Short answer: the Unique Melody MEST Mk2. It ranks #864 of 1291 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 3.4/5, at $1,499; the FiiO FX17 ranks #921, rated 3.3/5, and costs $1,499.99, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
What the Unique Melody MEST Mk2 does well: Sub-bass and bass sit right on target down to 20 Hz across 13 hobbyist measurements on squig.link, giving kick drums and synth bass full, clean weight without bloat. Watch for: A 7.4 dB dip near 3.9 kHz, with the 3 to 6 kHz presence region about 5.6 dB below target, pushes vocals and guitars back and can make them sound distant.
What the FiiO FX17 does well: A hybrid of one dynamic driver, four balanced armatures and eight electrostatic drivers, it extends to 20 Hz within 6 dB of target and adds about 2.5 dB of mid-bass for a warm, full sound that suits bassy tastes. The tradeoff: Hobbyist measurements give it a Harman preference score of only 65.3 despite its flagship price, largely because the 3 to 6 kHz presence band sits about 4 dB low with a 5.4 dB dip near 4 kHz that recesses vocals and instrument attack.
Buy the Unique Melody MEST Mk2. It is rated higher for sound quality than the FiiO FX17 and costs less, which makes it the one to get unless you need something the other one does better.
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Sub-bass and bass sit right on target down to 20 Hz across 13 hobbyist measurements on squig.link, giving kick drums and synth bass full, clean weight without bloat.
Linsoul $1,499.00 eBay
A hybrid of one dynamic driver, four balanced armatures and eight electrostatic drivers, it extends to 20 Hz within 6 dB of target and adds about 2.5 dB of mid-bass for a warm, full sound that suits bassy tastes.
HiFiGo $1,499.99 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
| Unique Melody MEST Mk2 | FiiO FX17 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,499.00 | $1,499.99 |
| Ranked | #864 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones | #921 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Harman Preference Score | 66 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) | 65 (median of 6 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.47 dB standard deviation | 2.63 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.71 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.43 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Hybrid (1 dynamic + 4 balanced armature + 2 electrostatic + 1 bone conduction) | Hybrid (1 dynamic + 4 balanced armature + 8 electrostatic) |
| Drivers | 1 x dynamic + 4 x balanced armature + 2 x electrostatic + 1 x bone conduction | 1 x 10mm dynamic + 4 x balanced armature + 8 x electrostatic |
| Impedance | 12.3 ohms | 16 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 112 dB | 104 dB/mW |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz - 70kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 8Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built-in Microphone | No | No |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-0.2 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-2.3 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 Unique Melody MEST Mk2 from achoreviews, aftersound, animagus, bassaudio, dl, musicafe, nymz, precog, recode, scboy, sl0the, timmyv and tonedeafmonk; the FiiO FX17 from aden, atechreviews, dl, jaytiss, practiphile and superreview, all via squig.link.
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