Penon OS849

Intro:-

When one buys an earphone, one always tries to enhance that by changing various things. One always looks for different things to get the best out of the earphone. We burn the earphones for hours to get some enhancements and trying various tips is the most basic of the things.

What we forget most of the time is the cable. Nearly 99.9% earphones don't come with balanced cables. And most of those single ended cables are just run of the mill type basic cable. Those cables are just there for the sake of it. Even some premium brands like Custom Art, Lime Ears and Inear ship with just okay type cables.

If you have a good earphone, not having a good cable will restrict the earphone from performing at its best. But one might think, there are a lot of cables, plenty of brands to choose from, what is the best cable for my earphone? Many type of cables with variety of materials available in the market, which is the one I need what material I should get to suit my earphone the best.

I am not a huge cable guy, I don't have expensive cables, I look for cables which are best value for money. Spending a lot on cable doesn't really make sense to me. One just can't have a $500 earphone and buy a $300 cables for it, it barely makes any sense.

What I will be looking into in this article is the Penon OS849 earphone cable. It is a Single Crystal Copper Silver-plated cable (basically a SPC cable) priced at $119 for 3.5mm singe ended version and $129 for 2.5mm balanced version. It is available in both 2pin and MMCX connectors.

I am comparing the OS849 with Nocturnal Acrux-4 which is priced at $119 (but one has to pay extra for 2.5mm termination and choice of 2pin) and $80 Electro Acousti pure copper cable.

Here are the specs of it:-

• 6n single crystal copper silver-plated cable
• Contained 8% silver, the thickness is 10μm,
• 8 Cores, single core is 49 strands, a total of 8 × 49.
• The plug contains 68% copper
• The solder joints is silver –contained tin
• Carbon fiber metal splitter and CNC integrated slider
• Sound field is very big and very natural
• Cable length: 1.2M

Accessories and Packaging:-

Unlike most of cables which barely come in a standard box type packaging, the Penon cable comes in a tidy looking retail box.

There are a lot of accessories out of the box. One can find three velvet pads, one velvet pouch, a cable clip, one cleaning tool and a Velcro cable tie. Most of these accessories are stuffed in the classy looking wooden case. OS849 has plenty of accessories and I don't think one can ask for more.









Build quality and comfort:-

Build quality of the OS849 is very good. The strands have a transparent layer of soft plastic on them which protects it from scratches. It feels very solid to the hand and can take more than a hit. The 2pin connector looks and feels very strong, it uses metal to give better protection than plastic and chrome plated plastic connectors used by most of the brands The Y splitter looks very good with some carbon fiber accent to it. The 2.5mm Jack feels very solid to the hand. Thankfully it does not come out if rotated by mistake (which is a big problem with some cables). The jack has a stress reliever to withstand bends. The cable slider too looks classic and is better than what others have.

The build quality is fantastic but like any other cable it cannot withstand brute force.

I have experience with a lot of decent cables. Of them all Effect audio Ares and the Acrux-4 cables have horrible memory and are rigid. They just cannot be wounded to ones liking. The OS849 doesn't have that problem. It does have some memory but it obeys better much like the Symphonym cables that ship with Shozy and AAW earphones.

The braiding is neither too tight nor much loose, maintaining good composure.

The OS849 has no cable guides. You can give it shape as per your liking, the cable is not heavy and is fairly comfortable over the ear.

All in all Penon has given plenty of attention to the build quality of the OS849.

How does it sounds:-

The OS849 is basically a Silver plated copper cable. It has silver plated layers on copper cores.

It is not a secret that silver is the best conductor of electricity closely followed by copper. Most of are aware of the rule that silver is good for mid range and copper deliver good lows, Combining both the metals in a cable means it has the best of the both worlds.

Thanks to the SPC nature of the cable it doesn't get much leaner or thicker when it comes to notes and delivers better transparency compared to copper cables. It produces accurate notes thickness and depth.

How does it pair:-

Fibae 3:-

Everything is fantastic about the Fibae 3 but it lacks a bit of bite. Notes lack some depth to them. The OS849 delivers more accurate notes thickness and pairs fantastically with the slightly blunt sounding Fibae 3. The stage which sounds conical with the stock cable sounds more rounded with the OS849. It is a big improvement over the stock single ended cable.

Fibae Black:-

Exactly same scene with the Fibae black, the smoothness is good but it does lack a bit of bite off the notes and the treble extension feels a bit lacking. With the OS849 it gains better sharpness and instruments have better transparency. Treble gains some extension and energy with the stage getting bigger. The OS849 pairs very well with the Fibae Black.


Inear SD5:-

The SD5 has very similar cable compared to the Fibae 3. The material is exactly same. With the stock cable SD5 sounds very good, mostly because it itself is a very potent earphone but still one might like a bit more bite which can be gained with the OS849. With it the SD5 sound cleaner with better definition and transparency. Instrument separation improves, so does the stage size too. The SD5 pairs fantastically with the OS849.


Nocturnal Eden:-

Noc Eden already comes with a very good cable and sounds exceptionally balance. Notes have good bite and transparency to them. But, still slightly better bite and separation is needed, OS849 with its balanced and agile nature can deliver it. It improves stage size too and unleashes a detail monster. The pairing can be slightly uncomfortable if one is not exactly comfortable with sharp notes.

TFZ Secret Garden 3:-

One of the best mid ranger the Secret Garden 3 delivers very good details and clarity with its above par cable. It is good with the stock cable but with the OS849 balanced cable it gains better details across the spectrum and has better instrument separation too. The stage size too gets bigger and the treble gains better extension.

How does it compare with others balanced cables:-

When compared to the Nocturnal Acrux-4 the OS849 sounds sharper and leaner. It brings more transparency with separation while compromising some smoothness. Things can get unnaturally sharper if you don't choose a more musical or smoother sound source. Pairing the Acrux-4 with my Plenue R does bring unnaturally sharper upper mid range.

Compared to Electro Acousti copper cable, the OS849 sound more transparent and clearer with better instrument separation. Copper cable has slower decay and sounds more laidback and is suiting for more aggressive sounding earphones like NCM Bella V2 and EM-5H. Pairing this cable with my Shanling M5s smoothens things even more and things start to sound a bit dull. But paring it with my Plenue R balances things nicely.



Conclusion:-

In short, OS849 pairs better with earphones which have smoother notes. Pairing it with something that already has very accurate notes depth and sharpness might get a bit uncomfortable.

Earphone with gentle tonality gain good amount of bite and transparency. If you think your earphone lack a bit of treble extension, the OS849 will definitely help. Pairing it with something like the EM-5H or Audiofly AF1120 might not be a wise idea as things can get sharper than desired, unless you like lean and sharp notes.

All in all the OS849 brings more agility to dull sounding earphone. It helps with decay speed, tightens things up, has bigger stage and delivers better treble extension too. Compared to stock cables, the OS849 is miles ahead. It brings better technicality and separation to the table.

If you have the budget and want a bit sharper notes with improvements in every department, the OS849 will not disappoint.

Penon OS849 Upgrade Cable Review


About Penon Co.:

Penon Co. is a Hong Kong based Company specialized in production of IEM’s, earbuds and cables for the audiophile community.





Disclaimer:

This OS849 was provided to me by Penon Co. for the purpose of an honest review. I am not affiliated with Penon Co. or any third person beyond this review and all these words reflect my true and unaltered, opinions about the product.





The Price:

The price for the Penon OS849 with standard 3.5mm TRS headphone jack is $119 USD, while the 2.5mm Balanced (TRRS) variant costs $129 USD.

The purchase link for the OS849 upgrade cable is bellow;

https://penon-official.com/product/penon-cs819/






Package and Accessories:

The Penon OS849 upgrade cable is coming in a cardboard box in Blue (top) / Bordeaux (sides) color and sports the company’s logo and brand name on the top.



This box is containing the following items;

• 1 pcs x Penon OS849 Upgrade Cable
• 1 pcs x Wood Case
• 1 pcs x Velevt Pouch
• 1 pcs x Shirt Clip
• 1 pcs x Cable wrap
• 3 pairs x Velvet Fabrics

The wooden box which is included to the standard package is very useful and has a very stylish appearance.





There is a velvet pouch with Penon barding which is a nice addition.



The cable is extra protected from scratches with velvet fabrics, which can be found inside the wooden case.



There is also a metal shirt clip and a cable wrapper with Penon logo, which are a nice addition.







Design and Build Quality:

The Penon OS849 is made of high purity 6N single crystal cooper silver plated (contains 8% silver) wire material, which has 8 cores with 49 strands per core that is explaining the model number (8 core and 49 strands = OS849).



The Penon OS849 has two connector options, which are the 0.78mm 2 Pin and the MMCX (Micro Miniature Coaxial) variants.

The braided cable wire is protected with a transparent plastic coating, feels nice in your hand and is showing a very low amount of microphonic effect.



The MMCX / 2-Pin connectors have a metal housing in black color with Left & Right (blue for left and red for right) indicators.



The cable sports a circular metal chin slider and a Y-Splitter in black color with carbon fiber patterns and OS849 model printing.



The 3.5mm headphone jack (also available in 2.5mm TRSS variant) is containing 68% copper and has a straight profiled metal housing with carbon fiber patterns and Penon branding which looks pretty nice.

Technical Specifications:

• 6n single crystal copper silver-plated cable
• Contained 8% silver, the thickness is 10μm,
• 8 Cores, single core is 49 strands, a total of 8 × 49.
• The plug contains 68% copper
• The solder joints is silver –contained tin
• Carbon fiber metal splitter and CNC integrated slider
• Sound field is very big and very natural
• Cable length: 1.2M

Equipments used for this review:

Cable : Penon OS849, iBasso IT04 Stock Cable, iBasso IT01S Stock Cable, iBasso IT01 Stock cable

IEM’s : iBasso IT04, iBasso IT01s, iBasso IT01




The Sound:

The PENON OS849 upgrade cable is adding the source in general a touch more warmth, while it is increasing the depth and quantity of the bass, making the midrange softer and musical and adding control to the highs without to decrease its sparkle.

PS: I have tested the PENON OS849 in general with IEM’s such like the iBasso IT04, IT01S and the IT01 that are quite sensitive to cable rolling. This review is written after a burn-in period of approx. 100 hours.



Penon OS849 versus iBasso IT01 Stock Cable

The bass of the IT01 with the stock cable is showing an average speed, good depth and intensity, while the OS849 is adding a bit more speed and tightness to the bass. The bass sounds also cleaner and shows a slightly brighter totality, with a small amount of increase in the bass quantity.

The midrange on the other hand is sounding noticeable more transparent and airy compared to the stock cable of the IT01.

When it comes to the treble range the first noticeable difference is the additional sparkle that was added by the Penon OS849. The treble extension has been increased by a margin.







Penon OS849 versus iBasso IT01s Stock Cable

The bass of the iBasso IT01s with its stock cable has a fairly linear bass character (maybe a tad more) that shows good speed with average depth and intensity.

The bass of the iBasso IT01s with the Penon OS849 cable shows better depth and an increase of quantity and intensity, while they’re no noticeable chances in terms of the speed.

The midrange sounds warmer and more emotional with the OS849. The level of airiness with female vocals still nearly identical, while male vocals showing a slightly increase in fullness and have now better depth.

The instruments have a noticeably better separation and clarity than the stock cable.

When it comes to the upper midrange and treble, I can say that the IT01s with OS849 cable sounds slightly more controlled, while the small amount of sharpness in the upper midrange is gone was gone. The upper midrange sounds now softer, while the OS489 has added additional fullness/volume to the treble region.





Penon OS849 versus iBasso IT04 Stock Cable

The stock cable of the iBasso IT04 has a linear bass character with an average depth. The subbass and midbass intensity is on a moderate level.

The Penon OS849 caused radical changes to the linear bass structure of the IT04 with its stock cable. The intensity, depth and quantity have been increased in a very noticeably.

The bass sounds warmer, has more volume and softness compared to the stock cable, while the speed is nearly identical.

The midrange of the iBasso IT04 is slightly recessed due to the V shaped sound signature, while it shows a neutral and transparent tonality. The Penon OS849 have been added additional body, warmth and musicality, especially female vocals are now more emotional in presentation.

The upper midrange and treble range sounds more controlled and shows fuller notes compared to the stock cable, while the treble quantity has been decreased by a small margin. All this changes have made the iBasso IT04 to a more balanced and controlled IEM compared with the stock cable.




Conclusion:

If you are looking for a cable with great build quality, nice appearance, lots of beautiful accessories and noticeable improvements in the sound quality, the PENON OS849 will fulfill all this tags for a pretty reasonable price.


Pros and Cons:

• + Overall build quality
• + Lots of beautiful accessories (wooden case, pouch etc.)
• + Noticeable changes and improvements of the sound
• + Increase in detail and musicality

• - None

When it comes to the cables, I'm always holding skeptical positions. I do believe that cable can change a sound, but I don't believe in "universal changes," especially those based on the material. You know, all that stories about "silver improves treble" or "copper adds more lows." Of course, it's quite possible that copper wire will add base, but often it won't. Also, pretty logical, that some cable can change the sound of different IEMs similarly, but also pretty expectable that changes will be different. The portable audio rig is a system with 3 components: source, cable and IEMs, and cable rolling can depend on different aspects, to name a few:

• your DAP can have high output impedance, and its impact will "mask" cable's impact
• single dynamic driver models are much less likely to change sound depending on cable
• changes in sound will depend on cable you're replacing, if some IEMs have a bad cable, improvement will be drastic, if a stock cable is excellent, well, even degradation is possible

So, after describing my position, I'm ready to share my experience with Penon's OS849 silver plated copper cable.
Before I proceed, I want to thank Penon Audio for providing me a review sample in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

I will probably skip non-sound related stuff, or at least I'll try to make it as short as possible. OS489 comes in the perfect cardboard box, inside you'll get stylish wooden storage case with cable. Also, you'll get a small velvet pouch and shirt clip. Package shows excellent attention to details, much better than for many over-expensive cables.
The cable itself is 6n single crystal copper silver-plated cable, having 8 cores, each containing 49 strands (now, you see, where does model's name come from). It's built nicely, from high-quality MMCX connectors to stylish carbon inserts. Cable is pretty thick, but it's soft, so I got zero issues with comfort, microphonic is also absent.

As for sound, I've merely done a series of blind A/B testing (thanks to my lovely wife for helping with that), and I'll limit my sound impressions to some feedback with particular models. I've used A&Ultima as a reference DAP, and all sound changes are described relative to stock cables of corresponding IEMs. Also, I must admit, that all changes, described below aren't big, but anyway, they are still audible.
Probably the most noticeable change with this cable I've got with Magaosi K5, pretty good 5-BA model from China. While K5 is excellent on mids and merely good on lows, treble is it's the weakest part. Highs here are lacking layering and have non-natural, somewhat artificial sound. It's pretty OK for the price, and I can stand with it, but OS849 improves that. With this cable, treble layering improves as well as naturalness. Also, cable make lows a bit dryer, making overall sound of IEMs more "rich" and closet to expensive IEMs, unveiling full potential of that 5 drivers.
Another pretty noticeable change I've got with Rose Br5 Mk2. One of the most distinguishing features in Rose's sound is a smoothed mids, and cable changes this drastically. Mids became sharper and got more microdynamics, causing small, but noticeable improvement in resolution. Treble layering also improves here, but this change is less noticeable compared to the change in mids.

I've tried OS849 with iBasso's hybrid models. With IT04 I've got zero audible changes, probably because their stock CB12s cable is already superb. With IT03 I've got a bit more lows and noticeable improvement in treble extension.
With Campfire Audio Comet I also got the noticeable improvement in treble extension, and small, barely noticeable bass decrease.

So, to summarize, OS849 is a great cable, it's stylish, it's comfortable, and it improves sound when it can be improved. Moreover, the most important, it's affordable, compared with other TOTL cable makers.