Noble 3

I recently went for the Campfire Orions. My father didnt want cables that looped over the ears, but later wanted the Orions or Noble 3s. With the Orion sale done, and the Noble 3 still on sale, he went for them. As such, I'm not reviewing my own set of phones, but I have listened to them for a small time.

I was impressed by the packaging of the Noble 3, a little over the top with two boxes and then the pelican case. The pelican is nice, but of course is quite useless in some respects: It's too large to be portable, but too small to carry much in. It's more of a statement piece to me.

The housings look nice, not Orion aluminum nice, but sophisticated. What doesn't look nice is the cable. The Orions go from a secure quad braid to a elegant y split, with a built in cinch. The Nobles use a poor excuse braid, with a clear shrink wrap "y split". The cinch was not easily moved so I cut it off (I actually thought it was just wrapped around for packaging). Then again, there are few who match the cables that Campfire provides.

Sound wise, I didn't hear a lot of difference between the Noble 3 and my Orions. The bass is definitely boosted a tad, but not in your face. What I detect is a similar punch, but a tad more boom.

Mids are recessed compared to Orions, but not by a large amount.

Highs are about the same as Orions, not overly bright, but clear.

Perhaps due to lowered mids, the clarity is less than that of the Orions, where voices and instrument separation are slightly muffled. The Orions simply pop more and you hear everything more distinctly. Again, there is no night and day difference, just subtle changes.

Overall, the Noble 3's are great. The cable is due for improvement, but the sound is nice.

I'm no pro reviewer and I would say my journey into audio equipment is still in it's infancy. I don't write a lot of reviews either, I guess that will become apparent to you as you progress through this. But all that said and done, I really want to present my thoughts on the Noble 3U. 
I have owned the Noble 3U for close to 2 months now. I have listened to them pretty extensively during this period.
 
My musical tastes are pretty eclectic. I listen to Hard Rock, Blues, Indian Classical, Western Classical, Grunge, Jazz, Prog Rock..  Favorite artists include Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Nirvana, Sinatra, Diana Krall, some Beethoven, Shakti, The Beatles, UFO, SRV, Clapton.. Basically anything except modern pop music. 
I play music from a Fiio X3ii direct most of the time. Also from an O2 amp when I feel like it.
 
The previous 2 reviews echo my thoughts on Packaging and Build quality.
Everything is delivered in a Pelican box. It's a perfect fit for the IEMs. But don't expect to carry your DAP and the Noble 3U in it. I tried to fit the Fiio X3ii along with these and it did fit, albeit a tight one. It made me anxious to be honest.
I would call the build quality of the IEMs very good. It's daintily shaped and the housing feels very very study. The finish is smooth all around, with the Noble Logo etched proudly in the front. But, you will notice small imperfections at the area where the injection mold breaks off. It doesn't really bother me though.
 
The Fit is faultless. These just disappear once you put them on. I wear glasses and the memory wire doesn't bother me at all.
 
The Isolation is top notch. Even without music playing, it gets hard to decipher speech a few meters away. With the music on though, it's 100% isolation.
 
Now for the sound, I shall divide this into sections:
 
Bass: I am not a basshead. But I do enjoy clear, tight bass and that is just what the Noble 3 delivers. The bass is wonderfully controlled and reveals itself only when the track actually calls for it. If you love drums, then you're in luck. You actually feel the impact. The soundstage is such that you feel the drummer is at the back (like they usually are when performing live). Listening to 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' is breathtaking, you feel yourself immersed into the heart of the performance, I cannot help but headbang like crazy!
Electronic tracks with a lot of bass sound satisfying, 'Principles of Lust' comes to mind.
Do remember I'm no basshead, there is no boom. It's all articulate and tight.
 
Mids: The mids are REALLY detailed. The vocals sound smooth and convey a lot a emotion, subtlety. No one is left out, the backing vocalists and lead are presented as layers. Same with guitars, they sound great. Listening to 'The Blower's Daughter', the vocals and guitar sound immaculate. 'Tu Bole' from A.R. Rahman's Unplugged album sounds delightful, a wonderful dynamic performance presented very nicely.
Female vocals are silken, listening to Diana Krall perform 'Peel Me A Grape' is audio porn. Enough said.
 
Treble: What do I say here? These absolutely love treble! They sound clear as a bell (LikeABell! ). These will make cymbal crashes a joy to listen to, they sound shimmery and the decay is just right. Very natural stuff. Listening to 'Echoes' from Live at Pompeii is the bee's knees, top tomato, Nick Mason's drumming sounds totally badass. Another song that comes to mind is 'Lithium' by Nirvana, the hi-hats during the verse give the whole song a very airy texture. Something I hadn't noticed with other phones.
But, this can be a double edged sword at times. With material that is poorly recorded or at high volumes, these tend to get sibilant. 
 
Soundstage: These have very good soundstage for an IEM. There is an acute sense of space among instruments. This was really surprising for me, a pleasant one.
 
The Details in these are crazy, you'll hear everything the artist wants you to, in fact, even the details the artists hope you won't catch. Don't bother with lower quality/poorly recorded recordings.
 
Misc: Putting on the eartips is ghastly hard! You really need to will yourself on, especially when the tips are new. I tried all the tips Noble provides and Complys. I finally settled on the blue tips. These, for me, deliver a tight coherent sound and largely tame the sibilance. 
 
So nearing the end of this review, you should know by now that I love my Noble 3U. Yes, they can sound sharp at times but deal with that and they reward you with the most satisfying aural experience, an engaging sound that allows for both analytical listening and outright fun at the same time.
 
The Wizard has succeeded in making me a fan of his, do try these out if you get a chance.

I'll do my best to keep this review nice and short, and hit all the key points.
 
Sections:
-Overview about myself (to give background on music preferences, previously owned IEMs, etc.)
-Packaging
-Build Quality
-Cable
-Aesthetics
-Comfort
-Sound
-Comparisons
 
Overview
I am a college student, and I listen to nearly every type of music; however, I usually listen to EDM, Orchestral, Classical, Rock, and Rap. I enjoy listening to music with as little "veil" as possible in front of the songs, but not too sterile. Previously owned, in order, are the Klipsch S4s, Shure se215s, Westone W3s, and RHA T10s. I am not a professional reviewer, but I will do my best to convey the sound as detailed as possible.
 
Packaging - 9.5/10
The IEMs come with near perfect packaging, in my opinion. It comes in a small eco-friendly box. Inside, you get two stickers with the Wizard signature, which is pretty cool. Additionally, you get this beast of a case (pelican case) that could probably be run over by a sedan a few times and still survive. The IEMs are shipped inside of the pelican case, so you won't have to worry about damage to the IEMs at all during transit. You also receive a very large selection of tips, silicon and foam, and a small pouch for them. I am a huge fan of this packaging, because it gives you everything you need, and nothing you don't. I personally do not care about packaging having fur lining, shiny outer packing, etc. Essentials are perfectly fine. I would like a case that could fit comfortably in a pocket, but this is extremely minor since you can buy one to compensate.
 
Build Quality - 9/10
The build quality of the IEMs is great for the price. They are made of plastic (as you could probably tell from the pictures on the website), and it has a nice tube size with dual bores. Unlike shure or westone, there is no 2.5mm hollow plastic tube, which means that you don't have to worry about them getting crushed and breaking like that. Substantial housings: these will be able to withstand normal use with ease. You will not have to worry about breaking these at all, if you treat them well. No problems here at all. I gave the build a 9/10 ONLY because the RHA T10s exist. It is just the nature of the materials, injection molded steel is going to be stronger than plastic no matter what. But by all means, the Noble 3U build quality is excellent.
 
Cable - 9/10
The cable is fairly basic, but gets the job done well. It has a clear plastic y-splitter, and a plastic cable cinch, which are not too fancy but work very well, and never unintentionally slide out of place. The connector is a straight plug, but feels very solid in the hand. Sufficient strain relief is there, but since it is detachable there are really no worries to be had. The connection to the IEM feels very solid (will not slide out on its own), and there is a bit of memory wire that holds well enough. I am not a huge fan of memory wire since it always makes my ears feel uneven, but it isn't bad at all (works with glasses decently as well). The best part though? No microphonics at all. It really is impressive, while walking or jogging or tapping it with my fingers, I cannot detect any micrphonics. Very well done Noble! If anything, I would prefer fancier y-splitter and cable cinch, but on the scale of importance those are insignificant.
 
Aesthetics - 9/10
I really do like the understated, yet beautiful presentation of these IEMs. It is made with such organic curves that I could tell these would fit and seal excellently before they even arrived. The color is a regular black plastic color, with the Noble logo on the outside. Thankfully, Noble made the logo nice and subtle, rather than flashing gold for the world to see. Overall, the IEMs look very cool, but are not made to be extremely noticeable, which I absolutely love. Classy, subtle, effective, and very well-designed would be how I describe these. I rated this a 9/10 because I saw Noble's other designs on their website, and the artwork is just stunning. The Noble 3Us are good for me though because I like how they packed the incredible performance into these understated, cool shells.
 
Comfort - 10/10
By far the most comfortable IEMs I have ever owned. Every single other IEM I have owned has always slipped out of my right ear since my ears are unfortunately not even. Even the westones and the shures with the olives. The westones were inserted too deep, and due to the design the foam didn't have enough "hold" to keep them from sliding out. The shures seemed to have too shallow of an insertion depth, though the olives do indeed have terrific comfort. The Noble 3Us with the large foam tips on work perfectly. The large tube fits like a glove in each side, and the tube curves so smoothly into the rest of the shell that it just blends with the ear perfectly. Maximizes isolation, and virtually disappears after about 10 minutes. The shells are extremely light as well, which makes them perfect for long listening sessions (which I have done a lot of....9 hours per day for 3 weeks to be specific). I have not seen or use any IEM that fits me better than these. They also stay in while exercising, which is another massive plus. Noble has created perhaps one of the best, if not the best universal IEM designs.
 
Sound - 9.5/10
I will do my best to describe my perception of the sound.
 
Lows: Very nice extension, the best way I can describe it is that during some songs it feels as if you are floating over an abyss: very well extended, and not over-emphasized at all. If you listen to EDM, Rap, Pop, etc., then you will love these. The first few hours might be an adjustment, but once you get used to the sound it is spectactular here. Listening to Put On by Young Jeezy: the song has very nice weight to the notes, not overemphasized but definitely well present and easy to focus on. Another song, Dark Ages by Two Steps From Hell: The intro is excellent, you can hear the rumble so clearly that it feels as if you can feel the apocalypse coming right in front of you.
 
Mids: All I can say here is that they are very well done. Krewella's vocals in Alive, Come and Get it, Live for The Night, and Ellie Goulding's Burn are all so liquid-like and present, as if they are singing right inside of you.
 
Highs: I have been somewhat sensitive to highs previously, but these are the first IEMs that are able to clearly represent highs without sounding fuzzy or screechy. It is as if the Noble 3s lifted a veil from the 12khz+ region, and is more noticeable at higher volumes. I can't say I listen to much music with highs, but from what I do hear they are extremely clear, but not clinically so, so you retain the enjoyment of the music but get to hear it through an HD glass lens vs. a regular glass lens, if that makes any sense.
 
The soundstaging and imaging, from my understanding of the words, are just superb. The soundstage seems to adapt depending on the song you throw at it, but overall is spacious and very 3D and lifelike, and makes you feel as if the music is enveloping your head, to a point where you can pick out where each sound is coming from. I have never experienced this before, and it is truly incredible what Noble has accomplished here.
 
I gave the sound a 9.5/10 because I feel as if the sound produced is just beautiful and allow analytical yet relaxed and very engaging listening. I guess I should give a reason for not giving it a 10 though: this is extremely extremely minor, but I feel like on a select few songs, there could be ever so slightly more bass presence just to add that extra punch that I enjoy. However, I am a slight basshead, so this skews my perception, and these may indeed be a 10 for other people.
 
Comparisons
 
Klipsch S4: Not even a comparison. These curbstomp the klipsch's in every way. Build quality, aesthetics, sound, comfort, and ESPECIALLY microphonics. Klipsch's were the first IEMs above $20 I had ever owned, but looking back they were a fairly weak step.
 
