[GDunlop]

Which delivery option did you choose?

If I remember correctly it was Yun Express. It's difficult to tell though cause the tracking site is 4PX.

 

[AmericanSpirit]

Yeah. QDC Anole V14 is my new dream IEM, but I am not brave and rich enough to pull the trigger buying 3K IEM yet. I am also afraid to know that there's something a lot better if I spend that much money.
I guess Anole VX will be as good as V14. Of course, EST may handle treble a bit better, but value for money would be sharply diminishing when moving from VX to V14.

Ah wait I see you have MEST OG. MEST is already technically as good as VX. It’s just like 3% better here and there, and the tuning is a bit pleasant arond 6khz, as qdc hates any signs of harshness for their line up.

Also MEST has unique lowpass filter hooked to its bone conduction driver which makes a holographic presentation when focusing on a sound image, which is one and the only, VX doesn’t have that much of holographic sensation, it has holographic capabilities just not as good as MEST. VX in return has one and the only, sound characteristics which I can refer it as “fragile and finesse”, of which DUNU SA6 shares some similarities if you are interested, it’s $550. I found SA6 does 80% of what VX supposed to perform with 20% of the cost, very satisfactory.

The diminishing value is too huge from above Monarch point, which I can tell..

The best point of no return is Monarch. So I’d only recommend up to Monarch to any friend, if not for earning profit myself.

 

[IEMusic]

I agree. The TA Signature Series can easily serve as an excellent end-game for most people. I keep other IEMs around for variety, not overall superiority.

 

[drspeter]

Just got my Monarch. Out of the box impression: I regret that I just took a long way around to come to have this set. Simply amazing. Clean clean clean. But still hits hard enough in the bass region. Actually a lot cleaner than I expected as many said that subbass from this is sometimes too much. Probably DD in my set has not yet been fully burned in but i dont experience any excess subbass issue here. Will report more impression after longer listening but i dont regret that the impulse led me to buy this two days ago.

 

[AmericanSpirit]

Just got my Monarch. Out of the box impression: I regret that I just took a long way around to come to have this set. Simply amazing. Clean clean clean. But still hits hard enough in the bass region. Actually a lot cleaner than I expected as many said that subbass from this is sometimes too much. Probably DD in my set has not yet been fully burned in but i dont experience any excess subbass issue here. Will report more impression after longer listening but i dont regret that the impulse led me to buy this two days ago.

Welcome to Monarch club! This IEM has lots of potentials, tips/cable rolling could easily driving Monarch’s real potentials that can trade blows with TOTL kilo buck IEMs. For strings and female vocals I find Monarch handles it the best, even compared to Anole VX or MEST.

I rolled many cables for Monarch, Moondrop’s OCC copper, Linsoul’s LSC08 SPC, DUNU’s DWU03, PWA’s Copper M2, each time Monarch shows different face.

I went back to original stock Linsoul EST cable, the treble presentation is excellent, I just found bass didn’t match with my target tuning(a bit rough). Then settled with PWA Copper M2, and currently trying to find a cheaper substitution, PWA Copper28 V2.

Will post how it matches with Monarch upon arrival

You may try also try CP360 for Monarch, better treble and air presentation with wider sound stage/natural diffusion.

 

[drspeter]

Welcome to Monarch club! This IEM has lots of potentials, tips/cable rolling could easily driving Monarch’s real potentials that can trade blows with TOTL kilo buck IEMs. For strings and female vocals I find Monarch handles it the best, even compared to Anole VX or MEST.

I rolled many cables for Monarch, Moondrop’s OCC copper, Linsoul’s LSC08 SPC, DUNU’s DWU03, PWA’s Copper M2, each time Monarch shows different face.

I went back to original stock Linsoul EST cable, the treble presentation is excellent, I just found bass didn’t match with my target tuning(a bit rough). Then settled with PWA Copper M2, and currently trying to find a cheaper substitution, PWA Copper28 V2.

Will post how it matches with Monarch upon arrival

You may try also try CP360 for Monarch, better treble and air presentation with wider sound stage/natural diffusion.

