Short answer: the Lime Ears Incognita. It ranks #369 of 1291 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 4.1/5, at $1,699. The Noble Audio Kadence ranks #509, rated 3.9/5, at $1,599, $100 cheaper, a saving that is not big enough to make up the sound-quality gap.
What the Lime Ears Incognita does well: A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 75 against the Harman target. The catch: Treble about 3 dB below target from 3 to 10 kHz, which can sound dull or veiled next to brighter headphones.
What the Noble Audio Kadence does well: Eight balanced armatures earn a preference score of 72 in crinacle’s measurement, a reasonably balanced result against the Harman target. The tradeoff: The qdc Gemini and Shuoer Cadenza 12 both rate higher at a similar price, so the score here is modest for what it costs.
Buy the Lime Ears Incognita. It is rated higher for sound quality, and saving $100 with the Noble Audio Kadence does not make up for the sound-quality gap.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Headphones rankings.
A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 75 against the Harman target.
Lime Ears $1,699 eBay
Eight balanced armatures earn a preference score of 72 in crinacle’s measurement, a reasonably balanced result against the Harman target.
Audio46 $1,599.00 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
| Lime Ears Incognita | Noble Audio Kadence | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,699 | $1,599.00 |
| Ranked | #369 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones | #509 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Harman Preference Score | 75 (median of 7 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 72 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 1.78 dB standard deviation | 2.24 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.53 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | +0.41 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-0.7 dB at 30 Hz) | - |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Hybrid | Balanced armature |
| Drivers | 1 x dynamic, 4 x balanced armature | 8 x balanced armature |
| Impedance | - | 28 ohms |
| Sensitivity | - | 112 dB SPL/mW |
| Frequency Response | - | 8Hz - 28kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built-in Microphone | - | No |
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