As an audio enthusiast and reviewer, I’ve had the opportunity to test out countless Bluetooth headphones over the years. When I heard about Noble’s latest offering, the Apollo, I was intrigued by its innovative hybrid design. Noble is known for making high-quality IEMs that not only sound fantastic, but look luxurious as well. In this review, I’ll be sharing my in-depth experience with the Noble Apollo, looking at its unique features, sound quality, and overall performance.
Design and features
The Noble Apollo stands out from the crowd with its innovative hybrid design. It is the first of its kind to combine a 40mm dynamic driver with a 14.5mm planar driver in a wireless earphone. This ambitious approach aims to deliver the best of both worlds – the power and warmth of dynamic drivers with the speed and detail of planar magnetic technology.
One of the most impressive features of the Apollo is its battery life. I found that it delivered on its promise of 80 hours of playback without ANC and 60 hours with ANC on. This is a significant advantage over many competitors in the wireless earbuds market.
The Apollo comes equipped with 3 built-in microphones and offers a detachable boom microphone option, which I appreciate for its versatility. There is also a handy mute switch for all microphones, a feature that is particularly useful for those who use these headphones for work calls or gaming.
Noble has included a companion app that allows users to control the active noise cancellation settings and access a 10-band equalizer. I found the equalizer to be quite effective and offered a wide range of customization options to tailor the sound to my preferences. With a range of +/- 12db, you're sure to get a lot of use out of the companion app.
As for codec support, the Apollos cover all bases with LDAC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, and SBC. The headphones use the QCC3084 chip, according to Noble’s website. This chip offers mediocre performance in my opinion, but I think there’s room for improvement in future versions. I’ll talk more about this later in the article.
Sound quality
As far as sound quality goes, the Noble Apollo offers a mixed bag. At its best, these headphones can deliver a warm, immersive sound. However, I did encounter significant issues that detracted from my overall listening experience.
Sound scene
Testing the soundstage of Bluetooth headphones can be a challenge, especially when we are forced to use a wired connection due to technical issues (which I will discuss later). Using the iFi Go-Link DAC/Amp, I found the Apollos to offer a good sense of space that outshines the Focal Bathys in DAC mode.
Listening to Black Tape for a Blue Girl's “Hairline Sunlight,” I noticed a subtle trailing effect on the guitars and synths. The Apollo maintains an intimate, “inside-your-head” sound typical of closed-back headphones, but still manages to present a sense of height and distance. The track's intro sounded expansive, with clear spatial cues.
Comparing it to the Dali IO-12, I'd say the Apollo offers a similar soundstage width, though the Dali has a more three-dimensional character. On Placid's “canapé trempé de pisse,” I appreciated how the Apollo handled the deep reverb on vocals, rounding out the sound nicely. There's a nice sense of spaciousness, though it doesn't quite match the expansiveness of open-back headphones.
Low
The Apollo’s bass tuning is one of its strong points. I found it to have a palpable depth with a tasteful mid-bass and high-end boost. It’s not as exaggerated as that of the Sony WH-1000XM5, and offers a more balanced presentation. While the sub-bass is present at higher volumes, it’s not overwhelming.
Listening to “Giant Steps,” as performed by Victor Wooten, Steve Smith, and Scott Henderson, I could clearly discern the differences in right-hand technique on the bass. The lows are both deep and rhythmic, and show good detail retrieval. The overall warmth of the sound signature fills out the frequency range nicely without becoming muddy or uncontrolled, especially when using an external DAC/amp.
Mid-range
Unfortunately, the midrange is where I found the most significant issues with the Apollo. Before we dive into sound quality, it’s crucial to note that this is where I experienced the most distortion issues.
Listening to “Summer in Central Park” performed by Louis Hayes from the album “Serenade for Horace,” I noticed that Abraham Burton's saxophone playing, while refined and impactful, was pushing the limits of the planar driver's capabilities in the upper midrange. The combination of drums, saxophone, and vibraphone occupying the same frequency space seemed to overwhelm the headphones, resulting in noticeable distortion even at reasonable volumes.
Using the iFi Go-Link provided some improvement, as it offered more headroom for these sounds to be heard more clearly. However, I still detected minimal distortion. This issue was particularly problematic when listening to vocals, especially on podcasts with multiple speakers.
It's a shame because at lower volumes the Apollos display a pleasant timbre and a nice midrange presentation. However, distortion issues make it difficult to fully appreciate this aspect of the headphones' performance. Add to this the fact that they're designed to be used wirelessly, and performance is at a glaring disadvantage.
High frequency
The Apollo’s high-frequency response is controlled and not overblown. The overall sound signature tends toward warm, but there’s enough width to capture the shape of sounds accurately. These headphones aren’t particularly analytical or demanding in the treble range, but they offer enough separation to deliver detail without pushing the brightness too far.
Unfortunately, I found that distortion issues persisted in this range as well, leading me to believe that these problems were originating from both the DAC/power section of the headphones and the planar driver itself.
Technical performance and usability
Now, I must address the key issue: the significant technical issues I encountered with the Noble Apollo. These issues severely impacted my ability to use and enjoy these headphones as intended.
Problems with the DAC and the amplifier
The most obvious issue I faced was constant distortion from the internal DAC/amp combination. I took the unusual step of “burning in” the headphones for 3 or 4 hours at full volume, hoping this might solve the problem. However, the distortion persisted when using the Apollo wirelessly with my MacBook Air and iPhone.
The intermittent nature of the distortion led me to believe that it was not a driver issue, but rather an issue with the DAC/amp implementation. To rule out a faulty unit, I tried a second pair of Apollo headphones, but encountered the same issues.
I found that using a wired 3.5mm connection to my MacBook alleviated the problem somewhat, and employing the iFi Go-Link DAC/Amp significantly improved the situation. However, this workaround defeats the purpose of wireless headphones, especially at the Apollo's $649 price point.
It's worth noting that I couldn't find any information on the Apollo's total harmonic distortion (THD) specs, which is concerning for a product in this price range.
Power and connectivity
During my testing, I found the Apollo to be underpowered when used with a wired or Bluetooth connection. Using a DAC adapter allowed these headphones to reach a much more usable range of use compared to the standard 3.5mm connection on my MacBook Air.
Like the Focal Bathys, the Apollos benefit significantly from additional amplification. However, unlike the Bathys, the Apollos offer a passive mode that allows the headphones to be powered with a cable, which I appreciate.
Companion App and Equalizer
The Noble companion app allows you to control the active noise cancellation settings and offers a 10-band equalizer. I find the equalizer works well and allows me to mitigate some of the headphones’ shortcomings. However, it’s not enough to completely fix the underlying technical issues.
Comfort and build quality
On a positive note, I found the Apollos to be comfortable for extended listening sessions. The build quality feels solid and the inclusion of a built-in microphone and a detachable boom mic adds versatility for different use cases.
Conclusion: A bold experiment that can be improved
The Noble Apollo represent a fascinating experiment in wireless headphone design. The hybrid driver setup, combining a 40mm dynamic driver with a 14.5mm flat driver, is an ambitious approach that shows promise. When working properly, these headphones can deliver warm, immersive sound with impressive battery life and a comfortable fit.
However, I cannot overlook the significant technical issues I encountered during my testing. Persistent distortion issues, especially in the mids and highs, severely affect the usability of these headphones in their intended wireless mode. The fact that I had to resort to an external DAC/Amp to achieve acceptable performance is disappointing for a product in this price range.
It's clear that Noble has taken a big risk with the Apollo and I applaud their willingness to innovate. The concept of a hybrid wireless headphone is fascinating and I think there's potential for this technology to evolve in future versions.
The Apollo has several commendable features:
– Excellent battery life (80 hours without ANC, 60 hours with ANC)
– Comfortable design
– Support for high quality codecs such as LDAC
– Versatile microphone options
However, these positives are overshadowed by technical shortcomings. At $649, the Apollos don't offer the performance you'd expect from high-end Bluetooth headphones. The fact that they sound best when used with an external DAC/amp contradicts their primary purpose as wireless headphones.
I would advise potential buyers not to buy the Apollo in its current state. If you are looking for wireless earbuds in this price range, there are other options that offer more reliable performance without the need for additional equipment.
That said, I'm looking forward to seeing how Noble can refine this concept in future releases. If they can overcome the technical hurdles and deliver a distortion-free listening experience, the hybrid driver setup could offer a unique and compelling option in the wireless headphone market.
In conclusion, while the Noble Apollo shows some innovative thinking and some promising features, its execution falls short of its ambitions. I look forward to seeing how Noble addresses these issues and hope that future versions can fully exploit the potential of this hybrid design. For now, though, I would recommend exploring other options in the premium wireless earbuds market.
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