[Acuno]

Hey all. Read through pretty much everything here over time. I have been mulling over the choice of Volt or Globe. I think I understand what each are about, but having trouble finding a direct comparison. I am looking for a one size fits all solution. I understand compromises will be made here, but at this time, I do not have the wallet or the dedication to find an IEM for each of my moods/genre.

I started my hi-fi experience with etymotic (a lowly HF-5) and felt that was mind blowing. But after having some more experience with the he-500 and hd-650, I find myself to be favoring more musical presentations. Sounds like both these IEMS will fit the bill. I would like something I can listen to for longer sessions, if I'd like. Volt sound to be perfect match for this, but worry that it might often present as boring. That said, I am not looking to necessarily be wowed either, if that's what the Globe is like. I just like everything to be in it's right place. The bass serving as the foundation or scaffolding which the rest is built upon. I do enjoy vocals and EDM, but also listen to acoustic, rock, some metal, jazz, and folk. If feel I can be fatigued by treble at times and can be sensitive to sibilance. I would say I have smaller ears, maybe that's just in proportion to my head haha...I just looked up the average, and I am pretty much exactly average in length at 2.5 inches.

Source will be an LG G8. It does have a pretty impressive dac/amp for a phone, but I am sure most will cringe here. I am not overly concerned if a cable or a different source is going to get me that last 5%, but if these IEMS won't play nice with the LG then that would be a problem. I also have an Objective 2 somewhere though this is not exactly a portable solution.

Would love any thoughts. And any comparisons between these two.

Coming from an HD650, I found the sub-bass quantity on the Globe to be the only semi-fatiguing part. The treble fits the overall presentation quite well and is pretty smooth. Zero sibilance. It's definitely the most "musical and fun" IEM I've tried, at the cost of some upper midrange presence and clarity. Very robust bass, and not the most balanced presentation. It's a pretty small shell and a comfortable fit. Have not heard the Volt to compare, but here is a graph of the two.

Maybe look around for a used Globe or Volt and then re-sell if you don't like them.

Also, an LG Quad DAC should satisfactory for almost every IEM on the market.

 

[ehjie]

Hey all. Read through pretty much everything here over time. I have been mulling over the choice of Volt or Globe. I think I understand what each are about, but having trouble finding a direct comparison. I am looking for a one size fits all solution. I understand compromises will be made here, but at this time, I do not have the wallet or the dedication to find an IEM for each of my moods/genre.

I started my hi-fi experience with etymotic (a lowly HF-5) and felt that was mind blowing. But after having some more experience with the he-500 and hd-650, I find myself to be favoring more musical presentations. Sounds like both these IEMS will fit the bill. I would like something I can listen to for longer sessions, if I'd like. Volt sound to be perfect match for this, but worry that it might often present as boring. That said, I am not looking to necessarily be wowed either, if that's what the Globe is like. I just like everything to be in it's right place. The bass serving as the foundation or scaffolding which the rest is built upon. I do enjoy vocals and EDM, but also listen to acoustic, rock, some metal, jazz, and folk. If feel I can be fatigued by treble at times and can be sensitive to sibilance. I would say I have smaller ears, maybe that's just in proportion to my head haha...I just looked up the average, and I am pretty much exactly average in length at 2.5 inches.

Source will be an LG G8. It does have a pretty impressive dac/amp for a phone, but I am sure most will cringe here. I am not overly concerned if a cable or a different source is going to get me that last 5%, but if these IEMS won't play nice with the LG then that would be a problem. I also have an Objective 2 somewhere though this is not exactly a portable solution.

Would love any thoughts. And any comparisons between these two.

The following impressions I have tried to be as objective as possible.
This is a custom chart re: the Globe and the Volt, how they fair with each other. Both does NOT Bore. The level of engagement really high. Coherent can handle complex passages.
Mids are both very fluid, emotional if you will. Both passed death metal tracks (for speed) as well the chemical brothers.
I have NO doubt your current in ears and full size are great, both the Globe and the Volt are nothing short of astounding and present a very high price to performance value.
Both don't require cable upgrade as a necessity. They are a complete compact package.
The Globe will play direct to your mobile without any hitch.
But should you require to experience your full size headphone listening on the go, a decent dac dongle (i.e. ibasso dc-03) is an imperative on the Volt.

	Globe	Volt
Presentation	Less warm, more neutral compared to Volt, excellent bass, fantastic mids, extended controlled treble, sparkles are very there, but not exaggerated	Warm, smooth, technical, floor standing level bass, fantastic mids, one of the best est treble. Very hi-fi
Experience	Fatigue free long listening session	Fatigue free, very long listening session
Imaging	wide stage, immersive, out of head (using smartphone)	Holographic, very wide sound field, very good depth, good height, Very immersive
Scale of imaging	fairly large	Very Large, similar to premium full size headphones
Energy / Level of engagement	high	very high
Technicalities	Decent technicalities, very decent detail retrieval	Very technical
Efficiency	Can play in smartphones	Needs a high current source
Size of shell	Smallest Penon shell, similar to the Spheres	on the large side

Shell size comparison

Whilst replying I'm using the Globe on a 10 year old phone @ 0.38v output...

The legendary 1x+

ALL the best @BearWant , both are winners. it will merely depend on your priorities, which you have set out.
My money will be on the Globe, but then again, if I should want a little of those rewards in life, i'd grab the Volts.

My personal rating of their overall value: (1;1 Fair, we got our money's worth)
Globe: 2:1
Volt: 2:1

 

[KickAssChewGum]

The following impressions I have tried to be as objective as possible.
This is a custom chart re: the Globe and the Volt, how they fair with each other. Both does NOT Bore. The level of engagement really high. Coherent can handle complex passages.
Mids are both very fluid, emotional if you will. Both passed death metal tracks (for speed) as well the chemical brothers.
I have NO doubt your current in ears and full size are great, both the Globe and the Volt are nothing short of astounding and present a very high price to performance value.
Both don't require cable upgrade as a necessity. They are a complete compact package.
The Globe will play direct to your mobile without any hitch.
But should you require to experience your full size headphone listening on the go, a decent dac dongle (i.e. ibasso dc-03) is an imperative on the Volt.

	Globe	Volt
Presentation	Less warm, more neutral compared to Volt, excellent bass, fantastic mids, extended controlled treble, sparkles are very there, but not exaggerated	Warm, smooth, technical, floor standing level bass, fantastic mids, one of the best est treble. Very hi-fi
Experience	Fatigue free long listening session	Fatigue free, very long listening session
Imaging	wide stage, immersive, out of head (using smartphone)	Holographic, very wide sound field, very good depth, good height, Very immersive
Scale of imaging	fairly large	Very Large, similar to premium full size headphones
Energy / Level of engagement	high	very high
Technicalities	Decent technicalities, very decent detail retrieval	Very technical
Efficiency	Can play in smartphones	Needs a high current source
Size of shell	Smallest Penon shell, similar to the Spheres	on the large side

Shell size comparison


Whilst replying I'm using the Globe on a 10 year old phone @ 0.38v output...

The legendary 1x+

ALL the best @BearWant , both are winners. it will merely depend on your priorities, which you have set out.
My money will be on the Globe, but then again, if I should want a little of those rewards in life, i'd grab the Volts.

My personal rating of their overall value: (1;1 Fair, we got our money's worth)
Globe: 2:1
Volt: 2:1

Honestly, you can’t go wrong with either the Globes or Volts.

 

[sect44]

So I bet you guys are wondering what the Storm does for the Legend. I can see why these cables was released at the same time as the Legend. I agree with the initial review of @KickAssChewGum on how he hears the cables effects. I recognize the work of gold and copper on the Storm that make the basis for the storms tuning foundation. Palladium and silver was mixed for the detail and imaging enhancing aspects.

First I want to say the included 4 core pure silver cable matches nicely with the sonic qualities of the Legend. Do you absolutely need the Storm? Yes and no. I think if you are going for what Penon can do with 12 higher end Sonion BAs and one Knowles for good measure. Go for the Legend first. The storms are for an added level of sound polishing that was intended to be used on the Legend. I bet both the Legend and the Storms could have been in production at the same time. Penon knows exactly what they are doing with this combo. If it was any other manufacturer they would have included the storm in with the Legend and charged you for both at full value which would have made the Legend really not accessible for a lot of folks. So they are actually giving their fans a choice. What I wrote last night about the Legend applies to their stock sound with the silver cables.

What the Storm does is it gives the sound of the Legend some extra polish with some added richness with a smoother yet thicker note weight/ fullness to the sonics from the gold plated copper base. Palladium enhances sound notes with better distinction and separation giving an uptick in imaging and dynamics. Treble I noticed is a bit smoother cleaner and again a bit richer in tone from the storm vs the stock cables. It adds an extra element of sound refinement with adding a bit of that richer darker gold plated tone and separation from the silver and palladium cores. Bass gets a bit better depth and texture again this is the work of the copper cores with gold plating. Palladium actually helps in the bass department here as well adding a layer of definition. The storm adds that final Penon coloration on top of the solid sound foundation of the Legend tuning.

The good news here is when you go back to the stock cable there is not a huge drop off in how the Legend sounds. It just don't sound like how it does with the storm and legend combo that is all. The one aspect about the pure silver cable on the Legend is that it seems to enhance BA timbre of the Legend, especially for trebles as that's what pure silver does. It highlights upper notes and slightly leans out the sound overall including the bass end, this being said I like the decision of a thicker pure silver cable that showcases the detail, imaging and stage aspects of the stock Legend sound.

In comparison the Storm adds to the Legend, that familiar Penon musical sound that we all was expecting out of these two. It was deliberately material engineered to match up with the Legend. This is the sound that Penon ultimately was going for. Much like how the sound ramps up from their Volts with the Totem. The Legend clearly benefits from the added colorization of the Storm.

On a side note I can see how some folks that want their full treble might like the stock presentation a bit more but for me the Storm and the Legend puts the sound into a different level as it should. It is not a small investment for such a cable. However the sound together is masterful, rich, velvety in presentation, very musical and now I hear what the designers was planning for a sound all along. It is

So I bet you guys are wondering what the Storm does for the Legend. I can see why these cables was released at the same time as the Legend. I agree with the initial review of @KickAssChewGum on how he hears the cables effects. I recognize the work of gold and copper on the Storm that make the basis for the storms tuning foundation. Palladium and silver was mixed for the detail and imaging enhancing aspects.

First I want to say the included 4 core pure silver cable matches nicely with the sonic qualities of the Legend. Do you absolutely need the Storm? Yes and no. I think if you are going for what Penon can do with 12 higher end Sonion BAs and one Knowles for good measure. Go for the Legend first. The storms are for an added level of sound polishing that was intended to be used on the Legend. I bet both the Legend and the Storms could have been in production at the same time. Penon knows exactly what they are doing with this combo. If it was any other manufacturer they would have included the storm in with the Legend and charged you for both at full value which would have made the Legend really not accessible for a lot of folks. So they are actually giving their fans a choice. What I wrote last night about the Legend applies to their stock sound with the silver cables.

What the Storm does is it gives the sound of the Legend some extra polish with some added richness with a smoother yet thicker note weight/ fullness to the sonics from the gold plated copper base. Palladium enhances sound notes with better distinction and separation giving an uptick in imaging and dynamics. Treble I noticed is a bit smoother cleaner and again a bit richer in tone from the storm vs the stock cables. It adds an extra element of sound refinement with adding a bit of that richer darker gold plated tone and separation from the silver and palladium cores. Bass gets a bit better depth and texture again this is the work of the copper cores with gold plating. Palladium actually helps in the bass department here as well adding a layer of definition. The storm adds that final Penon coloration on top of the solid sound foundation of the Legend tuning.

The good news here is when you go back to the stock cable there is not a huge drop off in how the Legend sounds. It just don't sound like how it does with the storm and legend combo that is all. The one aspect about the pure silver cable on the Legend is that it seems to enhance BA timbre of the Legend, especially for trebles as that's what pure silver does. It highlights upper notes and slightly leans out the sound overall including the bass end, this being said I like the decision of a thicker pure silver cable that showcases the detail, imaging and stage aspects of the stock Legend sound.

In comparison the Storm adds to the Legend, that familiar Penon musical sound that we all was expecting out of these two. It was deliberately material engineered to match up with the Legend. This is the sound that Penon ultimately was going for. Much like how the sound ramps up from their Volts with the Totem. The Legend clearly benefits from the added colorization of the Storm.

On a side note I can see how some folks that want their full treble might like the stock presentation a bit more but for me the Storm and the Legend puts the sound into a different level as it should. It is not a small investment for such a cable. However the sound together is masterful, rich, velvety in presentation, very musical and now I hear what the designers was planning for a sound all along. It is Penon house sound on a different level.

Hi. Could you please briefly compare it to NF Audio NE4 you recently reviewed ? Both seem to have big soundstage. Never owned a Penon IEM but know what NF Audio is capable of. Thanks.

 

[BearWant]

Thank you all for your responses very helpful.

The following impressions I have tried to be as objective as possible.
This is a custom chart re: the Globe and the Volt, how they fair with each other. Both does NOT Bore. The level of engagement really high. Coherent can handle complex passages.
Mids are both very fluid, emotional if you will. Both passed death metal tracks (for speed) as well the chemical brothers.
I have NO doubt your current in ears and full size are great, both the Globe and the Volt are nothing short of astounding and present a very high price to performance value.
Both don't require cable upgrade as a necessity. They are a complete compact package.
The Globe will play direct to your mobile without any hitch.
But should you require to experience your full size headphone listening on the go, a decent dac dongle (i.e. ibasso dc-03) is an imperative on the Volt.

	Globe	Volt
Presentation	Less warm, more neutral compared to Volt, excellent bass, fantastic mids, extended controlled treble, sparkles are very there, but not exaggerated	Warm, smooth, technical, floor standing level bass, fantastic mids, one of the best est treble. Very hi-fi
Experience	Fatigue free long listening session	Fatigue free, very long listening session
Imaging	wide stage, immersive, out of head (using smartphone)	Holographic, very wide sound field, very good depth, good height, Very immersive
Scale of imaging	fairly large	Very Large, similar to premium full size headphones
Energy / Level of engagement	high	very high
Technicalities	Decent technicalities, very decent detail retrieval	Very technical
Efficiency	Can play in smartphones	Needs a high current source
Size of shell	Smallest Penon shell, similar to the Spheres	on the large side

Shell size comparison


Whilst replying I'm using the Globe on a 10 year old phone @ 0.38v output...

The legendary 1x+

ALL the best @BearWant , both are winners. it will merely depend on your priorities, which you have set out.
My money will be on the Globe, but then again, if I should want a little of those rewards in life, i'd grab the Volts.

My personal rating of their overall value: (1;1 Fair, we got our money's worth)
Globe: 2:1
Volt: 2:1

Awesome thanks so much for taking the time! This makes me lean toward Globe. Was chatting with someone with a well priced Volt for sale used but while I waffled, I found out it just sold.
But that may be for the best, as it sounds like I can't lose... and with Globes smaller size, less cost, and less amping requirements it's sounding like a winner. Ignorance might be bliss with regards to the technical gains of the Volt. Though I am surprised that you said it's more energetic. As I continually hear Volt described as smooth perhaps almost relaxed.

 

[Dsnuts]

Hi. Could you please briefly compare it to NF Audio NE4 you recently reviewed ? Both seem to have big soundstage. Never owned a Penon IEM but know what NF Audio is capable of. Thanks.

I give NF audio credit for maximizing the 4BA design including some outstanding stage and balancing of the NE4 reference tuning. It is by far the best quad BA design I have ever heard but if the NE4 sounded like a 13BA flagship product from Penon then Penon would be making a 4BA earphone that sounded like their Legend. But to attain the level of sound they are getting in the Legend. It sounds like it does for a good reason.

Both have very large wide stages, Legend has a wider deeper and taller sound presentation. where there is a drop off for the NE4 it looses out in dimensional qualities to the Legend I can tell it doesn't project with the same type of layering to the sonics the Legend has. It is more flat sounding in comparison more neutral in tone and balancing. Legends dimensional sound is so good it sounds more like surround sound. I noticed for trebles the NE4 displays a natural decay but the sounds again more flat and less nuanced for trebles and is not as articulate or dimensional sounding there as well. BASS is surprisingly capable for both sets. Again I give credit to NF audio for utilizing a single BA that sounds very good for bass

But the Legend is using 4BAs and not just any bass BAs but Sonion Acupass vented BAs arguably the best sounding BA bass your hard earned money is gonna pay for. Sub bass especially looses out against the Legend. I posted on my review of the NE4 I feel they are worth the cost for what it does but unfortunately it is not playing at the Legend level in sonics. I know more drivers don't necessarily mean better sound. But when Penon is making it. It does.
One thing I know about Penon is they are the masters of utilizing each driver they use for a design. Don't believe me. Just for educational purposes you all should hear what their single BA the Spheres sound like. It will surprise you just how complete and full on those earphones sound. Imagine doing the same for 13 high end BAs instead. That is what the Legend is.

The Legend are playing on a different level sonically. This is using their stock 4 core silver cable.

 

[ehjie]

Hi. Could you please briefly compare it to NF Audio NE4 you recently reviewed ? Both seem to have big soundstage. Never owned a Penon IEM but know what NF Audio is capable of. Thanks.

Here's a brief on the Penon range,
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/penon-audio-thread-post-your-impressions-here.934523/post-16523216

 

[ehjie]

Re: Sonion BA receivers Acupass tech...

 

[arar]

Damn you and your wonderful comparisons, @ehjie. Now I want to buy the Volt!

 

[ehjie]

Damn you and your wonderful comparisons, @ehjie. Now I want to buy the Volt!

LOL

 

[ehjie]

In order for this claim to be realised, pls consider a proper set up
1. Streaming; smartphone + dac/dongle @ least dc-03, dc-04 is most desirable, the balance connection brings out the best, energy, impact on top of the smooth character of the Volt
2. DAP; High current daps i.e. dx160 or equivalent

Any high current DAP on balance connection will give the best detail retrieval, energy
on top of the pleasant, rich, smooth traits of the Volt

 

[BearWant]

Well I purchased Acuno's Globe last night, so it's likely I'll be in possession late in the week. Thanks for all the guidance!

We will see if my impressions are the same as his coming from a similar headphone in the HD 650. He also felt it to be lacking a lot of detail, but it sounds like not everyone shares that impression. Either way i won't be wondering on the Globe. Then if something doesn't sit right it for me it may be Volt here I come.

In order for this claim to be realised, pls consider a proper set up
1. Streaming; smartphone + dac/dongle @ least dc-03, dc-04 is most desirable, the balance connection brings out the best, energy, impact on top of the smooth character of the Volt
2. DAP; High current daps i.e. dx160 or equivalent


Any high current DAP on balance connection will give the best detail retrieval, energy
on top of the pleasant, rich, smooth traits of the Volt

You predicted it, I am going global! So are these little dongles plug and play now for android. I remember when previously investigating you needed to play some tricks. And they can provide more current then LGs quad DAC?

 

[ehjie]

Well I purchased Acuno's Globe last night, so it's likely I'll be in possession late in the week. Thanks for all the guidance!

We will see if my impressions are the same as his coming from a similar headphone in the HD 650. He also felt it to be lacking a lot of detail, but it sounds like not everyone shares that impression. Either way i won't be wondering on the Globe. Then if something doesn't sit right it for me it may be Volt here I come.

You predicted it, I am going global! So are these little dongles plug and play now for android. I remember when previously investigating you needed to play some tricks. And they can provide more current then LGs quad DAC?

I had a V10* and it was a 1st gen. quad DACs. I have to use an impedance adapter to ramp up the hp jack to increase gain. It was a very capable quality playback w/o using dongle.
Don't buy any of those dongles yet.
Congrats on your Globe. I hope they meet your expectations...

*V10 (Korea) c.2017

 

[ian91]

The Legend should arrive tomorrow. I'll have some first impressions up later in the evening / Wednesday!

 

[Dsnuts]

So I got word that Penon will be selling their new pure silver cables that comes with the Legend. Separately


Love these cables. Even though the cores are made up of bulkier silver cores, using nylon sleeving. The looser weaving make them look and feel more premium imo. Very substantial cable that comes with the Legend.