Penon OS133
Master craftsman at work. The sound guys at Penon have been at it once again with a new cable offering that much like the rest of their line up serves a purpose but now officially their cheapest branded cable.
So a bit of the price slash and this is the value marketing. If you notice on their recent cable offerings being the Penon PAC480, the new ISN G4 and now the Penon OS133. They have an actual price value they mark the item at. I have some insight into what that is about. Unlike how vendors in the Aliexpress market temporarily mark up their cables and then have a sale that really reflects what the real value of the cables are. Penon is just putting it out there what the actual value of the cables they are selling are at for the RP.
I can see the collective eyes rolling here but here me out. I actually did some online research on comparable cables being sold on the express and lo n behold there is a very popular cable maker on the express that sells a very similar cable to the OS133. Similar make up with comparable materials which goes for $88. So the actual RP value at $100 is not too far fetched. But what you are paying to get a set of these new fandangled cables delivered to your doorstep is a bit under $40?
So if the true value on the cables are actually $100, why would anyone sell it for $40? I mean your cousin at the car dealership will give you a better deal vs that random car salesman right? But Penon is not your cousin. Could be due to the sign of the times. Could be due to fan service.
Truth be told, if whatever item your making does not sell then what good is it? Whatever the case may be, the folks that produce these cables are clearly putting it out there that the sheer value of such cables are in that price range. That would make the new Penon OS133 a great value right?
Lets find out,
First off I would like to thank Penon audio for the OS133 sample. It was provided for the purpose of a review. This is how I perceive the cables and what they do on various in- ears I tried them on. If you find that you would like a nice upgraded cable for your earphones, you can buy a set for you at said discount on their Penon sales page
here.
In simple terms if the cable we are talking about is the same material as something that is included with a lot of your earphones, OFC is pretty much standard type copper cable at a bare minimum of cables for the industry. Then how can they be an actual upgrade right? An upgrade on a cable is justifiable for two reasons. If you feel your included cables on your IEMS for whatever the reason may be, just don’t cut it. Most included cables have their limitations, some are better than others of course and just because you're spending a lot on an IEM doesn't necessarily mean the cable that was included optimizes the sound of that particular IEM. Believe me this is more the case than not.
For the most part manufacturers do what they can to provide the best they can for the price point but getting that nice sounding IEM to sound even better is always worth the effort to track down a well matching sonic enhancing cable. Of course the other reason is to maximize the power output and sound of your sources using a balanced cable. If you need a balanced cable to take advantage of the balanced out from your sources. This is how I got into buying up various cables myself.
That was when I realized, cables make much more of a difference than I could have imagined. Case in point the OS133 is one of the more rare thinner designed cables from Penon. The reason why most Penon cables are thicker, OS849 shown here for comparison for example.
Thicker cores/ more shares of material usually adds a thicker wider sound profile to what you’re hearing on your IEMS. The OS133 is one of Penons thinner IEM cables, their thinnest cable being their pure silver Penon Neo cables.
So by that observation does that mean the OS133 brings out a thinner sound profile? Here is where a cable alchemy does not conform to what was once conceived as being the case. I will say it is usually true that thinner cables do not enhance the stage like thicker cables. The OS133 here is an outlier.
During my encounters with many of you who have read my cable reviews. I have come across many folks that have told me they want and like thinner cables vs the bulky 8-16 core type cables. I get it, you're the type that don't want the cable to add any weight to the earphones and want that easier usability with more flexibility. The OS133 is calling your name. You can’t expect the perfect IEM cable at the price range but thinner well designed cables are more rare than thicker ones nowadays.
The cable is made out of a silver plating on OFC or oxygen free copper, consisting of 2 cores, each core using 133 shares of the material then all wrapped up in a tightly knit nylon sleeving.
The all black look is enhanced by the gold plated copper accessories with black carbon fiber that makes the OS133 look premium. The y splitter, chin slider, connector and terminations are taken from Penon’s highest end cables the storm.
Unlike most nylon covered cables, the OS133 is quite flexible and pliable due to it being a thinner lighter cable. One negative of being a thinner cable however is that they are more prone to tangle when wound up using the 3 finger method. This will be the case for any thinner cable not just the OS133. But not a big deal to be honest. Just be careful unwinding your cable and earphone when using it and you're golden. The gold plated copper accessories end up being heavier than the cable itself and the looks of them with a black and gold motif is nice nonetheless.
The OS133 cable does not scream to you or me, high end. After all, I have numerous cables that come packed with an earphone that uses very similar materials. However, that is really about the only similarities you will notice. On paper it is the same stuff but when you actually use the OS133. That is when you will notice what the OS133s are all about.
These have the one aspect going for them that are clearly evident of more higher end cables. That is the idea of expanding your sound. Going from the stock cables that come with the IEMs I tested them on. ISN H50, ISN EST50, Reecho SG-01 OVA, Yanin Canon and the NF audio NE4 with the OS133. It was consistent across the board, there is a difference I noticed especially for sound stage aspects for each of the earphones I tested them with. How can that be? These don’t show the expansiveness of pure silver or cables that are included with much higher end IEMS but if you compare them to most earphone cables that come packed with budget and midfi level IEMs. This expansion of sound seems to be what these cables are about.
The cables influence tonal qualities that lean it toward copper in how they help produce sound. Natural, slightly smoother and warmer in how it influences the sound supporting the dynamic aspect of your earphones, meaning bass and mids especially will be full on and enhanced. The silver plating is always helpful for the cable to be more transparent. Based on my prior findings of how the stage expands with a thicker cable. Call me completely surprised, these act like they are thicker cables but only use 2 thinner cores.
The OS133 does not enhance treble and details like a pure silver cable, but at the same time does not take away any detail here either. It doesn’t smooth out trebles and or thicken the sound quite like a pure copper cable but that stage enhancing ability is noticeable. The cable gives a very natural balanced tonal quality across the sound spectrum of the earphones they are attached to, plus adds that stage enhancement element. Greater width, better depth of sound, more air around instruments and set pieces you're listening to. Due to that stage enhancing ability vocals and instruments sound more rangy giving your earphones an injection of dynamism. Bass emphasis is full on, mids showing more space with a clean treble delivery.
Your earphones will sound like your earphones but now with a greater spacious sound. This whole stage and space enhancing ability is usually the effects from much higher end cables but to get that in a sub $40 set was unexpected. Again it is not to the degree of something like Penons own Totem or Mix cable but sound clearly opens up and expands using this cable.
Sometimes we want a cable to not change the sound qualities in our earphones. But extra space and a roomier stage? Who doesn’t want that? I noticed when using the OS133 on various IEMs they add a slightly weightier tonal character to your IEMs meaning the copper element is where the OS133 seems to lean more on. The ISN H50 for example going back and forth from their stock cable the ISN S8. The sound immediately gets greater note weight with a more spacious and deeper sound.
And it wasn’t due to going from single ended to balanced. It was a head to head comparison connecting the housings to the cables in balanced using the same set of symbio W tips. This testing method was done over and over again with each earphone I tried them on and it was consistent every time. I noticed these cables are fairly comparable to the included cable that comes with the Yanyin Canons. But once again shows a slight widening of stage. NE4 sounds absolutely superb using these cables and there is really no comparison to how their cheaper included SPC cable does in comparison.
Another aspect I noticed was that these don't emit cord noise as much as some other nylon covered cables I own. I was always under the assumption that nylon covered cables will emit more sound than standard PVC covered cables. It is not exactly dead silent but it is much more acceptable vs your standard nylon covered cable. The wires are obviously more flexible due to utilizing less cores and of course has a thinner profile than most standard IEM cables.
Overall
The OS133 is a great little cable, It doesn’t neuter any of your sound details and traits of your earphone if anything it will enhance them adding a moderate stage and space element. They enhance a natural tonal character, supporting a bit more the bass and mids qualities with a clean treble. The OS133 is a superb tool like a clean window to view your sound, especially in balanced form. Earphones with a bit leaner mid range and bass will do well with the OS133. Earphones needing a bit of stage and space enhancement will do well with the OS133. It is very versatile in how they work. The material and workmanship is of a high quality and not to mention will enhance any earphone they are attached to. Penon got another winner of a cable here especially if you take a premium to thinner style good looking cables. Thanks for taking the time to read.