Tag Archives: kiwiears

KiwiEars Ellipse Headphones Review: Affordable Sound

Disclaimer

Kiwiears sent me a a free pair of the Ellipse headphones to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review. Make sure you also check out my reviews for the Belle earbuds and the Serene headphones. I will also be using my Amazon affiliate link where possible. It really helps me out if you use it before you buy anything.

Table of Contents

What’s in the box?

  • Kiwiears Ellipse Headphones
  • Detachable 3.5mm Cable
  • 6.3mm Adapter
  • User Manual

Features

The Kiwiears Ellipse is a powerful budget headset that promises the features and soundscape you want in for your listening needs.

Design

The Ellipse are a stylish headphones with a light and ergonomic design for comfortable listening. The plush vegan-leather pads are not only for elegance, but provide the headphone’s signature comfort. The detachable cable 3.5mm makes it easy to store and gives it a longer lifespan than the typical headphones. This means you can always trade your cable for something that better fits your style.

Performance

The wired design is key for any lossless audio experience, and you don’t have to worry about charging another gadget. The headphones themselves are tuned to take advantage of their premium 50mm dynamic drivers to deliver a finely tuned soundstage. The KiwiEars Ellipse promise to deliver the beautifully balanced high fidelity at a very affordable price.

Review

You aren’t doing much better at this price point than the KiwiEars Ellipse. These headphones not only look cool, but they deliver an impressive sound that is worth buying into. Whether you need some everyday beaters or an upgrade to your existing setup, I would argue that the Ellipse headphones are a decent place to start. That’s if you aren’t willing the little extra it costs to pick up the Altruva.

Quality

KiwiEars makes fantastic headphones, and the Ellipse are no exception. Out of the box, I was impressed by the cleanly manufactured high quality headphones. They are made with sturdy material that offer a good amount of flex that I have confidence that they will survive some hard traveling. The vegan-leather accents don’t look cheap, and the cushion is underneath is soft and bouncy. They may be on the cheaper end of headphones, but they definitely don’t have that look or feel.

Comfort

The Ellipse headphones are incredibly comfortable. They offer a strong enough hold to stay in place, but they don’t squeeze my giant head. I wouldn’t go running with them, but they will survive a daily commute. I like how the cushion snuggles at my head and ear, but the cushion does get a little hot. It is winter here so the added warmth is welcomed, but I am not sure how these will be in the summer. Either way, I dare you to find a more comfortable set of headphones at this price range.

Performance

The sound is fine. You aren’t getting studio quality hi-fi sound, but most people aren’t going to notice. The soundstage is full enough to get you through the day. Music sounds good without the overcompensating bass you get in cheap headphones, voices come clear for those who want something for podcasts or YouTube, and they offer a solid ASMR experience. You get a better sound with the Altruvas for a little more money, but the Ellipse is still a very strong contender at this price point.

Conclusion

If you are looking for an affordable pair of headphones that deliver a good sound, check out the KiwiEars Ellipse. They look cool and sound great at a very good price point. While they are overshadowed by the Altruvas, most people won’t notice the difference. you’re getting a solid pair of headphones either way.

You can pick up the KiwiEars Ellipse headphones on the official KiwiEars website, or through my Amazon Affiliate link if you want to help me out.

Kiwiears Serene Headphones Review: Style Meets Sound

Disclaimer

Kiwiears sent me a pair of the of the Serene closed-back planer magnetic headphones to review for my blog. While I am very greatful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review. Make sure you also check out my review for the Ardor and Altruva headphones.

Table of Contents

What’s in the box?

  • Serene Headphones
  • 3.5 mm Audio Cable
  • User Manual

Features

Designed in collaboration with Z reviews, Kiwiears has come out with a very accessible closed back headphone that you might want to add to your collection.

Design

The Serene headphones sport a clean modern design. The aluminum frame is lightweight, perfect for travel and extended use. The frame is well made and applies enough pressure to stay on without causing discomfort. The vegan leather padding give the headset its elegant aesthetic while keeping the user incredibly comfortable. The purple accent is what really makes the headset its flare.

Performance

The Serene headset has been designed to provide an excellent sound stage. The memory foam cups allows long comfortable sessions, but also enhance the listening experience. By minimizing unwanted refraction, and blocking out enough of the environment, users can appreciate the Serene’s full sound.

The headset features a 72mm x 89mm closed planer magnetic driver for a full rich sound. The closed back give it its superior sound isolation. Users can enjoy lossless audio through the customizable wired connection and not need to worry about battery life. If you are looking for your next headset, Kiwiear’s Serene is a promising contender.

Review

If you’re looking for a stylish headphone to upgrade your setup, the serene offers a decent enough experience to earn a consideration.

Quality

Users will appreciate the headsets clean aluminum frame. The frame supports a good amount of frame, and is sturdy enough to withstand a good amount of wear and tear. These headphones won’t be breaking anytime soon.

Comfort

The Serene headset is a very comfortable pair of headphones. The frame hugs my giant head enough to secure the sound without squeezing my head. The frame is a little too loose for working out in them. The memory foam in the cups do a fantastic job at isolating the sound, and are incredibly comfortable. I love that they don’t make my ears too hot, especially with the long sessions I put them through.

Sound

The Serene headphones are very good at what they do. They offer a decent sound stage with a respectable amount of bass. All genres feel really good through the magnetic drivers, even without a DAC. If you enjoy ASMR videos, the Serene handle 3D sound and trigger words beautifully. The isolation on these is very good. I wouldn’t say they are noise cancelling, but my wife did have to get pretty close to get my attention. I still prefer the sound of an open back headphone like the Altruva, but the Serene is a strong contender for my affection.

Conclusion

The Serene provide an excellent sound stage at the price point. If you are looking for a stylish pair of headphones that also sound good, grab your pair of Serene headphones. You can pick up your pair of Kiwi Ears x Z Reviews: Serene headphones from the official Kiwiears shop.

Altruva Headset Review: Top Budget Headphones

Disclaimer

KiwiEars sent me the Altruva headset for free to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opporutunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review. Make sure to check out the my reviews for the Ardor and Aventus if you’re looking for something wireless. I will also be using my Amazon Affiliate link. It really helps me out if you use it!

What’s in the box?

  • Altruva Headphones
  • Aditional Padding
  • 3.5mm Chord
  • 6.35mm adapter
  • User Guide

Features

The Altruva headphones high quality headphones who want close to studio quality without breaking the bank. This open back headset features 50mm dynamic drives that deliver a full calibrated soundscape with a tight bass and solid mids for a more professional sounding experience. The high quality materials for both the headset and the 3m cable make it feel and look like a more expensive headset. The headset comes in a classic gray and a very stylish blackwood.

Review

I love the Altruva Headset. These are easily my favorite pair of headphones, and have become my daily drivers. If you are looking for high quality budget headphones, these are a solid pair.

I was a little disappointed with the packaging, but everything came in great condition so it isn’t an issue. Out of the box, the headphones have a stylish clean design. The material looks like it is high quality, although I wouldn’t drop it to much unless you want to risk bending or scraping. The frame does have a good amount of flex, so I don’t think these will break any time soon. The cushion is plush enough to create a solid comfortable seal without making my ears too hot, even in the summer. They do get sweaty, but I never feel the need to take them off. The additional cushion will come in handy.

If you are looking for a comfortable headset, you aren’t finding much better. The cushion is great, but the head frame automatically adjusts to the perfect fit. I feel like the elasticity for this system will fail eventually, but you will probably need a new pair then anyways. Until that happens, you can enjoy a fantastic sound stage.

For this price, you aren’t getting a better sound stage. Most budget headphones overcompensate their low quality drivers with too much bass. Not only is the bass perfect, the drivers do work. They handle a wide range of genres with a crisp and clean sound. I am not an audiophile by any means, but for the casual, the sound is an upgrade. I like the these better than my airpods.

The only issue I have with the headphones is that they are wired. You want a wired connection for fidelity, but I also don’t want the wire clutter. That said, the sound is good enough where I don’t care. It has a good length high quality wire that allows me close to the freedom of a wireless without the need of recharging.

If you want a good pair of budget openback heaphones, pick up a pair of Altruva. You can pick up the Altruva headphones from the official Kiwi Ears site, or on Amazon through my affiliate link.

Kiwiears Ardor Headphones: Unmatched Noise Cancelling & Comfort

Disclaimer

Kiwiears sent me the Ardor wireless headphones to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review. Make sure you check out my review for the Aventus headset.

What’s in the box?

  • Ardor Wireless Headphones
  • Carrying Case
  • USB-C to USB-C Charging Cable
  • Aux Chord
  • User Manual

Features

If you’re looking for a high quality wireless headphones with effective noise cancelling and a solid sound stage, then you might be looking for the Kiwiears Ardor wireless headphones. These active noise cancelling headphones are ready to provide up to 72 hours (140 without noise cancelling) of uninterrupted listening. When the battery eventually runs out, users can continue to enjoy the headsets amazing quality though the wired connection and built in DAC/AMP chipset.

As for the sound, the Ardor has been tuned to high quality audiophile standards to provide the most impressive sound stage possible at this price range. With its impressive 5-microphone array to block out about 35dB of ambient noise, you are only hearing what you want to.

Mic Check

https://churapereviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/ardorsoundtest.mp3

Review

If you want an impressive opening experience, pick up a pair of Kiwiears. I am always impressed with the presentation and how well everything is packaged. The included case feels very good quality, and I like that there is space for the cables.

As far as quality goes, the the Ardor heaphones feel good. They have a sleek design and are cleanly manufactured. They don’t feel or look cheap, which is always a plus. The leather padding is soft, comfy, and they don’t get hot. They do feel a little loose on my head, but as long as I am not running, they work great. Most importantly, there is an appropriate amount of flex.

The headset does have a built in microphone, but the quality is disappointing. I like that it is discrete, but it does sound far away and there is some echo. It’s usable, but I wouldn’t us it for content creation. I guess its nice to have, but I would have done without it. Regardless of this flaw, the sound quality more than makes up for the mic quality.

The Ardor has two listening experiences: Wireless and Wired. The wireless experience is fine, but I was a little disappointed. The sound stage feels a little flat, and there doesn’t seem to be enough bass. It is serviceable, and you can definitely hit a worse sound at this level. The headsets long battery life (even with noise cancelling on) does make up for it. The noise cancelling on these headphones is amazing. I would argue that these are better at blocking out ambient sound than my airpods. You are not hearing anything around you unless you really want to, and that more than makes up for the mid sound. The headset does have an impressive amount of noise cancelling without having to turn on anything, which means you will probably never need to charge these things. The headset has a passthrough mode for when you need to hear things around you. It works fine, but it did make some of what I was listening echo a bit.

I would argue that the true listening experience starts when you plug in the Ardor through the include wire. I was not ready for how much of a difference the built in DAC and wired connection would make. I won’t be using these wirelessly unless I absolutely have to. The sound through a wired connection feels fuller, and the bass packs the necessary punch. You are getting a very good sound at this price range.

If you are looking for a pair of high quality headphones that look good, give you the sound you want, and won’t break the bank, go pick up a pair of the Ardor. You get a long lasting wireless headset with unrivaled ANC and access to a dynamic sound stage when you need it.

You can pick up a pair of the Ardor headphones from the official website for $99.99.