Finally got the Monarch MK3 from Mirai Audio Headphone store here in Malaysia as they are doing clearance sales. I chosen this over the more expensive Unique Melody Maven 2 limited edition. Reason behind is that I have both the UM MEST MK2 and UM MEXT, where the house sound of UM is vocal forwardness, the maven 2 is no exception with stronger subbass and midbass presence. I need something that is more relax and laid back in the vocal/mids region hence I have gone for the Monarch MK3. Man, the sound is just too good, running off my Astell&Kern SE300 (R2R) DAP and my iFi Gold Bar 10th Anniversary Limited Edition Dongle DAC, the bass was so satisfying and the air (10-20khz) region is so nicely reproduced, detail and at the same time smooth with zero harshness in the treble too. Definitely one of the most well tuned and good technicality and wide staging iem I ever owned. Im paring the Monarch MK3 with PW audio Soronous cable. Sweet!
I have a Sony IER Z1R, Ultimate Ears Live, 64 Audio U18s, and the Monarch MK2. Monarch MK2 is the cheapest of them all, but I listen to it the most, more than the other three combined. Really great IEM.
@@MykWazowski U12T is simply a cut above in terms of technicalities, treble presence and bass quantity. Those drivers from 64 audio are really pushed to its maximum potentital, bringing out all the subtle nuances in a track as well as highlight the major notes. However as an overall presentation it can sound a little bit analytical and "dry" ,depending on preference , but if you love the presentation of the U12T, then the MkIII might sound like a small step down but in terms of not wanting to focus on every little detail of the music but just have "enough" of everything, the MkIII fits that criteria. Hope the above helps
One of the reasons of me purchasing this set is your review. Having listened to them for some time, your description fits my experience quite well, especially on anime soundtracks. Significant jump from my Variations, where vocals are still forward, but now with more balanced sound and smooth treble. Got yourself a new subscriber. Cheers!
Best IEM reviewer on TH-cam. Clear, to the point, great shots of the IEM from all angles, even shows IEMs in your ear. Bravo. Monarch MKIII is my endgame IEM. This chonky boy sounds so good. Perfectly tuned. Easily the best entry level kilobuck IEM.
Aww thanks, you're being too kind there's plenty of great IEMs reviewers ahead of me and the numbers show 😄 but I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the monarch mk3. Yeah agree with you with your last sentence there, did you have any issues with the chonkiness?
absolutely adore my set. stock faceplate looked best to me as well. found your review months after i purchased mine and i find them vastly superior to the mk2.
I hope the dryness in your fingers improves soon! 😀 I eagerly await a comparison video between the Mornarch MK3 and the Maestro SE. Count me in as another vote for that!
Hahaha 😂 I should moisturize more! I'll put a quick summary here, MSE got more bass in terms of quantity but both bass quality on both IEMs are presented well. Imaging on MSE is (from memory) more distinct, a bass details are very prominent. Mk3 is the more "balanced" sounding out of the 2 with a bit more resolution coming through but both could use more treble to cut through all that bass.
@@rnarexperience thanks for the quick comparison. How was the comfort? I have MSE, but feel too uncomfortable (too much vacuumed: ear pressure and too long nozzle) I’ll probably go for MK3 if the comfort is similar to Xenns Up.
@@mikelim1894 hmmm hard to say as I don't have the MSE with me ATM and I don't own the xenns up so can't really compare. If I'm going purely on memory then I'd say the mk3 fit slightly better and it's not as deep as the MSE but they have somewhat similar experiences in terms of big IEMs in your ear so there's going to be pressure points. But in terms of depth insertion it's definitely not as deep as MSE.
I have some 64A Trios but I'm thinking of adding these to my collection for more "fun" listening. I love my Trios and the amount of sound detail they have, but because of this, I feel like no particular instrument or vocals stick out when listening to music.
Thank you for your kind comments though there are a lot of great IEM contents out there. Ive tried doing that in Facebook groups and headfi but I'll see what I can do with reddit
Hi there, unfortunately I don't personally own the Prestige LTD so can't provide much comment there, HBB or Bad Guy Good Audio Reviews has videos out on both so that should help with your query, all the best!
How does the Monarch Mk3 compares to Fatfreq Maestro SE, considering both has lots of bass? Which is more detailed and technical despite their elevated bass?
Just putting out a quick summary, MSE got more bass in terms of quantity but both bass quality on both IEMs are presented well. Imaging on MSE is (from memory) more distinct, a bass details are very prominent. Mk3 is the more "balanced" sounding out of the 2 with a bit more resolution coming through but both could use more treble to cut through all that bass. I'll hopefully put out a video soon comparing them in depth
Fortunately I just got the Mest MkIII in the studio and in terms of sound quality I'll have a quick summary below; Bass/Midrange >>> Monarch Mk3 (Fuller, deeper bass presentation, more forward vocals with nice positioning with background music) Treble/Technicalities >>> UM Mest Mk3 (Mest simply floors the Monarch in terms of imaging and detail retrieval. It's truly an amazing experience. There's more treble presence while still being smooth) Fit/Comfort>>> UM Mest Mk3, smaller and more curves so it fits the ear much better compared to the Monarch Hope the above helps. I hope to release a comparison video someday
@@rnarexperience this is very helpful so thank you! One last question please: I commute a lot so sound isolation (noise cancellation) is very important to many of us. Which one stands better on that regard? Looking forward to your video comparison
That's a little harder to answer because different ears will have different fit and the eartips you use will determine how much seal you could maximise as well. If you have smaller ears then the UM mk3 might be the better fit compared to the Monarch Mk3, but if your ears were able to handle the MSE or Monarch Mk2, then you might wanna go with the Mk3 solely because having smaller IEMs in bigger ears means needing bigger eartips to create that perfect seal, which then would create a better sound isolation. Unfortunately I won't have the perfect answer to your latest query as it has to come from your own personal fit tests. Hope the above helps and all the best!
Unboxing experience is ghetto for $1,000 if I'm honest. Also, thumbs down to Linsoul for charging another 50 bucks for 2 face plate options when they are already charging 100 for customs.
2:00 I won't mind a bare minimum unboxing experience as long as the IEMs are well built no seams no imperfections in the shell material I am ok with it
@@hestra_ they're both on the chonky side though and personally I didn't find the MSE too painful it was just a little deep. So the monarch might pose a small issue depending on your ear shape so just a heads up
@@rnarexperience yeah forsure earshape could be weird it’s odd z1r actually fit me perfectly with only the sharp corner poking a bit but wore it for hours completely fine while mse felt like my ears were stuffed
Comfort... You've said the Monarch MkIII fits well to you, but how big a guy you are? If you're a big guy, say: 6 ft and above, or a larger built guy, then you may have larger than average ears, no? Plus, what equipment compatibility you tried them with, in terms of desktop and portable players?
I own the mmk3s and I'm 6ft3. I found them unconfortable until I tip rolled. After trying many sizes and brands, I settled for spinfit w1s in super small size. It comes down to preference and your ear canals. I never thought I'd use size SS, but it helps with the semi thick nozzle and the spinfit angles better in my ear. The shell fits me perfectly, but I had to learn to wear the IEM properly. Hope the comment helps you.
Finally got the Monarch MK3 from Mirai Audio Headphone store here in Malaysia as they are doing clearance sales. I chosen this over the more expensive Unique Melody Maven 2 limited edition. Reason behind is that I have both the UM MEST MK2 and UM MEXT, where the house sound of UM is vocal forwardness, the maven 2 is no exception with stronger subbass and midbass presence. I need something that is more relax and laid back in the vocal/mids region hence I have gone for the Monarch MK3. Man, the sound is just too good, running off my Astell&Kern SE300 (R2R) DAP and my iFi Gold Bar 10th Anniversary Limited Edition Dongle DAC, the bass was so satisfying and the air (10-20khz) region is so nicely reproduced, detail and at the same time smooth with zero harshness in the treble too. Definitely one of the most well tuned and good technicality and wide staging iem I ever owned. Im paring the Monarch MK3 with PW audio Soronous cable. Sweet!
I have a Sony IER Z1R, Ultimate Ears Live, 64 Audio U18s, and the Monarch MK2. Monarch MK2 is the cheapest of them all, but I listen to it the most, more than the other three combined. Really great IEM.
Thanks for sharing your experience!
Whats your opinion between sony ier z1r vs monarch mk2?
Are you able to compare the MK3 to 64 Audio U12t's? I have those and MEST MKII and really enjoy them. Wondering how the MK3 stacks up to them. Cheers!
@@MykWazowski U12T is simply a cut above in terms of technicalities, treble presence and bass quantity. Those drivers from 64 audio are really pushed to its maximum potentital, bringing out all the subtle nuances in a track as well as highlight the major notes. However as an overall presentation it can sound a little bit analytical and "dry" ,depending on preference , but if you love the presentation of the U12T, then the MkIII might sound like a small step down but in terms of not wanting to focus on every little detail of the music but just have "enough" of everything, the MkIII fits that criteria. Hope the above helps
@@rnarexperience Thank you for the info. Would you characterize the MKIII as a more ‘fun’ listen?
One of the reasons of me purchasing this set is your review. Having listened to them for some time, your description fits my experience quite well, especially on anime soundtracks. Significant jump from my Variations, where vocals are still forward, but now with more balanced sound and smooth treble. Got yourself a new subscriber. Cheers!
Thank you for subscribing! Glad to hear your experience matches the description and appreciate your feedback. Enjoy your experience, cheers!
Best IEM reviewer on TH-cam. Clear, to the point, great shots of the IEM from all angles, even shows IEMs in your ear. Bravo.
Monarch MKIII is my endgame IEM. This chonky boy sounds so good. Perfectly tuned. Easily the best entry level kilobuck IEM.
Aww thanks, you're being too kind there's plenty of great IEMs reviewers ahead of me and the numbers show 😄 but I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the monarch mk3. Yeah agree with you with your last sentence there, did you have any issues with the chonkiness?
@@rnarexperience Fit is good but it does make my ears sore after about 2-3 hours. Not as bad as I thought it was going to be.
@@Gambit166 thanks for sharing your experience! If only they had this in custom... Would've been so good ~
I sure like the mention of "diminishing returns" on your opening at this price level.
absolutely adore my set. stock faceplate looked best to me as well. found your review months after i purchased mine and i find them vastly superior to the mk2.
I hope the dryness in your fingers improves soon! 😀 I eagerly await a comparison video between the Mornarch MK3 and the Maestro SE. Count me in as another vote for that!
Hahaha 😂 I should moisturize more! I'll put a quick summary here, MSE got more bass in terms of quantity but both bass quality on both IEMs are presented well. Imaging on MSE is (from memory) more distinct, a bass details are very prominent. Mk3 is the more "balanced" sounding out of the 2 with a bit more resolution coming through but both could use more treble to cut through all that bass.
@@rnarexperience thanks for the quick comparison. How was the comfort? I have MSE, but feel too uncomfortable (too much vacuumed: ear pressure and too long nozzle) I’ll probably go for MK3 if the comfort is similar to Xenns Up.
@@mikelim1894 hmmm hard to say as I don't have the MSE with me ATM and I don't own the xenns up so can't really compare. If I'm going purely on memory then I'd say the mk3 fit slightly better and it's not as deep as the MSE but they have somewhat similar experiences in terms of big IEMs in your ear so there's going to be pressure points. But in terms of depth insertion it's definitely not as deep as MSE.
@@rnarexperience great thanks 🙏
I have some 64A Trios but I'm thinking of adding these to my collection for more "fun" listening. I love my Trios and the amount of sound detail they have, but because of this, I feel like no particular instrument or vocals stick out when listening to music.
Can't wait for your monarch comparison video. Thanks
It's been released so hope you enjoy it!
IMHO you provide the best IEM content on youtube. Have you considered doing more to promote your channel? Reddit etc.
Thank you for your kind comments though there are a lot of great IEM contents out there. Ive tried doing that in Facebook groups and headfi but I'll see what I can do with reddit
Nice review! how does Monarch MKIII compare to Prestige LTD? if only to take one of them, which one will you recommend?
Hi there, unfortunately I don't personally own the Prestige LTD so can't provide much comment there, HBB or Bad Guy Good Audio Reviews has videos out on both so that should help with your query, all the best!
Hey, couple of questions, is btr5 good enough to drive? And the sound quality you're describing is with stock tips?
I've driven these out of the dongle so btr5 should be enough to drive them. The tips I'm using are the S&S tips from DUNU
Great review. Moisturizer hand cream please Sir.
It's in the works :D
Please do the Moondrop Chu II next, super value for the price IEM. Would love to hear your opinion about the set.
If they made a monarch ciem i would've bought it yesterday - even at a higher price
How does the Monarch Mk3 compares to Fatfreq Maestro SE, considering both has lots of bass? Which is more detailed and technical despite their elevated bass?
Just putting out a quick summary, MSE got more bass in terms of quantity but both bass quality on both IEMs are presented well. Imaging on MSE is (from memory) more distinct, a bass details are very prominent. Mk3 is the more "balanced" sounding out of the 2 with a bit more resolution coming through but both could use more treble to cut through all that bass. I'll hopefully put out a video soon comparing them in depth
@@rnarexperiencewhich one do you prefer?
I’m sure mk3 is bass anemic like all audiophile craps
will it fit smaller ears?
Depends on the description of small ears, I've let a few female friends try it and they can't get it to fit
Do you recommend this over the Shure SE846?
Yes lol
I love the cinematic opening~~!!!! ^.^
Glad you enjoyed it 😊 hope you're doing well
Hello, please tell me what polarity is on monarch mk3: normal or inverted?
If thieaudio started doing customs again i would buy one instantly. Cause sizing is rough
Could you let us know how do they compare to UM MEST III in terms of sound quality especially regarding bass but also the fit and sound isolation
Fortunately I just got the Mest MkIII in the studio and in terms of sound quality I'll have a quick summary below;
Bass/Midrange >>> Monarch Mk3 (Fuller, deeper bass presentation, more forward vocals with nice positioning with background music)
Treble/Technicalities >>> UM Mest Mk3 (Mest simply floors the Monarch in terms of imaging and detail retrieval. It's truly an amazing experience. There's more treble presence while still being smooth)
Fit/Comfort>>> UM Mest Mk3, smaller and more curves so it fits the ear much better compared to the Monarch
Hope the above helps. I hope to release a comparison video someday
@@rnarexperience this is very helpful so thank you! One last question please: I commute a lot so sound isolation (noise cancellation) is very important to many of us. Which one stands better on that regard?
Looking forward to your video comparison
That's a little harder to answer because different ears will have different fit and the eartips you use will determine how much seal you could maximise as well. If you have smaller ears then the UM mk3 might be the better fit compared to the Monarch Mk3, but if your ears were able to handle the MSE or Monarch Mk2, then you might wanna go with the Mk3 solely because having smaller IEMs in bigger ears means needing bigger eartips to create that perfect seal, which then would create a better sound isolation. Unfortunately I won't have the perfect answer to your latest query as it has to come from your own personal fit tests. Hope the above helps and all the best!
@@rnarexperience thank you for the detailed response. All the best
Lets go !!
It's here~!
Hi, betwen the monarch mk3 and fatfreq gran maestro with one you like more and way?
Grand Maestro is a step above the MMK3 for me personally but your preference and experience may vary from mine
Unboxing experience is ghetto for $1,000 if I'm honest.
Also, thumbs down to Linsoul for charging another 50 bucks for 2 face plate options when they are already charging 100 for customs.
I'm confused, I thought the +$100 customs include shell design and faceplate
Yeah its up to 1150, i just got the butterfly which is extra 15%!
@@alexatlas1056 ahhh I see the butterfly and the disco plates are $50 extra.
@@rnarexperience yeah thats a big ripoff
@@alexatlas1056 A lot of faceplates cost a lot though, time to stay with stock then. That venom ooze looks pretty good 😎
2:00 I won't mind a bare minimum unboxing experience as long as the IEMs are well built no seams no imperfections in the shell material I am ok with it
you need handcream my man. great review by the way
between monarch mk3 and maestro se, which is more comfortable?
For my ears personally I'd lean towards the monarch mk3 for comfort.
@@rnarexperience thanks! phew that’s nice to hear I’m really interested in mk3 but mse was painful for me
@@hestra_ they're both on the chonky side though and personally I didn't find the MSE too painful it was just a little deep. So the monarch might pose a small issue depending on your ear shape so just a heads up
@@rnarexperience yeah forsure earshape could be weird it’s odd z1r actually fit me perfectly with only the sharp corner poking a bit but wore it for hours completely fine while mse felt like my ears were stuffed
if i can get installments on these i would T-T
Help review final audio A5000 thanks ❤
Comfort... You've said the Monarch MkIII fits well to you, but how big a guy you are? If you're a big guy, say: 6 ft and above, or a larger built guy, then you may have larger than average ears, no? Plus, what equipment compatibility you tried them with, in terms of desktop and portable players?
I own the mmk3s and I'm 6ft3. I found them unconfortable until I tip rolled. After trying many sizes and brands, I settled for spinfit w1s in super small size. It comes down to preference and your ear canals. I never thought I'd use size SS, but it helps with the semi thick nozzle and the spinfit angles better in my ear. The shell fits me perfectly, but I had to learn to wear the IEM properly. Hope the comment helps you.
There’s a Sahara on those hands
OMG, your hands.....go to the nearest nail salon asap.....
🏃♂🏃♂🏃♂💅
Man, with so many close ups, you really need to take care of those hands. Very distracting.
I will moisturise in the future 😅
@@rnarexperience good criticism. Haha I have liked and subscribed. ✌