Massdrop x Noble Kaiser 10 Universal IEMs Discussions | Drop

Mar 15, 2018

AveryCGood to hear that they will no longer be shipped via USPS!

OhhMyRice

Mar 15, 2018

AveryCNot sure if it was because of USPS but my K10 wasn't even signed for. They just left it in my letterbox, where it was quite obvious something was in it. Could just be an isolated incident of a dodgy postman but for those who haven't received theirs yet, be careful!

shenan24

224

Mar 15, 2018

theanghvUsps is the worst carrier. There's so much shit that they've lost

RareAirs

156

Mar 15, 2018

OhhMyRiceMy CA lyra II from massdrop that I just got last week was left on my front porch no signature or anything either. Probably worth taking a half day off of work or something on delivery day. Don’t give the scum that steal packages get these beauties! They will probably sell em off for $100 if they don’t do a google search first

Mar 15, 2018

AveryCSO I still haven't be able to rejoin the drop and get my set from the first round.... DISSAPPOINTING

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Mar 16, 2018

AveryCI’m in this drop and glad to hear USPS will not be used. Last few consecutivepackages were lost from my local post office. I even had to waste an hour each trip for 3 trips to post office to track package. They have record with picture where they leave package and dumb postman left it in some other address in totally unrelated city and address. They say they will try to go and get it, but I doubt they ever did and I was never notified with the outcome. So I had to go and find out what happened and waste another hour. They said they can’t find it and cannot give me any evidence so I can work with the seller for refund. Their reasoning was that it says it is delivered and they cannot provide the evidence that it was left at different address. I tell them that that is dumb response when it was delivered to different address but they will not give me printout that shows they delivered to wrong address. Luckily the seller reponded positively to the whole ordeal and it was resolved but private sector service like USPS will not give any care to provide competitive service. And even trained monkey won’t make mistake 3 times in a role, and how postman can deliver to wrong address 3 times in a role baffles me.

OhhMyRice

Mar 16, 2018

RareAirsIf only they had told me which day they were actually coming, I might actually have taken a day off! :P

Albobear

Mar 16, 2018

AveryCJust received my order yesterday and after a long wait I have to say that I am dissapointed with the lack quality control. When I opened the package yesterday I immediately noticed some paint chips on one of the shells. If you look at the attached image you can see chipped paint along the noble logo in three separate areas. Its almost like someone dragged it across a hard surface during the packaging process. This is unacceptable, especially considering the amount of money this costed. So while I appreciate the fact that Noble tried their best to meet deadlines given the delays I am not happy about the quality and would question another purchase from noble.

Laszloptl

Mar 16, 2018

AlbobearHumm, then I personally do not understand your way of doing things... Why come here and complain about this subject to the place to discuss it directly with the people involved?! Whether it's the Massdrop team or directly Brannan from Noble Audio, they are quite amiable and widely proficient at solving your problem... It's just my point of view. 😉

AveryC

1571

Mar 16, 2018

AlbobearHi there! I'm sorry to hear about that. Please reach out to our community support team via your transactions page (https://www.massdrop.com/transactions), and they will help you out.

RareAirs

156

Mar 16, 2018

LaszloptlOk in his defense this is a TOTL product that many save up a while for because we all know iems are like a fine watch and if you spent $1000 on a watch and there was let’s say chipping or a scratch etc you would be very frustrated and disappointed after waiting many months and many delays. Anyways I’m sure massdrop/Noble will resolve this and you can send updated pictures to this thread!

Mar 16, 2018

andypak01I would also think the number of misplaced deliveries would be higher if they mark it as delivered even when it is delivered to wrong place from my experience. They seem that as fulfilled and they won’t admit fault.

Mar 17, 2018

andypak01yeah mine was returned to sender in spite of my spending an hour a day on the phone with USPS for over a week - so it's marked as delivered even though I'm far from satisfied.

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Xatiiv

Mar 17, 2018

AveryCWell three months past the promised shipping deadline(11th of Dec. 2017) and two and a half weeks past the latest shipping deadline(28th of Feb 2018) my order is still in the USA and my delivery hasn't been moving for 5 days now(I live in the UK). This drop was a disaster. It is very likely that I won't be joining any drops in the near future if ever.

