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BS1 Experience Ver. Earbud
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Preamble:
Originally posted on my German audio review site, the "Kopfhörer-Lounge", here comes the re-post of my review of the Penon Audio BS1 Experience Version earbuds.
Introduction:
Until not too long ago, most (mass market) digital audio players and pretty much every mobile and smartphone on the market came with a set of (usually not so decent, but there were exceptions) earbuds.
Nowadays, Apple is one of the last few manufacturers to still include (relatively decent although not perfect) earbuds, the “EarPods”, instead of in-ears.
While earbuds that cost more than the usual <$15 tech-store suspects have always been more of an audio/earbud enthusiast’s niche product, regular, wired earbuds in general seem to lose even more importance as time goes on (not without any reason, since earbuds do have their limitations even though decent-sounding and enthusiast-targeted models such as the Shozy Cygnus exist).
Penon Audio is an online audio store that usually sells and distributes other manufacturers’ DACs, headphone amplifiers, digital audio players, accessories, headphones, in-ears, earbuds, ear tips and more. However, they also offer a few products under their own name – such as the Penon IEM that scored quite poorly in my 2015 review.
Their newest addition is an earbud that is called “BS1 Experience Version”. It houses one 15.4 mm dynamic driver per side and retails for $39, which is around the regular selling price of the MrZ Tomahawk that I bought last year (for about $8 below retail due to AliExpress store coupons and an autumn sale), and around $10 higher than my not perfect but trusty Apple EarPods, so these two earbuds will also be the BS1’s main contenders in this very review.
Full disclosure: I was contacted by Penon Audio and offered their BS1 earbud for review. It was sent to me at no cost for me for the purpose of an (as always) unbiased, unpaid and honest review. I’d like to take the time to use these lines to thank them for the invitation.
Technical Specifications:
https://penonaudio.com/Penon-Audio-BS1-Dynamic-Driver-Earbud
Price: $39.00
Type: Earbud
Driver: dynamic, 15.4 mm
Impedance: 32 Ohms
Sensitivity: 114 dB
Frequency Range: 15 Hz – 25 kHz
Cable Length: 1.2 m
Delivery Content:
When it comes to includes accessories, the people at Penon Audio were definitely no cheapskates and didn’t only include the earbuds and a nice protective storage case (that is actually an SD card case with 12 storage compartments that can however be easily ripped out in order to turn it into a proper earbud storage case), but also a shirt clip, ear guides, a Penon-branded Velcro cable tie, and not only one but actually 13 (!!!) pairs of foam covers, of which five have a hole (“donut foams”).
One can definitely not complain about lacking accessories or supplied foam covers.
Looks, Feels, Build Quality:
Design-wise, I have to admit that the BS1 looks rather dull and boring to me – a black plastic grille with a nice texture, along with rather boring looking black metal shells that greatly resemble the MrZ Tomahawk’s design, an earbud that the BS1 seems to be based on, with less edges and more curves, only in boring (one could however also refer to the BS1’s appearance as “stealth look”).
In addition to the rather boring design (which is of course totally a matter of personal preference), side markers are insufficient. At first I thought there were no side markers at all. Upon closer inspection, though I noticed a small white dot on one side. My guess was that it was the left side, and after a left-right test, I was able to confirm that the bud with the dot indeed represents the left side.
The cable on the other hand is quite nice. The internal conductors are of silver colour and twisted, with a transparent insulation. It is pleasantly flexible, just slightly springy, and unlike the Tomahawk’s cable not sticky/rubbery.
Yep, the cable is nice, looks nice, has got a metal y-splitter and 3.5 mm plug with nice looking Penon branding, doesn’t lack strain relief and has got a chin-slider.
Comfort, Isolation:
The comfort will of course highly depend on your individual ear anatomy.
For my large ears, comfort is really good and the earbuds also seal well (within their limits of course).
Due to the good cable, microphonics are reduced to a minimum and can be even lowered when inserting the earbuds regularly but guiding the cables around the ears.
Exterior noise isolation is, which is not that much surprising given these are earbuds, pretty much not present at all.
Sound:
My main sources for listening were the Cowon Plenue 2, my Apple iPod Nano 7G as well as the HiFime 9018d although that’s mostly irrelevant for the BS1 as long as the source outputs a flat frequency response under a low impedance load and doesn’t perform too bad in general.
As usual with earbuds, the sound one will hear is strongly dependant on one’s personal ear anatomy and especially how well the earbuds seal and how tight they fit.
Tonality:
Foam covers versus no foam covers – that is the question… that you will have to answer for yourself. Speaking for myself, I generally prefer to use earbuds without any foam covers, and that’s also how I evaluated the BS1.
How is the Penon Audio BS1 tuned? It is tuned really well for a harmonious, easy-going tuning with some non-overdone but still impactful fullness in the bass and root, along with slightly elevated upper mids and a following treble that is a bit more on the relaxed, inoffensive side.
Bass is emphasised by around 8.5 dB in my ears, compared to in-ears with a diffuse-field flat bottom-end presentation such as the Etymotic ER-4S/SR. The elevations starts to rise around 800 Hz and reaches its climax around 100 Hz. The BS1 starts to lose quantity below 80 Hz, but that is perfectly normal for an earbud. The midbass is still present, but the real sub-bass is rather subdued.
As a result, lows and deep male voices gain some warmth and fullness, however bloating and unnaturalness are fortunately avoided and the midrange is not overshadowed, and the bass has got a nice punch and impact to it without being overdone or omnipresent.
Speaking about the mids – they are generally somewhat more on the brighter side with a moderate favour of female and leaner male voices, an effect that is the result of the gradually increasing elevation between 1 and 5 kHz.
Above 5 kHz, the highs take a step back. While they are not all that much recessed but just slightly, this adds just the right amount of smoothness and relaxation to make the presentation inoffensive enough to guarantee an easy-going listening session that can last for hours without any fatigue.
Resolution:
Bass definition and control are good for an earbud of this price and slightly outperform the Apple EarPods.
General midrange and treble resolution is good for the price as well, again somewhat above the Apple EarPods, but doesn’t rival good in-ears or higher-priced earbuds such as the Shozy Cygnus.
Bass, midrange and treble blend well into each other wherefore no coherency issues can be spotted.
Soundstage:
What you will notice is that the BS1 doesn’t have the most prominent forward projection. While there is some spatial depth, layering and real depth are not really all that present. Instead, the BS1 concentrates more on the lateral presentation, presenting a rather wide but not super wide soundstage that will never appear congested and that slightly leaves the base between my ears wherefore it is not the most immersive soundstage for earbud standards, however not the smallest either and presents a good median (maybe even a bit more than just that).
Separation and placement of instruments don’t reach the same level as price-wise comparable in-ears and appear a little smudgy in comparison, but judged by earbud-standards, this is still a good presentation for the price.
---------
In Comparison with other Earbuds:
Apple EarPods:
Objectivity aside and talking from a subjective point of view, I publically admit to liking the EarPods, well knowing that they have limitations and imperfections. While their tonality is not perfect (upper midrange peak), their resolution is not bad at all for a price of a bit below $30, they provide a good and cleverly designed shape as well as fit (nonetheless I prefer to use them with Earhoox for sports, which is my main application for the EarPods anyway), and they have got a really nice, easy to use and ergonomic three-button remote control.
The EarPods have got a lesser bass elevation compared to the BS1, however the stronger upper midrange peak that highlights acoustic guitars in a nice way but also makes the mids appear a bit thinner, tinnier and less natural sounding than they should.
The Penon earbuds have got the slightly better bass control and are generally somewhat more detailed sounding (the EarPods add more “clarity” to the sound due to their upper midrange peak, albeit it is the BS1 that is somewhat ahead in terms of actual details).
To my ears, the EarPods have got slightly more spatial width along with somewhat more spatial depth as well. Instrument separation is more or less comparable.
MrZ Tomahawk (no foam covers):
The BS1 comes with even more accessories and foam covers than the Tomahawk that however has got the more interesting and unique design and looks more beautiful. On the other hand, the BS1’s cable is superior as it is not sticky/rubbery.
The BS1 has got the somewhat stronger, more impactful and warmer bass while the Tomahawk’s upper midrange and treble are a bit brighter.
I would characterise the Tomahawks as more balanced and clear while the BS1 is more impactful, somewhat more relaxed, warmer and more easy-going.
The Tomahawk features the somewhat tighter and better controlled bass whereas the BS1’s focus lays more on a more pronounced rumble while still maintaining good control.
Midrange and treble resolution are about on the same level – the Tomahawk only appears a bit more resolving because its upper-end presentation is overall brighter in comparison to the Penon Audio earbud, while in reality both are about on the same technical level. Separation in the highs is somewhat more precise on the Tomahawk’s side though.
The Tomahawk’s soundstage is slightly more open sounding.
Conclusion:
The Penon Audio BS1 looks boring (well, to me at least) and has got insufficient side markers (nothing more than a small white dot on the left side), however it sounds good.
Possibly being based on the MrZ Tomahawk, it sports a bit more fullness and slightly less brightness, which leads to an easy-going, quite harmonious tuning along with a technical performance that is definitely good for an earbud of this price range.
Originally posted on my German audio review site, the "Kopfhörer-Lounge", here comes the re-post of my review of the Penon Audio BS1 Experience Version earbuds.
Introduction:
Until not too long ago, most (mass market) digital audio players and pretty much every mobile and smartphone on the market came with a set of (usually not so decent, but there were exceptions) earbuds.
Nowadays, Apple is one of the last few manufacturers to still include (relatively decent although not perfect) earbuds, the “EarPods”, instead of in-ears.
While earbuds that cost more than the usual <$15 tech-store suspects have always been more of an audio/earbud enthusiast’s niche product, regular, wired earbuds in general seem to lose even more importance as time goes on (not without any reason, since earbuds do have their limitations even though decent-sounding and enthusiast-targeted models such as the Shozy Cygnus exist).
Penon Audio is an online audio store that usually sells and distributes other manufacturers’ DACs, headphone amplifiers, digital audio players, accessories, headphones, in-ears, earbuds, ear tips and more. However, they also offer a few products under their own name – such as the Penon IEM that scored quite poorly in my 2015 review.
Their newest addition is an earbud that is called “BS1 Experience Version”. It houses one 15.4 mm dynamic driver per side and retails for $39, which is around the regular selling price of the MrZ Tomahawk that I bought last year (for about $8 below retail due to AliExpress store coupons and an autumn sale), and around $10 higher than my not perfect but trusty Apple EarPods, so these two earbuds will also be the BS1’s main contenders in this very review.
Full disclosure: I was contacted by Penon Audio and offered their BS1 earbud for review. It was sent to me at no cost for me for the purpose of an (as always) unbiased, unpaid and honest review. I’d like to take the time to use these lines to thank them for the invitation.
Technical Specifications:
https://penonaudio.com/Penon-Audio-BS1-Dynamic-Driver-Earbud
Price: $39.00
Type: Earbud
Driver: dynamic, 15.4 mm
Impedance: 32 Ohms
Sensitivity: 114 dB
Frequency Range: 15 Hz – 25 kHz
Cable Length: 1.2 m
Delivery Content:
When it comes to includes accessories, the people at Penon Audio were definitely no cheapskates and didn’t only include the earbuds and a nice protective storage case (that is actually an SD card case with 12 storage compartments that can however be easily ripped out in order to turn it into a proper earbud storage case), but also a shirt clip, ear guides, a Penon-branded Velcro cable tie, and not only one but actually 13 (!!!) pairs of foam covers, of which five have a hole (“donut foams”).
One can definitely not complain about lacking accessories or supplied foam covers.
Looks, Feels, Build Quality:
Design-wise, I have to admit that the BS1 looks rather dull and boring to me – a black plastic grille with a nice texture, along with rather boring looking black metal shells that greatly resemble the MrZ Tomahawk’s design, an earbud that the BS1 seems to be based on, with less edges and more curves, only in boring (one could however also refer to the BS1’s appearance as “stealth look”).
In addition to the rather boring design (which is of course totally a matter of personal preference), side markers are insufficient. At first I thought there were no side markers at all. Upon closer inspection, though I noticed a small white dot on one side. My guess was that it was the left side, and after a left-right test, I was able to confirm that the bud with the dot indeed represents the left side.
The cable on the other hand is quite nice. The internal conductors are of silver colour and twisted, with a transparent insulation. It is pleasantly flexible, just slightly springy, and unlike the Tomahawk’s cable not sticky/rubbery.
Yep, the cable is nice, looks nice, has got a metal y-splitter and 3.5 mm plug with nice looking Penon branding, doesn’t lack strain relief and has got a chin-slider.
Comfort, Isolation:
The comfort will of course highly depend on your individual ear anatomy.
For my large ears, comfort is really good and the earbuds also seal well (within their limits of course).
