Short answer: the Oriolus Mellianus. It ranks #348 of 450 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 3.6/5, at $2,400; the qdc Anole VX ranks #358, rated 3.5/5, and costs $2,499, so there is little reason to consider the other one.
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 tradeoff: 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 qdc Anole VX does well: Ten balanced armatures keep bass close to target, within about 1.4 dB from 20 Hz to 200 Hz in squig.link measurements, so low end is clean and controlled rather than boomy. Watch for: Across hobbyist measurements a deep 10.7 dB dip near 5.4 kHz leaves the presence band 6.2 dB low, so vocals, snare and guitars lose clarity and attack.
Buy the Oriolus Mellianus. It is rated higher for sound quality than the qdc Anole VX and costs less, so only choose the other one for a particular feature it does better.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Headphones rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Oriolus Mellianus | qdc Anole VX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2,400.00 | $2,499.00 |
| Ranked | #348 of 450 in In-Ear Headphones | #358 of 450 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Harman Preference Score | 69 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) | 67 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.79 dB standard deviation | 2.81 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.03 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.34 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Balanced armature | Balanced armature |
| Drivers | 10 x balanced armature | 10 x balanced armature |
| Impedance | 36 ohms | - |
| Sensitivity | 109 dB | 110-113 dB SPL/mW |
| Frequency Response | 10Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 10Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built-in Microphone | No | No |
| Sub-bass Extension | - | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-1.1 dB at 30 Hz) |
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Prices on this page were last checked October 11, 2026 at 4:59 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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The Two Headphones In Full
Oriolus Mellianus: $2,400.00 HiFiGo eBay
Pros: 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. At 36 ohms and 109 dB sensitivity it runs easily from a phone or a small dongle, and the closed shell blocks outside noise like any sealed in-ear.
Cons: Its response wanders about 2.8 dB from target on average, so some bands stand out more than on the best in-ears. The Noble Audio Kadence rates clearly higher while costing less.
Full Oriolus Mellianus review and specifications →
| Back | Closed |
|---|---|
| Built-in Microphone | No |
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 2.79 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Balanced armature |
| Drivers | 10 x balanced armature |
| Form Factor | In-ear |
| Frequency Response | 10Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 69 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 36 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 109 dB |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.03 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
EQ preset to match the Harman target
Set a preamp of -6.9 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +8.8 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 53 Hz | -7.0 dB | 0.32 |
| Peak | 5,072 Hz | +5.8 dB | 3.24 |
| Peak | 1,500 Hz | -7.2 dB | 1.62 |
| Peak | 1,299 Hz | +2.8 dB | 0.31 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -2.8 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 9,645 Hz | +2.0 dB | 2.59 |
| Peak | 3,608 Hz | -3.4 dB | 5.78 |
| Peak | 2,734 Hz | +1.7 dB | 3.83 |
| Peak | 4,344 Hz | +1.8 dB | 6.00 |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
qdc Anole VX: $2,499.00 Shenzhenaudio eBay
Pros: Ten balanced armatures keep bass close to target, within about 1.4 dB from 20 Hz to 200 Hz in squig.link measurements, so low end is clean and controlled rather than boomy. The tuning suits warm and bass-leaning listeners, and sensitivity of 110 to 113 dB/mW means it runs from a phone with plenty of headroom.
Cons: Across hobbyist measurements a deep 10.7 dB dip near 5.4 kHz leaves the presence band 6.2 dB low, so vocals, snare and guitars lose clarity and attack. Crinacle’s preference score of 67 is low for its price, and the qdc Gemini, Noble Audio Kadence and Shuoer Cadenza 12 all rate higher for less money.
Full qdc Anole VX review and specifications →
| Released | 2018 (8 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Back | Closed |
| Built-in Microphone | No |
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 2.81 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Balanced armature |
| Drivers | 10 x balanced armature |
| Form Factor | In-ear |
| Frequency Response | 10Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 67 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) |
| Sensitivity | 110-113 dB SPL/mW |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-1.1 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.34 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
EQ preset to match the Harman target
Set a preamp of -4.9 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +1.8 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 140 Hz | -2.8 dB | 0.75 |
| Peak | 9,209 Hz | +3.5 dB | 2.24 |
| Peak | 3,239 Hz | +3.2 dB | 0.89 |
| Peak | 1,349 Hz | -3.3 dB | 1.64 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -1.1 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 5,253 Hz | +3.8 dB | 4.77 |
| Peak | 508 Hz | +0.7 dB | 2.37 |
| Peak | 6,539 Hz | -2.8 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 4,387 Hz | -2.6 dB | 6.00 |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons