Short answer: the Juzear Defiant Gamefidelity Edition. Both are rated 3.8/5 for sound quality (#559 and #574 of 1291 in-ear headphones), and the Juzear Defiant Gamefidelity Edition costs $109.99 against $119 for the Kiwi Ears Etude, and with sound quality even, the cheaper one is the better buy.
What the Juzear Defiant Gamefidelity Edition does well: A hybrid of one dynamic driver and three balanced armatures keeps bass and midrange within about 1 dB of target in squig.link hobbyist measurements, with sub-bass holding full level at 30 Hz. The catch: The 3 to 10 kHz range falls 3 to 4.4 dB below target with a 6.7 dB dip near 6.3 kHz, so vocals lose some clarity and footsteps or detail cues can sound dulled.
What the Kiwi Ears Etude does well: The median of 17 hobbyist measurements gives it a solid Harman preference score of 71 with a 2.05 dB spread, and its mids sit within about 0.5 dB of target, so vocals and instruments sound natural. Watch for: Presence sits about 4.7 dB low with a 5.8 dB dip near 4.0 kHz, so vocals and instruments lose some bite.
Buy the Juzear Defiant Gamefidelity Edition. Both are rated the same for sound quality, and it costs $9.01 less than the Kiwi Ears Etude.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Headphones rankings.
A hybrid of one dynamic driver and three balanced armatures keeps bass and midrange within about 1 dB of target in squig.link hobbyist measurements, with sub-bass holding full level at 30 Hz.
Amazon $109.99 eBay
The median of 17 hobbyist measurements gives it a solid Harman preference score of 71 with a 2.05 dB spread, and its mids sit within about 0.5 dB of target, so vocals and instruments sound natural.
Linsoul $119 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
| Juzear Defiant Gamefidelity Edition | Kiwi Ears Etude | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $109.99 | $119 |
| Ranked | #559 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones | #574 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Harman Preference Score | 71 (median of 5 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 71 (median of 17 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 1.97 dB standard deviation | 2.05 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.80 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.66 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+1.1 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+0.1 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Hybrid (1 dynamic + 3 balanced armature) | Tribrid |
| Drivers | 1 x dynamic + 3 x balanced armature | 1 x 10mm dynamic + 3 x balanced armature + 1 x vibration transducer |
| Impedance | 32 ohms | 5 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 109 dB | 104 dB/mW |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 20Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes | - |
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 Juzear Defiant Gamefidelity Edition from atechreviews, bassaudio, dl, precog and soundignity; the Kiwi Ears Etude from aden, aftersound, arn, atechreviews, audioamigo, avishai, bassaudio, fahryst, flare, hadoe, hbb, jaytiss, joycesreview, lumerion, silicagel, soundcheck39 and tonedeafmonk, all via squig.link.
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