Massdrop x Noble X Universal IEMs Review / Preview
Dec 1, 2016 at 12:52 PM Post #272 of 766
  it ends with
 

There is a soul, a joy, a sadness, a passion lurking just beneath their mild mannered sensibilities.  Something aching yet deep yet somehow light and airy all at once.

Sounds very promising. Looking forward to your view on this earphone. I really hope it will be able to change the rather negative atmosphere around the Noble X somewhat. Thanks!
 
Dec 1, 2016 at 1:06 PM Post #273 of 766
Sounds very promising. Looking forward to your view on this earphone. I really hope it will be able to change the rather negative atmosphere around the Noble X somewhat. Thanks!


If that is what is warranted by this new review...

This driver # obsession seems a bit silly. But the more impressions of the sound signature, the better.
 
Dec 1, 2016 at 8:20 PM Post #274 of 766
@Seph Haley AQ Nighthawks are a totally different beast aren't they? I'm picking up a pair of these NobleX to get the wife into IEMs and have another for myself. I have Audio Technica over the ears, and in the past have had John's 4-driver CIEMs and the Savant. My current listening is with the AT, which when amped is decent, and quite resolving, but doesn't get close to the level of isolation and intimate listening the Moulton products did. Not to mention the convenience of IEMs -- you can wear them all day and drive them from your phone (or the Noble BTS for preference!).
 
I don't get these arguments about driver count. Back in the day, I had the MEE, the Altec iM716 and the Superfi.3 (arguably it was the latter that started the driver count race) and really the biggest difference is probably seal, and customs are unmatched in that regard. At the moment I am probably limited more by my DAC than the number of BA drivers I have in my ears.
 
As regards the rest of this discussion -- if people are dropping out because they can't afford it, sure, do that. But buying a set of these is basically about choosing a brand. Do you want a Ferrari or are you happy with a Lexus? Unless you have deep experience with Ferraris, it probably doesn't matter which one your 'starter Ferrari' is -- as long as it suits your usage pattern, the exact number of cylinders or what-have-you is not relevant. A Ferrari is a Ferrari no matter what the model number. Now, you might prefer another brand, sure. But some people would choose a Nissan GTR because it gives you 'the same cylinders as a Ferrari at a fraction of the price'. I think that's dumb, but if that makes them happy, then so be it! Just spare us your justifications in the Noble X preview thread.
 
Also, as a final parting shot, I thought the reviews were very poor. Nobles look great and sound great, period. All this angst about value is nonsense. The asking price to have a Noble has just been halved. Get on the train or don't complain! After futzing about with various IEMs I finally bit the bullet and got a custom 4-BA made by Moulton back in the day. Other than slight fit issues I had no complaints. In retrospect I should have just bought those instead of wasting my money on 'halfway products'. When I add up what I spent on halfway products, both here and in fountain pens, which I collect, I realize it's just been a waste of money. With the X you are likely to recover your initial investment and put it towards a custom, and that's the most satisfying outcome you could have.
 
Dec 1, 2016 at 10:27 PM Post #275 of 766
@Seph Haley
 AQ Nighthawks are a totally different beast aren't they? I'm picking up a pair of these NobleX to get the wife into IEMs and have another for myself. I have Audio Technica over the ears, and in the past have had John's 4-driver CIEMs and the Savant. My current listening is with the AT, which when amped is decent, and quite resolving, but doesn't get close to the level of isolation and intimate listening the Moulton products did. Not to mention the convenience of IEMs -- you can wear them all day and drive them from your phone (or the Noble BTS for preference!).

I don't get these arguments about driver count. Back in the day, I had the MEE, the Altec iM716 and the Superfi.3 (arguably it was the latter that started the driver count race) and really the biggest difference is probably seal, and customs are unmatched in that regard. At the moment I am probably limited more by my DAC than the number of BA drivers I have in my ears.

As regards the rest of this discussion -- if people are dropping out because they can't afford it, sure, do that. But buying a set of these is basically about choosing a brand. Do you want a Ferrari or are you happy with a Lexus? Unless you have deep experience with Ferraris, it probably doesn't matter which one your 'starter Ferrari' is -- as long as it suits your usage pattern, the exact number of cylinders or what-have-you is not relevant. A Ferrari is a Ferrari no matter what the model number. Now, you might prefer another brand, sure. But some people would choose a Nissan GTR because it gives you 'the same cylinders as a Ferrari at a fraction of the price'. I think that's dumb, but if that makes them happy, then so be it! Just spare us your justifications in the Noble X preview thread.

Also, as a final parting shot, I thought the reviews were very poor. Nobles look great and sound great, period. All this angst about value is nonsense. The asking price to have a Noble has just been halved. Get on the train or don't complain! After futzing about with various IEMs I finally bit the bullet and got a custom 4-BA made by Moulton back in the day. Other than slight fit issues I had no complaints. In retrospect I should have just bought those instead of wasting my money on 'halfway products'. When I add up what I spent on halfway products, both here and in fountain pens, which I collect, I realize it's just been a waste of money. With the X you are likely to recover your initial investment and put it towards a custom, and that's the most satisfying outcome you could have.

