In English, there is the term "end-game", often used including in headphones. It means the model, which you will buy and you will finish the search and search of variants and you will live peacefully for many years with this purchase, without experiencing any grief (well, except financial ones). One of the recognized leaders of this kind in the category IEM is the Kaiser model from the well-known producer Noble Audio.
Noble Audio relies on two people: John Moulton (Wizard) and Brennan Mason (The Glove). The first is responsible for the iron part, from sound to design, the second carries the burden of the commercial part on its shoulders. Both representatives of the company ate together with the booth not one dog in their industry, so their brainchild quickly escalated into the leaders of the market of custom headphones. Besides the cool sound, Noble also offered a unique approach to design, some of their headphones are a real work of art, and many design options exist in a single copy. On the site Noble , in which many of the company's works are collected, and there really is something to see.
The company quickly realized that with all the advantages of custom headphones they also have shortcomings: the need to make casts, send them to the manufacturer, wait until they reach ... In addition, do not forget about the possible need for a refit, and the problems with the sale of custom-made cars usually arise considerable, although Noble, like all companies, offers paid refinancing when selling headphones to other people. Therefore, the line of models in universal cases made of acrylic was presented. They were similar in shape to custom ones, but allowed to use ordinary attachments and fit all ears. Finally, recently in Noble presented a new version of their "universals" in an aluminum two-tone package.
The first experiment was performed on the top model Kaiser K10U, it received a stylish red-silver shell. Also, a limited version was released in the case, combining black and color "pink gold". The limited version was sold out very quickly, and soon all models of the company received universal options in aluminum.
To me on the review came the flagship model, which received the index K10UA. It uses 10 radiators with a balanced armature for each ear and a well thought out crossover that divides the signal into strips, which are played out by the respective drivers. In the "nose" are three separate sound guide, so the final "reduction" of the signal occurs already in the auditory canal.
Naturally, such a complex design, and even from the top producer, could not but become very expensive, and it turned out. The current price tag K10UA is about 1650 dollars, which is naturally very much. Therefore, these headphones are clearly designed exclusively for non-poor connoisseurs of high-quality sound.
Specifications
The manufacturer does not publish detailed specifications of headphones, that's what it was possible to collect on the Internet.
- Emitters: with a balanced armature, 10 on each ear
- Crossover: 4-way
- Impedance: ~ 35Ω
- Cable: interchangeable with separate ground, 2-pin connector 0.78 mm
- Housing material: aluminum
- Weight: 8g
Packing and delivery kit
Here, of course, everything is done at the highest level. The headphones were packed in three layers. First the transport box is made of ordinary brown cardboard, inside it is a black cardboard box with stylish divorces and Wizard's autograph, and finally, there is a plastic Pelican Case with all the contents. Such a package, perhaps, does not break even the most unreliable postal services. What is included in the package (well, of course, except for the headphones and cable)?
- Carabiner for fastening the plastic case to anything
- A pair of rubber rings for fans of sandwiches from the player and amplifier
- Brush with eyelet for cleaning headphones
- Three pairs of foam nozzles of different sizes
- Three pairs of two-flange silicone nozzles (also in the assortment of sizes)
- Three pairs of single-flange silicone attachments (and here the dimensions are different)
- Three pairs of single-flange silicone nozzles are wider (yes, you correctly guess ...)
- Velvety bag for storing headphones
- Metal card with personal data of the owner
- A pair of white labels with company logo
In new deliveries, the nozzles were put into a special metal organizer, which slightly increased the convenience of their storage, but in any case, the delivery kit is more than worthy.
Design and comfortable wearing
Above the design of the headphones, of course, worked. The pictures convey how complex the approach is used. Two-color aluminum with longitudinal corrugations on the sides forms the main body of the headphones. The outer side is flat, a notch is made on it and a logo is applied, the inner part adjacent to the ear is rounded to provide the most comfortable fit. The build quality is impeccable, everything is fitted tightly, there are not the slightest flaws.
The headphones are big enough, there are 10 radiators and crossover parts in one body - the problem is not from the lungs. Glory to the engineering genius Noble, they made these headphones quite outwardly protruding, but at the same time kept them small enough in the projection in the ear. Thanks to this, planting K10U in your ears is not as difficult as it might seem by sight. Yes, you will have to sort through the nozzles and, perhaps, even look for something among the attachments that are not included in the kit. Yes, they strongly protrude outward, and, for example, lying on their side on a pillow with these headphones in their ears will not work. This is the payment for 10 radiators, and physics can not be avoided. Therefore Noble tried to do everything to minimize the problems. If you take only my ears, you can say that they were able to do it with brilliance, Kaiser sit at me just fine. Nothing anywhere presses, does not cause discomfort, I can wear them for a long time and confidently. Naturally, the owners of other ears, the results may differ.
On soundproofing it is immediately clear that one should not expect Etymotic's ideal results here, but the sound insulation in this model is higher than average, although it largely depends on the nozzles.
K10UA are designed for breezing, and the cable comes out of their connectors vertically upwards. Standard two-pin toggle connectors with a pin diameter of 0.78 mm are used. The sockets of the new headphones are incredibly tight, although with time they get a little weaker, so I would not advise wearing the K10U around my neck. The complete cable is quite good, it's made with completely separate ground, so if you want it, it's easy to convert it into a balanced one, simply by changing the plug. The wire is made in black silicone insulation, it is twisted, looks pretty nice, while it combines lightness, softness and unobtrusion. In the cold, of course, it does not harden. Sites adjacent to the connectors are made with a memory effect, so they can be bent, forming convenient to wear zaushiny.
The market is full of secondary wires to any purse, so those who want to experiment with recublishing will clearly not be disappointed.
Sound
The following equipment was used for listening:
- NuPrime DAC-10H and Resonessence Labs Concero HP as DAC and Amplifier
- Apple MacBook Pro Retina 2013 as a source
- Fidelia as a player
- Fiio X7 and Luxury & Precission L5Pro as portable players
- Ambient Acoustics AM10, Lear BD4.2, Campfire Audio Jupiter and Dunu DN-2000J as headphones for comparison
- High Definition Records in Lossless-formats (Dr. Chesky The Ultimate Headphone Demonstration Disc and others)
Before listening to the headphones were warmed for 48 hours. Reinforcement radiators are not needed in principle, but I decided to carry out all the formalities.
In general, the sound of Kaisers is perceived as if it was long and carefully adjusted, achieving a very pleasant and "tasty" sound, and personally, according to my preferences, I can say that Noble did it. The supply of these headphones is so much in my "ideas of the beautiful" that I was just surprised at their submission. The sound has a slight emphasis on LF and HF, but they really are not that great.
Note that with a universal version of headphones, you need to spend time selecting the attachments. Unsuccessful landing can negate the dignity of any model, and the K10U is no exception. Traditionally, first of all the bass suffers from a bad landing, but the rest of the spectrum gets to. At me the best result turned out with gray single nozzles of the average size that is unusual, as more often to me approach the largest nozzles.
Bass. Oh, the K10U bass is just a fairy tale and a song. It is deep, as far as possible in general in headphones-plugs, it is fast, embossed and textured. The main part of the load is traditionally born by midbass, providing a detailed, high-speed basis for constructing a melody, but also deeper frequencies. The Kaisers succeed, albeit in smaller quantities. In general, with the amount in Noble well guessed, the bass is definitely not small for any genre, but it does not much, so that the headphones turned into a basshead dolly by the ears. Of course, the bass is perfectly controlled and keeps strictly within its range, without creeping to the beginning of the MF.
The midrange is also expected to be good. Should we even talk about this? SP are very detailed, very fast, they very well convey the slightest nuances of the recording and the emotions put into the music by the performers. But it should be noted that the K10U does not try to embellish or soften the mid-range. Therefore, on a not very good source and / or records, they can sound too analytical. I can not say that this is a problem with headphones, but this is a factor that should be considered when choosing: headphones of this level require the appropriate quality from all components of the audio track. On good records and sources there is no problem. Also impressed with my imagination and the virtual scene of these headphones. I do not know how, but they are perfectly able to position instruments in depth and width, giving the same "three-dimensional" effect of sound.
The HF range will traditionally become the main stumbling block for those who do not tolerate this range. Noble Kaiser definitely has a small peak in the region of 5-7 kHz, which provides a pleasant sparkling lightness and airiness. To my taste it is quite moderate, but because of it, poor-quality tracks and bad sources are frankly bad. K10U from among those headphones, in which it is almost impossible to listen to MP3 at low bitrates. The rest of the RF is good, long, detailed, fast.
A few comparisons to those headphones that I have. Almost all of them are several times cheaper and belong to the lower league, but I think the comparison will be useful anyway.
Dunu DN-2000J. Kaiser is not as light, while retaining the resolution and detail of the RF K10U sounds more comfortable. Also, in a 10-bit deeper the bass and better fade out, especially on the bass.
Lear BD4.2. In Kaiser, the bass is faster, although not as bodily, it directly conveys the nature of the emitters used. The average frequencies for Lear are a bit simpler in terms of resolution, but their pitch is slightly relaxed, which is beneficial for not very high-quality tracks.
MEEAudio Pinnacle P1. Interesting headphones, capable of solving and microdynamics of the MF to compete with K10U. In the rest, the P1 has a simpler bass and less. Plus at P1 more energy is invested in the HF, which gives them a peculiar sound, unlike anything else.
Ambient Acoustics AM10. Dozens of Ambient offer a different pitch, their main focus is on the low-frequency range, which is more quantitative and a bit more physique by presentation. However, the Kaisers bypass them on the MF, offering a better solution. The HF of the K10U is also larger.
