Short answer: the Tipsy M1. Both are rated 3.1/5 for sound quality (#1053 and #1056 of 1369 in-ear headphones), and the Tipsy M1 costs $99.99 against $109 for the Kiwi Ears Quartet, with sound quality a draw, the lower price decides it.
Why pick the Kiwi Ears Quartet: Bass is thick and punchy, sitting about 3.7 dB above target from 60 to 250 Hz with extension to 20 Hz, and tuning switches let you dial the low end up or down. The catch: The midbass lift makes some tracks sound boomy, presence dips about 4.3 dB with a 6.6 dB hole near 4.4 kHz, and a 6.3 dB treble peak near 8.2 kHz can sound splashy.
The case for the Tipsy M1: A published AutoEQ preset corrects its response toward the Harman target, so a few minutes of EQ setup closes most of the gap. Watch for: Treble about 5 dB below target from 3 to 10 kHz, which can sound dull or veiled next to brighter headphones.
Buy the Tipsy M1. Both are rated the same for sound quality, and it costs $9.01 less than the Kiwi Ears Quartet.
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Bass is thick and punchy, sitting about 3.7 dB above target from 60 to 250 Hz with extension to 20 Hz, and tuning switches let you dial the low end up or down.
Amazon $109.00 eBay
A published AutoEQ preset corrects its response toward the Harman target, so a few minutes of EQ setup closes most of the gap.
Amazon $99.99 eBayPrices on this page were last checked October 17, 2026 at 6:04 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 Quartet | Tipsy M1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $109.00 | $99.99 |
| Ranked | #1056 of 1369 in In-Ear Headphones | #1053 of 1369 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Hybrid | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 2 x 10mm dynamic + 2 x balanced armature | 1 x 10mm dual-chamber dynamic driver (handmade bamboo fiber diaphragm) |
| Impedance | 32 ohms | 24 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 110 dB/mW | 106 dB |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 20Hz - 20kHz |
| Harman Preference Score | 62 (median of 29 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 63 (median of 3 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.78 dB standard deviation | 2.59 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.75 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.95 (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 (+1.1 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Weight | - | 0 lbs (3.5 g) (per earbud) |
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 Quartet from achoreviews, aden, adri-n, ankramutt, arc, atechreviews, audioamigo, bakkwatan, bassyalexander, bloomaudio, dentreviews, flare, hadoe, hbb, hobbytalk, joshtbvo, listener, mmagtech, musicafe, nymz, obodio, practiphile, precog, soundcheck39, superreview, suporsalad, tdl, therollo9 and tonedeafmonk; the Tipsy M1 from jaytiss, pw and tdl, all via squig.link.
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