[Watagump]

I look at it another way. You are paying for other things on top of parts, marketing, salaries etc etc. You are paying for someones skill and knowledge. There is a reason one paint job costs $20,000 and one costs $500. Its certainly not the cost of the paint. Its the prep work and the skill.

 

[mscott58]

   
To say this is puts the trustworthiness of Noble Audio into question is an understatement. Such a disconnect between cost of components and final cost of product is something that any consumer should be aware of. Noble deliberately hid this information on a $599 product because they knew that it would paint them in a poor light. This is also a universal IEM which means cost of production are even lower than for a custom model.
 
There is no way I will ever recommend Noble products if this is how they treat customers and anyone who buys a Noble Audio product should be aware of this. I'm sure other CIEM makers are doing this too but that is no justification and ultimately the consumer loses which is why this matters.

Isn't it against the rules of Head-Fi to post the same content to multiple threads? Just sayin...

 

[musiclvr]

I look at it another way. You are paying for other things on top of parts, marketing, salaries etc etc. You are paying for someones skill and knowledge. There is a reason one paint job costs $20,000 and one costs $500. Its certainly not the cost of the paint. Its the prep work and the skill.

I totally agree! In the world of audio the number one determining factor in purchasing an item for me is its SOUND. That is what your ultimately paying for and this result is the real signature of a company I.e. co."house sound". I own a pair of the Wizard Savant and realized that I am paying for an experience that includes how they sound, look, feel, and just as importantly; that they come from a company that gives you a reply from the people who own it in a timely fashion meaning amazing customer support post purchase. Anyways there are my $0.02.......

 

[Cagin]

@Dreyka, to be thorough, you forgot the cost of the many tips and also the worldwide shipping included in the price 

 

[ScottFree]

  Hiding the driver number because you know people will question the price is untrustworthy. 

 
And you're basing this on what?

 

[Brooko]

Oh please!
 
Curious - because you don't show anything in your profile.  Have you actually heard the Savant?  As far as I'm concerned  - it has one of the best tunings I've personally heard.  It's also robust, well built, very comfortable. Everything you'd want in an IEM.  Just because John didn't want to disclose the number of drivers doesn't make him untrustworthy - I have no idea how you made that particular leap.  Lots of manufacturers choose not to do that.  It is their right.  Have you thought perhaps that one of the reasons he didn't disclose the internals is that he wanted people just to judge it based on the sonics - rather than the number of drivers?
 
Just FYI - 3 of the best earphones I've heard all year have all been dual BAs - Savant, Curve2, and q-Jays.  What the heck does the number of drivers have to do with anything - as long as they sound fantastic, fit well, and are comfortable?
 
 
Quote:

   
Hiding the driver number because you know people will question the price is untrustworthy. The obsession with driver number is not in my opinion a good thing but the answer is not to charge a high price and hide that number. That's scummy practice.
 
Apple also make high quality products though I don't like their ecosystem. They don't use cheap molds, cables and pelican cases. They don't put their products in cheap carboard boxes with the SN written on the box, not the product, with a blank warranty card that doesn't even have the SN printed on it! That is cheapskate cost cutting on a very expensive product.
 
The vast majority do expect price to fall inline with cost. I hope that people can use this information to reconsider whether they wish to purchase a Savant. It's important that consumers are informed to make these decisions.

 

  To say this is puts the trustworthiness of Noble Audio into question is an understatement. Such a disconnect between cost of components and final cost of product is something that any consumer should be aware of. Noble deliberately hid this information on a $599 product because they knew that it would paint them in a poor light. This is also a universal IEM which means cost of production are even lower than for a custom model.
 
There is no way I will ever recommend Noble products if this is how they treat customers and anyone who buys a Noble Audio product should be aware of this. I'm sure other CIEM makers are doing this too but that is no justification and ultimately the consumer loses which is why this matters.

 

[Valens7]

Guys... don't feed the troll. 

 I hate to see threads like this, with many worthwhile observations, get needlessly derailed.

 

[doublea71]

The video is from Vibro Labs, a competitor of Noble....and they want to lecture us about "integrity"? Don't let the door hit ya....

 

[drgajet]

The video is from Vibro Labs, a competitor of Noble....and they want to lecture us about "integrity"? Don't let the door hit ya....

That explains a lot.

 

[groovyd]

he did say they sound great and there is a lot to learn by the design so let's just leave it at that.  my Savant sound great and I paid what they asked for them knowing by not announcing the driver count they only had 2 drivers and can't say I am disappointed with the sound so hats off to them for putting their knowledge and expertise to work in making them comfortably profitable selling a product many IEMs with much higher driver counts and build costs strive to sound like.  it isn't who sends up the biggest rocket but the one who makes it to the moon.

 

[FullCircle]

  he did say they sound great and there is a lot to learn by the design so let's just leave it at that.  my Savant sound great and I paid what they asked for them knowing by not announcing the driver count they only had 2 drivers and can't say I am disappointed with the sound so hats off to them for putting their knowledge and expertise to work in making them comfortably profitable selling a product many IEMs with much higher driver counts and build costs strive to sound like.  it isn't who sends up the biggest rocket but the one who makes it to the moon.

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
That is an excellent T shirt slogan

 

[proedros]

i don't understand why people dwell so much on the savant price - the savant price is fine , judging by the market laws and the cost of other quality iems here

what bothers me (and this is my personal opinion , so please respect it) is charging people 1000$ just for a prestige artwork and people feeling grateful - now if this artwork made coffee for me in the morning and hooked me up with playboy bunnies in the evening, i would have said 'count me in' , but i don't think this comes with the prestige artwork 
 
 
 
(and keeping in line with the latest image, I  consider dr Moulton a master sensei of commerce for getting so many people down that artsy prestige road , i really do)
 
PS :  it isn't who sends up the biggest rocket but who charges a spaceship for a spaceship.
 
cheers

 

[Watagump]

  i don't understand why people dwell so much on the savant price - the savant price is fine , judging by the market laws and the cost of other quality iems here

what bothers me (and this is my personal opinion , so please respect it) is charging people 1000$ just for a prestige artwork and people feeling grateful - now if this artwork made coffee for me in the morning and hooked me up with playboy bunnies in the evening, i would have said 'count me in' , but i don't think this comes with the prestige artwork 
 
 
 
(and keeping in line with the latest image, I  consider dr Moulton a master sensei of commerce for getting so many people down that artsy prestige road , i really do)
 
PS :  it isn't who sends up the biggest rocket but who charges a spaceship for a spaceship.
 
cheers

 
The people spending their own $1000 for the Prestige is their choice. Why is it such a big deal they charge that? Its no different than paying for anything else, its your money, do what you want. Its an OPTION, nothing wrong with having choices, cheap ones or not.

 

[FullCircle]

  i don't understand why people dwell so much on the savant price - the savant price is fine , judging by the market laws and the cost of other quality iems here

what bothers me (and this is my personal opinion , so please respect it) is charging people 1000$ just for a prestige artwork and people feeling grateful - now if this artwork made coffee for me in the morning and hooked me up with playboy bunnies in the evening, i would have said 'count me in' , but i don't think this comes with the prestige artwork 
 
 
 
(and keeping in line with the latest image, I  consider dr Moulton a master sensei of commerce for getting so many people down that artsy prestige road , i really do)
 
PS :  it isn't who sends up the biggest rocket but who charges a spaceship for a spaceship.
 
cheers

 
 
 
Oh now, I'm just a guy that pushed the envelope (at least in the CIEM arena)
 
The concept of offering Tier products that, for the most part, only differ aesthetically, has been around long before me.
 

 

 
 
Some people care about such things and place a premium on owning products that embody art and function.
 
 

 

 

[ScottK]

Alw

Oh now, I'm just a guy that pushed the envelope (at least in the CIEM arena)

The concept of offering Tier products that, for the most part, only differ aesthetically, has been around long before me.








Some people care about such things and place a premium on owning products that embody art and function.

Always preferred the wheels on the e36...

In much the same way that I much prefer the 2 drivers in my savants than in my se425. No comparison really.