Short answer: the Softears RSV MKII. Both are rated 3.1/5 for sound quality (#1033 and #1051 of 1369 in-ear headphones), and the Softears RSV MKII costs $699 against $849 for the Yanyin Carmen, with sound quality a draw, the lower price decides it.
The case for the Softears RSV MKII: Five balanced armature drivers at 7 ohms and 122 dB/Vrms make it very easy to drive from a phone or dongle. Watch for: The bass lift spills into the low mids at 1.4 dB over target while presence sits 3.0 dB down with a 4.7 dB dip near 6.1 kHz, so the sound leans thick and vocals lose some clarity, for a preference score of 63.2 across 13 squig.link measurements.
What the Yanyin Carmen does well: A published AutoEQ preset corrects its response toward the Harman target, so a few minutes of EQ setup closes most of the gap. Watch for: Treble about 7 dB below target from 3 to 10 kHz, which can sound dull or veiled next to brighter headphones.
Buy the Softears RSV MKII. Both are rated the same for sound quality, and it costs $150 less than the Yanyin Carmen.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Headphones rankings.
Five balanced armature drivers at 7 ohms and 122 dB/Vrms make it very easy to drive from a phone or dongle.
Amazon $699.00 eBay
A published AutoEQ preset corrects its response toward the Harman target, so a few minutes of EQ setup closes most of the gap.
Linsoul $849 eBayPrices on this page were last checked October 17, 2026 at 6:04 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 RSV MKII | Yanyin Carmen | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $699.00 | $849 |
| Ranked | #1033 of 1369 in In-Ear Headphones | #1051 of 1369 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Harman Preference Score | 63 (median of 13 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 63 (median of 3 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.46 dB standard deviation | 2.84 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -1.07 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.82 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+1.1 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-0.9 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Balanced armature | Balanced Armature |
| Drivers | 5 x balanced armature | 10 balanced armature drivers (4 Sonion low + 2 Sonion mid + 2 Sonion high + 2 custom ultra-high) |
| Impedance | 7 ohms | 10 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 122 dB/Vrms | 109 dB/mW |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 5Hz - 25kHz |
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 RSV MKII from aftersound, animagus, atechreviews, audioamigo, cammyfi, jaytiss, listener, precog, silicagel, sl0the, soundignity, superreview and tonedeafmonk; the Yanyin Carmen from jaytiss, soundcheck39 and yanyin, all via squig.link.
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