Dsnuts
Headphoneus Supremus
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I would DM penon and show them that. See what they say.
The PENON official thread
- Thread starter Dsnuts
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shiningtofu
New Head-Fier
On a completely different note, I've been seriously considering getting the Penon Serial. But I also have an opportunity to get the Penon 10th Anniversary at basically the same price. If my intention is simply to get the absolutely best analog sounding mids that represents the soul of the Penon house sound, which should I get? But happy to hear what is everyone's opinions between the 2 in general
shiningtofu
New Head-Fier
I attached that same photo in my email, they are saying it was dyed by something?? But the discolouration is slowly spreading and it seems like the yellow discolouration of old plastics? Anyways, I've replied to them saying as much...will see what they say
-rowan-
1000+ Head-Fier
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TSMR Shock vs Penon/ISN comparos - Voltage, 10th AE, EST50 & Fan 3
I realised after I finished this pic that I’d clean forgotten Fan 3 of all things. Anyway if anyone was waiting to see how F3’s shells compare with Shock let me know and I’ll try to get it done.
Can you tell I just like looking inside all those shells…
vs Voltage (both switches up)
It says something about the ability of the Shock that I’m comparing them first with an IEM twice its price.
Starting with the low end, Shock easily has more growl, bite and snarl than Voltage. That’s with its dial at 4 (out of a maximum of 5).
With its bass switch up, Voltage has well proportioned bass for most performances. It’s quality bass, well extended, textured with good rumble, slam and depth.
Shock, on the other hand, has a bass that sets out to shock and awe. It’s full throated, deep diving, jawbone rattling sub bass driven bass that takes no prisoners.
Voltage’s treble is smooth, well extended and carries a good amount of detail, atmosphere and positional cues, but it’s not a showy, attention-seeking treble. It sits one step back from the mids - the opposite of Shock, where the mids sit a step back from the bass and treble. Shock’s treble carries more sparkle, shimmer and air, more overtones. All in all, the more vivid, exciting presentation.
Mids are where the Voltage prevails. It’s head and shoulders above for vocals and instruments, especially those that have their fundamentals in upper bass and/or lower mids. The Shock favours the upper midrange instead. While voices and instruments on Shock don’t quite carry the kind of richness and complexity that they do on Voltage, the Shock captures overtones and shimmer on them that make for a very different presentation.
All right, I’ll pick something closer to its price range.
10th AE
Shock simply has more bass pressure. The 10th’s bass is no match - it’s curiously bouncy and doesn’t dive as deep into the sub bass.
10th has the more forward mids, the richer, more emotional vocals. As I’ve noted before, a bit grainy compared to Penon’s top range vocal kings like Volt and Voltage and Impact but most people probably wouldn’t notice it on its own. Shock’s mids play it cooler, less in your face; maybe not on stage but in the first row.
Shock has the deeper soundstage - 10th’s is flatter and it’s less resolving.
Like Shock, 10th’s treble has good extension. Its cymbal and hats sound nice and complete as well but are ultimately less detailed, less controlled - its treble can get splashy, more prone to sibilance. Shock, despite all its treble energy and detail, neatly sidesteps just about all the sibilance I throw at it.
EST50
EST50 has thunderous bass that reverberates everywhere but it’s Shock’s bass that has greater pressure, focus, texture and definition. Quite different presentations of bass.
EST50 also has thick, emotional mids. Coming back to the Shock, it might feel like a whole chunk has been carved out of the mid bass and lower mids. It takes a while but the brain is a flexible creature and it adapts.
Meanwhile, I suspect folks who dislike bleedy midbass will dig the Shock. EST50 is great fun too though, and it will continue to find fans in folks who like its sonic presentation.
(Side note: Velvet wide bores really help clean up the EST50. The best I’ve heard it.)
vs Fan 3
Ok we’re finally comparing BC with BC, albeit different types of BC.
