Short answer: the Oriolus Mellianus. It ranks #694 of 1291 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 3.6/5, at $2,400; the Noble Audio Kublai Khan ranks #787, rated 3.5/5, and costs $2,599, which makes this an easy call rather than a real tradeoff.
The case for the Oriolus Mellianus: Ten balanced armature drivers per side earn a preference score of 69 in crinacle’s measurement, with an overall balance that is neither warm nor bright. The catch: Its response wanders about 2.8 dB from target on average, so some bands stand out more than on the best in-ears.
What the Noble Audio Kublai Khan does well: Upper treble lifts about 2.8 dB for extra air and sparkle. The catch: Presence sits about 7.7 dB low with a 9.7 dB dip near 4.4 kHz, so vocals and instruments lose some bite.
Buy the Oriolus Mellianus. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Noble Audio Kublai Khan 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.
Ten balanced armature drivers per side earn a preference score of 69 in crinacle’s measurement, with an overall balance that is neither warm nor bright.
HiFiGo $2,400.00 eBay
Upper treble lifts about 2.8 dB for extra air and sparkle.
Bloom Audio $2,599.00 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
| Oriolus Mellianus | Noble Audio Kublai Khan | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2,400.00 | $2,599.00 |
| Ranked | #694 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones | #787 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | - |
| Harman Preference Score | 69 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) | 68 (measured by HypetheSonics, via AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.79 dB standard deviation | 2.51 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.03 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.42 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Balanced armature | Hybrid |
| Drivers | 10 x balanced armature | 1 x 10mm dynamic + 4 x balanced armature + 1 x 10mm piezoelectric + 1 x bone conduction |
| Impedance | 36 ohms | 15.4 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 109 dB | - |
| Frequency Response | 10Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 20Hz - 25kHz |
| Built-in Microphone | No | - |
| Sub-bass Extension | - | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-1.8 dB at 30 Hz) |
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