Short answer: the Tanchjim Nora. Both are rated 3.8/5 for sound quality (#579 and #574 of 1291 in-ear headphones), and the Tanchjim Nora costs $109.99 against $119 for the Kiwi Ears Etude, so with nothing between them on sound quality, price settles it.
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. The catch: Presence sits about 4.7 dB low with a 5.8 dB dip near 4.0 kHz, so vocals and instruments lose some bite.
The case for the Tanchjim Nora: The median of 14 hobbyist measurements gives it a solid Harman preference score of 71 with a 2.33 dB spread, and its mids sit within about 0.6 dB of target, so vocals and instruments sound natural. The catch: A 4.8 dB peak near 8.4 kHz can make cymbals and sibilance sound sharp.
Buy the Tanchjim Nora. Both are rated the same for sound quality, and it costs $9.01 less than the Kiwi Ears Etude.
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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 eBay
The median of 14 hobbyist measurements gives it a solid Harman preference score of 71 with a 2.33 dB spread, and its mids sit within about 0.6 dB of target, so vocals and instruments sound natural.
Amazon $109.99 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 Etude | Tanchjim Nora | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $119 | $109.99 |
| Ranked | #574 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones | #579 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Tribrid | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 10mm dynamic + 3 x balanced armature + 1 x vibration transducer | 1 x dynamic |
| Impedance | 5 ohms | 16 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 104 dB/mW | 125 dB/Vrms |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Harman Preference Score | 71 (median of 17 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 71 (median of 14 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.05 dB standard deviation | 2.33 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.66 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | +0.19 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+0.1 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-4.4 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 Etude from aden, aftersound, arn, atechreviews, audioamigo, avishai, bassaudio, fahryst, flare, hadoe, hbb, jaytiss, joycesreview, lumerion, silicagel, soundcheck39 and tonedeafmonk; the Tanchjim Nora from aden, aftersound, atechreviews, bassaudio, csi-zone, elrics, fernandagunsan, gadgetgenerations, hu-fi, iemocean, pw, soundignity, theaudiostore and treblewellxtended, all via squig.link.
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