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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Sennheiser 560S delivers a high sound quality and an open-back design, which typically means a more natural sound and wider soundstage, but it offers little noise isolation, making it less ideal for noisy environments. If you're looking for a more portable option with better noise isolation, the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II earbuds, with a closed design, might be the choice, but this comes at a higher price. Both are wired and neither features active noise cancelling or built-in controls, keeping it simple for purely audio-focused use. Consider the Sennheiser 560S for at-home listening, and the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II if you need portability and noise isolation, especially during travel. 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 560S
- Excellent for TV and video
- Very good for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II
- The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II has no clear advantages over the Sennheiser 560S.
Key differences
Noise Reduction
2.5
6.0
The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is only fair for noise reduction, while the Sennheiser 560S is poor.
Cost
$180
$999
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
$400
The Sennheiser 560S has a price of $180 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 560S has very good build quality.
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Key similarities
Music
9.5
9.5
The Sennheiser 560S and Thieaudio Monarch Mk II are both best in class for music.
Gaming
6.9
6.7
The Sennheiser 560S and Thieaudio Monarch Mk II are both only fair for gaming.
Phone Calls
5.1
5.1
The Sennheiser 560S and Thieaudio Monarch Mk II are both poor for phone calls.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
8.1
7.9
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Sennheiser 560S to be very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is good.
TV and Video
9.1
8.8
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Sennheiser 560S to be excellent for TV and video, while the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is very good.
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How the Sennheiser 560S and the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Sennheiser 560S | Thieaudio Monarch Mk II |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$180 | $999 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Sennheiser | Thieaudio | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | September 1, 2020 | October 1, 2020 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 9.5/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5.1/10 | 5.1/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 6.9/10 | 6.8/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 9.2/10 | 8.9/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 4.5/10 | 4.5/10 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | No | No | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 2.5/10 | 6/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 8/10 | 9/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 8.4/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | N/A | Large | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 244.9 Grams | 9 Grams | |
Waterproof Rating | |||
Waterproof Rating | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Sennheiser 560S
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Dig into reviews and images
Headphonesty
Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir | March 2022
"Sennheiser made a near perfect pair of studio monitors with the HD 560S. Flat bass response? Check. Neutral and uncolored midrange? Check. Extended treble with a bit of lower-treble emphasis to highlight mastering flaws? Check. Fairly easy to drive? Check. Good soundstage and imaging? Check, and check."
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 560S 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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About the Earbuds or Headphones team
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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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