Short answer: the Softears Enigma. It ranks #792 of 1291 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 3.5/5, at $3,699. The Vortex Reference ranks #892, rated 3.4/5, at $3,300, $399 cheaper, which does not close the gap in sound quality.
Why pick the Softears Enigma: An elaborate tribrid flagship that combines 2 dynamic drivers, 6 balanced armatures and 4 electrostatic tweeters. The tradeoff: 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.
What the Vortex Reference does well: A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 66 against the Harman target. Watch for: Treble about 2 dB below target from 3 to 10 kHz, which can sound dull or veiled next to brighter headphones.
Buy the Softears Enigma. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $399 you would save on the Vortex Reference does not close the gap.
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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
A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 66 against the Harman target.
Bloom Audio $3,300.00 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 | Vortex Reference | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3,699.00 | $3,300.00 |
| Ranked | #792 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones | #892 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Harman Preference Score | 68 (median of 8 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 66 (median of 3 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.30 dB standard deviation | 2.45 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.73 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.75 (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 (+0.3 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Hybrid (2 dynamic + 6 balanced armature + 4 electrostatic) | Hybrid (2 DD + 2 Passive MEMS) |
| Drivers | 2 x dynamic + 6 x balanced armature + 4 x electrostatic | 2 x dynamic drivers (including 8mm Al-Mg dome woofer) + 2 x passive MEMS tweeters |
| Impedance | 10 ohms | 23 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 121.5 dB/Vrms | 102 dB/mW |
| 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 Vortex Reference from bloomaudio, dchpgall and joycesreview, all via squig.link.
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