Ok, so may I ask, just how recessed are these mids? I'm waffling back and forth here. I read that they are both extreme V and and someone else referred to them as W and there's not much in the way of reviews on them yet to its very difficult to ascertain whether they'll be the right choice for me. I love all the fullness of controlled bass and the the crisp sparkle with out sibilance in the treble, but dont want to sacrifice the mids.. I know graphs dont equate to what we hear but they can indicate. Is there a graph and or a full review somewhere?
I posted this on the IMR Thread earlier today in response to the question "If I could compare the M3s to the IMR Zeniths" I auditioned the M3s for about half an hour about 6 weeks ago. I'm going to repost what I wrote there in hopes that you can get an idea as to my musical preference and guide me as to whether the M3 or perhaps the Savant II or something else might be appropriate. Thanks in advance for indulging me:
I had the Zenith but it wasn't to my taste so I sold it and never had the chance to run the Zenith and M3 back to back. For me the treble of the Zenith was too metallic and I never found a natural timbre in horns and strings or even vocals for that matter ..... although I loved the bass reproduction of them. As for me, I love a full rich fun sound and no matter what I'm listening to or what IEM I'm listening with, I tend to take the bass up 2 to 3 db and taper down to 0 or even -5 at 1K then scale up again boosting the treble. I'm going to give you kind of a long answer here without trying to write a review. The goal to help you understand my musical preference so that you understand what's attracted me to the M3.
When I got the relatively budget Tin P1s my mind opened to the possibilities of Planar in an IEM. I've got a lovely pair of Clements Audio RB 8.0 MkII speakers with unbelievably precise, crisp and detailed ribbon tweeters in them and they blow me a way every time I listen to them (25 years now). I'll never sell them! They're full, rich, deep, clean, textured, clear, detailed ...I could go on and one with these non audiophile descriptors. I've got a friend who's a grammy winning recording artist, producer and sound engineer who also does film scores .... he was over on Sunday and I fired them up, put him right in the middle of the sound stage and he was blown away. He says I wonder if I could mix with these things, so I turned off the EQ and and he was stunned at how good they are, then we boosted the Eq back and and all the Fun came back in them and we both sat there grinning as the tasteful and controlled but unobtrusive bass penetrated our bodies with the mids rising out of that and the treble floating all around it, crisp, clean, sparkly reaching to the moon with no sibilance. That's what I'm after - exactly what I get from these speakers - in an IEM.
So having said all of that, the P1s showed me that Planar is possible in an IEM BUT it was lacking in the low end - I still love them, and I'll never sell them (the bass does develop over time but they'll never reach low like the Zeniths, Atens or RAHs)
I ordered the RAH because of the my experience with the Zenith on the low end, my experience with the P1 in the mids and highs, and all of the praise heaped upon the Aten. But there's a wait time. So in my quest to find small form speakers I can stick in my ears, I bought the oBravo Cupids, I liked them but I never loved them. They go nice and low, and yes they graph well but in listening with any tip, the treble was muted, maybe recessed is a better word - it's hard to describe - it's like its all there but, there's something in the way - so for example when listening to Diana Krall on anything but the Cupids I can hear her breath, the smack of her lips, the gentle caress of brushes against the drum kit. Or with Bob Marley's Three Little Birds, for example, the Cymbal strikes, just float above everything up in the corners, but clean clear and apparent. With the P1s, Xelentos, IE800s - that's what I get, with the Cupids, it's there, but it's a little hidden like I have to strain my ear and really concentrate to listen for it, to pull it out .....
So, now to the M3, I got a chance to audition them a little over a month ago and at the time I had the Cupids in my pocket. At that point I still liked the Cupids, was aware of their shortcomings, but generally happy - the bass is good, they travel well and have a form factor similar to Shure - I plugged the M3s into my ears and was literally stunned by how good the bass response was, low, deep, refined, controlled but OMG the treble was the crispest most sparkly thing I think I ever heard and I was immediately in love with them., I put the cupids in my ear and went back and forth between them for close to half an hour. When I was done, I stuck the cupids back in their box and never listened to them again - just sold them on Sunday.
In answer to your question, I have not been able to compare the M3 to Zenith except from distant memory and my recollection of the M3 is also from memory as my units have not yet arrived, but they did leave a strong impression on me. In the meantime, I've read what few reviews and impressions there are floating around the net about them and my sentiments seem to be validated, with the majority confirming lows & highs but saying they lack in the mids. I dont know, I can't remember. I was so taken by the lows and the highs, that perhaps I didn't spend anytime paying attention the mids in my short time with them - but I remember that with everything I listened to, I greatly preferred the M3s over the Cupids. I also know that I sold, the Shures (535, 846,) the cupids and the Zeniths
Now, this is the IMR thread and I just finished gushing over the M3s - I'm excited about whats coming in the RAH and I really believe that Bob will have a slam dunk with them. I travel alot and spend considerable time in the air. So form factor when traveling is important to me (sleeping on long haul flights) If the the RAHS are everything I expect them to be - I see using them at home, running around the city and having fun with them. The M3s for up in the air and sticking in my pocket. Let's see. Maybe once I have the M3s and play with them for a couple of weeks, I'll discover the shortcomings in the mids. I've always got the Xelentos to fall back on as my travel buddies - I'm perfectly happy with them.
So, that gives a little context.... I'm new to Noble - based on this - where in the lineup should I be?
In my mind, and for my use, they are the perfect daily driver. I am constantly saying, how can these be this good with only 2 drivers and for so little money? I really think if anyone gave these a try, they would buy them on the spot, if they had the funds on hand. They are that freakin good. Words that come to mind while using them are. . .organic, natural, and euphonic mids. I really do want to get some K10's, and probably will, but when I am jamming with the Savant II, I want for nothing.