Due to the good cable, microphonics are reduced to a minimum and can be even lowered when inserting the earbuds regularly but guiding the cables around the ears.
Exterior noise isolation is, which is not that much surprising given these are earbuds, pretty much not present at all.
Sound:
My main sources for listening were the Cowon Plenue 2, my Apple iPod Nano 7G as well as the HiFime 9018d although that’s mostly irrelevant for the BS1 as long as the source outputs a flat frequency response under a low impedance load and doesn’t perform too bad in general.
As usual with earbuds, the sound one will hear is strongly dependant on one’s personal ear anatomy and especially how well the earbuds seal and how tight they fit.
Tonality:
Foam covers versus no foam covers – that is the question… that you will have to answer for yourself. Speaking for myself, I generally prefer to use earbuds without any foam covers, and that’s also how I evaluated the BS1.
How is the Penon Audio BS1 tuned? It is tuned really well for a harmonious, easy-going tuning with some non-overdone but still impactful fullness in the bass and root, along with slightly elevated upper mids and a following treble that is a bit more on the relaxed, inoffensive side.
Bass is emphasised by around 8.5 dB in my ears, compared to in-ears with a diffuse-field flat bottom-end presentation such as the Etymotic ER-4S/SR. The elevations starts to rise around 800 Hz and reaches its climax around 100 Hz. The BS1 starts to lose quantity below 80 Hz, but that is perfectly normal for an earbud. The midbass is still present, but the real sub-bass is rather subdued.
As a result, lows and deep male voices gain some warmth and fullness, however bloating and unnaturalness are fortunately avoided and the midrange is not overshadowed, and the bass has got a nice punch and impact to it without being overdone or omnipresent.
Speaking about the mids – they are generally somewhat more on the brighter side with a moderate favour of female and leaner male voices, an effect that is the result of the gradually increasing elevation between 1 and 5 kHz.
Above 5 kHz, the highs take a step back. While they are not all that much recessed but just slightly, this adds just the right amount of smoothness and relaxation to make the presentation inoffensive enough to guarantee an easy-going listening session that can last for hours without any fatigue.
Resolution:
Bass definition and control are good for an earbud of this price and slightly outperform the Apple EarPods.
General midrange and treble resolution is good for the price as well, again somewhat above the Apple EarPods, but doesn’t rival good in-ears or higher-priced earbuds such as the Shozy Cygnus.
Bass, midrange and treble blend well into each other wherefore no coherency issues can be spotted.
Soundstage:
What you will notice is that the BS1 doesn’t have the most prominent forward projection. While there is some spatial depth, layering and real depth are not really all that present. Instead, the BS1 concentrates more on the lateral presentation, presenting a rather wide but not super wide soundstage that will never appear congested and that slightly leaves the base between my ears wherefore it is not the most immersive soundstage for earbud standards, however not the smallest either and presents a good median (maybe even a bit more than just that).
Separation and placement of instruments don’t reach the same level as price-wise comparable in-ears and appear a little smudgy in comparison, but judged by earbud-standards, this is still a good presentation for the price.
---------
In Comparison with other Earbuds:
Apple EarPods:
Objectivity aside and talking from a subjective point of view, I publically admit to liking the EarPods, well knowing that they have limitations and imperfections. While their tonality is not perfect (upper midrange peak), their resolution is not bad at all for a price of a bit below $30, they provide a good and cleverly designed shape as well as fit (nonetheless I prefer to use them with Earhoox for sports, which is my main application for the EarPods anyway), and they have got a really nice, easy to use and ergonomic three-button remote control.
The EarPods have got a lesser bass elevation compared to the BS1, however the stronger upper midrange peak that highlights acoustic guitars in a nice way but also makes the mids appear a bit thinner, tinnier and less natural sounding than they should.
The Penon earbuds have got the slightly better bass control and are generally somewhat more detailed sounding (the EarPods add more “clarity” to the sound due to their upper midrange peak, albeit it is the BS1 that is somewhat ahead in terms of actual details).
To my ears, the EarPods have got slightly more spatial width along with somewhat more spatial depth as well. Instrument separation is more or less comparable.
MrZ Tomahawk (no foam covers):
The BS1 comes with even more accessories and foam covers than the Tomahawk that however has got the more interesting and unique design and looks more beautiful. On the other hand, the BS1’s cable is superior as it is not sticky/rubbery.
The BS1 has got the somewhat stronger, more impactful and warmer bass while the Tomahawk’s upper midrange and treble are a bit brighter.
