Short answer: the Kiwi Ears KE4. It ranks #821 of 1291 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 3.5/5, at $199; the Sound Rhyme SR6 ranks #887, rated 3.4/5, at $198. Close enough in price that the sound-quality gap is the deciding factor.
Why pick the Kiwi Ears KE4: Bass is clean and well controlled from the isobaric dynamic pair, landing right on target from 20 Hz upward across 37 measurements. Watch for: The upper mids and presence sit about 4 to 5 dB below target, with a 7.4 dB dip near 6.5 kHz, so vocals and instruments lose bite and the sound can feel veiled.
What the Sound Rhyme SR6 does well: A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 66 against the Harman target. The tradeoff: An uneven response, 2.3 dB standard deviation from target.
Buy the Kiwi Ears KE4. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $1 you would save on the Sound Rhyme SR6 does not close the gap.
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Bass is clean and well controlled from the isobaric dynamic pair, landing right on target from 20 Hz upward across 37 measurements.
Amazon $199.00 eBay
A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 66 against the Harman target.
Penon Audio $198.00 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 KE4 | Sound Rhyme SR6 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $199.00 | $198.00 |
| Ranked | #821 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones | #887 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Hybrid | Quad-brid (1 DD + 2 BA + 2 Planar + 1 Bone Conduction) |
| Drivers | 2 x 10mm dynamic (isobaric) + 2 x balanced armature | 1 x 10mm dynamic driver (LCP) + 2 x balanced armatures (2389D) + 2 x micro planar drivers + 1 x piezoelectric bone conduction driver |
| Impedance | 28 ohms | 33 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 102 dB/mW | 106 dB |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 10Hz - 40kHz |
| Harman Preference Score | 67 (median of 37 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 66 (median of 6 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.17 dB standard deviation | 2.33 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.84 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.77 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-0.5 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+0.6 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 KE4 from aden, aftersound, atechreviews, audioamigo, banzai1122, bloomaudio, boizoff, cammyfi, cqtek, dl, eliseaudio, filk, flare, gadgetrytech, harutohiroki, hobbytalk, iemworld, jaytiss, joshtbvo, joycesreview, kazi, kuping-sensi, listener, lown-fi, obodio, practiphile, pw, silicagel, sl0the, soundcheck39, soundignity, superreview, theaudiostore, therollo9, timmyv, treblewellxtended and vortexreviews; the Sound Rhyme SR6 from audioamigo, breampike, flare, jaytiss, practiphile and soundcheck39, all via squig.link.
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