Prestige LTD

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!

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.

Sorry, I can't narrow this down to one. The ultimate one & done - as in buy this & just don't bother with anything else, competent with all genres (especially with the tuning modules) - FiR RN6 Most used of all time - Thieaudio Prestige Ltd​; laid back/zero fatigue, but still has guts/excellent technicalities, but still a fun listen. This is the *only* set I've converted from UIEM to CIEM. Best basshead set of all time (coming from someone who has worked with & enjoyed bass heavy club rigs for 25 years & made ddum n bass for a similar amount of time) - Empire Ears Raven. They are exactly the sound I had in my head as the basshead set I wanted. It's just a shame about the build quality. Most impressive set I've ever heard - Canpur 655b - so so so far from my favoured tuning, but these are absolutely spectacular. They are absolutely not an all rounder, don't play nice with what are my two most listened genres (jazz/drum n bass), but for anything mid centric - Jesus CHRIST!!!!! Funk/disco/soul/rare groove/decent pop (eg Prince/MJ/Hall & Oates etc) - absolutely out this world. They raised the bar & are now the only set I can give a full 10/10 to. I savour them for a session or two a week.

Small nitpick, I don't own most of these IEMs BUT I do have the Prestige LTD and I know for a fact you got its info wrong cus this is on the box. Now it got me doubting the whole list. https://preview.redd.it/zw13foftq6ye1.jpeg?width=3215&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9f4ad3f4f731f73adc270fdf54d188b6d4381d12

There were 3 IEMs for me. Ziigaat Odyssey for the tuning, I just love it and it fits my preference. Xenns Mangird Top (not the PRO as I've not heard it myself yet) but even then it was my benchmark for anything sub 600. Lastly my current most expensive and a personal "endgame" set the Thieaudio Prestige LTD, it might loose out on certain aspects if compared to other similar priced IEMs but personally to me it's just the smoothest and most lush sounding IEM I've ever put in my ear.

I bought my prestige ltd about two years ago and it still sounds incredible to me every time I put it in my ears.

Letshuoer Cadenza 12 and Thieaudio Prestige LTD are two more options you could try for near-top-tier IEMs with a more natural sound than U12t. They're also more modern. The JVC is just a single DD IEM, basically pushed to the limit.

Their speed is insane - they were my first iem and I have only bought one set since. I picked up the prestige Ltd and although they perform better there isn’t an insane night and day difference. The s12 pro are still fantastic in my books.

Prestige LTD - I’ll go a week or so without using them, and when I return it’s like listening to them for the first time. Absolutely glorious!

Valhalla was much warmer than I expected. Bass was impressive deep for an all BA set. Prestige LTD was great and seems to be closer to what OP is looking for.

I liked the excitement of the Mk4s but the Prestige LTD intentionally reduces that 7-11k to be a longer term listening type signature. Both were great listens at CanJam. It’s a similar issue I am also wrestling with on between a few summit fi sets. Do I go with an insanely smooth/weighty set or something hyper exciting but may get fatiguing? Hard choice.