Short answer: the BGVP Astrum. It ranks #235 of 1291 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 4.3/5, at $699; the SoftEars RSV ranks #264, rated 4.2/5, and costs $729, which makes this an easy call rather than a real tradeoff.
Why pick the BGVP Astrum: 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. The tradeoff: Its 1.49 dB spread is less even than the best measured sets.
The case for the SoftEars RSV: Its preference score of 76 from crinacle’s measurement comes with just 1.76 dB of deviation, so tonal balance is smooth and natural. Watch for: Presence runs about 2.9 dB below target, giving vocals and guitars a slightly laid back edge, and a 4 dB dip near 10.3 kHz trims some sparkle.
Buy the BGVP Astrum. It is rated higher for sound quality than the SoftEars RSV and costs less, which makes it the one to get unless you need something the other one does better.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Headphones rankings.
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 eBay
Its preference score of 76 from crinacle’s measurement comes with just 1.76 dB of deviation, so tonal balance is smooth and natural.
Amazon $729.00 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
| BGVP Astrum | SoftEars RSV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $699.00 | $729.00 |
| Ranked | #235 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones | #264 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Tribrid | Balanced armature |
| Drivers | 2 x 8mm dynamic + 2 x balanced armature + 2 x electrostatic | 5 x balanced armature |
| Impedance | 12 ohms | 8 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 111 dB/Vrms | 125 dB/Vrms |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz - 40kHz | 5Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 77 (median of 10 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 76 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 1.49 dB standard deviation | 1.76 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.42 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.39 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+1.0 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-3.1 dB at 30 Hz) |
| 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 BGVP Astrum from aden, animagus, audioamigo, dchpgall, faxepremium, hu-fi, jaytiss, pw, soundcheck39 and tonedeafmonk; the SoftEars RSV from animagus, atechreviews, bukanaudiophile, cammyfi, dchpgall, dl, eliseaudio, iemocean, iemworld, jaytiss, loomynarty, mmagtech, nymz, precog, pw, scboy, seanwee, sl0the, superreview, timmyv and vortexreviews, all via squig.link.
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