Short answer: a tie on sound quality. Both are rated 3.4/5 (#863 and #870 of 1369 in-ear headphones) at nearly the same price ($1,499 vs $1,499), so choose on features and fit.
What the GoldPlanar GL-AMT16 does well: A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 67 against the Harman target. The tradeoff: About 3 dB less bass than the Harman target below 150 Hz, which can sound thin on pop, hip hop and electronic music.
The case for the Unique Melody MEST Mk2: Sub-bass and bass sit right on target down to 20 Hz across 13 hobbyist measurements on squig.link, giving kick drums and synth bass full, clean weight without bloat. The catch: A 7.4 dB dip near 3.9 kHz, with the 3 to 6 kHz presence region about 5.6 dB below target, pushes vocals and guitars back and can make them sound distant.
Buy the GoldPlanar GL-AMT16 or the Unique Melody MEST Mk2 on features: they are rated the same for sound quality at close to the same price.
Want more options? Browse the full Headphones rankings.
A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 67 against the Harman target.
Linsoul $1,499.00 eBay
Sub-bass and bass sit right on target down to 20 Hz across 13 hobbyist measurements on squig.link, giving kick drums and synth bass full, clean weight without bloat.
Linsoul $1,499.00 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
| GoldPlanar GL-AMT16 | Unique Melody MEST Mk2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,499.00 | $1,499.00 |
| Ranked | #863 of 1369 in In-Ear Headphones | #870 of 1369 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Harman Preference Score | 67 (median of 3 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 66 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.90 dB standard deviation | 2.47 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.00 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.71 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-4.0 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-0.2 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Driver Type | AMT | Hybrid (1 dynamic + 4 balanced armature + 2 electrostatic + 1 bone conduction) |
| Drivers | 15.5mm folded diaphragm Air Motion Transformer (AMT) driver | 1 x dynamic + 4 x balanced armature + 2 x electrostatic + 1 x bone conduction |
| Impedance | 16 ohms | 12.3 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 102 dB | 112 dB |
| Frequency Response | 15Hz - 50kHz | 20Hz - 70kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Weight | 0 lbs (14 g) | - |
| 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 GoldPlanar GL-AMT16 from hu-fi, silicagel and tonedeafmonk; the Unique Melody MEST Mk2 from achoreviews, aftersound, animagus, bassaudio, dl, musicafe, nymz, precog, recode, scboy, sl0the, timmyv and tonedeafmonk, all via squig.link.
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