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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Skullcandy Hesh ANC are over-ear headphones with active noise cancelling, which is great for air travel and environments with a lot of background noise, plus they offer the convenience of both wireless and wired use and have a solid battery life. On the other hand, the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II are high-end earbuds with superior overall sound quality, especially for music, but they lack wireless connectivity and active noise cancelling. The Thieaudio also feature a unique driver combination for more detailed audio. If budget is a concern and you need versatility for calls, travel, and daily use, Skullcandy Hesh ANC is more cost-effective, whereas the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is targeted at audiophiles prioritizing top-notch sound for music. 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 Skullcandy Hesh ANC
- 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
6.7
9.5
The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is best in class for music, while the Skullcandy Hesh ANC is only fair.
Gaming
5.6
6.7
The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is only fair for gaming, while the Skullcandy Hesh ANC is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
6.0
7.9
The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Skullcandy Hesh ANC is only fair.
TV and Video
5.8
8.8
The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is very good for TV and video, while the Skullcandy Hesh ANC is poor.
Noise Reduction
8.7
6.0
The Skullcandy Hesh ANC is very good for noise reduction, while the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is only fair.
Battery
23.0 Hours
N/A
The Skullcandy Hesh ANC has 23 hours of battery life. The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II does not have a battery.
Cost
$135
$999
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
$400
The Skullcandy Hesh ANC has a price of $135 and the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II costs $999.
Build Quality
7.0
9.0
The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II has excellent build quality, while the Skullcandy Hesh ANC has good build quality.
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Key similarities
Phone Calls
5.3
5.1
The Skullcandy Hesh ANC and Thieaudio Monarch Mk II are both poor for phone calls.
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How the Skullcandy Hesh ANC and the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Skullcandy Hesh ANC | Thieaudio Monarch Mk II |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$135 | $999 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Skullcandy | Thieaudio | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2020 | October 1, 2020 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired + Wireless | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 6.8/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5.3/10 | 5.1/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.6/10 | 6.8/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.8/10 | 8.9/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 6.2/10 | 4.5/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 23 Hours | N/A | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | No | N/A | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 1.6 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 | 8.8/10 | 6/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | No | N/A | |
Android App | |||
Android App | No | N/A | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | No | N/A | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 7.4/10 | N/A | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 7/10 | 9/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7.6/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | N/A | Large | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 226.7 Grams | 9 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | N/A | |
Shopping
Skullcandy Hesh ANC
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Dig into reviews and images
Headphonecheck
Maike Paeßens | 2021
"Skullcandy’s Hesh ANC are compact, wireless over-ears for everyday use that are tuned for bass and designed to suppress or amplify ambient noise as required. In addition to Bluetooth 5.0, optional tracking via the Tile app is supported so that these headphones can be found if they get lost."
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 Skullcandy Hesh ANC or the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II
About Skullcandy
Skullcandy is an American, consumer-oriented, earbuds and headphones manufacturer with 20 years of market experience. They sell a wide variety of, budget-friendly and unique, wired and wireless products that are sure to please the vast majority of users. Among their most popular offerings, the Crusher headphones, includes a pair of actual subwoofers inside the cups which makes the bass extra prominent for a unique and extra fun sound.
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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