Kinera skuld Kinera baldr 2 Campfire audio stolaris C a stolaris 2020 C a Vega 2020 C a Dorado 2020 C a mammoth Thieaudio prestige Ltd Monarch mk3 Monarch mk2 Mangird xenns up Tin hifi p1 plus Kiwi ears orchestra lite
Not "hypobaric" but "isobaric." Two drivers in a push-pull configuration in a single chamber. The two drivers in this configuration will lessen the needed cavity volume for an equivalent sound pressure level.
The new faceplate design uses dichrolam, specifically the "red burl" design for your pair. You can buy sheets of them and mod your own iem faceplates. They all look gorgeous!
Ahhhh ok thanks, i think I have seen that on knife handles (another hobby) i didnt recognize it as its in a smaller form here. Really looks incredible in person and almost always different depending on the light source.
Great review! Good to hear they have worked on the bass and the fit - the only two weakpoints of the Monarch Mk2 imo. Also good to know you test your IEMs with jazz and vocal jazz like Porter.
Ditto on the jazz performance references in your videos! One of my all time favorite test tracks is Waters of March on a Twist of Jobim featuring Al Jarreau and Oleta Adams, Al’s voice has a complexity and is just deep enough for lower midrange tests, and Oleta’s voice dances and gives a nice test of upper mids low treble, and when they sing together the voices are panned just off center to see if imaging and voice timbre holds up. Really enjoying your reviews! Would love to hear these! Thieaudio needs to show up at CanJams 🙏🙏🙏
Thank you for the review, why do you prefere Prestige Ltd over Monarch mk3 … you spoke about it a little bit, just how can I decide get the one or the other Thank you❤✌️🔥
I finally got my quintet, and man oh man it really sounds like it should be priced at $500. I really really like it. It’s what I hoped the orchestra lite would have been.
How have the connectors for the 2 pin and the 4 pin connectors held up on your thieaudio iems?Have they gotten looser over time? I’ve seen some people complain that their thieaudio iem cable connectors were loose at first or got loose with time. I wanna get the prestige ltd but I’m a bit concerned about qc
Lovely video! I like that they gave faceplate and shell options, but what I don't like is the price tag and the shell/faceplate combos don't really match well. I have a custom Sound Rhyme SR8, which cost 50 dollars extra and they gave me probably 50 different faceplates and 30 shells, and said I could mix, match and combine, even go beyond the options given. Meanwhile on the MK3 we get some shells that won't go well with most of the faceplates and two of the faceplates come exclusively with the black shell..? Luckily the standard model looks very good, but it would have been nice if they made more of an effort cause it's a great feature
The IEMs listed: Kinera Baldur, Campfire Solaris Campfire vega 2020, Campfire Solaris 2020 Kinera Skuld, Campfire Dorado 2020 Thieaudio Prestige ltd, Thieaudio Monarch MkII Tinhifi P1+, 7th Acoustic Supernova? Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite, Campfire Audio Mammoth Also, curious how the bass on the Prestige Ltd and MkIII compares to the bass monster that is the Vega in terms of layering and texture. I know that the MkI doesn’t come close to the Vega 2016 imo,
So close...... not the Supernova Sure I have some video comparissons planned this week as a follow up. Ill talk in more depth then but the Vega is still my favorite in terms or raw bass. The quantity more impactful but the Mkiii takes mid bass resolution.
Yes i prefer the Prestige - Even more comprehensive IEM, Tonaly beautiful and lots of clarity and detail. Plus it has a beatiful top end. But this is more personal preferance. Somone whos ears like the mk3 tuning more will swear its the better one. Nobody is wrong :)
@@jasonblaise6786 Prestige LTD is the better all rounder. The Monarch MK3 will have that fun factor and more low end. But if you listen to a wide variety of music. The Prestige LTD does not lack in the low end, it still has plenty. Treble is also smoother and more refined. Staging is larger and imaging is more precise. And overall detail and clarity is a notch better compared to the Monarch MK3. With bass heavy music, the MK3 can be a bit much in the low end that sometimes I have to eq it down. The Prestige LTD is just right as long you have a good fit and seal
Hay @AudioLevels , been a big fan for a few years now, find you incredibly accurate with your analysis as we have similar tastes. I am just about to pick up a pair of these...question is, would you recommend any other within the 900 - 1300 price range? I am looking at the BGVP Phantom as well, have you experienced these? Will genuinely take your suggestion. Thanks in advance.
