Short answer: the Kiwi Ears Quintet. It ranks #46 of 450 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 4.6/5, at $208.05; the Kiiboom Evoke ranks #65, rated 4.5/5, and costs $229, so there is little reason to consider the other one.
The case for the Kiwi Ears Quintet: The median of 39 squig.link measurements, a large sample, scores it 81.5 for preference with only 1.23 dB of deviation. The catch: Presence dips about 2.1 dB below target and bottoms out 4 dB down near 6.3 kHz, which can soften consonants and snare attack.
What the Kiiboom Evoke does well: Six hobbyist measurements on squig.link give it a preference score of 80.4 with just 1.3 dB of deviation, and sub-bass is essentially flat to target at 30 Hz for full, clean rumble. The tradeoff: The overall warm tilt comes from a presence region about 3.2 dB low and treble about 2.2 dB low, with a 4.6 dB dip near 5.4 kHz, so vocals and strings can sound slightly veiled.
Buy the Kiwi Ears Quintet. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Kiiboom Evoke and costs less, so it is the default pick unless a specific strength of the other one matters more to you.
Still deciding? The full Headphones rankings cover every ranked option.
Specifications Side By Side
| Kiwi Ears Quintet | Kiiboom Evoke | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $208.05 | $229.00 |
| Ranked | #46 of 450 in In-Ear Headphones | #65 of 450 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Harman Preference Score | 81 (median of 40 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 80 (median of 6 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 1.24 dB standard deviation | 1.30 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.37 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.47 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+0.2 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+0.1 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Hybrid (1 dynamic + 2 balanced armature + 1 planar magnetic + 1 bone conduction) | Hybrid (1 dynamic + 2 balanced armature) |
| Drivers | 1 x 10mm dynamic + 2 x balanced armature + 1 x planar magnetic + 1 x bone conduction | 1 x 10mm dynamic + 2 x balanced armature |
| Impedance | 32 ohms | 15 ohms |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz - 30kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 20Hz - 44kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built-in Microphone | No | - |
| Sensitivity | - | 108 dB |
Related Headphone Comparisons
How Kiwi Ears Quintet compares with other leading options:
- BGVP Solomon vs Kiwi Ears Quintet
- Kiwi Ears Quintet vs Simgot SuperMix 5
- Kiiboom Evoke vs Simgot SuperMix 5
- BGVP Solomon vs Kiiboom Evoke
- Kiiboom Evoke vs Sony WF-1000XM6
Prices on this page were last checked October 11, 2026 at 4:59 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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The Two Headphones In Full
Kiwi Ears Quintet: $208.05 Amazon eBay
Pros: The median of 39 squig.link measurements, a large sample, scores it 81.5 for preference with only 1.23 dB of deviation. Sub-bass sits on target at 30 Hz and bass runs about 1 dB over, a full but controlled low end. Its five driver hybrid, with a dynamic driver, two balanced armatures, a planar and a bone conduction unit, keeps the midrange within half a dB of target, and air lifts about 2.8 dB for an open top end.
Cons: Presence dips about 2.1 dB below target and bottoms out 4 dB down near 6.3 kHz, which can soften consonants and snare attack. A 4.2 dB peak near 11.9 kHz adds a touch of glare to cymbals on bright recordings, and there is no inline mic.
Full Kiwi Ears Quintet review and specifications →
| Released | 2023 (3 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Back | Closed |
| Built-in Microphone | No |
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 1.24 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Hybrid (1 dynamic + 2 balanced armature + 1 planar magnetic + 1 bone conduction) |
| Drivers | 1 x 10mm dynamic + 2 x balanced armature + 1 x planar magnetic + 1 x bone conduction |
| Form Factor | In-ear |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz - 30kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 81 (median of 40 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 32 ohms |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+0.2 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.37 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
Kiiboom Evoke: $229.00 Amazon eBay
Pros: Six hobbyist measurements on squig.link give it a preference score of 80.4 with just 1.3 dB of deviation, and sub-bass is essentially flat to target at 30 Hz for full, clean rumble. Bass and low mids track within half a dB of target, and the largest treble peak is a mere 0.5 dB, so it avoids harshness entirely. With 108 dB sensitivity it runs easily from a phone or dongle.
Cons: The overall warm tilt comes from a presence region about 3.2 dB low and treble about 2.2 dB low, with a 4.6 dB dip near 5.4 kHz, so vocals and strings can sound slightly veiled. Its 15 ohm load can reveal background hiss on some sources.
Full Kiiboom Evoke review and specifications →
| Released | 2023 (3 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Back | Closed |
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 1.30 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Hybrid (1 dynamic + 2 balanced armature) |
| Drivers | 1 x 10mm dynamic + 2 x balanced armature |
| Form Factor | In-ear |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz - 44kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 80 (median of 6 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 15 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 108 dB |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+0.1 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.47 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons