[FullCircle]

  I enjoyed the reviews too but, Average Joe should do a review. Noble should provide a free set of CIEMs to Average Joe without forcing us to raise the funds to do it.

 
 
 
So Average Joe is the "gate keeper" for audio nirvana? Seems to me, that would be a very dangerous situation when one grants a single individual the keys to the portable audio industry.

 

[zachchen1996]

   
 
 
So Average Joe is the "gate keeper" for audio nirvana? Seems to me, that would be a very dangerous situation when one grants a single individual the keys to the portable audio industry.

 
I wouldn't say he is the gate keeper for audio nirvana. In my opinion, AJ is simply a very helpful and experienced individual who compares various ciems in order to aid others in making a wiser and more informed purchase decision. It would be extremely kind of you to send him (and the fact that a few people have already received free review units was already a very generous notion on your part

)a free review sample, but by no means does it mean you should have to or anything like that, it is your product and it should be up to you who gets review samples.

 

[Zalithian]

I think average_Joe is great, but saying Noble should provide him a free sample so you guys can have him review it is a bit silly imo.

 

[serious7]

   
 
 
So Average Joe is the "gate keeper" for audio nirvana? Seems to me, that would be a very dangerous situation when one grants a single individual the keys to the portable audio industry.

 
At that price point, it would be nice to have a review that compares against various other models. The existing reviews are mostly comparing the kaiser to existing Heir Audio models. Average Joe provides better insights in his reviews that we are looking for. 

 

[Deviltooth]

   
 
 
So Average Joe is the "gate keeper" for audio nirvana? Seems to me, that would be a very dangerous situation when one grants a single individual the keys to the portable audio industry.

On Head Fi Average Joe has reviewed more CIEMs than anybody else.  His reviews are extraordinarily comprehensive and packed with useful information and comparisons with competing products.  The review threads he's originated are chock full of answers to questions about the CIEMs under scrutiny.
 
That doesn't make him the "gate keeper for audio Nirvana."  What it does do is demonstrate a powerful expertise and focus on this sub-genre of the audio spectrum.
 
Note: I currently own 4 CIEMs, none of which were reviewed by Average Joe, so obviously he isn't our audio god (or I'm just a very contrary person) but I definitely respect his reviews, both the style and content.  His CIEM opinions have value.

 

[FullCircle]

   
I wouldn't say he is the gate keeper for audio nirvana.

 
and that is the point.....  the "gate keeper" is a moving targert.....   I hate to disapoint, but I'm not a wealthy person. I can not afford to continiously give away products.
 
 
I sincerely thank those that have placed orders, haveing faith in our past work, I appreciate that greatly.

 

[bangkokkid]

I think average_Joe is great, but saying Noble should provide him a free sample so you guys can have him review it is a bit silly imo.

 
We obviously appreciate the recommendations and I have made a note to seriously consider average_joe for future reviews, but I think we have been very generous when it comes to giving out units for review especially considering that we built all of these units well before we were open to the public. Kunlun has the 4C which he hasn't gotten around to reviewing yet, |joker| has the 4S which should make for a very insightful review, InnerFidelity has the 3C, and Audio-Head has the 5S. Once all these reviews have been released, each configuration will have been covered in at least one form (acrylic or silicone) and by at least one different reviewer.

 

[Deviltooth]

   
We obviously appreciate the recommendations and I have made a note to seriously consider average_joe for future reviews, but I think we have been very generous when it comes to giving out units for review especially considering that we built all of these units well before we were open to the public. Kunlun has the 4C which he hasn't gotten around to reviewing yet, |joker| has the 4S which should make for a very insightful review, InnerFidelity has the 3C, and Audio-Head has the 5S. Once all these reviews have been released, each configuration will have been covered in at least one form (acrylic or silicone) and by at least one different reviewer.

This is a reasonable response and I don't disagree with the reviewers you've chosen.  As a CIEM company Noble has done more to provide us with information than the majority of the competition.  I think most of us are happy with what's been done, we're just offering up additional suggestion for future consideration.

 

[Sorensiim]

If we do pool the funds to pay for a K10, put me down for $10 and a vote for Average Joe. He's the most experienced ciem reviewer AND he has the Spiral Ears ref. 5, the most obvious competitior of the K10.

 

[darinf]

Rather than relying on other people's reviews, just come to the San Diego Head-Fi meet to hear them for yourself!
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/676945/2nd-annual-san-diego-head-fi-meet-saturday-november-2nd-2013/75#post_9887246
 
OK, so maybe it's not practical to come to San Diego, but I am very encouraged that Noble has universal versions of their entire line.
 
Now we need to get someone with K10's to come to San Diego to see if they sound different from the universal K10's?

 

[bangkokkid]

  Rather than relying on other people's reviews, just come to the San Diego Head-Fi meet to hear them for yourself!
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/676945/2nd-annual-san-diego-head-fi-meet-saturday-november-2nd-2013/75#post_9887246
 
OK, so maybe it's not practical to come to San Diego, but I am very encouraged that Noble has universal versions of their entire line.
 
Now we need to get someone with K10's to come to San Diego to see if they sound different from the universal K10's?

 
Ultimate Mango should come on down, he's just a stone's throw away.

 

[project86]

I've been out camping, away from civilization (ie, HeadFi) for a while. I come back and find all this drama played out about the review samples and how that process works. I posted this in my review thread, but I'll add it here since my name came up at one point:
 
 
 
 
Yes, I was provided the review units for free.
 
I hate to sound like some know-it-all "pro reviewer" here, but I have to explain a little about where I'm coming from. With the possible exception of Average Joe, I've probably purchased more custom IEMs than anyone on this forum. I've bought from almost every company out there except for the latest batch like Custom Art, Spiral Ear, etc. But all the rest of the big names (and some small names too) I've purchased from, sometimes more than once. Later on down the line, after doing tons of reviews and making a name for myself, I've received free review units from most of those brands as well. So does that make me biased towards any single company? You tell me.
 
Review units are common in the industry. You think Stereophile or TAS pays for the gear they review? Of course not. Once the review is complete, it's up to the company what they want done with the unit - many times it is shipped back, but there are other options - letting the reviewer buy at a discount, or keep the item outright, are a few of those options. I've only encountered one CIEM company among many who wanted their CIEM product back after the review. Which makes sense when you think about it.... the drivers are now considered "used", and there isn't much else that can be salvaged besides the cable (which is relatively cheap) and the accessories (often the case is engraved, so that can't be reused). Most companies hope you'll like the product and use it as a reference or somehow mention it in other reviews. I can tell you that pretty much every "pro" review of a CIEM you've ever seen has been the type where the reviewer kept the product, except for the one company I mentioned (which is not an amazingly common company so it doesn't really factor in greatly). 
 
As a pro reviewer who gets paid to write for multiple publications, I can pretty much call or email any company I want (or their PR people) and get any gear I want for extended in-home use. Even if it doesn't involve a direct review, most of these companies want to get their stuff out there into the hands of reviewers. I'm not saying this to brag - on the contrary, I want people to know how this stuff works for me. It's the sort of thing where you look at gear in a different light. If you've ever had a job where you handled large sums of cash, you can maybe find a parallel there. It just doesn't have the same feeling as it once did. So a free review unit from Noble, rather than being the major influence that some people think, becomes just another task to complete; just another assignment so to speak. 
 
As I write these reviews, I'm very aware that others will soon own the same product and will pop up in my review threads commenting about their experiences. My reputation stands (or falls) based on the accuracy of these reviews. I could wing it and just bang something out to make people buy the gear, but that wouldn't last long.... and I'd be out of a job soon enough. There's already enough honest disagreement with respect to sound - I certainly don't need to invite controversy by playing up gear that isn't really worthy of recommending. 
 
Speaking of which - I probably decline 2 or 3 products for every 1 review that I do end up publishing. A lot of gear comes through here lately, and a lot of it either sucks or just isn't exceptional enough to bother writing about. This ratio is different for CIEMs but you should know that I've definitely declined to review some in the past.
 
And just in case anyone thinks I've let this stuff go to my head, and can no longer identify with the common man spending their own hard earned cash on gear - in the past year or so, out of my own pocket, I've purchased a Stax SR-007, Stax SRM-12S, beyerdynamic T1, Ultrasone Signature Pro, Auraliti PK90 music server with NuForce PSU and multiple G-Technology external hard drives, Sjofn HiFi (the clue) monitor speakers, an APC S15 power conditioner, Thunderpants planars.... and a ton of other stuff that escapes me right this moment. I'll probably buy the Alpha Dogs soon, and probably the Audeze LCD-XC as well. And I've got a KGSSHV being built so I'll be paying for that too. Oh, and tons of music, can't forget that. So despite the free gear that I sometimes end up with during the review process, I do spend a lot of my own cash on this stuff. 
 
I hope that clears the air somewhat about my relationship to Noble and the way things work for me. I'm on friendly terms with Wizard but wouldn't hesitate to lay into his design if it was called for - or just refuse to review it all together. I don't know if people can accept it or not, but at this point I truly do feel "above" any influence by review samples, no matter which company we might be talking about. 

 

[zenpunk]

Project86, thanks for you clarification but could you please direct me to just one of your negative review about a product that was gifted to you? 
It is a real shame you can't be  bothered to write about products you don't like but if you want to make a living out of reviewing equipments you probably have no other choice.

 

[Kunlun]

The esteemed and honored head-fi'er MuppetFace has bought a Kaiser 10 (she posted about it elsewhere). I'm going to be looking forward to her impressions of it.

 

[zenpunk]

That's so bloody predictable of  MuppetFace. Also very interested by her impressions and her comparison with the JH Roxanne, which I am sure she will also get soon.