Noble Audio Falcon Pro True Wireless Review

December 29, 2020 5:33 pm

Noble Audio is a well-revered brand most well known for its excellent selection of universal and custom IEMs. Some of my personal favorites include the Sultan, Katana, and Khan. A little more than a year ago they became one of the prominent manufacturers to venture into the true wireless market with the Falcon. In 2020 we’ve seen a lot of brands like Noble branch out into this new consumer field of audio products, such as Final Audio with their Eva 2020, and Grado with the GT220. Noble has now released an updated version of the Falcon TWS called the Falcon Pro. For $329 it not only looks to be an upgrade from its past iteration but the possible leading model in audiophile true wireless systems.

What You Get

1x Noble Falcon Pro TWS
1x Charging Case
1x Pouch
1x Type C charging cable
2x ear tips

Look and Feel

One of the more immediate changes from the Falcon to the Falcon Pro is the new angular design of the earphone’s main housing. The circular shaping of the original is replaced by a more ergonomic body that makes for a far more comfortable fit. The Falcon Pro rests in my ears way more naturally, like the housing is molded to the concha. It makes for a well-secured universal design that far outdoes Noble’s last effort.

It also keeps the familiarity of being a Noble product as well, with the purple coloration and crown emblem that doesn’t stick itself out too much but helps complete a rather sleek architecture. The other notable difference here is the charging case, which is smaller and a lot different than what you’re used to seeing with most true wireless systems. It ditches the pill shape and resembles more of a case for an engagement ring. That is to say that it fits nicely in your pocket and is easily portable.

Design and Functionality

Just from reading the specs of the Falcon Pro, I could tell that Noble really wanted to showcase what they’re best at and present a true wireless system that’s up to their standards. This earphone contains a hybrid configuration, combining a 6mm titanium coated tri-layered system and two Knowles BA drivers. The main driver unit relegated the bass and sub-bass, with the balanced armatures handle the mids and highs. This new edition features a new tuning by Noble Audio’s very own “Wizard” which gives the Falcon Pro a serious value for a true wireless earbud. The amount of interior design elements is almost overwhelming for true wireless, but I applaud Noble for putting so much effort into their systems to achieve what they believe to be the best sound possible.

Like most true wireless systems, the Noble Falcon Pro features a touch-sensitive surface for easy access to the controls of your device. Through a series of tap gestures, you can use the Falcon Pro to control playback functions, pick up phone calls, and use voice assistant. These controls are in no way sensitive, and even require some hard presses to get the action to respond correctly. Sometimes my current track would start to play as I was removing the earbuds, and my music would keep playing without me realizing it. The Falcon Pro doesn’t have the most reliable touch system, but it does respond with very little delay.

Bluetooth

The Falcon Pro uses a QUALCOMM QCC 3040 chip that supports Bluetooth 5.2, with SBC, AAC, and aptX adaptive CODECs. For the price, I would have liked to see more CODECs supported here, like aptX HD, but the QUALCOMM chip supplies the ideal resolution quality anyway.

Battery Life

Noble is advertising the Falcon Pro as having 5.5.hours of continuous playback at max volume, and a whole ten hours at 70% volume. At full volume, it doesn’t seem like the Falcon Pro has a very powerful battery, but at the proper gain, you’ll get a ton of playback time. Along with the four charges supplied by the charging case, you’ll get a considerable amount of juice out of the Falcon Pro.

Soundstage

With true wireless, I’m not looking for the widest or most immaculate of soundstages, but the reputation of Noble Audio has set my expectation a bit higher than usual. It turns out my expectations were actually too low, as the Falcon Pro almost immediately shattered my preconceived notions of true wireless soundstages. When listening to Tidal HIFI, the first thing I noticed was just how much loudness the Falcon Pro was able to produce. The image comes in crystal clear, with a wide response across the stereo field. I think I can confidently say that this is one of the most accurate, and articulate true wireless systems I’ve heard.

The top-end fills out the image and adds a ton of spatiality to your tracks. Separation isn’t as articulate, but the depth and layering are top-notch here. Certain effects like fade-ins can be perceived as coming from a distant source, and reverb tails dissipate inwards and linger, such as on the track “Behind You” by House of Harm. Here, the crash cymbals sizzle off from the top end and regress back into the mix.

Low End

Not a ton of attention is given to the lows, but the bass gives off enough energy to be enjoyable. Some melodic piano tracks from Max Richter provide a warm low-mid resonance that lifts the music to a more significant timbre. The Falcon Pro delves a tiny bit into the sub-bass territory but doesn’t receive the same coloration other low bands have. They’re a little inconsistent, but make a definite impact when supplied.

Mids

These are some of the crispest and full mids on a true wireless. Instrumentations and vocals have an immediate impression on the listener, as the full response envelopes the midrange with a wide range of details. There’s a ton of spatiality in this range, with room for effects to articulate themselves better than on any true wireless system I can think of. Vocals appear with a tight high-mid boost that highlights some nice artifacts at their best but can prove sharp for some.

Highs

Some listeners may be put off by the Falcon Pros emphasis on brightness and sibilance. While certain tracks can appear harsh in some sections, others benefit from the controlled sizzle some instrumentations can produce. It’s a mixed bag, but the treble never fails to make an impression. Sometimes it can be the most detailed treble I’ve heard on a true wireless, with a light hiss and other artifacts making themselves audible on some tracks. I like it when I start a track and the first thing I hear is the noise-floor inviting me into the space of the song, and the Falcon Pro is the only true wireless that has ever communicated this feeling.

Summary

It may be one of the pricer true wireless systems out there, but the superb sound signature of the Falcon Pro really makes a case for itself. The treble might make or break this purchase, as getting through those bright sibilances might see you looking somewhere else. However, the range of details these buds can handle is almost unmatched. Adding to that, their comfort level has been greatly improved, and the addition of ePro ear tips is greatly appreciated. If you’re willing to put forth the cash, this true wireless won’t let you down.