LINSOUL ThieAudio IEMs and Accessories at 2024 CES

[btarunr]

The EPOMAKER x LINSOUL booth at the 2024 International CES had a lineup of ThieAudio in-ear monitors. We begin our tour with the Hype 10. The name apparently stands for "hybrid performance." Each of these IEMs comes with two 10 mm composite diaphragm drivers arranged in an isobaric design to make a subwoofer. These offer a broad frequency response range from 10 Hz to 40 kHz with 105 dB/Vrms @ 1 kHz sensitivity. ThieAudio has these priced at $900 a pair. Next up, is the more feature-packed Prestige LTD, with 1DD + 4BA + 4EST Tribrid setup, and an electrostatic driver that provides a broad 10 Hz to 20 Hz frequency response. Each earphone contains 4 Sonion electrostatic drivers, plus 2 Knowles mid-treble balanced armatures, plus 2 Sonion low-mid balanced armatures, and a 10 mm dynamic subwoofer. The maximum frequency response thanks to this setup is as high as 80 kHz. Sensitivity tops out at 98 dB @ 1 kHz. ThieAudio prices these at $1,300.

While ThieAudio focuses on audiophiles, the Kiwi Ears series is for the mass market that just wants better sound. Kiwi Ears Forteza is an entry-level IEM by ThieAudio, with a much simpler 1 High-Mid balanced armature (BA) + 10 mm Mid-range dynamic driver (DD) + 10 mm Bass DD setup; a regular 20 Hz to 20 kHz frequency response, with 103 dBSPL/mW @ 1 kHz sensitivity; at an attractive price of just $59. Winding things up is the Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite, a more premium product positioned above the Forteza; with an 8 BA multi driver setup consisting of Kiwi Ears customized HI x2 + Kiwi Ears Customized MID x4 + Knowles LOW x2, per earphone. Available for pre-order now, the Orchestra Lite is priced at $249. Lastly, we ran into a number of face-plate customizations by Kiwi Ears.



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[Deleted member 237269]

I bought the THIEAUDIO MONARCH MKII at the release in 2022 for 1000€~. Top build quality, cable with a modular switch plug for 2.5/3.5/4.4 jack.
The sound is near perfect. Neutral mid. Nothing crazy for the high and low. Feels like i had my Hifiman Ananda in an extreme compact size.

Annnnd sold it a few months later.
This doesn’t fit all ears perfectly. I made do with it but hey when it became borderline painful after 2 hours of listening...

(I now roll with a Fiio FD3 for 1/10 of the price and that suits me)

Linsoul ThieAudio produce quality equipment.

 

[SOAREVERSOR]

I bought the THIEAUDIO MONARCH MKII at the release in 2022 for 1000€~. Top build quality, cable with a modular switch plug for 2.5/3.5/4.4 jack.
The sound is near perfect. Neutral mid. Nothing crazy for the high and low. Feels like i had my Hifiman Ananda in an extreme compact size.

Annnnd sold it a few months later.
This doesn’t fit all ears perfectly. I made do with it but hey when it became borderline painful after 2 hours of listening...
View attachment 329354
(I now roll with a Fiio FD3 for 1/10 of the price and that suits me)

Linsoul ThieAudio produce quality equipment.

Yeah it's a quality brand/branch of brands.

As for the fit... keep in mind that these multi driver IEMs started off as custom fits. The fits were always perfect. The issue crops up when you move to universal IEMs as there is no one size fits all no matter how much you faff about with different tips. Most people can get a good seal or even a great seal if they are willing to play around with silicones, foams, and the various other items. But in the end the nozzle part of the IEM that pulls off the In Ear part that's needed is just going to be too large for some people and the multi drivers and shells require to house them are going to be heavy. This problem of course gets worse the more drivers you put into an IEM.

This problem is really all in ChiFi audio as well. Western and Japanese companies largely took a different route. The companies slinging massive driver count IEMs that ChiFi targets mostly focus on custom solutions but offer universal solutions. They are also tuned better and built better. But the companies that focus on universal IEMs do not get into massive driver counts. Rather they focus on better quality drivers and tuning. They are also much smaller physically with the nozzle being a fraction of the size of large driver count IEMs so you could insert one into a kindergarteners ears with no issues.

Not saying one approach is better than other. But if I'm slinging 1-5k for some multi driver monster I'm paying the extra 300 bucks to have a custom fit regardless. If someone wants to hurl up to 2k at a universal IEM you're far better going with more "traditional" brands in this market space like Shure, Sennheiser, or even SONY (who does have good IEMs if you can get past the 1000 buck price).

ChiFi is fun but a lot of it has boiled down to cheaping out on the drivers and the tuning and then recreating some monster custom a Western company made and smashing it into a shell with a universal nozzle that won't properly insert into most peoples ear canal.