Noble FoKus Amadeus Wireless Earphones Review

The budget earbuds market has exploded with models packing every feature imaginable – spatial audio, adaptive ANC, app customisation, gaming modes – all for under a hundred quid. But somewhere along the way, sound quality often became an afterthought.

Noble Audio’s FoKus Amadeus take the opposite approach. At £300+, these aren’t trying to be the cheapest option with the longest feature list. Instead, they focus on what Noble does best – delivering genuinely excellent audio wrapped in a striking design.

The sound quality impresses, with rich bass and a spacious feel that makes music more engaging. The Audiodo hearing test actually works, and those bold red faceplates look properly premium.

But the ANC is merely adequate, there’s no official water resistance whatsoever, and you’re paying over three hundred quid for earbuds that excel in specific areas rather than everything.

Are these distinctive earbuds worth the investment? Let’s find out…

Who Are The Noble FoKus Amadeus For?

Noble Audio has built its reputation over the years crafting high-end in-ear monitors for audiophiles, and they’ve been gradually expanding that expertise into the true wireless earbuds market with their FoKus line.

The FoKus Amadeus are the latest addition to that lineup, and at £319, they sit firmly in premium territory – not quite flagship pricing perhaps, but well above the budget and mid-range options that dominate the market.

That price tag immediately tells you where Noble’s priorities lie. These aren’t trying to be the best all-rounders with class-leading ANC and every feature under the sun. Instead, they’re focused squarely on delivering excellent sound quality wrapped in a distinctive, eye-catching design.

And on those fronts, they succeed. The audio quality genuinely impresses, with a balanced, spacious sound that makes both old favourites and new releases feel livelier.

The bold red finish gives them a premium look that stands out from the usual black or white buds everyone else is wearing.

But there are trade-offs. The ANC is decent but nothing special – it handles constant background hums well enough, but don’t expect it to silence noisy commutes or busy offices.

More concerning is the complete lack of any IP rating, which rules these out for workouts or even heavy-rain use.

So who are these for? The FoKus Amadeus are good for listeners who prioritise sound quality and design over everything else, who listen primarily in controlled environments where top-tier ANC isn’t essential, and who don’t need their earbuds to double as gym companions.

If you want earphones that sound fantastic and look the part, these deliver – at a cost.

Using The FoKus Amadeus

Size And Comfort

The FoKus Amadeus earbuds are compact and lightweight, with that striking red faceplate design that genuinely turns heads. They look premium and distinctive – though I’ll admit, that bold appearance did make me slightly more paranoid about theft when using them in public.

The earbuds themselves are tiny, which is great for comfort but less ideal for handling. The smooth finish makes them surprisingly slippery, and I found myself dropping them more than once when taking them out of the case outdoors. It’s not a deal-breaker, but you’ll want to be careful when juggling them with your phone or bag.

Comfort-wise, they’re excellent. I’ve worn them for several hours at a stretch during testing with no issues – they nestle nicely in the ear without causing fatigue or pressure. Noble includes six ear tip sizes in the box, which should cover most people’s needs and help achieve that perfect seal.

And the seal really does matter here. The passive noise isolation is excellent, blocking out a good chunk of ambient noise before the ANC even kicks in.

In the box, you get the earbuds, charging case, those six pairs of ear tips, a USB-C charging cable, and a cloth carrying pouch. No wireless charging support for the case, which is a bit disappointing at this price point.

The case itself is a bit chunky, but still compact enough to slip into a pocket.

One important note – there’s no official IP rating whatsoever. That means no water or sweat resistance certification, so you’ll want to keep these away from workouts, rainy weather, or anywhere a lot of moisture might be an issue. For £319 earbuds, that’s another significant limitation.

Pairing And Controlling The FoKus Amadeus

Pairing the Amadeus with your phone is quick and straightforward – they go into pairing mode as soon as you open the case for the first time. Once paired, reconnecting to your device is nearly instant.

There’s no Google Fast Pair support, but the standard Bluetooth pairing process is painless enough that it’s hardly a major issue.

Thanks to Bluetooth 5.4, the connection is rock-solid. During my testing period, I haven’t experienced any dropouts or disconnections, even in crowded areas where wireless signals usually struggle. The multi-point connection support is genuinely useful too – I kept mine paired to both my phone and PC, with calls automatically taking priority when they came through.

Controlling the earbuds is handled via touch-sensitive areas on the faceplates, and they respond reliably to taps. You get single, double, and triple tap options (but no long-press), which is enough to handle playback, volume, and ANC mode switching. I haven’t had any issues with accidental touches or unresponsive controls during my testing.

The Noble FoKus app is where you get some more control. You get a 10-band equaliser if you want to manually tweak the sound, but the real star here is the Audiodo Personal Sound feature.

The app plays a series of tones through each earbud, you mark what you can and can’t hear, and it builds a personalised EQ profile based on your hearing.

I’ll be honest – I was sceptical at first. These personalised hearing tests have been a gimmick on some of the past products I’ve tested. But this one genuinely works.

The difference was immediately noticeable, smoothing out some harshness in the treble while maintaining the bass response I enjoyed.

So, yes, an experienced audiophile can achieve the same result by tweaking the manual EQ to their liking – but with this, you don’t have to faff about with EQ sliders trying to get things just right.

The app also lets you customise what each touch gesture does on each earbud, switch between ANC modes, and update the firmware.

FoKus Amadeus Audio Quality

The sound quality is where the FoKus Amadeus truly begin to justify their premium price tag. Noble has fitted these with an 8.3mm custom triple-layer diaphragm dynamic driver, and the results are impressive straight out of the box.

On the codec front, you’re getting support for LDAC, aptX Adaptive, AAC, and SBC. iPhone users will be limited to AAC.

Now, I’m a heavy-bass fan, and these certainly deliver on that front. The bass feels full and punchy without ever becoming swampy or overwhelming the rest of the frequency range. It’s got proper weight and depth, the kind that makes you feel the music rather than just hear it.

But if you’re not into those big thumps like I am, you can dial back the bass using the app’s EQ. The default tuning leans towards bass lovers, but there’s enough flexibility to suit different preferences.

The balance across the frequency range is excellent. Mids stay clear and present, vocals sit where they should, and the treble extends nicely without getting harsh or sibilant. There’s a real sense of space to the sound – it feels roomy and open rather than cramped or flat.

I put them through their paces with a few tracks I know well.

Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” was first up. The kick and bass hit in a tight way that pulls you right in. The guitars have this rough shine that comes through clearer than I expected, with enough edge and grit to feel properly alive without turning piercing.

Next came Dua Lipa’s “Levitating”. The groove feels wide and kinda bouncy, and her voice sits right up front where it belongs. The whole track has more lift to it, and impressively, that energy holds up even at low volume, which is not very common for earbuds at any price.

All in all, they give you a roomy, vivid listen that makes both old and new stuff feel a bit livelier. Whether you’re revisiting albums you’ve heard a hundred times or discovering something fresh, the Amadeus have a way of making tracks feel more engaging and immersive.

They hold up brilliantly across different genres and volume levels too. I’ve used them for everything from podcast listening to lengthy music sessions, and the sound quality stays consistent and enjoyable throughout.

Active Noise Cancellation

The ANC on the FoKus Amadeus is… adequate. It’s clear that noise cancellation wasn’t Noble’s main focus here – which would have been fine, if not for the premium price point.

What you’re getting is the kind of ANC performance you’d typically find on much cheaper earphones these days. It handles constant background hums well enough – train engines, aeroplane drone, air conditioning – those steady, predictable sounds get knocked down effectively.

But don’t expect it to silence your surroundings completely. Talking people, keyboard typing, loud traffic – these all still come through clearly. If you’re after powerful ANC for noisy commutes or open-plan offices, there are better options out there.

The good news? Unlike some headphones where enabling ANC noticeably degrades the audio quality, the Amadeus actually sound the same – if anything, slightly better – with ANC switched on. That excellent soundstage and bass response I praised earlier? It all stays intact.

The passive noise isolation from those well-fitting ear tips does a respectable job on its own, blocking out a decent amount of ambient noise before the ANC even kicks in. For quieter environments or moderate background noise, the combination of good seal and modest ANC works well enough.

There’s also a Transparency mode if you need to hear your surroundings, and it works as you’d expect – letting external sounds through without needing to remove the earbuds.

Call quality is solid, thanks to the dual microphones with cVc noise cancelling. During my testing, calls came through clearly on both ends – I could hear the other person without issues, and they reported my voice sounded natural and intelligible even in moderately noisy environments.

Nothing groundbreaking, but it works as expected for everyday phone calls and video meetings.

FoKus Amadeus Battery Times

Battery life on the Amadeus is solid, if not quite class-leading. You’re looking at up to 12 hours on a single charge with ANC off, and 8 hours with it enabled. Add in the additional charges from the case, and you get a total of up to 42 hours before needing to plug in.

That’s genuinely respectable performance. During my testing, I found myself charging the case only a handful of times despite daily use for music, podcasts, and calls. They’ll easily last you through a full working week of commuting without needing a top-up.

The quick charge feature is handy too – just 10 minutes plugged in gets you around 2 hours of playback, which is perfect for those moments when you’ve forgotten to charge overnight and need to dash out the door.

Full charging times are reasonable: 90 minutes for the earbuds themselves, and 2 hours for the case via USB-C.

As always, your real-world battery life will vary depending on volume levels, which codec you’re using, and whether you’ve got ANC enabled. But even accounting for everyday usage patterns, these will comfortably get you through multiple days between charges.

Bottom Line: Are The FoKus Amadeus Worth It?

At £319, the Noble FoKus Amadeus shine where it matters most to the company – exceptional sound quality wrapped in a genuinely eye-catching design. That custom driver produces audio that competes with significantly pricier options, and the Audiodo Personal Sound calibration actually works, delivering real improvements without manual EQ fiddling.

But they’re not easy earbuds to recommend broadly, and that’s frustrating because they could have been with a few key changes.

The mediocre ANC might be forgivable if these cost £99, but at over £300, you expect more. The complete absence of any IP rating rules them out for active lifestyles or unpredictable British weather. These limitations feel like missed opportunities rather than acceptable compromises.

So who should buy the FoKus Amadeus? If you’re after audiophile-grade sound quality at what’s actually a mid-range price for premium earbuds, and you listen primarily in controlled environments where water resistance and powerful ANC don’t matter, these deliver brilliantly.

The sound genuinely impresses, and that striking red design ensures you’ll never mistake them for someone else’s buds.

But if you need well-rounded earbuds that excel across the board – your money goes further elsewhere. The Amadeus are specialists, not generalists, and you need to be comfortable with that trade-off before spending over three hundred quid.

As it stands, they’re brilliant for the right person – you just need to be certain you’re that person.

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