ThieAudio - Oracle (Gen 1 / V1)

As an owner of the Theiaudio Oracle and Fatfreq Maestro Mini..... Keep the bass slammin, my friend!

To the first part of your post, that price range will vary greatly with your musical experience/exposure, expectations about what you identify as mind-blowing, and your personal exposure to listening gear. Currently, IEM tech is changing at an accelerating pace- you can find mind-blowing products at several price ranges from the $100s to the $1000s. There is no potential endgame with IEMs in my experience. Specific designs will excel with certain genres of music and certain models are designed for very specific types of listening, including studio production- in my case, the Thieaudio Oracle is one of the only iems I can use for recording. For listening pleasure and study, I currently keep a handful of IEMs that can rival my headphones. In particular, I love my ISN EBC 80s for their astounding depth, immersion and dynamic breadth during active listening. I enjoy my Soundrhyme Sr7s during the day for their enveloping richness and soundstage experience. When I take the dog for a walk, I use my audiosense T800s and often take the 7Hz Auroras in my pocket. The warmer bass tuning make these a fun combo on the move. When I listen to live orchestra and chamber music I reach for the BGVP-DMA and the new NiceHCK Himalayas- they are astounding IEMs for the price. All these IEMs are in the $190 to $800 range, if you shop wisely. For professional work, I edit in a sound-treated room using Genelec and KEF monitors- they are both outstanding. I’ll move to HD 800 and Arya Organics at night to keep my neighbors happy. I have worked with far more expensive gear for years now, and cannot tell you that I’ve been blown away by more expensive hardware, specifically IEMs. I think this will change going forward, and we will probably hear breakthroughs that will indeed rival the likes of HD 800s and HE1000se. Lastly, IEMs cannot really compete with Supra-aural headphones imo. The physical design and anatomical challenges are pretty complex. There are other variables that will definitely affect your experience- your health, your ears and physiology, your eartips/fit solutions, your audio chain from power source-pre amp, to DAC and amp choice. The question remains, at what price point do you personally find the mind-blowing threshold ? IMO, the more you spend, the less you will experience that threshold. Late in life, I continue to have mind-blowing moments with my IEMs when I listen to new music every single night. Fundamentally, it’s bout the music in your head and heart. We live in an awesome tech moment that can afford us superlative listening for a relatively small investment.

I tried TheAudio Monarch and Oracle (don't remember Mk numbers) some time ago and wasn't impressed really. The do sound good, and have good technicalities but nowhere near the headphones at this price (Arya or LCD-2C) or substantially better than good quality $200-300 planar IEMs. Tonality is different but that's taste more than anything else. Timeless (1 or 2) is where IEM peaks for me personally, and diminishing return is hitting hard after that. At least based on my hearing abilities.

Although I hate to call myself that, I would be considered an "audiophile" with lots of Hi-Fi gear and also a lot of IEMs. I criticize Apple a lot when it it is due, but with the AirPods Pro 2, Apple really has released a gem. Sound quality is extremely good. Does it sound as good as my ~500 dollar Thieaudio Oracle? No, but it certainly does not sound only half as good as the Oracle, probably 80% as good - while being wireless, having ANC and being way more comfortable. In fact the APP2 is the most comfortable IEM I have tried, and believe me I have tried a lot. Regarding sound quality, there's technical ability and frequency response. The APP2 technically is the best wireless IEM available, soundstage and imaging are one of the best I have tried. Detail retreival and resolution it's the best on any wireless IEM, but is bested by some, but not all wired IEMs. If you have good ears and really listen carefully, you can still hear it's a wireless connection. Frequency response is excellent, but a matter of taste. It's warm-neutral with a slight and tasteful bass boost. For some genres it's perfect, for some others not perfect but still very good.

I also have S12 and APP2 (and also some other stuff, since I am gear-junkie audiophile) and I like the APP2 more. Sound signature is a matter of taste, but the S12 is heavily v-shaped with elevated treble, whereas the APP2 is a warm-neutral with a tasteful little bass boost. It sounds way better than the S12 And the S12 has not a good fit, the APP2 is the most comfortable and secure fit I have experienced in an IEM (and I have tried a lot). And that does not even factor in the amazing ANC and portability of the APP2. My Thieaudio Oracle sounds better than the APP2, but costs twice the price (and definitely does not sound double as good) and is not wireless and does not have ANC

Yeah, I'm with you on the audition – at that price point, it's all about the tuning, not the technical performance. Most IEMs in that range are really really good. But price-wise, I'd bump it up to 1k. IEMs from $500-$850 are a bit lacking compared to the higher-end ones, based on comparing the Oracle and Origin to the MK2-3 and LTD. Consider the Grand Maestro. IMO the GM is the benchmark, is that IEM the others compare too and it doesn't lose too much value like some other.