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ThieAudio Monarch MKIII – Sound
Testing Equipment: FiiO K9 Pro ESS, Topping G5, Chord Mojo 2, System-wide Audioquest Cables, and several aftermarket tips.
The Monarch MKIII is a dynamic, engaging, and fun IEM that also demonstrates strong technical capability. It’s a crowd-pleaser with its elevated bass range, clean mids, and exciting treble, presenting a fairly balanced signature with a pronounced focus on the bass region.
Utilizing twin 10mm DDs and a custom waveguide cabin, it produces some of the most impactful yet clean bass available in this price range. The MKIII’s presentation is exciting from top to bottom, supported by solid PRaT, a wide stage, and accurate imaging. It’s a compelling all-rounder that continually seduces you to listen more. Let’s dive deeper.
Bass
The lows of the Monarch MKIII are a highlight, characterized by deep, impactful bass reproduction that is not only heard but also felt. The MKIII’s new tuning offers substantial energy in the low range, creating a stimulating sensation for bass-dominant genres like hip-hop and EDM. The two 10mm DDs work harmoniously, maintaining the listener’s focus on the bass line.
The lows are well-controlled, detailed, textured, and surprisingly fast, avoiding any muddiness or boominess. In rock and metal, it expertly accentuates kick drums and percussive elements while maintaining balance across instruments and vocals. The MKIII has one of the most impressive bass presentations in the thousand-dollar arena.
Midrange
The MKIII’s midrange is clean and linear, offering a mostly neutral reproduction of instruments and vocals. The mid-bass/lower midrange gets a small boost from the bass region, therefore adding warmth and body to the midrange, enhancing musicality, and improving instrument body.
The MKIII also features a slight elevation in the upper mids, giving string-based instruments, female vocals, and cymbal-like percussions more edge and bite, enhancing the overall resolution and sense of dynamism. Apart from the mid-bass part, the midrange is quite similar to MKII, which we found impressively competent.
Treble
The MKIII’s treble is vivid and energetic, delivering sparkle and crispness without inducing fatigue or sibilance. It beautifully reproduces high treble, with effortless extension to the top octave. The resolution and transparency in this region are impressive, ranking among the best in the thousand-dollar price bracket.
While some may find the treble emphasis a bit exaggerated, it adds an extra layer of resolution and vibrancy, benefiting a majority of popular genres. The excitement and vividness of the Monarch MKIII are attributed to both its bass and this particular range. Overall, the MKIII’s tribrid sound is a fun-focused, crowd-pleaser tuning that also excels in technicalities which we are going to talk about next.
Technical Capability
The MKIII maintains the Monarch line-up reputation for strong technical capability. Its PRaT is an important element of its success, demonstrating excellent agility and control. It handles crowded stages, complex passages with multiple instruments very well due to its airy and spacious presentation, maintaining clear separation between instruments.
Its presentation feels dynamic, vivid, and full of energy, offering an immersive experience that appeals to a broad spectrum of music genres.
Despite being a detailed IEM, the MKIII is surprisingly forgiving. It does not over-emphasize the imperfections of your sources or tracks. It features a wide and well-defined soundstage, positioning instruments in a relaxed manner, with ample space between them, making it effortless for listeners to track or focus on each one individually.
The imaging and the positioning feel accurate. In short, the MKIII excels in technical capability and the Monarch line stands as one of the pillars that keep the tribrid castle tip-top.
Comparisons
vs. ThieAudio Monarch MKII ($999 USD)
Comparing the ThieAudio Monarch MKIII to the MKII side-by-side, we see several differences, both in design and sound signature. Let’s start with the cable.
The MKIII’s new cable is superior, featuring a thinner structure and higher quality, slimmer connectors compared to the MKII’s cable.
The shell/faceplate design is subjective and both monitors look gorgeous in my opinion. In terms of fit and build quality, both models share similarities, but the MKII’s softer contours and slightly thinner shell offer a subtle edge in comfort. However, this difference in fit is minimal.
Diving into the sound, both models exhibit close parallels in technical capability, but they diverge significantly in sound signature and presentation. The MKIII stands out with its more pronounced bass in the sub, mid, and overall bass, offering a more dynamic, impactful, and engaging bass reproduction.
The MKIII’s midrange is richer and warmer, providing a more intimate and more musical experience, whereas the MKII delivers a balanced and more neutral midrange presentation with fewer dips/peaks. In the treble region, the MKIII excels with its resolving and transparent high-treble, offering more crispness and extension, albeit sometimes feeling overly exaggerated.
The MKII, on the other hand, maintains a more natural and balanced treble presence, contributing to its overall coherent midrange and treble balance. The MKIII feels more energetic and vivid here, also, whereas the MKII reflects the tracks more ”as-is” and uncolored.
Both monitors excel in detail retrieval and resolution, with the MKIII accentuating low and high details more prominently. The soundstage in the MKIII is expansive and airy, whereas the MKII feels a tad more natural, with slightly less width and depth.
In essence, the MKIII is more V-shaped and less neutral compared to the MKII. The MKIII is tailored for those seeking a dynamic sound and a more engaging and fun experience, emphasizing musicality and fun factor over tonal balance and neutrality. In contrast, the MKII will resonate more with those who value natural, balanced, and linear sound signatures.
I personally lean towards the MKII, appreciating its tonal balance, but it’s undeniable that both models are remarkable IEMs that excel in the thousand-dollar price bracket.
vs. ThieAudio Prestige LTD ($1299 USD)
The Monarch MKIII and Prestige LTD are both flagship IEMs from ThieAudio, but they cater to different audiophile preferences.
The Monarch MKIII is another excellent option in this price range, but there are some key differences in their sound signatures. Specifically, the Monarch MKIII offers a more energetic and dynamic sound, with less focus on tonal balance.
Monarch MKIII’s bass is meaty, visceral, and impactful, featuring slightly more bass quantity. However, the Prestige LTD edges out in bass resolution and feels a bit faster in this region. While both IEMs deliver powerful yet controlled bass, the Monarch MKIII leans more towards a dynamic/punchier response, sacrificing agility.
The Monarch MKIII’s midrange is transparent, clean, and resolving. Its energetic upper midrange tuning places female vocals and upper-mid-based instruments a bit forward on the stage. On the other hand, the Prestige LTD focuses on a seamless and coherent midrange, thanks to its smoother upper midrange tuning. Both IEMs excel in detail and separation in this range.
The Monarch MKIII’s treble is expansive, adding significant height to the soundstage. In contrast, the Prestige LTD, while also extended and airy, is tuned to be slightly smoother. The difference is subtle, but the Prestige LTD comes across as more refined.
Last Words
In conclusion, the Monarch MKIII stands out as a remarkable choice for any audiophile, offering an immersive and dynamic presentation across various genres, thanks to its enhanced bass, rich midrange, and crisp treble. The MKIII is not only technically proficient but also immensely fun, offering a listening experience that keeps you hooked with each passing track. It’s a compelling option inside the $1,000 USD price bracket that I recommend exploring.
Pros
+ Great SQ
+ Engaging & Immersive Signature
+ Great Build Quality & QC
+ Good Cable
Cons
– Shell Size
– Restrictive Eartips
Page 1: ThieAudio, The Monarch MKIII, Packaging & Accessories, Design, Build & Fit
Page 2: Sound, Low, Mid, High, Technical Capability, Comparisons, Last Words
Harry
Hi, I’d like to know how much better is the monarch mk3 when compared to the yanyin canon 2?
Yagiz
I’d go for MK2 instead of MK3. The MK2 has better tonal balance, slightly better technical capability.
On the other hand, the Canon 2 is a very versatile monitor that punches above its weight. I don’t think justifying 1000 USD is easy in this comparison, so if I were you, I’d pick up Canon 2 and see if that sates the appetite.
Harry
Gotcha, I have the canon 2 which I enjoyed every much. I was curious as to how much better is a kilobuck iem compared to my canon 2. Guess I’ll have to wait for a while then, thanks for the response 👍.
Harry
Gotcha, so far I’ve no issues with the canon 2. Very comfortable to listen and not fatiguing/sharp/shouty for long listening hours. I was curious how much better the monarchs are compared to the canon 2. I’ll wait for the upcoming monarch mk4 then. Thanks for the response.
Sid
Do you need some sort of DAC with these? Can I use them with my iPhone?