The Penon RENATA Cable

Penon Renata. ( pic shown with Penon Quattro )

The Renata has been a cable Penon has been working on for a while. It seems the manufacturing process for this cable is more complicated than just sourcing the cable material and calling it good.

Recent newer cable trends for Penon have them diving into the alloy arena for cable material and I associate the alloy version of the tried and true copper material a bit different than your garden variety copper. Let me explain. The reason why I have come to this conclusion is because if you look at their more recent cable offerings the Penon Bass, ISN CS02 and now the Ranata all 3 of these cables have in common one ingredient that are included in the 3 cables. Alloy copper. Just from how I am hearing the base makeup for these cables. Alloy copper brings a bit of a higher end copper sound properties meaning while traditional warm and dynamic descriptors apply to copper and its sound properties.

Alloy copper brings a bit more precision with better transient properties into the mix making the alloy copper material worth exploring. It can enhance the bass end which is the specialty of the Penon Bass cables. It can also enhance all regions of the sound with better perviced details yet a relaxed take on the cable sound, one where precision and details reigns supreme as in the ISN CS02. And now we get the Renata.

Searching up the meaning of the name Renata. Means reborn or renewed. Penon does not name such cables a random name. Their naming scheme usually indicates what the cable is made of or what the cable is about. In other words it was given the name Renata for a reason. So what is the Renata and why is a cable given such a name? Because it will renew your love for your IEMs.

Renata uses some upgrades from the previously mentioned Bass and CS02 cables in the mix. Specifically silver. When silver is mixed with alloy copper these two ingredients in a cable should yield a more technical enhancing type cable. And that is what we get with the new Renata. But what is curious about this particular cable is that it also includes a process of apparently using some liquid nitrogen for its crystal silver and then the other half of the cores using silver plating over copper alloy. Sounds exotic yes. Which is great but how does that translate to your IEM sound experience?

Penon is not new to trying out new methods and materials for cables. From what I remember they were the first to use mineral oil soaking for the ISN Solar, and the first to use graphene for the Penon OSG. Liquid nitrogen single crystal silver+ Furukawa copper alloy plated silver? Sounds like a chemistry experiment is what I am thinking. The bulk of the strands are using that alloy copper plated in silver and then about a 6ths of the strands has that liquid nitrogen single crystal silver thrown in.

The base sound performance is ever so slightly warmer than leaning brighter which matches well with more brighter tuned IEMs. I know most cable folks refer to having a type of pure silver and silver content as leaning toward details and treble emphasis, it seems the silver cores here was deliberately used to get better upper harmonics involved with its musical based alloy copper cores.

To my ears these don't sound like your traditional silver leaning type sound but definitely a bit more in the way of copper properties vs the silver. So this one is a bit nuanced in what it does, definitely versatile but has some unique properties which I will explain a bit more in the read.

Its all black PVC finish does not really allow one to check out the inner workings for the Renata cable so it will be purely based on how the cable performs for IEMs. As stated before ultimately these are a type of hybrid cable which actually specializes in the inner workings of how your IEMs sound. The Renata is not the thickest of 2 core type cables I have experienced. That title belongs to Effect Audios Code23. I would say these are similar in gauge to their more recent Code24c. Similar in thickness and pliability. These can conform to the traditional hand wrap but they are decidedly on the thicker side of cabledom. Not the most flexible but certainly not bad here. It does need them ear guides to conform to your ears so just now these are a bit bulky but moderately flexible at the same time. Minimal microphonics is heard and once again will not detract from the sound getting to your ears.

In testing the Renata and how it enhances a sound character, it is clearly evident to me that it does sound separation and imaging better than the other two cables that use alloy copper, the bass and CS02 cables. And due to its thicker, substantial cores adds more of a thicker note weight vs those other two especially the CS02 in comparison. If you ever had a 4 cored version of an IEM cable and then tried the same cable with double the core count you might know what I am talking about here.

