Description
I happen to be one the few people who owned the Monarch MK3. But recently I came across Crinacle’s review of the MK3 where he mentioned that he’d still prefer the MK2 over the MK3.
So it got me thinking about what did I miss and so I ordered the MK2 as well. And ever since it has reached my hands, I’ve been unable to put it down. The timbre of the MK2 is better that the MK3 and because of the lower bass, subjectively at least to me, it sounds more natural. Tonality is definitely superior to the MK3 but it’s not a day at night difference. I still do enjoy my
MK3 for R&B, Hip-hop kind of music, but every time I have to listen to something classic, I’d rather pick up the MK2 because the timbre is so correct and beautiful.
Thank you for your fantastic review! We're thrilled to hear that you're enjoying the ThieAudio Monarch MKII IEM. We also appreciate your insights on the comparison between the MK3 and MK2. We're glad to know that the MK2's timbre and tonality have exceeded your expectations. We hope you continue to enjoy your listening experience with us.
Build Quality and Design
The Monarch MK2 stands as a testament to meticulous craftsmanship. Its resin construction feels both substantial and refined. My piece features textured gold on the faceplate, emphasizing functionality over flashiness. In an era where aesthetics often overshadow true merit, the Monarch MK2’s practical design is a welcome change.
Comfort and Fit
The fit of the Monarch MK2 can be challenging for those with smaller ears. Initially, my left ear struggled with discomfort. However, I am of a generation accustomed to enduring initial pain for lasting comfort, much like old shoe bites. Within a month, my ear adapted, bruised, and healed, allowing me to wear them comfortably for hours on end. This willingness to endure discomfort speaks to my affection for these IEMs.
Sound Quality
Overall Sound Signature:
The Monarch MK2 is remarkably well-balanced, providing a perfect blend of bass, mids, and treble. They accurately represent the mix, making stellar recordings shine while rendering even poor mixes more listenable.
My signal chain is straightforward: Audirvana Studio (Tidal and local lossless and hi-res FLAC) -> RME Babyface Pro -> Optical input of a Mojo2 -> Monarch MK2.
Bass:
The bass is adequately textured with a fantastic presence. Sub-bass is full and satisfying, while mid-bass delivers tight, fast punches with remarkable clarity. The Mojo2 enhances the bass, making it well-layered and distinct. Contrary to some reviews, I found the bass separation excellent, reflecting the mix accurately without spilling into the lower mids. The bass has superb natural timbre, with fast transients and articulate heft.
Mids:
The mids are the highlight of the Monarch MK2. Vocals and instruments sound stunningly realistic, each note resolving with breathtaking accuracy. The timbre is the most lifelike I have encountered. Using my Moon Audio Dawn Pro, Nat King Cole’s “L.O.V.E” revealed an abundance of vocal detail and fullness with the Mojo2, showcasing the Monarch MK2’s scalability. These IEMs, hailed as the king of mids at any price, make Diana Krall’s voice feel present and thrilling. Whether it’s Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Stratocaster or Steve Vai’s tender “Surrender,” the Monarch MK2 captures the essence of each instrument with fidelity.
Treble:
The treble was a deciding factor in choosing the Monarch MK2 over the MK3. As a drummer, I crave the authentic timbre of cymbals and snares, and the Monarch MK2 delivers. Each ride and splash carries a heft that feels accurate, making Keith Carlock’s performances a learning experience. Despite their detailed treble, these IEMs avoid harshness or sibilance, even in poorly recorded tracks.
Performance with Different Genres:
The Monarch MK2 excels across genres, a rare feat due to its balanced nature. Thie Audio has truly struck gold with this creation. I revel in natural music—electric guitars, organs, and other mic’d instruments sound superb. While I don’t listen to EDM or similar genres, the Monarch MK2 performs exceptionally well with classical, rock, metal, and jazz. The soundstage, while not expansive, is deep and rich with detail. Each silence brims with resolving information, the details astonishing with the Mojo2. Imaging is precise, offering sharp clarity and depth.
Accessories and Packaging
The provided accessories are more than adequate. The silicone ear tips included are of good quality, though I found the AZLA SednaEarfit Crystal Standard tips to offer a better fit and build. The cable, with its vintage aesthetic and cloth texture, is functional and covers all plugs save for a 6.5mm one. The case, though pedestrian, reflects Thie Audio’s focus on investing in the IEMs themselves rather than extras—a philosophy I appreciate.
Value for Money
The Monarch MK2 offers exceptional value for its price. After extensive research on head-fi.org, I concluded that no IEM above this price point matches the Monarch MK2’s balance of bass, mids, and treble, combined with perfect tuning and timbre. Though some may find this balance mundane, it is precisely this equilibrium that sets the Monarch MK2 apart, making it an exceptional value at any price.
Final Thoughts and Recommendation
The Thie Audio Monarch MK2 IEMs exceeded my expectations. Their remarkable balance, timbre, and tonality make them a must-have for audiophiles. Should fate befall them, I would replace them without hesitation. For anyone considering IEMs in this price range, the Monarch MK2 is an obvious choice over the MK3 and other competitors. These IEMs deliver an unparalleled music experience that doesn’t require any additional enhancements ;)
In the end, the Monarch MK2 offers a journey through sound so profound that it leaves one in awe, craving for nothing more than to bask in its pure, unadulterated musical beauty.
