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 Noble Audio Viking Ragnar ranks #1176, rated 2.5/5, and costs $4,000, which makes this an easy call rather than a real tradeoff.
The VOLK AUDIO ETOILE is the better-sounding choice. A published AutoEQ preset corrects its response toward the Harman target, so a few minutes of EQ setup closes most of the gap. Watch for: 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 Noble Audio Viking Ragnar: Lower mids sit within about 0.7 dB of target, keeping voices and guitars natural. The catch: Presence sits about 7.7 dB low with a 10.2 dB dip near 4.2 kHz, so vocals and instruments lose some bite.
Buy the VOLK AUDIO ETOILE. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Noble Audio Viking Ragnar and costs less, 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 0.7 dB of target, keeping voices and guitars natural.
Headphones.com $4,000.00 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 | Noble Audio Viking Ragnar | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3,599.00 | $4,000.00 |
| Ranked | #1009 of 1369 in In-Ear Headphones | #1176 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) | 55 (measured by HypetheSonics, via AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.72 dB standard deviation | 3.34 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.55 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | +0.60 (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 (-5.4 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Quadbrid | Tribrid |
| 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) | 2 x dynamic, 4 x balanced armature, 4 x electrostatic |
| Impedance | 8.8 ohms | 17 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 110.6 dB | - |
| Frequency Response | 10Hz - 50kHz | 20Hz - 40kHz |
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 Noble Audio Viking Ragnar from aden, bloomaudio, dchpgall and vsg, all via squig.link.
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