Short answer: the VOLK AUDIO ETOILE. It ranks #1009 of 1369 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 3.2/5, at $3,599; the 64 Audio Tia Fourte ranks #1129, rated 2.8/5, at $3,599. Close enough in price that the sound-quality gap is the deciding factor.
The VOLK AUDIO ETOILE is the better-sounding pick. A published AutoEQ preset corrects its response toward the Harman target, so a few minutes of EQ setup closes most of the gap. The tradeoff: Treble about 6 dB below target from 3 to 10 kHz, which can sound dull or veiled next to brighter headphones.
The case for the 64 Audio Tia Fourte: Lower mids sit within about 0.9 dB of target, keeping voices and guitars natural. The tradeoff: Presence sits about 7.1 dB low with a 10.9 dB dip near 3.5 kHz, so vocals and instruments lose some bite.
Buy the VOLK AUDIO ETOILE. It is rated higher for sound quality than the 64 Audio Tia Fourte at the same price, which makes it the one to get unless you need something the other one does better.
Still deciding? The full Headphones rankings cover every ranked option.
A published AutoEQ preset corrects its response toward the Harman target, so a few minutes of EQ setup closes most of the gap.
Bloom Audio $3,599.00 eBay
Lower mids sit within about 0.9 dB of target, keeping voices and guitars natural.
Headphones.com $3,599.00 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
| VOLK AUDIO ETOILE | 64 Audio Tia Fourte | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3,599.00 | $3,599.00 |
| Ranked | #1009 of 1369 in In-Ear Headphones | #1129 of 1369 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | - |
| Harman Preference Score | 64 (median of 5 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 59 (measured by HypetheSonics, via AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.72 dB standard deviation | 3.03 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.55 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.43 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-1.2 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-2.2 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Quadbrid | Hybrid |
| Drivers | 1 DD + 4 BA + 4 EST + 1 MS (1 x 10mm dynamic driver, 4 x Sonion balanced armatures, 4 x Sonion electrostatic drivers, 1 x 8mm magnetostatic tweeter) | 1 x dynamic + 3 x balanced armature (tia) |
| Impedance | 8.8 ohms | 10 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 110.6 dB | 114 dB/mW |
| Frequency Response | 10Hz - 50kHz | 5Hz - 22kHz |
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 VOLK AUDIO ETOILE from aden, audioamigo, bloomaudio, jaytiss and joycesreview; the 64 Audio Tia Fourte from aden, dl, elrics, hbb and precog, all via squig.link.
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