Massdrop x Noble X

Discussion in 'IEM Measurements' started by purr1n, Nov 21, 2016.

  1. Warrior

    Warrior RIP 2021

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    Pretty interesting. Amazing price too. They are comparing it to the Savant, which is priced at $599. So I suppose this is similar to the Savant, but retuned with additional bass and probably some other changes.
     
  2. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    That would be like comparing an Audio Technica W3000 with a Fostex X00.
     
  3. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    LOL, I dunno where that comparison comes from, but totally different sound. $250 is nuts.
     
  4. Skyline

    Skyline Double-blindly done with this hobby

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    Yep. Not helpful :p
     
  5. Augmentin

    Augmentin MOT - DUNU IEM Company

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    So far, I think the best tips I've come across are the high density, wide-mouthed foam tips that RHA includes with its fit kit for its IEMs.

    I do as deep a fit as I can get, and they sound decent. I don't really hear penalty to treble extension (they didn't measure with less extension with the T20s either) but I hear a fuller signature balance, which helps compensate for what I hear is some recession in the mids and lower treble.
     
  6. MuppetFace

    MuppetFace Sultana of Seafoam Green - Moderator

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    @Ethicon & Covidien (that's quite a mouthful, Tom) hit the nail on the head when it comes to my main issue with the Noble X. The mids seem shelved in some spots, which leads to vocals sounding more distant than they should on some tracks, which in turn leads to my turning the volume up louder than I usually prefer listening. At this point I'm not quite sure if it's a showstopper for me, but it's definitely not agreeable to me.

    Otherwise, these are quite nice for the asking price. Using the silicon tips will give you a somewhat cleaner sound for acoustic tracks or ambient passages, while using the foamies you get a fun pair of earphones for a variety of genres.

    Treble was never too bothersome for me, and the bass was nice and present. Overall they did lack the slam and authority that more dramatic passages benefit from, but that is a much smaller nit to pick than the issue I mentioned above, really.

    Spatially they sound fairly open, and instruments are separated well. Detail is nice. The styling and packaging is pretty good too, though Campfire definitely wins in terms of the storage pouch and build materials. For the asking price however the X seems very solid. Like the included cable as well.

    It's nice to see another solid entry in the $300 or less category.
     
    Last edited: Nov 22, 2016
  7. Mystic

    Mystic Mystique's Spiritual Advisor

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    Upper mids/lower treble recession is worrisome as someone who listens to a lot of music with female vocalists and guitar work. Does the Orion do better in this area compared with the X?
     
  8. MuppetFace

    MuppetFace Sultana of Seafoam Green - Moderator

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    The Orion is less recessed here, but I found it to be too nasally sounding with vocals.
     
  9. pedalhead

    pedalhead Friend

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    Presumably that 8k peak in the Andro graph is a measurement artifact..?
     
  10. Vansen

    Vansen Gear Master (retiring)

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    This looks amazing the price point. And I'll probably forget that I bought them by the time they show up in the mail, so it'll be a pleasant surprise.
     
  11. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Mostly a measurement artifact, but it's there. I use Comply tips with the filters to flatten it.
     
  12. Augmentin

    Augmentin MOT - DUNU IEM Company

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    A few notes:
    1. Update on tip rolling: if anyone still has those big thick biflange tips that Fang used to include with the RE-262/272, try them out for the best balanced overall sound. It brings out the bass, but also brings out the midrange and treble, giving better definition to the headstage. The detail is easier to approach too. It just sounds like the best version of the Noble X that I can bring out with tips. I used to think that was from using SpinFits, but the HiFiMAN biflange tips have surpassed them. The RHA foam tips too; those give a warmer smoother sound, but the HiFiMAN biflanges preserve the detail. Fit will be finicky, though, because they'll make the Noble X stick out of your ears. Luckily the ear guides are soft and will conform anyway.
    2. This is an earphone you want to crank up the volume with. For some reason, it doesn't sound inspiring at low volumes. But too loud, and you'll hear the midrange distortion.
    3. From what Marv's graphs tell me, Noble is probably using an RAB driver (Knowles new low cost driver family) for the mids and highs, but that's just my guess, and frankly it's not that important. The ER4SR/XR also use the RAB, as do many earphones these days. The bass driver is probably lifted from the Sage. Again, another guess.
    4. People should NOT pick up the Noble X with the expectation that it is a Sage/Savant-lite. It sounds less like the Sage/Savant than the two do to each other. But it does have its own enjoyable signature, if the right tips are used.
     
    Last edited: Nov 22, 2016
  13. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

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    Right? Looking at measurements, it's a totally different beast.
     
  14. Dash

    Dash Friend

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    Edited : poor speculation .
     
    Last edited: Nov 22, 2016
  15. Mystic

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    Your killing my dreams :p
     
  16. shotgunshane

    shotgunshane Floridian Falcon

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    I'll try and get to a comparison of this in the next day or two.

    Think of the whole signature as downward sloping with a bit of a recovery bump at 2.5k. As guitar driven rock fan, I don't hear a recession, just less forward aggression. The Orion, though, will be fuller and more forward here and more geared towards female vocals with more energy, and more bite and crunch in guitars. However the X will give you a fuller bottom end for classic rock recordings and will be less fatiguing for poorly mastered metal.
     
  17. Kunlun

    Kunlun cat-alyzes cat-aclysmic cat-erwauling - Friend

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    Sounds like a Sage, which is just what you are describing, as I understand it
     
  18. Mystic

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    Good old fashioned try both and decide is in order for me. Can't complain at these great prices though.
     
  19. Warrior

    Warrior RIP 2021

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    Was reading the head-fi link. Came from some guy named Jude.;)
     
  20. FallingObjects

    FallingObjects Pay It Forward

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    Speculation:
    I'd hazard that a large portion of the price difference is Massdrop being able to cut out a large portion of the things that end up costing normal retailers money. Shelf space, time, and ability to actually sell all the merchandise. Wouldn't be surprised to see $250-350 being pretty similar to the current dealership price for their regular non-TOTL stuff, and with a few saving tweaks (and efficiency gains from large order volume), Massdrop getting the Noble X for even less wouldn't be unreasonable.

    Non-Speculation:
    I'd definitely buy these if I wasn't flat broke, or if they came with a balanced cable included by default.
     

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