Thank you 1MORE for sending us the Penta Driver P50 to review!

As much as I enjoy wireless headphones for their utility and convenience, when it comes to sound quality, there really is nothing like the ol' standby, the wired headphone. While I'm happy to grab a wireless set for calls, meetings, or podcasts, when it's time to really dig in and listen to my favorite music or a brand-new album, I grab a set of wired earphones. While I do most critical listening with one of several pairs of over-ear headphones, that's not always the most practical (or possible!) environment, especially since my best pairs are open-back. So, when you want to listen privately but still enjoy that near-studio sound, in-ear monitors (IEMs) are an excellent choice.

The 1MORE Penta Driver P50 in-ear monitors are 1MORE's latest flagship wired earphone. (They used to offer an over-ear wired headphone, but sadly that's no longer the case.) Like virtually all in-ear monitors, there is a small tube with an ear tip attached, which is then inserted into the ear canal. Behind the tube is where the speaker drivers are, in a sealed cavity. The drivers are then connected to various wires, and in this case, probably a simple crossover circuit. On the bottom of the earbud is an MMCX connector, which the wires then connect to. The wires then connect to your favorite music-making device, commonly a phone, computer, Walkman, Game Boy, or even Zune - whatever you like.

Like many higher-end earphones, the P50 offers a removable cable. This is great for several reason. First, it's because the most common failure point for earphones, especially ones often in a bag or pocket, is that the wire gets damaged, rendering the earphone useless. This is so useful to me that I've actually modified several pairs of full-sized headphones to support a removable cable jack, rather than the built-in one that they came with. With a relatively tiny IEM, you can't easily fit large jacks into them, so unique standards had to be developed for such small devices. There are two main standards these days, 2-pin and MMCX. 1MORE chose the latter.

While the history isn't entirely certain, it seems that Shure popularized the MMCX connector in the mid 2000s for their IEMs, and I would say they certainly did the earphone world a favor. While the MMCX connector isn't perfect, it is generally quite sturdy and grips cables well. This P50 grips the cables almost too well; removing them is quite challenging, so much so that my first pair came apart when removing the cable. They graciously sent me a replacement, and this one has had no problems swapping cables several times. With that said, going forward I'm going to use a MMCX cable puller, which should make removing them much easier, and if you plan to swap cables a lot, I think you should, too.

The stock cable that comes with the P50 is in some ways really nice, and some ways less so. The connectors look and feel really well made, and aren't likely to break anytime soon. The inline mic and controls also feel good to the touch, and the buttons have a satisfying click. While the mic is nothing special, it's certainly good enough for phone calls. You could probably use it as a gaming headset in a pinch if you needed to.

The feel of the wire itself is a bit odd. It looks nice, with a dark brown color that looks sharp in contrast to the black connectors. The problem is that the wire doesn't flex easily, so it's kind of hard to untangle. Not terribly so, but most premium cables these days tend to opt for a more flexible wire design. Around the ear there is a wire that holds it to a curve, so that you can keep the earbuds from falling out and onto the ground. It works and mostly stays out of your way once inserted, though doing so is a bit tricky since the MMCX connector doesn't prevent the earbud from spinning. This means that putting them in your ears can be more of a hassle than you might otherwise expect. Thankfully, I found no functional or audio issues with the included cable. It is a bit short for some use cases, though, at about four feet. On the flipside, many people prefer shorter cables when their connected device is held in front of them or on a nearby table or in a pocket.

I also have to say that I really love that the P50 includes not only a carrying drawstring pouch, but a small dongle DAC (digital to analog converter). While I'm sure the dongle DAC is not better than larger and more expensive alternatives, it looks and feels nice, and it supports a wide range of audio bit and sample rates, with 16, 24, and 32-bit at 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 96kHz, 192kHz, and 384kHz sample rates. It also supports audio-in capture as well! This is seriously excellent, especially for what is essentially a throw-in. As for performance, it sounds fine in use, and probably a bit better than the onboard sound on my laptop. On the other hand, I wouldn't say it's better than my phone, an LG V60 with its legendary onboard Quad DAC. (LG phones were loved by audiophiles everywhere for making some of the best-sounding 3.5mm headphone jacks available on cellphones, rivaling expensive dedicated audio players.) This dongle works on Android, Windows, Linux, and probably most computers with a USB-C port. It's a really nice inclusion!

Being the crazy audiophile I am, I had to test the P50 with a balanced cable as well, and once I got the replacement P50 (the first one broke, remember?) I've used it more with a balanced cable I bought separately than without. I have used it with my Qudelix 5k, a truly fantastic mini Bluetooth DAC/AMP that I recommend for anyone who needs its extensive feature set. This is not a review of the 5k, but I thought it worth pointing out that something like this will help you get the most out of these headphones.