Short answer: the Yanyin Canon II. It ranks #383 of 1253 in-ear headphones by sound quality (rated 4.0/5) at $379 and is still sold new; the Yanyin Canon ranks #669 (rated 3.7/5) and is discontinued, so it is only an option used.
Why pick the Yanyin Canon II: Its one dynamic plus four balanced armature hybrid measures a preference score of 73.9 in hobbyist squig.link measurements, with a modest 1.88 dB deviation from target. The catch: The presence region from 3 to 6 kHz averages 4.2 dB below target with a 5.4 dB dip near 3.4 kHz, which pushes vocals and guitars slightly back and softens the attack of snare hits.
Why pick the Yanyin Canon: A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 70 against the Harman target. The tradeoff: Treble about 2 dB below target from 3 to 10 kHz, which can sound dull or veiled next to brighter headphones.
Buy the Yanyin Canon II. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the Yanyin Canon is discontinued, so it is only available used.
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Its one dynamic plus four balanced armature hybrid measures a preference score of 73.9 in hobbyist squig.link measurements, with a modest 1.88 dB deviation from target.
Linsoul $379.00 eBay
A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 70 against the Harman target.
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Specifications Side By Side
| Yanyin Canon II | Yanyin Canon | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $379.00 | $349 Discontinued |
| Ranked | #383 of 1253 in In-Ear Headphones | #669 of 1253 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Harman Preference Score | 74 (median of 13 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 70 (median of 6 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 1.88 dB standard deviation | 2.07 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.53 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.66 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-0.9 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+0.3 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Connection | Wired | Wired (3.5mm) |
| Driver Type | Hybrid (1 dynamic + 4 balanced armature) | Hybrid |
| Drivers | 1 x dynamic + 4 x balanced armature | 1 Dynamic, 4 Balanced Armature |
| Sensitivity | 112 dB | - |
| Frequency Response | 5Hz - 25kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Built-in Microphone | No | - |
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 Yanyin Canon II from animagus, arn, eliseaudio, flare, gadgetrytech, hbb, ianfann, iemocean, joycesreview, musicafe, obodio, practiphile, soundcheck39, superreview, tonedeafmonk and yanyin; the Yanyin Canon from iemocean, mmagtech, practiphile, soundcheck39, tgx78 and vsg, all via squig.link.
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