[Click]

To get this thread back on track. I want you to do something for me.

Imagine you are Head-fi`s local peasant, and lets say your name starts with "V" and end with "afler". You look at other peoples TOTL iem on the forum and think, these rich ****ers. No worries, i play euro lotto and one of these days, i will win the big money prize then i will end up buy 10 TOTL iems, unpack them, throw them on the bed and sleep naked with them.

But until the peasant wins the lotteri, he is thinking of adding a Penon iem to his humble collection. Turbo, serial or 10th? what would be your first Penon iem and why?

Most people don't have the Turbo yet. Only their special promoters got one for free or at a steep discount early. So only those select few can tell you what they think about both IEMs.

As for the 10th AE, it's an amazing IEM that I highly recommend. It's been widely praised by most people who owns one. The thing could sell for $800-$1,000+ and it'd still be worth it. My only complaint is with the nozzle size, which I've complained about several times already. If you don't have narrow ear canals, you won't have any issue with comfort.

 

[jazzzy]

Wait, really I’m just slightly confused? They gave you in the end a whole TSMR 4 Pro IEM, and you wish that it was better? It is still something that no other company does. That other companies have small sale incentives that still never match what they are doing here. At least that’s how I humbly see it?

I hope you realize they can’t list exactly what free thing you’re getting due to limited stock of that item, and the actual reason your getting it free to begin with.

OK I wrote it before and will repeat one last time : I am unhappy that the whole promo is cryptic, not open, not public, no rules; nothing but just a sentence or two ;

implying that value of the gift is 25% - 45% of the same value of the products is IMHO not fair because it is not current value but value when that IEM was introduced;
why not to say ? : hey, we will give you some nice but old IEMs that in a day were expensive; it is a lottery so can't tell you model or current value; then it will be like : great, I know what kind of a gift to expect, please send.

I realize they can make whatever promo they want and give away whatever they want BUT if they are open and public about it then there is no surprise because if someone wants the promo it is clear what they will get.

Same applies to selling used stuff, if seller is stating that item is scratched and you decide to buy then you buy scratched item and you are happy with what you got but if seller is not telling you about scratches then you might not be so happy about the situation.

 

[Redcarmoose]

To get this thread back on track. I want you to do something for me.

Imagine you are Head-fi`s local peasant, and lets say your name starts with "V" and end with "afler". You look at other peoples TOTL iem on the forum and think, these rich ****ers. No worries, i play euro lotto and one of these days, i will win the big money prize then i will end up buy 10 TOTL iems, unpack them, throw them on the bed and sleep naked with them.

But until the peasant wins the lotteri, he is thinking of adding a Penon iem to his humble collection. Turbo, serial or 10th? what would be your first Penon iem and why?

This really depends a lot on what your personal sound preferences are. Meaning you need to give us a list of what so far in tone that you like. Like 3 or 4 of stuff that you have an affinity towards and why. The reason I say this is some gravitate towards more organic sound and others want more separation and spice. Nether is wrong simply what they prefer.

 

[doubletrobbel]

however I am a little bit disappointed as this whole promo is just clearance of quite old and much overpriced IEMs that are not selling

what you can get nowadays for half of price is better than these free give aways;
when placing an order I hoped I will check out these free IEMs and then sell so all in all my original purchase will be 'cheaper'

I know for some this is still good promotion but IMHO not revealing they give away old stuff which will not sell so easy on second hand market is not nice
and will probably benefit more from some coupon code

Did you not receive the e-mail with the promo code to begin with? Because it clearly stated in that mail that the code was needed to be used in order to apply for the 10th anniversary gift. This was a value proposition for their "VIP", meaning those subscribed to their promotions via email.

Honestly, expecting them to hand out high value or popular items makes no sense from a business perspective. Hoping you can sell it off is kinda greedy imho. The Penon 10th is already considered almost unanimously (with one exception) to be an amazing IEM for the price. You ended up getting two gifts, no?

I feel it's the same as buying a mystery box off a website, hoping you get the magical TOTL 10k value item they say you MIGHT get, but in reality you know you most likely will be getting a pokémon card worth pocket-lint. Sure they give you a value here, but I for one knew the IEM I would get wasn't going to be something I'd care about.
I opted instead to get a free cable, cause I really don't feel like paying 100-200 USD for a cable, and I know they don't pay nearly as much for the cables to be produced.

 

[vafler86]

This really depends a lot on what your personal sound preferences are. Meaning you need to give us a list of what so far in tone that you like. Like 3 or 4 of stuff that you have an affinity towards and why. The reason I say this is some gravitate towards more organic sound and others want more separation and spice. Nether is wrong simply what they prefer.

Well,
im pretty new in my audio journey. I own P5, Variations, FH3, Z12, EST50, SR8, Aria, OH10, and ie200. I like the FH3 and EST50. I think it means that i like bass but not that covers up rest of the sound. I just want penons because they seem to be highly rated, and i want to try them out. My music library is 90% electronic music.

I have read that Serial has the best bass, but i want to experience other sound signatures too. Maybe i like them more? i am not sure, if i am being honest.

 

[Redcarmoose]

OK I wrote it before and will repeat one last time : I am unhappy that the whole promo is cryptic, not open, not public, no rules; nothing but just a sentence or two ;

implying that value of the gift is 25% - 45% of the same value of the products is IMHO not fair because it is not current value but value when that IEM was introduced;
why not to say ? : hey, we will give you some nice but old IEMs that in a day were expensive; it is a lottery so can't tell you model or current value; then it will be like : great, I know what kind of a gift to expect, please send.

I realize they can make whatever promo they want and give away whatever they want BUT if they are open and public about it then there is no surprise because if someone wants the promo it is clear what they will get.

Same applies to selling used stuff, if seller is stating that item is scratched and you decide to buy then you buy scratched item and you are happy with what you got but if seller is not telling you about scratches then you might not be so happy about the situation.

Nothing they are giving you is used or scratched? The value of older stuff still has a current value that is in comparison to new? So do you understand that we all have IEMs (in our collection) that are 5 years old or older, and don’t look at them as bad? While yes, the marketing themes have you believe that newer is better, there are plenty of folks that have an older IEM that they connect with sonically. As yes, it is true that older IEMs don’t get the publicity of the latest IEM, that is the very reason you are getting them for free.

 

[doubletrobbel]

To get this thread back on track. I want you to do something for me.

Imagine you are Head-fi`s local peasant, and lets say your name starts with "V" and end with "afler". You look at other peoples TOTL iem on the forum and think, these rich ****ers. No worries, i play euro lotto and one of these days, i will win the big money prize then i will end up buy 10 TOTL iems, unpack them, throw them on the bed and sleep naked with them.

But until the peasant wins the lotteri, he is thinking of adding a Penon iem to his humble collection. Turbo, serial or 10th? what would be your first Penon iem and why?

Personally, I would wait until I got the IEMs I ordered, and see what I feel I'm lacking afterwards Especially if you have that SR8 on the way! That is a top beast right there
Haven't heard the Serials, but I imagine the EST50 and Serial aren't worlds apart..? Both are old school, analogue sounding, bassy IEMs
[Edit]: Perhaps they aren't as close as I first had thought.

You have a decent mix of IEMs, both v-shaped, warm, dark, harman and bright sets as well as different driver configs. After you get the SR8, try to ask yourself, what do you feel you are lacking?

 

[Click]

Well,
im pretty new in my audio journey. I own P5, Variations, FH3, Z12, EST50, SR8, Aria, OH10, and ie200. I like the FH3 and EST50. I think it means that i like bass but not that covers up rest of the sound. I just want penons because they seem to be highly rated, and i want to try them out. My music library is 90% electronic music.

I have read that Serial has the best bass, but i want to experience other sound signatures too. Maybe i like them more? i am not sure, if i am being honest.

You've implied you're envious of rich people with TotL IEMs but you could've bought a TotL with the money you've spent on your IEMs already.

You seem to have a nice collection of budget-fi and mid-fi IEMs. Honestly, you should just be happy with what you got, or sell off the IEMs that you don't use that much or like that much, and buy a TotL.

I don't have EST50 but I would think the 10th AE is more refined version of that IEM.

 

[Redcarmoose]

Well,
im pretty new in my audio journey. I own P5, Variations, FH3, Z12, EST50, SR8, Aria, OH10, and ie200. I like the FH3 and EST50. I think it means that i like bass but not that covers up rest of the sound. I just want penons because they seem to be highly rated, and i want to try them out. My music library is 90% electronic music.

I have read that Serial has the best bass, but i want to experience other sound signatures too. Maybe i like them more? i am not sure, if i am being honest.

I’m kind of different in that I believe that you can alter an IEM with cables to be many things. Meaning slap a different cable and get a slightly new signature. That is just me, and not everyone is like this. But as far as liking some Penon/ISN IEMs better than others, I still have preferences. With that said sorry I only know the EST50 in your list? But still I would recommend the Serial. Reason being is it offers other attributes other than just bass. The whole sound is in many ways foreign from what you have heard, I can still almost guarantee, because of timbre and the overall cohesive properties. Also the Serial is strangely complementary to the EST50, being that it’s more neutral, yet offers a new and different take on music, different than anything in my (personal) history. There can be a bigness that is surprisingly just a different way to experience music?

 

[vafler86]

You've implied you're envious of rich people with TotL IEMs but you could've bought a TotL with the money you've spent on your IEMs already.

You seem to have a nice collection of budget-fi and mid-fi IEMs. Honestly, you should just be happy with what you got, or sell off the IEMs that you don't use that much or like that much, and buy a TotL.

I don't have EST50 but I would think the 10th AE is more refined version of that IEM.

Those rich TOTL was just a joke (a bad one). I am happy with my every purchase since i researched all of them before a buy. Its half the fun for me.
Im satisfied with what i earn, honestly.

 

[Redcarmoose]

Personally, I would wait until I got the IEMs I ordered, and see what I feel I'm lacking afterwards Especially if you have that SR8 on the way! That is a top beast right there
Haven't heard the Serials, but I imagine the EST50 and Serial aren't worlds apart..? Both are old school, analogue sounding, bassy IEMs

You have a decent mix of IEMs, both v-shaped, warm, dark, harman and bright sets as well as different driver configs. After you get the SR8, try to ask yourself, what do you feel you are lacking?

I haven’t heard the Turbo?

But no, IMO.....the Serial and EST50 are completely different. Now maybe I’m too far down the rabbit hole to know reality? Oh well, that’s where I’m at, but as of recently (over the course of time) I’ve just heard 50 IEMs. Not all 50 at once, but in a scheduled method of understanding each and every one.

And in the middle of those 50 IEMs I got a chance to review the Serial and EST50. The most rewarding thing is after experiencing both I came to understand that cables make a world of difference. Meaning I was able to turn the EST50 and Serial into slightly different animals. First off a few (of course) of their properties didn’t change. But remember one is ESTs X2, BA (X2) and DD......the other is 3 DDs. Just that in itself makes them totally different. Now the neutrality of the Serial makes it faster and more nimble than the EST50, but probably the way the midrange and treble are displayed makes the Serial very different than the EST50. Gone are any metallic properties and replaced with the Serial are more organic themes. Now if you read my reviews, I actually like the distance that Hybrid types give into how the stage is perceived, the sonic personality of both BAs and ESTs. Yet the more and more I’m exposed to multi DDs, the more I understand and like them, to the point of now possibly liking them best?

 

[emdeevee]

I haven’t heard the Turbo?

