Short answer: the Softears Enigma. It ranks #792 of 1291 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 3.5/5, at $3,699; the Vision Ears Phonix ranks #913, rated 3.3/5, and costs $4,200, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
Why pick the Softears Enigma: An elaborate tribrid flagship that combines 2 dynamic drivers, 6 balanced armatures and 4 electrostatic tweeters. Watch for: In the median of 8 hobbyist measurements on squig.link it reaches a preference score of only 68, with presence and lower treble both close to 3 dB below target and a 6.7 dB dip near 6 kHz that softens the bite of guitars and snare.
The case for the Vision Ears Phonix: Lower mids sit within about 0.6 dB of target, keeping voices and guitars natural. The catch: Presence sits about 3.5 dB low with a 4.2 dB dip near 5.8 kHz, so vocals and instruments lose some bite.
Buy the Softears Enigma. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Vision Ears Phonix and costs less, so it is the default pick unless a specific strength of the other one matters more to you.
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An elaborate tribrid flagship that combines 2 dynamic drivers, 6 balanced armatures and 4 electrostatic tweeters.
HiFiGo $3,699.00 eBay
Lower mids sit within about 0.6 dB of target, keeping voices and guitars natural.
Bloom Audio $4,200.00 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
| Softears Enigma | Vision Ears Phonix | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3,699.00 | $4,200.00 |
| Ranked | #792 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones | #913 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | - |
| Harman Preference Score | 68 (median of 8 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 65 (measured by HypetheSonics, via AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.30 dB standard deviation | 2.56 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.73 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.61 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-0.0 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-2.0 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Hybrid (2 dynamic + 6 balanced armature + 4 electrostatic) | Balanced armature |
| Drivers | 2 x dynamic + 6 x balanced armature + 4 x electrostatic | 13 x balanced armature |
| Impedance | 10 ohms | 13 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 121.5 dB/Vrms | - |
| Frequency Response | 8Hz - 42kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
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 Enigma from aftersound, animagus, atechreviews, ducbloke, eliseaudio, hu-fi, sl0the and superreview; the Vision Ears Phonix from aden, aftersound, bloomaudio, eliseaudio, hu-fi and tgx78, all via squig.link.
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