Closer Examination

The cable that ships with the ThieAudio V16 Divinity sells for $89 separately and is called the ThieAudio Smart Cable as it uses their so-called Smart Switch system of modular connectors. This is the Shenzhen equivalent of a $200 premium cable from an established Western brand, and does functionally feel better than what we saw on the more expensive 64 Audio U18t. It ships without any of the plugs installed. It is a dense, thick cable, which can be divisive because it's truly overkill. The base the modular plugs connect to has a small guide post for four connections to mate, and these housings end up heavy as well. The conductor is silver-plated Ohno Continuous Cast (OCC) high-purity copper litz in 26 AWG strands that is braided in paracord. It aims to be soft, but is so tough in practice that it is not supple. Thankfully, it does not kink or resist coiling and cable management. I also appreciate the leather-style cable minder, and the entire cable design language is consistent down to the Y-splitter, cable cinch, and 2-pin connector housings on the other end. The cinch is extremely functional, and translucent plastic sheathing on the side nearest to the IEMs helps with the pre-formed ear hooks. The 2-pin connector housings come with blue or red accents for the left and right channels respectively, and the plugs are also gold-plated as with the rest.


Whenever you are dealing with expensive IEMs, aesthetics and finish end up being important enough to merit separate coverage. ThieAudio tends to go with resin shells for the ease of reproduction, and the V16 Divinity is no exception. These are clearly mold pours in a glossy black as a base for the more flashy, hand-assembled face plates to shine—literally. ThieAudio has some unique-looking face plates on its signature tribrid and flagship IEMs, with the V16 Divinity going with what appear to be colored wooden inserts with different gold and copper-colored foils that are folded and glued to one vertical half of each side similar to what we saw with the Monarch and its abalone shells. As such, no two IEMs look exactly identical, but it also introduces uneven finishes with the foil scrunched up before the resin cover is applied for longevity.


Here is a closer look at one of the face plates from the side that better shows the base as well as the multi-colored foil inserts which come together to make for a set that looks better in one's hands than under a macro lens. ThieAudio is printed in white and all caps on the plainer side, so you'll have branding and bling jutting out of your ears. This is going to be an attention grabber in multiple ways, especially once sunlight reflects off the face plate. The shells are also on the larger side to accommodate the 16 drivers inside, which do not appear to be in larger sets of eight for a much smaller form factor as with the 64 Audio U18t. V16 Divinity is written across the top, as is L or R and what could well be the serial number of the set on the inner side that touches the ear concha. One of the two larger sides has a vent for airflow that does not come with a pre-installed filter. The other side is where the daughter PCB for the 2-pin connector is found, which is flush with the surface of the shell. Note the slightly jutting curve that aims to go into the antitragus, which may affect fit for many with shallower ears. Given the IEMs come without any ear tips installed, we see the use of a metal nozzle the resin shells are poured onto, and I have no reason to believe the nozzle will come off over time. This is a thick, stubby nozzle that makes for an average fit in the ear canal, and it is angled slightly to assist with this. There's a retaining notch that is ~6 mm in diameter at its widest point. ThieAudio has a metal filter here to prevent contaminants from entering the acoustic chamber. I would have liked to see spare filters in the packaging as well.


Fitting the ear tips is easy enough because the bores of the ear tips are sized for the thick nozzle, which may explain why ThieAudio didn't have a rich assortment of tips to throw in with the V16 Divinity. Some of the newer SpinFits would have still been nice. Regardless, we see both types of ear tips—silicone and foam—in size M installed on the V16 Divinity. These vary in overall length and how well they mold to your ears, and the retaining notch on the nozzle helps keep them in place. You may want to try different ear tips to get the best-possible fit and perhaps affect the sound signature with the foam tips as opposed to silicone. Certainly try out different sizes to ensure you have them on properly, and do not feel as though both ears necessarily need the same-sized ear tips, either.


Regardless of which tips you go with, the next step is to re-connect the cable by carefully pushing the connectors back in place, which are then held there by friction alone. Make sure you go with the provided 2.5 mm TRRS, 3.5 mm TRS, or 4.4 mm TRRS connector based on what your source takes. I know there are many who prefer to use IEMs throughout, but I like to use over-ear headphones when sitting down and IEMs/TWS earbuds on the go. I paired the ThieAudio V16 Divinity with all the tested portable DAC/amps to date and personally like the cleaner profile and handy EQ options of the Qudelix-5K as the source, in turn paired to my phone or laptop.