Thieaudio is a well known Chinese language producer that makes a few of the finest IEMs at present accessible — the Monarch MKII is considered the most effective total possibility for beneath $1,000. Along with flagship IEMs, Thieaudio has sub-$200 choices within the Elixir and Legacy portfolios that provide glorious worth for cash.
With the Wraith, Thieaudio took all of the learnings over time and put it into making standout planar headphones. The Wraith options 97mm planar drivers and launched on the finish of final 12 months, and is at present accessible for $549 at audio retailers like Linsoul. The retailer despatched the product over for evaluate, and after utilizing the Wraith for 2 months, it is simple to see that there’s a lot to love right here.
Let’s begin with the positives. Thieaudio did a stellar job with the design of the Wraith, and the headphones are among the many most snug I’ve used but. They are not essentially mild — that is right down to the all-metal chassis — however the suspension-style design for the headscarf ensures the burden is distributed evenly. I wore the headset for a number of hours and did not really feel any fatigue.
The headscarf is made out of stainless-steel and has a pretend leather-based cowl on the high with the Thieaudio brand embossed within the center, and the headscarf suspension mechanism can also be made out of the identical materials and does not exert an excessive amount of strain. Equally, the ear cups function a beneficiant quantity of metallic, and the seen bolts on the perimeters exhibit the Wraith’s industrial design. The cups fold totally flat as nicely, and whereas the Wraith is not designed for portability, the design alternative makes a distinction.
The grille has a hanging aesthetic and prominently highlights the Thieaudio brand, and the default ear cushions include a perforated design — making them breathable — and are made out of leather-based. The emblem and bolts are in white, they usually add a little bit of distinction to the general design. The construct high quality right here is beautiful, and the headphones are constructed to final — it is a lower above the finest wi-fi headsets.
You possibly can simply swap out the ear cushions as they’re held collectively by velcro, and my evaluate unit got here with two further units of cushions — velour and leather-based that is not perforated. The velour cushions offered significantly better isolation, and I used that more often than not. The leather-based pads are nice in their very own proper, however they have a tendency to run heat.
The ear cups connect with the cable through 2.5mm jacks, and you will find a cable within the field that has two 2.5mm plugs on one facet and a balanced 4.4mm port on the opposite. The paracord-style cable does not tangle, and the 1.2m size must be sufficient for many dwelling customers.
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Coming in at 23Ω and with a sensitivity of 101dB, the Wraith is not demanding within the least, and it may be pushed by most moveable sources. I paired it with the Fiio K9 Professional and Fiio M11S participant for a majority of the testing, and in addition used it alongside the R7 community streamer.
The Wraith sounds very completely different to different planar headsets with giant drivers — together with the likes of the Moondrop Venus — and it is clear that Thieaudio tuned these headphones to supply a hotter sound with a definite deal with mid-bass frequencies. There’s numerous presence in these frequencies, and that makes up for the truth that the sub-bass is a bit on the decrease facet. You continue to get loads of definition, nevertheless it misses out on a few of the further texture that makes different planar headsets shine.
That mentioned, the Wraith sounds very partaking due to the exaggerated mid-bass, and it really works nicely with most mainstream music. There’s loads of element and determination, and the mids have a definite heat that comes throughout rather well. Vocals are rendered on the entrance of the combo, and there may be some harshness as we get to the upper finish of the frequencies. Treble is dealt with nicely and has good extension, with good total presentation.
The soundstage could be summed up as intimate, and the Wraith does not fairly handle to ship the identical stage of airiness as different planar headsets on this class. On that word, the Moondrop Venus prices simply $50 extra, and also you get a a lot wider soundstage with a extra refined sound throughout the board.
General, Thieaudio acquired numerous issues proper with the Wraith. The construct high quality is incredible, and the bundled ear cushions allow you to change the tonal stability with ease. The nice and cozy and relaxed sound will not be to everybody’s tastes, however there are numerous headsets on this class which have an analytical sound, and whereas Thieaudio might have achieved extra with the tuning, the Wraith holds up fairly nicely.
It could not have the most effective sound high quality on this class, however the distinctive tuning makes the Wraith a enjoyable pay attention, and the chassis is almost indestructible.
