ThieAudio - Oracle MKIII

Oracle mk 3 owner right there with ya! Don't stop till the windows blow out!

I'm good with the Thieaudio Oracle Mk3

I've only really messed with the treble switches so far, the 2 bass switches I left on because I love bass. In my opinion, the CCA Hydros are too bright with the treble switches on. I haven't tried turning the bass switches off yet, I'll tinker with them next time I give them a listen, perhaps later tonight. I also just picked up some used IEMs from eBay, Thieaudio Oracle Mk3's, they were listed for $450. I think those might be my 'endgame' IEMs, they sound amazing! They've got more bass than the CCA Hydros & the midrange & treble are incredibly clear. I'm now thinking about selling all of them on eBay, except for the Oracle Mk3's & I'll keep CCA Hydro's as a backup.

Enjoy what you have. I've listened to my fair share of iems. I just returned the thieaudio origin due to size and fit issues. I just got the thieaudio divinity v16 to try an all BA iem again. With a few mins of listening these things have a big stage and great imaging. My other iem isthe thieaudio Oracle mk3

As someone who has used all three, I'd say Pilgrim by a mile. A5000 sounds very wide and impressive, but uses a weird and unnatural tuning to achieve the effect. I care much more about tonality and technicalities rather than soundstage. Mega5EST is impressive in its natural timbre and sound, but sounds too boring and very untechnical in my opinion. Still, worth picking up if a natural sound is your top priority. Pilgrim is my favourite IEM at the moment and, at the risk of sounding hyperbolic and over-hyped, I'm selling my u12t because I Simply prefer the Pilgrim. Bass sounds deep and natural but not bloated, mids sound crystal clear, highs are slightly forward while not being unbearable, and the tonality is very balanced unlike Variations or A5000. Fit may or may not be an issue though, the nozzle is big and too short. As for the oracle mk3 everyone is suggesting, I found that to be too spicy up top and to be rather unnatural in the timbre. (I love baroque, choral, and organ music especially)

I can only speak from my experience. I have three Thieaudio sets (hype 10, Oracle iii, origin), and they’ve been great so far. If you’re in the US, buy from a reputable store (headphones.com or bloom) with good service/warranties

I have that same btr 15 love it with my oracle mk3 iem and my other iems i only use it for Bluetooth function from phone

ISN EST50 most musical under 500. Not a Harman + bass clone I've had the Oracle MK1 and Mk3. Bought both used, sold both at a slight loss. Same boring curve. Prestige LTD (makes the target curve worth it with technicalities, staging and timbre), Campfire Bonneville, and I assume the new TA much better but outside your budget.

Mega5est sounds... Meh. Very boring, recessed treble makes it seem to have less detail, but I know why a lot of people like it Oracle MK3 does not have nice vocals, sometimes can just sound weird and decay is also a little unnatural Zigaat, never heard it yet. I do love the I\O Sogno because it's a slight V shape slightly treble leaning so it sounds very lively as well, without compromising on vocal presence. It sounds better than their flagship loll

​ [ThieAudio Oracle MkIII \(+FiiO JA11 and 6.3mm adapter\)](https://preview.redd.it/pwbu11d1tard1.png?width=1528&format=png&auto=webp&s=05ca3fe847906edb69742d4d086de7307b15393f) Why a "Preliminary Review"? Well, I didn't want this to be a review, just a First Impressions post, but I accidentally wrote a full review. Oops. Also, my opinions tend to shift a bit as I continue to listen to my gear, so this is a preliminary review based on less than a month of listening to them. tl;dr and sample tracks at the bottom if you're short on time, but this took a while to put together so I'd appreciate you reading the whole thing. A while back, I posted in this subreddit looking for impressions of the **ThieAudio Oracle MkIII** to help me decide whether to purchase it or not. I didn't get many responses! It seems that not a lot of people have tried this IEM out, so this post is essentially what I was hoping to find myself, in case it helps out anyone else in the future considering the *Oracle3* themselves. This is my first ThieAudio product, so I cannot provide firsthand comparisons of the Oracles to other IEMs in ThieAudio's product lineup. This IEM currently costs USD$589 new or your local equivalent, and I purchased this specimen myself Open Box from a reputable local retailer. This got pretty long because it turns out there's a lot to talk about with these! You might be wondering why I was interested in the Oracle3 to begin with over more popular or cheaper choices. For one thing, I already own many of the more popular choices, and I didn't need to buy them twice! I also avoid products that I don't think I am likely to enjoy, as I'm buying everything with my own cash for personal use. Electrostatic/electret tweeters were one of the few driver types I hadn't yet tried out, so I wanted to try them while spending as little as is necessary, while avoiding tuning targets I know I dislike personally and going for something I didn't need to EQ for once. I find the Harman target(s) to be initially impressive but a bit too lean to listen to long-term, so that ruled out the Moondrop Variations. The new "meta" tuning, JM-1, I don't dislike it exactly and certainly like it more than Harman but no matter what equipment I listen to it on this target ends up sounding strange to my ear in a way I can't place. On top of that, the deliberate crater between 10-15KHz that is supposed to take the sharpness out of a sensitive region I perceive as a literal loss of volume in that spot so it's firmly Not For Me, at least not a strict version of the tuning. This meant the next cheapest option for me to try out electrostats was one of the ThieAudio Oracles, but I still wanted to buy something I was actually going to like enough to use as a daily driver long-term. The Oracle MkI is known for being a very impressive vocal-focused IEM with a cult following, but I mostly listen to instrumental music unlike most of the planet so that focus is not particularly important to me, and with the bass graphing as being deliberately laid-back as well, that ruled it out for me. The Oracle MkII is mostly known for, and let's be frank here, *really wonky treble tuning* and the fact it's already out of production when its predecessor is still kicking seems to reinforce that the tuning is super niche and easy to dislike so that was also easy to rule out, although I know it does have its fans despite everything. That left the new Oracle MkIII, which right now doesn't seem to be known for much of anything at all. It feels like the failure of the Mk II knocked ThieAudio's confidence in the Mk III to the point that they severely limited the review units and initial production run. The other reputation the Oracles all share is that they can be considered a cut-down half price version of the corresponding flagship Monarch series release, the main difference between the two being that the Oracles have a much simpler array of BA drivers covering only the midrange while the array in the Monarchs covers the entire audible spectrum and is then further reinforced by dynamic drivers for the low end and electrets for the high end. The modular cable supplied as the stock cable for the Oracle3 is the same one provided with the Monarch MkIII, even, as are all the provided accessories and tips for each. The Oracle3 uses the same four-way crossover configuration as the Monarch3; the frequencies are cleanly split into four distinct ranges, with the 2DD "IMPACT²" system handling the low-end exclusively, the Sonion brand electrets (model not specified) exclusively handling everything over 7KHz and a single BA each handling the other two ranges. That is to say, if you are here to see specifically how an electret tweeter renders treble and air frequencies without any support, this is actually the one to pick up. The exact range split is undocumented, but it's logical to assume that the "ruler-flat" mids as advertised are handled by one BA doing the 200-1000Hz range, while the other BA handles the ear gain region and lower treble, so 1KHz-7KHz. ​ [This is the nicer looking one of the two differently designed faces.](https://preview.redd.it/btv43cm9tard1.png?width=688&format=png&auto=webp&s=5989233f4cace827ab284d5d8921bb55fc82297d) With that out of the way, the important bit: how do they sound? What pushed me to pull the trigger on the Oracle3 and take the risk was the fact that they graphed as a cross between two of my more recent purchases that I really enjoy for different reasons: the Kiwi Ears Quintet and the DUSK, both of which I prefer in raw analog form without EQ. According to the graph I used as a reference before purchasing, the Oracle3s match the Quintets up to 2KHz, at which point they start to match the DUSK, before they start doing their own thing over 10KHz. I was intrigued enough to pull the trigger, and the results... were unexpected, albeit very positive. Because I was here for the treble and air handling primarily and because the crossover is four-way, let's split the analysis into four sections, starting with the electrets. Prior to this, I have tried most of the commonly used driver technologies for IEMs, each with their own quirks and foibles but I ultimately came to the conclusion that while they are indeed different, they are generally not different enough for it to matter very much, and I could enjoy them all roughly equally, with a minor bias towards planar drivers personally. I came into this expecting electrostatic drivers to be different again, interesting in their own way again, but ultimately not worth the price you pay for the privilege. What I actually got was the best treble and air presentation I have *ever* heard from **anything**, and it's not even close. Money well spent, and if I was forced to rate these drivers' performance out of ten I'd give them an 11. They are ridiculously clean, tremendously detailed and smooth at the same time somehow, and they don't miss a thing. It feels like they trapped a unicorn somehow in an IEM shell to make this work. I have to throw my expectations and standards out now and come up with new ones, and it's a huge shame they haven't cracked getting these to be full-range because that would truly be something to behold. I've lost count of the times I've wondered aloud to myself while listening to music, "was that a minor background detail I just heard or did I imagine it?", only for these things to make it all too clear that yes, it was a background detail I heard, but I wasn't even close to really hearing it properly. Then they make doing that seem absolutely effortless. Outstanding. There is no other way to describe this. This also has the added massive benefit of making the overtones of much lower notes also dramatically clearer, so absolutely everything Just Sounds Better. The Oracle3s have been tuned to make sure you definitely hear these drivers, so people chronically averse to actually hearing the air region in their tunes should stay away. For everyone else, this is something you should absolutely try out if you can afford to do so. Next up is the upper-mids/treble BA. This driver is responsible for giving the Oracle3 its mild W-shaped tuning instead of the U it would have otherwise and the effect is very interesting. If you're not familiar with a W-shape, it means simply that instead of the presentation being flat, the low-end, high-end *and* mids are somehow emphasised at the same time giving the graph a wobbly W shape, with the mid emphasis usually being optimised to make vocals pop. On a badly implemented W-shape tuning, this would cause you to perceive different instruments and sections of a track to be playing back at wildly different volumes and you'd be reaching for the volume controls constantly. This is avoided entirely on the Oracle3 and instead this is achieved here by unrepentantly keeping the raw treble SPL very even, so the vocals are very in-your-face on these because the 4-6KHz "presence" area is a consistent volume and relatively elevated in line with the unusually low pinna compensation peak at \~2KHz. Yes, as someone who hasn't heard something like the Oracle MkI, I would consider vocals to sound noticeably and pleasantly forward on these when present, to the extent that some tracks with previously unintelligible lyrics are suddenly very intelligible indeed! This has a side-effect, however, in that the Oracle3s make no attempt to mask sibilance at all - if it's present in the original track, you will hear it. This is likely intentional, as the Oracles have always been marketed as literal *in-ear monitors*, where a flat and honest presentation is completely necessary. Here, the presentation is split into four distinct layers, with the air region layered onto the very "top" and prominent and these slipped underneath that but still layered over the lower-mids. The result is that whichever region of the original mix is the most prominent pops out the most here, and that will usually be this layer. There is another benefit to the very consistent treble presentation used here that often gets overlooked - even with the limited headstage of an IEM your ability to distinguish between near and far is very strong on the Oracle3s, which makes them abnormally good for distance and directional calculations out of the box when gaming - and yes, replicating this tuning choice with EQ on other IEMs would have the same effect so by all means give that a shot if you were curious or skeptical about this claim. However, if you're allergic to sibilance, and many people are, you are probably going to need to kill the 6KHz "peak" - I say "peak" because in practice the Oracle3's treble actually sounds very even and consistent. Unfortunately, real life likes to hiss at you without warning, too! In other words, while the Oracle3s will not introduce sibilance that wasn't there into what you're listening to, they won't go out of their way to kill it, either, and this has pros and cons that are very much a matter of personal taste. Before I continue, I will note here that if you are foolish enough to plug this expensive \~13ohm impedance IEM into a high-impedance source and distort the tuning, the first thing to get dampened is this treble BA, so you end up with super iffy ear gain and everything sounds muffled all of a sudden. Saying that, you should have a clean source already if you're spending this much on an IEM! I picked up a FiiO JA11 in the process of testing this IEM out and this £10 dongle was more than adequate for the job and now has pride of place in the Oracle's carry case. (Most of the testing was carried out on my FiiO K7, however.) ​ [This one's still very nice looking, though.](https://preview.redd.it/w5xmguyjtard1.png?width=546&format=png&auto=webp&s=81ebf2140f2cc8cc059b234c24d6d862de0dea9e) To achieve the W-shape tuning, something has to take a backseat - after all, if everything is emphasised, nothing is. This other BA is handling the upper bass and lower mids, or in other words the most commonly used fundamental tones in everything you're listening to. This W-shape is very mild though, and this driver is still very audible and present in the mix, no worries there. This driver has the most plain presentation of the four groups and is the secret sauce that makes this actually-pretty-coloured-when-you-measure-it IEM sound very even and restrained in practice, because *the fundamentals are presented very evenly and with great restraint*. I cannot stress this enough! It's amazing how well this works when the other three driver groups are so desperate to show off all the time and you're all too happy to let them. This means that on the rare occasion where this layer of the mix is most prominent, this normally very dynamic and exciting presentation will suddenly flip to feel a lot safer and more controlled and it might catch you by surprise. As a consequence, if you happen to just be listening to a podcast or something with mostly plain unvarnished speech, everything is nice, clear and unembellished with correct vocal timbre. Slamming the brakes on here was very smart and while it meant a couple of tracks I listened to and expected to wow me based on past experience didn't, what I got instead was a very even-handed presentation that never bored me and impressed me in a completely different way instead. Nothing sucks to listen to on the Oracle3. Nothing. Last and certainly not least, the double dynamic driver "IMPACT²" system. The DUSK notably has this sort of setup to handle its bass delivery, and I was very impressed with the design and the drastic improvement it makes to bass definition, to the point that I specifically looked for a 2DD bass driver to avoid going backwards in low-end quality. Fortunately I didn't have to look very far as the IEM industry has become fond of this exact setup lately. ThieAudio is sticking it in most of their latest releases from the Hype 2 all the way to the Monarch Mk III and is even impressed with it enough to bother actively promoting its presence and name it. These get called "isobaric" drivers but I understand that name isn't really accurate. What's important is that this is two dynamic drivers in a push-pull configuration which has one job - to cheat a \~15mm diameter driver into 10mm of space by sticking two of them together and unifying their movement, and in so doing get much better control over the wiggly air in this notoriously difficult to control region of the audible spectrum. This is the part of the Oracle3's presentation that required the most initial adjustment to, because at first compared to what I was listening with previously there was *soooo muuuuch miiiidbaaaaaaaass*. I got that effect like when your ears pop after a while of being stuffy and everything sounds muddy until your brain adjusts, so in fact I was initially a bit apprehensive of the way the Oracle3 handles this very, very deep bass delivery. Once adjusted, however, this same very powerful, deep bass shuffles into the back layer of the mix, always ready to bring the thunder but firmly layered at the bottom, underneath the fundamentals, the vocals and the sweet, sweet air; the bedrock the other layers all hitch a ride on and are all the better for it, without ever threatening to smother them out of existence at any point like your average consumer audio device. Boy is this bass driver good. No wonder ThieAudio are shoving it in everything they can. You can forget you're wearing IEMs at times with these, the music becomes so enveloping. ...Until the bass gets so deep you literally hear it "hit the walls" of the headstage, which instantly reminds you that you're listening to a recording on a tiny pair of in-ears. This is not to take away from the achievement here, but there is a limit to how realistic bass can sound when there is physically not enough space available to fully reproduce those low sweeping bass rolls, even if in practice this happening is very rare. While the bass is not getting hard limited by the extremely limited physical space the driver actually has to work with, the illusion is exceptional. This driver manages to be loud, clear and *articulate* without ever being overpowering, and it is stunning how well it reproduces the actual real world sound signature of a subwoofer driver, something I have firsthand experience of. I can see, however, how a BA dedicated to rendering bass detail like for