[rawbine]

Cayin RU6 > Penon Flow > Penon Globe > Azla Crystals -- not sounding bad at all tonight. Shout out to whoever recommended the Flow & Globe pairing. Definitely improves bass texture.

Another day in throwing unreasonable amounts of power at the Fan, and it’s really singing. Some nice dynamic swing and clarity here. M6(21) + RAP5 on high gain + the only single-ended pure silver cable I own, in lieu of the Flow - and no, I’d never had to crank the RAP5 to 9 o’clock with an IEM.

Not sure if it was me or @rawbine or someone else but you’re welcome anyway Globe bass is so much better with the Flow.

On the subject of current, both my M6 (21) and 9038sg3 did a commendable job powering the Fan up with 500mW+ thereabouts. And I occasionally pair it with the latter as I find it’s neutrality works better for my taste.

Curious, have you guys tried the inverted ePro on the Globe?

Edit. @ian91 Just realized it’s the Cayin RU6 dongle, how’s it like?

 

[rawbine]

Thanks! That air and shimmer actually hit me even before the sub bass! Penon could really use that trick again elsewhere. Just saying.

Absolutely. Contrary to what it looks, it’s not exactly an out-of-the-box plug and play solution but it’s a fantastic value proposition for anyone who has already invested in the gear to drive it and the time to find out what gets it sounding its best. That’d be most of us fans. And so I also understand a little more now why Penon named it as they did.

Last para was just a nicer way of saying, all I did was put these things in my ears and where the screw did the last 3 hours go?

But seriously, is no one else who picked up the Fan during the latest promo talking about it?

Damn this EST shortage… I notice that the treble on my Volt has for some reason really woken up in the past 2 or 3 weeks (after MONTHS) and now I’m currently having difficulty imagining a life of treble without ESTs.

Yeah, the Fan is unusually discussion shy despite being on the market for a year now, could be a source matching issue I reckon or more Fans are needed?

The physicality of the bass is also superb being a mid focused one. And on timbre and tonality it’s also very close to the Serial whilst the latter being more mature sounding.

Right on with ESTs, there’s no going back! Lol

 

[rawbine]

I'm glad your memory is better than mine...

What's everyones poison today - Globe, Orb, Fan, Serial?

I'm still tempted to get the Orb!

You flatter me, I could remember only because this is the only thread I patronize!

Poison of the evening -> Serial + Mix + 9038sg3

DZihan & Kamien - Gran Riserva / Acid Jazz

Very dynamic, analog and atmospheric (almost a live jazz club ambiance) listen with plenty of forward instruments e.g. piano, drum, etc., superb clarity and transparency, tight bass, textured and clear vocals, love some volume!

 

[ian91]

Edit. @ian91 Just realized it’s the Cayin RU6 dongle, how’s it like?

Excellent little device that I wouldnt be without. Check out the RU6 thread if you're interested in the details!

Poison of the evening -> Serial + Mix + 9038sg3

DZihan & Kamien - Gran Riserva / Acid Jazz

Nice! Very energetic stuff!

 

[BearWant]

Hello all,

Tragedy has stuck. I was careless and broke the 3.5 end of my Volt OG pigtail. I am assessing my options. I can't find any straight replacements I do see this option on penon's website.

https://penonaudio.com/penon-hifi-balanced-adapter-cable.html

Overall, I love the Volt's sound, and I am not one person who is going to be pursuing multiple different cables to eke the last degree of sound. However, if I am already dropping $30 on the pigtail, I thought I would just ask about options either for other pigtails or a full cable solution. I like the aesthetics of the OG cable, but looks are not my highest priority. I love the quality feel that it has, but if I had a complaint it can be a little stiff. In the meantime, I will have to survive using the Globe's cable.

 

[-rowan-]

Back to Serial.

Is it just my eyes or does your SERIAL look like it’s missing an L? :O

Nice first impressions. I revisited my Serial vs 3DT impressions and they remain essentially unchanged - both very coherent, but Serial’s bass has become more textured and extends better than when it was new. 3DT still has the upper hand for attack.

What's everyones poison today - Globe, Orb, Fan, Serial?

Volt! And a bit of Fan.

Yeah, the Fan is unusually discussion shy despite being on the market for a year now, could be a source matching issue I reckon or more Fans are needed?

Yeah, could be source matching or simply burning in. Honestly, they didn’t impress out of the box. It took a bit of effort, but I think the Fan has repaid it in spades since then.

 

[ehjie]

Hello all,

Tragedy has stuck. I was careless and broke the 3.5 end of my Volt OG pigtail. I am assessing my options. I can't find any straight replacements I do see this option on penon's website.

https://penonaudio.com/penon-hifi-balanced-adapter-cable.html

Overall, I love the Volt's sound, and I am not one person who is going to be pursuing multiple different cables to eke the last degree of sound. However, if I am already dropping $30 on the pigtail, I thought I would just ask about options either for other pigtails or a full cable solution. I like the aesthetics of the OG cable, but looks are not my highest priority. I love the quality feel that it has, but if I had a complaint it can be a little stiff. In the meantime, I will have to survive using the Globe's cable.

My suggestion :
I understand your current plight, but I personally do want you to enjoy your Volt to the fullest, with the least outlay...

https://penonaudio.com/penon-totem-adapter-cable.html

 

[Dsnuts]

Hello all,

Tragedy has stuck. I was careless and broke the 3.5 end of my Volt OG pigtail. I am assessing my options. I can't find any straight replacements I do see this option on penon's website.

https://penonaudio.com/penon-hifi-balanced-adapter-cable.html

Overall, I love the Volt's sound, and I am not one person who is going to be pursuing multiple different cables to eke the last degree of sound. However, if I am already dropping $30 on the pigtail, I thought I would just ask about options either for other pigtails or a full cable solution. I like the aesthetics of the OG cable, but looks are not my highest priority. I love the quality feel that it has, but if I had a complaint it can be a little stiff. In the meantime, I will have to survive using the Globe's cable.

I agree with @ehjie 100%. Get the Totem pigtail I know it might be more than what you was initially wanting to spend but your dealing with a entirely different higher end material on the Totem adaptor. Something I use for every cable I have not just for Penon IEMs.

 

[-rowan-]

Hello all,

Tragedy has stuck. I was careless and broke the 3.5 end of my Volt OG pigtail. I am assessing my options. I can't find any straight replacements I do see this option on penon's website.

https://penonaudio.com/penon-hifi-balanced-adapter-cable.html

Overall, I love the Volt's sound, and I am not one person who is going to be pursuing multiple different cables to eke the last degree of sound. However, if I am already dropping $30 on the pigtail, I thought I would just ask about options either for other pigtails or a full cable solution. I like the aesthetics of the OG cable, but looks are not my highest priority. I love the quality feel that it has, but if I had a complaint it can be a little stiff. In the meantime, I will have to survive using the Globe's cable.

The all-important question. What’s your budget and goal? If you just want to get the pigtail replaced with minimum fuss and cost, there are lots of less expensive options on AE. These are two that I’ve bought several of each:

https://m.aliexpress.com/item/1005002259375480.html

https://m.aliexpress.com/item/1005001593270220.html

But if you’re really digging the Volt and want to get a little more out of it while you’re at it, I support the recommendation by @ehjie to go for the Totem pigtail.

Or you might want to take the opportunity to get a new cable that synergizes well with the Volt, is more flexible and negates the need for an adapter…

Personally, I think the latter two options would do more justice to the Volt.

 

[rawbine]

Hello all,

Tragedy has stuck. I was careless and broke the 3.5 end of my Volt OG pigtail. I am assessing my options. I can't find any straight replacements I do see this option on penon's website.

https://penonaudio.com/penon-hifi-balanced-adapter-cable.html

Overall, I love the Volt's sound, and I am not one person who is going to be pursuing multiple different cables to eke the last degree of sound. However, if I am already dropping $30 on the pigtail, I thought I would just ask about options either for other pigtails or a full cable solution. I like the aesthetics of the OG cable, but looks are not my highest priority. I love the quality feel that it has, but if I had a complaint it can be a little stiff. In the meantime, I will have to survive using the Globe's cable.

Closest to your budget I’d recommend the below:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002046158714.html

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000231198864.html

For best synergy for your Volt and other Penons, the Totem pigtail as suggested by @ehjie has my vote.

 

[-rowan-]

Curious, have you guys tried the inverted ePro on the Globe?

Cheers for the nudge to finally try the mod. First impression is that it helps clean up the Globe a bit.

Btw I’d held off trying it for ages because I couldn’t be arsed to find a bolt the right size… well it turns out there’s a (kind of) lazy audiophile solution to that. Anyone who’s bought cables from the likes of CEMA and XINHS probably has a load of these sitting around and the 4.4mm plug covers are just the right size for the job

 

[pr0b3r]

Been a while since I last spent time with these goodies. Still amazed by Penon's excellence in tuning of their products. I'll have more time listening to this, the Orb, and the Fan in the coming days. Have a nice year ahead, everyone!

 

[BobJS]

I’m all over the place. I thought I’d decided eventually in favor of the Aladdin. But listening tonight is making me reconsider. I’m getting a better grasp of what they do differently:

Bass/sub bass : Aladdin puts this at a pretty central “height”, behind everything so that as it comes though it is very immersive but also a little diffused. The Serial gives a slightly more signed edge to it, and puts it *under* whatever else is happening. This can sometimes feel less “open”, and a little compartmentslised, but it also makes things less dreamy and drifty.

Vocals: Serial has the best of what Penon brings to many of their tunings - mids that are full bodied and smooth. At times, I raise things a volume tick overall just to bring them a little more forward. That’s just preference, and not too strong of one that my mind woul wouldn’t adjust in a week. The Aladdin is beautiful for vocals, giving an angelic lift. It is a trade off though, something more weighty and physical vs something that floats and glows. Once more — I appreciate them both here. Example: Hana, in her self titled album.

Treble: I feel the Aladdin extends well, but always at levels that don’t threaten. You get a long spectrum of shimmer, and I have always been impressed at the detail in cymbal reproduction, you can here the atoms bounce around in the metal. However this long reaching but never too intense (in a tasteful way) can become a bit of a “wash” and a lot to process when things get crowded or cacophonous for example at the end of UNKLE’s No Where To Run / Bandits. The Serial is potentially a little too dark here, and this song ending demonstrated it well when switching - the Serial describes the cymbals in a understated way level and also rolls of earlier. If I hadn’t heard them back to back, this level of inclusion may well be perfectly acceptable for the overall mix, but in direct comparison, a fair bit seemed lost to the early dark.

Timbre: This is the one area where the Serial is definitely on top, and is mattering to me far more than I would have imagined. The Aladdin has great timbre. I wouldn’t say it sounds unnatural at all. But the contrast of the two shows just how some instruments should sound. I was listening to the album A Musical Banquet by Jordi Savall and Hesperion XX while I did some art work. And here’s the thing. I listen to very little baroque/classical overall. But this sitting made me realize I would listen to a lot more, and really start to get into it and be engaged with it with this timbre accuracy. This was the one thing this evening which is hugely swaying me. In comparison the horns on the Aladdin are missing their lower grunty body, and the strings start their sounds too softly. I don’t mean to sound like a classical connoisseur, but that’s the whole point, it sounded so much richer and better than I’m used to even with my utterly layman’s ears. I want to seek out more of a certain genre because of these earphones.

That’s all for now, my wife’s waiting for me. But a hugely competitive earphone at this price, I’m not sure if the 3DT with its caveats can stand up to the well rounded package this is, for most listeners.

I’m out of time to sell things we’ll be going to England in a couple of days to be with family, so I’ll have a longer chance to compare things before letting anything go.

Edit: because it’s always crucial to sound signature, just thought I’d add: using stock tips on the Aladdin, using some stubby double flange tips on the Serial - they add virtually no nozzle length while sealing all around, a bit like cut-down foams.

Wish I could have a set with a slider between the profiles/technicalities of both these sets. Different but both so good.

Thanks to this post, and others mentioning the Aladdin, I ordered (the Aladdin) from Penon and got it in last night (4th day after ordering!)

I like it a lot -- finally, to get something in house that sounds great out of the box. Definitely complementary to the Serial. The difference? Well they're similar. But here's a case study:

Last night, I put the Serials in as I lay down to go to sleep. Three hours later I was still listening to the music. Great for an IEM, not so great for getting up the next morning. Though I haven't tried it yet, I suspect with the Aladdin, I would have been able to drift off to sleep quickly.

I'm not saying it's a sleepy IEM; I'm saying it's like the Serial but a little more rounded at the edges. Dreamier. Silkier. Not dark. Not dark at all. I really like it, especially for the money.

 

[rattlingblanketwoman]

Thanks to this post, and others mentioning the Aladdin, I ordered (the Aladdin) from Penon and got it in last night (4th day after ordering!)

I like it a lot -- finally, to get something in house that sounds great out of the box. Definitely complementary to the Serial. The difference? Well they're similar. But here's a case study:

Last night, I put the Serials in as I lay down to go to sleep. Three hours later I was still listening to the music. Great for an IEM, not so great for getting up the next morning. Though I haven't tried it yet, I suspect with the Aladdin, I would have been able to drift off to sleep quickly.

I'm not saying it's a sleepy IEM; I'm saying it's like the Serial but a little more rounded at the edges. Dreamier. Silkier. Not dark. Not dark at all. I really like it, especially for the money.

I've been wanting to say "dreamy", this is great confirmation to hear it from someone else first.

 

[ehjie]

I’m all over the place. I thought I’d decided eventually in favor of the Aladdin. But listening tonight is making me reconsider. I’m getting a better grasp of what they do differently:

Bass/sub bass : Aladdin puts this at a pretty central “height”, behind everything so that as it comes though it is very immersive but also a little diffused. The Serial gives a slightly more signed edge to it, and puts it *under* whatever else is happening. This can sometimes feel less “open”, and a little compartmentslised, but it also makes things less dreamy and drifty.

Vocals: Serial has the best of what Penon brings to many of their tunings - mids that are full bodied and smooth. At times, I raise things a volume tick overall just to bring them a little more forward. That’s just preference, and not too strong of one that my mind woul wouldn’t adjust in a week. The Aladdin is beautiful for vocals, giving an angelic lift. It is a trade off though, something more weighty and physical vs something that floats and glows. Once more — I appreciate them both here. Example: Hana, in her self titled album.

Treble: I feel the Aladdin extends well, but always at levels that don’t threaten. You get a long spectrum of shimmer, and I have always been impressed at the detail in cymbal reproduction, you can here the atoms bounce around in the metal. However this long reaching but never too intense (in a tasteful way) can become a bit of a “wash” and a lot to process when things get crowded or cacophonous for example at the end of UNKLE’s No Where To Run / Bandits. The Serial is potentially a little too dark here, and this song ending demonstrated it well when switching - the Serial describes the cymbals in a understated way level and also rolls of earlier. If I hadn’t heard them back to back, this level of inclusion may well be perfectly acceptable for the overall mix, but in direct comparison, a fair bit seemed lost to the early dark.

Timbre: This is the one area where the Serial is definitely on top, and is mattering to me far more than I would have imagined. The Aladdin has great timbre. I wouldn’t say it sounds unnatural at all. But the contrast of the two shows just how some instruments should sound. I was listening to the album A Musical Banquet by Jordi Savall and Hesperion XX while I did some art work. And here’s the thing. I listen to very little baroque/classical overall. But this sitting made me realize I would listen to a lot more, and really start to get into it and be engaged with it with this timbre accuracy. This was the one thing this evening which is hugely swaying me. In comparison the horns on the Aladdin are missing their lower grunty body, and the strings start their sounds too softly. I don’t mean to sound like a classical connoisseur, but that’s the whole point, it sounded so much richer and better than I’m used to even with my utterly layman’s ears. I want to seek out more of a certain genre because of these earphones.

That’s all for now, my wife’s waiting for me. But a hugely competitive earphone at this price, I’m not sure if the 3DT with its caveats can stand up to the well rounded package this is, for most listeners.

I’m out of time to sell things we’ll be going to England in a couple of days to be with family, so I’ll have a longer chance to compare things before letting anything go.

Edit: because it’s always crucial to sound signature, just thought I’d add: using stock tips on the Aladdin, using some stubby double flange tips on the Serial - they add virtually no nozzle length while sealing all around, a bit like cut-down foams.

Wish I could have a set with a slider between the profiles/technicalities of both these sets. Different but both so good.

It's got a very potent bass going on, even in the Mids (gentle whispering vocals) are on point. The treble definition is akin to a cassette tape. Intent of sound production, maybe.
I'll try it on tidal a bit later...