[Rambone]

I initially gave your video a thumbs up, for your candid feedback. But then around the 27 min mark, I‘m scratching my head. Were you being sarcastic when you implied that the Quattro shines, if you don’t really listen to them ?

Just let go and enjoy the ride. The Quattro will do it's thing and take you on a most musical journey when you are not in a critical listening mode.

 

[lgcubana]

Just let go and enjoy the ride. The Quattro will do it's thing and take you on a most musical journey when you are not in a critical listening mode.

Speaking in generalities, this was what was said about the Blon-BL03. Can’t give any Mid-fi IEM the same amount of leeway.

 

[Rambone]

Speaking in generalities, this was what was said about the Blon-BL03. Can’t give any Mid-fi IEM the same amount of leeway.

I'm sure this could apply to a great many sets and is not the most useful metric to judge a set against others but in one mans playback in a sea of impressions this was the best way he found to experience the Quattro.

 

[DrewVz]

Gotta hand it to Penon. I was thinking they might be designing a hybrid or tribrid or a single dynamic or even a planar type IEM next but out of the blue they design a dynamic hybrid with a planar for trebles. Not to mention the thing will cost half the price of the Quattros.

I have discovered that Penon is very methodical when it comes to new product releases. Nothing happens on chance with them.

If I had a single complaint about the new NEO3 is its included cable which is a standard OCC type copper cable. Its ok but it will be the first thing people replace on the NEO3. I get it as its a $200 IEM and not a $400 one like the Quattros. I feel the included OCC cable hampers the sound a touch especially in the treble region. Leans the tonal character slight into the warm category which is not a bad thing depending on ones taste in sound. Its not officially released yet but I will suggest to Penon if they can include an SPC type instead.

Going back n forth from the included Quattro cable to the included OCC stock cable, you can tell they are more limited on the level of cable they can include on the NEO3.
This being said the NEO3 when that is released will be a hot seller for ISN and Penon. I have zero boubts on that.

I seen some concerns on the ISN thread mentioning smaller dynamics can't do bass like a larger dynamic. Yes and no. It really comes down to material/design and a proper know how to manipulate the smaller dynamic for full bass impact and rumble. ISN has not disclosed what type of 6mm dynamic it is using but its got a full load when it comes to bass. No lack in quantity and once burn in takes place has surprising quality on top of that. Not the speediest bass due to the emphasis but nothing sloppy either. The bass end is going to surprise a lot of people. Heck the entire sound will surprise people. This is the fun and immersive version of the tuning thats on the Quattro and Serials.

And while I clearly admit the Quattro is easily the higher end sounding IEM here. The NEO3 engaging immersive factor is its trump card. Its got this spacious intimacy to the sound that is just addictive. And who don't like them some intimacy.

From your review, it seems to be similar to the Oriolus Szalayi with regard to the engagement factor and DD/planar combination. The Szalayi has a tremendously musical presentation with forward mids and captivating bass. The NEO3 might capture some of that magic, although I'm skeptical that it can match the Szalayi's bass depth, texture, and impact. I'm curious to test one out; when do you think they will release it?

 

[TheRunningIr0n]

My response posts were also deleted saving me the work. After some mindful thoughts and some sleep.

Your evaluation of the Quattro is not out of left field at all.

-You mention the equipment used for evaluation.
-You give specific examples in your source material of where the problems occur and where they do not occur.
-You utilize your pro audio background and familiarity with isobaric configurations to give an educated guess as to why the allegedly "faux isobaric" transducer setup of the Quattro would cause the problems that you're subjectively perceiving.

There's really nothing to feel bad about. Unfortunately this site functions more like a marketing platform and less like a discussion forum sometimes. Regardless of merit, negative impressions are often swarmed like white blood cells to an infection. You may have noticed that brief positive impressions that are frequently devoid of useful information are routinely endorsed and accepted as valid. I rarely if ever see people use the familiar trivializing rhetoric of blaming the user's equipment, stating "your ears, my ears", "everyone has different hearing", or "it's just one opinion" when the post is positive. Only when a product is described critically do you get this kind of reception. If we're collectively unwilling to take the good and the bad together then we run the risk of an increased probability that a product will be misrepresented.

I blind ordered my set before seeing your post and it'll be here in a few days. I quite like the Serial for what it is because aside from some extra bass energy, the tuning reminds me of the old school "east coast" presentation of loudspeakers from the 60s & 70s. It'll be interesting to see if my perception of the Quattro matches yours. The only section of your review where there may be some potential for disagreement would be high frequency performance. For whatever reason, I'm really sensitive to the presence region of the audible FR like Resolve from Headphones.com and I don't really mind the way the Serial presents things most of time. That is not to say it's the most resolving set I've ever heard, of course.

It's worth mentioning that our perception of the treble region of the FR does have an effect on how we perceive the resolution of the bass region. A fundamental might be at 50hz but the harmonics, decay, spatial information, ambient information from plucking a string etc. are all going to be represented higher up. So this might be a case of a double whammy for you where the Quattro is subdued up top AND the bass is a bit loose. Depending on your sensitivity to treble, it could spell disaster.

I believe a review, which evaluates the hardware in the way you've provided, is much more useful to Penon and the community than "I like it, it sounds good". So keep doing your thing.

