Golden Ears: Thieaudio Prestige Review

mmorpg.com:

Welcome back to Golden Ears , our semi-regular column exploring the whole of high-end audio. Today, we’re looking at the latest top of the line set from our friends at Linsoul with the Thieaudio Prestige . Feature a tribrid design consisting of a dynamic driver, four balanced armatures, and four electrostatic drivers per side, does this earphone have what it takes to topple apex IEMs like the Thieaudio Monarch Mk.II for sound quality in music and games?

The Thieaudio Prestige is the latest flagship pair of IEMs from Thieaudio. In comparison to some of the best known US brands, Thieaudio is relatively new. Launching in 2019, the company has produced some of the best sounding, highest value IEMs across its different price brackets. There have been some misses, but for the most part, it’s delivered a respectable track record. 

The Prestige is one of its top-tier IEMs. It follows a tribrid design, which means it uses three separate types of drivers in each earpiece. A dynamic driver handles the bass, while four balanced armatures handle the mids and middle-highs, and another four electrostatic drivers handle the high and ultra-high frequencies. That means that each earpiece has nine separate drivers creating its sonic mix. Wearing both, eighteen tiny speakers wrap you their aural bliss. 

Or so is the hope, but a great sounding IEM justifies its cost in more than just driver count. 

The Prestige’s high cost has to do with the particular type of drivers it's using and how they’re implemented to create its sonic experience. While there are plenty of companies content to pack a dozen or more balanced armatures into its shells and charge less than $100, Thieaudio’s flagship is combining three separate types of drivers and