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Life P3
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Monarch Mk II
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What we think

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The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·

The Soundcore Life P3 earbuds are a more budget-friendly option with active noise cancelling and wireless features that make them highly portable, ideal for use during exercise or air travel, and they also have a convenient case that supports wireless charging. However, if you're looking for the highest sound quality for critical listening and a more expansive soundstage, the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II might be a better choice despite being more expensive. They use a complex driver setup to deliver superior audio but lack wireless convenience and active noise cancellation, so they might not be as versatile in noisy environments or for on-the-go use. 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 Soundcore Life P3
  • Very good for exercise
  • Very good 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

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Music

5.7
Life P3
Monarch Mk II
9.5
The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is best in class for music, while the Soundcore Life P3 is poor.

Gaming

5.1
Life P3
Monarch Mk II
6.7
The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is only fair for gaming, while the Soundcore Life P3 is poor.

Podcasts and Audiobooks

5.9
Life P3
Monarch Mk II
7.9
The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Soundcore Life P3 is poor.

TV and Video

5.5
Life P3
Monarch Mk II
8.8
The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is very good for TV and video, while the Soundcore Life P3 is poor.

Noise Reduction

9.1
Life P3
Monarch Mk II
6.0
The Soundcore Life P3 is excellent for noise reduction, while the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II is only fair.

Battery

7.0 Hours
Life P3
Monarch Mk II
N/A
The Soundcore Life P3 has 7 hours of battery life. The Thieaudio Monarch Mk II does not have a battery.

Cost

$70
Life P3
Monarch Mk II
$999
Product image
Product image

$50

$100

$150

$200

$250

$300

$350

$400

The Soundcore Life P3 has a price of $70 and the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II costs $999.
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Key similarities

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Phone Calls

5.1
Life P3
Monarch Mk II
5.1
The Soundcore Life P3 and Thieaudio Monarch Mk II are both poor for phone calls.

Build Quality

8.8
Life P3
Monarch Mk II
9.0
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Thieaudio Monarch Mk II to have excellent build quality, while the Soundcore Life P3 has very good build quality.

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How the Soundcore Life P3 and the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II compare to other earbuds and headphones

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Spec Comparison

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Soundcore Life P3Thieaudio Monarch Mk II
Soundcore Life P3Thieaudio Monarch Mk II

GENERAL

Price
$70
$999
Brand
SoundcoreThieaudio
Release Date
June 1, 2021October 1, 2020
Form Factor
EarbudsEarbuds
Connectivity
WirelessWired

SOUND

Music Score
5.8/109.5/10
Phone Calls Score
5.1/105.1/10
Gaming Score
5.2/106.8/10
TV and Video Score
5.5/108.9/10
Exercise Score
8.4/104.5/10

PERFORMANCE

Battery life
7 HoursN/A
Wireless charging
YesN/A
Charging time
0.8 HoursN/A
Bluetooth version
5N/A
Case Battery Life
35N/A

FEATURES

Active Noise Cancelling
YesNo
Noise Reduction Score
9.1/106/10
Virtual Surround
NoN/A
Android App
YesN/A
iOS App
YesN/A
Mic Quality
6.5/10N/A

BUILD AND DESIGN

Build Quality
8.8/109/10
Comfort score
7.6/107.6/10
Size
SmallLarge
Weight (headset or single earbud)
4.5 Grams9 Grams
Microphone style
IntegratedN/A

Shopping

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Soundcore Life P3

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Tom's Guide

Alex Bracetti | July 2021
"Anker continues its trend of stealth releases, recently dropping the Soundcore Life P3 out of nowhere. This product essentially replaces the disappointing Life A2 NC as the brand’s flagship ANC model under $100. It comes with bassy audio and enough features to give even the best noise-cancelling earbuds pause."

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 Soundcore Life P3 or the Thieaudio Monarch Mk II

About Soundcore

Soundcore is a sub-brand belonging to Anker Innovations. Starting in 2014, initially marketing wireless, Bluetooth, speakers, Anker now offers an array of, budget-friendly, wireless earbuds and headphones that directly compete, especially in the Active Noise Canceling field, with other brands several times as expensive.

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

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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.

By the numbers

108
Earbuds and headphones evaluated
11,340
Earbuds and headphones stats compiled
15
Proprietary Earbuds and headphones ratings developed
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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.

Jason Lew

Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.

Chandradeep Chowdhury

Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.

Luis Torres

Earbuds and Headphones Expert
Luis is a Mexico-based headphones expert. He’s been making headphone recommendations for five years and has close to 100 pairs in his personal collection.

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