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Noble Audio Heaps on the Luxury with Two New Pairs of In-Ear Headphones

By Kris Wouk Nov 21, 2016 12:58 PM

Headphones started off as a fairly simple proposition: Plug them in, hear your music, and that’s about it. Lately, though, headphones (especially earbuds) have been getting smarter and smarter, with fitness tracking, hearing aid functionality, and other features. While a load features can be fun, sometimes you just want a fantastic-sounding pair of in-ears, and that’s what Noble Audio is aiming to provide with its two newest models, the Kaiser Encore and Sage.

The Kaiser Encore is a direct replacement to Noble’s earlier Kaiser 10U in-ears, and the company says that the new model retains the “musical essence” of the former. The earphones use a total of 10 proprietary balanced-armature drivers per side, inside a completely redesigned machined aluminum casing, giving the headphones a striking look.

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These aren’t cheap in-ears, but it seems you’re getting what you pay for. Each unit is hand-assembled and matched, and while they can be easily used with mobile devices, they are also meant to be used with high quality digital audio players and headphone amps. Unlike many in-ears, the Kaiser Encore feature a detachable cable, using the industry-standard 0.78mm two-pin configuration, meaning finding replacement cables won’t be a problem.

While the Kaiser Encore may be the star of the show, Noble has also launched a more affordable set of in-ears in the Sage. This model uses two balanced-armature drivers per side, but like the Kaiser Encore, the Sage is also hand-assembled and matched. This model also uses the same two-pin removable cable as its pricier sibling.

The Noble Audio Kaiser Encore is available in three different models. The Prestige sells for a seriously elitist price of $2,800, while the Custom Acryllic and Universal models both sell for $1,850. With just a Universal model, the pared-down Sage will run you a somewhat more earthly price of $600. Both the Kaiser Encore and Sage are available now. For more information, see the Noble Audio website.

A version of this article originally appeared at our “brother site,” Digital Trends.

Kris Wouk is a tech writer, gadget reviewer, blogger, and whatever it’s called when someone makes videos for the web. In his… Read Full Bio

Cigar Lounge Spotlight: The Flama Cabana in Key West, Florida

Ashtray, Person

Welcome to the inaugural Cigar Lounge Spotlight at The Manual, where every Friday I’ll aim to bring you some of the best cigar lounges in the country. Yours truly travels a lot for a living, and during that time, I’ve ensconced myself in local cigar lounges in the cities I visit when the opportunity arises. While many of my dispatches here will include cigar lounges I’ve visited during my time as a longtime sportswriter — and in my current capacity as a travel and lifestyle writer — this space will also feature lounges I’d love to visit one day, perhaps on my next trip.

Such is the case with The Flama Cabana at Havana Cabana Key West Hotel in Key West, Florida. There’s no better way to kick off this series than with a cigar lounge in the Southernmost Point of the United States, a mere 90 miles from cigar heaven, Cuba.

The guilty pleasure movie: Which ones you should watch without the guilt

Adult, Male, Man

There are great movies, and then there are movies you love. The two categories overlap, obviously. The Godfather is both. So is Jaws. But there are also great movies that you are “supposed” to like even though they bore the hell out of you. Or movies that you endure because they are the favorite of your wife or girlfriend.

But another class of movie may be even more important to our everyday entertainment: the guilty pleasure movie. You know the type. You’re flipping channels—or scrolling through whatever has replaced channel surfing—and suddenly discover that The Rock started 45 minutes ago. It doesn’t matter. You know what happened during those 45 minutes. You know what happens next. You know half the dialog.

You can now live like a true James Bond villain…minus the evil lair

Outdoors, Nature, Scenery

James Bond is a staple of pop culture. He is all over The Manual because of his impact on the style, spirits, and travel industries. That also means that there are suits he wears people emulate, there are cocktails he drinks people want to try, and there are destinations people want to experience. When I was in Monaco for the Formula 1 race, I was taken aback by how many people wanted to go to the “James Bond Casino,” where Brosnan’s Bond met Xenia Onatopp for the first time in Goldeneye.

Now, Bond is infiltrating the real estate market as the villa from the ending of Casino Royale is now somewhere you can live. When Mr. White (Jesper Christensen) returns home after the events of the film, he stands admiring the view of his (assumed) villa before getting a bullet in the knee. This is the moment when Craig’s Bond utters his famous line for the first time, “Bond, James Bond.” Now, the entire property on the Lake Como estate isn’t for sale, but you can buy an apartment with five rooms on the ground floor, with two bedrooms, a study, and two bathrooms spread across two levels. All you need is to contact Sotheby’s with a meager $1.5 million.