[LeonidK]

Is 10th a big improvement over Fan 2 in stage width, imaging and airiness? I also consider Yanyin Moonlight - is it still competitive in 2023 in used prices, around $400? I read a comparison of Moonlight with 10th here, I think by Dsnuts, but I've no idea how do Fan 2 compare to these two.

 

[gooberbm]

In the light of the heated discussion, I am curious if there are Penon products that would not get a recommendation from the regulars here?

Penon Vortex: I'd just get Simgot EA500 for a fraction of the price

 

[Dsnuts]

Question for the weekend. Which Penon IEM you feel is a bit underrated out of the Penon line up?

The current flagship the Impacts are getting its share of the lime light and the Volts are classic Penons. However,

Out of these 3 it is the Legends IMO that never got the spot light it should have.
It has the widest sound stage of all of the Penon line up, just as technical as the Impacts. Its got a classic Penon w shaped tuning and imo punches above its price asked.

If you guys wanted to save up a bit for the Impacts to get that TOTL Penon sound. The Legends comes damn close for half the price and even does stage better. Overall the Impacts do have a bit more refinements here and there but if you guys hear the Legends, even in comparison to the Impact will hold its own easily.

 

[supplehope]

As a Vortex owner myself, even though I personally still like them, I have to agree that there are some better options out there without paying that much.

 

[Dsnuts]

I agree. I think vortex when it came out was very competitive for its price but Chi fi has raised the bar on single dynmic offerings as of late and the Vortex while still holding its own. There are dynamics half the price nowadays that perform just as good. EA500 is one of them.

I would like to see a new version of the Vortex with more refinements. It is crazy just how much SQ has leaped in the past several years. I just did a review for Simgots EW200 which is yet another compelling single dynamic but cost $40. Folks are going for the jugulars when it comes to dynamic IEMs nowadays.

 

[RunWithOne]

Question about the weekend. Which Penon IEM from the Penon range do you think is a bit underestimated?

I could already hear Volt and Impact. The Legend is probably the only Penon I've never heard of, along with the two new ones, 10th and Turbo.
In this respect I have to decide between these two and the answer is not difficult for me, it is the Impact.

 

[-rowan-]

Is 10th a big improvement over Fan 2 in stage width, imaging and airiness? I also consider Yanyin Moonlight - is it still competitive in 2023 in used prices, around $400? I read a comparison of Moonlight with 10th here, I think by Dsnuts, but I've no idea how do Fan 2 compare to these two.

Yes to all of that. The 10th’s treble is that much more extended and complete than Fan 2’s and that helps as well.

Reserving comment on the Moonlight as I half heartedly have one for sale (not making very much effort because most days I’d rather keep it) but it is calmer, more relaxed and even-handed than the 10th.

 

[-rowan-]

Question for the weekend. Which Penon IEM you feel is a bit underrated out of the Penon line up?

The current flagship the Impacts are getting its share of the lime light and the Volts are classic Penons. However,

Out of these 3 it is the Legends IMO that never got the spot light it should have.
It has the widest sound stage of all of the Penon line up, just as technical as the Impacts. Its got a classic Penon w shaped tuning and imo punches above its price asked.

Yeah, Legend is still one of the few Penons that got away for me. It was and is still quite an expense, and there seeemed enough cons (BA bass) and not enough talk about it to tip me over into taking the plunge.

I still have a soft spot for my Vortex. It hasn't been that long and it's true that DD tech has taken massive leaps forward in recent years and is still improving, but the Vortex tuning and technicals hit such a sweet spot for me that I haven't felt much need to investigate the new budget shinies.

OG Fan was a bit of a sleeper I believe, until more folks somehow discovered it and started talking about it in the past year. It does require some patience and a lot of power - the more the better - so I can imagine why it was easier for many to simply pan it at its low price.

 

[-rowan-]

Anyway, no idea if I count as one of the "very active folks" here since I don't even post as much anymore. But for the avoidance of doubt, everything I post about is paid for with my own money. In the case of Penon, helped by early bird discounts from their newsletter (which shouldn't come as news to most in this thread).

I have never accepted free or heavily discounted gear - from Penon or otherwise - in exchange for talking about it. And in the unlikely event that I ever do, I will disclose it.

I have a full time job and (in addition to taking up a lot of my time) it pays for the nice gear that I talk about here. Between family, work and friends, there’s very little spare time for much else.

So apart from enjoying my gear, I value being able to banter about it at my own time and say I want about it. It’s mostly positive because I’ve been in the hobby long enough to know what I want and like, and do my research before sinking money into a purchase. And if a lot of it is from Penon it’s because over the years I’ve found that they have a coherent tuning philosophy that jives with me.

I think that by and large folks on this thread have been pretty upfront about review samples and such. And because they often have more access to products to make comparisons with, their opinions have been very useful in helping me make buying decisions. That said, it helps to be familiar with a reviewer's preferences and better yet, have some gear and music in common that can serve as a reference point for the impressions. And even so we all end up hearing things differently anyway.

 

[Click]

It's ridiculous that some people now feel like they need to put out a disclaimer, lest they be suspected of being a Penon shill.

 

[ehjie]

Question for the weekend. Which Penon IEM you feel is a bit underrated out of the Penon line up?

The Legend - Folks who've been in this thread for a while know I'm a stickler for Massive Stage.
Maybe directly or indirectly, I am one of the critiques (constructive, of course) that always commented that there has to be a set that's great in the Mids and a huge stage at the same time. For me this is a must have set.
This set is in my bucket list...

The current flagship the Impacts are getting its share of the lime light and the Volts are classic Penons. However,


Out of these 3 it is the Legends IMO that never got the spot light it should have.
It has the widest sound stage of all of the Penon line up, just as technical as the Impacts. Its got a classic Penon w shaped tuning and imo punches above its price asked.

If you guys wanted to save up a bit for the Impacts to get that TOTL Penon sound. The Legends comes damn close for half the price and even does stage better. Overall the Impacts do have a bit more refinements here and there but if you guys hear the Legends, even in comparison to the Impact will hold its own easily.

 

[doubletrobbel]

It's ridiculous that some people now feel like they need to put out a disclaimer, lest they be suspected of being a Penon shill.

I don't see why it's so ridiculous. There is a very big difference between giving an opinion on an kilobuck IEM you received free of charge in exchange for a giving your opinion, and spending your hard earned money on it. In reality, what are the odds of reviewers trashing such an expensive IEM and most likely tarnishing the relationship between them and the brand versus giving it praise even though they themselves might not spend that much on it?

There's a reason why it's considered a requirement in most professional settings to disclose that information (e.g. LTT on YouTube). It's about trust and transparency towards the audience.

I don't mind people getting these things, but there's a distinction that needs to be made for those who want to take a risk of buying an IEM before auditioning it. For most of us here, it's not as simple as "trying" most IEMs on the market.

 

[Click]

I don't see why it's so ridiculous. There is a very big difference between giving an opinion on an kilobuck IEM you received free of charge in exchange for a giving your opinion, and spending your hard earned money on it. In reality, what are the odds of reviewers trashing such an expensive IEM and most likely tarnishing the relationship between them and the brand versus giving it praise even though they themselves might not spend that much on it?

I don't mind people getting these things, but there's a distinction that needs to be made for those who want to take a risk of buying an IEM before auditioning it. For most of us here, it's not as simple as "trying" most IEMs on the market.

This is a discussion forum. There's no need for disclaimers unless you're making actual money off of your comments here. Some may consider free "samples" as payment, but legally, it's not a monetary payment.

It's like expecting everyone who is active in every thread, either enthusiastic for or extremely critical of certain products or brands, to disclose whether or not they're receiving benefits from the company/products they're praising or if they're getting benefits from competitors of said company. It's ridiculous.

Like I said previously, if certain individuals have a problem with overly enthusiastic reviewers here, simply ignore them and move onto those whom you think is less biased or less of a shill. It's just like YouTube reviewers. If I think their opinions, attitude, or content sucks or doesn't align with my own experience or opinions, I unsubscribe, don't subscribe, or ignore their channel.

 

[doubletrobbel]

This is a discussion forum. There's no need for disclaimers unless you're making actual money off of your comments here. Some may consider free "samples" as payment, but legally, it's not a monetary payment.

It's like expecting everyone who is active in every thread, either enthusiastic for or extremely critical of certain products or brands, to disclose whether or not they're receiving benefits from the company/products they're praising or if they're getting benefits from competitors of said company. It's ridiculous.

I don't feel you understood my point. Your opinion is one thing, and mine is the other. Which is perfectly fine. What you are suggesting, however, is keeping information that might be relevant to some. I don't see how someone sharing that same information would be a detriment to your experience here.

simply ignore them and move onto those whom you think is less biased or less of a shill.

Such a disclosure would quite literally be a help for people to make that distinction

Regardless, I'm leaving it at that. I think I made my point

 

[Click]

I don't feel you understood my point. Your opinion is one thing, and mine is the other. Which is perfectly fine. What you are suggesting, however, is keeping information that might be relevant to some. I don't see how someone sharing that same information would be a detriment to your experience here.

Such a disclosure would quite literally be a help for people to make that distinction

Regardless, I'm leaving it at that. I think I made my point

It's not keeping information from people. It's silly that you need to make disclaimers or be suspected by a few people of being a shill.

When did I say it's detrimental to make disclaimers. I said it's ridiculous that some people now feel the need to do it. All because of 1 guy making a fuss about it.

If reviewers or users want to make disclaimers, that's their own decision. I think it's silly and not necessary.