[Danx3k]

Do you hear different soundstage displays from different amplifiers?

No. I do hear differences, but I’ve never heard a change in soundstage size.

 

[shiningtofu]

I've always been a cable sceptic, but I do concede that you can hear improvements in a good cable vs a poor one. However whilst I do agree you can hear improvements in clarify, bass tightness and black background, I still can't get my head around people who say the sound stage increases.

My only conclusion is, either; 1) some people perceive the difference in clarity and cleaner sound as sounding wider/further away, which is logical as we all must hear things ever so slightly different and our brains will interpret what we hear. 2) When some people say soundstage has improved/become larger, wider etc, they just mean the details seem better separated.

I've bought cables for as cheap as $10 and up to $300 and personally I've never heard a stage sound larger, wider or bigger. This isn't scrutiny as my first point suggest, perhaps other peoples ears/brain interpret a clarity improvement/ darker background as sounding further away? I just find it interesting.

For sure I can see where you’re coming from. I should have first prefaced that the changes I described were improvements on the scale of cables - meaning noticeable but not very large. Kinda like adding a few pinches of salt to pasta is how I would describe the scale of effect of cables (in my experience).

With regards to soundstage, my impression is based on how far away I perceive the extreme ends of sound to appear. This is of course a perceptual thing and I think all discussions of soundstage have to be understood as a perceptual thing because IEMs are basically all the same distance from your ears drums with some minute differences. If it was a physical thing than using the tallest tip height with the longest nozzle should yield the biggest soundstage.

Anyways, I think we are on the same page that it’s other factors resulting in the change in perception of soundstage rather than the sounds actually coming from physically further away.

So the question is what are those factors and whether they result in a consistent change in perception for soundstage across different people?

I agree that details and clarity could definitely be one of those factors. In fact, I think the idea that better separation resulting in a bigger impression of soundstage is a consequence of better details and clarity. I would also add to that I think it might be better treble or bass clarity that leads to the perception that soundstage is bigger -simply because you are hearing things where you didn’t hear them before. It might also be an improved ability to portray volume differences and changes across frequencies.

All that being said, I think it’s easier for others to understand and fair to share that there was a perceived increase in soundstage whatever factors might be causing it

 

[dharmasteve]

I've always been a cable sceptic, but I do concede that you can hear improvements in a good cable vs a poor one. However whilst I do agree you can hear improvements in clarify, bass tightness and black background, I still can't get my head around people who say the sound stage increases.

My only conclusion is, either; 1) some people perceive the difference in clarity and cleaner sound as sounding wider/further away, which is logical as we all must hear things ever so slightly different and our brains will interpret what we hear. 2) When some people say soundstage has improved/become larger, wider etc, they just mean the details seem better separated.

I've bought cables for as cheap as $10 and up to $300 and personally I've never heard a stage sound larger, wider or bigger. This isn't scrutiny as my first point suggest, perhaps other peoples ears/brain interpret a clarity improvement/ darker background as sounding further away? I just find it interesting.

Dan, get a cheap pure silver cable from NiceHCK, and get a pure copper cable. Rather than be a 'sceptic', AB them in the same system. I was a sceptic....until I listened in detail to copper vs silver.

 

[RunWithOne]

I can hear the difference between Cu (copper) and Ag (silver) well. I don't like silver. It makes the sound rough and scratchy for me. Perhaps it's also due to the good control of my DAP and/or my ears. I don't prefer anything more than the Penon CS819. However, I find this cable to be fantastic.

Indeed, I also believe that the stage has something to do with the frequency response and mixing. More presence up to air improves the stage. Bass and lower tones tend to mask it. With an EQ, one can achieve a lot in this regard as well.

 

[Danx3k]

Dan, get a cheap pure silver cable from NiceHCK, and get a pure copper cable. Rather than be a 'sceptic', AB them in the same system. I was a sceptic....until I listened in detail to copper vs silver.

I have several copper and silver cables.

I’ve recently purchased an effect audio Eros s anniversary edition too. It sounds great. Im not saying there’s no difference, I’ve just never heard a cable increase the size of the soundstage.

 

[theintention]

How stiff is the Penon Space cable? Looking for a modular plug for my Sza, they are pretty lightweight and i don't want something too unwieldy.

 

[vandung2510]

How stiff is the Penon Space cable? Looking for a modular plug for my Sza, they are pretty lightweight and i don't want something too unwieldy.

Then you dont want that lol. That thing is big. I'd rec something cheap and light like the graphene cable from Xinhs. Dont have the link on me

 

[theintention]

Then you dont want that lol. That thing is big. I'd rec something cheap and light like the graphene cable from Xinhs. Dont have the link on me

damn lol. maybe i still want it tho... i have big ears and the mp145 is large.

 

[Wes S]

Hey folks,

I am itching to get back into iems and I was wondering if the Cayin RU7 can drive the Quattro properly? I already have the RU7, and if there is another Penon iem that pairs with it better I would love to know? Does the 10th Anniversary pair better?

I love DD's, and a warm and natural timbre is my top priority . . .

Thanks,

Wes

 

[Wil]

Oh my....the Serial is a beautiful IEM. A work of art to look at. Probably I have Quattro envy, so I'm giving my Serial a run out. It eats juice like a Rolls Royce guzzles gas/petrol. On my HiBy R6III high gain, volume 40...bass given a boost by the HiBy dynamics plug in. The bass is big, bold and singing with authority. The Penon Serial given some juice and energy is something else.

Seri

Hey folks,

I am itching to get back into iems and I was wondering if the Cayin RU7 can drive the Quattro properly? I already have the RU7, and if there is another Penon iem that pairs with it better I would love to know? Does the 10th Anniversary pair better?

I love DD's, and a warm and natural timbre is my top priority . . .

Thanks,

Wes

it's adequate but more power won't hurt. The quattros sounded even more vivid after i swapped the RU7 for the Topping G5. They do suck up all the power you can throw at them.

 

[Bosk]

Is there a better feeling in the world than the DHL van pulling up out front to deliver new audio goodies to your doorstep?

I'm at work right now (or at least pretending hard to work) and the Penon Quattros & ISN Neo1s just arrived, so at least I have an excuse for my productivity nosediving.


The Quattros have generated a mixture of reactions from those who've bought them, everything from elated hero worship to tear-soaked disdain with people often gravitating to one polar extreme or the other. So naturally I've been extremely keen to see what all the fuss is all about & where I fall on the "Quattro spectrum".

These have zero burn-in and anything with 4DDs probably deserves at least a few days of playback before I'd feel comfortable critically evaluating them, but my initial impression is that right off the bat I understand the love/hate reactions - Quattro has a very thick, bass-heavy sound with a huge amounts of note weight that is going to delight some, but not all of us.

I personally don't understand how anyone can find say Harman-tuned IEMs appealing, but yes some audiophiles do prefer that thinner, leaner sound and who am I to say they shouldn't? For anyone with that sort of taste Quattros would be a shock to the system because their boosted midbass & lower midrange that gives music a huge amount of body & gravitas which not everyone wants.

For my personal taste, they sound terrific with tonality & bass that really jumps out impressively. I was a bit concerned that 4DDs would result in poor technical performance or even a lack of cohesion, but from what I can tell that's not case. The soundstage appears to be decently sized, imaging & resolution are quite good and I haven't heard multiple instruments collapsing into a blob during busy passages of music either. That said Quattros' emphasis is decidedly on tonality rather technicality, but it'll be interesting to see how things improve with burn-in.

The Neo1s I've only tested briefly, they're very reminiscent of ISN's usual bass-driven tunings. My first impression is surprise ISN can deliver such a respectable level of build quality & sound for under USD $40 - I do sometimes wonder if newcomers to the hobby grasp just how fortunate they are when years ago we'd have happily spent vastly more to obtain this kind of sound... which is not to come across as patronising, but honestly the march of technology in such a short time has been staggering.

I'll review both IEMs in due course, but in the meantime... time to confront the unpleasant task of shifting focus back to work instead of play!

 

[Click]

Hey folks,

I am itching to get back into iems and I was wondering if the Cayin RU7 can drive the Quattro properly? I already have the RU7, and if there is another Penon iem that pairs with it better I would love to know? Does the 10th Anniversary pair better?

I love DD's, and a warm and natural timbre is my top priority . . .

Thanks,

Wes

RU7 can more than easily drive Quattro. 70ish on low gain is more than enough power for Quattro.

People make way too much out of Quattro needing juice. Yes, it requires more amplification than other IEMs to sound its best but it's not a ridiculously power hungry IEM.

 

[emdeevee]

Is there a better feeling in the world than the DHL van pulling up out front to deliver new audio goodies to your doorstep?

I'm at work right now (or at least pretending hard to work) and the Penon Quattros & ISN Neo1s just arrived, so at least I have an excuse for my productivity nosediving.


The Quattros have generated a mixture of reactions from those who've bought them, everything from elated hero worship to tear-soaked disdain with people often gravitating to one polar extreme or the other. So naturally I've been extremely keen to see what all the fuss is all about & where I fall on the "Quattro spectrum".

These have zero burn-in and anything with 4DDs probably deserves at least a few days of playback before I'd feel comfortable critically evaluating them, but my initial impression is that right off the bat I understand the love/hate reactions - Quattro has a very thick, bass-heavy sound with a huge amounts of note weight that is going to delight some, but not all of us.

