Short answer: the Sennheiser IE 200. It ranks #126 of 1291 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 4.4/5, at $129.95; the ArpegEar Hane ranks #234, rated 4.3/5, at $129. The price gap is small enough that the sound-quality ranking should decide it.
The case for the Sennheiser IE 200: Bass and midrange land almost exactly on the Harman target in oratory1990’s measurement, within about 0.5 dB from 60 Hz to 3 kHz, which gives a natural tonal balance and a preference score of 79. The catch: The presence region from 3 to 6 kHz sits about 5 dB under target, with a 5.7 dB dip near 4.4 kHz, so vocals and snare attacks sound a little recessed.
What the ArpegEar Hane does well: The median of 9 hobbyist measurements gives it a very good Harman preference score of 77 with a 1.75 dB spread, and its mids sit within about 0.5 dB of target, so vocals and instruments sound natural. The catch: A 5.1 dB peak near 8.2 kHz can make cymbals and sibilance sound sharp.
Buy the Sennheiser IE 200. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $0.95 saving on the ArpegEar Hane is not enough to make up the difference.
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Bass and midrange land almost exactly on the Harman target in oratory1990’s measurement, within about 0.5 dB from 60 Hz to 3 kHz, which gives a natural tonal balance and a preference score of 79.
Amazon $129.95 eBay
The median of 9 hobbyist measurements gives it a very good Harman preference score of 77 with a 1.75 dB spread, and its mids sit within about 0.5 dB of target, so vocals and instruments sound natural.
Amazon $129.00 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
| Sennheiser IE 200 | ArpegEar Hane | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $129.95 | $129.00 |
| Ranked | #126 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones | #234 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Harman Preference Score | 79 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) | 77 (median of 9 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 1.86 dB standard deviation | 1.75 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.02 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | +0.37 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-1.8 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-3.7 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Dynamic | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 7mm dynamic | 1 x 10mm dynamic |
| Impedance | 16 ohms | 80 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 119 dB SPL/V | 115 dB/V |
| Weight | 0 lbs (4 g) per earphone | - |
| Frequency Response | 6Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 5Hz - 35kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
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 Sennheiser IE 200 from aden, aftersound, ankramutt, arc, audioamigo, bakkwatan, bloomaudio, cammyfi, csi-zone, dchpgall, dhrme, dl, ekaudio, fahryst, freeryder05, gadgetrytech, hbb, hu-fi, jaraba, jaytiss, kazi, musicafe, precog, samreviews, soundignity, superreview, suporsalad, theaudiostore, therollo9, timmyv, treblewellxtended and zerostresslevel; the ArpegEar Hane from atechreviews, bedrock, boizoff, csi-zone, dentreviews, hadoe, soundignity, superreview and vsg, all via squig.link.
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