Noble Audio - the Wizard returns!
Apr 17, 2019 at 9:19 AM Post #29,956 of 35,958
I spoke with Jim and Noble is going to be beefing the Khans up even more, so they are on top of the issue like white on rice.

Which part was causing the issue? Driver/2-pin connector/housing? Probably helpful for current owners to know.
 
Apr 17, 2019 at 9:19 AM Post #29,957 of 35,958


@Watagump Was incredibly helpful giving that gentle nudge that I needed to pull the trigger on the Khans at Axpona. I am glad that I did they sound great. It was also cool to meet Jim and Fume really great people.

Here is a quick and dirty comparison with one of the other children.


I am really liking the khan and Solaris. The roxannes don't see too much use at the current time. I will post some comparisons with the Solaris and Khan if anyone is interested. They both sound good and have different strengths. I find the Khan to have better treble than the Solaris and also better low bass response. The Solaris seems to be thicker in the mid bass as well as in the mids. They are different flavors and originally I was going to put to solaris up for sale but I don't think that will be happening I like both sets. The Khan plays better with a wide range of sources with no hiss at all. I am going to give it a shot with the ALO CV5 and see what happens.

Let me know if you would like a more in depth comparison. I just need a bit more time with the Khan before I can make a final judgement.


I still don't see the Khan in your sig, tisk, tisk. You were even bribed with pizza.
 
Apr 17, 2019 at 9:33 AM Post #29,958 of 35,958
Which part was causing the issue? Driver/2-pin connector/housing? Probably helpful for current owners to know.


Noble is just not happy with the durability of the sockets so they are making changes, so if anyone has issues they can just contact Noble and they will take care of it.
 
Apr 17, 2019 at 11:02 AM Post #29,959 of 35,958
Noble is just not happy with the durability of the sockets so they are making changes, so if anyone has issues they can just contact Noble and they will take care of it.

If they move to a different socket will we be able to send our Khan in to have it upgraded as well?
 
Apr 17, 2019 at 12:05 PM Post #29,960 of 35,958
Demoed the Khan today. Just as an aside, my dealer mentioned the issues discussed in this thread being a concern, but he isn't sure what's going on so I'll stay off that.

About the sound, the Khan seems like a refinement of the tuning which Noble implemented in their previous flagships (Katana, Encore) to a point of ridiculous clarity. It's definitely on the leaner, surgical, aggressive side. Not for everyone so do demo it. It's energetic yet precise. I might spend one more session with it just to re-evaluate but it's clarity was eye opening even A/Bing against the 18t among others. If anything I'd ask for it to be slightly more bodacious with a little more warmth but it would intrude on the pristine sound the Khan conveys.
Crystal clear is how I'd describe the Khan, especially when you compare it against its predecessors, the K10 and the Encore. I'd like a little more body and warmth on the Khan, but that's not something that cannot be fixed with a warmer amp, such as a CV5 or a CDM. I'm definitely looking forward to getting my own set of Khans.
 
Apr 17, 2019 at 5:23 PM Post #29,963 of 35,958
Not sure about that, but if it doesn't have issues, no need to send it in, its possible people may already be getting ones that don't have any issues.


Fingers crossed I don't want to send mine back. They sound too good:). I might go thru withdrawl :beyersmile:.

Oh yeah check it out I fixed the sig. The pizza worked it was not a lie like the cake.
 
Apr 17, 2019 at 5:40 PM Post #29,964 of 35,958
Fingers crossed I don't want to send mine back. They sound too good:). I might go thru withdrawl :beyersmile:.

Oh yeah check it out I fixed the sig. The pizza worked it was not a lie like the cake.


We have not had an issue at the 2 shows swapping cables for people who want to try either a lightning cable, balanced etc. My Khan has been gone since CanJam NY, its being made shiny, so I have to suffer with my customs K10's.
 
Apr 17, 2019 at 5:52 PM Post #29,965 of 35,958
...but it's clarity was eye opening even A/Bing against the 18t among others.

You perceived more detail than the A18t?
 
Apr 17, 2019 at 8:00 PM Post #29,966 of 35,958
You perceived more detail than the A18t?
I A/Bed them and the answer is yes (U18t, not the custom). I think the Khan is less shy about throwing everything in your face. It's aggressive. It's fast. Decay might be unnatural for some, the timbre might lean bright (I've heard people make those comments before about the Khan). But the raw technical ability of the Khan is hard to deny.
 
Last edited:
Apr 17, 2019 at 9:34 PM Post #29,967 of 35,958
Anyone compare the Khan to the Legend X?
 
Apr 17, 2019 at 9:47 PM Post #29,968 of 35,958
Anyone compare the Khan to the Legend X?


I tried the Legend and the Phantom at Axpona, I preferred the Phantom. The Legend has too much mid bass for my taste. More than 1 person at the show said the same thing. I did tell the guys at the booth the Legend was the best I have heard from them, but this was before hearing the Phantom, as always opinions vary. Too be honest, up until the show I had only heard the Zeus, the first one.
 
Apr 17, 2019 at 9:47 PM Post #29,969 of 35,958
Anyone compare the Khan to the Legend X?

They’re... very different. Some people here call them polar opposites, and while I disagree, I can see where they’re coming from.

Khan has a U-shaped signature, with the feeing that everything from the midbass to the upper mids is scooped out. It feels highly detailed because of this tuning choice, though vocals are really thin. Midbass is lacking as well, so it lacks some impact. Overall a detailed IEM and pretty comfortable fit-wise, with the upper frequencies being its main strength.

Legend X is a V-shaped IEM with recessed mids, and the “scooped out” feeling is over a much narrower frequency range. Whereas the Khan’s midbass is pretty lackluster, the Legend X has it in spades. Also a very detailed IEM, slightly less comfortable because it’s so big, with the lower frequencies being it’s selling point (though the overflowing midbass can be a bit polarizing).

IMO both are very good IEMs, both are more specialists than all-rounders, and both are somewhat overpriced. Pretty decent chance I end up getting one of them though.
 
Last edited:
Apr 17, 2019 at 10:01 PM Post #29,970 of 35,958
I tried the Legend and the Phantom at Axpona, I preferred the Phantom. The Legend has too much mid bass for my taste. More than 1 person at the show said the same thing. I did tell the guys at the booth the Legend was the best I have heard from them, but this was before hearing the Phantom, as always opinions vary. Too be honest, up until the show I had only heard the Zeus, the first one.


I agree 100%. I went without the intention to buy anything and just wanting to try different gear. I found the legend x to be too thick in the mid bass and really v shaped in response. I have the Solaris which has good mid bass but is more controlled to me. I did like the phantom more than the legend x but still found it a bit warm it was something like my roxannes in some ways.
I really found the Khan to have really good low bass and it rolled off just a bit until the mids more of a u shaped signature than a v. The Khan has more air in the top end than the legend x, phantom, or Solaris. All of that combined lends to a bigger sound stage to me. These are all reasons that I walked out of axpona with a set of Khans. They are really comfortable too..
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top