But no, IMO.....the Serial and EST50 are completely different. Now maybe I’m too far down the rabbit hole to know reality? Oh well, that’s where I’m at, but as of recently (over the course of time) I’ve just heard 50 IEMs. Not all 50 at once, but in a scheduled method of understanding each and every one.

And in the middle of those 50 IEMs I got a chance to review the Serial and EST50. The most rewarding thing is after experiencing both I came to understand that cables make a world of difference. Meaning I was able to turn the EST50 and Serial into slightly different animals. First off a few (of course) of their properties didn’t change. But remember one is ESTs X2, BA (X2) and DD......the other is 3 DDs. Just that in itself makes them totally different. Now the neutrality of the Serial makes it faster and more nimble than the EST50, but probably the way the midrange and treble are displayed makes the Serial very different than the EST50. Gone are any metallic properties and replaced with the Serial are more organic themes. Now if you read my reviews, I actually like the distance that Hybrid types give into how the stage is perceived, the sonic personality of both BAs and ESTs. Yet the more and more I’m exposed to multi DDs, the more I understand and like them, to the point of now possibly liking them best?

If that's actually true, you should try to get a listen of the CFA Trifecta. Not saying to buy it, but as a DD officianado, would be interesting I'm sure. I've not heard it, unfortunately, though I understand it's a wholly different animal than Serial. I have one more iem on the way, a single DD...htf you gonna beat serial with its 3!?

 

[Redcarmoose]

Just a quick set of pre-burn-in impressions.
Nice fullness that is not necessarily coming from the midrange. Well...........it's a window into the mids still, as it wouldn't be a Penon without that. But the low-end shows off deeper than the Volt ever thought of being, and the tippy-top is a form of balance for the lows which seems to walk a totally correct line? I mean.........what this all does is still showcase the lovely midrange .........and there is no doubt about it in my mind. Literally I can hear somehow an unwavering balance, yet that balance is off-set by deep authentic drama in the strings and a slight thinness to the taps found existing in the midrange middle, but they are still totally utilitarian? It's this full-on exquisite balance that lets through the emotion still held in dynamism?

 

[Redcarmoose]

If that's actually true, you should try to get a listen of the CFA Trifecta. Not saying to buy it, but as a DD officianado, would be interesting I'm sure. I've not heard it, unfortunately, though I understand it's a wholly different animal than Serial. I have one more iem on the way, a single DD...htf you gonna beat serial with its 3!?

I'm just saying for a Hybrid guy, like myself, the further reaches of understanding IEMs like the Serial go to another level of understanding cable implications. Meaning if I read of someone giving-up on the Serial because it's too dark, I simply think they personally have not joined the Serial with the right cable yet? But sorry, that's just me and my opinion. It's just that if you were to color too bright as pink, mediocre as yellow and too dark as grey.........I have gone into each of those colors with the Serial ear-phone. And if you look I have recently acquired 2 more 2X DDs in for review. Neither of them ever reach the sonics and romance of the Serial, but they are interesting none-the-less?

What all this means to me personally is that the ISN EST50, the Penon Globe and the Serial all are totally better IEMs than I first thought......grabbing more ear-time due to cable changes. It’s wild but I never knew they could change personality so much?

 

[emdeevee]

I'm just saying for a Hybrid guy, like myself, the further reaches of understanding IEMs like the Serial go to another level of understanding cable implications. Meaning if I read of someone giving-up on the Serial because it's too dark, I simply think they personally have not joined the Serial with the right cable yet? But sorry, that's just me and my opinion. It's just that if you were to color too bright as pink, mediocre as yellow and too dark as grey.........I have gone into each of those colors with the Serial ear-phone. And if you look I have recently acquired 2 more 2X DDs in for review. Neither of them ever reach the sonics and romance of the Serial, but they are interesting none-the-less?

What all this means to me personally is that the ISN EST50, the Penon Globe and the Serial all are totally better IEMs than I first thought......grabbing more ear-time due to cable changes. It’s wild but I never knew they could change personality so much?

I need to spend more time with my Serial. I could use a month of vacation badly.