So I’m working on my Fan 2 review and I had a revelation. I kept trying (in my mind) to figure out what the Fan 2 response reminded me of. Take this with a huge-grain-of-salt, but I heard the Sony MDR-R10 about thirteen years ago at my second Head-Fi meet....yep. The Fan 2 is very much as neutral as the R10, yet slightly warmer in the midrange. And of course the Fan 2 treble is not quite as refined as the R10, plus it’s laughingly been 13 years since I heard the R10. But when I heard it was with a totally optimal set-up, also it wasn’t a regular meet-up. Meaning everyone was downstairs talking and I was by myself with the R10 totally undisturbed, and could listen just long as I wanted to! Just thought I share this, as I really haven’t heard anything (else) exactly like it?
It could have ever so slightly more treble extension and it would be perfect. I feel like a Fan 2b with the addition of a single, properly tuned EST would make it a world beater.
Are the free 9th anniversary items, like the iem cables, any good? Penon didn't send the one I chose with my last order. I know it's a freebie, but I could have used a decent MMCX cable...
It could have ever so slightly more treble extension and it would be perfect. I feel like a Fan 2b with the addition of a single, properly tuned EST would make it a world beater.
The fact that Fan 2 makes me question the need to buy anything over $300, except for pure curiosity, makes me feel like they don’t need anything else to be a world beater. They just need some hype
The fact that Fan 2 makes me question the need to buy anything over $300, except for pure curiosity, makes me feel like they don’t need anything else to be a world beater. They just need some hype
I have zero frame of reference for TOTL, but for my ears, bass/lower and upper mids/low treble resolution are as good as I’ve heard. My ear personally needs a bump in the 6-10k range, where almost every set I’ve ever heard gets a clarity upgrade from +3-5 dB there, and that’s where Fam has its biggest cut. But deep treble is good and keeps it from being dark or losing much in detail
I have zero frame of reference for TOTL, but for my ears, bass/lower and upper mids/low treble resolution are as good as I’ve heard. My ear personally needs a bump in the 6-10k range, where almost every set I’ve ever heard gets a clarity upgrade from +3-5 dB there, and that’s where Fam has its biggest cut. But deep treble is good and keeps it from being dark or losing much in detail
It’s a legit warm-neutral. If neutral isn’t your thing then keep going. If you like Olina (OG or SE) but wanted more warmth/mid-bass thump and better imaging/separation, or wanted that different flavor of neutral to compliment it, I’d run to buy Fan 2
Finally got my S2 cable for my Fan 2. I honestly wasn't much of a believer in cables and mostly got it for the aesthetics and the ability to swap out connectors, but wow, this has definitely opened it up a bit. Most noticeable changes were enhanced clarity in the mids and some added punch to the bass. I was happy with them before, but I'm much more pleased with them now as they play music with a bit more authority.
I am currently using my Fan2 with a symmetrical Tripowin Petrichor cable and dark blue Penon tips (not the supplied light blue ones), it sounds magical and intoxicating
There is a very even and correct response to the Fan 2 which doesn’t emphasize any one frequency, yet the magic is that there is still a forgiveness found inside the overall warmth. Where often neutral is thought of as cold and analytical, here there is found a profound musicality. It is also the first international tune. I just humbly coined that term for it, and such a term will be found inside my upcoming review. The frequency embracing areas of both Western and Eastern “character” are no more with the Fan 2, offering a true style of neutral, using the freedom of neutral to transcend past geographical tunes.
In his review, I agree with all points mentioned, especially the slight midrange/treble boost with the H30. I will further investigate the slight lower midrange differences between the ISN H30 and Penon Fan 2, as I find them different, also.
I needed to correct the part about how the midrange and treble are more forward with the H30 than the Fan 2. I corrected it twice (must be my internet?) but here is it corrected finally. The Fan 2 (to me) is the cats meow. In fact I had a headphone and still actually have this Sony MDR-CD-870 headphone which in a sense represents what Sony did as far as a tune in the late 1990s. In fact I purchased it in 1996, and it was my main headphone from 1998 until 2006.......then I discovered Head-Fi. Obviously once I started reading here I ended making more purchases, that's how it goes.
The point of my rambling is both the Sony MDR-CD-870 headphones, the Sony MDR-R10 headphones and the Fan 2 share many of the same attributes. It is exciting only if you can relate with a fairly neutral response and understand that FR in and of itself gets you a style of enhanced technicalities beyond the price bracket. That is why people here are getting it and wonder what higher priced IEMs even offer. The thing is the Fan 2 may not totally be for the enthusiasts who have purchased the regular Penon sound in the past, because it represents a departure in a way..........as Penon has never made this style of neutral. It has some extra warmth, and it's true that actually a double thing occurs when you try to warm up the Fan 2, where adding a thick amp and thick sounding cable seems to make the Fan 2 better, but it will also smooth out the highs at times. So it's just like anything else..............it is finding a balances of sorts.
My review will be up in a day or two, you are invited to read it, and see just what the Fan 2 is in my eyes. But I don't know, I can get behind what the Fan 2 does and I truly think it is something different in an IEM, as I have not heard exactly what the Fan 2 is doing before, with anything...........except of course what the Sony sound did in the late 1990s.
Are the free 9th anniversary items, like the iem cables, any good? Penon didn't send the one I chose with my last order. I know it's a freebie, but I could have used a decent MMCX cable...
I've received the silverplateed cable discounted from 14.99 to 9 euros but it was bad plated in the jack so ,making false contacts, it stops the player. But when it works was nothing special. I regret having ordered. Penon is refunding me cause it is failed.
I needed to correct the part about how the midrange and treble are more forward with the H30 than the Fan 2. I corrected it twice (must be my internet?) but here is it corrected finally. The Fan 2 (to me) is the cats meow. In fact I had a headphone and still actually have this Sony MDR-CD-870 headphone which in a sense represents what Sony did as far as a tune in the late 1990s. In fact I purchased it in 1996, and it was my main headphone from 1996 until 2006.......then I discovered Head-Fi. Obviously once I started reading here I ended making more purchases, that's how it goes.
The point of my rambling is both the Sony MDR-CD-870 headphones, the Sony MDR-R10 headphones and the Fan 2 share many of the same attributes. It is exciting only if you can relate with a fairly neutral response and understand that FR in and of itself gets you a style of enhanced technicalities beyond the price bracket. That is why people here are getting it and wonder what higher priced IEMs even offer. The thing is the Fan 2 may not totally be for the enthusiasts who have purchased the regular Penon sound in the past, because it represents a departure in a way..........as Penon has never made this style of neutral. It has some extra warmth, and it's true that actually a double thing occurs when you try to warm up the Fan 2, where adding a thick amp and thick sounding cable seems to make the Fan 2 better, but it will also smooth out the highs at times. So it's just like anything else..............it is finding a balances or sorts.
My review will be up in a day or two, you are invited to read it, and see just what the Fan 2 is in my eyes. But I don't know, I can get behind what the Fan 2 does and I truly think it is something different in an IEM, as I have not heard exactly what the Fan 2 is doing before, with anything...........except of course what the Sony sound did in the late 1990s.
I love your efforts in writing such passionate reviews. Reading them is a great part of the joy of these hobby. I'm a musician and appassionate of hifi gear from 30 years. I love high efficiency ( for example lowther sound) as I seek for the true real life sound in reproduction. Coherency is very important, f2 have, dynamics too f2 have, weight of the notes/thickness ( usually obtained with powerful magnets in lowther word and with triode amplification), f2 have. They immediately make the click to my ears, that's to say I feel the sound was simply correct and engaging. More highs or not the 95% is correct, and this never happened in my previous chifi gears (under 200 dollars). Also the vortex are addomesticated to my ears (that's why I'll change the cable).F2 are a wonderful lucky musical pieces.
I've received the silverplateed cable discounted from 14.99 to 9 euros but it was bad plated in the jack so ,making false contacts, it stops the player. But when it works was nothing special. I regret having ordered. Penon is refunding me cause it is failed.
They got back to me on mine and told me they weren't including anything because I bought the Eagles, which came with the OSV3 IEMs. Seems like they should have called that out on the sale page, but not that big of a deal I guess.
@Leonarfd : you have mentioned something interesting about the Serial earlier in the thread, and it was related to their ability to remain clean and distorsion-free when pushing up the volume to indecent level. 100% aligned on this. Pushing them to the limit tonight with the Calyx M and the C9. They take the hits without blinking an eye. And they looooove power like there is no tomorrow.
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