Noble Audio Spartacus Review

Noble Audio has achieved its most recent popularity from its new killer flagship IEMs, the Viking Ragner and Ronin. Selling at around 4K, these models have become some of the most wanted IEMs on the market. So, it was refreshing to see the Spartacus, a more affordably priced potential winner, competing with equally priced heavy hitters, like the 64 Audio Nio. What can you expect from the Spartacus in terms of performance and sound signature? And could the Spartacus turn out to be a gem amongst similarly priced IEMs?

What’s in the Box?

• Noble Audio Spartacus IEMs
• 2-Pin Cable with interchangeable connections (2.5mm, 4.4mm and 3.5mm)
• Hard, reinforced carrying case.
• Leather carrying case
• Velvet pouch
• Multiple sizes foam, silicone and double flange ear tips
• Cleaning tool
• Noble Audio elastic bands
• Noble Audio sticker
• Name card

Look and Feel

I’m not usually one to fall for a shiny shell, but I have to admit, the multidimensional layering of the orange/brown, almost woodgrain design is pretty delicious. The tinted transparent housing reveals a touch of the interior, making the faceplate look as entrancing up close as it does from afar. 

The fit may be my least favorite thing about the Spartacus. At first, the IEMs felt comfortable. But after about two hours of wear, I started to feel the stem and upper edges of the shell pressing against my ears. It seems that the housing is too big for my ears or perhaps just not optimally shaped. To be honest, I’ve often had issues with comfort when it comes to Noble Audio, so maybe my particular ear shape doesn’t agree with their design.

Design

The Spartacus employs a six driver arrangement, using one Sonion ultra high balanced armature, two Sonion bone conductors, one Sonion mid-bass balanced armature and two Sonion bass and ultra bass balanced armatures.  Although the impedance is less than 35 Ohms, I still found that this relatively efficient IEM benefited from a little extra driving power. For this review, I paired the Spartacus with the Astell & Kern SR35.

Sound Impressions

Soundstage

There’s an exhilarating grandness to the scale of the stage that hits you as soon as you play the first test track. Part of what makes the Spartacus so fun is that it can pull off distant instruments with the same nuance and color as those that sit up close. And when combined with pristine layering and the tiniest degrees of precision in instrument placement, the stage delivers a vibrancy that is more engaging than anything I’ve recently heard in this price range. You’ll get a true blue sense of depth, feeling instruments sitting far behind and up front, as well as all the subtlest variations in height along the way. There’s also a buoyancy to the space, giving instruments placed along the vertical axis a sense of elevation. And overall, the “high-spirited” delivery of this soundstage is beguiling if not bordering on fantastical at times.

Low-End

The sub bass offers a visceral response, with vibrations being felt throughout the jawline and even around the nose, which is a new one for me. While the bass is far from obnoxious, it does take up a good amount of presence in the mix, feeling most apparent for me in the lower to mid bass registers. That said, listening to acoustic instruments in this range, there’s a clean and natural feel to strings with plenty of grip and detail. Certainly, there’s nothing sloppy or bloated about this low-end. It simply packs a punch on modern tracks, while remaining clean and disciplined where the bass calls for restraint. The fantastic speed of these IEMs also lends a fluidity to bass note progressions, keeping the tone firm and neatly controlled. In short, the bass feels powerful, yet contained.

Mids

The immaculately clean midrange presents an all-encompassing balance, with the low-mids getting enough attention to bring body to the mix. The upper mids also avoid protruding too far center stage. So, there’s a solidity and steadiness in this range without any whimsical bumps or dips. Still, you will get plenty of driving power and kick from thick snares and rhythm instruments.In fact, there’s lots of energy and robustness here, especially when combined with the majestic soundstage. Again, the layering is impeccable, revealing every subtle element even in the busiest mixes. Definition within singular instruments is also noteworthy, specifically in the low-mids where guitars strums can potentially get muddy.

Highs

In this subtly bright and uber transparent high-end, vocals are super airy and breathy. There’s a weightlessness and smoothness to the treble peaks that are both playful and easy to listen to, making it probably the most enjoyable high-end I’ve experienced in a while. You’ll also hear some sparkle as the treble reaches the thinner and more delicate top registers. But overall, despite the solid treble extension, I rarely ran into any uncomfortable piercing.

Final Verdict

While the Spartacus may not be the most utterly memorable IEM I’ve heard, it notably overdelivers for the price with its magnetically powerful, yet clean presentation, nimble highs and massive soundstage. There’s nothing to dislike about this model, other than its challenge to stand out in a sea of other fantastic sounding IEMs. And besides checking all the boxes with respect to skill, the Spartacus is all about delivering a bold, tight and sensibly balanced mix that never offends, but always delivers the energy and “bigness” that makes the listening experience completely immersive and never boring. In fact, based on the talent of the soundstage alone, I would confidently choose this model amongst the plethora of other great sounding IEMs in the 1.5k to 2k price range.

You can buy the Noble Audio Spartacus at Audio 46.