DISCLAIMER
This is a duo review written by Eu Jin Ong (
@ejong7) and Andre Moore (
@shiorisekine). The main body of the review are general comments on the product that are agreed upon by both sides. Personal opinions on the product by each reviewer are stated in separate dialogues, indicated either by EJ (Eu Jin) or AM (Andre Moore). For this review, EJ will be reviewing the IEM in its custom format, while AM will be reviewing the IEM in its universal format.
EJ: The Katana unit was provided by Noble Audio free of charge in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to Brannan, Sunny and the rest of the Noble Audio team who helped me arrange and deliver the unit from start to finish, including the ear impressions needed. Special thanks to Gisele from Aid2Hearing who made my ear impressions.
AM: The Katana unit was provided by Noble Audio free of charge in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank Brannan who helped arrange the unit for me and had it quickly shipped out.
INTRODUCTION
Since their introduction in October 2013, Noble Audio, led by Dr.John Moulton (
@FullCircle on Head-Fi, also known as the Wizard) and Brannan Mason (
@bangkokkid), has made a strong statement on the custom in-ear monitor (CIEM) market, previously dominated by companies of audio legend such as Ultimate Ears and Westone. With each addition to its well respected line-up, one which underwent a complete refresh in March 2016, that excels in both the aesthetics and performance, they continue to make their mark in the industry, and have since etch their name as one of the few names that first come to mind when people speak of IEMs.
Within their stable of IEMs, the one that is most well-known is perhaps the Kaiser 10 (K10), which has also been recently updated to the new K10 Encore (K10E). Intended to be a highly musical piece paired with unrivalled smoothness, it won over many fans, as proven by its 28 5-star reviews on Head-Fi at the time of submission. However, many fans of the Wizard’s work had called for a piece from Noble that was more reference in tuning, yet able to share if not surpasses the K10’s status as the flagship from Noble. After almost 3 years, the team from Noble finally answered those calls, releasing the Katana.
With its name inspired by the Japanese katana, famously used by samurais of ancient and feudal Japan, as a way of paying homage to the Japanese IEM market which serves as a major part of Noble’s business, the Katana is Noble’s answer in an industry where every other company is aiming at releasing its own reference piece. So will the Katana come and be the knife at a gun fight? Or will it slash away all of its foes and reign supreme? Read on to find out.
INFO & SPECIFICATIONS
The Katana represent a first in the Noble line-up, where it’s the first 9 driver model coming from the company, 1 less than the K10. Make no mistake though; there are no pulling punches for the Katana from Noble, as they have decided to up the ante by making it the first piece from their company to use their brand new proprietary balanced armature drivers, supplied by Knowles, and name it as a co-flagship alongside the K10. It uses the updated Noble universal form factor and geometry in the form of aluminium housings that were precisely machined, but is not the same exact housing that are used in the other models. In fact, the universal housing is actually specifically made for Katana to be pillow friendly, an attribute held so important in the design consideration that the driver count was also taken into account, as explained by the Wizard
himself (credits to the source of the Youtube video we linked).
Not much else could be covered here as Noble, as they traditionally do, did not release other specifications revolving the piece, perhaps to protect the intellectual property they own revolving the product itself. Therefore, the official numbers in regards to the Katana’s design specifications, such as its impedance rating, crossover structure and frequency range are not available to the public.
EJ: As my Katanas are custom, they would fit differently than the universal one. I personally wouldn’t find my unit to be pillow friendly, but I think it’s due to the shape of my ears as my CIEMs tend to lean towards a larger size. So, your mileage may vary, at least for customs.
Since the specifications weren’t given, I would comment about them based on my own experience. I found the isolation from the unit to be similar with my Empire Ears Zeus-R and my Ultimate Ears Reference Remastered (UERR), so I estimate it to be capable of isolating up to -26db of surrounding noise, give or take. It slots in between the Zeus-R and the UERR in terms of input sensitivity, as I found it easier to drive than my UERR but harder to drive than my Zeus-R. But fret not, as I was capable of driving it to my usual listening levels through my Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge easily.
AM: The fit on the Universal Katana is above the rest of the universal IEMs that I have tried. This is perhaps due to the smooth edges of its body; hence it doesn't really poke my ear. For my case, I can use them while lying down as long as I am lying on my back. It is however not applicable for me when I am lying down sideways as I find them to protrude a little, just enough for it to be not as comfortable for me because it presses the IEM awkwardly onto my ear on the side I am lying on.
The isolation, while not to the standard of my custom fit UERR, was still very good especially for a universal. If the UERR had an isolation of -26dbs, I would estimate the isolation I experienced from the Universal Katana to be about -18dbs. I had no issues driving the Katana, which was much easier to drive than my UERRs, even on my iPhone.
The Katana, in either universal or custom format, starts at $1850, a price it shares with the co-flagship, the K10E. Do keep in mind that, for a custom format, that would mean a barebones IEM design at its base price. If you wish to pursue a design that is made specifically for you by the Wizard himself, or get one that is similar to his past designs, additional fees will be charged. The Katana, along with the K10E, are only available in acrylic, and not silicone for the usual custom format. It is also available in the Prestige format, which is custom formatted pieces but made with more exotic materials such as speciality woods and even honeycombs, starting at $2850.
EJ: The Katana does not come cheap, and probably will be out of reach for many at the price, yet this particular price range seems to be norm for flagship IEMs right now. I had hope that Noble would have kept the SLA option for pieces like the Katana, to drive the price lower for people who were after the performance at the cost of its aesthetics, but that option seems like it has been phased out by Noble. I can’t blame Noble for setting up the price to be that high as there is a need to cover its manufacturing cost, especially since they used their own proprietary drivers that probably drive the cost up, but felt it’s a shame that less people would be able to own a piece because of the price.
ACCESSORIES & OPTIONS
EJ: The delivery box from Noble that I received, which includes a Pelican 1010 case, sheathed with a sleeve emblazoned with the Noble logo, which houses my IEMs and some other goodies inside.
AM: This was the delivery box that I received from Noble. It has the same content as the one sent out with the customs and an additional metal plate that houses an assortment of tips.
The Katana arrives in medium to large sized box, sealed around with Noble logo emblazoned tape, which was well padded inside to protect your product. Inside, you will find a Pelican 1010 case, sheathed with a Noble sleeve made with cardboard, which houses your IEMs. Within the Pelican case, you can find the IEM pouch that contains your IEMs and a couple of Noble amp bands.
AM: For the universal, I received multiple sets of tips inside, including silicone and foam options. Each came in 3 sizes and held on a metal plate, so everyone should have little to no difficulty finding a pair of tips that fit them.
EJ: The extra container on the side was packed with a Noble round case, which is not part of the order package and is only available as a separate purchase.
EJ: The Pelican case contains a card that has my contact details, some Noble amp bands and the IEM pouch which has my Katana.
EJ: As I personally prefer to carry my IEMs around in a smaller case, I asked for Brannan to send me a Noble round case along with my IEMs. The round case came in a padded container strapped to my order box, and is made of plastic. It is pretty small in size, smaller than the ones I found provided by Ultimate Ears or JH Audio, which makes it extremely portable. However, with its smaller size, people with bigger IEMs, especially CIEMs made for large ears might struggle with it a little, as I found myself barely able to fit my own piece. I don’t think you would have any issues if you were to use it with universal units, but do keep in mind that it’ll most probably not fit your IEMs with custom cables. It is sturdy enough to make myself be comfortable with putting it into my backpack, but do not expect it to be void of scratches or continue to be pristine in nature after a couple uses. All and all it is a nice case, but perhaps it should be slightly bigger to allow people to fit their custom cables, while maintaining its portability factor over the Pelican case.
Within the Pelican case for my custom unit, there is a card that details my name, phone number and email, which is a nice touch and could potentially get your unit back to you if you lost it and it was found by a kind soul. The details, except my name, are removed for obvious reasons.
The Katana uses the standard 2-pin connector that is used by brands such as Vision Ears and Empire Ears, with the unit coming in the standard Noble cable. The cable is about 50’’ long, and the y-splitter has a Noble logo on it. Generally, custom cables made with the 2-pin connector should fit with your Katana, unless if it was design for use with UE pieces.
EJ: I personally would have love for the Katana to come with a nice cable made from a reputable cable company, but I completely understand the choice at helps lower the cost for the consumers. If you believe in cable magic and wish to upgrade the stock cable, you could venture on another odyssey of its own or you could stick with the supplied cable and you would still be able to obtain the sonic experience that Noble intended on.
BUILD QUALITY
As the review units received by the both of us are in different formats, please refer to individual comments about the exact format that you wish to get more info about, or read both. The comments do not reflect the opinion of the other reviewer on the same format, i.e. EJ’s comments about the custom format may not be shared by AM, and vice versa.
Custom
EJ: The ear impressions that were made by Gisele from Aid2Hearing for my Katana review unit.
EJ: Brannan was kind enough to offer me the choice between a universal format and a custom format review unit of the Katana. Upon knowing that my preference was for a custom Katana, he quickly arranged a session for me with Gisele from Aid2Hearing to obtain my ear impressions.
EJ: Beautiful photos that were first sent to me before my IEMs were shipped out. The photos were taken (I presume) from the Noble studio.
EJ: My own photos to show the finish on the actual IEM piece. To me, it looks even better in real life than in the studio photos.
EJ: As mentioned above, my ear impressions were taken and sent to Noble’s office in Santa Barbara, California as inspections for the impressions made are conducted there prior to being sent to their lab facilities in China. Upon receipt of the impressions at their labs, it takes about 30-40 business days, or 6-8 weeks to complete your IEMs. I found the timeline given to be accurate, as I got my piece roughly 2 months after my impressions reached their labs. I have no experience about the rush option from Noble, so I would refrain from commenting about that, but they estimate that it would take approximately 6-8 days upon receipt to complete the piece. This timeline is probably longer than most other companies, as the common build time is around a month, or perhaps shorter than that, which could potentially pose a problem for new Noble customers who would’ve hope for an earlier delivery date. A bit of patience is certainly needed if you were to be interested to have a piece crafted for you by Noble.
Regardless, I found the end result to be particularly spectacular. First, let’s talk about the fit. The fit, albeit not as seamless as the one I found with my UERR, I found it to be very comfortable. So comfortable, I wore it to sleep with no issues during a ride back to my hometown that took a few hours. Do bear in mind that my impressions were done in the ‘open mouth’ position, accomplished by using a bite block, as per recommended by Noble on their website. Having no idea prior to its completion on how it would look like, I was totally amazed by the finish of the entire piece, with its carbon composite faceplate that changes its tint depending on the lighting of the environment paired beautiful with a bubble-less shell that has a colour that is pretty hard to describe. From the studio photos taken by Noble, it looks like a glossy black finish. However, upon inspection by my own eyes at natural lighting, it has hues or hints of dark purple inside. It is not clear, so I wasn’t able to check out the internals but at certain angles and light intensity the insides could be vaguely visible.
This brings me to the faceplate and shell options from Noble, where all I could say is that there are endless possibilities. I was given the privilege to have a piece done in the ‘Wizard Design’, in which you could give direction to the Wizard himself who would conjure up his own imagination and interpretation of the story you would like to tell from your IEM finish. You could also opt for the ‘Wizard Reprint’, in which an approximation of finish that was previously done by the Wizard could be obtained, however it would not be reproduced to the exact finish. Do note the products of both options are final, but you could potentially discuss it with the Noble team if the finish does not meet your expectations. You could also opt to design your own look for your IEMs, where you could pick from many options ranging from aluminium to exotic woods as your faceplates, and select from a limited selection of colours for your shell. Don’t forget that there is also the Prestige version of the Katana, which would considerably drive up the price of your IEMs, but would open up more options for your finish.
For those who would like to know the direction I gave for my unit, I asked for a piece that would have a stealthy look but not over the top. I wanted it to be classy and elegant, but do not want glitter or the colour yellow to be on it. You be the judge if the piece fulfilled my vision. One thing for sure though, it’s not yellow.
Universal
AM: Photos of the Katana Universal as obtained from the Noble Audio website.
AM: My own photos to of the Katana Universal. These photos pales in comparison to the ones taken by Noble, but I can attest that the actual unit looks similar if not even better than the one from the Noble pictures.
AM: For the Universal Katana, it was once backlogged for a few weeks due to the initial demand when it was first released, but now should ship out within 24 hours of your order provided that Noble has them in stock.
As mentioned in a previous section, the Universal Katana is made of specifically machined aluminium, but what differentiates it from the rest of the line is not only its size but also its texture. The Katana has a body that it’s textured similarly to the diamond shaped hand wrap design of the actual Katana blades. However, it does not affect the comfort while wearing the IEMs at all. In fact, I found the fit on the Katana, and even the rest of the Noble line, to be the best in terms of universals, and don’t feel that they cause any ear fatigue on my side. I am usually able to wear my Katana for at least 2 or 3 hours before they start to slightly weigh down on me due to my sensitive left ear canal, but that is already an amazing period of time to begin with.
SOUND QUALITY
Evaluation Process
EJ: Continuing the review procedure that I have previously used, the Katana was burned in for about 200 hours before critically listening sessions were made. This will keep it in line with the other pieces that I have previously reviewed. The tracks used for my listening sessions are files that are either FLAC/ALAC from a wide variety of genres except metal. The following is a list of source gear that I used during the review of the Katana:
- Chord Mojo
- iBasso DX90
- Questyle QP1R
- Calyx M player
AM: I did my listening sessions with FLAC/ALAC as well as Tidal for certain albums. I listened to a wide variety of genres including the genre that that was skipped by EJ which was metal. The gear involved in the test was:
- iPhone 6S Plus
- Cavalli Audio Liquid Carbon 2.0
Initial Impressions
EJ: I first heard the Katana, in its universal format, at CanJam London 2016. I had previously listened to the K10 at several different occasions, and although I thought it was a nice piece of gear, I always knew that it was not for me. Not that it was has any deficiency in technical capabilities, it was the warm, laid-back nature of the sound that made me conclude that it probably wouldn’t suit my tastes.
Upon first listen, I could immediately tell that it has succeeded in its aim of producing a more ‘reference’ sound. It was more detailed, more treble heavy than the K10 (to me), but still retain the smoothness that Noble is famous for across its IEMs. Its mids, although not as euphonic as the one I found from my pair of Zeus-R, has enough lushness for me to bring the best of my vocal heavy music. The bass was more controlled than the K10, but felt like it didn’t lose its impact, as it maintains its presence in the face of my bassier tracks, yet disappears when a less bassy track is played.
I am pleased to find that the performance on my custom piece is at least on par if not better than the universal one I heard previously. The bass impact is tighter than before, which I attributed to better fit. I thought it was as revealing as the universal piece, and its smoothness was making me a fan.
AM: My first time hearing the Katana was at the Noble event held in Playa Vista, CA a couple of weeks after its initial launch at the Tokyo headphone show. Going in I was excited to get a chance to hear the new Noble co-flagship, and I was not disappointed.
I made sure to listen and compare to the Noble K10 when I first got a chance to sit down and listen to the Katana. While I wasn’t too fond with the K10, the Katana proved to be everything that I have ever wanted from the Noble team. The sound is smooth, neutral with a little bump up on the treble but always able to stay musical.
Sound Signature
EJ: The Katana blends in well with the current trend of IEMs achieving for a reference sound signature, in which it is tuned towards neutrality but has a slight bump at the treble. This is probably the first within the Noble family that I consider having more treble in the overall spectrum, something that I do not find even in the Noble Savanna and the now discontinued Noble Savant, two that were touted as the more balanced pieces within the family. To differentiate itself from the rest of the pack, the Katana offers what to me is the smoothest version of the reference sound signature, at least for the IEMs that I have tried. This completely complies with what I feel is the Noble house sound, in which regardless of the tuning in mind for a specific piece, it will always maintain a form of smoothness.
To my surprise, the bass on the Katana is perhaps the property that is closest to neutral for me within its overall audio spectrum. It is just a slight touch north of neutral, so slight that you’ll miss it if you didn’t focus on it. The sub bass I get from the piece has enough impact to keep my satisfied, but it’ll probably not be enough to please people who prefer a little more weight and punch, especially people who identify themselves as bass heads. The bass itself is full and rich that has this velvety like texture to it, which more evidently presents itself when you listen to tones from classical instruments that reside around this area of the spectrum, such as tubas and French horns. So this allow it to perform better with more acoustic or classical forms of bass, but less so with the electronic sort of bass that is currently popular though it still performs admirably for it. This is not to say that the extension of the lower end on the Katana is subpar as I found it to be very well extended and very detailed.
Smoothness reigns supreme in the Katana’s mids presentation. However, I wouldn’t say it’s completely flat in this category, as I found the mids to be just a touch laid back than flat, creating an image that the source of the midrange sound took just one step back, away from the microphone. Even with the slightly laid back tuning, I still found the mids to be heavily detailed yet never sibilant, and it does come out sounding pretty lush and natural though not on the level that I would call euphonic. So for tracks focusing heavily on vocals around the midrange area, it performs superbly for the more relaxing genre’s such as jazz, but slightly underperform when it comes to more aggressive genres like mainstream pop. This is not to say that it’s bad with vocal based pop, more of saying that it does those genres well, just that it performs better with old school vocal tracks. It also excels when dealing with musical instruments such as the acoustic guitar and the multitude of saxophones, where it comes out rich and full-bodied, making it very easy on the ear.
As referenced above, the treble is perhaps the most prominent in quantity, making the sound to be termed off as bright. Like its lower end, the treble on the piece is well extended and comes out very clean and clear. It sounds crisp, proven by the brilliant shimmering sound I get from the cymbals in my music, and with its amazing resolving ability the music from my piece is always highly detailed. Yet, even with the bright nature of the sound smacking you with details left and right, it still maintain its identity as a smooth criminal, effortlessly casting its musical magic. This is perhaps, no, definitely the smoothest treble I’ve experience from a reference type IEM that I have heard long term, and it even rivals my full size cans in that regard, so you can be sure to put terms like cold, analytical and piercing to the back of your mind. So maybe saying that the sound is smacking you with details is an incorrect statement, rather its served to you on a platter for you to receive at your leisure.
Even with an unusual, if not rare, driver configuration, the Noble team has succeeded in making it sound as a cohesive unit, a fast one in fact. The soundstage, conceivably one of the widest and deepest within the Noble stable, may not create the same sensation that would immediately impress someone, but was sufficient wide and deep enough to create a sense of airiness in the space, just not significantly better than most of its competitors. When I listen to the Katana, I always imagine that I’m listening in one of those old school bars with live music taped using black and white film, albeit a large one. It’s a slightly more constricted space when compared to a place like an open air stadium, but with its fantastic layering and separation qualities, it creates this sort of realism in my music that is not easy to find.
AM: The Noble Katana is to me one of the most musically neutral sounding IEMs I have ever had a chance to hear. Like EJ, I felt that it was just a little north of neutral, which tells me that the universals should sound very similar to the customs, so kudos to Noble for getting that part nailed.
The bass on the Katana universals is simply phenomenal. To me, the bass is very well detailed, punchy enough and extends fairly deep yet doesn't really bleed into the mids. This makes the bass easily the smoothest I have heard on an IEM and something that I feel you can only really get from top of the line headphones. The sub bass on the Katana is probably the best out of everything I own; it even kicks my HE-500’s ass in this department, with a very deep and rich-creamy textured sound.
As EJ said above, the Katana is the king of smooth mids. However, the mids did not sound laid back at all for me, and I found it to be very present comparatively with the rest of the frequency spectrum. When I was listening to Metal, Rock or more vocal based music like Pop or Hip-Hop, the mids never feel repressed or further away from the rest of the music. Guitars on the Katana are so hypnotizing, even electric guitars sound silky smooth to me, never getting too harsh or distorted. I would also agree with EJ that, much like its low end, the mids are very full bodied and heavily detailed as well.
When I first listened to the Katana, I thought the highs were immaculate. I thought they were the best that I would ever get out of IEMs. While they remain my favourite IEMs for highs, I have to say although they aren’t perfect; I still love them through their imperfections. The highs on the Katana have a bit of an edge to them, and are probably the most detailed out of any IEM that I have ever own or heard. However, I did have certain moments while listening to heavy metal felt the highs from the Katana had a bite to it, which I, weirdly enough, love but know that there would be people out there that wouldn’t like that. So while this might not be the smoothest treble I have heard, an honour I reserve for the UERR, the highs on the Katana are still my favourite from just about anything from the headphone world, be it IEMs or full size headphones.
If I had never been introduced to the UERR, I would have said the Noble Katana has the best details in an IEM I have ever heard. Regardless, the Katana is the most open sounding IEM I know and have some of the most expansive soundstage I have yet heard in personal audio. I do agree with EJ that the Katana provides a soundstage that creates a form of airiness around it, which gives me the same sense of realism I got from the UERR. The Katana also has a strong sense of instrument separation and layering, making the sound just that much more open.
Comparisons (EJ)
EJ:
The IEMs I used for the comparison part of this review, clockwise starting from top left: Noble Audio Katana (Custom), Empire Ear Zeus-R (Custom), JH Audio Roxanne Universal (Generation 1) and the Ultimate Ears Reference Remastered (UERR).
EJ: I used my custom Empire Ears Zeus-R, custom UERR as well as my JH Audio Roxanne Universal (Generation 1) for the comparisons.
