Short answer: the Vortex Reference. It ranks #898 of 1369 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 3.4/5, at $3,300. The AME Raven ranks #1015, rated 3.2/5, at $3,240, $60 cheaper, which does not close the gap in sound quality.
Why pick the Vortex Reference: A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 66 against the Harman target. Watch for: Treble about 2 dB below target from 3 to 10 kHz, which can sound dull or veiled next to brighter headphones.
What the AME Raven does well: 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: An uneven response, 2.6 dB standard deviation from target.
Buy the Vortex Reference. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $60 you would save on the AME Raven does not close the gap.
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A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 66 against the Harman target.
Bloom Audio $3,300.00 eBay
A published AutoEQ preset corrects its response toward the Harman target, so a few minutes of EQ setup closes most of the gap.
MusicTeck $3,240.00 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
| Vortex Reference | AME Raven | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3,300.00 | $3,240.00 |
| Ranked | #898 of 1369 in In-Ear Headphones | #1015 of 1369 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Harman Preference Score | 66 (median of 3 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 63 (median of 3 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.45 dB standard deviation | 2.62 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.75 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.57 (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 (+1.1 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Hybrid (2 DD + 2 Passive MEMS) | Hybrid |
| Drivers | 2 x dynamic drivers (including 8mm Al-Mg dome woofer) + 2 x passive MEMS tweeters | 4 EST + 8 BA (4 x Sonion electrostatic drivers, 8 x Sonion balanced armatures) |
| Impedance | 23 ohms | 14 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 102 dB/mW | 100 dB |
| Frequency Response | - | 20Hz - 70kHz |
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 Vortex Reference from bloomaudio, dchpgall and joycesreview; the AME Raven from aden, dchpgall and eliseaudio, all via squig.link.
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