Noble Audio FoKus Rex5: True Wireless Earbuds Review

Noble Audio has released a lot of interesting products this year. They wowed with their first over ear headphones, the FoKus Apollo, which featured a dual-driver design. Then there was the FoKus Triumph, which used xMems technology to produce its well-regarded sound. And let’s not forget the Kama and the Onyx, which came out earlier this year as well. It’s amazing how many consistently good products Noble released this year. But more impressive is their commitment to experimenting with each new release in their FoKus line. Whether it’s the driver, the functionality, or the design, Noble continues to exhibit forward thinking in their product design. That’s the case too with the FoKus Rex5, which comes in at $449. It’s visually distinct, functionally unique, and sonically impressive. So let’s dive in and see what the Rex5 is all about.

Unboxing the Noble Audio FoKus Rex5

• FoKus Rex5 True Wireless In-Ear Monitors
• Charging Case
• USB-C Charging Cable
• Various Size Eartips

Build Quality and Design: Bold Aesthetics with a Comfortable Fit

This year, we’ve seen Noble make some departures from its standard blue hues. The Triumph introduced a black and orange earbud, and now the Rex5 pushes the boundaries even further, going for an emerald green theme. I like the imaginative color scheme here. It makes the product standout from other FoKus series items, as well as the true wireless landscape as a whole. 

The premium Bluetooth earbuds are on the larger side, but are by no means too bulky. They sit comfortably in the ear, and have a lightweight fit that I never found to fall out or lose seal. The Rex5 puts touch controls on the ear pieces, and I found them to be responsive and easy to use for playback. I do wish pairing could be activated through the touch controls, but the pairing button inside the case does the trick just fine. And of course, more refined controls can be found in the app. 

Innovative Features: Drivers and Customization Options

Speaking of the app, this is a feature rich product, and we’ll touch on that in a second. First I want to mention the drivers. For a set of true wireless earbuds, Noble spared no technical detail, putting five drivers into these, making for a premium wireless earbud with an audiophile sensibility. 

Ok, back to the app. The Rex5 adds a new feature to its product line by partnering with Audiodo to bring sound customization controls to the table. This allows the wireless earbuds to analyze your ears through an in-app test, and create a custom EQ just for you. I was supremely impressed with this feature, as it took these earbuds from sounding pretty good to really good. Of course, you don’t have to rely on this feature. You can tailor the sound to your exact tastes through its equalizer settings. This combination of features gives you complete control over the sound of the earbuds. You can control ANC settings and control other functions through the app as well. 

Bluetooth 5.4 and Codec Support

The Rex5 runs on Bluetooth 5.4 for its wireless connection. It also uses the Qualcomm’s QCC3091 to mirror audio from left and right channels. However it’s not clear that the wireless audio device features Snapdragon Sound, and so I was not able to discern its ability to provide AptX Lossless capabilities. That said, it does offer LDAC, AptX Adaptive, AAC, and SBC. Connection is seamless and strong. I never had any dropouts or fuss, and its multipoint connection allows for two devices to pair at the same time. I was able to switch between my laptop and phone with ease. Notably, the earbuds maintain your custom EQ settings even when switching devices. 

Battery Performance: How Long Will These Last?

The Rex5 is a high-powered device, and so it does consume battery pretty rapidly. It can offer 5 hours of playback with ANC on and 7 hours with ANC off. But have no fear: you get an additional 40 hours of battery when you use them with the charging case. And on that note, a 15-minute quick charge can add an additional 2 hours of playtime when you’re in a pinch. 

Sound Quality Breakdown

Low End:

The bass response on the Rex5 is chameleon-like. For the most part, it’s linear, with an assertive touch. But when a song calls for it, the earbuds can rumble as well as any other TWS earphone I’ve heard. It doesn’t over-indulge by any means, but it has a solid sense of punch and slam. Microdynamics are well-represented in this range, with different drum hits getting a precise reproduction through the earbuds. But when the tracks don’t call for it, the Rex5 can pull its bass back and give more room for the upper frequency ranges to be the stage. The bass’s versatility allows the other frequencies to be a bit more relaxed, while the bass controls the tone of the listening experience. 

Midrange:

I would say the real star of the show is the midrange. The Rex5 has a detailed and natural midrange that suits orchestral instrumentals just as well as pop vocals. The midbass/lower mid transitional space is clean and clear without any muddiness. On top of that, the sound scales throughout the midrange to give a musical and timbrally rich rendition of voices, both for lower and upper registers. I really enjoyed listening to Willie Nelson’s album “Stardust” which features grounded solo vocals and lush instrumentation. With these tracks, the true wireless earbuds performed quite well. 

Top End:

The treble response is a bit on the relaxed side, which is totally fine in my opinion. It’s still detailed and precise, but it is more musical than analytical. Overall, it fits into the naturalistic persona of the earbud at large. Maybe there were times where I wished for a little more sparkle, but overall it matches the overall tonality of the earbud quite well. And of course, you can always boost the treble through EQ if you want a little bit more. I actually found that, with Audiolo’s customization features, it reduced the treble in my listening experience, so mileage may vary here. Overall though, the Rex5’s sound is coherent and enjoyable.

Soundstage:

TWS earbuds are not known for their expansive soundstages, and that’s the case here too. However, the Rex5 does feel particularly immersive with its accurate imaging and sound localization. Though it is intimate, there is a floating nature to the sound presentation that gives a refined sense of space. While it might not be as wide as some wired earbuds or IEMs, this should do just fine at creating an engaging sound field.

Final Verdict: Is the Noble Audio FoKus Rex5 Worth It?

All in all, it’s great to see Noble continue to push the boundaries of premium True Wireless earbuds. The FoKus Rex5 is another great, forward-looking addition to the product line. With its bold look and build to its rich and engaging sound, plus its addition of cutting-edge features, it more than earns its luxury price tag.The Noble Audio FoKus Rex5 is available at Audio46.