ThieAudio - Prestige LTD

This is quite the naive sentiment (which is ok). There is no "best" in this hobby, it is more than likely what you "prefer" for the type of music you listen to and what you value from said music. Having listened to both the pLTD and Origin, and being able to comfortably afford both, I agree they are a "great" value for the price considering what many flagship IEM's go for, but someone with a tighter budget would probably disagree with us. Overall I think you made a great choice and I'm sure you're very excited about your purchase.

That's completely fair, I myself have my all arounder which I eq for most music the UM Mavenii and for EDM the Ziigaat Estrella. For me the Mavenii is an amazing IEM for the value ($1800), but that's only because I can comfortably afford it, it has also beat out multiple $3-4k flagship sets when listening side by side. This is for my ears though, other people may not agree and prefer other IEM's so I will never say the Mavenii is the best, just that its an amazing value. If 1k was my limit, the pLTD would be high on the list for all-around end game. Don't forget to enjoy the music as well!

Thieaudio Prestige LTD & iFi Go Link Max.

I have settled for Prestige LTD after owning more expensive sets (Trifecta, Grand Maestro, Maestro SE, Rn6 etc.. ) Subjectively I hear it on the same level (just a different tuning, presentation, technicalities), so I think it is amazing value. I am using it on my desktop gear but it sounds awesome even on a small dongle. Haven't heard Clara and Glacier though.

They have shells on the smaller size - I don't know how they managed to fit everything there, but the size is perfect for my ears. I had Grand Maestro and Maestro SE and those were ear destructors, I always needed to get smallest tips and with GM it caused pain after some wearing time.

What were you disappointed about them? Just curious as I find pretty incredible for the price, but alas we have different ears and are prob looking for things differently. I think the sound staging could be better for its price range and would recommend the Prestige LTD for a kilobuck set for that specific feature, but I very much enjoy the tuning.

I went to my local shop to try out some “endgame” level of iems today since I am on off day, and saw this new Truthear Zero Blue 2 on the shelf. So while waiting to test the other kilobucks iems, out of curiosity i reached out and tried the Blue 2, and….it is so damn good I thought i was hallucinating. So to make sure i wasnt being dramatic, i tried other thieaudio prestige ltd and “almostexact” same shell size 64 audio u6t and it proved that I wasnt. Dont get me wrong, blue 2 doesnt out resolve any of those kilobuck iems, but the tuning is so good! When dirextly compared to u6t, u6t sounded like theres a something lacking on the treble? Not sure if its the unit issue but blue 2 sounded so much better and natural. Just the technical aspect isnt comparable especially when full band of bass/drums/guitars coming in u6t I am still able to pinpoint everything while blue 2 is more of a mess. Blue 2 i personally feel that the vocals and treble is just nice 👌, and smooth! Not to mention very comfortable too. I have some endgame level sets and still plan to get this one just for everyday beater set! Tldr; Its crazy how much quality 64.99 can get you in 2025!

Yeah as long as you enjoy the iem. Pretige to me is like multi kilobuck killer where theres no point getting anything more expensive than this unless its some specific sound that you are looking for. It is so good technical wise!

OK First up, the really easy one, and it's a really big one - sub bass. A headphone cannot deliver sub bass like an IEM can. I own three of the big (and very good, rather than novelty type) IEMs known for their bass belivery - Fatfreq Maestro SE, which I have the CIEM version of (and thus delivers even more sub bass of due to the deep fit/isolation), the Sony IER-Z1R & thr best IEM of last year IMO, the Campfire Astrolith. There are plenty of others as well. I love my sub bass - and there are certain genres that really need it. I've tried several of the more popular bottom heavy headphones, and they just don't come close - Sony MDR-Z1R, Fostex (forgot the model number - big shiny red domes) & a couple of others. Unfortunately once you're used to how really good, sub heavy IEMs, headphones just don't come close. I do love headphones, but all of those got sold - most very quickly. --- The other big one is how hybrid driver designs work - I don't know if you're a fan, but Alessandro Cortini of NIN (Nine Inch Nails) & an artist of a very different kind in his own right is a huge fan of how hybrid IEMs work vs traditional headphones - and released a collaboration hybrid IEM with Campfire Audio; the Clara. The amazing thing with the better hybrids (done well - they need to be implement intelligently & tested thoroughly/tweaked before launch) is really how different driver types work together to create something very special. Of course you can do this with headphones, but it doesn't work in the same way as you need them to be packed together & given a small exit point to really work their magic - my personal favourite example of a hybrid design is the Thieaudio Prestige Ltd; I use these daily & I had them CIEM'd after ten months as I know I'll never sell them & CIEMs both sound better & are more comfortable. It feels like you're wearing nothing. They usd a combination of electrostatic drivers (which are incredible for high frequencies & the imaging/detail of those frequencies) balanced armatures which handle the mids & dynamic drivers which hand the bass. These are a beautifully balanced set which I have used for 8-12h very regularly & they still sound magical to me. It's not an aggressive sounding set - zero fatigue from long sessions & you cannot possibly have a similar audio experience with overheads. I absolutely adore overheads, too & I never thought IEMs could catch up - but they have - but it's a very different thing & they both have their place.

Set myself the task of having - within reason - the best line up of IEMs possible (and the best way to drive them). Fortunately I'm in a position where I can borrow loaners of pretty much anything and I tried a LOT. I only kept one IEM from last year & that was the Thieaudio Prestige Ltd - I reshelled those into a CIEM (varnished wood faceplate/clear shell) as I absolutely adore them (369 days of near daily use & counting) & nothing else does quite what they do. They're my all day listens & the comfort of them being a CIEM & that little bass boost due to a better seal 👌 One of my biggest priorities for the artillery refresh was durability. The Prestige Ltd cost me $1300 & as much as I loved the sound... Thieaudio's shells are absolute crap, when compared with the likes of Campfire or even Unique Melody who make really excellent resin (?) shells as per the Mest MKII. The other CIEM is the black & white ska pattern Maestro SE 'MK 1.5' (significantly revised internals apparently). They're kind of a bonus as FF really messed me around with a pair of Maestro SE uni's & I thought I was going to get a refund... they offered me a full custom & I'm glad I took it as they are firm favourites... but I certainly wouldn't pay $3000 for them. I produce & DJ drum n bass & these are my favourites for simple production stuff & digital 'crate digging' as well as familiarising myself with new tracks I'm going to play out... and just enjoying dnb or any bass heavy music. Those blue/green abalone shell with the gold trim are the QDC Emperor. Personally I adore them. I loved the detail & treble of the QDC Anole VX, but hated the all BA bass. Their new flagship, the Emperor (which retail at $3000, but I got ex demo for $2200) has 15 drivers per side including DD's for sub & EST's for the highs. I think these were greatly overlooked by western reviewers (because QDC don't seem to send review pairs out & do very well in China anyway) & at a quick listen they can come across as 'dark'. I can understand that, and it's typically not something I love - but I think these just sound rich & full bodied... I already loved the good parts of the Anole VX & these just seemed to take what was good with those & improve it enormously. The sound incredible with very full sounding music such as heavy electronic stuff (Justice) & heavier rock (Nirvana). They're so different from anything else & that suits me just fine - I do have to boost the bass quite significantly with the DSP on my Mojo 2 to get them to my liking - and they're certainly capable of it. You need to take your time with these to really appreciate them. Top right are the Final A8000. I'd naively decided I wasn't interested in single DD IEMs as I really didn't like Sennheisers IE600/900 or the Softears Twlight very much (def preferred the Softears over the Senns massively, but just not for me)... these single beryillium driver beauties proved me so very wrong. Unbelievable imaging. Unparalleled clarity. Some people feel the treble is too much - but that's just how drums etc really sound. These are usually $2000, but I got them for about half of that & I'd absolutely recommend them at this sort of price point. They look so sexy, too. My IEM of the year was a big surprise. Never been a fan of Campfire or planar IEM's & these are both. The bass is incredible, the second planar for the treble really works wonders, yet the mids still sound clear & forward - they sound like nothing else & have to be heard to be believed. Great all rounder, too. Lastly - the Sony IER-Z1R - I love bass & I tried so many high end pairs known for their bottom end... I'd read so many comments about how uncomfortable these are. Not for me or anyone I know who actually has or has owned a pair. They look like they should be uncomfortable, but they're not in the slightest & IMO they beat more modern IEMs known for their bass such as the Fir XE6 & the 64 Audio Volour (my biggest disappointment. Really didn't like anything about them beyond build quality & how pretty they are!). These can go to toe to tie with the Fatfreq Maestro SE as a superb very v shaped basshead set... these are the only two somewhat similar pairs I own & quite honestly I think the Sony's are a MUCH better deal given the build quality (these will last forever!). A classic for a reason. A couple of lessons I learned this year - I will never buy a DAP again (until they become very small, very fast & less than $1000 - and even then I'll just use it as a music transport)... I owned a few of the so called TOTL DAPS... A&K SP3000, Shanling M9/M9+, Sony Wm1zm2 etc & none of them were a patch on the Chord Mojo 2 in terms of sound quality, which I put way above everything else. The Mojo 2 is absolute witchcraft, and yes, I have a Poly, and yes - it is a horrible finickety device & I was lucky to get one for exactly $238 second hand & I wouldn't have paid more than $250. Lastly - if you're going to spend big bucks on IEMs, get some custom tips made. Tip rolling - forget it. Customs are the business.

Thanks. It took a lot of work - I'm far from rich! But it makes me very happy as I'm rarely without a set in my ears or a pair of headphones on my head & I worked in music for 25 years. I really got into personal audio a couple of years ago when I stopped drinking etc - I realised I missed the music on excellent soundsystems more than I did anything else... I think my booze etc money more than covered it. The SE is a nice bonus, but it's similar for my needs to the Sony IER-Z1R which is a much better deal IMO. Prestige Ltd have taken up 50% of my listening time over the last year plus now, and when I have had at any one time 12-15 pairs of excellent IEMs/headphones, I think that speaks for itself.

I couldn't give a shit what anyone else likes. I went through dozens (60+)of pairs to get through to six I love last year. IEMS - QDC Emperor/CA Astrolith/Fatfreq Maestro SE CIEM/Thieaudio Prestige Ltd CIEM/Final A8000/Sony IER-Z1R I have Xenns Tea Pro OTW as my out & about IEM as I live in Thailand & it's very humid. Anything I wear outside will absolutely get damaged & those are all 1600-3000. I wish the 'diminishing returns begin at $300' line was real. It isn't. Not even close - but it's good that you can get genuinely excellent IEMs sub $500. I'd also say that if you are goin high tier, you're better off buying one pair & a Chord Mojo 2 before you buy another pair. A lot of people love to rubbish the difference dac/amps make, but this thing is better than any truly portable device (it makes a HUGE difference - the Prestige Ltd /Mojo 2 combo is incredible & I have put a lot of people onto this. Include $4000 DAPs, of which I've owned most of the big ones). It's also the best for home use than any desktop amp/dac, including the $9000 Sony DMP-Z1 dac/amp/player, which I bought for overheads & will do me for life. I absolutely adore all of these. I owned the Prestige Ltd for 10 months before I reshelled/CIEM'd it because I know I'll never sell it - plus one thing these all have in common is that BUILD QUALITY is fantastic. Many great sounding IEMs are not & spending money like this on IEMs, I expect them to last me for many years. This is something a lot of reviewers overlook. My favourites are the Prestige Ltd & the Campfire Astrolith. I'm probably the only person I've ever heard who loves the Final A8000 as the highs are very abrasive for most ears. I used to play the drums - these IEMs are the most natural sounding & that's how drums sound. I've worked in music for 30 years & am myself through being a hobbyist producer a 'one hit wonder'. I've also tuned some of the best nightclub/music venue systems in the world. Music paid for these.

I've CIEM'd my PL's so I won't be selling them. I didn't like the Monarch 2 or 3 at all... that's what I went to the store thinking I'd buy... I'd never even heard of the PL's & was walking out when the manager came out of the back with the PL's that has arrived about an hour before I arrived & said 'try these' blew me away. Still my favourites after 14 months & my other six pairs are all things I bought after. The Astrolith are a very close #2/maybe even a joint #1. The Tea Pro are my going out pair & I haven't opened them yet. Only really interested in hearing the Glacier & the Fir RN6. How is the build on the Glacier? Does the metal scratch easily? I have to treat my A8000 very carefully as they apparently scratch very easily - they look like jewelry & I want them to stay that way. Fortunately the case they come with is the best/most practical IEM case I've ever seen/used. IEMS - QDC Emperor/CA Astrolith/Fatfreq Maestro SE CIEM/Thieaudio Prestige Ltd CIEM/Final A8000/Sony IER-Z1R/Xenns Tea Pro

You already have a better set than Tea Pros. I'd suggest saving & getting a $500 set; the two I recommend are the Moondrop Variations (technically better, still fun - overall better for me & excellent build quality) & the Hype 4 (more fun technically not as good, build nowhere near as good - I love Thieaudio, but their shells are really not good, with the exception of the Valhallla - the Thieaudio Prestige Ltd I had to CIEM/resell after 10 months of daily use as they were getting worse for wear despite me looking after them well). The jump between 300-350 sets & the right 500 sets is massive. Kids here genuinely hate the fact that diminishing returns after $300 is bollocks.

They are a very thin & flimsy feeling plastic/resin/whatever it is & are prone to driver flex... and yes, as well as people having problems with the entire piece that houses the sockets coming loose (something that didn't happen to mine, but I felt it was likely to happen sooner or later), the pin sockets get big/loose even if you're careful & aren't constantly changing cables. I'd think it would be acceptable to some of their lowest price items, but my Prestige Ltd were 1300 USD and the shell is of the same standard of their lowest price IEMs - I mean even shells with IEMs like the $200 Kiwiears Orchestra Lite (not an IEM I like, but the shells are of excellent quality) have MUCH better shells than my 1300 USD Prestige Ltd. If you look at shells from Campfire Audio or even Unique Melody for the Mest 1/2, this should be the standard for shells of IEMs of circa 1000 and up. I re-did mine as CIEMs - something I can't do with the Origin (due to bone conductor driver) & hence why I won't be considering them, or any other Thieaudio I can't reshell/CIEM. They look a lot nicer now, too... https://preview.redd.it/o609q48dp9le1.jpeg?width=1439&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dba98b97fa2216c6eb8c7187c80c774c0f72dc87

As someone who owns 3 of those headphones you've mentioned (LCD 2/ Focal Clear MG Pro/Sennheiser HD800) - much to the chagrin of most of this sub who are teenage boys who have likely never heard those headphones & think $200 is 'high', have very little audio experience but think they are experts after buying a few $100 sets - I wouldn't be so rude if I hadn't seen enough of the ignorant bollocks they regularly spout. I think it's great you can get something acceptable for $100, but stubborn children with little experience will absolutely stand their ground that $100 & $1000 isn't going to get you a big difference. I've worked in audio/music for 30 years. Apparently, older guys with experience who are intelligent enough to have the financial means to make $1000 IEM purchases are idiots who just buy things because they're expensive. That is the general 'rationale' in these forums. The botton line is, youre going to need to spend around $1000 to get to a comparable level to the headphones you've mentioned. Obviously, as per headphones, there is a lot of overpriced rubbish. I think the best deal going right now is the Thieaudio Origin MKIII - they're around $850 & the level of tech you see getting for that price is absolutely fantastic. I don't own them as I own the kind of similar, but more premium Thieaudio Prestige Ltd, which are $1300 & after one year of daily use, I reshelled & CIEM'd then because unfortunately, although Thieaudio's tech is unbelievable for the price & they are tuned as well as any others on the market, their shells are not brilliant, and I want these to last me for many years as they're one of my favourite two sets. Other manufacturers sell IEMs with the exact sames parts (some of which are very expensive - EST drivers are around 130 USD wholesale for a pair & the Prestige Ltd has four pairs) for several times the price.

