The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated April 11, 2024·
If you prioritize call quality and versatility for different activities, including air travel and watching TV, the Earfun Wave Pro stands out with very good performance in these areas and offers features like active noise cancelling and a long battery life. On the other hand, if your focus is on the absolute best music listening experience, the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II might be more suitable, despite its poorer performance for calls and gaming. The Monarch Mk II boasts top-tier sound quality but lacks wireless capability and some convenience features like an app equalizer and battery life. Consider also the form factor: the Earfun Wave Pro is an over-ear headphone suitable for longer listening sessions at home or while traveling, while the Monarch Mk II, a wired earbud, is more portable but may not be as comfortable for extended use. Remember, the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II comes at a high-end price, which is typically significantly more than the Earfun Wave Pro. 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 Earfun Wave Pro
Excellent for phone calls
Very good for gaming
Excellent for air travel
Excellent for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II
Best in class for music
Key differences
Music
7.0/10
9.5/10
The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is best in class for music, while the Earfun Wave Pro is good.
Gaming
8.7/10
6.7/10
The Earfun Wave Pro is very good for gaming, while the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is only fair.
Phone Calls
9.0/10
5.1/10
The Earfun Wave Pro is excellent for phone calls, while the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
9.1/10
7.9/10
The Earfun Wave Pro is excellent for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is good.
TV and Video
8.0/10
8.8/10
The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II and Earfun Wave Pro are both very good for TV and video, though the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is somewhat better.
Noise Reduction
8.3/10
6.0/10
The Earfun Wave Pro is very good for noise reduction, while the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is only fair.
Battery
80.0 Hours
N/A
The Earfun Wave Pro has 80 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 Earfun Wave Pro has a price of $80 and the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II costs $999.
Build Quality
8.5/10
9.0/10
The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II has excellent build quality, while the Earfun Wave Pro has very good build quality.
"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 Earfun Wave Pro or the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II
About Earfun
Earfun is an audio equipment manufacturer, headquartered in California, that specializes in producing quality, very affordable earbuds and wireless speakers. According to their site, their mission is to provide high-quality sound that the general public can hear, perceive, and afford.
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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About the Earbuds or Headphones team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
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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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