KBEAR KB16 Cepheus VS Etymotic ER4XR

IEM Comparison: Expert & Community Scores Side-by-Side

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KBEAR KB16 Cepheus and Etymotic ER4XR use 2DD+6BA and 1BA driver setups respectively. KBEAR KB16 Cepheus costs $180 while Etymotic ER4XR costs $200. Etymotic ER4XR is $20 more expensive. Both score 6.8 from reviewers. Etymotic ER4XR has significantly better mids with a 1-point edge, KBEAR KB16 Cepheus has significantly better treble with a 2-point edge and KBEAR KB16 Cepheus has significantly better dynamics with a 2-point edge.

KBEAR KB16 Cepheus Aggregated Review Score

KBEAR KB16 Cepheus Average Reviewer Scores

Jaytiss

Average Reviewer Score:

6.8

Cautiously Favorable


Etymotic ER4XR Aggregated Review Score

Etymotic ER4XR Average Reviewer Scores

Precogvision
Crin
Super* Review

Average Reviewer Score:

6.8

Cautiously Favorable


KBEAR KB16 Cepheus User Review Score

KBEAR KB16 Cepheus Average User Scores

Average User Score: n/a

Based on 0 user reviews

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Etymotic ER4XR User Review Score

Etymotic ER4XR Average User Scores

Average User Score: n/a

Based on 0 user reviews

No user reviews yet. Be the first one who writes a review!

KBEAR KB16 Cepheus Gaming Score

Gaming Score & Grade

  • The gaming score is prioritizing technical capabilities of the IEM (Separation, Layering, Soundstage) and good value.

Gaming Score

6.9

Gaming Grade

B+

Etymotic ER4XR Gaming Score

Gaming Score & Grade

  • The gaming score is prioritizing technical capabilities of the IEM (Separation, Layering, Soundstage) and good value.

Gaming Score

6.2

Gaming Grade

B

KBEAR KB16 Cepheus Scorings

Average Technical & Tuning Grades

Average Tunign Grade

B+
  • Generally enjoyable tonal character with some noticeable unevenness. Maintains listenability while showing room for refinement in frequency balance.

Average Technical Grade

A-
  • Competent technical presentation. Handles separation and detail well in most tracks, with modest soundstage and acceptable imaging capabilities.
Mids B
Good midrange presence with solid clarity. Vocals are clear and instruments have reasonable texture and body.
Treble A-
Excellent treble: airy, extended and well-controlled. Great micro-detail retrieval without sibilance or harshness.
Dynamics A-
Excellent dynamics with great contrast and speed. Transients are crisp and micro-details are clearly articulated.
Soundstage A-
Excellent spatial presentation - wide, deep and tall. Precise instrument placement with clear separation in all dimensions.
Gaming B+
Respectable environmental presentation favors atmosphere over precision. Detects obvious directional cues while conveying game world ambiance.

Etymotic ER4XR Scorings

Average Technical & Tuning Grades

Average Tunign Grade

B
  • Generally enjoyable tonal character with some noticeable unevenness. Maintains listenability while showing room for refinement in frequency balance.

Average Technical Grade

B
  • Satisfactory technical performance. Handles basic detail retrieval adequately in most tracks. Maintains reasonable cohesion in simpler arrangements.
Bass C+
Average bass performance - present but unremarkable. Has reasonable texture but lacks depth and physicality.
Mids A-
Excellent midrange with natural timbre and great detail retrieval. Vocals are forward and emotive with lifelike instrument reproduction.
Treble C+
Decent treble with acceptable extension and detail. Can sound slightly unrefined but avoids being harsh or sibilant.
Dynamics C+
Decent dynamic performance. Good macro-contrast but micro-dynamics could be more nuanced. Satisfactory impact.
Details B
Good resolution with clear articulation of nuances. Reveals recording nuances and maintains clarity in complex passages.
Imaging C+
Decent positional accuracy. Good left/right placement with acceptable center image, though depth positioning is approximate.
Gaming B
Decent spatial awareness for fundamental positioning. Creates satisfying atmosphere in story-driven games while handling basic directional cues.

KBEAR KB16 Cepheus Reviews

KBEAR KB16 Cepheus reviewed by:

2025-09-03
Jaytiss 6.8 Reviewer Score
B+ Tuning
A- Tech
Enjoyable, but not really worth it.

Jaytiss original ranking

Jaytiss Youtube Channel
- Jaytiss
Mids: B Treble: A- Dynamics: A- Soundstage: A-

Etymotic ER4XR Reviews

Etymotic ER4XR reviewed by:

Super* Review 8* * score normalized

Etymotic ER4XR reviewed by:

Precogvision 5.3 Reviewer Score
B- Tuning
C+ Tech
So. Darn. Boring. But yes, it's the BA benchmark.

Precogvision original ranking

Precogvision Youtube Channel
- Precogvision
Bass: C+ Mids: A- Treble: C+ Dynamics: C+ Details: B Imaging: C+

Etymotic ER4XR reviewed by:

Crin 7 Reviewer Score
A- Tuning
A- Tech
A more mainstream tuning of the ER4S/SR with slightly boosted bass.

Crin original ranking

Crin Youtube Channel
- Crin

KBEAR KB16 Cepheus User Reviews

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Etymotic ER4XR User Reviews

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