Short answer: the OpenAudio Mercury. It ranks #916 of 1369 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 3.3/5, at $599.99; the KINERA URD ranks #1007, rated 3.2/5, and costs $650, so there is little reason to consider the other one.
What the OpenAudio Mercury does well: A bass-forward tuning with about 4.7 dB of extra sub-bass below 60 Hz and a 5.8 dB lift at 30 Hz, so kick drums and synth bass carry deep rumble. Watch for: A 6.6 dB dip near 5.9 kHz in squig.link measurements softens vocal consonants and the leading edge of guitars and snares.
What the KINERA URD 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 4 dB below target from 3 to 10 kHz, which can sound dull or veiled next to brighter headphones.
Buy the OpenAudio Mercury. It is rated higher for sound quality than the KINERA URD and costs less, so only choose the other one for a particular feature it does better.
Still deciding? The full Headphones rankings cover every ranked option.
A bass-forward tuning with about 4.7 dB of extra sub-bass below 60 Hz and a 5.8 dB lift at 30 Hz, so kick drums and synth bass carry deep rumble.
Shenzhenaudio $599.99 eBay
A published AutoEQ preset corrects its response toward the Harman target, so a few minutes of EQ setup closes most of the gap.
Kinera $650.00 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.
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Specifications Side By Side
| OpenAudio Mercury | KINERA URD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $599.99 | $650.00 |
| Ranked | #916 of 1369 in In-Ear Headphones | #1007 of 1369 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Harman Preference Score | 65 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) | 64 (median of 8 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.46 dB standard deviation | 2.56 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -1.07 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -1.03 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Hybrid (1 dynamic + 4 balanced armature) | Tribrid |
| Drivers | 1 x 9.2mm dynamic + 4 x balanced armature | 2 DD + 1 BA + 2 EST (2 x 8mm coaxial dynamic drivers, 1 x Kinera customized 11021 balanced armature, 2 x Sonion EST65DB01 electrostatic drivers) |
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 20 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 110 dB/mW | 107 dB |
| Frequency Response | 5Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 5Hz - 50kHz |
| Built-in Microphone | No | - |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+5.8 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+1.1 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Weight | - | 0 lbs (5.5 g) (per earbud) |
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 OpenAudio Mercury from atechreviews, bukanaudiophile, hbb, precog and superreview; the KINERA URD from adri-n, hbb, hu-fi, ianfann, listener, musicafe, practiphile and zerostresslevel, all via squig.link.
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