[DJ Core]

FYI that Dire Straights album sounds much better in DSD form, the 24/96 Flac will have more sparkle depending on the source of course.

 

[daijoubu86]

I had the kanas pro back in 2019 but sold them. Not sure if the KXXS has the same sound signature.
I wouldn't consider Orb or H40 sibilant IEMs.But H40 has a dedicated dual BA to treble.

Thus the H40 handles Hi-hats better.i hear all the instruments much better as well in Sultans Of Swing.
The Guitar riffs sound great especially at 4:58 towards the end of the song.
you hear the full Extention of the guitar strings

Hi-hats require some treble extension into the 10k 16K area which the H40 does well.

If the kanas pro sounds anything like the KXXS, the H40 will be a significant upgrade from the KXXS.

Thanks for the detailed reply, very intriguing indeed. I get conflicting statements between H40 and Orb that it gives me the impression these are really close to each other, and the difference perhaps is down to sound signature preference

 

[DJ Core]

Thanks for the detailed reply, very intriguing indeed. I get conflicting statements between H40 and Orb that it gives me the impression these are really close to each other, and the difference perhaps is down to sound signature preference

For musical enjoyment H40 hands down. The orb lacks treble extension IMO.

For some of us, H40 has an end game type of sound.
It does all genres on my DAP very well from Classical, Jazz, R&B, Rock, Hip Hop, etc
Makes you appreciate albums in a new way.

If all you have is MP3's and regular 16/44 Flac files, Orb is fine,it's very forgiving.
but for Hi-Res files & DSD's, you want to hear everything in its own space. Orb fails to do that for me.

I'm really loving the H40 paired with the DX160 out of the balanced connection. This combo will make many happy.

Orb is a no go for me due to the above reasons.

 

[IEMusic]

For musical enjoyment H40 hands down. The orb lacks treble extension IMO.

For some of us, H40 has an end game type of sound.
It does all genres on my DAP very well from Classical, Jazz, R&B, Rock, Hip Hop, etc
Makes you appreciate albums in a new way.

If all you have is MP3's and regular 16/44 Flac files, Orb is fine,it's very forgiving.
but for Hi-Res files & DSD's, you want to hear everything in its own space. Orb fails to do that for me.

I'm really loving the H40 paired with the DX160 out of the balanced connection. This combo will make many happy.

Orb is a no go for me due to the above reasons.

Thank you for your honest opinions! It’s posts like this that really help us better decide what to get based on our own sound preference.

 

[audio123]

For musical enjoyment H40 hands down. The orb lacks treble extension IMO.

For some of us, H40 has an end game type of sound.
It does all genres on my DAP very well from Classical, Jazz, R&B, Rock, Hip Hop, etc
Makes you appreciate albums in a new way.

If all you have is MP3's and regular 16/44 Flac files, Orb is fine,it's very forgiving.
but for Hi-Res files & DSD's, you want to hear everything in its own space. Orb fails to do that for me.

I'm really loving the H40 paired with the DX160 out of the balanced connection. This combo will make many happy.

Orb is a no go for me due to the above reasons.

Interesting take. I personally enjoy both the H40 and Orb. Guess you don't listen to vocals since Orb is clearly superior to H40 in that aspect. For treble, I concur on the fact that H40 is more extended with greater sparkle but is more prone to sibilance/harshness. The Orb is smooth but not as exciting as the H40. In terms of musical enjoyment, can't really say H40 is hands down the winner as it is only pertaining to the tracks that you are listening to. For your genres, I know H40 will be better for sure but once you listen to tracks that require good vocals, you will realise Orb has the edge. Ultimately, I think it depends on the genres that you are listening and at the end of the day, it is enjoy the music. Cheers.

 

[DannyBai]

I prefer orb for vocals and is my favorite for metal. Bass is excellent with metal music. H40 has the club like feeling in sound and is a great all rounder. I like the Kanas Pro because it’s flatter sounding then the other two and I don’t enjoy it any less.

 

[Ace Bee]

I got my Orb in yesterday. Did a 5 hr burn-in and started listening.

Honestly, I wasn't wowed as I expected.
I do agree with them being easier to listen to if you're treble sensitive in any way but that's about it.

I personally love the bass on the H40 more and treble extension. mids go to the Orb but the H40 isn't slouching either.
The stage and instrument separation on the H40 is superior

When listening to Hi-Res 24Bit/192kHz albums like The Eagles "Hotel California", Lionel Richie "Can't Slow Me Down" and other DSD material.
The H40 gives a much better sense of space (stage) and the air around instruments etc.

Well mastered DSD's sound like you're in the same room with the artist and band on the H40.
Since our hobby is all about enjoying the music.H40 does it for me.

All the orb did for me was make me appreciate the H40 more.

Thanks, Penon for the fast shipping but mine will be going back. Shipping was fast enough to the USA as always.7 days.

Thank you for this. Cleared my confusion.

 

[tgx78]

Penon Orb came in via FedEx from HK in one day(!)

I am listening to it as I type and I am liking what I hear. I think vocal is smoother and more dimensional than H40. Bass is faster, rounded and has good tactile feel, but not as impactful as H40. Treble is smooth and integrated really well with the rest of frequencies, but not as extended as H40. Toss up between the two. I feel the Penon Orb is a slight upgrade over the H40, but I still prefer the sound reproduction from the H40.

Might change as the ORB is fresh out of the box and not even burned in yet.

 

[IEMusic]

I am listening to it as I type and I am liking what I hear. I think vocal is smoother and more dimensional than H40. Bass is faster, rounded and has good tactile feel, but not as impactful as H40. Treble is smooth and integrated really well with the rest of frequencies, but not as extended as H40. Toss up between the two. I feel the Penon Orb is a slight upgrade over the H40, but I still prefer the sound reproduction from the H40.

Now that there are several members that have both the H40 and Orb, it really seems like this is the general consensus. For vocals, the Orb is unmatched in this price range, and has very well tuned sub bass as well, but for more impactful mid bass, for a more ”exciting“ tuning, and for more extended treble, the H40 is better. Is this pretty accurate? I guess that would justify owning both then.

 

[Darkestred]

Now that there are several members that have both the H40 and Orb, it really seems like this is the general consensus. For vocals, the Orb is unmatched in this price range, and has very well tuned sub bass as well, but for more impactful mid bass, for a more ”exciting“ tuning, and for more extended treble, the H40 is better. Is this pretty accurate? I guess that would justify owning both then.

Sums it up but i think they are equally exciting perhaps just on different terms.

Another thing with these two sets is listen to some led zeppelin and then listen to more modern recordings which can be from RHCP, to Dream Theater to Evanescence to Paramore. You're getting a more compressed sound on the Orb vs a more open sound from the 70s and 80s on the H40 and to be honest this was probably the reason i did away with them. Snares sounded too soft on modern day recordings for me.

You're also going to get more nuances with the music on the H40 think 7.9 vs a 7.4.

But the H40 is not superior in anyway and vice versa. That comes down to bias but being as un-bias as possible its what you're looking for that decides it.

 

[Davidibiza]

For vocals, the Orb is unmatched in this price range

I don't own the Orb but I do own H40 and Tri i3 and the vocals on the latter are very good.

 

[IEMusic]

Sums it up but i think they are equally exciting perhaps just on different terms.

True! Listening to really well recorded and reproduced vocals can be VERY exciting.

 

[Darkestred]

True! Listening to really well recorded and reproduced vocals can be VERY exciting.

mmm hmm. The whole mid-range is pretty nice but i think the sub bass won me over. If it had some punch like the h40...oo momma.

 

[iron2k]

@battosai were you able to compare H40 vs Legacy 9 ???
Thanks

 

[DJ Core]

You're getting a more compressed sound on the Orb vs a more open sound from the 70s and 80s on the H40 and to be honest this was probably the reason i did away with them

Same here.H40 is just more "alive" and airy. Hearing a string vibrating as it bounces off the guitar on Dire Straits - "Water Of Love" just as it sounds in real life puts a smile on my face.