Short answer: the ARTPICAL Michael. It ranks #65 of 1291 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 4.6/5, at $1,550. The Symphonium Audio Helios ranks #93, rated 4.5/5, at $1,099, $451 cheaper, not enough of a saving to outweigh the sound-quality gap.
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.
What the Symphonium Audio Helios does well: One of the smoothest in-ears measured, with a 1.57 dB standard deviation from the Harman target and a preference score of 80. Watch for: The presence region from 3 to 6 kHz sits 3.5 dB below target, with a 6.3 dB dip near 6.95 kHz, so vocals and guitars lose a little bite and detail.
Buy the ARTPICAL Michael. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $451 you would save on the Symphonium Audio Helios does not close the gap.
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Tuned close to the Harman target that most listeners prefer in blind tests (preference score 82).
MusicTeck $1,550 eBay
One of the smoothest in-ears measured, with a 1.57 dB standard deviation from the Harman target and a preference score of 80.
Headphones.com $1,099.00 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 | Symphonium Audio Helios | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,550 | $1,099.00 |
| Ranked | #65 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones | #93 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) | 80 (measured by HypetheSonics, via AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 1.46 dB standard deviation | 1.57 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.04 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | +0.02 (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 (-1.3 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Tribrid | Balanced armature |
| Drivers | 1 x 10mm dynamic + 3 x balanced armature + 2 x electrostatic | - |
| Impedance | 11.6 ohms | 8.5 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 109.2 dB/mW | 104 dB/Vrms |
| Frequency Response | - | 12Hz - 24kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built-in Microphone | - | No |
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 Symphonium Audio Helios from achoreviews, aden, aftersound, animagus, banzai1122, bloomaudio, cqtek, eliseaudio, freeryder05, harutohiroki, hbb, nymz, precog, recode, smirk, superreview, tgx78, timmyv and vsg, all via squig.link.
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