Penon Turbo

General Information

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PENON TURBO audiophile In-Ear Monitor

6 Balanced Armature, 4 tuning switches, 15 tuning modes.
Natural pearl shells panels, transparent green resin cavity.
Handmade, solid and more durable.
3-way crossover, 3 tubes
2 Sonion for high frequency
2 Knowles for middle frequency
2 Sonion double opening hole for low frequency


The 3-switch system modes

100 is low frequency enhanced
020 standard mode, vocal is the best.
003 is high frequency enhanced.
The other modes are mixed mode.

1-switch system
Independent 1-switch is super bass boost switch, can be used with 3-switch at the same time, can also be used independently.

When used independently, it is low-frequency super boost mode, and with 3-switch, the low-frequency performance can be further enhanced in the corresponding mode of 3-switch.

Make sure that at least one of the 3-switch or 1-switch is turned on which is in normal mode.

Latest reviews

SamTan

Head-Fier
Endless combinations for musical bliss!
Pros: Light and comfortable fit
Responds very well to tip-rolling
Warm, musical, and cohesive
Total absence of BA timbre for me
Meaningful tuning swicthes
Cons: Slight absence of treble (nit-pick)
4-May-24

Penon Turbo – brief sound impressions, by Sameer Tangri



A little about me: I prefer a balanced to warm sound for enjoying my music. I own sets like the 64 Audio Trio, Final A8000, and Thieaudio Monarch MKII. I dislike any one frequency overpowering or dominating all others, be it bass, mids, or the treble. Occasionally, I do also listen to reference/analytical sets with a flat sound signature. I very rarely prefer all-BA setups, no matter how high-end they are. Technicalities and capabilities aside, I always look for an IEM/HP that grabs my attention the moment it starts playing (trust me, IEMs/HPs that really connect with me always make me listen the moment they start playing). An IEM/HP should sound clear, fun, musical, melodious, draw me into the song, and most importantly make me feel the emotions! If a Rs. 1,500/- (USD 18) IEM does this, I buy it too (e.g., the 7HZ Salnotes Zero v1).



Introduction: I received the Turbo as a part of its India tour conducted by Audio Geeks. The Turbo is a 6 BA IEM (2 Sonions for the high frequencies, 2 Knowles for middle frequencies, and 2 Sonions for the low frequencies). Turbo comes with a 0.78mm 2-pin cable and has 4 tuning switches.

Tuning switches- first, a little more about these tuning switches because they make meaningful changes to the sound signature and played an important role in enabling me to get the sound I desired. The Turbo has 1+3 tuning switches, i.e., total 4 tuning switches.

There is an independent 1 switch which is the super bass boost switch. It can be used with the remaining 3 switches at the same time, and it can also be used independently, i.e., just by itself to give the bass a super-boost.

The remaining three switches are for the Lows, Mids, and Highs.

The way to read these switches is that 0-000 means all the switches are ‘down’ or ‘off’, According to Penon’s website this 0-000 is an invalid mode. Minimum 1 of these 4 switches must be ‘up’ or ‘on’.

So now, if we leave the 1 independent super bass boost switch aside, 020 would be vocal mode, 100 would be low frequency enhanced and one can use the 1 independent switch to enhance it even more. 003 would be high frequency enhanced. 120 would be low and mid frequency enhanced (this was my favorite as explained later on).

There are obviously many combinations you can try, 14 to be exact. I suggest you take time with the switch combinations as they do make noticeable adjustments to the sound. It would be worth the time spent experimenting with different combinations.

Now with that out of the way, let’s get into the IEM and listening impressions.


Design, build quality, fit, and comfort: The first thing that I noticed is how light the Turbo is. Once in the ear, it disappears as its size is also small to medium. One could say that I am used to bigger IEMs like the Monarch MKII but I doubt that anyone will find the Turbo big, heavy, or uncomfortable.

The IEM shells look good and are jade green in color with natural pearl shell panels and a transparent green resin cavity. As can be seen from the photos, all the drivers and wiring inside the shells is visible.

The Penon website tells me that the stock cable’s specs are- 8 shares, 19 cores, OCC & silver-plated Mixed Braided IEM cable. The cable itself is very light and supple. It rests easily and I did not find it to have any microphonics. At this price point, the cable seems fine to me. Nothing too grand and nothing too shoddy. It’s ok for what it is.



Chain-1:
HiBy R8 à Penon Turbo stock cable (4.4 mm) à Penon Turbo à Penon Liqueur Black ear tips

Brief impressions on the sound quality: I found the Turbo to have a balanced sound with the switches providing audible changes in the sound.

1-100 mode: Too much bass! I think a bass head would like this 😊. The bass booms and almost overpowers everything. I’d say that it does bleed into the mids there by affecting the vocals. Due to the boosted warmth in this mode, the details all disappeared for me. I could not hear any modulations in the singers’ voices and hardly any sparkle or treble details came through. The separation also suffered a lot and I’d put it at way below average. It was like a warm blob of bass for me. Not my cup of tea but I think bass-heads may like it.

0-100 mode: Immediately the bass was in much better shape and control! It became tight and punchy, and the overall sound was also very clear and clean. The bass did make its presence felt when needed. It was more mid-bass focused. The vocals were clear and balanced and now I could hear the modulations in the singers’ voices. Male and female vocals both sounded nice. Maybe a little recessed though, like a V-shaped sound. The treble too was well-presented with rare sibilance coming through occasionally. The amount of detail was good, but never harsh, over-bearing, or fatiguing. It is now an energetic and balanced to bright sound signature with a BA style tone and timbre. This could be a pro or a con depending on your preferences. For me, I prefer DD sets, and hence it was not the most natural sounding for me. But I’d be willing to bet that for listeners who prefer a BA sound, this would be a good listening experience. The separation also became much better in this mode.

0-020 mode: To me, the bass sounded more or less the same as 0-100 above. There could be a few minor differences here and there. I don’t know if it was a placebo effect, but I could perhaps say that the bass sounded more in balance with the vocals here. The bass took a step back and accompanied the vocals, is another way to put it. Vocals were definitely pushed forward and in a good way. They had good presence and came across very clearly. The male vocals sounded fairly natural while the female vocals also sounded good. Treble was not sibilant at all. Here I got the good amount of detail with the right presence.

The separation in this mode was also noticeably better than any of the previous modes I had tried.

0-120 mode: Here the bass definitely increased as compared to the 0-020 mode. This is obviously expected. And what this did is that it added a good weight to the overall sound. The male and female vocals became much more natural, and I think the increased bass caused this effect. The vocals gained some nice weight and sounded more melodious now. Their edges were nicely rounded off and the bite and sharpness reduced.

Rating (with Penon Liqueur Black ear tips): 8/10.
I take off one star due to the consistent presence of a BA timbre that I cannot ignore. Call me prejudiced towards DD sets but it is what it is.


Chain-2: HiBy R8 à Penon Turbo stock cable (4.4 mm) à Penon Turbo à Penon Liqueur Orange ear tips

0-120 mode: Boy what a difference the Orange ear tips have made! I am so glad I tried them. The sound quality went up by many notches and the BA timbre was entirely gone. If someone gave me these IEMs to test blind, I don’t think I’d ever be able to tell that they’re an all-BA set. The vocals were extremely natural and grabbed my attention. The complete sound was clearer, better separated and balanced, and much more cohesive, natural, and musical. The sub-bass and mid-bass both improved in quality and quantity. The male and female vocals were both superb! Treble was rolled off a bit but there was enough detail for me. This is the chain that reminded me of the Quattro’s analog-ish sound that’s done extremely tastefully and which had connected with me deeply.

Rating (with Penon Liqueur Orange ear tips): 11/10.


Conclusion:
Here’s what I think. There is so much that can be tried with an IEM – cables, ear tips, sources, DACs, AMPs, etc. It can be endless. And the Turbo has its tuning switches too! I have barely scratched the surface as I’ve just tried two different ear tips. That being said, the way the Turbo has responded to the change from Black to Orange ear tips is very encouraging for me. The Orange ear tips have proved to me that the Turbo is an inherently capable set, one which with the right combination of gear, will give an output that can easily compete with hybrids and more. It will draw you into the music and connect with you. Unless one has heard sets twice or thrice the cost of these, there is no fault to find. Only musical enjoyment and bliss! This is another example of Penon’s house sound that I have come to adore. It is warm, detailed, balanced, musical, cohesive, and most importantly connects to me, holds my attention, and makes my enjoy my music!

Overall rating: 11/10

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RunWithOne

Head-Fier
Penon Turbo - an universal talent
Pros: Pleasant musical presentation
Excellent details despite
Very good separation and instrument positioning in this price range
Above-average soundstage in this price range
Cable without microphonics
Tuning system allows extremely variable sound (from audiophile to basshead)
Cons: (Turbo) Bass switch may not be suitable for audiophile preferences
First of all I would like to thank Penon Audio. She supplies me with the turbo for a tour in Germany. I would like to publish my review here on Head-fi. I used Chat GPT to help with the translation. I hope this doesn't affect readability too much. I became aware of the Penon brand through a dear friend who is currently no longer active in the community. He had organized the Penon Serial Tour back then. The series remains in my memory because of its excellent tone.

For everyone who is in a hurry:
Advantages:
  • Pleasant musical performance
  • Still excellent detail
  • Very good separation and instrument positioning in this price range
  • Above-average sound in this price range
  • Cable without microphones
  • The tuning system enables an extremely variable sound (from audiophile to bass-heavy).
Disadvantages
  • (Turbo) bass switch may not be suitable for audiophile interests
First I would like to briefly introduce my musical experiences and my equipment:
Musically, I'm at home in rock & metal, but I also like to listen to some pop, currently also from my youth, which was a few days ago. I prefer a balanced, slightly warm tonality. However, I don't want to miss any details. The bass should be strong, but not dominate the mix or go into the middle. Good instrument separation, combined with good positioning, enhances the musical experience and creates a comfortable stage. However, too much energy in the upper midrange spoils my enjoyment of music.

The Turbo was heard on the A&K SP2000T and was compared to the ACTIVO CT10, A&K PEE51 and A&K XB10.

Package contents
This time the Turbo arrived without any additional packaging. This is not relevant to the evaluation of a tour and avoids additional waste. In the typical Penon blue hard-shell housing, we find the well-known CS819 cable (silver-plated OCC) from the series next to the earphones. The braided cable is soft and supple, not too thick and does not produce microphonics. Additionally there are 3 different 4.5mm silicone tips (grey-green, clear-red and clear-green). The package is supplemented by tools for cleaning the sound outlet pipes and adjusting the tuning switch.

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Comfort
I was a bit biased, especially when it came to tightness. Previously, I always had problems when IEMs had a printed seat for the eartip. The position of the tip was then not fully defined and the tip could move backwards when inserted into the ear. This made complete sealing difficult or impossible. This was a dealbreaker for me, even with 64Audio IEMs. That's why I prefer IEMs with metal sleeves etc., like those from Penon Serial or Thieaudio. Fortunately, things are different with the Turbo. The tips are defined and firm and do not push back on the tube during insertion. This eliminates the need to frequently adjust the fit in the ear and ensures a perfect seal. Once the turbo is in your ear, you quickly forget about it and can concentrate fully on enjoying the music. The Penon standard cable, as already mentioned, is microphone-free and offers good resolution and tonality. To my ears it plays very musically. If you are already happy here and hear a lot of switch details depending on the position of the tuning, an upgrade may not be necessary.

Tuning-System
Over the course of my HiFi journey, I have heard or owned several IEMs with a tuning system. As examples I would like to mention Shure with interchangeable sound tubes and IMR Acoustics with a tube and filter system. In both variants, the components have to be screwed together, which takes some time. Penon has chosen a switch system that can be adjusted easily and without much effort from the outside. The system consists of 4 switches in two groups:

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Single switch (Bass Boost)
Switch 1 on the left is a bass boost switch. It can be used together with the other 3 switches or independently. When used independently, it is a low frequency super boost mode. The remaining 3 switches from group 2 can be used to further change the sound, including the bass.

3-switch system (tuning)
The number corresponds to switching on and 0 to switching off:
100 – Low frequency gain
020 – Emphasis on the voice
003 – High frequency amplification

Sound
In all three tuning modes, the Penon Turbo has a rich bass that doesn't necessarily sound like a balanced armature (BA) bass. It can provide volume and fullness while remaining clean and accentuated. There is no booming sound in the lower middle as long as you don't use the turbo switch. This is ensured by the lowering of the frequency response immediately after the bass. The rest of the vote does not show any outliers that would disrupt the enjoyment of the music. The mittens are perfectly coordinated and are slightly forward facing in the mix. Guitars have bodies and an excellent timbre. You can follow the attack of the string acoustically. The vocals are slightly in the foreground and, like the overall mood, are very clear. Even at high altitudes, the turbo shows no weaknesses. They sound BA-like, smooth and detailed. There are no hissing sounds or sharp hissing sounds. The sound is very good in the price range, but not oversized like the Sennheiser HD800, for example. This is due to the not very pronounced tuning in the air frequency range. As already mentioned, I find the Penon Turbo extremely successful with its musically detailed playing style.

Influence of the tuning system
In my opinion , the individual bass boost or turbo switch is not suitable for audiophile enthusiasts. When activated, the boost is very powerful and the bass penetrates into the middle. The sound reminds me a little of the Fatfreq Maestro Mini. However, the Maestro Mini had even more bass energy. The Turbo avoids the sharp upper mids and highs presentation that the Maestro Mini had.

The 3-switch system represents (fine) tuning because it works much more subtly than the turbo switch. At first, since I came from the Penon Serial, I often listened with the setting 0-123. With this setting, the Turbo already has an infectious musical bass and the overall colorful playing style that Penon is familiar with. Finally, I would recommend it for albums from before the turn of the millennium to bring the sound up to date.

In my opinion, the settings 0-020 and 0-023 are suitable for current productions when you want to emphasize the tone towards the black background, separation and stage. Whether you adjust the height switch is ultimately a question of privacy and music production. Even age-related hearing loss at high frequencies could be compensated for with the third switch. For example, the album “Ghost – Opus Anonymus” sounded better to me with 0-023 than without the treble switch. The vocal setting 0-020 can sound brilliant on very well produced music and make additional details more audible.

EQ
Basically, the Turbo is suitable for me for playlists. My playlists contain titles from the late 60s, good and not so good recordings, originals and remasters. Fortunately, the Turbo is an earpiece that allows listening across decades and productions without the need to constantly change tuner switch settings. If you still want to work on tuning, the Turbo is an IEM that responds well to EQ. I've only experimented with minor corrections. For example, you can slightly fill in the small depressions in the transition to the lower mittens to create more mittens and counteract the V-shaped tuning. Perhaps a slight lowering of the mid-bass could be considered if the production is over-mastered. Otherwise, “central bleeding” can occur. Without these fixes the turbo will remain clean and clear. Increasing the air frequency range can be beneficial if the music you listen to is too bass heavy or you simply prefer it. I quickly got used to the dynamic playing style of the Turbo and was therefore able to forego the use of an EQ.

Ear plug
The sound can also be subtly influenced by the tips included in the package:
The gray-green tips provide high-frequency extension, amplifying the fundamental tone and improving the sense of space and layering. On the other hand, the clear red tips reduce sibilance, bring the vocals forward and make the music sound more balanced overall. The clear green tips also deliver clear voices and slightly improved details due to the reduced fundamental tone. I also like to use the Softears silicone tips, which seal perfectly for me due to their shape and thus amplify the bass. Even though they are intended for TWS (True Wireless Stereo), Spinfit CP360 goes in a similar direction. Spinfit W1 brightens the sound while Azla Crystal sits between the two. Spinfit CP145 makes the sound a little slimmer and more balanced.

Music examples
Finally, I would like to talk about a few songs. The following descriptions are based on the A&K SP2000T:

Dream Theater – Octavarium & Avantasia – The Scarecrow
Both are my epic reference songs. The Scarecrow opens with some drums that sound powerful but dry. During the song, the guitars and drums show me whether the IEM is designed for effects. Then it quickly becomes tiring. The Turbo does an excellent job of reproducing many details throughout the song. With Octavarium it's the keyboard passages that sound very natural and let your mind wander. As the engine progresses, the turbo never loses control despite the increased number of instruments. Everything remains clean and absolutely audible; it never sounds too analytical. Luckily, guitars aren't scalpels; they don't sound too thick, too sharp or too thin. A thin-sounding IEM can quickly become annoying, especially in lead guitar solo passages from Dream Theater. Very good spatial effects can be heard in both songs.

Jefferson Starship – Jane & Freedom at Point Zero
The entire album contains songs or guitar riffs that can be quite challenging for listeners who are too bright or focused on presence and effects. The electric guitar can sound very shrill or scratchy. Fortunately, the Turbo doesn't show these effects, but still offers an excellent presentation. The stars of the song are clearly the guitars, which have an excellent texture. The bass plays minimally in the foreground and the synthesizer sounds absolutely authentic.

Ghost – Phantom der Oper (Iron Maiden Cover)
The guitars sound almost magical with a perfect body, simply impressive. The album Phantomime is modern and “weighty” in the mix. The turbo stays clean on the drums, and the separation and vocals also sound very good as usual. The (lead) guitar sounds confident and doesn't stand out from the mix.

Sophie Lloyd (feat. Michael Starr) – Runaway
My Focal Clear is having a bit of a hard time (separation) here because the drums and riffs are mixed really thickly. Not so with the turbo in position 0-023. Here he can take advantage of the speed of his BA drivers and play the songs much cleaner and still convincingly. Similar to the Maiden cover of Ghost, the dip between bass and mids no longer plays a role. In both songs I find the balance between musicality and details perfect.

Serenity – Wings of Madness & New Horizons
These songs are a benchmark for good bass rumble, and the Turbo does a great job of reproducing it.

Purple Disco Machine – In the Dark
Even though I mostly listen to rock and metal, this is a reference song for a successful modern mix. With clear female vocals, we have super-fast reproduced synthetic drums and beautiful micro details.

Whole Lotta Love – Led Zeppelin
I mean, that's how Zeppelin would have liked to hear the song. The guitar riffs start with a wonderful scratch, the bass line fits perfectly without dominating, and Robert Plant sounds like he was in his best days.

Comparison with other IEMs
For me, the Turbo represents a further development of the Penon Serial, even if one would generally assume that this is reserved for the Penon Quattro. However, I haven't heard the Quattro yet. Compared to the Turbo (0-123), the Penon Serial is tuned relatively similarly. Both music IEMs offer enhanced bass with warm tonality. However, the Turbo excels in resolution and soundstage.

The Penon Fan 2 is characterized by a solid fundamental tone and avoids increasing the deep bass, making it sound very balanced. However, it lacks the expressive midrange of the Turbo. Here too, the bass is noticeably less defined and enveloping due to the DD drivers.

Another competitor is undoubtedly the Softears RSV (5BA), which in my opinion has a leaner bass and is tuned too energetically in the highs.

On the other hand, the Penon Impact is a TOTL (Top Of The Line) IEM that plays above the turbo due to its performance. The bass is less pronounced and even clearer. When playing electric guitars, the mids have a somewhat magical feel to them. Thanks to the EST drivers, the highs are more energetic and reveal additional details.

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Tone on tone
A green petrichor zombie cable. Which tips do you prefer, gray-green or clear green?

Conclusion
As you can easily see, I really like the Penon Turbo because of its musically detailed playing style. The 6 BA drivers work perfectly together to enjoy a wide range of music. However, they lean more towards the musically detailed side of the spectrum. They shine with beautiful details from the mids onwards. Anyone looking for an absolute analyzer should look elsewhere. The turbo accelerates and captivates me with its musicality. Over the years, I have heard many IEMs from Dunu, Moondrop, 64Audio, Thieaudio, etc. that were priced up to $2.5k.

Hardly any headphones have impressed me as much as the Turbo, apart from the unfair comparison with TOTL IEMs like the Penon Impact or the Thieaudio V16 Divinity.
Last edited:

Des99

New Head-Fier
Penon Turbo: All About the Versatility and BASS!
Pros: Good accessories inclusion
Surprisingly small and comfortable shell for a 6BA IEM
Effective, versatile and well implemented tuning switches and profiles
Surprisingly easy to drive
Fun, high quality, woofer-like bass
Fairly clean and open lower midrange with some warmth
Smooth, engaging upper midrange
Smooth treble presentation with decent sparkle
Well extended and airy treble
Decent note weight
Impressive imaging and layering
Cons: Bass could use a bit more definition
Turbo mode is somewhat niche and genre dependent
Recessed lower midrange due to bass tuck
Not the most natural timbre
Average soundstage
Price
Disclaimer
  • Huge thanks to Penon for providing the opportunity for me to review the Penon Turbo through a discount on the Turbo. I really do appreciate it. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own, and are not influenced in any way.
  • Please take this review with only a grain of salt, as everyone's hearing, fit, and gears may differ, so our experience may be different.

Price(MSRP)
  • $549.00

Source(s)
  • Surprisingly easy to drive, even the budget oriented JM6 Pro is sufficient to power it easily with the volume being lower than 50%.
  • Source used:
    • Topping DX1 (preferred)
    • Truthear Shio
    • Jcally JM6 Pro

Ear tips
  • Dunu S&S


Packaging
  • Penon Turbo.
  • Hard case with a soft, smooth texture
  • Small leather pouch
  • Cleaning brush
  • Pin for tuning switch adjustments
  • Shirt clip
  • Good selection of ear tips.
    • 9 pairs of generic silicone ear tips (S, M, L)
  • Leather cable tie
  • Penon CS819 OCC & Silver-plated Mixed Braided HiFi Audiophile IEMs Cable
    • Feels very well built, soft and comfortable to wear, doesn't come with a ear hook though.



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Build Quality
  • Build quality is alright, not the best.
  • Shell is made entirely out of resin, very lightweight as well.

Fit
  • Nozzle length and width is average, but note that it can get a little slippery for certain ear tips as it is made out of resin.
  • Fit is extremely comfortable for me, due to its very small shell size and how light is it, which is not common at all for an IEM that has 6BAs
    • Some popular 6BA IEMs like the Elysian Diva and 7th Acoustics Supernova have really chonky shells.
  • Very well vented, no pressure build up issue at all in my experience.




Tonality


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  • Neutral-bright to L-shaped, extremely versatile tuning switch implementation in my opinion.
  • I will only describe the tuning profiles with drastic changes.
  • As for the description below, I will use the format of (x-xxx), where the first x represents the turbo switch, and the xxx after that represents the remaining 3 switches in order. 0 means that it is turned off or down, 1 means that it is turned on or up, and x means that it does not affect much whether that it is off or on.


Tuning Profiles
  • 0-000
    • Invalid profile according the official Penon site.
    • However, I find this quite listenable, and it may appeal to some people.
    • Neutral-bright signature, most open and transparent. Female vocals sounds the most light and airy in this signature. Details can be perceived the most easily in this mode.
    • However, it lacks body and note weight in this mode due to insufficient lower end response.

  • 0-001
    • Slightly bright tilted mild V-shaped signature.
    • Bass is still present, still with amazing qualities
    • Lower midrange sound a bit cleaner than other signatures.
    • Slightly favors female vocals, male vocals slightly lacking weight but treble has good amount of sparkle and crisp, plus it doesn't get harsh in any way at all.

  • 0-01x
    • Mild-V shaped signature.
    • Most balanced signature out of all the profiles in my opinion.
    • Bass is more a bit prominent but still remains well controlled.
    • Lower midrange comes with a little more weight. but I would still say it is fairly clean and open.
    • Doesn't favor any side of the vocals, both male and female vocals sound equally good on this setting.
    • Treble has just enough sparkle to push through it to balance it out with the lower end energy.

  • 0-1xx
    • Slightly warm tilted mild V-shaped signature.
    • Bass is a bit more dominant compared to other frequencies
    • Lower midrange comes with a bit more warmth and lushness but not to the point of muddy and bloaty.
    • Slightly favors male vocals, female vocals tend to get a bit masked in this profile.
    • Treble is also slightly overpowered by the lower end, but this makes it into a more relaxing listen.

  • 1-xxx
    • Bassy, L-shaped signature
    • Insane amount of bass, which easily overpowers other frequencies.
    • Still remains somewhat clean due to the bass tuck.
    • May have pushed the drivers a little too hard, distortions can be heard fairly easily.
    • Only suitable for certain genres like EDM, or based on your mood at that time.



Bass
  • The bass is quite balanced between the sub bass and mid bass, perhaps leaning slightly toward the mid bass
  • Snappy, good rumble and slam, well textured and controlled, very impactful, have decent body and weight to it.
  • Have a woofer effect due to to bass tuck, sounds slightly detached from other frequencies but makes it quite unique and very fun to listen to.
  • I would only have minor nitpicks for the bass, that being lacking in bass definition as the bass sounds a little mushy, and it isn't as full sounding as some people prefer due to the bass tuck.
  • Quantity can be easily adjusted through the switches, ranging from bass head level to no bass at all.
    • Bass quantity affects many other factors, such as note weight, tonal balance, and overall timbre presentation.
    • When the Turbo switch is turned on, the bass starts to lose some of it qualities like control and naturalness, and it starts to distort, sounding as if the bass drivers are being pushed to their absolute limits.
  • Overall, the bass performance is spectacular and is one of the highlights of the Penon Turbo, especially considering that the BAs are completely handling the bass!


Midrange
  • Overall midrange is slightly recessed from the bass tuck,
    • However, it isn't as thin as other IEMs that has a bass tuck, probably due the tuck being a bit
  • Lower midrange can get from slightly warm to slightly cold depending on the chosen switch profile, but deeper vocals tend to sound quite far away due to the recession.
  • Upper midrange is quite energetic and is very smooth to listen to.
  • Vocal performance depends heavily on switch profile,
    • More bass will introduce more heft and lushness to the vocals but it will also bring in some huskiness and mask over the clarity.
    • Less bass will make vocals have a more angelic and airy presentation but losing some weight.
    • Fortunately, I found a very balanced setting for myself through the switches, which is 0-01x, that offers a perfect balance of weight and clarity.
  • Timbre is decent and natural enough to me for most of the profiles, with the 0-000 and 1-xxx being the exception. However, don't expect the most natural timbre due to the bass tuck and recessed midrange.
  • Overall note weight ranges from slightly dense to lightweight depending on profiles as well.


Treble
  • Treble is overall quite smooth with just enough sparkle to balance out the lower frequencies on most profiles.
    • On profiles that has less bass, treble tend to be a bit more forward but not enough to be overly bright or sibilant to me. At most, cymbal clashes and vocals have a bit more bite to them.
  • Treble extension is good, which add some air to it.
  • Details can be perceived pretty well due to how extended the treble is without being dark.




Technicalities

Resolution

  • Resolution and detail retrieval is decent, the Turbo isn't really lacking in details but it isn't outstanding either considering that it is a full BA set and the $550 price tag.

Soundstage
  • Soundstage is average in terms of width but is decent in terms of depth.
  • Not really intimate but isn't exactly very wide or spacious, not the best for the price.

Imaging
  • Imaging and accuracy is very good, I am able to pinpoint position accurately with ease.

Separation
  • Separation and layering is impressive.
  • Every instruments are layered very well among each other, nothing will sound congested at all, even on extremely busy tracks.




Conclusion
  • Overall, the Penon Turbo is very well tuned in all departments, backed up with good enough technicalities, and can be further customized with its well implemented tuning switch system.
    • The tuning switches does not changes the overall tuning style.
    • Instead, it changes the "flavor", with minor adjustments towards different tilts, just like how people enjoy different flavors for different genres or different moods.
    • Furthermore, there is even a dedicated switch just for bass heads, but it is a little niche.
  • Personally, I am very happy that this is my first endgame TOTL IEM due to its insane versatility and bass quality.


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Thanks for reading!
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