[miceblue]

All righty, I uploaded my impressions video. Thank you to Brannan and Noble Audio for allowing me to be a part of this, and thank you to barra for making this even possible! : D

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eno37fd_hhk[/video]



To be honest, I don't think the Noble Audio house sound suits my personal sound preferences, but of the bunch, the Noble 4 was probably my favourite one overall due to its balanced sound, fairly spacious soundstage, and clarity. At $450, I'm not familiar enough with other universal in-ear earphones in the price range to say if it's worth the price or not, but it's one of the better earphones I've heard above $100.






For the two custom in-ear monitors, I liked the 8C for its more forward upper-midrange, treble clarity, and large soundstage, but I also liked the Kaiser 10 for its warmer midrange, non-aggressive treble, and great instrument separation and imaging abilities. If I had to choose one of the CIEMs to get, my pick would be the K10 just because it sounded more musical to me and it was an earphone I could probably use to just relax and listen to the music. However, I found that they both compliment each other in some way; what one has, the other doesn't. I think it goes without question though that both CIEMs have a spectacular design. : p


^ 8C



^ Kaiser 10





All three of the above earphones had their strong points, so it was interesting being able to compare them with the Hugo at the same time (I used a 6.3 mm to 3.5 mm adaptor to utilise the Hugo's 3 headphone out ports). As good as the Hugo sounds, I don't think it's an optimal pairing with sensitive earphones because I was able to pick up the Hugo's noise floor/background hiss pretty easily with the whole product line, and I had a similar experience with the Light Harmonic Geek Out 450. I used the JDS Labs C5D as an alternative DAC/amp instead since it is pretty much silent on low gain, except for the 8C (which means the 8C is an extremely sensitive earphone).

^ My main setup was my MacBook with the Audirvana Plus media player -> Hugo with the provided Silver Dragon USB cable, but I also tried the Hugo with the iPhone and the Apple Camera Connection Kit, and compared the Geek Out with the Hugo. In terms of sound, the Hugo and the Geek Out units sound similar to each other as a whole (giving a slight edge to the Hugo for instrument separation and a less grainy treble), so my impressions of the Noble products can be more or less applied to the Geek Out as well.






As for test tracks and music I listened to, I pretty much went through my standard music library (CD-rips, HD masters, DSD masters, V0 LAME MP3s on my iPod/iPhone). I used Dr. Chesky's Ultimate Headphone Demonstration Disc for soundstage testing since the binaural test tracks make it easy to identify localised sounds in three-dimensional space.





Anywho, I want to thank Brannan and Noble Audio again for the opportunity to listen to the whole product line for an extended time. It was quite an experience for me and hopefully Noble will be able to attend future local meets so we can meet some of the folks behind the company!
: )

 

[SilverEars]

Interesting.  So you don't hear noise for a device that is powered though USB, yet you hear noise with Hugo which I believe is not powered though USB.  There is a lot of scare regarding USB noise.  
 
Also, have you tested the ODAC/O2 combo for noise with the Noble line-up?  I would like to know this since ODAC is powered via USB.

 

[miceblue]

Interesting.  So you don't hear noise for a device that is powered though USB, yet you hear noise with Hugo which I believe is not powered though USB.  There is a lot of scare regarding USB noise.  

Also, have you tested the ODAC/O2 combo for noise with the Noble line-up?  I would like to know this since ODAC is powered via USB.

I don't think USB noise is the issue at hand with regard to the DAC section. The Geek Out is USB-powered whereas the Hugo is powered by battery, but I heard the background hiss on both units. The JDS Labs C5D can be powered by either USB or battery and I was using the USB-powered mode.

The Geek Out and Hugo are probably built for larger, less sensitive, headphones. The C5D in comparison was specifically built for sensitive earphones, that was one of the design goals for the product, so it has a very low noise rating (JDS Labs measured 5.297557 μV compared to my Geek Out 450's 19.76 μVRMS).

Were USB noise an issue, I would think the cable that was provided with the Hugo, the Silver Dragon, would be better at reducing the USB noise than the $1 Monoprice cable I was using with the C5D.


As for the ODAC/O2, I personally didn't test the Noble products with them, but I've tried the ODAC with other earphones I have at home (e.g. SE215) and I couldn't hear any noise with them similar to the C5D. I don't use the O2 (even with 1.0x gain) with earphones, period, because I find it to have too much power at low-volumes and forces me to use the volume potentiometer where the channel imbalance is audible, or I'm forced to lower the digital volume and potentially degrade the sound.

 

[bangkokkid]

All righty, I uploaded my impressions video. Thank you to Brannan and Noble Audio for allowing me to be a part of this, and thank you to barra for making this even possible! : D
 

 
Great video and photos, thanks for sharing your impressions and participating in the tour. One of the things I am working on is aggregating all the videos that have been done about Noble to upload to our Vimeo channel. Would you mind if I posted your video crediting you (of course)?

 

[miceblue]

All righty, I uploaded my impressions video. Thank you to Brannan and Noble Audio for allowing me to be a part of this, and thank you to barra for making this even possible! : D

 

Great video and photos, thanks for sharing your impressions and participating in the tour. One of the things I am working on is aggregating all the videos that have been done about Noble to upload to our Vimeo channel. Would you mind if I posted your video crediting you (of course)?

Hi Brannan, I'm okay with that. I'm guessing this is the Vimeo page you're referring to?
http://vimeo.com/nobleaudio

 

[bangkokkid]

Hi Brannan, I'm okay with that. I'm guessing this is the Vimeo page you're referring to?
http://vimeo.com/nobleaudio

 
Great, thanks and, yes, that's it.

 

[alpha421]

First, I would like to give a huge thanks to Barra for setting up and managing this unique opportunity, and of course Brannan of Noble Audio. I can't think of a similar opportunity where members got the chance to listen to the whole product line up through a very expensive piece of equipment, the Chord Hugo and Moon Audio SD cables - all in the comfort and privacy of home. Check out Noble's fellowship:
 
(From top left to bottom: K10, 8C, N3, N4, N5,N6, FR, PR, and of course the Chord Hugo)

 
(Chord Hugo, UERM, K10)

 
 
The only models of interest before this tour began was of course the flagship, K10 and the PR.  I wanted to compare them against my UERM and Tzar 350, but knowing that I had the full lineup in front of me, I told myself, "what the hell."  And what a hell of a ride it was.  I found it pretty daunting to say the least to go through each one.  I started from the bottom of the Noble ladder on up.  I divided the listening sessions into two sessions where session one consisted of the Noble N3-8C, and session two dived a little deeper in analysis with the Noble FR/PR/K10 and my own UERM/Tzar 350. So without further ado, the following describes the setup(s) and my impressions.
 

1. Sources files were FLAC 24/96, and 24/192.
2. DAC/Amp were mostly done with the Chord Hugo and where identified, my CEntrance DACport 1 ohm mod for a quick comparison between the two.  One thing I loved about the Hugo was its dual 1/8 output so that comparing two iem/ciem at the same time was done at the same volume level.

​
 
== SECTION 1 ==

Artist / Tracks: Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions / Drop, Joni Mitchell / Blue, Pavarotti / Nessun Dorma, Paul Simon / The Boy in the Bubble, Yo-Yo-Ma / Bach Cello #1 in G, Nirvana / Nevermind, Joe Hisaishi / My Neighbour Totoro (all tracks).
 
N3

I can hear why this model is very likable.  The tuning has an appeal to the masses - fun, safe, and far from boring.  It has but lacks a little refinement in the traits that higher models possesses. The stage is on the small side with not a lot of air when compared to the other models, but it does have weighty mids with slight boomy bass throughout the mid and sub-bass regions, which resulted at times of a congested sound. It softens a little too much in the treble area as there's not enough top end extension and lacks sparkle for my taste.
 
N4
As a previous 4.ai, 4.A, and 4.A S owner, the N4 is a "clear" improvement with a slightly fuller midrange. Overall a very balanced and linear sound. Compared to the N3, the overall weight is reduced, but replaced with the N4's greater details and separation in a much smoother fashion. A noticeable extension in the decay is at play. Accurate timbre, especially with orchestral instruments with the highest transparency perception thus far. Tighter bass quality over quantity, more snap.  Easy to fall sleep with. Most balanced of the bunch (N3,N5,N6,8C). May be a little bass light for some.
 
N5/8C
(This was auditioned and was purposefully done side by side as the N5 is inspired by the custom 8C)
The Noble ladder splits into two upward directions with the N5 from the the N3. The N5 has considerable more body especially in the forward mids; thus fuller sounding over the N3 with much more space/air translating to an overall larger sound stage. Sounds more like listening to headphones. However, I felt it lacked the detail and tonal accuracy of the N4 and like the N3 has a warmer sound. A lot of mid-bass on this one.
 
Flipping over to the 8C with the same tracks, it sounds warm and thick like the N5, but the mids aren't as forward. Treble extends further. More detailed, cleaner, with better separation. Unlike the N5, the 8C is very smooth and coherent with good speed - nicely balanced. Thunderous and deep, sub-bass, but very controlled. Hissy with the Hugo and my DACport /w 1 ohm output impedance. Other than the hiss, the 8C reminded me of my Westone ES5 that I use to have.  A great and versatile all rounder.

N6
An N4 with more bass? Well, not really.  At the same volume level, the midrange and bass is slightly more forward, which adds the warmth and a fuller sound with the N6. The N6 has much more bass quantity, but I give bass quality card to the N4. I found the N6 bass a little boomy at times especially in the mid and upper bass region which had a tendency to bleed slightly in the lower mid-range; not so with the N4. However, I found the treble extension to be slightly better on the N6. Bass may be too much for those who really fancies the N4 signature.  If I was a  bass-head, the N6 would be my choice.
 
Summary:
Up to this point, if I had to choose just one out of the five, the N4/4C would be my pick. Not much of a surprise as it has the closest sound to that of my UERM.  The N4 has the least colored sound and is the closest thus far among its kin towards transparency. The N5 to me seems a little lost in identity.  It didn't sound that close to the 8C, but it was a good effort. Surprisingly, after comparing the N3 and 8C side by side, I found that the N3 shares a closer sound signature to the 8C.  Of course, the 8C trumps the N3 in every area, but the latter does a good job keeping up.  No pun intended, but the N3 could be the poor man's 8C, and it would be my direct upgrade path if that was my ideal sound signature.
 
 
== SECTION 2 ==
 
From this point onward, I'll add my UERM and Tzar 350 to compare among the last of the Noble fellowship: FR,PR, and the flagship K10. My initial expectation with the R and PR modes would be similar to my Tzar 350.  If the track is warm, thick, and wet, the much higher impedance and tuning takes them away like a goose down comforter being torn away in the dead of winter. As such, they are not that versatile in regards to every genre where some become victims to severe harshness and sibilance where a much lower volume level must be improvised and/or EQing down in the 6-8k regions. The others are nothing short of pure audio nirvana, IMO.
 
FR
This to me is the Dr. Jekyll(FR) and Mr. Hyde(R). In Dr. Jekyll mode, sound is surprisingly warm, slightly full, and forward. I wonder how much DNA was extracted from the N3 and N5 to make the FR portion. In R mode (switch down) the sound instantly changes from warm to cold and thin. Bass still has impact, but lacks the decay and extension from the FR mode. What is loss in the bass region, you gain a clearer imagery with lost more air in the mids and treble regions. Where the FR mode is the safe mode and plays well with any genre, the R mode can torture you with Nirvana's Nevermind. However, switching to Paul Simon's Boy in the Bubble, you're awarded with a clearer picture of instrument separation and placement. Joni Mitchells voice in Blue is very intimate and the ability to clearly hear her breath and decay as she readys for the next set of lyrics is very well done.  Higher volumes can put you in the sibilant zone.
 
In comparison with my Tzar 350, there's even more open space and a clearer picture. It's also faster as evident by the galloping at the end of Amber Rubarth / Don't you. Between it and the FR in R mode, the Tzar 350 trumps in every way except if one likes a smaller and intimate stage like the sensation of being in a smaller Jazz club.
 
PR
Between the R and PR, I definitely prefer the PR mode and as stated at the beginning of this review, is one of the two iems that I was specifically interested in.  Its tonality and presentation is closest to the Tzar 350 as is the impedance. The PR has a slightly more forward presentation compared to the Tzar, but the Tzar sounds to be more accurate with Yo-Yo Ma Cello with more texture as the bow hair glides across the strings. The Tzar also has a slightly longer decay with the notes and the stage has more air. On "Nessun Dorma", the Tzar presents Pavoriti's voice with more weight and texture as well on the closing orchestra. Genres and their respective tracks where sibilance and harshness doesn't rear its ugly head, the Tzar reins supreme. Listening to Miles Davis, 'The Pan Piper", the harsh trumpet and flute notes, and on Nirvana 'On A Pain' sibilance was kept at bay with PR, and even more so if the switch activated R mode. No so with the Tzar; those tracks wear unbearable. On the PR, simply sublime.

After hearing the FR and PR, I would love to see a more versatile combination of a FR/PR only combination. Still, my dream Noble creation will be identified at the end of this review.
 
K10
Moving up Noble's court is the K10.  This last comparison involves my recently acquired UERM. 

The K in the K10 apparently stands for Kaiser, a man or myth - I don't even know. After listening to the K10, I stand to say that the 'K' can also mean 'King' and the K10 wears its mighty crown with utmost authority.  Fanboys of Final Design Audio may know where I'm coming from, but the K10 does something really special in that It somehow creates a very strong and emotional connection with the music and listener. The smooth and rich, full of detail, clarity, incredible stage depth, and everything else that describes the listening landscape is nothing short of magical. Yes, it may sound like I'm sugar coating it, but compared to my UERM, the K10 possesses a rare, near perfect mix of smoothness, musicality, naturalness, and refinement that has the ability to make any music sound very engaging and emotional, 24/7. I attend to agree with the many views that states the K10 really doesn't have a weakness or fault unless one prefers a more analytical and sterile presentation or signature. However, if I had to identify an area of weakness from my ears, it would be when the stage can sound a little compressed with too much of everything.  Then again, I'm coming from the UERM and Tzar 350 that may not sound nearly as full as the K10, but a little more stage width and air would help with the transparency.
 
The opening of Paul Simon's 'The Boy in the Bubble' the everything about the first opening 30 seconds is weighty as evident with the kick drum.  If the UERM's reputation is for tonal accuracy from a reference monitor perspective, and if I assume mine are made to the exact specs of the product and measures the same with account to my ear anatomy, then the K10 bass hits harder and deeper, but by doing so, there's a very slight bass bloom that's noticeable if you're trying to hear it. The K10 has incredible coherency when the track adds the mids and treble ranges. It's incredibly smooth and it's this smoothness that I notice a smooth treble roll off compared to the UERM when Paul Simon's voice sounds a little shrill here and there.
 
With Bob Marely & The Wailers - No Woman, No cry (Live-1975), the K10 presents the track with a high level of musical weight.  However, it's the weight that weighs down and shrinks the sound stage and takes a little air from the stage depth.  Still, the track sounds very smooth and intimate. 
Switching over to the UERM, the sound stage is much wider with transparency in spades. The musical and voice components have more space and sounds more realistic like an open concert where supposedly the track was recorded from.
 
I listened to another good, live recording, the Eagles 'Hotel California'.  Same results. The ending where the audience claps and screams sounds so real with energy on the UERM, where as the K10's weight constricts some of that energy.
 
The last album I listened in depth was Pink Floyd 'The Division Bell' and the K10's energy and full range dynamics once again took the spotlight.  The musical ride magical and breath taking. Once again, stage depth and height is very impressive. The K10 is like a music conductor that knows how to make any music sound sweet, emotional, and full of life. In short, music's beauty is glorified with the K10. On the other hand, the UERM is like a OCD conductor that demands the truth from the music or recording. It doesn't care how the listener may respond to it for good or bad. All that's good hears good and vice versa. If there's weight to the tones, the UERM lets them to be heard as is.
 
The last K10/UERM test involved compressed tracks from Dr. Chesky 'The Ultimate Headphone Demonstration Disc.' The cycling process through the voice, cymbal, and drum tracks resulted in the UERM having an upper hand identifying dynamic range uncompressed, mildly and heavily compression.  The results didn't surprise me one bit.  The UERM is purposed like a studio monitor where as the K10 is more like high end loud speakers that lets any music dance.  In the end, I find the K10 a nice compliment with my UERM.  If I can dream, my dream Noble product would  be a version of the K10 with DNA from the PR, or a K10 with a switch for the PR configuration. 
 
So, there you have it.  A consolidation of my four day impression with all the players in Noble's court. Again, my greatest thanks extends to Brannan/Wizard of Noble for their generosity and trust with their expensive products.  Hats off to Barra for coordinating this rare opportunity, and to other members for making head-fi a wonderful place to share a common and much needed passion.

 

[Barra]

Nice review miceblue, we can always count on you for some really nice pictures. The video always helps with perspective as well, but I am not brave enough to do a video review. I always think that my recorded voice sounds funny.

 

[Barra]

Great review with a lot of very specific detail. It makes me want to go back and redo my review thinking that I missed a lot of somethings.
 
Now I am even more anxious to hear ericr's thoughts.

 

[alpha421]

It was tough getting through the review.  With so many interruptions from family, work, and friends going against the time and effort required for the review was indeed challenging.  I'm glad it's done. Now, I'm juggling over the thought of saving pennies with November quickly coming up.

 

[TheDukeNY]

I would like to thank Barra for setting up this opportunity and of course Brannon of Noble Audio. Great many thanks you guys. I just got them... More to come later with impressions.

 

[TheDukeNY]

I don't think USB noise is the issue at hand with regard to the DAC section. The Geek Out is USB-powered whereas the Hugo is powered by battery, but I heard the background hiss on both units. The JDS Labs C5D can be powered by either USB or battery and I was using the USB-powered mode.

The Geek Out and Hugo are probably built for larger, less sensitive, headphones. The C5D in comparison was specifically built for sensitive earphones, that was one of the design goals for the product, so it has a very low noise rating (JDS Labs measured 5.297557 μV compared to my Geek Out 450's 19.76 μVRMS).

Were USB noise an issue, I would think the cable that was provided with the Hugo, the Silver Dragon, would be better at reducing the USB noise than the $1 Monoprice cable I was using with the C5D.


As for the ODAC/O2, I personally didn't test the Noble products with them, but I've tried the ODAC with other earphones I have at home (e.g. SE215) and I couldn't hear any noise with them similar to the C5D. I don't use the O2 (even with 1.0x gain) with earphones, period, because I find it to have too much power at low-volumes and forces me to use the volume potentiometer where the channel imbalance is audible, or I'm forced to lower the digital volume and potentially degrade the sound.

Experiencing similar issues. I do have the ODAC+O2 Combo and will be trying them tomorrow. I have done SE215 with the ODAC+O2 and couldn't hear noise, but I don't really use them with either with earphones either because of the potentiometer issues. It's normally used to power my planar magnetics.

FYI - the combo is not usb powered so I couldn't answer to that.

 

[Barra]

Tour participants,
 
Unfortunately 7ryder had to drop out of the tour due to work conflicts. My intention is to move up everyone's time slot accordingly thinking that nobody would complain about getting the demos early. However, I thought I should check in first to make sure that the change will not conflict with anyone's schedules.
 
This affects: Earthpeople, AndrewZander, Poetik, and Barrasr. Will it negatively affect any of you to get the demo kit 4 days early? If so, we can swap time slots if necessary. Please let me know by PM.

 

[Soundsgoodtome]

Thanks to TheDukeNy for meeting me at Sbux to make the exchange. Much appreciation to Barra, Brannan and Noble Audio for the opportunity to audition these fantastic gear. I've tried the 6, 8c, and Kaiser 10 with my Ibasso DX100. Expanded review to come!

Edit* I've remarked the bags as the original marking started to become unreadable.

 

[Barra]

Table Update Notice:
The tour schedule table has now been updated with the new schedule for those coming up in the tour. Dregur should be getting his turn starting today with a hand off from Soundsgoodtome. The tour will follow the same order with everyone getting their turn 4 days earlier. The time has been moved to the end to accommodate a demo party.