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Just a week ago, my friend asked me to recommend an inexpensive set of headphones. I asked him about quality, which, as it turns out, was important to him. He thought his budget should be $150 – $200. But, lucky for him, the Kiwi Ears Ardor retail for $99 and are on sale, right now, for just $80. At these prices, and with these features, they’re an easy recommendation.
Right out of the gate, I have to say the presentation sets a great tone for what is inside. The headphones themselves are beautiful and feel incredibly high-end. They feature a foldable, lightweight design with soft vegan-leather ear pads that just look amazing. Most importantly, I found them to be very comfortable, and they sound superb.
Sound Signature and Performance
The Ardor features a coaxial dual dynamic driver setup, using a 40mm driver for deep bass, natural mids, and crisp treble, alongside a dedicated 10mm driver that enhances clarity and broadens the soundstage. The tuning follows the Harman target reference, meaning you get powerful bass that is quickly limited in the midrange to avoid any bloat, providing a balanced, exciting, and natural sound.
Active Noise Cancellation and Battery These feature a custom hybrid ANC system with a 5-microphone array that reduces ambient noise by up to 35dB. Whether you are commuting or working, it provides excellent isolation. The battery life on these is absolutely insane. You get up to 140 hours of playback with ANC off and 72 hours with ANC on. Plus, a quick 10-minute charge gives you 8 hours of music.
Connectivity and Versatility
Equipped with Bluetooth 5.4, you get ultra-low latency, an 8 to 10 meter signal range, and the ability to connect to two devices simultaneously. If you prefer a wired connection, they also support USB playback with a built-in DAC and AMP chipset for high-resolution audio across Apple, Android, and Windows devices.
Technical Specifications
- Driver Configuration: Dynamic 40mm and 10mm coaxial drivers.
- Bluetooth: Version 5.4.
- Audio Codecs: SBC and AAC.
- Noise Cancellation: Hybrid ANC with a noise reduction depth of -32dB±3dB.
- Battery Capacity: 1100mAh.
- Playback Time: 72 hours with ANC on, and 140 hours with ANC off.
- Fast Charging: 10 minutes of charging yields 8 hours of playback.
- Impedance: 32 ohms ±10% at 1KHz.
- Sensitivity: 100±3dB at 1KHz 1mW.
Overall, if you want inexpensive yet high-fidelity wireless set that excels in battery life and sound quality without breaking the bank, the Kiwi Ears Ardor are a fantastic choice.