Short answer: the Tangzu Xue Tao. It ranks #941 of 1369 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 3.3/5, at $9.99; the Apos Rock Lobster ranks #990, rated 3.2/5, at $9.99. Close enough in price that the sound-quality gap is the deciding factor.
Why pick the Tangzu Xue Tao: A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 65 against the Harman target. The tradeoff: Treble about 4 dB below target from 3 to 10 kHz, which can sound dull or veiled next to brighter headphones.
What the Apos Rock Lobster does well: A published AutoEQ preset corrects its response toward the Harman target, so a few minutes of EQ setup closes most of the gap. The catch: Treble about 3 dB below target from 3 to 10 kHz, which can sound dull or veiled next to brighter headphones.
Buy the Tangzu Xue Tao. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Apos Rock Lobster at the same price, so only choose the other one for a particular feature it does better.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Headphones rankings.
A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 65 against the Harman target.
Linsoul eBay
A published AutoEQ preset corrects its response toward the Harman target, so a few minutes of EQ setup closes most of the gap.
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Specifications Side By Side
| Tangzu Xue Tao | Apos Rock Lobster | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | 9.99 | 9.99 |
| Ranked | #941 of 1369 in In-Ear Headphones | #990 of 1369 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Harman Preference Score | 65 (median of 6 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 64 (median of 6 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.36 dB standard deviation | 2.43 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -1.04 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -1.01 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+1.2 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+0.9 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Dynamic | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 10mm glass-centered PET-edged diaphragm dynamic driver | 1 x 10mm liquid crystal polymer (LCP) dynamic driver |
| Impedance | 18.5 ohms | 32 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 109 dB | 105 dB |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz - 20,000Hz | 20Hz - 20kHz |
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 Xue Tao from aftersound, atechreviews, bassaudio, csi-zone, jaytiss and soundignity; the Apos Rock Lobster from aden, audioamigo, awsmdanny, boizoff, jaytiss, lestat and tonedeafmonk, all via squig.link.
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