Short answer: the QoA Matador. Both are rated 4.0/5 for sound quality (#432 and #402 of 1291 in-ear headphones), and the QoA Matador costs $235 against $249.99 for the Tanchjim Origin, with sound quality a draw, the lower price decides it.
What the QoA Matador does well: A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 74 against the Harman target. Watch for: Treble about 3 dB below target from 3 to 10 kHz, which can sound dull or veiled next to brighter headphones.
Why pick the Tanchjim Origin: The median of 27 hobbyist measurements gives it a solid Harman preference score of 74 with a 2.07 dB spread, and its mids sit within about 0.5 dB of target, so vocals and instruments sound natural. Watch for: Sub-bass is 4.1 dB short at 30 Hz, so deep bass lacks rumble.
Buy the QoA Matador. Both are rated the same for sound quality, and it costs $14.99 less than the Tanchjim Origin.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Headphones rankings.
A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 74 against the Harman target.
e-earphone (JP) eBay
The median of 27 hobbyist measurements gives it a solid Harman preference score of 74 with a 2.07 dB spread, and its mids sit within about 0.5 dB of target, so vocals and instruments sound natural.
Amazon $249.99 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.
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
Specifications Side By Side
| QoA Matador | Tanchjim Origin | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $235 | $249.99 |
| Ranked | #432 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones | #402 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Harman Preference Score | 74 (median of 4 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 74 (median of 27 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 1.94 dB standard deviation | 2.07 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.42 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | +0.26 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+0.5 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-4.1 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Hybrid | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x dynamic, 2 x balanced armature | 1 x 10mm dynamic |
| Impedance | - | 16 ohms |
| Sensitivity | - | 126 dB/Vrms |
| Frequency Response | - | 20Hz - 48kHz (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 QoA Matador from aftersound, bassaudio, soundcheck39 and tonedeafmonk; the Tanchjim Origin from animagus, atechreviews, audioamigo, boizoff, bryaudioreviews, csi-zone, ekaudio, hobbytalk, hu-fi, jaytiss, joycesreview, koi, kuping-sensi, lestat, lown-fi, lumerion, mmagtech, musicafe, precog, pw, sl0the, soundignity, superreview, timmyv, tonedeafmonk, treblewellxtended and zerostresslevel, all via squig.link.
Related Headphone Comparisons
More worthwhile head-to-heads for Tanchjim Origin: