By Nick Smith, 9th December 2023
Once in awhile something special comes along in this hobby, and you usually know it right away.
During a recent visit to my local dealer Addicted to Audio, a staff member happened to mention trying a pre-release Noble Audio earphone called Spartacus, and being floored by its’ performance for a relatively modest price by high-end IEM standards.
Having never owned a Noble IEM my curiosity was piqued, but I’ll admit to being skeptical the staffer’s vaunted praise was warranted – we’ve all been impressed by an audio gadget that wowed us on first listen, only to later reveal its’ flaws.
A fortnight later the chance to try Spartacus came, and it’s fair to say I was immediately smitten. Bells started ringing in my ears that this was “the one” and my wallet would’ve let out a long, mournful sigh if it could’ve. Spartacus’ massive bass & soundstage, coupled with a fast, incisive sound and incredibly rich vocals grabbed me by the collar from the first second.
After some friendly negotiations (that may or may not have included me begging) Addicted to Audio generously agreed to provide a discount in exchange for the review you’re now reading.
So then, the USD $1799 Noble Audio Spartacus are as visually distinctive with fibre composite faceplates as their 4x BA / 2x BCD driver config is unusual, and I was curious for that reason alone.
They utilise Sonion Bone Conduction Drivers which I’m glad to see becoming prevalent in the market, as prior to acquiring Mest MKIII’s I’d never owned a set of BCD earphones but have immediately become a fan. There’s something special about BCD imaging & staging which feels almost impossible to duplicate in IEMs without them, and I noted Spartacus contain not one but two BCDs in each earpiece.
Would twin BCDs mean double the magic? With a gleam in my eyes I tore the wrapping off the box, eager to discover the answer!
Packaging
Spartacus arrive in a large, high quality foam-lined composition board box that feels suitably premium.
Upon opening the box you’ll be greeted with a genuine Nanuk 903 waterproof hardcase that feels like it’s been built to house delicate scientific instruments or plutonium fuel rods.
Inside you’ll find an assortment of goodies – firstly a velvet drawstring pouch, a small leather carry case, warranty card, Noble emblem sticker, a pair of Noble branded elastic bands for strapping a portable amp to your DAP, a shirt clip, and four sets of eartips in three sizes.
…along with the stuff that matters: The earpieces & stock cable – a modular 8 wire silver-plated copper cable with 4.4, 3.5 & 2.5mm terminations I’ve since found to be extremely sonically impressive.
Ergonomics
Ergonomically Spartacus are reminiscent of previous Noble Audio IEMs – vented resin shells on the larger end of the scale, but well-sculpted to the natural shape of the human ear.
I was initially concerned size would be a problem, but having lived with them for weeks this hasn’t proved to be the case. They’re large, and I don’t quite forget I’m wearing them as is the case with smaller hybrids, but to my ears they’re not uncomfortable.
One consequence of that bulk is they’re one of the best-isolating universal earphones I’ve worn, and the amount of background noise they can drown out on noisy trains lies close to the noise cancellation provided by second generation Airpod Pros.
The stock cable feels ergonomically appropriate being a beefy 8 wire affair, yet light enough that I wouldn’t say ergonomics are a problem. Effect Audio’s Eros S feel similar in girth to this, though thankfully the Spartacus stock cable has a much lighter Y-split.
The modular plug holds in place magnetically, and has thus far given the impression of being better designed than most modular plugs on the market, only detaching unwantedly on very rare occasions.
Page 1 – Introduction, Packaging & Ergonomics
Page 2 – Sound Impressions & Technical Performance
Page 3 – IEM Comparisons
Page 4 – More IEM Comparisons
Page 5 – Amplfication Performance & Cable Comparisons
Page 6 – Conclusion
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