Short answer: the Harmonic Empire GuoJia. It ranks #1000 of 1369 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 3.2/5, at $119; the AFUL Explorer ranks #1023, rated 3.1/5, and costs $119.99, which makes this an easy call rather than a real tradeoff.
What the Harmonic Empire GuoJia does well: 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 6 dB below target from 3 to 10 kHz, which can sound dull or veiled next to brighter headphones.
The case for the AFUL Explorer: Bass extends flat to 20 Hz and sits on target across 38 measurements, giving full, even low end without boom. Watch for: The presence region is about 7 dB low with an 8.6 dB dip near 4.1 kHz, the deepest in this group, so vocals sound distant and instruments lose definition.
Buy the Harmonic Empire GuoJia. It is rated higher for sound quality than the AFUL Explorer 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 published AutoEQ preset corrects its response toward the Harman target, so a few minutes of EQ setup closes most of the gap.
Tangzu $119.00 eBay
Bass extends flat to 20 Hz and sits on target across 38 measurements, giving full, even low end without boom.
Amazon $119.99 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
| Harmonic Empire GuoJia | AFUL Explorer | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $119.00 | $119.99 |
| Ranked | #1000 of 1369 in In-Ear Headphones | #1023 of 1369 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Harman Preference Score | 64 (median of 3 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 63 (median of 38 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.59 dB standard deviation | 2.68 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.68 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.99 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-2.0 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+0.0 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Dual Dynamic | Hybrid |
| Drivers | 2 x 10mm dynamic drivers (solid wood sliced diaphragm + PET diaphragm) | 1 x 8mm dynamic + 2 x balanced armature |
| Impedance | 20 ohms | 26 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 114 dB | 108 dB/mW |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz - 20kHz | 10Hz - 30kHz (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 Harmonic Empire GuoJia from audioamigo, bassaudio and csi-zone; the AFUL Explorer from aden, adri-n, atechreviews, audioamigo, awsmdanny, banzai1122, bassaudio, boizoff, breampike, bryaudioreviews, dvewlsh, eplv, fahryst, flare, gadgetrytech, hadoe, hoods, hu-fi, iemocean, iemworld, jaytiss, koi, kuping-sensi, listener, lown-fi, lumerion, obodio, practiphile, precog, silicagel, sl0the, soundcheck39, soundignity, superreview, theaudiostore, therollo9, timmyv and treblewellxtended, all via squig.link.
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