Noble Audio FoKus Apollo

Introduction to the Noble FoKus Apollo Review

If you have had Noble Audio on your radar for some time now, you’ll surely be aware that the company’s catalog has revolved around IEMs only – whether we’re talking wired or wireless, custom or universal, all of that plus accessories. In 2024, however, things have changed, and we’ve been blessed with a full-size closed-back headphone – the Apollo which we review today. It’s quite ambitious on behalf of the guys at Noble – making a good wireless headphone is not an easy task, and doing so with an intention to innovate is even crazier, yet here we are – Noble Audio’s first move in the full-size territory has been a successful one.

My first encounter with the Noble FoKus Apollo came around during the Hi-Fi show at the racecourse in Ascot near London last year. The gentlemen at Hifonix have set up two tables – one for your usual ultra high-end gear – Susvara Unveiled, Ferrum stack, Utopia 2022, Viva Audio Egoista – but the other table has been set up with nothing but the Noble Apollo, available to be connected wirelessly or with one of the two new dongles made by Luxury & Precision. And, I kid you not, both tables had about the same amount of traffic, showing how captivated the general public was by the Apollo. There are plenty of good reasons for that, so let’s talk about it. 

Packaging

After removing the graphic sleeve from the box the reviewed Noble FoKus Apollo comes in, the box itself opens like a double door, revealing a relatively large but rigid carrying pouch that fits the headphones and all of the accessories that come with them. The pouch is quite bulky and the whole thing weighs quite a bit with headphones inside, but it’s clear that rigidity and protection are of utmost importance here. I haven’t really tossed them around to prove or disprove that theory, but I think it’s pretty clear even without that.

While 649 USD is quite a lot for a pair of wireless over-ears, one of the things that has been kept to the highest standard with Noble FoKus Apollo is the amount of useful accessories they managed to squeeze into the package. I especially appreciate the inclusion of a 3,5mm female to 4,4mm male adapter so you can plug the headphones into a balanced out of your amp of choice while using the included audio cable. Another interesting solution is the inclusion of a separate boom mic. It wouldn’t be nearly as interesting if it wasn’t for the fact that there already is an onboard microphone in the headphones, but it’s good to have the higher-quality option to go with during a call or a team gaming session. 

Design, Build Quality and Tech

In terms of design, I consider the tested Noble FoKus Apollo to be one of the more attractive offerings as far as wireless over-ears go. However, I would like them to be slightly more toned down in the branding department – the NOBLE inscription could be a bit more subtle and the crown logo on the cups is more flamboyant than I would like it to be. Apart from that, they are very well-made headphones that mix a sleek silhouette with high-quality materials, assuring the user that their beloved headphones won’t fall apart anytime soon – the chassis is made of anodized aluminum, the headband is lined with Alcantara and the pads are made of protein leather with memory foam. Overall, it’s a comfortable pair of headphones, but they are quite weighty for something meant to be taken out and about – 327g, as listed by the manufacturer, is lighter than something like the Airpods Max (about 380+ grams), but heavier than Sony’s XM5s (250g). Personally, weight has never been an issue for me, but it’s worth noting when making your next headphone decision. Their fully extended size is roughly equal to Airpods Max as well, so users with very large heads beware. 

The tech department here is perhaps the most interesting aspect of the whole construction. Addressing the elephant in the room, this headphone sports two kinds of drivers – a 40mm dynamic and a 14,5mm planar. It’s an unusual combination for a full-sized headphone, but the overall execution is quite good sonically. The FoKus Apollo is also a very versatile gadget – you can plug those in via a 3,5mm jack, use an adapter to plug it into the 4,4mm socket, or just scratch all of that and plug in the USB-C cable if you want to use the mic but your desktop amp doesn’t have a microphone input. Another thing I find very welcome about those is the custom EQ profile capabilities – you take a short in-app hearing test and the EQ preset changes depending on your outcome. I did two tests with quite similar results – the highs became more balanced, the mids slightly recessed, and the bass got even deeper and punchier. However, your mileage may vary depending on your own hearing test, so I chose to review the Apollo with the default preset.

The Noble FoKus Apollo also has some impressive specs on paper – 80 hours of playback without ANC and 60 hours with it on make it one of the most impressive wireless offerings on the market in terms of battery life. Reviewd Noble Audio FoKuS Apollo also supports LDAC, which sets it apart from solutions like the beloved Focal Bathys. Overall, the folks at Noble Audio haven’t been pulling punches when it comes to packing their first headphones with features, and I’m happy to report that I don’t find any of them to be useless or badly implemented. It makes me excited to see what’s next for Noble’s full-size department. 

