The Forte Ears Macbeth ranks #539 out of 1253 total In-Ear Headphones for sound quality. See all Headphones rankings for every top pick.
Prices on this page were last checked October 16, 2026 at 5:46 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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#539 Forte Ears Macbeth: $3,999 Discontinued eBay
Pros: A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 72 against the Harman target.
Cons: An uneven response, 1.9 dB standard deviation from target. Discontinued.
Is the Forte Ears Macbeth right for you?
Buy it if
- your taste runs bass-heavy: it scores 81 for that sound.
- you want sub-bass rumble that reaches down to 20 Hz.
- you are happy to use EQ: our preset lifts its Harman match by about 22 points.
Skip it if
- you want to buy it new: it is discontinued.
| Back | Closed |
|---|---|
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 1.93 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Quadbrid (dynamic + balanced armature + planar magnetic + bone conduction) |
| Drivers | 2 x dynamic + 4 x balanced armature + 4 x planar + 1 x bone conduction |
| Form Factor | In-ear |
| Harman Preference Score | 72 (median of 5 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+2.4 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.70 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
EQ Presets
Harman target
Set a preamp of -5.0 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the median of 5 squig.link measurements, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Harman match with this EQ: 94 out of 100, up from 72.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -2.3 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -6.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 206 Hz | -1.9 dB | 0.94 |
| Peak | 1,282 Hz | -1.1 dB | 4.55 |
| Peak | 2,154 Hz | +1.0 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 3,125 Hz | +5.0 dB | 2.05 |
| Peak | 4,695 Hz | -1.9 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 6,395 Hz | +2.0 dB | 5.26 |
Neutral target
Set a preamp of -5.0 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the median of 5 squig.link measurements, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Neutral match with this EQ: 94 out of 100, up from 31.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -10.8 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -6.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 26 Hz | -0.9 dB | 1.15 |
| Peak | 198 Hz | -1.7 dB | 0.63 |
| Peak | 3,125 Hz | +5.0 dB | 2.04 |
| Peak | 4,694 Hz | -1.9 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 6,395 Hz | +2.0 dB | 5.26 |
Studio flat target
Set a preamp of -6.4 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the median of 5 squig.link measurements, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Studio flat match with this EQ: 89 out of 100, up from 12.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -11.9 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -0.4 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 172 Hz | -3.7 dB | 0.60 |
| Peak | 2,219 Hz | +1.3 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 2,845 Hz | +6.0 dB | 1.95 |
| Peak | 3,475 Hz | +2.2 dB | 5.56 |
| Peak | 4,806 Hz | -3.2 dB | 6.00 |
Warm target
Set a preamp of -3.9 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the median of 5 squig.link measurements, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Warm match with this EQ: 93 out of 100, up from 78.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -2.1 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -6.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 201 Hz | -1.7 dB | 1.11 |
| Peak | 3,073 Hz | +3.9 dB | 3.77 |
| Peak | 3,641 Hz | +1.3 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 4,796 Hz | -3.4 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 8,000 Hz | -3.0 dB | 5.75 |
Bass target
Set a preamp of -5.0 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the median of 5 squig.link measurements, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Bass match with this EQ: 95 out of 100, up from 81.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +1.5 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -6.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 212 Hz | -1.9 dB | 1.01 |
| Peak | 1,282 Hz | -1.1 dB | 4.50 |
| Peak | 2,154 Hz | +1.0 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 3,125 Hz | +5.0 dB | 2.05 |
| Peak | 4,695 Hz | -1.9 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 6,395 Hz | +2.0 dB | 5.27 |
Bright target
Set a preamp of -5.1 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the median of 5 squig.link measurements, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Bright match with this EQ: 89 out of 100, up from 22.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -10.9 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -2.9 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 211 Hz | -1.6 dB | 0.53 |
| Peak | 3,635 Hz | +5.3 dB | 1.03 |
| Peak | 4,590 Hz | -2.6 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 5,936 Hz | +2.5 dB | 6.00 |
V-shaped target
Set a preamp of -6.4 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the median of 5 squig.link measurements, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted V-shaped match with this EQ: 90 out of 100, up from 74.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +2.1 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -1.3 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 1,252 Hz | -2.1 dB | 2.38 |
| Peak | 3,101 Hz | +3.1 dB | 4.15 |
| Peak | 5,345 Hz | +4.5 dB | 0.47 |
| Peak | 7,092 Hz | -2.2 dB | 4.15 |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
Frequency Response
How the Forte Ears Macbeth measures across the audible range, against the Harman in-ear target that most listeners prefer in blind tests. Where the line sits above the target that range sounds louder (more bass, brighter treble), below it quieter. The curve is the median of 5 independent measurements, so one odd sample or rig cannot skew it, and both lines are shifted so their 500 Hz to 2 kHz average sits at 0 dB.
Measurement data: median of 5 measurements from the squig.link databases of aden, ducbloke, eliseaudio, fahryst and sl0the. Thanks to each of them for publishing their work.