Mar 17, 2018

XatiivYup, mine got returned to sender and they refunded me without asking. After going totally silent for days massdrop support was unresponsive until I made noise on here. Even then I was just given a placating response and ZERO resolution. Then they reopened the drop!
If I were you, I might just call in the refund and shop elsewhere.

adi.kd

Mar 17, 2018

XatiivHi @Xatiiv, I'm from UK and got mine delivered by Royal mail this morning. The USPS tracking still shows it's in transit but looks the USPS doesn't have a way to track once it's accepted by Royal mail unless Royal mail informs USPS about the delivery. My order was accepted by USPS on 8th March and was delivered 17th. I understand the frustration it's been long but give it a couple of more days and it should hopefully be with you soon. Reach out to Brannan @ Noble if possible, he is really helpful.
@Sloblo sorry man, agree you had a bad experience which is unfortunate and most of us in the batch suffered delays. But I'd just ask you to stop discouraging others from waiting due to your personal experience. Just to let you know I'm not affiliated to Noble or Massdrop.
People complain about USPS being bad for delivery, but my personal experience with Fedex: they lost my visa application package with all my personal documents. Earphones are nothing compared to this. Just get over it and join the new drop if you really need the K10. Good luck!

Mar 17, 2018

adi.kdSince you have no affiliation it shouldn't matter to you what I do. If it makes massdrop improve their services then it only benefits you. I have no skin in the game, since I wont use the service anymore, but I do have technical knowledge in several of the communities and have product experience with many of the drops currently out. I figure if my being vocal saves one person the frustration and expense in terms of time lost and actual dollar loss then it's well worth it.

McCol

Mar 17, 2018

adi.kdadi.kd. How much did you need to pay in customs and VAT? About to join the drop but curious how much extra it will cost me

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adi.kd

Mar 17, 2018

McCol @McCol It's around £200 including handling, VAT & customs duty. I was prepared as i have ordered from the states before. This might be a bit steep for most of the UK buyers. Hope this helps!

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McCol

Mar 17, 2018

adi.kdThanks for that, thought it would be around that. Still a good price even with those charges.

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Xatiiv

Mar 17, 2018

adi.kdWell, as I was not contacted by customs my guess would be that it is still not in the UK. Sloblo is free to say whatever he wants to say. He has every right to do so after what happened to him. This is my last drop with Massdrop for a while for sure. Their communication and handling of the situation was sub par to say the least. No one should go through an experience like this nowadays. Its super easy to communicate, we are not in the '80s anymore.

Tienbasse

132

Mar 18, 2018

RareAirsI have to agree with you on that one. Paying 900$ to have 3 VERY visible paint chips that are so obvious without zooming is screaming about weak quality control. For something which is "partially" assembled and QC checked in the US, it is disappointing... Using aluminum, anodization should allow the red paint to stick better than this.

Mar 18, 2018

TienbasseThe parts are anodized, paint is not used. Further more, Noble can not control how the shipping service treats packages during the delivery process.

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Mar 18, 2018

HefeAren't the noble shipped in the pelican case?

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Tienbasse

132

Mar 18, 2018

HefePure anodization does not give access to all colors. Very often, anodization is done in a way to produce a porous white aluminum oxide layer which will be used a good primer coat for painting (liquid or powder painting). Given the scratches above, I suspect that this is the case here. Pure anodization without further painting usually yields more resistant colors.
And mind you, it is unlikely that scratching did occur during transit unless packaging was very poor. So it certainly happened before or during packaging, at Noble.

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Mar 18, 2018

TienbasseMy guess, all the marks are the high points of the crown logo, all marks at the northern most of the crown logo, which suggests to me, that they were subject to being ground against something during shipping. If the marks were in sporadic locations then I would think there was a problem in the anodizing process.

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Mar 18, 2018

theanghvYes

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Mar 18, 2018

HefeIn that case the noble wouldn't have gotten scratched during shipping? More likely during packaging.

