ThieAudio Hype 4 MKII IEMS Review – Star In The Forest Of Light
ThieAudio Hype 4 MKII is a $399 USD total upgrade of the Hype4 IEMS that we’ve reviewed a couple of years ago, with a new driver configuration, far improved shells and design, modular cable and a superb design, and the star of our review today. We will compare Hype 4 MK2 with other IEMS from a similar range that we recently reviewed including Kiwi Ears Punch (449 USD), Xenns Mangird Tea Pro (449 USD), ThieAudio Hype 4 (399 USD)
Introduction
There comes a time when companies start making products so good that I fear they would cannibalize their own high-end offers and Hype4 MK2 is just such a product. While we have not yet reviewed the Monarch (I hope from the bottom of my heart that we will have the chance to review it soon), Hype 4 comes with a lot of the tech found inside the flagship and promises to offer a very similar bass and impact. You can purchase ThieAudio’s Hype 4 MKII from Linsoul, be it from their website, Aliexpress website or Amazon shop and you get the same excellent warranty and coverage regardless which stores process the payment, as Linsoul are the ones at the backend shipping your order.
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Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/4diaju6
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c3v1R02b
Build Quality – Design
ThieAudio Hype4 MKII is more than just a rerun of the original, it is a complete overhaul and upgrade, from the ground up. Hype 4 mark 2 features new balanced armatures from Knowles, a second generation Impact2 Subwoofer and far better tonal and technical performance.
The biggest upgrade is the new Impact2 subwoofer which is shared with the mighty Monarch MKIV. This is an 8mm composite dynamic driver encased in ThieAudio’s proprietary pneumatic acoustic chamber which pumps a tight and focused sub-bass. Using USA imported Knowles Balanced Armature drivers, Hype 4 makes no compromise when it comes to the tonal balance and resolution.
Although I have to admit that I do not know much about the drivers and don’t follow drivers news, Thieaudio uses RAB series of drivers with separate ED-33465 for the midrange, and a single RAD-33518 ultra tweeter for the treble, which was positioned within the nozzle for an upper treble extension that rivals electrostatic and planar drivers.
ThieAudio promises a 9dB of sub-bass added to the sound, having a sharp cutoff at 150Hz, with a lush 400 Hz hump for some warmth, but to avoid boominess in the sound. Hype4 MK2 uses a 4-Tube system with 7 separate passive crossover components. Shells are made of CNC processed solid aluminum blocks, and they are finished by hand, while each Hype4 unit is hand assembled. This all comes in a package with a modular cable, made with 6N ultra pure monocrystalline copper, a thick and and premium cable that offers two plugs, a 3.5mm single ended one and a 4.4mm balanced one between which you can swap freely.
Subjective Usage
Wearing the Thieaudio Hype 4 MK2 feels comfortable, but a bit tight. They have a decent, noticeable grip on my ears, and while the shells are not large, their unique design makes me feel that I am wearing them. As the shells have a metallic build, they are cold to the touch and will warm up during summer, but the cable quality is crazy good, with a cable that looks like it can take up wear and abuse, not too flexible and that does not conduct any bit of microphonic noise.
Hype4 MKII has a good passive noise isolation, of around 20 dB and up to 30 dB depending on the frequency, they have a super low leakage and they feel nice for monitoring, mixing and music work usage. There’s a sense of separation from the environment while you’re wearing them and the default eartips do a good job for comfort, as I don’t feel an immediate need to replace them.
You can expect a medium insertion depth, with a good overall comfort, Hype 4 feeling like I could be wearing them an entire day without the need to take them off as the bore size is also medium and they do not push on my ear canal in any spot.
Sound Quality
Pairings – Thieaudio Hype 4 MK 2 got paired with the latest sources I reviewed, including FiiO K17, XL, Argon Audio SA-2 Amplifier Driven by FiiO Warmer R2R, Acer Nitro 18 AI Laptop (with 3.5mm adapters), Hiby Digital M500, and Luxsin X9.
While the original was easy to drive, the new Hype 4 MK II is less sensitive to source noise and it is also somewhat easier to drive, needing very little power to get loud and to sound good. It can scale up with the source quite a lot and I recommend using them with a high-end source for the best results.
Overall Signature – ThieAudio has significantly improved many sonic aspects, making the new Hype 4 MKII an absolute bombshell of an IEM, it sounds super nice, has strong impact, delivers precision and resolution, all with a really crisp separation and wide-natural soundstage. It is basically perfect for all music styles and a top choice if you’re looking to enjoy some good music with no obvious peaks or dips, sounding natural and refined. You could say that Hype 4 MKII has the tendency to sound V-Shaped or rather slightly U-Shaped although there’s slightly more strength in the bass and sub-bass extension than there is in the treble.
Bass – At the low-end, Hype 4 MK2 sounds controlled, has a big impact, which is fast, rendering resolution, micro reverberations in the bass, yet managing to deliver rumble and deep-end punch. IT is impressive for all music styles, but delivers total fun with EDM, Dubstep, Pop, and modern music, while having enough body for rock, metal and acoustic styles. It is basically almost basshead, and could be considered an edge basshead, on the lower edge, as it has around 8 to 12 dB of extra bass relative to the midrange, and all of that bass is in the low and sub-bass creating quality and audiophile style bass.
Voicing And Midrange – Vocal range is sweet, renders both male and female voices with a natural texture, can render coarseness and fun in male voices, can render sweeter textures and emotion in female voices, having a very strong lateral separation and superb imaging. Vocal range is as natural and impressive as it was for the original Hype 4 but now has much less distortion, better resolution and it is just super impressive in general. It has a wow factor that does not go away even after hours of listening, which is good, but this means it is not a laid-back or relaxed sounding pair of IEMS, instead being vivid, dynamic and engaging.
Treble – Top end is bright, sharp and detailed, with a crisp and clean rendering. Hype 4 is great for rock and metal, but there it has a bit less impact and brightness than I typically search for, rather being focused on delivering a vivid and strong image for pop, commercial new music, sounding a bit laid-back for rock and metal and bands like Rings Of Saturn.
Dynamics And Textures – Dynamic range is generally natural, but it tends to cope better with dynamically compressed music than with music with a wide dynamic range, as Hype4 mark 2 has a tendency to bring forward the background instruments, giving more presence to foreground instruments, sounding focused rather than relaxed. Texture is extremely rich and detailed, there’s plenty of information rendered and it tends to have a very fast speed across all frequencies, sounding far more detailed than any alternative in the price range does right now.
Loudness Saturation Gradient – Loudness leads towards better contrast and more information at louder volumes, and more presence at high dB levels, so you can expect the sound to balance out around 90 dB, sounding more vivid and more engaging around 100 dB, and a bit restricted around 70 dB and lower. Hype 4 handles very high volumes really well, but can sound a bit bright and sharp, yet incredibly detailed at lower volumes too. Overall, I like that they have enough headroom to be interesting regardless of how loud you push them.
Soundstage – Soundstage is generally natural, with a bit of focus on stereo imaging, lateral separation and layering, rather than the actual size of the soundstage, as lateral extension tends to be on the natural side of things, Hype 4 MK2 does not exaggerate the size of the stage, but it does sound considerably bigger and has far better separation than the original hype4.
Comparisons
ThieAudio Hype 4 MK 2 vs ThieAudio Hype 4 Original (399 USD vs 399 USD) – The original Hype 4 came my way in a very flashy white color, so it is interesting to see that the new MK2 only comes in this sleeker and more impressive design. The overall comfort is similar, the new one has a slightly deeper fit for my ears which works a bit better, it provides a higher passive noise isolation and a better overall build quality. I feel like the new MK2 is easier to drive, but also less sensitive to source noise. Sonically, there is simply no comparison, the new MK2 is far superior, the bass reaches better in the sub, has far more impact and raw energy, faster speed, better resolution and it just generally is so much better in quality that it makes the original feel deprecated. It is excellent to see such a high leap in technical resolution, bass depth and layering / instrument separation but my personal feeling is that if the company knew how much they were improving the new MK2, maybe it was time to start a new line of IEMs.
ThieAudio Hype 4 MK 2 vs Xenns Mangird Tea Pro (399 USD vs 449 USD) – Tea Pro is always a good choice for those who love natural vocals and a beautiful sound, but physically the two are very similar, both have a metallic shell, an interesting faceplate and thick cable. Hype 4 MK2 is much less sensitive to source noise, isolates a bit better and leaks a bit less, but also scales more with the source, needing a better source to really take advantage of the fast drivers inside. Speaking of which, Hype 4 sounds more V-Shaped and U-Shaped, has better reach in the bass, better reach in the treble, more bass impact and bass punch, but also a more lush and deeper sound. As Tea Pro went for a more natural / neutral sound than the original tea, it is important to make a distinction between the two, but either way, Tea Pro and Hype 4 Mark 2 are both a bit more extended at the extremities, but Hype 4 MK2 is more, has fuller, deeper and more impactful, more dynamic tuning.
ThieAudio Hype 4 MK 2 vs Kiwi Ears Punch (399 USD vs 449 USD) – As the name would suggest, Punch is a punchy pair of IEMs, but the actual feel is that both IEMs are comfortable, yet the smaller shells of the Punch make it better at the ear level, while Hype4 MK2 has a better, thicker and more reliable cable. While both are super good for resolution, Hype 4 MK2 has far better details, more instrument separation, a deeper sub-bass and a brighter treble. The main difference is that Kiwi Ears Punch has a fuller overall sound, more mid bass and upper bass, they sound more laid-back and relaxed in comparison with ThieAudio Hype4, and Kiwi Ears Punch is a bit better for EDM and Trancecore in particular, while Hype 4 mk2 is a more balanced overall listen.
Value – Conclusion
With a price tag of 399 USD, Hyp4 MK2 fares much better than most of the competition I heard to date, sounding really balanced and crisp, having the bass, resolution and separation to be a top choice right now. It has a V-Shaped or U-Shaped slight tendency, but comes with a nice cable and is comfortable, making them a top choice for anyone who’s in the market for a perfect all-rounder.
I feel quite confident that if you end up buying the Hype 4 MKII you will be happy with the purchase, there’s very little they don’t handle well, and in general they just sound good across the range, has resolution, impact, dynamics, textures and separation to be a top choice and a fully recommended in our review today.
PROs
- Beautiful shells with interesting faceplates
- Actual raw impact and fast sub-bass that does not bleed at all into the midrange
- Textured, rich and detailed midrange that sounds crisp
- Excellent layering and instrument separation
- Natural soundstage with extreme stereo imaging
- Crisp treble with strong extension up to 20 kHz
- Basically a perfect deal in the price range
- Top overall choice, really excellent product in general
Cons
- It might make the Monarch and the other Linsoul flagships less relevant
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/4diaju6
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c3v1R02b
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Full Playlist used for this review
We listened to more songs than those named in this playlist, but those are excellent for identifying a sonic signature. I recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new music! The playlists are different for Spotify, Tidal and Youtube, and based on the songs I enjoy and are available on each!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_cjBXGmwSHSdGcwuc_bKbBDGHL4QvYBu
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5J3oloz8Riy9LxEGenOjQ0?si=979ba4f082414be7
https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/330fd544-8e5b-4839-bd35-676b2edbb3d5
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