Introduction

ThieAudio made a lot of waves last year with some very impressive IEM launches across its hybrid (Legacy 5, Legacy 2) and tribrid line, as the new Monarch MK.2 seemingly improved over the already appealing ThieAudio Monarch alongside the all balanced armature Voyager series getting a new flagship with the fun and technical V16 Divinity in late 2021, following which there was no news for months. While this is normal in pretty much any other industry, the world of in-ear monitors is such that you have to keep up with the competition lest you fall behind. One thing missing in ThieAudio's lineup was a single, full-range dynamic driver set, and we now find out how the brand addresses this.


Named the Elixir, ThieAudio makes a departure from creating a new series name for its single DD offerings. A teaser campaign a few days before the official launch featured the wooden face plates foremost. Then came the factory tuning via a frequency response curve, which did enough to garner interest given ThieAudio's recent IEMs are tuned very well indeed. But what really got my attention was the claim of a whole new driver composition, and there's a lot to unpack here. Let's thank ThieAudio via Linsoul Audio for providing TechPowerUp a review sample before having a look at the product specifications in the table below.

Specifications

Packaging and Accessories

You know this is not an expensive set when the product box does not come with a personalized design as with the ThieAudio Monarch MK.2 and V16 Divinity, and we are instead back to the plastic-sealed plain black cardboard box a few other ThieAudio products have recently adopted. It's minimalist with the brand spelled out on the front and recently updated but still outdated website URL and Made in China on the back. A sleeve goes over the inner box, and it can be slid off the top or bottom.


The inner box does not change things either, with another "ThieAudio" on the front. This is a two-piece box, and the lid comes off to reveal the contents inside. I've reviewed enough ThieAudio IEMs to know what to expect, including IEMs inside a thick foam sheet with precise cutouts to snugly hold each shell and a pre-attached cable that is neatly routed underneath. The accessories are below the foam sheet—not underneath—with a thin cardboard sheet that holds a multi-language user manual detailing the use, installation, and upkeep of these IEMs.


Next up is the carry case, which is the same as for the ThieAudio Legacy 2. It is dark blue, out of PU leather, and has the ThieAudio logo embossed on top. The stitching is also blue, and well done at that. It opens up to reveal the other accessories in the case itself.


Two sealed pouches are inside, each containing a different set of ear tips for the ThieAudio Elixir. We get silicone and memory foam tips in sizes S, M, and L, but more would have been nice. While an assortment of ear tips I expect for a $100 set, exactly these tips were included with the $1500 V16 Divinity, too. So I suppose ThieAudio at least does not discriminate in that regard.


The last thing to do here is to detach the cable from for a closer examination. Unsurprisingly, ThieAudio goes with 0.78 mm 2-pin connectors, so carefully pull the connector out of each side. Don't wiggle horizontally much lest you bend the thin plugs, although this is more likely when pushed back in place.