OVERVIEW
The Noble Audio Kadence are an 8-BA driver per ear IEM. They are a reference-type monitor with what I perceive to be a very slightly boosted upper mid, which as explained below is a great thing. The treble is extremely detailed, as is the bass. There is some sub-bass roll off, but the bass is very textured and articulate. I recommend this IEM if you like an analytical sound.
Note that I found the Kadence to be very tip-dependent. I ended up using the double-flanged silicone to provide the best balance of bass and treble, but also found the red core silicone tips to be good. I also got good results with Spinfit CP100, with slightly less bass and slightly more treble than the other tips.
Soundstage/Imaging
The soundstage on the Kadence is somewhat narrow, but musical instruments and voices can be easily isolated and identified from the rest of the song. The separation is excellent, but the overall presentation remains coherent. You hear everything with this IEM.
Bass
The Kadence provided deep and accurate bass when demanded by the track. EDM and rap were respectable, though the lack of deep subbass means you may want to look at a different IEM. That said, I was strongly considering that this could be an all-rounded if you prefer analytical, reference tuning, even with EDM and bass (as do I). The best part of the bass was its texture and articulation of notes. I heard bass notes within bass notes that I had not heard before.
I compared the bass to that on my Sennheiser IE900 and was quite surprised that the Kadence nearly matched the IE900 in quantity and depth. Ever so slightly the IE900 went deeper and was more impactful due to the dynamic driver. The Kadence was much more articulate and textured. If you enjoy articulate bass but are alright with slightly less subbass and do not want impactful DD bass, I recommend the Kadence.
Mids
The mids are exceptional on the Kadence. This IEM focuses on the human voice to my ear. This focus results in extremely realistic vocals, including picking up on subtleties like lip smacking, vibrations and crackling in human voices, and gave me chills on some tracks. If you listen to vocal heavy music, such as folk or country, I really recommend this IEM.
Treble
The treble on the Kadence is phenomenally detailed, open, and airy. At first, I thought that it was harsh or shrill, but after about five minutes I realized how wonderful it is, with each note carefully defined and picked out of the mix. Any sense of shrillness went away, and I was able to focus on other parts of the music, like the bass. I am particularly sensitive to sibilance, but I absolutely love the treble on the Kadence and the mids and the treble kept me coming back for more.
The Noble Audio Kadence are an 8-BA driver per ear IEM. They are a reference-type monitor with what I perceive to be a very slightly boosted upper mid, which as explained below is a great thing. The treble is extremely detailed, as is the bass. There is some sub-bass roll off, but the bass is very textured and articulate. I recommend this IEM if you like an analytical sound.
Note that I found the Kadence to be very tip-dependent. I ended up using the double-flanged silicone to provide the best balance of bass and treble, but also found the red core silicone tips to be good. I also got good results with Spinfit CP100, with slightly less bass and slightly more treble than the other tips.
Soundstage/Imaging
The soundstage on the Kadence is somewhat narrow, but musical instruments and voices can be easily isolated and identified from the rest of the song. The separation is excellent, but the overall presentation remains coherent. You hear everything with this IEM.
Bass
The Kadence provided deep and accurate bass when demanded by the track. EDM and rap were respectable, though the lack of deep subbass means you may want to look at a different IEM. That said, I was strongly considering that this could be an all-rounded if you prefer analytical, reference tuning, even with EDM and bass (as do I). The best part of the bass was its texture and articulation of notes. I heard bass notes within bass notes that I had not heard before.
I compared the bass to that on my Sennheiser IE900 and was quite surprised that the Kadence nearly matched the IE900 in quantity and depth. Ever so slightly the IE900 went deeper and was more impactful due to the dynamic driver. The Kadence was much more articulate and textured. If you enjoy articulate bass but are alright with slightly less subbass and do not want impactful DD bass, I recommend the Kadence.
Mids
The mids are exceptional on the Kadence. This IEM focuses on the human voice to my ear. This focus results in extremely realistic vocals, including picking up on subtleties like lip smacking, vibrations and crackling in human voices, and gave me chills on some tracks. If you listen to vocal heavy music, such as folk or country, I really recommend this IEM.
Treble
The treble on the Kadence is phenomenally detailed, open, and airy. At first, I thought that it was harsh or shrill, but after about five minutes I realized how wonderful it is, with each note carefully defined and picked out of the mix. Any sense of shrillness went away, and I was able to focus on other parts of the music, like the bass. I am particularly sensitive to sibilance, but I absolutely love the treble on the Kadence and the mids and the treble kept me coming back for more.
