Short answer: the SoftEars Cerberus. It ranks #941 of 1291 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 3.2/5, at $2,099.99. The Ice Lab Spectrumica ranks #979, rated 3.1/5, at $1,999, $100.99 cheaper, which does not close the gap in sound quality.
What the SoftEars Cerberus does well: A seven driver hybrid with a dynamic woofer, four balanced armatures and two electrostatic tweeters, tuned with a warm, relaxed balance. The catch: Treble runs about 4 to 6 dB below target from 3 to 16 kHz, with a 9.8 dB dip near 6.1 kHz, so cymbals, string texture and vocal consonants sound dim and distant.
Why pick the Ice Lab Spectrumica: Bass is lifted about 2.7 dB with extension to 20 Hz, giving kick drums and bass lines extra weight. Watch for: Presence sits about 6 dB low with an 8.2 dB dip near 3.5 kHz, so vocals and instruments lose some bite.
Buy the SoftEars Cerberus. It is rated higher for sound quality, and saving $100.99 with the Ice Lab Spectrumica does not make up for the sound-quality gap.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Headphones rankings.
A seven driver hybrid with a dynamic woofer, four balanced armatures and two electrostatic tweeters, tuned with a warm, relaxed balance.
HiFiGo $2,099.99 eBay
Bass is lifted about 2.7 dB with extension to 20 Hz, giving kick drums and bass lines extra weight.
Bloom Audio $1999 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
| SoftEars Cerberus | Ice Lab Spectrumica | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2,099.99 | $1999 |
| Ranked | #941 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones | #979 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Harman Preference Score | 64 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) | 62 (median of 13 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.89 dB standard deviation | 2.88 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.11 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.62 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Hybrid (1 dynamic + 4 balanced armature + 2 electrostatic) | Hybrid |
| Drivers | 1 x dynamic + 4 x balanced armature + 2 x electrostatic | 1 x dynamic + 4 x balanced armature + 2 x electrostatic + 1 x bone conduction |
| Impedance | 5 ohms | 7 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 104 dB/100mV | - |
| Frequency Response | 10Hz - 80kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 10Hz - 40kHz |
| Built-in Microphone | No | - |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-3.4 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-1.9 dB at 30 Hz) |
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 SoftEars Cerberus from animagus, atechreviews, audioamigo, bukanaudiophile, koi, precog and pw; the Ice Lab Spectrumica from aden, aftersound, bassaudio, bloomaudio, ducbloke, eliseaudio, fahryst, gadgetgenerations, gadgetrytech, harutohiroki, jaytiss, joycesreview, superreview, theaudiostore, treblewellxtended and zerostresslevel, all via squig.link.
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