Preface:
I'm not a native english speaker, please do forgive my bad english
My Savant is an universal fit version, not a master piece CIEM version.
Packaging and Accessories:
This is my package with "box" serial no. 107 or 207. I'm just realy dont understand why they give the box sn instead engrave it on the housing???
The pouch was missed in my package (in Cotnijoe review, he report missing tips and cleaning tool). I'm not using it anyway so not important to me.
Build, Design, and Comfort:
- The design and comfort are excellent, it's very light and fit me very well, I can wear it all day long (with glasses). Very good isolation (the L red tip give good seal, however the M and S got leak. BUT the M JVC spiral fit perfectly)
- The build quality is the biggest disappoinment of the Savant for $599 price tag:
+ Housing: it look like a $5 head phone with cheap plastic. It has a slight chip/crack on each housing, i thought my unit got damage during the assembling process so I return it to the shop. The seller show me another pair, but they all got the same problem.
+ The Wizard signature make it look more bad. If I dont know it have the signature from website, I might think the seller give me a second hand iem with heavy scratch on it
+ The cable wire is nice, very flexible. However, both end connection and Y split look very cheap compare to other iem (Eg. Brainwavz B2)
Listening Impressions & comparison:
The savant is fit my sound preference: bright, clear, quality bass, extend high. I'm enjoy "see" through the music.
- Brainwavz B2 ($150 - $200; 2 BA, plastic housing): the Savant easily smoke B2 in terms of clarity, bass and space.
- Sony H3 ($300 - $400, 1 Dynamic + 2 BA, plastic housing): my H3 have Fiio silver cable upgrade, it improve alot from stock cable (I got Dunu 2000 before, after H3 cable upgrade, i sold 2000). The Savant win H3 on clarity and extend high, H3 win on bass department.
- JVC FX 850 ($400, 1 Dynamic, Wood housing): Savant win on clarity and extend high, Bass: 850 > H3 > Savant. The fit of Savant look less geek than H3 and 850
- Primo 8 ($500, 4 BA, plastic housing): my Primo 8 have double tips mod (stock tip combine with JVC Spiral), this mod help improve the balance and clarity. However, it still slight muddy compare to Savant. Both have very good isolation.
- ATH CRK-10 ($300, Dual Dynamic, Titanium housing): my friend borrow this pair so no comparision, but in my memory, Savant should perform better in clarity and treble extension, CRK-10 should better in bass.
- Philips S2 ($100, Dynamic, Copper housing): my friend also borrow this pair so no comparision. The S2 very bright and clean, good soundstage. However it slight suffer from sibilant (might be due to poor cable) and difficult to fit (housing design and short nose, fit problem can be solve with double tips mod). I'll recable this baby and see how it can compete with Savant.
- ATH M70x ($300): this is a fullsize can but it has very similar sound to Savant (my other fullsize: HE 560, Philips X2, Oppo PM3). The M70x slightly better Savant in clarity, extend high, airy, soundstage. If you like Savant sound signature and want it in a fullsize, I'm hightly recommend M70x to you
Ending Thoughts
Noble is well known with CIEM market but if they wish to compete lower market ($500 tier) as universal fit, they should pay more extension to the housing material and production quality control (physically). It would be nice if Noble can provide a set of spiral tips instead give a bunch useless silicon tips.
Update 1: Paint jobs
1. The cheap look of standard savant make me itchy so I paint it , here is the new look
2. Expensive or not?
IMO, it's interesting to know no. driver in Savant, not because the sound, but to see how reasonable price? Many iems today price around 50 USD - 150 USD per BA drive count.
So if the savant have:
>= 5 drivers: really good price
4 drivers: same as the flagship K10 U @ $1599
2- 3 drivers: rip off
Waiting for someone reveal it
Update 2: Reversed double flange tips mod
The double flange tips supplied with Savant very soft, however it cant be fit properly.
This simple reverse mod make it has very good seal & comfortable. Much more enjoyable as the Spiral tips
I'm not a native english speaker, please do forgive my bad english
My Savant is an universal fit version, not a master piece CIEM version.
Packaging and Accessories:
This is my package with "box" serial no. 107 or 207. I'm just realy dont understand why they give the box sn instead engrave it on the housing???
The pouch was missed in my package (in Cotnijoe review, he report missing tips and cleaning tool). I'm not using it anyway so not important to me.
Build, Design, and Comfort:
- The design and comfort are excellent, it's very light and fit me very well, I can wear it all day long (with glasses). Very good isolation (the L red tip give good seal, however the M and S got leak. BUT the M JVC spiral fit perfectly)
- The build quality is the biggest disappoinment of the Savant for $599 price tag:
+ Housing: it look like a $5 head phone with cheap plastic. It has a slight chip/crack on each housing, i thought my unit got damage during the assembling process so I return it to the shop. The seller show me another pair, but they all got the same problem.
+ The Wizard signature make it look more bad. If I dont know it have the signature from website, I might think the seller give me a second hand iem with heavy scratch on it
+ The cable wire is nice, very flexible. However, both end connection and Y split look very cheap compare to other iem (Eg. Brainwavz B2)
Listening Impressions & comparison:
The savant is fit my sound preference: bright, clear, quality bass, extend high. I'm enjoy "see" through the music.
- Brainwavz B2 ($150 - $200; 2 BA, plastic housing): the Savant easily smoke B2 in terms of clarity, bass and space.
- Sony H3 ($300 - $400, 1 Dynamic + 2 BA, plastic housing): my H3 have Fiio silver cable upgrade, it improve alot from stock cable (I got Dunu 2000 before, after H3 cable upgrade, i sold 2000). The Savant win H3 on clarity and extend high, H3 win on bass department.
- JVC FX 850 ($400, 1 Dynamic, Wood housing): Savant win on clarity and extend high, Bass: 850 > H3 > Savant. The fit of Savant look less geek than H3 and 850
- Primo 8 ($500, 4 BA, plastic housing): my Primo 8 have double tips mod (stock tip combine with JVC Spiral), this mod help improve the balance and clarity. However, it still slight muddy compare to Savant. Both have very good isolation.
- ATH CRK-10 ($300, Dual Dynamic, Titanium housing): my friend borrow this pair so no comparision, but in my memory, Savant should perform better in clarity and treble extension, CRK-10 should better in bass.
- Philips S2 ($100, Dynamic, Copper housing): my friend also borrow this pair so no comparision. The S2 very bright and clean, good soundstage. However it slight suffer from sibilant (might be due to poor cable) and difficult to fit (housing design and short nose, fit problem can be solve with double tips mod). I'll recable this baby and see how it can compete with Savant.
- ATH M70x ($300): this is a fullsize can but it has very similar sound to Savant (my other fullsize: HE 560, Philips X2, Oppo PM3). The M70x slightly better Savant in clarity, extend high, airy, soundstage. If you like Savant sound signature and want it in a fullsize, I'm hightly recommend M70x to you
Ending Thoughts
Noble is well known with CIEM market but if they wish to compete lower market ($500 tier) as universal fit, they should pay more extension to the housing material and production quality control (physically). It would be nice if Noble can provide a set of spiral tips instead give a bunch useless silicon tips.
Update 1: Paint jobs
1. The cheap look of standard savant make me itchy so I paint it , here is the new look
2. Expensive or not?
IMO, it's interesting to know no. driver in Savant, not because the sound, but to see how reasonable price? Many iems today price around 50 USD - 150 USD per BA drive count.
So if the savant have:
>= 5 drivers: really good price
4 drivers: same as the flagship K10 U @ $1599
2- 3 drivers: rip off
Waiting for someone reveal it
Update 2: Reversed double flange tips mod
The double flange tips supplied with Savant very soft, however it cant be fit properly.
This simple reverse mod make it has very good seal & comfortable. Much more enjoyable as the Spiral tips
