Technical Performance
The technical performance of the Kublai Khan is also very impressive. It creates a very wide and deep sound stage, with immaculate resolution and imaging. The detail retrieval is very good, and I can hear fine nuances of the sound with ease. The stereo separation and imaging of Kublai Khan are of very high quality. It creates enough room for the musicians to walk through, without getting in the way of each other.
Khan is a good all-rounder and doesn’t particularly favour any genre or style. It presents a one-size-fits-all kind of sound, where Classical, Industrial, Electronic, Jazz and Rock are played well. It also isn’t an overly picky IEM when it comes to bad recordings, as it is a forgiving monitor with a close-to neutral signature.
However, if I had to pick, I’d go with Classical Rock, Jazz, Classical and RnB genres with the Kublai Khan. Thanks to its excellent staging and imaging performance, Classical and Jazz give me the best experience.
The only negative in terms of technical performance I can bring up is that, with many types of drivers in one package, sometimes you feel like the music is disjointed, too wide and too deep. Especially with the bone-conducting subwoofer, the lowest notes of bass are too separated at times, and the piezoelectric driver gives a similar feeling to treble-heavy songs. If you enjoy a more rounded presentation with more darkness and a bit of ”dirtiness” and lushness, the Kublai Khan may sound too separated and too spacious.
Cables
The supplied cable with Kublai Khan is Noble’s 8 Core cable which is sold at 199$ when purchased alone. This is an OCC Copper one, which has good build quality, flexibility and tensile strength. However, you can significantly improve Kublai Khan’s sound presentation with aftermarket cables.
Effect Audio Eros S
The new signature series from EA will be here very soon, but the new Eros S completes and improves Kublai Khan’s wide and deep presentation with extra depth, and already excellent imaging steps up and becomes even better. Resolution is higher and the instrumental separation is just great.
Yet, the musicality factor of the new Kublai Khan is a bit less present with this setup, making it sound closer to the original Khan, although the Kublai Khan is still better in many ways. So if you want to open up the sound even more and make Kublai Khan’s sound extremely wide and spacious, the Eros S is a perfect companion.
PlusSound Silver+
One of the best silver cables I’ve tried, the PS Silver+ makes the sound narrower and the resolution improves as well as transparency. The bass is tighter and faster, and the mids are extremely clean. However, I think the presentation becomes a bit bright, which is on the edge for me. I think hybrid cables like the Eros S are better for the Kublai Khan.
Effect Audio Centurion
The Centurion is the cable of all cables and it proves that with the Kublai Khan as well. The presentation is extremely balanced, with a wide and deep sound stage with excellent layering. Also, the musicality of the Kublai Khan, which is not too much but present, improves and the tonality is simply sublime.
Treble has more resolution and extension than the Centurion, and the whole presentation is simply extremely wide, controlled, and effortless. If you have this flagship cable in your collection, just know that the quad-hybrid Kublai Khan pairs incredibly well.
Page 1: Noble Audio, Kublai Khan, Package, Build, Design, Fit
Page 2: Sound
Page 4: Comparisons & Conclusion
Cesar
Hello friend, I hope you are doing well! How are these Kublai vs Odin doing? What do I gain and what do I lose if I choose one of the two?
Vladimir
Hello!
Thanks for the review. I’m a bit confused about that this IEM works better with hybrid cables but you recommend the Centurion flagship but this is not hybrid. Could you please explain me?