[Danx3k]

One more thing to try while you wait for your longer stemmed tips to arrive (or if they still aren’t long enough) - add an o-ring on the nozzle as a spacer like this:

Any idea where I can get something like that from?

 

[-rowan-]

Any idea where I can get something like that from?

Try searching AE for keyboard o-rings (I honestly can’t tell one listing from another) or if you know any keyboard enthusiasts, they may have a few to spare.

 

[zikarus]

Any idea where I can get something like that from?

You could also sacrifice two other tips (maybe in a size you don't need anyway) and cut off the required length from their stems...

 

[Redcarmoose]

Penon were kind enough to recently send me a pair of their Globe IEMs to review, so after burning them in for a couple of days I'm now A/Bing them against their 10th Anniversary IEMs and some ISN EST50s at work.

As a $329 2BA/1DD hybrid the Globes have been quite a surprise. What immediately jumps out at me (other than the flash glistening faceplates) is their flawless coherency which may be the best of any Penon IEM I've tried.

Every Penon & ISN IEM I've tried has been extremely well tuned - to the extent I now take it for granted, but it leaves me wondering why other manufacturers have trouble following suit. As an audiophile of many years I've long accepted the midrange is where most of the music lies, making it fundamental to achieving a pleasing sonic signature. Penon obviously understand that by prioritising midrange performance and even their more v-shaped IEMs like the 10th Anniversary & EST50s especially still manage to produce a very full, rich midrange experience that's never thin, dry or hollow.

So it's no surprise the Globes' midrange has impressed me. However these IEMs are tuned with a definite L-shaped curve so there is plenty of DD-fueled bass here, thankfully not the sluggish kind - I mentioned coherency earlier which suggests this DD is having no trouble keeping up with those BAs.

As for the treble it is satisfyingly prominent, though edging close to my preferred limit of spiciness. I've not heard it tip over that edge, again suggesting a well-tuned IEM at least for my preferences. Where treble suffers in comparison with with the EST50s and particularly the 10th Anniversary is the lack of EST drivers yields a somewhat more simplified rendering that lacks the effortless detail, slightly enhanced resolution (and probably superior imaging as a result) those more expensive IEMs deliver.

Having said that the Globes do have a pleasingly wide stage which may even stretch a tad wider than the EST50s, though it does lack depth I would have to say. Listening to the Globes now with both classical & EDM tracks through my trusty N8ii, neither technical performance nor resolution is leaving me wanting. In fact it must be the coherency of the Globes or some trick of their tuning that I'm finding them extremely musical - something makes me want to just sit back and listen to the music, rather than focus on every tiny little detail of the sound - which if you write reviews can become a habit. These will be perfect for work when I don't want something that'll rip away all of my attention, yet aren't lacking in any particular area either.

So the Globes are proving to be a refreshing palate cleanser. The EST50s will thump harder and the 10th Anniversaries are more refined, but both are larger & more expensive. As someone who formerly refused to use anything larger than single-DDs, I have an acknowledged bias towards smaller IEMs and these are delightfully petit.

Haven't had time to cable roll much yet, but I did just throw the Penon Vocal cable on the Globes and am immediately noticing a VERY substantial improvement - bass immediately feels tighter, dynamics are improved and note weight seems better, in fact even stage depth has improved. Easy to tell at this early stage these will benefit from a cable upgrade quite a bit.

I'll review the Globes properly when time permits, but for now these are helping make a dreary winter Wednesday at work pass that little bit easier.

You will have fun with cable rolls! The Globe is very sensitive to cables, my personal favorite being the Penon OSG cable. But really many cables will change the relationship of mids to bass, cleaning the Globe up and adding dexterity. Also the treble has a way of smoothing out with the right cable. Probably the most fascinating this was how the stage opened with the OSG, that and how imaging became more clear and pronounced. For whatever reason the Globe can offer new worlds and sound with an aftermarket cable............far beyond the asking price and simple first impressions.............being both musical and rhythmic in the end. IMO

Somehow the Globe never goes away, but stays contemporary and fresh? Also the Globe’s ability is remarkably challenging to newer IEMs, even though the stage size or bass size isn’t the biggest. It is quite natural and pure, I put it against the 10th in my review and it offered a scaled down version of excellence!

 

[ToneDeafMonk]

Dialing in the TURBO
Tips TRI - Clarion Tips,
PENON Vocal Cable off the Hiby R6 Pro2 and my favorite switch setting is Turbo OFF 0-100.

I want to try a graphene cable cable next but so far this combo is working for me.

I will say one thing in this journey with this set. Whoever tuned this set new exactly what the switches would do and implementation is exemplary. The Turbo is very well tuned set. If you were never a BA set lover this one might turn your mind.

Edit: Vocal Cable might be too much
Anyone know of a ISN or PENON cable with GOLD/SPC/OFCC mix?

 

[ehjie]

Gapless due to a proper insertion

Just of out curiosity, do you guys don't mind cable rolling all the time?

Yes

I mean... the sockets are going to get loose with sheer frequency of attaching and detaching right?

They will loosen - the socket receptacles if the Pins are Constantly causing the sockets to be wide. Thus loosing its grip.
The sockets Loosen their grip on the pins due to force insertion of the pins. This may happen When the pins are inserted, they are not parallel / vertical enough on the socket shaft.
Of course, this is unintentional.
How I do this (a proper insertion)? If the socket from the beginning is tight, it's most probably not aligned. I stop. Then I try to re-insert again.
Sometimes, I'm already halfway and seem to stop. I pull it back up and carefully re-insert again. 5 times out of 5, I get it right. Please refer to the photo above.
Careful practice makes perfect...

I have a lot of cables and I keep the rolling as less as I could. Maybe I'm just paranoid. lol

It's alright to be on the OCD level when it comes to small items (so am I). I never force the pins on the sockets. There will be times, they're just difficult to insert. I stop altogether what I'm doing. Stay away, make coffee, pause, chill. Then come back to it after some time.
@Redcarmoose mentioned 50 times, this is not an exaggeration. try 70 + times - then I stopped counting. I don't have a lot of cables in my inventory. That's why its more of a necessity for me and at the same time I have to be extremely careful making a connection.

 

[t4t3r]

I still can’t get the fit right with the 10AE due to the size of the shell. I feel like I just want to push them in just a little bit further but the shell doesn’t allow it. so, it was definitely the right call ordering the longer stemmed ones you recommended.

I already have a tonne of tips. Most of them are useless and I should just throw away, I’m never going to use those small ones - how anyone has ear canals that small, I have no idea.

I am a small tip wearer! Feel free to pass them along instead of throwing away! Aside from finding IEMs with a shell that actually fits okay in my ears, finding tips the right size/length/etc has been the biggest challenge by far.

 

[Danx3k]

I am a small tip wearer! Feel free to pass them along instead of throwing away! Aside from finding IEMs with a shell that actually fits okay in my ears, finding tips the right size/length/etc has been the biggest challenge by far.

If you're in the UK I'd be more than happy to post them to you for free. I have so many, its unreal.

 

[Redcarmoose]

Talking about fit, 10th has slightly larger (in circumference) nozzles than the Volt and slightly thicker nozzle lips (longer ear-tip) holders. Combine that with added overall thickness over the Volt and it makes the placement/fit a joy! The Volt is slightly wider but heavier. Better noise occlusion with the 10th, and it may be the best fitting IEM I have ever tried? But my favorite ear-tips somehow stay in position, and never move? I don’t even have to recheck them.

 

[omarccxr]

So I got the UTSW5 hoping the Serial could be used without a cord. Unfortunately the fit just wasn't great. Granted I went the MMCX > 2 pin route so it made the connector too long and the fit was weird, pushing the shell onto my ears. Maybe the 2-pin version might've worked, but I hear those will pop off often, which was already happening with the adapter anyhow.

But then I put the Vortex on and it was so light and small, it was quite good.

In the end, though, I sold both as I only need one pair of IEMs and I'd much rather listen to the Serial, turns out cables are annoying, but you can't beat em for comfort.

 

[t4t3r]

If you're in the UK I'd be more than happy to post them to you for free. I have so many, its unreal.

I appreciate but I’m in the US. Thank you for the offer.

 

[shez.]

Today I received my EST50 replacement. Penon sent it with extra ear tips as a bonus.
The faceplate is gorgeous. The new EST50 that I received sounds quite different from what I got first. This one sounds as if it already was burn-in. The first one's bass was relatively slower and imbalanced, and the upper-mids sounded slightly different. First impression: soundstage is more intimate, with massive bass. Bass quality seems less technical than Xenns Top for the same price, noticeable timbre disbalance between DD and BA. I will see if something changes after the burn-in. Overall sounds quite good, at the same level as other chi-mid-fi IEMs.

Spoiler: spoiler

Update: Are the electrostatic drivers more power-hungry?
EST50 sounds smoother on upper-mids through highs, with more extended highs when I connect it to a more powerful source like iFi Go Bar.
The Go Bar has darker highs compared to the L&P W2 and WM1A, but not the case with EST50, which is strange.

 

[vandung2510]

So I got the UTSW5 hoping the Serial could be used without a cord. Unfortunately the fit just wasn't great. Granted I went the MMCX > 2 pin route so it made the connector too long and the fit was weird, pushing the shell onto my ears. Maybe the 2-pin version might've worked, but I hear those will pop off often, which was already happening with the adapter anyhow.

But then I put the Vortex on and it was so light and small, it was quite good.

In the end, though, I sold both as I only need one pair of IEMs and I'd much rather listen to the Serial, turns out cables are annoying, but you can't beat em for comfort.

First of all, your Serial is gorgeous, holy crap. That's a lot of marbeling
Second of all, is Serial really that good, for you to only want 1 iem? I mean i am using the Serial and i'm still looking out for more iem. I just dunno if i'm underappreciated .it

 

[Danx3k]

Really enjoying the Turbo. If you are a bass head but still want a technical iem with a V signature, I highly recommend it.

I mostly have it in the 0-100 configuration. Nice elevated punchy bass that very enjoyable. However switching it to 0-001 and it’s suddenly a much more balanced sound for relaxing, when you don’t want the slamming bass (albeit still a V signature).

With the turbo switch on, it really is a bass monster. I had it on for a bit, it’s great fun, though a bit much for me for extended listening session. It’s like having two huge subwoofers in your ear canals - and this is only 1-000 1-100 is another 50% Increase!

Very glad I took a punt on the Turbo, no regrets at all. I was initially concerned it would just be a bass monster that was compromised in other areas, but thankfully I was very wrong.

It’s a very nice iem to sit alongside my 10 AE and the more relaxed sounding Aurora that’s due to be delivered tomorrow.

There’s not been much talk or hype on it and I’m quite surprised - as it deserves consideration for anyone looking for a great sounding All-BA set.

 

[szore]

First of all, your Serial is gorgeous, holy crap. That's a lot of marbeling
Second of all, is Serial really that good, for you to only want 1 iem? I mean i am using the Serial and i'm still looking out for more iem. I just dunno if i'm underappreciated .it

I think the Serial is overrated, if that helps.