Short answer: a tie on sound quality. Both are rated 3.6/5 (#690 and #731 of 1291 in-ear headphones) at nearly the same price ($499 vs $494.10), so choose on features and fit.
What the iBasso IT04 does well: A preference score of 69 in crinacle’s measurement puts the IT04 in solid, listenable territory for an in-ear. The catch: A score of 69 trails the best in-ears, so the tuning is noticeably off the Harman target in places.
Why pick the QoA Margarita: A tribrid with a dynamic driver, a balanced armature and two Sonion electrostatic tweeters. The catch: Treble sits about 4.1 dB below target, a dark, relaxed balance.
Buy the iBasso IT04 or the QoA Margarita on features: they are rated the same for sound quality at close to the same price.
Still deciding? The full Headphones rankings cover every ranked option.
A preference score of 69 in crinacle’s measurement puts the IT04 in solid, listenable territory for an in-ear.
Amazon $499.00 eBay
A tribrid with a dynamic driver, a balanced armature and two Sonion electrostatic tweeters.
HiFiGo $494.10 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
| iBasso IT04 | QoA Margarita | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $499.00 | $494.10 |
| Ranked | #690 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones | #731 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Harman Preference Score | 69 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) | 69 (median of 4 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.79 dB standard deviation | 2.42 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | +0.02 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.38 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Hybrid (1 dynamic + 3 balanced armature) | Tribrid |
| Drivers | 1 x 10mm dynamic + 3 x balanced armature | 1 x dynamic + 1 x balanced armature + 2 x electrostatic |
| Sensitivity | 110 dB | - |
| Weight | 0 lbs (13 g) | - |
| Frequency Response | 5Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Impedance | - | 61 ohms |
| Sub-bass Extension | - | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-1.6 dB at 30 Hz) |
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