THIEAUDIO Monarch MKIV

The reviewer considers the ThieAudio Monarch MKIV an evolutionary and top-tier IEM, ranking it third in their personal list behind much more expensive models. They praise its unique physical rumble switch that allows easy bass adjustment while wearing it, and find the sound quality exceptional, especially with the switch on, making it a strong value at $1,400. The reviewer highly recommends it, calling it the best kilobuck set currently available.

The reviewer compares the THIEAUDIO Monarch MKIV with its predecessors, the MK2 and MK3, and concludes that the MKIV is a significant upgrade. It retains the series' top-tier detail and clean tuning while adding a wider soundstage, richer ambience, and a new tuning switch that offers a standard and a more bass-heavy rumble mode. The reviewer finds the MKIV's price justified by its improved cable, packaging, and overall performance, and considers it the most versatile and engaging of the three.

The reviewer finds the Monarch MKIV to be an exceptional premium IEM for both competitive gaming and music, praising its technical performance, imaging, and dual tuning modes. It earns an S-tier rating for tactical shooters and is highly recommended overall, though comfort can become an issue after several hours of use.

The reviewer finds the Monarch MKIV to be a well-built, comfortable, and unique IEM with a useful bass-adjusting rumble switch. They consider it the best Monarch model, praising its sound quality, build, and features, though they note it is expensive and has a potentially fatiguing treble peak. Overall, they highly recommend it for its combination of performance and durability.

The reviewer praises the Thieaudio Monarch MKIV as a successful blend of the MK2's mids and MK3's bass, enhanced by a bass switch for versatility. They find it competes well with pricier IEMs, offering excellent tuning across genres, and consider it a worthy purchase at $1,149.