The PENON official thread

[Dsnuts]

I am most definitely looking forward to your Fan3 experiences. One friendly word of advice.

Take your time with them. Definitely burn them in with your music at listening levels for at least a few days stright, more imprtantly you have to acclimate to it. Dont know what song n dance you all do to clense your sound pallet. Maybe not listen to your favorites for a day and then take a listen to the Fan3. I know that all sounds strange but its not a typical IEM presenation. Think OPEN cans if your a headphone fan.

And eventually you will land on a random track from your source that will just blow your mind. Lol. That is what happened to me in several occasions.

There is no comparison from the stock OS133 to the Space cable. You guys can judge for yourself and you will understand if you compare what both these cables do.

If anything you guys will learn what more material does for a cable. The Space is a prime example of that. Once you go Space, there is no going back.

 

[emdeevee]

I am most definitely looking forward to your Fan3 experiences. One friendly word of advice.

Take your time with them. Definitely burn them in with your music at listening levels for at least a few days stright, more imprtantly you have to acclimate to it. Dont know what song n dance you all do to clense your sound pallet. Maybe not listen to your favorites for a day and then take a listen to the Fan3. I know that all sounds strange but its not a typical IEM presenation. Think OPEN cans if your a headphone fan.

And eventually you will land on a random track from your source that will just blow your mind. Lol. That is what happened to me in several occasions.

There is no comparison from the stock OS133 to the Space cable. You guys can judge for yourself and you will understand if you compare what both these cables do.

If anything you guys will learn what more material does for a cable. The Space is a prime example of that. Once you go Space, there is no going back.

Speaking of what more material does for a cable, I briefly removed the Asos+X from Voltage and tried it with Fan 3 today.

There was no surprise...it did exactly what it does for Voltage, it pushed out the stage causing the sound to come a little more out of the head, if that makes any sense.

Space is good enough imho, but it is a riot to try with Asos! Like a crazy good improvement. This cable has become my favorite Penon cable.

 

[Wyvern74]

ISN CS02 if you want a cable that brings good transparency and details, enhances technical traits from your IEM. Surprisingly excellent for bass performance.

ISN T-OCC if you want a great allrounder that does a bit of everything for your sound. Versatle and adds a bit of body to the sound with enhanced stage elements.

ISN S2- Thinner all blue colored sleeving, if you want an all blue colored cable. Excelllent transparency and detail elements from this cable, thin and light as well.

Penon Space if you want a neutral leaning set meaning it wont color your IEM sound performance and with modularity, if you want your IEMs to have either single or balanced ability. Will give one of the wider stages for cable enahncements you have heard at the price level. Does add some note weight to sonics as well. Leans ever so slightly warm in tonal character but mostly non colored. This cable has nylon sleeving so it might be a touch more micophonic vs the other cables listed but its not that bad actually.

Penon should include these info on their website.


@Dsnuts How about OCC849 vs CS02? Which one is better for NEO5?

 

[gikigill]

Just jumped on the Fan 3 train. Let's see how it pans out.

 

[emdeevee]

Just jumped on the Fan 3 train. Let's see how it pans out.

Of the many deals they've offered, this is the biggest no - brainer yet!!!

 

[Dsnuts]

Penon should include these info on their website.


@Dsnuts How about OCC849 vs CS02? Which one is better for NEO5?

I like the OCC849 on the NEO5. Adds greater note weight and stage. Gives the NEO5 a beefier sound which makes it even more musical sounding vs the CS02. CS02 has a slight edge in clarity and perhaps a touch in imaging but that added body of note that the OCC849 just works better on the NEO5 especially if you like that warmer more musical tonality it can bring.

 

[Dsnuts]

Speaking of what more material does for a cable, I briefly removed the Asos+X from Voltage and tried it with Fan 3 today.

There was no surprise...it did exactly what it does for Voltage, it pushed out the stage causing the sound to come a little more out of the head, if that makes any sense.

Space is good enough imho, but it is a riot to try with Asos! Like a crazy good improvement. This cable has become my favorite Penon cable.

So far, the only cable that really outdoes what the Space cable do for the Fan3 is the ASOS+X.

However, it makes no sense to spend that much for the Fan3. Well, that is unless you like the Fan3 sound so much you want that extra bit of sound enhancement or for some of you crazy enough to spend just as much on a cable or more vs the actual earphones.

I will say ASOS+X + Fan3 is optimum Fan3 but the value of the Space cable and how it synergizes with the Fan3 is the better recommend.

 

[jotaerre]

I like the OCC849 on the NEO5. Adds greater note weight and stage. Gives the NEO5 a beefier sound which makes it even more musical sounding vs the CS02. CS02 has a slight edge in clarity and perhaps a touch in imaging but that added body of note that the OCC849 just works better on the NEO5 especially if you like that warmer more musical tonality it can bring.

I don't know if there is an audiophile dictionary on the forum, but for the newbies, what does "Adds greater note weight and stage".

Thanks!

 

[Ozboyblu]

I am most definitely looking forward to your Fan3 experiences. One friendly word of advice.

Take your time with them. Definitely burn them in with your music at listening levels for at least a few days stright, more imprtantly you have to acclimate to it. Dont know what song n dance you all do to clense your sound pallet. Maybe not listen to your favorites for a day and then take a listen to the Fan3. I know that all sounds strange but its not a typical IEM presenation. Think OPEN cans if your a headphone fan.

And eventually you will land on a random track from your source that will just blow your mind. Lol. That is what happened to me in several occasions.

There is no comparison from the stock OS133 to the Space cable. You guys can judge for yourself and you will understand if you compare what both these cables do.

If anything you guys will learn what more material does for a cable. The Space is a prime example of that. Once you go Space, there is no going back.

I too am really looking forward to everyone else’s experiences with the FAN 3.

This has been my experience also. Take your time. My first impression would have been different had I not given a little bit of time for my perception of the sound and my brain to catch up so to speak.

Definitely burn in for more than 24 hrs and definitely make sure your ear tip fit and shell placement to your inner ear are adjusted for your ear anatomy for the best results.

Sorry I’ve been absent of late, but I’ve had personal medical issues that caused me to shell out $1000 in Expenses , I’ll be back at some capacity and will have more to say soon about this on the discovery thread at some point.

Looking forward to more FAN 3 experiences. Though.

 

[Mikerules]

Are Fan3 hard to drive?

 

[Dsnuts]

Are Fan3 hard to drive?

Not at all. I do however notice they scale amazing to better quality sources. Amping them gives even a greater effect.

 

[Dsnuts]

I don't know if there is an audiophile dictionary on the forum, but for the newbies, what does "Adds greater note weight and stage".

Thanks!

Its one of the best subjective changes that can happen with adding thicker more substantial cables to your IEM sound. Penon OCC849 for example. You can detect greater note weight in vocals and instruments. Music sounds fuller more substantial vs sounding a bit thinner/ leaner when using the IEM stock cable or lesser cables is the best way to describe it. Stage expansion happens with cables with greater transparency and or the cables that enhance treble notes like pure silver cables.

Pure silver cables for example has a tendency to tighten bass notes and mids while sounding cleaner due to enhancing treble detail. Which as a result ends up sounding a bit leaner but pure silver brings out a lot of detial for upper mids and trebles hence giving you a more expanded stage presence. Going from a pure copper cable to a pure silver you should most definitely noticed the stage expanding when you hear your tracks. Thats just a fundamental example but I have plenty of higher end pure copper type cables that also expand a stage perception.

So when you add a cable that gives greater note weight for fuller sonics and enhanced stage. Think about what that does for your IEM sound. Music expands to a greater extent in all directions is another way of hearing it.
I have IEMs that sound thin out of the box, more neutral IEMs/ harmon IEMs can sound like that. Adding a note enhancing cable will add a synergistic element to that particular IEM.

Greater noteweight and expansion of stage is the two elements you want from a cable, then there are cables that specialize in enhancing detail elements, imaging, sound separation, a blacker space between intruments which ends up making your IEMs sound more vivid- Penon Renata. Penon Pyramid for example. These usually cost more than your garden variety of cables. But these cables as a side effect of greater transparency usually brings added note weight and stage enhancing elements as well.

 

[jotaerre]

Its one of the best subjective changes that can happen with adding thicker more substantial cables to your IEM sound. Penon OCC849 for example. You can detect greater note weight in vocals and instruments. Music sounds fuller more substantial vs sounding a bit thinner/ leaner when using the IEM stock cable or lesser cables is the best way to describe it. Stage expansion happens with cables with greater transparency and or the cables that enhance treble notes like pure silver cables.

Pure silver cables for example has a tendency to tighten bass notes and mids while sounding cleaner due to enhancing treble detail. Which as as result ends up sounding a bit leaner but pure silver brings out a lot of detial for upper mids and trebles hence giving you a more expanded stage presence. Going from a pure copper cable to a pure silver you should most definitely noticed the stage expanding when you hear your tracks. Thats just a fundamental example but I have plenty of higher end pure copper type cables that also expand a stage perception.

So when you add a cable that gives greater note weight for fuller sonics and enhanced stage. Think about what that does for your IEM sound. Music expands to a greater extent in all directions is another way of hearing it.
I have IEMs that sound thin out of the box, more neutral IEMs/ harmon IEMs can sound like that. Adding a note enhancing cable will add a synergistic element to that particular IEM.

Greater noteweight and expansion of stage is the two elements you want from a cable, then there are cables that specialize in enhancing detail elements, imaging, sound separation, a blacker space between intruments which ends up making your IEMs sound more vivid- Penon Renata. Penon Pyramid for example. These usually cost more than your garden variety of cables. But these cables as a side effect of greater transparency usually brings added note weight and stage enhancing elements as well.

Well, in great detail, thanks @Dsnuts. I will save this master class in my notebook to reread it as many times as I need. I have learned that YES, the cable has a great synergistic power and that, although it may seem paradoxical, it can be worth more than the IEM itself.

 

[LoryWiv]

Its one of the best subjective changes that can happen with adding thicker more substantial cables to your IEM sound. Penon OCC849 for example. You can detect greater note weight in vocals and instruments. Music sounds fuller more substantial vs sounding a bit thinner/ leaner when using the IEM stock cable or lesser cables is the best way to describe it. Stage expansion happens with cables with greater transparency and or the cables that enhance treble notes like pure silver cables.

Pure silver cables for example has a tendency to tighten bass notes and mids while sounding cleaner due to enhancing treble detail. Which as as result ends up sounding a bit leaner but pure silver brings out a lot of detial for upper mids and trebles hence giving you a more expanded stage presence. Going from a pure copper cable to a pure silver you should most definitely noticed the stage expanding when you hear your tracks. Thats just a fundamental example but I have plenty of higher end pure copper type cables that also expand a stage perception.

So when you add a cable that gives greater note weight for fuller sonics and enhanced stage. Think about what that does for your IEM sound. Music expands to a greater extent in all directions is another way of hearing it.
I have IEMs that sound thin out of the box, more neutral IEMs/ harmon IEMs can sound like that. Adding a note enhancing cable will add a synergistic element to that particular IEM.

Greater noteweight and expansion of stage is the two elements you want from a cable, then there are cables that specialize in enhancing detail elements, imaging, sound separation, a blacker space between intruments which ends up making your IEMs sound more vivid- Penon Renata. Penon Pyramid for example. These usually cost more than your garden variety of cables. But these cables as a side effect of greater transparency usually brings added note weight and stage enhancing elements as well.

Very well said sir. The only thing I'd add is that there can be "too much of a good thing" as note weight if excessive can muddy up a sound, and crisp note onset (attack) and then decay for example can add to enjoyment as well. Like all things audio, preference is key and YMMV.

 

[Dsnuts]

Very well said sir. The only thing I'd add is that there can be "too much of a good thing" as note weight if excessive can muddy up a sound, and crisp note onset (attack) and then decay for example can add to enjoyment as well. Like all things audio, preference is key and YMMV.

Oh yes I fully agree. Adding a sound expanding cable on a full board sounding IEM sometimes do make it sound muddy.

And here is where having a good variety of different types of cables matter. Especially if you are an eclectic listener and own a boat load of IEMs.

My general rule of thumb for best cable pairings has to do with the opposites. You want to stick with cables that do the opposite of what the actual sound is doing. Too much detail can fatigue so you get a warm full bodied cable to counter all that detail. An IEM with a lack of detail clearly needs a highly transparent cable to bring out some better detail elements.

Or sometimes you want a cable to not change anything about a sound but bring a greater stage. That would be the OS133 and Space cable.

You guys know why Fiio introduced a pro version of the FH5S IEM? And all it was, was a new copper based cable they introduced with the newer FH5S with and just called it a pro. Reason why they did that is because I was an early reviewer for that IEM and I pointed out just how much the included silver plated monocrystalline cable accentuated the treble notes of their IEMS. Which the FH5S out of the box did no favors for. I noticed with a cable change it sounded so much better balanced. The IEM already had ample trebles but they included a cable that accentuated the treble notes. Which is like throwing water on top of ice! Lol.

In any case cable syngery matters for best sonics. I totally agree, too much of a good thing on an IEM that is already highly technical is not actually ideal at times.