So, I had a few good sessions with the Fourte Noir, to the point when I think I am ready to share some impression. Note, these this is not intended to be a full review; rather a gathering of throughs and notes taken down while listening. Where possible, some comparisons to my other 64 Audio IEMs are included, albeit be inference rather than direct comparison (I dislike direct A / B sessions so tend to avoid those).
Let me first start with the earpieces themselves. They are truly beautiful to behold. As captured in one of the photos I put up a few days ago, the faceplate has a beautiful allure, with depth to the colours, and an elemental-like surface, dimpled by the patina. The fit is terrific in my ears; and using something like the JVC Spiral Dot, I feel no pain or pressure points, which I sometimes get with the likes of the U12t which seem to have a narrower, longer nozzle.
- Starting with Carla Bruni’s – Raphael. Large, distinctly shaped soundstage. The nuances in the instruments are highly detailed. In the acoustic strumming in left channel, I can hear the vibration of the guitar’s body. In the right, the deftness of the finger work is convincingly real. Voice is very clear – a little forward yet easy to listen, and shaped by the sultriness of her voice. The clarity of vocals is a theme I may repeat several times.
- Anna Nalick – Wreck of the Day. The details just surround you. Drum kicking in just before 1:00 is beautifully rendered. You can hear the stick against the drum and feel the resonance of the body. In the first crescendo at 2:00 her voice scales but remains pristine and organic. The Noir then handles the complex passage from 3:30 with aplomb; probably the best I have heard in an IEM or headphone.
- Brandi Carlisle – Turpentine. The bass at around 0:20 and then again around 0:40 is deep. I can see where the “thicker low bass” comments in reviews and impressions come from. It is musical, and doesn’t seem to bleed, though I can foresee some people considering it bloat or drone relative to more neutral IEMs. I also understand now the reference to “speaker-like” bass that just appears in the room like a good floorstander or subwoofer. In the chorus at 1:30, the violin / viola in the left channel is so beautiful and easy to follow, and there a great distinction between Brandi and the accompanying male singer.
- Feist’s Secret Heart has terrific bass depth and control. The vocals are extremely clear, so distinct. Zero harshness, yet not dark at all. It is songs like these where I can hear the singing but sometimes struggle to make out individual words; this is not the case with the Noir.
At this point a comment on separation – it is very, very good. Probably better than all my other IEMs. But it is what I would call “believable”. It feels cohesive though; likely does not reach the same levels of holographic presentations as other TOTL earphones, like, say, and Odin or OG Fourte (though I have not heard either); or headphones like the HD800 – where that separation can sometimes feel a little too much.
Bass wise, I can appreciate the organic DD decay, with its slower, natural roll off. Yet when there are two deep and powerful beats in quick succession, they are very distinct. This tells me that while the decay is natural, it can bounce back with heft and speed where called for by the material.
- Back to some specific songs, Reb Fountain – Together. It feels livelier than the Trio, but more non-fatiguing. I think it is the clarity of vocals without the shimmer or glassiness the Trio can sometimes present. The instruments are wide and distinct where on the track. This aligns to the separation comment about and the soundstage being “believable”.
- Heidi Talbot – Glenlogie. One of my favorite folk track, scattered with immersive instruments that surround you. A pristine, angelic voice center stage, with sonic details appearing in both the far left and right. A really incredible rendering.
- Meiko’s rendition of Stand by Me highlights one of the Noir’s strengths that I have not heard before in an IEM, at least not executed anywhere as excellently as this….vertical height. It’s a real thing here; makes the room feel so big stretching far beyond my head; perhaps especially evident in this binaural recording. The strumming in the left channel and clicking in the right are crystal clear. And the resonance of the upright bass is palpable.
- Rilo Kiley’s Never is a sibilance test. What I like about the Noir is that it presents the crunch and distortion of electric guitars without becoming harsh. The vocals just soar – the are forward, but as the increase in range and volume they remain pristine and life like. The same applies to Portions for Foxes from the same album. When she sings “baby I’m bad news” it’s often screechy / glassy / shiny – such as on the Trio or even the Nio with its forward mids – not on the Noir. It’s both energetic and smooth at the same time, one of the tricks the Noir excels at.
- Changing pace now to the Mandalorian theme song. Let’s see how it renders that deep bass and the brass instruments….very well indeed! The sub bass line moves the whole song into life, and with each passage the brass instruments increase in volume and rapidity, while retaining the bite required for realism. I can imagine a little more separation in the complex packages with leaner IEMs.
I feel that what the Noir sacrifices in that regard (only in direct comparison – this is still the most holographic of the IEMs that I have yet heard) it makes up for in musicality, body, and smoothness. It likely also retains the level of microdetail but presents it in a more natural, softer manner; where the more neutral IEMs would edge it out in incisiveness and microdetail sharpness.
- Continuing with specific songs, Selena’s Hands to Myself, which granted is a bass heavy pop song, is really heavy. Quite thick. To my ears, any more bass than this is eardrum suicide.
- That weight adds to the organic nature and musicality though. Case in point is Shelby Lynne’s Just a Lil’ Lovin’. In addition, every nuance of her vibrato, every snare of the drum, every strike of the piano, has a great sense of depth, texture, and realism.
- Dreams, by the Cranberries, comes from an album that is recorded at very low volume. I kept the volume the same to test low level listening. What I appreciate is that there is still a terrific amount of detail, and weight. Notably, compared to the U12t that can be flat and dull at low volume.
- Ingrid Michaelson’s Way I Am is a track close to my hear. I love the guitar body resonance which is visceral, as is the tapping of the drum. The handclaps in the far left and right are ghostly real, but can imagine would be pushed even further out and with more air and space in the OG. I’ll reiterate, what’s really special here is clarity of voice. Engaging yet not fatiguing. Versus something like a Trio which can be etched and cross the border into sibilance.
- Imogen Heap Between Sheets envelopes you with the interplay of piano, soaring vocals and electronica effects that just suck you in. There’s an ethereal musicality in the Noir that’s difficult to describe. It’s a big sound. The midbass warmth and body is undoubtedly contributing.
Really enjoying what the Noir offers. Look forward to experimenting with tips, cables, and some select comparisons to other flagship IEMs if and when I am fortunate enough to get the opportunity.
A final word I can use to describe the Noir’s sound – in addition to "lively" and "engaging", is "dense". And it is the ability to be dense, lively, engaging, all while not being fatiguing, that is the key to its magic.
Note – all testing was done on the HiBy R8 using local files via UAPP. I listened at 38 low gain, no turbo, using the stock Noir cable, which I must say, is a beautiful cable, especially compared to the stock cables normally bundled with 64 Audio IEMs.
