Noble Audio Knight: The Budget Hi-Fi Knight
Content
Imagine headphones that not only deliver impressive sound but also look like a work of art. Noble Audio, renowned for its premium models, has finally released a pair that's accessible to a broader audience — the Noble Audio Knight. This is an excellent choice for anyone looking to step into the Hi-Fi world without breaking the bank.
History and Philosophy
Noble Audio isn't just another headphone manufacturer; it's a brand that approaches its craft from a unique angle. Founder — audiologist Dr.John Moulton, known as the "Wizard" in audiophile circles, began by creating monitor headphones for musicians using unconventional materials like wood, resin, and even Damascus steel. This innovative approach hasn't changed over the years: today, Noble Audio continues to offer premium-quality headphones made from distinctive materials.
The name "Noble" conveys a sense of nobility or aristocracy, reflecting the brand's commitment to quality and prestige. The term "Knight" refers to a lower rank within the nobility, which subtly suggests that the Noble Audio Knight is an entry-level model in the brand's lineup.
What's Inside?
The Noble Audio Knight features a hybrid driver configuration: a 10-mm dynamic driver with a dual magnet for bass, a Sonion balanced armature driver for midrange frequencies, and a ceramic piezo driver for high frequencies. The drivers are coaxially aligned (with the centers of all drivers aligned on the same axis), ensuring good phase coherence and creating a balanced sound image.
Brand: Noble Audio
The lowest frequency, Hz: 20
The highest frequency, kHz: 20
- 10mm dynamic driver with dual magnets and composite diaphragm
- incredible detail and microdynamics that deliver vivid, realistic music reproduction
- bring out the subtle details in music that will make you listen to all your favorite music tracks
Design and Fit
Noble Audio never disappoints when it comes to design. The aluminum body with a relief design on the purple-blue faceplate looks even more stunning in person than in pictures. The black matte body features two symbols: the company logo on the left earpiece and a knight's shield on the right. The faceplate recedes with an unusual chainmail-like pattern, centered with the Noble Audio logo again. Everything is colored in a blue-purple gradient, topped with a layer of transparent acrylic that slightly refracts the design, adding extra depth. It's incredibly visually appealing.
The headphones are very compact, making them extremely comfortable for most users once the right ear tips are chosen. The soundguide on the Knight is quite long, so it's recommended to try them on before purchasing. The 2-pin connectors seem large compared to the body, but this doesn't affect the fit — we listened to the headphones for over two hours without any discomfort.
Accessories
The headphones come with an 8-core balanced cable made of silver-plated copper with a 4.4 mm connector. This might seem unusual for a relatively affordable model, as not all beginners in quality sound are ready to invest in devices with balanced connections. However, all Noble Audio headphones include a balanced cable with a 4.4 mm connector, allowing them to be fully utilized even with less expensive amplifiers. It seems the company believes that if you're investing in quality headphones, you should get the most out of them.
The package also includes a hard case for carrying, a set of ear tips, and a cleaning tool — everything needed for comfortable use.
Sound
We tested the headphones with three different sources: the Cayin N8 ii player, the portable Earmen Colibri DAC, and the high-end Violectric DHA V590 MK2 Pro amplifier. Of course, the full potential of the headphones was revealed with the latter, but this was more of an experiment — it's unlikely that anyone would seriously listen to in-ear and relatively affordable headphones with such an amplifier.
Upon careful listening, it becomes apparent that the sound quality of the headphones, specifically the detail and spectrum rendering, depends significantly on the source. Nevertheless, the overall character of the sound remains consistent across all devices, and the impressions remain positive.
Low Frequencies
The Noble Knight can't be described as overly bass-heavy; you won't find enveloping, thick low frequencies here. Instead, there's plenty of body and lower midrange; the bass guitar and acoustic kick sound excellent. Thanks to the dynamic driver with a dual diaphragm, the low frequencies are fast and detailed. This is particularly noticeable in tracks where timbral honesty and bass speed are important. For fans of electronic music and hip-hop, the low frequencies might be slightly lacking, but in other genres, the headphones perform well.
Midrange Frequencies
Here, the Knight truly shines. Slightly emphasized midrange frequencies sound natural and don't distort timbres. This makes the headphones excellent for reproducing virtually all genres, as most musical information is in the midrange. For fans of classical, jazz, light rock, and other instrumental music — they're perfect.
High Frequencies
The high frequencies in the Knight are quite bright but without excessive sharpness. The engineers managed to tune the piezo driver so that its sound is hard to fault. High frequencies sound detailed and don't pierce the ears. This is especially noticeable in one of our test tracks, Yello's "Jungle Bill," where the hi-hat can be a real challenge for headphones, potentially becoming a headache for the listener if reproduced too brightly.
The Noble Audio Knight handled this track almost flawlessly — the high frequencies were not harsh, with no noticeable distortion. In less bright compositions, this approach gives the sound a lightness that makes listening comfortable.
Soundstage
The soundstage in the Noble Knight is surprisingly wide for headphones in this price category. The sound feels voluminous and spatial, allowing you to hear the layers and instrument placement in the mix. While not the most wide sounding headphones, considering their cost, the Knight scores high here as well.
Overall, the sound raises no questions. There are no universal or perfect headphones, but the Noble Knight can certainly be called multi-genre. We decided to let colleagues listen to the headphones and guess their price. Everyone was convinced they were listening to headphones worth at least $1,000. That says a lot, don't you agree.
Conclusion
The Noble Audio Knight is an excellent choice for those ready to step up their listening experience without spending six-figure sums on headphones. They offer balanced sound, memorable design, and rich accessories.
The inclusion of a balanced cable with relatively affordable headphones raised questions, but it's a big step towards true Hi-Fi. If you're looking for headphones that combine quality and affordability, the Noble Knight is one of the best models available today.
Headphones Noble Audio:
Brand: Noble Audio
Headphone type: wired
The lowest frequency, Hz: 20
Brand: Noble Audio
Headphone type: wired
The lowest frequency, Hz: 15
Brand: Noble Audio
Headphone type: wired
The lowest frequency, Hz: 10
Brand: Noble Audio
Headphone type: wired
The lowest frequency, Hz: 20
Brand: Noble Audio
Headphone type: wired
The lowest frequency, Hz: 20
Brand: Noble Audio
Headphone type: wired
The lowest frequency, Hz: 20
Brand: Noble Audio
Headphone type: wired
The lowest frequency, Hz: 20
Brand: Noble Audio
Headphone type: wired
The lowest frequency, Hz: 8
