wizzman121
100+ Head-Fier
Have you actually heard both?
I have heard both but not back to back. The MMKII was pretty phenomenal sounding. It had some of the most polished treble I have heard on an IEM. The fit was horrible regardless of the tips used however which is why I ended up selling them. The bass was high quality but the quantity left something to be desired for a dynamic driver.
I just picked up the Oracle MKII about 10 days ago. There was an open box special at Audio 46 so I kind of took a flyer on it. After some burn-in which has seemed to be necessary on all the Thieaudio tribrids (Clairvoyance, Monarch OG, Monarch MKII) I have tried the Oracle2 has really settled into a very preferable sound signature for me.
I never heard the Oracle OG so can't speak to how it compares to that but I would say the Oracle2 reminds me of the Monarch OG and Variations sound signatures. With that said I find it more balanced and preferable to both. I found those two to be too sub-bass focused and the cut-off too sharp making the mids sound thin and have less body. The Oracle2 is still sub-bass focused but it has just enough mid-bass to keep things balanced. I get why people who prefer classic rock and other older genres may not like this still however. Those older recording are often so bass-light and not very dynamic so they need some enhanced mid-bass (like the Clairvoyance) to make that music shine.
Mids are solid, not super recessed but some vocals can still sound just a tad thin. Mids are still a noticeable step up over the Monarch OG and Variations.
The treble is slightly boosted but it is technically very good too. You get all the detail but most importantly they really let you "hear" the space the music is happening in. The overall signature is pulled back just a touch. This is not an intimate sounding set but these have phenomenal sound stage and expand the space well outside your head. The caveat here is that any bright or poorly recorded tracks will not sound good on these at all. The cymbals, sense of space and imaging on Dave Bruebeck's Take Five are the best I have heard anywhere near this price point.
In terms of fit I will say these are MUCH smaller than the chonky Monarch OG/Clairvoyance shells. These are easily the best fitting Thieaudio shells I have tried. They are a perfect fit for me with Spinfit 360 tips that have the little true wireless groove that grab into the flared nozzle tips.
I quite like the cable with the swappable terminations. One gripe is that the cable is not super durable. The wire is soft and seems to be susceptible to being permanently crimped. Also due to the soft nature of the strands and the twist-style weave the cable can come untwisted especially at the connector.
These take more juice to power than any other IEMs I own. These require high gain on my M11 Plus LTD. They sound even better out of the Questyle M15 (what an amazing device that is!).
These IEMs are right in my wheelhouse. My favorite IEMs up until now have been the Moondrop S8 and Softears RSV. I am really enjoying the Oracle2 as it is a very balanced signature but with a bit more energy, stronger sense of space and much higher quality bass. They are very engaging, not what I would call relaxed. With that said all that information in the treble range is never abrasive to my ears. It is interesting the total lack of hype around these (maybe they shouldn't have called them the Oracle MKII?) and even some of the ho-hum reviews so far. With that said, these get a strong recommendation from me!