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Mar 18, 2018

theanghvNo, not really, while in a pelican case they can still move around to some degree.
They are not stationed in individual pockets.

Mar 18, 2018

HefeThere's no foam in the pelican case? :o

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Mar 18, 2018

theanghvCorrect

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Mar 18, 2018

HefeThat's stupid? Quite pointless to have a pelican case if the equipments aren't secure inside.

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Mar 18, 2018

theanghvFor the most part, they survive shipping without issue, as the pelican case is packed fairly snug

lightvu

Mar 18, 2018

AveryCHi Avery - I have the exact same nick! I thought I may have damaged it when i held them in my coat pocket WITH my hand holding the buds apart while they were in there ...although i was highly skeptical.. That was only one day after I got them - I'm sure that the nick happened when I got it given what i'm seeing...

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imagynn

Mar 19, 2018

HefeSir on what date did you join drop and what country are you in?

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Mar 20, 2018

AveryCHi, I'm buying the latest batch (March 2018), and I'm having them shipped internationally to HK. Please advise what delivery service I would expect. Please tell me you're avoiding Local Post as much as possible. (Yes, I've contacted support, they keep giving me non answer)

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Mar 21, 2018

AveryCGot mine, finally. Enjoying the HELL out of them!

Mar 21, 2018

jammuu

Mar 22, 2018

Dovahkiinhows that sound?

Mar 22, 2018

jammuuDetailed, Spacious, non-fatiguing and very fast! I head the orchestra all around me so it has a wonderful Soundstage. Tomorrow my Pentaconn 4.4mm connector should arrive and I'll reterminate the free Noble Gold x Silver cable I received with these, and see how well the balanced output works on the K10s. So far from the 3.5mm output, they sound so revealing.

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Mar 22, 2018

imagynnI joined the first time around, 2nd batch of deliveries, delivered to France, and didn't have to pay Import duty for some reason.

Mar 22, 2018

DovahkiinWould you mind sharing what delivery service was used? Thx.

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Mar 22, 2018

DovahkiinNice, ended up going a different route and haven't looked back

RareAirs

156

Mar 22, 2018

SlobloNice I got the the Lyra II in the drop for $499 but having fit issues because I am pushing them in a bit too far it bothers my inner ear but if I don’t they pop out of seal in less than 2 minutes. I believe Vegas are the same size do u have any advice?
P.S. The 2 minutes of seal they found amazing with a nice punch of air

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Mar 22, 2018

XclzThey used USPS and it was a fukcing nightmare for everyone. I think Brannon has since convinced Massdrop that their high end products are to be shipped using UPS first class (or a similarly reliable) logistics company.

Mar 22, 2018

SlobloLove it! I loved the Vegas while I had them as well. So much but packs a hell of a punch.

Mar 22, 2018

DovahkiinHaving just filed yet another complaint on my Postal Carrier for listing a package as delivered in mailbox (that is physically too large to do so and is no where to be found) I like the reinforcement of no USPS. There is a reason they are on the verge of collapse/bankruptcy.

Mar 22, 2018

RareAirsTry some of the other foam tips potentially a larger size. Everyone's ears are different so the tip rolling aspect can make some difference

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Mar 22, 2018

DovahkiinYeah, I'm enjoying the "wall of sound" they seem to produce. Definitely more punch than any of my nobles. Just got the email about the ciem version of this drop, kind of a bummer for those who would have stepped up.

Mar 22, 2018

SlobloWhy is it a bummer? This drop is still live and at least on my transactions it still shows the ability to cancel. If one wants to switch they most certainly have that option.

Mar 23, 2018

SlobloThanks for the info. I am going to cancel my current drop. I will wait for customs.

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Mar 23, 2018

andypak01hope I'm not the only one who wants universals so the drop still happens... :)
For anyone on the fence about the two here is why the universals are right for MY situation:
1) I have a ton of tips already including various comply foams that fit these (thanks TF10!)
2) I have not personally had an opportunity to listen to these. Universals are generally easier to sell on the 2nd hand market if they don't give me what I want over my current IEM of choice the Senn IE800. Re-shelling is available but does limit the market to people willing to invest additional time and money into the process of a purchase.
3) Customs can sometimes require a lengthy process of adjustments. I've read more than my fair share of people having to send them back more than once and re-visit the audiologist because they didn't get good molds the first time.
4) The customs are going to run beyond my own rules for headphone purchases, 1K+ is all speaker gear my friends.

Mar 23, 2018

ElectronicVicesI agree. It is also good to share your passion with friends. I let some of my friends hear with Senn IE800 with portable DAP and amp and they are floored. I just haven’t tried customs and this seems like good opportunity to try TOPL customs.

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Mar 23, 2018

andypak01You are not wrong on the opportunity front... the home system (both Hifi and Headphone) get priority over my portable investment. I've scaled back to just an LG V20 for road use but the AK 70 Mkii has been catching my eye and good deals for those do pop up.

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Mar 23, 2018

ElectronicVicesSame. I have 12 headphones hi and mid fi and 2 amps and dac and planning to get HDV820 around July for my birthday gift To match HD800S. I just can’t use headphones when I am out since it messes up my hair style so I am just getting into hi end IEMs and going TOPL makes sense since I always eventually get to TOPL. It will also satisfy my curiosity for customs since I have somewhat an issue with fit for my left ear With universals.

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Mar 23, 2018

andypak01I've got a hard and fast $1000 ceiling when it comes to headphone expenditures. For my ears, that is the breaking point where investment in my speaker system yields greater benefit than in my headphones. As much as I love my headphones I will always like speakers just a bit better. For anyone who can't go as crazy as their wallet would allow on speaker systems (space, design, or eh... spousal reasons) I can certainly understand a greater investment in headphones!

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Mar 23, 2018

ElectronicVicesBummer for those who took the plunge on the first round. Like me, though I never got mine so meh.

Mar 23, 2018

SlobloValid point... thanks for bringing that to my attention!

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Mar 23, 2018

ElectronicVicesYeah it doesn't pay to be a loyal first adopter around here. There's almost always a better model one drop away for the same price.

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Mar 23, 2018

SlobloCustoms are going to be $350 more so it is thing to consider. If they were priced same, I would not be happy about it

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Mar 23, 2018

SlobloIt's the wager of the first adopter and is a concept not limited to Massdrop. I've bought in several first rounds, would I have preferred my THX00 in Ebony or an E-MU Teak with Ebony cups and detachable cables? Yeah... a little. Do I regret in anyway jumping on that first round... no. I got exactly what I wanted at the time and didn't have to be one of those guys drooling over the comments and kicking themselves for not jumping in. They've added unique features to some of their 1st round drops (free webinars on use, additional support, one time discounts) so they are responding to things like this. Don't hate the player, hate the game.

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Mar 23, 2018

andypak01Editing my post for addition of price, as stated I've got a $1000 limit for this type of gear that I just don't violate.

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Mar 23, 2018

ElectronicVicesOh, I’ve quit this player haha. I’m only here for the forums at this point or maybe some under 50$ drops. Anything higher I’ll buy second hand, the time spent with MD holding your cash is costing you more than you think and this drop has shown me that there’s absolutely 0 guarante you get that product at the end of the wait. So essentially you’re giving them a 0% interest loan.

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Mar 23, 2018

SlobloIt's the upfront money that makes manufacturers agree to do stuff like this so yeah I'm 1000% good with it. I know you had some crazy experiences so I certainly understand your choice to limit your purchases on here.

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Mar 23, 2018

ElectronicVicesyup, too bad it has to be through massdrop - if they hadn't bungled my last 3 transactions so badly I'd have been the first in line for the CIEM version of this (probably on top of the universals I'd already have had at that point)
Hopefully blockchain contracting advances quickly enough we can go straight to the manufacturers for this sort of group buy instead of relying on the lackluster 3rd parties such as MD.

Mar 23, 2018

SlobloWhat CIEM version mail? 🤔

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Mar 23, 2018

DovahkiinThat would reassuring, thanks. And gz! Looking forward to mine.

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