 

[DrewVz]

There's really nothing to feel bad about. Unfortunately this site functions more like a marketing platform and less like a discussion forum sometimes. Regardless of merit, negative impressions are often swarmed like white blood cells to an infection. You may have noticed that brief positive impressions that are frequently devoid of useful information are routinely endorsed and accepted as valid. I rarely if ever see people use the familiar trivializing rhetoric of blaming the user's equipment, stating "your ears, my ears", "everyone has different hearing", or "it's just one opinion" when the post is positive. Only when a product is described critically do you get this kind of reception. If we're collectively unwilling to take the good and the bad together then we run the risk of an increased probability that a product will be misrepresented.

^^^^ What a superb post. This applies to every thread, not just this one. Bravo.

 

[PeacockObscura]

For no other reason but just to share my Penon journey short though it may be.

My experience with both the Fan2 and 10th AE are as follows.

Hugely anticipate the arrival - feel instant disappointment - Mess around with cables and tips for hours-Suddenly fall in love with the sound-Gradually realise they are some of my favourite iems.

Rinse Repeat

Being an "Audiophile"/Penon fan is a complex and and intriguing experience

 

[DrewVz]

For no other reason but just to share my Penon journey short though it may be.

My experience with both the Fan2 and 10th AE are as follows.

Hugely anticipate the arrival - feel instant disappointment - Mess around with cables and tips for hours-Suddenly fall in love with the sound-Gradually realise they are some of my favourite iems.

Rinse Repeat

Being an "Audiophile"/Penon fan is a complex and and intriguing experience

Didn't get along with the 10th AE myself. The ISN EST50, on the other hand, is a gem. Such a great well-rounded IEM overall. It has the reputation of basshead tuning, but I disagree. It may be slightly elevated, but still has balanced tuning, if not slightly warm with recessed mids. Treble is a bit "bland" to my tastes, with less "air" than I prefer, but details are more than acceptable. The lack of air gives some distance between the music and the listener and lends itself to a broader soundstage, which isn't a bad thing. If you can get your hands on an EST50 and compare it to the 10th AE, you might be surprised. It has the rare privilege of being a keeper in my stable.

 

[jsmiller58]

Your evaluation of the Quattro is not out of left field at all.

-You mention the equipment used for evaluation.
-You give specific examples in your source material of where the problems occur and where they do not occur.
-You utilize your pro audio background and familiarity with isobaric configurations to give an educated guess as to why the allegedly "faux isobaric" transducer setup of the Quattro would cause the problems that you're subjectively perceiving.

There's really nothing to feel bad about. Unfortunately this site functions more like a marketing platform and less like a discussion forum sometimes. Regardless of merit, negative impressions are often swarmed like white blood cells to an infection. You may have noticed that brief positive impressions that are frequently devoid of useful information are routinely endorsed and accepted as valid. I rarely if ever see people use the familiar trivializing rhetoric of blaming the user's equipment, stating "your ears, my ears", "everyone has different hearing", or "it's just one opinion" when the post is positive. Only when a product is described critically do you get this kind of reception. If we're collectively unwilling to take the good and the bad together then we run the risk of an increased probability that a product will be misrepresented.

I blind ordered my set before seeing your post and it'll be here in a few days. I quite like the Serial for what it is because aside from some extra bass energy, the tuning reminds me of the old school "east coast" presentation of loudspeakers from the 60s & 70s. It'll be interesting to see if my perception of the Quattro matches yours. The only section of your review where there may be some potential for disagreement would be high frequency performance. For whatever reason, I'm really sensitive to the presence region of the audible FR like Resolve from Headphones.com and I don't really mind the way the Serial presents things most of time. That is not to say it's the most resolving set I've ever heard, of course.

It's worth mentioning that our perception of the treble region of the FR does have an effect on how we perceive the resolution of the bass region. A fundamental might be at 50hz but the harmonics, decay, spatial information, ambient information from plucking a string etc. are all going to be represented higher up. So this might be a case of a double whammy for you where the Quattro is subdued up top AND the bass is a bit loose. Depending on your sensitivity to treble, it could spell disaster.

I believe a review, which evaluates the hardware in the way you've provided, is much more useful to Penon and the community than "I like it, it sounds good". So keep doing your thing.

This ranks as one of the most articulate and insightful posts I have ever read on Head-Fi. I only wish certain others would try to emulate this style. Fortunately there is always the ignore button for those who wish to act out through their writing, but I am loathe to utilize it too frequently because I could well miss pearls amidst the swill…

 

[cobrabucket]

Ordered the Pula PA02 after reading some impressions including Monk's gushing review on YT.
First set of 2024...
Stoked!

 

[jsmiller58]

Ordered the Pula PA02 after reading some impressions including Monk's gushing review on YT.
First set of 2024...
Stoked!

Mine is inbound as well, though with Aliexpress inbound is a drawn out affair…!

 

[iscorpio71]

Ordered the Pula PA02 after reading some impressions including Monk's gushing review on YT.
First set of 2024...
Stoked!

Let me know your impressions...

 

[Rambone]

The Quattro was just delivered.

Nice little no nonsense box and glad to see Penon likes to re-use/recycle sleeves, if you look closely you can faintly make out 'Orb Audiophile In-ear Monitor' just above where it says QUATTRO.

 

[DrewVz]

I thought I'd ask again: Does anyone know if the NEO3 is due to be released sometime soon? Just trying to plan some funds for my next round of purchases.

Thanks.

 

[Dsnuts]

I thought I'd ask again: Does anyone know if the NEO3 is due to be released sometime soon? Just trying to plan some funds for my next round of purchases.

Thanks.

It should be soon. I would guess within a week or two. They usually don't send out anything for me to check out until they are about to launch it.