Short answer: the TRN TA4. It ranks #905 of 1369 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 3.4/5, at $6; the Kinera x Elise Audio Dark Phoenix ranks #940, rated 3.3/5, at $5. With prices this close, go by the sound-quality ranking rather than the cost.
What the TRN TA4 does well: A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 66 against the Harman target. Watch for: Treble about 3 dB below target from 3 to 10 kHz, which can sound dull or veiled next to brighter headphones.
What the Kinera x Elise Audio Dark Phoenix does well: A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 65 against the Harman target. The tradeoff: An uneven response, 2.3 dB standard deviation from target.
Buy the TRN TA4. It is rated higher for sound quality, and saving $1 with the Kinera x Elise Audio Dark Phoenix does not make up for the sound-quality gap.
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A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 66 against the Harman target.
TRN eBay
A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 65 against the Harman target.
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Specifications Side By Side
| TRN TA4 | Kinera x Elise Audio Dark Phoenix | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | 6.00 | 5.00 |
| Ranked | #905 of 1369 in In-Ear Headphones | #940 of 1369 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Harman Preference Score | 66 (median of 4 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 65 (median of 3 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.82 dB standard deviation | 2.27 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.21 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.49 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-3.8 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+2.9 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Driver Type | Hybrid | Tribrid (1 DD + 2 BA + 2 Micro-Planar) |
| Drivers | 2 dynamic drivers + 2 balanced armatures (10mm beryllium DD + 6mm titanium DD + dual Knowles 33518 BA) | 1 x 7mm dynamic driver + 2 x custom balanced armature + 2 x micro planar drivers |
| Impedance | 20 ohms | 32 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 105 dB | 103 dB |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz - 40kHz | 20Hz - 40,000Hz |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
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 TRN TA4 from arn, eplv, ianfann and tonedeafmonk; the Kinera x Elise Audio Dark Phoenix from pw, vortexreviews and vsg, all via squig.link.
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