Cant agree more. I dont find anything that I want to fix from now but better combination of tips and cable would make this IEM better from already awesome enough status. Sometime I buy cables and tips hoping that I could correct some disappining part of certain IEMs but this... I am completely happy with thus as is.
I am going to try some good SPC or single crystal copper to see if theres any improvement but wont be sorry even if not.
Now I understand all the impression and comparison you wrote between this set and other IEMs. Your impression was SO CORRECT.

 

[H T T]

Right now I am listening to and loving my Legacy 5. Which of the tri-brid would be faithful to the L5's tuning/tonality but up the audio ante?

 

[AmericanSpirit]

Right now I am listening to and loving my Legacy 5. Which of the tri-brid would be faithful to the L5's tuning/tonality but up the audio ante?

Both Monarch/Clairvoyance got fuller midrange vs L5, and I recall Oracle/Excalibur were not much different from their siblings. The laid back tuned tribrids that came to my head is Softears Cerberus, but that’s practically too expensive to try on as it costs $2,100.

 

[H T T]

Both Monarch/Clairvoyance got fuller midrange vs L5, and I recall Oracle/Excalibur were not much different from their siblings. The laid back tuned tribrids that came to my head is Softears Cerberus, but that’s practically too expensive to try on as it costs $2,100.

My Penon Globe has a fuller midrange than the L5 so, Monarch/Clairvoyance would not fill a niche that I need to be filled. (The Globe is awesome, btw). Yeah, $2100 is diminishing returns for me and I have other monetary needs to fulfill with the cost difference. Thanks!

 

[IEMusic]

Monarch/Clairvoyance would not fill a niche that I need to be filled.

Do you have a specific niche that needs to be filled? If so, let us know, and maybe we can make suggestions.

Or are you like most of us, and just looking for a niche to fill, where there is none, due to our gear addictions.

I can say that the Clairvoyance is significantly different from the Tea. Both in tuning and in technicalities.

 

[H T T]

Do you have a specific niche that needs to be filled? If so, let us know, and maybe we can make suggestions.

Or are you like most of us, and just looking for a niche to fill, where there is none, due to our gear addictions.

I can say that the Clairvoyance is significantly different from the Tea (L5). Both in tuning and in technicalities.

You nailed it! This, so much!

 

[AmericanSpirit]

After 5 hour afternoon listening with monarch, now I think the undisclosed config of Monarch would be
-1DD (bass)
-2BA (Mid)
-4BA (treble)
-2EST (super tweeter)
Which explains why monarch could handle so much of resolving capability for string and micro details

 

[sebek]

What do you think of Monarch's stock cable?

It's only with 2.5mm plug, right? Is there anything missing in SQ using the adapters?

Comparison with Moondrop S8?

 

[AmericanSpirit]

What do you think of Monarch's stock cable?

It's only with 2.5mm plug, right? Is there anything missing in SQ using the adapters?

Comparison with Moondrop S8?

I recall you can select at the time of purchase for 4.4/3.5/2.5, it comes with adapters. I ordered 2.5mm and it came with 2 adapters for 3.5mm and 4.4mm.

Stock cable handles treble very detail retrieving with no sign of harshness, very good one for micro-oriented listening, the material is somehow hard so the areas touching back side of ear may trigger some pain for long term listening session.

Also the mid-bass thru upper bass area is tuned to offset bass guitar, so that may not fit some user’s appetite, Clair would fit better for that case.

Again Monarch has great potentials, so I’d just say don’t get disappointed even if out of the box sound didn’t fill the itch.

I don’t have S8, so maybe someone else could relay that

 

[ClarenceKyle]

What do you think of Monarch's stock cable?

It's only with 2.5mm plug, right? Is there anything missing in SQ using the adapters?

Comparison with Moondrop S8?

You can ask for any plugs (3.5, 4.4) when you order the Monarchs. I ordered mine balanced which has hindered my cable rolling as so far could only try with a unbalanced cable, as most of my cables are MMCX. I do have a Satin 4.4 cable coming so can do a better comparison there.