Thieaudio Monarch Mk2 VS Empire Ears ESR

IEM Comparison: Expert & Community Scores Side-by-Side

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Thieaudio Monarch Mk2 and Empire Ears ESR use 1DD+6BA+2EST and 3BA driver setups respectively. Thieaudio Monarch Mk2 costs $1,000 while Empire Ears ESR costs $1,000. Thieaudio Monarch Mk2 holds a decisive 3-point edge in reviewer scores (8 vs 5).

Insights

Metric Thieaudio Monarch Mk2 Empire Ears ESR
Bass 6.8 5
Mids 8.4 5
Treble 7.5 5
Details 7.6 5
Soundstage 8 5
Imaging 7.4 5
Dynamics 6.5 5
Tonality 8 5
Technicalities 7.8 6

Thieaudio Monarch Mk2 Aggregated Review Score

Average Reviewer Scores

Shuwa-T Smirk Audio Tim Tuned Nymz Precogvision
Jays Audio Jaytiss Crin Gizaudio Axel
Super* Review

Average Reviewer Score:

8

Strongly Favorable

Empire Ears ESR Aggregated Review Score

Average Reviewer Scores

Crin

Average Reviewer Score:

5

Mixed to Negative

Reviews Comparison

Thieaudio Monarch Mk2 reviewed by Crin

Crin 8.5 Reviewer Score
S+ Tuning
A+ Tech
check links for more info:

Crin original ranking

Crin Youtube Channel
YouTube video thumbnail

Empire Ears ESR reviewed by Crin

Crin 5 Reviewer Score
C+ Tuning
B Tech
Has the technical chops but is sharp and fatiguing.

Crin original ranking

Crin Youtube Channel

Thieaudio Monarch Mk2 (more reviews)

Thieaudio Monarch Mk2 reviewed by Super* Review

Super* Review 9* * score normalized
check links for more info:

Super* Review original ranking

Super* Review Youtube Channel
YouTube video thumbnail

Thieaudio Monarch Mk2 reviewed by Jays Audio

Jays Audio 8.5 Reviewer Score
S Tuning
S- Tech
Neutral tuning with one of the clearest mid-ranges. Natural and clean vocals. Great resolution, separation, and detail. Can be a little dry with its analytical presentation. Bass is well-seperated from other instruments, but nothing special especially at $1K. Would've liked more depth, and treble is also a bit unstable and dips, resulting in a lack of air/depth. Mid-bass is just enough for my library, but would've liked more for genres like hiphop and rock. Cable is heavy, and fit may be too big for many (need to shove in deep).

Jays Audio original ranking

Jays Audio Youtube Channel

Thieaudio Monarch Mk2 reviewed by Jaytiss

Jaytiss 8.5 Reviewer Score
A Tuning
A+ Tech
Too much unit variation to recommend to others highly.

Jaytiss original ranking

Jaytiss Youtube Channel
Mids: A+ Treble: A+ Dynamics: B Soundstage: A+
YouTube video thumbnail

Thieaudio Monarch Mk2 reviewed by Gizaudio Axel

Gizaudio Axel 8 Reviewer Score
S Tuning
A+ Tech
Outstanding tuning. Smooth, balanced tuning with natural vocals, beautiful timbre, and excellent tonality. Detail and could use more bass. Treble depends on ear tips.

Gizaudio Axel original ranking

Gizaudio Axel Youtube Channel

Thieaudio Monarch Mk2 reviewed by Shuwa-T

Shuwa-T 7.9 Reviewer Score
A Tuning
A+ Tech
Organic midrange Wooly bass response and less prominent treble may not work best for certain genres

Shuwa-T original ranking

Shuwa-T Website

Bass: A Mids: S- Treble: A Soundstage: A+ Details: A Imaging: S-

Thieaudio Monarch Mk2 reviewed by Smirk Audio

Smirk Audio 7.6 Reviewer Score
A- Tuning
A Tech
Good treble with tons of air. Forward, ethereal mids. Good detail retrieval with tons of microdetails. Lackluster mid-bass.

Smirk Audio original ranking

Smirk Audio Head-Fi Profile

Bass: B+ Mids: A+ Treble: A Dynamics: A Details: A+ Imaging: A+

Thieaudio Monarch Mk2 reviewed by Tim Tuned

Tim Tuned 7.5 Reviewer Score
A Tuning
A+ Tech
Cohesive, smooth, balanced, technical slight treble wispiness

Tim Tuned original ranking

Tim Tuned Youtube Channel
Bass: A+ Mids: S Treble: A+

Thieaudio Monarch Mk2 reviewed by Nymz

Nymz 7.1 Reviewer Score
A- Tuning
B+ Tech
11/10 mid-range. Mid-bass could use more texture and stage depth could be better. Yap, that's all. Oh and the fit - I'm blessed, but you may not be.

Nymz original ranking

Nymz Website

Bass: B Mids: S Treble: A- Details: A- Imaging: B

Thieaudio Monarch Mk2 reviewed by Precogvision

Precogvision 7 Reviewer Score
A- Tuning
A- Tech
A solid improvement in imaging with slightly more palatable tonality than its predecessor.

Precogvision original ranking

Precogvision Youtube Channel
Bass: B Mids: A+ Treble: A- Dynamics: B Details: A+ Imaging: A-

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Thieaudio Monarch Mk2 User Review Score

Average User Scores

Average User Score: n/a

Based on 0 user reviews

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Empire Ears ESR User Review Score

Average User Scores

Average User Score: n/a

Based on 0 user reviews

No user reviews yet. Be the first one who writes a review!

Thieaudio Monarch Mk2 Gaming Score

Gaming Score & Grade

  • The gaming score is prioritizing technical capabilities of the IEM (Separation, Layering, Soundstage) and good value.

Gaming Score

6.9

Gaming Grade

B+

Empire Ears ESR Gaming Score

Gaming Score & Grade

  • The gaming score is prioritizing technical capabilities of the IEM (Separation, Layering, Soundstage) and good value.

Gaming Score

4.7

Gaming Grade

C

Thieaudio Monarch Mk2 Scorings

Average Technical & Tuning Grades

Average Tunign Grade

A+
  • Refined execution with coherent frequency integration. Natural timbre reproduction and engaging presentation. Strong versatility.

Average Technical Grade

A
  • Good technical performance. Clear separation and decent detail retrieval across various tracks. Soundstage shows reasonable width and depth.
Bass B+
Good bass foundation with decent impact. Maintains acceptable control while providing satisfying thump in most tracks.
Mids A+
Superb midrange that's rich and resolving. Exceptional transparency and micro-details with perfect vocal/instrument balance.
Treble A
Excellent treble: airy, extended and well-controlled. Great micro-detail retrieval without sibilance or harshness.
Dynamics B+
Good dynamic expression with solid impact. Handles volume contrasts well while maintaining good transient snap.
Soundstage A+
Exceptional soundstage with holographic imaging. Creates a truly three-dimensional space where instruments float naturally around you.
Details A
Excellent detail retrieval: highly resolving without being clinical. Effortlessly reveals micro-details and textural subtleties.
Imaging A-
Excellent imaging: precise and stable placement. Instruments occupy specific points in space with tangible positions.
Gaming B+
Respectable environmental presentation favors atmosphere over precision. Detects obvious directional cues while conveying game world ambiance. Bad value-to-cost for gaming purpose - not recommended

Empire Ears ESR Scorings

Average Technical & Tuning Grades

Average Tunign Grade

C+
  • Generally enjoyable tonal character with some noticeable unevenness. Maintains listenability while showing room for refinement in frequency balance.

Average Technical Grade

B
  • Satisfactory technical performance. Handles basic detail retrieval adequately in most tracks. Maintains reasonable cohesion in simpler arrangements.
Gaming C
Minimal environmental definition provides only general audio cues. Suitable for games where positioning isn't critical. Bad value-to-cost for gaming purpose - not recommended

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