That’s insane how quickly you’ve got them in! Man, they sure do look tempting compared to the MKII. I’m still on the fence about it if I’m honest. Anyways, great review!
Enjoyed the video and particularly your tips for tracks to test sound quality. One that I often use is "Happiness is Easy" by Talk Talk, has acoustic double bass and guitar so great for treble and sub bass comparison.
How does the midrange compare to the MKII because for me that was the star of the show? I'm just waiting to here that they have kept it the same or improved it and it is a buy for me. Thanks for the lovely review btw. I've watched a couple of your vids and I'm now subscribed
Thanks :) Midrange is fairly similar but because the transition to the midrange from sub bass appears a bit elevent it adds slightly more prominance to the lower midrange than the mk2. Thats not to say that the lower mids take control just that they are more linear. I really like it and the mids are still the star for me here.
Very informative and detailed review thanks. I'm toying with the idea of some new IEMS and this keeps coming up. The most I've spent on iems have been the shure ae846, now ten years old which bowled me over at the time. Some r then some Sennheiser ie600 (great with classical), some 7hz Timeless (great fun), some TruthEar Hexas (which only came alive for me with the chord mojo 2). This is a step up in price. Hmmm
I just bought this in the Disco face plate. I have a red aesthetic for my setup. Any recommendations on a red cable to go with this? 4.4mm if it matters. Cheers!
Thanks for the review,do you think it's worth buying it if I have the MKII ? Or shall I go for something else if I care mostly about the accuracy of the details and the resolution?
If you can step up to the Prestige i think thats worth it. In regards to the Mkii its more whether you would really want more mid bass. In the other areas i would say its to similar sounding. But the overall is that yes the Mkiii is definitely better but coming from a mkii its not going to be a massive change in flavor, more a set of nice refinements over what you already have.
@@AudioLevels thanks for the advice, actually I was considering the prestige limited and compare it with other options like MEST MK II or the U12t ,I'm listening mostly to instrumental music ,sometimes to vocals but instrumental more important,what I feel about the MKII that it's soft ,not pushing the details strongly but at the same time it's detailed ,it's like you could hear all the details but without highlighting it ,I don't know how to describe it on musical terms ,but comparing the same track with a speaker ,you know in that specific second the percussion stroke or high hats symbols must be more pronounced ,I tried changing DAPs and amps ,and yes there is improvement with desktop amps but still feel it soft
I’ve been out of the audio game for over a year. Trying less expensive offerings an then getting the MKII. That was my endgame. I’m not sure I really care about this new one. I got really burned out after watching 1,000,000 reviews of all the chifi market. It just gets fatiguing after a while chasing the “best” thing.
Truth is theres usually no best thing. And believe me its just as fatiguing to review a bunch of stuff that is essentially the same. The perception that has been created via nonsense reviewers and online forums leads the belief x is better than y because its new. Its just nonsense. Some new techs and drivers and configurations do have better properties etc but not necessarily making them better. I could name 10s of headphones/IEM's that have long been discontinued that are still relevant in todays scape but people don't want to hear it unfortunatley. Take the Koss Porta Pro for example. I have a video coming within the next 2 weeks about how its very existance and popularity completley runs a mockery over the new is somehow better crowd. As for the Mkiii for the mkii, technically i think its better, but they could have just released it as a new named IEM instead of overhauling something that is already incredible. After all this Mk3 is a new tuning and new driver and housing. We are now seeing a lot of this, blessing 3, tin hifi P1 Plus, Oracle II. So I agree 100% the market is well and truly saturated at this point. Good to have lots of options but bad that it devalues some great IEM's based on release dates.
@@AudioLevels I give away Koss porta pros to friends that that are interested in headphones for whatever various reasons. They are amazing little things.
I've haven't demoed heard the ThieAudio Monarch MK2 or MK3, but own and enjoy both the 64 Audio A12t (custom) and Unique Melodyy MEST MKII (custom) Both of which I really enjoy. For those who have heard these models, how would you compare the tonal balance, soundstage and imaging? And lastly, do you think it's worth demoing the MK3, what (if any) would I benefit over the MEST and A12ts. Cheers!
