Short answer: the Moondrop Dark Saber. It ranks #24 of 1291 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 4.9/5, at $899.99; the ThieAudio Monarch MKII ranks #69, rated 4.6/5, and costs $999, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
The Moondrop Dark Saber is the better-sounding pick. Across ten hobbyist measurements on squig.link, the Dark Saber tracks the target unusually closely, with only about 1.1 dB of unevenness and a preference score of 84. The tradeoff: The presence and lower treble regions sit about 2 dB below target with a 5.4 dB dip near 6.5 kHz, so some listeners will find vocals and cymbals slightly recessed and soft.
The case for the ThieAudio Monarch MKII: A preference score of 81 from crinacle’s measurement and just 1.45 dB of deviation make it one of the most accurate in-ears available. The tradeoff: Those measurements show a 5.6 dB dip near 6.5 kHz and treble about 2.6 dB below target, which softens cymbal attack slightly.
Buy the Moondrop Dark Saber. It is rated higher for sound quality than the ThieAudio Monarch MKII and costs less, so only choose the other one for a particular feature it does better.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Headphones rankings.
Across ten hobbyist measurements on squig.link, the Dark Saber tracks the target unusually closely, with only about 1.1 dB of unevenness and a preference score of 84.
Amazon $899.99 eBay
A preference score of 81 from crinacle’s measurement and just 1.45 dB of deviation make it one of the most accurate in-ears available.
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Specifications Side By Side
| Moondrop Dark Saber | ThieAudio Monarch MKII | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $899.99 | $999.00 |
| Ranked | #24 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones | #69 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Harman Preference Score | 84 (median of 10 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 81 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 1.12 dB standard deviation | 1.45 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.15 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.22 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-0.3 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-0.3 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Hybrid (2 dynamic + 8 balanced armature) | Hybrid (1 dynamic + 6 balanced armature + 2 electrostatic) |
| Drivers | 2 x 10mm dynamic + 8 x balanced armature | 1 x 10mm dynamic + 6 x balanced armature + 2 x electrostatic |
| Impedance | 22 ohms | 36 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 128 dB/Vrms | 108 dB/mW |
| Frequency Response | 7Hz - 41kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 20Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
Frequency Response Compared
Both headphones’ measurements overlaid on the Harman target. Above the target sounds louder in that range, below it quieter. Each curve is the median of several independent measurements, shifted so its 500 Hz to 2 kHz average sits at 0 dB, so only the tuning is compared.
Measurement data: the Moondrop Dark Saber from aftersound, ankramutt, bloomaudio, csi-zone, jaytiss, musicafe, precog, sl0the, soundignity and superreview; the ThieAudio Monarch MKII from aden, aftersound, audioamigo, bloomaudio, bukanaudiophile, dentreviews, dl, eliseaudio, gadgetrytech, harutohiroki, hbb, iemworld, jacstone, jaytiss, joshtbvo, joycesreview, lown-fi, mmagtech, musicafe, nymz, precog, recode, sai, seanwee, sl0the, smirk, superreview, tgx78, theaudiostore, therollo9, timmyv, tonedeafmonk, treblewellxtended and vsg, all via squig.link.
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