass, different resonances, etc, etc.
The test subjects:
The TSMR Sands: 3BA x 1DD-$319.00
The TRN BAX: 1BA x 1DD x 2EST-$312.88
The MEAOES Eagle: 2BA x 2DD-$149.90
The SIMGOT EA1000: 1DD-$219.99
The Geek Wold GK100: 2BA x 2 Piezo Highs x 2 Piezo Ultra Highs x 8mm DD middle x 8mm DD lows x 8mm DD ultra lows-$200.00
The KZ AS24: 12BA-$112.00 (switchless model)
The TSMR Sands:
As always, I’m rooting for the underdog. You know a great IEM, yet not perfect, except shining as far as price-to-performance goes. Why else would I surround myself with so many budget IEMs? Truth to be told I am always looking for that bargain, an IEM that leaves you satisfied regardless of cost. But I have to say the Sands was and is different. Joining the mid frequency duties are 2 Sonion BAs. It was at the end of May, 2022 that I reviewed the Sands, and I have to say I was spellbound by what how the implementation was done of these two magic BAs. Maybe it was that they were “nude” in a way, having to procure so much of the sonic statement? One Knowles tweeter, one DD……..yet the midrange is what made the Sands, at least it is what you remember after the dust settles?
Today I’m using the Sony WM1A with MrWalkman’s firmware and my regular wide-bore silicone tips on everything, all of the test IEMs here today. And while the midrange is again the first and foremost the notable “thing” I can’t help but be persuaded by the increase in bass authority. The RENATA is expanding and separating the stage elements into both smooth and itemized elements of entertainment. I mean I choose this one as the first to write about just because cable changes have been a big part of the Sands life, ever since introduction, people have been concerned with getting the most out of the Sands via a new cable. Yet, here we are at home, as it seems like this combo was meant to be together, that the Sands and the RENATA were made for each other. Don’t get me wrong, that treble is still there, yet softened and digestible……seemingly smothered in golden light? Attacks are instant, transients fast and encapsulating imaging into a reality into which we view the stage positioning. And while of course the Sands isn’t everything, it is the best it has ever been here today. The ear-hooks too, go ahead and add positioning.
The TRN BAX:
A little harder to drive than the Sands…….here we are witnessing size, size and a different style of forward intensity. Normally I don’t bring-up gossip but since my BAX review I could not help to read the trash-talking. The first thing you learn is never become upset if someone doesn’t like the IEM you like. Only these folks on Facebook have never heard the BAX, they are only going by some graph. Yet as gossip goes, it is a wave of taking, with one and then another gaining force, simply by agreeing. LOL
I’m sorry, the BAX is absolutely one of my all time favorite listens. And again it’s not everything, and doing side-by-sides with the IER-Z1R did put it in its place. Only I’m a sucker for big-big stages, then if you itemize those elements into positioning into the stage, then dislocate the DD bass maker into it’s own HYBRID world, I’m completely satisfied. Yet some have found the intensity to be slightly overboard with what the BAX does. The new BAX Pro has an extra BA driver and tuning switches, so maybe that will attract more folks to this Hybrid paradise? But to me I’m in love and you know how love is blind……well the BAX doesn’t need a thing. Sure it’s intense, but the good kind of intense, the kind I can get lost in all day long. This style of forwardness brings with it clarity, yet the RENATA enhances such handiwork. Yep, the BAX is also now the best it has ever been. Sorry if you don’t believe me, but it is true. A slight separation, a smoothing of the edges and a new stage, a bigger stage than I ever guessed was possible. There is even better timbre maybe, as that is what can happen when you dial things down a tad, same as the Sands, offering a slightly more realistic take on daily file playback. Oh, and the ear-hooks……total win-win.
I know this sounds crazy, but with the slight trimming of intensity, the over-all cohesiveness also was increased as everything just flowed together more evenly. More of all-is-one, except this is a Hybrid and still has that marvelous separation, like home theater does.
