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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If sound quality is paramount and you listen primarily at home or in quiet environments, the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II excels with its superior audio reproduction; however, it lacks wireless functionality, making it less convenient for on-the-go listening. The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3, on the other hand, offers a more budget-friendly choice with solid overall sound quality, wireless convenience, and features like active noise cancelling for travel and exercise use. The Monarch Mk II doesn't have a microphone, which limits its use for calls, but the Outlier Air V3 has good mic quality for calls and meetings. Keep in mind the Monarch Mk II may provide a more immersive experience for TV and video due to its higher sound quality, despite not being optimized for low latency. 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 Creative Labs Outlier Air V3
- Good for phone calls
- Very good for exercise
- Very good for air travel
- Very good 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
5.7
9.5
The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is best in class for music, while the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is poor.
Gaming
5.1
6.7
The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is only fair for gaming, while the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is poor.
Phone Calls
7.6
5.1
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is good for phone calls, while the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
8.9
7.9
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is good.
TV and Video
5.4
8.8
The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is very good for TV and video, while the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is poor.
Noise Reduction
6.5
6.0
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 and Thieaudio Monarch Mk II are both only fair for noise reduction, though the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 is somewhat better.
Battery
10.0 Hours
N/A
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 has 10 hours of battery life. The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II does not have a battery.
Cost
$30
$999
$0
$100
$200
$300
$400
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 has a price of $30 and the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II costs $999.
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Key similarities
Build Quality
9.0
9.0
The Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 and Thieaudio Monarch Mk II both have excellent build quality.
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How the Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 and the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 | Thieaudio Monarch Mk II |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$30 | $999 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Creative Labs | 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 | 5.7/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 7.6/10 | 5.1/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.2/10 | 6.8/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.5/10 | 8.9/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 8/10 | 4.5/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 10 Hours | N/A | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | Yes | N/A | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 1.5 Hours | N/A | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5.2 | N/A | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | 40 | 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 | No | N/A | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | N/A | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | N/A | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 6.8/10 | N/A | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 9/10 | 9/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | Medium | Large | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 5.2 Grams | 9 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | N/A | |
Shopping
Creative Labs Outlier Air V3
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Trusted Reviews
Kob Monney | July 2022
"The V3 present the best version of the Outlier Air series yet. The new features such as Active Noise Reduction and Ambient mode are integrated well; the performance of both is as good as you’ll get below £100. The design is less bulky and more comfortable thanks to being smaller and lighter, and the Outlier Air V3 eke out more clarity, detail and definition from music."
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 Creative Labs Outlier Air V3 or the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II
About Creative Labs
Creative Labs is a Singaporean technology company specialized in the manufacture of multimedia products. They created the world-famous Soundblaster soundcard back in 1989 which was a staple of the gaming community for a long time. Nowadays, besides still marketing their discrete audio systems, they offer a wide array of headphones, gaming headsets and speakers that still preserve that same heritage.
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
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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