Thank you for taking the time to leave such a detailed and helpful review of the ThieAudio Monarch MKII IEM. We truly appreciate your kind words and are delighted to hear that you are enjoying the product. We take great pride in the craftsmanship and design of our IEMs, and we are glad to hear that it has met your expectations.
We apologize for the initial discomfort you experienced with the fit, but we are happy to hear that it has improved over time. As you mentioned, sometimes it takes a little time to adjust to new earbuds, but we are glad that you found them comfortable after some time.
It's wonderful to hear that the Monarch MK2 provides a well-balanced sound signature and accurately represents the mix. We are thrilled that you are enjoying the bass, mids, and treble, and that you find the mids to be the highlight of the product. Thank you again for your review, and we hope you continue to enjoy your Monarch MK2 IEMs.
Any song will play effortlessly. Mids are clear and treble is also good, Bass is good.
I connected it with questyle m15 bang on.
Thank you for your review! We're glad to hear that you are enjoying the ThieAudio Monarch MKII IEM's all-around performance, with clear mids, good treble, and strong bass. It's great to know that you have also found a perfect match with the Questyle M15. Happy listening!
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.
You may also like
TRUSTED BY OVER 35K+ MUSIC ENTHUSIAST
Let customers speak for us
The Sennheiser IE 200 delivers impressive value for the price. Comfort-wise, they’re lightweight and fit snugly thanks to the ergonomic design and included foam/silicone tips—great for long listening sessions. Build quality is solid despite the plastic housing, and the detachable braided cable adds durability. As for the sound signature, it’s balanced and clean—tight bass, clear mids, and smooth treble without harshness. Bonus points for the dual-tuning feature that lets you slightly tweak the sound. A fantastic entry-level choice for anyone looking to step into the audiophile world.
There sound is pretty good
Good quality
a very well made cable from Dunu with modular plugs and a very secure fastening system (q lock), no microphonics noted, contrary to many reports, usage : Shure se215 + 4.4 plug + Hiby r4 and it really opens up the Shures and the over ear loops are very comfortable too
This is really warm sounding as advertised. Especially vocals are more engaging. The fact that its driven by phone power doesn't affect the sound quality in anyway like in other dacs I have experienced brighter, thin sound or few peaks in upper midrange. If earphones are having good sensitivity then this dac provides good enough power. Although bit bulky build is very good. I'm sure it can withstand frequent drops also. Have not tried the filters and listening to default filter only. One thing I noticed is although on paper power output is good for 32ohm its only good at driving earphones and not headphones. Distortion kicks in when volume is increased even at high gain setting. I'm only guessing current supplying capability for dynamic driver headphones is not sufficient. Tested with 300ohm HD600.
The sound quality is so much better than any other wireless earphones
The quality of wire is superb.
The mic quality is also good.
Length and feel of wire is good. Sound quality with my Tangzu warner is excellent
Have bought this on 17 Aug 2024 and after using it for almost half a year i can surely say this is the best one in this price range...
I like how crisp and clear the audio is, also how good the IEMs respond to EQing, which unlocks a lot whole lot of possibility
Recently bought this after seeing some positive reviews
Fit:
Unlike many reviews which talks about it's fit issue, it's a wonderful fit for me with the stock large size narrow bore tips. I usually go for medium or small size silicone tips but for this one large one fitted well. i guess large size long stem eartips fits well with this iem.
Sound:
Vocals and string instruments sounds forward but never thin or sharp or fatiguing and has a sweet timbre. I guess it's due to its thick note weight and the quality of dynamic driver.
Bass in general is good. But i would prefer little bit more sub bass quantity. Also prefer the bass to be a bit tighter. Not too tight as i am not a fan of too tight bass. Basically here bass decay is slow and i would prefer it to be moderate.
Treble has just enough energy and details but relaxed.
Overall it sounds very nice with a pleasant timbre.
Note that i replaced the stock cable with fiio ls-b 4.4 mm cable.
Great set to start your tip rolling journey!
Got the delivery under 24 hrs.
This is wonderful product and quality is great. Very good working with mic.
And support samsung s22 ultra.
The Moondrop Blessing 3 is a hybrid IEM with excellent performance and a largely neutral sound signature with a slight bass boost. It offers impressive detail retrieval, resolution, and instrument separation for its price.
Pros:
* Excellent detail and clarity: It reveals subtle nuances in music.
* Balanced sound: Largely neutral with a well-controlled bass that doesn't bleed into other frequencies.
* Good technicalities: Strong imaging and separation of instruments.
* Comfortable for wearing for long periods
* Solid build quality
Cons:
* Fit can still be an issue for those with smaller ears.
* The cable could have been better.
Overall an excellent IEM for me.... Well done Moon drop!!!
The KZ ZSN Pro 2 offers exceptional sound quality at an affordable price. With a hybrid driver setup (1 dynamic + 1 balanced armature), it delivers a punchy V-shaped sound signature with deep bass, clear mids, and sparkling highs. The soundstage is surprisingly wide with good instrument separation and imaging. Build quality is solid, featuring metal faceplates and a comfortable, ergonomic design. While the cable and accessories are basic, the overall performance makes the ZSN Pro 2 a fantastic value for budget audiophiles.
Yes it is very comfortable 👍
