Short answer: the Vision Ears EXT MK II. Both are rated 3.9/5 for sound quality (#500 and #532 of 1291 in-ear headphones), and the Vision Ears EXT MK II costs $3,350 against $5,200 for the Subtonic Storm, with sound quality a draw, the lower price decides it.
The case for 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 Vision Ears EXT MK II: A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 73 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 Vision Ears EXT MK II. Both are rated the same for sound quality, and it costs $1,850 less than the Subtonic Storm.
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 73 against the Harman target.
Vision Ears $3,350 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
| Subtonic Storm | Vision Ears EXT MK II | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $5,200 | $3,350 |
| Ranked | #532 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones | #500 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Tribrid | Hybrid (2 dynamic + 4 electrostatic) |
| Drivers | 2 x dynamic + 5 x balanced armature + 2 x electrostatic | 1 x 9.2mm dynamic + 1 x 6mm dynamic + 4 x electrostatic |
| Impedance | 6 ohms | - |
| Sensitivity | 103 dB | - |
| Harman Preference Score | 72 (median of 12 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 73 (median of 4 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 1.85 dB standard deviation | 2.04 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.71 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.34 (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 (+0.2 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 Vision Ears EXT MK II from faxepremium, kazi, silicagel and tonedeafmonk, all via squig.link.
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