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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a proper in-ear monitor with a detachable silver-plated cable, deep noise isolation and a full 8Hz–23kHz tuning, choose Audiovance Vibes 202; if you need a flat-head earbud with a huge 14.2mm dynamic driver and a replaceable 0.78 2-pin cable, choose LEAUDIO TRN Seahorse Pro. These two look like competitors on paper, but they solve opposite problems. One seals your ear canal and disappears into your head. The other sits at the opening of your ear and lets the world in. In my opinion, that single design difference decides the purchase before any spec sheet gets read.
• Audiovance Vibes 202 — biggest strength: a true IEM design with preformed over-ear hooks, 360° rotative MMCX connectors and six pairs of eartips in three sizes, which means a sealed, stable fit and real passive noise isolation.
• Audiovance Vibes 202 — biggest trade-off: it is strictly wired, has no microphone and no app, so phone calls, wireless listening and on-the-fly EQ are simply off the table.
• LEAUDIO TRN Seahorse Pro — biggest strength: a 14.2mm dynamic driver with a PU dome and LCP composite diaphragm, plus a 0.78 2-pin replaceable cable, which gives flat-head fans a big, easy, upgrade-friendly platform.
• LEAUDIO TRN Seahorse Pro — biggest trade-off: flat-head earbuds rest outside the ear canal, so isolation is minimal — and the 20Hz–20kHz range is narrower than the Vibes 202 on paper.
• Who each is for: the Vibes 202 suits anyone who wants isolation and detail in loud places; the Seahorse Pro suits listeners who dislike things shoved into their ear canal and want a swappable cable.
The Vibes 202 is built around a 1-Tesla dynamic driver inside master-tuned acoustic chambers, and Audiovance rates the frequency range at 8Hz to 23kHz. That is a wide window on paper, and the design intent behind it is clear: precise, detailed reproduction with a bass foundation rather than a bass-only signature. The 16-ohm impedance is low, which is a practical detail — low-impedance IEMs like this are easy to drive from a laptop jack, a desktop PC, a portable player or a gaming controller, without needing a separate amplifier in the chain.
The comfort and isolation story is where this one earns its place. The shells are ergonomically shaped for the ear canal, and the preformed over-ear hooks hold the cable against the back of your ear so it stops snagging on collars and bag straps. You get six pairs of soft eartips across two colors and three sizes, and Audiovance explicitly points buyers toward trying the different sizes and seating the buds snugly for the best seal. That is not marketing fluff — it is how any sealed IEM works, and it is the reason these are a sensible pick for flights, commutes and loud open-plan offices. The 63-inch detachable cable is silver-plated and Litz-braided, terminated in gold-plated MMCX connectors, so a damaged cable is a replacement rather than a funeral.
Buy the Vibes 202 if you want a wired, battery-free IEM for focused listening, gaming, monitoring or travel, and you value a secure over-ear fit and ambient noise blocking. The included case, carabiner and the semi-transparent resin-and-metal shell round it out as a kit rather than just a pair of buds.
LEAUDIO TRN Seahorse Pro: Who It's For
The Seahorse Pro takes the opposite route. This is a flat-head earbud, meaning the driver housing rests at the entrance of your ear rather than plugging the canal. TRN built it around a 14.2mm dynamic driver with a PU dome and an LCP composite diaphragm — a large diaphragm for this category, and the kind of design that tends to move air easily and produce a relaxed, wide-open presentation. The aluminum alloy acoustic cavity is machined to a high-precision standard, and the sensitivity figure of 110dB at 16 ohms tells you these will get loud off almost anything, including a basic phone dongle or a budget laptop output.
The headline feature for tinkerers is the 0.78mm 2-pin replaceable cable, supplied as a high-purity oxygen-free copper, silver-plated cable measuring about 1.2m. If the cable frays, or if you simply want to try a balanced cable or a different termination later, you unplug and swap — no soldering, no new pair of earbuds. The headphone-and-cable weight comes in around 3.7g plus 22g, so the buds themselves are extremely light and the mass sits in the cable, which is a comfortable arrangement for long sessions.
