Short answer: the Penon Vortex. It ranks #754 of 1291 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 3.6/5, at $199; the Apple AirPods Pro 3 ranks #780, rated 3.5/5, at $199. The price gap is small enough that the sound-quality ranking should decide it.
What the Penon Vortex does well: A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 69 against the Harman target. Watch for: Treble about 2 dB below target from 3 to 10 kHz, which can sound dull or veiled next to brighter headphones.
What the Apple AirPods Pro 3 does well: Sub-bass sits about 3 dB above the Harman target in hobbyist measurements on squig.link and still reaches 30 Hz with a slight lift, so bass lines and electronic drops carry real rumble. The catch: A 6.4 dB dip near 3.4 kHz pulls vocals and guitars back, while a 6.3 dB peak near 8 kHz and about 6 dB of extra air above 10 kHz can make cymbals and sibilance sound splashy.
Buy the Penon Vortex. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Apple AirPods Pro 3 at the same price, which makes it the one to get unless you need something the other one does better.
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A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 69 against the Harman target.
Penon Audio $199 eBay
Sub-bass sits about 3 dB above the Harman target in hobbyist measurements on squig.link and still reaches 30 Hz with a slight lift, so bass lines and electronic drops carry real rumble.
Amazon $199.00 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
| Penon Vortex | Apple AirPods Pro 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $199 | $199.00 |
| Ranked | #754 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones | #780 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Harman Preference Score | 69 (median of 3 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 68 (median of 5 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.54 dB standard deviation | 2.43 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.04 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.58 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-5.3 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+1.7 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Connection | Wired (3.5mm / 4.4mm) | True wireless |
| Driver Type | Dynamic | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 Dynamic (10mm DLC & beryllium-plated) | - |
| Weight | - | 0 lbs (5.55 g) per earbud |
| Active Noise Cancelling | - | Yes |
| Battery Life | - | 8 hours (24 with case, ANC on, Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Version | - | 5.3 |
| Bluetooth Codecs | - | SBC, AAC |
| Built-in Microphone | - | Yes |
| IP Rating | - | IP57 |
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 Penon Vortex from harpo, jaytiss and tgx78; the Apple AirPods Pro 3 from digaoreviews, ducbloke, listener, silicagel and superreview, all via squig.link.
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