THIEAUDIO Monarch MKII
NEW Tribrid King - 1DD + 6BA + 2EST In-Ear Monitor
- Upgraded Brand New 10mm Composite Diaphragm Dynamic Driver
- Balanced Armatures from Sonion and Knowles
- Sonion Electrostatic Drivers
- Ultra-pure Silver-plated OCC Copper 26AWG Litz Wires
- Comes with Smart Switch including 2.5mm 3.5mm and 4.4mm terminations
THIEAUDIO Monarch MKII
Der König, neu gestimmt und verfeinert
Mehr als eineinhalb Jahre nach seiner Erstveröffentlichung ist der beliebteste und am meisten gelobte IEM der Thieaudio Signature-Serie bereit für ein Comeback! Der Monarch wurde mit Treiberüberholungen und einer verbesserten Abstimmung komplett neu definiert. Der Monarch war sowohl für Thieaudio als auch für die globale Audio-Community ein monumentaler Meilenstein. Er war nicht nur einer der ersten IEMs, der die EST-Treibertechnologie richtig integrierte, sondern etablierte auch Thieaudios Platz in der Welt des Hi-Fi-Audios. Unser Forschungs- und Entwicklungsteam hat die Bewertungen und Kommentare der Audiophilen-Community verfolgt, um einen der bereits am meisten verehrten Monitore seiner Klasse zu verfeinern und die ultimative Form des Monarch zu präsentieren: Monarch Mark II.
Ein neuer Motor setzt neue Grenzen
Unser Ziel für den Monarch MKII war es, seine technische Leistung zu verbessern und eine ausgewogenere Abstimmung einzuführen, ohne dabei dem ursprünglichen Geist dieses Monitors treu zu bleiben. Wir haben diese Gelegenheit genutzt, um alle internen Treiber zu aktualisieren, sie durch ihre neuesten Gegenstücke zu ersetzen und ihre Konfigurationen neu anzuordnen, um eine noch optimalere Leistung zu erzielen.
Der 10-mm-Dynamiktreiber wurde zu einem brandneuen Verbundmembrantreiber aufgerüstet. Durch eine enorme Steigerung der Membranspannung und Magnetstärke ermöglicht der neue Treiber eine extreme Reaktionsfähigkeit. Und wenn dieser dynamische Treiber speziell für die Wiedergabe nur der Subbassfrequenzen entwickelt wurde, wird er zu einem Subwoofer, der noch straffere und wirkungsvollere Kick-Drum- und Basslinien-Punchs erzeugt. Zusätzlich wurden zwei dedizierte Subwoofer-Balanced-Armature-Treiber mit dem dynamischen Treiber gepaart, was eine makellose Kohärenz zwischen den Tiefen und dem Rest des Frequenzspektrums ergibt.
Treiberkonfiguration
Das Herzstück des Monarch waren schon immer seine extrem präzisen und neutralen Mitten, die ihn zu einem so leistungsfähigen Studiomonitor machen. Um diese Eigenschaft zu betonen, haben wir die Balanced-Armature-Treiber neu konfiguriert und diesen Kernbereich mit vier Mittelfrequenztreibern verstärkt.
Die Verdoppelung der Mitteltöner des ursprünglichen Monarch brachte unglaubliche technische Fortschritte. Die Verzerrung wurde reduziert, während Auflösung, Klarheit und Artikulation der Mittel- und Hochtöner deutlich verbessert wurden. Diese einzelne Änderung reichte aus, um den Monarch MKII im Vergleich zu seinem Vorgänger wie ein völlig neues Biest erscheinen zu lassen, während gleichzeitig der charakteristische, studioneutrale Mitteltonbereich erhalten blieb.
Neueste Technologie
Im Monarch MKII sind die neuesten elektrostatischen Treiber integriert. Durch die Neuanordnung der Treiberpositionen wurden unerwünschte Rohrresonanzen minimiert und der Hochfrequenzabfall im Vergleich zum ursprünglichen Monarch erweitert. Dies bedeutet, dass der Höhenbereich gleichmäßiger und detaillierter ist. Unsere innovative Integration der EST-Treiber in das Setup sorgt für ein stärkeres Gefühl von funkelnder, luftiger und hochauflösender Atmosphäre in Ihrer Musik. Der Monarch MKII setzt die Tradition von Thieaudio fort und ist einer der wenigen In-Ear-Monitore der Welt, der die EST-Technologie richtig nutzt.
Neu abgestimmt für eine ausgewogene Perfektion
Einer der umstrittenen Klangaspekte des ursprünglichen Monarch war sein überdefinierter und betonter Subbass. Während einige die saubere Trennung zwischen dem Subbass und den tiefen Mittelfrequenzen genossen, äußerten andere Bedenken hinsichtlich der schieren Menge des Subbasses. Um eine Lösung herbeizuführen, haben wir die Lautstärke des Subbasses leicht auf angemessenere Werte verringert und gleichzeitig die Tiefpassweiche von 150 Hz auf 200 Hz erhöht. Diese Änderung behält immer noch die saubere und druckvolle Subwoofer-ähnliche Charakteristik der Tiefen bei, die die Mitten nicht verdüstert, sondern grundlegenden Niederfrequenzinstrumenten wie der Bassgitarre eine immer leicht warme Textur verleiht.
Die mittleren Frequenzen zwischen 200 Hz und 1 kHz bleiben auf einem messerscharfen Neutralpegel, der den Monarch MKII zu einem tadellosen professionellen Überwachungsgerät macht. Der Mittel-Hochton-Übergang zwischen 1 und 2 kHz wurde auf 3 kHz zurückgedrängt, was nasale oder harsche Stimmtexturen reduziert, aber dennoch Biss und Klarheit der Instrumente betont. Jeder Aspekt des Abstimmungsprozesses wurde genau unter die Lupe genommen und sorgfältig mit Gehör und Messgeräten getestet, und wir sind stolz, die perfekte Vision des Monarch MKII präsentieren zu können.
Premium-Kabelsystem
Mit unserer neuen Version haben wir auch das bisherige EST-Kabel verbessert. Unser EST-Kabel ist wegen seiner Haptik und seiner hochauflösenden Klangeigenschaften beliebt und war eines unserer meistverkauften Produkte. Wir haben die physische Beschaffenheit des Kabels durch die Verwendung eines weichen geflochtenen Paracord-Materials verbessert.
Das Standardkabel des Monarch MKII verfügt noch immer über die ultrareinen, versilberten 26AWG OCC-Kupferlitzen, aber die zusätzliche Litzeneinbindung verleiht ihm ein etwas kernigeres Gefühl und einen satteren Klang. Am wichtigsten ist jedoch, dass dieses neue Standardkabel über den proprietären „Smart Switch“ verfügt, ein neues modulares Steckerdesign, mit dem Sie durch einfaches Austauschen der Steckerenden zwischen symmetrischen 4,4-mm-, symmetrischen 2,5-mm- und unsymmetrischen 3,5-mm-Anschlüssen wählen können. Dadurch werden keine sperrigen Adapter mehr benötigt, und Ihr Setup sieht vollständiger aus und fühlt sich auch so an. Die 2-poligen Anschlüsse am Standardkabel wurden ebenfalls aktualisiert, um einen sichereren Sitz mit Ihren IEMs zu gewährleisten.
Über Thieaudio
Thieaudio wurde 2019 als kreatives Projekt von Linsoul Audio gegründet. Das Ziel von Thieaudio war es, als kreative Plattform zu dienen, auf der die besten Ingenieurteams zusammenkommen, um revolutionäre Audioprodukte für Audiophile und Profis gleichermaßen zu entwickeln. Für jedes Projekt wählen wir die innovativsten und renommiertesten Ingenieure ihres Fachgebiets aus, die das Design, die Konstruktion und die Herstellung der Produkte überwachen.
Basierend auf dem Erfolg der planarmagnetischen Kopfhörer Thieaudio Phantom sowie der In-Ear-Monitore (IEMs) der Serien Voyager, Legacy und Signature sind wir bestrebt, die Grenzen des Hi-Fi-Audios kontinuierlich zu erweitern. Wir heißen Sie herzlich willkommen, sich uns anzuschließen und herausragende musikalische Darbietungen zu erleben.
Technical Details
Cleaning cloth*1
Adapter*3 (2.5mm/3.5mm/4.4mm)
Cable*1
Ear tips*3 pairs (S/M/L)
- 1 x THIEAUDIO Monarch MKII
- User Manual
Processing Time
This product is in Pre-order period. Pre-orders are provided for items that have not reached us and will take some time to be shipped out.
Pre-order Period: 3-4 weeks.
Note:
- No cancellation of orders once ordered.
- All orders to be shipped out sequentially.
Customer Reviews
Everyone has their subjective points of view. I am no different. So what I say ...I say from my own experience. The Monarch MK2 is simply the greatest balance of Sound quality vs maximum Diminishing returns balance. It is about 30% better than the Oracle MK2( which was amazing) and it fits my ears, which is the key for many people. The Bass is lush, the mids are flat-out ruler perfect, the Timbre and vocals are the best I've ever heard on any sound instrument, and the Treble Est drivers work perfectly without any harshness or loss of details. Finally, I love the look of the cable down to the IEM Dragon's scale-like look, so much that I nicked named these "Kilgharrah". I especially love the fact that I can still drive these off an Apple dongle to my phone when I'm away from my desk. This whole unit just screams quality and superiority. It is the ENDGAME for IEM's for my life.
Heard/own a few ones… Tangzu , moondrop aria, blessing 2, and the monarch mk2 are, by far, the biggest step in quality improvement, when I was expecting the law of diminishing returns to kick in. Not on this one, beats all the others for a mile.
I’ve heard two complaints before I bought it: the size, and the cable:
Starting from the cable, people said it was too heavy and uncomfortable. I have the opposite experience, it’s super solid in a good way and doesn’t tangle like the others.
As for the size - for my (big) ears they just fit amazing and provide a seal and stability the others can’t compete with. They fit really well on the ear lobe, and unlike the others, where I had to put spinfits, the provided ones is where I got better results with.
It has a drawback though… I can’t hear my Senns 660S2, this is _way_ better!!!
THIEAUDIO Monarch MKII
The best IEM I've ever heard so far. Good rumble bass, exceptional detail retriever and good treble extension.
The sound of the MKII is fantastic, but the fit, even with larger ears is not good. In addition to the position of the connectord in the ear pieces themselves (why so far outside with such a big ear piece itself?), the plugs on the cable are too big (high). The cable slips over the ear very often, which is very annoying. I cut them off myself and now the fit is fine, but this can easily be fixed by offering either standard plugs or short plugs.
these are hands down the best sounding thing i have ever used
I love this IEM since the very first time I heard it. it's neutral with a potent sub-bass response that's perfect for a large part of my library. while I think the midrange is exemplary, the bass quality is below average for a kilo-buck set, yet, it sounds "natural" enough to my ears with great rumble than slam, and I can accept that. the treble is smooth and sparkly at the same time, there's no hint of brightness or harshness, and far from being sibilant. I think overall, it's tonally pleasant and "natural" enough for a tribrid set.
In the technical department, I find Monarch MKii is definitely a TOTL-type, a reference style that's very studio monitor-like. huge resolution with excellent micro detail retrieval. the sense of space is nice with good width and height, although a bit lacking in depth as its presentation is somewhat "intimate". so, it's like watching a 4K monitor up close. you can see everything and focus on any point you want. in terms of dynamic contrast, it's pretty good in macro dynamic but not as great as the Oracle in micro decibel shift. thus, it could appear "flat" to some. but remember, it's like watching a 4K monitor up close, so, it's a bit hard to see the whole picture.
I think the overall performance does justice to the asking price. good engineering!
the "other" story:
I received my first pair in April early this year, and while I like everything about the package (except the carrying case and the uneven/unmatched faceplate), somehow the dynamic driver in the right earpiece stopped working in August. I was glad because it's still under the warranty. so, I sent it back to the local shop I was dealing with. after about 2 months and a week later, I received a brand new pair of Monarch MKii as a replacement! I was so happy although the waiting is somewhat tiresome. great job to Linsoul & ThieAudio team!
3 weeks later, the right earpiece showed a sign of driver failure! there's a sort of minimal buzzing or distortion like a static noise from time to time. I'm not sure what causes it as I treat them like a baby all the time.
I own many different IEMs from many different brands and none of them have any kind of driver failure for years of usage. I think this kind of issue is unacceptable because, at this price, we as customers expect perfection.
I'm not writing this to lambast the company or as an act of fearmongering, but rather to share my experience and report it so that the company can improve in every department as a whole (strengthen the QC). not to mention the other issues I had with my other ThieAudio products like Legacy 3, Voyagers, & the Oracle. so, QC issues are frequent in my experience. I also understand that driver failure or most QC issues is normal and I also believe ThieAudio did their best, yet it's not enough. so, it's either the QC is bad or I'm just very unlucky, yes? nevertheless, this is going to be my last purchase of ThieAudio products. I love them but until then.
the title says it all; these IEMs are for proving to people that In-Ear-Monitors can be extremely worthy of musical applications, audiophile or otherwise.
there's very few things that could beat these and all of those cost exponentially more than what I'd be willing to pay or afford.
