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Comparisons
The Astrolith offers more bass, warmer mids, and similarly good treble response, but I think ThorKing’s EST drivers perform better in that area. It also has a much broader and deeper stage and a more transparent sound, especially in the mid-range.
The Astrolith’s bass is imposing with its planar driver and fantastic texture. Still, in the rest of the areas, the ThorKing performs on a higher level, especially regarding clarity, detail, and transparency.
The Annihilator has long been a favourite in the $3,000 flagship category, and for good reason. It is a commendable and highly recommendable IEM that offers significantly more bass and rumble than the ThorKing.
Both IEMs provide excellent transparency and resolution in the mid-range, but they approach this range differently. The Annihilator has a rich, forward upper mid-range, characteristic of the typical Elysian tuning. On the other hand, the ThorKing offers a more reference and flat mid-range with realistic timbre and less emphasized mids. The Annihilator’s lower mid-range is also slightly laid-back, giving the ThorKing a more balanced sound.
Regarding spaciousness, separation, staging, and imaging, the ThorKing outperforms the Annihilator. However, the Annihilator is so enjoyable that it’s difficult not to recommend it, as it has a unique appeal. Ultimately, I would prefer the ThorKing for its more accurate reference sound.
The VE10 is one of our favourites, and it has excellent ergonomics for fit that is hard for other flagships to surpass. In sound, the VE10 has a fatter mid-bass, which sounds fuller and meatier with more warmth & body. The ThorKing is thinner in comparison, but it sounds more open and spacious, with more detail and articulation in the treble, which is quite remarkable. It has a better-controlled bass, but it might not suit you if you like your bass with more texture and impact.
It also has more resolution, transparency and detail. The VE10 is more all-rounder with its overall tuning, staying on the safer side. However, in a purely technical performance sense, the ThorKing is appealing, even though it isn’t the most enjoyable.
The Monachaa is a full-bodied, vibrant, and organic-sounding IEM. It has more sub-bass and is aimed at sounding fun, striking, and colourful in that region. The ThorKing presents a faster bass that is more controlled but not as rumbling in the sub-bass region, even though it doesn’t miss anything regarding overall quantity. However, the Monachaa has a better bass texture, especially in the mid-bass.
In the mid-range, the instruments sound more true to life with the ThorKing, with better overall tonality. Despite having a full dynamic driver setup, the treble is pretty good with the Monachaa. Still, I think the treble from ThorKing surpasses here in terms of extension and articulation.
The ThorKing sounds expansive and spacious in the sound-stage department and has an airier feeling. The Oriolus also has a great soundstage, particularly in terms of width, but it’s more mechanical and precise in its presentation, especially regarding separation. Both sound pretty spacious, but the difference is that the Oriolus is vast but vibrant and vague. In contrast, the ThorKing has a sharper separation with better focus and even wider staging performance.
Conclusion
The Kinera ThorKing is a fantastic flagship IEM. It has one of the best technical performances for this price range. The treble is extraordinary, and if you like your airy and spacious sound, this is one of the IEMs you should check out. The impressive sound stage, imaging, lively timbre, and reference reproduction are the other things that shine in this IEM. It earns a spot on our Best Universal IEMs page.
Summary
Pros
- Good packaging
- Unique design
- Great build and comfortable fit
- Reference sound
- Fantastic technical performance
- Immersive, airy staging
Cons
- Tip selection is limited
- Cable isn’t high-class
- The carrying case is the same as other Kinera models
Page 1: Intro, Design, Build, Fit, Packaging, Sound General
Page 2: Sound Classics, Technical Performance
