Do you know that feeling when your wife says with a little blink of her eyes: "Another package has come for you?" Then, to my delight, another new KH or IEM arrived. In this case, Penon made the Dome available to us for a tour. Be careful, the review is a little longer. This always happens to me when I like a listener.



What do we find in the blue hardcase known from Penon? A silver-plated OCC cable with a length of 1.2m, which is also included with the Penon Orb and Globe. Fortunately, it has no microphonics at all. When purchasing, you can choose from the 3 usual plug variants. Penon supplies the grey-green and red and green-clear tips with the dome from its range. Also included are the tools for cleaning and fastening.



The dome is visually appealing. It has very beautiful faceplates with inlay-like effects. The space in the housing is shared by 1 DD and 2 BA drivers. Due to the small housing size, the receiver fits well in the ear. The sound outlet is slightly extended, which always results in an optimal fit. The extension of the sound outlet tubes responsible for this is not as strong as on the Fan 2, but a little larger than on all other Penon that I know of.

It took some time for the receiver to catch on in my ears. I really like the tonality. I find it to be quite balanced and much closer to neutral than, for example. Serial and Fan2 from the same company, which are in a similar price range. This means that the dome doesn't play in a lulling way, even with warmer mastered music.

Sound

The DD delights the ear with a very well-defined bass that is not overly boosted. However, when the music demands it, he shows what is popular in the frequency cellar. With the right tips, it usually doesn't bleed into the midrange. However, it can sound a little too thick on modern productions. While the bass is okay in Purple Disco Machine - In The Dark, it sounds too powerful in Ghost - Phantom of the Opera. Then you notice that a dynamic person is working here. Which, in my opinion, is what makes this IEM so attractive.

The vocals are slightly ahead of the music and are always clear. The mids are very Penon-like rousing and definitely not thin. Good examples are Edguy - Vain Glory Opera or Dream Theater - Ocatvarium.

As a rock music lover, guitars are always important to me and they sound very good, not thin and analytical shredding. The instruments have bodies that are not bulky or mushy. Jane by Jefferson Starship or Elvenpath by Nightwish are songs that can otherwise quickly become unpleasant to the ear. The separation is not as outstanding as in the Kilobuck range, but the Dome plays the guitars absolutely comfortably.

The highs are also musical and can have some detail. Of course, you shouldn't expect a multi-BA or EST feeling here, as only 2BA are installed. Mids and highs are a touch sharper than my higher priced Muti-BA IEMs, such as the Penon Turbo.
Separation and stage are above the price level even at lower volumes. However, listeners tuned for more presence in the upper mids and highs offer a little more here. However, this quickly and reliably tires my ears and I then turn the music down.

As we all know, eartips can affect sound. I chose my preferred W-Signature and the OP Amp on my DAP for the following comparisons. The EQ was off. Here are my very subjective impressions in the hope that the seal was always perfect.

I've always liked the gray-green tips from Penon. They raise the fundamental tone slightly. The tips lead to a nice rumble in the bass. However, you shouldn't expect bass headphones here due to the more neutral tuning. The highs recede slightly without neglecting the mids. The dome loses some of its dynamism.

The clear-green tips sound a little like they look. The sound becomes clearer and the fundamental tone goes back a bit. The signature becomes more neutral again. Nevertheless, I really like hearing these tips on the dome. Electric guitars have a nice bite and sound more exciting than with the gray-green tips. Despite the clear presentation and comparatively slightly forward vocals, the IE remains absolutely suitable for long-term use with well-developed highs.

The clear-red tips are the middle ground between the two previously discussed variants. They only increase slightly in bass and fundamental. This means that the presence area and heights remain transparent. The sound is a touch softer than with the clear green tips.

The sky blue tips were also included in the package. However, I didn't have an optimal fit with these, so I won't give any impressions at this point.

Since I recently bought the new Penon Liqueur Tips, which come with a case, I was excited to see how the Dome sounds with them



The black liqueur tips raise the bass and fundamental tone a little. Drums become more massive and have a slightly three-dimensional effect. Corresponding to the lift at the bottom end, the presence range and treble audibly recede. Compared to the clear-green or clear-red tips, the sound is more relaxed.
This means that the sound is not too warm, but also not sterile and cool. I think these tips fit better with IEMs with BA bass.

On my other headphones I preferred the orange tips because they have a lower bass presence combined with more detailed mids and highs. The bass recedes quantitatively, but not qualitatively. The overall signature is more balanced. This is also the case with the Dome.
With the liqueur tips, Penon has made a really good success. They can subtly influence the sound and are dimensionally stable.

My personal order of tips on the dome.
1. orange liqueur
2. clear-red
3. clear-green
4. gray-green
5. black liqueur

Comparisons with other IEMs (each with orange eartip)

The Penon Serial is a somewhat comfortable playing IEM. It is smoother in presentation, but unfortunately the highs are comparatively gentler and more reserved. Hi hats, for example, are quieter than the dome. The bass rumble is more present on the Serial, although the overall sound is warmer. Guitar textures have even more body. I like to use it for old recordings because it gives them a slight “remaster” effect.

Compared to the Penon Fan 2, the Dome plays much more balanced. For me, the Fan 2 has a signature similar to the Denon D7200 headphones below 1kHz. The fundamental tone and bass dominate the Fan 2. Due to the lower fundamental tone, the dome is less warm and therefore more balanced in its presentation. The dome has more energy in the sharp area and the lower mids. I miss this with the Fan 2, which also has the typical 6kHz dip of earlier Penon releases.

From memory, I like the Dome better than the rather warm Orb. I also find it a little warmer than the neutral Vortex, which I also liked listening to for rock and metal.

The Penon Turbo is priced $200 more than the Turbo and comes with 6 BA drivers. The Dome has to admit defeat here. The Turbo's BA drivers play a clean, rousing bass. Voices and mids are better separated and highs sound smoother. The Turbo is also ahead when it comes to separation and stage. Which is not surprising given his inner values.

Since I have already heard a large number of Penon IEMs, I would like to publish my personal ranking here:

1. Impact - absolute reference with a decent amount of high energy
2. Turbo - super detailed variable IEM with a dose of fun
3. Dome - balanced and musical
4. Serial - the analog musical fun maker
5. Fan2 - Denon Gene in the basement, but can be too reserved
6. Vortex - balanced with brighter signature than Dome
7. Orb - a warmly tuned all-rounder
8. Volt - very warm IEM with (too) strong bass and hard EST sound

Based on what I've read and seen so far about the upcoming Voltage, it probably has what it takes to be in the top third here.

I recently had two new Thieaudio releases to test at home: the Monarch MKIII and the Hype 10. As I already wrote in another review, the Tribirds from Thieaudio and I will probably no longer be friends in this life. Technically, these headphones, which can cost up to $1k, of course have their qualities. But for me they lack balance and musicality. Both Thieaudio have a (too) strong bass that pushes a little into the mids. Even more so with the Hype 10 than with the Monarch MKIII. While the details are a little less noticeable in the Hype 10, they are too present in the MKIII for me. I don't like listening to (acoustic) guitars with the latter. They sound artificially precise. Despite all the criticism, the Hype 10 plays more long-term and forgiving than the Monarch MKIII and its previous iterations. I was surprised that I was so impressed with the Dome at about 1/3 of the price. Even if it doesn't reach the technical performance of both Thieaudio, it simply carries me along when listening to music.

Conclusion

For $349 you get a hybrid IEM with tonal balance that works very well without the currently hyped EST and also without an isobaric bass design. It doesn't play completely neutrally, but it doesn't thicken up too much at any point and always remains musical. I can listen to music for hours with it, making it an excellent daily driver. If you are looking for strong analytical qualities, you will have to look for other models or dig deeper into your pockets.

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.





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:



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.



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.

This is my first review on Headfi. English is not my mother tongue and I don't usually need to speak English, so I got help from google translator. The reviewers above me have already included many facts and excellent photos. So I don't have to repeat this.
Many thanks to Penon Audio, who provided us with the Impact for a round trip in Germany.
If you don't have time, jump straight to the conclusion.

General (about me and my musical preferences)
I heard the Penon Impact via DAP (A&K SP2000T) and the desktop setup (Violectric DAC V850 + KHV V280). The feed takes place via A&K App or foobar2000. He played balanced and unbalanced convincingly at both sources.
On the V850 I chose the "Best" sampling rate for resampling and on the DAP I usually chose OP Amp or 50% Hybrid as the amp settings. The SP200T has an additional tube section, which can be added to the OP amp in 5 different stages. My favorite filter on the A&K is the Hybrid Filter. It has a slightly W-shaped signature.



Unboxing
As with almost all Penon headphones, the packaging is minimalistic and does not use any (foam) material that is harmful to our planet. A chic hard case will be missed by some. I keep my IE with small mesh bags in an IE (collective) box. I don't really miss that. The clear housing gives a glimpse into the inner workings of the handset. The color of the faceplates matches the cable very well. All in all, I like the noble, unobtrusive understatement very much. The included eartips have a set of spiral dots in addition to tips I don't know.
Feel
Since the cable is not filigree, I exchanged it for a Tripowin Petrichor. The housing is not necessarily small, but it is still compact in view of the built-in 10BA and 4 EST drivers. The straight sound exit tubes suit my ear anatomy. I miss the defined seat for the tips a little, which was still available on my Serial and Fan2. I had to experiment a bit with different eartips to find the best seal. My favorites were Dunu Spring Tips, Softears Liquid Silicone and the gray green Penon Tips. The differences in sound are subtle.

How does the impact sound?
In the BASS, the name says it all. The bass is sometimes reminiscent of a dynamic driver in its power, but has the structure and precision known from BA drivers. A superbly musical yet precise combination as the bass remains fast and clean despite its physicality. He doesn't bleed in the mids. For me it has enough rumble in the sub-bass that it doesn't drown out the mid and high frequencies.
The MIDDLES are simply fantastic, always staying clear with good separation and at the same time musical. Not a trace of annoying guitar riffs that sound thin. On the contrary, electric guitars sound rousing. You can almost follow how the musician plays the individual strings of his instrument. Voices are clear and clean. Fortunately, they are not too far in front of the instruments.
In the HEIGHTS, the Impact stays true to its line. There is no showmanship here either. They are airy and detailed with beautiful details. Despite this, Penon has managed not to make them sound sharp or overemphasized. This means that there is no fatigue during long listening sessions.
The STAGE has a large spatial extent in both directions. Due to the excellent separation, the instruments can be localized very well in the room. Which also benefits the details mentioned.

A few personal notes on the EARTIPS used:
Softears liquid silicon enhances the bass, adds some root and takes a bit of energy out of the highs, which can be beneficial for some recordings, although I'm almost a bit addicted to the Impact's lofty highs. The Softears are a bit more reserved in the highs than the Dunu Springs Tips, which expand the impact nicely upwards and in the presence. But depending on the music, it can also become too much. From the Penon range, the gray-green (stronger base tone, less treble) and gray-orange tips (mids back) are my favourites.

Conclusion
Do you know that feeling when you don't want to stop at night and you're still thinking about a song? That's what happened to me with the Impact. You can really crank up the Impact when your favorite songs are playing. Even at high levels, it doesn't get on your nerves with excessive showmanship. Penon has stayed true to its house sound. But it is also suitable as a "quiet listener" due to its balanced tuning.
So the Impact for me is an excellent IE with absolute all-rounder qualities. I have only experienced this in this quality once before, with the Thieaudio V16 Divinity. However, since I did not have this at hand to compare, I refrain from comparisons.
The drivers are fast, which makes the Impact play very dynamically. The tuning is stirring for rock and metal listeners. He also cuts a very good figure in other genres. The BA Bass is powerful, musical and clean. Still, the Impact isn't IE for bassheads. The mids also remain absolutely suitable for a long time without swallowing up details. Due to the typical Penon sink around 6kHz, there are no sibilants. The highs are detailed and present, but remain musically round. His exciting calmness makes him an excellent IE for me. He dispenses with showmanship over the entire frequency range. That's why I think it takes a "listening time" until it fully ignites.
If you can live with the spartan packaging, which I think is contemporary, you get an excellently tuned listener that manages a successful balancing act between analysis and musicality.