Short answer: the Binary Chopin. It ranks #83 of 450 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 4.5/5, at $299.99; the Etymotic EVO ranks #114, rated 4.4/5, at $298.98. The price gap is small enough that the sound-quality ranking should decide it.
What the Etymotic EVO does well: Three balanced armature drivers deliver a flat, uncolored midrange, with the 1 to 3 kHz region within 0.5 dB of the Harman target and a preference score of 78. The tradeoff: Bass is lean, with sub-bass about 3.3 dB under target and the 60 to 200 Hz region 1.5 dB under, so kick drums and bass lines have less weight than most listeners prefer.
Buy the Binary Chopin. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $1.01 saving on the Etymotic EVO is not enough to make up the difference.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Headphones rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Binary Chopin | Etymotic EVO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $299.99 | $298.98 |
| Ranked | #83 of 450 in In-Ear Headphones | #114 of 450 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Harman Preference Score | 80 (median of 3 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 78 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 1.42 dB standard deviation | 1.89 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.35 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | +0.08 (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 (-2.7 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Hybrid (1 dynamic + 4 balanced armature) | Balanced armature |
| Drivers | 1 x 8mm dynamic + 4 x balanced armature | 3 x balanced armature |
| Impedance | 12 ohms | 47 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 122 dB/Vrms | 99 dB SPL at 0.1V, 1kHz |
| Built-in Microphone | No | - |
| Frequency Response | - | 20Hz - 16kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
Related Headphone Comparisons
How Binary Chopin compares with other leading options:
- Tanchjim Soda vs Binary Chopin
- Binary Chopin vs Kiwi Ears Orchestra II
- Binary Chopin vs Rose Technics QT9 MK3
- Kiwi Ears Orchestra II vs Etymotic EVO
- Etymotic EVO vs Myer Audio SLIIVO SL-41 Pro
Prices on this page were last checked October 11, 2026 at 4:59 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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The Two Headphones In Full
Binary Chopin: $299.99 Hangout Audio eBay
Full Binary Chopin review and specifications →
| Released | Sep 2024 (2 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Back | Closed |
| Built-in Microphone | No |
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 1.42 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Hybrid (1 dynamic + 4 balanced armature) |
| Drivers | 1 x 8mm dynamic + 4 x balanced armature |
| Form Factor | In-ear |
| Harman Preference Score | 80 (median of 3 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 12 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 122 dB/Vrms |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+0.0 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.35 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
Etymotic EVO: $298.98 Amazon eBay
Pros: Three balanced armature drivers deliver a flat, uncolored midrange, with the 1 to 3 kHz region within 0.5 dB of the Harman target and a preference score of 78. Response is smooth, with a standard deviation of 1.89 dB around target. The deep-insertion wired design is passive noise isolating, and the 47 ohm impedance still works from a phone or dongle.
Cons: Bass is lean, with sub-bass about 3.3 dB under target and the 60 to 200 Hz region 1.5 dB under, so kick drums and bass lines have less weight than most listeners prefer. Treble from 6 to 10 kHz is about 3.5 dB low and the response drops 7.4 dB near 11.9 kHz, which makes cymbals and air sound dull. Sensitivity of 99 dB at 0.1V is modest, so volume needs more headroom than the most efficient earphones.
Full Etymotic EVO review and specifications →
| Released | Jun 2021 (5 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Back | Closed |
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 1.89 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Balanced armature |
| Drivers | 3 x balanced armature |
| Form Factor | In-ear |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz - 16kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 78 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 47 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 99 dB SPL at 0.1V, 1kHz |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-2.7 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | +0.08 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
EQ preset to match the Harman target
Set a preamp of -4.5 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +0.7 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 1,788 Hz | -3.1 dB | 1.61 |
| Peak | 6,507 Hz | +4.6 dB | 1.49 |
| Peak | 197 Hz | -1.4 dB | 1.38 |
| Peak | 64 Hz | +1.9 dB | 0.98 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +4.1 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 819 Hz | +1.2 dB | 1.66 |
| Peak | 1,255 Hz | -0.9 dB | 3.19 |
| Peak | 4,378 Hz | -0.7 dB | 4.42 |
| Peak | 7,270 Hz | -1.7 dB | 5.95 |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons