[Rotijon]

   
 
(1) the post was made by me not Brannan
 
(2) Paint isn't applied to K10 Universals, regardless, if there was a dealer involved then that woudl mean that they were they original owners and their products would have warranties. The red K10U had no warranty.
 
(3) Warranties are often decided upon on a case by case bassis, as information is gathered and analyzed, this isn't a unique concept.
 
(4) Have you ever thought that not being profitable is unethical?   If by chance Noble was to fold, who is going to provide service to Noble products?  In my view, Noble actually has a duty to insure profitability to its customers, employees and family members.
 
 
Why would a dealer tell you I stated the K10 CIEM cost is 600$?   Why would I even tell a dealer the actual costs of a K10 CIEM? 

1) My bad, you were right

2) Paint or at least your definition of it is applied to it. You're right, the red K10U had no warranty for me at least (the original owner had one). What you failed to mention was that k10u's with cracked paint/lacquer/moulton's special sauce was repaired without any charges (thus implying a warranty) while stating outright there was no warranty for cracked paint.

3) I understand profitability. The best kind of business is a profitable one. Ferrari have no problems justifying their price, even for the most expensive model the FXX-K. The CEO of ferrari is not going to get a phone call by their panicking operations guy at 2am just because some guy decided to open up a ferrari engine themselves and posted pictures of it up in the internet. Heck, even the Patek Phillipe watches have no problem justifying their price, heck, they'll even post a video of the innards of their watches.

You know who would? Joe Skubinsky, when people found out JPS Labs audiophile cables were basically Eupen Cables wrapped in heatsink and techflex. You would, because deep down, you know your products cannot defend their pricing on their own. It needs their owner to write a long reply defending it at 5am in the morning. 

 

[FullCircle]

wow...it's getting a little too heated here....
can we refrain from ad hominen criticism? I just came back from a lovely date, on my way out for a short workout soon, and I've been labelled as a 'troll d****'.

as I mentioned, we all love audio, and while I would like to post my reasons and its basis immediately, I do have to make a facade of having a social life, take off my iem to make conversations every now and then, and get off the forums so that my commanding officer doesn't leave me.

lets lay off the personal attacks. I believe that all of us are mature adults who do not have any intention of deceit. We all love audio as a community.

that said, would those two issues be on this forum? I am only aware of what I have read here, and what I see in my friends' unit.

 
 
I'm really only aware of two issues, the red k10U, and there was a CIEM (I think in Singapore) had a bubble in the Helix area of the shell.   This is not to say we don't make mistakes, as that is part of being human. But we try our best to address a mistake rectify it ASAP if it is unquestionbly our mistake.. 

 

[FullCircle]

 

1) My bad, you were right

2) Paint or at least your definition of it is applied to it. You're right, the red K10U had no warranty for me at least (the original owner had one). What you failed to mention was that k10u's with cracked paint/lacquer/moulton's special sauce was repaired without any charges (thus implying a warranty) while stating outright there was no warranty for cracked paint.

3) I understand profitability. The best kind of business is a profitable one. Ferrari have no problems justifying their price, even for the most expensive model the FXX-K. The CEO of ferrari is not going to get a phone call by their panicking operations guy at 2am just because some guy decided to open up a ferrari engine themselves and posted pictures of it up in the internet. Heck, even the Patek Phillipe watches have no problem justifying their price, heck, they'll even post a video of the innards of their watches.

You know who would? Joe Skubinsky, when people found out JPS Labs audiophile cables were basically Eupen Cables wrapped in heatsink and techflex. You would, because deep down, you know your products cannot defend their pricing on their own. It needs their owner to write a long reply defending it at 5am in the morning. 

 
 
Wow....  
 
I think the motivation is clear now. 
 
I will say this, when Noble began, we were considered a farce by many.  I had to take the licks then, and obviously still do now.  But I'll be here next year, same time, same channel.
 
 

 

[echineko]

 
I will say this, when Noble began, we were considered a farce by many.  I had to take the licks then, and obviously still do now.  But I'll be here next year, same time, same channel.

 

[DeepGroove]

Customers do not buy costs. They buy a product with features. If a manufacturer finds a way to deliver top SQ at half the competitors costs, then good for him. Apple makes fat profits yet customers do not complains about the cost of the battery. They complain about the performace of the battery though, because performance is what they bought.

Now Whether noble iems are worth the asking price... Very subjective, like iPhones

 

[hemtmaker]

 
 Sweet.   Cadilac had a nice pearl black, is that the one?

It's Audi's phantom black

 

[ScottFree]

 

1) My bad, you were right

2) Paint or at least your definition of it is applied to it. You're right, the red K10U had no warranty for me at least (the original owner had one). What you failed to mention was that k10u's with cracked paint/lacquer/moulton's special sauce was repaired without any charges (thus implying a warranty) while stating outright there was no warranty for cracked paint.

3) I understand profitability. The best kind of business is a profitable one. Ferrari have no problems justifying their price, even for the most expensive model the FXX-K. The CEO of ferrari is not going to get a phone call by their panicking operations guy at 2am just because some guy decided to open up a ferrari engine themselves and posted pictures of it up in the internet. Heck, even the Patek Phillipe watches have no problem justifying their price, heck, they'll even post a video of the innards of their watches.

You know who would? Joe Skubinsky, when people found out JPS Labs audiophile cables were basically Eupen Cables wrapped in heatsink and techflex. You would, because deep down, you know your products cannot defend their pricing on their own. It needs their owner to write a long reply defending it at 5am in the morning. 

 
Personally I'd rather have the owner of the company defending his products on Head-Fi at 5am then some faceless CEO who I have to go through ten levels to get to. Thank God for that. Why should'nt any manufacturer not defend their products. 

 

[FullCircle]

  It's Audi's phantom black

 

 

[Simon T]

 

The argument here is not whether the number of drivers should correlate to higher price, its if iems should even have such a high price to begin with.

If people were not so constantly adjusted to accept increasingly higher prices, that's a USD300 max earphone.

 

 
This market is comprised by headphone companies (suppliers), and most of us, as consumers. If the consumers accept this trend (increasingly higher prices), why are the complaints only directed to the headphone companies?   
 
Yes, I wish I could spend less for higher end audio gears, but I cannot find any fault towards the headphone companies. Noble Audio like the other headphone companies are running a business. They are not charity organizations.
 
To those who think the Savant are overpriced, please ask yourself this question. If you were the owner of one of those headphone companies, with a brand name as strong as Noble Audio, (one of the most recognizable brand in Head-Fi community), and considering the current boom in the portable audio industry.  Do not tell me that, you will not seek to gain a little bit more from the consumers... I will not believe you 

.
 
Cheers  

 

[ScottFree]

 

The argument here is not whether the number of drivers should correlate to higher price, its if iems should even have such a high price to begin with.

If people were not so constantly adjusted to accept increasingly higher prices, that's a USD300 max earphone.

 

 
Yeah because ramen noodles are the tastiest and most nutritious food there is. 

 

[d marc0]

Just got home after a long day at work and relaxing dinner with my beautiful wife. Then I visit my favourite thread only to find out an intense discussion has been ongoing.

I admire John for being passionate about his company, his products, and Noble's customers. Actively posting on this thread is servicing the subscribers and is a trait that every other company owner who has the time and capability to do so should follow.

Pricing is really hard to discuss because there are so many intangible aspects in a product's development, manufacturing, and marketing that are hard to account for. What we should probably focus on is the value of the product to its owner. I've read some people preferred the Savant to the K10. I personally prefer it over another TOTL IEM costing 3x more. BUT if a Savant owner thinks or feels otherwise, There's really nothing we or even John himself can do about it. Problem is, trying to change other people's minds or feelings about the product is a lost cause as well. Because even if we own the same gear, we value them differently.

 

[krismusic]

All I can say is that my K10c's enhance my daily life immeasurably. I don't care if the materials cost 20p. To me,they are worth every penny of what I paid.
In fact when I first bought CIEM's it occurred to me that the cost of the drivers is probably small. Given that they are mass produced items derived from units intended for hearing aids.
The fact that a designer can take such humble components and put together something that sounds wonderful is a source of amazement to me.
Noble has my gratitude and respect. To that extent I am a fan!

 

[proedros]

i do not find the savant iem being overpriced , considering there are 3-drivers iems like K3003 (which i own) which go for almost 1000$ new

however, and i say this with no hidden agendas as i am simply a completely neutral customer, and completely disengaged from the strong noble ''fanboy'' wave which exists in here , i find most ludicrous charging 1000$ for the 'wizard' artwork

still this is a free market , and we are free to buy what we choose and suits us best and to voice our honest opinion , without any bad blood or hidden agendas, and people should respect that without attacking the minority voices which may oppose the majority in here.

so here is my honest, unbiased opinion : i consider the noble products a tad hyped (i won't say overpriced as most TOTL iems are) , i consider the noble crowd sometimes verging on the 'fanboy sheep' mentality and i find ludicrous noble charging 1000$ for artwork.

however, kudos to dr moulton for being able to pull such a marketing trick and have people pay an extra 1000$ just for looks in a audio-based market , this is marketing genius at its best   

 ( too bored to find the leodicaprio photo)

 

[ScottFree]

  and i find ludicrous noble charging 1000$ for artwork.

 
Artwork or the Prestige shell?  Artwork is like the Wizard Unviersals, a Universal Shell with a custom face plate and more treatment. The shell is while artwork in itself the complete custom shell for the IEMS out of I assume some very difficult to produce materials. That I assume would cost a lot more.

 

[Jethrosang]

Would be nice if the new K10U offers different colour option, like anodised black. 
 
Still, since this is a forum, and typing on keyboard is effortless, I am very much compelled to give my opinion, no matter how inappropriate, then shout "Free Speech" like a little girl, as I can worry less about the consequences.
 
Anyhow, this is free trade, you like it, you buy it, regardless of the profit they have made. R&D costs a lot, and QA costs even more. Dr. John was right, the profits they made are for assurance for the future. These earphones prove their worth not just over their brand, but their aesthetic (prestige) and their sound (everything). Of course, you have your rights to voice your concern, but don't you find "flaming" and attacking a little less rational? You could not get what you want (compensation, kneeled-apology, or whatever), so you resort to attacking. 
 
But then again, we are all passionate in what we believe, and sometimes, temper flies without us controlling.