Thieaudio Monarch Mk2 VS Dunu Mirai

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Build & fit: Premium presentation with a handsome “lava” faceplate and a cloth-sheathed cable featuring swappable terminations—useful, but the connector is bulky enough to be unwieldy. The shell itself is very large and can be tricky for many ears, affecting seal and even bass response. Comfort and security are not strong suits. Tip rolling helps; AZLA AirFit Light tips improved seal and tamed occasional treble bite.

Sound: A neutral, mid-forward tuning with a tasteful sub-bass lift, clean lower treble, and excellent extension. Midrange detail pops with fine micro-contrast, while treble remains smooth—evoking that easy, HD600-like effortlessness. Stage is wide with standout imaging and layering. The trade-off is a lean lower-mid/mid-bass region (that “Harman dip”), which can make non-bass-heavy music feel a bit dry and clinical, reducing perceived depth and visceral impact.

Comparisons & verdict: Versus Moondrop’s stable, Blessing 2 still offers a fuller, more linear low end and remains the more all-round pick; S8 brings superb treble and mid detail with similarly lean bass; Campfire Aura dazzles with holographic imaging and surprisingly satisfying BA bass, though its tonality is quirkier. Monarch MKII earns a solid 4/5 for tonal balance, resolution, and imaging—but the size/fit caveat is serious, and the lean bass means it won’t dethrone Blessing 2 for those craving warmth or body. Demo first; if it fits and that crisp neutrality appeals, it’s a fantastic listen.

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Dunu x Precogvision Mirai arrives after years of iteration, priced at $1,100 with a hybrid array—1DD + 6BA and an unusual open-back tweeter. The earpieces wear a handsome green finish and ship (retail) with a matching white cable and swappable terminations. Fit can be contentious: a more generic shell and a long nozzle may require tip rolling; shorter, spin-fit-style tips helped achieve seal and comfort without pushing the nozzle too deep.

Tonally, Mirai blends a leaner lower-midrange and sub-bass emphasis (think Helios-style low end) with a relaxed upper-mid à la 64 Audio. The result avoids sounding thin, delivering taut, weighty bass, excellent imaging, and incisive instrument separation with convincing front-to-back depth. The weak spot is treble timbre: cymbals and highs can skew a touch digital/crunchy, and while tips can tame it somewhat, the top end isn’t perfectly natural.

Versus 64 Audio U4s, Mirai is the sharper, tighter listen with stronger imaging, while U4s plays warmer, smoother, denser but a bit blurred by comparison. Against ThieAudio Monarch MkII, Mirai offers fuller bass and body, whereas Monarch is brighter, more forward with a notably smoother treble and slightly higher apparent resolution—but can feel thinner and has its own fit quirks. Overall, Mirai earns a solid 4/5: a distinctive, future-leaning tuning that trades blows at its price, with caveats on fit and treble polish.

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Treble-forward without being a razor blade—that’s the Dunu Mirai’s vibe. Sparkly highs with notable peaks around 4 kHz, 8 kHz, and past 10 kHz inject energy, immediacy, and sharper imaging than smoother sets like Supernova. Vocals are clean, airy, and extended with no lower-mid bleed, giving indie/alternative tracks a lively “facelift,” though the same brightness can turn fatiguing on already hot mixes (EDM, J-/K-pop) and encourages lower listening volumes on those genres.

Bass is rumbly and punchy in the sub-bass but light on mid-bass weight, so rock benefits more from sets like Zen Top or SA6 Mk II. Technicals are strong—resolution, layering, and imaging keep pace with pricier peers; versus Monarch MK3 and LTD, Mirai sounds brightest and most exciting, while MK3 has better bass texture/more natural vocals and LTD offers airier staging with smoother treble. Compared to Harmon/diffuse-field staples (Top, Studio 4, E7M), Mirai pulls a touch more detail but is brighter. It’s essentially a more technical, bass-enhanced take on Blessing 3 / Simgot EA1000—yet at $1,100, the value debate is real, especially with unit variance and a somewhat plasticky backside (nice cable/case, though). Best for listeners seeking a lively, detail-first upgrade to EA1000/Blessing 3; not a treble-head special, not a do-everything allrounder.

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Build & accessories: Compact shell with a slightly old-school shape and flat 2-pin connectors, secure fit, and a nozzle some may find a bit much. The package includes Thieaudio’s large, sturdy case, multiple tips, a cleaning brush, and a fabric-sheathed stock cable with a solid chin slider and a durable Y-split. The cable’s modular plug system (2.5/3.5/4.4) locks in confidently and feels well made.

