These Wildly Expensive Wireless Earbuds Go Overboard on Drivers

Going premium for a pair of wireless earbuds isn’t for everyone, but for some people, it’s a thing. To me personally, spending $300 on a pair (even if they’re worth it) feels luxurious, but clearly I’m not thinking big enough. Noble, the maker of self-described “artisanal in-ear monitors,†has expanded my definition of luxurious with a pair of $699 wireless earbuds that have real wood grain on them and more drivers than you’d ever think to stuff inside buds.

The Fokus Prestige Encore, as they’re called, have not one, not two, but four whole drivers, which is a lot for a pair of wireless earbuds, a category that typically includes one driver or two at most. Altogether, Noble says it’s using a few different kinds of drivers to optimize sound quality, including an 8mm dynamic driver for “rich, authoritative bass,†two Knowles armatures for “midrange clarity and textureâ€â€”these drivers are small, highly efficient, and clear enough to be originally used in hearing aids—and a 6mm planar magnetic driver to “extend treble air†and “reveal microdetail.†Do not ask me to define “microdetail,†please. That’s above my pay grade.

It’s hard to say what that very well-thought-out amalgam of drivers sounds like, but I can attest to the benefits of a well-devised driver. The Technics EAH-AZ100 are some of my wireless earbuds of this year, and they use very clever magnetic fluid drivers, which prevent rattling and unwanted movement that can cause distortion. Those wireless earbuds, though, are just $299, which feels weirdly affordable next to the Fokus Prestige Encore, so I’m curious to see what benefits spending $400 more really brings.

Naturally, if you’re spending that much money on a pair of wireless earbuds, you’re not going to want to just use regular Bluetooth to listen, so the buds support pretty much all of the hi-res formats you’d want, including aptX, LDAC, AAC, and SBC. One area that Noble doesn’t necessarily excel in on paper is battery life, though. The Fokus Prestige Encore are rated for about 7 hours when active noise cancellation (ANC) is on, which isn’t horrible, but it’s not superb either, since the aforementioned Technics buds get about 10 hours with ANC and AirPods Pro 3 get 8 hours. I guess powering all of those drivers comes at a price.

Sounding premium isn’t enough nowadays, so Noble is also going premium on materials, too. In this case, that means using real wood on the buds’ charging case and the casing. It’s not just the plate, either; Noble says those parts constitute “full wooden construction.†That means each pair of wireless earbuds looks unique, since the wood isn’t manufactured and there’s a natural grain to each piece. That’s right, $700 wooden wireless earbuds, folks.

Other than all of that, the Fokus Prestige Encore also have hybrid ANC, meaning it adapts to your noise levels in real time, and the case supports wireless charging. On a software level, there’s also personalized EQ, which is an underrated feature in most wireless earbuds. If you’re not taking advantage of that on your wireless earbuds, I suggest you go straight to your buds’ companion app and give it a whirl.

If you can afford the finer things in life, the Fokus Prestige Encore are available starting today, Nov. 6, from Noble and other retailers globally.