Jaybird X4 (2018) vs KZ ATE (2015)

The Jaybird X4 (2018) is a great Canal Earphone for its $87 asking price.

The KZ ATE (2015), however, while a reasonable product for $14, doesn't stack up against its competitors quite as well. If you're considering Canal Earphones in the $9 range, you might want to check out some better options.

The Jaybird X4 (2018) was loved by reviewers at PCmag, a highly trusted source that performs reliable in-depth testing. It did great in its "The Best Bluetooth Headphones for Running" roundup where it was named its "Best for Audiophiles", which, in itself, makes it a product worth considering.

As for the KZ ATE (2015) - Head-fi, a source that conducts reliable hands-on testing, has featured it in its KZ ATE In-Ear Monitors review roundup. However, it didn't make it to any of the top spots.

We couldn't find any sources that tested both of these Canal Earphones, so we only analyzed how they performed in reviews from different sites.

We first examined which sources rated each of these best and found that the Jaybird X4 (2018) got its highest, 9, rating from Android Central, while the KZ ATE (2015) earned its best, 9, score from WIRED.

Lastly, we averaged out all of the reviews scores that we could find on these two products and compared them to other Canal Earphones on the market. We learned that both of them performed far better than most of their competitors - the overall review average earned by Canal Earphones being 7.4 out of 10, whereas the Jaybird X4 (2018) and KZ ATE (2015) managed averages of 8.3 and 8.6 points, respectively.

Due to the difference in their prices, however, it's important to keep in mind that a direct Jaybird X4 (2018) vs. KZ ATE (2015) comparison might not be entirely fair - some sources don't take value for money into account when assigning their scores and therefore have a tendency to rate more premium products better.