Just got the Chu. These things really are Koss-level value, aren’t they? Definitely never heard something this crisp from something this cheap, stomps all over my KZ DQ6. Though not sure what I’m going to do with dirt cheap IEMs at this point, since they don’t outperform my actually-expensive IEMs. In the pre-COVID times when I was going to the office everyday I’d probably leave them in my backpack in case I forgot to bring earphones that day, but I barely leave the house these days. Oh well, I’m sure I’ll think of something…
In other news the more I listen to the IE300 the more convinced I am they’re my favorite in my collection, beating out the Kato and the FDX1 which are both also very good. The Katos kind of have everything up-front and in-your-face and the sound is kind of hard for lack of a better word, which is why I think they take so well to the RU6 which softens them up. But the IE300 doesn’t have that problem, instruments are layered and rich and have that Sennheiser timbre. I’ve seen a number of people online beat up on these earphones and I kind of can’t fathom it. It’s true the mids are a bit recessed (though nothing compared to the FD5), and there’s a lot of sub-bass, so it doesn’t have that kind of clean neutral FR (the Chu probably has a “better” FR in that sense) but they’re super fun to listen to. The FDX1 meanwhile is still the king of subtle grace, it also has a lot of richness and great timbre and is definitely what I reach for if I’m feeling treble sensitive, but it’s not exciting in the way that the IE300 is. I’m especially enjoying them on jazz music where they give treble a sparkle I don’t think I’ve heard since the Blessing 2 (which I didn’t like in other ways).
It’s tempting to call these the earphone version of the HD560S, but that’s not quite fair to either 'phone. 560S is more neutral and has the better soundstage and imaging as you might expect from an open back, but the IE300 has better resolution, and I like them both.
I’d probably love the IE600 too if I was willing to shell out $700 for an IEM, but it’s hard to imagine its enough good to justify that price over the IE300 when the IE300 is already so good. (But then I’ve yet to spend more than $400 on an earphone or headphone.)
DLC diamond-like carbon fiber material, the molecular structure is similar to diamond, the resolution and transmission details are precise and neat, clear and natural. Similar to beryllium metal used in aerospace research and high-end speakers, it is a light metal, and the density of DLC diamond-like carbon is comparable to that of metal beryllium. The ideal diaphragm needs to have the characteristics of light weight, proper damping, and small divided vibration. The key point is that the forward and backward delays of the vibration should be just right: vibrate immediately when a signal is received, and stop in time when the signal disappears. Diamond-like carbon achieves a perfect balance in terms of sound conduction velocity and internal impedance, that is, it has ideal performance on forward and backward delay , ultra-high sensitivity and excellent transient response, which can accurately restore sound.
Specification
Brand:Penon
Model:Vortex
Driver: 10mm strong magnetic DLC diamond-like fiber diaphragm
Input Sensitivity: 108dB SPL/mW
Frequency response range: 10Hz-35kHz
Impedance: 24Ω±15%(@1khz)
THD: ≤1%@1khz
Connecter: 2pin 0.78mm
Plug: 3.5mm audio, 2.5mm balanced, 4.4mm balanced
Cable length: 1.2M
@hawaiibadboy you gonna try it out? Another single DD competitor?
Sort of waiting for reviews that aren’t from Mr-everything-3-stars-or-higher following the much repeated format of “Folks you’re going to like these… these are going to sell you don’t want to miss these ones… ya these are something special… burning in, and these are TOTL tuning already…”
The dude may well be honest and earnest, he’s always polite and helpful, but I can’t get a realistic picture from someone who has never been critical of something made or sold by Penon.
Unless there are thousands of happy GK10 owners who just never mention it and never seem to rec it… amongst other hyped IEMs that were the latest flavor of the month. Superlatives every time lose all meaning.
Yikes, that price seems insane. Those i88 Minis are $90 on Linsoul right now, with a $125 regular price. Even the full size i88 is only $250, and those are also on sale for $170.
Have a gift card to burn at Walmart they look cool and that price is from Walmart Canada getting the shaft twice on that price sounds like. Thanks pass on this one.
They don’t make them brand new anymore, but if you can find the Prisma Audio Azul, it’s a fantastic bright-neutral 2BA option. It went for ~$300 brand new.
Hello! I listen to those genres a lot, but my preferred signature is neutral -warm. You need midbass for jazz and both sub and mid for film scores and orchestral pieces. Is there a particular reason you want a neutral-bright?
If you really want neutral bright, maybe take a look at Tansio Mirai Sands