Compatibility
The sensitivity of these headphones allows them to easily play with any source. But this does not mean at all that it is worth doing. K10U have a huge growth margin along with the source, so better players are good for them. The headphones are very good at conveying the nature of the source, so it's worthwhile for them to choose the player with the appropriate sound. Here are my subjective impressions of what I had at hand.
Fiio X7. A surround sound with a clear positioning of the sources, slightly highlights the HF and a well-controlled bass. A good choice for classics, jazz, art-rock.
Luxury & Precision L5Pro. A slightly darker sound with a very pleasant and musical bass. SCs acquire a slightly intimate shade, which is beneficial to the vocal. A good option for rock, emotional vocals, heavy styles and chamber music. There is noise on the verge of the audible.
Cayin N6. Focus on midrange, bass a little less than average. The tools are very natural, their character is perfectly passed. At my ear, it is well suited for live recordings of virtuoso instrumentalists. Also a good hard luck with a variety of heavyweight.
Cayin N5. The focus in the filing is on resolution and microdynamics. The bunch is capable of revealing unexpected details of the recording, the musical pitch somewhat resembles a macro photograph. Bundle is particularly demanding on the quality of records. In silence, there is a slight noise, but during music it does not interfere.
Aune M2s. The most energetic LF in combination with softened middle frequencies. I liked the sound of classical rock and live jazz recordings. There is a slight noise.
Fiio X5-2. A surprisingly good combination, emphasizing the nature of the headphones. The cheeky and energetic bass, the cheerful midrange, the slightly bright HF. Considering the price, a good option for different heavyweights.
iHiFi 800. The sound that goes into analyticity does not fit very well with this model of headphones. Average frequencies do not have enough emotions, so a bunch will suit fans to listen to nuances, without being distracted by the path introduced.
iBasso DX80. Another combination, which, for my taste, lacks liveliness. Kaiser tries to pull the emotions out of the suspended supply of the 80th, but then they are powerless. The option is exclusive for fans of filing this model, although, I think, it would be better to come up with some more neutral headphones.
Genre headphones are versatile, if you like a detailed but slightly accented sound, the K10U will play you pretty well almost anything. To the quality of recording this model is very picky, on a 10-point scale I would give them somewhere 9 points.
By tradition, several sample tracks
Solefald - Sagateller. Some of the leaders of the genre of intelligent black-metal are far from the "roots" of the style, plunged into the abyss of the avant-garde. In their music, you can find anything, from orchestral insertions to interesting electronic bits. But sometimes they remember where everything started, and they bring down a stream of crude proto-aggression to the listener. This track can serve as an excellent example. Starting with a beautiful two-voiced singing, which combines almost screaming and pure vocal, the composition increases the anger, the violins are replaced by guitars, the clean vocals go to the background and the threshing drums begin to grind the listener. Of course, without preparation to perceive such music is difficult enough, but experienced music lovers will certainly appreciate the complexity and inner beauty of such a bouquet. Naturally, the headphones from Noble show themselves perfectly, they manage the gentle sounds of entry, and high-speed blast beats of the second half.
Nino Katamadze & Insight - 170 BPM. I do not even know if Nino Katamadze and the musicians from her accompaniment group need to see her? The new album Yellow clearly corresponds to its color: sun, warmth, slow and thoughtful passion, here is what is best for the new disc. Since once again writing the praises for Nino's great vocals would be very boring and unconvincing, I chose as an example quite unusual for Insight phenomenon - a purely instrumental track. The introduction, filled with fast percussion and percussion, brings to mind the best works of King Crimson, and the unusual development of the theme in the middle makes us remember about Mars Volta. Like a ruby rimmed with diamonds, this almost prog rock track, nestled in the center of the album, emphasizes and shades all the rest of the music, more relaxed and intimate. Of course, the headphones from Noble and then show themselves in all its glory.
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and Herbert von Karajan - Ravel: Bolero. In pursuit of the best version of this melody, I overheard, probably hundreds of performances. There were both world-renowned collectives and various little-known orchestras, which no one else would have recognized without YouTube. But from all the options I was hooked this, recorded and released by Deutsche Grammophon in 1966. In 2011, this record was re-released on the disc, along with the same magnificent variants of "Pictures from an Exhibition" by Mussorgsky and "La Mer" by Debussy. It is to Bolero that the polished manner of Karajan approaches perfectly well. Confidently increasing pace, impeccable performance - are in favor of this composition. Well, Kaiser with their voluminous imaginary stage and detailed MF is simply immersed in the middle of the hall where the orchestra plays.
conclusions
Having bought Kaiser K10U, you can quite finish the eternal audiophile race and finally start to enjoy the sound. If you prefer live music with real instruments or genres like rock and metal, and at the same time want to get one of the best solutions in the world - these headphones are probably the main candidate. Models that can play with the K10U on the same level, there are not so many in the world, but nobody has managed to surpass this level.
The article is based on materials .
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