A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you value convenience and are budget-conscious, the Beats Studiobuds are a cost-effective choice with features like active noise cancellation and a stemless design, plus they're suitable for casual use including workouts with their water resistance. However, if audio fidelity is your priority and you're willing to invest more, the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II earbuds offer superior sound quality and are highly regarded by audiophiles, with a more complex driver setup that includes balanced armature, dynamic, and electrostatic drivers, although they lack wireless connectivity and features like active noise cancellation. Keep in mind that additional cables for balanced audio output with the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II are sold separately. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Beats Studiobuds
- Good for phone calls
- Good for exercise
- Very good for air travel
- Excellent for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II
- Best in class for music
- Very good for TV and video
Key differences
Music
7.2
9.5
The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is best in class for music, while the Beats Studiobuds is good.
Gaming
5.2
6.7
The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is only fair for gaming, while the Beats Studiobuds is poor.
Phone Calls
7.0
5.1
The Beats Studiobuds is good for phone calls, while the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
9.0
7.9
The Beats Studiobuds is excellent for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is good.
TV and Video
5.6
8.8
The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is very good for TV and video, while the Beats Studiobuds is poor.
Noise Reduction
6.5
6.0
The Beats Studiobuds and Thieaudio Monarch Mk II are both only fair for noise reduction, though the Beats Studiobuds is somewhat better.
Battery
6.0 Hours
N/A
The Beats Studiobuds has 6 hours of battery life. The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II does not have a battery.
Cost
$80
$999
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
$400
The Beats Studiobuds has a price of $80 and the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II costs $999.
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Key similarities
Build Quality
8.8
9.0
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Thieaudio Monarch Mk II to have excellent build quality, while the Beats Studiobuds has very good build quality.
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How the Beats Studiobuds and the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Beats Studiobuds | Thieaudio Monarch Mk II |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$80 | $999 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Beats | Thieaudio | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2021 | October 1, 2020 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 7.2/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 7/10 | 5.1/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.2/10 | 6.8/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.6/10 | 8.9/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 7.7/10 | 4.5/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 6 Hours | N/A | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | No | N/A | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 0.9 Hours | N/A | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5.2 | N/A | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | 24 | N/A | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | No | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 6.5/10 | 6/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | Yes | N/A | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | N/A | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | N/A | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 6/10 | N/A | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 8.8/10 | 9/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7.9/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | Medium | Large | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 5 Grams | 9 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | N/A | |
Shopping
Beats Studiobuds
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Dig into reviews and images
Sound Guys
Chase Bernath | May 2023
"For less than the price of the AirPods, the Beats Studio Buds delivers a good fit, great sound, and active noise cancellation. This is also the first set of Apple-owned Beats earbuds to feature quick pairing with Android devices, albeit at the expense of some key features for Apple users."
Thieaudio Monarch Mk II
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Dig into reviews and images
Audiophile On
Audiophile On | August 2021
"No other earphone I have listened to in the past 12 months has given me as much joy as the Thieaduio Monarch MKII. One of those IEMs will make you question where we can go from here. The sound is jaw-dropping, leaving you wanting more and more. It makes you want to run through your entire music library and reevaluate. It makes you not feel bad about paying full price for them, especially in a hobby where buyers' remorse is genuine. For me, it's top tier, rivaled by a few but not surpassed."
Get a great deal on the Beats Studiobuds or the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II
About Beats
Beats is an American, consumer-focused, audio products manufacturer. Founded originally by American rapper and producer Dr Dre, the company is now a subsidiary of Apple. Beats sells a wide range of audio products, including several models of headphones, earbuds and speakers as well as full car audio systems.
About Thieaudio
Thieaudio is the in-house brand of Linsoul Audio, a Chinese earbud and headphone retailer specializing in what the community lovingly calls Chi-fi, that is high fidelity brands out of China. Thieaudio was established in 2019 as the creative engineering branch of Linsoul. As of today, they market three different lines of earbuds, Voyager, Legacy and the extremely well-received Monarch.
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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec earbuds & headphones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest earbuds or headphones information and makes it digestible for you.
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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