[Xinlisupreme]

I think i'll go with Halcyon... can't wait till November 2020

 

[Xinlisupreme]

@holsen have you compared Noble M3 with IMR R1 zenith? i own R1 Zenith and i'm waiting RAH, but i'd like to listen also Noble and Campfire products

 

[holsen]

@holsen have you compared Noble M3 with IMR R1 zenith? i own R1 Zenith and i'm waiting RAH, but i'd like to listen also Noble and Campfire products

I had the Zenith but it wasnt my taste so I sold it on and never had the chance to run the Zenith and M3 back to back but for me the treble of the Zenith was too metallic and I never found a natural timbre in horns and strings or even vocals for that matter ..... although I loved the bass reproduction of them. As for me I love a full rich fun sound and no matter what I'm listening to or what IEM I'm listening with, I tend to take the bass up 2 to 3 db and even down to 0 or even -5 at 1K then scale up again boosting the treble. I'm going to give you kind of a long answer here without trying to write a review. The goal to help you understand my musical preference so that you understand what's attracted me to the M3.
When I got the relatively budget Tin P1s my mind opened to the possibilities of Planar in an IEM. I've got a lovely pair of Clements Audio RB 8.0 MkII speakers with unbelievably preceise, crisp and detailed ribbon tweeters in them and they blow me a way everytime I listen to them (25 years now). I'll never sell them! They're full, rich, deep, clean, clear, detailed I could go on and one with these non audiophile descriptors. I've got a friend who's a grammy winning recording artist, producer and sound engineer who also does film scores .... he was over on Sunday and I fired them up, put him right in the middle of the sound stage and he was blown away. He says I wonder if I could mix with these things, so I turned off the EQ and and he was stunned at how good they are, then we boosted the Eq back and and all the Fun came back in them and we both sat there grinning as the tasteful unobtrusive bass penetrated our bodies with the mids rising out of that and the treble floating all around it, crisp, clean, sparlky reaching to the moon with no sibilance. That's what I'm after - exactly what I get from these speakers - in an IEM.

So having said all of that, the P1s showed me that Planar is possible in an IEM BUT it was lacking in the low end - I still love them, and I'll never sell them (the bass does develop over time but it'll never reach low like the Zeniths, Atens or RAHs)
I ordered the RAH because of the my experience with the Zenith on the low end, my experience with the P1 in the mids and highs, and all of the praise heaped upon the Aten. But there's a wait time. So in my quest to find small form speakers I can stick in my ears, I bought the oBravo Cupids, I liked them but I never loved them. They go nice and low, and yes they graph well but in listening with any tip, the treble was muted, maybe recessed is a better word - it's hard to describe - it's like its all there but, there's something in the way - so for example when listening to Diana Krall on anything but the Cupids I can hear her breath, the smack of her lips, the gentle caress of brushes against the drum kit. Or with Bob Marley's Three Little Birds, for example, the Cymbal strikes, just float above everything up in the corners, but clean clear and apparent. With the P1s, Xelentos, IE800s - that's what I get, with the Cupids, it's there, but it's a little hidden like I have to strain my ear to pull it out .....

So, now to the M3, I got a chance to audition them a little over a month ago and at the time I had the Cupids in my pocket. At that point I still like the Cupids, was aware of their shortcomings, but generally happy - the bass is good, they travel well and have a form factor similar to shure - I plugged this M3s into my ears and was litterally stunned by how good the bass response was, low, deep, refined, controlled but OMG the treble was the crispest most sparkly thing I ever heard and I was immediately in love with them., I put the cupids in my ear and went back and forth between them for close to half and hour. When I was done, I stuck the cupids back in their box and never listened to them again - just sold them on Sunday.

In answer to your question, I have not been able to compare the M3 to Zenith except from distant memory and my recollection of the M3 is also from memory as my units have not yet arrived, but they did leave a stong impression on me. In the meantime, I've read what few reveiws there are about them and my sentiments seem to be validated, with the majority saying they lack in the mids, I dont know, I was so taken by the lows and the highs, that perhaps I didnt spend anytime paying attention the mids in my short time with them - but I remember that with everything I listened to, I greatly preferred the M3s over the Cupids. I also know that I sold, the Shures (535, 846,) the cupids and the Zeniths

Now, this is the IMR thread and I just finished gushing over the M3s - I'm excited about whats coming in the RAH and I really believe that Bob will have a slam dunk with them. I travel alot and spend considerable time in the air. So form factor when travelling is important to me (sleeping on long haul flights) If the the RAHS are everything I expect them to be - I see using them at home, running around the city and having fun with them. The M3s for up in the air. Let's see. Maybe once I have the M3s and play with them for a couple of weeks, they'll be on the Buy Sell forum as well but I dont think so - the impression left was strong. I've always got the Xelentos to fall back on as my travel buddies - I'm perfectly happy with them.

I hope this helps you in some way and the rest of you dont feel that I rambled far too much.

 

[Skullar]

I think i'll go with Halcyon... can't wait till November 2020

I am delinately shaving my wallet off on Semper. The only thing that could change my mind would be if they are fully open back as i commute in london.

Also i am hoping that Semper would not be very dap picky as i definately wont go heavier then my wm1a. And high end daps tend to be fat and not portable. ( lookiing at you wm1z)

 

[Xinlisupreme]

@holsen thank you very much for you amazing answer!!!
I’d like listen M3 now , but before I’ll wait RAH burn-in.
Have you seen what Bob will do next year?
R3 Halcyon will be very interesting but R3 Semper maybe will be definitely my cup of tea!

Please when you’ll burn M3 and RAH, share your impressions

 

[Xinlisupreme]

@Skullar i think R3 halcyon would be 102-104db but dunno R3 Semper if will be easier to drive.
RAH is 103db

 

[Skullar]

@Skullar i think R3 halcyon would be 102-104db but dunno R3 Semper if will be easier to drive.
RAH is 103db

I wonder what impedance they will have.

 

[Xinlisupreme]

Less than 32ohm, maybe 25ohm?!?

 

[davescleveland]

Remember when Bob said, the Tah is the absolute best I can do with the technology that’s out there. Rigggght.

 

[holsen]

@holsen thank you very much for you amazing answer!!!

Please when you’ll burn M3 and RAH, share your impressions

You're welcome, it's a pleasure.... and I will
And I too will start saving for an R3~ glad that the Pre-order isn't UNTIL Sept. I had a big quarter and were not even into Christmas yet.

 

[jsmiller58]

Remember when Bob said, the Tah is the absolute best I can do with the technology that’s out there. Rigggght.

Sooooo... You happy that he CAN do more, or unhappy that he CAN do more?

Have you ever said you'd done your best, only to find even better in you?

 

[holsen]

And new or obscure technologies are always coming into the fore.. estat, magnetostatic and suddenly possibilities become viable

 

[Jawis]

Remember when Bob said, the Tah is the absolute best I can do with the technology that’s out there. Rigggght.

Indeed some new tech stuff has come out since that comment.
I just ordered a product using low powered electrostats that has intrigued me.
Still looking forward to the Rah, but also quite excited with the new products coming our way.

 

[Skullar]

With these electrostat hybrids IMR is going almost tow to tow with whales of industry like Empire Ears, except for a fraction of price.

To be honest, R3 line up for me is 2 birds in 1 shot;
1. I thought that electrostat is not worth the price, at least for my needs.
2. I would never trust my iem Bass to anything but dynamic driver.(well i heard that magnetostatic subwoofer are similar to DD but never heard iem using it)

So Semper and Halcyon solved that for me lol.

 

[Infoseeker]

The Shuoer Tape shows the electrostatic can do a lot of the range, without a need for hybrids. Maybe the bass can be argued.

Halcyon may seem cheaper, but it probably will do the best.

Semper is probably trying too much that is unneeded.