Noble Audio Vanguard Review : All about the speed

In this article, we check out Noble Audio’s latest universal IEMs, the Vanguard. It is selling for $325 USD.

 

Disclaimer: Noble supplied the Vanguard in-ear monitors for this article. As always, the review reflects my unbiased opinions and experiences with the product.

Noble Audio

Noble Audio is one of the major players in the personal audio industry. John Moulton, aka. The Wizard founded the company, and I’ve been following their work since 2014.

Throughout the years, we have published many articles covering Noble’s creations, both wired and wireless. You can check them out by clicking here.

When it comes to craftsmanship, Noble Audio sits at the very top of our short list. Nowadays, there are a plethora of companies that can tune a driver or produce a solid shell, but only a handful can do what Noble does on the artistic side. They work with any material, including exotic and rare wood, and they have the know-how to turn almost any concept into a real, functional piece of audio gear.

Noble Audio Vanguard

The Vanguard is the newest entry into the exciting world of Noble IEMs. It is positioned as a more accessible introduction to the brand’s wired lineup. The Vanguard retails for $325 USD, placing it below models such as the Knight and Van Gogh while retaining Noble’s usual focus on premium construction and hybrid driver configurations.

Internally, the Vanguard uses a three-driver hybrid setup consisting of a 10 mm polyether ketone dynamic driver for the low frequencies and two custom balanced-armature drivers. One BA handles the mid-to-high frequencies, while the second is dedicated to the ultra-high range.

The Vanguard has an impedance of 23Ω and a sensitivity of 112 dB SPL/mW, making it relatively easy to drive from smartphones, dongles, portable DAC/amps, and dedicated DAPs. Noble designed this model around modern portable use.

Packaging & Accessories

The Vanguard arrives in a relatively compact package with a sleeve presentation that follows the medieval-inspired theme of the IEM itself. On the sleeve, I noticed a subtle intertwined geometric logo on the sword’s guard. The logo forms what appears to be a monogram of the letters ‘V’ and ‘A’. The box opens from the center, with both sides folding outward like wings. I love it.

Inside, Noble provides the IEMs, cable, a generous selection of ear tips, a small fabric storage pouch, a cleaning brush, and the USB-C adapter. The presentation is elegant.

One of the more interesting accessories is the shield-shaped ear tip holder, which continues the Vanguard theme rather nicely. Noble provides both silicone and foam options in multiple sizes, so there is plenty of room to experiment with fit and seal before reaching for aftermarket alternatives.

A soft fabric pouch is also included for carrying the IEMs. It does the job, but at $325 USD, I would still have preferred a proper protective case, especially considering the aluminum shells.

The stock cable is an 8-core silver-plated OFC design with a glossy black outer jacket and glossy black 0.78 mm 2-pin connectors. It has a 4.4 mm balanced termination and a carbon-featured gold-plated plug, so there is no modular termination system here.

The cable visually matches the dark Vanguard shells very well. What makes the package more interesting is the included 4.4 mm-to-USB-C OCC adapter cable. This is not simply a passive adapter; it incorporates its own DAC capable of up to 32-bit/384 kHz decoding and outputs through a balanced 4.4 mm connection. It essentially gives the Vanguard a ready-to-use USB-C source in the box, making it easy to connect directly to modern phones, tablets, and laptops without carrying a separate dongle.

Overall, the accessory package is practical, and I especially like the USB-C adapter and the rich tip selection. The only obvious omission is a proper carrying case.

Tuning Intent & Technology

Noble positions the Vanguard around control, clarity, and balance, rather than chasing an exaggerated bass or treble response. It features a three-driver layout with the 10 mm PEK dynamic driver handling the lows, one custom BA covering the mid-to-high frequencies, and a second custom BA dedicated to the ultra-high region.

The PEK diaphragm was chosen for its combination of rigidity and internal damping, which should theoretically help the dynamic driver maintain control while keeping unwanted resonances in check. The two balanced armatures are also custom-tuned for the Vanguard and use a revised internal damping system to manage their respective frequency ranges.

More interestingly, Noble uses a 3D-printed internal acoustic chamber inside the aluminum shell. You can think of it as a chamber within a chamber. The dynamic driver and balanced armatures are routed through physically separated acoustic paths, reducing interaction between the drivers before their output reaches the nozzle.

The lengths and geometry of these acoustic pathways are also designed around phase alignment, with the goal of having the three drivers arrive at the outlet coherently rather than sounding like separate components stitched together. There is also internal airflow management intended to reduce residual energy and unwanted resonance inside the shell.

None of this is particularly exotic by modern multi-driver standards, but it shows that the Vanguard is not simply three drivers tucked into an aluminum enclosure. As always, the important question is how successfully all of that translates into actual sound.

Noble Vanguard – Sound Impressions

I tested the Vanguard with the Chord Hugo 2 and the included Noble USB-C DAC/AMP converter. The Vanguard has a neutral-bright signature with a relatively restrained low end, a lean lower midrange, energetic upper mids, and an extended treble. It is not a warm or full-bodied IEM, and it does not rely on bass weight to create contrast. Instead, most of its perceived energy comes from the upper midrange and treble.

The midrange sounds slightly recessed to me, particularly through the lower mids. Instruments do not carry much weight or any warmth, and this occasionally makes the Vanguard sound thinner than I would ideally prefer. The ear gain region is considerably more energetic by comparison, so guitars, hi-hats, crashes, and other upper harmonics can easily become the dominant elements of the presentation.

Tip rolling is especially important with the Vanguard. The bass response depends heavily on getting both a proper seal and sufficient surface contact with the ear. A slightly compromised fit can reduce an already conservative low end quite significantly. With the right tips and a proper seal, the balance improves.

It is an interesting tuning because it works better with some genres than I initially expected. R&B, pop, and most mainstream material benefit from the clean presentation, clear vocals, and ample upper-frequency energy.

At the same time, the Vanguard does not have a particularly strong excitement factor. Bass impact is limited, and with dense genres such as metal, the prominent upper midrange can begin to dominate the presentation. Once multiple guitars, cymbals, and vocals occupy the same region, the Vanguard can lose some composure and turn a little congested.

Bass

The bass is conservatively tuned. Both sub-bass and mid-bass quantity are somewhat lean, with the mid-bass in particular lacking the weight and punch you would get from a more fun-oriented hybrid like the Van Gogh.

Quality is better than quantity, though. The 10 mm dynamic driver sounds fast, controlled, and agile, with excellent recovery between hits. There is no meaningful bass bleed into the lower midrange, and the Vanguard remains very clean regardless of what is happening underneath.

What I miss is physicality. Kick drums could use more body, bass guitars could carry more weight, and electronic tracks don’t hit with the authority I expect. The low end is technically tidy, but it rarely becomes the focal point of the presentation.

This also contributes to the Vanguard’s somewhat lean overall character. There simply is not much mid-bass warmth filling the space between the bass and lower mids. It feels immensely clean because of this, everything is laid bare to your taste, and if this is something you like, it’s quite unique in that sense.

Midrange

The midrange is where the Vanguard becomes a little unusual.

The lower midrange is lean and slightly recessed, which keeps the presentation clean but limits the note weight. Male vocals, guitars, and instruments that depend on lower harmonic density can sound lighter than expected. There is little added warmth here, so the Vanguard tends to reproduce recordings with a fairly flat and matter-of-fact tonal foundation.

Things change considerably as you move into the upper midrange. The ear gain region is energetic and forward, bringing vocals, guitars, and upper harmonics into focus. This gives the Vanguard good apparent clarity and helps prevent the leaner lower mids from sounding dull.

With simpler arrangements, this works quite well. Vocals are articulate, instruments are easy to follow, and the presentation feels clean and open. R&B and pop are particularly good matches because the Vanguard highlights vocals without adding excessive bass warmth underneath. This aligns with Noble’s “entry to the audiophile world” plan.

Complex recordings expose this tuning’s limitations more clearly. With metal and other congestion-prone genres, a large portion of the mix can accumulate around the upper midrange and presence region. When guitars, vocals, and cymbals all become energetic at the same time, separation starts to suffer and the presentation can turn sour.

Treble

The treble is energetic and the extension is good, however, the lower treble dominance hides the brilliance of the upper treble. The lower treble has good presence and plenty of air higher up, which keeps the Vanguard from sounding closed-in despite its relatively modest bass tuning.

The upper treble extension is one of the better aspects of the tuning. There is enough energy up top to give cymbals, strings, and ambient information a convincing sense of openness.

Combined with the strong ear gain, however, this makes the Vanguard a bit too bright. Listeners who prefer a warmer or more relaxed presentation may find the balance somewhat upper-focused, particularly with already energetic recordings.

I would not describe the treble itself as outright harsh. The bigger issue is balance. Because the bass and lower mids are relatively restrained, the upper midrange and treble have less counterweight, which makes their energy more apparent.

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