By Nick Smith, 25th April 2024
Do you listen to hear the music, or feel it?
Recently I reviewed Penon’s 4xDD Quattros and was starstruck from first listen, in fact they’ve become my #1 choice under $500.
The Quattro magic lies in their tonality – effortlessly rendering instruments & voices in a way that feels right, but without sounding “correct” in audio parlance.
Fascinating how when we absorb music what we hear, as opposed to what we feel, can be so different. Perhaps that’s why less & less I enjoy earphones that portray melodies coldly & clinically.
So when Penon sent me a pair of their new Fan2 IEMs in exchange for a my thoughts I had no idea they’re much akin to the Quattros – born to magnify musical enjoyment through feel, rather than thought.
…and discovering this delighted me.
Yes, I’m ready to abandon the world of analysing every note to the nth degree, fixating on the minutia whilst losing sense of the whole. Are you prepared to embrace this path with me? Then read on.
Packaging
The USD $279 Penon Fan2s arrive in a small cardboard box, inside is a synthetic blue carry case large enough to comfortably house the earphones whilst remaining flat enough to fit in a jacket pocket.
The IEMs and cable, two sets of silicone & one set of foam eartips are included along with a shirt clip.
Speaking of the stock cable, Penon have included their 2pin black nylon-sheathed OS133 which uses OFC silver-plated conductors & sells separately for $99, with your choice of 4.4, 3.5 or 2.5mm plug.
Ergonomics
The Fan2s are 3D printed from medical grade resin and feel extremely smooth against the skin, fully vented for pressure relief.
They’re on the larger side by the standards of IEMs with lower driver counts, without being enormous. Fit is a personal thing, and though I find them nicely sculpted to my ear geometry they do stick out quite far.
Comfort is reasonable and can keep them in my ears for hours without issue, but wouldn’t say they’re the most comfortable IEMs Penon have sent me with the DOMES being more shapely & Turbos smaller.
The stock OS133 cable is incredibly thin & light which aids comfort, in fact I almost wish it contained four rather than two wires but I do have a preference towards chunkier cables these days.
Page 1 – Introduction, Packaging & Ergonomics
Page 2 – Sound Impressions & Technical Performance
Page 3 – IEM Comparisons
Page 4 – Cable Comparisons
Page 5 – Conclusion
Nice well presented review. Although I don’t have your comparative IEMs to compare the Fan 2 with, I do like the Penon Fan 2 a lot. Whilst the treble is not the most extended….it does give way, and pride of place, to the mids and vocals of the Fan 2…..which are quite beguiling. They stay in my rotation up against much more expensive IEMs. The beauty is a non fatiguing sound with enough bass from those tiny 6mm DDs to present the rhythmic bass accurately and the whole presentation has good clarity, timbre and tone.
Thank you, glad you liked the review Dharmasteve!
Yes the Fan2 midrange is vey alluring, very much a Penon trait which is common to their IEMs but there’s something a bit special about the way Fan2 does it. I would love to see a Fan3 with a couple of EST drivers added, but that would push up the price significantly and make them harder to drive as well.
I also agree non-fatiguing sound is an attribute worth highlighting, which always seems to help IEMs last longer in my rotation of those used regularly. It’s nice having loads of overwhelming detail pushed at you occasionally but for longer listening sessions something more laidback often wins out for me.