A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
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Company ProductName Specs
Company ProductName Specs
Advantages of the Sony WH-CH520
- Very good for gaming
- Very good for air travel
- Very good for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II
- Best in class for music
Key differences
Music
7.6
9.5
The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is best in class for music, while the Sony WH-CH520 is good.
Gaming
8.8
6.7
The Sony WH-CH520 is very good for gaming, while the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is only fair.
Phone Calls
6.7
5.1
The Sony WH-CH520 is only fair for phone calls, while the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is poor.
TV and Video
8.2
8.8
The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II and Sony WH-CH520 are both very good for TV and video, though the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is somewhat better.
Noise Reduction
4.6
6.0
The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is only fair for noise reduction, while the Sony WH-CH520 is poor.
Battery
52.0 Hours
N/A
The Sony WH-CH520 has 52 hours of battery life. The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II does not have a battery.
Cost
$40
$999
$0
$100
$200
$300
$400
The Sony WH-CH520 has a price of $40 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 Sony WH-CH520 has good build quality.
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Key similarities
Podcasts and Audiobooks
8.0
7.9
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Sony WH-CH520 to be very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is good.
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How the Sony WH-CH520 and the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Sony WH-CH520 | Thieaudio Monarch Mk II |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$40 | $999 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Sony | Thieaudio | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | October 1, 2020 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 7.7/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 6.8/10 | 5.1/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 8.8/10 | 6.8/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 8.2/10 | 8.9/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 6.4/10 | 4.5/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 52 Hours | N/A | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | No | N/A | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 1.9 Hours | N/A | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5.2 | N/A | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | No | No | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 4.6/10 | 6/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | Yes | N/A | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | N/A | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | N/A | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 8/10 | N/A | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 7/10 | 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) | 147.41 Grams | 9 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | N/A | |
Shopping
Sony WH-CH520
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Dig into reviews and images
Sound Guys
Christian Thomas | September 2023
"If you’re looking for headphones that simply do what you ask them to: the Sony WH-CH520 is a decent option, even if it isn’t very exciting. Sony’s WH-CHXXX line fits this role quite well, and the WH-CH520 offers a decent raft of quality-of-life updates over its predecessor that should keep listeners happy. If the Sony WH-CH520 were a car, it’d be the boring-but-safe commuter compact."
Thieaudio Monarch Mk II
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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 Sony WH-CH520 or the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II
About Sony
Sony is a multinational corporation, based out of Japan, with over 75 years of experience in the consumer electronics industry. In the audio market, Sony has been a trendsetter several times throughout its history. In 1979 they released the first-ever portable music player, the Sony Walkman, followed by the Discman 20 years later. Today, Sony is one of the leaders in the wireless headphone and earbud market, especially in terms of Active Noise Cancellation technology.
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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Why trust us
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
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Earbuds and headphones evaluated
11,340
Earbuds and headphones stats compiled
15
Proprietary Earbuds and headphones ratings developed
122,600
Recommendations made
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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.
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