ThieAudio - Hype 2

There aren't that many once you've ruled out Etymotic. Honestly at that 'lower than Studio 4' price range you might as well go for the Studio 4. Aful Performer 5+2 / 8: Relaxed pinna gain at 2-4kHz means reduced vocal bite; speech and 'breathiness' is sacrificed slightly for a more relaxed, pleasant presentation. Not neutral. Anecdotally, I've heard the Performer 8, the soundstage is wide but centre image is weak. Moondrop Dusk: crinacle's house sound = big bass shelf. No go for neutrality. Moondrop Blessing 3: Upper-mids/lower treble emphasized (4-6kHz) beyond neutral. Supermix 4: Harman, i.e not neutral (bass and upper-mids emphasized) Thieaudio: U-shaped is their house sound from the Hype 2 all the way to the Valhalla. Extra bass and spicy treble. Not neutral. I would add that the Hexas aren't neutral either, they have too much bass for it, it's simply masked by the fact that its bass is sloped, not a shelf. All the 'Meta' IEMs out so far also fail in the neutral bass department by having too much of it. This includes the KE4, Volume S, Mega5EST and even CrinEar's 'Reference', if his chart is to go by. Graphs are worth looking at for reference. So you only really have the Studio 4 left. That, or an IER-M7 if you could get it for cheap.

Hype 2s. Trying to sell them as I type. 🤣

I use my hype 2's for everything :)

Love my hype 2's had them since they came out pretty much. Still work the same as day one zero problems with build quality. Still have no reason to get anything else.

Obviously, price does not equal quality, it's a big question of listening preference and listening to you likes, if you like what you hear then better, don't change your gear.

Glad to hear it, when I bought the Hype 2 I had the 2pin connector which was too fragile and the channel unbalanced, compared to the Hype 4 they are 2 really different pairs, the Hype 2 are not at all "mini 4", I did not like them, but if you like what you listen to and it works there is no reason to change equipment, enjoy listening!

For percussion hexa is decent, it doesnt have that engagement if you like feeling close to the strings. With Hexa its like you can observe the painting from a distance. I would say dunu falcon ultra is exciting but also maintains mid tones and harmonics very well. Its warm balanced (some may say v) and has alot of richness in the tone. For strings specifically its has that density and heart-tugging effect. The driver is extremely well made and has this detailed and depthful feeling. It blends musicality and some analytical tones while being warm and fun. To me the closer you get to neutral and analytical the more colder and lifeless it sounds. Having just the right amount can give you better percieved impressions. Thieaudio hype 2 has a similar effect but hybrid/tribid iems tend to lose that harmonious effect compared to single drivers. Its tough but I dont regret picking up dunu falcon ultra.

The Monarch MKII is still by far my favourite Thieaudio IEM and it's not not even close. Even after listening to the Prestiges, Valhalla, V16, origin, hypes and oracles, I still put the MkII right at the top above all of them. It's personal preference which monarch you like more but for me, it's MKII >>> MKIII anyday