Short answer: the ThieAudio Valhalla. It ranks #824 of 1369 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 3.5/5, at $1,999. The Unique Melody MEST MKIII ranks #903, rated 3.4/5, at $1,919, $80 cheaper, which does not close the gap in sound quality.
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.
What the Unique Melody MEST MKIII does well: A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 66 against the Harman target. Watch for: Treble about 4 dB below target from 3 to 10 kHz, which can sound dull or veiled next to brighter headphones.
Buy the ThieAudio Valhalla. It is rated higher for sound quality, and saving $80 with the Unique Melody MEST MKIII does not make up for the sound-quality gap.
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 66 against the Harman target.
MusicTeck $1,919.00 eBayPrices on this page were last checked October 17, 2026 at 6:04 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 MEST MKIII | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,999.00 | $1,919.00 |
| Ranked | #824 of 1369 in In-Ear Headphones | #903 of 1369 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Balanced armature | Quadbrid |
| Drivers | 19 x balanced armature | 10 drivers (1 dynamic driver + 4 balanced armatures + 4 electrostatic + 1 bone conduction driver) |
| Impedance | 9 ohms | 14 ohms |
| Frequency Response | 10Hz - 44kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 20Hz - 70kHz |
| Harman Preference Score | 67 (median of 14 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 66 (median of 4 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.24 dB standard deviation | 2.64 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.91 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.63 (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 (-0.3 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Sensitivity | - | 104 dB |
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 MEST MKIII from aden, dl, harutohiroki, hbb, kazi, musicafe, practiphile and precog, all via squig.link.
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