Monarch Mk4vs.Cantor
Sound & Specs Comparison
Information
Both IEMs are widely regarded in the audiophile community. See how they differ in terms of sub-bass response, upper mids, clarity, and overall tonality. Spider charts and rating breakdowns included.
Objective Comparison
Facts, details, stuff.
| General Info | Monarch Mk4 | Cantor |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Thieaudio | AFUL |
| Country | China | Taiwan |
| IEM Description | The Monarch MKIV is the latest evolution in Thieaudio’s Signature Series, now featuring a tuning switch that lets users toggle between two distinct sound profiles: STANDARD mode offers a studio-neutral tuning with clean mids and refined treble. RUMBLE mode adds +3dB sub-bass for a warmer, more powerful low-end response. It sports a lightweight T6 aluminum shell, an advanced 4-way crossover system with 9 passive components, and the upgraded IMPACT2 isobaric dual-subwoofer setup for tight, impactful bass. Treble is handled with precision thanks to improved EST driver integration for smoother and more extended highs. The MKIV also introduces the new Chocolate modular cable system, offering both 4.4mm balanced and 3.5mm unbalanced terminations with silver-plated OFC wires. A versatile flagship IEM combining technical excellence with customizable tuning. | The AFUL Cantor combines technical precision with musicality in a hybrid design. Featuring a dynamic driver for powerful bass and multiple balanced armatures for clean mids and sparkly highs, it delivers a spacious soundstage with excellent separation. Tuning leans slightly toward a balanced-bright signature, making it a solid choice for detail lovers who still want some low-end punch. |
| Price Level | 1.000 – 2.000 | 500 – 1.000 |
| Housing & Driver | ||
|---|---|---|
| Driver Config | Tribrid | Multi-BA |
| Driver Types | Dynamic Driver + Balanced Armature + Electrostatic | Balanced Armature |
| Shell Material | Aluminium with 2 faceplates options | – |
| Cable | – | 4Braid 5N OFC Cable |
| Technical | ||
|---|---|---|
| Freq Range | 10Hz – 44kHz | – |
| Impedance (Ω) | 10/9 | 20 |
| Sensitivity (dB) | 100 | 106 |
| Crossover | 4-way crossover with 4 sound tubes+2 ultra-high frequency drivers+4 high frequency drivers+2 mid frequency drivers+2 low frequency drivers | RLC Network Electronic Crossover |
| Platform Info | ||
|---|---|---|
| Comments | 3 | 2 |
| Visit Count | 449 | 134 |
| External Reviews | 1 | 1 |
Meta Ratings
// Nothing to compare yet.
Sound Characteristics
Cantor delivers a tighter sub-bass response, controlling low-end rumble with more precision than Monarch Mk4 (8.5 vs 7.5). It enhances basslines with a more energy and grip, giving them a livelier feel compared to Monarch Mk4 (9 vs 8). Listeners may find the low-end impact on It b more engaging during high-dynamic passages (8.5 vs 8). In the upper mids, It sounds a clearer and more articulate, highlighting vocals and lead instruments better than Monarch Mk4 (8 vs 7.5). It offers a greater shimmer and nuance in the lower treble, revealing micro-details that Monarch Mk4 misses (8 vs 7.5). Listeners may notice that It presents sounds with a more lateral space, giving recordings more openness than Monarch Mk4 (8 vs 7). The retrieval of faint audio cues on It is a more convincing, while Monarch Mk4 tends to gloss over them (8.8 vs 8). It separates instruments a more distinctly, helping complex passages remain coherent where Monarch Mk4 blends them (8.3 vs 7.5). Monarch Mk4 adds c more body and density to musical notes, enriching the overall texture compared to Cantor (8.5 vs 7.5). It renders timbres with s better harmonic balance, preserving the character of instruments more accurately than Cantor (9 vs 7.5). Across the frequency range, Cantor stays a more consistent in tonal balance, resulting in a smoother listen than Monarch Mk4 (8.8 vs 8).
| Monarch Mk4 | Cantor | |
|---|---|---|
| Sub Bass | 7.5 | 8.5 |
| Bass | 8.0 | 9.0 |
| Bass Feel | 8.0 | 8.5 |
| Lower Mids | 8.5 | 8.5 |
| Upper Mids | 7.5 | 8.0 |
| Lower Treble | 7.5 | 8.0 |
| Upper Treble | 7.5 | 7.5 |
| Sound Stage Width | 7.0 | 8.0 |
| Detail | 8.0 | 8.8 |
| Layering | 7.5 | 8.3 |
| Masking | 8.0 | 8.0 |
| Note Weight | 8.5 | 7.5 |
| Slam | 8.5 | 8.5 |
| Sibilance | 8.5 | 8.5 |
| Timbre Color | 9.0 | 7.5 |
| Tonality | 8.0 | 8.8 |
| Texture | 8.0 | 8.0 |
Tonal Signature
// Nothing to compare yet.