I have both and use them daily and they are very different. Quattro is subbass leaning while Twilight leans towards the midbass. Technicalities are way better on the Twilight, with a bigger sound stage and better layering. Mids are more forward on the Twilight and are generally clean. Quattro mids come across recessed and slightly coloured by the bass. The treble is much more complete on the Twilight. Quattro treble is under-emphasised in some areas giving the impression that the high notes are missing some parts to them.
Both share the quality of having very natural timbre. However, tuning wise they are very different and the Twilight is a much better all-rounder. Quattro is warm and smooth and you can turn up the volume to get a deep sound stage (deep not wide) and a very euphonic sound with some of the best subbass rumble i’ve heard.
I have both and use them daily and they are very different. Quattro is subbass leaning while Twilight leans towards the midbass. Technicalities are way better on the Twilight, with a bigger sound stage and better layering. Mids are more forward on the Twilight and are generally clean. Quattro mids come across recessed and slightly coloured by the bass. The treble is much more complete on the Twilight. Quattro treble is under-emphasised in some areas giving the impression that the high notes are missing some parts to them.
Both share the quality of having very natural timbre. However, tuning wise they are very different and the Twilight is a much better all-rounder. Quattro is warm and smooth and you can turn up the volume to get a deep sound stage (deep not wide) and a very euphonic sound with some of the best subbass rumble i’ve heard.
I have both and use them daily and they are very different. Quattro is subbass leaning while Twilight leans towards the midbass. Technicalities are way better on the Twilight, with a bigger sound stage and better layering. Mids are more forward on the Twilight and are generally clean. Quattro mids come across recessed and slightly coloured by the bass. The treble is much more complete on the Twilight. Quattro treble is under-emphasised in some areas giving the impression that the high notes are missing some parts to them.
Both share the quality of having very natural timbre. However, tuning wise they are very different and the Twilight is a much better all-rounder. Quattro is warm and smooth and you can turn up the volume to get a deep sound stage (deep not wide) and a very euphonic sound with some of the best subbass rumble i’ve heard.
The Penon Turbo is a 6 BA set (2 vented Sonion BAs for bass, 2 Knowles BA for mids and 2 Sonions for treble).
It has 3 tuning switches coupled with a bass boost switch. The Turbo can be tuned from U-shaped to V-shaped to even a basshead L-shaped tonality, so versatility is a feather in its cap.
Graphs below. The first number 1/0 refers to the bass boost switch toggled on or off, respectively. The other 3 digits refer to the switch settings 1/2/3 on the Turbo. All switches off is an invalid tuning according to Penon's website.
For a pure BA setup, the vented subwoofers help to let it move air and decay much more than a traditional BA bass. The bass hits hard with a thump on the bassier settings, though bass texturing is average (it is speedy thankfully).
Like most multi-BA setups, the Turbo fares very well for technicalities, with an expansive soundstage and accurate imaging, with good micro-details sprinkled in, especially on the brighter settings. Definitely competitive in the midFI bracket when it comes to technical chops.
There's some BA timbre in the upper frequencies, but treble and upper mids are generally smooth and non-fatiguing.
Additionally, the Turbo is well fitting and easily driven. With passive isolation that hits 26 dB, this will also be a suitable IEM for stage monitoring or even for use in noisy environments.
Promising IEM, will do further testing with the various switch configurations and report back with comparisons against other pure BA sets in the midFI range.
Here we go! Gave them a quick whirl out of the box then tossed them on the burner for a couple hours while I finished some work. Now coming back to them for a bit. As some of you know, Volt was what brought me to Penon (it’s still my user pic) and I can see why Voltage is its successor.
It’s classic midcentric Penon musicality with a phat slab of bass - bolder, deeper, already grippier and more detailed - and what’s quite clear to me that its technicals are already playing on a different level. There’s a real sense of spatiality here, clear imaging, layering and positional cues, as well as better texture and detail.
As with all the Penons I have known - quite a few by now - they will require a long burn in, not only the DDs but even more so the ESTs, and I can’t wait to see where these go. Superb job, @Penon. Those of you who have yours on the way, you’re in for a treat.
I spent the weekend letting the new Penon Voltage burn-in for 100 hrs (tho Penon suggests as much as 200) and figured it would be a good thing to report some first impressions on this soon-to-be-released "flagship" from Penon (it's not really the flagship, which is Impact, but it is the flagship tribrid in the Penon line, now). It has been awhile since Penon released an iem at over a kilobuck (aforementioned Impact, all BA/EST, was over $2000), but this one has arrived with an MSRP of $1199 (meaning those who are on the Penon email list, or those who ask Penon directly, will be offered a nice discount). I got an early shot at a set at the discounted price, which I'm not allowed to reveal, but let's say, you will not be disappointed by it!
Here, Penon tries and succeeds in stepping up to compete with their brethren by releasing Voltage, a new tribrid with 2xDD, 4xBA and 4xEST in this very crowded price category. I have not given this much listening time yet; I did check-in on it over the burn-in and heard the subtle changes occurring and I think there still are some happening, but it seems to have stabilized, so first impressions! It's a gorgeous, red with gold accented, resin shell that is light and pretty small for 10 drivers. Fit is easy and I find the Penon liqueur orange tips to have a good synergy, but will try others. It comes with a "Penon Obsidian" cable, a 4w Copper/Gold plated-copper cable that itself retails at $149. A very solid cable which I listened to for a couple hours before trying a little cable rolling. Actually, most cables I tried sounded great, and stock does not need to be switched, but I found a particularly good synergies with Penon Renata and EA Code 24c that got me pretty happy; but good on Penon for including a great stock cable!
The shocker for me arrived when I started really listening to Voltage having heard and owned several other Penons. I listened thru both my L&P P6Pro and Sony NW-WM1Z, and also with both DAPs amped by my ibassso PB5 whose stock interconnect cable I recently switched for a Penon Totem i/c (this produced a beautiful difference from stock, making PB5 sound more punchy and even deepening an already deep soundstage - inexpensive and much recommended for any PB5 owners!!). These sources tend to make a lot of good stuff sound great, some great stuff even epic, and the Voltage, just amazing!!!
Penon came to compete! This is by far the most mature sound and tuning I've heard from a Penon iem, outclassing every single other of theirs that I've tried as well as some other bigger names (for example, in a few hours, I could tell that I liked Voltage more than the similarly tuned FF MSE by a longshot and I liked MSE!). Now, tuning here is a bit of a moving target, which some of you will (like me) love and some will not (I see you, Todd!) because, yes, there are the dreaded tuning switches! Voltage has 2 switches and each does something specific, so there are 4 potential alterations to the stock (both switches down) tuning, which does remain prevalent throughout regardless of switch position. While I've not heard the Impacts, Voltage has, without question, the best mids I've heard in a Penon and maybe period. The mids seem least affected by the switches, remaining perhaps the star of the show, but actually, it's the overall balance, from deep sub-bass, to mid-bass, upper mids to trebles, everything matters and is the star with the stock switch (down) position offering the most W-shaped sound where switching them both up yields a slightly more U to V shape. Switch 1 increases or reduces bass, and switch 2 does the same for treble. I ran thru all of the switch positions and found that, while not basshead level, with switch 1 up/2 down, the Voltage has terrific, loud but still balanced bass. With the bass switch down and the treble up, you do get an amazing treblehead tuning that still includes nice, tasteful bass. I think I'm preferring the stock setting, but that could change.
In a nutshell, I'm hearing these 10 drivers come together with very impactful sub-bass, clear and forward mids, and massive, detailed, sparkly treble. I'm no treblehead, and bright, sharp treble can be the first thing to kill an iem for me, but here, Penon have executed upper mids and treble as well as I've ever heard it with details for days. It rivals Anni 23 treble to me, but it's overall tuning is more balanced and I prefer Voltage bass, as well. Note weight is thick and wet, but the soundstage is still huge and holographic with airy upper mids and treble again trying to steal the show. The sub-bass here reminds me of the Penon Quattro, but where Quattro has a very odd, but satisfying tuning, Voltage is a true all-arounder that should work with any kind of music. It's a very straightforward tuning that should offend no one and likely to surprise everyone.
We recently had a Watercooler poll that asked for under $2k favorites; this new Voltage would have taken either the Quattro or CFA Black Star off my list. It's uber competitive at its price and sounds like a lot of other TOTL on the market that cost double or triple this price. Nicely done, @Penon, Voltage is your best iem yet, I think! I'm looking forward to digging in deeper with it over the coming weeks, and will be comparing it to Elysian's new Noir when I get that.
Edit: really a PSA for the early adopters, check the switches upon receipt to be sure they're in the same positions on each shell.
Also, the Coreir metal tips work really well with Voltage! As does EA Code 24c.
I didn't get Anni 23 because of its overall tuning (aside from treble). Now looking forward to more Voltage and Anni comparisons. If I can get Anni treble with balanced tuning (for less $), I would.
Yes, it's expensive. As mentioned before, there are other option, ie IO Volare. Also several other brands are soon to announce their TOTL, as EPZ, Hisenior that are excellent tunned and for less money.
Yeah it’s an exciting release but the days of spending that on portable audio gear are over for me.
Bought Quattro though. Wanting a more neutral dap to enjoy it more. Shanling M6U warms up everything which Quattro doesn’t need. But Dita Project M pairs wonderfully
Penon OCC849 Single Crystal Copper HiFi Audiophile IEMs Cable
Type-4 Litz configuration
Description
6n single crystal copper silver-plated cable
8 strands, single strand is 49 cores, 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
Cable length: 1.2M
There is a new OCC849 Cable in town. Continuing the 849 line-up, Penon has introduced the original OS849 cable way back in early 2018. The line has been one of the most successful cable introductions for Penon. As it turns out they are reintoducing a more copper version. This new OCC849 just came in, along with the prior three for comparison purposes. I have tried this new OCC849 and it is a looker. Will get photos in the light tomorrow. But right off I can tell you that even though thick, it is very maneuverable.
Sound wise it is the most forward and possibly resolving (in a different way) than PENON Renata, the new ISN T-OCC and ISN CS02..........simply more forward than the prior three. Where the Renata holds a warm stance generating thickness just by the amount of insane material used....it is the thickest of the new trio set.
I mean that is my first OCC849 instant impressions out of the box. Yet this test was with my Noble Encore and WM1A a very treble centric Encore set with a treble shelf from 5kHz to 8kHz. Yet still the smoothness of the 6N Copper with silver plating showed a tone down from a regular pure silver affair. With that said it is kind of a forward yet detailed, yet still smooth rendition of the 849 line.........I'm thinking? I will get testing to compare the OS849, the GS849 and the GD849 tomorrow. See here what is unique is the partial solid copper plug offering 68% pure copper...............which if you know plugs offers a weighty disposition and warmth in relation to regular 4 gram gold plated plugs, or 4 gram Rhodium plated plugs. Remember the Renata is going to be more smooth offering the stage of silver because it has two hand woven cables and 35 cores Liquid nitrogen single crystal silver + 196 cores Furukawa silver copper alloy plated silver. As such so far I would call the Renata just thicker sounding (maybe slightly colored a little).....but going along with the ISN CS02 and Penon T-OCC to offer more thickness in relation to what the OCC849 is trying to do. Here we are hearing more standard vibrance and detail, faster pace and all those things that you look for from a standard silver plated 6N copper cable...........except with the added 68% pure copper plug. I have a feeling that this new OCC849 will hold the legacy since 2018, and bring the classic design with a detailed tone into 2024. More photos of these 4 cables to come in a day.
Interesting cable and price. I would try the MMCX connection for a Dunu Falcon Ultra that I am about to receive, although if I read correctly, it seems that these connectors are very particular in this IEM.
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