The trade-off is baked into the flat-head format. Because nothing seals your ear canal, isolation is minimal and bass depth depends heavily on how the bud sits in your particular ear. TRN rates the frequency response at 20Hz–20kHz rather than the wider range the Vibes 202 claims, and there is an app-based control system on this model, which is a genuinely different ownership experience from a purely analog pair. There is also a one-year warranty listed, which is worth noting for a wired product.
Buy the Seahorse Pro if you already know you prefer flat-head earbuds, you want a big dynamic driver with an airy, open feel, and you like the idea of a cable you can replace or upgrade yourself. It is also a good fit for listeners who want to stay aware of their surroundings — walking, cycling in low-traffic areas, or working where you still need to hear a doorbell.
Skip it if you need serious noise blocking. On a plane or a noisy train, a flat-head bud simply cannot compete with a sealed IEM, no matter how good the driver is.
• Best for noise isolation → Audiovance Vibes 202. Sealed in-ear fit with six eartip options in three sizes; the Seahorse Pro is a flat-head design with minimal passive blocking.
• Best for the widest stated frequency range → Audiovance Vibes 202. 8Hz–23kHz versus 20Hz–20kHz on the Seahorse Pro.
• Best for replaceable-cable flexibility → LEAUDIO TRN Seahorse Pro. The 0.78 2-pin design lets you swap cables yourself; the Vibes 202 uses MMCX, which is detachable but a different connector ecosystem.
• Best for a big single dynamic driver → LEAUDIO TRN Seahorse Pro. 14.2mm with a PU dome and LCP composite diaphragm.
• Best for loud, easy driving → LEAUDIO TRN Seahorse Pro. 110dB sensitivity at 16 ohms gets loud from almost any source; the Vibes 202 is also 16 ohms but lists no sensitivity figure.
• Best for fit security during movement → Audiovance Vibes 202. Preformed over-ear hooks plus 360° rotative MMCX keep the cable anchored.
• Best for app-based control → LEAUDIO TRN Seahorse Pro. It is the only one of the two that lists app control; the Vibes 202 has no app and no battery.
• Best for a complete travel kit → Audiovance Vibes 202. Carrying case, carabiner, spare eartips and a 63-inch cable are all in the box.
• Best for staying aware of your surroundings → LEAUDIO TRN Seahorse Pro. The open flat-head fit lets ambient sound through by design.
If I had to pick one, I would buy the Audiovance Vibes 202. In my opinion, the sealed IEM format, the 1-Tesla driver, the wider stated frequency range and the six-pair eartip kit make it the more versatile everyday choice — it works on a plane, at a desk, in a game, and it does not need a battery or an app to sound like itself. The Seahorse Pro is the better buy only if you already know flat-heads suit your ears or you specifically want a cable you can replace and upgrade. Check the current price on Amazon before deciding, since that is the one variable I cannot weigh for you.
Not universally. The Vibes 202 wins on isolation, stated frequency range and included accessories. The Seahorse Pro wins on driver size, sensitivity, replaceable-cable flexibility and app control. It comes down to whether you want a sealed IEM or an open flat-head bud.
Very little. They are flat-head earbuds that sit at the ear opening rather than sealing the canal, so ambient sound comes through. If blocking noise matters to you, the Vibes 202's sealed fit with multiple eartip sizes is the more effective approach.
Both are wired 3.5mm products, so gaming works on any device with a 3.5mm jack. For calls, note that the Vibes 202 is explicitly a no-mic model. The Seahorse Pro lists app control rather than a microphone, so check your setup before assuming either handles voice chat on its own.
Both are rated at 16 ohms, which is low and easy to drive. The Seahorse Pro also lists 110dB sensitivity, which suggests it will reach high volume from modest sources. The Vibes 202 does not list a sensitivity figure, so its loudness will depend more on your device's output.
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