Renata does not enhance a stage like how pure silver or more silver based cables do. You get a moderate sound expansion in comparison again more akin to higher end copper properties. But what it does do is give a proper spacing for the inner workings of the sound of an IEM. Notes are better separated hence giving you better imaging. Vocals to instruments no longer are one image. You get better space in between elements of your music making your IEM sound dare I say it. Higher end. And here is where that definition of the word Renata comes into play. These cables will renew your love for your IEM sound. I like that it's more alloy copper based vs the silver element here. Which means your musical sounding IEMs will continue to be musical and your brighter IEMs to sound a bit more musical as well. Unlike cables that lean heavily for their transparent nature. As transparent as the Renata is, it does not actually focus the listener's attention toward the trebles. Which makes the Renata more versatile than something like a pure silver cable for example.

The specialty of the Renata is how it focuses the layers of the mids and that sound separation that it helps with and this type of presentation is relegated to higher end IEMs in general where you pay the uber bucks for that sound separation. Renata gives you a taste of this aspect from whatever IEM you attach them to. These do wonders for dynamic based IEMs due to its ability to chop socky that imaging. If you feel your IEMs have somewhat of a veil to their sound. These cables will help in that department. If you feel your IEMs could use a bit better imaging or already have good imaging, this aspect will just be more enhanced with the Renata.

It is a well balanced cable but due to the cable elements helping out with the imaging this affects the bass end to sound a bit more sculpted and defined. Bass emphasis is retained from the original sound but not only sounds a bit better separated from the mids but will have better definition from your stock cable. It's like a higher end Penon Bass cable but with even better separation of the sound elements and a thicker note weight. That in of itself is an improvement but the fact that this cable enhances just about every aspect of both the Bass and the CS02. I can understand what Penon was going for on this one and why it was apply named Renata. ( Pic with ISN NEO3)

Overall the Renata is yet another brilliant cable in a line of brilliant cables made by our friends at Penon Audio. If you own the ISN CS02 and or bass cable but want a higher end version of them both that is exactly what I feel the Ranata is. It is the CS02 that is definitely the first version of the Renata.

In the end it is a hybrid type cable that brings a higher level of imaging and inner details of your IEMs. It will work wonders for IEMs that seem a bit veiled sounding but even with IEMs that are much more resolving the Renata shows consistency in how it presents your IEM sound. It will be versatile and excellent for numerous types but more specifically dynamic based IEMs. Once again thanks for taking the time to read.

Disclaimers the Renata sample is the property of Penon Audio. Was provided for the purpose of a review. The thoughts on the sound properties were from just using them for a period of a month's time. If you would like to purchase a set for you. You can get them on Penonaudio.com.

( Rhodium plated plug, Palladium plated purple plug, OFC copper plug shown)
Extra
So I posted about the Renata a bit on the Penon and ISN thread. The cable can be enhanced a bit further by using Plugs made specifically for Penon modular cables. I noticed these plugs do have an effect on the overall performance of the Ranata cable. If you want to lean the tonal character of your IEM to be a bit more brighter in focus with better clarity. The Rhodium plated plug adds better clarity to the Renata cable make up. The Palladium/ purple plug enhances what the Renatas strengths are in the form of bass sculpting and even better imaging. The OFC plug gives the greatest note weight, fullness and body to the Renata sound.

Being able to customize how the Renata performs to an even greater extent is what these plugs are about. My favorite on the Renata is the Rhodium plug on them. Absolute best detail from IEMs it is attached to with this plug.

The PENON RENATA Cable
Redcarmoose Labs February 16th, 2024
Penon has their roots in manufacturing and understanding the effects of cables. In fact back (starting) in 2013 Penon only sold self-made cables as well as other companies manufactured retail items on their website Penon Audio. And in many ways this past 10+ years has been a journey. Lucky somehow I was able to review more than my fair share of Penon/ISN cables. So even though I have only been involved with Penon/ISN manufacturing for a short time, since May of 2022, I have reviewed 23 (including this one) cable/plug/adapter products. One example of the journey is the ISN GC4......a bird of a different feather........a cable made of single crystal copper plating with gold. One of the thinnest cables I own, which in-turn has the thickest sound, because copper adds thickness at times, and so does gold! I mean this is really where the rabbit hole opening is…………..a journey into the wild, strange and enchanting word of cables. Double confounded by the fact that many don’t believe cables do anything at all to modify sound.

Per Dsnuts

• Silver for its highest transparency and stage enhancing.
• Gold for that rich tone and depth.
• Palladium for that remarkable imaging and detail.
• Copper for body and warmth.

The way I can best describe the effects of cables is generating a slightly new tone. Yet that tone also carries with it soundstage changes and timbre afterburners. The results could be looked at as almost using a different instrument for the recording, in that (to me) tone and reverberation are so drastically modified. Like in the studio switching to record a specific Les Paul to maybe a newer model of Les Paul guitar? There can be warm woody tones emphasized, or brighter faster decays which almost sound like the recording was done in a different room. Then there is stage positioning, where these new additions of midrange flourish to proclaim their existence in a specific place inside the stage, again also with a very certain character which could be brighter of slightly softer (Graphene maybe?) at the very edge of the heights of extension!

Neutral cables?
As such cables can be always relatively pure in tone, meaning they never alter the original tone of the DAP or IEM and the difference from many other ’neutral’ cables is that they widen stage footprint. Now with-in this phenomenon of neutral there can be subtle changes which still create a difference, like maybe neutral with a lower midrange bump, which still is relatively the same as a pure neutral cable. Why? Because the overall tone has not been modified too much. So in addition we have bright cables which seem to enhance the treble, and possibly add pace to the low-end at times, then there are warmer cables that seem to wash everything with an amber light, resulting in an attenuation of treble energy. At a point somewhere these different cables do color the sound, and it could be subjective as to how a person interprets the amount of color? As such, some cables could be looked at as only slightly colored, and some unarguably colored. Remember too, all this is still dependent on the source and IEM. Meaning at times a darker source will seem to even-out a brighter cable and vice versa. And while probably the greatest value can be found when whole groups of people align with understanding a specific cable personality, still ear anatomy, ear-tips and source color are going to need to be included into such consideration. What we do know is at times we can guess what the cable outcome will be with an IEM. Then again there are at times surprises………after trying the ISN GC4 cable on the previous Reecho SG-01 OVA and getting nothing out-of-the-ordinary, to switching to the new edition model, the Reecho SG-01 DAWN 10mm driver, and having the resulting sound difference knocking-my-socks-off! So I mean that is kind of how it goes here at Redcarmoose Labs……once in a while there are smaller cable result changes, then there are the landmark differences. And of course it takes the IEM in question to reveal these changes, combined with a DAP. Hopefully this inclusion of a specific cable purchase simply adds a window. It would be a specific window of boosting of diminished a stage, and or tonal character, resulting in more carefully aligning the end-sound to the listeners wants and needs.

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.’

You see, this is my second RENATA review. The first prototype was sent over with absolutely no information included. Meaning they said nothing about what the RENATA was or what its price-point would be? When I said “what the RENATA was” I mean often we will have clues as to what we can expect, and while the RENATA did look like a giant version of the previously released ISN CS02 cable, the first edition didn’t exactly sound like the CS02? I was left with a lot of questions/confusion taking place. Going to my regular RENATA and added RENATA MK2 test vehicles and combining with them the Penon Volt TOTL past flagship, and my Noble Audio K-10 Encore, the results were profound.

Now when I say profound nothing is really so drastic in the cable world, only there was noticeable difference!

I will often use a few IEMs to test a cable, but in relation to the old RENATA MK1 and the new publicly for sale M2 model I’m very specifically studying the upper midrange tone. You see that is the critical area of change here. The old RENATA was too dark in the upper midrange, so dark that it even went to drown-out the upper-midrange with the Noble Audio K-10 Encore, and that’s impossible, almost.

