Questyle NHB12 vs Sennheiser IE 4

Short answer: the Questyle NHB12, though neither ranks well in its class. It ranks #414 of 450 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 2.6/5, at $89; the Sennheiser IE 4 ranks #425, rated 2.3/5, at $89. With prices this close, go by the sound-quality ranking rather than the cost. Both are rated below 3.0/5 among the 450 in-ear headphones, and the Intuaura Reference 2019, ranked #5 at $34.99, is a better place to start if sound quality matters.

The Questyle NHB12 is the better-sounding pick. For bass lovers it delivers about 5 dB extra sub-bass and 6.4 dB extra bass over target, with 3.9 dB more than target at 30 Hz, so low notes have weight and rumble. The tradeoff: A 7.5 dB peak near 11.8 kHz on top of the heavy bass gives a V-shaped sound that HypetheSonics’ measurement scores at only 57 on preference.

Why pick the Sennheiser IE 4: Sub-bass and bass both sit more than 6 dB above target and extend fully to 20 Hz, a good match for listeners who want big, rumbling bass and a V shaped sound. Watch for: A huge 15.3 dB peak near 5.1 kHz and presence about 10 dB above target make vocals and snares sound shouty and fatiguing.

Buy the Questyle NHB12. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Sennheiser IE 4 at the same price, so only choose the other one for a particular feature it does better.

Looking for alternatives? See the complete Headphones rankings.

Specifications Side By Side

Related Headphone Comparisons

More top alternatives to Questyle NHB12:

• Sennheiser CX 3.00 vs Questyle NHB12
• 1MORE Triple Driver vs Questyle NHB12
• Sennheiser IE 4 vs Zero Audio Duoza ZH-DWX10
• CCA PLA13 vs Sennheiser IE 4
• Sennheiser IE 4 vs BASN Bmaster

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

Questyle NHB12: $89.00 Amazon eBay

Pros: For bass lovers it delivers about 5 dB extra sub-bass and 6.4 dB extra bass over target, with 3.9 dB more than target at 30 Hz, so low notes have weight and rumble. The midrange stays close to target from 1 to 6 kHz, keeping vocals present despite the boosted lows. Its 38 ohm single dynamic driver weighs 13 g per earpiece.

Cons: A 7.5 dB peak near 11.8 kHz on top of the heavy bass gives a V-shaped sound that HypetheSonics’ measurement scores at only 57 on preference. The Tin HiFi T2 Evo and 1MORE Triple Driver share its rating at lower prices, and the Sennheiser CX 3.00 is rated higher for less.

Full Questyle NHB12 review and specifications →

Released	2023 (3 years ago)
Back	Closed
Connection	Wired
Deviation From Target	2.98 dB standard deviation
Driver Type	Dynamic
Drivers	1 x dynamic
Form Factor	In-ear
Frequency Response	20Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified)
Harman Preference Score	57 (measured by HypetheSonics, via AutoEQ)
Impedance	38 ohms
Sub-bass Extension	Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+3.9 dB at 30 Hz)
Tonal Tilt	-1.21 (negative is warmer, positive brighter)
Weight	0 lbs (13 g) per earpiece

EQ preset to match the Harman target

Set a preamp of -3.9 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.

Filter	Frequency	Gain	Q
Low shelf	105 Hz	-3.9 dB	0.70
Peak	171 Hz	-4.5 dB	0.69
Peak	791 Hz	+3.5 dB	0.80
Peak	3,278 Hz	+3.6 dB	2.66
Peak	65 Hz	+1.2 dB	1.29
High shelf	10,000 Hz	+0.3 dB	0.70
Peak	8,076 Hz	-1.7 dB	2.57
Peak	5,123 Hz	-2.6 dB	5.79
Peak	6,409 Hz	+2.3 dB	5.97
Peak	3,999 Hz	+1.0 dB	5.06

• Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
  • AutoEQ results for the Questyle NHB12 (HypetheSonics measurement)
• Head-to-Head Comparisons
  • Questyle NHB12 vs 1MORE Triple Driver
  • Questyle NHB12 vs Sennheiser CX 3.00

Sennheiser IE 4: $89.00 B&H Photo Video eBay

Pros: Sub-bass and bass both sit more than 6 dB above target and extend fully to 20 Hz, a good match for listeners who want big, rumbling bass and a V shaped sound. The 16 ohm impedance and 106 dB/V sensitivity let it run fine from a phone. It is rated level with the CCA PLA13 at a similar price.

Cons: A huge 15.3 dB peak near 5.1 kHz and presence about 10 dB above target make vocals and snares sound shouty and fatiguing. The KZ ZAS is rated higher and costs less.

Full Sennheiser IE 4 review and specifications →

Released	2005 (21 years ago)
Back	Closed
Connection	Wired
Deviation From Target	3.59 dB standard deviation
Driver Type	Dynamic
Drivers	1 x dynamic
Form Factor	In-ear
Frequency Response	40Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified)
Harman Preference Score	53 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ)
Impedance	16 ohms
Sensitivity	106 dB SPL/V
Sub-bass Extension	Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+5.6 dB at 30 Hz)
Tonal Tilt	-0.43 (negative is warmer, positive brighter)

EQ preset to match the Harman target

Set a preamp of -5.2 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.

Filter	Frequency	Gain	Q
Low shelf	105 Hz	-3.3 dB	0.70
Peak	1,393 Hz	+6.5 dB	0.39
Peak	4,512 Hz	-13.3 dB	0.97
Peak	8,609 Hz	+6.4 dB	1.20
Peak	200 Hz	-2.3 dB	1.14
High shelf	10,000 Hz	-1.0 dB	0.70
Peak	2,324 Hz	+2.4 dB	3.14
Peak	3,227 Hz	-4.2 dB	4.39
Peak	64 Hz	+0.9 dB	2.17
Peak	4,107 Hz	+2.7 dB	6.00

• Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
  • AutoEQ results for the Sennheiser IE 4 (oratory1990 measurement)
• Head-to-Head Comparisons
  • Sennheiser IE 4 vs CCA PLA13
  • Sennheiser IE 4 vs Zero Audio Duoza ZH-DWX10
  • Sennheiser IE 4 vs BASN Bmaster
  • Sennheiser IE 4 vs KZ ZAS
  • Sennheiser IE 4 vs Sennheiser IE 900
  • Sennheiser IE 4 vs Sennheiser IE 600
  • Sennheiser IE 4 vs Sennheiser IE 200