Short answer: the Edifier STAX Spirit S5. It ranks #200 of 481 over-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 3.7/5, at $569.99; the Grell OAE2 ranks #261, rated 3.5/5, and costs $599, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
Why pick the Edifier STAX Spirit S5: A planar magnetic headphone that works wirelessly, with an 80 hour rated battery, Bluetooth 5.4 and an unusually broad codec list including LDAC, aptX Lossless, aptX Adaptive and LHDC, plus a wired option. Watch for: There is no active noise cancelling, so the closed back is the only defense against commuter noise.
What the Grell OAE2 does well: An open-back from Axel Grell with front angled 40mm drivers for a speaker-like presentation, weighing 0.8 lbs (378 g). The tradeoff: Sub-bass falls about 3.6 dB short at 30 Hz.
Buy the Edifier STAX Spirit S5. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Grell OAE2 and costs less, so only choose the other one for a particular feature it does better.
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A planar magnetic headphone that works wirelessly, with an 80 hour rated battery, Bluetooth 5.4 and an unusually broad codec list including LDAC, aptX Lossless, aptX Adaptive and LHDC, plus a wired option.
Amazon $569.99 eBay
An open-back from Axel Grell with front angled 40mm drivers for a speaker-like presentation, weighing 378 g.
Grell Audio $599.00 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
| Edifier STAX Spirit S5 | Grell OAE2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $569.99 | $599.00 |
| Ranked | #200 of 481 in Over-Ear Headphones | #261 of 481 in Over-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | Over-ear | Over-ear |
| Harman Preference Score | 75 (median of 2 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 70 (median of 3 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.72 dB standard deviation | 2.71 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.26 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.63 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+1.9 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-3.6 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Connection | Wireless and wired | Wired |
| Back | Closed | Open |
| Driver Type | Planar magnetic | Dynamic |
| Weight | 0.8 lbs (347 g) | - |
| Frequency Response | 10Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Active Noise Cancelling | No | - |
| Battery Life | 80 hours (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 | - |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless, LHDC | - |
| Drivers | - | 1 x 40mm dynamic (angled) |
| Impedance | - | 38 ohms |
| Sensitivity | - | 100 dB @1kHz |
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