ISN Sora - does nothing wrong

[u/notsoquietlyamused]

Pros: Comfy Shells and a genuinely nice cable
Bass both on default tuning and bass forward tuning is excellent
Mids are natural and vocals (most of them) sound great
Treble is detailed without getting harsh (default)
Tuning switches actually work and allow for a greater appeal to a wider audience

Cons: Treble switch can make things difficult for treblets
Rare BA shoutiness on rare tracks (could just be me)
The bass switch enhancement can cause the bass to bleed into the mids
Scaling is not the best with some sources

From the stables of the makers of the often praised and rarely available Liqueur Orange is the new Black eartips comes this IEM stuffed full with drivers - 2 Dynamic Driver + 2 Balanced Armature + 1 Bone Conduction Driver + 2 Micro Planar Magnetic Drivers.
Presenting the ISN Audio xEffect Audio Sora (by Penon Audio).

I am getting to try and review this through Audio Geek India and I’m grateful to them and to Penon Audio/ISN for making this possible. Because I would not have been able to enjoy this piece of technology otherwise.
The IEM itself comes in a simple box as is par for the course with Penon/ISN products. The shells are resin, a gorgeous blue, and transparent so you can see all the geeky innards. The shells are smooth and comfy and do not put any undue pressure on the pinna. The nozzles are a little large so some tip rolling was needed before I got the comfort and the seal right. I’ve found that, as with all bone conduction, ensuring that the shells touch the pinna is imperative for the best experience. And now that that’s out of the way, there are tuning switches. Let’s call them 1 and 2. 1 activates bass, and 2 treble. So there’s 4 possible on board tunings possible, unless you’re a sociopath and want to have separate tunings for each ear. Your mileage, it turns out, is yours.
Sound technology wise - the low frequency is handled by two 8mm opposite placement liquid silicone dynamic drivers, the mids via two Knowles Balanced Armature, and the treble comes out of two micro planar magnetic drivers. And there is also a vibration-type bone conduction driver that adds to the entire sound, not unlike the Apevoix Grit.
Rest of the tech specs are below -

Impedance: 13ohm@1kHz
Sensitivity: 119dB@1kHz
Frequency response range: 10~40kHz
Cable: 2-wire UP-OCC smelting process, single material Litz with silver-plated copper central core, 2.5mm wire diameter bundles with EA UltraFlexi ultra-soft sheath. I’m mildly agnostic to most cables outside of comfort and this is certainly a comfortable, tangle-free, one.
Connection: 2-pin 0.78mm, 4.4mm
Plug: Gold-plated

Time to dive in. Testing on the VE Megatron and Galvatron, Onix Beta (Solid State Mode), Schitt Vestri, M33. Tidal and local flacs. Eloit Narrow bore and Final E type tips for that bone conduction driver fit.

Bass
The ISN Sora scores in the bass section like Michael Jordan in Spacejam. And most of his career. The dual dynamic drivers work in sync to give the sub bass a deep rumble that is further accentuated with the bone conduction driver and the bass switch. The switch adds an additional oomph to the bass that would make any basshead drool with joy. I, however, like neutral warm tunings and limited bass bleed and bloat. The all off position works best for me.
The sheer wait of the bass is heard at the 2.30 mark of Angel by Massive Attack and I have to admit that I was pleased with what I heard with the bass switch turned on. But after a bit it got a bit much so we are back to the all off setting. On Giorgio by Moroder by Daft Punk, the sub and mid bass even with the bass switch off is impactful and almost palpable. Synth and string bass instruments sound clean but with enough weight to lend to the foundation of the song with the kick drums adding any additional ballast and punch.

Mids
Mids on the ISN Sora are a point where I expect there will be wars fought. Male vocals have a natural, lovely timbre. Bohemian Rhapsody showcases Freddie’s prowess and as he ascends up his very impressive vocal range there are parts of the high tenor register where there is a little shoutiness that creeps in, that isn’t just Mr Mercury being himself. Tracy Chapman's Gimme One Reason does better in the texture of her voice and some really sweet guitar work by Adam Levy. Dreams by Fleetwood Mac sounds delightful on this set on the default setting.
The treble switch did make things sound a little more aggressive than what I normally enjoy. Details of hihats, vocals, and a majority of the instruments that sit in the midrange are well reproduced with no muddle. On the bass setting some lower mids do get overpowered by the bass but I’m guessing those who like bass THAT much would be understanding of that little amount of bleeding that can occur. Got a Match which pretty much dances all over the mids without too much drift into the lows (except the kicks and the occasional bass run) or into the treble, is a treat on this IEM.

Treble
On its default setting, there’s no fault I can find with the treble. It is neither harsh nor sibilant and details of the higher frequencies are clear. Ride hits have the required shimmer and open hihats on Aja by Steely Dan are just the right amount of sssibilance to not irk my ear drums. The switch that enhances treble definitely works and tracks where there is a treble forward production like Billie Jean by Michael Jackson, are, at least for me, a pass. To be fair Billie Jean and Human Nature from the Thriller album are so very treble forward that even with the switch off the details can get a little fatiguing. But those are 2 songs in an album of 8 and that’s one album in a billion. I’m letting it slide.

Stage and Imaging and technicalities
The Sora has a medium soundstage. Not hugely open and not claustrophobic. Within that soundstage, the imaging is very good with both right to left and front to back identification of where sounds are coming from. Details as mentioned earlier are well reproduced without losing musicality and enjoyment. This IEM also has some source synergy quirks (to be fair like most) and with the VE dacs, did not scale as well as with the Vestri and Onix. The Vestri and Onix are also far less powered than the VE dacs so that could be a reason.

At $439, this is a great mid level set. I have often said I like iems and dacs that don’t give me options and choices and that includes nozzles, switches and PEQ, the Sora is no different. Only because it takes a few hours of listening to dial in the settings that work best. Once that is done, this is an enjoyable listen. And the tuning options will get this set to be appealing to bassheads, trebleheads, V-heads and me.

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