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Thieaudio Monarch Mk2 vs Sony IER-M9

Side-by-side comparison — scores, specs and which one fits your setup.

HIGHER SCORE
Thieaudio Monarch Mk2
9.3
/ 10
IEMReference
Sony IER-M9
9.1
/ 10
IEMReference

Specs comparison

9.3/10
SCORE
9.1/10
15Ω
IMPEDANCE
16Ω
98dB
SENSITIVITY
103dB
No
NEEDS AMP
No

Analysis

The Thieaudio Monarch Mk2 scores 9.3/10 with 15Ω impedance and 98dB sensitivity. At 15Ω, it drives well from most phones without an external amp.

The Sony IER-M9 scores 9.1/10 with 16Ω impedance and 103dB sensitivity. At 16Ω, it can be driven directly without extra hardware.

Based on our scoring, the Thieaudio Monarch Mk2 scores higher overall. However, the right choice depends on your full audio chain — use our analyzer to see which fits your actual setup.

Own one of these headphones?

A high headphone score doesn't mean your audio sounds great. Your DAC, amp or source might be the real bottleneck.

Analyze my setup →Monarch Mk2 details →Sony IER-M9 details →

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