Noble Audio FoKus Triumph review: TWS headphones with new xMEMS emitters

There is a certain class of headphone manufacturers that focus on a fairly limited audience of high-quality sound connoisseurs and are practically unknown to the mass user. For some time, Noble Audio was such a company. But the global popularization of wireless headphones has prompted the company to change, and it has a whole line of TWS models in its assortment. Today we will tell you about Noble Audio FoKus Triumph, a model interesting for its hybrid emitter circuit with a relatively new type of xMEMS.

Noble Audio FoKus Triumph specifications

A few words about Noble Audio and xMEMS emitters

Noble Audio was founded in the United States in 2013 by Brannan Mason and John Moulton (Wizard). The latter is a certified audiologist and is directly involved in sound. Previously, Noble Audio was exclusively engaged in in-ear headphones, both with universal and custom designs. These were mostly top-level models with excellent sound, multi-driver circuits, and a high price.

With the growing popularity of TWS headphones, Noble Audio began to produce its own models. Now they can be conditionally divided into slightly cheaper mainstream Falcon models with active noise canceling, as well as FoKus, which focus on sound quality. The first and so far the only full-size FoKus Apollo model, which has a configuration of dynamic and planar magnetic drivers, should be added to them.

Noble Audio loves to experiment, the company has already had models with planar magnetic and electret emitters, and now the company has decided to release its first xMEMS models: the Noble Audio XM-1 wired model for smartphones with built-in DACs and amplifiers. And the Noble Audio FoKus Triumph TWS, which we are talking about today.

Piezo MEMS, or silicon-based solid-state microdynamics, uses a material called Piezo MEMS. It is capable of expanding and contracting under the influence of current, thereby emitting sound waves. This diaphragm is said to be about 95 times stiffer than traditional diaphragms, which contributes to significantly better accuracy in the reproduction of mid and high frequencies. In addition, xMEMS have a number of other advantages: compactness of the driver, energy efficiency, ability to reproduce a wide range of frequencies, and reliability. Without any additional equipment, these drivers meet the IP58 protection standard. More details about the technology and emitter models can be found on the official website.

Package contents

Noble Audio FoKus Triumph comes in a rather large black box with an interesting pattern. In addition to the image of the headphones, the box contains detailed information about all the features and functions.

The package is interesting. In addition to the headphones with a charging case, the box contains a short Type-C cable for charging, a Type-C to Type-C adapter (more on that later), a small plastic box with interchangeable tips (there are three pairs of standard and three pairs of two-tiered “Christmas trees”), a black drawstring pouch, and documentation.

Design and usability

Noble Audio FoKus Triumph are made entirely of acrylic. The cases are printed using a 3D printer. They are monolithic, with no connecting seams visible. They are quite large, but have a pseudo-custom ergonomic shape without corners, which makes them fit perfectly in the ears. The main part is black, and the faceplates have a pattern of uneven orange stripes. It looks a bit like a wood texture.

Sensors for headphone control and LEDs are hidden under the faceplates. Noble Audio FoKus Triumph are completely glossy, they look interesting and stylish. But, of course, they collect fingerprints and are a bit slippery.

There are two holes on the bottom of the headphones side by side. Noble Audio does not provide detailed information about their purpose. But we can assume that these are microphones for conversations and compensation holes.

There are white company logos on top, as well as one more hole. The headphones do not have an active noise reduction system, but they do have a transparency mode, the so-called Ambient Mode: the user can hear ambient sounds from external microphones.

The internal parts of Noble Audio FoKus Triumph have additional large protrusions for better fixation in the ear, which is typical for custom and generally ergonomic models. There are charging contacts between them. There are no left and right markings, but it will be difficult to put them in the wrong ear due to the shape.

The sound wires are made of stainless steel. They are of medium length. But the fit is deep enough due to the shape of the headphones themselves. There is a mesh inside to prevent dirt from getting in. The perimeter has a thickening for more reliable fixation of the bits.

Noble Audio FoKus Triumph have an excellent, very comfortable fit, which, together with properly selected earbuds, provides good passive sound insulation. The only thing worth noting is that the headphones stick out a little from the ears, so in winter they can interfere with a hat. No moisture protection is declared, but they can withstand training without any problems.

The charging case looks very unusual. It is completely covered with brown Alcantara with the Noble Audio logo on top. Alcantara is usually used in interior design, for upholstered furniture and car interiors. It is soft and pleasant to the touch. But its durability is questionable, so a bundled pouch might be appropriate. The case is quite large and not very convenient to carry in your pocket.

The line separating the lid and the main body of the case is orange. There is an LED in the middle to indicate the charge level and the charging process. The lid has an auto-close and is well fixed. The inside is completely orange. Inside there are two headphone jacks labeled left-right and a reset button.

There is a USB Type-C port for charging on the back. The peculiarity is that it is recessed. Perhaps because of Alcantara or thick plastic. But you can’t charge it with a standard cable. For this purpose, an adapter with an extended Type-C connector is included. It’s a strange decision. In any case, it would be a shame to lose the adapter.

Management

Noble Audio FoKus Triumph have large touch panels on the outer parts of the headphones. It’s convenient to use, there are no problems with hitting a finger. But there are minimal customization options. In the proprietary app, you can only change actions to double and triple tap. And only play/pause, track switching, and volume control functions are available.

The standard control scheme is relatively convenient: one touch of any earbud – play/pause, answer a call. Double and triple taps on the right earbud switch tracks. The left earbud controls the volume. A long touch on the right earbud launches Siri or Google Assistant. The left one turns on/off the transparency mode.

Connectivity and functionality

The Noble Audio FoKus Triumph is powered by the Qualcomm QCC3071 SoC, and is connected via Bluetooth 5.3. There is noise reduction for microphones during conversations based on Qualcomm cVc machine learning. The connection is stable, no disconnects were observed during testing. The headphones support Multipoint, although this function is not presented in the proprietary application. But it functions adequately, and when connected to a smartphone and a PC at the same time, quick source change works without any problems.

Noble Audio FoKus Triumph supports almost all common codecs: SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless, QSS and LDAC. So there will be no problems with the choice of quality. The only thing worth mentioning is that when using Multipoint, the headphones automatically switch from LDAC to aptX Lossless.

The Noble FoKus app is used for all settings. It is quite convenient to use, but not very functional. The main screen displays the charge level of each headphone, has playback controls (not quite clear why) and a transparency mode. The drop-down menu has several sections.

The most interesting of them is the equalizer. In addition to several ready-made presets and a graphical 10-band option, you can create a preset based on your own hearing. The headphones receive 1, 2, or 3 short signals in different frequency bands. The user must indicate how many signals were heard (or not heard at all). After going through the entire range, the program generates an individual equalizer with boosts in the parts of the range that are heard the worst. This is not the only such solution, but it seems that Noble Audio was the first to implement it and did the best.

The next section contains language selection, volume settings, ANC Display (in this case, Ambient Mode, an application common to several models) and Prompt Tone Switch (I did not understand the function of this item). The last section is firmware update.

Sound, noise isolation and microphones

The Noble Audio FoKus Triumph uses a hybrid driver circuit. It contains one 6.5-mm dynamic driver for low frequencies and one xMEMS driver for medium and high frequencies. I must say that I did not experience the same surprise and shock that I did when I first used headphones with planar magnetic emitters in my life. But the sound quality is really great. This is one of the best TWS I’ve ever heard.

They have a rather pronounced V-shaped frequency response, which is quite expected. And rightly so when creating headphones aimed at a mass audience. Noble Audio FoKus Triumph are indeed such headphones: they sound great with any music, starting with bass-oriented styles that are popular nowadays: electronica, hip-hop or pop music. Heavy instrumental styles. And ending with jazz or symphonic music. Everything sounds fascinating, driving and emotional. At the same time, the model has quite detailed sound and a good imaginary scene, good positioning and separation of instruments.

The low frequencies are accentuated, dense and massive, with a sufficient amount of sub-bass. At the same time, they are well controlled, have a clear and elastic attack. The parts are not smeared, they remain legible and textured. Middle frequencies are not drowned, they are sufficient. They are realistic and natural, perfectly conveying the features and character of instruments with a sufficient amount of detail. But, of course, you shouldn’t expect analytical accuracy. There are just enough high frequencies to make the sound more exciting and add enough space. But not so much that the high frequencies cut through your ears.

Noble Audio FoKus Triumph, although they do not have an active noise reduction function, but the passive sound insulation is at a very good level. Especially with the two-flange tips. On the street and in public transportation, external noise will not distract you. We were also pleased with the microphones. As with any other models, they distort the voice a bit, but they transmit it clearly even on a noisy street.

Battery life

Inside each Noble Audio FoKus Triumph headphone is a 45 mAh battery. The charging case has a capacity of 400 mAh. The manufacturer promises that at 50% volume, the headphones will work for 7.5 hours, and the case will last for four more full charges.

At maximum volume using LDAC, the charge of Noble Audio FoKus Triumph lasts about 6.5 hours of music listening. It’s not a record, but it’s quite good. It takes about 1.5 hours to charge the case at. In case you don’t want to fiddle with the cable and adapter, there is support for wireless charging.