Thieaudio is a well known Chinese producer that makes a few of the greatest IEMs at present out there — the Monarch MKII is thought to be the most effective total choice for beneath $1,000. In addition to flagship IEMs, Thieaudio has sub-$200 choices within the Elixir and Legacy portfolios that provide wonderful worth for cash.With the Wraith, Thieaudio took all of the learnings through the years 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 out there for $549 at audio retailers like Linsoul. The retailer despatched the product over for assessment, and after utilizing the Wraith for 2 months, it is simple to see that there’s a lot to love right here.Thieaudio did all the proper issues on the design entrance, and the Wraith appears implausible. (Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)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 comfy I’ve used but. They’re not essentially mild — that is all the way 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 headband design permits the burden to be evenly distributed. (Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)The headband 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 be made out of the identical materials and would not exert an excessive amount of strain. Similarly, the ear cups function a beneficiant quantity of steel, and the seen bolts on the perimeters exhibit the Wraith’s industrial design. The cups fold absolutely flat as nicely, and whereas the Wraith is not designed for portability, the design alternative makes a distinction.The grille has an fascinating design, with seen bolts and the Thieaudio brand. (Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)The grille has a putting 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 brand 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 — this can be a lower above the most effective wi-fi headsets. You get three ear cushions within the field, and the velour pads are the most effective for noise isolation. (Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)You can simply swap out the ear cushions as they’re held collectively by velcro, and my assessment unit got here with two extra units of cushions — velour and leather-based that is not perforated. The velour cushions supplied a lot better isolation, and I used that more often than not. The leather-based pads are nice in their very own proper, however they have an inclination to run heat. The Wraith connects by way of 2.5mm jacks. (Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)The ear cups connect with the cable by way of 2.5mm jacks, and you will find a cable within the field that has two 2.5mm plugs on one aspect and a balanced 4.4mm port on the opposite. The paracord-style cable would not tangle, and the 1.2m size needs to be ample for many dwelling customers.Image 1 of 4Thieaudio bundles an honest balanced 4.4mm cable within the field (Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)You’ll discover the Wraith brand on the leather-based headband (Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)The velour pads are very best with the Wraith (Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)The steel chassis is constructed to final, and the Wraith is comfy in every day use (Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)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 transportable sources. I paired it with the Fiio K9 Pro and Fiio M11S participant for a majority of the testing, and in addition used it alongside the R7 community streamer.The Wraith pairs very nicely with Fiio’s R7 community streamer. (Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)The Wraith sounds very completely different to different planar headsets with massive drivers — together with the likes of the Moondrop Venus — and it is clear that Thieaudio tuned these headphones to provide a hotter sound with a definite concentrate on mid-bass frequencies. There’s a number of presence in these frequencies, and that makes up for the truth that the sub-bass is a bit on the decrease aspect. You nonetheless get loads of definition, however it misses out on a few of the extra 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 Moondrop Venus prices simply $50 greater than the Wraith. (Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)The soundstage could be summed up as intimate, and the Wraith would not fairly handle to ship the identical stage of airiness as different planar headsets on this class. On that notice, the Moondrop Venus prices simply $50 extra, and also you get a a lot wider soundstage with a extra refined sound throughout the board.You can drive the Wraith with nearly any supply. (Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)Overall, Thieaudio received a number of issues proper with the Wraith. The construct high quality is implausible, and the bundled ear cushions allow you to change the tonal steadiness with ease. The heat and relaxed sound will not be to everybody’s tastes, however there are a number of headsets on this class which have an analytical sound, and whereas Thieaudio might have executed extra with the tuning, the Wraith holds up fairly nicely.
It might 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 sort of indestructible.