Short answer: the Lime Ears Maris. It ranks #889 of 1369 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 3.4/5, at $2,799; the qdc Emperor ranks #967, rated 3.3/5, and costs $2,831, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
The case for the Lime Ears Maris: A flagship with coaxial dynamic woofers, six armatures, electrostatic tweeters and bone conduction drivers, with a solid Harman score of 66 across ten measurements. The tradeoff: Treble sits about 3.7 dB below target, so it sounds dark next to its price rivals, and it measures behind the cheaper Lime Ears Terra.
The case for the qdc Emperor: A published AutoEQ preset corrects its response toward the Harman target, so a few minutes of EQ setup closes most of the gap. Watch for: About 3 dB less bass than the Harman target below 150 Hz, which can sound thin on pop, hip hop and electronic music.
Buy the Lime Ears Maris. It is rated higher for sound quality than the qdc Emperor and costs less, so only choose the other one for a particular feature it does better.
Want more options? Browse the full Headphones rankings.
A flagship with coaxial dynamic woofers, six armatures, electrostatic tweeters and bone conduction drivers, with a solid Harman score of 66 across ten measurements.
Lime Ears eBay
A published AutoEQ preset corrects its response toward the Harman target, so a few minutes of EQ setup closes most of the gap.
Elise Audio $2,831.00 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.
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
Specifications Side By Side
| Lime Ears Maris | qdc Emperor | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2,799 | $2,831.00 |
| Ranked | #889 of 1369 in In-Ear Headphones | #967 of 1369 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Multi-driver | Tribrid |
| Drivers | 2 x 8mm coaxial dynamic + 6 x balanced armature + 2 x electrostatic + 2 x bone conduction | 15 drivers (1 dynamic driver + 10 balanced armatures + 4 electrostatic drivers) |
| Harman Preference Score | 66 (median of 10 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 65 (median of 3 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.33 dB standard deviation | 2.92 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.97 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | +0.10 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+1.6 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-4.4 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Impedance | - | 15 ohms |
| Sensitivity | - | 106 dB SPL/mW |
| Frequency Response | - | 5Hz - 70kHz |
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 Lime Ears Maris from aden, animagus, audioamigo, ducbloke, eliseaudio, jaytiss, koi, practiphile, pw and superreview; the qdc Emperor from dchpgall, eliseaudio and sl0the, all via squig.link.
Related Headphone Comparisons
How Lime Ears Maris compares with other leading options: