Try it. 80ohm like in my example above is usually way too much.
Yeah, until someone “bellsings” Sonion, it aint gonna happen. (or if u swap out the knowles for bellsing/LS/E-Audio.)
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I prefer a colored sound over neutral unless it’s my desktop monitor. The P8 for example great sound just not fun or engaging in any way for me.
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Wow! Fantastic write-up, with plenty to chew on… I’m still in a learning phase, but everything remains lovey dovey here in the honeymoon suite with me and my favorite little raptor…
May I ask what tips you used?
I’m giving it a listen, and the perception I’m getting from my 80Ω adapter is that it lowers the upper-midrange or treble (something in the upper end) more than moves the bass. I still would want to use a dedicated bass boost, to get a more impactful bass response.
But it does make the bass that is there feel a little less detached from the rest of the sound.
I started with Radius Deep Mounts, then used TRN T-Ear tips and Whizzer SS20s. I finally settled on Elecom Spare Ear Cap CAP-20s, which are narrow bored for better bass response
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Cool - thanks for the info and your thoughtful and detailed analysis.
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Alrighty, after a few months off from the forums and hobby of audio as a whole, of course, my boys in my tour group come through with the reinforcements. A very special thanks to @MMag05 @Sonofholhorse @VIVIDICI_111 @rattlingblanketwoman @cal_lando @JAnonymous5150 and of course, the dad of this thread, @GooberBM. He asked me to share my thoughts on here as I go through the tour box so I said I would happily oblige. I’ve only been able to listen to less than half of the sets for not a very long time but I’d like to just share what I have so far. I’ll copy and paste my thoughts from the other day when the listening sesh was still fresh in mind;
For your consideration, I’m using my desktop gear, the Topping D10s, and Topping L30 playing out of Tidal Hi-Res. I typically use the mid-gain setting on the L30 (+/- 0 dB); most sets have plenty of headroom.
This is my playlist If anyone is interested;
Summary
•Goon - fruiting body
•Mega Mango - OMG!
•Chastity Belt - different now
•Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile
•Courtney Barnett - small poppies
•Courtney Barnett - Avant Gardener
•Big Thief - Simulation Swarm
•No Vacation - Days
•Men I Trust - Tailwhip
•Men I Trust - Sugar
•High noon - not the one
•Paramore - Decode
•Paramore - figure 8
•Just Mustard - In Shade
•Ludwig Goransson - Can You Hear The Music
•Stone Temple Pilots - Interstate Love Song
•Pearl Jam - Alive
•Everything yes - My Turn
•Varsity - alone in my principals
•Varsity - cowboy killer
Daft punk - infinity repeating
Daft punk - horizon
Daft punk - give life back to music
Daft punk - voyager
First up was the Butastur.I was pretty excited and very interested in hearing this IEM, probably more so than any of the others in the box so I really really wanted to give this IEM as fair of a shake as possible, so I spent about an hour with it. I did not bother changing the switch configuration because, quite frankly, I personally cannot stand fiddling with switches. I may do it on a different day when I have more time but my little guy just woke up and I’m on daddy duty today (This was sunday morning). The Butastur is a fine IEM. They are obviously tuned very well. The first thing I’m looking for is timbre, I found that timbre is probably the most important thing to me when it comes to IEMs, or at least, the thing that stands out to me the most when it is incorrect. The Butastur has great natural timbre - Full stop. Regardless of the config, the timbre is great so because it’s an all BA set, I’m impressed. You’ll notice that my playlist is fairly specific, these are not the best mastered tracks out there, besides maybe daft punk towards the bottom there. I chose these songs because they’re some of my favorites and I can remember each of these songs provoking some kind of emotional reaction out of me at some point. After these sets pass the timbre test, they have the pass the feeeeels test. I’m not going to sit here and try to dissect the FR and individual elements of each IEM, Goober and Nymz are far better at that so I’ll just say this; While the Butastur is a fantastic IEM, very natural, near flawless tuning, great Timbre - It didn’t make me feel anything. Never got chills or goosebumps with this pair so unfortunately, regarding this morning at least, they are not for me. Something is missing in the lower-mid treble for me, and not to mention the Sub-bass roll-off is just too much for me. It lacks the clean rumble I’ve grown so accustomed to in sets like the Monarch MKII and my Modded OH10. It may just come down to the lack of DD being inside these things but, the sub-bass was not up to my standard. There are few songs I listen to that have that substantial sub-bass but when it is there, I’d like for it to hit. If I had to grade based on my initial impressions -
Objectively (Not really, but just not letting my bias get in the way) = B+/A-
Subjectively (With all the Bias) = B-/MAYBE a C+ (as the boys have pointed out, this might be a little harsh but I haven’t put a second thought to it.
Next up is the Glamdring by Sir Michael Bruce and it did NOT take long for me to understand what’s good with these things. Immediately I felt that I would take these over the Butastur. 100%. These are incredibly fun, have awesome bass, great treble energy, and detail, and while these are not blowing my mind in terms of staging, yes, these have above-average stage performance. I only listened to a few songs with these because I knew they were great and it did not take me long to realize that so I moved on, I’ll listen to them more during the coming week for sure.
“Objectively” (Refer to the definition above lol) - B
Subjectively - B+
Next up, well, I couldn’t resist. The Monarch MKIII. I have them in my ears as we speak and I really do enjoy these immensely. I know I’m only 3 IEMs in but I can tell these are my favorites so far. Thie really kicked up the Mid-bass on these compared to the Mon 2. They must have taken the criticisms personally lol. There’s an immediate upgrade in terms of midbass energy, texture, and overall presence on these compared to the 2s and while it’s as fun as can be for me, I still think for the special sauce of the mid-range, I’ll take the MK 2 OVERALL. However, I think that one could own both and not be plagued with guilt. They are different sets and they play music very differently.
“Objectively” - A-/A
Subjectively - A
From today (10.16.23) I decided to take the Hype 2s for a spin. Anytime Thie releases a new IEM, I’m there and they have my full attention. I had about 45 minutes with them and while I could not get an A/B in there with the Monarch MKII, I think I can immediately hear the very similar tuning between them. There are a few notable differences between them, 1 being the mid-bass energy seems to be increased on the Hype 2. The H2 has a distinctive thickness to the note weight that is rather enjoyable, I don’t think anyone will find these thin in any sense. The mid-bass has plenty of texture as well, it isn’t just this boomy or overly rounded presence, it is a meaty and well-done lower region, well done Thie. Moving on to the rest of the FR, I’ll say that the Monarchs are still at the top of the mountain when it comes to vocal performance for my tastes, but that doesn’t mean the H2 is bad in any way, as a matter of fact, for someone who wants a thicker male and female vocal presentation with a great treble performance to back it up, these are a winner. These really do sound like a properly good all-around set, with fantastic bass performance and surprisingly above-average stage and layering performance. Each instrument is clearly defined and at no point have I felt claustrophobic while listening to them. I suppose where they fall short comes down to the treble for me personally. While it’s smooth and does not really lack anything, I’d like maybe a little more sparkle and a slight splash to liven things up a bit. But that’s just me personally. These are a great set and may appeal to more people over the Monarch 2s just due to that bass performance. It is more enjoyable than the Monarchs. Absolutely.
“Objective” Rating - B/B+
Subjective Rating - B+
I can’t wait to spend more time with the Monarch 3s and the rest of the tour box. These are just some quick impressions and I fully am motivated to do complete write-ups on most of the big boy sets I have here with accompanying pics as well.
Have a good day, boys and thanks for reading 
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We need that earphone porn that is your pics. Get them candid shots! 
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Ohhhh, you know it, puppa, I got some plans for some of these sets that’s for sure. The Prestige LTD and its crazy resin pattern is absolutely stunning.
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Mostly cause I started some insanity…but I’ll take it lol
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Jesus Christ. What an opportunity.
Thanks to all the boys, I had an amazing time demoing, listening and just straight up enjoying some incredible IEMs that I would probably, most likely, never had the opportunity to hear inside my home. Without their help, this all wouldn’t be possible.
Pictures and write-ups coming shortly!
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That’s hot, bro. My ears are all hot and bothered, now lol
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Dom not in public
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These are just phone pics, the camera pics are going to be 
thanks, boys 
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Your foreplay game is too good, though. Can’t even wait to get home!!!
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Oh, man! Here’s an attempt at not taking too much of anyone’s time. Here are my final thoughts on all of the sets I’ve been fortunate to hear the last few days, special thanks to the crew again. Y’all are the best audiophile friends an audiophile could ask for, thank you 
My library and set up if anyone has not seen it yet;
Summary
Desktop use - Toppling L30, Topping D10s, Tidal hi-res, and some local files.
On the go use - FiiO BRT7 in both wired and Bluetooth
•Goon - fruiting body
•Mega Mango - OMG!
•Chastity Belt - different now
•Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile
•Courtney Barnett - small poppies
•Courtney Barnett - Avant Gardener
•Big Thief - Simulation Swarm
•No Vacation - Days
•Men I Trust - Tailwhip
•Men I Trust - Sugar
•High noon - not the one
•Paramore - Decode
•Paramore - figure 8
•Just Mustard - In Shade
•Ludwig Goransson - Can You Hear The Music
•Stone Temple Pilots - Interstate Love Song
•Pearl Jam - Alive
•Everything yes - My Turn
•Varsity - alone in my principals
•Varsity - cowboy killer
Daft punk - infinity repeating
Daft punk - horizon
Daft punk - give life back to music
Daft punk - voyager
I’ll get right into my conclusive thoughts and then follow them up with some closing thoughts on each individual set as I think that’s just the most efficient way to go about this; right off the bat, the best set I heard this week is a 3-way tie between the Monarch MKIII, Monarch MKII, and The Prestige LTD.
I think all 3 of these bad boys are incredible sets in their own right (for my preferences of course). I found they all have their own unique properties that allow my library to shine. Some days I would really prefer the Monarch MKIII due to its thicker low-end presentation and more forward vocals. And some days I would prefer the Prestige LTD, with its more snappy low-end, and emphasis on the late treble detail resulting in a more ‘open’ and spacious sound. They’re both great. I would say they both have faults of course and the flaws that stood out to me would be the slightly too forward consonant playback on the Prestige and the overly thick mid-bass on the Monarch MKIII. While the thicker mid-bass on the Monarch MKIII is not ideal for my library, it’s undeniably fun and I can get used to it pretty quickly. Letting go of all the notions of the ‘perfect’ playback and just melting in the music. The Prestige is a more ‘correct’ sounding IEM to my ears and while I’d say it probably would score a higher “objective” score, on the subjective scale, the sharp consonant replay does knock it a bit. The OG Prestige had the same issue I felt only worse. The OG Prestige was an un-listenable IEM for me personally, so I’m happy to report that the LTD version certainly has it’s place in the market and greatly improves on the OG’s formula.
In conclusion; The Prestige LTD has a spacious, correct-sounding reply with fantastic timbre, enjoyable snappy bass, and open treble response with more details than anyone really needs to hear in their music, albeit a little sharp on some occasions for my ears. The Monarch MKIII is a more ‘fun’ reply, with less accurate lower-midrange and mid-bass replay giving you thick lower mids that engulf nearly the entire replay, the downside? for someone who prefers a snappier mid-bass kick like that of a beryllium driver (XENNS UP for example) and a more ‘correct’ sounding lower mids, you’ll probably want to stick with the MKII. While the MKII may come off as thin to some and lacking some mid-bass body, they don’t come off that way to me. The Prestige LTD I think strikes a balance between those two sets. Now I’m not sure if the 2 extra EST drivers are at fault here, but there is something around 6-8k that just doesn’t get along with my ears too well coming out of the LTD. The BA drivers in the Monarch series just get along better with the rest of the replay IMO but of course, your mileage will mostly definitely vary. The Monarch MKII is still the king in the Mids department and quite frankly, that’s the most important area for me. All of these sets have fantastic timbre, with the Monarch MKII having probably the most accurate timbre I’ve heard to date, which helps the grading of that set tremendously.
Relative to all the sets I’ve mentioned;
Monarch MKIII
“Objective” (Trying to ignore bias as best as possible) - A
Subjective (All the Bias) - A
Prestige LTD
“Objective” - A+
Subjective - B+
Monarch MKII
“Objective” - A
Subjective - S-
Next up is the Night Oblivion Butastur. Oh boy…
I’ll make this one quicker than the first part since I’ve already gone into some detail on the Butastur; The timbre is fantastic, and that helps this set a great deal for me personally. The techs are there - the resolution is pretty top-notch, especially for my library. All the details of your music will be on full display. The stage feels fairly open and spacious, while not being the widest tallest, or deepest, I think most people will find this set more than adequate. The tuning is damn near S tier - it is an intelligently tuned IEM, with all sections of the FR being well executed, maybe even too well. That’s my problem with the set - it takes no risks. There is no fun to be had for me personally in this set. It has no specialty embedded in the replay. I never felt moved with the music coming out of the very comfortable shell and I spent probably the most time with this set as I really wanted it to be a complete homerun. Unfortunately (or Fortunately, I don’t have to buy them!), there is nothing in this IEM that stands out besides maybe it is just too well-rounded. Tuned too well. The only other problem I had with this set, and maybe I’m just nitpicking here a touch, is the slightly thin note weight. The lack of a DD is felt, with Sub-bass being present but you need to really focus on the rumble to get a taste of what those high-end BAs can accomplish.
With that being said, however, I really want to applaud @AmericanSpirit_JP for his first creation. It’s not too often that a player gets up to the plate at his first MLB game in his first at-bat and hits a stand-up double, bringing in 2 RBIs. This is a fantastic IEM objectively and for the folks that are chasing that ‘correct’ sound, this is a very strong competitor alongside the other competitors in that price segment like the stuff from AuR Audio. At least there isn’t a 7 year waiting time for the Butastur!
“Objectively” - A-
Subjectively - C+
I’ll start firing off the next few, considering those were all the heavy hitters I currently have in my possession.
Thieaudio Hype 2
The boys over at Thie sure know how to make a faceplate, don’t they? For $300 I think these are a very very strong contender in that price bracket. The 2 standout points for me would be the bass performance and the above-average staging. The bass is so textured and enjoyable, it’s fantastic - full stop. I think it strikes a nice balance with the rest of the FR as well. It does not come off as bloated, veiling the mid-range. The staging is, to me at least, above-average in this price range. I’d even go as far to say that the stage depth alone feels as deep and spacious as the Monarch MKII so for the $700 discount you get, if you’re looking for a great EDC with awesome bass that won’t make you feel claustrophobic while you’re commuting, this is a strong contender. This may sound overly complimentary to the Hype 2 but honestly, the tuning really does speak to me, Thie’s house sound usually does, and for the price, I don’t feel the need to nitpick. While $300 isn’t cheap, it certainly isn’t $1000, or $1300 like the other sets I have on my desk right now. They’re not perfect, no IEM is, but for the price of admission, they are fantastic.
“Objectively” - B
Subjectively - B
Aful Performer 8
Another IEM I really wanted and fully expected to enjoy. I’ll keep this short - I’m not a fan of the overly thin note weight and the strange timbre. This stood out to me immediately so I couldn’t give them more than 30 minutes of listening. HOWEVER, I am very picky when it comes to timbre. Take that into account. The rest of the story basically boils down to this; good resolution and the tuning is well done. There is nothing special I could point out though.
“Objectively” - B
Subjectively - C
The Shortbus Glamdring
These are a hoot. I thoroughly enjoyed experiencing these. If the Butastur and the P8 are overly ‘correct’ with nothing special happening, knocking their grades down, the Glamdring is the exact opposite. Thundering bass, with plenty of texture and well-separated mids. The techs are top of the class in this price category and beyond with a special sauce in the upper midrange section of the FR giving you this depth in the sound that’s rarely heard under $500. For the price, again, I don’t think I can fault these. If you want a fun IEM with a very comfortable shell and you want to support a true gentleman and scholar of the community, Michael Bruce, these are basically a no-brainer. Be warned, however - if forward female vocals that come off angelic and command your attention are a priority for IEMs, this one is probably not for you.
“Objectively” - B-
Subjectively - B+
SeeAudio Yume OG
Of all the sets in this tour box, the OG Yume was the one IEM I thought would be right up my alley. Just an easy, solid B grade, no questions asked. Unfortunately, either this particular set has a channel imbalance somewhere or the timbre just does not get along with my ears. Within 2 minutes of pressing play, they almost immediately turned me off. I won’t grade or comment further - they are going to be on their way to @MMag05 for graphing and if they do come back to have good channel balance, I’ll continue my thoughts.
Tangzu Fudu
Just straight off the bat, the low-end is healthy and enjoyable, but the treble timbre is not my favorite. It is coming off as thin and oddly separated from the rest of the FR but not in an enjoyable way. Not for me, but I think they could be a solid EDC for a lot of people if treble timbre isn’t a soft spot for you.
“Objectively” - B-
Subjectively - C
That wraps up my thoughts on this tour. Thank you all for reading! I’m so happy to be back being apart of the forums. I know this is a small community and I hope I’m not coming off as taking this all too seriously - this is just all so much fun for me.
The overall winner for me this time around would probably be the Prestige LTD surprisingly. I think it strikes the right balance between the Monarch MKII and Monarch MKIII. I feel like maybe some more tip rolling could correct that sharpness in the consonants area and once that is corrected, it’s a very solid A+ - S- IEM. No doubt about it.
Lastly, thank you again to all my buddies in the tour group, I appreciate your friendships greatly and thank you to @GooberBM for hosting my write-ups this tour.
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Fantastic write up (and gallery!) as always!
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Always too kind, thank you Guy 
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Goat write up - thank you Dom
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Can someone hook this man up with Linsoul / ThieAudio?? These pictures should be used as sales photos for these IEMs!
Absolutely incredible, from write-up, to placement, lighting and color-matching 
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