Kiwi Ears Altruva

Is this Kiwi Ears best Headphone?

The Kiwi Ears Altruva is an affordable open-back headphone priced at a very reasonable $69.99, featuring a 50mm dynamic driver. Available in two color options - Grey and Wood-brown the Altruva positions itself as a budget-friendly option for those seeking a spacious soundstage experience without breaking the bank.

Overall, while it does chase that soundstage effect and has a warmer midbass than I would like, this is a very decent offering at this price range. I feel it is better than the other recent and similarly priced headphones from Kiwi Ears, with some nice comfort provided by the two sets of earpads that you get in the box.

While it offers impressive performance for the price, the Altruva does exhibit a ‘colored’ midrange that, while attempting to enhance the perceived soundstage width, does affect the overall tonal neutrality.

But I will get into the details of the sound later in this review.

Having enjoyed the Altruva for about a month now with both the provided Earpads, and comparing it with many other ultra budget headphones in my collection (including a few others from Kiwi Ears). I feel this is probably (with some simple EQ), the best of the Kiwi Ears new open back headphones, while not perfect, it offers a “lot of headphone” for its price.

So let’s get into seeing what you get out of the box:

Unboxing and Build Quality

The unboxing experience of the Kiwi Ears Altruva is straightforward and functional:

The back of the box provides key specifications and features:

Opening the box reveals the headphones in protective plastic:

Inside the box, you’ll find:

• Kiwi Ears Altruva headphones
• Detachable cable (quite long but easily replaceable)
• Two alternative earpads (in addition to the pre-installed ones)
• User manual

The box contents are well-organized and include everything needed to get started:

Build Quality and Design

The Altruva features excellent build quality, especially considering its price point. The construction feels solid and durable, with a good balance between weight and sturdiness. The headband extension mechanism works smoothly and provides a good range of adjustment to fit various head sizes.

The grills on the outside of the earpads show the open-back construction:

There’s also a vent on the earcup that contributes to the open-back design:

The cable is quite long but easily replaceable if needed:

Available in two color options, Grey and Woodbrown, the Altruva has a clean, understated aesthetic that should appeal to most users.

Comfort and Fit

The Kiwi Ears Altruva offers excellent comfort for extended listening sessions, which is one of its standout features at this price point. I am especially impressed with the depth of the earpads:

The headband provides a little bit of padding and distributes weight evenly across the head, preventing hotspots during longer use:

The headband extension mechanism uses an elastic system that works adequately for the price range:

The clamping force strikes a good balance - secure enough to keep the headphones in place but not so tight as to cause discomfort. The ear cups are large enough to fully encompass most ears, creating a proper seal without putting pressure on the ears themselves. The earpad depth is generous, contributing to the overall comfort during extended listening sessions.

Excellent Earpad Selection

The default leather earpads provide nice comfort with a different feel:

But one of the Altruva’s strongest points is the inclusion of a second pair of earpads, providing excellent comfort options.

The stock velour earpads are soft and breathable, making them comfortable for extended wear:

Given the design, it is relatively easy to swap the earpads to third party options.

The back of the earpads shows the quality construction:

Removing the earpad reveals the dampening over the 50mm drivers:

Features

50mm Dynamic Driver

The Altruva is equipped with a 50mm dynamic driver, which is relatively large for headphones in this price range.

Open-Back Design

The very open-back design contributes significantly to the Altruva’s spacious soundstage. This design allows air to flow through the ear cups, creating a more natural and expansive sound compared to closed-back alternatives.

Interchangeable Earpads

One of the standout features of the Altruva is the inclusion of three different earpads (including the pre-installed ones). This allows users to experiment with different sound signatures and comfort levels without additional purchases.

Sound Impressions

Overall the Altruva has a fun v-shaped sound with a warm mid-bass, but there is some recession in the midrange (typical of headphones chasing a wide soundstage effect) and then probably too much treble emphasis. That treble is, I imagine, designed to balance the warmer mid-bass. But let’s get into the details.

Bass

The bass response of the Altruva is well-controlled and presents a good extension for an open-back headphone. While it doesn’t deliver the same impact or sub-bass rumble as higher-end models or closed-back alternatives, it provides a warm yet articulated low-end that works well for most music genres.

Bass notes are presented with a deep but slightly muddy texture, though the subbass does leak into the mid-bass. And the open-back design naturally limits some of the subbass impact, but I thought the tilted bass on the Altruva is some of the best on any ultra budget headphone.

Midrange

The midrange is where the Altruva shows its most distinctive character. It features a midrange designed to enhance the perception of soundstage width and the cost of some tonality. This tuning creates an impressive sense of space but does come at the cost of midrange accuracy.

But Vocals are presented with good clarity but may sometimes feel slightly recessed or positioned differently than on more neutral headphones. Instruments in the midrange have good separation and detail, though the specific tuning might not appeal to purists seeking a strictly neutral presentation.

Treble

The treble presentation of the Altruva is detailed but does exhibit some peaks that can occasionally lead to sibilance or harshness with certain tracks. These treble peaks can be challenging to address completely with EQ, which is a common limitation in headphones at this price point.

Despite these peaks, the overall treble extension is good, providing a sense of air and space that complements the wide soundstage. Cymbals and high-frequency details are presented with reasonable clarity, though lacking the refinement of higher-end models.

Soundstage and Imaging

Soundstage is undoubtedly one of the Altruva’s strongest attributes. The open-back design combined with the specific tuning creates an impressively wide sound field that extends well beyond the physical confines of the headphones. This makes the Altruva particularly enjoyable for orchestral music, live recordings, and gaming.

Imaging is good but not exceptional, instruments and vocals are positioned with reasonable accuracy within the soundstage, though the precise placement isn’t as pinpoint as on more expensive reference headphones.

Specifications and Measurements

Inside the Box

• Kiwi Ears Altruva x1
• 3.5 mm adapter x1
• 6.35 mm adapter x1
• Headphone pads x1 pair
• User manual x1

Measurements

The frequency response measurements reveal the technical characteristics that support the subjective listening impressions. The Altruva shows the linear but elevated bass response and typical 1-2kHz recession that’s common in headphones designed to emphasize soundstage width.

Frequency Response Analysis

The stock frequency response shows the characteristic tuning of a soundstage-focused headphone:

When compared with other Kiwi Ears headphones, the Altruva shows a more refined tuning approach:

The alternative earpads provide good channel matching, which is important for proper stereo imaging:

Here’s how the Altruva compares with some reference headphones like the AR5000 and HD600:

The dampened treble version shows how the frequency response can be modified:

Distortion Measurements

The distortion handling is great:

The distortion percentage remains low < 1% across most of the frequency range:

These measurements confirm that the Altruva is easy to EQ, with the linear bass response providing a good foundation for adjustments, while the 1-2kHz recession can be addressed if desired, though many will find the soundstage-enhancing effect pleasant as-is.

Comparison with Other Kiwi Ears Headphones

The Altruva shows clear improvements over other recent Kiwi Ears headphones, particularly in comfort and overall tuning:

Compared to the Division, Kiwi Ears’ closed-back model contrasts with the Altruva in several ways:

• Design: The Division is closed-back while the Altruva is open-back, resulting in different sound characteristics.
• Soundstage: The Altruva offers a significantly wider and more natural soundstage due to its open-back design.
• Bass Response: The Division has more impactful bass due to its closed-back design, while the Altruva provides a more balanced and airy presentation.
• Isolation: The Division provides better isolation for noisy environments, while the Altruva is better suited for quiet listening spaces.

When compared specifically with the Kiwi Ears Eclipse, the Altruva has much better earpads that contribute significantly to its superior comfort:

The Kiwi Ears Ellipse, another open-back model from the same manufacturer, shares some similarities with the Altruva but has notable differences:

• Sound Signature: The Ellipse has a warmer mid-bass and more recessed treble compared to the Altruva, which offers a wider soundstage but with some treble peaks.
• Build Quality: Both models feature good build quality for their price range, with the Altruva offering a slightly more premium feel.
• Earpads: Both models come with interchangeable earpads, though the Altruva’s stock velour pads provide a wider soundstage compared to the Ellipse’s stock pads.
• Price: The Altruva is slightly more expensive at $69.99 compared to the Ellipse’s $59 introductory price.

Here is a comparison of the frequency response of these headphones:

I hope the above comparison shows just the improvement with the Altruva compared to those 2 other Kiwi Ears headphones.

Comparison with Grell OAE1

While completely different price ranges and targetted at completely different users, I found it somewhat interesting that I was listening to both this headphone and the Grell OAE1 around the same time and both try to enhance the soundstage and both exhibited a similar mid-bass:

Both headphones share this warmer midbass characteristic that adds body and warmth to the sound, though they achieve their soundstage effects through different approaches. The Grell OAE1 uses its unique angled driver and diffusive field tuning, while the Altruva relies on traditional open-back tuning with the 1-2kHz recession. And there are significant differences in the treble with the OAE-1 needing more treble for most people while the Altruva needs slightly less treble.

EQ Recommendations

While many people will enjoy the Altruva’s sound signature without any modifications, the treble can be too pronounced for some listeners during extended sessions. Given the excellent comfort that the earpads provide, it would be a shame not to take advantage of longer listening sessions by addressing the treble peaks.

Here’s my EQ suggestion to reduce the treble prominence while maintaining the headphone’s strengths:

This EQ approach focuses on:

• Reducing the treble peaks that can cause fatigue during extended listening
• Slightly lowering the bass tilt to give a more linear bass without destroying the headphone’s character
• Preserving the 1-2Khz recession that creates the wide soundstage effect

The linear bass response makes the Altruva straightforward to EQ, and the 1-2kHz recession can be left as-is since it contributes to the soundstage presentation that many users will appreciate. The main adjustment needed is in the treble region to make the headphone more suitable for the extended listening sessions that its comfortable earpads encourage.

Rating Explanation

The Kiwi Ears Altruva earns a 5-star pragmatic rating when considered within its price category. If all you have is $70 this headphone would make an enjoyable purchase.

My rating reflects:

• Excellent value for money at $69.99
• Great build quality for the price range
• Impressive soundstage performance
• Inclusion of multiple earpads for sound customization
• Good comfort for extended listening sessions

While it’s not without flaws, particularly the colored midrange and some treble peaks, these limitations are expected at this price point, and the Altruva manages to deliver a compelling overall package that exceeded my expectations for a sub-$100 open-back headphone.

Conclusion

The Kiwi Ears Altruva represents an excellent entry point into open-back headphones for budget-conscious audiophiles. Its standout wide soundstage, solid build quality, and included accessories make it a compelling option at its $69.99 price point.

While purists seeking tonal accuracy will definitely want to look elsewhere, those on a limited budget who prioritize soundstage and are willing to accept some tonal coloration will find much to appreciate in the Altruva. The inclusion of alternative earpads further enhances its value proposition by allowing users to customize the sound to their preferences.

So to answer my question, I do feel this is Kiwi Ears best headphone so far.