Kiwi Ears Altruva

Good headset rubbish wire

The headset is great but the wire already stopped working after a weak. There was no sound coming from the left side so I got a new wire of Amazon and it works perfectly

Great Value/Sound

It’s just amazing what is possible now in audio versus some 10 years ago. This would’ve been my grail headphones back then and it would’ve taken 10 years for something better to come along to knock it off its top spot. It has wonderful width, height, and depth. There’s decent separation of the instruments. There’s a hint of warmth in the bass and it’s not entirely clean, but what would you expect from something that costs under $100 (pre-sale price). It’s also nicely balanced too. The weight is negligible and the comfort is excellent! The only thing I would even call a con, would be the cable. It really holds the headphone back. I switched to a Tripowin (spelling?) cable it really helped. A lot. Transformed the sound to what I described up there. Of course YMMV due to equipment used and source as well. But yeah, I’m really loving these

Another Ace from Kiwi Ears: The Altruva

Coming from the Kiwi Ears Ellipse—another open-back model I greatly enjoy—the Kiwi Ears Altruva is undoubtedly comparable, if not the better-sounding pair of headphones. While retaining the Ellipse’s overall clean sound and excellent bass, the Altruva offers slightly more clarity. I hadn’t realised how much more detail I could hear in familiar tracks until I tried the Altruva. It’s detailed, yet still non-fatiguing. Likely due to the design of the headband and stock ear pads, the soundstage is also slightly wider. Imaging and instrument separation are accurate and impressive. However, this design does come with a trade-off in comfort. The Altruva’s headband clamps more tightly than the Ellipse’s, and the shape and size of the ear pads aren’t as comfortable. If I needed to wear a pair of headphones for an extended session, I’d still reach for the Ellipse. I haven’t yet tested the replacement ear pads that come with the Altruva. The stock cables appear similar between the two models. One small but welcome improvement: the “L” and “R” markings are more visible on the Altruva, which is a definite plus. Do I recommend the Altruva? Yes, definitely. Both the Kiwi Ears Ellipse and Altruva come strongly recommended at their respective price points. The Ellipse already seems popular among many users; I only wish more people had the chance to try the Altruva.