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God... I just joined this drop since I finally have the money for it while it is active, then I saw the Noble K10 drop and started wondering if I shouldn't just save up for a few months and pull the trigger on those $900 dreams. Having to wait until the end of September for $100 off the Meze store price of the 99 Classics kinda makes me feel like I could just work on putting back the cash for the old Noble flagships. I have an old pair of Noble 3 universals that are my absolute go-to for music listening because any time I am using my computer I'm generally not thinking of listening to music (and I'm always listening when I leave the house, which is when I'm carrying the Noble 3s). My whole motivation to get these (or the K10's) is to find something with a warmer, or more fun, sound signature. Something that I would reach for when I want to pound my ears with electronica (which is one of my favorite genres right now). I can get that by ramping up the low and far high-ends of the audio spectrum with an EQ app (or the built-in function on my Sony NW-A45) using my Noble 3s or Sennheiser HD 650s, but I always feel like it slightly degrades the definition of the music, and I also never feel like I have the EQ exactly right. I guess I have almost a month to decide before they charge my account. Maybe someone here who has tried both could give me a push in one direction or the other. :)
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JJayJJ
472
Jun 6, 2019
TipsyMacScotchslurpenThe comparison you're asking for is far too great to be a worthy one. You're comparing a headphone at 5 time lesser price with an IEM.. Finding something "warmer" is easily achieved with a little EQ as you know, so the reasoning that somehow a headphone natively will provide that, is such a massive gamble at the price point you're looking to splurge, it would make far more sense to keep experimenting. Second, finding something "fun" doesn't make any actual sense, I don't understand what "fun" sound is, and "unfun" is, nor their difference.
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JJayJJSorry, maybe I didn't explain myself well enough. Maybe "fun" isn't the right description for it... I am trying to find a pair of headphones or IEMs that will satisfy my inner basshead while still staying as true to the standards of clarity and soundstage that have been set by my Noble 3 and HD 650 as is possible. I don't mind losing some of those "audiophile" qualities by getting a "cheaper" pair of headphones as long as the difference isn't drastic and the payoff satisfies that hunger for a taste of club-style thump. The only reason I brought up the Noble K10 is because it is also available from Massdrop and because by the time the Meze 99 Noir ships I'll have had time to try to save up enough money to get them, and the K10 ships within the month. Sadly, I have absolutely no way of sampling the Meze nor the Noble options prior to making a purchasing decision. I was hoping someone who had tried one, the other, or both would let me know if they satisfied their "inner basshead" while also satisfying their audiophile tastes. I would also like to know whether the K10 would be so much more impressive that it would be worth saving up for, or if it would just make more sense to save my money and go with the Meze 99 Noir. I guess I should also mention that I still tend to use EQ to boost low and high frequencies (in a "V" shape to varying levels depending on genre) no matter what type of music it is to which I am listening, regardless of whether I am using my Noble 3 or HD 650. Edit: ... and I'm not locking myself into the 99 Noir or the K10 if someone has another recommendation for an audiophile-grade basshead-friendly option that doesn't break that thousand-dollar ceiling.
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