The Knight is Noble’s entry level in-ear monitor, priced at 289 USD. It’s a tribrid IEM featuring a 10mm dynamic driver for the lowest frequencies, a Sonion balanced armature driver for the mids to lower highs, and a piezo-electric super tweeter for the upper registers.
NOBLE AUDIO KNIGHT C SPECIFICATIONS:
- Drivers: 10mm dynamic driver, 1 Sonion BA, 1 piezo electric super tweeter
- Impedance: 26 Ohms
- Sensitivity: 104 dB/mW
- 8 Strand woven OFC silver plated cable
- 4.4mm balanced cable
- Machined Aluminum frame with custom Noble faceplate
- Custom eartip case and cleaning tool
Current price and availability:
- Noble Audio: Knight
- Amazon: Noble Audio
BUILD AND COMFORT
The Knight has shells made from anodized CNC-machined aluminum. The shells are on the larger side, with nozzle-extensions that protrude outward from the main body. While they sit comfortably in my ears, I would have preferred a more compact design. The nozzle extensions require me to use smaller tips to get them further into my ear canals.
The cable doesn’t look particularly fancy but strikes a good balance—neither too thick nor too flimsy—with a pleasant amount of friction. Beneath the black coating lies silver-plated OFC copper. It uses 0.78 mm 2-pin connectors with a 4.4 mm balanced termination. I’m not especially fond of balanced portable audio in general, as I prefer a well-designed unbalanced source, which is cheaper and less hassle. For that reason, I would have appreciated an interchangeable termination system, like the increasingly common 3.5 mm/4.4 mm options found on many modern IEMs.
LISTENING IMPRESSIONS
- Dac/amp: Ferrum Erco mk2
- Tips: Moondrop Spring Tips
Jambi by Tool
Guitars are textured, drums are hard hitting. Vocals are nicely separated and avoids sibilance. Instrument separation is good. It’s an articulate yet non fatiguing presentation with a well balanced coherent style.
Smile by Pearl Jam
Well balanced, neutral presentation. Neither warm nor cold. Effortless sounding. Instrument separation is good. Sibilance is not an issue at all, which is rather unusual.
Almost Like The Blues by Leonard Cohen
Bass is well-balanced and well-controlled; neither too full or laid back. Vocals are also very well presented, neutral and natural. Instrument separation is very good and there’s great dynamics.
Black Crow by Cassandra Wilson
Very spacious, black background and great sense of ambient detail. Vocals have a very nice velvet-like timbre.
Some Day My Prince Will Come by Coryell Miroslav Quartet
On this double bass and guitar duo, the bass often is too dominant. Not so with the Noble Knight; the bass is well-balanced without sounding lacking in quantity. The guitar has an excellent sense of presence. In general, the presentation is neutral, a tad dark but not overly lush.
Bored by Deftones
Guitars are textured and tactile, vocals are nuanced, and there’s good separation, depth, and texture without the music sounding overly bright or crisp.
As Before by Olga Konkova
The cajón drum has a pleasant sense of reverb, remaining neutral rather than overly punchy. The piano is crisp without being excessive, and the vocals are beautiful with a breathy character.
It Could Be Sweet by Portishead
Balanced, punchy bass that’s never overwhelming, with breathy, delicate upfront vocals and well-separated percussion elements.
Escape Route by Boris Blank
Spacious, dynamic, and slightly dark sounding.
Spontaneous Compositorius by Thomas Agergard
The saxophone has a neutral timbre—neither warm nor overly crisp—though slightly dark in tuning. Treble-intensive percussion shares this slightly dark character, with good detail and definition but less zing than some offer. The treble is slightly dry in a dark way, lacking the liquidity of the very best. The bass has excellently balanced presence and a good level of detail. There’s plenty of space in the soundstage and excellent imaging.
Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 III by Paavo Järvi
Excellent instrument separation with nice, slightly dark timbre, delivering a generally dynamic and spacious presentation.
Young Vivaldi by Modo Antiquo
Nice timbre, slightly dark but strings are presented with texture and bite without sounding strident.
Sunrise by Norah Jones
The bass is more polite than many competitors but remains nicely present. Vocals are slightly dark, detailed, and a bit breathy, with good instrument separation.
WRAPPING IT UP
Sound Signature
The Noble Knight’s sound signature is neutral with a slight dark tint.
The bass isn’t excessive in quantity but is well-balanced and well-extended. The mids and highs are mostly quite neutral, with just a touch of darkness.
Treble
The highs are detailed but slightly dark. It’s not as sparkly as some, making it great for those sensitive to treble, though treble heads might find it a bit disappointing.
Midrange
The mids are present but slightly polite, with a velvety character and often slightly breathy vocals. Despite the slightly dark tuning, the midrange retains good detail and weight.
Bass
The bass is not elevated but very neutral: well-extended, well-balanced, and nicely present. It’s neither too much nor too little, delivering a very even sound, not exaggerating the low end.
Soundstage and Imaging
The soundstage is large, with excellent imaging, a black background, and great instrument separation.
Detail, Dynamics, and Timbre
Details and dynamics are very good. The timbre is generally neutral in a natural way, though with a slightly dark character, as mentioned.
COMPARISONS
Associated equipment:
- Amplifier: Topping A90
- DAC: RME ADI-2 DAC FS
LETSHUOER CADENZA 4 vs NOBLE AUDIO KNIGHT
Letshuoer Cadenza 4 is a midrange-focused in-ear monitor, a rarity in today’s market, which is dominated by the V-shaped Harman tuning. It’s a hybrid IEM featuring four drivers: one dynamic driver and three balanced armatures.
The Cadenza 4 has very polite bass, and less bass quantity than the already neutral Knight. There’s more upper midrange and treble energy. The Cadenza 4 sounds brighter and crisper. The Noble Knight is darker and toned down, but I feel it’s more neutral still. The Cadenza 4 has a very open soundstage, but imaging is more precise on the Knight, with blacker background and better instrument separation. The Cadenza 4 has great articulation and microdynamics in the mids and highs, the Knight is stronger in macrodynamics.
You can read my full review of the Cadenza 4 here.
KIWI EARS ASTRAL vs NOBLE AUDIO KNIGHT
The new Kiwi Ears Astral is a hybrid featuring one dynamic driver and 6 balanced armatures, priced similarly to the Knight.
While both offer high-quality sound with excellent detail and dynamic range, their sound signatures differ a bit: the Noble is slightly darker, more neutral, and balanced, while the Astral delivers a bassier, crisper, more energetic, and articulate performance.
I’ve written a dedicated comparison review HERE.
- Linsoul: Kiwi Astral
- Amazon: Kiwi Astral
AMPLIFICATION
Most of my testing was done using the Topping A90 and Ferrum Erco desktop amps. However, because portable options are more relevant to most users, I’ve also tested a few very portable USB-devices below, all using their 4.4mm outputs.
Starting with Kiwi Ears’ Allegro Mini, it’s already impressive: clear and dynamic. The Allegro Pro is similar but a bit more upfront and aggressive sounding.
The Letshuoer DT03 pairs well with the Knight, offering a smoother, less energetic experience than the Allegro Pro.
Finally, the xDuoo Link2 Bal2 adds an extra level of refinement and dynamics, blending the best qualities of the Allegro Pro and the DT03.
Overall, while each has its own character and there are differences, they all sound good. The step up to my desktop rigs isn’t very large, although the Ferrum Erco is still my favourite.
In conclusion, the Noble Audio Knight is easy to drive yet still responsive and discerning between sources.
CONCLUSION
The Noble Knight IEM delivers a balanced, slightly dark sound signature with excellent detail, well-controlled bass, and a spacious soundstage. Its smooth, natural timbre is neither dry nor lush, offering a very uncolored and neutral, non-fatiguing listening experience.
The shells are on the larger side, so they may not be a good fit for those with smaller ears. Ergonomics can vary widely—what’s perfect for one person might be a bad fit for another. That said, the Knight delivers solidly on its audio performance, and I can confidently recommend it.
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- Noble Audio: Knight
- Amazon: Noble Audio
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