[Alkamei]

Hi, I have never owned any IEMs
And my headphones collection is tiny.

I own the AKG k712 pros, which I really enjoy.
So I'm asking if maybe, the Prestige LTD will be a very special first-time ownership and introduction to the IEM space? Will it be a safe purchase? I do not want to be disappointed. I've been disappointed recently, the Hifiman Sundaras I just had to return because they were too cold and flat sounding.

I would be really happy if the prestige LTD can be my only IEM for a long time before even considering another IEM purchase.

 

[Knale]

So I'm asking if maybe, the Prestige LTD will be a very special first-time ownership and introduction to the IEM space? Will it be a safe purchase? I do not want to be disappointed. I've been disappointed recently, the Hifiman Sundaras I just had to return because they were too cold and flat sounding.

I would be really happy if the prestige LTD can be my only IEM for a long time before even considering another IEM purchase.

Safe? I mean it's a pretty fantastic well made IEM, but I would absolutely not spend 1300$ on your first IEM before you know what you like. I bought my Monarch blind, but I still had gone through a few cheaper pairs of IEMs first to make sure I knew what rough sound signature and frequency response I like.

 

[Alkamei]

Safe? I mean it's a pretty fantastic well made IEM, but I would absolutely not spend 1300$ on your first IEM before you know what you like. I bought my Monarch blind, but I still had gone through a few cheaper pairs of IEMs first to make sure I knew what rough sound signature and frequency response I like.

I'm willing to make a blind purchase

 

[OhmsClaw]

I'm willing to make a blind purchase

It's pretty safe that it's gonna be a good buy. Only question is, do you want some bass cannons? You can pick up bass cannons for less and have a complimentary pair.
Only trouble with the LTD right now is finding em in stock. Just make sure you buy from a retailer with a return policy and pick-up some tips on Amazon prime so they get there before the IEMs do!

What are you going to drive them off?

 

[Alkamei]

It's pretty safe that it's gonna be a good buy. Only question is, do you want some bass cannons? You can pick up bass cannons for less and have a complimentary pair.
Only trouble with the LTD right now is finding em in stock. Just make sure you buy from a retailer with a return policy and pick-up some tips on Amazon prime so they get there before the IEMs do!

What are you going to drive them off?

All I have right now is my Xduoo bal2.

 

[andjar]

I love the PrestigeLTD but i wouldn't spend that much on my first IEM .

If i were in your shoes I would say get a Kiwi Ears Cadenza(40$!) do some eq'ing comparing the graphs of both and then imagine the PrestigeLTD as sounding similar to the Kiwi Cadenza but with more sub base rumble and texture , a bit more refined treble and a bit more layered soundstage depth .
Next...i would buy a sub 200$ planar iem...read some reviews and comparisons.
I would also consider a good hybrid like Thieaudio Hype 4 or a FiiO FH9 which offer a lot for the money .
And only after that,when you have an Idea about what an iems can offer,i would consider going for an endgame iem.

 

[GDunlop]

Hi, I have never owned any IEMs
And my headphones collection is tiny.

I own the AKG k712 pros, which I really enjoy.
So I'm asking if maybe, the Prestige LTD will be a very special first-time ownership and introduction to the IEM space? Will it be a safe purchase? I do not want to be disappointed. I've been disappointed recently, the Hifiman Sundaras I just had to return because they were too cold and flat sounding.

I would be really happy if the prestige LTD can be my only IEM for a long time before even considering another IEM purchase.

As many have stated already, try and figure out what kind of sound signature you would like first. For instance do you like a fair amount in Bass in your music? Do you like bright sounding IEMs? There is a fairly decent split from what I can tell between the Prestige LTD and the Monarch Mk3 for the Thieaudio IEMs here. I don't have the Prestige LTD but I do have the Monarch Mk3 so I can speak to that. Personally though I like to have a bit of Bass in my music and I'm not a fan of bright sounding IEM's so both the Monarch and Monarch Mk3 suit my ears better. I don't really like the 2KHz peak to be too big either otherwise it starts to sound too bright for me.

If you are able to try out or demo any IEM's in a nearby shop it would be recommended to do that first.

 

[ozz007]

I'm willing to make a blind purchase

do it

 

[Alkamei]

As many have stated already, try and figure out what kind of sound signature you would like first. For instance do you like a fair amount in Bass in your music? Do you like bright sounding IEMs? There is a fairly decent split from what I can tell between the Prestige LTD and the Monarch Mk3 for the Thieaudio IEMs here. I don't have the Prestige LTD but I do have the Monarch Mk3 so I can speak to that. Personally though I like to have a bit of Bass in my music and I'm not a fan of bright sounding IEM's so both the Monarch and Monarch Mk3 suit my ears better. I don't really like the 2KHz peak to be too big either otherwise it starts to sound too bright for me.

If you are able to try out or demo any IEM's in a nearby shop it would be recommended to do that first.

I absolutely love bass, a warm sound signature sets experience right for me. It's smooth and more energetic. I also love details and separation but not too much of the peak brightness or else I will experience fatigue.

If the prestige LTD is a balanced between that I will like them.

 

[GDunlop]

I absolutely love bass, a warm sound signature sets experience right for me. It's smooth and more energetic. I also love details and separation but not too much of the peak brightness or else I will experience fatigue.

If the prestige LTD is a balanced between that I will like them.

People here have suggested that the Prestige LTD does have a bit more bass than what the graph suggests but like I said before I don't own the Prestige LTD so I can't really say. Be mindful that there are two different versions of the Prestige when you are buying. There is the original and there is the LTD version. People in the thread here have been talking about the LTD version of the Prestige. It's supposedly a fixed sound signature that is more appealing generally speaking.

As for The Monarch Mk3, I can speak for those and I love them. They do have a lot of detail in their sound signature and they have a good amount of energy. I do find that to get the bass that I personally like depends on the Ear Tips, although the stock tips that come with it are fine for this purpose.

Like I said before though, if there is a place nearby that you can try out some IEM's and demo them then I would do that first. I would take your own ear tips with you for this obviously.

 

[Knee Deep In Epoxy]

The Prestige LTD definitely has more bass than I expected, but I love it. Best bass I've ever heard (I've been dabbling in this madness for around 3 years now)

 

[Alkamei]

People here have suggested that the Prestige LTD does have a bit more bass than what the graph suggests but like I said before I don't own the Prestige LTD so I can't really say. Be mindful that there are two different versions of the Prestige when you are buying. There is the original and there is the LTD version. People in the thread here have been talking about the LTD version of the Prestige. It's supposedly a fixed sound signature that is more appealing generally speaking.

As for The Monarch Mk3, I can speak for those and I love them. They do have a lot of detail in their sound signature and they have a good amount of energy. I do find that to get the bass that I personally like depends on the Ear Tips, although the stock tips that come with it are fine for this purpose.

Like I said before though, if there is a place nearby that you can try out some IEM's and demo them then I would do that first. I would take your own ear tips with you for this obviously.

I'm not sure if there is a place locally to try out IEMs, if there is I would like to visit for demos.
how do I search for this? I know of places that have audiophile-grade headphones but not IEMS.

 

[GDunlop]

I'm not sure if there is a place locally to try out IEMs, if there is I would like to visit for demos.
how do I search for this? I know of places that have audiophile-grade headphones but not IEMS.

I would use google for it. Just search for Thieaudio Prestige LTD and look under shopping results. Then have a look to see where the shops might be and if they have an address. Unfortunately here in the UK we just don't have anything for this really. I was able to demo the Astell & Kern SR35 from a Richer Sounds shop in London and even then I decided to take a chance on the Kann Max anyway.

However there is absolutely nothing for Thieaudio IEM's in the UK. So it depends, there might not be anywhere near you to do this but it's worth a check to see just in case. Otherwise you can do what others suggest. Make sure you buy from a place that you can return them to in case you aren't satisfied. You can even check out any holiday destinations as well in case you are abroad and see if you are able to demo them there.

 

[Danx3k]

I would use google for it. Just search for Thieaudio Prestige LTD and look under shopping results. Then have a look to see where the shops might be and if they have an address. Unfortunately here in the UK we just don't have anything for this really. I was able to demo the Astell & Kern SR35 from a Richer Sounds shop in London and even then I decided to take a chance on the Kann Max anyway.

However there is absolutely nothing for Thieaudio IEM's in the UK. So it depends, there might not be anywhere near you to do this but it's worth a check to see just in case. Otherwise you can do what others suggest. Make sure you buy from a place that you can return them to in case you aren't satisfied. You can even check out any holiday destinations as well in case you are abroad and see if you are able to demo them there.

Yes there is, Elise Audio.

You can arrange to visit and demo/ audition iems and other audio gear. They’re also the official Thieaudio seller here in the UK. It’s where I purchased my MMK3.

There’s also Hifonix in the Midlands, who are the official sellers for some other brands.

Between them both, you can pretty much get anything high end.

 

[GDunlop]

Yes there is, Elise Audio.

Oh thank you. I didn't realise that this place was in London. Well that blows my mind for today. So I take it you can contact them and arrange a demo if need be? I'm guessing it probably depends on the product and if they have demo's available.