[Des99]

Absolutely love the Penon Turbo! First IEM I purchased from Penon directly right after trying my friend's unit. Also one of my most expensive purchases I did in this hobby. Have been using it for almost 1 month and still loving it a lot! In my opinion, the Penon Turbo is very well tuned in all departments, backed up with good enough technicalities, and can be further customized with its well implemented tuning switch system. Do note that it has a bass tuck that helps to keep things clean and provide that "woofer" effect for the bass, so it may not be as lush or warm as other Penon IEMs that I have tried, but it is definitely unique from Penon!

 

[theintention]

Interested in the ASOS+ cable to pair with my Szalayi, but concerned about the recessed 2 pins… they look a little small. Should I be concerned? Anyone have the og asos and Sza?

 

[rattlingblanketwoman]

Just ordered the penon 10th anniversary i never spend so much on a IEM i choose Penon because the Serial is my Favourite IEM and one of best audio Products i have heard as a whole. So now im a bit nervous ...

Hopefully you'll like them more than I did (and other friends who tried them). I still listen to the Serial most days, but I didn't like the 10th Anni at all, the bass was comically thumpy, I couldn't take it seriously. Not thumpy as in "heavily emphasized bass but good quality bass", the bass did not have texture or compliment the FR to my ears. I like plenty of sets that emphasize the bass as much if not more, but still sound good. There's good thump and there's comical thump (beating an empty suitcase with a stick), I chose my words carefully.

Someone's recent comment about two 6mm drivers makes perfect sense of it. I hadn't looked up the configuration of the 10th in detail before. People say that combined they should match a larger one, but I find double small DDs only end up sounding thumpier trying to match a larger DD (the Serial has a 10mm bio diaphram). Their midbass can get boomier but they never match the low end shudder from a single larger surface.

Plus anyway from a perspective of area, two 6mm circles have a total area of 18.84mm - a 10mm circle has an area of 31.4mm
Gratefully corrected, I rushed and did circumference in my head in stead of area. 10mm: 78.54mm squared , and two 6mm: 56.55mm squared total

A lot of marketing talk has happened about dual mini DDs, but while a double small DD can do ok midbass (Fan 2 for example), from my listening experience (which I'll take over what a marketing team is telling me I should hear) I'd take a single larger DD every time for timbre/texture and quality of low end extension.

I'm very interested to hear the Ziigaat Duocinco, and I'll have a chance to before too long. The 2DDs are *actually* used in an isobaric configuration and I keep hearing incredible things about the bass from everyone I know.

Just because Penon call it the 10th anniversary doesn't make it a better pick over other tribrids (DTE500 comes to mind) or cheaper sets altogether. You need to pinch yourself if you think you can genuinely tell the sound quality or performance of an IEM based on how it was *marketed*.

To me it had all the tuning flaws that the Kiwiears Quartet had, I didn't make it past 1 evening with that set.

You can save any "well that's how you hear it" responses, I've already put "in my opinion" throughout this, and it's a given in this 300% subjective hobby. (Ear shapes -> inner ear shapes -> sensitivities -> what our brain does with the end signal -> what our opinions are of what our brain presents us)

By all means add how you hear it differently so there are a broad range of impressions for people to assemble a picture from.

I've had a chance to hear the Quattro for the last couple weeks and while there are some areas I think it is a Serial upgrade, in others it's more equal-but-different, and in the long run the Serial will be staying. I can clearly see areas that would alter whether I'd recommend the Quattro or Serial to someone after knowing a little about their preferences though, they're both good recs in my book.

 

[dharmasteve]

Hopefully you'll like them more than I did (and other friends who tried them). I still listen to the Serial most days, but I didn't like the 10th Anni at all, the bass was comically thumpy, I couldn't take it seriously. Not thumpy as in "heavily emphasized bass but good quality bass", the bass did not have texture or compliment the FR to my ears. I like plenty of sets that emphasize the bass as much if not more, but still sound good. There's good thump and there's comical thump (beating an empty suitcase with a stick), I chose my words carefully.

Someone's recent comment about two 6mm drivers makes perfect sense of it. I hadn't looked up the configuration of the 10th in detail before. People say that combined they should match a larger one, but I find double small DDs only end up sounding thumpier trying to match a larger DD (the Serial has a 10mm bio diaphram). Their midbass can get boomier but they never match the low end shudder from a single larger surface.

Plus anyway from a perspective of area, two 6mm circles have a total area of 18.84mm - a 10mm circle has an area of 31.4mm

A lot of marketing talk has happened about dual mini DDs, but while a double small DD can do ok midbass (Fan 2 for example), from my listening experience (which I'll take over what a marketing team is telling me I should hear) I'd take a single larger DD every time for timbre/texture and quality of low end extension.

I'm very interested to hear the Ziigaat Duocinco, and I'll have a chance to before too long. The 2DDs are *actually* used in an isobaric configuration and I keep hearing incredible things about the bass from everyone I know.

Just because Penon call it the 10th anniversary doesn't make it a better pick over other tribrids (DTE500 comes to mind) or cheaper sets altogether. You need to pinch yourself if you think you can genuinely tell the sound quality or performance of an IEM based on how it was *marketed*.

To me it had all the tuning flaws that the Kiwiears Quartet had, I didn't make it past 1 evening with that set.

You can save any "well that's how you hear it" responses, I've already put "in my opinion" throughout this, and it's a given in this 300% subjective hobby. (Ear shapes -> inner ear shapes -> sensitivities -> what our brain does with the end signal -> what our opinions are of what our brain presents us)

By all means add how you hear it differently so there are a broad range of impressions for people to assemble a picture from.

I've had a chance to hear the Quattro for the last couple weeks and while there are some areas I think it is a Serial upgrade, in others it's more equal-but-different, and in the long run the Serial will be staying. I can clearly see areas that would alter whether I'd recommend the Quattro or Serial to someone after knowing a little about their preferences though, they're both good recs in my book.

Amazing how people hear so differently. How you describe them is so different to what I hear it seems you are describing a different IEM. Well we all hear what we hear. On what I hear, I would always recommend them. I guess @Unterstuffz will make his own decision. I hope he likes them.... like many of us do.

 

[Echalon]

You can save any "well that's how you hear it" responses, I've already put "in my opinion" throughout this, and it's a given in this 300% subjective hobby. (Ear shapes -> inner ear shapes -> sensitivities -> what our brain does with the end signal -> what our opinions are of what our brain presents us)

By all means add how you hear it differently so there are a broad range of impressions for people to assemble a picture from.

My first impression of the 10th was disappointment as I found the treble much too harsh. After messing with tips and burning it in I was moderately satisfied. Only after switching to a good thick copper cable did I really see what the fuss was about. But my tastes are for rich, thick sounds, so no surprise I didn’t like it while it was set up to be bright sounding.

To me the bass is well textured and satisfying, but @rattlingblanketwoman’s experiences are just as legitimate as mine, and I very much agree with the comments about subjectivity.

 

[Sheeno101]

Plus anyway from a perspective of area, two 6mm circles have a total area of 18.84mm - a 10mm circle has an area of 31.4mm

Sorry for nitpicking, but these figures have lost me a bit - using pi*r^2, I think a 10mm circle has an area of 78mm^2 and 2x 6mm circles have an area of around 56mm^2? But the point still stands that a 10mm diaphragm has more surface area - it's one of the reasons I am currently leaning to the ISN EST50 over the 10th AE (not to mention it's cheaper and looks more comfortable!) EDIT: I think I see the confusion, your figures are 2*pi*r which is the circumference

I'm very interested to hear the Ziigaat Duocinco, and I'll have a chance to before too long. The 2DDs are *actually* used in an isobaric configuration and I keep hearing incredible things about the bass from everyone I know.

I am also very much looking forward to my Doscincos arriving My expectations are high!

Just because Penon call it the 10th anniversary doesn't make it a better pick over other tribrids (DTE500 comes to mind) or cheaper sets altogether. You need to pinch yourself if you think you can genuinely tell the sound quality or performance of an IEM based on how it was *marketed*.

Thanks for bringing DTE500 to my attention. I don't have any sets with ESTs so am keeping tabs on affordable sets with them for 11.11. DTE500 looks like a solid contender to the EST50.

I've had a chance to hear the Quattro for the last couple weeks and while there are some areas I think it is a Serial upgrade, in others it's more equal-but-different, and in the long run the Serial will be staying. I can clearly see areas that would alter whether I'd recommend the Quattro or Serial to someone after knowing a little about their preferences though, they're both good recs in my book.

If you can handle that very full/thick lower midrange, the Quattro really is a dream

 

[dharmasteve]

Sorry for nitpicking, but these figures have lost me a bit - using pi*r^2, I think a 10mm circle has an area of 78mm^2 and 2x 6mm circles have an area of around 56mm^2? But the point still stands that a 10mm diaphragm has more surface area - it's one of the reasons I am currently leaning to the ISN EST50 over the 10th AE (not to mention it's cheaper and looks more comfortable!) EDIT: I think I see the confusion, your figures are 2*pi*r which is the circumference


I am also very much looking forward to my Doscincos arriving My expectations are high!


Thanks for bringing DTE500 to my attention. I don't have any sets with ESTs so am keeping tabs on affordable sets with them for 11.11. DTE500 looks like a solid contender to the EST50.


If you can handle that very full/thick lower midrange, the Quattro really is a dream

I always thought that larger drivers would be better. But empirical listening took over and the ISN Neo 3 and Penon Fan 2 taught me different.

 

[rattlingblanketwoman]

Sorry for nitpicking, but these figures have lost me a bit - using pi*r^2, I think a 10mm circle has an area of 78mm^2 and 2x 6mm circles have an area of around 56mm^2?

Not nitpicking at all, it's a big error! I was typing fast between two commitments and I gave the circumferences. I appreciate you correcting it.

 

[Redcarmoose]

https://penonaudio.com/Penon-ASOS-plus

 

[Sheeno101]

Had my Fan 2s arrive today. These are very interesting. Love the build quality, ergonomics and fabric cable. Deep insertion doesn't bother me at all, I think it works well with the intimate sound signature.

The sound signature is where the surprises are. It's very vocal-forward, which I did expect, and it has a beautiful, natural timbre for acoustic and more laidback music. The vocals are intimate and often encaptivating. Prominent midbass enhances it further, not much sub-bass but I expected as much and don't miss it much. What I didn't expect though is the lack of energy up top, it sounds very flat with more lively music, particularly those with more modern productions like Psychedelic Switch by Carly Rae Jepsen. Is this others' experience as well?

Overall, very early impressions are that I'm happy with them: a laidback, vocal-forward set - one not quite as bombastic or hard-to-drive as my Quattros - is exactly what I wanted. But the lack of treble means they seem a bit less versatile than I expected.

They have quite an analog sound to me, which I know is a word used to describe the Serial which I don't own; are there many similarities between the two sets, beyond the Serial having more bass, I assume? I wonder if the Serial is hard to justify if you own the Quattro and the Fan 2, or if it brings something else to the table.

 

[thaslaya]

Had my Fan 2s arrive today. These are very interesting. Love the build quality, ergonomics and fabric cable. Deep insertion doesn't bother me at all, I think it works well with the intimate sound signature.

The sound signature is where the surprises are. It's very vocal-forward, which I did expect, and it has a beautiful, natural timbre for acoustic and more laidback music. The vocals are intimate and often encaptivating. Prominent midbass enhances it further, not much sub-bass but I expected as much and don't miss it much. What I didn't expect though is the lack of energy up top, it sounds very flat with more lively music, particularly those with more modern productions like Psychedelic Switch by Carly Rae Jepsen. Is this others' experience as well?

Overall, very early impressions are that I'm happy with them: a laidback, vocal-forward set - one not quite as bombastic or hard-to-drive as my Quattros - is exactly what I wanted. But the lack of treble means they seem a bit less versatile than I expected.

They have quite an analog sound to me, which I know is a word used to describe the Serial which I don't own; are there many similarities between the two sets, beyond the Serial having more bass, I assume? I wonder if the Serial is hard to justify if you own the Quattro and the Fan 2, or if it brings something else to the table.

This sounds like my experience with the Fan 2 as well. I miss mine and think I didn't give them a fair shake. Even though I did enjoy them a lot I sold to buy other things. Maybe one day I'll try them again. For me the Serial is even more relaxed than the Fan 2 and I hated it. It sounded congested to me and I couldn't hear what everyone else raved about. Maybe the pair I had was a dud.

 

[Sheeno101]

This sounds like my experience with the Fan 2 as well. I miss mine and think I didn't give them a fair shake. Even though I did enjoy them a lot I sold to buy other things. Maybe one day I'll try them again. For me the Serial is even more relaxed than the Fan 2 and I hated it. It sounded congested to me and I couldn't hear what everyone else raved about. Maybe the pair I had was a dud.

Thanks for sharing! I can definitely see how the Fan 2 could also be described as congested. I think intimacy/congestion might be two sides of the same coin, and which evaluation prevails really depends on the song being played. From your description it sounds like I won't be keeping an eye out for a Serial, I think the Fan is about as far down this road as I want to go

Speaking of the song being played, the Fan 2 just blew me away while listening to Llorando by Rebekah Del Rio - better known to some as that weird Roy Orbison cover near the end of Mulholland Drive. It might be no surprise that an IEM that seems to prioritise timbre over microdetails plays what sounds like an uploaded rip from a film so well. Other IEMs bring forwards the echoes from the auditorium with the vocals getting lost a little in the soundstage, whereas the Fan 2 just delivers the vocals straight into your ears and it's totally stunning, particularly when she's singing in the lower registers. Definitely learning more about what it excels at!

 

[thaslaya]

Thanks for sharing! I can definitely see how the Fan 2 could also be described as congested. I think intimacy/congestion might be two sides of the same coin, and which evaluation prevails really depends on the song being played. From your description it sounds like I won't be keeping an eye out for a Serial, I think the Fan is about as far down this road as I want to go

Speaking of the song being played, the Fan 2 just blew me away while listening to Llorando by Rebekah Del Rio - better known to some as that weird Roy Orbison cover near the end of Mulholland Drive. It might be no surprise that an IEM that seems to prioritise timbre over microdetails plays what sounds like an uploaded rip from a film so well. Other IEMs bring forwards the echoes from the auditorium with the vocals getting lost a little in the soundstage, whereas the Fan 2 just delivers the vocals straight into your ears and it's totally stunning, particularly when she's singing in the lower registers. Definitely learning more about what it excels at!

Don't let me dissuade you if you are really curious about the Serial. It's just not for me lol

 

[Okcerg]

It might be a good idea to give them time. Fan2 reminded me a lot of when I got the 6XX. First I wondered where the treble was. But I let my brain burn in for about a week, and after a while I started to notice that the details were still there, they were just not exaggerated by the treble. 6XX is also vocal focused and quite intimate (for an open back), like Fan2.
Later when I switched to a brighter set it was like sticking needles in my ears, and the treble sounded artificial. (But then again my brain burned in to that lol)

 

[Sheeno101]

It might be a good idea to give them time. Fan2 reminded me a lot of when I got the 6XX. First I wondered where the treble was. But I let my brain burn in for about a week, and after a while I started to notice that the details were still there, they were just not exaggerated by the treble. 6XX is also vocal focused and quite intimate (for an open back), like Fan2.
Later when I switched to a brighter set it was like sticking needles in my ears, and the treble sounded artificial. (But then again my brain burned in to that lol)

Good advice! I definitely will be giving them time - to be clear, I really like them, they're bringing a sound that's pretty unique among my IEMs and are presenting vocal-driven songs (particularly with simpler and less layered productions) in a really special way. I think they'd be a good buy at RRP, but were an absolute steal at the newsletter discount.

They've not been out my ears since they arrived but I've mostly been selectively choosing more laidback genres - looking forward to seeing how they cope with more lively music after some brain burn-in!