The MEAOES Eagle:
OK, the Eagle could in-fact be the poster child for the RENATA cause. A perfect example of turning an IEM that after a while you may be on the fence as to possibly selling due to brightness? Yet saving the day, the RENATA is in place finding new found perfection. Well, not perfection, but close to it. In truth I forgot the retail price of the Eagle, yet it sounds like money now? Also the MEAOES Eagle was kind-of a surprise in that I don’t ever remember it sounding anything like this. Just super big expansions of detail and floating harmonics, all very natural and not steely or too bright? Also the two DDs are simply kicking it, bringing a welcome groove to whatever music is your choice. Yet it is probably timbre that is the most inviting here, as this typically is the style of IEM that can be controversial, being it is accepted by a few, and shun by others that don’t understand what the Eagle is trying to accomplish. Yet here is the cohesiveness, the completeness of tone, and an overall demeanor which gives it both a charming character, and an accessible one. It’s like that grouchy neighbor that was always complaining about this or that across the street, then you have him over for drinks and end up hugging……….well not hugging but you get my drift. LOL
Total acceptability here. Truth to be told I don’t know what price they are going to ask for the Penon RENATA, yet if by chance you end up buying it, it’s not too late to learn of the MEAOES Eagle. No doubt that it’s different, but so wonderfully different now, you know how it goes, a difference that becomes of an enchanting character, and one of singular value.....when you hear how the bass has a clarity and pace……..you won’t care that you only spent $149.90 because often this isn’t about how much you spend but the value of the synergy you have found. The bottom line is if you can enjoy your listening sessions, and while, yes the Eagle is still on the brighter side of the street, the DD balances that out just right. But most importantly it sounds natural and correct……..so much so that its tone is what I remember now with the RENATA, and keep coming back for more. Amazing! Some of the best sound per dollar out there. Don’t disrespect the Eagle……..don’t!
The SIMGOT EA1000:
So word on the street is this is the hottest thing since the last hottest thing. And while the EA1000 has its slight issues, most will agree that it is a lot of sound for the money. SIMGOT is going crazy introducing a full-line of budget IEM offerings, yet they may have hit the ultimate Pay-Dirt here? Did I say Pay-Dirt, that means finding gold, and I think they may have done it? I just wrote a long drooling review, a poem to the IEM GODs who bestowed this marvel upon us. That while great, the issues here have to do with what inherent issues single DDs have anyway.
The EA1000 was one of the very first IEMs I tried with the RENATA. Why? It was near by, and the sound was also near to heart. I had just done a review, but more than that, I wanted to find out where the RENATA would take the SIMGOT EA1000. There is another reason too, I had just tried a few “normal” IEMs and the RENATA was not always correct with them. What I mean was the Penon Volt and Penon 10th Anniversary didn’t become enhanced by the RENATA charms? They were too balanced and already did the magic that they do, and didn’t ask to be pushed into the direction the RENATA goes.
First off I mean, I’m not a fan of changing filters, and if an IEM is on the slightly bright side I can normally just deal with it, maybe my listening level may go down 5%…..or something? The way you know Schiit-hit-the-fan is I will recoil from my wide-bore tips and suggest some narrow bore tips to enhance bass and midrange authority while diminishing treble frequencies. But no, none of those shenanigans are needed with the EA1000, at least for me they regularly are not. Still there was room for improvement with what the SIMGOT EA1000 does and did. First off there is a pleasant overall warmth that is taking place, warmer than any other cable I tried. A warm blanket, yet due to the character going on with the EA1000 such warmth never seems to diminish the details. But there is a better stance of details as the stage is bigger, that and what could be perceived as closer realizations of elements oppose to Hybrids, the EA1000 now enjoys an immense bigger stage. Not the biggest ever, but a totally welcome improvement. What can add to those perceived improvements is separation, separation can at times be more important than stage. And that is what we have, a blacker background, littered with bigger imaging, and such imaging is in every direction……wider, taller, lower and deeper front to back. Next off the bass is both warmer and slightly deeper, bigger at least. And while bass it seems is not the stand-out value of the EA1000, it is totally intoxicating to me? And I don’t know why that is so? Maybe the fact that everything is so integral? Where the upper treble and pinna gain areas get a softening, where they don’t arrive as forward as say the Kiwi ears Melody, they are smoother now and still in perfect placement, as far as I’m concerned? Still if any drawback could be found with the RENATA and the EA1000 it would probably be how vibrant the vocals end-up? Just saying………..Yet remember I’ve just got done hearing 3 Hybrids, and just by the Hybrid nature vocals can be heard into more of a brighter toned color. But more than just tonal, they can be slightly more separated and dislodged into the mix spatially.
