Sound Impressions
I’ve tested the DOMEs using a Hiby R6 Pro II set to Hi-gain in AB mode, with the DOMEs requiring a volume level of 22.
The DOMEs reveal themselves as moderately warm, well balanced all-rounders with tastefully elevated levels of bass – they don’t do a lot wrong. They’re tuned for musical enjoyment rather than ‘accuracy’ in a reference sense, but are neutral enough they get out of the way of the music quite well and avoid feeling excessively coloured, yet are warm & bassy enough they won’t come across as lean or thin.
The DOMEs avoid earning those “flat” and “boring” monikers often levelled at IEMs like U12Ts or Monarch MKIIs, but don’t quite possess their refinement either, and in the tradeoff between accuracy & musicality lean towards the latter.
There’s a great balance between sub & midbass output, and which is more prevalent is determined more by each particular track or album. What’s really impressive is how responsive DOME’s DD bass driver is – having absolutely no issues keeping up with the fastest paced music you can throw at it. The downside is bass decay isn’t as slow as bassheads may like, though bass slam & texture are still decent with quantity still well above neutral.
The midrange is tastefully warm without retreating too far from neutrality. I can imagine some listeners preferring even more warmth with a bit of extra lower midrange boost, but instead the DOME takes a measured approach to strike a balance between maintaining clarity without sounding lean.
Finally, treble is quite dark and it feels like Penon have deliberately reeled in this area to prevent the DOMEs fatiguing treble-sensitive ears. I’d prefer some extra upper-treble sparkle, and although DOME’s treble is perfectly capable this is probably the area where quality suffers most in comparisons to IEMs with multi-thousand dollar price tags.
Technical Performance
DOME’s soundstage is decently wide & spacious for an IEM of this pricepoint, avoiding any feelings of congestion. Stage depth isn’t as impressive, but isn’t as wafer-thin as we often find with entry level IEMs. That said that I find soundstage depth is one of those attributes we rarely see in abundance from earphones under $500, so this isn’t unusual.
Dynamics are excellent, with instruments distinguishing themselves from background noise levels commendably. It’s a quality that enhances my enjoyment significantly and DOME has it in spades.
Imaging is decent for the price. There isn’t the sense of razor-sharp pinpoint imaging we expect from top-tier IEMs with EST or BCD drivers, but nor is imaging vague enough to stand out as a problem.
Similarly resolution doesn’t call attention to itself as exceptional, but I don’t get the feeling important details are being obscured. The addition of ESTs (and more upper treble sparkle in general) would be nice, but then the DOMEs shells & price would grow considerably.
Page 1 – Introduction, Packaging & Ergonomics
Page 2 – Sound Impressions & Technical Performance
Page 3 – IEM Comparisons
Page 4 – Amplification Performance & Cable Comparisons
Page 5 – Conclusion
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