Those who know Thieaudio know about the Monarch. Those that don’t, please sit down for an introduction to what is the most important IEM release of the last few years.
The Thieaudio Monarch MKIII is the third generation of the Monarch line. We thought we had maxed out with the MKII in terms of performance, but the MKIII introduced the new Impact2 dynamic driver system, which refined the bass and elevated the earphones once again. $1000 RRP might seem steep to you, but considering they sound every bit as good as the competitors in the $2000-$3000 price range, they start to look like a bargain.
Exceptional clarity and tuning are what make them so engaging. Elevating every type of music we throw at them instead of pointing out the flaws is a strong point. The combination of drivers (Dynamic, EST & Balanced Armature) enhances the sound by utilizing the best technology for the respective frequency.
At its price in 2025, it stands without competition; however, if you want a cheaper alternative, the Hype 4 has a very similar tuning and is roughly half the cost. As with all IEMs, there is a law of diminishing returns at play, but in general, Thieaudio keeps up or outperforms the competition at each price point.
