While not quite a household name in the over-ear headphone market, Noble Audio is a leader in the high end in-ear monitor (IEM) segment of the headphone market. Their IEMs are revered by professional musicians and audiophiles alike. Noble is not shy about touting the FoKus Apollo as the brand's “first foray” into over-ear headphones. They are jumping into a rapidly growing space but considering the tech features in their first release, they are looking to play hardball.

Wireless headphones are the segment of the high-end audio market that has evolved the most since I joined Audiophilia over five years ago. In fact, I had not even considered wireless over-ear headphones as serious high-end audio - just useful consumer headphones for air travel and office work. After reviewing the DALI IO-12, I was convinced that wireless headphones and high-end audio could indeed be one. Products in this space continue to proliferate at all price levels. The Fokus Apollo retails for USD 649, a once eye-watering price which these days seems extremely competitive given the features on paper. Features and specs are great, but how does the Noble FoKus Apollo perform at home and on the go? Is it a fancy tech accessory, a bona fide high-end audio component or both?

Features & Specifications

In many ways, the wireless headphone segment is in a specification war. Brands are constantly battling to offer the top ANC capability, battery life, Bluetooth codecs and DAC chips. On these expected fronts, the Fokus Apollo generally keeps up with the competition from Focal, Bowers & Wilkins, Mark Levinson and others, especially considering its price. Where it truly differentiates itself is the driver complement. As far as I know, every other competitor in the space uses a single driver (usually dynamic, with materials that become more exotic with increasing price). Noble uses a unique combination of a 40-mm dynamic driver for bass and midrange with a 14.5-mm planar magnetic driver for high frequencies (the crossover frequency is not specified).

A feature I appreciated on the $1750 DALI IO-12 ($1300 when reviewed) that is absent on the FoKus Apollo is a USB-C input to accept a digital signal from a computer or transport and utilize the headphone’s own DAC. One feature that broadens the appeal of the FoKus Apollo is the inclusion of an optional boom mic for higher quality gaming, virtual meetings and phone calls.

Below are the complete specifications from Noble:

Driver Arrangement: 1x 40mm dynamic driver + 1x 14.5mm planar magnetic driver

Bluetooth Version 5.3

Hybrid ANC with reduction depth up to -35dB

Supported codecs : LDAC, aptX, aptX HD, AAC, SBC

Chip: QCC3084 with ADI chip for microphone processing

Playtime: 80 hours without ANC, 60 hours with ANC

Weight: 10.6oz (300g)

Input/output: Bluetooth, 3.5mm aux input

Connectivity: Multipoint, Bluetooth 5.3

Design & Build

The unboxing “experience” with the FoKus Apollo is on point, and all the expected accessories are included. The analog audio cable, USB-C charging cable, boom mic and adaptors all feel solid if not exactly luxe. The fabric zip-around calmshell travel case is definitely high quality. It’s large, but its ‘guitar pick’ shape makes it more packable than the almost square case for the DALI IO-12.

Looking closely at the headband, yoke and ear cup design, it seems plausible that the FoKus Apollo is manufactured by one of the big houses in China also used by other American and European brands. This is not a complaint; rather, it gives me comfort that Noble spent their effort innovating the drivers and sound instead of reinventing the wheel to manufacture a headphone. Without naming names, those similar-looking headphones tend to cost more than the Noble’s $649 retail price, another plus.

The materials are high quality and plush, with anodized aluminum earcups and yoke and alcantara-wrapped headband. The all-important ear pads are protein leather, but I could have been convinced they were cheap calf or goat leather. After several months of my hard use, they are perfectly intact, but they are replaceable for peace of mind.

My Use

The nice thing about reviewing wireless headphones is that I can take the “work” of reviewing with me anywhere. With the Noble FoKus Apollo, that really means anywhere - home, office, hikes and multiple cross-country flights. In terms of electronics, I either paired the FoKus Apollo with my Google Pixel or Apple iPhone wirelessly or drove them in passive mode from the capable headphone output of the PS Audio Stellar Strata. My reference headphones are the Sendy Audio Peacock and Sennheiser x Massdrop HD6XX. Although I made practical comparisons to the DALI IO-12, I reviewed those last year, so I did not make direct sonic comparisons.

Noble Fokus App

The FoKus Apollo headphones pair with the Noble App available on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. In my experience, the app was simple to download and use and instantly recognized my review pair of headphones. The headphones work perfectly fine without the app, but there are a couple of reasons why the app might be valuable. The most obvious case for the app is using the equalizer, which has several preset profiles or the option for custom EQ.

I did not find the need to play with the EQ, but one thing I appreciated in the app was the ANC-mode indicator. The ANC button on the headphones cycles through 3 modes: normal, ANC, and ambient. In noisy environments, it’s quite obvious which mode is engaged; however, in quiet places like my office, I would often wonder if I had unnecessarily selected ANC. I did not find the app essential but I could see how many headphone enthusiasts might.

