Noble Audio Kublai Khan

Introduction:

I had been eagerly waiting for the opportunity to audition the Noble Audio lineup, particularly the Sultan, Kublai Khan, and Ragnar models. Fortunately, a couple of friends within the audiophile community recently acquired the Kublai Khan. They kindly allowed me to borrow one of the units for a few weeks, and this review is based on my experience with the Kublai Khan during that time.

Nobel's commitment to providing a fantastic unboxing experience for users is truly admirable. The Kublai Khan, in particular, impresses with its generous packaging, including a sizable box, a good selection of eartips, and a convenient small pouch. This thoughtful approach reflects the brand's attention to detail and consideration for their customers. In contrast, brands like 64Audio, such as the Fourte, do not invest as much in the packaging, potentially missing an opportunity to enhance the overall user experience. I was very very dissapointed when I unboxed my Fourte. It has nothing useful inside the box other than the iem.





Build:

Noble Audio is renowned for its commitment to crafting exceptional in-ear monitors (IEMs) with top-notch build quality. They go to great lengths to ensure their IEMs are built to the highest standards, resulting in a product that exceeds expectations. Kublai Khan is no exception. Its ergonomic shape ensures a snug fit, while its sturdy construction guarantees long-lasting performance. KK features a sleek and modern design, highlighted by a 3D printed resin shell and an acrylic acetate faceplate adorned with the stylish logo. Even if it looks a bit big in size but has no fit issues at all. It needs a good fitting tip to get the best sound output and comfortable long listening. I am using Azla SednaEarfit Light (S).

The cable accompanying the Kublai IEMs is of decent quality, offering good performance and durability. When compared to the cheap-looking and flimsy cables often found with other IEMs, such as the 64Audio Fourte or Aroma Audio Jewel, Noble Audio's cables consistently stand out for their superior standards. Users will not find themselves itching to replace the cable as soon as they start using it. I am not sure if I have ever heard a single song on Fourte’s cable; I remember ordering a cable even before I bought Fourte.

Sound quality:

Thanks to the sophisticated driver configuration, Kublai Khan has very clean, precise, controlled, and fast sound reproduction. Overall, it is very musical and delicious sounding iem. The soundstage is quite wide on the Kublai, and it has even better imaging. it produce precise and detailed sound reproduction while excelling in transparency and resolution.

To me, it is an i-will-do-it-all iem. In simple terms, KK is an iem that makes every genre sound good. You enjoy metal, rock, jazz, and acoustic music equally on these IEMs. This is what they call an effortless sounding iem and an all-rounder. No wonder it has instantly become a favorite iem for many people.

Highs:

The inclusion of a piezoelectric super tweeter enhances the treble response, providing excellent clarity and extension in the high frequencies. While the highs are well-controlled and well-extended, sometimes it may be bit bright for some. However, with a good cable, the brightness can be easily tamed. I tried the KK on PWAudio 1950s cable, and the extra brightness was almost negligible. With the other cable, Effect Audio Eros S and the stock cable, there is some brightness, which sometimes may be a bit more for a few folks. Also, with some chains, the treble can be very sharp (ex: on my Earmen Angel). KK needs the warmth and love of a warm source, and it shines like a star.

Mids:

Good and detailed mids give this IEM great musicality. The mids are not too forward or too back—just where you want them to be. The midrange frequencies are nearly perfect, presented with more emphasis on the lower mids without eating up the upper mids. Vocals sound immersive and maintain a great body and weight. There is a great level of clarity, and instrument separation is so good that it makes the mids shine a lot.

Lows:

Lower ends in the KK are not about powerful slams, punches, and booms, they're rather about quick, fast, and precise attack. I think it’s one of the most loved aspects of this IEM, and this is the kind of mature low end a lot of people look for. The bass is not as impactful as bassheads would like, but it’s just enough not to turn your head away.



Comparisons:

64Audio U12t:

Kublai is definitely more musical compared to the more laid-back characteristics of the U12t. The Kublai Khan offers clearer, snappier, and sharper sound production while On the other hand, the U12t has a slightly more relaxed approach. The low ends in KK are better produced, which is obviously because of BCD. The U12t's all BA drivers do not produce that precise bass, although it's not something I find lacking in the U12t. Both IEMs can complement each other, and the user can put them to use based on different moods. In terms of soundstage, both IEMs are on par with each other, providing a similar sense of spatial positioning and imaging, but I would still say Kublai may be a bit better here.

FiR Audio Radon 6:

I think these are just two different IEMs, and the price difference is also considerable—nearly 600–700 dollars. Radon 6 has amazing bass and sub-bass, something that is quite distinct, and I am sure not a lot of IEMs can beat it in this department. So in the lower frequencies, RN6 is the clear winner and may be the reigning king of all IEMs. But KK is definitely more musical, and the other frequencies (mids and highs) are done better on KK. In terms of soundstage and resolution, I would say RN6 has the upper hand. Also, It’s worth mentioning that Radon has a small shell and an excellent fit, and those who find KK’s shells big can certainly find RN6's fitting awesome. RN6’s build Quality is also too good.


Noble Audio Sultan:

I find it surprising that many people do not find the Sultan IEM impressive, as I personally had a great experience with it. I can acknowledge that the Sultan has a warm and dense sound signature, which may not appeal to everyone who prefers a cleaner sound like the Kublai Khan offers. The Sultan's denser and more intimate sound lacks the openness and airiness that the Kublai Khan provides. That being said, I still consider the Sultan to be a highly capable IEM, but I do recognize that the Kublai Khan is a more refined and better-tuned option.

Conclusion:

1. The Kublai Khan is an all-rounder and can handle all types of music equally well. It will ask you to explore genres.
   • Awesome slams and precise bass make EDM numbers sound awesome.
   • Good vocals and midrange make listening to acoustics a great experience.
   • The energy of KK makes Metal sound really enjoyable - without the fatigue part.
   • The airiness, big stage, and controlled treble make Jazz songs shine a lot.
2. It's easily one of the best IEMs in its price range. One should look no further than this.

Noble's Kublai has garnered significant attention within the audiophile community. It appears that Noble has dedicated substantial effort to the tuning of the Kublai, resulting in an IEM that offers versatility and excels across various genres and listening preferences. It's highly recommended.

I want to preface this review saying that this is my first time reviewing on this website Hello to the fine folk at Head-Fi



Now to the actual review,

The Source of Information:
I'm reviewing these sadly only on a Lotow Paw S2, as I don't have an adapter for my desktop amplifier as of writing this.

Just the Tips:
I tried these on a selection of tips:

• stock silicon / foam
  The stock tips sadly didn't work for my ears and constantly had a broken seal during travels, so those were an instant no-go.
• Beyerdynamic Xelento
  The Beyer's were my favorite, as they had a similar tonality as the stock tips but the seal, even in extreme stress tests (running, cycling and hiking), held up well. (therefore all impressions are done on these tips)
• Symbio W hybrid
  The Symbio W's had a fantastic seal, but they definitely change up the tonality in a lot of negative ways with these IEMs
• Final Audio Type E
  The Final Audio Type E also worked well on my ears, but are a very tight fit around the nozzle and definitely give the tonal presentation a U-shape.

But what about the actual Wiggly Air?
I'm gonna try and only talk about a handful of tracks that I specifically note as being outstanding on this IEM and then a few where I found their small weaknesses to definitely show through the faint but existing cracks.

"Human After All / Together / One More Time / Music Sounds Better with You" - Daft Punk from the "Alive 2007" live recorded concert.
am absolutely flabberghasted how good these IEMs sound with live recordings. From the bass that could genuinly come from actual subwoofers on a stage, to the whistling and excitement from the crowd, to the actual music. These really sell the atmosphere of a live performance in a way I've not experienced before on IEMs.

"DJ got us falling in love" - Usher
MAN, what an experience it's been to revisit this classic from 2010. The NKK absolutely have no problem juggling all the different elements in this track, from the thumpy bassline, to all the large and small synths playing in the foreground and background and ofc the excellent vocals from Mr Usher himself and his accomplice for this track Pitbull.

"Free Bird" - Lynyrd Skynyrd
This is the first track where I have to give some criticism to these overall wonderful IEMs.
While these sound fantastic with the electronic guitars, vocals and drumset, that are all beautifully seperated, the acoustic guitars in this track tend to sound a bit "stringy". The body that the hollow chamber inside the acoustic guitar should normally offer just doesn't sound quite full enough to get all the enjoyment out of it. Luckily the guitar solo you actually come for with this track sounds absolutely excellent on the NKK, so I don't feel like calling this issue a dealbreaker here for me personally.

"Heartbreaker" - Pat Benatar
A fantastic track by one of my favorite rocker broads. I love almost everything about this track on the NKK, the drumset has all the kick and excitement to fill out the background of the track, the 2 e-guitars round out the track with some real meat on the acoustic front and who'd forget the heart of the track, which being the singer Pat Benatar herself.

"Traum" - Cro
This one goes out to my german folk. The vocal presentation of this song excellent and the background elements fit neatly into the stage without much struggle to seperate them all. The Saxophone and keyboard especially are real standouts for this track.

"Get Through" - Fox Stevenson
Wow, this british man really knows how to make exciting EDM tracks doesn't he? Luckily the NKK also are a stellar performer on this track. Here the bone conduction subwoofer + DD combo can really shine and offer a you a glimpse of what the NKK is really capable of. Effortless interweaving of the heavy bassline with the rest of the track.

"As the World Caves In" - Matt Maltese
Ouh man, if you want vocals on the NKK that will melt your heart away, this is the track to do it. It's an effortless symbiosis between the piano and main vocalist.

"The Choice" - Gustavo Santaolalla
Finally a track I can complain about again xD It's honestly not easy to find tracks on these that are mid, not even talking outright bad. But this is a very emotional piece for me and it's definitely missing Mr. Santaolalla's very fine fingerstrokes on the guitar strings due to them getting masked by the rest of the presentation (which does sound fantastic)... but it does rob a bit of the magic on this track for me.

"Deutschland" and "Zeit" - Rammstein
While aware of the controversy lately around Mr. Lindemann, I will choose to ignore it for this review.
Rammstein on these IEMs is so good, I'm almost convinced these were made specifically for their music.
The drumset has substantial amounts of meat, yet clarity and punch. The e-guitars sound incredibly full and make me headbang everytime. The vocals round out the presentation with perfect placement and clarity as well.

Now the Conclusion:
Even with the not very substantial Lotoo Paw S2, the NKK manage to absolutely blow my socks off in certain tracks and never really had a moment for me in my personal collection, where I really had to make weird faces listening to music on these and skip straight to the next track.
Everything that is energetic, the NKK will have no issue presenting these tracks in their fullest potential.
For fans of EDM, rock, metal and swing, I do believe these are an excellent pairing for your daily life.

If you have any critique of my review, I'm always welcoming of constructive criticism and tips to improve myself and my writing.

The Noble Kublai Khan, a masterpiece in resolution. Easily the most resolving, exciting and powerful sound I've ever heard, but that's easy, until now I've mostly only listened to True Wireless Earbuds and a few cheapo over-ears.

There's not a lot that hasn't already been said so I today we be different. Today we are going to solely review the sound of these devilish dragon beasts against songs I had no interest in ever hearing again.

Can they make some of the objectively most despised songs sound acceptable? Nice? Enjoyable even?

Let's find out.

~
And start with a track that epitomized my final year of high school parties. A song that I never wanted to hear then and a song I don't want to hear now.

Bombs Away - Super Soaker: God I hate this song. The Kublai Khan brings the kick drum of my 2011 pool party anthem in with punch and strong placement. It's sharp, fast, not particularly deep but punchy. The bass lines and lower mid notes are more resolute than they deserve to be. Vocals come in even clearer and more upfront, which is truly unfortunate, this turd doesn't shine and every little accent and inclination of the Bombs away vocalist makes me feel dirtier than an 18 year old on their 3rd day of a pool party in the same pool with the same people.

Verdict: I can only hear more of what I don't like. There's nothing the KK brings out that a $30 Bluetooth speaker Couldn't.

Island Boys - I'm an Island Boy: Can anything save this song? can the Kublai Khan ride into Tiktok town and set straight what needs to be set straight? Can the bass be tamed, can the vocals achieve a pass? No. No not even the Kublai Khan can save this track. The guitar strong-sliding at the beginning of the track gives me a moment of hope, clear, crisp and realistic, but the bass of this track can't be saved, muddy, blown out and in all ways horrible, at a moment like this I find myself wishing for no dynamic driver and no BCD.

The vocals? Surprisingly there is a decent amount of emotion in Flysoulja's voice, I don't know if you're meant to be able to hear the pain behind this Island Boiz voice, but with the KK you can hear it.

Verdict: The Kublai Khan took one look at this track and ran the other way, despite the might of the Khan, this track can not be saved. I'm still not an Island boy.

Justin Bieber - Baby: The song that started it all. You hear a lot about iem's excelling at female vocals or male vocals. but what about male vocals that sound like female vocals?

What are we doing here guys? Teasing teenage boys? From the first chirp, first beat and first chord you know why this song created what it did.

The beat hits with depth and fullness never encroaching into Biebers mids which also might be highs. percussion in the background taps along, backing vocals are positioned perfectly and when Luda comes along and spits his verse right into your right in the ears.

The BCD comes alive in this track and you know ya boi Ludacris knows how to add some sub-bass to a track.

Verdict: Obviously the best produced of the tracks here and the KK shows it. Positioning, resolution and details (including a cymbal crash at the end that rolls off into the distance) are all enough for me change my opinion of this track and this little superstar.

Basshunter - Dota: I had high hopes for this one but some tracks are simply made for cheap speakers and first gen apple earbuds. Vocals don't all of a sudden shine and pop the kick drum sounds like a slowed down hard style beat and while they are wide they aren't incredibly deep. No sound has a particularly impressive resonance left lingering in the air and perhaps the most impressive part is the Swedish mum at the start with her foot steps, door opening and Swedish words. I felt like turning my computer screen off and jumping into bed like a 12 year old past his bedtime.

Verdict: Despite the desire to open up Steam for a few rounds (12 hours) of Dota, this track doesn't get much else pumping.

Crazy Frog - Axel F: Ah a classic. A truly horrible nightmare of ringtones and 2005. I could have picked 'Tricky' but to display my impartial fairness I will admit I actually like that song. But the image of a fully grown man making motorbike rev charades in the middle of the street to the Axel F ringtone is burnt into my mind.

The frogs mouth sounds and melody start out of the head quite a distance from the ears. As the brain adjusts the "Bem Bems" move to the front of the skull which is the part of my head I wouldn't mind smashing against a marbled table. The kick isn't as deep or vibrating as you might hope, it could have added a depth to the vacuous-empty-soulless-CGI-foreshadowing of the future world we were building. . . But there is also a naivety, a sense of fun and honestly no matter how many cracks I put in this fine Italian Calcutta Marble I still tap my toe.

Verdict: The Kublai Khan resolves the unresolvable and reminds me of a simpler time. I'm not happy about it, but it works. The feeling is....Tricky.

~

After thoughts

The Noble Kublai Khan is a piece of art. It's the one musical device I have that makes it impossible to focus on any task other than the music. These are for deep listening and yes, I do feel like I've tainted them with some of the above tracks. But the Kublai Khan can handle it and has changed my mind about a lot of music.

First of all, I didn't realise artists and producers even put that much sound into their tracks. I wonder who it's for? Since the plethora of producers promoting Raycon and Beats is endless. Do they even know how much sound they put into music?

They've also helped me appreciate vocalists I never liked before. I was originally going to put Ariana Grande into this review, but when I listened to her through the KK for the first time I couldn't believe I had such little respect for her voice. I listen almost exclusively to psytrance, goatrance, psybreaks and psybass so that wasn't easy to admit. And she is just the tip of the iceberg as to what a female vocalist can do.

Anyway, this is just a short review, there are plenty of other people here giving it the praise it deserves, hope you enjoyed and see you next time when I test the Viking Ragnar against Paris Hiltons sophomore 2006 album Paris