Sound: a neutral foundation with a dash of fun—clean upper mids, tasteful sparkle, and tight, articulate bass. Unit variance shows on graphs (his sample reads a bit bassier with slightly more treble vs other measurements), but the core tuning stays intact: rich mids, smooth presence, and airy extension that present music as natural, wide, and open. Versus Monarch MKIII, this MKII feels less bright and less fatiguing, with fuller mids. Compared to Annihilator 2023, MKII is flatter and more even (Annihilator hits harder and has a 10k zing some hear as “fake”). Against Lime Ears Tera, MKII is a touch warmer and easier; versus the pricier Europa, it tracks similarly on paper but wins on comfort and value; and it offers more body than budget darlings like Hexa, which can come off lean.

Verdict: a high-tier all-rounder prized for midrange timbre, air/detail, note weight, and imaging. It reads neutral-natural with just enough excitement to stay engaging over long sessions. Personal taste and fit still matter—always demo if possible—but within this preference space, Monarch MKII remains a special, well-balanced choice that continues to earn its spot among top IEMs.

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Build quality and presentation are the Mirai’s calling cards: a premium cable, a robust case, and those quirky little IEM booties make for an unboxing experience that feels luxury at its price. Sonically, it sketches a spacious, almost holographic stage where higher voices shine, drums hit with conviction, and guitars sound convincingly natural. The trouble starts lower down: bass and alto vocals can feel thin, with a mid-bass dip that leaves some tracks lacking body; strings on certain orchestral pieces skew sharp or plasticky, and there’s an ~8 kHz glare that can bite. Metal and electronic are a treat; well-recorded R&B is a poor match.

EQ—whether to Precog’s target or a similar in-house curve—fills in mid-bass and steadies the balance, but it raises the question of whether a pricey set should require tweaks. In context, Supernova offers flatter treble and fuller mids, Monarch MKIII brings livelier dynamics and a safer overall tone, and the Binary Chopin delivers a more consistently “fun” V-shape with fewer problem tracks. Mirai ultimately suits big-spending listeners who value build and staging panache over benchmark value; mid-tier collectors may find stronger all-rounders elsewhere. Verdict: a solid 4-star recommendation with a pure audio score of 8.9—impressive on the ears, if not the outright class leader for the money.

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Thieaudio Monarch Mk2 stays a top-tier pick by balancing excellent tonality with solid, price-appropriate technicalities. The tuning sits close to the current meta, with a slight dip in the lower mids and a noticeable 6 kHz emphasis that adds sparkle and energy. It’s the “spice” to the Mega5-EST’s plain water—still coherent and controlled, but with extra fizz that makes music feel lively. While resolution doesn’t chase the extremes of Elysian Annihilator or Softears RS10, within the $999 bracket the performance remains compelling, making it an easy recommendation among kilobuck IEMs.

Build and accessories are straightforward: a full-resin shell with metal nozzle, a cloth-sheathed cable featuring interchangeable 3.5 / 2.5 / 4.4 terminations, and a proper case with silicone and foam tips. The fiery orange faceplate is the sole colorway. The catch is fit—the shell is large, and for smaller ears that can be a deal-breaker; no sound quality matters if it won’t seal comfortably. For those wanting a near-perfect meta hit with less treble spice, Hisenior Mega5-EST is noted as the safer tonal bullseye.

Choose Monarch Mk2 if a slightly V-leaning, meta-aligned tuning with engaging upper-presence appeals, and if the ear geometry can handle the chunky shell. Skip it if chasing max detail retrieval above all else, craving a more pronounced V-shape (consider Monarch Mk3 instead), or if fit is uncertain. The overall verdict: impeccable tuning paired with good—if not summit—technical chops keeps Monarch Mk2 at the top of the ranking conversation without needing boutique pricing.

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Dunu Mirai comes as a headphones.com exclusive seven-driver hybrid—1DD + multiple BA with a super tweeter—priced around $950–$1,000. The tuning sits a few clicks toward the analytical side without abandoning fun: crisp, clean, and ruthlessly revealing of recordings and chain noise. Expect intimate staging, surgical separation, and a bass response that’s tight rather than head-rattling (forget any “+11 dB” slam claims in practice). Feed it a noisy amp or a bad master and it will tell on you; give it quality and it layers beautifully.

Build is a mixed bag: the green shells are chunky and a bit plain for the price, but ergonomics and nozzles work well. The included DUNU modular cable is light, comfy, and well-executed, and—bless—this one uses 2-pin. Accessory spread is generous (SS tips, “candy” tips, case, adapters). Still, aesthetics won’t scream “kilobuck,” which may irk some.

Tuning is the story: this is a precision instrument that doesn’t sugarcoat, closer to a studio mindset than a party trick. Tip rolling (e.g., foam-silicone hybrids) can nudge low-end weight and bring the midrange forward for a more emotive hit without breaking its composure. It stands apart from DUNU’s Glacier—the two make a complementary pair: Glacier for relaxed, expansive chills; Mirai for focused detail and truth-telling. Verdict: a full pass for listeners who want refinement and honesty over gloss, and who can curate their library and source to match.