I would characterise the Tomahawks as more balanced and clear while the BS1 is more impactful, somewhat more relaxed, warmer and more easy-going.
The Tomahawk features the somewhat tighter and better controlled bass whereas the BS1’s focus lays more on a more pronounced rumble while still maintaining good control.
Midrange and treble resolution are about on the same level – the Tomahawk only appears a bit more resolving because its upper-end presentation is overall brighter in comparison to the Penon Audio earbud, while in reality both are about on the same technical level. Separation in the highs is somewhat more precise on the Tomahawk’s side though.
The Tomahawk’s soundstage is slightly more open sounding.
Conclusion:
The Penon Audio BS1 looks boring (well, to me at least) and has got insufficient side markers (nothing more than a small white dot on the left side), however it sounds good.
Possibly being based on the MrZ Tomahawk, it sports a bit more fullness and slightly less brightness, which leads to an easy-going, quite harmonious tuning along with a technical performance that is definitely good for an earbud of this price range.
The BS1, a Gentleman in the World of Earbuds
Disclaimer:
First of all, I would like to thank Penon Audio for sending me this pair of Penon Audio BS1 Experience Version as gift with some other purchased items.
I found this earbud so good that I have decided to write a review and share it with my honest opinion.
Introduction:
Penon Audio is well known in the Audiophile World as retailer of various Hi-Fi equipments, and this is the first earbud of this company. The Penon BS1 that I will review is not the final product; it is the experience version of the upcoming Official Version that will be the flagship of this company.
The Peon BS1 Experience Version costs 39,00 USD
Here is the purchase link: Penon BS1 Expierence Version
I will mention the Penon BS1 Experience Version in my review in short Penon BS1 or BS1.
PS: Penon Audio indents to deduct this 39,00 USD to the one who bought already the Experience Version and would like to buy the BS1 Official Version.
Package and Accessories:
The Penon BS1 comes in a small blue card box.
This card box includes the following contents;
The case provided has some storage bags for your earbud foams that I find very useful!
Design, Fit and Build Quality:
The Peonon BS1 comes in a mat black color with a different design than regular Chi-Fi earbud. It doesn’t looks impressive like my Rose Masya or the Ourart Ti7 but has a minimalistic nice curved design.
The build quality looks and feels good and it should last longer then regular budget earbuds. The cable of the BS1 is one of the best I have ever seen in this price category. The silver plated OFC (oxygen free cooper) copper cable is protected with a transparent PVC coating that has nice finish and feel.
The Y-Splitter and straight styled 3.5mm plug is made of metal (looks like aluminum) and has a black finish. The 3.5mm headphone plug is an SE (single ended) TRS plug that has a gold plated finish.
The fit of the Penon BS1 is pretty good. I like the way it holds in my ears; quit comfortable and ideal for long listening periods. I prefer the BS1 design over the outdated shell of the classic Sennheiser MX500. The BS1 is also a good option for people who listen to music while sleeping
I did notice only a very low amount of microphonics due this review that should not be a big issue.
Technical Specifications:
Drivability:
The Penon BS1 has an impedance of 32 ohm, so that it is easy to drive from almost any source (phone, ipod etc.)
Albums & tracks used for this review:
Erabud : Penon BS1 Expirence Version
DAP/DAC : Chord Mojo, Aune M2 ProSmart Player (aka Yin Lu Mei) D200+, Zishan Z2, Ipad Air2
The Sound:
This review is written after an intensive burn-in process of +120 hours. I have used the stock provided full foams due this review.
Tonality:
The Penon BS1 is a relative bright sounding earbud. It sounds clear, crisp and balanced. The Penon BS1 is one of the most engaging earbuds in my collection.
Bass:
First of all please note that the BS1 is not a bass oriented earbud. It’s not bass light but the tuning is not very ideal for bass demanding genres like Electronic, Hip-Hop etc. But it has the right amount for genres like Classic, Jazz, Blues and Rock music. I loved the way guitar sounds in Otto Liebert and Luna Negra’s song “The River”. My only complain could come to the bass extension that is not really bad for this price point.
I would only wish that the BS1 had more bass presence around the 250Hz band to add more warmth to the music that would also not affect the overall definition.
Because of this I would recommend to use warm sources like the Chor Mojo and Aune M2 Pro that can add the missing warmth to this earbud.
PS: Penon Audio has informed me that they will solve the missing fullness and warmth in the bass section, especially around the 250 Hz region.
Mids:
One of the best parts of the BS1 is the mid section. It sounds clean, clear and detailed and has also a nice texture. Male vocals sound superb, but the Penon BS1 truly shines with female vocals like Melody Gardot or Diana Krall, especially while pairing with my new favorite DAP the Aune M2 Pro.
The Penon BS1 has a decent instrument separation that I highly regard. I didn’t hear any noticeable interference problems, even in very complex passages with lots of instruments like classical music.
There is a small amount of stress in the upper mid region (2 – 4 kHz) that is in a tolerable level. I would advice again to pair the BS1 with a full bodied and warm source to hear its true potential.
Treble:
As mentioned before, the BS1 is a relative bright sounding earbud with an airy and detailed presentation. The treble region is well controlled and doesn’t sound aggressive or ear-piercing. I didn’t hear any noticeable sibilance while listening to one of my favorite female voices Céline Dion on the track “The Power of Love”.
The upper treble has a slightly boost (around 4 kHz) that gives the BS1 an overall clarity and a good definition.
The upper treble region (around 8 – 12 kHz) gives the Penon BS1 a really nice Hi-Fi sound signature.
In short; the BS1 is a fatiguing free earbud with a smooth treble presence for that I would always recommend to use a warm source due its slightly bright presentation.
Soundstage:
The Penon BS1 has a really good soundstage. It is expansive; especially the width of the soundstage is one of the best I have heard from an earbud in this price category. The depth of the soundstage is also good but not as impressive like the width that I mentioned before.
Final thoughts:
The Penon BS1 Experience Version gives us a good idea for the upcoming final product. It is a very promising earbud for the price and I think that the Penon BS1 “Final Version” will be a great bang for the buck.
Pros and Cons:
+ Clear, Crisp and balanced sound
+ Good build quality
+ Great fit
- Missing some fullness and warmth in the 250 HZ region
Disclaimer:
First of all, I would like to thank Penon Audio for sending me this pair of Penon Audio BS1 Experience Version as gift with some other purchased items.
I found this earbud so good that I have decided to write a review and share it with my honest opinion.
Introduction:
Penon Audio is well known in the Audiophile World as retailer of various Hi-Fi equipments, and this is the first earbud of this company. The Penon BS1 that I will review is not the final product; it is the experience version of the upcoming Official Version that will be the flagship of this company.
The Peon BS1 Experience Version costs 39,00 USD
Here is the purchase link: Penon BS1 Expierence Version
I will mention the Penon BS1 Experience Version in my review in short Penon BS1 or BS1.
PS: Penon Audio indents to deduct this 39,00 USD to the one who bought already the Experience Version and would like to buy the BS1 Official Version.
Package and Accessories:
The Penon BS1 comes in a small blue card box.
This card box includes the following contents;
- 1 pcs Penon BS1
- 1 pcs. of hard case
- 2 bags with various sets of foam tips
- 1 pair of ear hook
- 1 pcs. of shirt clips
- 1 pcs of Penon Velcro Strap
The case provided has some storage bags for your earbud foams that I find very useful!
Design, Fit and Build Quality:
The Peonon BS1 comes in a mat black color with a different design than regular Chi-Fi earbud. It doesn’t looks impressive like my Rose Masya or the Ourart Ti7 but has a minimalistic nice curved design.
The build quality looks and feels good and it should last longer then regular budget earbuds. The cable of the BS1 is one of the best I have ever seen in this price category. The silver plated OFC (oxygen free cooper) copper cable is protected with a transparent PVC coating that has nice finish and feel.
The Y-Splitter and straight styled 3.5mm plug is made of metal (looks like aluminum) and has a black finish. The 3.5mm headphone plug is an SE (single ended) TRS plug that has a gold plated finish.
The fit of the Penon BS1 is pretty good. I like the way it holds in my ears; quit comfortable and ideal for long listening periods. I prefer the BS1 design over the outdated shell of the classic Sennheiser MX500. The BS1 is also a good option for people who listen to music while sleeping
I did notice only a very low amount of microphonics due this review that should not be a big issue.
Technical Specifications:
- Driver Config: Single Dynamic Driver
- Driver Diameter: 15.4mm Ø
- Frequency response: 15Hz - 25KHz
- Impedance: 32Ω
- Sensitivity: 114dB
- Cable length: 1.2m
- Plug: 3.5mm
Drivability:
The Penon BS1 has an impedance of 32 ohm, so that it is easy to drive from almost any source (phone, ipod etc.)
Albums & tracks used for this review:
- Otto Liebert & Luna Negra – Up Close “Album” (DSF) – Binaural Recording
- Dire Straits – Money For Nothing (DSF)
- Michael Jackson - Billie Jean (DSF)
- Diana Krall - So Wonderful (DSF)
- Norah Johns – Sunrise (DSF)
- Dr. Chesky’s Binaural Album (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
- Metallica - The Black Album (Flac 24bit/96Hz)
- Yosi Horikawa – Bubbles (Flac 16bit/44kHz)
- Melody Gardot – Who Will Comfort Me (Flac 16bit/44kHz)
- Daft Punk – Get Lucky (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
- Hans Zimmer & James Newton Howard – A Watchful Guardian (Flac 16bit/44kHz)
- Céline Dion – The Power of Love (Flac 16bit/44kHz)
Erabud : Penon BS1 Expirence Version
DAP/DAC : Chord Mojo, Aune M2 ProSmart Player (aka Yin Lu Mei) D200+, Zishan Z2, Ipad Air2
The Sound:
This review is written after an intensive burn-in process of +120 hours. I have used the stock provided full foams due this review.
Tonality:
The Penon BS1 is a relative bright sounding earbud. It sounds clear, crisp and balanced. The Penon BS1 is one of the most engaging earbuds in my collection.
Bass:
First of all please note that the BS1 is not a bass oriented earbud. It’s not bass light but the tuning is not very ideal for bass demanding genres like Electronic, Hip-Hop etc. But it has the right amount for genres like Classic, Jazz, Blues and Rock music. I loved the way guitar sounds in Otto Liebert and Luna Negra’s song “The River”. My only complain could come to the bass extension that is not really bad for this price point.
I would only wish that the BS1 had more bass presence around the 250Hz band to add more warmth to the music that would also not affect the overall definition.
Because of this I would recommend to use warm sources like the Chor Mojo and Aune M2 Pro that can add the missing warmth to this earbud.
PS: Penon Audio has informed me that they will solve the missing fullness and warmth in the bass section, especially around the 250 Hz region.
Mids:
One of the best parts of the BS1 is the mid section. It sounds clean, clear and detailed and has also a nice texture. Male vocals sound superb, but the Penon BS1 truly shines with female vocals like Melody Gardot or Diana Krall, especially while pairing with my new favorite DAP the Aune M2 Pro.
The Penon BS1 has a decent instrument separation that I highly regard. I didn’t hear any noticeable interference problems, even in very complex passages with lots of instruments like classical music.
There is a small amount of stress in the upper mid region (2 – 4 kHz) that is in a tolerable level. I would advice again to pair the BS1 with a full bodied and warm source to hear its true potential.
Treble:
As mentioned before, the BS1 is a relative bright sounding earbud with an airy and detailed presentation. The treble region is well controlled and doesn’t sound aggressive or ear-piercing. I didn’t hear any noticeable sibilance while listening to one of my favorite female voices Céline Dion on the track “The Power of Love”.
The upper treble has a slightly boost (around 4 kHz) that gives the BS1 an overall clarity and a good definition.
The upper treble region (around 8 – 12 kHz) gives the Penon BS1 a really nice Hi-Fi sound signature.
In short; the BS1 is a fatiguing free earbud with a smooth treble presence for that I would always recommend to use a warm source due its slightly bright presentation.
Soundstage:
The Penon BS1 has a really good soundstage. It is expansive; especially the width of the soundstage is one of the best I have heard from an earbud in this price category. The depth of the soundstage is also good but not as impressive like the width that I mentioned before.
Final thoughts:
The Penon BS1 Experience Version gives us a good idea for the upcoming final product. It is a very promising earbud for the price and I think that the Penon BS1 “Final Version” will be a great bang for the buck.
Pros and Cons:
+ Clear, Crisp and balanced sound
+ Good build quality
+ Great fit
- Missing some fullness and warmth in the 250 HZ region
Penon Audio is well known among Head-Fiers and respected for their high standard of service and fast worldwide shipping. Well now they have their own branded earbud as well. It's called the BS1 Experience Version and it comes in a box (^_^). Let's check it out.
Disclaimer
This sample was provided for the purpose of an honest review. I'm not affiliated with the company and all observations and opinions here are my own, based on my experience with the product.
The BS1 Experience Version currently retails for $39 and can be purchased from Penon Audio: https://penonaudio.com/Penon-Audio-BS1-Dynamic-Driver-Earbud
Specification
- Driver: 15.4mm dynamic driver
- Frequency response: 15Hz-25KHz
- Impedance:32Ω
- Sensitivity: 114dB
- Cable length: 1.2m
- Plug: 3.5mm
The BS1 comes in a little blue box with Penon's logo in the top corner. The box is magnetically sealed and super easy to open. Inside is a little carry case which holds all the goodies inside. Let's take a look at the contents:
- BS1 earbud
- Carry case
- 5 pars of foam eartips
- Shirt clip
Build, comfort and isolation
What first caught my attention was the fantastic cable so I'm going to start with that. It's like something you would expect with a more expensive product. I kid you not, this is better than what you find on a lot of IEMs that cost well over $100. It's an SPC affair with clear plastic tubing and is supple, smooth and downright gorgeous. At the top where it attaches to the shells there is a good strain relief. Down further is a small rubber chin slider that sits above the metal Y-split. The cable terminates in a straight, metal gold-plated plug that again has a good strain relief and is adorned with the Penon logo.
The main body of the housing is shaped like a lampshade and made of metal with a plastic front. There are no sharp edges or visible seams so as far as earbuds go I found them quite comfortable. The provided foams are very pliable and easy to put on or remove. Having different colors is appreciated as the tiny white dot denoting the right earbud is very difficult to see so the foams are great for determining left and right, assuming you have a different colored cover on each one.
There's really not much more to say about the build - it's an earbud after all but I will say the build quality seems excellent overall. They're lightweight with rounded edges and feel very durable.
I find the BS1 pretty comfortable as far as earbuds go. They stay in place easily enough with or without the foam covers. Isolation is almost non-existent which one usually expects with earbuds so be prepared for the external noises to come in at will. If isolation is important to you then you should be looking at in-ear monitors..
Sound
Gear used for testing:
- ATC HDA-DP20
- Acoustic Research AR-M20
- Foobar2000 > Topping DX7
Bass is fairly light but maintains a good amount of punch and is well textured. The amount of bass is greatly determined by the fit that you get - similar to how good a seal you get with earphone eartips. Pop these in loosely and the bass fades away and the midrange gains clarity. Wedge them in securely and the bass comes out to play but this often results in a muddy overall sound. But I digress. I have a hard time getting a fit with earbuds so they're generally sitting pretty loosely in my ears. Sub-bass is there and doesn't roll-off too early but again (I have to keep going back to this I'm afraid) if you've got a loose fit both mid and sub-bass will take a backseat. Having said that if you can find that sweet spot the bass is quite satisfying.
In the midrange is where the focus of the sound lies. It's warm, rich and forward with great tonality and realism. Things can get a little congested during busy segments, resulting in a loss of separation and detail. In Ludovico Einaudi's "Andare" the piano and violin sound organic and natural, something that can often reveal a poorly tuned earphone but the BS1 handles both with confidence. Vocals sound good too with that added warmth in the lower mids bringing male voices to life and the slight emphasis in the lower treble giving a vibrancy to female voices like Anneke van Giersbergen in "The Moment" from The Diary.
Treble plays a smaller role in the BS1's sound but still has enough presence to create some excitement and provide some spice. The lower treble has more prominence than the upper registers which fade into the distance but don't show signs of any heavy roll-off. The upside of this is that things don't get harsh or fatiguing up top and it allows you to enjoy the richness of the mids and snappy bass.
A wide soundstage is one of the staples of earbuds and in the BS1 it's no different. They are more than capable of giving you an out of the headspace experience but it comes at the cost of lower than average imaging. There's plenty of width there but not a great deal of depth. With the BS1's expansive openness music takes on part of your environment and makes you feel as if it's floating through the air but it's not easy to tell exactly which direction separate elements are coming from except for left and right.
Conclusion
The BS1 comes across as a rather mature sounding earbud with its smooth, refined tuning - light, crisp bass, forward midrange and a playful treble make for an entertaining experience that emulates some of the more expensive offerings. Build quality is top-notch and other brands should take note of the spectacularly good cable. At $39 this one is a must for fans of budget earbuds to get their hands on.
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