New Products

Noble Audio, a company specializing in high-performance in-ear monitors (IEMs) with extravagant custom finishes, today announced that its newest wired earbuds will incorporate cutting-edge silicon-based microspeakers developed by xMEMS Labs.

Slated to start shipping in January, the XM1 USB-C earbuds will sell for $699 and are designed to “bring audiophile grade sound quality to smartphone users without requiring an additional DAC and amplifier.” The XM1’s are the Texas-based company’s first wired model.

The announcement comes a week after Noble announced that its Falcon Max TWS (True Wireless Stereo) noise-canceling earbuds would be one of the first available audio products to incorporate MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) technology. The $270 earbuds started shipping this week.

Like the Falcon Max TWS, the XM1 has a hybrid driver configuration that combines a conventional (though slightly smaller 8.3mm) low-frequency driver with a solid-state high-frequency driver xMEMS calls Cowell, which is hailed as the “world’s smallest MEMS microspeaker.” The Falcon Max low-frequency driver is 0.4 inches (10mm).

Given the integral role smartphones play in everyday life, Noble believes the easiest way to experience high quality, lossless audio is through a direct, wired USB-C connection with the phone — one that does not require the use of an external dongle, digital-to-analog converter (DAC), or amplifier.

In keeping with the luxurious industrial designs for which Noble is known, the XM1 earbuds boast stylish aluminum shells with stainless steel nozzles and wax guards and feature a detachable cable that connects to each earbud via a sturdy 4-pin connection.

For more information on Noble Audio, visit nobleaudio.com.