Noble Audio FoKus Artemis: three driver technologies in one Bluetooth headphone

Almost every Bluetooth headphone on the market runs a single dynamic driver per ear, corrected afterwards in DSP. Noble Audio has made a habit of doing otherwise: after the FoKus Apollo, the first wireless headphone to combine a dynamic driver with a planar, the Texan brand is back with the FoKus Artemis and adds a third technology to the mix. The first units landed in store at the end of August.

Each driver gets its register

The Artemis runs three drivers per ear, each assigned the part of the spectrum it handles best. The dynamic driver takes the bass: it supplies the body, the weight and the physical impact. The planar covers the midrange, bringing with it the sense of openness and the transient speed usually associated with full-size wired headphones. The balanced armature rounds things off as a super tweeter, where it excels: precision, articulation and air at the top of the spectrum.

On paper it is a risky exercise. Getting three technologies with very different phase and timing behaviour to coexist inside a space the size of an earcup is an acoustic headache — and precisely the kind of work Noble Audio built its name on with its multi-driver in-ears. TechRadar gave the Artemis its Best in Show award at the High End show in Vienna, where the headphone was shown for the first time.

The headphone adapts to your hearing, not the other way round

The Noble FoKus app includes Audiodo Personal Sound. The idea: a guided hearing test, a few minutes long, after which the app builds a profile matching your actual hearing — including the left-right asymmetries everyone has to some degree and nobody ever corrects. That profile doesn't stay on your phone: it is written into the headphone itself, along with your EQ settings, and stays active even when the app is closed. The app also provides equalisation tools and spatial audio modes.

Bluetooth 6.0, LDAC, aptX Lossless — and a cable if you need one

On the wireless side the Artemis is built on Qualcomm's QCC3095 platform with Bluetooth 6.0, supporting LDAC, aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless. Multipoint keeps it paired to two devices at once. But the headphone isn't wireless-only: it accepts USB-C audio directly, which makes it a clean digital output from a computer or tablet, and supports analogue wired listening over 3.5 mm. Both cables are included.

Active noise cancellation is variable and user-controlled, paired with a transparency mode. Six microphones handle calls and noise processing, with a proximity sensor and voice assistant support.

A battery you can change yourself

This is the point worth underlining, because it is rare. The Artemis's 600 mAh battery is fully user-replaceable. On a product at this price, whose working life is in practice dictated by that of its lithium cell, that changes things: a wireless headphone that doesn't become waste the day its battery life collapses. Same logic for the ear pads, which are magnetic and replaceable.

Quoted battery life is over 55 hours without noise cancellation and over 35 hours with ANC on. A full charge takes under an hour and a half over USB-C, with fast charging. The whole thing weighs under 350 g, with rotating cups and an IP52 rating.

Key specifications

• Hybrid three-driver configuration: 1 dynamic, 1 planar, 1 balanced armature
• Qualcomm QCC3095 platform, Bluetooth 6.0, multipoint
• LDAC, aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless codecs
• Variable active noise cancellation and transparency mode, six microphones
• Audiodo Personal Sound, EQ and spatial audio via the Noble FoKus app
• USB-C audio and 3.5 mm wired listening, cables included
• User-replaceable 600 mAh battery, 55 h+ without ANC, 35 h+ with ANC, charge in under 1 h 30
• Under 350 g, rotating cups, magnetic replaceable ear pads, IP52

Availability

The Noble Audio FoKus Artemis is available at €949. It ships with its USB-C cable, 3.5 mm audio cable and documentation.