1More Penta Driver P50 Review – One Giant Leap

Sound –

Testing Methodology: Measured using Arta via IEC 711 coupler to Startech external sound card. 7-9KHz peaks may be artefacts/emphasised due to my measurement setup which I found to be the case here. Measurements besides channel balance are volume-matched at 1KHz. Fit depth normalised to my best abilities to reduce coupler resonance. Still, due to these factors, my measurements may not accurately reflect the earphone or measurements taken by others. I have the P50 100 hours of burn-in prior to evaluation.

Tonality –

The P50 delivers a warm, relaxed sound with sound tri-frequency balance that feels typical of the brand and quite “western” in its approach. As opposed to the copious Harman-based competitors, the P50 strikes as darker and noticeably warmer-hued. However, the tuning has been adapted to modern tastes considerably relative to the Triple and Quad drivers. However, the P50 also has quite a laid-back upper midrange responsible for its smooth, coherent, and laid-back character. Treble sits in good balance and the slightly lower 2kHz midrange hump gives the P50 a relatively well-metered midrange balance if altogether quite a relaxed presentation in this regard. 

As always, do not take any tuning as right or wrong but as a matter of preference. If you are looking for perfect balance or a Haman-neutral tuning, then this is surely not the earphone for you. The P50 instead offers a sultry tone with warm, robust bass notes, a smooth and relaxed midrange and a crisp lower treble that helps to retain clarity and articulation. The background is dark and clean above. Despite the liberal implementation of planar drivers, the P50 appears to focus more on highlighting foreground details rather than maximizing treble extension, sparkle, and micro detail in the top octave.

Tip Rolling

As mentioned in the unboxing section, the factory ear tips are horrendous. Maybe some with blessed ear anatomy will enjoy the comfort afforded by their design but I found them flimsy and essentially useless. The sound also can do with some subtle tweaks out of the box. The most polarizing colouration to my ears will be the upper-mid nadir. This gives them a relatively closed-in voicing that can lack clarity and extension. Larger bore tips generally help in this regard. I did find Final’s E-tips to aid bass control yet whilst further truncating vocals.

JVC Spiral Dots offered a more controlled bass to a lesser degree and a bit more treble presence. They added some midrange clarity but not to a large degree. My preference was the Azla Sendafit Short tips that enhanced midrange extension and provided an altogether cleaner sound profile. While the changes aren’t night and day, they offered a substantially better seal than stock alongside a more desirable sound. I would advise picking up a set of these ear tips. Otherwise, the JVC Spiral Dots get halfway there and are more readily available.

Bass –

The P50 isn’t bass-shy, delivering a moderate bass emphasis, especially when taking the laid-back midrange into account. Bass sits at the front of the presentation but never overwhelms and the nature of the emphasis is also easy on the ears. There isn’t excessive sub-bass pressurization but a moderate deep bass emphasis that extends into the mid-bass. This gives the earphones a good amount of fullness, warmth and power without too much bloom around the upper-bass region. Bass notes are full and bold. There is a good amount of impact to them and general thickening of the texture. On complex tracks, some muddiness is apparent but there isn’t much bloat and separation is more than ample most of the time.

The note presentation is nicely controlled too which helps to uphold detail. The P50 provides just average bass speed, lacking an especially assertive attack and pacey decay. This means notes aren’t the tightest but there is an outstanding amount of mid-bass texture in return. Note definition is also above average and decay remains fast enough to prevent congestion. Overall, the highlight here is the tonality in the form of a sub/deep-bass emphasis with some additional mid-bass fullness and punch relative to Harman earphones. This makes them a bit more forgiving and is complemented by outstanding levels of bass texture and nice emboldened notes that draw attention to this. The P50 is a good choice for those who find the Harman sound too lean or clinical.

Mids –

While some warmth does spill over from the bass, it is relatively insubstantial due to the dip in the upper bass and lower-midrange that aids cleanliness. There is just a light warm tone which is inviting and makes for an easy listen. The 2kHz hump provides a more even balance between male and female vocals. They are adequately sized but do take a few steps back due to a dip in the upper midrange. As emphasis picks back up in the lower treble, sitting almost on par with the bass, the P50 remains a relatively articulate earphone. They avoid becoming too breathy or thin due to the added density and warmth on display and similarly, this emphasis helps to maintain ample definition and clarity. The voicing is also natural and overall, this is a smooth, relaxed but very pleasant-sounding earphone.

The transition coming from Harman earphones that tend to be quite forward within the upper midrange is jarring. However, after some adjustment, it’s more a matter of positioning and tone than timbre or voicing. The P50 may lack vocal extension for some as a result and while the laid-back character isn’t overdone, vocals can lack clarity on already smoother tracks. Tip rolling does alleviate this to some degree though the midrange overall doesn’t showcase the best resolving power or layering due to reduced bass/midrange separation. I do enjoy the mixture of warmth and articulation on display as though undoubtedly coloured, vocals still have a natural voicing and size. If you prefer a smooth and coherent voicing, the P50 is one of the better examples I’ve heard in terms of tuning execution.

Highs –

Indeed, the P50 delivers a pleasantly detailed sound albeit a thinner note body that draws focus to percussion and the leading edge of notes like other 1More earphones. Though not as linear as many competitors, it is in character with the remainder of the tuning. There’s a modest 5-6kHz peak (depending on fit depth) that sits just behind the bass before dropping off into a dark mid-treble that extends linearly above. This gives them a very clean background and the earphone showcases above-average extension with some background detail retrieval. It isn’t overtly presented due to the darker mid-treble region and there isn’t much sparkle or energy on display. The net result is a crisp foreground with excellent focus and contrast alongside a pleasing sense of atmosphere but minimal air.

Treble instruments are presented with excellent clarity and a highly defined leading edge. Notes have ample body and texture but do lack the natural decay and shimmer found on more linear earphones due to the sudden peak and drop. This is notable with regards to cymbals which appear overly damped and nigh truncated on the P50. Earphones like the Blessing 3 provide a very sizable step up in resolving power here despite the use of traditional driver types. The P50 does deliver a pleasing performance that isn’t as detailed nor as extended but showcases excellent listenability with firmly good detail retrieval and greater nuance than the purely dynamic driver-based models around its asking price. I do feel the mid-treble may be too dark for some listeners that said.

Soundstage –

I was expecting something more with regard to the soundstage, but the result is quite standard for an IEM of this price range. There’s a good amount of width and limited depth despite the laid-back vocals. Imaging is average with sharp directional cues and good stereo separation, but layers could be better defined. Separation is also just average due to the warm and smooth tuning. This is especially noticeable on bass-heavy tracks where complex passages tend to become slightly confused.

Drivability –

Output Impedance Sensitivity

The P50 showcases a mostly linear impedance curve from a 20-ohm source. In fact, the sound changes are almost desirable with a bit more sub-bass and brighter treble with more sparkle. Subjectively, it does make the midrange sound a bit fuller and more recessed but should you want more excitement, the Penta Driver may realistically sound better from a high-impedance source or using an in-line impedance adaptor of 10-20 Ohms. These are relatively large values for modern sources meaning it will provide a consistent sound profile on most devices.

Driving Power

The P50 has a standard 32-ohm impedance and a higher 105 dB sensitivity that gives it average efficiency for an IEM. Portable devices including the 1More dongle in the box will provide plenty of volume and dynamics whilst still retaining good resistance to hiss. I enjoy that they aren’t overly sensitive meaning you get a bit more volume control granularity at low volumes too. Comparing the Shanling M2X to my desktop stack revealed a slight jump in bass definition on the THX desktop amp but otherwise, minimal change to the sound profile. This is one benefit of planar drivers that tend to have a very easy-to-drive nature that is showcased here.

Suggested Pair Ups

The P50 benefits from a neutral leaning source like THX and ESS-based devices. Added leanness or brightness is welcome and I personally wouldn’t want for more warmth even if some invariably will. Driving power isn’t a huge issue as the earphones are efficient and relatively hiss resistant too. Output impedance also doesn’t overly affect the sound profile, only making them sound a touch brighter which may even be to preference.

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