ThieAudio Monarch MKIII In-Ear Monitors Review 5

ThieAudio Monarch MKIII In-Ear Monitors Review

Closer Examination »

Packaging and Accessories


If you've seen any of my recent ThieAudio IEM reviews then this unboxing experience will seem familiar enough. The brand has a consistent formula which seems to work well for them so I can't complain too much. The product box is taller than average and has a decorative sleeve in a light camo green color. On the front is the ThieAudio logo and product name with a render of the default design and EST in the background so you know this set has the expensive EST drivers inside. The driver configuration is also listed below as well as on the back along with product specs where the rated sensitivity is slightly off from what's on the product page... regardless, a sticker on the side contains the serial number of the item which I originally thought was supposed to be code for the exact configuration inside. Keep in mind that at this stage I still didn't know what combination this review sample was going to be using. As such, I quickly slid off the (extremely tight) sleeve from the inner black cardboard box which has the logo again on the front and opens from the side to reveal the IEMs with cable attached in a thick foam compartment. The accessories are separately placed below and there is a foam lining on top for added protection.


ThieAudio uses the same accessories across most of its recent IEM lineup now, at least once past the more budget-friendly stage. This is the same large, flattish hard carry/storage case we saw before with the likes of the V16 Divinity, for example, with a gray fabric cover and the older brand logo on top showing ThieAudio is still using the same cases it must have loads of still in stock. It's well built, including the branded zipper and tiny loop to be used with a carabiner/chain, and opens up to reveal plenty of room for the IEMs, cable, replacement ear tips, and even a few other accessories including a portable DAC/amp. The case has a divider on the inside to facilitate this and the soft felt lining prevents scratches to anything put inside.


We get both silicone and memory foam tips in sizes S, M, and L, but I admittedly wanted more. This is the exact same assortment of ear tips I have seen in far less expensive ThieAudio sets too and the market now expects to see more in this price range—be it in the form of more options or simply better, more expensive ear tips. Not a dealbreaker by any means but it just does not make for the strongest of impressions.


Along with the ear tips is a microfiber cleaning cloth, which can be handy to keep the shells looking pristine. The final set of accessories is a set of three cable connectors allowing you to choose between balanced 2.5 mm or 4.4 mm TRRS or single-ended 3.5 mm TRS. These are placed within metal hardware with the ThieAudio logo and a knurled finish for added grip. The plugs are gold-plated for additional oxidation resistance and come with plastic covers to keep unused plugs tidy. The overall size of these connectors is certainly smaller than what we saw on previous generation ThieAudio modular connectors so this is a good thing for cable management and ease of use.


The last thing to do here is to detach the cable from the IEMs for a closer examination. ThieAudio continues to use the popular 0.78 mm 2-pin terminations, so all you need to do is carefully pull the connector out of each side. Don't wiggle horizontally much lest you bend the thin plugs and now we are ready to check out the cable and IEMs separately on the next page.
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Jan 24th, 2025 20:19 EST change timezone

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