[tomscy2000]

  That's a very beautiful pair mate. Seriously nice.

 
Thanks (and thanks to the Wizard and the Noble Team) --- I'll try to get some more shots off when I have time. I know y'all love the eye candy. 

 

[OK-Guy]

 
I've joined the Noble family. #4C

 
 
my long lost Cousin.... welcome home Tomscy...

 

[OK-Guy]

family reunions huh almost enough to make you forget what I originally came to do...
 
Ok folks it's Saturday so plenty of time for you to enter our supa-dupa Competition to win a fantastic pair of Noble N6's designed & made by the man himself... The Wizard.
 
Enter here: http://www.head-fi.org/t/721449/noble-cable-contest-win-a-noble-6w

 

[tomscy2000]

  family reunions huh almost enough to make you forget what I originally came to do...

 
Indeed, I found that there is a drawback to being in possession of a Noble CIEM --- I sort of just sit there marveling at the shell and forget to do anything else!

 

[OK-Guy]

   
Indeed, I found that there is a drawback to being in possession of a Noble CIEM --- I sort of just sit there marveling at the shell and forget to do anything else!

 
I'd recommend not plugging them into your ears... you'll end up laying in bed all day in a musical nirvana, btw remind me to phone room-service in a hour or two...

 

[Watagump]

  family reunions huh almost enough to make you forget what I originally came to do...
 
Ok folks it's Saturday so plenty of time for you to enter our supa-dupa Competition to win a fantastic pair of Noble N6's designed & made by the man himself... The Wizard.
 
Enter here: http://www.head-fi.org/t/721449/noble-cable-contest-win-a-noble-6w

 
That contest is absurd. Its just like the how many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie roll tootsie pop. The commercial clearly showed the answer is 3.

 

[fiascogarcia]

   
That contest is absurd. Its just like the how many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie roll tootsie pop. The commercial clearly showed the answer is 3.

Don't be so "gumpy".  

 

[SilverEars]

   
That contest is absurd. Its just like the how many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie roll tootsie pop. The commercial clearly showed the answer is 3.

ROTFL Oh lord, your comment made my day.  I don't know why, but I found it funny.
 
 

 

[OK-Guy]

   
That contest is absurd.

 
not to the winner... small point...

 

[FullCircle]

ROTFL Oh lord, your comment made my day.  I don't know why, but I found it funny.


 

Seeing that, made me feel old

 

[Watagump]

   
not to the winner... small point...

 
The winner should also get a tootsie roll tootsie pop, as a tribute to this thread and my awesome post.

 

[project86]

  Hi there
 
just wondering what kind of sound signature does the Noble Universal 5 have? I like something with warm , thick signature with a lush mid range. Would you recommend me the this model? How is it different to the Noble 4? 

 
 
Jeez this thread moves fast (not as fast as the Hugo thread though.... can't keep up with that one at all).
 
To sort of answer this question - I have the Noble 5C and the 4C, so it's not exactly the same as the universal models. But should be in the ballpark. The 5 has significantly bigger bass. As in, pants-flapping, skull-crushing impact and subterranean depth. It's definitely a warm, lush, feel-good type of sound. Hyper-accurate and uptight? Nope. More of a pipe-and-slippers experience. Think Harbeth or Vandersteen with some really big REL subs to add more impact. 
 
The 4 is more linear, even handed and clean in its presentation. More of a straight-forward monitor type sound. Not boring by any means, and not too analytical in my opinion, they do bass extension very cleanly and don't editorialize. 
 
So based on your description I'd say the 5 might be a better fit. 

 

[FortisFlyer75]

  Great read! Really enjoyed it. Though I think it would have been nice if you had uploaded some pictures. 

 
 
Thanks.

Sorry for delay in reply, spent a few days away since last Wednesday...
 
Thanks, it was a enjoyable listen so was nice to share this experience when something sounds so good. The Hugo is something special and just like Noble have done with iem's they have raised the bar for headphone amp/dac that is portable.  It really makes the N5 deliver it's full ability as an iem and is no where for the recordings to hide with this combo.  
 
I normally would of done but my main camera was damaged accidentally by myself (apparantly they don't like been dropped on the lens end from 4 feet from the floor!) and am fussy with quality of photos so as good as my Xperia Z phone is, it is crap for photos (this is where an iphone would of actually been handy for once to me as they are not to bad for photos as phones go) all this I am a phone that can cram in 20M pixel bull means nothing at all when the sensor is smaller than an antz brain.  
 
Shame as I love taking the photos part trying to get those artistic macro close ups from obscure angles.  

@FortisFlyer75
Great write up and review, seems like you really put some effort in. I've had my eye on a Hugo for awhile.. For some reason, I feel like reading Tolstoy tonight.

I'm blushing right now, Nice thank you, but I'm a 100 leagues away from the great Mr.T.   Almost used one of his quotes for a cliche quick pun.  
All I can say is have both eye's on a Hugo as when you finally listen to one with what ever headphones or iem's you have now they will never sound the same once through the path of a Hugo.  
 

  I'm rather prejudiced against shamelessly-exhorbitant mark-ups in the aftermarket cable racket. I see the validity in upgrading to one, or maybe two, steps up from bog-standard, but any further than that, and I feel the ratio between diminishing returns and price-gouging spirals rapidly out of control and in the wrong direction.
 
AFAIK, Rob Watts doesn't think much of expensive cables, and, sat here listening to his Hugo, I'm inclined to think he knows a thing or two about how to achieve excellent SQ. This thing really sings.
 
Many thanks to OK-Guy for facilitating my musical enjoyment this evening, and to Chord for sharing some love with a few lucky peop's here!

 
I'd love to hear the Hugo again, some time in the future, in concert with the K10s, as I enjoyed my brief listening session with this combo at the Bristol Hi-fi show, a few months ago. I recall some sweet treble detail there...
 
 
 
.

I too share the same sentiments in thanking OK-Guy & Chord for allowing the chance to hear the Hugo as I had a doomed attempt to listen to it at hi-fi dealer a few weeks ago as I did not have the conversion cable for the ZX1 and should of taken my laptop music as back up so had to hear it through a speaker set up I heard which I was not familiar with although it was the Chords 5K integrated amp but was bottle necked by a lesser pair of Focal floorstanders so am grateful I was able to spend a few days with the Hugo at home. Almost felt like bunking work (not that ever have!) as I just wanted to listen to this all day with everything I had.  
 
I would love to listen to the K10's now after everything that has been said about it.  I can only imagine what that would sound like with the Hugo after hearing it with the N5's.
 

  Happy Friday folks! 

 

 
Looks like this pair swallowed my bowling ball by that finish.
 
A nice immersive soothing effect going on with this finish. 

   
Shh! If A&K find out you can easily afford an AK240, with money to spare, just for selling your kidney, they'll up the price so you need to sell a testicle, too!
 
 
 
Back on-topic... is there anyone in this thread, with a K10, who owns a Chord Hugo?

I wish I was someone with a K10 & Hugo if that help's?...... thought not.

 

[FortisFlyer75]

   
 
Jeez this thread moves fast (not as fast as the Hugo thread though.... can't keep up with that one at all).
 
To sort of answer this question - I have the Noble 5C and the 4C, so it's not exactly the same as the universal models. But should be in the ballpark. The 5 has significantly bigger bass. As in, pants-flapping, skull-crushing impact and subterranean depth. It's definitely a warm, lush, feel-good type of sound. Hyper-accurate and uptight? Nope. More of a pipe-and-slippers experience. Think Harbeth or Vandersteen with some really big REL subs to add more impact. 
 
The 4 is more linear, even handed and clean in its presentation. More of a straight-forward monitor type sound. Not boring by any means, and not too analytical in my opinion, they do bass extension very cleanly and don't editorialize. 
 
So based on your description I'd say the 5 might be a better fit. 

Brendanz - I would second this accurate apt description  above.  
 
Project; They should rename the Hugo thread with it's pace as "Hurricane Hugo" 

 

[OK-Guy]

  Looks like this pair swallowed my bowling ball by that finish.
 

 
you have a Claret & Blue bowling-ball?