Pros: Soundstage, Details, Value, Comfort, Bass, Separation, Tuning

Cons: Tonal Accuracy/Colouration, No Real Cons at this price point

Driver Setup: 50mm Dynamic Driver Headphones

Price: $69.99

Intro

Disclaimer: The Kiwi Ears Altruva 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 Altruva. The Kiwi Ears Altruva 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

• 50mm Dynamic Driver
• Detachable Cables
• 3.5mm termination with 6.35mm adapter
• 3m cable length
• Sensitivity: 98dB ± 3dB
• Impedance: 32 Ohm
• Frequency Response: 20Hz – 40Hz

Accessories

Picture obtained from Kiwi Ears Altruva Product Page

It comes with a sleeved detachable cable that terminates in 3.5mm at the cups. This is quite standard, meaning you can use cables from other earphones. The addition of the extra pair of Velour pads is very nice. The stock pads are very thick and plush, and they don’t hurt the ears or head over long listening sessions at my desk. In an air-conditioned environment, it also doesn’t feel very stuffy or warm. The stock cable at 3m is very long, and I would recommend using your own cable or keeping it tied up if you’re using it at your desk

Build Quality and Fit

Build quality is very solid for the asking price. There are no adjustable extensions; instead, the headband adopts an elastic cushion that adjusts to your head. I like this implementation much better as it spreads the weight evenly throughout the headphone and doesn’t have any pressure spots that make it uncomfortable over time. The cushion is firm but comfortable. The stock pads are also very good at not trapping heat, and the cushioning they provide is very plush. The cups are mostly plastic, a part of the metal grills, but they still feel sturdy in the hands. The plastic is a good choice at this price point as it keeps the overall weight of the headphones low, too.

Sound

Sources

• SMSL M200 –> Schiit Magnius

Music listened to

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

Bass

Bass is definitely boosted on these and comes through very strongly. The tuning is somewhat of an L-shaped or U-shaped bass-boosted sound signature. For people more used to a balanced or neutral tuning, the bass might come off a tad strong on genres like Pop and EDM. Bass is punchy, especially in the mid-bass and extends deep for an open-backed headphone. Once again, keeping in mind the price point, I would say the details and crispness of the bass are extremely well done, but of course, comparing upwards to premium offerings from bigger brands, the bass would have limitations in its detail retrieval, transients, and timbre.

Mids

The midrange benefits greatly from the expansive soundstage. Vocals and Instruments have a lot of room to shine, and separation is way beyond what I would have imagined from a sub-$100 pair of headphones. Tonality is also very pleasant, with no peakiness or thinness. I would say the midrange is slightly recessed when compared to the bass, hence I find myself especially enjoying the midrange on acoustic or quieter tracks where the instruments and vocals have more room to play with. Clarity of voices and details come through very clearly, and the versatile tuning just makes the Altruva a joy to listen to and unwind with after a long day at work.

Highs

The highs play a very good complementary role in the tuning, extending well to continue to provide that high ceiling of soundstage and also help to provide that extra crispness and sparkle to the sound. The upper treble is airy, and instruments like hi-hats are crisp without coming across as harsh or sibilant even at higher volumes.

Overall

As a true open back, isolation is pretty much non-existent, and background noise is bound to be an issue if you are planning to use these in a noisy environment. Noise bleed would also be a concern if you’re using it in a quiet place like a library. Listening to a variety of music, the Altruva shines in jazz band recordings, where I find the soundstage and the instrumental separation really stand out. I would imagine that the Altruva works well for gaming as well, with its decent imaging and soundstage.

I also found that while better DACs and sources do bring out better sound

Conclusion

Even for someone who has transitioned away from headphones for a while, I just knew the Altruva was definitely something special at this price point the moment I plugged it in and heard the first track. One would never imagine getting this level of sound quality at this price point, especially for headphones. For a brand that is not exactly known for its headphones, this really came as a surprise. I really do hope they experiment more and would love to see what they can achieve at higher price points.

The Altruva’s warm and pleasant tuning without harsh peaks makes it quite a versatile pair of headphones that should appeal to the general crowd, even though the general mass market may not be that familiar with open-back headphones. It has very good build quality and decent comfort, which makes it a straightforward option for me to recommend to anyone wanting to dabble in headphones for the first time or experience an open-backed headphone that doesn’t take too much power to shine. The biggest thing to note with Altruva’s sound would be its slightly coloured timbre, which is not the most accurate and true to life when it comes to instrumental and vocals. That said, there are pretty much no downsides to the Altruva at this price point, and I would say anyone would benefit from these and just enjoy them at the affordable price point it sits at.