Noble Audio FoKus Apollo Review: Excellent Hybrid Sound

Over-ear headphones have come a long way in recent years, with most premium models now offering active noise cancellation, spatial audio, and multi-device connectivity.

But despite all these advancements, many still struggle with the most fundamental aspect – delivering truly exceptional sound quality in a wireless package.

Enter Noble Audio’s Fokus Apollo – the company’s first venture into over-ear headphones after building their reputation with high-end in-ear monitors.

These £599 cans bring something genuinely innovative to the table: the world’s first hybrid system combining dynamic and planar magnetic drivers in a wireless headphone.

The result is spectacular audio performance and marathon battery life that outclasses the competition – but they’re not without their quirks. The ANC performance is underwhelming, the headband comfort leaves something to be desired, and the price point puts them firmly in premium territory.

Are these innovative hybrid headphones worth their substantial price tag? Let’s find out…

Who Are The Noble Fokus Apollo Headphones For?

Noble Audio has been a respected name in the audiophile world for over a decade, primarily known for their in-ear monitors and true wireless earbuds.

The Fokus Apollo marks their first venture into over-ear headphones – and I’ve been testing them for the past couple of weeks to see if they live up to the company’s stellar reputation.

At £599, these headphones aren’t cheap – they’re firmly in premium territory alongside flagship models from Sony, Bose and Apple. That’s a serious chunk of change, and one that immediately made me wonder: Are they worth it?

Let’s be straight – if you’re primarily after industry-leading Active Noise Cancellation for your daily commute or frequent flights, I found there are better options out there. The hybrid ANC system on the Apollo isn’t rubbish by any means, but it doesn’t quite match what you’d get from other top-tier headphones – and frankly, even from some that cost a fraction.

That said, the passive noise isolation from those plush protein leather earpads is brilliant – creating a solid seal that naturally blocks out a good chunk of external noise before the ANC even kicks in.

I’ve sat working in my home office with these on and couldn’t hear my partner calling me from the next room – though some nearby noises, like keyboard typing – definitely crept in, whether the ANC was off or on.

But here’s where the Apollo truly shines – the sound quality is absolutely outstanding. The unique combination of a 40mm dynamic driver with a 14.5mm planar magnetic driver creates an incredible soundstage with detail I haven’t experienced in wireless headphones before.

The bass response strikes that perfect balance – rich and powerful enough for bass lovers like myself, without ever overwhelming the mids and highs. I’ve been rediscovering albums I thought I knew inside out.

Add to that the extraordinary battery life (up to 80 hours without ANC, 60 with it enabled) and I’ve only had to charge these once during my two weeks of testing.

So who are these for? The Noble Fokus Apollo headphones are perfect for discerning listeners who prioritise sound quality above all else, who primarily listen in relatively controlled environments where top-tier ANC isn’t essential, and who don’t mind investing in premium audio equipment. If you’re the type who can close your eyes and get lost in the details of your favourite tracks, these might just be your new best friends.

Using The Noble Fokus Apollo

Size and Comfort

The Fokus Apollo headphones look slick and pretty, with a somewhat old-school design that won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. The earcups themselves are absolutely luxurious – wrapped in premium protein leather that’s VERY soft against the skin while creating that excellent seal I mentioned earlier.

That being said, the headband was a disappointment. Despite being covered in fancy Alcantara material, it’s simply not cushioned enough. So many headphones these days skimp on the headband cushioning (why?! maybe it’s a looks thing?) – perhaps they’re built for young people with full, lush heads of hair… but for me, they became painful on the top of my head quite quickly, let alone after several hours of usage.

They’re also pretty tight overall – even if you pull the sliding part out to its maximum extension. I found myself having to take breaks to relieve the pressure, which is a shame for headphones clearly designed for extended listening sessions.

In the box, you get a rather large carrying case (it’s well-built but won’t win any prizes for portability), a 3.5mm auxiliary cable, USB-C charging cable, two-prong airline adapter, 1/4″ adapter for high-end audio equipment, and that detachable boom mic that transforms these into a capable gaming headset (the earcups have their own built-in microphones – but you can get higher speech quality with the detachable one).

Pairing and Controlling

Connecting the Fokus Apollo to your devices is straightforward thanks to Bluetooth 5.3, and I found the pairing process quick and hassle-free with both my Android phone and Windows PC.

It’s worth noting that you can use them either wireless (via Bluetooth 5.3), or wired (with the 3.5mm plug) – even without any power when they’re wired (but ANC won’t work in that case, obviously).

And you also get Dual-device support, which is quite useful – so I was able to pair both my desktop computer and my phone – with phone calls automatically taking over the music coming from my PC when they came in.

For controls, Noble opted for physical buttons rather than touch-sensitive panels.

Located on the right earcup, these buttons handle everything from playback and volume to ANC modes and calls. While I generally prefer physical buttons for their reliability (especially in cold weather when touch controls can be finicky), these could use some refinement.

My biggest gripe is the lack of voice notifications. When cycling through ANC modes, you just get generic beeps and bops with no indication of which mode you’ve selected.

After two weeks of use, I still couldn’t confidently tell whether I was in full ANC mode, ambient mode, or if I’d turned the system off altogether. It’s a strange omission for premium headphones, and I eventually gave up trying to use the onboard controls for this feature and just used the app.

The Noble Fokus app picks up the slack here, offering clear visual indicators of which ANC mode you’re in.

The app itself is a bit stripped-back compared to some competitors’ offerings, but I actually found this refreshing.

It focuses on the essentials: a custom equaliser with several presets, ANC mode controls, and firmware updates. There’s no unnecessarily complicated “spatial audio” settings or gimmicky features that you’ll never use – just the tools you need to get the best sound out of these headphones.

Audio Quality And ANC

The sound quality is where these headphones truly shine. The Fokus Apollo deliver deep bass, crisp highs, and a spacious sound – even right out of the box with the default mode – but it truly shines after some EQ tweaks.

The unique hybrid driver system deserves some explanation. Most headphones use a single dynamic driver (the speaker part) to produce all sounds. The Apollo, however, combines a 40mm dynamic driver with a 14.5mm planar magnetic driver.

What’s the difference? Dynamic drivers are great at moving air to create powerful bass, but can struggle with detail. Planar magnetic drivers use an ultra-thin diaphragm that produces incredibly detailed mids and highs, but typically lack bass punch. By combining both technologies, Noble has created a “best of both worlds” solution.

And it works brilliantly. The bass is excellent – I’m rarely happy with bass on headphones and earphones, as I’m a big fan of heavy bass, but it’s often either not enough – or so heavy that it drowns everything else. But in these, the bass manages to be deep and satisfying without taking over.

I put these through their paces with a variety of tracks. All That She Wants by Ace of Base showed off the bass capabilities immediately – those low-end pulses hit hard, but I noticed the mids felt a bit buried.

After some EQ adjustments, the vocals and synths came through much clearer, making the track feel more balanced and open.

Similarly, Miley Cyrus’s Party in the USA had great energy, but Miley’s vocals sat too deep in the mix at first.

Reducing the lows and boosting the mids brought her voice forward while keeping the beat strong and lively.

If you don’t want to do too much manual tweaking, switching between the presets – Pop vs Classic, for example – does give a quick fix for different genres.

I also watched a couple of movies on my phone with them – and they’re perfect for that too, especially for effects-heavy films and big musical scores.

The soundstage is wide enough that you really get that immersive feeling, and there were no lag or lip-synch issues at all.

In short, these are top-tier wireless headphones that sound fantastic, with EQ flexibility that unlocks their full potential.

Active Noise Cancellation

The ANC performance is where these otherwise excellent headphones hit a surprising stumble. Despite Noble’s impressive-sounding specs (hybrid ANC with three microphones per ear), the reality is underwhelming.

Everyday noises like keyboard typing and street traffic still cut through clearly, which is disappointing for headphones in this price bracket.

Even more concerning is how the ANC affects audio quality. With ANC enabled, the wonderful soundstage becomes noticeably compressed, and that spectacular bass performance I praised earlier? It gets seriously compromised.

The low-end loses its richness and definition, becoming flatter and less impactful.

This trade-off seems particularly odd for headphones that clearly prioritize sound quality above all else. I rarely notice such dramatic sound degradation with ANC on other premium headphones, making this feel like a strange oversight in an otherwise meticulously designed product.

The good news? The tight seal and excellent passive isolation from those plush earpads do a respectable job of blocking noise on their own.

After experiencing how the ANC affects the sound, I found myself keeping it switched off most of the time and still enjoying relatively distraction-free listening at moderate volumes.

It’s not ideal for the noisiest environments, but it’s a worthwhile compromise to preserve that exceptional audio quality.

Call quality is solid, thanks to the built-in microphones on the earcups. During my testing, I had no issues with calls – I could hear the other person perfectly clearly (as you’d expect from headphones with such excellent audio capabilities), and they reported my voice came through well too.

For those who need even better vocal clarity – perhaps for important work calls or gaming sessions – the included detachable boom microphone is a welcome addition that positions the mic closer to your mouth for enhanced pickup.

Battery Times

Battery life is another area where the Fokus Apollo truly excels. Noble Audio claims up to 80 hours of playback with ANC turned off, and around 60 hours with ANC enabled – and my testing suggests these numbers aren’t far off the mark.

In two weeks of regular use (a mix of music, podcasts, and movie watching for several hours each day), I only needed to charge them once (and even then, they weren’t on zero).

That’s genuinely impressive, especially considering these headphones aren’t as bulky or heavy as some competitors that offer substantially less battery life.

When you do need to charge, the USB-C connection gets you back to full in under 3 hours. There’s no quick-charge feature mentioned, which is a slight oversight, but given how rarely you’ll need to charge these in the first place, it’s hardly a deal-breaker.

If you’re someone who frequently forgets to charge your devices (guilty as charged), or you travel extensively without reliable access to power, the exceptional battery life alone might make these headphones worth considering.

Bottom Line: Are The Fokus Apollo Worth It?

At £599, Noble Audio’s first foray into over-ear headphones demands serious consideration.

What you get for that investment is genuinely special sound quality – the hybrid driver approach delivers a listening experience that combines audiophile-grade detail with rich, satisfying bass that makes most wireless competitors sound ordinary by comparison.

The generous 80-hour battery life easily outperforms its rivals, and the passive noise isolation is good enough for most environments.

However, you’ll need to accept some compromises – particularly the underwhelming ANC that actually degrades sound quality when enabled, and that uncomfortable headband that limits long listening sessions.

So who should buy the Fokus Apollo? If you’re primarily seeking exceptional wireless sound quality in moderately quiet environments and have the budget to match your audio standards, these deliver a genuinely premium experience.

For commuters, frequent flyers, or anyone needing powerful ANC for noisy surroundings, you’d be better served by other offerings. You’re paying for outstanding audio quality here, not a flawless all-around package.

Note: The headphones were supplied by the manufacturer for this review. As always, this did not influence my unbiased opinion of the product.