Short answer: the NF Acous NM20. Both are rated 3.7/5 for sound quality (#649 and #636 of 1291 in-ear headphones), and the NF Acous NM20 costs $119 against $129 for the Kiwi Ears Airoso, with sound quality a draw, the lower price decides it.
The case for the Kiwi Ears Airoso: A warm, even tuning measured by 23 people with a 2.0 dB spread: bass sits about 2.6 dB above target with clean extension, mids stay close to neutral, and upper air lifts about 3 dB. Watch for: Presence dips about 3.5 dB with a 6.6 dB low point near 5.6 kHz, softening vocal edge, and a 3.9 dB peak near 12 kHz adds some brightness.
What the NF Acous NM20 does well: The median of 10 hobbyist measurements gives it a solid Harman preference score of 70 with a 2.19 dB spread, and its mids sit within about 0.8 dB of target, so vocals and instruments sound natural. Watch for: An 11.6 dB peak near 11.5 kHz can make cymbals and sibilance sound sharp.
Buy the NF Acous NM20. Both are rated the same for sound quality, and it costs $10 less than the Kiwi Ears Airoso.
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A warm, even tuning measured by 23 people with a 2.0 dB spread: bass sits about 2.6 dB above target with clean extension, mids stay close to neutral, and upper air lifts about 3 dB.
Amazon $129.00 eBay
The median of 10 hobbyist measurements gives it a solid Harman preference score of 70 with a 2.19 dB spread, and its mids sit within about 0.8 dB of target, so vocals and instruments sound natural.
Amazon $119.00 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
| Kiwi Ears Airoso | NF Acous NM20 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $129.00 | $119.00 |
| Ranked | #636 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones | #649 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Hybrid | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x dynamic + 4 x balanced armature | 1 x beryllium-plated dynamic |
| Impedance | 18 ohms | 32 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 110 dB/mW | - |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 20Hz - 40kHz |
| Weight | 0 lbs (12 g) per earpiece | - |
| Harman Preference Score | 70 (median of 23 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 70 (median of 10 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.00 dB standard deviation | 2.19 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.75 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | +0.22 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+0.4 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 Kiwi Ears Airoso from aden, aftersound, atechreviews, avishai, awsmdanny, bassaudio, cqtek, ducbloke, gadgetrytech, hbb, iemworld, jaytiss, joshtbvo, joycesreview, koi, kuping-sensi, pw, silicagel, soundcheck39, soundignity, timmyv, tonedeafmonk and vortexreviews; the NF Acous NM20 from arn, cqtek, hu-fi, joycesreview, koi, musicafe, obodio, pw, soundcheck39, suporsalad, tonedeafmonk and treblewellxtended, all via squig.link.
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