The Noble Audio Knight is Noble’s entry level in ear monitor, priced at 289 USD. It has 3 servers: 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.
The Astral is a fairly typical hybrid driver IEM, pierced at 299 USD. It features a 10mm dynamic driver for the bass and balanced armatures for the rest of the frequency range. Two dual (4 in total) balanced armature drivers handle the midrange, while a dual balanced armature tweeter covers the highs.
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
KIWI EARS ASTRAL SPECIFICATIONS
- Drivers: 1 Dynamic Driver and 6 Balanced Armatures (3 dual)
- Setup: 1 DD bass, 4 BA mids and 2 BA tweeters.
- Impedance 23 Ohms
- Sensitivity,: 105dB
- Cable connector: 0.78mm 2-Pin
- Cable: 1.2 m with 3.5mm & 4.4mm interchangeable jacks
Current price and availability:
- Kiwi Ears: Astral
- Linsoul: Kiwi Astral
- Amazon: Kiwi Astral
BUILD AND COMFORT
The Astral sports a universal custom design, made entirely of resin with a baked-in faceplate decoration, and features metal nozzles.
The Knight is larger, but is also a universal custom design but has longer, more protruding nozzles. It’s all metal except for the faceplate decoration.
Both are very lightweight and comfortable, though I found them more difficult to match with my standard tips, and had to experiment a bit to find a good fit. The larger Knight requires smaller ear tips for a comfortable fit since it’s designed to sit deeper in the ear canal.
COMPARISONS
Associated equipment:
- Amplifier: Topping A90
- DAC: RME ADI-2 DAC FS
The Sun Always Shines on TV – MTV Unplugged by a-ha
Both sound very good and aren’t too dissimilar, but the Knight has darker highs and mids, while the Astral has more bass. In direct comparison, the Astral feels more articulate and upfront, whereas the Knight sounds more laid-back and less lively. However, as is often the case, your brain adjusts to both sound signatures.
Escape Route by Boris Blank
The Astral has more bass and feels a bit crisper and clearer on first listen. The Knight is very balanced and neutral, with a darker touch.
Jambi by Tool
The Astral has thunderous bass, yet vocals remain articulate and instrument separation is excellent. The Knight has significantly less bass weight, with darker vocals. While separation is still good, the overall presentation is more laid-back.
Almost Like The Blues by Leonard Cohen
Here, the bass weight is very similar, as is the general tonality, but the Astral is still crisper and more articulate.
Black Crow by Cassandra Wilson
Here too, they’re relatively similar, but the Astral is slightly brighter and more lively. That said, the Knight is excellent once you adjust to its more laid-back presentation.
Some Day My Prince Will Come by Coryell Miroslav Quartet
This sounds very well balanced on the Knight, with the double bass and electric guitar wonderfully rendered and evenly presented, offering nice separation and great timbre. The Astral has a more prominent bass, making for a less neutral presentation, but separation, detail, and timbre remain excellent.
Bored by Deftones
Here, the Knight doesn’t seem more laid-back than the Astral in general, but the Astral’s bass is still significantly stronger, giving it a fuller-bodied and more engaging sound.
As Before by Olga Konkova
The cajón drum hits harder with the Astral, offering more dynamic contrast and a somewhat more engaging first impression. The Knight sounds more even and consistent.
It Could Be Sweet by Portishead
The Knight has a polite, well-controlled bass that lets the vocals shine. The Astral has more bass, with vocals that are crisper and less velvet-like.
Spontaneous Compositorius by Thomas Agergard
The Knight gives the saxophone a breathy character, with treble-intensive percussion sounding a bit dark. The bass is nicely balanced and not overpowering.
The Astral has much more present treble, very noticeable in the bright percussion, sharper and more articulate. It also has a brighter saxophone and more powerful bass.
Young Vivaldi by Modo Antiquo
The Astral has a more upfront, somewhat brighter, and dynamic timbre, while the Knight is darker and less lively in direct comparison.
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge by The Norwegian Chamber Orchestra
The Astral is more energetic and articulate, while the Knight is darker and more laid-back, yet still detailed and nuanced.
WRAPPING IT UP
Sound Signature
The Knight has a more neutral, slightly darker sound signature. The Astral is bassier and more energetic, often feeling more dynamic.
Treble
Both have good treble quality and detail, without being overly bright. However, I tend to find the Astral’s treble cleaner and more dynamic.
Midrange
In the midrange, the Astral is often more upfront and crisper with stronger articulation, while the Knight is smoother, laid-back, and more velvety, yet still preserves detail.
Bass
The bass is likely the biggest difference between these two. Both deliver excellent bass quality, but the amount and character varies.
The Astral has noticeably more bass weight, though it’s not overwhelming. Compared to the Knight, though, it’s clearly bassier. It also has a richer, more full-bodied character.
The Knight offers a well-balanced, linear bass response that’s a bit more restrained but of excellent quality.
Soundstage and Imaging
Both have a good soundstage size, with respectable and quite comparable imaging. I have no complaints, they deliver according to their price.
Detail, Dynamics, and Timbre
The overall level of detail is comparable, though the Astral is a bit more articulate with generally more pronounced detail. The Knight is slightly smoother, and its more laid-back highs make it feel less energetic. Dynamics are very good on both, and while nothing feels missing with the Knight, the Astral tends to slam harder and articulate more strongly.
The timbre feels natural and pleasant with both, but they’re not the same. The Astral has upfront, brighter mids and highs with thicker bass, while the Knight is darker, more velvety and smooth in the mids and highs, with a more restrained and dry bass.
CONCLUSION
The Noble Audio Knight and Kiwi Ears Astral are both excellent IEMs just below the 300 USD price point. They deliver high-quality sound with great detail and strong dynamics, but feature different sound signatures and strengths. The Noble is a bit darker but generally very neutral and even, while the Astral is bassier, crisper, and offers a more energetic and articulate delivery. I have no hesitation recommending either.
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- Noble Audio: Knight
- Amazon: Noble Audio
- Linsoul: Kiwi Astral
- Amazon: Kiwi Astral
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