Short answer: the Symphonium Audio Triton. It ranks #352 of 450 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 3.5/5, at $899. The JVC HA-FW1500 ranks #359, rated 3.4/5, at $766.28, $132.72 cheaper, which does not close the gap in sound quality.
Why pick the Symphonium Audio Triton: The hybrid of one dynamic driver and two balanced armatures keeps the bass and midrange close to target, with the bass band within 0.5 dB and the upper mids within 0.9 dB in squig.link measurements. The catch: Across hobbyist measurements the presence band sits 5.1 dB low with a 6.6 dB dip near 6.3 kHz, which dulls vocal edge, cymbals and fine detail.
The case for the JVC HA-FW1500: The 11 mm dynamic driver rates a manufacturer specified 6 Hz to 52 kHz, and Crinacle’s measurement shows a Harman preference score of 66 with a mild warm tilt of 0.53 dB. The catch: A score of 66 is middling and a deviation of 2.69 dB means audible coloration, which is hard to justify at a flagship price.
Buy the Symphonium Audio Triton. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $132.72 saving on the JVC HA-FW1500 is not enough to make up the difference.
Want more options? Browse the full Headphones rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Symphonium Audio Triton | JVC HA-FW1500 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $899.00 | $766.28 |
| Ranked | #352 of 450 in In-Ear Headphones | #359 of 450 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Harman Preference Score | 68 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) | 66 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.43 dB standard deviation | 2.69 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.55 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.53 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-2.3 dB at 30 Hz) | - |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Hybrid (1 dynamic + 2 balanced armature) | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x dynamic + 2 x balanced armature | 1 x 11mm dynamic |
| Impedance | 8.3 ohms | 16 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 107 dB SPL/V | 103 dB/mW |
| Frequency Response | 11Hz - 21kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 6Hz - 52kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built-in Microphone | No | - |
Related Headphone Comparisons
How Symphonium Audio Triton compares with other leading options:
- SoftEars Twilight vs Symphonium Audio Triton
- HIFIMAN RE2000 vs Symphonium Audio Triton
- Sennheiser IE 600 vs Symphonium Audio Triton
- Symphonium Audio Triton vs SeeAudio Neo
- Symphonium Audio Triton vs DUNU Zen Pro
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
Symphonium Audio Triton: $899.00 Headphones.com eBay
Pros: The hybrid of one dynamic driver and two balanced armatures keeps the bass and midrange close to target, with the bass band within 0.5 dB and the upper mids within 0.9 dB in squig.link measurements. Sub-bass still reaches 20 Hz within 6 dB of target, sitting 2.3 dB low at 30 Hz. At 107 dB/V and 8.3 ohms it plays loud from a phone.
Cons: Across hobbyist measurements the presence band sits 5.1 dB low with a 6.6 dB dip near 6.3 kHz, which dulls vocal edge, cymbals and fine detail. Crinacle’s preference score of 68 is middling, and the SoftEars Twilight rates higher at a similar price.
Full Symphonium Audio Triton review and specifications →
| Back | Closed |
|---|---|
| Built-in Microphone | No |
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 2.43 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Hybrid (1 dynamic + 2 balanced armature) |
| Drivers | 1 x dynamic + 2 x balanced armature |
| Form Factor | In-ear |
| Frequency Response | 11Hz - 21kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 68 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 8.3 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 107 dB SPL/V |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-2.3 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.55 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
EQ preset to match the Harman target
Set a preamp of -4.7 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 | -1.5 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 206 Hz | -2.9 dB | 0.48 |
| Peak | 3,027 Hz | +5.8 dB | 0.38 |
| Peak | 1,713 Hz | -6.4 dB | 0.95 |
| Peak | 70 Hz | +3.1 dB | 0.69 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -3.9 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 3,424 Hz | +1.1 dB | 3.91 |
| Peak | 5,290 Hz | -1.6 dB | 5.99 |
| Peak | 6,437 Hz | +1.9 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 2,469 Hz | -0.7 dB | 4.04 |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
JVC HA-FW1500: $766.28 Amazon eBay
Pros: The 11 mm dynamic driver rates a manufacturer specified 6 Hz to 52 kHz, and Crinacle’s measurement shows a Harman preference score of 66 with a mild warm tilt of 0.53 dB. The 16 ohm impedance and 103 dB/mW sensitivity make it easy for a phone to drive. It has been out since late 2019.
Cons: A score of 66 is middling and a deviation of 2.69 dB means audible coloration, which is hard to justify at a flagship price. The HIFIMAN RE2000 and FiiO FD5 are both rated higher, and the FiiO costs far less. It is wired only and lists no microphone.
Full JVC HA-FW1500 review and specifications →
| Released | Nov 2019 (6 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Back | Closed |
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 2.69 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 11mm dynamic |
| Form Factor | In-ear |
| Frequency Response | 6Hz - 52kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 66 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 16 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 103 dB/mW |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.53 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
EQ preset to match the Harman target
Set a preamp of -6.5 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 | +1.3 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 163 Hz | -4.2 dB | 0.59 |
| Peak | 9,088 Hz | +6.3 dB | 1.23 |
| Peak | 895 Hz | +3.7 dB | 1.07 |
| Peak | 4,924 Hz | -4.1 dB | 3.58 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +1.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 42 Hz | -0.2 dB | 1.53 |
| Peak | 3,050 Hz | -0.7 dB | 4.21 |
| Peak | 2,204 Hz | +0.8 dB | 4.04 |
| Peak | 1,609 Hz | -0.5 dB | 3.41 |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons