Short answer: the Kiwi Ears Orchestra. It ranks #506 of 1291 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 3.9/5, at $662.56; the FiiO FX15 ranks #551, rated 3.8/5, and costs $699.99, which makes this an easy call rather than a real tradeoff.
What the Kiwi Ears Orchestra does well: Eight balanced armatures per side earn a preference score of 72 in crinacle’s measurement. Watch for: Presence sits 5.5 dB below target with a 6.7 dB dip near 5.3 kHz, which pushes vocals and guitar bite back and makes some recordings sound distant.
The case for the FiiO FX15: Its hybrid of one 10mm dynamic driver, one balanced armature and four electrostatic tweeters delivers a warm, gently V-shaped sound with a preference score of 72 across seven hobbyist measurements. The tradeoff: A 7.4 dB peak near 8.1 kHz next to a 4.8 dB dip near 6.1 kHz makes cymbals and sibilants uneven, with some edge on bright tracks.
Buy the Kiwi Ears Orchestra. It is rated higher for sound quality than the FiiO FX15 and costs less, so only choose the other one for a particular feature it does better.
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Eight balanced armatures per side earn a preference score of 72 in crinacle’s measurement.
AliExpress $662.56 eBay
Its hybrid of one 10mm dynamic driver, one balanced armature and four electrostatic tweeters delivers a warm, gently V-shaped sound with a preference score of 72 across seven hobbyist measurements.
Amazon $699.99 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 Orchestra | FiiO FX15 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $662.56 | $699.99 |
| Ranked | #506 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones | #551 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Harman Preference Score | 72 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) | 72 (median of 7 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.33 dB standard deviation | 2.15 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | +0.13 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.36 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Balanced armature | Hybrid (1 dynamic + 1 balanced armature + 4 electrostatic) |
| Drivers | 8 x balanced armature | 1 x 10mm dynamic + 1 x balanced armature + 4 x electrostatic |
| Impedance | 17 ohms | 24 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 111 dB | 103 dB/mW |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 20Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-5.4 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+0.1 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Weight | - | 0 lbs (6 g) per earpiece |
| Built-in Microphone | - | No |
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 Orchestra from dentreviews, hbb, joycesreview, koi, precog, superreview and timmyv; the FiiO FX15 from dchpgall, jaytiss, precog, silicagel, superreview, timmyv and vsg, all via squig.link.
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