Both convey a good sense of holographic dimensionality but Shock simply pops more - its notes feel more discrete, more focused, rounder, more fully formed.
Imaging feels a little less distinct on F3. My main OOTB criticism of F3 was that it had this slightly diffuse quality to its notes, which has been largely mitigated through source and tip rolling and probably various kinds of burn in as well. But here, Shock throws it in sharp relief with its cleaner, crisper, more focused attack and larger, blacker space in between notes.
Shock has more sub bass and treble, though I wouldn’t say F3 is particularly deficient in either. It’s worth noting though that F3’s highs have curiously less layering and detail compared to Shock as well as to the rest of its frequency response. Feels the flattest (meaning least 3D part) of the FR.
I realised after I finished this pic that I’d clean forgotten Fan 3 of all things. Anyway if anyone was waiting to see how F3’s shells compare with Shock let me know and I’ll try to get it done.
Can you tell I just like looking inside all those shells…
vs Voltage (both switches up)
It says something about the ability of the Shock that I’m comparing them first with an IEM twice its price.
Starting with the low end, Shock easily has more growl, bite and snarl than Voltage. That’s with its dial at 4 (out of a maximum of 5).
With its bass switch up, Voltage has well proportioned bass for most performances. It’s quality bass, well extended, textured with good rumble, slam and depth.
Shock, on the other hand, has a bass that sets out to shock and awe. It’s full throated, deep diving, jawbone rattling sub bass driven bass that takes no prisoners.
Voltage’s treble is smooth, well extended and carries a good amount of detail, atmosphere and positional cues, but it’s not a showy, attention-seeking treble. It sits one step back from the mids - the opposite of Shock, where the mids sit a step back from the bass and treble. Shock’s treble carries more sparkle, shimmer and air, more overtones. All in all, the more vivid, exciting presentation.
Mids are where the Voltage prevails. It’s head and shoulders above for vocals and instruments, especially those that have their fundamentals in upper bass and/or lower mids. The Shock favours the upper midrange instead. While voices and instruments on Shock don’t quite carry the kind of richness and complexity that they do on Voltage, the Shock captures overtones and shimmer on them that make for a very different presentation.
All right, I’ll pick something closer to its price range.
10th AE
Shock simply has more bass pressure. The 10th’s bass is no match - it’s curiously bouncy and doesn’t dive as deep into the sub bass.
10th has the more forward mids, the richer, more emotional vocals. As I’ve noted before, a bit grainy compared to Penon’s top range vocal kings like Volt and Voltage and Impact but most people probably wouldn’t notice it on its own. Shock’s mids play it cooler, less in your face; maybe not on stage but in the first row.
Shock has the deeper soundstage - 10th’s is flatter and it’s less resolving.
Like Shock, 10th’s treble has good extension. Its cymbal and hats sound nice and complete as well but are ultimately less detailed, less controlled - its treble can get splashy, more prone to sibilance. Shock, despite all its treble energy and detail, neatly sidesteps just about all the sibilance I throw at it.
EST50
EST50 has thunderous bass that reverberates everywhere but it’s Shock’s bass that has greater pressure, focus, texture and definition. Quite different presentations of bass.
EST50 also has thick, emotional mids. Coming back to the Shock, it might feel like a whole chunk has been carved out of the mid bass and lower mids. It takes a while but the brain is a flexible creature and it adapts.
Meanwhile, I suspect folks who dislike bleedy midbass will dig the Shock. EST50 is great fun too though, and it will continue to find fans in folks who like its sonic presentation.
(Side note: Velvet wide bores really help clean up the EST50. The best I’ve heard it.)
vs Fan 3
Ok we’re finally comparing BC with BC, albeit different types of BC.
Both convey a good sense of holographic dimensionality but Shock simply pops more - its notes feel more discrete, more focused, rounder, more fully formed.
Imaging feels a little less distinct on F3. My main OOTB criticism of F3 was that it had this slightly diffuse quality to its notes, which has been largely mitigated through source and tip rolling and probably various kinds of burn in as well. But here, Shock throws it in sharp relief with its cleaner, crisper, more focused attack and larger, blacker space in between notes.
Shock has more sub bass and treble, though I wouldn’t say F3 is particularly deficient in either. It’s worth noting though that F3’s highs have curiously less layering and detail compared to Shock as well as to the rest of its frequency response. Feels the flattest (meaning least 3D part) of the FR.
-rowan-
1000+ Head-Fier
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VOLT.
Hello everyone!
Could someone with the Penon Fan 3 please tell me if they hear a metallic sound when they tap on it or simply adjust it in place like tapping on an empty glass bottle but thinner sounding, or like tapping on the side of an open metal bottle?
Is this normal due to the spring in the bone conduction driver?
Could someone with the Penon Fan 3 please tell me if they hear a metallic sound when they tap on it or simply adjust it in place like tapping on an empty glass bottle but thinner sounding, or like tapping on the side of an open metal bottle?
Is this normal due to the spring in the bone conduction driver?
dharmasteve
Headphoneus Supremus
The Serial is great, and both the 10th and the Serial are in my rotation. The 10th, at least my copy, is very special. The 10th is better to me, the EST highs....supreme. To me it is a super special IEM. If you are choosing for the Bass...then the Serial has better bass, but for a wholeness of integrated sound the 10th is superior....and those EST highs are fantastic.
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Redcarmoose
Headphoneus Supremus
That is a super tough question. Only because to me the two are almost opposite. To where the 10th is the new “fun” sound for Penon and is technically better to many peoples eyes and ears.
Still many will argue that the Serial is more mid focused which in a way answers your question, still the Volt is all the midrange, well over what the Serial ever dreamed.
Still the Serial is it’s very own dynamic driver thing in the end!
But even with its subtle limitations the Serial is superb with mids, I mean when you really get down to it, the Serial is about Penon mids and the classic character that the company was previously built on-top of. With that said the 10th has more stuff inside which has the ability to broadcast a bigger tone out to your imagination. Extra 2X bass drivers, then the ESTs, going and providing more contrasts and a bigger stage footprint. Really you would be covered by having both. I mean they say the Quattro is the new Serial and sure the output of the Quattro is a bigger footprint in stage, yet the Serial is more well rounded and plays with more equipment nicer. Still once the Quattro is dialed-in, it’s an experience. Still the 10th is maybe the most fun, it is just when you put something like the Space cable on the Serial it is also a bag of monkeys....fun! The Serial is classic! IMO
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Redcarmoose
Headphoneus Supremus
The Volt are the greatest Penon mids in history! Cheers!
Edit: From what I have heard.
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Redcarmoose
Headphoneus Supremus
1000 pages....soon, in a post or two!
Redcarmoose
Headphoneus Supremus
That’s wild, as I have never had a Penon cable ever do that and I have plenty of Penon “white” cables....too many to count. Also I have the ASOS, two ASOS+ cables and the ASOS+X cable which are all made from the same wire. The ASOS was one I got just as they were coming out and I live where it is super super humid, one of the most humid climates on earth? Hmm? Maybe you got something on it?I love the Penon ASOS for the sound. But at such a price I'm really disappointed that it started yellowing within 6 months of use. Anyone else faced this issue and knows of a way to get rid of the stain? I already tried cleaning it with baking soda solution and nothing really seems to work. I was told by Penon it wasn't oxidation but it is slowly spreading.
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I have a little yellow discoloration on my Penon Leo plus. Doesn't appear to be spreading though.
Redcarmoose
Headphoneus Supremus
I’m in 77% to 85% humidity, if you can believe that. But also I do have A/C on about 17 hours daily, which helps.
DrewVz
1000+ Head-Fier
I spoke too soon. Just got mine in the mail today! Can't wait to get them started burning in...
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