Once in awhile something special comes along in this hobby, and you usually know it right away.
During a recent visit to my local dealer
Addicted to Audio, a staff member happened to mention trying a pre-release Noble Audio earphone called Spartacus, and being floored by its' performance for a relatively modest price by high-end IEM standards.
Having never owned a Noble IEM my curiosity was piqued, but I'll admit to being skeptical the staffer's vaunted praise was warranted - we've all been impressed by an audio gadget that wowed us on first listen, only to later reveal its' flaws.
A fortnight later the chance to try Spartacus came, and it's fair to say I was immediately smitten. Bells started ringing in my ears that this was "the one" and my wallet would've let out a long, mournful sigh if it could've. Spartacus' massive bass & soundstage, coupled with a fast, incisive sound and incredibly rich vocals grabbed me by the collar from the first second.
After some friendly negotiations (that may or may not have included me begging)
Addicted to Audio generously agreed to provide a discount in exchange for the review you're now reading.
So then, the USD $1799
Noble Audio Spartacus are as visually distinctive with fibre composite faceplates as their 4x BA / 2x BCD driver config is unusual, and I was curious for that reason alone.
They utilise Sonion Bone Conduction Drivers which I'm glad to see becoming prevalent in the market, as prior to acquiring
Mest MKIII's I'd never owned a set of BCD earphones but have immediately become a fan. There's something special about BCD imaging & staging which feels almost impossible to duplicate in IEMs without them, and I noted Spartacus contain not one but two BCDs in each earpiece.
Would twin BCDs mean double the magic? With a gleam in my eyes I tore the wrapping off the box, eager to discover the answer!
Packaging
Spartacus arrive in a large, high quality foam-lined composition board box that feels suitably premium.
Upon opening the box you'll be greeted with a genuine Nanuk 903 waterproof hardcase that feels like it's been built to house delicate scientific instruments or plutonium fuel rods.
Inside you'll find an assortment of goodies - firstly a velvet drawstring pouch, a small leather carry case, warranty card, Noble emblem sticker, a pair of Noble branded elastic bands for strapping a portable amp to your DAP, a shirt clip, and four sets of eartips in three sizes.
...along with the stuff that matters: The earpieces & stock cable - a modular 8 wire silver-plated copper cable with 4.4, 3.5 & 2.5mm terminations I've since found to be extremely sonically impressive.
Ergonomics
Ergonomically Spartacus are reminiscent of previous Noble Audio IEMs - vented resin shells on the larger end of the scale, but well-sculpted to the natural shape of the human ear.
I was initially concerned size would be a problem, but having lived with them for weeks this hasn't proved to be the case. They're large, and I don't quite forget I'm wearing them as is the case with smaller hybrids, but to my ears they're not uncomfortable.
One consequence of that bulk is they're one of the best-isolating universal earphones I've worn, and the amount of background noise they can drown out on noisy trains lies close to the noise cancellation provided by second generation Airpod Pros.
The stock cable feels ergonomically appropriate being a beefy 8 wire affair, yet light enough that I wouldn't say ergonomics are a problem. Effect Audio's
Eros S feel similar in girth to this, though thankfully the Spartacus stock cable has a much lighter Y-split.
The modular plug holds in place magnetically, and has thus far given the impression of being better designed than most modular plugs on the market, only detaching unwantedly on very rare occasions.
Sound Impressions
Spartacus delivers a big, muscular sound yet provides all the audiophile niceties you demand. Let's start from the bottom.
Bass is enormously impressive given it's produced by a pair of BA drivers, with highly elevated quantity and seriously impressive texture.
At times I need to remind myself there isn't a dynamic driver in there, and although the slam & rumble can't quite measure up to the best DD-fuellled basshead IEMs, on many tracks I actually prefer Spartacus' bass output to that of
Mest MKIII for instance.
In fact at first listen it's easy to get the impression Spartacus is a bass-first IEM where the lower frequencies are prioritised with north-of-neutral quantity, but the more you listen the more you'll marvel at how little has been sacrificed from the rest of the frequency spectrum to achieve this.
Bass is clean in the sense it does not bleed into the midrange, and despite possessing superb texture by BA standards is incredibly responsive so Spartacus will effortlessly keep up with fast-paced music.
Moving to the middle, Spartacus' midrange has a huge amount of presence and warmth with tremendous resolution worthy of a flagship IEM. Vocals are positioned aggressively forward with impressive note weight, and instruments in general are rendered very large.
Combined with the voluminous bass output, this helps create a bold, brash sound that's loaded with excitement. The downside is if you happen to find forward vocals fatiguing, but for my taste they provide a massive sense of engagement.
Spartacus' lower treble is very prominent, aided by its' silver-plated copper stock cable, so if you're into electronic or classical music like me you won't find Spartacus too dark to do such genres justice.
Having said that, upper treble can at times feel slightly restrained, and though I'm reluctant to label Spartacus' treble a weakness it's definitely an area where some more expensive IEMs are able to render violins with greater delicacy - most commonly those with EST drivers.
Technical Performance
The first thing I notice about Spartacus is the impressive width of their soundstage. It isn't the absolute widest I've ever heard (
Elysian Annihilator earns that trophy) it isn't far off, and is a standout attribute.
Stage depth isn't as impressive - slightly above average without being exceptional, though not so shallow as to present itself as a weakness. Actually Spartacus' stage dimensions are somewhat unusual in that it feels like I'm 'looking down' on the stage from slightly above more than normal.
Spartacus' dynamics are nothing short of superb, and greatly contribute to their excitement. Dynamics go a long way towards enhancing my musical enjoyment (a reason I advocate for portable amplifiers which boost this area) and those awesome dynamics help generate Spartacus' bold presentation.
Imaging is very solid without jumping out as special, likely Spartacus' more restrained upper treble is the reason this isn't a greater strength. The addition of EST drivers would've helped, and though I do not hear Spartacus' imaging as deficient it isn't spectacular enough that I'd pick them up purely for the joy of how they render pinpoint instruments in space. Similarly, though their background is acceptably black I wouldn't say its' quite as dark as class-leading IEMs in this area.
Finally, deserving special mention is Spartacus' tremendous speed. Without a dynamic driver to slow things down they're blisteringly quick at rendering complex musical passages cleanly with instruments remaining distinct, yet still delivering a brash & bold presentation with gobs of deep bass.
IEM Comparisons
I compared Spartacus with a number of IEMs at hand using the
Hiby R6 Pro II I recently reviewed, with Spartacus requiring a volume level of 21 in hi-gain, AB mode.
ISN EST50 (USD $449)
The EST50s are slightly smaller and stick out a bit less. I also find their shells are narrower in the areas near the nozzle that makes contact with my ear so they don’t fit as snugly as Spartacus, which makes them slightly more comfortable but they don’t seal as strongly. Requiring 19 volume on the R6P2 they're similarly easy to drive.
It's immediately obvious the EST50s' DD-fuelled bass is much slower than that of Spartacus and struggles to keep up with fast paced music, but the EST50s' bass does boast more satisfying slam & texture. However the EST50s sound more congested with a soundstage that's both narrower & shallower. They're also darker, with a warmer, lower-resolution presentation that can get a little boomy at times.
Like Spartacus the EST50s are a bass-first IEM, but it feels like so many other aspects of their presentation have been sacrificed to achieve this whereas Spartacus is feels far more open, resolving and refined despite bass quantity being fairly similar.
Penon Turbo (USD $549)
The Turbos are much smaller, lighter & far more comfortable than Spartacus but don't isolate nearly as well thanks to less bulk blocking the ear opening. Requiring 25 volume on the R6P2 they're slightly harder to drive.
The Turbos' are more midbass-emphasised and their bass texture isn't as impressive, feeling a little mushier than that of Spartacus. Turbos' midrange is positioned further back and their overall tonality is more polite than Spartacus' who's midrange is much richer and more forward, but can feel more aggressive as a result. The Turbos are also tuned darker, which is perhaps responsible for their imaging being less defined.
Spartacus definitely have a blacker background with superior dynamics & better note weight, and although they're more resolving the resolution gap isn't massive. Spartacus' soundstage is also wider, and I find their tonality a lot more musical & engaging whereas the Turbos come across as a little more tonally "hi-fi" & artificial.
Unique Melody Mest MKIII (USD $1899)
MEST MKIII is about the same size as Spartacus but a little thinner in the section that makes contact with my ear so they're slightly more comfortable but don't isolate as effectively. It must be said the MKIII stock cable has some of the worst ergonomics of any cable I've tried, being especially stiff below the Y-split. Requiring 23 volume on the R6P2 MEST is similarly easy to drive.
MEST MKIII's dynamic driver is much faster than the EST50s' so there isn't the issue of it struggling to keep up, but bass quantity is definitely lower with much less sub bass presence in particular than Spartacus, though MEST's DD bass texture is slightly superior but Spartacus comes awfully close.
MEST's presentation is quite v-shaped and its' weakness is its' midrange, with a cooler tonality that feels fairly thin & emotionally unengaging as opposed to Spartacus' midrange being warmer and much more forward with instruments that sound larger. When it comes to treble the tables are turned, with MEST's much higher quality treble (particularly upper treble) exposing Spartacus' shortcoming in this area.
MEST's stage is deeper with a blacker background but Spartacus' is wider, and though resolution between them is similar it feels like MEST is resolving slightly more detail simply by pushing more treble at me. MEST's imaging does feel marginally more precise, though both IEMs appear to utilise their BCDs really well and I wonder if MEST's slightly higher technical performance is the result of being tuned to prioritise technicality over tonality.
More IEM Comparisons
I also compared Spartacus with IEMs at
Addicted to Audio in Melbourne, and again the
Hiby R6 Pro II was used with Spartacus requiring a volume level of 21 in hi-gain, AB mode. These impressions are more abstract in light of the difficulty of picking up subtle nuances in a noisier environment.
Thieaudio Monarch MKIII (USD $999)
Similarly sized to Spartacus, the Monarch MKIIIs require a volume of 30 on the R6P2 so they're more difficult to drive.
The MKIIIs have less bass quantity than Spartacus with midbass emphasised over sub bass, and overall sound more refined with a smoother presentation that's less warm & visceral than Spartacus. The MKIII's maintain much of the Monarch MKII's flat tonality that's very neutral & uncoloured, but thankfully they are a little more lively this time around.
The soundstage of both IEMs is similarly wide but Spartacus' stage is deeeper, and Spartacus also comes across as brighter with a more forward & aggressively-tuned midrange. Spartacus is perhaps a touch more resolving but the MKIII competes well in this area given its' more modest price.
64 Audio U12T (USD $1799)
The U12T's shells are far smaller but much less sculpted to fit one's ear geometry, and thanks to their metal construction they're about as heavy as Spartacus. Requiring a volume of 31 from the R6P2's more underpowered 3.5mm jack the U12Ts are similarly easy to drive.
U12T bass quantity is far lower and their bass texture is not as satisfying either, so this feels like an area where Spartacus is considerably more capable. The U12T have a smoother, more neutral presentation and their midrange feels less aggressive & better balanced than Spartacus', however their treble is also more muted which perhaps contributes to accusations of a "boring" tonality some reviews have thrown at them.
Spartacus' stage is deeper and slightly wider, though both IEMs feel similarly resolving. To me the U12Ts stand up really well even in today's market, and I find them more engaging than say the Monarch MKIIIs which perhaps try to emulate a similar sound, but having said direct comparisons to Spartacus definitely have them showing their age.
Fir Audio RN6 (USD $3299)
Much like the U12Ts, the RNs' shells are much smaller than Spartacus but less sculpted to one's ears. Requiring 23 volume on the RN6 they're about as easy to drive.
The RN6's feature considerably less bass quantity than Spartacus but their bass quality is excellent. They're fairly midrange-emphasised, and I notice more upper midrange bias on the RN6s whereas Spartacus has a more bodied midrange stemming from its' lower midrange boost. RN6 has a more polite, smoother tonality and is impressively well-balanced overall, with more lower treble present.
RN6's stage is slightly deeper but not quite as wide, though they aren't as dynamic as Spartacus which I find more exciting as a result of their tuning, though RN6 is probably the safer choice for most people.
Noble Audio Ronin (USD $3900)
Ronin are physically much larger than Spartacus and stick out a proverbial mile, and though I don't find them uncomfortable they surprisingly don't isolate quite as well as Spartacus. Requiring 23 on the R6P2 they're similarly easy to drive.
Ronin's bass quantity is considerably lower than Spartacus' and is textually a little mushier. Reminiscent of the RN6, Ronin are quite midrange-centric with one of the most spectacularly beautiful midranges I've heard, reminiscent of the
Penon Impacts. Treble is less accentuated on Ronin, and despite feeling much more refined than Spartacus I can hear Noble's house sound coming through in both.
Ronin's stage is about as wide but deeper than Spartacus', and both IEMs are similarly dynamic & resolving. Spartacus comes across as more v-shaped and exciting which is a tuning I prefer, but Ronin may prove less fatiguing during long listening sessions.
Amplification Performance
I recently received a
Mass Kobo 475 portable headphone amplifier and have been keen to learn how Spartacus scales with beefier amplification. Having previously owned the
Aroma A100TB, ALO Audio Continental Dual Mono and demoed the
Cayin C9 &
Brise Audio Tsuranagi, I rate the 475 as simply the best portable amp money can buy. It's fully balanced with 4.4mm input & output, and delivers 2.3V RMS from its’ balanced jack.
To make the test more interesting I paired the 475 with the
Cayin N8ii, which already possesses one of the most impressive built-in amplifiers of any DAP on the market, and compared Spartacus' performance from the N8ii/475 combo to the N8ii on it's own, set to hi-gain, solid state mode with P+ enabled.
The 475 has a v-shaped tonality, so as expected it transforms Spartacus' bass to feel much larger & more impactful, though I do feel it shift slightly towards a midbass rather than sub bass emphasis. Spartacus' midrange doesn't seem to be altered significantly, but treble is definitely more prominent now which is problematic given Spartacus already leaned towards brightness.
Improvements to technical performance are hugely substantial, which is where 475 comes into its own - Spartacus' soundstage grows in both width and depth, resolution goes up dramatically with tiny nuances rendered more effortlessly, note weight increases, imaging is more precise, dynamics improve, and control during busy passages increases which helps instruments remain distinct when many are playing at once. Many of these are existing Spartacus strengths that are made even stronger.
Admittedly the N8ii isn't the best tonal pairing given it's already quite bright which 475 only accentuates, so a warmer source is recommended if you choose to pair a 475 amp with Spartacus. However the experiment proves Spartacus' driver configuration (lacking dynamic or EST drivers) absolutely does not prevent it scaling massively with better amplification.
Cable Comparisons
Despite being extremely impressed with Spartacus' stock cable I couldn't resist testing how they paired with others in my collection.
Penon Obsidian (USD $149)
In my
recent review of the Obsidian I talked about how this novel modular cable can be sonically tweaked by swapping plugs made from different materials.
With the Purple Copper plug in place the Obsidian creates a warmer sound, with a slightly narrower & flatter stage though imaging does not feel less precise. Bass impact is lower, though tonality has improved as treble feels more restrained than on the stock cable without any perceptive loss of detail.
Swapping to the Rhodium plug this feels closer to stock with added treble presence, now the stage feels slightly wider, sub bass has a bit more impact and background blackness has improved. Rhodium is my preferred plug for Spartacus though I still like the stock cable pairing better.
NiceHCK AceOrpheus (USD $260)
NiceHCK's cheeky branding aside, I'm saddened to report this cable does
not match PW Audio's
Orpheus at 4% of the price.
AceOrpheus is an interesting cable which almost has a way of slowing down Spartacus' bass to make it feel more analogue, yet bass is definitely more impactful on the stock cable. AceOrpheus feels quite diffuse with vaguer imaging and comes across as a bit wooly, yet it does project a deeper & taller stage that can even make instruments feel larger, although treble is definitely muted.
Everything seems to tighten up going back to the stock cable which also boasts a blacker background, but AceOrpheus does create a sense of scale that's quite unique for such a modestly priced cable - I just wish it weren't so deficient in other areas.
Hakugei Sky-bolt (USD $884)
The Sky-bolt has been my go-to cable for enhancing IEM technical performance for some time now, so my expectations for this pairing were high.
Sky-bolt makes bass actually feel less impactful than on the stock cable, though treble feels more prominent and resolution may correspondingly be slightly higher. Dynamics are less impressive, and although the stage is deeper it doesn't seem much wider, though Sky-bolt does provide the feeling of being seated further back from the performers.
This pairing is disappointing given the dramatic improvement Sky-bolt has made to many other IEMs, but that says something about the impressive technical performance of Spartacus' stock cable.
PW Audio 1950s clone (USD $2149)
My DIY Cardas Clear clone of PWA's 1950s cable is probably the best all-round cable in my collection, so I was very excited to try it with Spartacus.
Cardas Clear's bass is slightly less impactful than the stock cable's and overall bass feels more tightly integrated into the rest of the presentation, with a smoother tonality that's a bit more polite. High frequencies aren't as sharp & potentially fatiguing as they are on the stock cable either, yet resolution is actually slightly higher on the Cardas Clear - perhaps aided by its' blacker background.
The stock cable's stage is actually slightly wider and although Cardas Clear's is deeper, it really doesn't feel as though the 1950s clone has brought technical performance to a higher level across the board. I do find the 1950s clone less fatiguing, but find the more v-shaped sound of the stock cable more exciting, rendering this cable pairing less successful than its' been with other IEMs.
Conclusion
It's tough to be objective in a hobby as subjective as ours, and even harder when you fall madly in love.
Yes, I'm in love. I want to have
Spartacus' babies even if that involves growing ovaries.
To my ears they offer the perfect mix of massive bass, incredible resolution, enormous soundstage and a midrange to die for. Most of all though, they're fun. They're bombastic, groovy and in-your-face in a way that earphones with great technical chops generally aren't. They're not trying to be "accurate" or authentic to whatever the artist supposedly intended, they just want you to have a really good time.
It's entirely possible you may not like Spartacus as much as I do. You may insist on your IEMs containing a dynamic driver, or you may find Spartacus a bit too aggressive and prefer something more laidback. There's no way to know except by trying them, and I strongly encourage you to do so.
These are by far my favourite Noble IEMs so far, and I'd love to see them tune more earphones similarly in future. Thanks to
Addicted to Audio for making this review possible!