Short answer: the Elysian Apostle. It ranks #663 of 1291 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 3.7/5, at $1,799; the Unique Melody MEST Jet Black ranks #773, rated 3.6/5, and costs $1,999, so there is little reason to consider the other one.
The case for the Elysian Apostle: A tribrid flagship with a dynamic driver, two balanced armatures and two electrostatic tweeters. The catch: Treble sits about 4.5 dB below target, a dark, relaxed balance.
What the Unique Melody MEST Jet Black does well: A flagship in Unique Melody’s MEST family, combining dynamic, balanced armature, electrostatic and bone conduction drivers. The tradeoff: Treble sits about 3.7 dB below target, a dark, relaxed balance.
Buy the Elysian Apostle. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Unique Melody MEST Jet Black and costs less, so it is the default pick unless a specific strength of the other one matters more to you.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Headphones rankings.
A tribrid flagship with a dynamic driver, two balanced armatures and two electrostatic tweeters.
Bloom Audio $1,799.00 eBay
A flagship in Unique Melody’s MEST family, combining dynamic, balanced armature, electrostatic and bone conduction drivers.
HiFiGo $1,999.00 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
| Elysian Apostle | Unique Melody MEST Jet Black | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,799.00 | $1,999.00 |
| Ranked | #663 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones | #773 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Tribrid | Quadbrid |
| Drivers | 1 x dynamic + 2 x balanced armature + 2 x electrostatic | 1 x dynamic + balanced armatures + 2 x electrostatic + bone conduction |
| Impedance | 10 ohms | 12.6 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 97 dB @1kHz | 106 dB @ 1kHz |
| Harman Preference Score | 70 (median of 3 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 68 (median of 4 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.32 dB standard deviation | 2.41 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.51 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.64 (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 (-0.3 dB at 30 Hz) |
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 Elysian Apostle from aden, eliseaudio, harutohiroki, pw, smirk, soundignity and zerostresslevel; the Unique Melody MEST Jet Black from atechreviews, silicagel, sl0the and superreview, all via squig.link.
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