Noble Audio Onyx Review

If you’re in the market for a pair of premium audiophile IEMs, you might have come across the name Noble Audio before. In recent years, Noble Audio has been operating almost exclusively in the high-end when they’re not focusing on their true wireless series. The Kublai Khan and Viking Ragnar are among some of the best IEMs you can get, and now they’ve added the Onyx to that selection. Let’s see how it stacks up.

What You Get

• Noble Onyx In-Ear Monitors
• 2-pin connector cable (4.4mm)
• Stylish leather-look carrying case
• Multiple pairs of ear tips
• User manual

Look & Feel

Noble Audio always ensures fantastic artistry with all of their IEMs. Their craftsmanship is one of their best qualities, always consisting of a strong aluminum shell with a special faceplate design that’s sure to catch the eye. The Onyx contains all of these characteristics in a black theme that has a unique design, especially when attached to the stock Eletech cable. For this range, the Onyx are smaller earpieces than you might expect, which I find preferable to their other models in terms of comfort.

Design

Inside the Onyx is a custom 10mm dynamic driver combined with a PZT bone conductor. Knowles balanced armatures and Sonion electrostatic drivers are also featured in this configuration. It should be able to provide good amplitude no matter what your source, as long as it contains a 4.4mm balanced headphone output. Most of my testing for this review was done with the iBasso DX260.

Soundstage

For a pair of premium IEMs, the Onyx gives you exactly the soundstage you want. Stereo imaging operates with a complex level of depth. From left to right and front to back, all the sounds are set in distinct positions separated by enough blank space to highlight the full shape and angle of the performance. Everything comes through with a strong width and dimension that showcases the character of these sounds with grace. Certain performances, especially ones with sizable orchestration or detailed background effects, wrap around to the back of your head.

While the stage is mostly holographic, the positioning is extremely precise and never feels floaty. Instruments and effects can sometimes come down from above you, but the headspace is kept closer to you. This is most apparent with vocals, which feel like they’re emanating from the center of your head. Timpanic elements also do a great job of showcasing the Onyx’s spatial imaging by showcasing the patterns of movement across your head immersively.

Low End

While the bass of the Onyx features a controlled clarity, it’s not afraid to be heavy at times. It shows great dynamic finesse, arriving at the attack concisely without too much resonance bleeding outward. It would be too thin without a solid foundation though, and luckily the Onyx supplies one that envigorates the sound signature with a smooth surface. The sub-bass doesn’t extend too far down, but the Onyx can deliver some rich vibrations that feel natural and realistic.

Mids

Everything comes alive in the midrange, with the Onyx displaying incredible instrumental and vocal fidelity throughout. With a bit of a bump from the low mids, the Onyx offers intimate musicality that is hard to not find intoxicating. There’s a fullness to it that brings all of the sound elements to a certain scale, all while featuring lush details and transparency throughout. Like the bass, the response is very natural, but the mids have an elegance to them that is apparent with their rich timbre and note quality. It’s a type of resolution that makes each instrument feel pristine in the mix.

Highs

The treble on the Onyx is defined and easy to listen to. There’s a sheen to it that adds some nice texture to certain sounds, but it never overwhelms. Its brightness has just as much balance as the lows and mids, completing a sound profile that tails off accordingly. Vocals receive an underlining of crisp details that excel with female performances. Certain notes have quite a tick to them, and it results in shimmery textures that colorize the frequency response incredibly well.

Summary

The Onyx is another slam dunk for me in terms of the best high-end IEMs available right now. Everything about its sound signature and build feels expertly crafted, and it results in a luxurious performance. This is also one of my favorite instances of bone conductor drivers in IEMs due to how much control they exhibit. It’s one of the cleanest bass sounds with bone conductors, and it results in a truly impressive sound experience.

The Noble Audio Onyx is available at Audio46.