Listening

I was deep down a rabbit hole of ambient music when I discovered the sub-genre of new age space music. Say what you will about new age music as a whole, but some gems rise to the top of the heap. Maybe it’s the aura, maybe it's just the beautiful scenery, but there seemed to be a bit of an ambient music scene in New Mexico in the 1970s and ’80s. A central figure from this scene is Michael Stearns, whose 1988 album Encounters (Hearts of Space) is essentially a soundtrack to getting blissfully abducted from the desert.

What this recording does is absolutely transport me. It creates a narrative that has familiar themes, but as a complete album, there is nothing like it. Perfect for sitting down in the sweetspot or just for nodding off on an airplane. I used this clean and simple (by audio standards) recording to test how well the Nobles perform where they are really intended to, on the move and in noisy environments.

The peaceful yet exotic synths and effects on Encounters were crisp and well-defined. When listening on a flight with ANC engaged, I was easily tuned out of the din of the cabin and tuned in to the sounds of the desert sky and evening crickets and hints of synth melody peppered throughout Encounters. In general, I heard deep, clean bass, air and space, lots of sparkle up top.

As satisfied as I was with the reproduction of this recording while out and about, listening at home in passive mode showed me that the potential for blackest backgrounds requires turning off Bluetooth and plugging into a real amp. Lossy codecs and digital processing are part of any wireless headphone’s signal chain and going all passive was an improvement here. I did not have any complaints about the FoKus Apollo in wireless mode, but was glad to have the passive option. It’s a bit like having two headphones in one.

Depending on how you look at it, the Jerry Garcia Band was a musical vehicle for more noodling or an opportunity for more focused and intentional improvisation. I’ve been exploring Jerry Garcia’s side projects outside the Grateful Dead because I appreciate the songbook, which tended to feature a lot of Dylan covers and reggae tunes. Many archival recordings, like Pure Jerry: Theatre 1839, San Francisco July 29 & 30,1977 (Jerry Made), were captured by the same legendary engineers as the Grateful Dead in more intimate venues surrounded by less acid-fueled shenanigans, making them great demo recordings.

On this recording, backup singer Donna Jean Godchaux gets more room to shine with a smaller band and less musical chaos around her, even getting a few opportunities to take the lead. Listening to a cover of Bob Marley’s “Stir it Up”, Donna Jean sounded like a whole different singer than when she was up on the big stage shrieking behind the Grateful Dead. Her muscle shaols chops were clearly on display, and of course, with a smaller band, Jerry’s peak 1977 fluid guitar playing was front and center and crystalline. The bass guitar was deep, musical and plump without overwhelming or distracting from the band as a unit. The venue ambience and crowd were more up close and intimate than on speakers or open-back headphones, without feeling cramped. Overall, the FoKua Apollo did a fantastic job preserving elements of the recording that I would expect to show best on speakers or open-back phones without compromise.

The FoKus Apollo has the chops when it comes to relatively “easy” recordings. For a real torture test, I queued up the 1990 thrash metal classic Rust In Peace by Megadeth (Capitol). Both the 1990 version and the maligned 2004 remix are widely available to stream. I focused on the original version. My fear that this album full of blazing fast distorted guitar riffs, would get too congested was quickly alleviated. Dave Mustaine’s vocals, dripping with attitude, came through on top of the melodic riffs with plenty of room for the virtuosic bass picking of Dave Ellefson. Vocals were nicely separated from the instruments, especially for a metal album. It hit hard without sounding harsh. Strictly for science, I tried out the 2004 version, which is overly compressed with artificial-sounding percussion. The FoKus Apollo let me know I had downgraded to an inferior recording without actually punishing my ears, which I found to be a respectable balance.

A final note acknowledging the FoKus Apollo’s utility as an all-around tech accessory, I found the headphones a pleasure to use for phone calls, meetings and podcasts. The controls are intuitive, including answering calls while listening to music. Sounds of podcasts and calls are crisp and not fatiguing, with podcasts usually having a nice studio warmth.

Conclusion

There was a time just a few years ago when $649 wireless headphones would have seemed ludicrous. After Mark Levinson opened the floodgates with the No. 5909, and proved there is a market for over-ear headphones that don’t compromise fidelity or mobility. These days, the Noble FoKus Apollo sits right in the middle of the market in terms of price but towards the top in terms of value. The reason is simple: Noble has made very few compromises with the Fokus Apollo. Their sonic performance as a passive headphone is admirable, and their usability as a portable device is top-notch in terms of durability, robust connectivity and all-day comfort. The Noble Fokus Apollo is a one-and-done mobile music system for seasoned headphone enthusiasts and newbies alike.

Further information: Noble Audio