Pros: ANC and Transparency Mode, Light Weight, Great Value, Feature packed at its price, Comfortable and Lightweight

Cons: Details not the best but decent at asking price

Driver Setup: Dual Dynamic Drivers

Price: $99.99 (Currently On Sale at $50 at the time of writing)

Intro

Disclaimer: The Kiwi Ears Ardor was provided to us at no charge courtesy of Kiwi Ears. However, this was done with the understanding that I would provide my honest thoughts and opinions on the Ardor. The Kiwi Ears Ardor is available for purchase here, should you find yourself interested in a pair, or feel free to use your links. Do take a look at the Kiwi Ears site and check the price, as it might be slightly lower than MSRP due to ongoing promotions.

Features

• Active Noise Cancelling and Transparency Mode (Dedicated button)
• Option for Wired Analog Playback via a 3.5mm cable
• Up to 140 Hr Playback Wireless Connectivity (ANC Off)
• Up to 72 Hr Playback with ANC On
• Bluetooth 5.4 Support
• 10 min Charge for 8 Hr Playback
• Internal DAC Chip supports Wired USB Playback

Accessories

It comes with a hard carrying case. Although the headphones can fold in a little, the case just requires turning the cups flat. I find this isn’t the most effective design, resulting in a really huge case that can be bulky and take up quite a lot of space in my backpack. You could consider going without the case on the Ardor. Apart from that, the case is sturdy and should do the job if you’re worried about these being damaged in your bag, and it has some space for cables inside.

Build Quality and Fit

Build Quality and Fit is really surprising at the price point of the Ardor. I started trying them on first without checking the price and I was pleasantly surprised to see they were going for less than a $100. The build is sturdy and the plastic build is sturdy enough in the right places and yet does well in keeping these lightweight to be comfortable. I can’t comment on how durable the pads will be but they are very soft and comfortable on the skin. No complaints in this area and is one of the areas that impressed me actually.

The headphone hugs my head very well without any weird pressure points on any part. That said, the adjustable band might not fit very huge heads. I would say my head is average to slightly below average sized for a male and yet I am nearing the end of the adjustable band.

Sound

Sources

• iPhone 15 Pro

Music listened to

• The Weeknd
• The Carpenters
• keshi
• Kygo
• NEEDTOBREATHE
• The Eagles
• Noah Kahan
• John Mayer
• etc

Bass

On Bluetooth sets, especially at more budget ranges, I find that the most important aspect to nail is the bass. The bass on the Ardor is quite well done and enjoyable. I do find that it gets a nice boost with the ANC switched on, and I would just recommend using these with the ANC on all the time, especially with the monster of a battery life the Ardor has. The bass has good punch and bass lovers would not find these lacking. The bass is also overall tastefully done without overwhelming the overall tuning.

Mids

Mids are very pleasant and vocals are forward enough to make the sound engaging and energetic and balances the punchy bass well. Midrange tonality is good but lacking in a little in terms of separation. The midrange tuning is very pleasant across genres and it sounds great on pop, rock and EDM. Imaging is done well on the Ardors and the sound definitely is a very big step up from a lot of wireless sets you find off the shelves in this saturated market.

Highs

Treble is a little lacking in detail retrieval and can come across as a little fuzzy, revealing some of the Ardor’s weaknesses in technical capability. There is a peak in the lower treble that can cause a little unnatural tonality, but that is mostly because I have been using my wired IEMs a lot daily and makes it an unfair comparison. Otherwise, it is not offensive and still maintains an enjoyable listening experience

Overall

It has a slight V or U shaped tuning overall, and the highs can get a little peaky on some tracks at higher volumes, but otherwise, I find that the tuning is versatile and handles a lot of pop music well. The Ardor has quite a decent soundstage and does not sound too intimate which is very welcome for a headphone. I must say the tuning has pleasantly surprised me and this overall sonic performance really does live up to the expectations coming from a brand like Kiwi Ears.

The ANC works well and I find that it filters the noises on the train and office very well. It also is very pleasant to use for hours on end, it does not have an intense “pressurised” feeling that I get on some ANC headphones.

The Transparency is not as good as what I am used to on my Samsung Buds 2 Pro. I wouldn’t it too much to hear conversations reliably but it is enough to be safe when using them while crossing the road to be aware of your surroundings.

Conclusion

At its current price of 50% off at $49, as much as I hate to use the phrase, it is quite a no-brainer in terms of a value proposition. It has a well-working ANC, has a comfortable fit, is lightweight, and most importantly, has a pleasant tuning. More importantly, it has an insanely long battery life which I find quite rare these days. You could probably go weeks on end without charging these even if you use them about 2-3 hours a day. It has all you would need as a baseline for a commuting headphone, and wearing this in my daily public transport commute was actually really enjoyable.

At this price point, and considering its Bluetooth sound performance only, there is definitely room for improvement in the details and sound quality, but there have to be reasonable bounds to what one can come to expect at different price points. While Kiwi Ears is not your typical household brand name for wireless headphones, it is a respectable entry into a saturated market crowded with powerhouses like Sony, Bose, and Apple. And talking to friends and colleagues, not everyone wants to drop hundreds on a headphone for use in the gym or public transpor,t which might get sweaty or grimy, hence, I believe there is room for the Ardor to shine.