Also you might want to read up on isobaric bass design. These are not two individual dds where you can specify one each for different tasks, like sub-bass and mid-bass.
Linsoul/Thie cheaped out on the packaging, presentation, and accessories. Looks like people will need to budget out $100-$300 on an aftermarket cable for the Monarch Mk 3, along with aftermarket eartips. Good to see they've improved and upgraded the ergonomics, faceplates, drivers, and tuning, while keeping the price the same (unless you choose custom faceplates and/or shells). Companies like Unique Melody keep jacking up the price of their popular IEM revisions, without substantial improvements. This is going be my next and hopefully final IEM purchase. I have way too many IEMs lol.
UM, Campfire and far more are ripping the p*** at this point IMHO. A real cash grab, I understand economies of scale but I can all but guarantee at this range people would choose the according to personal tuning preferences in a bling test. Thing is at about $1000+ this sound earily similar in cababilities and most of the differentiation comes from the tuning, shells, cables etc. In the end the community me myself included is responsible for this sad situation. To me the Monarch Mkiii prestige punch with any of the big boys and thus represent value in the segment.
@@AudioLevels Yeah too many companies are ripping people off. They're free to charge whatever amount they feel they can get away with, but smart consumers know that the audiophile industry is full of predatory companies looking to make a killing on lovers of music. Good news is, there has been companies offering incredible IEMs at a fraction of the price of TotL / flagship products. Penon, Sound Rhyme, AÜR Audio just to name a few.
Hey, I've two questions, is btr5 good enough to drive it? And is it worth getting if I'm only using with stock tips? Third party tips are very difficult to get where I live.
Hi there :) Yes the Btr5 will be enough to power this headphone and its a good little amp :) The eartips i recommend are just really good for fit etc they arent necessary for the sound which is still wonderful with the stock tips.
I own both the Dorado 2020 and The Solaris 2020. I was hoping you might offer a comparison in the video but you only very briefly touched on the original Solaris.
I’ve heard xelastec tips dull the bass, but in my experience it doesn’t. Along with spinfit w1, azla crystal and jvc fx10 spiral dots. Those are my go to tips for $100 plus iems. Kbear 07 aren’t bad either, as well as the other spinfits and azla light/vivid. Actually I’d put the lights and vivids up there with the best.
Dulls the bass.... those forums bring out some characters lol. Very good list of tips you have there and i agree about $100 is where i start to add them as they are a bit exprensive, i do get great longevity from them and they stay tacky forever., i need to try those spiral dots.
Did you order these preorder or is this a review pair? If you ordered, what was the shipping time like? Thinking about pulling the trigger and just getting the preorder now
Review pair. However i order from Linsoul a lot and the delivery times are pretty decent. I usually recieve via DHL so depending on your location for actual travel time will vary. As for how fast they get it out the door the past 3 orders I made each shipped within 2-3 days which i was happy with.
@@AudioLevelsah nice I see. Just wondering since it's still in preorder phase whether it's even in stock or if it will be ~1month wait time like the mk2s were when they released
If the manufacturer makes a $1000 IEM would they not go the whole way and supply a cable and ear tips that they recommend to display their product in the best possible way?
Thieaudio I believe may have thought the cable was an improvement. The eartips is an additional cost i reckon but i see it well worth them bulk buying and including these tips. The Sedna are now a key staple in my setup and i recommend them to pretty much everyone at this point. I definetly would love to see them default included in higher end IEM's.
Coming from the original Monarch or choosing one or the other? If I had the Monarch already I would stick with it but if i was choosing between I would get the oracle because I prefer it.
Nice review! But if you're rocking 1K+ earphones, better to at least learn the one universal cable wrapping technique that any pro audio engineer will recommend: over-under. Wrapping a cable around your hand is what causes the twist to become non-uniform, cause kinks, and ultimately kill your cable prematurely.
Packaging in bulk quantities costs the retailer only a few dollars per unit. (speaking from experience) When I see a $50 IEM with upmarket packaging, I'm suspicious. When spending $1,000+ I want to be impressed with the whole experience, of course sound comes first, but how the product is presented is important.
