[Pedro Dixon]

  Been 3 weeks now with these K10 awesomeness.  I've been acquiring some hires, and now even a couple DSD.  I can only say these just keep getting better and better!  Using my Pono that now does DSD and the hires is just, WOW!  Santana Abraxis in DSD and Eagles Hotel California 192/24.  I Can't decide which is better, but they are the top of my list so far.  Just sound so incredibly real..  The presence is everywhere.  I have Ted's Headphone Lounge Silver Litz balanced cables for the Pono on order.  Can't wait until those arrive!  These K10's eat everything I can throw at them and they just get so much more and more.  It's f'in wonderful..  Have Norah Jones 24/96 going now and I have this feeling that I should look up to her and ask her to run her fingers through my hair as she's singing to me...  LOL...  I have already about 90 hours with the K10 and 60 hours paired with the pono.
 
Just,...  THANK YOU NOBLE TEAM!!!111!!!

 
Firstly i'm glad you like the K10. I'm starting with Dulce Bass for the gym and then move to CIEM K10 or Satana. 
 
RE Hi Resolution files, I would strongly recommend this site below. My experience over the last few years since Hi Res Audio popped up is that dynamic range, regardless of format, sample rate, more than often wins hands down. I used to have a load of DSD and HiRes until I discovered this site which I would use as a reference, and of course Steve Hoffman forums which is a forum obsessed with finding the absolute best masterings out there. As you can see from the link, the HiRes Hotel Cali is high, I also have the DCC Label CD and put it this way, soon as I heard the DCC, the HiRes went straight into the trashcan of my Mac. I would find the pressings and listen to them against the HiRes offerings. I was astonished how bad some of the albums are HDTracks sell. Some of the DR value are as low as 6 or 7, but because they have high numbers, people buy into it. 
 
http://dr.loudness-war.info/album/list?artist=&album=hotel+california
 
You should have a look around the loudness war website. For me, it is cheaper and bring more bang for buck than buying new DACs etc, it really does make that much difference. I cannot believe how much of my library has changed from HiRes to Vinyl Rips @ 16/44. I was ripping at > 24/192 until I realised (and other audiophile friends) I couldn't hear a difference. So for me, mastering wins hands down 99.9% of the time. 
 
Another great example was when I grabbed Michael Jackson Thriller in DSD. Then a friend introduced me to the Japanese Print (CP35 8P) and I couldn't believe how much better the latter was. Then recently I found a mint US first press by Epic which slaughters the CP35 8P. 
 
Record Labels to look out for are DCC, Audio Fidelity and you will notice the same sound engineers are used: Barry Diamond; Doug Sax; Steve Hoffman; Kevin Grey. These guys are a few of not many that actually care about their output SQ. Unfortunately we are a minority but I put things this way Performance > Mastering > Equipment used.
 
Regards,
 
Pedro

 

[orskar]

   
   
You should have a look around the loudness war website. For me, it is cheaper and bring more bang for buck than buying new DACs etc, it really does make that much difference. I cannot believe how much of my library has changed from HiRes to Vinyl Rips @ 16/44. I was ripping at > 24/192 until I realised (and other audiophile friends) I couldn't hear a difference. So for me, mastering wins hands down 99.9% of the time. 
 
Another great example was when I grabbed Michael Jackson Thriller in DSD. Then a friend introduced me to the Japanese Print (CP35 8P) and I couldn't believe how much better the latter was. Then recently I found a mint US first press by Epic which slaughters the CP35 8P. 
 
Record Labels to look out for are DCC, Audio Fidelity and you will notice the same sound engineers are used: Barry Diamond; Doug Sax; Steve Hoffman; Kevin Grey. These guys are a few of not many that actually care about their output SQ. Unfortunately we are a minority but I put things this way Performance > Mastering > Equipment used.
 
Regards,
 
Pedro

 
I'm definitely on this side too, especially as I'm also into a lot of hardcore/punk music which often has poor mastering due to budgets or purposefully putting out in lo-fi as part of the style.
 
good equipment is always great but I've found that you can quickly get over the "bottleneck" of the equipment without spending too much to get a decent sound (not mesmerising of course but at least enjoyable) . I've found on a lot albums I've listened to that having higher end gear is in way making up for average or mediocre mastering and recordings. A good setup will often bring obviously lower quality sound albums up to the level of really well mastered stuff for me. Whenever I've upgraded iems, I've always experienced that the already great mixed albums sound slightly better but the "wow" improvements are with the average recordings.
 
all that is also why I like more balanced iems like django seems to be, they've always done more for me with average/lo-fi recordings than iems that stand out stronger in some areas.

 

[proedros]

   
Firstly i'm glad you like the K10. I'm starting with Dulce Bass for the gym and then move to CIEM K10 or Satana. 
 
RE Hi Resolution files, I would strongly recommend this site below. My experience over the last few years since Hi Res Audio popped up is that dynamic range, regardless of format, sample rate, more than often wins hands down. I used to have a load of DSD and HiRes until I discovered this site which I would use as a reference, and of course Steve Hoffman forums which is a forum obsessed with finding the absolute best masterings out there. As you can see from the link, the HiRes Hotel Cali is high, I also have the DCC Label CD and put it this way, soon as I heard the DCC, the HiRes went straight into the trashcan of my Mac. I would find the pressings and listen to them against the HiRes offerings. I was astonished how bad some of the albums are HDTracks sell. Some of the DR value are as low as 6 or 7, but because they have high numbers, people buy into it. 
 
http://dr.loudness-war.info/album/list?artist=&album=hotel+california
 
You should have a look around the loudness war website. For me, it is cheaper and bring more bang for buck than buying new DACs etc, it really does make that much difference. I cannot believe how much of my library has changed from HiRes to Vinyl Rips @ 16/44. I was ripping at > 24/192 until I realised (and other audiophile friends) I couldn't hear a difference. So for me, mastering wins hands down 99.9% of the time. 
 
Another great example was when I grabbed Michael Jackson Thriller in DSD. Then a friend introduced me to the Japanese Print (CP35 8P) and I couldn't believe how much better the latter was. Then recently I found a mint US first press by Epic which slaughters the CP35 8P. 
 
Record Labels to look out for are DCC, Audio Fidelity and you will notice the same sound engineers are used: Barry Diamond; Doug Sax; Steve Hoffman; Kevin Grey. These guys are a few of not many that actually care about their output SQ. Unfortunately we are a minority but I put things this way Performance > Mastering > Equipment used.
 
Regards,
 
Pedro

 
 
good vinyl rips are a great thing and sorry to say so but they are done for free by music afficionados , so they feel 2 times as sweet as those expensive hd-tracks (i have seen vinyl rips with crystal sound and DRs up to 15-16 

 )

also , 1st pressings are usually better than the new ''audiophile' releases 
 
and you can't go wrong with 80s Japan cd pressings
 
cheers

 

[Pedro Dixon]

   
 
good vinyl rips are a great thing and sorry to say so but they are done for free by music afficionados , so they feel 2 times as sweet as those expensive hd-tracks (i have seen vinyl rips with crystal sound and DRs up to 15-16 

 )

also , 1st pressings are usually better than the new ''audiophile' releases 
 
and you can't go wrong with 80s Japan cd pressings
 
cheers

There are no rules, often mastering can be a matter of taste. I have kept a few copies of certain albums that sound great in their own unique way and until I know which i'm getting the most satisfaction from, and in which case i'll keep both. 
 
Vinyl pressings are normally best from the origin of the band. Such as Steely Dan from the USA. Their AJA album, whilst in the MFSL catalogue which sounds flat as a pancake, conversely sounds stellar if you can get hold of a first press US ABC rip. It isn't difficult to find what you want nowadays, a simply google search with 'torrent' on the end often gets you what you want  

 

[proedros]

  There are no rules, often mastering can be a matter of taste. I have kept a few copies of certain albums that sound great in their own unique way and until I know which i'm getting the most satisfaction from, and in which case i'll keep both. 
 
Vinyl pressings are normally best from the origin of the band. Such as Steely Dan from the USA. Their AJA album, whilst in the MFSL catalogue which sounds flat as a pancake, conversely sounds stellar if you can get hold of a first press US ABC rip. It isn't difficult to find what you want nowadays, a simply google search with 'torrent' on the end often gets you what you want  

 
thanx for the tip , but i have been dl'ing good vinyl rips straight from the source(the rippers) since 2009 , and have been a member to all the great private blogs/sites that have to do with vinyl rips
 
like ciems , i take my music very seriously , and always search for (and find) the best there is 

 
cheers

(aja is indeed a sonic marvel , i have like 6-7 top notch rips of it)

 

[warrior1975]

I thought the exact same thing about the K10 3 years ago, yet here I am with the Katana, having my mind blown all over again...

Which do you prefer?

 

[Pedro Dixon]

   
thanx for the tip , but i have been dl'ing good vinyl rips straight from the source(the rippers) since 2009 , and have been a member to all the great private blogs/sites that have to do with vinyl rips
 
like ciems , i take my music very seriously , and always search for (and find) the best there is 

 
cheers

(aja is indeed a sonic marvel , i have like 6-7 top notch rips of it)

I must have had over 10 various pressings/masterings of Aja, starting with the original CD which is good. But my go to is the 1st press US ABC Vinyl. If you drop me a PM, i'll happily guide you with how to "procure" one although it seems you have this album covered. Either way, the offer is there. It is leaps ahead of any version I have heard, a beautiful clean rip. 
 
Countdown To Ecstasy best version IMO is the SHM CD - it's a flat transfer from the master tapes.
 
Also, Can't Buy a Thrill, the Speakers Corner Vinyl is superb.
 
I'm a member of several private sites too so it's likely we have the same material  

 

[Rin1990]

I have a confession to make, folks.
 
As I am going to plan for a second round on the Noble Audio, I admittedly wasn't very experienced in my impressions and the songs I use are all over the place thus making things a bit hard to judge.
 
And comparing Empire Ears' line up with these impressions weren't exactly fair as my source was more inferior back then.
 
The Empire line up audition on the first time was done with a Fiio X1 + Fiio Q1 stack, therefore it's not a fair assessment to compare them both since I have a better amplifier (The E12A) here to test the Noble Audio, and not to mention I test them with Bass enhancement therefore leaving a tilted signal impression that's not really helpful.
 
So I've decided to upgrade my equipment first and do a second round on the Noble line up around 21st or 22nd of October, along with the Empire Ears line up so I can make a fairer comparison all along.
 
And as usual, I will be thorough with them on many aspects and I will list out the songs I use to test and all of them will use these songs so impressions left can be consistent throughout my audition.
 
That's all I need to say, folks. Sorry for not being consistent with my first time impression as I will do better this time around.
 
Thanks for the encouragement and I hope I can contribute a bit more to all the music lovers here who are fans of Noble and Empire. And regardless of what you choose, in the end, it's all down to your own preference and I shouldn't be the one deciding it for you, but your own ears and heart should. 
 

 

[warrior1975]

Personally I don't think the amp will make that much of a difference. Bass boost more so. Looking forward to round 2 regardless.

 

[Rin1990]

Personally I don't think the amp will make that much of a difference. Bass boost more so. Looking forward to round 2 regardless.

Well, the Q1's amp was far more inferior in terms of sound quality to my ears.
 
Using my XB50AP to compare the two amps, the Q1 has a more congested soundstage, bass is again, clean and punchy and treble was slightly enhanced but not in a harsh way.
 
However the E12A has a wider soundstage, more coherent imaging, bass is cleaner than Q1 and well controlled, mids were lusher and treble is smoother than Q1.
 
And yes, the bass-boost does make things inconsistent so I am going to re-do this with a flat signal all the way with the exact same song list to do my sound-test.
 
P.S: Personally, I think the Q1 is far better off as my home USB DAC since admittedly the DAC of the Q1 is far superior to its amplifier and at the price of a measly 299 MYR (about 70 USD), I really can't complain.

 

[warrior1975]

For me, amps don't change the sound as much. I never heard that iem, but I do own the xb90ex, which is very difficult to drive. Maybe the difference in power? Just guessing. Or, you could absolutely be correct, and hear a difference. I rarely do. My ears are terrible though, and I rarely hear what others hear.

 

[Watagump]

A better source over a lower tier player should give better results IMHO. I know I have better SQ over my older players using my AK240. I am in the, don't need an amp for IEM group.

 

[Rin1990]

For me, amps don't change the sound as much. I never heard that iem, but I do own the xb90ex, which is very difficult to drive. Maybe the difference in power? Just guessing. Or, you could absolutely be correct, and hear a difference. I rarely do. My ears are terrible though, and I rarely hear what others hear.

To be fair the XB50AP isn't hard to drive at all, what really killed it for me was the mic inclusion of the cable which could very well affect some sound quality in the in-ears compared to those that are made solely for listening.
 
Some amps, depending on how they're implemented and tuned, have different sound signature, but those that truly hear the difference usually are amps that shoots far above the price range of what I own, particularly those designed by the folks in ALO Audio which have some of the best sound signature I've ever heard.
 
I remember the first time I tried their Continental Dual Mono through my Fiio X1, the XB50AP's V-shaped nature was almost completely tamed to being lush and organic. Bass no longer becomes boomy and is very well controlled, mids become very lush and organic, more forward and treble was very smooth, like...surprisingly buttery smooth for this particularly bassy IEM.
 
Of course, using a CDM is a bit excessive for me so it was never in my consideration during my amp-hunt. I'll be better off chasing something like the ALO RX Original or that new amplifier developed by HUM which seems a bit interesting.

 

[Rin1990]

  A better source over a lower tier player should give better results IMHO. I know I have better SQ over my older players using my AK240. I am in the, don't need an amp for IEM group.

Summi-fi players tend to do extremely well on their own assuming their IEMs aren't very hard to drive. =)
 
But yes, having a better player source definitely makes the biggest improvement. But I am hard-pressed to find one that is to my liking still, preferably those that aren't touch screens since I just don't like smudges and accidental clicks on my players. XD
 
Absolutely love the AK players but I am a bit on the side of fence on the touch-screens, even though they're the standard norm of the players nowadays. Even the Fiio X1 Second Gen has a touch roll-pad now instead of an solid one.
 
Cayin does look promising with the N5 and N6 which I find to have very awesome sound signature.

 

[warrior1975]

LPG is an excellent source. It has a screen, but it's not touch screen. My order of finding the ideal sound is:

IEM/phone-tips (iem only)-source-cable (especially for IEMS since most of the time power is adequate)-amp-dac.

With a great source you can potentially eliminate amp and dac.