The PENON official thread
Oct 26, 2022 at 8:58 PM Post #6,091 of 13,343
Oh, boy, well they actually compliment each other well and I enjoy going back and forth between them. The 50's are mostly on my M8 and the SZA is always desktop, but the 50 is a bit 'cleaner' and lean sounding but not in a bad way, its just a different presentation. The SZA is far superior in sound tho, but it's also more than twice the price, and even tho the 50 hits way above its price point, so does the SZA. The bass is more majestic on the SZA and the mids with that 14mm planar driver is really like a seperate speaker system inside the IEM, its magnificent. The SZA has a soundstage within a soundstage but this big full sound is complimented with the DD of the bass, they blend perfectly. And the treble really is superb even tho its just 1 BA. Having said that its possible the 50 may have superior treble, but I think the treble on the SZA is also perfect for what its doing.
Best description I've seen of what I can remember from my brief time owning a Szalayi :')
 
Oct 27, 2022 at 1:05 AM Post #6,092 of 13,343
Don't have them yet, but even with ISN H30 the sub bass is felt good. Listened to much from The Chemical Brothers over the years but never listened to that album.
My very first album (have it since 1999). Been chasing all the other albums ever since, including EPD that came before this, including EPs, on any format. Each release is unique, but there's a special ingredient that you will know that's a TCB album, No Geography included.
Why the Fan 2 is a keeper? - there are lots of 3d effects and details to be had in each album. Those synths hovering around my head - in an elliptical fashion, and swirling down, just to come back up again - Never Gets old. LOL....
folder.jpg


For Sure, Fan 2 will never have that Serial subterranean bass. I'd settle with a very good mid bass coming out of it. Counting down the arrival of my Sedna aerfit shorts as I write this down... :ksc75smile:
 
Oct 27, 2022 at 2:09 AM Post #6,093 of 13,343
My very first album (have it since 1999). Been chasing all the other albums ever since, including EPD that came before this, including EPs, on any format. Each release is unique, but there's a special ingredient that you will know that's a TCB album, No Geography included.
Why the Fan 2 is a keeper? - there are lots of 3d effects and details to be had in each album. Those synths hovering around my head - in an elliptical fashion, and swirling down, just to come back up again - Never Gets old. LOL....


For Sure, Fan 2 will never have that Serial subterranean bass. I'd settle with a very good mid bass coming out of it. Counting down the arrival of my Sedna aerfit shorts as I write this down... :ksc75smile:
Such a nice album from the CB. It also was my first from this group and nothing comes close from their discography after this release. There is a kind of coherency while all tracks have something special to offer.

In this « coherency yet diversity » vein, we have the following LP, all released in the late 90s in the UK:

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7F798389-C39B-438F-9907-2E2673554A10.jpeg

607E047D-6EA1-4FB4-8622-6B56D437E415.jpeg


All classics!
 
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Oct 27, 2022 at 2:26 AM Post #6,094 of 13,343
Also had dig your own hole on CD. Cerwin Vega speakers annoying the neighbors playing prodigy, chemical Brothers or other trance/techno albums😉
 
Oct 27, 2022 at 2:28 AM Post #6,095 of 13,343
A little throwback of sorts...
IMG_E1599.JPG

I haven't bought anything yet! I meant that I'd be happy to burn in before making a final decision. I'll look into the H50, kinda discounted ISN after my H40 experience. Maybe the Globe might be an answer?
Excellent deduction! Comparing only (3)
Level of Bass quality and quantity
1. Serial
2. Globe
3. Fan 2

And Overall from the Penon range (that I own)
By level of Bass quality and quantity :
1. Serial
2. Orb - albeit smaller in scale than the Volt, the Orb "was" the Bass master before Serial
3. Volt - Despite a comment from a fellow headfier, Volt bass quality (provided with the juice it require) is excellent, but not Bass head level...
 
Oct 27, 2022 at 2:52 AM Post #6,096 of 13,343
At the moment it's a toss up between Serial and the H50. Similar price, same retailer. Just down to sound and fit...fingers crossed for a Penon sale in Nov. In a parallel to my 2 sources (RU6 and M15), it feels like the Serial and H50 are the IEM equivalent: Serial more lush, smooth, slightly warm and dense with the H50 being more balanced and airy?
 
Oct 27, 2022 at 5:27 AM Post #6,097 of 13,343
Hello everyone, I've been looking at Penon Volt for a long time, I always had the feeling that it was something I had to try, I saw an opportunity on the second-hand market and I jumped at it.

I want to publish my impressions here and also comment on what for me are its virtues and its shortcomings. First of all I want to say that Volt is one of those iems that fall into the category of something specia, after trying many other iems of the same category and also superior, I can confirm that it is absolutely an iem impressive in several respects.


Technically impeccable, a huge stage, stellar sound separation, an ability to layer sound lines at different heights that is just awesome to listen to, and here comes one of the things I like most about Volt, it doesn't need to raise the highs or mids to punch with your sound or seem to show more detail, it's all there, smooth and organic, you don't need to artificially enhance anything, everything is presented with a naturalness that's simply gorgeous.


Here comes my main lack of love with Volt, which is its tuning with the bass, with a lack of depth and impact that has certainly disappointed me since it does not correspond at all to the frequency graph, it has just the right amount of bass to contribute some body but nothing more. Let's say that the bass is timid, to get an impact that is considered decent I have paired the Volt with the Penon Fiery cable and I have increased 6db the 31 and 62hz bands also 4db the 125hz, with this, we are still far from anything It may look like basshead, but now there's a fairly adequate bass accompaniment and only decent sub-bass punch, which is a shame in my opinion, as with this bass boost all the Volt's magic isn't compromised at all, and if it had a punchy bass response like the Ibasso IT07, Fiio FH9 or the Yanyin Mahina I wouldn't either, I've noticed a lot of manufacturers who have an iem like the Volt in their hands think they're going to screw it up with extended bass response and it's really not like that, I think that the bass are a very important part of music, what's more, I would dare to say that for many they are directly the soul of music, I have been lucky enough to be able to talk to and meet many people from the audio world, and I can say that the vast majori ty of them think like this, they don't like weak bass, in fact, the person who sold it to me told me that he changed them because he preferred to sacrifice technical aspects for sub-bass and that's why he chose the Oriolus Szalayi.


The truth is that I also believe that the Penon Volt with a full bass response would be the definitive iem, therefore it would be impressive to see in the future a second more polished version with a fuller bass or with switches to modify its tuning.

Everything and so it does so many things well that it is the only iem with light bass that I will keep in my collection.
Great impressions! Wasn’t there a mod for Volt that improved the bass? It is somewhere in this thread I think?
 
Oct 27, 2022 at 5:35 AM Post #6,098 of 13,343
A little throwback of sorts...
IMG_E1599.JPG

Excellent deduction! Comparing only (3)
Level of Bass quality and quantity
1. Serial
2. Globe
3. Fan 2

And Overall from the Penon range (that I own)
By level of Bass quality and quantity :
1. Serial
2. Orb - albeit smaller in scale than the Volt, the Orb "was" the Bass master before Serial
3. Volt - Despite a comment from a fellow headfier, Volt bass quality (provided with the juice it require) is excellent, but not Bass head level...

Right on @ehjie

Orb, Serial & Volt indeed has the best bass end from the lineup and in my opinion they are in equal footing as all of ‘em have their own unique characteristics that complement their respective sound tuning. Like you said source matters, cables and eartips too, the whole chain if you will to dial everything in.
 
Oct 27, 2022 at 6:36 AM Post #6,099 of 13,343
At the moment it's a toss up between Serial and the H50. Similar price, same retailer. Just down to sound and fit...fingers crossed for a Penon sale in Nov. In a parallel to my 2 sources (RU6 and M15), it feels like the Serial and H50 are the IEM equivalent: Serial more lush, smooth, slightly warm and dense with the H50 being more balanced and airy?
From memory the H50 was dryer and less coherent. I gave the H50 less than a week, but I’ve been listening to a Serial for my EDC over a year now. opinions will differ but I don’t think they’re at the same level at all.
 
Oct 27, 2022 at 12:28 PM Post #6,100 of 13,343
Oh, boy, well they actually compliment each other well and I enjoy going back and forth between them. The 50's are mostly on my M8 and the SZA is always desktop, but the 50 is a bit 'cleaner' and lean sounding but not in a bad way, its just a different presentation. The SZA is far superior in sound tho, but it's also more than twice the price, and even tho the 50 hits way above its price point, so does the SZA. The bass is more majestic on the SZA and the mids with that 14mm planar driver is really like a seperate speaker system inside the IEM, its magnificent. The SZA has a soundstage within a soundstage but this big full sound is complimented with the DD of the bass, they blend perfectly. And the treble really is superb even tho its just 1 BA. Having said that its possible the 50 may have superior treble, but I think the treble on the SZA is also perfect for what its doing.
Thank you very much for your answer, I will follow the SZA closely :)
 
Oct 27, 2022 at 12:37 PM Post #6,101 of 13,343
I haven't investigated the subject but it seems interesting, however, it is the natural tuning of the iem, the driver is of great quality and perfectly absorbs the 6db of equalization in the low range.

For those who mention about the source, cables, tips etc. the Volt has been tested at high gain with the Dx300 AMP12 and the Shanling M7, I have almost all the tips of the best brands and I have several quality cables so I know how they affect these issues to the sound, personally I think a bass presentation like the ISN EST50 or the Fiio FH9 to mention something is better, it's just a preference.
 
Oct 27, 2022 at 3:33 PM Post #6,102 of 13,343
Spent another day with both the Serial and the EST50. The Serial seems to slowly get the edge over the EST50. The natural/analog/mature/organic sounding Serial has reached another step in the last 10 hours.

Jukebox









 
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Oct 27, 2022 at 3:52 PM Post #6,103 of 13,343
Spent another day with both the Serial and the EST50. The Serial seems to slowly get the edge over the EST50. The natural/analog/mature/organic sounding Serial has reached another step in the last 10 hours.

Jukebox








What's cool about that, that they should be equals, or the Serial even take an edge, is that both new and used the Serial is considerably cheaper.
 
Oct 27, 2022 at 3:54 PM Post #6,104 of 13,343
The Serial with the iFi Go Bar 10th Anniversary Edition.

B58F6592-559F-4F04-8BEC-01F23B2432FF.jpeg
 
Oct 27, 2022 at 4:04 PM Post #6,105 of 13,343
What's cool about that, that they should be equals, or the Serial even take an edge, is that both new and used the Serial is considerably cheaper.
The enjoyment factor is really about the same between the two, even though different in how this enjoyment is conveyed. There clearly is not a « better » IEM, both are fantastic sounding and perfectly tuned for what they are supposed to deliver in terms of sound signature. Serial surely is a « steal » at USD 300.-
 
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