[Terco]

I ordered from Linsoul and received without issue in usa. Headphones.com is us based and they sell monarch 2 I believe

Audio46 also have them but I think they sold out already.

 

[againa]

Mojo 2 or gryphon for mkii?

I would go with the mojo 2 just because it fits perfectly with the monarch pouch
Said that. I am NOT an audiophile my only high end IEM has been a KSE1500. Said that, again i am not an audiophile, but listening music with or without the mojo2 for me there is a difference.. its like it make the listening more well rounded and easier to listen, and definitely more detailed. (Well i am comparing the apple $5 audio dongle with the mojo, and i doubt the apple dongle render my 96 kHZ track properly) i love the crossfeed someone says that is too much but to be honest i love how provide more soundstage (or separation.. again not an audiophile) .
Again personally i am delighted and moved how this combo sound great (and easy its easy to listen … if you have a KSE1500 you know that they can be challenging iems) to my ears, incredibly detailed,

First thing i heard was the koln concert.. ive listen that album probably 500 times. I have it in flac 96 kHz. And at some point i was … what the F$$& i am listening? Is it a different version? What? I mean i very clearly heard things that i have never heard before (and again you can say everything but the KSE1500 its pretty detailed) mora than that i heard the music like the whole was different.

So again, not a audiophile, so don’t count on my personal experience. Maybe ots just because it’s a different very good IEM from the one i am used to.. but again very easy to listen…

I am also using it with spotify the mojo recognize the 48 kHz Tracks and yes they are mp3 or whatever but listening some albums that i have in flac and the ones in spotify… you have to listen carefully to spot differences.

I haven’t tested the EQ TBH just the flat mojo2 seems marvelously balanced to me (but again gosh… i am used to the KSE )

So yeah i spent 1300 euros… definitely worth it.. i am going to use them for years…

And i am a roadwarrior everything fits in the monarch pouch marvelously! It seems that they have designed the monarch pouch for the mojo2… for me its the cherry on the top.

 

[Macario]

Hi all, I have the OG Monarch paired with a polymojo as roon endpoint and with a forza hybrid cable. Any impovements with mojo2? Also, would there be significant improvement moving up to the MKII? I really love the OG although the Bass may be a bit thin (not sub bass)

 

[jamesofla80]

I am using the

Mojo 2 or gryphon for mkii?

I am using it with the gryphon and love the pairing. Intrigued to test out the Mojo 2 at some point. Though personally had a Mojo 1 for a few years and just never quite could get into the Chord house sound. Sometimes felt a little thin but was a detail & resolution monster. The Gryphon gives me a touch more warmth but still giving me great resolution. Plus I really like having 4.4m and 3.5 options to go between my full sized headphones and mkii. Hoping the Mojo 2 improves on the Mojo 1 sound but to be honest might just wait for a Hugo 3 at this point for my next upgrade. Very happy with the Gryphon

 

[againa]

Does anyone with the Monarch MKII has played a bit with the EQ of the Mojo2? I am not a fan of equalization, and I am not sure that with 4 band you can really improve anything on the monarch.. but I am curious to see if anyone has played a bit. I am usually listening to Jazz/modern jazz/ classic / vocal classic .

so far the Monarch MKII has replaced the Shure KSE1500 .. they are way too easier to listen in my uneducated opinion.
thanks.

 

[jlemaster1957]

I would go with the mojo 2 just because it fits perfectly with the monarch pouch
Said that. I am NOT an audiophile my only high end IEM has been a KSE1500. Said that, again i am not an audiophile, but listening music with or without the mojo2 for me there is a difference.. its like it make the listening more well rounded and easier to listen, and definitely more detailed. (Well i am comparing the apple $5 audio dongle with the mojo, and i doubt the apple dongle render my 96 kHZ track properly) i love the crossfeed someone says that is too much but to be honest i love how provide more soundstage (or separation.. again not an audiophile) .
Again personally i am delighted and moved how this combo sound great (and easy its easy to listen … if you have a KSE1500 you know that they can be challenging iems) to my ears, incredibly detailed,

First thing i heard was the koln concert.. ive listen that album probably 500 times. I have it in flac 96 kHz. And at some point i was … what the F$$& i am listening? Is it a different version? What? I mean i very clearly heard things that i have never heard before (and again you can say everything but the KSE1500 its pretty detailed) mora than that i heard the music like the whole was different.

So again, not a audiophile, so don’t count on my personal experience. Maybe ots just because it’s a different very good IEM from the one i am used to.. but again very easy to listen…

I am also using it with spotify the mojo recognize the 48 kHz Tracks and yes they are mp3 or whatever but listening some albums that i have in flac and the ones in spotify… you have to listen carefully to spot differences.

I haven’t tested the EQ TBH just the flat mojo2 seems marvelously balanced to me (but again gosh… i am used to the KSE )

So yeah i spent 1300 euros… definitely worth it.. i am going to use them for years…

And i am a roadwarrior everything fits in the monarch pouch marvelously! It seems that they have designed the monarch pouch for the mojo2… for me its the cherry on the top.

Curious to learn what you think an audiophile is if you are not one. I mean, here you are with the rest of us, inching forward in our appreciation of how music sounds best on our equipment. If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, quacks like a duck…

 

[againa]

Curious to learn what you think an audiophile is if you are not one. I mean, here you are with the rest of us, inching forward in our appreciation of how music sounds best on our equipment. If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, quacks like a duck…

Well let me use an analogy… i live in Tuscany, i like wine, i drink it, i think i know a bit but damn when people tell about .. eh this taste like raspberry and hints of peach … I’m thinking well ok… i just like it… i don’t consider myself as an expert.
I enjoy music and explore it, i don’t consider myself an expert and some reviews sound to me like a wine review, i am not sure what are they referring to… i am considering myself as someone that is curious, and for example i didn’t even know that the KSE1500 is still regarded as one of the most rated IEM, neither i did know about autoEQ and yes now i have applied this EQ to the shure and it definitely sound better… i guess i consider myself someone that enjoy listening to music and have the luck of being able to spend sometimes hundreds of dollar on it.. but i guess i have to still learn a lot!

Quack quack!

 

[gken92]

Just a short impression/review of the Monarch MKII after using them for a couple of weeks:

1) It's the first pair of headphones/iems that I owned where I did not have to EQ the treble down (because Im treble sensitive and trebly headphones/iems somehow causes my tinnitus to come more often than not).
The tonality is almost perfect for my ears, although I personally would have preferred slightly more mid bass quantity and slam. But at the end of the day, you cant have it all, not even at summit-fi lol.

2) I absolutely love the sound coming from Cayin RU6 R2R dongle in comparison with my other portable amp/dac (Earstudio HUD100). The Cayin RU6 noticeably smoothen any sort of treble peaks that I had when pairing with HUD100, making the Monarch MKII a comfortable pair of headphones/iems for extended listening (sound wise). HUD100 seems to push more details than the cayin RU6 but at the expense of making the sound coming from MKII slightly peakier at the top and thinner overall. Was thinking to get a Mojo 2 but judging by the sound characteristic of the Mojo 2 from the reviews/user feedbacks (tilts more towards bright-detail oriented sound signature than the original Mojo), I dont think the Mojo2 + Monarch MKII combo is for me.
TLDR: Cayin RU6 + Monarch MK2 = detailed but forgiving sound for all kinds of music genre.

3) Comfort wise, I can wear Monarch MKII comfortably for 1-2 hours without any discomfort. But after 2 hours, my ear tragus is getting sore due to the big size of the IEM body pushing against my tragus. Maybe a change of eartips will help, currently using stock silicon eartips (smallest size), and I have my Final Audio E tips order in transit to my place. But I must say the discomfort is getting less and less as I am still adapting to the size of the IEM.

As a headphone guy, this is the first 'high end' IEM that I have personally owned, and I'm impressed. Yes, the soundstage is still limited due to the fact that they are a pair of IEMs (cant fight with law of physics), but I am okay with the soundstage that it is able to provide. Everything else is spot on for me.

 

[Peerless]

I'm enjoying the Monarch MK2 now with the stock M tips, tried the size M CP155 but it doesnt sound right to me, the stock tips sounds snappier, I'm using them with a Qudelix 5K and was playing around with the Parametric EQ, just wondering what EQ settings do you use to increase the mid bass a bit? I tried a low shelf at 250 Hz with 2dB and 0.7 Q and it sounds ok? sometimes I go back to stock no EQ and just feels "this is just right" for me.

 

[jlemaster1957]

3) Comfort wise, I can wear Monarch MKII comfortably for 1-2 hours without any discomfort. But after 2 hours, my ear tragus is getting sore due to the big size of the IEM body pushing against my tragus. Maybe a change of eartips will help, currently using stock silicon eartips (smallest size), and I have my Final Audio E tips order in transit to my place. But I must say the discomfort is getting less and less as I am still adapting to the size of the IEM..

I had similar problems with fit/seal comfort on the Monarch MKII and found the large size Azla Sedna Xelastics most helpful as they are a bit sticky (type of silicone there is no coating) so stay in place a bit more. I tried the Final E’s as well as several types of SpinFit silicones without success.