Empire Ears Zeus-R
Empire Ears Zeus-R vs. Noble Audio Katana
EJ: In terms of their sound signature direction, the Zeus-R and the Katana are both aimed at a similar one in which it approaches the ‘reference’ type of sound, but their approach towards it is individually unique. Whereas the Zeus-R is a reference monitor with an elevated midrange within its own spectrum, Katana conforms to a more common reference monitor sound with its boosted treble, something that the Zeus-R still have but is less pronounced due to its mids. I felt that the Katana has the edge (no pun intended) over the Zeus-R in terms of delivering a smoother sound but Zeus-R is the winner in terms of bringing the details from my music, especially on the treble. On the mids, the Zeus-R, with its more forward yet luscious mids takes the bag for me in terms of a more euphonic presentation. The Katana was just a tad laidback in the mids for my taste but is smoother and more rounded, which makes the vocals be presented in an effortless manner. As for the bass, the Zeus-R will have a little more punch and impact but the Katana has the better extension and detail, probably because it was easier for me to pick them apart with less but sufficient impact, which probably tilted me towards giving the Katana the nod in this department. I feel that it’s very hard to go wrong with either choice, and since the price is rather close (for the units I have), it comes down to music you listen to that you want presented under a reference tuning. I felt that with the Katana, its smoother sound lends a better experience when listening to more classical and instrumental music, while at the same time allow it to be the one that is less fatiguing between the two. With the Zeus-R, I felt that it is perhaps more suited for the current mainstream music with its extra rumble at the bottom end and its euphonic mids, and would be the one I go to if I would like to feel my music a little more.
Ultimate Ears Reference Remastered
Ultimate Ears Reference Remastered (UERR) vs. Noble Audio Katana
EJ: When compared to the UERR, in my book a truly neutral monitor, it was made even more apparent to me that the Katana, while ‘reference’ sounding, is not completely neutral, rather it has a comparatively elevated treble presence. However, both share a smoothness that makes the sound easy on the ears, with the Katana at times being the smoother of the two. In both the treble and the bass, the Katana was more detailed and has better extension, with superior bass impact to boot. With the mids, the Katana was more resolving yet felt smoother at the same time. In fact, I felt that the Katana was overall the more resolving one, and has both the wider and deeper soundstage, but the UERR is better when the discussion is limited to purely instrument separation. For me, this fits well with the tuning in mind for both pieces, in which the Katana was tuned towards audiophiles that prefer a slight lift in the upper end while the UERR was tuned to be a mastering unit that is also capable of showing a musical presentation for consumers who are aiming for a sound that is neutral and revealing. However, something very important to consider is the price difference between the two units, with the Katana roughly doubles the price of the UERR, even before the alterations to the aesthetics of either unit is decided, which makes the UERR a major winner in the price to performance ratio bracket. In my opinion, the UERR is a highly worthy competitor, and I would definitely be satisfied to have it as my daily driver. Having said that, if the cost is not an issue, and since I do not work as a mastering or music engineer, I would lean towards getting a Katana to use as my daily driver because of its resolution and tuning that is more appealing towards my current taste.
JH Audio Roxanne (Generation 1)
JH Audio Roxanne (Generation 1) vs. Noble Audio Katana
EJ: For everyone’s reference, the bass port on my Roxanne’s are set to the minimum on both sides, which is my preferred setting for the piece. Both the Katana and the Roxannes are detailed, resolving pieces but the two does not share a similar tuning. The Katana is a more reference sounding piece while the Roxannes was tuned towards a warmer and perhaps more fun sound. With the bass, I found there was about roughly the same quantity, which says a lot about the bass coming from the Roxannes since the Katana I have are customs which would help with bass response. However, the Katana comes through with better detail and extension at the lower. In terms of the mids, both are tuned towards a smooth but resolving sound, with the Katana having the edge on both the smoothness and resolution. In comparison, the Roxannes just sound a tad bit veiled or muffled, which it does not in general. The Katana is also better at the upper end, being more crisp, more detailed and clearer than the one I found on the Roxannes. The Roxannes I found truly shine against the Katana when the soundstage and separation were compared. Even though the one I had was a universal, I found that the soundstage is just as wide and deep if not a step up from the Katana. I also felt that picking out the individual placing of instruments was pretty straightforward and on par with the Katana. For me, the Roxannes excel at presenting live music in a more realistic manner, and did well in genres that I feel pairs well with warmer sounding equipment such as rock. The Katana, being crisper with the treble and smoother on the mids, are more suitable for genres like pop, so choosing between the two really comes down to the music you favour. I shall not compare the pricing and the value of the performance of the two pieces as my Roxannes has since been obsolete and the price value is no longer valid.
Comparisons (AM)
AM: The IEMs I used for my comparisons are my Ultimate Ears Reference Remastered (UERR) and my Ultimate Ears 18 Pro (18). One thing that I do have to note is that both my UE IEMs are customs, which allows them to have a better fit on my ears, thus sealing better than the Katana.
Ultimate Ears Reference Remastered
AM: When comparing these two IEMs, the honour of which IEM I leave the house with comes down to preference and my mood. Both IEMs set out to do the same thing, in which it exerts a reference sound; however the UERR is more neutral reference sound while the Katana is more of a fun reference sound. The Katana has a sharper treble while the treble on the UERR is way more laid back. As stated in a previous review, I would rather use the Katana for most of my listening sessions as I enjoy the treble of the Katana over the treble of the UERR plus the overall presentation of the Katana which pushes the detail through as I enjoy my music. The Katana does fall short to the UERRs when it comes to details and overall neutrality, probably due to the bump I felt in its treble and bass.
Ultimate Ear 18 Pro
AM: To me, the UE18 and the Noble Katana are on two opposite sides of the audio spectrum. The UE18 is warmer in sound, and is not as detailed as the Katana. For my current taste, I felt that the Katana would definitely edge the 18 in terms of being more likely to be grabbed out of the house. As the Katana is cleaner and more detailed sounding than the 18s, this makes it more enjoyable for me. I do think that bassheads would enjoy the 18s more than the Katana as the 18s have a much stronger low end comparatively.
CONCLUSION
EJ: As more time is spent listening to the Katana, I begin to have a better understanding about the idea behind its name and how it relates to its tuning direction. Although the word ‘Katana’ does not necessarily keep in line with the general naming theme of the Noble IEMs, not like there was a real obvious trend going on in the first place, it definitely earns its name. Like the blade, the Noble Katana is built with impeccable craftsmanship and has the ability to cut through the veils of your music, producing a clean and clear finish. However, it does not ever sound ‘sharp’, where it has this buttery smoothness to its sound signature that is unmatched by the current crop of competitors, especially when compared to the reference sounding pieces. This smoothness, found across its entire sonic spectrum, paired with its amazing resolution ability, made it an IEM that is very easy to listen to but never fails to show case the details available from your music.
Ironically, like the blade in which it got its namesake, the Katana excels better in close combat, in which I feel that it performs better with music that was recorded or conveyed in a more intimate or enclosed space, but suffers slightly when the music calls for a wider and deeper soundstage, such as recordings from a live concert album played in a large stadium or arena. I would also had hoped that the mids was just brought slightly forward to make it sound a little more balanced, though how it would affect the smooth Noble house sound is beyond me. Lastly, since it’s a flagship product, it has a price tag that would probably be out of the budget for most, which would make it hard for people who appreciate the sound signature but do not have the resources necessary to fund it.
This is definitely my favourite Noble product so far, but I somehow feel that it is just the start of the new evolution for the company. As they have shown through the Katana, Noble constantly find new ways to up their game, and perhaps with their new proprietary drivers they could even bring their current line further up a notch. They have already started to improve some of their previous units with these drivers, including the K10 that was updated into the K10E and the Savant that was updated into the Sage. I wouldn’t be surprised if Noble had planned to update its entire line with these drivers in the near future. Until then, I shall patiently await the news while slashing away through my music with the Katana.
AM: The Noble Katana has become my go to IEM to take out and about with. It isolates well enough that I can use it on the bus and not have any problems with outside noise. It is also a detailed and fun sounding IEM.
Does it live up to its billing as a co-flagship alongside the K10 when it was first announced? Yes, yes it does. Even before the K10E was officially announced and released, I had guessed that the K10 would be updated just because the Katana felt like it was leagues ahead of its older compatriot. To be honest, I have yet to hear the K10E, nor the Sage, but the Katana alone has made me excited about what is to come in the future from Noble.
So is the Noble Katana a cut above the rest? Yes, the Katana is in my opinion the best IEM that Noble has in their line-up that I have heard so far, which includes everything except the two products using the new proprietary drivers is mentioned previously. The Katana has a musically neutral sound signature that just makes it the IEM I naturally gravitate to when I leave the house.