example in the Monarch3 would further improve the definition here beyond what this 2DD setup alone is capable of, but it's a hell of a nitpick to make when it's already this good. So, the overall sound signature of the Oracle3 is one that tricks you into thinking it sounds flat and even keel while actually leaving a lot of room for the illusion of dynamism in its presentation. It does this by having all these bombastic and exaggarated layers blend into each other and cancel each other out, with a much more grounded lower midrange keeping everything sounding levelled out and "flat" to your easily tricked ears. If the ThieAudio Oracle MkIII should be known for anything, it should be known as a vocal-forward extension specialist IEM, that extends as deep and as airy as it can in both directions while not forgetting to leave the fundamentals grounded and the vocals clean and clear while it's chasing the extremes with everything it's got. If you like to hear *everything* in the mix and leave nothing behind, especially that often-neglected >10KHz region, this is the one to pick up and is worth the premium you pay for it. This is a very underrated set that should be getting a lot more attention than it is. The idea that the Monarch MkIII exists as a potential direct upgrade to this set is absolutely nuts for me to process right now. Mind you, this is the last time I ever try to upgrade with a blind buy! I'm just glad it worked out for me. ​ [The serial number is clearly marked on the inside of the shell, which seems to be a ThieAudio thing.](https://preview.redd.it/rrtsofjptard1.png?width=1154&format=png&auto=webp&s=f39dca42c63bfad87c012a11b79dee99885e3424) Before I forget, the accessories are excellent quality as well. You're getting ThieAudio's 2023 top of the line accessory package with these (already the Origin released after this IEM has a different cable and carry case), which is arguably barebones but I'd say it's really all you need; a set of silicone and foam tips in three sizes each, a high quality modular cable and a carrying case. The case is nice and spacious unlike many other offerings on the market so you won't be short on breathing space and even comes with a cleaning cloth, which is new for me and very much appreciated! The modular cable is a nice value-add for me and the cable is memory-free and just does its job. The stock tips are not for me, but hardly poor - I found the silicone tips to be a bit too stiff to be comfortable for very long so I did not try them out extensively, and I could stand to have the foam tips in my ears for more than 15 seconds so they're automatically the best foam tips I've tried by default. I ended up using the Kiwi Ears Flex tips for personal use, and if you've not heard of them before they're now the stock tips of the Kiwi Ears KE4 so you can check them out there too. I like these tips enough to have bought them three times already in each colourway, but tip choice is very personalised. I've found that my ears like flexible tips and start complaining quick if the tips are too stiff, so this is a must for me. The SpinFit W1s sound excellent on these too, and I think some folks would like the sound of those better than the Flex. What clinched it for me was the noticeable improvement to the perceived "control" of the bass on the Flexes thanks to the tapered tip stems, so if you find the bass on a modern ThieAudio to be a bit too pillowy and diffused/vague, try these tips out. **tl;dr:** I was completely blown away by the ultra-detailed high end on these IEMs and at last have found an IEM I'm genuinely satisfied with for personal use, but this IEM is not all high end focus and nothing else; everything is very well represented here from top to bottom. If you're strictly mid-focused this IEM is likely to disappoint as the presentation gives equal attention to the entire audible spectrum without perceptably recessing anything and you can get mids this good on much cheaper sets. If you like your bass and treble extension equally though, as I do, this is the Gold Standard. You also despite what I just said get a very impressive, high clarity vocal presentation here and if this is important to you, this is another viable alternative reason to pick this IEM up, as a vocal-focused IEM that doesn't leave bass and treble clarity on the table to go purely for the vocals. In my opinion, and this will be controversial, it's abnormally good to game on as well, but I don't game competitively. This enhanced spatial perception comes at the cost of a possible sibilance peak so be aware of that. ***P.S.*** You may want some test tracks. Here are some that I feel showcase the Oracle3's chops particularly well: [Temple Grounds - Metroid Prime 2: Echoes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xVzh9WA158) [Ambidexterity - Virtue's Last Reward](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Se81-O0te-E) [Strike It Again - Dwarf Fortress Adventure Mode](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwzReA_mFyo) [Cold of the Umbral Plains - DOOM Eternal: The Ancient Gods Part 2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzhgUKf0vmk) [AM I DREAMING - Lil Nas X ft. Miley Cyrus](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyliZ8AoPq0) [RRRRafflesia - Utsu-P](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eD81CsAFmDU) [RAX TAXI - Louie Zong](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSyryNMZijQ) (warning: very bassy)

I can't provide a comparison of the three you listed but the Oracle3 will sound awesome with classical and synthwave if you're particularly interested in that.

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

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

I listened to both back to back. Honestly, the Origin was way more immersive. The MMk3 sounded a little like it was trying to hard. Bass was a real standout on the Origin as well. If you want something more technical and precise than the origin (but still a very engaging listen) , go for the Prestige LTD and skip over the Monarch series.

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.

I would say, Yap warning Transducer TYPE BA/DD/EST/PZT/BCD Driver count Driver Impedance Driver Tuning/Resistor Choice Acoustic Tunneling Cabinet Size EG Size of IEM Venting Nozzle Length Isolation factor THD Driver Matierals Wire size 2 pin cable matieral and guage Target Audience A lot of these factors are what make high end speakers sound different from more budget speakers. Psychoacoustic bias is also the biggest issue and factor one should always keep in mind as when I had orignally bought my Mmk3 I thought they had a average and boring sound since I had not properlly tip rolled to get good isolation and also had racked up 400 hours of total listening time on my beloved variations. Once I had a mental reset, Proper tip roll and seal for comfort. WOW 1,000 price tag did not give me any buyers remorse unlike the day of delivery. I finally understood the Tonality claims and how fun they were for being a Neutral Set(Certified Treble Violation) compared to harman. I also want to give a bit of subjective bias in that a good set of transducers should have a bare minimum cost like how most EST tribrids rarely dip below 400$ msrp but also some all BA sets are upwards of 3000$, Cadenza U12/U18 and they have big engineering teams behind them probably inflatring that number to cover costs, but price should never equal a certain level of measureable gain or enjoyment at the ear, EG the 64 audio volur, MD Dark Saber and CCA Hydro all feature a similiar driver count but all sound different or much "better" even though they vary from 90$-679$-1999$, there tuning target and demographics were ultimately weighed upon all these listed factors and whom the iem was intended for. While the prices may vary the actually sound enjoyment will also be much more subjective considering the target response and In-EAR fit and anotamy. to list some reasons that may influence wether there is some form of reason to believe a iem at higher prices may sound "better" but you should give some factor in that at a certain point there is no value in weighing wether the rhapsodio supreme legend will be % better than the MIM Dark magician considering they are Single Dynamic units, with big price diferences. While I do think most people will lose themselves faster to music and stop chasing the dragon if they do get the chance to purchase a TOTL product after countinus use of budget Products, there will always be better reason to allocate time and money to other things outside of this very subjective terrible hobby. its honestly blind high stakes gambling sometimes lol.

Have you tried the Xenns Mangird Top? I have it and the Monarch MKIII and still prefer it. I want Xenns to make a $1k IEM badly.

ok, well, any budget? monarch mkIII plenty good enough. 64 audio u6t is also fantastic and I would take it over monarch. 64 audio trio and volur are both fantastic for gaming so just pick whichever tuning you like more for music. Vision ears ve10 is even more expensive but absolutely nutty. Empire ears raven isn't as good as ve10 for gaming but more fun. AME raven is like god tier for gaming but I dont like the tuning. :)

I generally would avoid campfire. Mk3 is a fine choice. For people with small ears and ok with eqing i recommend ie900.

Speaking of, I tend to reach for the Noir over the Monarchs. I have both. Noirs have a very addictive sound. Also, look for an open box or used set and save some money.

Well, we do hear differently, and I never tried them side by side. If I get a chance, I'll do just that and report back. It's the MKIII that I own.

To each their own I guess, to me the MMk3 is just overly shrill in the mid-upper treble that it comes off as messy and crunchy. The MMk2 is better tuned despite not being as good in terms of bass quality and note separation IMO.

I was recently wowed by a performer 5 I got on sale for $150 even though I own other sets ranging from $400-1000 along with headphones such as the 560s and 6xx. Goes to show that price is meaningless and it’s more about how much satisfaction you get out of it. Not saying my $1000 set, the monarch mkiii, isn’t superior, it definitely is, but it’s not like leaps and bounds unless you A/B test them

I'm using Scarlett Minis and had the MMK3 which is somewhat close to the Origin? MMK3 is nice but Scarlett Mini has amazing bass. No EQ needed.

Oh the MMK3 were far better for metal and anything that needed clarity. My MEST 2 edges it out though so that's why I sold the MMK3.