I know I’m a little late to the party on this one as work got in the way of being able to do any serious listening for a while, so I’m going to cut to the chase upfront – I absolutely LOVE the
@Penon Globes!
Like many in these groups, I have a number of IEMs that I use for different applications, from very expensive TOTL models to mid-range to the cheaper end of the spectrum.
I’m embarrassed to say that I’m only a fairly recent convert to
@Penon. Their Totem cable, bought on a whim, totally blew me away and, since the, I have bought a further Totem, their TOTL IEMs Volt, and their OSG and Draco cables, all absolutely excellent products. The Volts are spectacular IEMs that give other companies’ way more expensive TOTL products a run for their money, whilst still reserving a very distinct identity of their own and feature heavily in my IEM rotation. So it was with a fair amount of curiosity and excitement that I purchased the Globes. I had read a lot about @Penon’s other mid-range IEM, the Orbs, for which there is a rabid fanbase, and the Globe’s specs seemed very much like they might be an upgraded version of the Orbs (as I understand it, though, since the Globe’s launch, the Orbs still very much carve out their own sonic niche, so I’m excited to perhaps try the Orbs out some day too).
Even with all the anticipation for what the magicians at
@Penon might have concocted for the Globes, I have to say I have been completely blown away by them and it’s safe to say that they have WAY exceeded my already lofty expectations for a product in this price bracket. In fact, compared to all the other IEMs I have tried in this sector (which are a LOT), the Globes don’t so much surpass them as stomp vigorously on them yelling “Who’s your Daddy?!” over and over until they pass out in submission. And why is this? One word: FUN!
The thing is, (too) many IEM manufacturers try to ape the precision and technicalities of TOTL IEMs in their cheaper, mid-range products. There are many that do a pretty good job of it, to be fair, but it often results in a product that feels neutered and somewhat dry without the, for lack of a better phrase, scale or cohesion of their bigger brothers. Others go the other way and try to disguise their lack of technicalities with an overbearing coloration of the signature towards one end of the frequency or other.
@Penon seem to have hit the ideal sweet spot with the Globes (for me, anyway, as we all have different tastes and hear differently). It feels like the initial directive in the Globes’ signature design was to create an IEM that is, first and foremost, just a hell of a lot of fun across all genres. That’s not to say that they fall short on technicalities because they certainly do not, but it’s clear that their designers just wanted to make sure that the listener just has a great time when listening to the Globes.
The sound signature definitely has a very distinct bump in the low end (I can’t think of a sub bass I like more other than the WAY more expensive Legend Xs, and even then it’s a pretty close run thing), but it also has the clear mids which I’ve come to expect from Penon by now, and even a very satisfying, well-tamed treble too. (One word of advice: I know a lot of people don’t believe in burn-in but there is little doubt in my mind that the Globes get significantly more refined, particularly in the bass region, after about 100 hours of use).
Also, huge props to
@Penon for pairing such a well-matched stock cable in the Globes package. It definitely brings out the qualities that make the Globes so great if you just want to stick to the base cable. The Globes do also scale pretty well with cable-rolling and their sound can be tweaked more ways than most by doing so. Personally, I found the best combos to be @Penon’s own Totem and OSG cables, as well as my Labkable Samurai III, which retain the level of fun that is unique to these IEMs whilst increasing the detail, transparency and positioning that they are clearly capable of.
The Globes sound amazing directly out of my A&K SP2000 and Cayin N6ii (E02) but they sound even more incredible if a Cayin C9 Amp is added to the chain (I prefer A/Tube mode with these - using the A02 motherboard in the case of the N6ii), where the sound becomes more expansive and refined in almost every aspect.
@Penon continue to blow me away with every release and are giving much more expensive brands a serious run for their (forgive the pun) money. I cannot recommend the Globes highly enough, even if you already own a number of other TOTL IEMs. They have such a clear identity of their own that they deserve to be in any serious or casual audiophile’s collection, especially when FUN is required. Another absolute home run for
@Penon!
Also shout out to Chi Kong Hui for the usual exemplary customer service!
