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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Sennheiser HD800S offers a superb sound quality with an expansive soundstage, making it ideal for an immersive music experience, particularly well-suited for at-home listening due to its open design, superior comfort, and the need for a wired connection. They're less portable and offer minimal noise isolation, which isn't optimal for noisy environments or travelling. The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II, on the other hand, provides excellent sound quality with enhanced noise isolation, making them a better choice for listening in various environments. They are more portable but might have a less comfortable fit for long periods compared to the over-ear Sennheisers. If budget is a concern, the Monarch Mk II is also somewhat less expensive. Neither option has a built-in microphone, making neither ideal for calls or meetings. Consider how and where you'll use them most to guide your choice. 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 HD800S
- Good for gaming
- Best in class 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 HD800S.
Key differences
Gaming
7.5
6.7
The Sennheiser HD800S is good for gaming, while the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is only fair.
TV and Video
9.7
8.8
The Sennheiser HD800S is best in class for TV and video, while the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is very good.
Noise Reduction
2.5
6.0
The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is only fair for noise reduction, while the Sennheiser HD800S is poor.
Cost
$1,390
$999
$500
$480
$460
$440
$420
$400
The Sennheiser HD800S has a price of $1,390 and the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II costs $999.
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Key similarities
Music
9.9
9.5
The Sennheiser HD800S and Thieaudio Monarch Mk II are both best in class for music.
Phone Calls
5.0
5.1
The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II and Sennheiser HD800S are both poor for phone calls.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
8.1
7.9
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Sennheiser HD800S to be very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is good.
Build Quality
9.0
9.0
The Sennheiser HD800S and Thieaudio Monarch Mk II both have excellent build quality.
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How the Sennheiser HD800S and the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Sennheiser HD800S | Thieaudio Monarch Mk II |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,390 | $999 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Sennheiser | Thieaudio | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2015 | October 1, 2020 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 10/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5/10 | 5.1/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 7.6/10 | 6.8/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 9.7/10 | 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 | 9/10 | 9/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 10/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | N/A | Large | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 371.9 Grams | 9 Grams | |
Waterproof Rating | |||
Waterproof Rating | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Sennheiser HD800S
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Dig into reviews and images
Sound Guys
Christian Thomas | March 2023
"The cans offer stellar sound quality, comfort, and good maintenance options—so they're an easy recommendation if you have the cash and the need for the last headphones you'll buy for years."
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 HD800S 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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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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