Noble Audio Kaiser 10 review

he world of personal audio is an infinitely varied and fascinating one. Whether you're buying speakers, cables, or headphones, you can spend anywhere from five bucks to tens of thousands. Today I'm going to address the latter end of that spectrum with the $1,600 Noble Audio Kaiser 10 in-ear monitors (IEMs). These are precious little pieces of handcrafted engineering from a boutique Californian outfit that specializes in making high-end and bespoke in-ear headphones.


Noble Audio is only a few years old, but it already has a committed following and a strong reputation that puts it alongside Ultimate Ears, JH Audio, and Westone as a maker of high-quality IEMs. Each of these companies has products nudging close to and past the $1,000 mark — and basic market economics would suggest that they provide enough value to justify the expense. I made it my task to try and define that value while testing the universal-fit Kaiser 10 (there are also custom-fit and design options).

What do you get from Noble Audio that you couldn't get anywhere else? The Kaiser 10 offers two very good answers: a unique system of 10 balanced-armature drivers in each headphone (hence the name) and a two-tone machined aluminum construction by local metalwork specialists Neal Feay. I'll break down the benefits of each one in turn, but let me assure you that neither is mere marketing fluff.



The other big reason for wanting to own the K10s is that, well, they are beautiful. Just when I thought the whole machined-aluminum thing was growing stale with every smartphone manufacturer now issuing a device built that way, in comes this red-accented pair of acoustic marvels. The Noble Audio crown sits atop a rock-solid aluminum shell that is gently ridged around the sides and feels like it could last a lifetime. Wearing these is rather like putting on a pair of brightly colored socks with your regular staid business suit — a bit of colorful flair that's only occasionally noticed.

Practicality is probably the biggest shortcoming of the Kaiser 10s. They are relatively light and comfortable to wear for high-end IEMs, but they're still bulkier than your typical ear buds. If you're looking for earphones that just disappear into the ear, try the Klipsch X20is instead. They don't sound as good, but you can wear them in a wider set of circumstances and situations than the K10s.