I personally don't understand how anyone can find say Harman-tuned IEMs appealing, but yes some audiophiles do prefer that thinner, leaner sound and who am I to say they shouldn't? For anyone with that sort of taste Quattros would be a shock to the system because their boosted midbass & lower midrange that gives music a huge amount of body & gravitas which not everyone wants.

For my personal taste, they sound terrific with tonality & bass that really jumps out impressively. I was a bit concerned that 4DDs would result in poor technical performance or even a lack of cohesion, but from what I can tell that's not case. The soundstage appears to be decently sized, imaging & resolution are quite good and I haven't heard multiple instruments collapsing into a blob during busy passages of music either. That said Quattros' emphasis is decidedly on tonality rather technicality, but it'll be interesting to see how things improve with burn-in.

The Neo1s I've only tested briefly, they're very reminiscent of ISN's usual bass-driven tunings. My first impression is surprise ISN can deliver such a respectable level of build quality & sound for under USD $40 - I do sometimes wonder if newcomers to the hobby grasp just how fortunate they are when years ago we'd have happily spent vastly more to obtain this kind of sound... which is not to come across as patronising, but honestly the march of technology in such a short time has been staggering.

I'll review both IEMs in due course, but in the meantime... time to confront the unpleasant task of shifting focus back to work instead of play!

IMHO, Quattro definitely improves from 100+ hours of burn. But I also found them quite appealing OOTB. Still, burn time, cable swap and perfect tip fit go a long way to cementing the legend status that Quattro will have in the Penon line.

I would like to see Penon take more shots at the TOTL. I haven't heard Impact, but I am never dying to hear something with no DDs. A TOTL with perfect DD tuning from Penon would be exciting.

 

[o0genesis0o]

No. I do hear differences, but I’ve never heard a change in soundstage size.

Lucky you. One less thing to be obsessive about

 

[o0genesis0o]

Is there a better feeling in the world than the DHL van pulling up out front to deliver new audio goodies to your doorstep?

I'm at work right now (or at least pretending hard to work) and the Penon Quattros & ISN Neo1s just arrived, so at least I have an excuse for my productivity nosediving.


The Quattros have generated a mixture of reactions from those who've bought them, everything from elated hero worship to tear-soaked disdain with people often gravitating to one polar extreme or the other. So naturally I've been extremely keen to see what all the fuss is all about & where I fall on the "Quattro spectrum".

These have zero burn-in and anything with 4DDs probably deserves at least a few days of playback before I'd feel comfortable critically evaluating them, but my initial impression is that right off the bat I understand the love/hate reactions - Quattro has a very thick, bass-heavy sound with a huge amounts of note weight that is going to delight some, but not all of us.

I personally don't understand how anyone can find say Harman-tuned IEMs appealing, but yes some audiophiles do prefer that thinner, leaner sound and who am I to say they shouldn't? For anyone with that sort of taste Quattros would be a shock to the system because their boosted midbass & lower midrange that gives music a huge amount of body & gravitas which not everyone wants.

For my personal taste, they sound terrific with tonality & bass that really jumps out impressively. I was a bit concerned that 4DDs would result in poor technical performance or even a lack of cohesion, but from what I can tell that's not case. The soundstage appears to be decently sized, imaging & resolution are quite good and I haven't heard multiple instruments collapsing into a blob during busy passages of music either. That said Quattros' emphasis is decidedly on tonality rather technicality, but it'll be interesting to see how things improve with burn-in.

The Neo1s I've only tested briefly, they're very reminiscent of ISN's usual bass-driven tunings. My first impression is surprise ISN can deliver such a respectable level of build quality & sound for under USD $40 - I do sometimes wonder if newcomers to the hobby grasp just how fortunate they are when years ago we'd have happily spent vastly more to obtain this kind of sound... which is not to come across as patronising, but honestly the march of technology in such a short time has been staggering.

I'll review both IEMs in due course, but in the meantime... time to confront the unpleasant task of shifting focus back to work instead of play!

Real, 100% Harman tuned IEM is actually ultra rare and they are not the most enjoyable to listen, tbh.

Harman-like is everywhere though, including many Penon IEMs. When you see eargain at 2-3kHz, rolled down from 4kHz, and a hump around the same height as the eargain in the subbass, you are seeing “Harman-ish”. Of course almost everyone is sensible enough to avoid cutting the 250Hz to make the sound even thinner. You have seen how badly it goes when certain manufacturers discard all the objective findings and go their own path and discard all of those findings (you know which one I’m talking about)

Don’t worship the target, don’t throw it away. And many times, what one complains has nothing to do with the target. Oddly enough, a fellow reviewer praised an IEM to be great “Harman” tuned option when it is objectively and subjectively nothing Harman. Maybe sometimes we love (or hate) things that we have no idea about

Is Neo1 new thing? It feels like yesterday when they launch the 3 and the 5.