Short answer: the Unique Melody MEXT. It ranks #300 of 450 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 3.9/5, at $999. The SoftEars Twilight ranks #329, rated 3.8/5, at $930, $69 cheaper, which does not close the gap in sound quality.
What the Unique Melody MEXT does well: Bass is full and well extended, sitting about 1 dB above target from 20 Hz to 200 Hz in squig.link measurements, which gives electronic music and film scores solid low end weight. The catch: Across hobbyist measurements the presence region sits 4.5 dB low with a 7.6 dB dip near 3.5 kHz, so vocals and guitars can sound recessed and lack bite.
Why pick the SoftEars Twilight: Across 20 hobbyist measurements on squig.link no deviation between 1.5 and 12 kHz exceeds 3.4 dB, so the treble stays smooth and free of sharp peaks. The catch: Sub-bass trails the target by about 2.9 dB and is down nearly 5 dB at 30 Hz, so the deepest rumble in electronic and film soundtracks is lighter than ideal.
Buy the Unique Melody MEXT. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $69 you would save on the SoftEars Twilight does not close the gap.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Headphones rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Unique Melody MEXT | SoftEars Twilight | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $999.00 | $930.00 |
| Ranked | #300 of 450 in In-Ear Headphones | #329 of 450 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Harman Preference Score | 72 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) | 71 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.23 dB standard deviation | 2.42 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.48 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.10 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+0.3 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-4.8 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Hybrid (1 dynamic + 4 balanced armature + 1 bone conduction) | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x dynamic + 4 x balanced armature + 1 x bone conduction | 1 x 10mm dynamic |
| Impedance | 16 ohms | 16 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 108 dB @ 1kHz | 116 dB/V |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz - 23kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 20Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built-in Microphone | No | - |
| Weight | - | 0 lbs (6 g) per earbud |
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More worthwhile head-to-heads for Unique Melody MEXT:
- Letshuoer Conductor vs Unique Melody MEXT
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- SoftEars Twilight vs Symphonium Audio Triton
- SoftEars Twilight vs HIFIMAN RE2000
- 64 Audio U4s vs ThieAudio V16 Divinity
Prices on this page were last checked October 11, 2026 at 4:59 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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The Two Headphones In Full
Unique Melody MEXT: $999.00 HiFiGo eBay
Pros: Bass is full and well extended, sitting about 1 dB above target from 20 Hz to 200 Hz in squig.link measurements, which gives electronic music and film scores solid low end weight. The hybrid design pairs a dynamic woofer and four balanced armatures with a bone conduction driver, and the tuning fits warm and bass-loving listeners. With 16 ohms and 108 dB sensitivity it runs easily from a phone.
Cons: Across hobbyist measurements the presence region sits 4.5 dB low with a 7.6 dB dip near 3.5 kHz, so vocals and guitars can sound recessed and lack bite. Crinacle’s preference score of 72 is modest for its price, and it rates the same as the DUNU Zen, which costs less.
Full Unique Melody MEXT review and specifications →
| Released | 2022 (4 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Back | Closed |
| Built-in Microphone | No |
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 2.23 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Hybrid (1 dynamic + 4 balanced armature + 1 bone conduction) |
| Drivers | 1 x dynamic + 4 x balanced armature + 1 x bone conduction |
| Form Factor | In-ear |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz - 23kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 72 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 16 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 108 dB @ 1kHz |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+0.3 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.48 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
EQ preset to match the Harman target
Set a preamp of -5.8 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -2.3 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 3,446 Hz | +6.7 dB | 1.41 |
| Peak | 5,898 Hz | -6.1 dB | 2.52 |
| Peak | 394 Hz | -1.1 dB | 0.18 |
| Peak | 66 Hz | +2.6 dB | 1.11 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -1.8 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 199 Hz | -0.5 dB | 1.11 |
| Peak | 1,420 Hz | -0.6 dB | 3.01 |
| Peak | 433 Hz | +1.8 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 100 Hz | +0.3 dB | 2.47 |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
SoftEars Twilight: $930.00 Amazon AliExpress eBay
Pros: Across 20 hobbyist measurements on squig.link no deviation between 1.5 and 12 kHz exceeds 3.4 dB, so the treble stays smooth and free of sharp peaks. Bass and low mids sit about 2 dB above target, giving vocals and acoustic instruments a warm, rich body. With 16 ohm impedance and 116 dB/V sensitivity it is easy to drive from a phone, and it rates higher than the Sennheiser IE 600 and HIFIMAN RE2000.
Cons: Sub-bass trails the target by about 2.9 dB and is down nearly 5 dB at 30 Hz, so the deepest rumble in electronic and film soundtracks is lighter than ideal. The presence region sits about 1.9 dB low, softening some vocal clarity, and the cheaper SoftEars RSV rates noticeably higher.
Full SoftEars Twilight review and specifications →
| Back | Closed |
|---|---|
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 2.42 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 10mm dynamic |
| Form Factor | In-ear |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 71 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 16 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 116 dB/V |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-4.8 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.10 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Weight | 0 lbs (6 g) per earbud |
EQ preset to match the Harman target
Set a preamp of -3.5 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +3.5 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 176 Hz | -3.8 dB | 0.48 |
| Peak | 7,545 Hz | +3.4 dB | 0.90 |
| Peak | 866 Hz | +2.8 dB | 1.07 |
| Peak | 4,388 Hz | -1.1 dB | 2.46 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +0.8 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 2,853 Hz | -0.9 dB | 4.10 |
| Peak | 2,069 Hz | +0.5 dB | 3.38 |
| Peak | 7,411 Hz | -1.0 dB | 5.97 |
| Peak | 6,202 Hz | +0.9 dB | 6.00 |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons