angelo898
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THE NOBLE 4 (universal) Australian Tour Thread - (Impressions / Reviews)
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Yea....
trust me I'm bummed as well.
trust me I'm bummed as well.
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UPDATE: There was a misunderstanding on our part and the contest is now open to EVERYONE REGARDLESS OF LOCATION. Please note that depending on your country of residence you may be subject to certain taxes, duties, or other obligations if you win.
Also, changes to your entries by the way of editing posts will result in disqualification from here on out.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/721449/noble-cable-contest-win-a-noble-6w#post_10598875
Also, changes to your entries by the way of editing posts will result in disqualification from here on out.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/721449/noble-cable-contest-win-a-noble-6w#post_10598875
d marc0
Headphoneus Supremus
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That's a terrific news.
Thank you!
Thank you!
White Lotus
Reviewer for Stereo.net.au
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Received!
Thanks guys!
Thanks guys!
d marc0
Headphoneus Supremus
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imackler
Headphoneus Supremus
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Awesome... I hope you have fun mate!
I hope you write a review! From reviews, the 4S ciem sounds great. If I only I could get a grasp on how these compare!
But have fun too, I suppose
lin0003
Headphoneus Supremus
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First of all, I’d like to thank d_marc0 for generously sending his personal pair of Noble 4s on a tour around Australia and including me. This review would not be possible without you! I’m just going to skip all the stuff that I usually write before the sound quality section of my reviews and get right down to it. This review is based on running the N4 directly from the DX90, which is a rather neutral source. Let’s move on to the sound section.
Sound Quality
Previously, I had heard this at the Melbourne meet briefly and I was extremely impressed with its sound. From what I remember, it was neutral, very balanced and well extended. The N4 isn’t the type of IEM that will stun you when you first listen to it like the DN-1000 does, but instead, you need some time to fully appreciate it. Over the few days that I have had it, I’ve really grown to like the N4 and to be honest, I can’t really fault it anywhere.
Bass
The bass is one of the most neutral sounding that I have heard. Recently, I’ve been listening to bass heavy IEMs quite a lot such as the DN-1000, DN-2000 (not as bassy) and the H300 mainly and when I first listened to the Noble 4, my first impression was that perhaps it was a little on the bass light side. However, after going through that “mind burn in” phase, I’ve come to really appreciate and respect the N4’s bass. The mid bass has a nice punch to it that it not too soft nor too hard and it is one of the fastest IEMs I’ve heard. The bass starts to roll off a bit towards the sub-bass though and sometimes I find it lacking a little there. The rumble seems to be a bit less than the DN-2000. Bass detail is nice, keeping up with the DN-2000, but overall I think I prefer the DN-2000s bass over that of the N4.
Midrange
The midrange, like the bass is very neutral with not much colouration at all. I recall stating that they were a little bit on the warm side of things and now after I’ve spent some more time with them, I’ve realised that they may just be the tiniest bit on the cold side. Others might perceive them as perfectly flat or slightly warm and I believe that this depends very much on what you think is neutral. If you think the HD600’s midrange is neutral, then the N4 will probably be on the slightly bright and thin side. Vocals really stand out and I feel like they may just be a bit more forward than neutral. The detail in the instruments in the mids is around as good as the DN-2000 and better than the H300. Overall, the mids are just perfect, I really can’t see anything wrong here.
Treble
The treble is also, like everything else, perfectly balanced. It is very neutral and I don’t detect any roll off towards the higher treble region. Never do I find that the Noble 4 is overly bright, but admittedly, I have quite a high treble threshold. The DN-2000, DN-1000 and especially the H300 are all brighter and harsher than the Noble 4 and as a result, can sometimes show signs of sibilance (or a lot for the H300). The cymbal clashes are very well defined and they are extremely detailed. The transition from the upper midrange to the lower treble is also very smooth, no odd spikes there and everything about the Noble 4’s treble just screams class and quality. I really do believe that the N4 has one of the best treble’s I’ve heard in any IEM, regardless of price.
Soundstage & Imaging
If I had to find a fault somewhere in the N4’s sound, the soundstage would be it. I’ve never really been a fan of the soundstage that BA IEMs produce, it always seems to be smaller than dynamics and hybrids. I would put the Noble 4’s soundstage more or less on par with the T-Peos H300, but the Dunu DN-1000 and 2000 are much better in this respect. The DN-1000 improves on the N4 by adding width and height and the DN-2000’s soundstage seems a little more spacious than the 1K’s.
Despite the average soundstage, the imaging is still excellent. Out of the 4 IEMs mentioned in this review, I think that the Noble 4 and the DN-2000 are the best out of the 4 very capable IEMs. I reckon that I’d have to give the imaging to the DN-2000 because of the more spacious soundstage. It is just easier to pick out where instruments and things re on the stage. The Noble is not far off at all, maybe the FR can improve on the soundstage and the imaging of the N4.
Separation & Detail
It’s as if the Wizard thought of everything when he was designing the Noble 4 and the separation of the Noble 4 is once again, superb. I don’t think I’ve heard an IEM this good as separation expect for the Miracles and the 1plus2, both of which are significantly more expensive. This is the one area I feel like it beats all the other IEMs on hand. It just about never gets congested and when it does, most of the time it is because of the crappy mastering of some tracks. Colour me impressed.
The Noble 4 is undoubtedly a very detailed earphone. Being tuned the way it is, the Noble sounds like it was meant to be a neutral and detailed IEM to bring out the flaws of sub-par recordings. And it does. Some of the songs in my collection sound noisy, and simply flawed. The N4 is certainly very revealing and if you have crappy 256kbps or lower MP3 files, they will most likely sound bad. Be very careful what you are feeding the Noble 4.
Summary
I really have enjoyed my time with the Noble 4 and I really think that Dr Moulton has created something special here. I wouldn’t say it’s flawless, but it’s certainly very close and it ticks almost all of the boxes for me. So why did I give it a 4 star, you might ask? Well, I think that the DN-2000 might be a little bit better because I prefer its sound signature and it costs less, but other than that, the N4 is great value if you like a neutral sound.
Sorry for the lack of pictures. Really busy with schools and the upcoming exams I have.
Sound Quality
Previously, I had heard this at the Melbourne meet briefly and I was extremely impressed with its sound. From what I remember, it was neutral, very balanced and well extended. The N4 isn’t the type of IEM that will stun you when you first listen to it like the DN-1000 does, but instead, you need some time to fully appreciate it. Over the few days that I have had it, I’ve really grown to like the N4 and to be honest, I can’t really fault it anywhere.
Bass
The bass is one of the most neutral sounding that I have heard. Recently, I’ve been listening to bass heavy IEMs quite a lot such as the DN-1000, DN-2000 (not as bassy) and the H300 mainly and when I first listened to the Noble 4, my first impression was that perhaps it was a little on the bass light side. However, after going through that “mind burn in” phase, I’ve come to really appreciate and respect the N4’s bass. The mid bass has a nice punch to it that it not too soft nor too hard and it is one of the fastest IEMs I’ve heard. The bass starts to roll off a bit towards the sub-bass though and sometimes I find it lacking a little there. The rumble seems to be a bit less than the DN-2000. Bass detail is nice, keeping up with the DN-2000, but overall I think I prefer the DN-2000s bass over that of the N4.
Midrange
The midrange, like the bass is very neutral with not much colouration at all. I recall stating that they were a little bit on the warm side of things and now after I’ve spent some more time with them, I’ve realised that they may just be the tiniest bit on the cold side. Others might perceive them as perfectly flat or slightly warm and I believe that this depends very much on what you think is neutral. If you think the HD600’s midrange is neutral, then the N4 will probably be on the slightly bright and thin side. Vocals really stand out and I feel like they may just be a bit more forward than neutral. The detail in the instruments in the mids is around as good as the DN-2000 and better than the H300. Overall, the mids are just perfect, I really can’t see anything wrong here.
Treble
The treble is also, like everything else, perfectly balanced. It is very neutral and I don’t detect any roll off towards the higher treble region. Never do I find that the Noble 4 is overly bright, but admittedly, I have quite a high treble threshold. The DN-2000, DN-1000 and especially the H300 are all brighter and harsher than the Noble 4 and as a result, can sometimes show signs of sibilance (or a lot for the H300). The cymbal clashes are very well defined and they are extremely detailed. The transition from the upper midrange to the lower treble is also very smooth, no odd spikes there and everything about the Noble 4’s treble just screams class and quality. I really do believe that the N4 has one of the best treble’s I’ve heard in any IEM, regardless of price.
Soundstage & Imaging
If I had to find a fault somewhere in the N4’s sound, the soundstage would be it. I’ve never really been a fan of the soundstage that BA IEMs produce, it always seems to be smaller than dynamics and hybrids. I would put the Noble 4’s soundstage more or less on par with the T-Peos H300, but the Dunu DN-1000 and 2000 are much better in this respect. The DN-1000 improves on the N4 by adding width and height and the DN-2000’s soundstage seems a little more spacious than the 1K’s.
Despite the average soundstage, the imaging is still excellent. Out of the 4 IEMs mentioned in this review, I think that the Noble 4 and the DN-2000 are the best out of the 4 very capable IEMs. I reckon that I’d have to give the imaging to the DN-2000 because of the more spacious soundstage. It is just easier to pick out where instruments and things re on the stage. The Noble is not far off at all, maybe the FR can improve on the soundstage and the imaging of the N4.
Separation & Detail
It’s as if the Wizard thought of everything when he was designing the Noble 4 and the separation of the Noble 4 is once again, superb. I don’t think I’ve heard an IEM this good as separation expect for the Miracles and the 1plus2, both of which are significantly more expensive. This is the one area I feel like it beats all the other IEMs on hand. It just about never gets congested and when it does, most of the time it is because of the crappy mastering of some tracks. Colour me impressed.
The Noble 4 is undoubtedly a very detailed earphone. Being tuned the way it is, the Noble sounds like it was meant to be a neutral and detailed IEM to bring out the flaws of sub-par recordings. And it does. Some of the songs in my collection sound noisy, and simply flawed. The N4 is certainly very revealing and if you have crappy 256kbps or lower MP3 files, they will most likely sound bad. Be very careful what you are feeding the Noble 4.
Summary
I really have enjoyed my time with the Noble 4 and I really think that Dr Moulton has created something special here. I wouldn’t say it’s flawless, but it’s certainly very close and it ticks almost all of the boxes for me. So why did I give it a 4 star, you might ask? Well, I think that the DN-2000 might be a little bit better because I prefer its sound signature and it costs less, but other than that, the N4 is great value if you like a neutral sound.
Sorry for the lack of pictures. Really busy with schools and the upcoming exams I have.
Jetblack08
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Hmmm... I am beginning to think my Noble 4 is defective. Either that or our preferences are very different. I seem to enjoy my H-300 much more than Noble 4. To my ears the H-300 is more layered and I seem to hear details better too. I must admit I haven't given the Noble 4 much listening time as I have been so smitten by the H-300.
d marc0
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Quote:
It takes some getting use to especially if you're coming from a bassy sound signature. But once you get a good grasp of the sound, the Noble 4 is very impressive. You also have to find the right level of volume to enjoy it fully. Too loud can be fatiguing... too low will have you missing a lot of low end.
You're welcome Lin! We're also greatful for your time in joining this tour. Excellent review my friend... exactly how I feel about the Noble 4.
d marc0
Headphoneus Supremus
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Here is another review from our good friend White Lotus:
http://www.head-fi.org/products/noble-4/reviews/11159
http://www.head-fi.org/products/noble-4/reviews/11159
Enter, the Noble 4.
Build quality:
This is from Nobles “Classic” line, and as such, is not one of their signature “WIZARD” designs. It's still incredibly well built and sturdy. The quad-braid cable has a low (but still mildly audible) microphonic noise when tapped or rubbed.
Besides that, the black cable still looks great, is terminated with an angled plastic plug (which, interestingly, is a 45 degree angle plug).
Feel/comfort:
The supplied tips fit me perfectly. As this is D_Marc0s personal unit, it was supplied with medium tips. I used some of equal size, which fit fine for me.
They have no apparent issues with isolation, and the comfort was fine for me for the duration of my listening period (a few hours).
Specs:
4 balanced-armature drivers
Sound:
Bass:
Despite not being a basshead IEM, I've definitely heard leaner. The only IEM I have on hand to compare with is the Unique Melody Merlin (surprise surprise). The Dual BA bass of the Noble feels more detailed, yet less punchy or impactful.
It's a clean bassline, registered neatly, with a slight mid-bass bump, but overall I would consider the bass to be considered “flat” or “neutral”. It's not enough to muddy up the mids, but it's enough to be able to cleanly register basslines. Of course, it's not quite enough to satisfy my bass needs, but I am a self admitted basshead.
Mids:
Definitely “forward”. A fantastic amount of detail, clarity, and depth. Vocals (especially female) are incredibly accurate in their representation. The mids don't feel overly coloured, rather (once again) a neutral presentation, with slight volume increases at 4k and 6k, with a smaller increase again at 8k.
Fantastic for acoustic and classical pieces, where “realism” is an important factor.
High:
After reviewing an enslaught of sibilant IEMs lately (which I am personally sensitive to) these are a real treat. They are just crisp enough to retrieve details that dynamic drivers often struggle with, but not so bright that it becomes painful. IEM manufactures: Listen up. This is how highs need to be done.
Of course, at higher volumes, the brightness does come out and sing, especially with certain female vocal pieces. But overall, the highs were detailed, but not offensive.
Value:
For $450 US (website pricing) I would say these are pretty much spot on for what I would expect. Having a quick look on-line at included accessories, I'd would personally say that Noble have nailed this pricing.
Overall conclusion:
Wouldn't entirely recommend for electronic music, but I personally find these to be highly transparent, enjoyable IEMs, with great amounts of detail, very little sibilance, and not a truckload of bass. In a word: Neutral.
Great job Noble.
A huge thanks to d_Marc0 for the demo unit – my apologies for a short review.
Build quality:
This is from Nobles “Classic” line, and as such, is not one of their signature “WIZARD” designs. It's still incredibly well built and sturdy. The quad-braid cable has a low (but still mildly audible) microphonic noise when tapped or rubbed.
Besides that, the black cable still looks great, is terminated with an angled plastic plug (which, interestingly, is a 45 degree angle plug).
Feel/comfort:
The supplied tips fit me perfectly. As this is D_Marc0s personal unit, it was supplied with medium tips. I used some of equal size, which fit fine for me.
They have no apparent issues with isolation, and the comfort was fine for me for the duration of my listening period (a few hours).
Specs:
4 balanced-armature drivers
- 2 precision tuned low frequency drive
- 1 precision tuned mid frequency driver
- 1 precision tuned high frequency driver
- 3-Way design
- Impedance > 30
- Detachable cable w/ industry standard two pin configuration
- Slate pentalobe screws
Sound:
Bass:
Despite not being a basshead IEM, I've definitely heard leaner. The only IEM I have on hand to compare with is the Unique Melody Merlin (surprise surprise). The Dual BA bass of the Noble feels more detailed, yet less punchy or impactful.
It's a clean bassline, registered neatly, with a slight mid-bass bump, but overall I would consider the bass to be considered “flat” or “neutral”. It's not enough to muddy up the mids, but it's enough to be able to cleanly register basslines. Of course, it's not quite enough to satisfy my bass needs, but I am a self admitted basshead.
Mids:
Definitely “forward”. A fantastic amount of detail, clarity, and depth. Vocals (especially female) are incredibly accurate in their representation. The mids don't feel overly coloured, rather (once again) a neutral presentation, with slight volume increases at 4k and 6k, with a smaller increase again at 8k.
Fantastic for acoustic and classical pieces, where “realism” is an important factor.
High:
After reviewing an enslaught of sibilant IEMs lately (which I am personally sensitive to) these are a real treat. They are just crisp enough to retrieve details that dynamic drivers often struggle with, but not so bright that it becomes painful. IEM manufactures: Listen up. This is how highs need to be done.
Of course, at higher volumes, the brightness does come out and sing, especially with certain female vocal pieces. But overall, the highs were detailed, but not offensive.
Value:
For $450 US (website pricing) I would say these are pretty much spot on for what I would expect. Having a quick look on-line at included accessories, I'd would personally say that Noble have nailed this pricing.
Overall conclusion:
Wouldn't entirely recommend for electronic music, but I personally find these to be highly transparent, enjoyable IEMs, with great amounts of detail, very little sibilance, and not a truckload of bass. In a word: Neutral.
Great job Noble.
A huge thanks to d_Marc0 for the demo unit – my apologies for a short review.
DigitalFreak
镇老鹰
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Hi guys, sorry for the disturbance. Before I posted on this thread I messaged marc0 and asked if it was alright to post my review video on here, which he indicated it was. I'm not Australian nor am I on the tour list but I did receive a review unit for Audio360 and as such I have done a review video for my YT channel. I'm hoping my video impressions is helpful as far as helping people in Oz decide if the 4 is their cup of tea. Any case, hope you guys like what I have to say.
Bless
Arly
Bless
Arly
d marc0
Headphoneus Supremus
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In commemoration of ye old Wizard’s 42nd nameday this July first, Noble is hosting a 24-hour sale beginning Monday, June 30th, at 11:59 pm Pacific Standard Time (PST).
All IEMs and CIEMs will be 20% off. Once it’s done, it’s done.
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Just a brief reminder, as of posting this there is a little bit more than 10 hours left on Wizard's nameday sale.
If you are on the fence, come on in and join the party!
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