Short answer: the Shure Aonic 4. It ranks #599 of 865 in-ear headphones by sound quality (rated 3.2/5); the Shure Aonic 3 ranks #681 (rated 2.8/5).
What the Shure Aonic 3 does well: Its tonal tilt of +0.37 sits close to the target, so the overall balance is neither dark nor bright. Watch for: A Harman score of 59 places it in the lower part of the in-ear rankings.
The Shure Aonic 4 is the better-sounding pick. Lower mids sit within about 0.5 dB of target, keeping voices and guitars natural. Watch for: Presence sits about 5.7 dB low with a 9.6 dB dip near 5.9 kHz, so vocals and instruments lose some bite.
Buy the Shure Aonic 4. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Shure Aonic 3.
Want more options? Browse the full Headphones rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Shure Aonic 3 | Shure Aonic 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | - | $368.32 |
| Ranked | #681 of 865 in In-Ear Headphones | #599 of 865 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Balanced armature | Hybrid |
| Drivers | 1 x balanced armature | 1 x dynamic + 1 x balanced armature |
| Impedance | 28 ohms | 7 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 108 dB SPL/mW | 106 dB/mW |
| Frequency Response | 22Hz - 19kHz | 20Hz - 19kHz |
| Harman Preference Score | 59 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) | 64 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 3.31 dB standard deviation | 2.83 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | +0.37 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.59 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Weight | - | 0 lbs (21.1 g) |
| Sub-bass Extension | - | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-4.0 dB at 30 Hz) |
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Prices on this page were last checked October 13, 2026 at 3:17 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
Shure Aonic 3 eBay
Pros: Its tonal tilt of +0.37 sits close to the target, so the overall balance is neither dark nor bright. It uses 1 x balanced armature with an easy 28 ohm load.
Cons: A Harman score of 59 places it in the lower part of the in-ear rankings.
Full Shure Aonic 3 review and specifications →
| Released | 2020 (6 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 3.31 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Balanced armature |
| Drivers | 1 x balanced armature |
| Form Factor | In-ear |
| Frequency Response | 22Hz - 19kHz |
| Harman Preference Score | 59 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 28 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 108 dB SPL/mW |
| Tonal Tilt | +0.37 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
EQ preset to match the Harman target
Set a preamp of -6.6 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 | +8.8 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 70 Hz | -4.6 dB | 0.25 |
| Peak | 5,692 Hz | +5.0 dB | 1.38 |
| Peak | 2,508 Hz | +2.8 dB | 2.23 |
| Peak | 7,366 Hz | -3.6 dB | 5.18 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +6.6 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 897 Hz | +1.3 dB | 1.75 |
| Peak | 9,052 Hz | -2.5 dB | 1.98 |
| Peak | 1,346 Hz | -1.4 dB | 3.28 |
| Peak | 357 Hz | -0.6 dB | 2.24 |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
Shure Aonic 4: $368.32 Amazon $368.32 eBay
Pros: Lower mids sit within about 0.5 dB of target, keeping voices and guitars natural. It uses 1 x dynamic + 1 x balanced armature with an easy 7 ohm load.
Cons: Presence sits about 5.7 dB low with a 9.6 dB dip near 5.9 kHz, so vocals and instruments lose some bite. A 5.6 dB peak near 9.4 kHz can make cymbals and sibilance sound sharp. Sub-bass is 4 dB short at 30 Hz, so deep bass lacks rumble. A Harman score of 64 places it in the lower part of the in-ear rankings.
Full Shure Aonic 4 review and specifications →
| Released | 2020 (6 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 2.83 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Hybrid |
| Drivers | 1 x dynamic + 1 x balanced armature |
| Form Factor | In-ear |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz - 19kHz |
| Harman Preference Score | 64 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 7 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 106 dB/mW |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-4.0 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.59 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Weight | 0 lbs (21.1 g) |
EQ preset to match the Harman target
Set a preamp of -6.3 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 | +1.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 171 Hz | -3.5 dB | 0.73 |
| Peak | 6,951 Hz | +4.4 dB | 0.77 |
| Peak | 5,107 Hz | +3.0 dB | 3.00 |
| Peak | 1,456 Hz | -1.8 dB | 3.17 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +5.5 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 8,208 Hz | -2.1 dB | 1.72 |
| Peak | 829 Hz | +0.8 dB | 2.34 |
| Peak | 6,340 Hz | +1.3 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 3,309 Hz | -0.6 dB | 4.21 |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons