By Nick Smith, 17th September 2023
What does it take to get your attention?
I asked myself this recently when surprised by Penon Audio with an invitation to review another set of earphones, having previously been impressed by their Impacts and 10th Anniversary.
It was during the tail end of completing my recent IEM Cable Shootout (best described as ‘torturous’ for the reviewer, hopefully not the reader!) and the signs of PTSD were everywhere – after dreams filled with cotton vs linen bedsheet comparisons I’d wake up in cold sweats and begin A/Big pillows.
Determined to take a break after the shootout likely shaved several years off my life, Penon convinced me otherwise with that magic combination of syllables…. “we would like to give you” and “free”.
Interestingly the Globes were never on my radar before arriving in the mail, and though Penon have a cult following among IEM collectors I get the impression the Globes haven’t grabbed as much attention as some of their other options.
This may be explained by a few things – at $329 they’re neither expensive enough to demand comparisons with IEMs worth thousands of dollars, nor are they cheap enough to be purchased en masse by those new to the hobby. Similarly their 1x DD, 2x BA driver configuration isn’t flashy enough to grab headlines (no sexy EST or BCD drivers!) so there’s no inherent promise of breaking new ground or taking the hobby in a radical new direction.
What I’m more concerned with is how do they sound, what sort of value do they offer, and how guilty am I going to feel for ignoring them?
Packaging
As was the case with previous Penon IEMs the Globes arrive in a small cardboard box, inside of which is a leather carry case containing the IEMs.
Along with a smaller leather accessories case, no less than four sets of eartips in three sizes are supplied, along with a cleaning tool & shirt clip. The overall package is fairly commensurate with the Globes’ pricepoint though you may prefer a more lavish unboxing experience.
The stock cable is a very comfortable 8 wire silver-plated copper affair, in your choice of 4.4mm, 3.5mm or 2.5mm terminations.
Ergonomics
Physically the Globes are perhaps as close as a hybrid DD/BA earphone can realistically hope to match the size of a single-DD IEM. They’re very small by modern hybrid standards, owing largely to their modest complement of just one DD and two BA drivers.
They do protrude a little but are so thin as to nestle in my ears very comfortably, and I can keep there for hours without the urge to re-seat them – aiding that comfort is their extremely smooth medical-grade resin shells. Also deserving of special mention are their gorgeous faceplates which glisten in the light with flecks of glittering aquamarine, an effect difficult to replicate in still photos.
The Globes’ stock cable is extremely lightweight and flexible, but sporting fairly utilitarian hardware. Penon have added heatshrink earhooks to this particular cable unlike many in their range, and it must be said I do prefer the ergonomics of those without by a small margin.
Sound Impressions
I’ve used the Globes primarily with a Cayin N8ii DAP (in solid state mode with P+ enabled) using local files stored on a 1TB i400 Micron micro-SD card with my preferred Spinfit W1 tips. It should be noted the N8ii is tuned to emphasise treble & sub bass, so please factor that into account.
There are a few things I immediately notice when listening to the Globes. First off they’re very easy to drive, requiring a volume between 14-16 on the N8ii as opposed to the 16-20 I’d typically set for other IEMs in my collection. That’s great news for anyone who’s audio source may not have the beefiest amplification – dongle users in particular may benefit here.
Then there’s the tremendous cohesion. Perhaps that’s due to the Globes containing just three drivers, and they work in conjunction harmoniously. The other standout is their midrange. I’m not sure how Penon accomplish this, but every Penon IEM I’ve heard seems to fix my attention on the lavish midrange experience that’s essentially their hallmark. Difficult to verbalise, a good attempt I heard from one of the staff members at Addicted to Audio in Melbourne described the Globe midrange as “hyper real”.
Bass quantity is moderately above neutral, and they deliver a very solid bass performance with an even balance between midbass and sub bass emphasis. You’ll also be reassured to learn speed has not been sacrificed to produce this capable low end, with the Globe DDs being surprisingly responsive in keeping up with busy passages.
Perhaps the downside is bass can occasionally feel a touch pillowy and thus greater slam & texture would be desirable, which perhaps marks the Globes as capable all-rounders rather than basshead specialists like the ISN EST50s.
Midrange presence is a great strength of the Globes, with vocalists readily commanding your attention. There’s a slight bias towards the upper rather than lower midrange, though I’m not sure if this explains why male vocals feel more satisfyingly convincing than female.
With no hint of recession in this area, instruments like electric guitars feel viscerally raw and forward, though I prefer the Globes with a copper cable to add extra warmth for genres like Rock music where additional coloration is desirable.
Treble is more than adequate on the Globes and there isn’t an excessive amount of sparkle if you happen to be treble sensitive. However upper treble isn’t quite as abundant as you may find on more expensive earphones, and this is where the EST drivers in physically-larger hybrids often do the heavy lifting.
With just one DD & two BAs, the Globes cover the entire frequency spectrum capably but I find there’s a missing sense of overlapping abundance present in hybrids with much larger driver counts, particularly those costing thousands of dollars. The flipside is the low driver count is likely responsible for the Globes’ admirable cohesion, and area other hybrids can fall short in.
Technical Performance
To begin with the Globes’ strength, resolution is commendable given their relatively modest price and low driver count. At no point listening with them do I ever feel like essential information extracted by more expensive earphones is being excluded or obscured. The Globes’ very detailed, forward midrange really helps in this regard, though it can feel like details are being pushed towards me with a hint of grain in a manner IEMs with EST drivers can deliver more effortlessly.
On other fronts the Globes are adequate but perhaps not exceptional among IEMs under the $500 mark. Their soundstage is of middling width but depth is unfortunately quite poor. This can be improved by swapping to a more expensive cable but only to a limited extent. The stage never feels claustrophobic, but seems to exist mostly in front of me rather than wrapping around the sides of my head.
Imaging, separation and dynamics are similarly average, rarely calling attention to themselves in either a positive or negative fashion. The Globes’ technical chops aren’t pronounced enough to enhance my musical enjoyment, nor do they impede it.
Page 1 – Introduction & Sound Impressions
Page 2 – IEM Comparisons
Page 3 – Cable Comparisons
Page 4 – Conclusion
I love the Globes thought they were musical and engaging.
Musical and engaging is a terrific way to describe them Steve. There’s a lot to be said for transducers that get you tapping your feet even if they aren’t the last word in technical performance.