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Description
The king is back and is new and improved! Introducing the ThieAudio Monarch MKII. Using feedback from the audiophile community, this in-ear monitor takes what it does best and improves on it to give you an IEM that’s fit for royalty!
The King is Back!
The ThieAudio Monarch is back and it’s better than it ever was. The Monarch MKII’s tuning has been redefined with driver overhauls. To design this IEM, experts from the R&D team took the reviews and comments from the audiophile community to improve on one of the most revered monitors of its class. The Monarch MKII includes a more balanced sound signature with all the drivers being updated & rearranged for a power-packed performance.
Let the Bass Drop
The original Monarch had a super defined and emphasized sub-bass. While some enjoyed the clean separation between the sub-bass and the low-mid frequencies, others were concerned about its quantity. To improve the resolution, ThieAudio added a 10mm composite diaphragm to the dynamic driver. This created a high membrane tension and magnet strength for extreme responsiveness.
Sub-Bass that Creates an Impact
When engineered to reproduce only sub-bass frequencies, the dynamic driver becomes a subwoofer, producing even tighter and more impactful kick drums and basslines. This ensures a clean and punchy subwoofer-like sound that doesn’t muddy the mids but adds a slightly warm texture to low-frequency instruments like the bass guitar. In addition, this IEM also features two dedicated subwoofer balanced armature drivers. The low-pass crossover was pushed from 150Hz to 200Hz for better coherency between the lows and the rest of the frequency spectrum.
Natural & Well-Balanced Mids
The heart of the Monarch i.e. the precise and neutral mids has been retained, making it perfect for studio monitoring. To reinforce this, the mid-frequency drivers were doubled to four balanced armatures for low distortion and high clarity and resolution. This keeps the frequencies between 200Hz and 1kHz ruler flat while the mid-treble transition between 1 and 2kHz has been pushed back to 3kHz for lower nasal and harsh vocal textures, while still emphasizing the bite and crispness of instruments.
EST Drivers, Now Even Better!
The Monarch is one of the few IEMs to incorporate EST drivers successfully. The new version rearranges the new drivers to minimise unwanted tubing resonance and extends the treble roll-off. This gives you even and detailed high-frequencies with improved sparkly, airy, and high-resolution atmosphere in your music. Each aspect of this IEM has been meticulously tested by ear and measurement equipment to bring ThieAudio’s vision to life.
About ThieAudio
What do you get when you bring together the best & most innovative engineers in the industry? That’s what ThieAudio set out to find out as a creative platform by Linsoul Audio. Each person in the team is carefully selected to inspire revolutionary IEMs for audiophiles, professional musicians and audio enthusiasts alike.
About the Signature Series
After the runaway success of the Phantom, Voyager and Legacy series, ThieAudio decided to once more raise the bar with the Signature Series. This series features the latest driver technology from the Danish manufacturer, Sonion — the Electrostatic (EST) tweeter. This driver utilises an ultralight membrane in a small tweeter chamber that’s powered by an independent transformer that extends the treble range up to 80kHz.
Customer Reviews
Just the right amount of treble...extra clear mids(u can hear each n every instrument...it is a detail expert)...and right amount of boosted bass to make it enjoyable !!! Does justice to all fenres of music. Using it with fiio KA5 which just gives it a wider soundstage and textured bass...makes it better than with ibasso dc06 which is more clearer...but very close n intimate which i dont prefer. Using it with spinfit w1 which gives better fit and comfort... as the stock tip are quite stiff causing discomfort. Love the monarch mk 2 :D
Wow, thank you for your great review of the Thie Audio Monarch MKII IEM! We're glad to hear that you're happy with the sound quality of the IEMS and that they tune perfectly to your personal preferences. We think that they're great for all types of music - from classical to metal - and would be happy to hear your thoughts on other genres too!
This is probably the best iem I’ve ever heard
20 hours of burn in will open up the drivers,
The sound is neutral, feels airy, I’m totally happy with the purchase .
Thanks to Pritham for suggesting me this gem🙏
Thank you for your kind words! We're so glad you're happy with your purchase of the ThieAudio Monarch MKII IEM.
This IEM will stay with me for a very long time. Superb for daily listening and also an excellent refrence point for premium IEM's.
I have been using these daily (5+ hours) for more than a week now. It took me a few days to truly realize what a marvel these Monarch MKIIs are! Read on.
My setup includes using these on my laptop via my iFi Audio - ZEN DAC V2 and iFi Audio - ZEN CAN Signature HFM (Amp) via the 4.4 balanced output as well as on the Quedlix 5k DAC-Amp via the 2.5 balanced output. Source: Apple Music, Youtube Music (Premium).
You can run through these excellent test tracks to examine various aspects of your headphones/IEMs and trust me, you will see your equipment’s capabilities in a new (and hopefully good) light after that. https://www.whathifi.com/features/10-best-tracks-to-test-your-headphones OR https://hifigo.com/blogs/guide/7-best-tracks-to-test-your-headphones-and-in-ear-monitors-i. Btw, I think the Monarch MKIIs slayed all these tracks and it was difficult for me to fault it anywhere. You can of course find faults if you search hard enough but then as a consumer, you listen to music for enjoyment and not to look so hard for faults (with a microscope).
An important observation- for me, the Monarch MKII’s sound quality improved a lot after 2-4 days of usage (daily 5+ hours). Everything became more pronounced, tighter, clearer, separated, and airier. The in-ear fit also improved for me as the days passed. I am using the ‘S’ foam tips. I also note that if you’re using these IEMs over Bluetooth, LDAC is your best bet for exploiting the full potential. The iPhone's AAC is just not good enough over Bluetooth.
Physical aspects: As my first flagship IEM, I initially found the size to be a little bigger than usual. I was not used to this category and type of IEMs before. However, after use, I see that it sits fine in my medium-sized ears offering long (3+) hours of listening sessions with comfort. The passive sound isolation is also very good with low (20-25%) volume music being enough to mask any sounds that still trickle in, including human voices. The build quality is superb, and the cable is something you must see and touch to understand! Basically, one can carry around and use this with confidence. No flimsy or delicate parts, wires, jacks, or joints on this one. The case is also spacious, well-built, and on the larger side. Do note that the IEMs themselves are very delicate and handle them with care when picking them off or placing them on tables and other hard surfaces.
Sound Quality: The sound quality is very impressive! Many times, it's as if it has almost entered open-back headphone territory (I own the Hifiman Ananda too). All this coming in such a small, pocket-friendly, and portable package is mind-blowing! You cannot carry a full-sized open-back headphone during travel. But carrying this IEM is surely an option and it helps to get sound quality so much closer to open backs.
The sound is not overly analytical/critical or flat. It has the right tuning to give a fun but natural sound. It’s the kind I can listen to for hours. The bass is hefty and good, but never overpowering. Mids. are well-presented and very visible when they must be (vocally intense songs). Treble and clarity too are very nicely presented, but never harsh or sibilant. Layering and separation are also very good - complex tracks with busy passages having excessive multiple instruments playing simultaneously are delivered well. The soundstage is average though – it is more of a ‘most sounds coming from the left & right at shoulder width’ case. In some tracks, you will feel the base at the jaw while the treble is a little higher. But it’s never the kind of soundstage that will make you look at the door when you hear a knock in the music/movie. The sounds keep around (mostly left-right) and close to your head.
Additional observations- the Monarch pairs exceptionally well with the Quedelix 5k DAC-Amp. The sound is at another level! This works so good for a portable setup in the house as well as while traveling.
One more thing- make sure you talk to Pritam from TAS once before you finalize your purchase. Explain your music preferences, likes, and dislikes to him. He is knowledgeable and hence guides the purchases very well.
This is really good IEM. Very sturdy IEM. Little more bass for my taste. Clean mids. God spacious sound stage. However I find Fiio FD7 much more dynamic, with right amount of bass, more cleaner, holographic imaging and good soundstage. This could be just personal choice.
From Blon 03 in Feb' 2021 to Monarch mk 2 in Feb' 2022, my journey of iems has been full of thrill, excitement and surprises. Coming from series of iems like Blon 3, ZSX, Starfield, Fiio FD5, Fiio FH5, Fiio FD3, Summer, Legacy 5, Oh10, TFZ live 3, Kato, Blessing 2, Timeless, Hana and Audio Lokahi, I was truly mesmerized and intoxicated by what Monarch mk 2 brought to my table and highly highly appreciate this for the sound and music reproduction, which I could never experience before.
I shall definitely be updating my experience after a week or two of thorough listening, as of now I can say that it really wows me with its ability to produce full body engaging sound with stunning imaging, absorbing vocals and hypnotic instrument clarity and separation. Despite being so complicated hardware inside, i find sound to be extremely natural and soothing to ears without being sibilant or unnatural tlmbre.
Thank you so much Pritam Halpawat ji for your grand suggestion.
Thanks
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Its best wired headphone i have ever owned.
This demo unit is as perfect as the original one. The sound quality, the bass, everything is best.
For the price point of 245 rupees the quality is good.
The proliferation of the 4.4 mm (Pentaconn) connector on the output side of amps and DAPs has not been matched on the input side, except for few iFi products. The 4.4 to dual XLR is hence like heaven-sent. And TheAudioStore price is simply unbeatable.
I think earphones are just good. They are light, very minimal design, comfortable for long listening hours, sound quality is crystal clear, cable quality is also good, buttons don't work unless you have a quality converter or DAC. It has mic, what more you want. Overall it is a decent earphone.
It is my first IEM, it has good sound, first impression will be bad but as you will listen , it will be very pleasant. Use special one eartips
Friends, this is the best dac out there for the price and rightly said, it leaves no competition behind. Go for it without any second thought and this is no boasting but Pritam Ji is a good man and he will guide you in case you seek any advice.
I have been using the normal earbud style earphones earphones from ambrane, portronics etc which are priced at below 400Rs and decided to upgrade to the VE monk plus, the difference in sound clarity is easily differentiable. there is clear separation in the base, vocals etc. I guess once you use better earphones, you understand the difference in audio quality. I purchased the without mic version as i needed an earphone that works with My nokia express music 5310 as modern earphones with mic are not supported.
The HiBy R6 Pro II is an absolute triumph in terms of build and sound quality, but it wins at the cost of battery life (5.5-7.5 hours). If you're able to accommodate this design choice, I believe you'd be hard-pressed to find a better DAP for under $1000.
The R6 Pro II is built like a tank and looks stunning in purple. Album artwork pops on the crisp 2K display, and I've yet to encounter bugs with the rock-solid implementation of Android 12. Although it runs warm during operation (especially Class A mode), it's not been an issue thus far.
The AKM chipset offers musicality against a pitch-black background without compromising on neutrality. Its MSEB feature provides ample customization options and enables listeners to tweak the sound as per their preferences. The soundstage width is already excellent, and I hope the depth improves after burn-in to lend more of a holographic experience.
Works as intended!
Sony does not disappoint with the NW-A306. I like the customization possibilities and the android interface.
The shell is big bit somehow very comfortable fo extended use. The sound signature is about what I expected soo no complaints there. The only thing is I'm not a big fan of l connectors but that's a minor gripe.
This is my first IEM and my mind is blown by the audio quality of it and also the premium feel and built quality of the IEM which is made by Zr ceramic. It not only looks and feels good but also the clarity, passive noise cancellation, and comfort are good. Definitely a 10/10 and would suggest the people to buy it. The gift packaging it came into was also very thoughtful from the side of 'The audio store' people and was impressed by it.
