Noble Audio Fokus Pro Review

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Connection Stability & Features

The Noble FoKus Pro utilizes Qualcomm’s QCC3040 Bluetooth 5.2 chipset. The 3040 is a widely used chipset in TWS earphones and I can understand why Noble chose it for their high-end TWS. The chipset supports TrueWireless Mirroring and aptX Adaptive. The AptX Adaptive codec controls the bitrate and it is automatically adjusted between 279kbps and 420kbps according to the communication environment to ensure connection stability. Moving on to the True Wireless Mirroring Technology, it is the successor of the Qualcomm TrueWireless Stereo Plus technology and with it, only one earbud maintains the Bluetooth connection with the smartphone, while the secondary bud mirrors the connected bud. It makes switching between left and right earbuds an effortless process. Just like the QC’s TWS+, it also swaps the connection between the earbuds and equalizes the battery usage between sides. The connection swap between the left and right earbuds is seamless with the FoKus Pro. 

Furthermore, the connection stability of the FoKus Pro is excellent. I’ve had no interruptions during my time with it and the buds continued to stream until the end of the battery life, without any hiccups. Also, the range is quite good at around 10m, the earphones do not lose connection through 3 concrete walls. Although, I noticed the change of the bitrate when I am around 7m away from the source. If you want to try this, you should hear the subtle pop-like sound when you are nearing the threshold of the connection range.

Let’s talk a bit about signal latency. I have tried Netflix, VLC, Amazon Prime, and YouTube with my Android 12 phone and the experience was good. The latency was barely noticeable with Netflix and VLC but it had no impact on my experience. However, I experienced a bigger delay when it comes to games. If you’re playing competitive titles, I would not recommend using this TWS, or any TWS.

Overall, the FoKus Pro’s signal stability was great. Latency-wise it is quite good too, compared to many TWS on the market right now. It can be said that it is perfectly suitable for media consumption and light gaming. 

Controls & App Support

The Noble FoKus Pro has an integrated touch sensor under its beautiful faceplates. The controls are easy and it didn’t take long for me to adapt to them. Let me walk you through the basics. The earphones power on automatically when the charging lid is open. The pairing is easy and fast. There is also a power button located between the earphones, on the inner side of the cradle. You can use this button to manually power on or power off the buds. You can use this button to reset them as well, you’ll have to press and hold for 5 seconds and FoKus Pro will do the rest. Back to on-earphone controls, you can start or stop the playback with a single press on either side. You can triple touch the left bud to increase volume, or double touch to dial the volume down. You can go to the previous track by double touching the right one, and if you triple touch, you’ll skip to the next track. You can also answer or reject calls and use the FoKus Pro to activate your preferred assistant.

The controls are easy, the touch sensors are sensitive and there is no delay. I am an old hand who likes physical buttons but with artworks like these on the faceplates, I am more than happy to use touch gestures. If there is a control layout that you are used to before, I would like to point out that Noble FoKus Pro can be personalized with its application. The ‘Noble FoKus’ app can be found both on Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. 

The Noble FoKus application is specifically designed for the FoKus Pro TWS and offers a few additional features for the earbuds. As I mentioned, you can change the gesture behavior but this is only limited to double and triple presses. Additionally, Noble FoKus Pro offers a 10-band onboard EQ, and once set within the app, the buds remember the configuration so you don’t need to keep the app open in the background. Within the app, there is also a hearing test, and the app cooks up a preset for you based on your hearing deficiencies, if there are any. You can also disconnect the buds or check their battery status within the app. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find anything related to over-the-air updates.

Call Quality

Let’s talk about voice capture efficiency and call quality. The FoKus Pro features one microphone per side. The brand unfortunately does not give any specifications about the microphones. However, they mention cVc noise-canceling support for calls. I’ll share my test results with you but do remember the fact that this is a sound-first unit before anything else. The FoKus Pro captures my voice well enough in silent environments. I use designated benchmark tools called ‘friends’ and I try to test the TWS in different environments. The FoKus Pro offers adequate call quality, almost as good as the microphone of my phone in silent environments however, in places where there is a lot of background chatter, the buds do not perform as great. If you’re looking for a TWS for call purposes, look elsewhere. As a guy who reviewed many audiophile TWS on the market, there is only a handful of options when it comes to solid mic and sound in the same package.

Battery Life

According to Noble, the FoKus Pro offers 7.5 hours at %50 volume. The IEMs have 45mAh batteries per side and the case has a 500 mAh battery pack inside. After my tests and my long-term use, I can say that this claim is true. Using the Aptx Adaptive codec, I can easily reach 7 hours of usage time on my Android 12 phone. That’s pretty good for an audiophile-focused 3-driver TWS with a compact shell. When I’m not using it intensively, I only need to charge it once a week. That’s quite good. Apart from that, the FoKus Pro does not drain charge when I don’t use it for a few days. It takes about 1.5 hours to fully charge the earphones and the case.

The review continues on Page Three, after the click HERE or by using the jump below.

Page 1: Noble Audio, FoKus Pro, Packaging, Design & Fit, Accessories

Page 3: Sound Signature, Low, Mid, High, Technical Performance, Comparisons, Conclusion