I completely agree with you. And yes, they have a completely different sound signature, but I enjoy them very much. That is not to say I don't also enjoy the type of sound signature in the X's. The problem is that I don't have much money, and so it's kind of choosing between the Nighthawks and the X's. This decision is NOT easy whatsoever, but I've still got time to decide.
 
Dec 2, 2016 at 9:00 AM Post #277 of 766
I completely agree with you. And yes, they have a completely different sound signature, but I enjoy them very much. That is not to say I don't also enjoy the type of sound signature in the X's. The problem is that I don't have much money, and so it's kind of choosing between the Nighthawks and the X's. This decision is NOT easy whatsoever, but I've still got time to decide.


We aren't guaranteed to get the X after this time whereas the Nighthawks aren't going out of production any time soon (are they?) Coupled with the portability of the X that enables use in every environment, well I know what I'm getting.
 
Dec 2, 2016 at 12:31 PM Post #278 of 766
We aren't guaranteed to get the X after this time whereas the Nighthawks aren't going out of production any time soon (are they?) Coupled with the portability of the X that enables use in every environment, well I know what I'm getting.

I meant the Nighthawk Carbon's, which are brand new and not yet released, but you do have a good point. We really don't know if these are coming back.
 
Dec 3, 2016 at 5:42 PM Post #281 of 766
  Shame Massdrop is always hit by customs here in GB.


Not massdrops fault, it's the UK government and their Custom & Excise men (Privatized of course)
 
Dec 4, 2016 at 10:58 PM Post #283 of 766
I just bailed out of the drop. It was a tough call, but I think between my Etymotic ER4XR, Zero Carbo Tenore, and Oppo PM3, I've probably covered my bases more or less with bass-tilted neutral headphones. I haven't found anything in reviews that I find especially compelling to give these a shot when I already have the single BA Etys.

However, the GAS sufferer inside me would love to be proven wrong and convinced otherwise, hahaha
 
Dec 5, 2016 at 7:09 AM Post #284 of 766
900x900px-LL-9672cf9f_IMG_1674.jpeg

 
Here are some Quick first day impressions of the Noble Sage and the Noble X
 
Sage: For those of you familiar with the Savant, you would find the sage to be an overall improvement to the Savant. The Savant has a somewhat more U shaped sound, with a slightly scooped out midrange. While the overall tonality is very nice, the bass extension was a little lacking. The highs also got a tad splashy at times. Enter the Sage. The Sage delivers, as promised, noticeably improved low end extension. With the Sage, I no longer feel that there's a large chunk of deep bass that's lacking. The highs are also smoother while maintaining good sparkle and air. Lower midrange also fills out a little more to give a more mellow, richer tone.
 
Noble X: The X takes the Sage, and smoothens out the top end even more, with a greater emphasis on the lower midrange. This results in a similar tone to the Sage, but it is noticeably smoother and gentler with an even lusher and more mellow tonality. It is, however, a little behind the Sage in terms of transparency, extension and resolution.
 
The X is an overall slightly mellow, smooth, but still relatively balanced earphone. It maintains a pretty clean leading edge to the sound despite its smooth tuning. In my opinion, it represents really great value in the world of in ear monitors (many of which overpriced), and is a great first step into mid fi territory. For anyone on the fence, you should really give this some serious thought!
 
Hope this helps anyone considering any of these models now or in the future! I'll be doing up a full review of them too!
 
Dec 5, 2016 at 11:52 AM Post #285 of 766
900x900px-LL-9672cf9f_IMG_1674.jpeg



Here are some Quick first day impressions of the Noble Sage and the Noble X

Sage: For those of you familiar with the Savant, you would find the sage to be an overall improvement to the Savant. The Savant has a somewhat more U shaped sound, with a slightly scooped out midrange. While the overall tonality is very nice, the bass extension was a little lacking. The highs also got a tad splashy at times. Enter the Sage. The Sage delivers, as promised, noticeably improved low end extension. With the Sage, I no longer feel that there's a large chunk of deep bass that's lacking. The highs are also smoother while maintaining good sparkle and air. Lower midrange also fills out a little more to give a more mellow, richer tone.

Noble X: The X takes the Sage, and smoothens out the top end even more, with a greater emphasis on the lower midrange. This results in a similar tone to the Sage, but it is noticeably smoother and gentler with an even lusher and more mellow tonality. It is, however, a little behind the Sage in terms of transparency, extension and resolution.

The X is an overall slightly mellow, smooth, but still relatively balanced earphone. It maintains a pretty clean leading edge to the sound despite its smooth tuning. In my opinion, it represents really great value in the world of in ear monitors (many of which overpriced), and is a great first step into mid fi territory. For anyone on the fence, you should really give this some serious thought!

Hope this helps anyone considering any of these models now or in the future! I'll be doing up a full review of them too!

As a Savant owner, this really helps!

Thank you
 

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