Moondrop Kadenz VS Kiwi Ears ETUDE

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

Home Ranking Compare IEMs

Moondrop Kadenz and Kiwi Ears ETUDE are in-ear monitors. Moondrop Kadenz costs $190 while Kiwi Ears ETUDE costs $119. Moondrop Kadenz is $71 more expensive. Both score 6.6 from reviewers. Moondrop Kadenz has better mids with a 0.5-point edge, Moondrop Kadenz has significantly better treble with a 2.5-point edge and Kiwi Ears ETUDE has significantly better dynamics with a 2-point edge.

Insights

Metric Moondrop Kadenz Kiwi Ears ETUDE
Bass 7 6.6
Mids 6.5 6
Treble 7.5 5
Soundstage 6 6
Dynamics 5 7
Tonality 6.3 6.9
Technicalities 6.8 6.4

Moondrop Kadenz Aggregated Review Score

Average Reviewer Scores

Tim Tuned
Jays Audio Gizaudio Axel
Z-Reviews Jaytiss
Super* Review

Average Reviewer Score:

6.6

Cautiously Favorable


Kiwi Ears ETUDE Aggregated Review Score

Average Reviewer Scores

Jays Audio Z-Reviews
Jaytiss IEMRanking AI

Average Reviewer Score:

6.6

Cautiously Favorable


Reviews Comparison

Moondrop Kadenz reviewed by Jaytiss

Jaytiss 7 Reviewer Score
B Tuning
A- Tech
Great Cohessiveness and tonality. Upper air is very nice.

Jaytiss original ranking

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

Kiwi Ears ETUDE reviewed by Jaytiss

Jaytiss 7 Reviewer Score
B Tuning
C+ Tech
This is a unique sound, for neutral I prefere Airoso.

Jaytiss original ranking

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

Moondrop Kadenz reviewed by Jays Audio

Jays Audio 6 Reviewer Score
A Tuning
B+ Tech
Literally a more fancy Tangzu Xuan NV. Sounds basically the same but just with better packaging, cable/case, and build... but for $100 more?? Nah

Jays Audio original ranking

Jays Audio Youtube Channel

Kiwi Ears ETUDE reviewed by Jays Audio

Jays Audio 6.5 Reviewer Score
A Tuning
A Tech
Reverby, bouncy, and extended decay in the sub-bass. Unique bass play back and adds more texture to the low-end. Although reverb can bleed into the vocals - maybe the drivers work too well lol. A bassier 5+2 with better texutre and scaling.

Jays Audio original ranking

Jays Audio Youtube Channel

Moondrop Kadenz (more reviews)

Moondrop Kadenz reviewed by Super* Review

Super* Review 8* * score normalized
Nice physicality and punch. Better bass as most basy IEMs. Okay technicalities. Image Separation is not the widest but decent.

Super* Review original ranking

Super* Review Youtube Channel

Moondrop Kadenz reviewed by Gizaudio Axel

Gizaudio Axel 6 Reviewer Score
B Tuning
B+ Tech

Moondrop Kadenz reviewed by Tim Tuned

Tim Tuned 5.5 Reviewer Score
B- Tuning
A- Tech
check links for more info:

Tim Tuned original ranking

Tim Tuned Youtube Channel
Bass: A- Mids: A- Treble: A+

Kiwi Ears ETUDE (more reviews)

Kiwi Ears ETUDE reviewed by IEMRanking AI

2025-07-12
IEMRanking AI 7 Reviewer Score
A- Tuning
B+ Tech

The Kiwi Ears Étude offers a distinctive listening experience centered around its Kiwi Vibration Transducer (KVT), which adds a subtle tactile sensation to bass frequencies. This isn’t a gimmick—it lends sustained notes like bass guitars or synth lines an organic, textured quality that feels immersive without overpowering the mix. That said, the KVT can introduce mild reverb in lower-mid frequencies, occasionally coloring male vocals in podcasts or sparse tracks.

Tuning-wise, the Étude follows a mild V-shaped signature with an 8dB sub-bass lift and smooth, relaxed treble. The midrange remains relatively neutral, though vocals can lack body in acoustic tracks without bass accompaniment. While the beryllium dynamic driver delivers punchy kicks, the real star is the KVT’s physicality, which creates a holographic low-end that enhances EDM and hip-hop. Technical performance is competent for the price, with average soundstage width and decent separation, though imaging lacks precision.

Fit may be divisive due to the large shells housing the transducer, and the nozzle’s lack of ridges limits eartip options. Source pairing is critical too: the KVT scales noticeably with powerful amplification, unlocking fuller dynamics. Despite quirks, the Étude succeeds as a fun, genre-specific IEM that stands out in a crowded market.


Moondrop Kadenz User Review Score

Average User Scores

Average User Score: n/a

Based on 0 user reviews

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Kiwi Ears ETUDE User Review Score

Average User Scores

Average User Score: n/a

Based on 0 user reviews

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Moondrop Kadenz Gaming Score

Gaming Score & Grade

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

Gaming Score

6.6

Gaming Grade

B+

Kiwi Ears ETUDE Gaming Score

Gaming Score & Grade

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

Gaming Score

6.6

Gaming Grade

B+

Moondrop Kadenz 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 A-
Strong, well-defined bass with good texture. Delivers satisfying punch and rumble without overwhelming other frequencies.
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 C+
Decent dynamic performance. Good macro-contrast but micro-dynamics could be more nuanced. Satisfactory impact.
Soundstage B
Good soundstage with proper width and depth. Instruments have clear positioning with reasonable front/back placement.
Gaming B+
Respectable environmental presentation favors atmosphere over precision. Detects obvious directional cues while conveying game world ambiance.

Kiwi Ears ETUDE 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.
Mids B
Good midrange presence with solid clarity. Vocals are clear and instruments have reasonable texture and body.
Treble C+
Decent treble with acceptable extension and detail. Can sound slightly unrefined but avoids being harsh or sibilant.
Dynamics A-
Excellent dynamics with great contrast and speed. Transients are crisp and micro-details are clearly articulated.
Soundstage B
Good soundstage with proper width and depth. Instruments have clear positioning with reasonable front/back placement.
Gaming B+
Respectable environmental presentation favors atmosphere over precision. Detects obvious directional cues while conveying game world ambiance.

Moondrop Kadenz User Reviews

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Kiwi Ears ETUDE User Reviews

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