Short answer: the ISN Audio Neo 5. It ranks #855 of 1291 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 3.4/5, at $289; the Hidizs MS5 ranks #909, rated 3.3/5, and costs $299, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
What the ISN Audio Neo 5 does well: A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 67 against the Harman target. The tradeoff: Treble about 4 dB below target from 3 to 10 kHz, which can sound dull or veiled next to brighter headphones.
The case for the Hidizs MS5: Lower mids sit within about 0.7 dB of target, keeping voices and guitars natural. Watch for: Presence sits about 3.4 dB low with a 12.7 dB dip near 11.9 kHz, so vocals and instruments lose some bite.
Buy the ISN Audio Neo 5. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Hidizs MS5 and costs less, so only choose the other one for a particular feature it does better.
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A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 67 against the Harman target.
Penon Audio $289.00 eBay
Lower mids sit within about 0.7 dB of target, keeping voices and guitars natural.
Amazon $299.00 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
| ISN Audio Neo 5 | Hidizs MS5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $289.00 | $299.00 |
| Ranked | #855 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones | #909 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Harman Preference Score | 67 (median of 5 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 65 (median of 12 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.28 dB standard deviation | 2.71 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.92 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.37 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+0.1 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-2.3 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Hybrid | Hybrid |
| Drivers | 1 DD + 4 BA (1 x 10mm dynamic driver + 4 Knowles balanced armature) | 1 x 10mm dynamic + 4 x balanced armature |
| Impedance | 26 ohms | 5.3 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 110 dB | - |
| Frequency Response | 10Hz - 20kHz | 20Hz - 40kHz |
| Weight | - | 0 lbs (13.6 g) |
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 ISN Audio Neo 5 from dl, iemocean, isaiahse, soundignity and tonedeafmonk; the Hidizs MS5 from aden, bryaudioreviews, dchpgall, digaoreviews, fahryst, hbb, kazi, practiphile, pw, silicagel, timmyv and tonedeafmonk, all via squig.link.
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