[Click]

I am curious if he will do reviews for the MMk3 and the Prestige Ltd.

It'd be nice if he did an actual review for these new Thie IEMs, and not just a meme video like a lot of his reviews in the past.

 

[Smirk 24]

Monarch Mk2 still on S tier. I wont say i disagree.
https://crinacle.com/rankings/iems/

His rankings aren’t canon but it’s a good sign. Ultimately, the individual has to enjoy it.

I wouldn’t have ranked the Variations that high and the U12t that low but I respect his list.

The IE600 has the same technical grade as the U12t? That can’t be right

 

[RIGATIO]

His rankings aren’t canon but it’s a good sign. Ultimately, the individual has to enjoy it.

I wouldn’t have ranked the Variations that high and the U12t that low but I respect his list.

The IE600 has the same technical grade as the U12t? That can’t be right

I havent heard the ie600 for a while but i compared the u12t with the Monarch 2 yesterday for a couple hours, listening many genres and i think they are both on the same level technically. From memory, the ie600 was very close to the MMk2 in technicalities, so it seems to make sense.
The funny thing is that i saw this list today but yesterday i came to the conclusion that the MMk2 are actually better than the u12t and i started thinking of selling the u12t.

 

[Yanec]

Dan Reviews - hour and a half polite bashing of the Monarch Mk3. Remember, it is just his personal opinion based on his taste, etc. I listened carefully to his logic, the expressions he chose and the way he tailored his storyline, my personal opinion is that he is biased.

 

[Smirk 24]

Dan Reviews - hour and a half polite bashing of the Monarch Mk3. Remember, it is just his personal opinion based on his taste, etc. I listened carefully to his logic, the expressions he chose and the way he tailored his storyline, my personal opinion is that he is biased.

I tend to agree with his assessment of the treble. It’s not pleasant to my ears but that’s just me. It seems exaggerated and unnaturally crispy.

The Anni 23 has the same levels of treble on a FR but it’s much more pleasant IMO.

I suspect once the MMK2 comes in I’ll find it a more balanced sound as well but that remains to be seen.

At the end of the day, it comes down to listener preference. He’s probably just telling you what he hears which may be different from yours or someone else’s.

The MMK3 is still one of the best IEMs in the 1k space IMO. That treble should come with a warning though.

 

[RIGATIO]

The difference between the MMk3 and MMk2 is that the MMk3 is one of the best in its price bracket. The MMk2 is one of the best overall.

 

[iDesign]

His rankings aren’t canon but it’s a good sign. Ultimately, the individual has to enjoy it.

I wouldn’t have ranked the Variations that high and the U12t that low but I respect his list.

The IE600 has the same technical grade as the U12t? That can’t be right

I had access to the draft rankings last week and those were the same thoughts I had. In addition, the update doesn’t include several new products such as the Monarch Mk III, Annihilator 2023, U4s etc and it also seems to favor large IEMs. It’s certainly not an ideal ranking.

 

[Smirk 24]

I had access to the draft rankings last week and those were the same thoughts I had. In addition, the update doesn’t include several new products such as the Monarch Mk III, Annihilator 2023, U4s etc and it also seems to favor large IEMs. It’s certainly not an ideal ranking.

He *is* pretty busy with collabs. Last I heard he has multiple (3+) going on simultaneously. Still, I would have liked to see the IEMs you mentioned as well.

Crin I think has been pivoting more from IEM reviews to collabs and leaning further into his measurement database.

I think Precog has been reviewing less as well. Fc-Construct is one of the more active IEM reviewers I know but I don’t think he has a rankings list.

 

[Andrew_WOT]

Dan Reviews - hour and a half polite bashing of the Monarch Mk3. Remember, it is just his personal opinion based on his taste, etc. I listened carefully to his logic, the expressions he chose and the way he tailored his storyline, my personal opinion is that he is biased.

Should go to OP for proper balance.

 

[Click]

Dan Reviews - hour and a half polite bashing of the Monarch Mk3. Remember, it is just his personal opinion based on his taste, etc. I listened carefully to his logic, the expressions he chose and the way he tailored his storyline, my personal opinion is that he is biased.

I do find it odd that he hasn't reviewed anything since December of 2021 (Blessing 2 Dusk) and has been primarily a "demo" channel for as long as I've known of his channel's existence, even though he has "Reviews" in his channel name. Guess he's back into doing reviews starting with a MMK3 "polite bashing?"

Just skimmed through that long video. I don't even know where the review was. Just a bunch of coupler "demos" and random babbling. I added it to the OP just so trolls can't claim this thread is biased because I'm leaving out a video that's negative towards the MMK3.

RIGATIO finally found his match in Click.

What do you mean?

It's strange how some people are in here trolling, who haven't even listened to the Monarch MKIII yet.

I don't care if people have tried the MMK3, didn't like it, and provided reasons why, such as what @Smirk 24 did. But why post anything here if you never tried the IEM yourself and are just here to find ways to bash an IEM and to start drama?

 

[ramkvp]

I tend to agree with his assessment of the treble. It’s not pleasant to my ears but that’s just me. It seems exaggerated and unnaturally crispy.

The Anni 23 has the same levels of treble on a FR but it’s much more pleasant IMO.

I suspect once the MMK2 comes in I’ll find it a more balanced sound as well but that remains to be seen.

At the end of the day, it comes down to listener preference. He’s probably just telling you what he hears which may be different from yours or someone else’s.

The MMK3 is still one of the best IEMs in the 1k space IMO. That treble should come with a warning though.

I have the MMK II and listened to the comparison. I get his point of view and I tend to agree. If you want to have complimentary sets, I think Mest and MMK II might be a good option. If you want only one and if you want a neutral, lush sound - MMK II it is.

I also noticed someone in the comments section aptly comparing MMK II to HD600 but calling it better. I agree. I recently compared both of them to see if I can just get a Hd600 (because of the fit of MMK II and the repairability aspect of hd600), but even considering the price and the fit, I just could not. MMK II is a top tier set worth having in a collection if you're after the signature it is providing and if you care more about sound quality than money.

On a side note, I've found that an IE600 (EQ'ed to Oratory's target) to be an interesting compliment to the monarch. The dynamic drivers in IE600 are very appealing and the fit (to my small ears) is way better. I have not heard Mest or U4S yet, but because I've compared uneq'ed IE600 and MMK II, I can understand his viewpoint. In the case of IE600, while it is not quite there as MMK II is, as a package, it is a better value.

 

[Yanec]

Monarch MK3 tops HBBs best iems list for June-August 2023. The competition for this period was tough, cool to see the MMk3 taking the 1st place.

 

[Yanec]

They are slightly too bright and that's the fact.

The difference between the MMk3 and MMk2 is that the MMk3 is one of the best in its price bracket. The MMk2 is one of the best overall.

Fair enough, still one should always clarify with something like "for me" or "in my opinion" otherwise such statements can be perceived as universal and confirmed truth by people coming to read the thread before making a buying decision for $1k.

Tastes (and libraries) can be opposite For example, HBBs opinion on Mk3 vs Mk2 is opposite to yours simply because you have different tastes, not because someone is not right.

I am afraid that I personally like both kinds of tuning for different types of music... and that means double the price

 

[Smirk 24]

Fair enough, still one should always clarify with something like "for me" or "in my opinion" otherwise such statements can be perceived as universal and confirmed truth by people coming to read the thread before making a buying decision for $1k.

Tastes (and libraries) can be opposite For example, HBBs opinion on Mk3 vs Mk2 is opposite to yours simply because you have different tastes, not because someone is not right.

I am afraid that I personally like both kinds of tuning for different types of music... and that means double the price

When consuming reviews, it’s definitely important to consider the reviewers’ tastes/preferences to see if they align with yours.

When I share impressions I try to point out things that I think may be an issue to some people, even if they aren’t for me.

For example, the Helios fit and mid-bass dip, MMK3 treble, the Annihilator mid-bass elevation, etc. These may be enjoyable for many people but I can see them being a deal-breaker for others.

That’s too bad enjoyable many types of tuning, this hobby gets expensive really quickly

 

[Smirk 24]

A few ear tips came in today: ePro EP00, Azla Sedna Short, and Azla Sedna Crystal. All three work well with the MMK3.

I'm happy to report that the upper-treble has been tamed. I'm able to fully enjoy the MMK3 and it's now a keeper. I now kind of regret ordering the MMK2 (because I don't need another pair of IEMs, not because of its SQ or anything) but I'm able to return them if necessary so no big deal. I'll still be posting comparisons.

I'll share the measurements I took with each ear tip later today so you can all visualize the FR differences.

ePro EP00: Attenuates the upper-treble the most. Buttery-smooth quality across the frequency range. Most bass thump and texture of the three. Also the lowest res.

Azla Sedna Short: Most balanced. Lowers the upper-treble to a perfect level (for me) where I'm able to enjoy microdetails without them sounding overly boosted or too dark. Plenty of extension and sparkle with the Shorts. Wish the mid-bass had a little bit more punch but it's a small price to pay for the treble fix. This was the ultimate winner.

I think I may get a better seal going a size up so I ordered Mediums. I'm hoping the improved seal has a positive impact on the bass quantity. TBD.

Azla Sedna Crystal: Most forward vocals. Very vibrant, but perhaps too forward. Treble was the least reduced but I found it to be within tolerable limits. Bass is between the EP00 and the Shorts.