Short answer: the Unique Melody Maven II. Both are rated 3.4/5 for sound quality (#908 and #903 of 1369 in-ear headphones), and the Unique Melody Maven II costs $1,799 against $1,919 for the Unique Melody MEST MKIII, and with sound quality even, the cheaper one is the better buy.
Why pick the Unique Melody Maven II: A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 66 against the Harman target. The catch: Treble about 4 dB below target from 3 to 10 kHz, which can sound dull or veiled next to brighter headphones.
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 Unique Melody Maven II. Both are rated the same for sound quality, and it costs $120 less than the Unique Melody MEST MKIII.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Headphones rankings.
A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 66 against the Harman target.
MusicTeck $1,799.00 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
| Unique Melody Maven II | Unique Melody MEST MKIII | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,799.00 | $1,919.00 |
| Ranked | #908 of 1369 in In-Ear Headphones | #903 of 1369 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Harman Preference Score | 66 (median of 4 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 66 (median of 4 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.60 dB standard deviation | 2.64 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.84 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.63 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+0.5 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-0.3 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Driver Type | Tribrid | Quadbrid |
| Drivers | 10 drivers (2 dynamic drivers + 4 balanced armatures + 4 electrostatic drivers) | 10 drivers (1 dynamic driver + 4 balanced armatures + 4 electrostatic + 1 bone conduction driver) |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz - 70kHz | 20Hz - 70kHz |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Impedance | - | 14 ohms |
| 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 Unique Melody Maven II from aden, dchpgall, jaytiss and soundignity; the Unique Melody MEST MKIII from aden, dl, harutohiroki, hbb, kazi, musicafe, practiphile and precog, all via squig.link.
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