Short answer: the Effect Audio Perseus. It ranks #498 of 1291 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 3.9/5, at $999. The SoftEars Twilight ranks #565, rated 3.8/5, at $930, $69 cheaper, which does not close the gap in sound quality.
The case for the Effect Audio Perseus: A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 73 against the Harman target. The catch: Treble about 4 dB below target from 3 to 10 kHz, which can sound dull or veiled next to brighter headphones.
What the SoftEars Twilight does well: Across 20 hobbyist measurements on squig.link no deviation between 1.5 and 12 kHz exceeds 3.4 dB, so the treble stays smooth and free of sharp peaks. Watch for: Sub-bass trails the target by about 2.9 dB and is down nearly 5 dB at 30 Hz, so the deepest rumble in electronic and film soundtracks is lighter than ideal.
Buy the Effect Audio Perseus. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $69 you would save on the SoftEars Twilight does not close the gap.
Still deciding? The full Headphones rankings cover every ranked option.
A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 73 against the Harman target.
Effect Audio $999.00 eBay
Across 20 hobbyist measurements on squig.link no deviation between 1.5 and 12 kHz exceeds 3.4 dB, so the treble stays smooth and free of sharp peaks.
Amazon $930.00 AliExpress $930.00 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
| Effect Audio Perseus | SoftEars Twilight | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $999.00 | $930.00 |
| Ranked | #498 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones | #565 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Harman Preference Score | 73 (median of 4 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 71 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 1.86 dB standard deviation | 2.42 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.76 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.10 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+0.8 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-4.8 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Hybrid (2 dynamic + 2 balanced armature + 4 planar magnetic + 1 bone conduction) | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 2 x 8mm dynamic + 2 x balanced armature + 4 x planar magnetic + 1 x bone conduction | 1 x 10mm dynamic |
| Impedance | - | 16 ohms |
| Sensitivity | - | 116 dB/V |
| Weight | - | 0 lbs (6 g) per earbud |
| Frequency Response | - | 20Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
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 Effect Audio Perseus from bloomaudio, ducbloke, precog and superreview; the SoftEars Twilight from aftersound, animagus, atechreviews, bloomaudio, boizoff, eliseaudio, fahryst, harpo, hbb, hu-fi, jaytiss, lumerion, mmagtech, pw, recode, sl0the, theaudiostore, timmyv, tonedeafmonk and treblewellxtended, all via squig.link.
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