Short answer: the Subtonic Storm. It ranks #532 of 1291 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 3.9/5, at $5,200; the Brise Audio FUGAKU ranks #674, rated 3.7/5, and costs $16,999, which makes this an easy call rather than a real tradeoff.
Why pick the Subtonic Storm: A titanium-shelled tribrid that measures well (score 72 across twelve measurements) with the tightest spread from target of this group (1.85 dB) and full sub-bass. The tradeoff: Very expensive, and sold in the UK in pounds with no US price.
The case for the Brise Audio FUGAKU: A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 70 against the Harman target. The tradeoff: Treble about 3 dB below target from 3 to 10 kHz, which can sound dull or veiled next to brighter headphones.
Buy the Subtonic Storm. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Brise Audio FUGAKU and costs less, so it is the default pick unless a specific strength of the other one matters more to you.
Still deciding? The full Headphones rankings cover every ranked option.
A titanium-shelled tribrid that measures well (score 72 across twelve measurements) with the tightest spread from target of this group (1.85 dB) and full sub-bass.
Elise Audio eBay
A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 70 against the Harman target.
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Specifications Side By Side
| Subtonic Storm | Brise Audio FUGAKU | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $5,200 | $16,999 |
| Ranked | #532 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones | #674 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Connection | Wired | Wired (dedicated amplifier) |
| Driver Type | Tribrid | Tribrid |
| Drivers | 2 x dynamic + 5 x balanced armature + 2 x electrostatic | 1 Dynamic, 5 Balanced Armature, 2 Bone Conduction |
| Impedance | 6 ohms | - |
| Sensitivity | 103 dB | - |
| Harman Preference Score | 72 (median of 12 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 70 (median of 5 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 1.85 dB standard deviation | 1.95 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.71 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.86 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+0.2 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+2.1 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 Subtonic Storm from aden, ducbloke, freeryder05, hbb, listener, mmagtech, precog, recode, smirk, soundignity, superreview, timmyv and vsg; the Brise Audio FUGAKU from aden, csi-zone, dchpgall, eliseaudio, hbb and soundignity, all via squig.link.
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