Short answer: the AFUL Cantor. It ranks #176 of 1291 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 4.4/5, at $790.99. The BGVP Astrum ranks #235, rated 4.3/5, at $699, $91.99 cheaper, not enough of a saving to outweigh the sound-quality gap.
What the AFUL Cantor does well: A flagship 14 armature IEM with smooth, even measurements, a Harman score of 78 and bass on target down to 20 Hz. The tradeoff: Presence sits about 4 dB low with a 5.2 dB dip near 3.7 kHz, which softens vocal bite and attack, and a 3.1 dB peak near 12 kHz can add some sharpness.
What the BGVP Astrum does well: The median of 10 hobbyist measurements gives it a very good Harman preference score of 77 with a 1.49 dB spread, and its mids sit within about 1.5 dB of target, so vocals and instruments sound natural. Watch for: Its 1.49 dB spread is less even than the best measured sets.
Buy the AFUL Cantor. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $91.99 you would save on the BGVP Astrum does not close the gap.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Headphones rankings.
A flagship 14 armature IEM with smooth, even measurements, a Harman score of 78 and bass on target down to 20 Hz.
HiFiGo $790.99 eBay
The median of 10 hobbyist measurements gives it a very good Harman preference score of 77 with a 1.49 dB spread, and its mids sit within about 1.5 dB of target, so vocals and instruments sound natural.
BGVP $699.00 eBayPrices on this page were last checked October 16, 2026 at 5:46 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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Specifications Side By Side
| AFUL Cantor | BGVP Astrum | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $790.99 | $699.00 |
| Ranked | #176 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones | #235 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Balanced armature | Tribrid |
| Drivers | 14 x balanced armature | 2 x 8mm dynamic + 2 x balanced armature + 2 x electrostatic |
| Impedance | 20 ohms | 12 ohms |
| Frequency Response | 5Hz - 35kHz | 20Hz - 40kHz |
| Harman Preference Score | 78 (median of 24 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 77 (median of 10 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 1.58 dB standard deviation | 1.49 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.39 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.42 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-0.5 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+1.0 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Sensitivity | - | 111 dB/Vrms |
Frequency Response Compared
Both headphones’ measurements overlaid on the Harman target. Above the target sounds louder in that range, below it quieter. Each curve is the median of several independent measurements, shifted so its 500 Hz to 2 kHz average sits at 0 dB, so only the tuning is compared.
Measurement data: the AFUL Cantor from aden, adri-n, atechreviews, audioamigo, boizoff, dl, eliseaudio, elrics, gadgetgenerations, gadgetrytech, hu-fi, jaytiss, koi, lown-fi, practiphile, precog, pw, scboy, silicagel, sl0the, superreview, theaudiostore, tonedeafmonk and treblewellxtended; the BGVP Astrum from aden, animagus, audioamigo, dchpgall, faxepremium, hu-fi, jaytiss, pw, soundcheck39 and tonedeafmonk, all via squig.link.
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