[Eide]

Today I got to listen to a lot of expensive headphones. I brought my K10E universals with me, so it was fun to compare them with full sized flagship.
First out was Focal Utopia. From my Chord Hugo the Utopias was a bit disappointing. Then I switched to Violectric HPA V281, and they revealed their full potential. I immediately switched to K10E, and to my surprise I found that I preferred the sound from K10E. More slam, more separation and better highs in my opinion. Then I changed to Hifiman HE1000 v2 with Violectric, and I found a headphone that bested K10E in every way except from bass slam. Finally I got to listen to Sennheiser HE-1 (Orpheus 2). That was the most profound half hour of music listening in my life. I had goose bumps all over and was so emotionally touched I felt tears in my eyes. The sound was so refined and perfect that I lack words to describe it.

Conclusion to the story: Noble Kaiser Encore can be compared to anything but phones costing as much as a luxury car.

 

[Toolman]

You are very lucky indeed to have 30mins audience with Orpheus 

 

[Whazzzup]

Today I got to listen to a lot of expensive headphones. I brought my K10E universals with me, so it was fun to compare them with full sized flagship.
First out was Focal Utopia. From my Chord Hugo the Utopias was a bit disappointing. Then I switched to Violectric HPA V281, and they revealed their full potential. I immediately switched to K10E, and to my surprise I found that I preferred the sound from K10E. More slam, more separation and better highs in my opinion. Then I changed to Hifiman HE1000 v2 with Violectric, and I found a headphone that bested K10E in every way except from bass slam. Finally I got to listen to Sennheiser HE-1 (Orpheus 2). That was the most profound half hour of music listening in my life. I had goose bumps all over and was so emotionally touched I felt tears in my eyes. The sound was so refined and perfect that I lack words to describe it.

Conclusion to the story: Noble Kaiser Encore can be compared to anything but phones costing as much as a luxury car.

Well encore is great and all, I use it exclusively as a portable through hugo. However my system of chord TT via DHC chaperone 3 XLR into gsx mk2 to DHC prion 4 into hd800S still smokes an IEM. But why wouldn't it, hard to compare a 70MM driver to an iem. Course orpheus is another price point and so expensive that i could listen to it without worry of taking out my credit card on the spot. lucky guy.  Even la900 into hpa8 has greater bass extension and live fun feel, compared to encore.  But why wouldn't that as well. Im not sure the right systems are worth the head to head using iem and HP.  
I don't doubt your observation and encore for me is my go to IEM. Im kinda surprised at utopia but have not heard them. I won't as I don't care to add a 5000 cad$ HP to my stable except maybe lcd4 but need to work my neck muscles first. 
maybe when i get my DHC cable this might bump the encore experience, fingers crossed on delivery.  

 

[Eide]

Well encore is great and all, I use it exclusively as a portable through hugo. However my system of chord TT via DHC chaperone 3 XLR into gsx mk2 to DHC prion 4 into hd800S still smokes an IEM. But why wouldn't it, hard to compare a 70MM driver to an iem. Course orpheus is another price point and so expensive that i could listen to it without worry of taking out my credit card on the spot. lucky guy.  Even la900 into hpa8 has greater bass extension and live fun feel, compared to encore.  But why wouldn't that as well. Im not sure the right systems are worth the head to head using iem and HP.  
I don't doubt your observation and encore for me is my go to IEM. Im kinda surprised at utopia but have not heard them. I won't as I don't care to add a 5000 cad$ HP to my stable except maybe lcd4 but need to work my neck muscles first. 
maybe when i get my DHC cable this might bump the encore experience, fingers crossed on delivery.  

I actually own a pair of Lawton modded TH900. It was the pair of headphones that started my crazy expensive journey of head fi. The LA800 has better bass and it's a fun headphone I listen to a lot, but I think K10E had more detail and better separation of instruments. I was bit surprised of how the Utopia sounded though. I red so much about them and was really disappointed. I've listen to them for over an hour on three different systems/amps, and they haven't impressed.
I will probably upgrade the cable to some sort of pure copper. I feel that on some (maybe badly mastered) recordings the treble is a bit hot/harsh. Cable tip is appreciated.

 

[Layman1]

That was the most profound half hour of music listening in my life. I had goose bumps all over and was so emotionally touched I felt tears in my eyes. The sound was so refined and perfect that I lack words to describe it.

 
I had exactly the same feeling when I first listened to this:

 
Joking aside, I had a slot to listen to the HE1 at London CanJam last year, but ended up having to miss it.
I don't know which makes me feel more painful; reading your review, or listening to the video above

 

[jscmd2000]

Wow, more Utopia bashers here...  they are everywhere!
 
Well, I have to disagree. Although it is not perfect by any measure, the Utopias are worthy of its price and hype.  If driven properly and with some authority, these are quite impressive for a dynamic driver.  Simply technology and material science at work.  I've had them for several months now, and I think they are by far one of the most revealing, holographic, dynamic cans out there.  And, almost equally important for me at least, most comfortable in its class.  I can wear them for literally hours... try doing that with LCD4's.  The differences in opinion, I guess, is a proof that we all hear things differently.
 
Anyways, my Encores just arrived yesterday.  Even before any burn-in, I am certainly thinking I made the right move... after months of agony!  These are truly special.  So, for those of you agonizing out there, you need to do this!  I sold my Layla ii's about a month ago, and these make me thinking I made the right move there as well.  (That was clearly an exception to the rule that "you get what you pay for" or, more likely, I don't have the golden ears to appreciate them.)  I had no choice but to sell them after getting the KSE1500's.  I know there are KSE bashers too, but I absolutely love them.  IMHO, they are not "headphones" or "monitors", they are like electrodes directly hooked up to the synapses of your brain.  Things just happen instantaneously.  I had an imagination of what "fast" meant before, but now I know exactly what it is.  The rule does apply to them... every penny.
 
So, you see where my agony was coming from...  I truly thought, more likely than not, I will not like the Encores.  But Holy.... I think these are tuned to make you appreciate music.  I mean, isn't that why we are all here?  Although not as fast as the KSE's, these are pretty darn fast, and definitely more fun and engaging... almost as holographic and dynamic as the Utopias.  Although less base rumble than the Layla ii's, with dialed up base gain of course, these have much cleaner, textured, and tasteful bass for my palate at least.  I am already looking for a good balanced cables for them.  Any guidance from someone with more than just a few balanced cable experience would be appreciated.

 

[WCDchee]

Wow, more Utopia bashers here...  they are everywhere!

Well, I have to disagree. Although it is not perfect by any measure, the Utopias are worthy of its price and hype.  If driven properly and with some authority, these are quite impressive for a dynamic driver.  Simply technology and material science at work.  I've had them for several months now, and I think they are by far one of the most revealing, holographic, dynamic cans out there.  And, almost equally important for me at least, most comfortable in its class.  I can wear them for literally hours... try doing that with LCD4's.  The differences in opinion, I guess, is a proof that we all hear things differently.

Anyways, my Encores just arrived yesterday.  Even before any burn-in, I am certainly thinking I made the right move... after months of agony!  These are truly special.  So, for those of you agonizing out there, you need to do this!  I sold my Layla ii's about a month ago, and these make me thinking I made the right move there as well.  (That was clearly an exception to the rule that "you get what you pay for" or, more likely, I don't have the golden ears to appreciate them.)  I had no choice but to sell them after getting the KSE1500's.  I know there are KSE bashers too, but I absolutely love them.  IMHO, they are not "headphones" or "monitors", they are like electrodes directly hooked up to the synapses of your brain.  Things just happen instantaneously.  I had an imagination of what "fast" meant before, but now I know exactly what it is.  The rule does apply to them... every penny.

So, you see where my agony was coming from...  I truly thought, more likely than not, I will not like the Encores.  But Holy.... I think these are tuned to make you appreciate music.  I mean, isn't that why we are all here?  Although not as fast as the KSE's, these are pretty darn fast, and definitely more fun and engaging... almost as holographic and dynamic as the Utopias.  Although less base rumble than the Layla ii's, with dialed up base gain of course, these have much cleaner, textured, and tasteful bass for my palate at least.  I am already looking for a good balanced cables for them.  Any guidance from someone with more than just a few balanced cable experience would be appreciated.

If you want more soundstage, incredible resolution and texturing and bass slam, do consider the dita audio truth cable, having used them with my encores they are just incredible stuff. They also have interchangeable 2.5/3.5 and 4.4mm plugs in the future.

 

[jscmd2000]

I've read your reviews... thanks!  I see there are several dita truth cables, which one do you have or have tried?

 

[WCDchee]

I've read your reviews... thanks!  I see there are several dita truth cables, which one do you have or have tried?

The copper truth would give you a richer more intimate sound, and the silver one would give you those changes I told you about i told you about above. Either way though expect a great improvement in resolution I've tried other cables from dhc, PW audio and effect audio and the likes, and they each have great cables but I find the truth and copper truth cables to be my personal favourites

 

[jscmd2000]

The copper truth would give you a richer more intimate sound, and the silver one would give you those changes I told you about i told you about above. Either way though expect a great improvement in resolution

I've tried other cables from dhc, PW audio and effect audio and the likes, and they each have great cables but I find the truth and copper truth cables to be my personal favourites

 
Thank you for saving me lots of money!  If you had to pick one between the copper truth and the silver one, which would you pick and why?  I think just the fact that you can use one for both single-ended and balanced is worth it.  And... if you like them, you can enjoy them more, for example, I can use with both the AK380 and iphone/mojo.
 
One more question,  I enjoyed your reviews on the Encores and Tia Forte...  I know they are quite of bit away in price range, but how do they compare? Are the Tia Forte's worth looking into?  Worth the cost?

 

[WCDchee]

Thank you for saving me lots of money!  If you had to pick one between the copper truth and the silver one, which would you pick and why?  I think just the fact that you can use one for both single-ended and balanced is worth it.  And... if you like them, you can enjoy them more, for example, I can use with both the AK380 and iphone/mojo.

One more question,  I enjoyed your reviews on the Encores and Tia Forte...  I know they are quite of bit away in price range, but how do they compare? Are the Tia Forte's worth looking into?  Worth the cost?

Check your PM

 

[SeeSax]

The copper truth would give you a richer more intimate sound, and the silver one would give you those changes I told you about i told you about above. Either way though expect a great improvement in resolution

I've tried other cables from dhc, PW audio and effect audio and the likes, and they each have great cables but I find the truth and copper truth cables to be my personal favourites

 
I have heard great things about the Truth cable also. When I bought my Dita Answer, I went cheap and didn't get the "Truth" edition and now I'm kicking myself. But, you think the cable is worth the $500 on its own? Looks like it comes in two-pin for my Noble Django 

 
-Collin-

 

[Rei87]

I have heard great things about the Truth cable also. When I bought my Dita Answer, I went cheap and didn't get the "Truth" edition and now I'm kicking myself. But, you think the cable is worth the $500 on its own? Looks like it comes in two-pin for my Noble Django 

-Collin-

I think that the dita cables are kind of a hit or miss in its strike zone for ppl? I personally am not a fan of the vdh cables, which is why i immediately swapped out the truth cable that came with my dita dream for a dhc Fusion. Now my truth cable is lying in a corner and i doubt that I'll ever take it out again unless i ever sell my dream, which I doubt.

 

[RedMax23]

Any Encore user here tried before Ref8 balance cable? Does it provide significant improvement?

 

[Malevolent]

I think that the dita cables are kind of a hit or miss in its strike zone for ppl? I personally am not a fan of the vdh cables, which is why i immediately swapped out the truth cable that came with my dita dream for a dhc Fusion. Now my truth cable is lying in a corner and i doubt that I'll ever take it out again unless i ever sell my dream, which I doubt.

I've found the Dita VDH cables a little too bright for my tastes. It'll be good for darker sounding IEMs.