Short answer: the Tangzu Xuanwu Gate. It ranks #783 of 1291 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 3.5/5, at $649; the SymphonyEars PRE5TIGE ranks #889, rated 3.4/5, and costs $679, which makes this an easy call rather than a real tradeoff.
What the Tangzu Xuanwu Gate does well: Bass sits close to target and holds down to 20 Hz, so low end sounds full without bloat. The tradeoff: Presence sits about 5.5 dB low with an 8.1 dB dip near 6.3 kHz, so vocals and instruments lose some bite.
The case for the SymphonyEars PRE5TIGE: A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 66 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 Tangzu Xuanwu Gate. It is rated higher for sound quality than the SymphonyEars PRE5TIGE and costs less, so only choose the other one for a particular feature it does better.
Still deciding? The full Headphones rankings cover every ranked option.
Bass sits close to target and holds down to 20 Hz, so low end sounds full without bloat.
Linsoul $649 eBay
A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 66 against the Harman target.
SymphonyEars $679.00 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
| Tangzu Xuanwu Gate | SymphonyEars PRE5TIGE | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $649 | $679.00 |
| Ranked | #783 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones | #889 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Tribrid | Quadbrid (1 DD + 1 Bone Conduction + 2 BA + 1 Magnetostat) |
| Drivers | 1 x 10mm dynamic + 4 x balanced armature + 2 x Sonion electrostatic | 10 Balanced Armature drivers (4 Sonion, 6 Knowles, 5-way crossover) |
| Impedance | 10.5 ohms | - |
| Frequency Response | 7Hz - 20kHz | - |
| Harman Preference Score | 68 (median of 10 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 66 (median of 4 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.28 dB standard deviation | 2.41 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.51 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.79 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-1.7 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-0.0 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 Tangzu Xuanwu Gate from audioamigo, breampike, dl, eliseaudio, hbb, iemocean, koi, lown-fi, scboy and therollo9; the SymphonyEars PRE5TIGE from audioamigo, isaiahse, jaytiss and pw, all via squig.link.
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