NiceHCK LitzPS Pro 8

These are the new LitzPS Pro 8 essentially an 8 cored version of their 4 core variant you can read about here. So the name says a lot about a cable firstly the cables are in Litz structure. Litz is described as a type of multi strand wire used to reduce the proximity effect. It consists of many strands individually insulated and twisted and woven together to equalize the proportion of the overall length. This has an effect of distributing transmission of signal equally among the wire strands, reducing the resistance. The PS stands for Pure Silver. Does a pure silver cable exist at this price? The answer to that is absolutely. I was provided with a chemical breakdown of the cable material by an independent materials lab. It states the purity is 99.998% pure. That my friends says it is pure.

Silver cables has become a staple for the earphone enthusiast. Nothing in cable land really portrays the transparency and clarity level of a pure silver cable. Up until recently did the pure silver cable actually has become affordable. If you look at the silver cables offered by the boutique dealer you get the price tag to match with the nice naming scheme. So what is the difference with NiceHCKs affordable pure silver cables and the much more expensive ones?

Actually there isn’t. One can argue it has to do with the type of silver. Well last time I checked. Silver Ag is silver. Is there such a thing as purer silver? Could be but charging you over $400 to get that purer silver cable makes little sense. Back to the task at hand. It was a surprise to see these cables being sold on NiceHCK web site and I got contacted soon thereafter to do a review for NiceHCK regarding these new 8 cored pure silver cables you can buy for a cool $40 spot, sometimes less depending on sales.

Which leads to my disclaimer. Ya I was flowed these cables for review purposes. You can buy you a set from here. Just so you know, I have no issues calling a spade a spade if a product I get is a bit on the gimpy side I will say so and why. Knowing this, I have to admit doing cable reviews is not as easy as you think. If the cables actually had no effect or benefit on your earphones than what is the purpose for their existence right? You might as well stick to your stock cables. Cables don’t drastically change how you hear your earphones. The sonic enhancements and changes are subtle however if you can get the right combination mix of a certain type of sound signature and the right cable, you get what we like to call synergy.

Synergistic aspects of cable rolling don’t mean just because you read a positive review it will match up perfectly with what you have. You have to have a good idea what you're aiming for in a sound enhancement using cables before you get yourself a cable. Best way to take something away from a cable review is read the sound description and what that particular cable has done for the host IEM it is attached to and the idea there is that it might do the same for your IEM especially if it is the same or similar type sound signature. Onward and upward.

Your pure silver cables and what it does for sonics are as follows. Silver provides the quickest signal path of any cable and this is a fact. What this speed does is it brings a clean window effect to your sonics. How this affects your earphones are your subtle details on your host earphones will be more cleaner clearer and you will get better detail retrieval of just about any earphone a silver cable is attached to. With that added detail level you get an expansion of stage perception as silver has a tendency to clean up more colored sounding earphones.

With the LitzPS Pro 8 we get your classic clean window effect when connected to your earphones. Cleaner, more detailed and better technicalities ensue for the host IEM. The earphone I used them on the most was my Penon Orb. It has a warm, smooth full bodied sound and some might complain that there is not enough treble emphasis on the tuning of the Orbs. With these silver cables I have no complaints at all for the treble. In fact treble comes in well balanced with the rest of the sound signature. One negative or positive depending on how you look at it is the overall tightening of the sonic signature which leads to better detail retrieval, better imaging, better stage and cleaner emphasis for the highs, tighter mid range and bass.

If your earphones have plenty of mids and bass emphasis with smooth treble as the Orbs do. Silver is the perfect match for a warmer fuller bodied sounding earphone. If your host phone already has a highly detailed resolving nature to the sound tuning. Using silver on these types of earphones makes little sense unless you prefer the brightest strident sound on the planet.

The build quality is never in question with NiceHCK cables. You might associate the shop with budget earphones but I will tell you there is nothing budget about their cables. In fact I hope to catch the eye of some of you guys that own higher end pure silver cables and give one of these cables a try for your next earphones. You just might realize your expensive pure silver cables are not the value you thought they were. The all metal accessories are solid as their plugs and connectors with a chin slider that actually works. These parts might not be “boutique.” but you aren’t paying boutique prices either. Functional clean and will last a good long while, I have no doubts about that.

The shiny tight weave of the LitzPS pro is very well done, soft, bendable, never heavy and you can tell it was a professional that made these cables. You're getting a much better build and components than what you're gonna pay to own a set. So what is the difference between the 4 core variant and the new pro 8 core version?

Going back and forth with the two cables reveal the reason why an 8 core variant exists. There is greater headroom and expansion of sonics with the 8 core version meaning sound becomes a bit larger with more fuller body of sound than the 4 core. Due to the more cores you're not exactly getting double the sound value here but it does make a difference with better depth and expansion of head stage, better sense of space overall from the host IEM vs the 4 core version. Bass and vocals does seem to have a bit more presence as a result. If that seem worth it to you to get an 8 core version for double the pay of the 4 core version. Than it will be worth it.

The 8 cored version here is clearly pushing a value statement. Where you gonna get a Litz pure silver cable that is an actual Litz pure silver cable in 8 cores for $40? Beyond the value, what silver cables do for your dull sounding earphones is like taking a power washer to your dirty car. It is always good to have a set of pure silver cables for your earphones especially if you own more than a few sets. As always thanks for taking the time to read and always happy listening.

Penon Obsidian

Everyone knows by now Penon produces higher end IEM cables among other audio goods they sell on their site. It was their cables that initially drew me to the company. I bought several of their cables in the past and that led me to hear their IEMs. Much of what Penon produces is very methodical and well thought out. They are certainly not a company that randomly makes items for the masses and hopes it sells well. That does not seem to be the Penon philosophy.

The Obsidian is their newest Penon branded IEM cable and at its core is roughly 400 cores of Ohno Continuous Cast, higher grade of copper cable but then they added something in the mix to throw in a hint of coloration via gold plating and what you end up getting is something like a super copper cable. I know 2 cores does not seem much in the mix here but I feel it was done intentionally as a design more than just throwing in some random different cores. The connectors and terminations also happen to be gold plated copper as well adding to how the cables influence the sound of your IEMS. .

With that, the Obsidian was provided for review purposes by Penon audio. If you feel the need to grab yourself a higher end copper cable you can look up their page here. The Obsidian has been used with a variety of IEMs and sources. This report here are the end results of what these cables do.

Cables for IEMs are for the hard-core enthusiasts that want to squeeze out that last bit of synergistic aspects to their favorite in ears and in my review, I will relay what I feel these cables are good for and what type of coloration they lean toward. Coloration is best described as making a tonal or sound change to the base sound of an IEM. I know there are plenty of non-believers in cables that think your random $20 cable will be the same as something like the $150 Obsidian I am writing about here. But there must be a reason why the Obsidian cost the way they do right? If you're the type that thinks cables do nothing for a sound signature. Then you best be reading another review. This review is about Obsidian and why they cost $150.

Tendencies Obsidian.
Of pure copper cables is one of musicality, warmth, fullness, dynamism and naturalness. I don't mean to say your IEMs will get all these aspects from a cable and will suddenly change to these aspects but more the cable enhances these areas of sound or influences the sound with these aspects. Then there is the added gold plating on a few cores. What does that do?

It adds a touch of coloration for the copper and is the anti-pure silver effect to cables. Pure silver brings out the best detail and technical aspects of earphone tunings. Gold plating for cables darken a sound adding a richer tonal quality. However, it can come out as being a bit too much for the host IEM as this might color the tonal qualities in the wrong direction. Last thing you want is for your warm sounding IEMs to sound even darker. For a gold-plated cable to be truly versatile, it can’t be 100% cores being gold plating. I noticed cables that partially uses gold platings end up being much more versatile in the long run. I have done reviews of gold-plated cables in the past and unless you have a gold plating on pure silver which yields an interesting mix of richer tonal character over a highly technical presentation. Not to mention the sheer cost of such cables. Look here about the Penon golden Armour, gold plating on copper is more common but yields something that becomes a niche type of cable for example the Penon GD849 cable is an 8 core OCC cable plated in 18k gold you can read about here. It certainly looks more premium with all that gold plating; however, it turns out that the cheaper gold-plated cable in the GS849 with only 1/2 of its 8 cores plated in gold is the more versatile cable than the GD849 with all of its cores plated in that glorious 18k gold here.

You figure more is better, right? Well, when it comes to gold plating, not really. All that gold plating on pure copper adds a bit too much a darker tonal quality to an IEM changing the tonality a bit too much. Take an IEM with a lot of bass emphasis that has a warm tuning. Something like the Shozy SCB2. That IEM with something like the GD849 is a no no.

This is what I mean by niche cable. Only good for certain types of sound profiles. Of course, the idea with such synergistic aspects with cable match ups is that once you do match up with the right cable for your IEMs that is when the sound will become optimum.

Back to the Obsidian. Which only has a few cores of the mentioned gold plating. This in return only gives a slight hint of that darker tonal effect to its host IEM. That is a good thing my friends. The Obsidian is mostly pure OCC copper in what it does. It does add more weight to notes, it does influence a fuller bass line. It does not enhance treble notes. Them added few cores of gold plating and you get a more natural more textured tonal effect for vocals and instruments alike. A slightly richer take on your sound profile with an increase of fullness and dynamism, What not to like about that?

Music becomes fuller, thicker, more dimensional, more body with better texture is what the Obsian does. Oh I forgot the Obsidian also happens to be Penons first set of modular cables. I think all their cables will eventually get the modular treatment from this point forward. One set of cables to rule them all. You just have to pull out the bottom 2/3rds of the plug and replace them with another that you need. It is easier than most modular set ups as there are no twisting caps involved. It is a 4 pin plug n play set up and will only fit with a notch on one side so no way of messing up the plug in and out process. Since it is using 4 holes there is no way these will accidentally fall out of place either. So the setup is tight and works as intended. Works out to be very good for people like me who use a variety of DAPs or sources. Excellent ease of use for its modularity there.

The Obsidian is certainly an exotic looking cable with its darker sheathing finish with some of the gold plated cores that you can see from the outer PVC finish on them. Not the best as far as flexibility or pliability but not bad here as they are a 4 cored cable composed of 100 shares each core. I also appreciate that Penon does not use unnecessary ear guides for most of their cables. Cables just feel more comfortable being draped around my ears with no ear guides for me. Each Obsidian cable is hand made to Penon specs and you will most certainly get a high quality cable in the process. Continuing on the gold plated theme. Yes, even the connectors and terminations have an influence on your sound. These are all gold plated copper material further adding to the musicality of the Obsidian cable.

Testing the Obsidian cable, the best matchups for the Obsidian cable are neutral, bright, treble first and overall balanced IEMs. The Obsidian will work extremely well with BA or hybrid type of IEMs. The idea of matching up a musical enhancing cable like the Obsidian is for analytical, bright or detailed IEMs that seems a bit rigid in its presentations.

Matching the Obsidian to one of the more brighter tuned IEMs I have done a review for, the Tansio Mirai Sands. This match up is ideal in that the Obsidian enhances its mids to bass presence while bringing a smother richer treble response. This is in comparison to its stock cable that enhances brightness a bit too much for my liking.

Another well matching IEM for the Obsidian is the new Penon Fan 2. Absolutely superb match up as it increases body of notes, enhancing a richer tonal quality for its mids. Fan 2 is more of a neutrally tuned IEM and as so the Obsidian enhances note weight and presence from bass to mids and once again with a smoother treble quality adding a slight darkening of the trebles. Fan2 as a result sounds more natural and dynamic using the Obsidian.

Absolutely superb on the ISN H50. I seen some posts of former owners of the ISN H50 that was complaining about how the H50 is not as organic sounding as some of the Penon counterparts. Well the Obsidian is the answer to that. It brings the H50 sound quality to a completely different level adding a very similar effect to how it did for the Fan2. The synergy with the H50 is clearly there. H50 now has a body of note that was missing from the base cable. Bass impact has increased. Sound more emotive and its tonal qualities sees an improvement across the board.

The Obsidian works with warmer tuned IEMs if you prefer that warmth but generally with warm tuned IEMs, technical enhancing cables like pure silver- or silver-plated copper type cables are what I personally prefer.

You want to go the opposite of how your IEM sounds for a better matching synergistic aspects for your IEMs.

In the end
The Obsidian is yet another well-made cable from the sound guys at Penon. The Obsidian is only partially gold plated which brings out a slightly richer tonal character to the host IEMs with the base cores being a higher end of pure copper cable. This in turn makes the Obsidian a more versatile cable vs the 100% gold plated cables. One thing I discovered about Penon is that they do things on purpose, so these were deliberately made to bring a slightly richer musical enhancing abilities for copper cables. The Obsidian is a great new cable from Penon and if you have an IEM that you feel might need some added musicality, slight warmth, a richer tone and enhancing the dynamic qualities of an IEM you have to consider the Obsidian. Now with modular plugs. Thanks for taking the time to read.

Penon Fan2

Not often do we get Penon made IEMs and the Fan2 happens to be the latest offering from the group that keeps on making premium in ears. The Fan2 consists of 4 drivers in an all resin build. The build you should be familiar with but the actual shape of the housing is new. Its got the longest stem of any of the recent Penon offerings for one. This seems to give an added effect of stage with better passive isolation. Will share more thoughts on that later but for now, inside the new medium sized shell are 2x 6mm dynamics and 2 BAs. More specifically a Sonion BA doing the mids and a Knowles BA doing the treble.That leaves the two sets of dynamics handling the bass.

From a design standpoint I have always advocated the use of smaller dynamics to handle bass. Contrary to popular belief, just because a dynamic is smaller in size does not mean it will have smaller bass. It has everything to do with tuning more than physical size for drivers. In the headphone space I have owned plenty of 40mm dynamic headphones out punch and out rumble larger 50mm dynamic headphones. I suppose it's the idea of a bigger driver gives you bigger slam. I found out the two sets of 6mm dynamics are both handling the bass frequencies in unison. Kinda like a dual push pull system for bass. Penon is using their latest biological dynamic with what they claim has a crystal plating.

Apparently, humidity can affect a biological dynamic, hence the need for a “crystal plating.” Which is a newly revised version of the biological dynamic Penon has used for their prior IEMs. My experience with biological dynamics is that it does bass splendidly well for IEMs. Will get into that later in the bass descriptor but for now just know you're getting the latest and greatest from Penon tech.

The Penon Fan2 was provided for the purpose of a review. You can read more about them and purchase a set here. The Fan2 has been burned in for a weeks period and are now ready for evaluation using my sources. IBasso DX300Max, IBasso DX160, Shanling M6 pro, Shanling M5S, Fiio BTR7, Fiio K3 2021, IFI Gryphon, IFI Signature.

What you get/ build
The Penon Fan2 comes with a new medium sized rectanglish 3”x4” clamshell type zip up case with a soft formed lining for the earphones and cable to be more secure inside. If you don't need or want the lining you can take it out of the case for more room if you wish. Accessories include two sets of silicones, a cleaning tool and clip. Accessories are standard fare here and nothing too spectacular. Overall just ok with usable tips. The cable on the other hand clearly makes up for any shortcomings for the accessories. The highly regarded OS133 makes a debut as an included cable offering with the Fan2 which matches splendidly with the sonic qualities. The cable will come in any termination when ordering.

I spoke briefly about the new resin housing and I have to write about this new shape. It clearly has the longest nozzle of any of the Penon resin designs. Some pros and cons of this design is that it forces the user to have a deeper insertion into the ears. Witch unto itself is not a bad thing if you're used to using IEMs. However the nozzle shape is slightly awkward in that it points at a downward angle. I have a friend who has owned and heard 100s of IEMs and he finds the Fan2 new resin housing a bit uncomfortable for him. I happen to have a larger ear than him so they seem fine for me. This guy owns numerous other Penon IEMs so this was a bit of a surprise to me. But I can understand due to the new housing shape. This longer nozzle also seem to cause a variation of its sound based on tip selection. These do seem to be more tip dependent than most. If you find the mid bass to be a bit much or too little with too much treble it might be due to how they fit for you so you have to experiment with different type of tips more so on the Fan2 than most. It was clearly designed for a deeper insertion so know this before experimenting.

Sound design and technicals.
As stated, Penon is very deliberate in everything they design. There was a prior FAN IEM they created that was a single dynamic design. Fan series of earphones, I can call them now are named as such as they design these for their audiophile audience. Therefore the name FAN. With the 2nd iteration of the FAN design we go from a dynamic IEM to a hybrid in the Fan2. Fan2 is the most neutrally tuned Penon IEM and I do believe was designed about the same time as the new ISN H30 which interestingly enough also happens to be a neutrally tuned IEM. You can read my review of the ISN H30 here. The Fan2 is very similar in many ways to the H30 design. They both use two BAs. Possibly the same BAs, not certain but they have differences in their tunings. Both are neutrally tuned IEMs but with the obvious design differences being their dynamic drivers.

The other difference is how the Fan2 was tuned to be a higher end IEM vs the H30. Fan2s neutral balanced tuning has a more refined extended treble tuning vs the H30. Its bass has greater definition. Mids are the most similar between the two IEMs as well as the actual balancing for the frequencies. The use of a slightly larger shell, and how the treble was tuned with a dual dynamics on tap doing the bass. The Fan2 is basically a higher end ISN H30.

The Fan2 technicalities are standard of Penon fame. Meaning they use quality components and drivers for their designs.Technicalities are some of the best for the bucks always.. Trebles with a different better balanced tuning focus with better extension, bass which is tighter, a touch better defined, speedier and then using a larger shell vs the H30 seems to give the Fan 2 even a wider sense of stage, airier trebles, an airier sound. That wider sense of stage and space makes for a different level of immersion. A different level of earphone. It seems Penon tunes for the given price points they sell their IEMs for. The Fan2s sound profile being neutral has everything in moderation with no particular parts of the tuning that stands out above the others. Excellent balancing, has very good definition both macro and micro, imaging in space with good timbre be it BA timbre, sound separation, very good cohesion, neutral tonality with a hint of richness. Excellent well defined, tight and speedy bass impact with good rumble and texture for its price level. Very good stereo separation, excellent wider stage with a moderate depth for IEMs. Fan2 is fan service for their patrons.

Trebles.
The trebles of the Fan2 were tuned differently from the similarly neutral ISN H30. Here is where treble tunging makes for a different level of IEM. The Fan2s treble tunging is the opposite of the H30s mid treble focus. The Fan2s treble focus is more at the heart of the lower trebles and then a nice treble extension for the upper trebles. It does have the Penon classic anti sibilance/fatigue free dip at around 8-9Khz. Which was the actual focus for the trebles for the ISN H30. Micro detailing for the trebles could be a touch better but for the most part the better balanced trebles of the Fan2 injects air to the treble frequencies. Excellent crisp macro detailing and is easily the more refined treble experience. One of the best aspects for Penon branded IEMs is to expect fatigue free trebles for their IEMs and this is at the heart of their treble presentations.

I have seen some rumblings of enthusiasts that have posted that would like more of the 8Khz presence for the brilliance factor. It isn’t that Penon neuters the area altogether. It is not as emphasized as the other regions of the tuning. This makes for better versatility. Ask a rock and metal listener how they like the 8Khz spike and more than likely they will tell you it is not pleasant to get a whole helping heaping of crash cymbals in your ears. I would like to think Penon knows what they are doing in that regard and it shows for their IEMs. The trebles overall are handled splendidly with the single Knowles treble BA. The treble blends in seamlessly with the mids presentation.

Mids of the Fan2 are affected from the better treble and bass tunings of the Fan2. Mids sound broader, somehow deeper and airier sounding vs the similarly tuned ISN H30. The mids are the meat and bones of the Penon tuned IEM and here we get an excellent Sonion BA handling the mids duties for the Fan2. Mids come with one of the better imaging aspects for IEMs. The Sonion BAs are amazing for mids due to their tonal qualities. This is reflected in the Fan2 richer tonal presentation. It does sound like a different Sonion BA that is being used vs the Orbs, Globes and Volts. Can’t confirm this but it is probably due to having moderate bass ends on the Fan2 vs the others mentioned that use the Sonion BA. Mids have excellent neutral clarity and presence in all parts of the mids bands. Utilizing roughly 6dbs of upper mid pinna gain, the Fan2 has just enough to really balance out the mids presentation while injecting a very good clear definition for the mids. It wouldn’t be a Penon tuned IEM without a dimensional character and you get that with the Fan2 as well. Penons mids presentations are emotive with their deliberate use of the Sonion BA. And I can say there are not many really neutrally tuned Penon IEMs. The Fan2 is now the closest to a neutrally tuned IEM even over the Serials.

Bass
The two 6mm crystal plated biological dynamics handling the bass has about roughly 6dbs of bass. You can see the balancing of the 3 types of drivers here with the Fan2. 6dbs is really the bare minimum for a neutrally tuned IEM. Anything lower than that and the bass will start to sound anemic and lack in impact. I know 6dbs of bass does not seem much but for a neutrally tuned IEM it is right at the moderate level of bass in all aspects related to bass. Here is where the level of bass presence is identical to that of the recent ISN H30 hybrid. Both sets are focused more for mid bass vs the sub bass presence. Which is OK but I would have liked to see the Fan2 have just a bit more in the sub bass.

Where the slight lack of emphasis is made up is in the sheer quality of the bass performance on the Fan2. Fan2 has a tight well defined bass presentation. Which is exactly what you want from a neutrally tuned IEM. Its bass tonality is natural with excellent transient and speed qualities for dynamic bass. Percussion sets especially sound excellent for the Fan2. It has a moderate level of rumble for sub bass. All of their prior made IEMs for Penon has more emphasis for bass. However to get a greater bass presence your best copper based cables and tips apply here. Bass has plenty of impact and its cohesion with the BAs are done well. I have heard plenty of hybrid IEMs where the bass sounds different altogether from the BAs it is using. Not so with the Fan2. The idea of using a hybrid is to get the natural bass impact and rumble of the dynamic vs the tight clean well defined BA presentation. You get just this with the Fan2 as the bass integration is nicely done. Sure I would have liked to see just a bit more emphasis for the bass but as far as the overall balancing goes. The Fan2 is the very definition of balance.

In the end
The Fan2 is yet another nicely designed hybrid from Penon. It actually fits in perfectly with their current line up as it is the most neutrally tuned Penon IEM out of the bunch. It is the one area they have not really explored in the past. I suppose the Serials come the closest to the Fan2 but those are differently designed altogether. Even their flagship Volts and Legends are more colored in comparison. Its overall tuning is clearly a Penon version of the neutral tuning. You will never see an analytical type tuning from Penon. Well balanced and refined yes but bright neutral will never happen. Penon IEMs are all about listening to music and that includes bass genres. I own bass first hybrid IEMs where it will pound your ear drums into submission if need be. The Fan2 is not it. While being very versatile due to its outstanding balancing the Fan2 is not the IEM I would choose for bass genres..They sound surprisingly capable for bass genres it's just that that is not their strongest strength. Fan2 still shows good versatility and you know it is a Penon made IEM when mids are clearly some of the better aspects for the IEM. Vocals sound superb be it male or female, acoustic tracks sound fantastic, punchy for pop and is surprising just how well it does for Jazz, orchestral and rock music.

Penon Obsidian cable shown.

The all-resin design Penon uses are outstanding for their solid nature. The new Fan2 has one of the longer nozzles that sit on a medium housing. This makes the Fan2 have a deeper insertion of the ears and seems to present the Fan2 sound with an outstanding sense of a wider stage for IEMs with added sense of a greater passive isolation. The Fan2s neutral tuning gives precedence for accuracy and detail which bodes well for a versatile listen. The included cable for the Fan2 is the highly regarded Penon OS133 cable in any termination you want. You can read about the cable here. The cable matches amazingly well with the Fan2 sound signature but like all good things that are made well. A higher end aftermarket cable brings out even better performance for the Fan2. If you're in the market in search for a well made, excellent sounding neutrally tuned hybrid. Penon just released a very competitive and compelling product in the Fan2. Thanks for taking the time to read.

Fan2 optimiazed. IFI Gryphon+ Penon Obsidian+ Fan2+ Spiral dots.

Penon ASOS

8cores, 25 strands per core, silver plated single crystal copper & alloy copper. PVC wire sheath
W Carbon fiber accents for plugs and accessories.

A sound chain is described as the elements connected to your ear speaker that influence how we hear from said ear speaker. Be it the source, the amp, the cable, the tips carefully chosen to get the best seal in the ear for the best sound. If you skimp on one aspect of what is on your sound chain. It might be the difference of why some love a sound and some don’t. In our hobby, everything counts from the type of music files to the type of drivers used in the IEM that will determine if we get a nice sound experience or not. This goes without saying but a cable as minor or as important as you think does make a difference. Let's say you got all the parts right except you're using the included cable on your IEMs as much as you are a believer of cables or not. Will pique your interest when reviews say this or that cable makes a big difference.

OK so I am guilty of being one of them reviewers. I own and have used too many cables to count to say that they don’t make much of a difference. I am a firm believer of cables enhancing or detracting a sound. The last thing you want is a cable that detracts from a sound. Believe me a lot of the included cables with todays IEMs do no justice to exactly how good your IEMs can sound. This being said the new cable from Penon is yet another serious option for cable land and I will go into details why.

The newest cable from Penon is a stunner. First and foremost. It is a substantial cable. Looks to be about 24Awg in thickness meaning it is Chonky one. 8 thicker cores of the stuff. The ASOS is a mix of two types of silver plated copper. Alloy copper and crystal copper both with a healthy plating of silver then it is finished off in Penons 3-1 modular plug system.

Just like the local amphitheater with the high school rock wars going on. There is a lot of heavy METAL going on here. If you're not into your heavier thicker IEM cables I would look into a 4 cored variety for the rest of you who don’t mind a thicker more substantial cable. Keep reading.

Even though the ASOS is clearly in the thick and chonky IEM cable category. It is rurpisingly pliable meaning it wont take on much memory if at all. It is how they look with your IEMs that will get the sound geek in you praising to the high heavens how good that looks. Case in point! ( ASOS w Dome pictured above.)

The ASOS RP goes for $169 and at this price these are a relative bargain and here is my reasoning for why I feel that way. These are comparable to some of Penons competition that sells their version of the silver plated copper cable at almost double the price. I should know as I actually did reviews for said competition at almost double the price..

Cables that cost over the magical $100 mark has to be more substantial over what is included with your IEMs. It has to be a cable that once connected to an IEM. Should be more than “ well I think I hear a difference.” There has to be a definitive. “ WOW I hear a difference!” Because let's get real. You can buy a decent IEM for that price which includes a throw in cable and if you're not a believer in cables, that cable they threw in for free is just as good right? Might as well get the IEM instead. So that money spent has to actually improve an IEM sound. Why would you buy a cable if it doesn't? Just for looks?.

The ASOS will improve your sound. In what way you ask? The sound changes/ enhancements are as follows. Using the Night Oblivian Butastur/ Penon Dome/ Penon Impacts.

-Stange enhancement in all axis including depth of sound.

Yes, these cores are thick and thicker cores enhance stage especially with a healthy dose of silver in the mix. It will be the first thing you notice when connected to the ASOS. In the headphone game you have to have a completely different type of headphone an open CAN in order for better stage perception but for IEMs which by default is a much more intimate experience enhancing stage with a cable change is out right magical. Tell me an IEM that sounds better with a more narrower stage? Of course, we want a more expanded stage and I am happy to report. Much like all great cables do these will enhance the sense of stage perception in all directions.

-Enhance note weight.

Note weight? Ya that is the difference in hearing your thinner sounding IEM vs a thicker fuller bodied sounding IEM. The ASOS due to its ability to enhance the overall picture of your sound also has a side effect of thickening the notes your hearing. And that is a good thing. Nothing ruins a natural timbre for sound like thinner notes. This is the source of all things “brittle”. Never heard a true earphone fan say they love a thinner sound. If so than you have very specific taste in how you want to hear your music. Nothing wrong with that per se but just know you're not going to hear much thinness using the ASOS.

-Enhances technicalities

Imaging, sound separation, definition of the sound all of it will be enhanced and in cases where you are comparing the ASOS vs copper type cables will have better clarity. The ASOS is a much more transparent cable than what is included with most IEMs so this is something to be expected. This effect has a relation to the more substantial note weight and sense of stage. That sound your hearing is now more expansive and denser so what was once perceived as a certain level of imaging for example also expands. Which also has a side effect of increasing how your hearing the smaller details from your music. It will be easier to hear vs your cable.

-Best of pure silver and copper?

Yes indeed. Copper enhances dynamism from your IEMs and adds greater note weight and warmth. Pure silver helps with the technicalities; stage, imaging, clarity and details. Here you get the mix of both elements and while you might see a lot of cables with this particular mix. Not all SPC types are the same. The ASOS is clearly playing at a different level for these types of cables and hence they are priced competitively for what they are.

Penon sees these being an upgrade on the classic do it all OS849 and the Orbit. I have to agree. While these 3 cables share some similarities in their make up the new ASOS includes an extra type of silver plated copper, alloy copper. Which seems to be in the vein of higher transparent coppers. Cheaper version of the UPOCC cables? Could be. Which brings me back to the cables I feel they are very comparable to

That is Effect Audios Cadmus 8w. This cable goes for almost double that of the ASOS and for a good reason. It is using some of the purest most transparent copper type for cables in the UPOCC base cores also plated in pure silver. The Cadmus 8wire is imo the best of the signature series as it is the most versatile out of the 3 cables that was introduced over a year ago.

For my own curiosity I had to compare the two using the Impacts.

Going back and forth from the ASOS and the Cadmus 8w I have to say the general technical enhancing abilities on both sets of cables are at very similar levels here. I will say the Cadmus has just a smidge more in the way of stage width wise but that is due to the mids not being as dense as it is using the ASOS which also has a bit more note weight over the Cadmus 8w. Cadmus 8w brings a bit more for sound separation but otherwise if you compared these two in a blind test you're going to have a very tough time telling these two apart in both form and sound.

Out of the box listening using the ASOS I was thinking about the Cadmus 8w. These are brothers from another mother. No question which cable here has the leg up in value. The differences on both these are more like splitting hairs than obvious differences in cable abilities and that says something about the ASOS. No question these are an upgrade on the OS849.

Vs the OS849.
The ASOS brings a different level of detail for the Impact sound profile. Treble sounds a touch more articulate because of the transparent nature of the ASOS. It gets a touch more fullness/ note weight over the OS849. OS849 is a well balanced classic SPC type cable that has been a favorite cable of mine ever since I did a review for it long time ago. It is the OS849 that is the gateway to higher end cables and the beginning for diminishing returns in cable land. So Penon got the pricing right, a more transparent OS849? That is very much what the ASOS represents.

Overall
The new ASOS is one of those cables that will be a mainstay for audiophiles that are looking for value in an IEM cable. It is most definitely versatile and will upgrade any IEM you throw on them. Its transparent ability is actually greater than what Penon is selling them for. Comparable to some of the best SPC type cables in the market sold for almost double. The ASOS drawbacks is that it is a chonky boy very similar to the Cadmus 8w which is a 24awg cable.
Otherwise these are extremely handsome accessory and sound enhancing cable that will go with just about any type of IEM. Yet another excellent cable by Penon Audio.

Cadmus 8w

A new IEM to me is something that comes and goes but a substantial cable will stay with me through the years. Recent Signature series has brought 3 great cables to the market. How do you improve upon what's been established? Well you can start by giving me more. More of what makes the cables excellent. Turn a 4 cored cable to an 8 core and now we are talking serious higher end cable. A good thing is always cherished by the enthusiasts among the community and for folks that enhance their IEMs using metallurgy in the form of cables. It is debatable which sibling of the 3 signature series cables is the most popular. I am sure EA knows but I have a good feeling they are all pretty popular.

My favorite out of the 3 is the Cadmus. I am sure you have seen plenty of readers about the 3 cables and how they all enhance your favorite IEMs but for me there is no question which one gets the most use. I even put it out there. I wished there was an 8 wire version.

Wish granted. What you guys are seeing is the 8 wire version of the Cadmus. Why is that important? Well for one that is double the material count. If you are into your cables you know why that is important. This brings a different level of sophistication to what these cables do. What was good with a 4 wired version is not doubled.

Who wants to eat a porterhouse steak that is thin?. I want that meat thick and juicy. The 8 wire cadmus is exactly this. Upon first listen I was greeted with a sound expansion that while the 4 wired version did to a similar effect, but not quite at the level of the 8 wire. Music is given depth, stage and a dimensional aspect the 4w version does not quite do.

I have always believed in thicker cored cables. I have seen folks post about how they want light thin wires cables as they dont like thick cables. I am actually the opposite. I am a huge fan of cables that have a lot of material thrown in. Reason for this. If the material is gold? Why not get a healthy double dose serving of it?

And that is exactly what the 8w cadmus is about. There is simply more to love. I know exactly what the 4w version does and it is still one of my most used cables ever since EA has introduced me to their handy work. But I have to say, the 8w version came out just brilliantly.

The 8w Cadmus has to be one of the best silver plated copper cables in existence. I know EA has much higher end cables but folks if you liked what Cadmus was doing for your IEMs. Then what the 8w does will blow your mind.

How do they help shape your IEMs sound? Silver plated copper cables are a staple among enthusiasts and not all SPC cables are the same. Arguably the most versatile type of IEM Cables. I own a boat load of similar type cables and none of them quite approach what the 8w cadmus does for my IEMs.

I am an IEM reviewer so I get to know each and every IEM I write about and once in a while I get a cable that will clearly enhance everything about an IEM sound signature. Enhance it in a way that makes your standard IEM into something almost completely different and we are not talking about a downgrade folks.

Cadmus 8w, a work of art.
Light cable enthusiasts need not apply. Cus the 8w Cadmus is double the material. However the standard cadmus is no push over, if you want something a bit lighter, I have no reservations recommending the standard 4w version, but if you want a cable that makes your IEMs sound the absolute best they can be, the 8w version to me is special. I have tried easily a dozen IEMs using the 8w and it enhances all of it. What it does for your IEMs are as follows. Some more, some a bit less but this is pretty much consistent across my testing thus far.

-enhances stage perception in all directions.. Go back to using your older cables and your headstage will not be as big, note weight not as substantial. Including the 4w version.

-enhances imaging with added dimensional aspects. It's not just the stage that gets fuller and grander; your sound is better separated with an uptick in 3D ness and imaging of your music.

-enhances detail aspects. That better separation with a clean background lets you hear the little micro details in your music easier as you get that better separation.

-enhances in most cases with a richer tonal character. The foundational aspect of the Cadmus is its superior copper cores. Which as a result

-enhances texture of instruments and vocal performances.

-enhances timbre. What you thought was a good natural timbre for your music out of your IEMs needs a bit of added space for it to be even better try the 8w Cadmus.

-enhances dynamism, that beefier sound your hearing comes with this added benefit.
Which includes a punchier bass presence.

-enhances details for the treble adding a bit of air and space to its presence the handy work of all the silver content of the Candmus 8w.

-most importantly will enhance any type if IEM you attach it to as it should.

While the 4w does these aspects to a certain degree, you get double the effects and much easier noticed more so with the 8w no question that in this case, more is indeed better.

Penon OSG.

Sometimes we get in our hobby new and innovative offerings and while most folks are ok with their normal conventions sometimes thinking outside the box can yield some surprising results. Today we are looking into the newest hybrid type IEM cable from the cable wizards at Penon. If you go into this one with an open mind and read the results of these cables I am certain Penon is onto something completely new in the realm of cables. If you are a snake oil guy. You shouldn't read any of what I have to say. Cus to you it is all snake grease anyway right?

The Penon OSG stands for OCC crystal copper Silver plating with GRAPHENE. Ya you read right. We have the world's first graphene infused IEM cable. Before you start up the torches and sharpen the pitchforks. Here me out and again the disclaimer here is that you read on with an open mind. You can purchase the Penon OSG on their web site here. The OSG was provided for the purpose of review.

Sure you say why not. There are crazier things in audio. Upon reading lengthy descriptions of the properties of graphene. As you should know graphene is a carbon based material that is used in a large variety of ways. One of which actually is used for speakers. Before this cable I only seen graphene used in some earphone dynamic drivers which yields some great results actually. Carbon based dynamics is not uncommon; you will see carbon nanotubes, carbon like diamond coatings, graphene dynamics but this is the first time it has been infused in a cable.

So Penon figured out that Graphene of all materials has a positive effect in a cable and if it wasn’t effective why would they charge $310 for a set of these for them to be a fail? The answer to that is they wouldn’t. Is it madness or genius?

Workmanship of all Penon cables are tops in my book. They all not only look premium but feel and function perfectly. The attention to detail on these cables are tops and everything down to the connector is of a premium grade. Using premium silver solder and rhodium plated plugs. These are every bit the high end cable. So looks and premium accessories on the cable aside. What does the cable do?

We buy cables to match up with our favorite earphones and for me it has been my Solaris for a long time. However the Solaris is not an easy earphone to synergize with cables. Not as easy as you would think. I always find a cable for the earphone and try a different cable and depending on my mood they have subtle but varying effects on the sonics. I threw on the OSG on my Solaris and it was the first time I heard the Solaris sound this good. At first I couldn't point out what exactly it was that made them sound so good. Solaris by default has a great balanced tuning with some outstanding stage and detail to the sonics.

The crazy thing was it wasn’t immediately apparent but the more and more I listened to the Solaris with the OSG. It became very evident. I was looking for possible effects on treble or bass or a fuller mid section but it wasnt that. It was the detail of the music that was jumping out even more so. Hmm so the next earphone I attached them to was my Luna. And what you know. The detail aspect of the sonics on the Luna as well was jumping out at me.

5 earphones and a good week's worth of listening just using the cables and other in ears. It was clearly apparent to me. These cables enhance music notes. A blacker background can be perceived and that air around notes become more apparent. Detail from the bass notes to the treble becomes highlighted. Treble detail becomes more crystalline/ distinct in form, Vocals pop and seem to have more range, bass notes become more rounded and better defined. Because of the blacker background all notes associated with listening to the earphones become even more apparent.

Going back to the cable I was using on my Solaris was really when I noticed the most difference. Now I have no choice but to stick with the OSG with one of my favorites. Anything less and I can’t get that same sound again. Needless to say it will be staying with my Solaris for the foreseeable future.

It seems to me graphene actually enhances the effects of the other materials it is fused with. In this case, the OSG is mostly silver plated copper. The cable now has become a super SPC cable. I did a few hours of comparing the OSG with one of Penons own best SPC cable the OS849. On one aspect the OSG gives a similar tone and enhancement of the sonic properties of the OS849 but the clear difference is that instrument separation and note definition. OS849 just didn’t have the same effect. There is a reason why these cables cost almost 3X more.

In the end it is a hard sell to pay so much for an accessory item and I have to admit cables like the OSG are for the hard core that want to squeeze every bit of sonics out of your earphones. Once you try these cables it is tough going back to whatever you had cus it will not be the same. Penon has done it again and this time something completely new and possibly revolutionary in cable land. I had to admit I was a bit skeptical myself when I first heard about these cables but I am not a skeptic anymore. The proof is in the sonics. My Solaris will not be able to use any other cable now.

I only wish I had a few more sets of these to use with my other earphones.
If your in the market for a true audiophile grade cable for your earphones. I can’t think of a better cable to get than the OSG. These have quickly become my number one cable as no other cable I have used before it does the same thing.

Some enhance treble and tighten the bass while giving out better stage. Some warms up the mid range and gives a fuller bigger punch to the bass. But I have yet to experience a cable that actually enhances instrument separation and promotes better dynamic range to the sonics. These are the first. As unique as the material being used the cables have a unique effect but one you never knew you would appreciate until you try it on your best earphones. As always happy listening.

Fiio FD7

A few surprises have come from Fiio this year and none more surprising than their new FD7. Their dynamic series has arguably been some of the best earphones the group have made and it seems Fiio has been hard at work to bring the enthusiast their highest end dynamic earphones in the new FD7. I am starting to see a certain design and sound philosophy of what Fiio has been doing with their dynamic series of earphones. Fiios house sound always includes some semblance of balance utilizing a variation of the V shaped signature, always includes bass for their tunings and best of all they seem to always try to improve on what they have established from their past designs. That my friends, is a good sign that they care about sound.

The FD5 was the first to use this new inhouse designed alloy metal semi open housing design that Fiio has used for 3 different earphones. Their more recent FD3, FD5 and now the FD7. One of the benefits of using the same housing design is that it actually cuts costs down at the production level for Fiio which trickles down to the consumer when purchasing a set for you. An established housing allows the designers to focus on driver composition and the tuning associated with that driver. When news broke out that Fiio will be producing a 12mm pure Beryllium dynamic earphone in the new FD7. Ok now we are talking about a higher level of earphone.

Pure Beryllium means it will have to be their absolute top performing earphone. With the cost of new flagship earphones skyrocketing in recent years. Anything called a flagship can raise a brow just how expensive earphones can get nowadays. The FD7 sells for the RP of $599 when available some might say it is too expensive, I beg to differ. I say it is more than competitive, it is a down right bargain for what you're getting if we are comparing apples to apples for the design vs other real pure Beryllium Dynamic earphones.

As an owner of other pure Beryllium dynamic flagships I can honestly say what Fiio has achieved with the FD7 has more than exceeded my expectations of them and let me tell you why.

The FD7 was provided for the purpose of a review from Fiio you can read up on what the FD7 is about here. The FD7 will be on sale on Amazon here and on their web site on Aliexpress here. The FD7 was burned in for an approximate 200 hours and was scrutinized by yours truly using my IBasso DX300Max, Fiio M15, Shanling M6 pro, M5s, Fiio K3 2021, IFI Black Label and Ibasso PB3 for amping.

A word about burn in.
I know some folks don’t do it for whatever reason but if you plan on spending this type of money. You are absolutely required to burn these in for a minimum of 100 hours, a good 200 hours to be complete. Here is the reason why. These are using pure Beryllium dynamics. Yes, the same type of Beryllium others such as Dunu and Final use on their flagships. To me it is clear, if you plan on buying the FD7 and don't do burn in cus you're cool like that. I cannot recommend the FD7 for you. Because these will sound not so great out of the box. In fact truth be told, I felt the FD5 had a better sound in comparison. Of course that was out of the box. They sounded compressed, with a narrower stage and bright with not so good dynamics on open listen. This all changes with burn in. If you're the type that will have nothing to do with burn in. Skip this read and skip on the FD7 cus you're not going to hear from the FD7 as I am describing them on my review here. You're better off buying the FD3 and saving yourself $500.

Package and build
What you get with your hard earned cash is a much larger variety of tips than what most provide, 15 pairs to be exact, a mmcx disconnect tool, a worthy case to carry around your precious and best of all a 4 core monocrystalline pure silver cable with Fiios version of their modular plug connectors in all balanced formats and single ended. I have to admit we get spoiled a bit by Fiio with their packaging. What they provide here shows great care and attention to detail in their products. The tip variety alone is heads and shoulders above what you get with most IEMs. Something I can’t say is provided with a majority of IEM manufacturers. The shells are exactly the same dimensions and shape of their previous FD3 and FD5. A highly customized barrel design but is semi open at the back grills of the FD7. The housing is a solid all alloy metal housing strong yet not so heavy in the ears. The build should provide a lifetime of listening as long as you don’t treat the ear pieces with kid gloves.

A semi open design means it will let the Beryllium dynamic drivers here breathe which gives you a more open type sound adding to a larger stage in the process but the negative there is that these will not isolate like an all resin design or a closed design. Its passive isolation is only average here at best. I would say even a bit below average, but the trade off is the sound that I will be describing.

The mmcx modular cable that comes with the FD7 this time was clearly thought out as a design choice for the FD7. The cable enhances the technical aspects of the FD7. You can use a pure silver cable on an earphone that has balancing as a fundamental tuning design and this ends up enhancing that sound overall. This cable enhances the stage, details, imaging and tone of the new FD7 to sound its absolute best.. But….Only after burn in.

Folks that prefer their FD7 to have a slight warmth in tone should try an aftermarket higher end pure copper cable or a mix thereof to get both type of cable effects. For now just know the cables Fiio provides synergizes well with the FD7. A bit of a history on cable matchups. I have been the most staunch critic when it comes to cable matchups and this time around they matched up the cable perfectly fine. Props to Fiio for paying attention to this one very important aspect of the package and sound design.

How do they sound?
Overall tuning of the FD7 has their best balanced mildy v shaped tuning the group has provided for their dynamic earphones to date. It is not leaning toward neutrality or is the tuning overly colored but is somewhere in the middle which bodes well for actually listening to music. Supremely musical yet highly technical, it includes 3 different sized nozzles with varying effects on the treble emphasis to tweak the balancing a bit for you. Instead of using filter meshes on the tips of the nozzles the thickness or the diameter of the nozzles provides slight degrees of treble emphasis for the sound balancing and how you like your trebles.

This aspect is a bit like going from using a narrow earphone tip vs a wider open tip and how that opens up the trebles which affects the overall balancing and how you hear the trebles. The largest nozzle has the most open sound and the most treble emphasis but even with the largest nozzle the sound still has good fundamental balancing. Having an option to slightly tweak the treble end via nozzle changes is not an option on most earphones so this is a nice little advantage for the FD7.

The medium nozzle is the default nozzle and it provides the best balanced tuning and the narrow nozzle at around 3mm wide provides more focused sound for the bass end of the FD7 with slightly lesser treble emphasis over the larger nozzles. I found that you will have to resort to using some aftermarket tips for the narrow nozzle as the included triple flange tips are not ideal for the narrow nozzle for me anyways. I got great results using Final E tips and or Sony hybrids with the narrow nozzle.

The tuning of the FD7 does not have a larger treble spike in the trebles which allows for a much better even handed balancing for the mids and bass to play equal parts for the FD7 tuning. Not to mention it will be ideal for longer every day listening sessions.


Trebles
FD7 trebles have the most emphasis at the lower treble region. Treble emphasis is very much linear toward the mid bands and does not seem to stick out with the use of some type of overexaggerated treble spike. It has the safest treble tuning out of the recent Fiio earphone offerings and sees a gradual treble de emphasis toward upper trebles. No question the FD7 has good treble extension reaching an astounding 40Khz on graph provided by Fiio and on the opposite end the bass reaching to 10 hz. It will be a matter of just how much treble you prefer but the largest nozzle does provide a slight uptick in treble emphasis, providing the absolute widest stage possible. This review was mostly done using their default balanced nozzle.

A safe treble tuning even with the use of their widest nozzle means it has enough emphasis to sound complete but does not stand on its own. In doing such a tuning means the FD7 is resolving and refined enough but at the same time will not fatigue you with a bright treble emphasis. Treble transients and details are very good showing plenty of micro accents to complete and refine a treble end. Again treble extension and emphasis is ideal here and the fact that each nozzle has a varying degree of how you like your trebles means much like their previous FD series of earphones. The FD7 treble emphasis is tunable. The truly resolving aspect of the FD7 means with every change in the sound chain of the FD7, be it a new cable or source, it is advisable to re-explore tips and the different nozzles to dial down the FD7 sound to your liking.

The treble this time some might argue, might be somewhat subdued in emphasis for upper trebles. It is not the airiest of trebles I have heard but very middle ground as far as air, presence and detail. The treble plays a fine line of being resolving and detailed enough but just lacking that last bit of shimmer due to the upper treble slope. I am more nit picking here more than anything the pure Beryllium dynamic being used for the FD7 is clearly capable for all the sound ranges and it shows just how resolving it is in the treble region. In my opinion the trebles of the FD7 are easily the best tuned and refined out of all their previous dynamics.

Treble tuning has a mild roll off which results in the trebles to be non fatiguing yet detailed which is what you want to hear albums in their entirety. The crisp, clean detailed trebles of the FD7 are presented to enhance your music and not to be the star of the show. This is a refreshing change for Fiio from their previous FH5s and FD5 treble tunings. Fiio is letting the natural ability of their Beryllium dynamic handle that treble response. This in turn makes for a satisfying, easier even keeled listening for the trebles of the FD7 yet very satisfactory at the same time.

Mids
Mids of the FD7 is where the FD7 is every bit as good as anything I have heard at the flagship level. There is no mistaking the resolving ability of pure Beryllium for the FD7. The mids expand and take over your senses. Mids for the FD7 has a modest pinna gain so nothing that artificially enhances the mid range to have an unnatural tonal character or anything that is unduly bright. The FD7s after burn in start to sound organic and rich with details that you would expect from a highly resolving monitor. I remember there were some rumblings of how the FD5s lower mid range was not full enough for some. No issues with the FD7 this time. Again it all comes down to that balancing aspect of the tuning. Mids final sound is superb in detail and timbrally accurate. It is the type of mids you can get lost in. Music sounds rich, dense, organic, precise and fantastically dimensional all the same time.

Macro detailing for the mids are superb. Micro detailing comes easy. This is where I feel burn in has really opened up the sound. Mids cover a large spacious stage on the FD7 and you know you're dealing with some of the best mids Fiio has thrown out on anything they have made. The FD7 presents with a full on rangy vocal performance and instruments with a timbre that will leave you wanting to hear more. Its richness makes everything sound so awesomely realized that you keep on wanting to listen till the wee hours at night. Mids have superior imaging for dynamics, and have an organic smoothness with a precision that lesser dynamics just can’t touch. It gets you into your music with a very musical yet clearly technical sound performance which is the ultimate sign that you're dealing with something special. This is most definitely not your garden variety dynamic earphone in sound. Busy tracks are not a thing for the FD7 as the sound has such good resolve and control. Everything you throw at the FD7, its tight sound will portray how it was meant to be.

The mids are the heart of your music and if you don’t get timbre, tone and space right for the mids you might as well quit. FD7 is clearly playing on a different level for the mids. It is exactly how you would expect a highly resolving Beryllium dynamic should sound for the mids and it delivers on all fronts. Your music will sound more nuanced, more cohesive and more dynamic all with one of the best spacious presentations you can hear for an earphone. Win win and more win here.

Bass
Bass end of the FD7 is moderate in impact and emphasis but make no mistake this is a pure Beryllium bass. Even dynamics that are just coated in Beryllium does not struggle much if at all for the low end. The FD7s bass is sheer control with a tightness you would expect from a highly magnetized pure Beryllium driver. That detailed nature of pure Beryllium for bass means bass is tight, speedy, punchy and supremely detailed when called for. When it comes to sub bass it will rumble with an ideal texture you can only get from pure Beryllium. Fiio didn’t go overboard on the bass aspect for the FD7 as that would ruin the lovely mids they produce. No off bass tonality, no flabbiness, no bloaty mess and certainly no weak limp neutral bass either. It isn’t the end all authority on bass but the bass is not taking a 2nd or even 3rd place in the sound tuning. As detailed as the treble and mids are, the bass end has equal definition.

The low end rumble will impress bass guys with just how good the bass responds to the low notes. Bass is supremely gifted and talented. Bass digs deep and I can believe it reaches 10hz. I threw on the bass switches from the IFI Black label and yes we are talking basshead levels now and it takes the bass enhancement like a champ. The one of many aspects I love about the FD7 is just how controlled the entire sound is. You want control for your speedy bass, You want that bass punch to hit you just right, you want that deep hard hitting rumble when called for all done with high levels of bass detail. This makes the FD7 versatile for a huge variety of music and is most certainly not just a one trick pony. It is just as great for something like Orchestral scores to 90s hip hop to modern pop, jazz, metal, EDM to folk music.

Technicalities
There is no mistaking the quality of the FD7 and the sheer resolving nature of pure Beryllium. Stage has a natural expansion. I say natural because there is no treble spike and a recessed lower mids here to make it seem like you're hearing a larger stage. Nope this time around the large wider well imaged stage is due to that pure Beryllium sound. If you're wondering if the cheaper earphone you're listening to that claims it is using a Beryllium dynamic. If it has a narrow in your head stage. Guess what, It is probably not. There is a certain spacial, ambient quality to pure Beryllium I noticed that is unmistakable.

The FD7 reproduces the ambient spacious nature of the recorded track and never have I heard a true Beryllium dynamic earphone have a confined stage. The FD7 stage is so well proportioned with good height and an ideal depth, sometimes awe inspiring width for earphones. It helps with that outstanding imaging and a dense fullness that the FD7 has. Sound separation is yet another aspect that pure Beryllium shows. It has a superior background black space that coated dynamics don’t seem to do as well. Its detail retrieval is ideal and best of all some of the best timbres I have heard for natural instruments on just about any earphone.

So what do you get when you have superior transient response, superior dynamics, superior imaging, superior timbre, superior sound stage, superior deep rumbly bass and a superior richer organic tone? You get Fiios best sounding earphones to date. This is the reason why I can argue the price tag is actually a great value here. You don’t have to worry about coherency issues, wonky treble spikes, too much upper mids, too little lower mids, an over bloated bass, weak technicalities or too narrow a stage. None of that applies to the FD7.

In the end.
You want and expect a highly refined product from a trusted manufacturer. That is what the FD7 is all about. The quality, the workmanship, the value and most of all the sound. The FD7 delivers in such a huge way. It is gonna be difficult for them to top this one, as a huge fan of dynamic earphones, Fiio has just thrown down their best effort to date and the good news there is that it doesn't cost 3X the price to get this sound. It's got all parts of the sound firing off on all cylinders with a technical aspect that is clearly flagship level.

You own a small cashe of IEMs but have you ever heard a true pure Beryllium dynamic earphone? These are more than worthy of your consideration, I see these being the most affordable true Beryllium dynamic in the market today with no sacrifices for the sound. That, my friends, is substantial. These aren’t just competing with other earphones at the price, they are competing with some of the best the industry has to offer… But.. only if you burn them in.

Thanks for taking the time to read. Go get yourself a FD7 and be happy you got a true Beryllium dynamic earphone. One last message for you. Due to the 50 ohm impedance they do need some juice to really show you what they are all about. Your more powerful sources, DAPs and amps apply here. Good stuff in= amazing Beryllium sound out.

Fiio UTWS5.

Bluetooth dongles/ adaptors/ arms whatever you call them. These handy devices do a great job at getting our favorite in-ears into the TWS Bluetooth realm. The idea of connecting an arm to a favorite mmcx or 2 pin based earphone so you can use them on the go is a great idea. As much as I am a cable fan and what cables do for your earphones, the convenience of bluetooth has its advantages. I have used several different arms in the past and some are arguably better than others, what Fiio has done with the UTWS5 is quite remarkable for several reasons.

For starters it is the first of its type to actually house a low current AK4332 Dac/amp chip supporting up to 24bit/96Khz audio. This is substantial as it allows the UTWS5 to have adequate power not to mention better sound quality to drive just about any earphone it is attached to. Not to mention clear improvements for SNR ratio and noise floor from their previous UTWS3 and arguably any other type of such devices. The UTWS5 also uses the latest qualcomm QCC5141 chip for bluetooth 5.2 with ACC, SBC, APTX and APTX adaptive connectivity. 10m of bluetooth connectivity also includes a beefy 800mAh battery for the charging dock/case which lasts a reported 30 hours of battery on a single charge. They include a CVC noise cancellation for cleaner calls and is IP4X water resistance. Meaning you can wear these just about everywhere, work out with them. Last but not least the new UTWS5 allows wireless charging, fully charged in 2 hours. All this tech stuff is great but how do they make your earphones sound?

Standardly disclaimers. The UTWS5 was provided by Fiio for the purpose of a review. If you feel the need to make your favorite earphones into a wireless form you can purchase a set here on their aliexpress page. I have been testing out the UTW5S for the past month using a variety of in-ears and use scenarios. My sources for testing are actually 3 sources. The Fiio M15, my Samsung galaxy phone, and my ASUS ROG laptop. Sorry I don’t own any Apple devices though the UTWS5 thread reports plenty of folks getting good results with Iphones you can read here.

We do things and love things due to convenience. If you're like me you have a full-time job, have a family and no matter what your situation is. If you're trying to get a small music session in to relax a bit in your busy schedule, or you need good audio for work itself, sometimes grabbing your earphones for on the go is not as simple as it would seem for optimal sound. What I mean by that is. I have a few friends here at headfi that have clearly told me they would rather grab their phone and go vs being tethered to a device from a phone or use a dedicated audio player and then also have to carry around their phones.

Listening to music out of a standard phone is ok. Nothing groundbreaking but just OK but then if you're finicky about your sound, you have to worry about whether your phone has enough power with good SQ to drive that nice earphone correctly. I know there is a market for small dac/amps nowadays which do a great job at getting you a better sound experience vs your standard phone sound. Fiio has even introduced their first dongle dac/amp the KA3 you can read my take on them here. But then you have to deal with something hanging off your phone or use the awkward band wrapped around that small dac amp to your phone which doesn’t fit right in your pocket. Back in the day folks used a brick of an amp connected to your phone or several at a time to achieve a better sound.


Well here is where something like the UTWS5 makes for not only convenience but even better, transforms your favorite in-ear monitor into something it was not initially made for. Wireless. I know these types of bluetooth arms have been around but none of the ones I have tried can I say are comparable to a dedicated audio player or a higher end dac/amp source out of your phone. They work but the sound quality? Usually not enough power to drive a 50 ohm earphone correctly and then you get obvious hiss using your more sensitive IEMs due to a not so good of a noise floor. You might as well be connected to your phone as the SQ is not all that different from onboard sound. Fiio has addressed these issues with the UTWS5.

This product, my friends, is substantial in what it does. The UTWS5 is the one product that you didn’t know you needed. These things are clearly designed for a full sound experience on the go and wirelessly and when connected to a phone yes they include a mic embedded in the arms for clear vocal calls. How's about taking your higher end IEMs on the go without wires? Now you can throw on your best sounding earphone wirelessly with a great sound quality and enough power to boot. Power rated at 53mW@16 Ohms from the already 38mW@16 Ohms on their UTWS3, the UTWS5 will drive moderately power hungry earphones with plenty of headroom to spare.

Again all this don't matter much if the SQ is not really “better” than your onboard sound right? And that is the great thing about the new UTWS5. Its SQ is equivalent to actually using one of them fandangled portable dac/amps and with enough power to drive moderately hard to drive earphones like the 50 Ohm Mee pinnacle P1.

Ease of use.
The unit I got is a mmcx version and there are two different versions of the UTWS5 you can get. An mmcx and a standard .78mm 2 pin version. Just my opinion but if you own more than your share of IEMs you're actually better off getting the mmcx version and here is why. All you need is an adapter to turn your mmcx into 2 pin which just extends the arms a bit and is clearly usable. The other way around using a 2 pin arm and a mmcx adapter will not work as well as this makes the arms much longer and protrudes more so than the other scenario. Unless you just own 2 pin earphones it is better to get a mmcx and then an adapter to turn the mmcx to 2 pin like so.

Or if you're a purist I suppose the UTWS5 is so good you can get one of each and be good. Worth it if you own flagship earphones for both types of connectors but for frugal folks. A cheap adapter is all you need.


The arms out of the box have some charge so you can pair them right away and give them a go. I noticed you can’t pair multiple devices at once but once you turn off whatever device you're using it will connect to the next one. Once paired the butt end of the arm has a large easy to push circular button that allows for music control; volume adjustment, pause, skip to next track, replay track with a push of a button. The functionality is how you would expect and is very responsive to clicks. I do get the occasional clicks thinking I am turning up volume only to pause the track instead. So the more practice you have with the controls the more responsive it will become. No real issues that I have come across. In testing the range of connectivity, I think 10 Meters is very accurate give or take a meter depending on if you're using it through walls or not.

This is pretty good and adequate as I always have the music source with me at all times anyhow. Leaving your source be it your phone or your music player in my case my Fiio M15. I can shovel my 3 car driveway of snow without any disconnects- actual trial and used that way here. Worked perfectly. When not in use you can just store the arms inside its case which charges the arms fully every time and is ready for use when needed.

Testing the longevity for the arms I let music play for 7hours 30 minutes straight without a break out of my Fiio M15 so the reported 8 hours playback seems very accurate there as well. I can’t see a scenario where I am using these for 8 hours straight, but it is good to have decent play back times when using them. I suppose if you use the included mic for longer conversations, it will lessen that time but it does have good healthy use times. The mic by the way works great. There is a mic on each arm so you can use either one but my vocals come in nice and clear on the other end and I can hear the people I am speaking to just fine. As of writing there is some talk of an ambient mode that will allow for you to hear outside noise when in this mode. Which could come in handy in working environments. Again keep tabs on the thread for latest info and possible firmware upgrades that will allow it.

Pro tip. Regardless of what player software you use for music playback on your phone it is a good idea to install the free Fiio control app from android marketplace as it will allow for some extra controls. You can see battery indicator and switch for battery saving mode, Change button functionality as well as OTA upgrading firmware using the app. You basically need this in order to upgrade the firmware on the UTWS5 anyway. It is good to have extra controls and added functionality only this software provides.

Its sound quality is how I perceive it using a variety of my top in ears including Fiios own monitors. I will have a section at the bottom of how each earphone I tested the UTWS5 with sounds like using the unit. Its base sound characteristics has a slight warmth to the mids and has an excellent foot tapping bass foundation that is surprisingly organic sounding and can also sound neutral with a wider sound presentation dependent greatly on which monitor you use. It has a neutral easy going sound tuning and is one I am familiar with AKM velvet sound. Its treble ranges are more smoother in its delivery than bright and overall the sound signature is balanced well with surprising dynamism and detail across the sound spectrum.

Another surprising aspect of the UTWS5 is that it has a clean noise floor which helps with dynamic perception of your music. Much better than anything of the sort I have tested with. Its sound stage is a moderate/ average for width, height and depth but it helps to have something like Fiios own FH5s or FH9 earphones with a wider stage from the earphones themselves to help with a proper stage perception. You actually get a sound flavoring from the UTWS5 but a good one at that. I want to say it leans more toward an analogue type signature vs being clinical or bright sounding. Its level of details and clean fidelity for a source is surprisingly good.

I have noticed that earphones with some extra brightness or has good treble presence helps balance out the sound tuning of the UTWS5. For example one of my absolute favorite pairings for the UTWS5 is Fiios own FH5S. Which sounds even better than their higher end FH9 or the FD7 on the UTWS5. And it is due to the FH5S actually having a pronounced treble end that brings about a higher end pairing with the UTWS5. I will get into this pairing more so later. For now, yes. The UTWS5 sound signature is musical and dynamic sounding more than analytical or overly neutral and it will clearly be an upgrade from your onboard phone sound.

Pairings: in this section I will post how I hear Fiios own earphones using the UTWS5.

First up the FD3.
Fiios FD3 you can read about here. Is arguably one of the best Fiio bang for buck earphones in the $100 range. It's the little brother to the FD5 in both ability and tuning but for the UTWS5. This pairing brings another flavor to the FD3 presentation. Highly detailed for its music synergy the FD3 shows good stage, clarity and dynamism with decent passive isolation. Best passive isolation is the FA7S as it is a fully closed design. Music sounds not only proper but is very enjoyable with the UTWS5. Its clarity is clearly on point and while the tuning is more of a mild V shaped signature sound leans a touch neutral in tonality and presentation but shows very good impact for bass and is detailed as ever. Very good pairing here. For the cost of a higher end Fiio earphone like the FD5 andt the FH5S. It costs less to get a UTWS5 and a FD3 pro to go with it, with the sonic ability that reaches ever so close to its bigger brother the FD5. This pairing is the one two punch, bang for buck Fiio pairing out of all the IEMs mentioned here.

FD5 you can read my review of them here . OK now we are talking about a bigger, more dynamic pairing with the UTWS5 vs FD3. The semi open bigger brother of the FD3. The FD5 takes this sound pairing to yet another level. One of the best impactful bass performers with this pairing. Having an impactful bass end is crucial to TWS sound as ambient noise drowns out bass of all things. So the more impactful the bass the better it is for on the go listening. Stage is one of the widest for all Fiio earphones and you get that impactful bass one step above the FD3 pairing. There is a slight added warmth to the FD5 tonality when paired with the UTWS5 that is not evident on the FD3 pairing. Some added warmth and depth makes this pairing more musical sounding vs the FD3 pairing. Passive isolation is similar to the FD3 pairing but has a more airy sound presentation. Good news for folks that were a bit treble sensitive using the FD5 included cable. The UTWS5 does not accentuate treble notes, unlike the included cable on the FD5 can do. The FD5 actually sounds better using the UTWS5 vs its stock cable. If you enjoy your FD5. Get yourself a UTWS5 and enjoy that match up.

FH5s you can read my take on them here. Get the pro version if you want one of Fiios best hybrids. As I mentioned the UTWS5 does not enhance treble notes. The match up with the FH5S is substantial. In fact, it is the FH5S that gets my vote as the best earphone pairing of all Fiio earphones on the UTWS5. While both the FH9 and the FD7 sound great using the UTWS5 for some reason it is the FH5S that synergizes extremely well with the UTWS5. Throwing out a wide and deep stage, the best vocals and mids renditions as well as that impactful low hitting bass. The FH5S has that extra bit of 8Khz energy from the treble tuning which elevates the base sound of the UTWS5 with an added sparkle making the FH5S sound simply amazing. I most definitely prefer using the UTWS5 over any of the cable variants on the FH5S.To my surprise the FH5S sounds more balanced using the UTWS5 than any other source I have used it with. The mids sound rich and bold/ with the mid switch forward. Bass especially sub bass is extremely textured and satisfying and again one of the widest stages for earphone pairings on the UTWS5. Truth is all of the recent Fiio line up sounds great on the UTWS5. FH5S gets a plus however with it. Synergy is everything with sound pairings and you get that with the FH5S and the UTWS5.

Finally FA7S you can read about here.. The most neutral pairing of the previously mentioned earphone pairings. For enthusiasts that want maximum detail with a neutral balanced tuning. The FA7S provides the best passive isolation as it is an all BA closed design and if you must have silence when traveling the FA7S is by far Fiios best passive isolating earphones. Beyond that. The pair up with the UTWS5 is fantastic. Being an all BA design using 6 Knowles BAs, technicalities; stage, imaging, instrument separation and detail. The FA7S has great extension on both ends of the spectrum and hence pairs well with the UTWS more analoguish sound signature. The FA7S delivers if you're a detail freak. These are the earphones to pair up with the UTWS5. Here is where the sum of all the parts equals a high end sound. Using the UTWS5 and the FA7S bring out a sound you would never hear with most TWS earphones and for Metal fans this is the ultimate TWS pairing. You get speed that only BAs can provide. Neutral in its tonality and multi BA detail that will become one of your favorites to use on the daily.

In the end
The UTWS5 is very surprising how good these arms are at what it does as these are a clear upgrade from Fiios previous arms the UTWS3. Sure, it isn't perfect but then show me a TWS product that is. I am giving this product a 5 star rating as it is the first to really throw out enough power and SQ to do your favorite earphones justice. A solid up to 8 hours of wireless listening is icing on the cake. This is the wireless product that will have you thinking it sounds just as good as wired. I have seen numerous posts of owners of the UTWS5 that are blown away with how good the arms are on their favorite earphones. This is the type of product you had no idea you needed until you try it out. Its ease of usability is one thing but the sound quality of these arms are undeniable and since it is done by Fiio I bet they are working on future firmware's that enhance their use all for the price of a decent cable. Highly recommended for the in ear enthusiast that own a lot of earphones or want to turn your earphone into wireless. Thanks for taking the time to read.

Cadmus FE.

With a sub name like Founders Edition the Cadmus gets a glamorous makeover from its humble roots as a silver plated UPOCC cable but then saw an updated version in the 8w. The Founders Edition adds a gold plating to half of its cores of UPOCC. This makes for a very interesting addition to the Cadmus formula.

Gold is a premium material used sparingly for IEM cables. I have done reviews for several gold-plated cables. A gold-plating over pure silver, a gold-plating over crystal copper and also a cable that is very similar in its combination of silver-plated copper or SPC and the other half of its cores being gold plated crystal copper, similar in make up to the FE. I have a good understanding of what gold does for cable performance just from owning and reviewing these cables in the past.

The way gold works on a cable's performance is very interesting. Most folks know what copper cores do for your IEM sound performance but plating that copper in gold brings about something that is an addition for copper properties. Silver is mostly used to plate copper to enhance its technical traits. Gold when plated on a higher end copper brings a sculpting aspect to your sound properties in the form of a richer tonal character with better perceived contrast for your music. The better perceived spatial cues resulting in an uptick for imaging with an added texture, gold counters the glare and brightness that can happen with pure silver at times, also shaping what silver does for your imaging as well, rounding notes that are associated with pure silver. Gold plating is like the Yang of pure silver’s Ying. Some might think, if gold helps sculpt a cable’s sound properties, then why not have the entire thing in gold plating?

As they say. Too much of a good thing is never good. Cables with too much gold plating ends up being a bit skewed in sound. To be specific the tonal character turns beyond rich, it turns dark even murky and while bright neutral IEMs benefit the most from a gold plated copper cable. Ultimately it becomes a one trick pony, becoming more of what I call a niche cable. These types of cables can only be used with certain types of sound profiles. A gold plated copper cable on an already warm and or dark tuned IEM and you're going to get a syrupy dark mess of a sound that has a bit too much coloring.

Gold plating is optimal when used as a tuning mechanism within the foundation of other elements within a cable. The FE uses 4 cores or half the cable cores plated in gold with the other half being a higher end UPOCC with a silver plating/ cadmus foundation, now we are talking about harmony and a balance in tonal qualities.. A super Cadmus? The FE is exactly this, what you're getting is the best of SPC and gold plated copper.

What's interesting about the Cadmus FE is that it also includes some excellent geometry with one of the best pure copper cables properties in the Ultra Pure OCC copper cables Effect Audio uses for their signature series. The addition of a gold plating brings out a sound shaping aspect that adds a richer tonal character across the entire sound profile, rounding out treble notes to a greater degree, gives a better contrast to mids presence and provides a deeper fuller richer sounding bass note. If used in the correct manner can enhance timbral properties to be more realistic with a better sense of depth in the process. This also brings better more defined notes for you music and results in an enhanced imaging with an added texture element to your sound. You get that fullness of note, warmth and body from its copper cores but now it will sound more of a sculpted around the edges of notes. Richer, meatier a more refined sound as a result. That slightly darker hue from the gold plating does wonders for both instruments and vocal performances.
In experiencing the FE, I can clearly tell Mr Suyang knows his sound. There is a clear purpose to the mix of materials on the Cadmus FE. Out of all the signature series it makes complete sense to reimagine the Cadmus 8w into his passion project.

With that I would like to thank Effect Audio for letting me have a gander at their FE. This cable is the property of Effect Audio and was provided for the purpose of a review. From how I understand it the FE is in limited quantities and for those who are lucky enough to get a set. This is what to expect when getting the FE.

Comparing the standard Cadmus 8w vs the FE was interesting to hear. What you get vs the Cadmus 8w is an enhancement of dynamics from the bass end. Bass gets a nice uplift in performance. With less silver in the mix for the FE this allows the copper cores for the FE to take precedence a bit more and even better adding half gold plating. Tonal character is enhanced throughout the sound profile of your IEMs. A blacker background which helps with its enhanced imaging and resulting in a better sound separation vs the Cadmus 8w. Really the FE can actually be called a different cable as its level of technicalities is a level up over the Cadmus 8w. You get that richer tonal character in your entire sound profile of your IEMs. You can say it is a musical enhancing cable to a greater degree.

Cadmus 8w for brighter tuned IEMs are not the best match up. I noticed a thicker plating of pure silver over a highly refined copper that is used on the Cadmus cables enhances stage and technical elements but also ends up leaning the tonal quality a touch north of neutral due to its detail enhancing ability, especially on monitors with plenty of treble emphasis. Cadmus and Cadmus 8w both do better on IEMs that have a bit of a roll off for its trebles or monitors with a smoother treble character in general.

In using half gold plated UPOCC. This balances the tonal influence of pure silver on the Cadmus cables as treble notes become cleaner and more rounded in performance. The base Cadmus is all about enhancing details and gives greater note weight on the 8w with better technicalities, sometimes with the wrong pair up while you do get the more detailed monitor it also seems to enhance the treble details as well. Gold does wonders for treble enhancement as it gives a better slightly darker edge to treble notes, refining treble details to have more of a contrasting edge to its note. This is the reason why a pure silver cable works great with a gold plating.

Gold for vocal performances. Gold works miracles, here is why. Gold enhances a richer tonal character for sound adding a darker sound characteristic to a base sound. It is the opposite of what pure silver does. Too much of one aspect and not enough another and you got either a brighter sound or a dark one. But when mixed just right, you end up getting a rich tonal character that has better separation from other sound elements. Hows about getting a bit of both characteristics but one makes the other smoother, silkier and more importantly richer. That is what gold does. That is what happens on the FE.

Elements in the sound field get a cleaner blacker background on the FE over the prior Cadmus cables and this is one aspect that is a bonus on the mix of materials for the FE. UPOCC base cores are enhanced both with silver and the gold and you get a lesser influence of its silver plating cores and now get that tonal balancing richer gold plated cores bringing a more refined sound profile to your IEMs base sound.

Basically you're getting a new form of sound shaping with the addition of gold and the FE is ideal in so many ways for the addition of its properties. Sound becomes better separated, bass becomes more full bodied, musical notes are cleaned up with a more textured sculpted sound, trebles become cleaner vs being brighter, there is a difference there. Notes become more rounded in how you perceive its sound. Stage becomes more precise, your music becomes more immersive and if anything more musical in nature.

There is no question what the gold plated UPOCC is doing here on the Cadmus foundation. It basically becomes a much more refined sounding experience for your IEMs, and is this not why one spends the money to achieve with such cables pairings?

In the end the Founders Edition is glorious on several fronts but one based on someone that knows his materials and how they affect the sound of your IEMs. Throw Suyang in a dark room with only food and drink with all the materials he could add or take away from the base Cadmus cable and this is what he came up with. A sound refining cable that is beyond what the original Cadmus can do. The culmination of its materials here is a masterful blend that helps shape your IEM sound to be a more refined experience. The Founders Edition is easily a cable that I can rely on to enhance and optimize any of my IEMs and is this not why we look into premium cables in the first place? Thanks for taking the time to read.

ISN T-OCC

T-OCC is the newest creation from our friends at Penon/ISN. This one in particular is interesting for several reasons. It is using 3 types of copper based materials and while that alone is nothing exotic or new to the market. There seems to be specific reasons why they chose the materials they have for this product. The material descriptor for the cable is 3 different copper based cables with 3 different diameters. Unlike most companies that use a whole sale product to make a cable. Each element was chosen to bring a specific type of sound for these and even on open listen I can already tell the resolve of these cables are much greater than something that comes with your included cables.

The idea of making an aftermarket cable you specifically spend money on has to do with upgrading a sound profile for the IEMs you attach them to or at least that should be the idea right? So it would be a completel fail if something like the ISN T-OCC was not actually an upgrade.

However, I can say. These will be an upgrade to most cables that come with your IEMs. I say most because I do know TOTL level IEMs sometimes come with premium grade IEM cables that adds another $1,000 or more to the end cost of an IEM and of course that manufacturer will charge accordingly.

The ISN T-OCC is a solid 2 core cable with 181 shares of the material per core. The shares of the material has a weave of 3 distinct copper cores. 2 different types of crystal copper and the last type being what seems to be a mixed copper and silver alloy material. If any of you guys have owned prior “alloy” based IEM cables like the Penon Renata or ISN CS02 you will get a good idea of the resolving ability of the T-OCC. So you can say the T-OCC is a continuation of the alloy sound design from those prior cables.

Quality
T-OCC is a softer bendable good looking cable in all brown, no issues with microphonics or usability. Its not a noodly cable or is it so weak to cause tangling. These are excellent ergonomically for IEM use. I believe you can order these with ear guides or without. My unit I have on had does not have any ear guides. If you plan on being active with your T-OCC I recommend the ear guides to help keep the cable draped over your ears. They are soft enough to work without guides but I do notice the occasional movement will cause them to unhook over my ears. So that will be up to you. This particular chin slider you see in the below picture I have used in the past that didn't work so well but I am happy to report these actually work. Its not the best type where it clinches but it does hold in place when sliding the up the chin slider.

Performance
The sound of the T-OCC is interesting as it seems ISN has specifically chose the 3 elements to line up with the 3 zones of sound that we hear from our IEMs. Basic metallurgy for IEM sound profiles indicate, Copper is the foundation for all things related to sound. So a natural tonal character is expected of a cable based on 3 types of copper used. We get that. The breakdown in material goes as follows 98 shares of frozen single crystal copper, 48 shares of quenched single crystal copper, and lastly 35 shares of copper-silver alloy. Just a guess on my part but it seems these 3 was chosen to enhance each part of a sound make up. Single crystal copper for bass and mids, Quenched crystal copper for mids tonal, timbral character with the copper- silver alloy for its imaging and resolving highs. Then it is finished off with Penons OFC copper material for connectors and terminations. When put together you should have the T-OCC.

The T-OCC literally enhances every part of an IEM sound profile with an added stage and depth of sound all good upgraded cables should have. The first time I heard them. They immediately reminded me of the Penon Renata cables and to a lesser extent the ISN SC02 but somewhat different than both. I can hear the family resemblance to those cables but has a greater skew toward bass and tonality. The Renata is a more technical cable but the ISN being true to the ISN House sound profile seems to have addressed the bass foundation of their sound in the T-OCC. Its technicalities are where I thought they sounded like the Ranata and somehow is a more musical version of the ISN CS02 cable. More weighty, airy for trebles, a solid sense of slam for bass. If the deliberate use of the 3 elements that make up this cable was designed in this manner to address each part of the sound profile. Well it worked.

Testing the T-OCC yields very good sound separation, before you ask, it is not quite at the level of the Renata. These seem to enhance the bass end a touch more while the Renata is a more balanced type cable. I could have guessed they were using that copper- silver alloy material just due to their similarities for tonal enhancement, clarity and detail level. Again while not as spacious sounding as the Renata. It is close and if you didn’t have a Renata cable to compare it to. Yes I can officially say these will enhance stage, depth, and technicals: imaging, layering, sound separation, details. Enhances all 3 parts of a sound profile, trebles with a bit of extra shimmer, the mids get an upgraded sense of space and contrast. Bass gets a touch extra impact with a better sculpting ability. These don't quite reach the note weight like the ASOS or the new + model, they don’t quite reach the level of technicalities like the Rentata, they don't have the bass emphasis quite like the Penon bass cables but this could be it presenting with a more substantial mid band emphasis. On the other hand they don’t quite have the mid forwardness of the Penon Vocal cable. What they do have is a bit of the sound enhancement going on from all of these cables mentioned rolled up in one. Which is pretty astounding.

This would be the very definition of a cable that upgrades your sound. These are expertly engineered IEM cables that do the one thing they were made for. Upgrade your sound. My basis for this impression was based on going back n forth from a standard ISN C4 cable which uses single crystal copper for its cores. If you took the ISN CS02 material and braided that with the ISN C4 cable and then used the Penon OFC copper plugs and connectors. You would get something very similar.

Adding the extra material mix for the T-OCC clearly yields an enhancement to its base crystal copper cores. Making the T-OCC perform in a much higher end capacity vs standard copper type cables. Going back n forth from these two cables there enhancement for sounds as noted prior just makes your IEMs sound more spacious, sound elements better separated but one with full dynamics. And that my friends makes up what the T-OCC is about to my ears. Yet another compelling cable offering from ISN.

Penon Legend + Storm

I am sure you all know Penon audio by now. If not, you will start to see more and more chatter about their goods on headfi. Penon makes some of the best true value audio goods for the sound hobbyist. If you visit their site not only do they have audio goods from leading manufacturers and the big players in all of audio but they carry their own brands. ISN and Penon on their web site.

A bit of an insight into Penon the company. If you have ever bought anything from their site they will have you on their mailing list and unlike that annoying insurance company that keeps sending you reminders to sign up for their services. Penon come Holiday season, you might see a nice card from Hong Kong from Penon. You remember your best friend from High school that promised they will forever be your friend that never send you a Christmas card. You have family members that don’t send you Christmas cards. But Penon does. This little gesture is from the very person that makes some of the best value audio goods in all of audio land. The Christmas card is an extension of how much these folks pay attention to their patrons. One year I got a scarf from them. “Well that's because you review for them?” No I don’t think so Poindexter. This was way before I was doing any reviews of Penon goods. Honest abe. Back to the intro, how many scarfs does your favorite earphone company send you? Ya that's what I thought.

This is a company that is in tune with what drives enthusiasts to be in the hobby. It comes down to making some of the best you can get for personal audio. Case in point their new Legend flagship IEM. If you haven’t tried a Penon made IEM I highly suggest you give them a go. It doesn't matter if you're getting their intro model, the single BA Spheres to the 13 BA flagship in the Legend. These guys are master tuners of earphones. Sound soothsayers folks that are seasoned vets at the earphone game way longer than you think. Even before Penon was an entity. Something like the Legend is not made overnight and they certainly are not something you can pick out of a catalogue. There is a history of workmanship and know-how involved in using 13 high precision BAs in a housing to come up with a sound that continually gets better and better with each new earphone these folks make.

Last year they introduced their Tribrid flagship the Volts and even today they arguably hold their own against some of the very best in the industry. So how to top the Volts? The all BA design is not really exotic, but something that has been established through the years. I am sure you have seen plenty of BA earphone designs in the industry but it comes down to how all them BAs are manipulated, configured and tuned to come up with a sound Penon would call a new flagship. The one aspect I appreciated about their earphones is that they have a tuning philosophy, a house sound they stick to which shows direction and a dedication to a certain type and level of sound design to meet their goals.

Standardly disclaimers: I agreed to a reviewers discount for the Legend and the Storm. 12 higher end Sonion BAs and a Knowles BA cost money and likewise the gold, copper, palladium and silver material of their Storm cable cost money. As they say you gotta pay to play. I did get an early version however to give you the news about them. You can purchase a Legend for you here and the Storm cables here.

This review will have two parts, the initial review here is all about the Legend and what to expect. Then the last part of the review here will be about what the Legend sounds like with Penons new flagship cables, the Storms. Since these two items were created with each other in mind I feel it is important to relay to you what to expect here.

So there is the trend among higher end audio that whether you like it or not forces you to buy a very expensive cable to go along with their flagship earphones and of course you figure you're gonna get some type of discount or a cheaper pack in deal. But not really. We are looking at $4K-$6K plus kilobuck earphones and will these folks part ways with the cable to give you the decision to spend on that particular cable? The answer is not really. You don’t get to make that choice. It is an all or nothing type of deal.

How about giving the end user a choice? Penon is releasing these two items separately and it was like that when they released their Totem cable and the Volts. They never force you to spend the cost of that earphone on an equally expensive cable and then force you to get both at the same time. This does two things. For one it lets you get the Legend by itself. Or it lets you buy the cable unto itself. If you can afford one and not the other. Get the one with the most impact here. Obviously it will be the Legend. I can argue the cable might be worth getting for your other earphones but the cable does not make any sounds. At least it shouldn't.

If you feel you want the absolute top end version of the Legend and would like to support master craftsmen at what they do and feel $1200 for a flagship cable is pocket change in the higher end audio world scheme of things. The Legend and the Storm together is what the intended sound Penon was going for. Will have more to say about this pairing toward the bottom of the review. And likewise I will have a separate review just for the Storm cable. If Penon is gonna give you a choice, so will I. You can always skip the Storm pairing portion. That my friends will be up to you.

So how is the Legend without the Storm cable? Excellent actually. You're not getting a half baked earphone that absolutely requires a $1200 cable to sound optimal. In fact most of my review here will be all about what the Legend and how it sounds with the included cable which has a name unto its own. The Flow.

What you get with the Legend is mostly standard fare; 2 sets of silicone tips,a set of blue colored foams and a pair of what looks like a set of comply foams in medium size. You get their familiar Penon zip up case, a cleaning tool and a switch tool complete the accessories. What separates the Legend from Penon’s previous offerings is a new custom one off handmade higher end pure silver cable to go along with the Legend.

The cable itself utilizes thicker silver cores covered with a dark blue nylon sleeving. The looser twisted weave makes them look rope-like this in turn makes them look and feel premium. Very pliable, no noodling or stiffness to the cables, the cable does a great job synergizing with the Legends. It is most definitely not your garden variety throw in cable Penon has included with the Legend. As of writing the Legend cable, the Flow can be purchased separately on their website here.

Onto the sound. Sound decriptions with all 3 swtiches on.
Legends has been scrutinized by yours truly using my new Ibasso DX300Max, Fiio M15, Shanling M6pro, M5s, M3s, Ibasso DX160, Sony ZX300 custom firmware, Pioneer XDP-30r, IBasso PB3 and IFI Black Label for amping. A weeks worth of burn in was done before evaluating.

Legends have a wider, deeper and taller dimensional stage for earphones. It is the first thing to hit your hearing senses when you hear them. They throw out a larger, well rounded holographic canvas of sound your hearing. Its sound stage dimensions are ideal for a flagship product and it has a stage presentation that is difficult for most IEMs to achieve. I noticed when looking at the nozzle mesh there are 4 distinct holes in the front end of the nozzle.Which means it is using 4 sound tubes connected to their respective drivers that emanate the part of the sound it was taxed with. This design gives a nice clean separation of the 3 zones of the sound tuning. This comes into play especially when you're taxing a lot of drivers.

To be more precise it is using a 4 crossovers, 4 sound tube design, utilizing;. 4 BA or 2X Dual Sonion acupass vented woofers, 4 intermediate Sonion BAs. 4 Sonion high frequency BAs, and 1 Knowles for ultra highs. Then they added 3 tuning switches that give you 8 different slight tweaks for sound enhancements. All housed in high grade resin with a dark carbon fiber look to the plates with PENON LEGEND scribed in gold lettering on both shells. It has a venting out back for the bass element of the tuning. Isolation is a bit above average for all resin designs. Which means these will isolate better than most types of IEMs. Since it throws out a lot of sound elements to your ears I recommend your widest bored tips to bring out the full sound the Legends can do.

Balancing of the Legend is a variation of the W shaped frequency design. This design has an enhanced tuning for dynamic shifts and a bit of an extra for bass, upper mids and treble. Which is accentuated a bit using the included switches or a combination thereof. This tuning is clearly made for music listening. It isn’t an analytical type of design, an overly bassy or a treble first design. In fact I have yet to see Penon make a neutral earphone. It isn’t in the Penon tuning philosophy.

But if you actually listen to music with your earphones. You will love how Penon tunes to enhance your music listening experience. Penon house sound has 3 distinct elements that show on all their monitors. Their tunings are all musical sounding with a richer organic tone, all their earphones have a larger wider stage with dimensional elements to the sound and lastly all of their monitors are balanced. The Legend represents the top Penon made earphone with all these elements and more.

Its balancing has emphasis in all 3 parts of the sound regions but done tastefully to give you everything at once including some added atmosphere with the center switch. I have heard lesser earphones with a lot of BAs that throw out a wall of sound to try to make up for lack of imaging and detail. The Legend has way more in the way of sound sophistication for that. It has a high level of finesse and a dichotomy of contrasts, a tactile resolving ability and recreates an ideal listening environment for your favorite tracks with a huge variety of genres as it is awesomely versatile due to its fundamental balancing. You can tell Penon has laid the groundwork to clearly outdo their previous flagship the Volts with the Legends all BA design.

When you listen to your favorite vocalists. You don’t want to just hear them perform, you want to feel their emotions that come out during that performance, you want to hear all the little details, reverb from instruments that are weighty, when you hear bass infused music you want to hear that rumble and impact with speed and tightness. When you hear extended treble notes you want to get a good sense of air, proper shimmer, clarity and adaptable tonality associated with a well rounded treble end. When you get all three aspects together with a big large dimensional stage, you get the Legend.

Legends 4 Sonion BAs working in unison for the mid bands gives the all important mids a sense of layering and imaging you're not going to get for too many earphones. Its technical ability is the best I have heard from a Penon made earphone. Sound separation, stage, detail, imaging, layering and timbre for using all BAs are top notch. Even better, its sound projection is all consuming to the point where you are immersed in a high quality sound production with a vast stage to pick apart all them fine details from your music. It is more than just the frontal mid and back part of the recording it gives a height and depth on top of it a dimensional sphere of sound with precision of exactly where the track was recorded within that space. It does this element much better than any other earphone I own.

A well rounded treble tuning. Means it has to be one part ability, another part proper tonality, extensive, rangy, shows superior transients, airy, a proper emphasis with balance in the region. These aspects can be great but too much too little or overly imbalanced and no matter how good the mids and bass are, can break an earphone sound tuning. On the Legend, treble enhances and plays an equal footing on the tuning. Treble is easy and clean to listen to due to a healthy dip in the 7Khz range.

The Legend uses the most drivers for the treble tuning. 5 BAs in total. What this gets you is a full on complete treble end that has layers and dimensions to it just like the mids and bass. I noticed on certain tracks with clean recorded trebles in the track.

You can hear the treble reverb or decay that not only sound proper but actually trail off into a background or foreground you will not hear on much lesser earphones. Don’t know if you have ever heard dimensional treble but the Legend has it. Their treble detail is what separates the Legend treble with so many of my other earphones even my more expensive earphones don’t quite do. Micro details for trebles here are phenomenal. At the same time the actual emphasis relative to the sound balancing is not forced even with the treble enhancement switch.

I have heard so many earphones tune to over emphasize the trebles to make up for a lack of resolve or proper extension. The Legends don’t have this problem. You will hear every bit of that detail for the trebles regardless. Its tonality is another aspect I appreciate about the trebles of the Legend. You can make out exactly how much force a high hat note cymbal or something like a triangle that was used for percussive accents gets a proper tone and reverb effect based on what part of the triangle was hit and just how much force the musician applied in great detail. Any type of extra effect the sound engineer lays down for treble be it that little bit of extra sizzle or quicker dryer treble nuanced notes comes through as was intended. This range of ability and sound for the treble area is something I can appreciate as not too many earphones can do precision with that rangy tone and detail quite like the treble end of the Legend. For me the treble emphasis for the Legend hits a sweet spot of not too much and not too little in presence. Again balancing here was key to the Legend sound.

Where the Legend truly shines is their mids presentation. It is tuned to be slightly upper mid forward but it is more how the mids are presented in layers that makes the Legend mids stand out. The mids tuning has what's called an atmosphere switch. When on it is like how the word is described. The sound has a certain airy flow, not to be confused with the cable it comes with, to the sound when combined with its top flight imaging. Don’t know too many mids presentations for earphones that do imaging much better. It isn’t that you just hear what's supposed to be in your recordings. You can hear it on different planes of sound and all around what you're hearing. Something a bit like them chesky directional recordings but no need for special recorded versions of your tunes.


With imaging this good you feel like you're sitting right there with the recording artist and his band, right there. You know you're hearing something special when you take out the Legend and then throw on what you thought was a good sounding earphone and it sounds flat and uninspired. It is unfortunate but since I do reviews for other brands and other earphones. This was the case almost every time after using the Legends. I have to reset and retrain my hearing after using the Legend. You get used to how immersive the sound is and then everything else just falls short.

Dual accupass Sonion BAs are nothing new to the market but when utilized correctly they can do bass with an accurate tone and ability. The Legend uses two of them. This particular set of BAs need venting for its bass ability much like a true woofer does so the need for a vent out back of the Legend. The bass switch or number 3 it is called adds about 3 dbs of added bass from mid bass to sub bass.I am a bass fan so I do prefer the bass switch to be on but some will prefer the bass switch in the off position. Which gives a cleaner mids presentation. The switch aspects will be a matter of preference. The bass ability of the Sonion acupass vented woofer is intriguing on several fronts.

