[HiFiHawaii808]

Now go hear Mest2

I rate the Monarch overall better than the MEST OG due mostly to tuning preference and slightly better timbre. Given the reviews by Antdroid and others, I believe I also will likely prefer the OG MEST to the MKII MEST.

 

[SteveK27]

Thieaudio Excalibur and Oracle Quick Sound Impressions

In terms of build quality and accessories, Thieaudio’s been pretty consistently lately with their quality control, so let’s just get straight to what matters: the sound.


Starting with the Excalibur, the tuning is styled more like a typical mild-V shape like most of what’s in the current IEM market today. Emphasis is on the quantity of the subbass and bass as well as crisp treble. The slow rolloff in the bass shelf (the bass rise starts at 600Hz and keeps rising towards 20Hz) means that the mids on the Excalibur are on the warm side, rather than neutral. This makes lower tones, such as bass guitar, more audible, and thickens up the body of most instruments and male vocals. Probably suitable for rock/metal genres where you want that in-your-face excitement of thumpy kick drum, toms, and bass guitar. The amount of pinna gain (the rise from 800Hz to 3kHz) compensates for the amount of bass, giving it a good balance for the warmth. Normally with warm mids, the issue lies with vocals sounding like they are behind the mix, but the 3kHz placement of the pinna and 7dB quantity keeps the vox still clean and clearly discernible within the mix. EST implementation is well done, and its typical hot/metallic timbre is quite noticeable. That is just the nature of the EST drivers, and some may like it, others may not. It extends the upper trebles very well and gives a good sense of space and resolution, but it’s not as natural sounding as typical BA tweeters. Anyways, you’re getting your money’s worth for the EST implementation.

The Oracle is the same driver configuration as the Excalibur, but tuned differently. Whereas the Excalibur is going for a more typical “fun” and enjoyable sounding IEM, the Oracle is tuned specifically for neutrality. A completely linear (flat) mids from 200Hz to 1kHz means you’re getting the sound as it is, no extra coloration. You can think of them as studio monitors vs home theatre systems. The amount of neutrality gives the sound quite a bit of sterility, and it is definitely something that mostly professionals will appreciate. These are monitors to the truest sense of the word. In the mix, vocals come front and foremost, with really well articulated crispness. The subbass on the Oracle still gives enough thump to keep the mix energetic, but the emphasis is more directly on the kickdrums rather than bass guitar. This style of tuning definitely lends to a more lean signature, but thankfully, the treble is tamed after the pinna gain, meaning it isn’t overly bright. Treble emphasizes more of the natural instrument overtones and gives cymbals a nice shimmer.

Between the two, if you are just a music enthusiast looking for a good set of earphones, the Excalibur is recommended. The Oracle is specifically designed for studio engineers and performing musicians in mind. They are studio monitors designed to reproduce the sound as uncolored and true to the original mix as possible, which allows engineers to precisely mix on the board, but may also come off as “boring” or unnatural to regular listeners.


Excalibur vs Dunu EST 112

The biggest difference is in the resolution. Particularly noticeable, the 112 mids falls behind in resolution and definition compared to the Oracle or Excalibur. The 112 is also a much smoother listen compared to the Exclaibur, which has a more engaging upper treble. The 112 sounds almost hollow when directly compared with the Excalibur. Vocals gain a little more presence and bite on the Excalibur over the 112 for this reason. However, the 112 does have a better textured bass, being a little more tighter and punchier than the Excalibur.



Excalibur vs Clairvoyance

Clairvoyance has a much punchier and tighter bass response than the Excalibur. And despite the lack of mid-bass on the Clairvoyance compared to the Excalibur, the Clairvoyance ends up sounding fuller and more engaging than the Excalibur, which in comparison sounds a little thinner and leaner. While the Clairvoyance also sounds more balanced than the Excalibur, the Excalibur does give a little more upper treble sparkle than the Clairvoyance. Excalibur has a little wider soundstage, but resolution, definition, and imaging are all better on Clairvoyance.


Oracle vs Monarch

Monarch has a significantly punchier and more impactful subbass than the Oracle, which in direct comparison feels limp. The Oracle has a more relaxed and smoother treble than the Monarch, which in turn, is more engaging in the upper treble. This however, does make the Oracle feel a little more balanced than the Monarch. Vocals on Monarch are slightly more forward and mid-upper emphasized, while the Oracle emphasizes more of body and bite. This is quite easy to visualize on the graph, with the Oracle having a scooped 2kHz region. This less aggressive pinna gain makes the Oracle not as forward as the Monrach, which I know some have complained about. Better resolution on the Monarch.

Thanks for the much needed review!
Was waiting so much for this.

 

[IEMusic]

Now go hear Mest2

I know there are definite differences, but not enough for me to be willing to spend the money to upgrade from OG MEST to MEST2.

FWIW, I already prefer the Clair to the OG MEST. Primarily due to tuning/tonality, and wonderful sub bass rumble. The OG MEST has better technicalities overall, but nothing that I really miss when listening to the Clair (or 3DT, Lancelot, or Volt for that matter). I think my favorite upper treble is the Volt’s. Well extended, but not too prominent.

 

[sateric]

Wow thanks for the review and comparisons, just what I was looking for. Can I just ask whether you think the Clairs are worth the extra cost over the Excalibur's. I realise that's subjective but just trying to get a price benchmark as i'm struggling to pick between the two and something cheaper altogether like the Blessing 2 Dusk. Thanks

If it isn't too hard where you're from I would advise purchasing second hand to see which one you ultimately prefer. That way you will most likely only incurr the cost of shipping and whatnot and not lose too much in the process. If not I think you will always be itching to buy the one you didnt try and wonder what if.... hah just my 2 cents based on experience!

 

[sateric]

I know there are definite differences, but not enough for me to be willing to spend the money to upgrade from OG MEST to MEST2.

FWIW, I already prefer the Clair to the OG MEST. Primarily due to tuning/tonality, and wonderful sub bass rumble. The OG MEST has better technicalities overall, but nothing that I really miss when listening to the Clair (or 3DT, Lancelot, or Volt for that matter). I think my favorite upper treble is the Volt’s. Well extended, but not too prominent.

Yes! preference in tuning makes the most difference for me as well. Love the way clairs lets me just put them on and enjoy my music instead of worrying over what im listening with.

BTW may I ask what tips are you using on the clairs? the m sized spinfits dont get me a good enough seal so im using the xelastecs. Sounds great with them on.

 

[IEMusic]

BTW may I ask what tips are you using on the clairs? the m sized spinfits dont get me a good enough seal so im using the xelastecs. Sounds great with them on.

Right now, I’m using ADV elliptical ear tips. They allow for deep insertion, and don’t seem to effect the sound much. They really make the Clairs feel like CIEMs. I use the “large” sized tips, which are smaller than most medium sized tips.

I have a lot of tip rolling yet to do though.

 

[sateric]

Right now, I’m using ADV elliptical ear tips. They allow for deep insertion, and don’t seem to effect the sound much. They really make the Clairs feel like CIEMs. I use the “large” sized tips, which are smaller than most medium sized tips.

I have a lot of tip rolling yet to do though.

oh interesting! may want to try these out. With the xelastics when I pull them out of my ears after a listening session I found the tips looking exactly like those elliptical tips hah

 

[IEMusic]

oh interesting! may want to try these out. With the xelastics when I pull them out of my ears after a listening session I found the tips looking exactly like those elliptical tips hah

I actually used Xelastec tips to create a “mold” of my ear canals. I used them for a while, and when I took them out, I studied the axis/angle of the elliptical shape. Now I know the proper orientation for using the ADV tips.

 

[IEMusic]

(duplicate post)

 

[GDunlop]

While we are on the subject of ear tips. Any recommendations for ear tips for the Monarch?

 

[Wanny]

Ear tips are different for every person. You can't go wrong with Azla or Spindots though. Just gotta do some testing

 

[GDunlop]

Ear tips are different for every person. You can't go wrong with Azla or Spindots though. Just gotta do some testing

Thanks. I was going to see if I could get some Azla Sednaearfit xelastecs to try them out. I've got a collection of other ear tips already, either purchased or that came with other IEMs but I was just curious to see what others liked.

 

[CT007]

Desktop amp for a Clair-level IEM?

 

[Zambu]

Hehe @IEMusic enjoying the Clairvoyance might help my wallet in long-term With the number of hybrids he's used, probably not much of a point trying to think too much about alternatives in the current technical landscape (at least when I don't know for sure my FR preferences and not willing to blind buy IEMs in the >1000$ range.)
Of course, a very well-received single-DD one or some kind of ridiculous (mid) bass monster might be interesting at a reasonable price point.

 

[IEMusic]

Hehe @IEMusic enjoying the Clairvoyance might help my wallet in long-term With the number of hybrids he's used, probably not much of a point trying to think too much about alternatives in the current technical landscape (at least when I don't know for sure my FR preferences and not willing to blind buy IEMs in the >1000$ range.)
Of course, a very well-received single-DD one or some kind of ridiculous (mid) bass monster might be interesting at a reasonable price point.

Right now, the Clair is definitely my favorite hybrid, and is also my favorite IEM overall, that I’ve heard. Granted, it may be new toy syndrome, but I can’t help bet get a stupid grin on my face every time I listen to it. It just sounds RIGHT to me. There are minimal areas where I can nitpick tuning, I can fully enjoy it w/o EQ, and there are no music passages that I’ve yet heard where the sound is off in tonality. There are numerous IEMs that are better in one aspect or another, but none that I’ve found that is as pleasant as a whole for me.

I would say my next 2 favorites are the 3DT and the Lancelot, because of how they sound, some of their unique qualities, and the fact that they complement the sound and tech in the Clair. The Volt is very impressive, but a bit similar to the Clair, and but I prefer the Clair’s tonality. Same goes for the OG MEST. Edit: The Volt is actually quite complementary to the Clair, with the Volt having better mids, and the Clair having better bass and treble, though the Clair is not V-shaped. The Volt is probably more redundant with the Lancelot.

The Clair is a really big IEM. Fortunately it fits me really well, and fills up my ear similar to a CIEM.