Today, Meldrick reviews the 1MORE Penta Driver P50, which is a 5-driver dynamic and planar hybrid IEM tuned by Grammy Award Winner, Luca Bignardi. It is priced at $169.99 SRP but currently on offer at $119.49.
Disclaimer: This is a sample sent to me in exchange for my honest opinion. Headfonics is an independent website with no affiliate links or status. I thank 1MORE for this opportunity.
To read more about 1MORE products that we have previously covered on Headfonics click here.
Note, that this article follows our current scoring guidelines which you can read here.
The 1MORE Penta Driver P50 is a decent set of multi-driver universal IEMs tuned for those looking for an inoffensive, relaxing sound signature ideal for daily use at an affordable price.
Today, I have the 1MORE Penta Driver P50 here for review. These are a pair of wired 5-driver in-ear earphones that come with an in-line microphone and a detachable cable.
Despite being more well-known for their recent wireless offerings such as the EVO, 1MORE has released several wired IEMs such as the Triple Driver and Quad Driver monitors backing 2017. So, you can consider the P50 a natural progression from those earlier offerings.
Announced in the latter half of last year with an SRP of $169.99, the P50 sits at the top of 1MORE’s current wired IEM lineup as the brand’s flagship wired IEM.
To learn more about the performance, usability, and competitiveness of the P50, keep reading the full review below.
Tech Highlights
As its name suggests, the P50 makes use of a unique driver configuration, making use of 4 planar magnetic drivers in conjunction with a single DLC dynamic driver.
Whether or not these 5 drivers can work together to form a cohesive sound signature will be discussed later, however, it is important to emphasize the engineering novelty of this configuration.
The tuning philosophy and sound signature of the P50 is architected by Luca Bignardi, a Grammy Award-Winning Audio Engineer. Just like the P50’s driver configuration, this tuning collaboration is unique as well.
Lately, the Chi-Fi market has been filled with IEM collaborations with audio reviewers in the community, making this collaboration with an industry professional quite refreshing.
Lastly, the P50’s detachable cable also comes with in-line controls and a microphone. These features may seem standard for those only familiar with the included earbuds that come with their smartphones, but such inclusions are rarely seen in the Chi-Fi market.
The P50 also comes with a USB-C dongle that passes through the in-line controls.
Design
The P50 comes with a primarily plastic shell with a compact ergonomic design. The body of the IEM is constructed entirely out of black plastic with a matte finish, making it resistant to fingerprints and oil marks, while being quite resistant to scratches or wear marks from everyday usage.
The back of each shell contains a vent next to the nozzle with a gold-colored vend. Next to the vent is the L or R indicator, sporting a subdued blue circle for the left earpiece and red for the right respectively. The relatively muted color of the indicators adds to the stealthy appearance of the IEMs.
The faceplate seems to be constructed from a see-through resin or acrylic material with a glossy finish that reflects a lot of light.
Behind the see-through window is a black panel with the 1MORE logo on each earpiece. The black background of the panel has a faint shimmery pattern like stars in the night sky.
The P50 Penta has a subdued design aesthetic, making it look more at home in a minimalistic-matte-black EDC setup or a professional studio setup.
Despite this, it still manages to incorporate some clever and low-key accents that break away from the otherwise monotonous design.
Comfort
The comfort of the P50 Penta is decent; however, it has pros and cons that prevent it from being a comfort stand out at the price point.
Starting with the positives, the ergonomic “studio-like” shell fits well in the ear, with no portion of the shell directly touching the lobe of my ears.
Additionally, its use of plastic makes it lightweight and easy to use even in on-the-go listening. Compared to most IEMs I’ve tried, the weight and shape of the P50 shell make it seemingly disappear after a few minutes of listening.
Unfortunately, the P50 also comes with a drawback that prevented me from crowning it as my new comfort king: its MMCX connector. By no means am I a hater of the MMCX port, in fact, the MMCX-equipped Janus3, is one of the most comfortable IEMs I’ve tried.
The main problem with the P50 is, unlike the Janus3, its cable is meant to hook around the ear like most 2-pin Chi-Fi IEMs. Because of this and the loose rotational tension of the MMCX jack, I found that each earpiece easily rotated even while they were in my ear.
When using the P50 on my desk, this was no problem. But in my on-the-go usage, I constantly found them rotating slightly out of my optimal position, making it extremely difficult to find a good seal.
When in the optimal position, the P50s have good isolation performance, especially for a vented IEM. However, the isolation performance falls off a cliff when the earpieces rotate.
Stock Cable
I found the P50’s stock cable to be one of its low lights. Despite being constructed out of high-quality OFC wires; its outer wrapping material is what lets it down.
I have no sonic complaints about the cable, I observed no cut-outs, nor did I experience microphonics through my mixed desk and on-the-go usage.
My main gripe lies with the cheap and flimsy feeling material used to wrap the cable. The material used makes the cable very springy, making it difficult to maintain the position I set it in. This cable also contributes to the earpieces moving slightly out of ideal position during on-the-go listening.
Additionally, the cable tangles easily, even when wrapping it nicely and keeping it in the included case. Every time I took the IEMs out of the case, they were tangled in one way or another.
This may seem like a nitpick, but most Chi-Fi IEMs we’ve tested at different price points come with cables that exceed the everyday usability of this.
The cable isn’t without its advantages, the in-line MEMs microphone and controls were useful in day-to-day usage.
I also appreciate that when connected to my iPad, the USB-C dongle included with the P50 can pass through microphone input and the volume controls.
Packaging & Accessories
The P50 comes in an elegant black box, with a picture of the IEMs embossed at the front. The box has a magnetic flap, which opens to reveal the IEMs and the accessories, as well as diagrams and artwork showing off the design and technical specifications of the P50.
From the color choices to the artwork, the P50 has one of the best unboxing experiences I’ve had with Chi-Fi IEMs.
The P50 comes with a black carrying pouch, 5 pairs of Silicone Ear Tips (XS, X, M, L, XL),3 pairs of foam tips (S, M, L), as well as the welcome inclusion of a USB-C dongle.
Sound Impressions
The following sound impressions were completed using a mix of the ddHiFi TC35Pro Eye2 dongle DAC and the Topping L30 II desktop headphone amplifier.
Bass
The P50’s bass resonates with depth and heft. Bass drum strikes aren’t over-emphasized but have good authority and energy in line with other V-shaped IEMs. Instead, they offer a deeply satisfying, robust, and warm tonality.
The bass quantity never seems insufficient. The level of rumble and impact is enough for those who wouldn’t consider themselves bass heads. The bass notes are textured and articulate. Each bass hit is distinct and controlled, avoiding any sense of muddiness.
In long drowning synths or electronic organ tones in the lower register, the warm leaning V-shaped tonality of the P50 shows.
The warmth that permeates the bass to lower mids gives bass guitars and deep brass instruments an authoritative, atmospheric presence. This warmth occasionally seeps into the lower mids but remains well-contained overall.
Mids
The P50’s mids are played back with respectable clarity and emotion. The lower mids are robust, thanks in part to the warmer low-end tonality, which lends male vocals a resonant authority and allows vocal nuances to be played back with rich texture and resolution.
Acoustic Piano notes and acoustic guitar strums are slightly recessed compared to the rest of the midrange, yet they retain a commendable resolution. They’re not overshadowed; they simply sit a touch quieter in the mix relative to other elements in the frequency spectrum.
Despite this, female vocals are played back with rich emotion and highlight vocal layering and nuance with ease. Unlike most IEMs with aggressive V-shaped tonalities that muffle out the vocals, the P50 manages to create an engaging sound signature that still maintains good vocal emotion
The upper mids are delivered with openness and resolution. Percussive wind instruments are articulated with finesse.
Treble
The treble of the P50 is sparkly and exciting. Cymbals and percussive wind instruments are played back with energy, though there’s a hint of sibilance on occasion—it’s noticeable but not to the point of distraction.
In simpler grunge or acoustic tracks with just 1 or 2 types of cymbals at a time, the P50 managed to articulate them well and play them back in a way that did not overshow the other/
However, in more complex arrangements of treble instruments, I observed that the sounds of cymbals tended to mesh in a sibilant manner, making it hard for me to distinguish individual components of the treble region.
Imaging
The P50’s imaging is competent, achieving an acceptable degree of instrument separation and spatial positioning. While it doesn’t particularly excel in this area, it maintains a satisfactory performance.
Similarly, the staging of the P50 is modest. It doesn’t create an all-encompassing sphere of sound, but it also avoids being overly intimate, it sets you in the middle of the arrangement, but it rarely feels like the sound is coming from 360 degrees around you.
Click on page 2 below for my recommended pairings and selected comparisons.