It recreates a solid bass performance with a proper tone and ability but does not have that physicality and texture of a well implemented dynamic. However this does not diminish how good the bass end is on the Legend. Bass tonality is very nicely represented and its definition much like the rest of the sounds are superb. It is bass genres that are the hardest to pull off correctly for an All BA set and I have to say the Legend did just fine in recreating a tactile full bass range from my bass tracks with no issues. Unless you're an absolute basshead and require at least 15dbs of the boomstick.

The bass that is created with these Sonion drivers sounds complete and has very nice ability with a surprising natural sounding sub bass decay. Add the pure speed and tightness of the BA bass and you get a tight well represented bass end that completes the Legend sound. Just know that the bass emphasis here is on the moderate even with the bass switch on. If I was to nitpick about the Legends sound performance It could use a bit more sub bass presence but for what is there. It represents your bass tunes like a champ. Bass end seems to be more complimentary to the Legend sound signature more so than being featured.

In the end.
The sound of the Legend is what happens when years of design and sound balancing come together to create the ideal sound signature for listening to music with. It has quickly become my most listened to earphone in my collection as it has an addictive quality to the sound that I don’t get with sets that cost way more. Penon house sound is full on with the Legend and I feel in using an all BA design Penon has really thrown out a masterwork of sound tuning that utilizes each BA to max potential in unison to get this sound quality.

I know the price tag is steep for such an earphone but I can argue the Legends are easily a better value than other brands so called flagships that include questionable tactics to raise the price tag on their flagships. As a consumer of earphones way before I was ever a reviewer. Having a choice here matters and if you're in the market to get the one earphone that will forever stay with you and give you years of enjoyment. I can’t think of a better earphone than the Legend.

Spoiler: Bonus Storm cable combination.

Bonus Storm cable combination.

What you read up to this point is all about the Legend, what to expect with their highly technical yet musical presentation is a higher end Penon sound, but what they really had in mind was with these cables. The Penon storm.

The cable itself is made of 4 different elements in cable land that all help enhance a base sound. Copper, silver, palladium and lastly a gold coating. There is a reason why this particular cable is Penons most expensive. It adds a tuning element that the base Legends does not have until it gets the Storm attached to it.

The cable itself comes in Penons wood box, The thicker weaved Penon Storm comes naturally twisted, fusing higher end materials. Gold copper palladium and silver. 4 Thicker cores. Each core contains 199 strands of the stuff. Gold plating over copper means it will be more copper in tuning vs a brighter silver or palladium mixed type cable.

I will make one thing very clear though. I am a huge fan of the Penon Flow. I would say with the Flow some might actually prefer the Flow vs the Storms. They are that good. They enhance technicalities including stage, details and imaging on the Legend. It has a very nice higher end sound enhancing ability unto its own. For folks that got themselves a Storm cable you're essentially getting two different versions of the Legends. A bit more dryer sounding in comparison. It is not a dry sound per se but in comparison to the Storm it is.

What the Storm does is adds that Penon richness to it. Penon IEM owners all know your earphones be it the Globe, Orbs, even the lucky folks that own a Sphere and how can I forget the rich mids on the Volts. Their most musical earphones to date.

You can’t be called the Flagship if there is no rich flavoring on that Penon sound. Going back to the Flow which is actually a cleaner presentation but sounds a touch on the plain and dry after using the Storm and legend. Hey we are talking about a $1200 cable to a $300 one. If you don't compare, that statement won't count. The good news there though is that once you get used to the Flow pairing. It is exactly like how I described the sound earlier. Which is not a bad thing at all.

The gold plating element adds a richer darker tone from treble to bass. Copper helps to thicken and adds body to the sonics of the base Legend sound tuning. Silver to add a pure clean sound path for the rest of the cables while adding to the technical elements of the Legend tuning. Palladium to help clean up imaging which adds to a more defined image and added texture with better precision especially for mids and bass.The heavy metals being used gold and copper adds a treble smoothening effect that some who like a more technical leaning sounding Legend would do better using the Flows

The benefit of owning both cables is it really gives you two different sounds. A much more musically rich, bolder, more frontal, image enhanced technically clean yet more analogue flavored sound using the Storm. Or back to the Flows which adds sound stage and technical enhancements treble emphasis and sparkle. A tighter faster sound signature adding superior sound separation a fuller sound vs much lesser silvers cables. Flows enhances details and imaging with a clean sound, a fuller expansive sound element due to its ideal thickness and strand count. You really can’t go wrong with either cables on the Legend.

So why the price difference?
Where these make up for their price point is what it does for the mids and the bass. Due to a more robust body of sound for the Legend tuning using the Storm, music sounds more intimate, more textured vs the Flow. It adds to vocal presence with a greater fuller deeper reach vs the Flows. It adds just that one last bit of lower end definition for bass. Mids sound decidedly richer in tone using this cable. Note definition takes on a whole new meaning using the Storm as it seems to give even a greater sense of note contrast vs the Flow. A neutral tuned source brings out the best of Legend when using the Storm. As all it needs is a clean sound and the Storms will add plenty of flavoring.

The cable itself is surprisingly flexible for using all these metals. It's simple twist braiding is elegant and clean looking. Gold accents let you know you're using a premium hand crafted cable with the best accessories Penon has, gold plated copper for the plugs and carbon fiber accents. Its coloring is very indicative of what the cables do. Richify your sound.

Imaging takes on a different level. With the Flow, the Legend images great actually but Storm adds a higher sense of immersion due to how bold and textured the overall sound is. Sound becomes more meaty, richer, a thick rib eye steak like even more juicy and nuanced. A touch analogue tube ampish in effect. Supremely musical. Its imaging capabilities enhances depth and height of sound more than the Flows pairing and its ability to throw out the width of sound vs the height and depth due to it being much leaner in sound flavoring. Storm doesn’t give the widests of stages for earphones as its main purpose is to add a richer tonal character on the host earphones with greater note weight and increase textures to the sound presentation on the Legend.

This is what makes the Storms unique in that it not only adds a richer more musical tone but also projects a greater definition and a fuller, slightly darkening of the bass tone. Bass gets a touch smoother sounding but fuller at the same time. Smoother in tonality overall the added musical take on the Legends is what Penon had in mind when creating them. This in fact turns them into the clear flagship status. Now the Volts will play second in their line up. If you're curious of what the sound tuners of Penon has been up to.

The Legend and Storm combo is just down right music alchemy at its finest. The synergy between these two are undeniable. By the way I could argue the Volts are right up there with the Legends in performance afterall it has a 10mm bass dynamic providing that physical bass but with the Storm on the Legend it becomes a clear upgrade and this is with the Volt and Totem.

I know this one was a longer read. What I am doing is testing just how much you're into a Dsnut review. If you get this far I would like to officially give you a button that says I read all of Dsnuts Legend review. But you're here. You're the best. I will give you a compliment instead. How is that?

Thanks for reading.

ISN AG8
ISN H40 w AG8

ISN AG8 was provided by Penon audio for the purpose of review. The cables can be purchased here. I would like to thank Penon audio for providing the review sample. I have no affiliation with Penon Audio or was given any incentive to write any type of positive review about any item received from Penon. Of course you read this particular statement from reviews. Let's get real. Of course I am gonna have a bias. This being said as a consumer of all things in our hobby. I base my ratings on value at the price point. Are you getting what you would pay for set? Let's find out.
EE Zeus w AG8

I know when it comes to cable reviews, either you will ignore these or will look into them with some interest. With the advent of the modern DAP. We are seeing the need for more and more aftermarket cables and especially in balanced form to use with said DAPs. I have seen a steady increase of cables made by ISN and they started with a very good SPC cable called the ISN S8. Silver coated copper is and should be the standard for all cables connected to phones be it over the ear or in ears. Manufacturers of in ear phones how a days either take the cable that come with the phones seriously or they don’t.
TRi I3 w AG8

The idea of increasing the ability of a given earphone through a nice cable is a crazy idea and something that sound science guy loves to argue about. However I always tell guys that are in the hobby. Hear for yourself and you be the judge. What you do with your hard earned cash is all you.

In any case with a steady increase of cables produced by ISN. S8,S4,C-16,H-16,S-16,C4 and now the new AG8. Ag is the chemical make up for Silver and here we get a lot of it in the AG8.


There is something mystical and mysterious about silver. A high value material that we generally look at as a luxury item or in some cases to fend off werewolves. Pure silver cables are nothing new to the audio world and in fact has been used for decades. Has the absolute best transduction of sound. If it can kill werewolves I am sure it can cut through your muddy sounding earphones right?


Most earphone cables are made with copper at its core. Sonically copper produces an honest take on the sound tuning of a given earphone. Mostly affecting the phones sound to a fuller body of note which influences bass to mid bands. Higher up in copper also give a transparent take on the treble design.. Silver on the other hand enhances detail transparency and or resolution of a given earphone. When you mix the two elements you get something that gives a good balance of detail, fullness and or body of sound.

Today we are looking at a flagship level pure silver cable from ISN. These are a thicker cored 8 strands twisted into an 8 braid. If your looking for silver. You get a lot of it.





The cables come in the all too familiar black rectangular case that ISN always throws in with their cables and earphones. Inside you find the cable nicely coiled. The connectors and terminations are all custom made it is a unique all black with gold flake highlights for design. I have had zero issue with connecting any of my earphones and generally I find the connectors cable splitter chin slider and terminations all of high quality. The cable itself while one of the thicker cables for IEMs is not as heavy as it looks nor is it stiff as it could be. In fact the cables are easy to coil up, soft pliable and can easily be thrown inside the pouch. These thankfully come with zero ear guides which are unnecessary.




Getting a pure silver cable while is certainly not cheap. Can increase sonic detail for a given phone it is attached to. Here the ISN AG8 due to the thicker cores seems to dodge the one aspect that is common among silver cables and that is thickness of the sound.
AG8 next to 16 core ISN C-16
In a word the ISN AG8 adds body with that detail and that my friends makes the AG8 a very interesting cable. Compared to my other pure silver cables the ISN S8 is a bit different. Not only in looks but also in design. It has to be the thickest 8 core pure silver cable on the market. My proof of this. This is a photo of ISNs own C-16 16 core copper cable which I know for a fact is the thickest earphone cable out in the market. The AG8 is next to it. I am certain sonically the ISN AG8 would not be achievable if it was using less material. This silver cable is brawny and thick. Thicker than any other 8 core cable I have used.
Fiio EA3 w AG8
So what does all that silver do for your earphone? It is simple. It makes your earphones sound much higher end. Testing various phones from budget level to TOTL level in my Solaris the first thing you will notice is how expansive the sound will be using this cable. Expanding sound stage just by using a cable? That sounds crazy but AG8 has shown me time and time again. Has the most widest of stage. If you need a cable to give your earphone sound some space. These are the cables to go with. Then there is the increase in detail. That increase in stage also increases the scope of sound of your earphone. Gives a deeper more detailed cleaner clearer sound. Silver seems to clean up the notes of any artifacts around what you hear giving it a cleaner more chiseled sound with addition of better texture throughout the sound frequency of any given phone it is attached to.
KBear Diamond w AG8

Case in point. I have the AG8 here on a cheaper $79 earphone called the KBear Diamond. It goes from a good sounding earphone with decent resolution to something that sounds absolutely stunning with the cable. Ya I know the cable cost more than double the earphones. I tried it on them for the sake of research OK so don’t kill the messenger!
Andromeda S
But then you connect the cables to something that is already known to have a good high level of sound like the Andromeda S and you get even a higher end sound. Better definition and precision. A wider scope of sound. Impeccable imaging, added treble shimmer and sparkle. How can I tell these things are happening you ask? It is simple. Once you get used to hearing the AG8 with a test track. Go back to the stock cable your phones came with. You will notice a decrease in stage and depth. Treble will sound a bit muted in comparison. Imaging not as good.

The AG8 is similar to supercharging your engine for your car. It supercharges your earphones it is attached to.


The thicker core count of the AG8 I honestly believe adds to the fullness and give the sound a boost in depth. This is one cable that non believers have to try as it is easy to hear the differences going from a stock sound to the AG8 cable. Bucking the view of what silver does as you will read sound description of silver cables stating they tighten the bass. There is some truth to that. AG8 does as well but what these cables do for sub bass resolution is amazing. The cables increase detail of all sound regions including bass. Does not make the bass bigger per se but that sub bass rumble sounds spectacular using the cables.
Solaris w AG8
Silver it is what's for dinner. You can't fake silver! It has a distinctive sound on your earphones and if your a silver fan. I can’t think of a better pure silver cable than the ISN AG8. Like all good things in life, these will cost you to try a set and they aren’t cheap. Do I think they are worth your hard earned cash? Well I did mention I got a AG8 for review but my 2nd cable I had to buy.
Diamond & JVC FDX1 w AG8s
Cus these are amazing cables. I have more than just mmcx earphones. What is better than one thick pure silver cable. How's about two thick pure silver cables. After hearing them on my mmcx earphones I had to buy a 2nd set for my 2 pin earphones. Buy them, enjoy them, love them and hear sound from your earphones you had no idea it could do. Thanks for reading and as always happy listening-- which you will enjoy more with silver.

NiceHCK HK6!


A shout out to Jim at NiceHCK.. Thank you my friend for being such a good steward and friend to the headfi community and especially giving such a good deal of an excellent earphone.


Disclaimer: I was not provided with the HK6 for review purposes.. I bought these from the most recent Aliexpress anniversary sales. March 28th. Due to my own curiosity of them. As far as I know I was the first person in all of the greater US to buy one. In fact when I bought these what got me curious about them is that every single review that was posted on the NiceHCK web page was all Japanese enthusiasts. My question was why was these guys buying these up left and right? There must be a reason right?


Ok so I will spill the beans. I wanted something to tide me over till Ibasso brought out their IT04 but I suppose I was getting a bit frustrated with the wait. Still not out by the way but I suppose things like that happen for a reason. In hindsight I am glad it is still not out. Otherwise I think I might have skipped out on purchasing the HK6. Anyways so here it is a long overdue review of the HK6.



Specs:
1. Product Name: NICEHCK HK6 6BA drive unit in ear earphone customized earphone
2. Type: In-ear
3. Model: HK6 (6 Balanced Armature)
4. Impedance: 30Ω
5. Earphone sensitivity: 120±5db/mW
6. Frequency range: 20-20000Hz
7. Cable Interface: 3.5mm/2.5mm/4.4mm
8. Cable Length: 1.2m±5cm
9.Color: Blue
10.Whether with mic: No
11.Earphone plug type: Line type
12.Earphone Interface Type: MMCX interface
13.Drive unit: 6BA drive unit
14.Whether with earphone upgrade cable: Buyers Can Choose Without / With Cable


I remember hearing my first Chinese made iems the Monoprice MP8320 thinking geez these things sound much better than what the price indicates. I remember leading the charge for that cheap phone only to sell out numerous times on monoprice web site. Fast forward 7 years later and we get numerous overwhelming selection of advanced earphones, buds, hybrids and exotic earphones all made by the Chinese. In fact I will argue the real advancements in earphone tech is really coming out of China.


What the HK6 here represents is something that is a culmination of years of earphone manufacturing and crafting. As much as you guys love your earphones designed in Japan, Asia Korea,US or Europe. I am willing to bet they are all made in China. So it is natural to think it will be the Chinese that will have the most practice in making them nice earphones for you.. Earphone design now a days have so much going for them it is mind blowing just the sheer variety you get on Aliexpress. We have dedicated threads on headfi that dig into the various earphones and I have to say the advancements are for real. The advancements in multi driver combinations are staggering. Hybrids are no longer the new thing.It is the common thing. It is even in $20 earphones now a days.


Take the HK6 here it is a more higher end mature sound vs earphones I used to pay a premium for just a year or two ago. At the time of writing the asking price for the HK6 is $200 using a head-fi only discount code on their web site. That is $70 off the regular asking price and $220 total for a nice SPC included cable with the added ability to choose single end or in balanced with the earphones. If you don’t own a variety of cables already. The included cable is highly recommended. It is an excellent soft SPC 8 core cable.


Here is what you get out of the box.



NiceHCK zip up case. The earphones themselves, SPC cable and a variety of silicone tips. Not exactly a kings share of accessories. The tips are usable but for me not optimal for the sound of the HK6. I have suggested to Jim that they need to investigate the JVC spiral dot tips. As those are what I am using to evaluate the sound of the HK6. Included tips work but it is the wide bored variety of tips that seems to bring out the best sound out of the HK6 for me. Of course it might be different for you.


So here we go.


Build on the HK6 is stunning. What you see is a semi custom shell and a hand crafted earphone with 6 knowles BA drivers and crossovers all stacked inside a shell made out of hard plastic aqua blue resin. The Aqua blue color is currently the only choice of color on them. Another suggestion for possible future iterations of these was color variety. Will get into this a bit more later.


As standard as the thrown in accessories are you will quickly forget about accessories and marvel on how awesomely good looking the HK6 is in hand. Yes they do look a bit like jewelry and I would imagine you will treat them like so especially once you hear them. They come with standard newer style mmcx connectors which is awesome. Whomever came up with this newer block style of mmcx connector is a genius. I know guys have had bouts of lost signal from previous generations of mmcx connector and all I can say is these connectors are much more robust and have secure connection to any cables that attaches to them.


Burn in: Highly recommended. You don’t have to believe in burn in but this is coming from the manufacturers that make them. I can attest. When I heard the HK6 out of box the bass was a touch loose sounding, not fully realized. But the potential of the sound got me very excited on open listen. My first impression is here… LINK.. The sound will also expand and fill out with burn in. BA burn in is much more simpler than dynamic burn in. All you have to do is let music play through your HK6 for the required hours and not blasting either. Just play music very simple. I would do at least a 100 hours.


Guys that followed the discovery thread knows about another phone I bought at the exact same time as the HK6 from another manufacturer which I cannot reveal but just know I did this not only due to my own curiosity but also to compare the two to see which one was the better sounding unit. Both have identical specs and both have the exact same price points. The HK6 came out on top every time and here is why.


From my own personal likes in a sound design. I like clarity and balance in my earphones that use space to bring out layers of sound. What I dislike is earphones that do too much of one thing and not enough of another. Sound balancing to me is crucial and necessary simply due to the very wide variety of genres I listen to. Versatility comes with a balanced sound. When you have too much of one aspect, you can take versatility out of the equation.



What you get in the HK6 is sound tuning if I was making my own earphone. Not only is the balance there but it is very refreshing to find an earphone where the mids are not 2nd in line to sound aspect or take a back seat to the bass or the treble or both. In fact I will argue the mids on the HK6 is its true calling card and makes the HK6 a special earphone.


I have had so many earphones do one aspect of sound good to great only to be lacking on stage, or lacking on mids or lacking on treble, have too much treble or much bass but recession in the mids. HK6 has none of this going on.


First there is the excellent clean sound represented but the full frontal mids that encompass a wide band of what your hearing. Absolutely stunning for vocals and associated instruments that goes along with it. You know the mids are special when you start listening to your other much more expensive earphones only to hear how lacking the mids are on them. Not good since I used to absolutely love my earphone collection. But the HK6 has shed a new light and a new bar on what you get for your $200.


The HK6 has one of the most complete sounds I have heard on anything I own. In fact it has set a new standard for me in the price range for sound completeness. Refinements abound on the HK6. From the punchy bass to the treble that does not make a punching bag of your ear drums. Everything is where it should be on the HK6. Then you add that space.



HK6 utilized 6BAs with a coherency of one complete sound. If there are dynamic layers and dimensions to your tracks. These will portray it with ease. The sound tuning is simply masterful. Then you add that crazy space. I have heard excellently tuned earphones from a balanced profile only to lack a very essential ingredient to pull off that great balance and that is space.


While the HK6 does not have the widest of earphone stage what it does have is a very bold roundness and fullness of stage. Above average head stage for earphones that encompass. You get a very deep and full bodied spacious sound from the HK6 that envelope your hearing.


Very euphoric in vocal performance and for genres that absolutely must have space to shine. These are one of the best earphones I have ever heard for EDM genre. Older recordings from Johnny Cash to Miles Davis sound stunning. Very versatile and sounds just right for every genre I listen to which is just about everything. But so very special for vocal performances of every type.


Effortless in performances with sound layers from foreground to background in well recorded tracks. One of my test albums is Eric Claptons unplugged album. The best rendition of that album that I can recall. Being able to hear Claptons foot taps to fret slides and every single high note sounds like it is supposed to all portrayed in a very spacious manner. A stunner for live recordings.


Then there is the isolation. These have at least a minimum of 26dbs of isolation. One of the best isolating earphones as you have a solid block of plastic resin with 6 metal BAs in your ears. Very ergonomic on the housing design by the way. Which is worn over the ears. Can be used for hours with a very comfortable fit in the ears. You want to hear your music and all the little detail that goes with it. These make excellent earphones for out and about. Dare I say perfect.


Resolution of sound is exemplary and excellent from this price range but I think what would truly make these stand out in future versions is if they used even a higher end BA vs what is used on these.



I don’t have anything in my possession that comes close to the overall sonics qualities of these HK6 at the price they are asking for them. I was so taken with how good these HK6 are that I ended up inquiring about a higher end version. One of NiceHCKs flagship models the DZ12. I will be writing a review on them as well. So look out for that one. But for now this read is all about the HK6.


Adaptive bass? Agile dynamic bass is very crucial to musical versatility and on the HK6 we have bass that is clearly a part of the sound design. While mid bass has emphasis it does not encroach or has any real influence on tonality or is a detracter on the overall sound in any way. The bass much like how clean the treble is comes alive dependant on recordings. Sam Cookes music has some very old school analogue type sound to it and bass notes are perfect on older recordings and then can be very punchy, speedy and aggressive for Sepultura, Metallica and Slayer.. Even Drake, Migos and DJ Khaled for hip hop sub bass is there when called for, and here is the only portion of sound I feel that needs a bit of a boost which is easily done with a good amp or even eq. Bass reaches deep but does not have the authoritative rumble of a well tuned dynamic. Which leads to my suggestion for Jim.


Suggestion? Yes a suggestion. Hows about a newer version of the HK6 with a micro HD dynamic in it for bass. Make at least 4 varieties for colors for them. Add more optimized tips. Something similar to the KZ spiral tips but with a longer stock on them. Charge less than a $300 note and. Hmm I will be first in line to test out something like that. Lol


So in the end I am gonna let you guys know. I’m not gonna do any comparisons to my other phones in the price range. These already beat them out handily. I am just going to leave you with this. The DZ12 that is a $780 12 BA earphone I have in my possession.


Has that better bass end. Has wider stage. Has the leg up on resolution. But really they sound fairly identical actually. Save yourself the money and go for a HK6. Amp them and they will reach the sound qualities of a flagship NiceHCK semi custom. You best believe the hype is real!.

Penon Leo Plus

Leo is represented by the lion, and these spirited fire signs are the kings and queens of the celestial jungle. They're delighted to embrace their royal status: Vivacious, theatrical, and passionate, Leos love to bask in the spotlight and celebrate themselves.

Vivacious, Theatrical, and passionate good way to describe the Penon Leo Plus. I know this may be a bit over the top when describing a simple iem cable but I think the designers know what they are going for when naming such a cable.

Today we are talking about the premium cable from Penon. A strong name for a cable and then you add a plus. It turns out that Penon has an 8 core premium all silver cable which goes by the name LEO. So what was added to call this newer version with a plus? I suppose this is the type of name given to something that stands out and after using the Leo Plus, getting to know what it does. I feel this is a perfect name for this cable.


At the base of the 8 core cable is silver but incorporated into the silver we get a dose of some premium materials. Gold-silver-palladium alloy to make the cores. The plus means you get something extra. How does that translate to sonics?

First I would like to thank Penon for the review sample of the Leo plus. As an added perk I would like to mention Penon audio is doing something for their customers that I have yet to see in the world of audio. If you buy any products from Penon audio and choose DHL shipping. They will include some of their Masks. Penon is providing masks for folks that are affected by the spread of the scourge that is COVID-19. You can read about it here. The Leo Plus can be purchased here.

Onto the cable review. Silver cables all have one thing in common and that is absolute transparency. It is well documented that silver will give the best transmission of all things sonically. The added materials on the Leo Plus is new to me and at one point in my hobby history I was more than skeptical of the extravagant materials that a lot of the higher end cables use. Is it worth all that money to spend on a cable?

Let's say you have an IEM you just can’t live without. You have searched years for that perfect in ear that just does everything you like in a sound. You know all about how tips can have an affect on your sound but then what about the cable you're using?

Cables do make a difference in maximizing the ability of your in ears. If you're oblivious to it or in the camp that think they don’t. This review is not for you. Carry on soldier. Truth is cables do make a difference and here we have a premium cable that costs more than a lot of in ears. Let's be real $300 can buy you a cheaper DAP and a cheaper IEM to go with it. But for the folks that know a bit something about sonics and how a cable can shape the sonics. These are for you.

The Leo Plus makes your good sounding favorites into something different and for the much better. There is no other way to put it. First listen with a well burned in ISN H40. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The H40 didn’t sound anything at all what I was listening to previously.

First there is the expansion of the stage. Immediately perceived the stage of the sound on the H40 expanded width wise that clearly goes beyond previous perception of the sonics on the H40. It sounded so wide I had to take them out of my ears to see if I had the same earphone in my ears. It wasn’t a slight jump in stage; it sounded like a different earphone altogether.

Then there was the definition of the H40. I did a full review of this earphone and I know the sonics on them blind folded. I listen to it just about every day and again I was astonished at the definition jump I was getting. I know the silver aspect was what was at work here. So the biggest surprise was not these two aspects of the cable change. It was the 3rd aspect.

Texture. Better perceived texture for mids, bass and even treble. Vocal texture especially has increased. Basically the H40 no longer sounded like the H40. I own earphones well above 1K in price range and the H40 now sounds more like a premium high grade of earphone and this was from a simple cable change?. The added effect was not subtle like most cables I have used on the H40 before the Leo Plus. It is clearly audible with and without the cable.


So my point is. As good as your in ears sound to you. Imagine the previous noted impression about how the Leo plus has affected the H40 onto what you're using. Then you might get a good idea why these cost as they do. I have to admit I had my doubts as noted earlier. But no longer do I doubt the higher end cables and what they do. You're not going to see me review a $1800 cable. There is a point where money is better used on other things that actually produce sound. But for what Penon is asking for these. It is more than reasonable. They are giving you a premium cable in every sense of the word.


The Leo plus is soft 8 cores of the stuff that makes your in ear sound premium. Connectors, chin slider down to the termination is the highest of quality as it should. Soft supple with very minimum microphonics. I know $300 is a bit much for just a cable. But we are not dealing with “just a cable.”


As all good things goes in life. Premium stuff costs more. Here is a case where you are most definitely getting your money's worth in an IEM cable. My measuring mark for such cables is. Does it do one better than the next price point cable I have owned? The clear answer to that is absolutely. Vs other cables I own as shown.


Vs community favorite. 175 Electro Acousti hybrid. Advantage Leo plus in stage expansion. Definition is similar here but where the Leo Plus separates itself is that sound texture. 175 cable is comparable for clarity and blackness of space but that added texture is something special on the Leo plus.


Vs ISN AG8. AG8 is a new cable from cable maker ISN and is unique due to the thicker cored 8 braided pure silver cable I did a review for here. Sound stage is similar given the fuller thicker cores which translate to the sound perceived but again where the Leo Plus separates itself is that added texture to the sonics with a touch more precision. Bass also has a bit more impact and definition in the region.

Vs Penon Fiery. I figure I would add a pure copper cable to the mix. Copper does not expand the sound quite like silver does so there is a clear difference in perceived stage vs the two. The Leo Plus is the grand hall. Fiery is an intimate venue. Fiery gives a very nice full definition to the mids and bass end as good copper cables do, but here is where the Leo Plus clearly shows its superior effect. The stage not only increases but again that sound texture has an increase here as well. You would figure mid bands would be won out by a pure copper cable. Fullness of sonics have some similarities but the Leo Plus clearly has the superior sound separation stage and texture to the sonics.

The Plus of the Leo is that texture enhancing ability I can’t find in any other cable I own. Before the Leo Plus I have had cables that adds to the sound better fullness, stage, definition, separation, enhanced treble to bass but never have I seen a cable enhance texture of the sound quite like the Leo Plus. Something new for me. Also of note. I do not perceive any thinness to or leaning out of the sonics as a lot of silver cables has a tendency to do.

Bonus. Leo plus on my other in ears.

On the Andromeda S.

AndromedaS has one of the best balanced presentation of the various Andromedas CA comes up with regularly it seems. Leo Plus adds even a better bolder effect to the Andro S and is the best cable I have used on the Andro S. Adds that texture to the sonics and supreme sound separation and adds even a better sense of stage. Excellent pairing.

Finally my newly acquired DUNU LUNA.

Oh wow. Where to start. First I want to say the stock cable that comes with the LUNA is no swiss cheese. It is another premium cable from the DUNU camp which comes with every termination possible with one of the best designed quick switch termination systems for their premium cables. It matches sonically perfectly with the LUNA but for grins I attached the Leo Plus on it. Attached it one time and that is all it took.

All I can say is. This is the type of sound dreams are made of. Full bodied luscious rich full dynamic sound from top to bottom. I realized just how extreme the Leo Plus meshes with the LUNA and decided it will be the cable I will leave on the LUNA for the foreseeable future. LUNA is a very transparent well balanced flagship from DUNU and the Leo Plus adds even a better sense of stage. The blackest of backgrounds. Even better precision. And surprisingly a full bored bass end. Vocal textures just mesmerize and can leave goose bumps. I don’t know if sound can actually get better with this one two punch. In any case this is not a review of the LUNA but more the cable I have decided to keep on the LUNA. Once you hear it. You can’t unhear it. It is my precious.

As you can tell I have quickly become a fan of the qualities of the Leo Plus. My only gripe is I wish I owned a few more of these cables to use with my other in ears. In the end as much as I wanted to keep this cable on the H40. Luna just sounds extreme with this cable and who am I to break up this happy marriage. Thanks for reading.

UPOCC stands for Ultra Pure Ohno Continuous Casting. While all copper is continuously cast, OCC copper is cast using a heated mold for casting and extruding, which results in much greater crystal size across single strands of copper, increasing purity to 99.9998%.


First I would like to give a shout out to Jim at NiceHCK for providing me a sample of their newest higher end cables for review. These cables can be purchased on their web site. Here. This review will be covering their newest higher end cables the Oalloy and the C4-1 cables. The Oalloy is a 6N UPOCC Copper and Copper-Silver Alloy mixed cable Litz. And the C4-1 is a 4 core single crystal copper structure UPOCC Litz covered with PVC and an outer core of black weaved cloth material.


Both cables have similar excellent build quality connectors and are soft with no stiffness. Both were used in balanced in mmcx connectors.


Being an owner of more cables for my earphones than I am willing to admit. Sometimes I ask myself when is enough is enough. Much like the collector of things that are good in this hobby. I refuse to give up on my cables. This being said. I am of the opinion that you don’t need to spend a kings ransom to get good quality cables for your favorite earphones. These new cables are a shining example of just this.


Cables that push the $100 mark and over are not really for folks that are new to cable rolling and in all honesty there is a huge variety of cables that fall under the magic $60 mark that will give you what your looking for.. But for the enthusiast that want every bit of sonic goodness that can be squeezed out of your favorite earphones and don't mind spending a bit to get there. These are for you.


I am gonna let everyone know a bit of an industry secret. These are rebranded cables. Thats right. Rebranded meaning they are the exact same cable that another vendor sells for much more. So what does that mean? There is a reason why these cost like they do. Cables are the one accessory you can’t judge by the way they look. I have in my possession cables that look stunning, shiny, expensive looking that really dont do much but just look pretty. Then I have cables that are thinner, brittle looking and quite frankly cheap looking that ends up being much better for sonic enhancements for my phones. So looks aren’t everything. Cables have everything to do with the quality of the materials they are made from. And quality is what you get with these cables.



1. Product Name:NICEHCK 6N Cable
2. Brand and Model: NICEHCK Oalloy
3. Material: 6N UPOCC Copper and Copper-Silver Alloy Mixed
4. Purity: 99.9997%
5. Conductor core: 25AWG
6. Number of cores: 44*4
7. Outer diameter of internal single core: 0.06mm
8. Single Outer skin diameter:1.5mm
9. Internal core structure: Litz structure
10.Outer skin material: PVC
11.Color: Copper
12.Plug type: 3.5 /2.5 /4.4mm straight plug

1. Product Name:NICEHCK 6N UPOCC copper silver plated cable
2. Brand and Model: NICEHCK C4-1
3. Material: 6N UPOCC copper silver plated
4. Purity: 99.9998%
5. Conductor core: 26AWG
6. Number of cores: 60*4 {(28*0.08mm+32*0.05mm)*4}
7. Outer diameter of internal single core: 0.08mm/ 0.05mm
8. Single Outer skin diameter:1.5mm
9. Internal core structure: Litz structure
10.Outer skin material: PVC
11.Color: Black
12.Plug type: 3.5 /2.5 /4.4mm straight plug
13.Interface: MMCX/ 0.78mm 2Pin/ NX7 2Pin/ qdc 2Pin connector

A quick shout out to the cable guru himself @hakuzen. The Oalloy is numbered 210 on his cable list which can be found here among other cables. Also my own thread with many impressions of cables found here.

Oalloy and the C4-1 are both made of a higher grade of copper at its core, Alloy copper mixed a higher end pure copper for the Oalloy and the C-41 having a single grade of crystal copper with a silver plating both in litz structure. There is no way of distinguishing what the materials are really without an alchemy lab but whatever they are using for the cores on these cables. These cables adds sonic character to the base foundation of your earphones they are attached to and they are absolutely magical on my earphones.



As soon as I got the cables. I threw them right away on my AndromedaS. I was left a bit perplexed. It sounded so good I have yet to hear my AndroS sound quite this nice. It was actually approaching my Soliars in fullness and detail from bass to treble. Connected to the stock SPC litz cables does no such thing.


In fact I ended up listening to the AndroS for 3 hours first time I connected it to the Oalloy.. You know the cable is good when you get lost in your music without knowing it. Astounding. The sound production was at a new level vs my other cables. What can I say. My brain was telling me there is something good going on here. The synergy of my Andro S with these cables and my Shanling M5s was one for the ages.


The AndromedaS is a special edition 5BA earphone from Campfire Audio which need no introduction. The Andro S houses some incredible sonics and a sound I know very well. Cables does have an influence on the Andro S due to their high sensitivity and revealing character. So this being said it has become my test bed for all things cable related.


Sonic flavoring is the result of cables. Some hear the sonic flavoring some don’t. If you are in the camp that don’t believe in cables and can’t hear any sonic changes. I envy you since you don’t have to go out and spend on cables. Stick with the stock litz cable they are excellent cables. No need to upgrade for you..But for the rest who need and want a slight flavoring of the sonics on your great sounding earphones. These were the observations on both cables.



Oalloy: Cable number 210 on Hakuzen's list. This cable is a bit flimsy looking to be honest. A bit thin with a thicker PVC. Wires look a bit thin compared to other 4 core cables. But none of that really matters cus what looks a bit thin has nothing to do with the bold clarity, detail and bass these things produce. Adding a flavor of dynamism that cheaper cabes can’t touch. The Andro comes alive with better dynamics over their own stock litz cable which are worth $150 by the way.


Due to the better dynamic perception, bass comes alive with greater authority. Mids detail become slightly more vivid. Treble become cleaner and more precision. With the best bass production I have yet to hear on my AndroS. I knew right away this cable belongs on my beloved Andromeda S.



C4-1. With this cable connected. First I want to say looks absolutely stunning on my all chrome Andromeda S. It brings a different flavor of sound vs the Oalloy. Detail is at the forefront of this cable. Bringing an added touch of resolution to the Andro S sound. I have yet to hear musical detail quite like what I hear using this cable. Treble has a bit more shimmer a touch more air, mids have a clarity that I have yet to hear on the Andro S tuning. Clean clear crisp.Imaging jumps out with better black space. The bass end seemed a bit punchier tighter yet just as deep using the Oalloy. Gives my andro S a more neutral revealing character. After using the C-41 for a while I now have no idea which cable I actually like better on my Andro S. Both sound terrific on the phones. It is a good problem to have. I suppose I can change them up when the mood hits me.


In conclusion. I look at these cables like this. They are a lot like your girlfriend/ boyfriend. You love them for everything they are. They are always there for you but on occasions they will make themselves up using some makeup and a nice outfit for them dates. Nights to remember them and love them more.


Before and after make up.




What this is in fact what these cables can do for your earphones. At the core of the earphones sound is the same. No graph is gonna really show what these cables do but why would you not like the after. As always. Happy listening.

Eros S 1st anniversary

Hybrid cables by sheer description means at its base cores are using two types of materials. The Eros S is a well-reviewed true hybrid cable utiling UPOCC copper litz and UPOCC silver litz materials interweaved in 8 cores. To be specific 26AWG in 8 cores.

The new 1st anniversary edition ditches the stock gray sleeving of the original and goes for a fresher looking, shiny black with gold accents. This carries over to the brushed/polished aluminum and carbon fiber accents that makes the 1st Anniversary version stand out.

I own and use several pure silver and copper hybrid cables, so I have some clear expectations of its performance. It is the Eros S out of the 3 signature series cables that is arguably the top tier of the signature series, and it has to do with it being the only cable out of the 3 to include cores of pure silver.

If you have ever used pure silver cables for IEMs, then you will have a good understanding of its properties when connected to your IEMs. And on the opposite end of the Eros S make up includes a very good standard copper material for EA, UPOCC copper. This particular type of copper material happens to be some of the best in the industry when it comes to its sound enhancing ability and here, we get a marriage of both materials that form the cohesive sound enhancing ability of what the Eros S represents.

The 1st anniversary now has a new look called the stardust noir theme vs the standard Eros S more standard gray colored sleeving. All black shiny PVC with gold flakes enhanced with gold plated anodized aluminum conx 2 pins and a Rhodium plated plug that really make the cables stand out. Arguably one of the better-looking IEM cables I have ever used. The 1st anniversary is a stunner out of the box. The new all black look really enhances any IEM it touches as its thicker 26AWG 8 wire configuration is softer than it looks and is lighter compared to similar cables, its brother the 8 wire Cadmus for example is the same thickness but is not as light or as soft as the Eros S.

The new Eros S finish is not only soft but is also much more pliable than most sets that use this much material. Has no memory and while there is a certain element of cord noise it's not any worse than any other type of cable with a PVC finish when used over the ears. The Eros S 1st also comes with a new specialized stardust noir themed pouch to use with the cables.

You can look up more information about the Eros S 1st anniversary on their official pages shown here. The Eros S 1st anniversary was provided for the purpose of a review.

As per their sound enhancing capabilities. These observations are as follows. Tested on several of my well-reviewed IEMs, the Penon 10th anniversary, Penon Impacts, TSMR RGB, Penon Turbo, and ISN Neo5. All testing was done using the cables these earphones come with to get a good idea of what the Eros S 1st is doing vs the stock cables.

It was clearly evident that the Eros S is using higher end materials for its make up. You can tell due to how resolving the cables are. UPOCC copper is one of my all-time favorite materials for cables and Effect Audio uses only the best copper materials in the industry for all their cables. The signature series all utilize this material with excellent results. The Eros S 1st uses the UPOCC copper as a base for the cable's sound shaping properties but then adds cores of pure silver. Which enhances the copper's ability for enhancing technical aspects for a sound.

The first aspect of the ErosS attached to my IEMs was its ability to enhance a stage perception. Sound gets wider with a deeper stage on all the sets I have tested the cables on. Stage enhancing ability has to do with how a cable enhances details and imaging which the pure silver has a lot to do with these aspects. Overall emphasis for the Eros S in general is more of a U shaped in emphasis meaning while it does not enhance mid bands to have a greater note weight it does enhance extension for the IEMs on both ends. The copper working on the bass, the silvers working on the trebles a combination of both working for the important mids of your IEMs sound signature to enhance an IEMs technical ability.

Its mids enhancing is a bit more grounded meaning the Eros s will not add an added thickness or fullness to a sound profile but will provide a level of transparency, detail and imaging that is easily some of the best for cables at this price range.

The consistency of the UPOCC coppers used in Effect Audio cables are that they give a reference level of black background which makes your IEMs sound more dynamic as a result. The Eros S clearly benefits from this base material. Your IEMs tonal character is not skewed to be brighter or darker using the EROS S while your IEMs technical aspects. Its sound stage, imaging, sound separation, clarity and detail levels are all enhanced.

You might be asking if the Eros S does all these things then why spend more for a higher end cable like the Fusion 1 for example?

The differences from the Fusion 1 is that it is using much more variations of copper material with gold and silver but more importantly it is using much more sophisticated geometry to attain what those cables can do for an IEM. The Eros S has excellent base sound enhancing ability but does not layer a sound quite like the Code 23 or the Fusion 1 cables. Which makes both these cables cost accordingly and in the industry where anything that enhances a sound level to a “higher level” will demand a price tag to match.
Sure the Eros S 1st anniversary is not at the level of prior mentioned cables by Effect Audio but at the same time it is clearly playing at a higher level when it comes to sound enhancing ability. I own and have reviewed numerous cables at the price ranges of $150-$350. In fact I find this is the price range where you will get a clear distinction from the sub $100 level cable category for a good reason. Price is always subject for debate on these things but for what it's worth the Eros S might be a part of the signature series, what Effect Audio considers an intro level cable. According to them but not when I compare similarly priced cables against them. These are competitively priced. What you can expect connected to an Eros S cables are as follows.

-Superb ergonomics, pliable with no memory
-Not a heavy cable compared to other 26AWG 8 core cables
-Enhances stage perception
-Enhances detail of an IEM
-Better dynamics, bass punch,bass reach and rumble
-Enhances mids clarity, imaging and sound separation
-One of the best looking aesthetically pleasing cables at any price.

Improvement for sound separation and layering and stage perception was heard listening to this track.

Connected to the ISN NEO5
Neo5 is a Dynamic + 4BA warm musical full bodied sounding IEM with an equal full bodied bass response. The dynamic on the Neo5 due to its ample impact and emphasis for bass is not the quickest when it comes to transient response hence needs a bit of better sound separation and stage for speedier complex tracks. This metal track with the stock cable brings almost a wall of sound effect due to its speedy yet paced dynamic guitar riffs, vocals and the snappy pace of the drum work. While the tuning of the Neo5 bodes better for more bass infused genres but with the right cable these IEMs was able to keep up with this track much better than the stock ISN S4 cable. Bass end seemed a touch snappier yet did not lose any of the bass impact and emphasis.

Improvement for sound stage, imaging, sound separation, details and body of note noticed for the Penon Turbo a 6BA pure balanced armature set.. Sound gets a clear expansion of stage with much better separation of the elements for this track.

This track gets an uptick in precision, clarity and the sound expansion is so clearly evident I can make out the room the track was recorded in. The stock cable for the Turbo is not a bad one but this is a case where the upgrade for the Turbo is easily heard from using the Eros S. Bass rumble and treble sizzle is enhanced which clearly enhances why the Penon Turbo is such an addictive IEM in the first place. Wish the Turbo actually came with the Eros S. I love how the Eros S does not lean out a bass end like pure silver cables do. Case in point.


Bass impact. Connected to the Penon Impact a 10BA+4EST hybrid. By default the impact has some really good bass using 4 Sonion acupass vented BAs. Impacts are called the Impacts for several reasons but one of them is not because they don't have it on the bass. Its stock cable is a $150 white Penon obsidian cable, mostly a pure crystal copper cable with some gold-plated copper cores mixed. This cable was provided due to how it enhances the mids of the Impacts. Introducing the Eros S to the Impact is a bit of the opposite of what the stock obsidian cables do. The Eros S brings a more balanced take on the Impact sound signature. A wider stage, better treble articulation, and its bass end is not sacrificed to do so. It already has one of the best sound layering of just about any IEM but this aspect also gets a slight increase. Sounds more holographic as a result. The stock cable skews the sound to be a bit more mid centric with a more intimate stage presentation. The Eros S gives more credence to the excellent well extended trebles and its bass presence much better than the stock cable does. While the mids are not as forward as the stock Obsidian this tradeoff for a wider deeper sound to get a more balanced Impacts is what the Eros S does for the impacts.

Penon 10th is a tribrid utilizing 2x dynamic+ 2 BA + 2EST. The 10th is an excellent testbed for IEM cables I found out as I have tested both the Fusion 1 and now the Eros S on them with some excellent results. Once again the expansion of stage is the first aspect I notice going from its stock cable to the Eros S. And here is a bit of a comparison against Effect Audios newest Fusion 1. The Fusion 1 specialty is its ability to separate notes in the given track and compared to the Eros S. It gives a greater noteweight to vocals and instruments. I feel the strengths of the Fusion 1 has to do with what it does for the mids more than any other aspect of its tuning. And here is where the differences really are. Fusion 1 simply has a supreme level of sound layering the Eros S or any of the signature series cannot touch. This should be the case but considering the Fusion1 cost roughly 3X as much as the Eros S. You would expect that, but here is the surprise. As far as stage enhancement goes the Eros S is right there with the Fusion 1. Its technical enhancing ability, specifically imaging is not at the Fusion 1 level but this is a case where if you haven't heard or used the Fusion 1 then that saying, ignorance is bliss. Eros S clearly enhances imaging vs the stock cable counterparts of all these IEMs I am testing them on and hence at the price range you really can’t do much better.

In the end
In an ideal world all IEM cables would utilize the best copper and the best pure silver for its makeup but unfortunately these materials cost more to produce and make. If you're going for higher end cable to enhance your favorite IEM the Eros S makes a compelling statement for one of the absolute best you can get for your hard earned money. Its stunning looks is arguably a clear upgrade from the original in every way imo. Not that the original was necessarily a bad looker but shiny black with gold accents is classy. The cables are consistent in what it does which brings a mix of what a higher end copper and a higher end pure silver can do for your IEMs and this will make it extremely versatile for all types of IEMs they are connected to. Stage enhancing with an increase for your IEMs technicalities are what the Eros S is about but then they look stunning on just about anything you attach them to. Looks and better sound, what makes for a better IEM cable? Thanks for taking the time to read.

Penon Impact.

The Impact is all clear glass like resin design with a pearl white face plate. The cable is a modified version of the Obsidian which works exceedingly well with BA based IEMs. Not to mention specifically designed for the Impact in all white sleaving Looks fantastic in person. I did a full review just about the standard Obsidian cables you can read here. Classy pearl white and all clear in appearance the design of the Impacts is by far Penon's best looking IEM subjectively to match its supreme sound quality.

I got them recently and connected them to my K9 pro and started to listen to them. I was like a kid waking up early on Christmas morning. Lol.

First thing that hit me was its ability to mimic a live stage. You can hear the ambience of the venue perhaps better than anything I have heard. The Legend comes close but these things!


Vocals! Vocals! Andrea Bocelli I use his vocals for testing out male vocals, I mean how can you not. His live recording of Perfidia. When he starts to sing. Instant shiver!

This track I have heard so many times but the way the Impact captures the ambience the air of the venue here is mind blowing. It sounds like I am sitting there in the audience listening to him sing.

Vocals on the Impacts is special. Penon has always produced IEMs with a rich mids presentation but the way the Impacts portray vocals is uncanny. Its imaging and precision is on another level as it should. I was told the customized white Obsidian cable was designed for vocals in mind. To add a touch of richness for its tonal qualities probably using a bit extra for the gold plating on the cable. If your a vocal lover for music you have to take the Penon Impact into consideration.

Dimensional like you wouldn't believe. Impacts have a big holographic stage that represents what you are hearing. Using so many premium drivers in a compact housing with 4 bores will get you dimensional in the truest sense. Well mastered Jazz sound sublime with the Impact.


What separates these vs your standard IEM presentation is the layers and layers of sound you're hearing. And then Imagine Penon mids cranked up to 11. These things are playing with TOTL level sonics. These have to be some of the best mids presentation for IEMs I have ever heard. More than just musically rich and with details coming at you at all angles.

Tonal character, extremely natural, rich meaty with surprising timbre for what is basically an all Sonion BA based set. No surprise I prefer the tonality and timbre of the Sonion BAs and you get a whole heaping loving of Sonion BAs. You can even say the Impact is a Sonion BA lovers poster child. No Knowles to be found on these.

Details. Its trebles are handled by 2 Sonion BAs and 4 Sonion ESTs for the ultra highs. Crystalline details, smooth clean silky sparkly and very dimensional. Treble fans will love how details for treble plays in the air out of nowhere. Well extended and you can hear the integration of the EST air injection with superb highlights for trebles. Trebles are airy and has very good presence. There is no single plane of sound on these at all. These are how you can tell there are limitations on your treble presence on lesser IEMs. Details and transients for trebles are a given but has an addictive shimmer and sparkle and you know Penon tuned treble means no added fatigue. Excellent well optimized treble.

Trebles are tuned to not fatigue for Penon tuned IEMs and the Impacts does the same. While some may want just a bit more treble presence I find it balanced extremely well for its given musical presentation. The surprising aspect for the Impacts is that with different cable pairing you can enhance the treble aspects of its tuning to a degree but what is there is a nicely detailed, well extended treble design that will be very versatile for all types of music with no glaring flaws in any of it.

Bass. These are called Impacts for a reason that is because this is exactly what these do for bass. These will be impactful not just for its presentation but for its bass. Punchy and defined just like the rest of the signature. What is interesting here is I don't know if these are Sonion Acupass BAs but there is no venting for the bass unless it is using some sort of venting from the nozzle. There is no vent bass hole anywhere I can see.

I also noticed the bass end digging a bit more so than your traditional well implemented BA bass. Has surprising texture. Agile, tonally accurate and of course BA speed, bass tracks actually have some authority. I would say it has at least 8dbs of mid bass to sub bass which is actually how much bass I feel is necessary for a versatile bass amount for IEMs in general. I think Penon took to heart how they tuned the bass end for BA based IEMs and tried a new trick. A BA set with authority? How can that be? It is an improvement from the Legend bass presence.

It's got better attack and seems to have a slower more realistic decay of bass notes for its sub bass.. A touch punchier than the Legend bass end. From how I understand it. Two of the bass BAs does upper to mid bass, two of them handle the rumble. Bass notes don't have the texture of a dynamic but these have to have some of the best texture for sub bass I have heard for BA bass. I noticed bass ability for the Impact is dynamic in how it performs. Meaning it adapts exceedingly well for bass types and emphasis depending on the track. Hip hop sounds like hip hop including some deep hitting rumble.

Natural bass notes sound unsurprisingly fantastic on these but is not weak in the sub bass emphasis. I couldnt ask for much better BA bass representation on the Impact.
Ultimately this all BA + EST design gives a fluid cohesive all Sonion sound that represents some of the brands best hardware in the Impact.

Dont have to worry about speed for these things either. Metal tracks sound amazing on these.

Passive Isolation.
Fantastic. These are an ode to the Penon Orbs clean clear design. The all clear Resin is like melted poured glass with no vent holes I can see. You want to talk about perfect for out and about immersion.. Also a nice ice breaker for sound geeks. Check out all the drivers homey!
You can show your friends all the BA/ speakers in the shell and look at that artwork for that immediate jealous look. Lol.

The impacts has the type of sound that leaves a lasting impression. Its forward holographic sound signature is absolutely superb for all types of music. If your an eclectic music listener like I am the Impacts have easily become my number one. Its versatile balanced tuning and stunning holographic sound is all encompassing. Penon has clearly taken their time to design these to be a TOTL level IEM. ( I will be adding to this preview and it will officially become more of a review but I felt I needed to post at least a preview of the Impacts for now) Much more impressions and observations to come.

Please join the Penon impressions thread for more discussion about the impacts and other Penon goods here. https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the-penon-official-thread.934523/post-17346950

Some comparisons

Impact vs Volt
As dimensional as the Volt sounds the Impact is much greater with that aspect. Their stages are fairly similar, but the biggest difference is how the Impact background has a blacker background. It has a higher end sound separation and an imaging at a different level, the Volt is not able to do. However, this being said that richness for vocals and their tonal characters are definitely from the same family. I feel the Volts and the Impact have similar tonal qualities, stage and sound balancing but just about everything else is a clear upgrade for the Impacts. The other aspect the Impact is a clear upgrade is its treble tuning. Volts needed a touch more lower trebles and you get that with the Impact as it dedicates a dual Sonion for lower to mid trebles. It is well known that EST drivers work best for upper trebles so that is what the Impact uses the EST drivers for.

Impacts treble articulation is some of the best I have ever heard. Then you add another level of dimensional and imaging/technical aspects to its overall sound and you get a clear upgrade on the Volts. Volts to this day I feel are supreme bang for buck for Tribrids and a true Penon classic. Penon has used their extensive use of the Sonion BAs to maximize its sound quality that now is fully realized in the Impact. Volts is what you look into if you are a fan of the Orbs and the Globes.

You figure it would be the bass end that will clearly win over the Impact but not exactly. The Bass end of the Volt by nature will not be as tight or a speedy as BA bass. Volt bass end has a slightly slower decay, slower bass in general vs the Impacts speedy tight faster bass. The Impacts bass end adapts to different types of bass on a different level vs the Volts. Benefit of a good integrated dynamic driver for bass is it gives a realistic woofer like bass end but if you are an eclectic music listener like I am there are advantages of BA bass that dynamics are not quite good at. When I listen to the bass end of the Impact it does not sound like BA bass for something like Hip hop as it has excellent presence and a rumble you would never figure BA Bass can do. I am comparing it directly vs the Volt bass. The Impact bass end can adapt to every type of bass note possible and do it extremely well. Something speedy that is in rock or metal, full on punchy to a slower deeper rumbly type. Impact does these elements for bass on a different level cameleon like for bass. Volt bass is overall a good dynamic bass but lacks a bit in authority, speed and needs to be the next level for texture and extension for its sub notes. I think If an eventual Volt 2 ever comes out it will be the bass end that needs a bump in quality and ability overall.

Impact vs the Legends
Now this one was where I thought. No way would the Impact be worth double that of the Legends. Believe it or not the Legend actually has the widest stage for all Penon IEMs even over the Impact. It is the Legend that comes more closer to technical ability of the impact by nature it is an All BA set with some premium Sonion drivers in it as well. Now that I am looking back at the Legend release. You want to talk about value folks. That would be the Legend. Legend has a w shaped tuning that has some astounding ability and versatility and even more so than the Volt the Legend is an absolute bargain in this comparison. Reasoning for its slightly wider stage presentation has to do with its lesser lower mids region and the added pure silver Flow cable that enhances stage.

I actually tried the Flow cable on the Impacts, and it does bring more stage and treble emphasis vs the stock cable. Impacts sounds a touch leaner and less richer in tonality due to the pure silver of the Flow cable so the Impacts were clearly designed with the white Obsidian cable to enhance the tonal character. The Obsidian is mostly a pure copper type cable so it does not enhance stage elemets of a sound like a pure silver cable does. I do encourage some cable trial and error as one thing I did learn from trying out the Flow cable was that the Impacts do change in character with other cables.

The Impact has an overall higher end more refined tuning that brings more body to the sound in general vs the Legends. The mids are the most dimensional sounding out of all the Penon IEMs including the Legends. Impacts mids are a touch more forward in the mix vs the Legends and has more body/ fullness/ greater note weight. Bass sounds more focused and more defined with the Impacts vs the Legends bass. It has a bit more in the way of quantity for its bass notes. Has greater punch and sounds more extended with a slower decay in the sub notes. It could be using the same drivers as the Legends for its bass but the Impacts being a closed design, the Legend is vented out back. This design change seems to be the difference in bass being a touch more prominent and focused on the Impact sound vs the Legends.

Its treble has a leg up on its articulation and detail aspects. I have to say the Legends are no push over for its treble definition, but the Impacts has an advantage of greater precision overall. Impact is the top of all the Penon IEMs when it comes to imaging and dimensional sound even over the Legends. But the Legend comes remarkably close to these aspects for being half the cost of the Impact. Comparing both side by side if I didn't have the Impact next to it to compare, I think most folks would be WOWed by the Legends sound presentation.

Legends is like a premium version of the Fan 2 in many ways if you guys can't afford the Impact and want a clear upgraded premium version of the Fan2 sound profile. That is what the Legend is. The Impact has more refinements, but you would be hard pressed to find them if you didn't have them side by side. They are that good. Overall, what separates the Impact vs the Legends is its overall balancing, greater note weight for its bass to mids and a bit extra for their treble, a higher end precision, imaging and articulation with EST sparkle. Value clearly goes to the Legends, but the Impact is what happens when you bring your absolute best effort using premium Sonion drivers and a tuning that is easily one of the most versatile with a very nice high end technical ability. The Legend actually comes remarkably close in many aspects of the Impacts, but it is the extra attention to the Impact tuning that clearly makes it Penon's new Flagship.

Penon TOTEM

It was only a matter of time before Penon threw down the gauntlet. The TOTEMs are here and these are my thoughts and a report of the new flagship IEM cables from Penon. Appropriately called the TOTEMs. I always thought naming schemes for their cables made a lot of logical sense. So how does the name TOTEM fit for these cables?

It is quite simple. These cables are a conglomeration of a lot of know-how and tech behind the design. They are stacked with the best of the best materials known to have any real effects on an earphone. Masterfully weaved together and you get the TOTEM.

This graphic here shows the layers of cable we are talking about.

So in theory these should have some outstanding properties for sound enhancement. In reality it ends up being something substantial and for the price it better be. You don’t spend this much on a cable for it to be your garden variety silver plated copper cable. It has to be substantial as it is a flagship and better yet a statement product from Penon.

I would like to thank Penon audio for providing a sample of their TOTEM cable for review purposes. The TOTEM cable can be purchased here. I test cables based on what it does for my IEMs. Testing a minimum of 5 earphones listening for the constants in sound quality enhancement and the effects compared to the cable they came with. Here was my results.

The Build of the TOTEMS seems very well put together and the main body of the TOTEMS are made of 2 thick cores each core consisting of all the materials that was listed or 334 shares per core. The materials are as follows. Litz 6 silver plated single crystal copper, palladium plated pure silver, pure gold plated crystal copper. Each element that makes up the shares of the cable could be a cable unto its own. In fact if you combined the materials on Penons own OS849 SPC cable, the Penon Leo Plus and the Penon GD849 cable and somehow was able to magically make one cable from the materials of these cables. You get a Totem.

I can understand the thought process for the materials used. Silver for its highest transparency and stage enhancing ability, copper for its body and warmth, gold for that rich tone and depth, palladium for that remarkable imaging and detail. Like a mad chemist in a chemistry lab. The Totem comes to life due to some mad out of the box thinking.

Frankenstein has nothing on the madness that is the Totem. You guys are looking at a cable that makes a lot of logical sense but to put all them elements together must have taken a lot of time and effort to create. I mean who puts a gold cable in the center of a palladium cable which are centered again on a SPC cable and exactly how can that happen to create one seamless cable?

Some side effects of this monstrous cable is that it does not have the most softness or is the best pliable in material form. The cable is a bit on the stiffer side of things but is not terrible in this aspect and that is the reason why they decided to put ear guides. As you all know Penon does not put ear guides on their cables but this was the exception. All that can be forgiven if the sound that these help produce is what it should be right?

The sheer amount of cores and sleeving involved which separates each type of cable from each other makes the Totem unique and substantial. The connectors, y split, chin slider and 2.5mm termination are all of very best quality CNC machined, utilizing carbon fiber and gold plating. The TOTEMs come in 2.5mm balanced with the addition of 2 pigtail adapters. One in 2.5mm female to 3.5mm single ended. And another in 2.5mm female to 4.4mm balanced male.

I have seen some grumblings already on these adapters but I will tell you why both these are a true gem of a bonus here in the read later. You don’t want to miss out on what just the adapters do for your other cables. Lets just say Penon is now considering just making these adapters due to how good these adapters are. Again more later on in the read.

I have to admit the color is a bit out there if not unique in the presentation. The cable in hand though will stand out among your other cables clearly for better or for worse depending on how you see it. In choosing this teal blue colored sleeving they are about as unique coloring and styling as your gonna get in cable land. Looks aside I suppose Penon wanted a cable design to truly stand out. And these definitely do.

Cables that I have done reviews for all have subtle effects on the sonic production of the earphones they are attached to. Not so with the Totems. There is nothing subtle about the sonics that you're going to hear when you attach your favorite earphone to these cables.

It is very clear to me, Penon is out to make a statement with these cables. The very first earphone I connected them to was the Mofasest Trio. If any of you folks own the Mofasest Trio and wondered to yourself what a more refined and higher end Trio would sound like. That is exactly what you're gonna get using the Totems on the Trio. It is quite astounding just how much the sonics enhance and change. First thing I noticed was the stage enhancing ability. Trio had a larger, grander, wider, deeper taller stage. Then the other aspect that jumped out at me was the clearly defined instrument separation and the blacker background on the sound. Note distinction and that amazing separation. Better definition. Better articulation, more dimensional, more resolving and this was from connecting the cables fresh out of the box they came in.

To say I was a bit floored with the results was an understatement. I have never heard the Mofasest Trio sound this good. In fact with this cable it sounds complete and utter TOTL level and I mean that in every sense of the word. Ok now this was getting very interesting.

Going back to the stock cable was a lesson in just how much cable tech has come along. Going back to the stock cables was such a let down. And I always thought the stock cables of the Mofasest Trio was decent. To be fair the stock cable does not limit the sonics of the Mofasest Trio but it isn't exactly the same sound I was hearing from using the Totems. The Mofasest Trio becomes another much more higher end earphone altogether. Nothing subtle about it. The same earphone sounds like 2 completely different earphones. The sheer authority and refinement the cable brings to the sound was incredible. So you would expect that out of a flagship level cable. Admittedly I have plenty of well made cables and write and post about them all the time on the 2 cable threads. Low end and mid fi cable threads. As much as I thought I knew a thing or two about cables and what they do for your IEMs. I had no idea just how much a well designed cable can supercharge your IEMS. I mean I use all the cables I write about and buy but none have come even remotely close to the level of sonic enhancing ability of the Totems.

There wasn’t an earphone I have attached to it yet that doesn't sound leagues better. It is very much groundbreaking in how this cable manipulates the stock sound to become something entirely different. Something much more higher end than what the host IEM usually sounds like.

I had to try it on my Solaris. With the Solaris which already has a high level of detail and immersive nature to the tuning. With the Totem It becomes my own personal concert hall. Just astounded by how more spacious it sounds using this cable. Music notes be it drums to guitars to vocal performances sound even more refined with better distinction than what the stock tuning had in mind. Sounding even more higher end and the sound now has a sophistication that I never knew the Solaris could do. What was dimensional before now surrounds. What was articulate now with even a higher degree of immersiveness than what the Solaris was initially known for. More rich in tone, more spacious, with supreme clarity for the treble, full bodied mids with better instrument separation. Bass has even more authority. Solaris has become another beast altogether.

On the Dunu Luna. The sound becomes more dimensional like what happened to the Solaris. But now the sound goes beyond what I thought was possible on the Luna. Each region of sound has its own playground for sound. Better distinction and space between instruments. Vocals have better texture. It sounds like a revamped version of the Dunu Luna. The cable I had on the Luna was the Penon Leo Plus and while it still is the best cable I have used on the Luna till now, the Totem here clearly shows its superior articulation and sound separating ability.

Supremely cleaner black background that is only perceivable on the Totems and a level of refinement that was now taken to another level. Bass I noticed now has a deep rumble and authority that is now awake. The bass end of the Luna I never knew existed comes alive with the Totems. Everything about the Luna now is enhanced. The Luna sounds richer, more defined, more distinct in all regions of the sound tuning. Treble sounds cleaner and there is not a treble note that doesn’t sound just fantastic, detailed with supreme clarity using the Totems.

So while previous cables I did reviews for, I usually had one or two earphones that the given cable would synergize well with and I would clearly mention it. For the Totems. It doesn't matter what earphone it is attached to. It will show you the absolute best version of that earphone you will ever hear. If that is what this flagship level cable does. I am sold on what is happening here with the Totems. The best part of the Totem effect is that. These cables don’t do just one or two things to enhance the sonics. They do all of it. It is literally the best of each material here and it clearly shows when it is connected to any earphone.

UM MEST is the newest earphone I recently got. Again with the MEST which already has an outstanding stage. Even farther reaching than the stock cable. The MEST now becomes full surround mode and has a level of instrument separation that I haven't quite heard from the stock cable or any other cable I tried it with. The Totem effect on the MEST yields the best of what the MEST does best. Bass performance is just simply awe struck. Mids layering even better defined. Treble clarity and dimensional expansion through all of it. I only wish I can replace all the cables I have for a TOTEM for each and every one of the earphones I have mentioned here. It just don't get any better than the Totem effect for these earphones.

Finally I recently got the new LZ A7 and while finishing up this review I decided to give it a go. Ya it is a bit asinine to attach a $800 cable on a $320 earphone. But hey why not.

First thing again that I noticed is the expansion of the stage on all fronts. Width, depth, height. It sounds like I attached the A7 to an amplifier. Sound separation once again is even better than the stock cable by a mile. Treble more pristine with treble notes that seem to be from the very far left or the very far right that goes way out of the earphones. Increased imaging. Increased richness in tone for vocals. Better articulation again. A7 all of a sudden don’t sound anything close to what the price would indicate. They are hanging with the big boys now.

So I am seeing a common theme for all the earphones I have tried using the Totems. The totems expand stage like no other cable I have ever used. Supreme blacker background, giving much better definition and distinction to notes, Treble gets much better depth and dimensional, Mids sound richer with better texture, Bass has the best ability for any given earphone. And here is the bonus.

Them pigtail adapters that come with the Totems? Since they are made with the exact same high end materials as the Totems themselves. These have an effect on other cables you attach them to. In an effort to make the Totem a one cable that will fit all sources. They include in the package a 2.5mm female to 4.4mm male balanced adapter and another in 2.5mm female to a 3.5mm single ended adapter.

My use case scenario is that I mostly use cables in balanced for my various players and I have a few that only use 4.4mm or 3.5mm I use for my amplifiers. So I am familiar in using pigtail adapters. I tried using some of my other IEMs with the Totem adapters.

It is the first time I can recollect that a small adapter actually enhances the sound of the earphones and cables I attach it to and I am not talking about the Totem cable itself but we are talking about any cable that is attached to it. The Totem materials make such an impact on sound it seems it doesn’t take a lot of the materials to notice the effect.

In doing some rigorous testing I have concluded these adapters actually gives a slight Totem effect to anything attached to them. Meaning you get that more spacious sound, more richer tone, better bass impact, better instrument separation. Not to the extent of the Totem cable itself but the difference is clearly there. Going back to connecting just whatever cable you want to use without the adapter simply does not sound as good. Penon might have accidentally created a new item for enthusiasts.

Hows about a pigtail adapter that makes everything sound better. That is what you're getting here. And it so happens to come with the Totems. Penon knows its effects and are now considering just making the adapters for enthusiasts willing to give them a try.

In the end these are expensive. I am gonna say it right now. These aren’t for folks that obviously think cables are placebo or have any real effects on sound. Listen using your packed in noodle cable and be happy. Ignorance is bliss. You shouldn’t be reading this review anyway. Lol.

These aren’t for your average enthusiasts that dabble in cables either. These are for the hard core. You know the type I am talking about here. You want the very best of what audio can do and make a good living and don’t mind spending the coin to get your earphone sonics to infinity and beyond. It is clearly a luxury item but for folks that are willing to sacrifice that hard earned cash or inheritance. These are flagship cables that make use of every bit of that material they are using on them. It is by far the best sound enhancing cable I have ever used in my stint in reviewing and analyzing cables. Puts every other cable I have ever used to shame. They make a good sounding earphone sound stupendous and isn’t that what a flagship cable should do?

You need to take a photo of yourself the first time you hear your favorite earphone attached to the Totems as it will be one for the books. It will be something very similar to when you finally hit the jackpot after pulling slots in your favorite gambling establishment all day long. As always thanks for reading and happy listening.

Tansio Mirai RGB

RGB shown with ISN CU4 cable for a smoother meatier take on the RGB sound. Uplift in bass and mids presence with a slight smoothening of the trebles. More musical sounding.

Tansio Mirai has been making IEMs for the past 5 years, their design models traditionally are all universal and custom multi BA resin form IEMs. They have dabbled a bit into making their first tribrid in the Lands, and a hybrid with a dynamic in the Sands and their former flagship the Akiba replaced the Sparks with both IEMs utilizing a mix of BAs and EST drivers. With the recent launch of the new benchmark for Tansio Mirai in the RGB. I was lucky enough to have an audition with Tansios newest creation. This time the driver count has increased as well as its price point. Selling currently at $2,999 the leap from their former flagship the Akiba at $1,550.
You can look up the official sales pages for the Tansio Mirai RGB on Penon audio website here.

The question is does the price reflect the value of the RGB?

The quick and dirty answer to that would be an enthusiastic yes, of course that is just my opinion but going off of today's TOTL level IEM going rates. This is unfortunately the entry fee for such designs and will be very much comparable if not actually better to much pricier offerings from other manufacturers with something that Tansio has always been good at in the mix leaving the RGB to stand tall as their current high end bench mark for sound. The new RGB in design is not too different from what was already established in the Akiba. Both are using a mix of premium BAs and EST drivers. 7BAs+4ESTs in Akiba. The new RGB now uses 9BAs+ 8ESTs. Specifically 4 Sonion vented acupass bass BAs + 4 Knowles mids BAs+ 1 Sonion high frequency BA + 8 Sonion EST drivers.

That makes for an increase in the driver count from 11 drivers to a crazy 17 drivers. Now we all know the idea of more drivers does not necessarily mean it will have “better sound.” But what if all them drivers were utilized and tuned with a purpose for maximum ability and sound? You figure that would be the goal for anyone that makes such products but one aspect I can understand from the designers of the RGB is that with each successive release. I have steadily seen an upgrade in sound from their prior releases. Now with the absolute best I have ever heard in the RGB. After hearing the RGB and going through the paces for my impressions here, I can clearly understand why they are charging the premium price tag to attain a set.

Another question would be, does the driver count alone warrant doubling the price?

No, but then the RGB is not just about increasing the driver count and calling it good. There is a clear purpose to the madness in the RGB sound design. In the personal audio industry, advancement and refinements to sound is always good but the negative aspect of advancement is that the cost of getting such advancements will increase. Today's high end IEMs for me anyways have to be a lot of things. It has to be refined in all parts of its sound, the sound has to be memorable and more importantly it has to have versatility or it will be relegated to part time use. Don’t know about you but I can’t be spending 3K level money and have an IEM you only use on occasion for some types of music and not others is my point. It has to be one of the best sounding IEMs at any price and separates itself from the mid fi 1k or even 2K priced level IEMs.

Does the RGB do that?

This is the question I will try to answer with this preview/review.
The new RGB is a leap in its design, tuning and sound from the smaller company that is Tansio Mirai. This is coming from a person that has listened and scrutinized just about every single release they have brought out to the masses, including their former flagship the Akiba.

Listening to the RGB is clearly a memorable experience and it doesn't matter if you're listening from a cheap $100 dap to a $3K one. There is something special about the sound of the RGB that makes it clearly worthy of its asking price.

So the difference for the RGB vs their former flagship the Akiba. More drivers is the first thing to stick out, going from 11 to 17 per side. The part that sticks out the most for the RGB design to me is the use of 8ESTs. 8 my friends. Traditionally 4ESTs are used for the upper treble region to give the trebles a defining finish, shine, sparkle, extension and air. I have IEMs that use 2ESTs vs 4ESTs and I have to admit as long as the tuning aspect for the IEMs are in line. I really can’t tell too much of a difference going from 2 to 4ESTs. Can’t say if there is a defining difference going from 4EST to 8ESTs but what I am hearing from the RGB sound has to be one of the airiest spacious sounds I have ever heard from an IEM. And perhaps that is what the RGB sound does the best. Its sense of air has to be among the best for IEMs at any price and I am talking about the entirety of its sound, not just the treble.



The RGB is different from the other EST infused IEMs I have reviewed and owned, something about using more ESTs here for its upper treble. Better efficiency, better overall tonal coverage perhaps? Better articulation, which could be the results of dedicating what looks like two out of the 5 sound tubes/ tubing in the nozzle for the ESTs alone. That is another difference between the Akiba and the RGB. 5 sound channels or sound holes out the nozzle vs 4 in the Akiba. The reader about the RGB does not indicate what part of the frequency each sound hole is dedicated with but upon careful inspection of the make up and nozzle of the RGB. There are 3 sound holes that seem to be dedicated just for the treble presentation of the RGB. Which when hearing the RGB for its treble presentation makes a lot of sense.

One for the full range treble Sonion BA, and two sound bores, a set of 4ESTs per bore. I am guessing each EST bundle was tuned to cover more of the overall treble aspects of the RGB. For example one set to work in conjunction with the treble BA for the lower to mid trebles and another set of ESTs just dedicated for the upper trebles. Again a guess on my part. Why would you need 8ESTs for just the upper trebles with two sound tubes is my question?. In any case, why all this attention on the treble design aspect of RGB?. It is because the treble of the RGBs is what makes the RGB stand out from other high end IEMs. It isn’t just a wall of treble if that is what you're worried about. It is the RGBs ability to pick off the tiniest, faintest nuance of micro details with all of its extension, effects and definition in a full dimensional manner. What that does for stringed instruments and even for vocal performances is quite astonishing. You can say this is how a true high end IEM should portray treble.

I have always thought it is the treble tunings for hybrid IEMs and its ability or the lack thereof, is what makes or breaks an IEM presentation. In the RGB we simply get an astounding ability to pick off details with one of the best balanced and extended treble presentations in the industry.

RGB and the new Penon vocal cable. Vocal cable highlights pinna gain. Excellent cable to help with vocal clarity. It is more of a silver plated copper type cable but one that enhances mids. For vocal lovers this cable is for you on just about any IEM.

The use of more ESTs and how Tansio is utilizing all these drivers now presents with the type of treble that is some of the most articulate, airy, supremely defined, timbrally rich, textured and extended better than just about anything I have ever heard. If you're a high end treble fan. You have to seriously take a good look into the RGBs. No question these are my new benchmark for what can be achieved with so many precision drivers in the RGB.

I know some folks do not like the coloration coming from ESTs. EST sheen? EST sparkle is a bit different than BA sparkle and again a bit different than dynamic treble sparkle. I suppose it is less shiny vs emitting a type of sheen, a shine. More ghostly in origin, but there is an undeniable transient and dimensional factor for EST treble that is more than addictive. It is the reason why today's highest end IEMs use EST drivers.


The treble is mostly in line with the rest of the signature and is always in control but is ever so slightly elevated to be at a similar level forward wise to the mids. Tansio has always tuned with a bit of an elevation for the treble portion of its tunings so the RGB here is no different. It does show the bulk of its treble emphasis from around 4-8Khz, its 6 to 8Khz moderate elevation is actually done tastefully with no spikes but also with no dips which adds an ever so slight edge to treble notes. This treble tuning highlights the trebles with a clear defining edge to bring more of a reference level of treble definition. The upper trebles has a gradual drop off that reaches to the skies with a peak at 16khz for a bit of an extended sparkle. The treble here is supremely balanced and definitely brings a high end sound to any track you're listening to. Overall tonal character is clean and accurate vs being bright. Treble control is insanely great parallel to the quality of your tracks.

The treble has so much to do with how we perceive a sound the RGB gives the end user a tunable experience. If you feel the need for more trebles the #3 treble switch adds a slight increase in the trebles by a few dbs. The option is there but for my own personal sensibilities the treble on the off position is better balanced with the rest of the signature.

And then there is its ability to scale immensely to cable changes.

RGB and Effect Audios Code23- This was my absolute favorite combo of the bunch. Suberb dynamics, grander stage, even more holographic than the stock tuning allows.

Cables make a difference for high end IEMs. This is the reason why IEMs like the EE Odin, Oriolus Traillis were made and tuned with premium high end cables that cost $1,300 by themselves. Which would explain why upgrading the cables for these sets is more of a challenge.

The RGB on the other hand was tuned with what is essentially a $50 level silver plated UPOCC cable in any termination you need when ordering. When reading that statement I know that can come off as a negative. But in reality, this is actually a benefit. Especially for cable enthusiasts. Let me explain.

Nothing wrong with this particular cable in fact it is actually a nicely resolving throw in cable at the price point. However I can clearly tell the limitations of the cable pairing just by trying out a few of my higher end cables. Silver plated UPOCC cables in general actually enhance trebles, detail and help with the technical aspects of IEMs they are used for and while the stock cable here does a great job showcasing what the RGB initially sound like. It is because it was tuned with a relatively low cost cable that the RGB here clearly scales for the much better using higher end aftermarket cables.

RGB with ISN Solar - Imaging gets an uplift, richer tonal character, enhancement to stage.

I tested the RGB using some of my best IEM cables and the results brings the RGB into yet another realm in sound. My quick and dirty cable testing clearly proves the RGB scales to better cables.

Cable rolling is highly recommended to get the absolute best out of the RGB. More copper based if you would like some added warmth, meatier textures and an increase in dynamics. More silver based if you want to keep that highly technical refined sound with the widest stage possible. A mix of both if you want all of it.

Standard RGB silver plated UPOCC bottom. Cadmus 8 wire top.

So the standard included cable was what I used for this report but just know the RGB has some immense potential for how you would like to hear them based on my cable testing.

Its excellent refined treble presentation brings a bit of extra to the entirety of the sound.
The RGB has an airiness to the sound like a good open can in the ear. A weightless clean holographic quality to the sound that surrounds what you're hearing. Yet it clearly has a definition in layers that is among the top of its class. This and in conjunction with reference like balanced tuning and the RGB is clearly showing me it is a worthy flagship contender in the ever increasing kilobuck IEM class.

But the RGB is a flagship and flagship IEMs have to have all that makes it a high mark for IEMs. Using 4 high end Knowles mids BAs vs 2 BAs for its mids in the Akiba, its mids presentation clearly lives up to the flagship moniker. It is an all encompassing and fully dimensional type of mids presentation that seems to be difficult to produce without using multiple precision drivers for the region. When I say dimensional. It presents a fully layered airy sound with differing levels and scales of sound with auditory cues coming from the X the Y and the Z axis of your favorite tracks. Again something to the 5 sound bores of the RGB that is contributing to its presentation.

Mids shows supreme dynamic shifts, excellent accurate timbre and world class imaging with a level of holography for IEMs that clearly shows it is a top-level IEM. What has been the hallmark of the Tansio Mirai IEM is their ability to tune with excellent height of sound and we get that with the RGB. I have IEMs with wider stage, I would still describe the RGB as a wide sound stage IEM but where it separates itself from the many is you get so much substance inside that stage that it is sometimes overwhelming in a good way. The height of the sound is a tall as it is deep. The depth of sound is another aspect that is very good on the RGB. The stage aspects will clearly be enhanced with better cable pairings. But the base sound has its foundation based on one of the most spacious airy sounds I have heard for any IEM. I have always loved the tonal character of the Sonion BA vs Knowles BAs. But the 4BAs used for the RGB has to be some of the best I have ever heard. Accurate tonality for the mids are extremely important to me and beyond that it portrays that accuracy in a holographic manor and this is what I meant by the RGB being memorable.

The layering of the mid bands is simply musical immersion. So much space in between your music yet amazingly cohesive. Music clearly sounds out of your head and more based on the venue of the recording. This is where the magic happens my friends and that air continues the sound foundation all the way down to the bass end. It's clearly separated forward mid and back projection of sound brings a complete holographic imaging of the sound that is among the best I have ever heard. Vocals project on a different plane vs the instruments, Inside the instruments the percussion is at a different level than the string section, background vocals are again on a different plane of existence.

Once you hear it, you can’t unhear it. Everything else fails in one capacity or another. The way the RGB dissects the layers is simply remarkable.

The RGB is my new benchmark for technical achievement for IEMs. Its sound separation and its imaging is nothing short of breathtaking. It will produce the sound imaging in space that you had no idea about. This is the reason why they cost so much among the myriad of other reasons why these are flagships. It is the technical aspect of the RGB that is world class and there is something to be said about an IEM that can reproduce the same tracks you have heard over and over again in a new light. That will be the new RGB.

“This sounds like I am right in the recording.”

These are the words of a coworker friend that was the 2nd person in all of the US of A that got to hear the RGB for the very first time. And that in a nutshell describes how the RGB sounds like. Live music sounds like you're in the audience in the front row. A stunning achievement by Tansio Mirai. BA timbre is there but what makes up for it is just how floaty and dreamy the entire sound gets. Each sound layer has something going on and this is this aspect that really separates the RGB from your traditional hybrid IEMs. Its mids have excellent note weight not too heavy or thick and nowhere near thin. It seems to be the goldilocks of presence. Presents a clean neutral overtone but with excellent timbrally accurate precise sound across the board.
Stringed instruments and vocals have always been the forte of the Tansio Mirai IEM and in the RGB. It is simply sublime.

Classical and orchestral scores have so many dynamic shifts and strings that soar into the skies. If this is how classical music was supposed to sound like. Sign me up and I am not a classical music listener. But then it does rock pop and bass genres amazingly well.

Then there is the bass.

Appreciate our good buddy tgx78 for the graph

It isn't the fact that it is utilizing some high end Sonion acupass vented bass BAs, 4 to be exact but more so what they did to extract a bit of extra from these well regarded Sonion bass woofers. The balancing is reference in that there is no part of the sound that encroaches or oversteps another. And I have read all the complaints about BA bass. Yes there are a few shortcomings for BA bass and I get it. You're a purist for bass. Need that full bottom end and textured rumble to really enjoy your music.

Tansio utilized a few tricks to upgrade the bass department. The acupass BAs are vented which shows in the back end of the RGB.

Then they added a fine copper tubing going from the Bass BAs to your ears out the nozzle. This copper tubing presents with a narrowest of bores out of the 5 out the nozzle and this seems to really focus and channel the bass to enhance its ability. Default bass or no bass switch lacks a bit of lower bass emphasis for my own taste which is quickly remedied with the switch on. This adds a nice 3dbs increase for the lowest registers for bass. Does not seem to affect any of the glorious mids so I much prefer the bass switch on vs off. The mids switch was on from the get go so I leave it on as it was tuned with the switch in the on position. Lastly the treble switch is there if you would like a bit more of the world class treble aspect of the RGB.

I have heard plenty of vented bass BAs and the use of similar Sonion bass BAs on numerous sets but there is something to the narrow copper tubing on this one. Bass seems to have an edge on definition and tightness from other sets using similar drivers. In fact the bass end does not struggle at all to keep up with the glorious mids and treble aspects of the RGB tuning. It clearly keeps up with just how defined the entire sound is. Bass texture is enhanced, its decay seems to be more realistic. It sounds surprisingly capable with bass genres that need a bit of extra in the bass for it to sound correct. It isn’t just the extra thump you get with the switch, it is its ability to portray any type of bass in a correct manner. These are to me, some of the best bass I have heard from a vented BA bass. Sure I prefer dynamic bass presentations but when the bass end is this good. I am more than ok with what Tansio has done with the bass end of the RGB as it enhances and compliments the overall sound. It reaches deep and scales amazing with every bass enhanced tune I tried it with. It does a fantastic job of staying away from the hollow bass quality of lesser BA bass sets. Its sub bass rumble is where I feel it could be better but overall the bass end is not missing much if at all. Its ability showing accurate tonal character mixed with speed and tightness brings about a fantastic complimentary bass for a TOTL IEM in the RGB.

In the end, the RGB is a fantastic achievement from Tansio Mirai. We use that descriptor of a holographic sound when describing high end IEMs but the RGB does it on such a euphoric level which ends up being a presentation that leads to pure music addiction. Its airy detailed treble presentation is now my new benchmark for treble tunings on EST based IEMs. It's no longer a matter of can the RGB pick off details. It will do that but way behind your head or forward outside the front of the head or way to the left or the right. If an IEM is measured by just how immersive the sound quality is. Then the RGB here gets a 10/10. The RGB is a clear accomplishment from Tansio and as much as they learn from prior offerings. I can’t imagine what they have in store in the future. This is one up and coming company to look out for as they clearly know what they are doing. It is one of those sounds that will leave you wanting to hear just one more track in the wee hours of the morning while the family is asleep. It is that benchmark IEM that you will compare numerous others to, to find their shortcomings. It is the one IEM that can show you what you have been missing with your other IEMs. It is the one IEM you can sell off all your others and be happy with. It is the one.


I appreciate you reading my mad thoughts about a very nice sounding and accomplished IEM and in case you was wondering why the RGB is called the RGB. That's because it has luminescence lighting bars in the face plate that activate with sunlight or the ultraviolet flashlight it comes with to illuminate the RGB lighting. Brilliant and different from your traditional face plates. This is cool and all but wait till you hear them.

Penon GS849.

Penon cables have been a revelation to me. I have been so happy with the cheaper cables found on Aliexpress that I didn’t feel the need to get higher end cables. Well all that changed once I started looking into Penon cables. Today we are looking into a unique hybrid made by the mad audio chemists at Penon.


I would like to thank Penon audio for the review sample of the GS849. These can be bought on the Penon web site here.

The GS849 cable has 3 main ingredients that make up the cable. The main cores of the strands are OCC copper. Described as Ohno Continuous Cast. Meaning it is a higher quality of copper which eliminates all grain and annealing issues in copper due to a unique casting process. Half the thicker 8 cores are made of a silver plated OCC and the other half are 18K gold plated OCC. These two types of cables are then inter weaved into a solid 8 cores utilizing 49 strands of the material per core.

It is a hybrid cable in the truest form and what you're gonna get is something unique in looks and also in sonic production. This being my 2nd gold plated cable I have reviewed. Gold adds a unique rich flavoring to sound and added to that is a great ability to separate sounds giving better layering adding dimensions to sonics of the host IEM. The silver aspect adds detail to the sonics which is evident in treble emphasis with added clarity and resolution. The base copper bodes well for mid range warmth, fullness and bass impact. So what you're getting in the GS849 comprises a lot of sound influencing tech in a hybrid cable. How does all this translate to how your earphones will sound?

The 849 branding is a brilliant description of what makes up the cores for the cables. 8 core of 49 strands of material. The full thickness bodes well to add some meat to your sonics. I noticed thicker cored cables adds a better sense of depth/ fullness and stage. Here with the GS849 it is no different. Earphones that need some added body of sound will benefit from the full thicker cores of the GS849. I will say 849 Penon cables as there are a few with thicker 8 cores that all have the name with the 849 in them on the Penon site.

What you're getting for your hard earned cash is a substantial full thick cable that has a very versatile effect on the earphones it is attached to. The cable itself has some weight due to the materials but nothing that should bother you. I actually appreciate some heft in a cable. Means it has some substance to it. The cable is soft and pliable and is not prone to memory. The build quality is top notch on these and the attention to detail of the cable is evident. I also appreciate that there are no ear guides on the connectors.

Connecting your earphones to a GS849 cable means that you're looking for a way to enhance something about the sonics of your host IEM. The GS849 is mostly an SPC type cable and has more sonic characteristics closer to a silver plated copper cables. That 1/4th gold plating adds some flavoring to the mids with some added richness. I would say if your earphones do well with the tried and true silver plated cable then the GS849 will be one of the better pairings for you. It has a versatile effect I mentioned previously and I noticed it is even more versatile than the previous gold plated cable I reviewed the ISN GC4. I like that there is a bit of silver involved with this particular cable as it bodes well for treble extension and clarity.

In the end I feel the GS849 is a very well made, solid upgrade to just about any earphone you want to attach it to. The degree of the sonics enhancement is dependent on the earphone you attach it to and in the next section I will show some pairings that represents what the GS849 does well.

First up is the community favorite Moondrop Blessing2. I gotta say the Blessing2 is one picky earphone when it comes to cables. I have tried the usual suspects, pure silver, crystal copper, UPOCC, SPC and the like and while I settled on an aftermarket SPC cable I still felt it needed something a bit extra. Couldn't put my finger on it. That is until I used the GS849 on the Blessing 2 for the first time. Synergy is described as the creation of the whole that is greater than the simple sum of its parts. Synergy is hard to achieve sometimes, especially for picky earphones. if I hear an earphone that I own and it sounds better than it ever has using a cable. Then we have synergy!.

Blessing2 base tuning is a well balanced harmon curve tuning that Moondrop is known for. While this tuning is relatively safe and usually balanced I feel it keeps it a bit too safe at times. Lacking a bit in the way of dynamics and immersion. That is exactly what the GS849 did for the Blessing2. First thing I noticed: the wide stage now seems even wider. Better spaciousness of sonics. Mids had a slight richer tone with a fuller body of detail. Imaging was the best I have heard on the Blessing 2 using the GS849. When you get the right cable to synergize with a sound. You will instantly hear it and that is what happened here. Bass seems to have better presence and cohesion of the sonics are at a new high. Blessing 2 sounds much more higher end using the GS849 than any other cable I tried on it and that my friends is the very essence of synergy. Treble sounds cleaner and blended better with the rest of the sonics as well. The GS849 was made for the Blessing 2. It adds dynamism and a broader rangier sound than it wouldn't have otherwise. A fantastic pairing if there ever was one.

Next pairing was with the TSMR-6. As good as the Penon OS849 was on the TSMR-6. Infact not only the 6 model but also on the TSMR-4 pro and the TMSR-3 pro. The GS849 brings that spacious layering to the sonics. Making each one of these all BA earphones sound more dimensional than they already are. All BA sets benefit from a bit of gold to add a bit of richer tone to BA timbre and these earphones all sounded the best I have ever heard from them using this cable.

Versatile hybrid is the sonic enhancing ability of the GS849 and we get a great punchy bass end. Sparkly extended treble. Full rangy mids with greater sense of layering the best of each TSMR earphone can do. If you're an owner of any of the TSMR earphones the GS849 is the way to go for the ultimate version of these earphones.

Just for fun I decided to try the GS849 with a budget offering. Soon to be very popular, Tin Hifi T2 plus. This new earphone from Tin Hifi was recently released for RP of $55-$65 dependent on sales. As expected the cable that comes with these earphones are good for the price but nothing that is gonna make waves. The T2 plus comes alive with the GS849 much more so than the stock cable as expected. Adding a wider stage with a deeper more involved detailed infusion to the Tin T2 plus. These earphones sound much more premium with this pairing and while I don’t expect folks to buy a $189 cable for a $55 earphone. This little experiment shows the versatility of the GS849. It can be matched up with dynamic earphones, BAs, hybrids, budget level or otherwise.

Lastly we get a match up with one of my all time favorites. My Solaris. No surprise not only does the cable match up with the looks of the earphone but in sonic enhancements as well. Solaris already has a very nicely designed large full body of sound where the GS849 comes into play is with a greater sense of stage and enhances what the Solaris already does well which is the 3Dness of the sonic character. Everything is separated extremely well with a larger stage than what it already has. Treble has excellent extension and brings a touch more sparkle to the treble. Bass impact is perfected using the GS849. I have to admit this cable has to be one of the best I have used on the Solaris and the synergy with the Solaris is very evident.

AS always thanks for reading happy listening.