Short answer: the Forte Ears Mefisto. It ranks #965 of 1369 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 3.3/5, at $2,899; the 64 Audio U18S ranks #1021, rated 3.1/5, and costs $2,999, which makes this an easy call rather than a real tradeoff.
The case for the Forte Ears Mefisto: A published AutoEQ preset corrects its response toward the Harman target, so a few minutes of EQ setup closes most of the gap. The tradeoff: Treble about 3 dB below target from 3 to 10 kHz, which can sound dull or veiled next to brighter headphones.
What the 64 Audio U18S does well: Eighteen balanced armature drivers per side deliver a warm, relaxed tuning with bass about 1.6 dB above target and sub-bass within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz. Watch for: Across seven hobbyist measurements on squig.link, the 3 to 6 kHz presence region sits about 6 dB below target with a 9 dB dip near 5.8 kHz, so vocals and guitars lose bite and fine detail sounds veiled.
Buy the Forte Ears Mefisto. It is rated higher for sound quality than the 64 Audio U18S and costs less, so it is the default pick unless a specific strength of the other one matters more to you.
Still deciding? The full Headphones rankings cover every ranked option.
A published AutoEQ preset corrects its response toward the Harman target, so a few minutes of EQ setup closes most of the gap.
Forte Ears $2,899.00 eBay
Eighteen balanced armature drivers per side deliver a warm, relaxed tuning with bass about 1.6 dB above target and sub-bass within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz.
64 Audio $2,999.00 eBayPrices on this page were last checked October 17, 2026 at 6:04 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
| Forte Ears Mefisto | 64 Audio U18S | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2,899.00 | $2,999.00 |
| Ranked | #965 of 1369 in In-Ear Headphones | #1021 of 1369 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Harman Preference Score | 65 (median of 5 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 63 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.45 dB standard deviation | 2.78 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.63 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.81 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+1.8 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-2.7 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Driver Type | Tribrid | Balanced armature |
| Drivers | 7 drivers (dual 7.8mm LCP dynamic drivers + 4 balanced armatures + 1 Aria planar tweeter) | 18 x balanced armature (1 tia high + 1 high-mid + 8 mid + 8 low) |
| Impedance | 5.6 ohms | 8 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 105 dB | 106 dB/mW |
| Frequency Response | 12Hz - 35kHz | 10Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| 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 Forte Ears Mefisto from aden, dchpgall, eliseaudio, sl0the and zerostresslevel; the 64 Audio U18S from aftersound, dchpgall, precog, recode, superreview, theaudiostore and treblewellxtended, all via squig.link.
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