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QuietComfort Earbuds II
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Monarch Mk II
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What we think

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The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·

If you value active noise canceling and wireless convenience for a variety of activities like exercise, calls, and frequent travel, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II would be a solid choice. However, if sound quality, particularly for music and watching TV, is your top priority and you don't mind a wired connection and a higher price, you may prefer the superior audio of the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II, though it's not as well-suited for use during exercise or travel. Both options provide good build quality and comfort, but Thieaudio lacks in-built controls and microphone capabilities, making them less versatile for everyday use. 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 Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II
  • Very good for exercise
  • Very good for air travel
Advantages of the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II
  • Best in class for music
  • Very good for TV and video
  • Good for podcasts and audiobooks

Key differences

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Music

7.4
QuietComfort Earbuds II
Monarch Mk II
9.5
The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is best in class for music, while the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II is good.

Gaming

5.5
QuietComfort Earbuds II
Monarch Mk II
6.7
The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is only fair for gaming, while the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II is poor.

Podcasts and Audiobooks

6.0
QuietComfort Earbuds II
Monarch Mk II
7.9
The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II is only fair.

TV and Video

6.2
QuietComfort Earbuds II
Monarch Mk II
8.8
The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is very good for TV and video, while the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II is only fair.

Noise Reduction

9.1
QuietComfort Earbuds II
Monarch Mk II
6.0
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II is excellent for noise reduction, while the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is only fair.

Battery

7.0 Hours
QuietComfort Earbuds II
Monarch Mk II
N/A
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II has 7 hours of battery life. The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II does not have a battery.

Cost

$199
QuietComfort Earbuds II
Monarch Mk II
$999
Product image
Product image

$100

$150

$200

$250

$300

$350

$400

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II has a price of $199 and the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II costs $999.
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Key similarities

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Phone Calls

5.1
QuietComfort Earbuds II
Monarch Mk II
5.1
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II and Thieaudio Monarch Mk II are both poor for phone calls.

Build Quality

9.2
QuietComfort Earbuds II
Monarch Mk II
9.0
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II and Thieaudio Monarch Mk II both have excellent build quality.

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How the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II and the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II compare to other earbuds and headphones

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Spec Comparison

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Bose QuietComfort Earbuds IIThieaudio Monarch Mk II
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds IIThieaudio Monarch Mk II

GENERAL

Price
$199
$999
Brand
BoseThieaudio
Release Date
September 1, 2022October 1, 2020
Form Factor
EarbudsEarbuds
Connectivity
WirelessWired

SOUND

Music Score
7.4/109.5/10
Phone Calls Score
5.2/105.1/10
Gaming Score
5.6/106.8/10
TV and Video Score
6.3/108.9/10
Exercise Score
8.5/104.5/10

PERFORMANCE

Battery life
7 HoursN/A
Wireless charging
NoN/A
Charging time
2 HoursN/A
Bluetooth version
5.3N/A
Case Battery Life
20N/A

FEATURES

Active Noise Cancelling
YesNo
Noise Reduction Score
9.1/106/10
Virtual Surround
YesN/A
Android App
YesN/A
iOS App
YesN/A
Mic Quality
6.5/10N/A

BUILD AND DESIGN

Build Quality
9.2/109/10
Comfort score
8.6/107.6/10
Size
MediumLarge
Weight (headset or single earbud)
7.7 Grams9 Grams
Microphone style
IntegratedN/A

Shopping

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Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II

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Dig into reviews and images

What HiFi?

What HiFi? | September 2023
"Bose’s flagship wireless earbuds were never going to be cheap, but the question was whether they’d be competitive in an area of the market where rivals have never been more capable. The fact that the company has not only managed to implement a successful redesign, but also push the envelope for noise-cancelling and sound quality in such a highly competitive category simultaneously is truly impressive."

Thieaudio Monarch Mk II

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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 Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II or the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II

About Bose

Bose is an American audio equipment manufacturer based out of Framingham, Massachusetts. Founded in 1964 by Amar Bose with the goal of creating a speaker system that could accurately recreate the sound of a concert hall, Bose has become one of the most prominent players in the modern consumer audio market due to the premium feel of their products and their wide brand recognition.

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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Why trust us

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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.

By the numbers

108
Earbuds and headphones evaluated
11,340
Earbuds and headphones stats compiled
15
Proprietary Earbuds and headphones ratings developed
95,000
Recommendations made
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Consumer hours saved

About the Earbuds or Headphones team

Joe Golden, Ph.D

CEO and Earbuds and Headphones Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.

Jason Lew

Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.

Chandradeep Chowdhury

Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.

Luis Torres

Earbuds and Headphones Expert
Luis is a Mexico-based headphones expert. He’s been making headphone recommendations for five years and has close to 100 pairs in his personal collection.

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