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Updated January 10, 2024·
If price is crucial and you're looking for wireless convenience with active noise cancellation for everyday usage like commuting, the JBL Tune 760NC would be a solid choice. However, if you prioritize audio fidelity and in-ear monitor performance for critical listening or professional audio work, and are willing to invest more, then the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II stands out, although it lacks the wireless and noise-canceling features of the JBL. The Thieaudio will likely offer superior sound quality but requires a separate music player or phone with a good quality audio output or DAC. 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 Tune 760NC
Excellent 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
Music
6.3/10
9.5/10
The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is best in class for music, while the JBL Tune 760NC is only fair.
Gaming
5.4/10
6.7/10
The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is only fair for gaming, while the JBL Tune 760NC is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
5.9/10
7.9/10
The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the JBL Tune 760NC is poor.
TV and Video
5.6/10
8.8/10
The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is very good for TV and video, while the JBL Tune 760NC is poor.
Noise Reduction
7.0/10
6.0/10
The JBL Tune 760NC is good for noise reduction, while the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is only fair.
Battery
40.9 Hours
N/A
The JBL Tune 760NC has 40.9 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 JBL Tune 760NC has a price of $80 and the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II costs $999.
Build Quality
8.0/10
9.0/10
The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II has excellent build quality, while the JBL Tune 760NC has very good build quality.
"The JBL 760NC offers quite a solid and moderately-above-average sonic performance for wireless headphones in this price tier. As usual, JBL outperforms more conventional big names like Apple or Beats. Listeners are given a clean, detailed, and mostly neutral sound that, typical to Harman, holds a universal appeal that seems unlikely to offend."
"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 Tune 760NC 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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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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