The Noble K-10 Encore Universal IEM

RENATA 2
So enough about the labor pains, show me the baby!

I really don’t want to focus on the past, only this old RENATA MK1 test cable does still have a use, I gave it a full-on 5 score here at Head-Fi when I did my November 25th review. The RENATA has a lot of material, as the MK1 and the MK2 are almost identical physically, it is just the balance of materials in the MK1...........it was like a fire hose. A giant firehose which seemed to only work to smooth-out extended upper midrange and treble fires. So I’m still left with a MK1 as a usable tool which will always work to put-out daily alarms here in the community of Redcarmoose Labs. Yet the real useful cable is the MK2. You see, Penon realized that I was right, that there is no way they would (mass) produce a ‘big-deal-cable’ which didn’t go well with their past Volt flagship, no-possible way. And............just as Penon tuning goes, you see, if the Volt wasn’t right with the first edition of the RENATA, then you could guess that the rest of the ‘mainstream’ tuning IEMs would be too dark in that specific area too, and I 100% agree, even if those particular IEMs were made by Penon or not. So now we are gifted with simply a more well rounded cable, that's all.

Rome wasn't built in a day:
What this specifically means is that all great things take time and effort, that it is an ongoing Penon effort to create items to make your listening pleasure optimized. Making your IEM results close or near to being the very best they can be.

The RENATA Cable
2 strands hand woven, cable is soft
35 cores Liquid nitrogen single crystal silver + 196 cores Furukawa silver copper alloy plated silver.
High quality PVC Shield
Litz structure
Gold-plated copper + carbon fiber plug accessories
Plug: gold-plated 3-in-1 modular (3.5mm/2.5mm/4.4mm)
Cable length is 1.2



So I can’t really list what metallurgy differences from the first edition as I was never privy to such facts, except now we are basking in the beauty of such in finding a rewarding clear and larger than life midrange explosion. Plus this new cable is 2 grams less weight than the prototype. Now any-of-you who have been around the block as far as cables go would first get the idea that tone would be a silver bright effect of sun-light? Sorry......no, that is the balance I will be speaking about, it is not direct sunlight, but a slightly passive set of rays that have passed through a diffuser of sorts, think of being (out) on your patio under a translucent shelter and getting a form of clarity without a sun-burn.

Yep.
Now there is more.

3D forward and touchable bass!

No wait, I want to talk about vocals first.



The Penon RENATA next to ISN CS02 Rhodium Plug, note size difference too.

Vocals:
I don’t know how this is done, except trying the ISN CS02 in comparison to a regular included cable, where now everything is simply more clear but also positioned in a different place. The energy is stronger, so everything, all the guitars, all the vocals and all the drums are pushed into cleaner and more vibrant focus into the headstage. They (the musical elements) are closer and because they are closer you instantly feel the emotion of the music more, you can pick-out details better, and it actually seems louder. So you can imagine if that is the CS02 then what about the RENATA?

The RENATA is 2X (twice) the CS02:
The bass enhancement, the clarity, it is profoundly the same tone as the CS02 only growing in size. Yep, the imaging is actually bigger and the separation is greater allowing for even more close-up actuality to occur. What this leaves us at the end of the day is both vividness and maturity, this means if you own the CS02 it is truly in your best interest (if the cost or size doesn't bother you) to simply upgrade to the RENATA, as the tone will be pretty much the same. Although different IEMs will showcase these values slightly different, still the sound will be 98% the same as the CS02, only bigger and clearer.

Bass:
OK let's say you had an IEM that you always wanted to have (ever so slightly) more noticeable bass........yet to also add a more refined and sculptured bass? A good example (for me personally) would be the Penon Volt. Where the midrange of the Volt is one of the best I have ever heard. That said, it may even be due to the bass balance of the Volt? There is a Psychoacoustic result of tonal balance where the dominant tone frequency overrides the lesser tone in the additive overall heard effect. As such there is nothing wrong with the Volt’s bass, it is just not really a total focus, where now the bass is still not a total focus, except everything is bigger yet also smoother. So imagine with me, the tonal character of EST drivers and the sonic artifacts of in use BA drivers, finding their way around being washed with a golden light. Yep, the RENATA is still smooth and slightly dark, yet better to say warm here. While there is still all the detail, only this style totally works, and I can’t imagine anyone wanting more brightness because the stage is bigger. The bass, is now (ever so) slightly warmer and more clear/profound, just a smidge.

Soundstage:
If you look up at the description, there is a lot of material here. The difference (you may ask) from past offered cables is alloys. Yep, new ideas of combining 196 cores of Furukawa silver copper alloy plated silver with 35 cores of single crystal silver. Also combined with Litz construction theory, thus resulting from these winding patterns to equalize the proportion of the overall length over which each strand is at the outside of the conductor. This has the effect of distributing the current equally among the wire strands, reducing the impedance.

You see the constituents and the construction methods go hand-in-hand to proclaim results here. And amazingly we can alter the RENATA a step further by adding a Rhodium Plug. I mean I probably like the included 3-in-1 modular plug better as it is slightly smoother, but depending on your hearing and sound goals the Rhodium does alter the tone/stage. It adds stage, but at the expense of a slightly grainy tone add and hard to exactly describe small itemization to the treble and upper midrange stage?


The regular included RENATA Plugs you are supplied with.

The Purple Plug:
I want to end this section talking about a slight mishap here at Redcarmoose Labs. It turns out that I keep all these plugs in a special case, but being confused I went and grabbed what I thought was the Purple Plug, when in reality it was simply another regular plug that Penon supplies with the 3-in-1 modular cable. I went to test it and sure enough it was exactly the same as the included plug, because it was like the same style as included plug. So then I looked and behind a small band of cloth was the actual Purple Plug, they are always identifiable with a small lotus flower printed on the base of the plug. Anyways the Purple was not near as dark or warm to change the sound as expected, yet what was marvelous was the expanded stage and increased itemization found, as in the future this would probably be my set-up, and not really that much different, but a small 5% change maybe, or less? Obviously there are small changes into which the tone and stage is commandeered, yet it may be up to individual perception which is the more thoughtful result. As such the gifts are awarded as an inseparable package, yet the actual character of the 3D sonic creations transcends description, like looking at different ornaments of display desktop clutter at a craft store. We can attempt to describe each level of difference, yet words only go so far into detailing the perceived effects, just rest assured they are uniquely different with the Rhodium showing us unwanted almost fizzy energy in small places.



The Plugs:
Each plug results in a slightly different cable effect for the user, finding (your own) individual preference upon switching-out and changing to a different plug. Though one's thoughts of perplexity come from finding what is thought to be the Rhodium Plug permanently attached to the ISN CS02, as the (modular) combo was not in any way preferred in the RENATA use?

Laughably the CS02 has the Rhodium Plug fixed on!

So from that test we can see that the RENATA is not exactly the CS02. Sure both can be tested with plugs, yet we don’t have a 3-in-1 modular CS02 to use to compare and put on a regular plug into service.



Generalizations into the RENATA stage with music:
Drifting back to the original included plug, stock is fully appreciated here, yet the Purple Plug addition is my favorite, I will receive a all together different Copper Plug from Penon any day, so that’s another plug to try in this exact same setup.





Timestamps are only for the digital file, not the video playback.

Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL
Batman V Superman OST
Day of the Dead
96 kHz - 24 bit
You know there is no better way to go ahead and talk about soundstage than to use music here. And no better music than to find a favorite to play with. Here the somber and woody tones seem to match up perfectly, totally, better than perfect, if that is possible.........with this OST, yep…….the whole thing here.

Using the WM1Z with MrWalkman’s firmware we are dialing in the Penon Volt into world-class and lifetime event experiences here. Simply the best I know how here at Redcarmoose Labs.

