By Nick Smith, 24th March 2024
Earphone fit & comfort is critical for listening enjoyment – but you probably knew that already.
What you mightn’t know is how many brands of eartips are out there, how wildly they vary in shape, material and construction, and how dramatically those differences can affect what you hear!
Being in the hobby for ages means you’ll probably wind up with a large eartip collection – they’re cheap enough to be great impulse buys with minimal post-purchase guilt, yet their sonic benefits can be huge.
I’ve tried all the popular brands, but for the past year have settled on Spinfit W1s as my tips of choice. So I was keen when Penon offered to send me their new Liqueur eartips in exchange for a review but sceptical they’d replace W1s as my favourites.
However upon arrival the Liqueurs at once stood out as being different… read on to learn how.
Ergonomics
Penon Liqueur eartips come in two varieties – orange and black. Both are similarly shaped but the black ones have thicker walls. Which means the Black Liqueurs provide a stronger seal and better noise isolation, at the cost of being more rigid & slightly less comfortable.
There’s four sizes, and the largest is massive. If you’re someone who struggles to find tips large enough the Size XL Liqueurs may be the solution, given they’re way bigger than the largest tips of most brands.
The Liqueurs’ secret sauce is their slightly tacky/sticky texture which helps form a stronger seal. If you’ve tried Azla Sedna Xelastec tips you know the kind I mean, but thankfully the Liqueurs dial down the effect – adding just enough tackiness to seal strongly without impacting comfort as much as the Xelastecs do.
Eartip fit is very personal, I find the Liqueurs comfortable for extended listening with fairly soft & yielding silicone. The Orange tips are slightly squishier than the Blacks but the difference is quite minor.
Page 1 – Introduction & Ergonomics
Page 2 – Sound Impressions & Eartip Comparisons
Page 3 – Conclusion
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