Short answer: the Truthear Gate. It ranks #22 of 450 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 4.8/5, at $21.99; the KZ Gale ranks #30, rated 4.7/5, at $21.99. The price gap is small enough that the sound-quality ranking should decide it.
What the Truthear Gate does well: A Harman score of 83 from a single dynamic driver at a very low price gives accurate bass and mids, with bass and upper mids within about 0.2 dB of target. Watch for: Treble is the weak point, with a deep 10.8 dB dip near 11 kHz and air about 3 dB under target.
What the KZ Gale does well: Squig.link measurements, the median of six hobbyist samples, give it a preference score of 82, solid for a very inexpensive single dynamic in-ear. The catch: Sub-bass sits about 1.8 dB under target, so deep electronic bass has less rumble than bassier rivals.
Buy the Truthear Gate. It is rated higher for sound quality than the KZ Gale at the same price, so only choose the other one for a particular feature it does better.
Still deciding? The full Headphones rankings cover every ranked option.
Specifications Side By Side
| Truthear Gate | KZ Gale | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $21.99 | $21.99 |
| Ranked | #22 of 450 in In-Ear Headphones | #30 of 450 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Harman Preference Score | 83 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) | 82 (median of 6 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 1.39 dB standard deviation | 1.35 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.23 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | +0.02 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-0.9 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-1.8 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Dynamic | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 10mm dynamic | 1 x 10mm dynamic |
| Impedance | 28 ohms | 24 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 122 dB/Vrms | 107 dB/mW |
| Frequency Response | 10Hz - 45kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 10Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
Related Headphone Comparisons
More worthwhile head-to-heads for Truthear Gate:
- EPZ G10 vs Truthear Gate
- 7Hz Salnotes Zero vs Truthear Gate
- CCA Trio vs Truthear Gate
- TRN MT3 vs Truthear Gate
- Truthear Gate vs KZ EDZ
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
Truthear Gate: $21.99 Amazon AliExpress eBay
Pros: A Harman score of 83 from a single dynamic driver at a very low price gives accurate bass and mids, with bass and upper mids within about 0.2 dB of target. The 28 ohm impedance with 122 dB per volt sensitivity makes it easy to drive from any phone. The warm tilt suits listeners who want a smooth, non-fatiguing sound. It earns the same rating as the 7Hz Salnotes Zero at a similar cost.
Cons: Treble is the weak point, with a deep 10.8 dB dip near 11 kHz and air about 3 dB under target. Cymbals, hi-hats and the sense of space on recordings sound dulled as a result. Presence from 3 to 6 kHz is also about 1.9 dB down, which takes a little bite off vocals.
Full Truthear Gate review and specifications →
| Back | Closed |
|---|---|
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 1.39 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 10mm dynamic |
| Form Factor | In-ear |
| Frequency Response | 10Hz - 45kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 83 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 28 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 122 dB/Vrms |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-0.9 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.23 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
EQ preset to match the Harman target
Set a preamp of -4.9 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 | +0.1 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 9,538 Hz | +4.7 dB | 0.99 |
| Peak | 2,074 Hz | -1.3 dB | 0.65 |
| Peak | 196 Hz | -1.1 dB | 1.34 |
| Peak | 698 Hz | +1.2 dB | 1.31 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -2.1 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 72 Hz | +0.8 dB | 1.77 |
| Peak | 4,992 Hz | +0.3 dB | 2.04 |
| Peak | 126 Hz | -0.4 dB | 2.34 |
| Peak | 8,647 Hz | +1.3 dB | 5.95 |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
KZ Gale: $21.99 Amazon eBay
Pros: Squig.link measurements, the median of six hobbyist samples, give it a preference score of 82, solid for a very inexpensive single dynamic in-ear. Bass and lower midrange sit close to target with a slight upper bass lift, giving a warm, relaxed tone. Sensitivity of 107 dB/mW at 24 ohms means a phone drives it easily. It shares its rating with the KZ EDZ and DDHiFi Janus 3 at a similar price.
Cons: Sub-bass sits about 1.8 dB under target, so deep electronic bass has less rumble than bassier rivals. The presence band runs nearly 2 dB low with a 2.8 dB dip near 3.5 kHz, pushing vocals slightly back, and its 1.35 dB average deviation is less even than the best in-ears.
Full KZ Gale review and specifications →
| Released | Jul 2025 (1 year ago) |
|---|---|
| Back | Closed |
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 1.35 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 10mm dynamic |
| Form Factor | In-ear |
| Frequency Response | 10Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 82 (median of 6 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 24 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 107 dB/mW |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-1.8 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | +0.02 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons