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Live Buds 3
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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 April 11, 2024·

The JBL Live Buds 3 are wireless with active noise cancelling, making them ideal for exercise and travel, and they have a very good comfort and built-in controls. They're also optimized for both Android and Apple devices, and feature a Smart Charging Case with a touch display. However, their sound quality isn't suited for critical listening and they're poor for gaming and calls. The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II earbuds offer best-in-class sound, suited for music enthusiasts, and they come with a detachable cable, but lack wireless capability, noise cancelling, and smartphone optimization. They're not suitable for exercise or travel, and they don't support calls well. If budget allows and high-fidelity audio is a priority, go for the Monarch Mk II; otherwise, for convenience and active usage, the JBL Live Buds 3 are more versatile. 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 JBL Live Buds 3
  • 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

7.8
Live Buds 3
Monarch Mk II
9.5
The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is best in class for music, while the JBL Live Buds 3 is good.

Gaming

5.4
Live Buds 3
Monarch Mk II
6.7
The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is only fair for gaming, while the JBL Live Buds 3 is poor.

Podcasts and Audiobooks

5.9
Live Buds 3
Monarch Mk II
7.9
The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the JBL Live Buds 3 is poor.

TV and Video

5.6
Live Buds 3
Monarch Mk II
8.8
The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is very good for TV and video, while the JBL Live Buds 3 is poor.

Noise Reduction

8.3
Live Buds 3
Monarch Mk II
6.0
The JBL Live Buds 3 is very good for noise reduction, while the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is only fair.

Battery

10.0 Hours
Live Buds 3
Monarch Mk II
N/A
The JBL Live Buds 3 has 10 hours of battery life. The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II does not have a battery.

Cost

$216
Live Buds 3
Monarch Mk II
$999
Product image
Product image

$100

$150

$200

$250

$300

$350

$400

The JBL Live Buds 3 has a price of $216 and the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II costs $999.

Build Quality

8.5
Live Buds 3
Monarch Mk II
9.0
The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II has excellent build quality, while the JBL Live Buds 3 has very good build quality.
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Key similarities

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Phone Calls

5.2
Live Buds 3
Monarch Mk II
5.1
The JBL Live Buds 3 and Thieaudio Monarch Mk II are both poor for phone calls.

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How the JBL Live Buds 3 and the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II compare to other earbuds and headphones

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Spec Comparison

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JBL Live Buds 3Thieaudio Monarch Mk II
JBL Live Buds 3Thieaudio Monarch Mk II

GENERAL

Price
$216
$999
Brand
JBLThieaudio
Release Date
June 1, 2024October 1, 2020
Form Factor
EarbudsEarbuds
Connectivity
WirelessWired

SOUND

Music Score
7.9/109.5/10
Phone Calls Score
5.3/105.1/10
Gaming Score
5.4/106.8/10
TV and Video Score
5.7/108.9/10
Exercise Score
8.4/104.5/10

PERFORMANCE

Battery life
10 HoursN/A
Wireless charging
YesN/A
Charging time
2 HoursN/A
Bluetooth version
5.3N/A
Case Battery Life
30N/A

FEATURES

Active Noise Cancelling
YesNo
Noise Reduction Score
8.4/106/10
Virtual Surround
YesN/A
Android App
YesN/A
iOS App
YesN/A
Mic Quality
7/10N/A

BUILD AND DESIGN

Build Quality
8.5/109/10
Comfort score
7/107.6/10
Size
LargeLarge
Weight (headset or single earbud)
8.8 Grams9 Grams
Microphone style
IntegratedN/A

Shopping

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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 JBL Live Buds 3 or the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II

About JBL

JBL is an American audio equipment manufacturer. Owned by Harman International which is, itself, owned by Samsung Electronics. JBL markets a wide array of monitoring speakers, professional headphones and consumer market headphones and earbuds. It was founded in 1946 by James Bullough Lansing (whose initials give the company its name) and has become one of the most prolific audio companies ever. Their products were responsible for audio during the 1969 Woodstock Festival.

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
123,500
Recommendations made
18,525
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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