The Noble ONE and BTS – CanJam SoCal 2015
Custom In Ear Monitor manufacturer Noble has recently generated a lot of excitement around its new IEM called the K10. The 10-driver-per-side balanced armature monitor is available in both custom and now also universal variations. In an effort to expand upon the forward momentum of the piece, Noble is now also offering the K10 in a even more luxurious variation called the Prestige line.
The Prestige line features molding variants made of exotic or unique materials like carbon glass, wood or (in the case of the above) decorated molded fabric. Brannan from Noble brought along a few new samples made for the Head-Fi community with him to CanJam SoCal to show off at the meet.
The Prestige series starts at $2599 depending on the construction materials.
Rather than focus on embedding more drivers per ear into a new IEM model, Noble has decided to release a new product that focuses more on the in-ear user experience. The BTS is a bluetooth adapter that you can plug your headphones into which allows for wireless connections to a mobile device. The $99 device supports Bluetooth 4.0, aptX, and Apple Lossless codex and weighs only 10g for easy clipping to a shirt or jacket.
Clearly made with Noble’s IEMs in mind, the device has less than 1 ohm of output impedance , a range up to 33 feet and a projected playback time of 7-8 hours.
The BTS’s lower panel doubles as both a call button and micro USB charger port. The little black stick also includes a microphone so when it is connected to a pair of IEMs it essentially has the capability to transform you favorite ear speakers into a souped up bluetooth headset for your phone. Preorder for the device is available on the www.nobleaudio.com website.
Another grand experiment from the company came in the form of a new loudspeaker design called the Noble ONE. The 3 way speaker is just a bit bigger than your usual bookshelf (67 lbs/side) and features a 8″ Scanspeak Revelator Woofer, 4.5″ Illuminator Tweeter and 1″ Illuminator Beryllium Tweeter. The USA-made loudspeakers will ship in custom-fitted Pelican cases to keep their finish looking its best. Aimed at the high end crowd, the ONE will retail for $16,995 and will be available by the time this text hits the interwebs. Tucked away in the corner of the atrium floor and roped off like the Mona Lisa on display the new loudspeaker wasn’t available for a listen just yet, but we will keep you updated with impressions as they become available.
Dang….I was hoping it would be a bit more affordable…