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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Sennheiser 450BT are over-ear headphones with active noise cancelling, which makes them suitable for air travel and environments with a lot of background noise. They provide wireless functionality with low latency, making them good for TV and video as well as gaming. Their built-in mic quality is high, so they work well for calls and meetings. On the other hand, the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II are earbuds that provide a higher overall sound quality and better soundstage, making them excellent for music lovers seeking top-notch audio fidelity. However, they lack wireless capabilities, active noise cancelling and a mic, which may limit their versatility in comparison. If cost is a major factor, the Sennheiser 450BT might be the more budget-friendly option with a good balance of features for various use cases. 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 Sennheiser 450BT
- Very good for gaming
- Excellent for air travel
Advantages of the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II
- Best in class for music
Key differences
Music
6.2
9.5
The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is best in class for music, while the Sennheiser 450BT is only fair.
Gaming
8.8
6.7
The Sennheiser 450BT is very good for gaming, while the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is only fair.
Phone Calls
6.9
5.1
The Sennheiser 450BT is only fair for phone calls, while the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is poor.
TV and Video
8.1
8.8
The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II and Sennheiser 450BT are both very good for TV and video, though the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is somewhat better.
Noise Reduction
9.1
6.0
The Sennheiser 450BT is excellent for noise reduction, while the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is only fair.
Battery
27.5 Hours
N/A
The Sennheiser 450BT has 27.5 hours of battery life. The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II does not have a battery.
Cost
$139
$999
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
$400
The Sennheiser 450BT has a price of $139 and the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II costs $999.
Build Quality
8.0
9.0
The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II has excellent build quality, while the Sennheiser 450BT has very good build quality.
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Key similarities
Podcasts and Audiobooks
7.9
7.9
The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II and Sennheiser 450BT are both good for podcasts and audiobooks.
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How the Sennheiser 450BT and the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Sennheiser 450BT | Thieaudio Monarch Mk II |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$139 | $999 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Sennheiser | Thieaudio | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | February 1, 2020 | October 1, 2020 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired + Wireless | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 6.2/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 7/10 | 5.1/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 8.9/10 | 6.8/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 8.1/10 | 8.9/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 6.1/10 | 4.5/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 27.5 Hours | N/A | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | No | N/A | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 2.3 Hours | N/A | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5 | N/A | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | No | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 9.1/10 | 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 | 8.5/10 | N/A | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 8/10 | 9/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | N/A | Large | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 240.4 Grams | 9 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | N/A | |
Shopping
Sennheiser 450BT
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Dig into reviews and images
Sound Guys
Lily Katz | March 2022
"The Sennheiser HD 450BT is a very good pair of headphones for the price, noise canceling is good and sound quality is great—quite rare at this price point. Like any product, this headset isn’t without its faults."
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 Sennheiser 450BT or the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II
About Sennheiser
A family-owned company, Sennheiser is a German, high fidelity, audio equipment manufacturer founded in 1945. Their consumer audio division is now owned by the Swiss hearing aid and cochlear implant manufacturer Sonova. Sennheiser offers a wide variety of, very high quality, audio equipment solutions, from headphones to earbuds, full sets of monitoring speakers, amplifiers and microphones. They also make what is widely regarded as the best, and most expensive, headphones in existence, the HE-1 Orpheus, costing a whopping $59,000 dollars.
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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