Noble Audio Astrid Launches with Triple-Driver Sound, Personalised Audio and Bluetooth 6.0
By Matt Porter
5 min read
Noble Audio Astrid Launches with Triple-Driver Sound, Personalised Audio and Bluetooth 6.0
The latest premium wireless earbuds from Noble Audio combine three different driver technologies, hearing-based sound personalisation and an eye-catching design. But at £499, they certainly aren’t aimed at the budget end of the market.
Noble Audio Astrid Launches with Triple-Driver Sound, Personalised Audio and Bluetooth 6.0
Noble Audio has announced the launch of its latest premium true wireless earbuds, the Astrid, bringing together a rather interesting combination of audio technology, personalised sound and distinctive styling.
Priced at £499 in the UK, the Astrid sits firmly in premium territory, competing for the attention of listeners who take their portable audio seriously.
What makes these earbuds particularly interesting is Noble Audio’s decision to incorporate three different types of driver into each earpiece, alongside technology that adjusts the listening experience to suit the user’s individual hearing.
It’s an ambitious specification for something small enough to fit in your ears.
Three drivers working together
Most conventional wireless earbuds rely on a single dynamic driver to reproduce the entire frequency range. More sophisticated designs sometimes use two, but Noble Audio has taken things further with a three-driver hybrid arrangement.
Each Astrid earbud contains:
8.3mm dynamic driver: Featuring a polyurethane diaphragm with an aluminium-magnesium alloy dome.
6mm planar driver: Using planar magnetic technology as part of the hybrid arrangement.
Balanced armature driver: A compact driver technology commonly found in high-end in-ear monitors.
By combining these technologies, Noble Audio aims to deliver the benefits of different driver designs within a single earbud.
It’s an approach the company has considerable experience with, having spent years developing hybrid driver arrangements for its wired in-ear monitors.
Of course, having more drivers doesn’t automatically guarantee better sound. Much depends on how successfully they’re integrated and tuned, something that will need proper listening tests to establish.
Audio that adapts to your hearing
The Noble Astrid will be available from 10th November via nobleaudio.com and selected retailers worldwide for $539/ £499/ €579.
Three drivers, plenty of Noble Audio experience
Hybrid earphones are familiar territory for Noble Audio. Its universal and custom in-ear monitors have long explored different driver combinations, and Astrid brings that experience to a new wireless design.
Each earpiece contains an 8.3mm dynamic driver, a 6mm planar driver and a balanced armature. The dynamic driver uses a PU diaphragm with an aluminium-magnesium alloy dome, working alongside the other two driver technologies as part of Astrid’s hybrid system.
For listeners with a compatible phone or player, LDAC and aptX Adaptive support provide high-quality wireless playback. Astrid also supports aptX, AAC and SBC.
Your ears have a say
Astrid can be set up around your hearing with Audiodo Personal Sound. A short assessment checks each ear separately and creates a personal hearing profile, which is then used to adjust playback.
This takes account of differences between your left and right ears as well as the way your hearing differs from someone else’s. Noble Audio provides the acoustic design; Audiodo adds the personal adjustment.
Audiodo Equalizer gives listeners further control over bass, mids and treble. Whether you prefer a little more bass or a gentler top end, you can adjust the balance to suit your taste. Together, the two Audiodo features account for both how you hear and how you like your music to sound.
Beautiful by name
Astrid means “divinely beautiful”. The name comes with a certain expectation, and Astrid gives the eye plenty to enjoy. Fine silver-toned lines form a frost-like pattern over the glossy black earbuds, with the same finish carried across the charging case. The Noble emblem appears on each faceplate, while the full logo sits across the case lid.
The earbuds feature glass fiber faceplates and shaped ABS housings. A choice of silicone ear tips helps listeners find the right fit, with touch controls for everyday adjustments and IPX4 splash resistance for the occasional encounter with the British weather.
Time for another album
Astrid offers up to 11 hours of playback on a single charge, with the case bringing total listening time to up to 40 hours, depending on settings. When it is time to recharge, there’s a choice of USB-C or wireless charging.
Active Noise Cancellation helps keep background noise out of the listening experience. Transparency mode lets outside sound through when needed, while microphone noise and wind reduction help with calls. Bluetooth 6.0 and two-device multipoint also make it possible to keep a phone and laptop connected at the same time, useful when music and work share the same desk.
In good company
Noble Audio’s wireless family has collected multiple awards and includes Osprey, Amadeus, Rex5, Prestige Encore II and the Artemis over-ear headphone.
Astrid adds another option for listeners drawn to Noble Audio’s approach to earphones: an interest in different driver technologies, individual designs and the music they are made to play.
Technical specifications
· Drivers per earbud: One 8.3mm dynamic driver, one 6mm planar driver and one balanced armature
· Dynamic driver diaphragm: PU with aluminium-magnesium alloy dome
· Frequency response: 20Hz–20kHz
· Impedance: 29Ω at 1kHz
· Sensitivity: 106dB SPL/mW at 1kHz
· Sound personalisation: Audiodo Personal Sound
· Sound adjustment: Audiodo Equalizer
· Bluetooth: Version 6.0
· Chipset: Qualcomm QCC3091
· Supported codecs: SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive and LDAC
· Multipoint: Connection to two devices simultaneously
· Noise control: Active Noise Cancellation and transparency mode
· Voice calls: Microphone noise and wind reduction
· Earbud battery capacity: 65mAh per earbud
· Charging case battery capacity: 500mAh
· Playback: Up to 11 hours per charge; up to 40 hours including the case, depending on settings
· Charging: USB-C and wireless charging
· Earbud construction: ABS housings with glass fiber faceplates and spray coating
· Water resistance: IPX4
· Controls: Touch controls and voice assistant support
· Companion app: Supported
· Ear tips: Silicone tips in XS, S, M and L sizes
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