The GEEK WOLD GK100:
This makes the Eagle sound slightly less filled-in by comparison. Yep, all lot of fill-in due to a Smörgåsbord of drivers. All those GK100 drivers! Heck, there is everything but the kitchen-sink going-off in there. Yet it is all now smoother, and I like that? The RENATA is again making a love affair happen? Vocals are incredible, going from the SIMGOT EA1000 to this? I mean I call it just like I hear it, and while this is a test of a cable, you can’t help but compare IEMs you just heard. Yet this still isn’t a vocal centric IEM. Meaning vocals are better than the EA1000, yet still not maybe totally upfront? Probably GEEK WOLD accomplished that with the new GK200 which has just come out? Yet the RENATA improves the vocals here. I mean I’m sure I don’t sound believable with this review? Sure, I understand, yet it is what it is, the RENATA makes the GK100 the very best it has ever been. Again we are starting to grasp an ongoing theme of attributes. Bigger stage, rounded deeper, more authentic bass, more separated bass, more separated everything! HA
A smoother more natural rendition where instruments take on a more real timbre into their realization of occurrence. Literally there is nothing not to like here. In fact this may be the actual Poster Child of the ultimate RENATA cause…….why? Because it’s all here, all you could ever ask for from the GK100. If I was at a show (an IEM meet-up) and there was a table with the GK100 laying there…..I would blind fold a listener and simply ask how much he or she thought the sound value of the GK100 was with the RENATA in action………….it will in no way be a $200.00 IEM, no way. Yet it is these vocals that are special now, just the way they hold so much detail of expression? Just the way they are centered into a full-on stage with everything else going on around them….priceless?
The KZ AS24:
This is the full-on WHAT-IF style of hope. What if pigs could fly, what if the moon was really made of Swiss cheese? What-if…..the KZ AS24 could be turned into a masterpiece of an IEM, with just some added note-weight? In truth I wish I would have ordered the switch version as mine has no switches. Reviewers seemed to have luck adding a style of authority to the AS24 by changing switches. And while the RENATA does bring some warmth and spaciousness into play, the IEM itself still remains containing what it has. Meaning whatever magic was bestowed upon the above IEMs seemed to be a full miss-out here? Sure part of this could be me? Sure, I’ve only spent two days with the RENATA/AS24 combo……but I don’t think things will change? While yes, the stage is big, maybe I’ve simply been listening to too many Planar IEMs or DDs….or Hybrids, as the midrange here sounds a little dry, dry and lifeless? Sorry?
Ergonomics:
The interesting part of this review is yes, the cable is big, but not wild in how it acts. It actually goes where it is directed, so much so that I forgot to even write a part about it in this review. That is exactly how it is, you don't fret over what is not a problem, then someone commented as to size, and I was like...oh ya, people are going to see the pictures and be concerned with that. It's actually a little big, yet the ear-hooks do wonders, plus really it goes where you tell it, and I didn't notice microphonics happening, so in many ways it has the same magic as the ISN CS02 cable.
Conclusion:
I don’t know how the Penon RENATA was made, nor do I even know the determined price, yet all that stuff will be disclosed at a future date. That stuff is secondary to what benefits take place to a few IEMs in use. While this whole reborn thing was surprising, as I didn’t have a clue to what the name meant when I started this review. And truly names only have so much value, yet ultimately more when they explain what you have in your hands……right?
Look, this review has been a little long-winded, but more than that, this review has been filled with truths that border on the unbelievable. Which is fine. Remember in history most things that were different were not taken as fact when they first arrived. People didn’t believe the car existed when first told about it. They thought the car was a mechanical bull when they first saw it, little did they know it was something you could actually ride inside of!
And if anything, you can buy the RENATA as it will work with the brighter and more forward IEMs in your collection. It will give you longer listening times, and as a side benefit make the sound more cohesive and real. Timbre will somehow be affected with Hybrids.........resulting to transform the sound into more naturalness, when mellowed-down. The RENATA effect is real and one-of-a-kind over here at Redcarmoose Labs. And while the RENATA doesn’t make everything it touches better, a colored cable is like that, it picks and chooses who it wants to play friendly with.
All I can say is due to its uniqueness and politeness of character, the RENATA will stay in use with me......maybe daily, becoming a very special cable. Penon has a cable that does things no other cable in the world can do, and that quality makes it valuable, and even rare. You can partake of this phenomena once you get it into your sweaty audiophile hands too!
https://penonaudio.com
Disclaimer:
I want to thank Penon Audio for the love and for the RENATA (Beta) Cable review sample.
Disclaimer:
These are one person's ideas and concepts, your results may vary.
Equipment Used:
Sony WM1A Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm
Sony WM1Z 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
