1More Penta Driver P50 Review – One Giant Leap

Comparisons –

1More Quad Driver ($91): The Quad Driver was initially a similar price to the P50 but has since been discounted. Tuning-wise, it is a far more archaic design and the P50 represents a substantial improvement in balance. The Duad Driver is more mid-bass biased giving it a fuller, warmer but also more bloated low-end. The P50 has more depth and kick. It is tighter and faster. The Quad Driver has more fullness and sounds boomier. The midrange is actually more present on the Quad Driver which has a more V-shaped sound. The Quad Driver has a bit more upper-midrange presence sounding more open and clearer. However, it is also warmer and more veiled at the bottom due to its bass tuning.

The P50 is more laid-back and cleaner tonally. It doesn’t have as much vocal presence but has a more natural timbre and much better resolving power. The Quad Driver has more treble presence but inferior extension. It has an even thinner lower treble with good bite but not much body or texture. The P50 makes nice improvements here with superior detail retrieval. The P50 extends better too, delivering greater soundstage performance. The P50 has much better imaging while the Quad Driver sounds a bit diffuse, the P50 has better positioning in particular.

Moondrop KATO (189): The KATO offers a more substantial build but also a larger and less ergonomic shell. The tuning is similar on both with the KATO having a larger and later midrange hump at 3kHz and also a smoother lower-treble. Bass tuning is similar on both with the P50 having simply more quantity and a bit more of a mid-bass bump. The KATO hits a bit harder in the sub-bass and is slightly tighter. The P50 has more texture and warmth with more punch. The midrange voicing is similar on both but noticeably more laid-back on the P50.

The P50 is more relaxed, warmer and smoother. The KATO sounds more revealing and a bit more resolving, it is noticeably more vocal forward. The treble is crisper on the P50 and has a thinner note body. The KATO has more texture and a more natural shimmer and decay. The P50 has a sharper leading edge giving it a slight advantage on foreground detail retrieval. The KATO has a bit more air but both have similar extension. Both have similar soundstage width with the KATO having better depth and sharper imaging.

Dunu Falcon Pro ($219): The Falcon Pro has a warmer bass but also a more present midrange and top end giving it a more contrasted over coherent sound profile. The Falcon Pro has a slightly more assertive note attack and more pressure in the sub-bass despite having more roll-off. Its driver appears a little faster. The P50 meanwhile sounds more robust and delivers greater note impact and punch above. It’s slightly bassier, a bit cleaner tonally and has greater texture. The midrange is clearer and more present on the Falcone Pro. It delivers larger and more forward vocals in better balance with its low-end.

The P50 sounds more laid-back, and its vocals are a touch smaller. Despite this, it sounds more articulate which helps to redeem a slightly more natural vocal timbre despite being so much denser. The Falcon Pro has a brighter treble overall and also a more linear one. The P50 has greater crispness and lower-treble bite but sounds darker above. The Falcon Pro has more shimmer and energy with a bit more background detail retrieval and it has a more authentic note body too. The P50 has slightly more fine detail in the foreground but lacks the same atmosphere, note body and texture. The Falcon Pro also rewards with a larger soundstage and sharper imaging.

Verdict –

The P50 is an interesting earphone with an innovative and capable driver setup realised through intentional tuning choices. It has an appealing design and an excellent compact, comfortable form factor. What mires from an otherwise refreshing and well-executed package are the awful silicone tips and terrible cable though thankfully, both are easily replaced. The tuning also showcases good taste with natural peaks and tasteful emphases. This is a relaxed, coherent, and smooth tuning that still maintains pleasing bite, articulation and texture throughout. The relative lack of separation and mid-treble presence do hold them back from a technical standpoint. However, if your preference is for something that has decent balance alongside a natural vocal timbre and lacks fatiguing properties entirely, the P50 is a uniquely strong choice. The P50 receives limited recommendation for those preferring a smooth and relaxed sound with standout bass texturing and treble crispness.

The P50 Penta Driver is available from 1More (International) for $169.90 USD at the time of writing. I am not affiliated with 1More and receive no earnings from purchases made through these links.

Track List – 

Billie Eilish – dont smile at me

Bob Seger – Night Moves

Courtney Barnett – Rae Street

Cream – Wheels of Fire

Dire Straits – Communique

Dirty Loops – Next To You

Eagles – Hotel California

Elton John – Honky Chateau

Fleetwood Mac – Rumours

H.E.R – I Used To Know Her

Jasen – BYE

John Mayer – Continuum

Kanye West – Ye

Missy Higgins – The Sound of White

Radiohead – OK Computer

TALA – ain’t leavin` without you

The Beatles – Abbey Road

The weeknd – After Hours

Vampire Weekend – Father of the Bride