Short answer: the ThieAudio Valhalla. Both are rated 3.5/5 for sound quality (#823 and #807 of 1291 in-ear headphones), and the ThieAudio Valhalla costs $1,999 against $2,199 for the Unique Melody Maven III, so with nothing between them on sound quality, price settles it.
Why pick the ThieAudio Valhalla: Bass sits close to target and holds down to 20 Hz, so low end sounds full without bloat. The catch: Presence sits about 4.5 dB low with a 7 dB dip near 6.1 kHz, so vocals and instruments lose some bite.
Why pick the Unique Melody Maven III: A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 68 against the Harman target. 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 ThieAudio Valhalla. Both are rated the same for sound quality, and it costs $200 less than the Unique Melody Maven III.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Headphones rankings.
Bass sits close to target and holds down to 20 Hz, so low end sounds full without bloat.
Linsoul $1,999.00 eBay
A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 68 against the Harman target.
MusicTeck $2,199 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
| ThieAudio Valhalla | Unique Melody Maven III | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,999.00 | $2,199 |
| Ranked | #823 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones | #807 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Connection | Wired | Wired (3.5mm / 4.4mm) |
| Driver Type | Balanced armature | Tribrid |
| Drivers | 19 x balanced armature | 2 Dynamic, 4 Balanced Armature, 4 Electrostatic, 1 Bone Conduction |
| Impedance | 9 ohms | - |
| Frequency Response | 10Hz - 44kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Harman Preference Score | 67 (median of 14 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 68 (median of 4 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.24 dB standard deviation | 2.49 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.91 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.66 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+1.8 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+0.1 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 ThieAudio Valhalla from aden, audioamigo, bloomaudio, dl, ducbloke, eliseaudio, harutohiroki, hbb, jaytiss, precog, soundignity, superreview, theaudiostore and treblewellxtended; the Unique Melody Maven III from dl, hbb, joycesreview and takeitslow7, all via squig.link.
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