Noble Audio - the Wizard returns!

[Watagump]

Of the current Noble line, the Dulce Bass might be a good option, but I've only tried it briefly at a show.

Yup, Dulce by a country mile. Great for vocals.

 

[Tadeas]

What's the most midforward iems Noble offers? Best forward intimate mids

Oddly enough, the Massdrop Noble X is quite midforward. Many reviewers agree that the IEM is great for intimate vocal and acoustic music.

 

[Felicitous]

What's the most midforward iems Noble offers? Best forward intimate mids

Dulce Bass is not for everyone. That bass in your face all day all the time is a lot to take in. The Katana is mid foward as well, much better for everything. Voices and their individual quirks and traits show up very well. Instruments have much detail. Plus, Katana has a better stage despite the forward mids.

 

[Redcarmoose]

Loving this combo at the moment

Funny........I am a few days away from four months ownership with the Encore IEM and it’s taking on a new sound.........a wonderfully new tone. Strangely too, it’s been about a full week......like this new sound isn’t going anywhere?

My personal experience...........the tone is more complete, more entertaining and fun?

Sound perception........ at times a profound mystery.

 

[Stranger Than Fiction]

^ For how long is each listening session per day? I’m curious as my K10s took a corner last week after four weeks of ownership and quite intensive listening (we’re talking a couple of hours daytime listening and a few hours at night). The jury is still out on physical burn in but psychological burn in to my mind anyway is very much a thing.

 

[Redcarmoose]

I’ve been listening about 2 to 4 hours a day. Though I think it may be like an improvement in health thing, the more I think about it. Like a personal health physiology thing? Though I’m also slightly experienced with long burn-in stuff like tube amps which take 300 hours or some headphones which have said suggested laughably long burn in recommendation times. Who knows, I just posted it as there may be other folks with similar findings? It’s all good.

 

[Redcarmoose]

^ For how long is each listening session per day? I’m curious as my K10s took a corner last week after four weeks of ownership and quite intensive listening (we’re talking a couple of hours daytime listening and a few hours at night). The jury is still out on physical burn in but psychological burn in to my mind anyway is very much a thing.

Is that a good corner? It’s funny as it makes you really wonder? I have other headphones which have slightly changed too? One pair... not for the better. But I still think it’s all about which headphones/IEMs you choose. The Encores are always great though!

It’s much about the mental gymnastics of getting used to one sound signature then going to another. It’s not about what IEM your going to buy rather where you just came from, I’m starting to think.

 

[IwishIcanFLighT]

Finally received my K10 Massdrop unit yesterday. Really enjoying it so far... Glad I got into that drop. Now part of the end game club I guess?

That being said, the original black cable is sadly defective... The left IEM won't work using it. Fortunately, the Gold x Silver cable is working so it's (just) the cable not the left IEM.

Beside I noted that the cable is really hard to remove from the left IEM. I mean like, really hard. To the point that it hurts my fingers a bit and I considered using pliers or my teeth before eventually managed to pull it using clothes. Right ears is fine tho, enough to stay in place but not to much to resist if I want to swap cables.

Also, I don't know if it's an issue with my unit but it feels like most guitars and voices are located on the close center right instead of dead center. Battery as well as keyboard and sax are mostly located either dead left or dead right. I noticed it notably on David Gilmour's Like at Gdansk's Echoes as well as on Dire Straits Alchemy Live Remastered album...
But I don't know if it's just the way it is with the K10 being less forgiving with positioning sounds (something that my Noble Savant and Noble x Massdrop coulnd't do that well), but that would imply that a lot of albums are recorded this exact way sooo? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

It is very weird to be honest. I hope my explanation isn't too confusing...

EDIT: Also, Jesus Christ, that power! I had to tone down the volume from 50/100 to 30~35ish on my FiiO X5 III to avoid losing my ears.

 

[MikeJSmith]

These bad boys will be coming my way soon - pretty much exactly 40 business days to the day! Custom Encore reprints. Massively happy with the way they have turned out and hoping (expecting!) them to look even better in the flesh.

 

[Fr_eak]

Finally received my K10 Massdrop unit yesterday. Really enjoying it so far... Glad I got into that drop. Now part of the end game club I guess?

That being said, the original black cable is sadly defective... The left IEM won't work using it. Fortunately, the Gold x Silver cable is working so it's (just) the cable not the left IEM.

Beside I noted that the cable is really hard to remove from the left IEM. I mean like, really hard. To the point that it hurts my fingers a bit and I considered using pliers or my teeth before eventually managed to pull it using clothes. Right ears is fine tho, enough to stay in place but not to much to resist if I want to swap cables.

Also, I don't know if it's an issue with my unit but it feels like most guitars and voices are located on the close center right instead of dead center. Battery as well as keyboard and sax are mostly located either dead left or dead right. I noticed it notably on David Gilmour's Like at Gdansk's Echoes as well as on Dire Straits Alchemy Live Remastered album...
But I don't know if it's just the way it is with the K10 being less forgiving with positioning sounds (something that my Noble Savant and Noble x Massdrop coulnd't do that well), but that would imply that a lot of albums are recorded this exact way sooo? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

It is very weird to be honest. I hope my explanation isn't too confusing...

EDIT: Also, Jesus Christ, that power! I had to tone down the volume from 50/100 to 30~35ish on my FiiO X5 III to avoid losing my ears.

Suggest you check the seal on both sides as well as the polarity of the cables on the iems (red or blue dot facing backwards)

 

[Felicitous]

Finally received my K10 Massdrop unit yesterday. Really enjoying it so far... Glad I got into that drop. Now part of the end game club I guess?

That being said, the original black cable is sadly defective... The left IEM won't work using it. Fortunately, the Gold x Silver cable is working so it's (just) the cable not the left IEM.

Beside I noted that the cable is really hard to remove from the left IEM. I mean like, really hard. To the point that it hurts my fingers a bit and I considered using pliers or my teeth before eventually managed to pull it using clothes. Right ears is fine tho, enough to stay in place but not to much to resist if I want to swap cables.

Also, I don't know if it's an issue with my unit but it feels like most guitars and voices are located on the close center right instead of dead center. Battery as well as keyboard and sax are mostly located either dead left or dead right. I noticed it notably on David Gilmour's Like at Gdansk's Echoes as well as on Dire Straits Alchemy Live Remastered album...
But I don't know if it's just the way it is with the K10 being less forgiving with positioning sounds (something that my Noble Savant and Noble x Massdrop coulnd't do that well), but that would imply that a lot of albums are recorded this exact way sooo? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

It is very weird to be honest. I hope my explanation isn't too confusing...

EDIT: Also, Jesus Christ, that power! I had to tone down the volume from 50/100 to 30~35ish on my FiiO X5 III to avoid losing my ears.

I don’t have the K10 but I have the Encore and Katana. Both of them appear to skewer vocals and instruments left or right depending on the original recording location. They are that accurate, Encore more so than the Katana due to its wider stage. My Sage Savant and Dulce Bass don’t position like those two so don’t worry. Plus, give it two weeks.

 

[Saraugie]

These bad boys will be coming my way soon - pretty much exactly 40 business days to the day! Custom Encore reprints. Massively happy with the way they have turned out and hoping (expecting!) them to look even better in the flesh.

Gorgeous! Hope you like the sound as much as I do

 

[Stranger Than Fiction]

@Redcarmoose: Indeed it’s a good corner. Things sound even full bodied now. (Sorry, another beer reference haha). Every other element seens to remain but mid-bass and low-midrange seem to have come forward more now.

Having come from the Shure SE846s I miss the sub bass impact and slam* but that in the grand scheme of things is such a minor trade-off for such a whopping net gain throughout the rest of the spectrum. Not to mention the stratospheric levels of texture on the K10s’ bass.when dealing with the 4/4 beat of progressive trance the impact is palpable. And where I wasn’t hearing much bass in certain drum & bass tracks it’s certainly there now. *Sub bass texture is there without the slam and decay could linger just a tad longer after the finish too.

Moreover how something could be so accurate, detail rich and yet utterly musical all at the same time makes the mind boggle. The Shures, much as I loved them and often leapt to their defence, were I found not particularly musical at all.

Listening to Calibre’s FabricLive mix does indeed call to mind those mental gymnastics of going from one headphone to the next. Though it’s not like listening to two totally different mixes (with their individual tracks) it does present two different “musicalities.” I can’t quite put my finger on it.

 

[Pepito]

@Redcarmoose: Indeed it’s a good corner. Things sound even full bodied now. (Sorry, another beer reference haha). Every other element seens to remain but mid-bass and low-midrange seem to have come forward more now.

Having come from the Shure SE846s I miss the sub bass impact and slam* but that in the grand scheme of things is such a minor trade-off for such a whopping net gain throughout the rest of the spectrum. Not to mention the stratospheric levels of texture on the K10s’ bass.when dealing with the 4/4 beat of progressive trance the impact is palpable. And where I wasn’t hearing much bass in certain drum & bass tracks it’s certainly there now. *Sub bass texture is there without the slam and decay could linger just a tad longer after the finish too.

Moreover how something could be so accurate, detail rich and yet utterly musical all at the same time makes the mind boggle. The Shures, much as I loved them and often leapt to their defence, were I found not particularly musical at all.

Listening to Calibre’s FabricLive mix does indeed call to mind those mental gymnastics of going from one headphone to the next. Though it’s not like listening to two totally different mixes (with their individual tracks) it does present two different “musicalities.” I can’t quite put my finger on it.

I have the EXACT same impressions as you do Stranger Than Fiction, coming from the 846's and Vega's. The K10's were a bit "hot" the first few days. Not much sub or mid bass, with the treble nipping at me ears (supposedly normal according to other head-fiers, until the unit/my brain burns-in).

I too am a big fan of the Fabric/Fabriclive series. I strictly went on a folk/rock/jazz/alternative listening streak, rediscovering these genres with the K10. However I brushed off listening to techno/house/trance, figuring the K10's wouldn't do as well considering the lack of a lower-end presence which those genres need.

Boy was I wrong, the K10's still might not have as much "kick" but they play very well with electronic music. The decay is that of a BA monitor, it'll never be the same as a well implemented DD monitor or a good club system. My 846's being 4 years old have been relegated to everyday-carry status thus I haven't done intensive A/B between the two. Some head-fiers mentioned that the 846's were a bit tonally off, or not as musical as you say. I've never owned more than 1 flagship, so I'll have to sit down one day and do some more A/B/C'ing.

 

[Redcarmoose]

@Redcarmoose: Indeed it’s a good corner. Things sound even full bodied now. (Sorry, another beer reference haha). Every other element seens to remain but mid-bass and low-midrange seem to have come forward more now.

Having come from the Shure SE846s I miss the sub bass impact and slam* but that in the grand scheme of things is such a minor trade-off for such a whopping net gain throughout the rest of the spectrum. Not to mention the stratospheric levels of texture on the K10s’ bass.when dealing with the 4/4 beat of progressive trance the impact is palpable. And where I wasn’t hearing much bass in certain drum & bass tracks it’s certainly there now. *Sub bass texture is there without the slam and decay could linger just a tad longer after the finish too.

Moreover how something could be so accurate, detail rich and yet utterly musical all at the same time makes the mind boggle. The Shures, much as I loved them and often leapt to their defence, were I found not particularly musical at all.

Listening to Calibre’s FabricLive mix does indeed call to mind those mental gymnastics of going from one headphone to the next. Though it’s not like listening to two totally different mixes (with their individual tracks) it does present two different “musicalities.” I can’t quite put my finger on it.

Cool to hear the story you have.

And it's a great thing when out of the blue our IEMs get an improvement in sound with time. Who knows if it's all simple 100% mental-mind burn-in or what? And in many ways it's just something to enjoy as a plus and a surprise after time spent adjusting.

Much of this hobby is critical judgments as in a way everyone is attempting better sound due to analysis and trials/error. But EDM is the final pasture I'd like to wholeheartedly cross at some point with the Encore IEM. At this point it's EDM with the Encore 50% of the time........as I really do guess it's a mental thing.

Pure BAs are a double edge sword, where in many ways they are faster with EDM, but it's a personal hearing sales pitch of training the brain to except the decay and dynamics. Once you can slowly train the brain to enjoy the bass tone with the Encore as the go to EDM machine, the rest of the response character is win-win.

The Encore is already my rock genre reference IEM, and great for soundtracks, and it's on it's way over to maybe be a really great EDM choice. The crazy thing is I didn't even buy it to be my preferred sound signature.

By the way, if your buying a complementary sound signature, it takes all the stress out of deciding. Your like whatever.............I have an idea of this sound signature..........I have owned this tone character before.....I guess.................I'll try and get into this character. But you can spend the money because your not even thinking your going to find perfection. Then when you slowly get away from your prepercieved idea of what sound you like, and get into a new and different reference tone, it's somewhat of an epiphany. The Encore can be an epiphany like that.