I have the prestige LTD as well, and I can hear EVERYTHING. Mixing mistakes, off centred vocals, bass, imbalances, etc.

Amongst the thieaudio iems I’ve tried  Valhalla > prestige Ltd > v16 divinity > monarch mk3 > monarch mk2 

Mest MK2 ests are hardly noticeable, there’s something about legacy iems with first gens of est that they’re not even on par with BAs . (If not mistaken current gen is 3 or 4) I would say my experience with: prestige LTD( amazing, there’s so much air and anything from mid to upper range is just magic) Monarch mk3 was not as good as Prestige Volare (I have, is good, very nice punchy bass too, but remember it’s like 649$ in retail) Worth mentioning: Fiio FX17! 8 ESTs and price is 1499$ (it’s a lot, yeah) but all the reviews and comments are extremely good.

Prestige is pretty amazing!

Judging by hf thread on Clara - it’s not superb. You’ll be safe with Prestige Ltd.

All but one of my sets is less than $1k retail - and that set can trade blow for blow with many well regarded $2000 sets... and out of the hundreds I've heard, it is the only one that I can say that for. It is of course the Moondrop Variations, and they easily sound like a decent $1200 - $1300 set. The only $1k set I own that does not sound like a. $1k set is the Campfire Alien Brain. I'd say 600-700 would be a fair price for these. Fortunately I got them for $500 open box & /they are my out & about set & have the right characteristics for that. My list of others, their retail price & my thoughts as to whether they represent good value. Canpur 622b - $5500 I think this is an INSANE amount of money for a set. I lucked out & bought (technically) secondhand as an unwanted gift & unused. These are so far from my favourite typical kind of set as they have very little sub bass (not that I need to have every set be a basshead set) - BUT - that does not stop them from easily being the most impressive pair I've ever put in my ears. I savour them. I used them twice a week & really make sure I have no distractions & no one is home. For funk/rare groove/soul etc, they are unbelievable. For excellent pop/rock in eg Prince, Queen & MJ, same thing. For the Blade Runner 1982 Vangelis soundtrack - best I've ever heard it & I've heard it a lot. It's really difficult to qualify $5500 as a price for ANY IEM - but if one set does - it's these. Others - Final A8000 - $2000 - absolutely. Most clear & natural anything I've ever heard. For well recorded jazz, absolutely unbeatable. Good with lots of other stuff, too. Empire Ears Raven - $3750 - the best sub bass heavy 'basshead' set that have ever existed IMO. This is basically the dream sound I had in my head as a 'basshead' set & I've been through them all. Absolutely yes - absolutely worth it, but the build quality could certainly be better for that price. Campfire Astrolith - $2200 - the best planar set that exist IMO. Decent value. Incredible proprietary tech. Thieaudio Prestige Ltd CIEM - $1800 - my most used set of all time. All day every day for two years solid. Fatfreq Maestro SE CIEM fully custom - $3500- technically sound, bass is decent but nowhere near the Raven. Still, it's great to have a bottom heavy set that are so comfy, look stunning (my choice of around 200 aesthetic designs + additional options). FiR RN6 - $3000 - the ultimate one & done! Thieaudo Valhalla - $2000 - no idea, haven't arrived yet 😅 I have more but I gotta Run.