Noble Audio FoKus Rex 5 Review – Aberration

Pros –

Excellent design and build quality, Great fit and isolation, Solid ANC implementation, Excellent balance and detail retrieval, Outstanding TWS imaging, Powerful eQ system

Cons –

ANC and Aware sensitive to wind noise, Limited control customization, No IP rating

Verdict –

I laud Noble for creating not only a highly impressive product but also a polished one that is a pleasure to use as much as it is a pleasure to listen to.

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Introduction –

If there’s one area where boutique audio brands are playing catchup to industry giants it’s the TWS space. I approach each release with scepticism, most limited by entry-level SOCs and restricted internal space for tuning. I’ve found mainstream offerings to provide far superior software features and convenience. Even if sound quality is edged out by some boutique earphones, this often comes at great expense to ergonomics and overall refinement in the user experience. With this in mind, Noble Audio in particular have set their sights on pushing the boundaries of TWS design.

They are one of the only companies offering artisan designs, smart features like ANC and multi-driver configurations within the form factor. The FoKus Rex 5 exemplifies, offering not only the latest codec support but also a stunning 5-driver tribrid design that wouldn’t look out of place on a high-end wired IEM. In addition, its form factor is one of the most refined and sophisticated I’ve seen, not only from Noble but from the industry in general. When John reached out with a review unit, I was excited to see how far boutique wireless audio had come and this looked like the perfect gateway.

The FoKus Rex5 is available for $449 USD. You can read all about it and treat yourself to a unit on Noble Audio.

Disclaimer –

I would like to thank John at KS Distribution very much for his quick communication and for reaching out to organise a review of the FoKus Rex5. All words are my own and there is no monetary incentive for a positive review. Despite receiving the earphones free of cost, I will attempt to be as objective as possible in my evaluation.

Contents –

• Page 1: Intro, Unboxing, Design
• Page 2: Usability & App
• Page 3: Sound Breakdown
• Page 4: Comparisons & Verdict

Behind the Design –

Hybrid Driver Array

It’s rare to see a multi-driver TWS earphone, and rarer yet to see a hybrid. The Rex 5 takes this to the next level, implementing a tribrid design. This begins with a 10mm DD woofer, 3 balanced armature drivers handling the midrange and a planar magnetic tweeter promising extended and distortion-free treble, unprecedented for a TWS design.

Premium Design

Both the carrying case and earphones employ an aluminium chassis that offers a premium look and feel. The earbuds themselves combine this with bronze accents and artisan acrylic faceplates styled by the Wizard. The result is no less stunning than the company’s famous wired in-ears.

Wide Codec Support

Noble has implemented Qualcomm’s 3091 SOC which is their latest and most advanced mid-tier chipset. This permits BT 5.4 connectivity alongside supporting high-resolution aptX Adaptive and LDAC codecs. The chipset has also enabled ANC and noise cancellation during calls. The chip has onboard memory for storing personalized sound profiles across multiple devices.

Unboxing –

Noble has done a terrific job with the packaging that oozes style similar to the earphones themselves. Vivid splash art sits atop a marble print sleeve with specs and details. Sliding off the sleeve reveals a hard box containing the earphones and case in a laser-cut foam inlet. Below is a separate card section containing a plastic ear tip holder. Noble provides 3 types of ear tips, single flange, double flange and memory foam. The foam tips have a foam filter that provides additional protection from earwax. In addition, Noble provides a satin drawstring pouch and a microfiber cleaning cloth.

Design –

If you want a TWS that sets itself apart from its peers, the FoKus Rex5 is for you. Noble provides a design that wouldn’t look out of place on a high-end IEM costing multiples more – just sans wires and with the addition of 3 gold-plated terminals to juice the internal circuitry. The Wizard has employed a rich jade colourway with bronze accents that captivate the beholder. The aluminium shells offer excellent solidity without excessive weight and the acrylic faceplates are enhanced with a jade marble texture. One of the chief concerns of a metal wireless IEM is likely drops that may leave sharp, unsightly chips and marks. Inevitably I dropped my review unit which suffered no damage from elbow height thanks to their lightweight construction. This surely bodes well for their longevity.

Even the nozzles have laser-cut Noble logos and micromesh for protection and it’s subtle details like that that elevate the product above the norm. Though a 3-piece design in totality, seams and edges meet with perfect consistency and leave no sharp edges that may affect ergonomics. There are 3 openings on the shells, one above the nozzle, and two on the faceplates. It appears that the Rex5 is a sealed design meaning these are likely for the noise-cancelling mic array. The only downside I can harp on is that the premium design comes at the expense of any IP rating. This means the Rex5 may not hold up to workouts, moisture and dust ingress as well as many competitors. besides this, the construction quality and design are exactly what you’d hope for from a premium audio product, I was very impressed straight out of the box.

Fit & Isolation –

Online photos don’t tell much of the story when it comes to ergonomics, and I’ve found this to be an area where many boutique TWS earphones fall behind. With that said, I was pleasantly surprised by the Rex5. The shells are shapely and impressively stable fitting with a consistent seal. They aren’t especially compact which is to be expected given the sophistication of the acoustic design but are certainly no bigger than something like the Sony WF-1000XM4 and many other fully-featured competitors. Those with smaller ears may not achieve the most stable fit, but they will be accommodated fully and comfortably by most with average-sized ears and above. Much of my positive impression comes down to the excellent articular fit and seal.

The fit isn’t especially low profile, but the inner face of the housings is sculpted well and hugs the folds of the outer ear snugly. In tandem with a deeper fit depth on behalf of well-angled elongated nozzles, the Rex5 delivers excellent seal and fit stability. Commute, road cycling and resistance training were all frustration-free using either the included silicone or memory foam ear tips. Of course, the foam tips offer a bit more breathability and passive noise isolation. For runners, the Rex5 may require some adjustment here and there, I’d suggest an ear hook or stabilizer fin design for this specific use case.

ANC and Aware Mode

The Rex5 appears to be a fully sealed design as passive isolation is excellent to the extent that ANC feels like it isn’t necessary. There is a slight driver flex apparent when inserting the earphones, but this didn’t cause any performance degradation during my testing. Still, activating ANC reveals a solid implementation that does add notably to the experience. It’s a far cry from the highly responsive, broadband cancellation offered by the latest flagships from Sony, Bose and Apple; voices and higher-pitched noises are barely affected. However, it does dull constant drones and hums better than most – perfect for attenuating ambient noise on public transport and air travel. Combined with their superior passive noise isolation, overall noise attenuation is almost as good as the very best.

The unfortunate downside is that the mics are very sensitive to wind noise which is amplified when using ANC. I found the passive mode to be the better choice for windy environments as the sealed design blocks wind quite well and the passive isolation is so good. The aware mode, unfortunately, leaves to be desired as it lacks volume and clarity. I found even on lower listening volumes around 30-40% of the volume scale, the music was still substantially louder than the external noise the earphones let through. The aware mode won’t be suitable for having conversations but does provide a bit of additional spatial awareness for those who enjoy this. In addition, it can be activated during calls which contributes to a more comfortable talking experience.

Charging Case –

The included carrying case aids the overall impression of quality and is an area that lets down many competitors. Noble set themselves apart once again, employing an anodized aluminium shell in matching green that feels impressively solid in the hand. The Noble logo is laser etched and the matte black base offers some scratch resistance in addition to wireless charging support. This works in tandem with a rear Type-C wired port. I admire that the overall dimensions are very compact – at least as much as the earpieces themselves would permit. With that said, due to the bulk of the earpieces, they still consume a bit more pocket space than most consumer models due to the greater width of the case.

The hinge mechanism feels sturdy with minimal wobble and benefits from a reverse magnet giving a satisfying snap when opening and closing. There is also a MFB on the case itself which aids convenience of entering pairing mode and resetting. The earbuds sit very snugly within the charging cradle. They use a 3-pin gold-plated connector that offered perfect, reliable connectivity during my testing. One thing I appreciate is that when the case is depleted, the earphones don’t power on therefore conserving as much juice as possible.

The case still powers off the buds but will no longer power them on automatically when removed from the case unless the button or touch panels are pressed. Besides this, the magnets that hold the earbuds in place are strong, so I never experienced accidental power on when out and about as some competitors suffer from. This also makes the earpieces a bit trickier to remove from the case than most but not to an irksome extent. The front-facing LED offers basic power status and charging, flashing when charging and solid when charged.

Next Page: Usability