There is one small quirk about the headphone’s functionality though – when ANC is on, the headphones may clip the sound when you hit bumpy roads or take a harder step when getting off the bus. It’s odd, but the ANC still works well and retains its usefulness apart from that. I’ve mostly used those when taking a train throughout the south of Poland and I’ve been satisfied with the results apart from a few clips here and there. I’ve asked our Noble contact, Kai, why that may be, and his answer was that it may be due to the use of microphones both inside and outside the cups to cancel the noise, and during small turbulence, the seal may break, causing the clipping. 

Sound of the reviewed Noble FoKus Apollo

Apart from the default EQ preset, I also chose to do most of my listening with ANC in wireless mode. I think making a wireless over-ear is an interesting decision made by Noble, and I want to take full advantage of that, plus the overall rigidity and accessories suggest that using those while outside is welcome. However, if you prefer to use those wired, they scale quite well with an increase in power and I’ve enjoyed my gaming sessions with the Apollo plugged into the Hifiman Serenade. As suggested by the presentation provided by Hifonix in Ascot, those could also be used with a dongle for great results, so they are certainly not picky when it comes to your source of amplification. Hell, even the provided cables make it easy to seamlessly integrate those into your audio system.

Overall, the sound signature is focused on the bass, which is the standout feature of the reviewed Noble FoKus Apollo, and perhaps the best bass presentation I’ve heard in any wireless over-ears I’ve heard thus far. Other aspects of the sound are not slacking either, and overall I consider the sound signature of the Apollo to be well-balanced and cohesive, even with the thunderous bass in place. I’d call it V-shaped, with genres like electronic music or hip-hop benefitting most from the deep bass hits and slightly elevated highs. The elevation in the upper mids has sparked controversy, but personally, my hearing is not very susceptible to irritation by the higher registries. If you are, however, you can always try alleviating those issues via the in-app EQ mentioned earlier in the review.

BASS

The bass is my favorite aspect of tested Noble FoKus Apollo’s sound by a long shot. It retains its visceral punch and texture no matter the setting you’re in, which might be an issue for some IEMs or headphones – they simply lose the physicality of the lower registries when walking or when lots of outside noise is present. Not here though – the ANC does its job properly and allows the bass to shine with its full might, producing thunderous hits and sub-bass rumbles full of texture and tactility. That kind of resolution in the bass can rival many planar headphones I’ve heard so far at the price point, and it’s nice to be able to have that kind of performance in a daily-life-friendly package. 

The speed of the attack of the bass is prominent both in tracks that require the strongest punch possible, and those more toned-down productions, like “Bitter with the Sweet” by Carole King. The kick drums maintain a fun and lively pace throughout the recording for an overall satisfying yet relaxed performance. If we’re talking about the pieces of music that require the hardest punch, like “Arid” by YokoO, my favorite thing about the bass is its cleanliness. Thanks to the high level of dynamics on display, cymbals, and hi-hats, which are equally as important for the track as the bass hits, do not get lost or drowned out by the rolling thunder. Congratulations to Noble for transferring their usual lively and fun tactile bass presentation into a form factor that hasn’t been seen before in their catalog – as I’ve mentioned numerous times by now, this bass presentation is my favorite among all wireless headphones. 

MIDRANGE

The midrange of the Apollo is not as remarkable as the bass, because, well, it’s so good that hardly any aspect of the sound can compete with it. It does its job well though, maintaining a decent level of technical performance – the vocals are clear and decently detailed, however, the Apollo doesn’t add any coloration or warmth to the mix. It’s a pretty good execution of a neutral midrange signature, though I would like to see a slight bit of forwardness here – among the thundering bass and sparkly highs provided by the lightly V-shaped sound signature, the mids may sound slightly behind the entire presentation, seeming smaller than the lows and highs among the soundstage.

Despite its lesser prominence, the midrange manages to maintain a consistently natural presentation – throughout all of my listening, I don’t recall ever hearing it become artificial or metallic sounding. That, combined with a good amount of clarity provides a pleasant reproduction of the mids, if you don’t mind them being slightly scooped in favor of the high and low registries. If you’re someone who values prominent and lush mids the most, this may not exactly be the pair of headphones for you, but in any other case, you may rest assured that this midrange presentation is decent and does not drag down the rest of the performance aspects of the Apollo.

TREBLE

The treble in the Apollo is not as prominent as the low registries, but it is more present than the midrange. Thanks to its speed, it shines the most in tracks that feature fast cymbal hits and a heavy dose of hi-hats. If you’re a fan of hip-hop or electronic music, you’ll surely appreciate the kind of performance at hand. Apart from raw agility, there is also a lot of information in the treble, clearly reproducing the instruments that require the utmost level of treble extension. All of that is achieved without harshness, sibilance, or metallic notes, though I can’t speak for the ultra-treble-sensitive crowd.

If there are any gripes to be had with the treble, I’d say it could be slightly more tactile. However, I don’t consider that to be a great issue, since the speed of attack and decay makes up for it, maintaining a cohesive and tidy presentation on an airy, noiseless background. There’s a great amount of control on display, and I’m glad to report that it doesn’t happen only in the lowest registries. Another important thing to note here is that your treble presentation will also vary quite a lot should you prefer to use the hearing test EQ preset instead of the default signature. Despite mine becoming slightly more recessed, it has maintained its most important technical qualities.

SOUNDSTAGE

The staging performance of the Apollo can be summed up in one word – balanced. The stage is not overly huge, noticeably smaller than your usual open-back planar magnetics, but it is also big enough to reproduce both studio recordings and live performances with adequate space, which, in combination with the airy treble helps produce a realistic and natural presentation of three-dimensional soundstaging. 

The stage itself is well extended to the left and right of the listener, but is also sufficiently deep, preventing the whole spectacle from sounding too flat and in-your-face. That kind of performance is also maintained in noisy environments, which is another nod to the noise-canceling performance. Intimacy can be realistically presented as well, but with enough air in the mix, congestion is prevented, with overall separation and cohesion on a very good level.

Comparisons

Apple AirPods MAX

This, in my opinion, is the most important comparison that can be made for the FoKus Apollo, as both models exist at a similar price point, with the Apollo being slightly more expensive. There are some aspects of those products that make both models trade blows equally, but sonically, there is only one winner here.

Both models are built quite nicely, with the Apollo’s headband inspiring slightly more confidence than the Max, which is also heavier, but distributes its weight very well. Both headphone models have their cups made of aluminum, and both don’t seem scratch-prone, but you’ll have to excuse my unwillingness to test this theory out. Comfort-wise, it’s a tie for me, as both models excel in weight distribution while featuring comfortable cushion materials.

The area in which the AirPods Max excels is its functionality when paired with an Apple ecosystem. Obviously, it’s going to be unbeatable in that regard since it’s all made by the same company, but with Apple, everything is snappy, fast, and easy to use. That being said, The Apollo has also been mostly tested with an iPhone, and it’s no slouch in that regard either, thanks to quick connectivity and responsiveness to controls. If you want to maximize the Apple ecosystem integration, go with the AirPods, but the Apollo does not disappoint there either.

Sonically, it’s a decisive win for the Apollo. The AirPods have their own strong points, like overall clarity and decent extension, but most other aspects in which I judge the headphones’ sonic performance are dominated by the Apollo. Noble’s first over-ears are incredibly fast and well separated, with more refined dynamics and more expansive staging. Sound is the aspect that really shows why you may be more inclined to choose the Apollo at this price range.

Noble FoKus Apollo Review – Summary

It is Noble Audio’s first time making a full-sized pair of headphones, and I think it won’t be an overstatement to call it a great success. For 649 USD you receive a whole host of useful accessories, a well-built chassis made of high-quality materials, and seamless integration into daily use with either a dongle or wirelessly via Bluetooth. Apart from that, you can use the boom mic to enhance the quality during calls and gaming sessions, which is an unlikely, but welcome aspect of the product.

Sonically, Noble FoKus Apollo is the bass-head’s paradise, without the usual bass-head issues – everything is well separated, there’s no congestion to be had and the slightly V-shaped sound signature excels in genres like hip-hop or electronics. The only downside, for some, might be the slight recession of the mids, but who knows – maybe your hearing test EQ profile (which is my favorite in-app feature) will fix it all for you. This one is worth your attention for sure if you don’t mind the steeper price tag.

Recommended.