Penon ASOS Review
Penon ASOS is an unashamedly chunky 8 wire, 24AWG OCC copper litz & SPC cable with a slightly higher price of USD $169.
Make no mistake, ASOS is a substantial cable that’s thoroughly deserving of behemoth status. If the cable reminds you of Effect Audio’s Cadmus 8 wire cable you’re not alone, because hardware aside the appearance & weight of both are nearly identical.
I was surprised when Penon sent me the ASOS in exchange for a review because they’ve focused on smaller 2 or 4 wire cables lately, so it’s nice seeing them release a proper 8 wire monster for a change!
Packaging
ASOS arrives in a smallish cardboard box, inside is a fabric carry case that’s decently sized but still pocketable, along with a shirt clip.
When purchasing the ASOS you can elect to have it terminated in a 4.4mm, 3.5mm or 2.5mm plug, or alternatively purchase the modular plug system where you’ll get one of each to swap them around.
I’m usually more of a fixed plug guy since all my devices feature 4.4mm sockets and it’s been a long time since I’ve used anything else, but the 3.5mm option is handy if you’d rather not use adapters.
Ergonomics
At 54 grams ASOS is the heaviest cable in this roundup, but also the most flexible & supple, in part thanks to its’ very soft PVC insulation.
If you’re someone bothered by cable weight then a 4 wire option may suit you better, but I’m far more irritated by stiffness so I find the ASOS perfectly usable. That said the weight is significant and means the cable won’t quite “disappear” in use as much as others will.
The finish of ASOS’ hardware is a step-up in quality from other cables in this roundup, helping to lend it a premium feel. I would suggest purchasing the fixed-plug version if you prioritise performance & reliability, but the modular plug on mine hasn’t given me any issues so far.
Sound Performance
If you want more bass, especially midbass, ASOS should be on your shopping list. There’s good reasons why chunky 8 wire cables like this exist – one is to boost the bottom end beyond smaller 4 wire offerings.
However ASOS isn’t a one trick pony, also emphasising the lower midrange which can enhance the vocal resolution, doing it without adding the warmth a pure copper cable to keeps things more neutral.
The soundstage is usually expanded in a manner you’d expect from a large 8 wire cable, with most IEMs I usually notice an uptick in dynamics as well, and slightly more defined imaging in some cases.
Bear in mind ASOS does a great job of beefing up the lower frequencies without deviating too far from neutral, but won’t boost treble quite as much as many pure silver cables out there.
IEM Impressions
Simgot EA1000 – 1xDD 1xPR (USD $219)
ASOS deepens bass with more midbass in particular being added, and I also notice a greater emphasis on the lower midrange as well with improved dynamics.
The soundstage is deeper & tonality shifts to one that’s more bass focused. However treble is a little darker than using a silver cable, but ASOS does create a more powerful, earthier sound.
ISN EST50 – 2xBA, 1xDD, 2xEST (USD $449)
Bass is boosted with additional midbass, and again the lower midrange is given greater prominence which helps correct the EST50s’ v-shaped tonality a little.
I also notice better dynamics and also a blacker background, but the soundstage dimensions don’t seem to change very much.
Penon Turbo – 6xBA (USD $549)
In this satisfying pairing I notice more midbass impact with an uptick in note weight. The soundstage feels deeper but no wider, yet gives the impression of being more spacious & three dimensional.
Imaging is slightly improved, tonality isn’t much different which is good if you enjoy the stock cable’s tonality, though I miss the extra treble sparkle of the CS819 as the Turbos are tuned rather dark.
Conclusion
Cable manufacturers have experimented with all sorts of tricks like shielding, fancy geometries & alloys to elevate performance over the years, but the most surefire path to greatness seems to be building thick, heavy cables with huge numbers of wires in them.
More wires means more conductivity, which usually translates to better performance.
In the case of the Penon ASOS that means more bass, a deeper soundstage & better dynamics – you may also hear a number of other improvements depending on the IEM you pair it with.
Considering EA charge USD $299 for their Cadmus 8 Wire, at just over half the price the ASOS feels like a worthy rival that delivers a slightly less treble-intense, more bottom end focused sound without being excessively warm like a lot of copper 8 wire cables are.
Introduction & Test Setup
Simgot LC7 Review
NiceHCK FirstTouch Review
NiceHCK DragonScale Review
Penon ASOS Review
Cable Roundup Summary
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