Purchased these shortly after they first came out and just getting a chance to post a review on here now after almost a year.
I have been in music and production for most of my life. I think I have a fairly good grasp on what "good sound" is. Going through many different speakers and studio monitors and headphones over the last decade, I can tell you these are truly special.
Audio of course has a subjective component. But as far as the objective parts of a balanced, natural sounding and coherent frequency response, these are the real deal. I believe many of those complaining are having ear fitment issues. They BARELY fit my ears so I understand their pain (literally). That being said, if you have normal to large ear canals, you'll be fine. Word of advice - push the monarchs straight in and then twist downward. If I don't do this, I don't get a good seal for the bass.
After going back and forth between the foam and silicone tips, I think the silicone is the best for overall comfort and sound but they both are nice.
I listen to many different types of music from heavy EDM to classical to rock to jazz to whatever honestly. I can honestly say these do all genres well, as a flat monitor should. Well flat besides a slightly boosted low end, which I prefer.
I could go into details about the bass, mid range and highs but that's already been discussed. These things are absolutely phenomenal from a tonal perspective. Solid wide soundstage etc. The main thing I'll stress is they're not for small ears. Also they take a little adjustment and fiddling to get them to fit properly so if the bass is lacking, trust me, it's the fit, not these most likely unless you're a really big basshead. I love bass and these are spot on.
Gorgeous shells and cable. What else is there more to say? Try a pair. If they fit you well, you won't sell them almost for sure. The 1 star and 2 star reviews seem like people that they didn't fit. Had to give these things some love. They've given me a lot of love too.
Enjoy and happy listening!
Not in London but in Edinburgh (review preview said London)
Will start with what most folks want to hear about, the sound. My point of reference/comparison is the KZ ZS10 Pros, which were replaced with Fiio FH3s, due to them breaking.
Compared to the Fiios the staging, imaging, instrument separation, vocals, treble and the bass, including sub bass rumble are all better. Only marginally better though. Not 7 times better, which is the price difference and I wouldn't say even twice as good either. I am talking very small percentages. The Monarch MkIIs do offer a great listening experience, very enjoyable and smooth with great clarity and detail, whilst also having satisfyingly meaty and weighty Bass (when present in the Music). Regarding Vocals, I noticed better clarity or presentation. I could hear lyrics better, easier. On some songs I actually noticed what some lyrics were, where I was more listening to just the melody before. For the Treble things like Cymbals sounded better with a slightly improved sustain or resolution. Treble and Vocals are the most noticeable improvements over the Fiios, again though only marginal.
Decided to upgrade to the Monarch MkII from my Fiio FH3. Not because I had any complaints with the Fiio but because I was curious as to what the scale of improvement would be, if any at all.
Just how good is an "Endgame" expensive IEM?
The law of diminishing returns is especially true as you spend more in Audio. Monarch MkIIs are very well regarded and are said to represent good value when compared to even more expensive IEMs that don't sound or perform better or even equally. However, there was a reoccurring issue that I came across when looking, the fit.
Unfortunately this was the case for me. The nozzle, when it has a tip on, is just too wide for my Ear canal. The shell shape/design/size also pushes up slightly against my tragus. Just the Shell, no tip on, fits great with zero discomfort. I used the small white silicone tips initially and felt the Monarch slightly more than my Fiios in my ear but thought nothing of it. After listening to Music for a time then taking the Monarchs out my ears felt violated/stretched. I wouldn't say there was pain but definitely discomfort and it felt unpleasant.
As I do like their sound I tried to find a workaround by using some shorter stem and smaller AZLA SednaEarfit Crystal tips (3 variation Small pack). The largest Small was a good fit, seal and did reduce the discomfort a lot but there was still some discomfort. Zero discomfort with all my previous IEMs. Unfortunately I had to sell them on.
Decent service and shipping time frame from Linsoul, I am in the UK. I would have preferred a longer refund/return period though. I had assumed that it would be possibly 14-28 days, which is the norm for many goods, but it was only 7 days. That is far too short, especially when factoring in International shipping, etc. By the time I ordered, tried out the alternative tips to improve fit the 7 day return window had passed. Rather than return the Monarchs to Linsoul I had to sell them on secondhand.
