Closer Examination

The cable that comes with the ThieAudio Wraith is overall quite good, although the connector plugs used might cause some complaints. The source side has a 4.4 mm balanced TRRS connector that I am personally a fan of given it's smaller than XLR and more sturdy compared to the 2.5 mm connector that is quickly going out of fashion. There aren't many prosumer-level sources with 4.4 mm support yet but there's enough, including portable DAC/amps, to where this is still a plus point. The connector housing is metal and has ThieAudio branding on it which then leads to soft fabric sleeving over coaxial shielding placed on the high-purity oxygen-free copper conductor itself. This makes for two thick and coiled strands that are collectively still easily pliable and do not kink out of shape. The cable is not microphonic in use but may not be as durable as other sleeving materials. Once past the splitter, we see two individual strands headed to the headphones end where ThieAudio has decided to go with 2.5 mm TS connectors rather than the more universally seen 3.5 mm TRS connectors. These come with L/R markings on the connector housings in addition to having green/red rings to help identify the left and right channels. All metal plugs are gold-plated for oxidation resistance.


The ThieAudio Wraith certainly passes the "does it feel premium?" test once you have it in your hands. It's on the smaller side of average for open-back, over-ear planar magnetic headphones we've covered here and yet is quite dense and solid-feeling courtesy the all stainless steel construction and industrial design used. The frame, headband, and ear cups are all CNC-processed and hand-assembled to where everything feels cohesive and well put together. The headphones use a suspension-style headband assembly with faux leather covering the hollow steel clips inside and is stitched quite well in addition to having "ThieAudio" embossed on the top. The suspension band is fully solid, stitched again, and wide enough to support the headphones on your head. I would have liked to see a more plush suspension band, or perhaps even one with holes to prevent any hot spots from forming over longer periods of time. The suspension band meets the frame at a different point compared to the headband itself with the latter having a screwed metal badge that has Wraith engraved on it and present on both sides. There are L/R markings where the headband assembly meets the frame/yokes to help indicate the left and right channels, respectively. More screws are present here to where it does seem the Wraith can be easily disassembled for modding or repairs.


Vertical sizing of the ThieAudio Wraith comes courtesy the exposed steel section between the frame and where the suspension band meets it on either side. There are clear sizing "steps" cut into the steel band here that you can move the headband up and down over in discrete, clicky steps. This helps match up the headband on both sides but note that it's not the smoothest motion and I wasn't a fan of the screeching sounds made here. The good thing is you wouldn't do this often and, once set up, the headphones are good to be picked up and placed on your head. I'd say there is enough leeway here to accommodate the vast majority of users blessed with heads small or large.


There are articulating points where the frame meets the ear cups allowing for extensive cup swivel on the Wraith. This can be combined with the usual C-clamps holding the ear cups which themselves can rotate around the securement point to allow plenty of movement in all three directions and thus be more amenable to fit over your ears easily.


The predominantly black color scheme employed here works well in making for a clean-looking set of headphones, and the same can be said when it comes to the ear cups too. The ThieAudio Wraith is an open-back set so we see plenty of holes on the back that the company then decides to cover up with more of the stainless steel for aesthetics and branding alike. Indeed, enough of the back is closed to where I would say the Wraith comes off more like a semi-open set than a fully open one. This is also the de-facto face plate here and is held in place by screws to where once again there are options for customization should you be so willing. The frame directs the ear cups naturally inward for clamp and thus the ear pads can be placed relatively close to each other in storage. Removing the pads is easy enough courtesy the use of a strip of hook-and-loop fasteners that goes all around the inside of the ear cups. This strip is also wide enough to make for a decent installation mechanism while also being user-friendly for pad swapping, although it's not the easiest thing in the world to get a perfect seal here between the cups and the pads as well as to align the pads exactly where they need to be. I found there to be some leeway here but you would still have to play around a bit to get the pads to fit inside fully. Removing the ear pads now provides a closer look at the planar magnetic drivers used here which have a mesh screen to help prevent contaminants from affecting them while being see-through enough to allow a teaser look at the magnets and the diaphragm too.


As with the two replacement custom ear pads we saw before, the stock ear pads that come pre-installed on the ThieAudio Wraith are not the largest I've seen and have the potential to bump against larger ears. These are oval-shaped and slightly contoured too, and also have a screen guard on the inside. The stock pads are hybrid in design with a leather outer surface and microfiber on the sides that is fenestrated all around to help deal with any potential higher frequency resonances that can be unpleasant to listen to. In theory I can see why this would be the chosen stock pad as it seems to have more thought put into it, but clearly there was enough interest from ThieAudio to develop the new ear pad solutions to allow users to pick between these hybrid pads, the fully sealed leather pads, or the softer velour pads.


On the bottom of the ear cups and jutting off angled extensions is where we find small cutouts for the cable connectors. These allow the cable plugs to connect easily enough, in turn naturally directing the cable away from your body but still requiring you to position the splitter on your chest, or on a desk when sitting down. The ThieAudio Wraith utilizes dual 2.5 mm TS connectors similar to the various Sivga headphones we've seen thus far, so your replacement cable options are somewhat limited compared to the usual dual 3.5 mm TRS cables most other headphones use. The cable is also relatively short for desktop use at ~1.25 m in length, making it more suitable for portable use. I suppose it's a good thing then that there are plenty of portable DAC/amps with a 4.4 mm connector, and I ended up using a combination of the FiiO K9 Pro for stationary desktop use as well as the FiiO Q7 and the Questyle M15 when simply lounging around the house. The smaller footprint makes it easy to rest the ThieAudio Wraith on most headphone stands too.