Short answer: the Kiwi Ears Septet. Both are rated 4.2/5 for sound quality (#278 and #286 of 1291 in-ear headphones), and the Kiwi Ears Septet costs $269 against $279.99 for the Tanchjim x Effect Audio Force, with sound quality a draw, the lower price decides it.
The case for the Kiwi Ears Septet: The median of 29 hobbyist measurements gives it a very good Harman preference score of 76 with a 1.77 dB spread. The tradeoff: Presence sits about 3 dB low with a 5.5 dB dip near 3.4 kHz, so vocals and instruments lose some bite.
The case for the Tanchjim x Effect Audio Force: The median of 3 hobbyist measurements gives it a very good Harman preference score of 76 with a 1.95 dB spread, and its mids sit within about 0.5 dB of target, so vocals and instruments sound natural. The catch: Presence sits about 4.2 dB low with a 7.1 dB dip near 11.2 kHz, so vocals and instruments lose some bite.
Buy the Kiwi Ears Septet. Both are rated the same for sound quality, and it costs $10.99 less than the Tanchjim x Effect Audio Force.
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The median of 29 hobbyist measurements gives it a very good Harman preference score of 76 with a 1.77 dB spread.
Amazon $269.00 eBay
The median of 3 hobbyist measurements gives it a very good Harman preference score of 76 with a 1.95 dB spread, and its mids sit within about 0.5 dB of target, so vocals and instruments sound natural.
Amazon $279.99 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 Septet | Tanchjim x Effect Audio Force | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $269.00 | $279.99 |
| Ranked | #278 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones | #286 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Harman Preference Score | 76 (median of 29 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 76 (median of 3 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 1.77 dB standard deviation | 1.95 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.38 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | +0.10 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+0.3 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-3.9 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Hybrid (1 dynamic + 4 balanced armature + 1 planar + 1 piezoelectric) | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 10mm dynamic + 4 x balanced armature + 1 x micro planar + 1 x piezoelectric | 1 x 10mm dynamic + 1 x 8.2mm dynamic |
| Impedance | 15 ohms | 17 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 95 dB/mW | 120 dB/Vrms |
| Frequency Response | 8Hz - 30kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 8Hz - 48kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| 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 Septet from aden, aftersound, arn, atechreviews, audioamigo, avishai, bassaudio, boizoff, cqtek, dl, ducbloke, flare, hobbytalk, hu-fi, iemocean, jaytiss, joycesreview, kazi, kuping-sensi, lumerion, obodio, practiphile, pw, silicagel, soundcheck39, soundignity, timmyv, tonedeafmonk and vortexreviews; the Tanchjim x Effect Audio Force from csi-zone, joycesreview and soundignity, all via squig.link.
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