The Penon Vortex ranks #752 out of 1253 total In-Ear Headphones for sound quality. See all Headphones rankings for every top pick.
Brand: Penon
Prices on this page were last checked October 16, 2026 at 5:46 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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#752 Penon Vortex: $199 Penon Audio $199 eBay
Pros: A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 69 against the Harman target.
Cons: Treble about 2 dB below target from 3 to 10 kHz, which can sound dull or veiled next to brighter headphones. An uneven response, 2.5 dB standard deviation from target.
Is the Penon Vortex right for you?
Buy it if
- you are sensitive to bright or sharp treble (treble sits 2.3 dB below target).
- you are happy to use EQ: our preset lifts its Harman match by about 20 points.
Skip it if
- you want the best value: the higher-rated EPZ G10 costs about $175 less.
| Back | Closed |
|---|---|
| Connection | Wired (3.5mm / 4.4mm) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.54 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 Dynamic (10mm DLC & beryllium-plated) |
| Form Factor | In-ear |
| Harman Preference Score | 69 (median of 3 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-5.3 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.04 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
EQ Presets
Harman target
Set a preamp of -5.0 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the median of 3 squig.link measurements, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Harman match with this EQ: 89 out of 100, up from 69.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +3.2 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -3.7 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 24 Hz | +1.9 dB | 1.52 |
| Peak | 198 Hz | -3.8 dB | 0.59 |
| Peak | 3,028 Hz | +1.8 dB | 3.42 |
| Peak | 5,345 Hz | +3.0 dB | 0.49 |
Neutral target
Set a preamp of -3.9 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the median of 3 squig.link measurements, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Neutral match with this EQ: 89 out of 100, up from 49.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -5.4 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -3.7 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 186 Hz | -3.8 dB | 0.54 |
| Peak | 3,027 Hz | +1.8 dB | 3.40 |
| Peak | 5,345 Hz | +3.0 dB | 0.49 |
Studio flat target
Set a preamp of -6.0 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the median of 3 squig.link measurements, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Studio flat match with this EQ: 88 out of 100, up from 29.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -7.9 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +1.2 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 24 Hz | +1.0 dB | 1.53 |
| Peak | 186 Hz | -5.7 dB | 0.61 |
| Peak | 2,910 Hz | +6.0 dB | 1.69 |
| Peak | 4,878 Hz | -1.4 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 6,611 Hz | +1.6 dB | 4.61 |
Warm target
Set a preamp of -3.4 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the median of 3 squig.link measurements, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Warm match with this EQ: 89 out of 100, up from 71.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +3.4 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -6.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 198 Hz | -3.6 dB | 0.66 |
| Peak | 3,084 Hz | +2.5 dB | 1.79 |
Bass target
Set a preamp of -5.6 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the median of 3 squig.link measurements, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Bass match with this EQ: 84 out of 100, up from 56.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +5.6 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -3.7 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 217 Hz | -3.8 dB | 0.74 |
| Peak | 3,038 Hz | +1.8 dB | 3.53 |
| Peak | 5,345 Hz | +3.0 dB | 0.49 |
Bright target
Set a preamp of -5.3 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the median of 3 squig.link measurements, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Bright match with this EQ: 86 out of 100, up from 37.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -5.4 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -0.5 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 24 Hz | +1.4 dB | 1.65 |
| Peak | 73 Hz | -0.9 dB | 2.18 |
| Peak | 186 Hz | -3.9 dB | 0.53 |
| Peak | 3,189 Hz | +1.9 dB | 2.69 |
| Peak | 5,345 Hz | +4.8 dB | 0.59 |
| Peak | 7,009 Hz | -2.7 dB | 6.00 |
V-shaped target
Set a preamp of -6.3 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the median of 3 squig.link measurements, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted V-shaped match with this EQ: 83 out of 100, up from 54.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +5.8 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +0.7 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 52 Hz | +0.9 dB | 2.05 |
| Peak | 234 Hz | -2.3 dB | 0.77 |
| Peak | 1,290 Hz | -1.2 dB | 2.89 |
| Peak | 3,074 Hz | +2.0 dB | 2.75 |
| Peak | 5,016 Hz | +5.3 dB | 0.66 |
| Peak | 6,980 Hz | -2.9 dB | 5.53 |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
Frequency Response
How the Penon Vortex measures across the audible range, against the Harman in-ear target that most listeners prefer in blind tests. Where the line sits above the target that range sounds louder (more bass, brighter treble), below it quieter. The curve is the median of 3 independent measurements, so one odd sample or rig cannot skew it, and both lines are shifted so their 500 Hz to 2 kHz average sits at 0 dB.
Measurement data: median of 3 measurements from the squig.link databases of harpo, jaytiss and tgx78. Thanks to each of them for publishing their work.