As it starts out there are mild percussion elements right at 00:36 after the piano. Here we are shown a form of balance yet even with the Volt being midrangy we are on the darker.........no warmer side of town. Yet this warmth kind-of solidifies the timbre into being way more natural that it really is. While the Piano is smooth and not bright, the percussion shows itself to be presented in its very own territory in the stage, off to the right first then the left part of the stage, as if reflecting off a wall in a big room. Though when the teardrops start to fall is when I hear the strings at 00:14…..simply amazing. Why? Well we are adding up everything, the Volt’s midrange, the RENATA cable, the WM1Z performance and it is all coming together in a warm but totally detailed event that makes me realize, I could never ask for more. As these strings progress we realize they are in perfect accompaniment of the piano, yet the strings are (well you know) off into sting land……..that hard to describe farther out an ethereal layer of playback, only reserved for the IEM and rest of equipment to auto-generate here.



Treble:
Smooth yet totally there, like a pillow atop a freshly made bed, while sure, you don’t use that exact pillow for sleeping, it somehow finds a home in perfect ornamentation. Setting off the whole room with its presence, because it is small but powerful, that’s the treble here. Glossy no, yet detailed, a warmer glowing amber light lifted to become the perfect closeness to the midrange, a warm gush of wind that is only that much more in contrast when the bass adds its vigor. And in fact that inquisitive creation of 3D existence, never found too far back, or too forward, in the zone as friendly and spiced just right.

Bass:
But you already talked about bass?
I did but I want to talk about it again. Why? ISN EST50 that’s why. Wait what? What’s with the midrange here? I’ll get back to that. Anyways the bass is profoundly enhanced and what shows up to play is a vigor, a vigor that’s attached at the hip? Like a warm yet vivid encounter when you open a door to a room with the furnace on. The stage is huge now and part of making the effort to proclaim the stature is the bass tones, seemingly riding the crest of the violins and drums, and to a great new found area of existence.

Even the ESTs are partially smoother as well as the BA, yet they are thrown together into this package where there is never that too dark or too dull of tone, and at times you don’t know why it works, but it just does, and that is what this review is about. The finding of a unique tone that is unique, yet totally normal and accessible, even if just a hair darker than you normally delve into on a regular basis. And that is what makes the RENATA a must, especially if you don’t already own anything like the RENATA. I mean I have a few cables, but nothing that proclaims this authority and separation and stage like the RENATA does?



OK, the EST50 mids:
Walking into this midrange room of the IEM in question, you may think you have preconceived notions as to what to expect? And for that you could be forgiven for such ideas. We all have preconceived ideas as to an IEMs character from experience.

The EST50 (with included factory cable) has always been slightly deficient in midrange, at least for me it has, the bass was always grabbing the gusto from any midrange attempt. Now I actually have to move on to other music to totally make my point. Why? I could have used the Batman OST but there is more to fully understand what is happening here. And coincidentally we can learn about the treble here too.





Timestamps are only for the digital file, not the video playback.

Theater of Tragedy
Assembly (Remastered)
Episode
44.1 kHz - 24 bit
This song Episode is the singular brightest song here at Redcarmoose Labs. And I use it to try and understand the coercion and acceptance of brightness. Yep, as many of us know brightness can be used against us in the playback court of law. It can be found as too bright of note-weight, enough or just too thin. Even being held at diminishing reverberations due to this possible glair. And as we found earlier this playback is still susceptible to the effects of grain as with us with the Rhodium Plug, where there was the start of chalkiness. Where here we are home free via a walk through the park, the park of freedom. Freedom to choose any style of song we want. Here yes, while the treble playback is toned down, it is in such a careful and particular way that all is shown, only just brought down a notch. Now normally that notch would reduce stage, but that is the magic here, that the stage is actually bigger than average, and separation is a little like pure silver (because it is silver Einstein) in distances, yet when those way-high-up crash cymbals hit, we become as charmed, charmed with the perfect results. That there is no stridence or too much of anything here. And best of all, the timbre seems better than ever, as things are toned down a bit, which shines a good looking (amber) light (that's not beer kids) on BA timbre.

But what about the midrange?
Well that’s really the thing here. As in the past we have used various cables to try and dislocate the EST50 mids into a better vocal performance............by accentuating the midrange energies. As such many IEMs have fallen victim to the mild aphrodisiac effects of the Penon Vocal cable, and there is nothing wrong with visiting that part of town for a night out. Call it cheap and cheerful, the Penon Vocal Cable is a lot of fun for a relatively cheap price. Yet as known the Vocal Cable is a distortion, a dilution of reality, and as such smears its IEM victims with a strange yet vivid reality. With the RENATA we encounter none of that nonsense, nope. Here we are given a firm grasp on reality and as such find the RENATA still warm but thoroughly grounded in accepted reality, and still somehow giving a vocal add to a suborn IEM like the ISN EST50? It’s maybe the distinct separation to the vocals in the inner stage performance? The beautiful part is finally now the EST50 vocals are totally vibrant in a long-time.............love you, long time listening way?


The Neo3?
I'm glad you asked. What about the Neo 3?
Well the very last IEM baby to be born to the Penon/ISN family is the ISN Neo 3. As such the Neo 3 has come out at almost the same exact time as the RENATA. Is that coincidence or not, you decide? Proof here is that they go together like cream and coffee, they really do. Where with the regular Neo 3 included cable you are gifted with regular playback, meaning they (Penon/ISN) can only include so much cable with a $199.00 IEM. Their job is to make sure the included cable gets the overall personality transferred over at the point of sale. Everyone and their Mom should experience the Neo 3 this way, holding middle of the road technicalities and pretty much acting of character well behaved and cordial, yet not reaching its full potential yet.

Unknown potentials:
That potential is the same that has been listed through-out this whole review here. Simply expanded soundstage and separation due to RENATA's influence. As I contemplate the meaning of the RENATA's name it means for your old or new IEMs to be reborn, and that is how this works. A slightly more vivid treble, and more forward midrange along with a boosted and separated bass..........while often many cables go to add authority to the Neo 3, there is a definite reason these two came out at exactly the same time, as I'm sorry to say.......nothing is exactly like the Neo 3 and RENATA combination. The Penon RENATA simply puts the pants on the Neo 3, in-turn making it sound like a more mature and expensive IEM in the end. $$$


From top left to right the ISN Neo 3 and Penon Volt
Bottom row the ISN EST50 and Noble Audio K-10 Encore

Build:
Coming in at 58 grams the RENATA is large but the ergonomic ear-hooks and PCV jacket provide a welcome relief from what you would guess to be confinements?

Conclusion:
So there are many days in life, and yet we only have so much time to listen to IEMs. Maybe make the IEM in your ears the best it can be? Make those events being connected to your music special? The only way to do that is maximizing the chain. Yep, everything is important and creates results, at times lackluster and at times thrilling, both while using the same DAP and IEM. Thus it really is the cable to blame for success, and the RENATA will end up a pretty penny…..probably anywhere from $250 to $300? Yet somehow at the end of my 12 days of testing I can say it really is a well balanced cable with the slant on warm. Yet you have to understand somehow the warm is also joined at the hip with separation so that the outcome is clarity? In fact even joining the RENATA to my problem child IEMs, ones I don’t even want to list, the dull treble was lifted and the separation occurred just like with correctly tuned IEMs, resulting in a response that was really really good, so good I don’t want to say as it would undermine my validity here. And that takes me back many years to a post I once read that said the Head-Fi member would choose his music genres first then his DAP/cable, then the IEM to go along? I always thought about that…….no I’m not there yet. But one of the most amazing things was trying the CS02 cable with the Neo 5 then switching to the RENATA cable, all the while using the HiBy R3 II DAP and ISN Neo 5. As such the effect of the bass and vocals, really everything came up so much more vivid, and I don’t want to say any other word but vivid, well maybe I will use the words large and 3D? All the playback was with the R3 II and Neo 5 was completely closer, and more lifelike, not to mention more entertaining because it was more emotional? It was that test in the middle of this review which drove the concepts home for myself, and the same story will take place for you too, I guarantee it. The ironic part of this story is the HiBy R3 II DAP is an entry level DAP coming in at $179.00, less than this cable? Yet that is the style of absurdity in the air tonight, one of those nights when anything is possible, won’t you join in the party?

$269.00.
https://penonaudio.com/Penon-RENATA

Disclaimer:
I want to thank Penon Audio for their love and the RENATA 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
HiBy R3 II DAP in 4.4mm balanced output
Penon Tail Dongle in 4.4mm balanced output

Currently Penon/ISN manufactures and sells.
ISN Audio Cable Products:
1) AG8 Cable
2) C16 Cable
3) C2 Cable
4) C4 Cable
5) CU4 Cable
6) CS02 Cable
7) G4 Cable
8) GC4 Cable
9) GD4 Cable
10) GS4 Cable
11) H16 Cable
12) H2 Cable
13) H8 Cable
14) H8Plus Cable
15) 8 Core Cable
16) S16 Cable
17) S2 Cable
18) S4 Cable
19) S8 Cable
20) SC4 Cable
21) Solar Cable
22) Type C Audio Adapter

ISN Audio IEM Products/Earbud products
23) D02 IEM
24) D10 IEM
25) EST50 IEM
26) H30 IEM
27) H40 IEM
28) H50 IEM
29) Neo 5 IEM
30) Neo 3 IEM
31) Neo 1 IEM
32) Rambo Earbuds
33) Rambo II Earbuds

Penon Audio Cable Products
34) Bass Cable
35) CS819 Cable
36) Fiery Cable
37) Flow Cable
38) GD848 Cable
39) HiFi Balanced Adapter
40) Penon Impact Cable
41) Leo Cable
42) Leo Plus Cable
43) Mix Cable
44) Neo Cable
45) Obsidian Cable
46) Orbit Cable
47) OS133 Cable
48) OS133 Adapter
49) OS849 Cable
50) OSG Cable
51) Space Cable
52) Storm Cable
53) Totem Cable
54) Totem Adapter Cable
55) Totem Adapter Type-C DAC
56) Space OS133 Type-C DAC
57) Vocal Cable
58) ASOS Cable
59) RENATA Cable
60) Rhodium Plug
61) Purple Plug
62) OFC Copper Plug

Penon Audio IEM Products
63) Penon IEM
64) Impact IEM
65) Legend IEM
66) Globe IEM
67) Serial IEM
68) Sphere IEM
69) Volt IEM
70) Vortex IEM
71) Turbo IEM
72) DOME IEM
73) Quattro IEM
Possible new TOTL Voltage
75) Penon Tail Dongle

Almost 75 individual personal audio products

Disclaimer:
This list is correct to the best of my ability, if they make one or two more releases (that I have missed) sue me.

Bonus round:
The SIMGOT AE1000 IEM:

My GOD, one of the most rewarding IEMs on test here today, really showing as the best cable ever for the EA1000? Why? Simply doing again what the RENATA does best, making the lesser money SIMGOT AUDIO LC7 seems pale in comparison. now many of you who are treble sensitive may like the EA1000 better with The LC7, except I really feel sorry for you. The difference here is like watching the EA1000 and LC7 provide a black and white TV picture. That with the EA1000 the stage in compressed, the colors are less real, ect,etc. The EA1000/RENATA is profoundly pushed-up into imaging and clarity here. Seemingly still projecting a hardy midrange energy the EA1000 is known for, along with that forms constructed imaging, and realistic relief creations. But best of all...... truly it's not hot, really not at all. It is that careful tone we find the best cables providing in that it is just clear and natural, except providing the vibrancy to lift this whole party off the ground, into a whole new living place. Yep, the LC7 is looking out from the very 1st floor, and the RENATA experience is a view from the 40th floor of a high-rise condo, looking out and finding infinite detail and entertainment. All the spacial imaging of pure silver, without the brightness added. Cheers!