Short answer: the AME Custom Mousa. It ranks #951 of 1369 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 3.3/5, at $4,500. The VOLK AUDIO ETOILE ranks #1009, rated 3.2/5, at $3,599, $901 cheaper, a saving that is not big enough to make up the sound-quality gap.
Why pick the AME Custom Mousa: About 4 dB more bass than the Harman target below 150 Hz, for listeners who want a fuller low end. The tradeoff: An uneven response, 2.5 dB standard deviation from target.
Why pick the VOLK AUDIO ETOILE: A published AutoEQ preset corrects its response toward the Harman target, so a few minutes of EQ setup closes most of the gap. Watch for: Treble about 6 dB below target from 3 to 10 kHz, which can sound dull or veiled next to brighter headphones.
Buy the AME Custom Mousa. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $901 saving on the VOLK AUDIO ETOILE is not enough to make up the difference.
Want more options? Browse the full Headphones rankings.
About 4 dB more bass than the Harman target below 150 Hz, for listeners who want a fuller low end.
MusicTeck $4,500 eBay
A published AutoEQ preset corrects its response toward the Harman target, so a few minutes of EQ setup closes most of the gap.
Bloom Audio $3,599.00 eBayPrices on this page were last checked October 17, 2026 at 6:04 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
| AME Custom Mousa | VOLK AUDIO ETOILE | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4,500 | $3,599.00 |
| Ranked | #951 of 1369 in In-Ear Headphones | #1009 of 1369 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Harman Preference Score | 65 (median of 3 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 64 (median of 5 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.49 dB standard deviation | 2.72 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.66 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.55 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+0.4 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-1.2 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Hybrid (Balanced Armature + Bone Conduction) | Quadbrid |
| Drivers | 15 drivers per side (13 Balanced Armatures + 2 Sonion Bone Conduction Drivers) | 1 DD + 4 BA + 4 EST + 1 MS (1 x 10mm dynamic driver, 4 x Sonion balanced armatures, 4 x Sonion electrostatic drivers, 1 x 8mm magnetostatic tweeter) |
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8.8 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 106 dB | 110.6 dB |
| Frequency Response | 10Hz - 45kHz | 10Hz - 50kHz |
| Weight | CNC Mokume-gane pure copper housing | - |
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 AME Custom Mousa from ducbloke, jaytiss and treblewellxtended; the VOLK AUDIO ETOILE from aden, audioamigo, bloomaudio, jaytiss and joycesreview, all via squig.link.
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