Shure se215: The shure's have comparable build quality, but the mmcx connectors are worrisome. They were the cause of the failure, where sweat had corroded the loose connection. They were a pain to take out as well. The cable though....shure cable felt more durable than the Noble cable, but the Noble cable is braided, much much lighter, and has better memory wire. I do prefer the 2 pin connection as well, looks like it will seal out most of the weathering. So the shures and Nobles have comparable build quality. In terms of sound, there is no contest. With the shures, I feel like I am listening to the music through a grey curtain, with a hole in the middle that lets through mids. That is the only place they shine. Other than that, the signature is dull and lifeless. The Nobles take that veil and throw it in the garbage. They raise that veil, and let the pure music come through (That dual bore design undoubtedly contributes to this). The music gains life, highs, clean lows, and retains the mids. To give numbers, shure would be a 5/10, and Nobles are, well 9.5/10.
 
Westone W3: Now we are getting into similar territory. The Westones had terrific build quality, and a nice cable as well, though it was fixed (old model). Their sound, I would have to describe as more detailed than the Nobles. However, they seemed to have this effect where every song had the life sucked out of it. It was strange, listening to Amon Amarth, and Two Steps From Hell, the songs just felt so....sterile. Boring. After the song ended, it felt like "wow, that was a really clean, boring listen." The Nobles are ever so slightly less detailed (in the highs, the lows are better than the westones), but they bring out all the fun. It's like being in a library vs. being in a club, in terms of enjoyment.
 
RHA T10s: Ok, this has to be said, the RHAs build quality is far superior to the Nobles. But steel vs. plastic, come on, it's impossible to be the other way around. Their sound was very nice and full. The low end is terrific, and extremely enjoyable when listening to bassy songs such as Lollipop - Glitch Mob remix. The Noble's are a bit more detailed though, and have a smoother overall sound signature that raises the super thin veil that the RHAs seem to have. These are very close, but the Nobles are a bit cleaner and more balanced, and overall more enjoyable. To be fair, the RHA's definitely hold their own for their price, and are my 2nd favorite IEMs that I will keep.
 
 
Basically, if you like listening to all genres of music, get the Noble 3Us. They fit excellently, sound incredibly good, and are just gems. I hope this review helped give insight into the Noble 3s, since they seem to have few reviews for whatever reason. I am very glad I took the plunge though, it was well worth it.
 
....Yeah this review definitely wasn't nice and short...oh well!

Firstly, I'll plagiarize an adage I see around this site often: “I am no audiophile," but I love critically listening to music and searching for the most enjoyable sound possible within my budget. After careful review of the competition in IEM's, I ordered these units. During their transit I received the most helpful reviews possible from member ih8tickets, who owns the Noble 3c. I echo many of his sentiments throughout the review. This is one of my first reviews and I'm completely upfront with admitting my complete ignorance to a lot of technical terms I see thrown around here, but I’ll do my best with describing what I hear. Without further ado, I’ll follow a generic packaging/build/isolation/sound format for reviewing the Noble3U. I rate these aspects on a 1-10 scale with a price-to-quality ratio kept in mind. I drive the Noble3's with a fiio X1 with no eq and use FLAC/WAV files. 
 
Packaging: 9.5/10
The Noble 3U is packaged in the same way all other Noble products are received.
Included are 4 sets of s/m/l sized tips. One set has red tubes, another with blue; the tips in the blue set have an odd horizontal strip of rubber within each tip and seem softer than those in the red set. I’ve since cut the horizontal strips. Also included are dual-flange and hybrid tip sets. My favorite part of the package is an Otterbox-esque carrying case for the headphones. It seems like there may not be enough room for them in the case, but when strategically placed I’ve never had a problem. The interior of the case is cushioned. Also included is the familiar soft carrying bag for IEM’s we often see. This one is one of the higher quality bags I’ve encountered. Finally, a cleaning tool and card of ownership is included, as well as two branded bands for “amp-clamp” use. Very nice of Noble to include these things. It makes me feel like I purchased a premium product rather than justifying sub-par packaging with the “entry-level” label. My only gripe may be that none of the tips seem to work as well as other recommended aftermarket tips (no problem here should the customs be purchased)
 
Build: 8.5/10
Not much to say here. As with the packaging, it is the same as other Noble Universal IEM’s, as far as I can tell. Wonderfully sturdy plastic is used for the housings and a tough, braded cable is used. The left/right housings are noted at the connector sites with blue/red dots marking each. As over-ear only phones, it’s hard to mix up which housing goes where. My only tiff with the build is that Noble decided to use a vertical cable-jack, meaning it doesn’t sit flush with any device…unfortunate, but by no means insufferable. I haven’t had a problem with this yet. The housings are quite light. The Noble logo on the exterior of each unit is nice, and the same goes for the three screws seen on the exterior – classy. I give an 8.5/10 because while the headphones are built with mastery they don’t seem to surpass the build of other headphones in the same league – they are slightly better than the ie80 for the cables alone. I would say the housings are about equal in durability, weight, and general appearance to the ie80.
 
Isolation: 8/10
I think the isolation of these units is superb and highly tip dependent, as with all universal IEM’s I’ve toured. They far surpass the ie80 and sit on par with the Shure SE215 or any IEM’s from the Monster Turbine series in isolation of outside noise. They isolate a bit better than the ATH im70 as well. They reduce about 80% of outside noise with a good seal, exactly the amount I would like while commuting. I like being able to hear (just slightly) the commotion around me when I need, for safety reasons.
The comfort is still a work in progress…I am still in the thick of “tip rolling” to find just the right fit. While I do prefer the blue tips, they tend to “squeak” out of my canals immediately after insertion and cease at a point that creates bass recession – this is such a common issue with IEM’s and a colossal motivator for many to throw down the coin for the customs. I’ve used Auvio tips as I use on the ie8/ie80, but these hurt my canals after a while. The best tips I’ve used so far are the Monster Supertips.
 
Sound quality: 9/10
Signature:
A mostly neutral signature is present. Most tracks are reproduced with striking note presence and imaging. Those are the terms I would use to describe the signature in general: mostly-neutral with striking imaging. This model is ever-so-gently v-shaped. This headphone reproduces beautifully in all ranges (lows/mids/highs) with no overbearing strength in any category. Across the spectrum there is an apparent focus on clarity. If I had to say, I think there is a noticeable tilt to the warm side, but I should emphasize that it is a gentle tilt towards warmness at most.
 
Lows:
I can’t imagine improvements here for the price bracket. Bass is entirely focused on low bass. No mid-bass issues here. It is quick and agile, as well as keenly textured. Decay is simply impressive for the quantity produced. Quantity is pretty accurate on the whole, but is decidedly more than what's absolute neutrality. While I will go on to say the rest of the sound range suffers from the purported “unnatural” sounding reproduction of balanced armature drivers the bass is unaffected and comes across as organic as can be. The detail here is truly notable. Bass hits are remarkably accurate in placement and depth. The bass is never overbearing, but boy is it fun as all heck. Drums sound awesome and decisive. When the track calls for it, the impact will SLAM. Attack and decay both are wonderfully canny. These will not satisfy proper bassheads and may be a smidge too much bass for AKG/Grado lovers, but a massive majority will be impressed here I think. Well done and well executed all across the low end.
Update 5.1.2015
The only thing I'd like to emphasize in my initial review is that these would not satisfy proper bassheads. With that said, I've answered a few on the site already with the example of my girlfriend, another music lover: she IS a proper basshead through and through, and fell in love with these units. She doesn't find the bass inadequate at all and prefers no eq through the fiio X1 (rather than my +2 at 62db). The Noble 3 has bass better described as concise, refined, and focused in lieu of "in da club" boom-boom bass. My greatest - and only - tiff with the bass is that it doesn't exhibit that "moving of air" quality epic bass will. *sigh* I attribute this entirely to the BA drivers. When is Noble throwing down the gauntlet with a hybrid??
 
Mids:
Mids are neither forward nor recessed. Everything is upfront and present, but I will say vocals and violins stand out most to me. On some tracks the mids sound aggressive to me. I think this is due to what I perceive as “striking” note presence. Across the entire mid spectrum, I can’t point out any obvious weaknesses. Separation in the mid-range is wonderful and concise, and I have never had this experience listening to in-ears before. Other IEM’s sound stuffy and congested, even far too laid back in comparison now. Guitars are the weak-point if I had to say…but not tinny at all, just a little “unnatural” sounding to me (perhaps because I am coming from the ie80’s). The imaging in this range is fantastic and has a focus on clarity. I’m still getting used to the balanced armatures in this range whereas I think I have a pretty good grasp on the lows and highs. I can’t quite say if mids are notably recessed even though I think the Noble3 is slightly v-shaped – this is to say that there is a barely noticeable v-shape to the signature. I do think the highs and lows are a tad more striking than the mids, but again, everything here is present and can be aggressive when needed to my ears. Clarity and separation is notable above other qualities in the mid-range.
Update 5.1.2015
Mids are pretty neutral to my ears, neither forward nor recessed. Simply present and beautiful, though highly dependent on track quality. Vocals often SHINE above other instruments. Definitely some weakness in note weight to my ears in this range (comparing to D2000/ie80), but this may be a biased opinion (as I generally prefer a warmer sound than the N3 offers). With that being said, I think it's impressive the N3 is so pleasing to my ears with that bias in mind - I love the mids being so striking and better separated in comparison to any other headphone I've tried.
 
Highs:
The highs stretch and soar, though may fall short for some. There is no weakness here for me. I have never experienced highs sounding so clear and inoffensive. Till from Innerfidelity mentioned some top-end weakness in the highs, but I find them astounding. Never are they sibilant or painful, though some electronic tracks can come across as a bit sharp in the high-hats. Other than that, female vocals and higher notes in general are serene. They are not laid-back whatsoever and refuse to take a passive presence. High note awareness is something I am still getting used to as well coming from the ie80’s, but I find them refreshingly accurate and lively while staying sparkling and agreeable. I think most will be impressed as I am.
 
Soundstage:
This is the most interesting part of reviewing these headphones for me. I think the soundstage of the Noble3U is relatively large and capable, and I can only compare them to the ie80 to describe my thoughts. While the ie80 is characterized by a sweeping, vast soundstage the Noble3 produces what the track offers – this is to say that if a song has odd sounding note-placement or congestion it is due to the track, not the phones. With tracks that call for that vast, airy, big-and-tall soundscape the Noble’s will deliver with ease. With that said, these are the most airy IEM’s I’ve tried, though I would venture to guess there are more airy IEM’s with flatter signatures out there. They sound as if they are wanna-be open-backed over-ears at times, particularly with movie scores or jazz music. It’s almost like there is no limit to how big they can sound, but a lot depends on the track and amp. I’d say their soundstage is about as large as the ie80’s when called for, but less consistent. I will say I’ve never been able to point out where notes are coming from so accurately, namely in placement and distance from me, with perceived distance expressed in the soundstage being remarkable. Very cool stuff.
 
Conclusion:
I’m glad to have taken the plunge on these headphones. I am still getting in touch with everything they have to offer, and at this point I would rate them over the ie80 in technical abilities. I think Noble has created another winner here and a competitive universal in-ear monitor at its price-point. $50 less and this IEM would viciously compete with others in the same range. This is one to consider for those searching for a mostly-neutral IEM with brilliant clarity and striking imaging qualities along with a focus on highs on lows without the dreaded mid-recession. As far as balanced armatures are concerned, I can’t imagine a better entry for myself.
 
 
 
 Update 5.1.2015
This unit seems pretty sensitive to me. On the fiio X1 I am never over 50/100. This headphone, as member ih8tickets let me know before my purchase, is remarkably easy to drive, but benefits from proper sources. My droid Razr M is awful for driving the ie80s for some reason, but does a decent job when paired with the Nobles. However, moving to my laptop I very much notice a difference in quality, from good to notably better. Going from the lappy to the X1, everything is clearer, brighter, and with tighter bass quality. Bass texture improves greatly with better sourcing. It makes me think what a better source might do for me. I think these headphones are a worthy competitor in the pricerange, but shouldn't be considered a bass-heavy option; just a quality, bass-focused option. I still think the units are fairly priced though might benefit from a temporary sale of some sort to gain in popularity. Another reviewer noted they mimicked a "tf10 sort of sound" with better soundstage, clarity, separation, and imaging. So, sorry for yall's wallets.