Thieaudio Monarch MKIII In-Ear Headphones

After reading so many recommendations for these, I decided to go ahead and buy them for a reference set. I've listened to them with an iBasso DX300 and a Cayin N3 Pro. I agree with the reviews I've read- the tuning is neutral with bass boost. The MKIII's are very detailed without being harsh. As a basshead I assumed the bass boost was in subbass, whereas I prefer boosted mid bass. Turns out, it's a bit of both. Bass guitars are not overly prominent but sound very tight and punchy and you can easily pick them out of the mix- These are fairly articulate across the board and instrument separation is as good as any I've heard apart from MEST and a few high end flagship models from Empire Ears and 64 audio. Whether it's a modern pop song with lots of impact and rumble, or a classic rock song with a melodic bassline, the bass never disappoints on the Thieaudio Monarch MKIII. This one has been hyped for years now- and now that I've had some time with them I would say the hype is justified. It's harder to do any better than this at the $1000 mark.

Was scared to get the Mk3 considering the amount of positive reviews of the Monarch Mk2, but after testing both, the Mk3's were an easy choice for my preference. I did enjoy the Mk2's cable more though (although a bit heavy).

1st Class IEM.