Short answer: the qdc Anole VX. It ranks #820 of 1291 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 3.5/5, at $2,499; the Lime Ears Maris ranks #883, rated 3.4/5, and costs $2,799, which makes this an easy call rather than a real tradeoff.
Why pick the qdc Anole VX: 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.
What the Lime Ears Maris does well: A flagship with coaxial dynamic woofers, six armatures, electrostatic tweeters and bone conduction drivers, with a solid Harman score of 66 across ten measurements. Watch for: Treble sits about 3.7 dB below target, so it sounds dark next to its price rivals, and it measures behind the cheaper Lime Ears Terra.
Buy the qdc Anole VX. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Lime Ears Maris and costs less, which makes it the one to get unless you need something the other one does better.
Still deciding? The full Headphones rankings cover every ranked option.
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.
Shenzhenaudio $2,499.00 eBay
A flagship with coaxial dynamic woofers, six armatures, electrostatic tweeters and bone conduction drivers, with a solid Harman score of 66 across ten measurements.
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Specifications Side By Side
| qdc Anole VX | Lime Ears Maris | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2,499.00 | $2,799 |
| Ranked | #820 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones | #883 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Harman Preference Score | 67 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) | 66 (median of 10 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.81 dB standard deviation | 2.33 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.34 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.97 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-1.1 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+1.6 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Balanced armature | Multi-driver |
| Drivers | 10 x balanced armature | 2 x 8mm coaxial dynamic + 6 x balanced armature + 2 x electrostatic + 2 x bone conduction |
| Sensitivity | 110-113 dB SPL/mW | - |
| Frequency Response | 10Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Built-in Microphone | No | - |
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 qdc Anole VX from aden, breampike, bukanaudiophile, dchpgall, dl, eliseaudio, iemocean, nymz, precog, sl0the and superreview; the Lime Ears Maris from aden, animagus, audioamigo, ducbloke, eliseaudio, jaytiss, koi, practiphile, pw and superreview, all via squig.link.
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