Noble Audio Trident Review

400 bucks is a tricky price point in the IEM world. There seem to be an abundance of great choices below $300 and above $900.  But in between, where’s the amazing stuff? (Hmm…Could this be intentional?) Off the top of my head, I can only think of two models that I adore in this price range, and that’s the Westone W40 and JH’s Billie Jean (My colleagues would say the Michelle). But that’s just me. However, I love all the Noble Audio IEM’s I’ve tested so far. So, I’m curious to try out one of their least expensive earphones, the Trident. Can it compete with the other winners in this price range? Let’s find out in this Noble Audio Trident Review.

Noble Audio Trident Review

IN the BOX

FIT

Besides Noble Audio’s most expensive models, the Kaiser and Katana (which I think have larger shells) I find the rest of their models pretty comfortable. I should mention that some of my colleagues have a hard time with them. They press on the contour of the ear. It could be because the top of the shell has ridges in its design. Who knows. But the Trident wasn’t a problem for me. Noble earphones are easy to pop in because their over ear wires are kind of elastic. So, you don’t have to mold them around your ears every time you put them on.

DESIGN

We’ve got three balanced armature drivers, aluminum faceplates, and 2 pin detachable cables. High performance IEM companies seem to be going 2 pin these days, perhaps because they’re more durable. Those who like to play around with their MMCX cables all day (I know you exist) may have found that even the fanciest ones are prone to breaking after repeated plugging and unplugging. No other technical specifications are given. So, take out your frequency meters, kids. (I know you exist).

SOUND

Overall Impressions: Speedy Gonzales level fast, clean and well separated.

Lows

Although this IEM isn’t designed for bass-heads, there’s enough low range presence and grip to allow good ol’ Bruno Mars to reach his full potential. And because these buds are so damn fast, pop sounds really snappy. Listening to rock, the lows were just as satisfying. Noble keeps it tidy too, with no bleeding into the higher frequencies. Golf clap.

Mids

Present. Clean. Nicely balanced. Perhaps it’s not the most detailed sound on the planet, but it’s well separated and super fast. Drums feel very solid and rock chorus have a decent amount of fullness, though it’s not a particularly warm sound. And perhaps that’s because the lower mids are a tad less emphasized than the upper mids. The nice separation lends itself well acoustic guitars and complicated arrangements, so folk is a suitable genre as well.

Highs

The highs may be a bit emphasized. Solo strings in this range had a cohesive smoothness, but the transparency didn’t blow me away. The highest registers were somewhat piercing. And percussion in these frequencies, though crisp, became slightly sharp and sizzly at its crispiest.

Soundstage

A nice amount of depth and height for an IEM in this price range. The impressive level of separation also adds to the feeling of spaciousness.

SUMMARY

Noble Audio does at least 2 things extremely well with all its IEM models: speed and cleanliness. And that’s what sets the Trident apart from all other IEM’s in this price range. If you prioritize a great transient response or you’re a fan of pop (or even folk), these buds are a decent choice, even if a tad pricey.

You can find these headphones for the best price at:

Audio 46 (Use our promo code, “majorhifi” to get a 10% discount)

Amazon: Noble Audio Trident Universal In-Ear Headphone Monitor

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