The original Thieaudio Monarch was well regarded, but when the company launched its successor in the beginning of last year, it changed the game. The Monarch MKII was and still is regarded as one of the best IEMs you can buy under $1,000, evening earning the top spot on In-Ear Fidelity’s IEM ranking list — a coveted position reserved for the absolute best in-ear monitors. I was lucky enough to review it and adored it: from the sound to its magma-inspired appearance, it quickly became my favorite IEM of all time.
But all of that has changed. Today, we’re looking at the next Monarch, the bass-enhanced Monarch MKIII. Retailing for the same $999 price point, it retains nearly everything so adored about the original and adds a deeper, higher-performance low-end with a reworked driver system, a new selection of custom faceplates, an even better cable, and a refined tuning that’s all around more impactful. This is definite Golden Ears territory, but today, we’re looking at some of the very best regardless of price point. Thieaudio has done it again.
Specifications
- Current Price: $999 (Linsoul)
- Type: In-Ear Monitors
- Drivers: Sonion EST, Knowles DWFK 31785 (x2), Sonion 28UAP (x1), IMPACT2 (2 x 10mm Composite DD)
- Crossover: 4-Way Passive Crossover with 4 Sound Bores.
- Sensitivity: 99dB @ 1kHz (+/- 1dB)
- Impedance: 20 ohms
- Frequency Response: 20Hz-40kHz
- Cable Details: 1.2 meter 22AWG 6N OCC Silver-Plated and Graphene Silver-Plated Cable
- Cable Connectors: 2-pin 0.78mm
- Cable Termination: Modular Termination with 2.5mm,3.5mm,4.4mm Interchangeable plugs
Thieaudio Monarch MKIII - First Impressions and Key Features
With the Monarch MKIII, Thieaudio knew they were following up on something truly special. I can imagine the internal meeting: how do you top something that virtually everyone agreed was class-leading? It’s a difficult proposition but the team managed to pull it off, and the Monarch MKIII can officially take the reigns as the best earphone you can find below $1,000 and in some cases well above.
With that in mind, you’re not going to mistake the Monarch MKIII as being part of a whole separate family of IEMs. One of the mistakes some companies make when designing successors is changing them so much that they don’t resemble the earbuds their sequelizing. That’s definitely not the case here. There’s enough shared DNA here that the MKIIIs feel like an evolution rather than a reinvention.
Like the MKII, this new version uses a tribrid driver arrangement. Rather than use a single or two types of drivers (a hybrid, usually dynamic drivers and balanced armatures), it uses a combination of three driver types: two dynamic drivers, six balanced armatures and two electrostatic drivers. These three driver types hands the lows, mids and highs, and ultra high frequencies respectively and carry with them an enhanced tuning that adds to the bass and treble.
The bass system is completely different from last generation and adds a second 10mm dynamic driver. Thieaudio calls this its Impact2 (impact squared) system and positions its composite drivers in an isobaric chamber. It’s designed to act as a subwoofer, provider more bass amplitude and enhanced detail and dynamics.
The mids and highs are split between the balanced armatures, just like last generation. This composes the bulk of instruments and audio cues, and they’re tuned to provide a smooth yet detailed listening experience. The tuning has been changed to add a bit more warmth this time around, but the composition remains the same as last generation.
The electrostats (ESTs) have been updated to included Sonion’s latest generation technology. ESTs are an interesting driver type since they’re overall quieter and handle the ultra-high frequencies (Thieaudio rates them between 15-20kHz). In this range, they’re really covering the highest of the highs that most people would be able to hear aren’t aren’t notes. Rather, these drivers add a sense of air and space to the sound. They enhance atmospherics and provide an engaging, realistic shimmer to things like cymbals. Including ESTs is a core reason for the pricing of the Monarch series, but it’s also integral to their ultra-clear, high resolution sound. The implementation here is noticeably higher resolution, though how that translates may not be as broadly appealing as the MKII.
Thieaudio has made a number of other improvements this time around. The presentation is similar to last time, with a very similar, yet nice, zippered travel case and a limited selection of silicone and foam tips. The cable, on the other hand, is much better. The braided cable of the MKII was very good in its own right, but this model now comes with a more traditional, rubberized cable that’s soft and woven into braid that’s resistant to tangling and non-microphonic. It uses upgraded materials internally, too, which Thieaudio claims increases its clarity (I didn’t notice a difference).
What I did notice is the new modular end system. The cable can be swapped from 3.5mm single-ended to 2.5mm and 4.4mm balance connections with a simply friction fit plug. It’s lower profile than the MKII’s cable, which was also modular, which makes it easier to work with and less chunky connecting into your source. The ends are all metal and impossible to plug in incorrectly. It’s all very robust and high quality.
The only disappointment with the included accessories is that there’s simply not more. At $999, you expect to see a plentiful selection of ear tips at minimum. Here, you have small, medium, and large in silicone or foam. That’s it. Given their relatively large size, surely more options could have been included to ensure every user would be able to find a fit straight out of the box?
Another neat feature arriving this generation is the ability to choose custom faceplates. The stock faceplates are a smokey, glittery grey and look very nice. But the company is now allowing you to choose from 21 additional faceplate options to really make them your own. We were sent the Disco version, and it’s stunning to see in person. Choosing any of these options increases the price by $100 and increases processing time by 4-5 weeks since it is custom-made for each customer.
Thieaudio Monarch MKIII - Fit and Comfort
The Thieaudio Monarch MKIII are large earphones and won’t fit work for every user. They’re slightly larger than the MKII’s, which were already quite big, and have more aggressive “wings” on the inner contour to nestle in your outer ear. The nozzle is also fairly large at 6mm, which can present fit issues.
This isn’t to say that the MKIII fits poorly. For their size, they actually fit quite well, and I tend to have more challenging fit with larger nozzles. What it does mean, however, is that you’ll need to try all of the tips until you find a pair that work for you, and they may not be the same size in each ear. With the larger nozzles, using the included foam tips can certainly help overcome fit issues you may experience with the silicone tips. Some users have also reported that the aggressive contour on the inner side caused soreness over time.
For my part, I didn’t experience any problems with the fit, even using the silicone tips. With a medium tip on the right and a small tip on the left, I was able to achieve a secure fit and tight seal. The reworked shape didn’t bother my ears at all. I wore these earbuds for as long as six hours at a time without any discomfort during or after and found them to be exceptionally well isolating.
Thieaudio Monarch MKIII - Listening Impressions
For this review, the driving question is how the MKIII improves upon the MKII. What sets it apart, and is the MKIII a successor that can officially replace the MKII as a high-water mark for IEM sound quality?
The biggest difference is absolutely in the bass: there is much more of it. As you can tell from the graph above, the Monarch MKIII has a distinct rise in the sub-bass, lending it extra rumble and slam that gives kick drums and impacts more presence and power. It’s more engaging for rock and pop than the MKII (which was already good!), but Thieaudio applies a graceful decline through the mid-bass, so it doesn’t sound overly warm or muddy. Everything from NF’s Let You Down to Mandroid Echostar’s Rosalia has more punch, which makes the MKIII sound much more exciting, powerful, and dynamic.
The quality of the bass here is absolutely exceptional. It’s tight, restrained in all the right places, and forward exactly when it needs to be. Jonny Craig’s Exhausted is full, wide, and textured. Holy Ghost Spirit by Dance Gavin Dance pulls that bass focus to the kick drum. For my personal taste, this tuning is a lot more fun, and though it’s certainly less balanced than the MKII, the wider tuning still manages to make it feel like none of the three bands takes a lead over the other. It’s less balanced in comparison, but doesn’t sound unbalanced on its own.
The mids have a bit more energy, also, though the impact is much less compared to the bass. There’s a bit more energy heading into the upper mids than give strings, female vocals, footsteps, and gunshots more edge and bite. It’s a minor shift, but side-by-side, it’s noticeable and makes this a better fit for instrument-driven music and gaming. Vocals for music are slightly forward but aren’t colored by the bass. They’re crisp and natural.
The high-end of the Monarch MKII is more energetic. In a way, Thieaudio leaned more into the its U-shaped tuning to create a sound that’s even more resolving. The highs are elevated, stopping just short of sibilance. Cymbals and upper harmonics resolve beautifully, but sometimes small details like the ratchet sounds in On Your Own by Jonny Craig, usually reserved for the background, pop forward in a surprising way. It’s more crisp, more detail, and in some ways, more etched in is presentation.
The new ESTs really do a great job when it comes to air and space in the listening experience. Like the original MKIIs, these are a detail powerhouse but taken to another level. With the added space, the soundstage is one of the best I’ve heard on an IEM. It’s wide, tall, and deep. For pure space, both as a whole, and between the tracks, these are absolutely top notch and very immersive.
As a result of these things, they’re also phenomenal for gaming. The sense of space and precision imaging make picking out audio cues and details easy as ever. The tuning is also a much better fit for immersion and action, delivering the gamut of cinematic richness to competition-grade positional audio accuracy. You’d never spend this much on a set just for gaming, but if you do, these will outperform any gaming headset with ease.
Overall Impressions and Final Thoughts
Though less balanced overall, the tonal changes to the Thieaudio Monarch MKIII take it to another level of immersion and detail. The new Impulse bass system works fantastically and is exquisitely tuned. The treble has a bit more edge and is less smooth, but for detail retrieval and soundstage, it’s a clear improvement. While there will undoubtedly be some that care for the MKII more, in my opinion, the MKIII takes the Monarch experience to the next level and officially takes the throne as the IEM to buy at the $1,000 price point.
The product described in this article was provided by the manufacturer for evaluation purposes. Articles may include affiliate links from which we may earn a small commission to help support the site. Authors do not earn affiliate revenue or commissions.
