Short answer: the Unique Melody Stardust. Both are rated 3.8/5 for sound quality (#596 and #605 of 1291 in-ear headphones), and the Unique Melody Stardust costs $799 against $899 for the Meze Astru, with sound quality a draw, the lower price decides it.
The case for the Meze Astru: A single dynamic driver IEM with bass right on the Harman target and full sub-bass to 20 Hz. The catch: Expensive for its rating.
Why pick the Unique Melody Stardust: A six driver hybrid with two dynamic drivers and four balanced armatures in a 3D printed titanium shell. Watch for: Treble sits about 4.3 dB below target, a dark, relaxed balance.
Buy the Unique Melody Stardust. Both are rated the same for sound quality, and it costs $100 less than the Meze Astru.
Want more options? Browse the full Headphones rankings.
A single dynamic driver IEM with bass right on the Harman target and full sub-bass to 20 Hz.
Headphones.com $899.00 eBayA six driver hybrid with two dynamic drivers and four balanced armatures in a 3D printed titanium shell.
HiFiGo $799.00 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
| Meze Astru | Unique Melody Stardust | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $899.00 | $799.00 |
| Ranked | #605 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones | #596 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Dynamic | Hybrid |
| Drivers | 1 x 10mm dynamic | 2 x dynamic + 4 x balanced armature |
| Impedance | 32 ohms | - |
| Sensitivity | 111 dB SPL/mW @1kHz | 106 dB @1kHz |
| Harman Preference Score | 71 (median of 4 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 71 (median of 7 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 1.98 dB standard deviation | 2.08 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.75 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.57 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-0.2 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-1.4 dB at 30 Hz) |
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 Meze Astru from aden, animagus, atechreviews, joycesreview and superreview; the Unique Melody Stardust from atechreviews, elrics, jaytiss, silicagel, sl0the, tonedeafmonk and zerostresslevel, all via squig.link.
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