Thieaudio makes absolutely great IEMs. The source of this amazing DNA is their focus on the amazing ruler flat like design for the frequency Mid range. They are one of the few companies that get that if Mids aren’t done right, nothing works. Their IeM stand on top of all others over and over again in different reviews and tiers. If it’s not NYMZ or Crinacle’s IEM list giving praise for S tier for one of more of them, it’s YouTube’s like Zeos stating that they fall within the top 5 IeM of all time.
Basically praise can be found just about everywhere. Sure, there are some haters or some biased people that hate all things that aren’t theirs but for the most part you find consistent praise for Thieaudio and especially for these two models.
Now of the two models, the Monarch seems to stand out as “King”.. very ironic being that the Monarch meaning is “King”. However, this stand out isn’t by a lot over the smaller housing, cheaper, better fit Oracle MK2. But what the Monarch does do is deliver a higher quality sub bass, bigger soundstage, and better balance in the treble detail without getting too harsh in the top frequencies and vocals are better presented which was already beautifully done on the Oracle MK2. Now, I didn’t have a problem with the Oracles MK2 treble details being sparkly but some did. But I will say that I do notice it’s much more balanced out with the Monarch MK2 and think this way is better even though I could handle the higher Sparkle of the Oracle MK2. The question now is whether or not $780 of the Monarch was worth the $200 difference that I paid 589 for the Oracle MK2. By the MSRP prices, they aren’t.
The Monarch MK2 isn’t worth double the price over the Oracle MK2, in my opinion. They are too closely matched in their technical abilities and direction. However I would say that their sale prices or open boxes prices of $700 vs $500 I would say falls in line with difference. But again, the mere fact that there is anything better in existence to the level heard on the Oracle MK2 is a miracle in itself. The Oracle MK2 could easily be the endgame for a bunch of audiophiles out there. But so could the Monarch Mk2. So it’s truly up to you. For me though, the Monarch is KING if you are asking me who beat who in overall sound. The win goes to the Oracle MK2 only if you need to save money. Both sound absolutely fantastic and have the same DNA in their root, mid focused neutral with a little bass boost. Both have absolutely the best timbre and vocals on planet earth, with the Monarch having just a little more in all those departments, as well as it should with the difference in price. The only problem that exists is that it’s no room for both. They are too alike and because of this, I pick the Monarch MK2.
Tech-N-Things 