Great video! It goes a long way to explain why I seem to like some IEMs more than other people do, including reviewers. Also, in my case, I have very dinky, oddly shaped ear canals. I know this because when I went to the ear, nose, and throat doctor a few years ago, he said, “You have very dinky, oddly shaped ear canals!” So maybe I like the IEMs I like because whoever designed them has similarly dinky, oddly shaped ear canals, so the design and tuning are perfectly suited to me.
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I too have some strange ears, both in the shape and just how they’ve worked since I was young. I’m thinking I have large ear canals because sets like the timeless for example have never come off harsh to me in anyway. This video just summed up a lot of what I suspected - it was surprising to see the variation of sound depending on the overall shape and size of one’s ears, I have to admit.
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Very interesting, thanks for sharing! Amazing how much variation there is between each person. Now I need to find some reviewers and/ or community members who I agree with 
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I have people that I usually agree with, and disagree with. For example Super Reviews likes things mid focused and a little bright, HBB likes sub bass and clear vocals, and Zeos prefers sub and mid bass.
Zeos and HBB tend to be pretty close, but use different language to describe sound, where Super Reviews typically has a different take on the same IEMs. I tend to find that difference the best way to interpret their reviews.
It is the reason I find some reviewers useless, they aren’t consistent enough to help me learn from their reviews. I get that we evolve, but some seem random at times.
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In a fruitless endless comparison loop with the Fan, Serial, and Clairvoyance. Not A/Bing right next to each other, just at different opportunities that I have for listening, picking one of them for that session.
None of them disappoint or get me to want to switch part way through. The Fan hasn’t had any harshness when I’ve listened to it this week so I wonder what variable changed, it used to be that when bumping the volume up either upper mids or treble would be a little incisive, not any more. If anything it’s nicely relaxed.
I’ve put the JVC woody on hold not because it wasn’t great the last time I was listening to it, but just because it’s too many irons in the fire 
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If it isn’t a bother, which of the Penon line (Serial, Vortex, Fan, Fan 2) would you recommend for someone into Metal, J-Pop, video game OSTs and Piano? I’ve heard a ton of good things about the Vortex, with it’s excellent Mid bass and mids overall, and it also seems to have a more intimate sound (something I’d prefer).
With the Fan/Fan 2, how would they compare to the FH3 since they have a more V shape signature?
If you could only pickup between the Softears RSV and the Oracle MKII which would it be? Any particular reaons you’d pick one over the other?
My library isn’t going to be helpful here, I don’t have very much metal, zero J-pop, I do have a couple OSTs (not from video games though) and I do have piano. With metal it’s not too easy to say, the Fan and Serial would give that meatiness to rhythm guitar, both would sing with lead/solos. All three would render piano well (for timbre) but with different weights, the Fan and Serial will give a very slight rounding to the lower notes. To me the Serial is perfectly coherent I never feel that different frequencies are being divvied up between different miniature speakers, but if you have a very well trained classical ear when listening to piano the Vortex and Fan would possible win out for the same diaphragm producing every key on the piano with no change in character.
I’ve been listening to the Fan pretty closely today and yesterday, because I really do like it well enough that I wouldn’t shed a tear if I had to keep it instead of the Serial or other choices. The one thing I miss after long enough though is that although it has some great detail and texture in its highs, it does lack air, and feel just a little more contained (even though stage is fine/great) compared to a long time with the Serial. I’ll love what I’m hearing but my ears will feel that little bit more “closed off”.
OSTs and in my opinion the metal too would not want to skimp on sub-bass, the one part of the Vortex that measures lower than I’d like. Serial and Fan both have plenty of sub-bass, the Fan maintains that boost further into the mid bass. A but punchier, but a little less texture too.
Value-wise, the Fan can sometimes be bought new from Penon for 50% of its price, in which case it’s about the best value in the hobby. The Serial used is only $40-50 more than a new Fan these days, and I think the technicalities and a bit more room around elements, a little more breath in the vocals, is worth that. Vocals are beautiful on the Fan, rich and smooth, but from what I can tell about Asian pop the Serial would highlight vocals and give a little more breathiness in a way that suits the genre.
If J-pop made the majority of your listening, that’s where I’d put the Vortex first in line, for female vocals.
The Fan 2 wasn’t really considered in the above because I’ve heard so little of it. So don’t take its omission as to mean it wouldn’t be a good choice, just that I have no idea.
So I didn’t set out to pick the Serial, each of the choices has a lot going for them based on different things you listen to, but the Serial would nail the most of them at the same time, and at great value.
Alternatively if you find them used for cheap, a Fan for OST/metal and a Vortex for J-pop/piano and call it a day 
EDIT: Sorry, neglected FH3. The FH3 is not a very natural listen to my ears, whereas Fan, Vortex, and Serial have an overwhelmingly natural/organic timbre to them. All would beat the FH3 for coherence, and for sounding true to real instruments and voices.
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I have not heard the oracle Mk2, but I have the RSV. The RSV is my most detailed and balanced set (Ej07m, Mahina, Serial). The one thing to be aware of is the diameter of the nozzle on the RSV is quite wide. It took some tip rolling to get a good seal, nothing too crazy though. It’s also a little more power hungry than what it’s specs might lead you to believe.
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FDX1 is a great set. If it was not for the slightly off timbre in the treble region I would own it no hesitation.
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Thanks for the info! Have you had any experience returning stuff on Penon? Their return process isn’t super clear so I’m just worried of being stuck with the pairs if I’m not into them. If returning won’t be a problem, I honestly will probably just order the Serial, Vortex and Fan and compare them all lol. I keep hearing about people waiting for 11/11, is that like a worldwide IEM sale day or something?
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Penon has very good customer service. 11/11 is a big annual sale period in China, so chifi normally offers excellent deals. Worth waiting, although shipping times will be affected.
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I have no idea what their “I tried it and didn’t want it” policies are but in two cases where repair or warranty was needed they were excellent for me. You could email them to ask.
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An insight into habits vs. hobby. I’m doing parent teacher conferences today so I have a lot of short unusual length gaps in the day here and there, not enough to make much of, and I’m essentially prepped for what’s coming up today.
My habit is to open a tab, check out reviews/discussions/classifieds for audio gear. Because it’s something I can do in a minute or two that brings me some kind of interest or stimulation.
On a slightly longer break, I put my Serials on and pressed play on some Tinariwen. My ears were on cloud nine, listening to it and enjoying it, I objectively know there’s nothing I need to change in my setup to enjoy it more.
So there’s no reason for the habit part, I am happy with what I have, and would probably me less happy with the 5-6 things I’m reading about or considering trying than I already am now.
Addiction over necessity. I’m going to have to convince myself to do something else in small breaks (doodle or something) and listen in longer breaks, to break this shopping gear for the sake of it habit.
ATM I think between cost effectiveness and sheer excellence, I’ll probably keep the Serial and the OG Fan, maybe in time I’ll be able to go down to just the Serial. Great value, great sound.
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@Vulcanic In terms of Fan 2, I’ve had it a week or two now? I forget. But I’ve been listening to it every day, taking time to A/B it with Olina SE, and Starsea (as shared reference points) and if I could only have one, I’d pick Fan 2 today. It’s definitely a better ear fit than Starsea without the pressure build up. So it passes that test.
While some of these other sets would take you more into the V-shape and away from Olina’s sound, Fan 2 is much more in the same family of sound as Olina. It’s cleaner and less colored sound, it’s more mid-bass emphasized, and more energetic up top than what a Serial would be. But it has more bass than Olina and that mid-bass helps it sound a little fuller in the mids. The Olina mids are super clean but they can feel a little thin sometimes. Fan 2 has a similar playback that is less thin, but never thick. The mids never overdo it, and that little bit of extra in the mids helps keeps vocals and the uppers from being TOO energetic.
Fan 2 is very well-balanced and is more about “playing the music back accurately” but doing it with a little pizzazz
Edit: Another thing between Fan 2 and Olina SE: When I attempt to add bass and body to Olina with tips and such it never quite takes well. It always sounds better when you keep the frequency clean. So using tips that add bass and warmth don’t make Olina suddenly warmer.
Fan 2 responds better to tips. If you want to use bassy tips, they don’t muddy the sound. If you want to use brighter tips, it doesn’t make them too harsh. But you can find different flavors on Fan 2 until you get the one you want to keep a little better than on Olina
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I think my best bet is to get all 4 of the Penon line, cause they all seem to be a flavor of awesome. I wonder how much of a difference there is between the Fan and Fan 2. Hopefully the 11/11 sale is also going to be on Penon.
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They’re not even close to the same. OG Fan is a sub-bass V-shaped IEM. Fan 2 is balanced and mid-bass focused with more forward lower mids. They’re going to be different flavors of ice cream all the way.
OG Fan compares more to Serial
Fan 2 compares more to Vortex
Unless I’m crazy
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How is their sound stage? Would they be more on the intimate side when compared to the Olina SE?
No, they’re very comparable in soundstage. It’s a credit to Olina doing it with one driver, but Fan 2 is certainly in the same range of soundstage
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