The PENON official thread

[emdeevee]

There is a new amazing VIP offer for the Penon Fan 2 for those who are on Penon's email list. Don't even think about it....order it. Total bargain for a high level IEM. One of those IEMs that just work.

Thanks for the push, no brainer.

 

[omarccxr]

Wow you guys weren't kidding about the Serial bass. It's like having two subs stuck to your ears. And the fit is not bad actually, in a way better than the Vortex since it can stay in place better. My left canal is a little shallower.

But I also see what you mean about having the Vortex and these. Loving the sweet yet a bit dark vocals on the Serial, funner than the Vortex's more natural but strained vocals. I only wished it had a little more headspace, but this is just initial thoughts.
The Vortex in comparison sounds a little too strained in the mids, a little wall of sound, but they slam quite hard for 1DD. Kinda like HD600 bass vs HD650 with ZMF pads.

This is on azla max shallow wide tips, BTG 3.5mm cable out of Apple dongle and Lyr 3.

 

[dharmasteve]

Thanks for the push, no brainer.

Plenty of burn in

 

[emdeevee]

Plenty of burn in

I'm going with my standard 200 hours, like Serial.

 

[Xinlisupreme]

The SPC version from XINHS in my opinion is a better pairing and can be made with reg 2 pin. Or this IVIPQ cable also sounded great.

https://a.aliexpress.com/_mMbsH6Y

@ToneDeafMonk isnt ivipq cable pic you attached? Is it you choice for Neo5?

 

[-rowan-]

Finally, a new cable pairing for my Serial.



Serial + S2 + Purple plug

Should have discovered this much earlier. My bad for sleeping on it so long.

The Purple plug adds more note weight, more definition and space between notes. Slightly richer than regular S2. Sub bass drops with clearly more authority.

What a fine upgrade. Never going back to plain vanilla S2.

Penon Impact Impressions

Several months back, Impact began popping up on my feed with a number of my Watercooler friends ecstatic and leaving positive impressions behind. One of the most eye-catching statements was made, referring to its resemblance of Oriolus Traillii in both specs and tonality. Now, I like to take caution when approaching hype or any superfluous claims, but when I saw my good friends vote with their wallets and give their heads of approval, I just had to take the chance and plunge into the audiophile madness to see what this iem is made of.

This impression is long overdue, so thank you for the grace and opportunity given to me by @Penon



Source synergy : Rs8 & M9+ → stock cable → Azla Max eartip

Impact’s tonality is pretty well documented by now – thanks to @Dsnuts and @Natesdailies for the comprehensive reviews – and my impressions don’t diverge far away from theirs, as I too hear the familiar traits that calls me back to the all famous Fabled Bird. That is not to say Impact is a copy, plagiarizing off a proven signature loved by many people. There are still quite some differences that uniquely characterizes Impact, giving it the respect that it deserves for the masterful construction and conception visualized by Penon. The name Impact has not been given in vain, as it embraces its impactful signature with a healthy dose of dynamism that keeps you on your toes. As the name suggests, it is not a laidback presentation that will coax you to lullaby. But it is also not an adrenaline junky that will pour you with endless stamina. It is a slightly bright, neutral toned presentation with a hint of excitement and vigor. The vocals are slightly upfront and forward, and is supported by a midbass lift that thumps prominently - both in quantity and quality. The stage is large and enveloping, and renders instruments on a holographic plane for that 3-dimensional hifi experience. It is a technically well established iem, falling just short of the established giants like Traillii and Jewel. There are audible compromises if we were to dissect each and every little details apart, but they are quite forgiving especially given the price tag of an iem meant to perform on par with much more expensive counterparts.

Personally, this is a good recommendation for those who would like a taste of what Traillii sounds like without emptying their wallet.


Impact (top), Traillii (bottom)


Testing with Chiron on M9+ and A100Tb



Before diving into this review, I've already had in mind to bring Traillii and Jewel in for a side-by-side comparison. Discussions had previously already taken place to indicate how similarly they graphed. But I'm quite a skeptic when it comes to drawing conclusions purely off of measurements. I wanted to test the claims myself - hence, the comparison review I've written down below.

Used Rs8 & M9+ with Chiron for comparison

Jewel vs. Impact -

Tonally, they are both vocal-centric tunings that is well balanced throughout the entire FR spectrum from the lowest ends to the highest octave. Their key differences are in their end refinement of technical proficiency and rendition of bass, as Jewel is noticeably larger sounding in every axis with better spatial layering across the stage. Instruments section themselves into a more precise compartment and I hear more space between each note, giving a more free and airy signature. Jewel is a tad more transparent, revealing, and refined, but their resolution is not far off away from each other as the difference is quite small - although noticeable. Impact's strength comes from its competent bass response as the bass is more rigorous, bombastic, and alive. This is not a simple matter of difference in quantity, as I find Impact's bass to be qualitatively more impressive. In hindsight, I've always found Jewel's bass to be lackluster and a shortcoming for what is supposed to be the industry leading performance (at least expected from Jewel's expensive price tag). Impact has greater macro dynamics with a larger contrast of swing from one end of the note to another. It also has a more upfront and forward vocals and is the brighter sounding iem between the two. Jewel has a noticeable dip in the lower treble, whereas Impact fills this region with a bit more presence and weight. Overall, Impact is the more energetic and vigorous iem, whereas Jewel is the more refined and elegant sounding iem.


Traillii vs. Impact

Impact is much closer to Traillii than it is to Jewel. Their similar driver composition plays a part in this, as both are comprised of BAs and EST as opposed to the tribrid factor of Jewel that utilizes a dynamic driver handling the lows. Their tonal signature is very much alike, but Impact has a more energetic presentation as opposed to Traillii's laid back signature. Impact is quite a bit brighter with a more pushed up vocals that is prominent on stage. Traillii is warmer and has a more seductive and romantic vocals that soothes you to relaxation. Their bass response is quite similar, but Traillii is comparatively more subbass leaning whereas Impact places more emphasis in the midbass. Traillii sounds a tad more clear, transparent, and revealing, and has a wider and more enveloping stage across all axis. Traillii, like Jewel, has a more holographic imaging and instruments are better compartmented into its respective bubble. You get a more 3 dimensional depth to the presentation, whereas Impact falls slightly flatter in direct comparison. Macro dynamics goes slightly in favor of Traillii as well, but only noticeable during a critical listening session. Overall, Impact has a more energetic and bombastic presentation whereas Traillii has a more relaxed and laid back signature. The difference in technicality is evident, but not far apart as Impact comes close at less than half the price of Traillii. Impact is also more comfortable as it does not suffer from Traillii's infamous ear pressure that can get quite discomforting after prolonged period of time.


Overall, I view Impact as a value-centric iem that performs competitively close next to flagship counterparts like Jewel and Traillii. There are truths to be derived that all three iems share resembling characteristics that make it difficult to be considered complements amongst each other. Regardless, it's always welcome to see our options expanding as manufacturers continuously push out more competitive variety.

Thank you for the detailed comparisons with two of the “greats”. I managed a brief comparison with the Bird some time ago (they sounded different enough to me for them to each be their own creature) but it’s been too long since I heard the Jewel to make any sort of meaningful comparison. I’ve enjoyed your cable impressions in the past as well. Have you encountered any particularly good cable synergies with the Impact so far?

@Redcarmoose @Leonarfd @cobrabucket @cn11 @emdeevee @Xinlisupreme

Eye Candy



@-rowan- @Redcarmoose @ehjie

Matches exceptionally well with Globe. The Furukawa delivers differently but equally nice compared to stock. No sloppiness, solid weight and impact all across, very coppery in character. Cost less than ten bucks during sale, value champion!

How did you know I have one of these on its way to me from the recent AE sale? Heh.

The SPC version from XINHS in my opinion is a better pairing and can be made with reg 2 pin. Or this IVIPQ cable also sounded great.

The IVIPQ cable looks wild. Any sound impressions?

 

[omarccxr]

Any of you guys mess with EQ on the Serial?

 

[emdeevee]

Any of you guys mess with EQ on the Serial?

Zero need IMHO.

 

[ToneDeafMonk]

@ToneDeafMonk isnt ivipq cable pic you attached? Is it you choice for Neo5?

I actually ended up with the XINHS cable on the Neo5

 

[Neithan]

I always thought my first Penon IEM would be the Serial... But it seems it will be the FAN2!

 

[s2kphile]

Has anyone else compared Penon Tail to something like the Truthear Shio? Seen a couple people mention them with a little favor to the Penon, and just curious if there are others who've used both. Liking the Shio so far but the Tail is more attractive, has the dedicated play/pause button, and is a good deal when accounting for the additional cables it can include.

I am also intrigued by the current Fan 2 discount...

Yes, Tail to me sounds more refined than the Shio and has better build quality and while the independent volume is great on the Shio, I find myself maxing it out and using my volume rocker on my phone.

Do the retail units of the Tail have that White side with the frequency information on them?

YES!

Finally, a new cable pairing for my Serial.



Serial + S2 + Purple plug

Should have discovered this much earlier. My bad for sleeping on it so long.

The Purple plug adds more note weight, more definition and space between notes. Slightly richer than regular S2. Sub bass drops with clearly more authority.

What a fine upgrade. Never going back to plain vanilla S2.

Welcome to the club.

 

[SteveK27]

Thank you for the detailed comparisons with two of the “greats”. I managed a brief comparison with the Bird some time ago (they sounded different enough to me for them to each be their own creature) but it’s been too long since I heard the Jewel to make any sort of meaningful comparison. I’ve enjoyed your cable impressions in the past as well. Have you encountered any particularly good cable synergies with the Impact so far?

Thank you for reading through

Whenever I compare iems, I like to eliminate as many variables as possible - meaning, using a consistent chain of gear with the iem being the only variable factor.

I found Impact and Traillii to sound very different on their respective stock cables - Impact using a modified Obsidian cable (a "mixture" of gold-plated alloy) and Traillii using the 1960s 4-wire (purely copper-based). But once standardizing the iems to using the same cable, they sounded quite similar, albeit enough differences to be appreciated as unique iems.

My personal favorite cable with Impact has been Chiron so far. It gives off a slightly leaner and cleaner sound, while pushing the Soundstage across every axis by a notch. I don't find the synergy surprising as I recall quite a few Traillii owners using Chiron as their choice of matching cable. I believe @twister6 also uses this setup.

 

[-rowan-]

Thank you for reading through

Whenever I compare iems, I like to eliminate as many variables as possible - meaning, using a consistent chain of gear with the iem being the only variable factor.

I found Impact and Traillii to sound very different on their respective stock cables - Impact using a modified Obsidian cable (a "mixture" of gold-plated alloy) and Traillii using the 1960s 4-wire (purely copper-based). But once standardizing the iems to using the same cable, they sounded quite similar, albeit enough differences to be appreciated as unique iems.

My personal favorite cable with Impact has been Chiron so far. It gives off a slightly leaner and cleaner sound, while pushing the Soundstage across every axis by a notch. I don't find the synergy surprising as I recall quite a few Traillii owners using Chiron as their choice of matching cable. I believe @twister6 also uses this setup.

Yes, I try to do this as well when comparing gear. Sometimes IEMs are different enough that a cable might favour one significantly over the other, but the Impact and Bird certainly have enough in common. I did get to try the Impact briefly with the Bird’s cable and, even with my expectations, was surprised how much it pushed the tuning towards the Bird.

Not had the opportunity to try the Chiron unfortunately. But I do enjoy the effect of gold-plated silver with the Impact in expanding its soundstage and creating more space for its layering, so I can imagine why it would be a good fit.

Welcome to the club.

I actually received the Purple plug with my Impact so that’s how horribly overdue this was. But I didn’t quite enjoy it as much with my chain at the time, and I put it aside for revisiting later, only for it to get overshadowed by all the modular plug issues. And then long after the dust had settled, I realised I still had modular cables that I could try it with.

Seriously, the Purple plug is such a great upgrade. Yes, it pushes the price of the S2 to a little north of $100 but it cleans up the sound and adds a level of refinement I don’t normally hear at this price point.

I’m not a fan of modular cables and would choose a fixed plug any day, but I have to say that this may be one of the better arguments yet for a modular system

At the end of the day, I wish more manufacturers offered options for better plugs (and solder) at a price point like this.

 

[rawbine]

I knew many here had that cable, so I had to create a visual for all to see. Lol

I have Purple SE and NEO5 it's on the way, thanks for your suggestion, if it's too smooth i'll try HAkugei Wisteria Fairy

Synergy with Globe was good. It is dynamic, smooth, detailed, resolving, though the stage felt a little compressed but no complaints really.

Ooh. I have a few of those cables. I'll give it a try tonight.
Only thing that's a slight drawback is that it has the extended 2-pin connector and the Penon/ISN family seems to fit a bit better with the normal, flat (non-extended) 2-pin connectors.
Still, these look very nice together.
I'm currently using the cable that comes with the Juzear 41T (bought a few extras).
Cheers!

Let us know how it works out..

The length doesn’t bother me one bit but I do get your gripe. For me it’s pins that sit loose.

How did you know I have one of these on its way to me from the recent AE sale? Heh.

I initially bought mine for Fan OG but it was cutting in and out intermittently. So I put it away and had mostly forgotten about it until I revisited Globe recently and voilà!

 

[rantng]

Whenever I compare iems, I like to eliminate as many variables as possible - meaning, using a consistent chain of gear with the iem being the only variable factor.

The biggest variable factor in any audio chain is you/me/the listener.