Short answer: the Kiwi Ears Quartet. Both are rated 3.1/5 for sound quality (#978 and #965 of 1291 in-ear headphones), and the Kiwi Ears Quartet costs $109 against $119.99 for the AFUL Explorer, so with nothing between them on sound quality, price settles it.
What the AFUL Explorer does well: Bass extends flat to 20 Hz and sits on target across 38 measurements, giving full, even low end without boom. Watch for: The presence region is about 7 dB low with an 8.6 dB dip near 4.1 kHz, the deepest in this group, so vocals sound distant and instruments lose definition.
The case for the Kiwi Ears Quartet: Bass is thick and punchy, sitting about 3.7 dB above target from 60 to 250 Hz with extension to 20 Hz, and tuning switches let you dial the low end up or down. Watch for: The midbass lift makes some tracks sound boomy, presence dips about 4.3 dB with a 6.6 dB hole near 4.4 kHz, and a 6.3 dB treble peak near 8.2 kHz can sound splashy.
Buy the Kiwi Ears Quartet. Both are rated the same for sound quality, and it costs $10.99 less than the AFUL Explorer.
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Bass extends flat to 20 Hz and sits on target across 38 measurements, giving full, even low end without boom.
Amazon $119.99 eBay
Bass is thick and punchy, sitting about 3.7 dB above target from 60 to 250 Hz with extension to 20 Hz, and tuning switches let you dial the low end up or down.
Amazon $109.00 eBayPrices 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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Specifications Side By Side
| AFUL Explorer | Kiwi Ears Quartet | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $119.99 | $109.00 |
| Ranked | #965 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones | #978 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Hybrid | Hybrid |
| Drivers | 1 x 8mm dynamic + 2 x balanced armature | 2 x 10mm dynamic + 2 x balanced armature |
| Impedance | 26 ohms | 32 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 108 dB/mW | 110 dB/mW |
| Frequency Response | 10Hz - 30kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 20Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 63 (median of 38 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 62 (median of 29 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.68 dB standard deviation | 2.78 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.99 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.75 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+0.0 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-0.4 dB at 30 Hz) |
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 AFUL Explorer from aden, adri-n, atechreviews, audioamigo, awsmdanny, banzai1122, bassaudio, boizoff, breampike, bryaudioreviews, dvewlsh, eplv, fahryst, flare, gadgetrytech, hadoe, hoods, hu-fi, iemocean, iemworld, jaytiss, koi, kuping-sensi, listener, lown-fi, lumerion, obodio, practiphile, precog, silicagel, sl0the, soundcheck39, soundignity, superreview, theaudiostore, therollo9, timmyv and treblewellxtended; the Kiwi Ears Quartet from achoreviews, aden, adri-n, ankramutt, arc, atechreviews, audioamigo, bakkwatan, bassyalexander, bloomaudio, dentreviews, flare, hadoe, hbb, hobbytalk, joshtbvo, listener, mmagtech, musicafe, nymz, obodio, practiphile, precog, soundcheck39, superreview, suporsalad, tdl, therollo9 and tonedeafmonk, all via squig.link.
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