Short answer: the Lime Ears Terra. Both are rated 4.6/5 for sound quality (#84 and #65 of 1291 in-ear headphones), and the Lime Ears Terra costs $1,199 against $1,550 for the ARTPICAL Michael, and with sound quality even, the cheaper one is the better buy.
The case for the ARTPICAL Michael: Tuned close to the Harman target that most listeners prefer in blind tests (preference score 82). The tradeoff: The rating reflects sound quality only; comfort, build and noise isolation are not part of the score.
The case for the Lime Ears Terra: Fourteen hobbyist measurements on squig.link put its preference score at 80.8 with a smooth 1.26 dB deviation. The tradeoff: It rates below the Moondrop Dark Saber and ThieAudio Monarch MKIII, both of which cost less.
Buy the Lime Ears Terra. Both are rated the same for sound quality, and it costs $351 less than the ARTPICAL Michael.
Still deciding? The full Headphones rankings cover every ranked option.
Tuned close to the Harman target that most listeners prefer in blind tests (preference score 82).
MusicTeck $1,550 eBay
Fourteen hobbyist measurements on squig.link put its preference score at 80.8 with a smooth 1.26 dB deviation.
Lime Ears $1,199.00 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
| ARTPICAL Michael | Lime Ears Terra | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,550 | $1,199.00 |
| Ranked | #65 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones | #84 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Harman Preference Score | 82 (median of 4 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 81 (median of 14 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 1.46 dB standard deviation | 1.26 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.04 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.37 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-0.6 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+2.0 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Tribrid | Hybrid (1 dynamic + 5 balanced armature) |
| Drivers | 1 x 10mm dynamic + 3 x balanced armature + 2 x electrostatic | 1 x 7mm dynamic + 5 x balanced armature |
| Impedance | 11.6 ohms | - |
| Sensitivity | 109.2 dB/mW | - |
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 ARTPICAL Michael from aftersound, dchpgall, hu-fi and soundignity; the Lime Ears Terra from aden, animagus, atechreviews, audioamigo, ducbloke, hbb, jaytiss, koi, melatonin, practiphile, precog, pw, recode, silicagel, superreview, theaudiostore and vsg, all via squig.link.
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