 

[Terco]

I use Azla Sedna Standard on my Monarch MK 1, I have the Xelastec but not a big fan of the sticky material, Final are great but I find the board on the Azla tips better and more wide.

 

[wolfstar76]

Got my Monarch OG back from repairing (one two-pin port too tight), and I also ordered the cable from Mk2 even with some negative feedback regarding the cable from this thread, I made my decision mostly based on the new design of termination adapter.

Here is my initial impression of the Mk2 cable. I did not find the hook and weight bothering me at all even I am using them in my daily running. However, there was this one incident that changed my perception of this cable: one day I was out in the run, I immediately noticed that the sound was horribly wrong, there was a strong incoherency and the mid was simply so recess that it almost totally gone. My first reaction was, oh boy, some of the BA drivers must failed. After some thoughts I realized that I had been changing the terminations, from 4.4mm Bal to 3.5mm, and back. I stopped and tried to unplug the connector and back. The first attampt made it even worse, and only after a few more tries, the Monarch sound was totally back.

For people who are not familiar with the Mk2 cable design, the new design is a 4-pin adapter near the end of the cable that can connect to either of the 3.5mm, or 2.5mm bal, or 4.4mm bal terminations. Beside the obvious Pros, from my initial experience, the Cons are: first, the whole connector including the adaptor part (which is very short) is obvious longer than normal cable with dedicated terminator, which may or may not bother you depending on your setting. For me, I have to be careful for some of my running belt to avoid the bending of the cable. Second, probably matters to most people, is the changing process of the different termination. It is not easy as it should be, and it also does not give me confidence regarding the durability of the adapter if you are changing the termination frequently. It totally changed my intended use and I will try to avoid the change as much as possible, and it obvious defeats the very purpose of the design.

Just my two cents.

 

[jlemaster1957]

Got my Monarch OG back from repairing (one two-pin port too tight), and I also ordered the cable from Mk2 even with some negative feedback regarding the cable from this thread, I made my decision mostly based on the new design of termination adapter.

Here is my initial impression of the Mk2 cable. I did not find the hook and weight bothering me at all even I am using them in my daily running. However, there was this one incident that changed my perception of this cable: one day I was out in the run, I immediately noticed that the sound was horribly wrong, there was a strong incoherency and the mid was simply so recess that it almost totally gone. My first reaction was, oh boy, some of the BA drivers must failed. After some thoughts I realized that I had been changing the terminations, from 4.4mm Bal to 3.5mm, and back. I stopped and tried to unplug the connector and back. The first attampt made it even worse, and only after a few more tries, the Monarch sound was totally back.

For people who are not familiar with the Mk2 cable design, the new design is a 4-pin adapter near the end of the cable that can connect to either of the 3.5mm, or 2.5mm bal, or 4.4mm bal terminations. Beside the obvious Pros, from my initial experience, the Cons are: first, the whole connector including the adaptor part (which is very short) is obvious longer than normal cable with dedicated terminator, which may or may not bother you depending on your setting. For me, I have to be careful for some of my running belt to avoid the bending of the cable. Second, probably matters to most people, is the changing process of the different termination. It is not easy as it should be, and it also does not give me confidence regarding the durability of the adapter if you are changing the termination frequently. It totally changed my intended use and I will try to avoid the change as much as possible, and it obvious defeats the very purpose of the design.

Just my two cents.

Totally agree. It would have helped if there was a physical guide analogous to the mini-XLR, to help line up the terminals. The DUNU Hulk Pro cable has a similar adapter but has a small dot painted on the adapter on both sides to help it line up. With my own Mk2, because of these issues, I’ve decided to leave the 4.4 mm adapter in place. Now I have a Cayin RU-6, I can listen on my iPhone in bed using the 4.4 mm connection.

As I’m contemplating cable rolling (I’ve ordered an Eletech Socrates, production of which is held up due to the Shanghai lockdown) I’m getting 2.5 mm termination and 2.5mm->4.4 mm adapters. With a good adapter (I have Cayin and effect audio ones so far) I’m not noticing any SQ deterioration. I know Thieaudio (and DUNU for that matter) created these multi-adapter cables so we would not need such after-market adapters, but I agree the Thieaudio one is too hard to switch, and leads to the sort of panic-moments you described (I’ve had several such moments as well).

 

[Ultrainferno]

In our latest article we review the ThieAudioMonarch MKII on Headfonia. An article by @Aerosphere

https://www.headfonia.com/thieaudio-monarch-mkii-review/

 

[morndewey]

Any details known about Elixir, or is there a different thread for that?