A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
Last updated -- hours ago | Report incorrect information
Kraken V3
Company ProductName Specs




Monarch Mk II
Company ProductName Specs




What we think

Chevron down
PerfectRec Logo
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated April 10, 2024·

If you prioritize gaming and a lower price, the Razer Kraken V3 offers good sound quality, a boom mic, and is comfortable for extended wear; however, it's not wireless and has mediocre soundstage. For the best music listening experience, even though Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is pricier, it provides superior sound quality with various driver types but lacks convenience features like a microphone and wireless connectivity. Neither are suitable for exercise or travel due to poor noise isolation and portability, yet the Monarch Mk II offers the option of a balanced audio cable for additional purchase if higher fidelity is desired. 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 Razer Kraken V3
  • Good for gaming
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

Chevron down

Music

7.3
Kraken V3
Monarch Mk II
9.5
The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is best in class for music, while the Razer Kraken V3 is good.

Gaming

7.3
Kraken V3
Monarch Mk II
6.7
The Razer Kraken V3 is good for gaming, while the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is only fair.

Podcasts and Audiobooks

4.7
Kraken V3
Monarch Mk II
7.9
The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Razer Kraken V3 is poor.

TV and Video

7.0
Kraken V3
Monarch Mk II
8.8
The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is very good for TV and video, while the Razer Kraken V3 is good.

Cost

$70
Kraken V3
Monarch Mk II
$999
Product image
Product image

$50

$100

$150

$200

$250

$300

$350

$400

The Razer Kraken V3 has a price of $70 and the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II costs $999.

Build Quality

8.5
Kraken V3
Monarch Mk II
9.0
The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II has excellent build quality, while the Razer Kraken V3 has very good build quality.
Image of Earbuds & Headphones
Let Us Help Find Your Perfect Headphones
Find your new headphones

Key similarities

Chevron down

Phone Calls

5.0
Kraken V3
Monarch Mk II
5.1
The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II and Razer Kraken V3 are both poor for phone calls.

Noise Reduction

6.0
Kraken V3
Monarch Mk II
6.0
The Razer Kraken V3 and Thieaudio Monarch Mk II are both only fair for noise reduction.

Give feedback

We’re constantly working to improve.

How the Razer Kraken V3 and the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II compare to other earbuds and headphones

Chevron down

Spec Comparison

Chevron down
Razer Kraken V3Thieaudio Monarch Mk II
Razer Kraken V3Thieaudio Monarch Mk II

GENERAL

Price
$70
$999
Brand
RazerThieaudio
Release Date
June 1, 2021October 1, 2020
Form Factor
HeadphonesEarbuds
Connectivity
WiredWired

SOUND

Music Score
7.3/109.5/10
Phone Calls Score
5.1/105.1/10
Gaming Score
7.4/106.8/10
TV and Video Score
7/108.9/10
Exercise Score
4.1/104.5/10

FEATURES

Active Noise Cancelling
NoNo
Noise Reduction Score
6/106/10
Virtual Surround
YesN/A
Mic Quality
7/10N/A

BUILD AND DESIGN

Build Quality
8.5/109/10
Comfort score
7/107.6/10
Size
N/ALarge
Weight (headset or single earbud)
325 Grams9 Grams
Microphone style
BoomN/A

Shopping

Chevron down

Razer Kraken V3

See more

Dig into reviews and images

Soundguys

Sam Smart | November 2022
"This Razer Kraken V3 is a great headset for gamers who want comfort, surround sound, and software customization for a reasonable price. It's primarily a headset for PC gamers since THX Spatial audio is only supported on Windows. If you want something more multifaceted for multiple systems, this won't be an ideal headset for you. Luckily, there are plenty of competent Kraken V3 alternatives available to you."

Thieaudio Monarch Mk II

See more

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 Razer Kraken V3 or the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II

About Razer

Razer is an American-Singaporean hardware manufacturer aimed specifically toward the gaming market. They manufacture a very wide array of gaming laptops, tablets, phones, peripherals and, of course, headphones and earbuds both wired and wireless. Since 2016, Razer has owned the THX suite, aimed at quality assurance of audiovisual systems such as speaker sets, video game consoles and even movie theaters.

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.

Give feedback

We're constantly perfecting our model

Earbuds or Headphones guides you might be interested in

Chevron down

FAQs

Chevron down

FAQs about earbuds and headphones

Questions about PerfectRec >

Why trust us

Chevron down
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
123,200
Recommendations made
18,480
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.

Featured in

Color LTT LogoGeekwire logo9to5 Mac logoPhone Arena LogoColor Daring Fireball logo