Short answer: the SoftEars RSV. It ranks #184 of 450 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 4.2/5, at $729; the Shanling Regal ranks #228, rated 4.1/5, and costs $799, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
The case for the SoftEars RSV: Its preference score of 76 from crinacle’s measurement comes with just 1.76 dB of deviation, so tonal balance is smooth and natural. The catch: Presence runs about 2.9 dB below target, giving vocals and guitars a slightly laid back edge, and a 4 dB dip near 10.3 kHz trims some sparkle.
Buy the SoftEars RSV. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Shanling Regal and costs less, so it is the default pick unless a specific strength of the other one matters more to you.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Headphones rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| SoftEars RSV | Shanling Regal | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $729.00 | $799.00 |
| Ranked | #184 of 450 in In-Ear Headphones | #228 of 450 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Harman Preference Score | 76 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) | 75 (median of 3 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 1.76 dB standard deviation | 1.81 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.39 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.44 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Balanced armature | Hybrid (2 dynamic + 4 balanced armature + 2 planar magnetic) |
| Drivers | 5 x balanced armature | 2 x 10mm dynamic + 4 x balanced armature + 2 x planar magnetic |
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 16 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 125 dB/Vrms | 108 dB |
| Frequency Response | 5Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 20Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built-in Microphone | No | No |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-3.1 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-0.6 dB at 30 Hz) |
Related Headphone Comparisons
More worthwhile head-to-heads for SoftEars RSV:
- FlipEars Aisha Electri vs SoftEars RSV
- SoftEars RSV vs ISN Audio EBC80
- SoftEars RSV vs DUNU Zen
- Shanling Regal vs ISN Audio EBC80
- 7th Acoustics Supernova vs Shanling Regal
Prices on this page were last checked October 11, 2026 at 4:59 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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The Two Headphones In Full
SoftEars RSV: $729.00 Amazon eBay
Pros: Its preference score of 76 from crinacle’s measurement comes with just 1.76 dB of deviation, so tonal balance is smooth and natural. Across 21 hobbyist measurements on squig.link no band strays more than about 3 dB from target, and sub-bass stays within 6 dB down to 20 Hz. It is rated above the SoftEars Twilight, which costs more, and its 125 dB/Vrms sensitivity makes it easy to drive from a phone.
Cons: Presence runs about 2.9 dB below target, giving vocals and guitars a slightly laid back edge, and a 4 dB dip near 10.3 kHz trims some sparkle. The 8 ohm impedance is very low, so it pairs best with sources that have low output impedance to keep its tuning intact.
Full SoftEars RSV review and specifications →
| Released | 2021 (5 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Back | Closed |
| Built-in Microphone | No |
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 1.76 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Balanced armature |
| Drivers | 5 x balanced armature |
| Form Factor | In-ear |
| Frequency Response | 5Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 76 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 8 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 125 dB/Vrms |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-3.1 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.39 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
EQ preset to match the Harman target
Set a preamp of -4.4 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +0.5 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 9,429 Hz | +5.8 dB | 1.27 |
| Peak | 350 Hz | -1.4 dB | 0.18 |
| Peak | 862 Hz | +1.8 dB | 2.03 |
| Peak | 4,128 Hz | +1.5 dB | 4.48 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -3.5 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 2,856 Hz | -1.3 dB | 4.73 |
| Peak | 2,096 Hz | +0.9 dB | 3.23 |
| Peak | 40 Hz | -0.4 dB | 2.22 |
| Peak | 80 Hz | +0.3 dB | 1.97 |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
Shanling Regal: $799.00 Amazon eBay
Full Shanling Regal review and specifications →
| Released | Sep 2025 (1 year ago) |
|---|---|
| Back | Closed |
| Built-in Microphone | No |
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 1.81 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Hybrid (2 dynamic + 4 balanced armature + 2 planar magnetic) |
| Drivers | 2 x 10mm dynamic + 4 x balanced armature + 2 x planar magnetic |
| Form Factor | In-ear |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 75 (median of 3 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 16 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 108 dB |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-0.6 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.44 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons