Like all the headphones we’ve tested from the Kygo, the Xenon is a comfortable pair of headphones to wear. Battery life registers at 24 hours, which is five more hours than the A11/800, and charging time from empty to full is identical at two hours.

Yes, it’s possible to find models that offer deeper bass and a more detailed mid-range elsewhere, but I found the Xenon to be a solid pair of cans. The differences between it and the A11/800 are small, but they add up to make the Xenon the best-sounding pair of headphones in the Kygo range so far. You should buy the Kygo Xenon if… Dynamically, the Xenon are a bit so-so, but an improvement over the A11 nonetheless. Kygo lists the Xenon’s frequency range as 20Hz-22KHz, which is more palatable than the A11/800’s 15Hz-22KHz. The only downside here, is that slight hissing when noise cancellation is activated and no sound is being played, but that's an issue that occurs with many noise-cancelling headphones and mostly comes down to the sensitivity of your ears. It only occurs when nothing else is playing, so you shouldn't come across it too often. Final verdict Moving from music streaming to making a call, it’s a similar story. There’s the promise of stereo calls – and, if you take a lot of calls then the you’ll be pleased to learn that the E7/1000 handle the task well enough.In a straight shootout between the two the Xenon sound less bright, but less overcooked and less prone to the harshness that crept into the A11/800’s performance. They keep the smooth, big-sounding character of the Kygo range while applying a more mature and balanced approach. The balanced sound they deliver is really great, and the headphones clearly define vocals, mids, and bass in the soundstage. Where your typical Beats headphones prioritize the bass, the A11/800s add a similar degree of punch to a beautifully rounded soundstage. If my sweaty ears didn't make me take the Kygo's off after a bit, I probably wouldn't want to. The engaging, bright sound is really addictive.

There’s an air of consolidation about the Xenon’s feature set. It’s less comprehensive than the Kygo A11/800, which is a welcome relief considering the inconsistent nature of those headphones. Elsewhere, the Xenon headphones offer Bluetooth 5.0 for connectivity and support SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX-LL, the latter for improved audio synchronisation with video content. Voice commands are supported via the built-in microphones for Google or Siri. Xenon over-ears performance – A more measured sound The Kygo Life A11/800 offer everything you need from a pair of headphones in 2020. There's active noise cancellation that's enabled via a physical button or through the Kygo app (more on that in a bit), the option to listen to the headphones in a wired capacity for when battery life is at a premium, a proximity sensor so they pause the moment you take them off, voice command support, and NFC pairing for users with compatible devices. In terms of comfort and staying put, the E7/1000 certainly do the job. The ear wings sit snug to ensure a sturdy fit, and neither the silicone nor foam tips proved uncomfortable through runs and gym sessions. These earbuds are built for workouts – and based on our experience, they’re up to the task. Kygo E7/1000 performance – Good, but room for improvement There’s less of a Scandi feel here than with other pairs in the lineup, but they’re no less distinctive. Power them up and the “X” on the ends of each ear cup light up.

They’re a step forward in terms of clarity over the A11/800, though, with John Williams’ The Rebellion is Reborn from The Last Jedi not sounding like a barrage of sound; these headphones are able to describe the orchestra with a better sense of detail and organisation. It’s enough detail to engage the listener in the sweeping and gentle nature of the song, providing a decent sense of timing and rhythm. A music producer making headphones? Well, it worked for Beats by Dre, so why not Norwegian DJ Kygo? In fact, I've only heard of Kygo due to his exploits in the world of tech, starting with headphones and speakers, and more recently a partnership with Skagen to produce a special edition Falster 3 smartwatch. Kygo talks up the waterproof rating here, with the earbuds coming with an IPX7 certification. That means they can be submerged into water up to 1m deep. Accidentally drop your E7/1000 in a puddle on a run, and they should survive. Go for a swim with them in your ears, probably not so much. This rating more signifies that they’ll survive sweat and splashes of water.

Controls are located on the right ear cup and are a mixture of physical and touch sensitive buttons. The power, ANC, and ambient sound modes are controlled by three physical buttons on the side of the cup. These are easily located and you're told through the headphones the mode you're in, which is very helpful. When it comes to comfort, the Kygo range absolutely gets this right. The headband offers the right amount of cushion for your head, while the memory foam earpads feel soft around the ear. These cans can become a little warm at times, but outside of the Sony WH-1000XM3 and Bose NC 700, the Xenons are one of the more comfortable headphones I’ve worn recently. They can sound a little muddy, particularly at higher volumes. This is most evident in vocals, where that drop in clarity and detail really makes itself known. There is a Kygo Sound companion smartphone app that offers the ability to select from different sound profiles – but, unfortunately, it isn’t compatible with these buds right now. Beneath that matte exterior are 6mm drivers, with Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity for pairing the E7/1000 with your Android and iPhone. We tried the buds with both, and aside from some issues with a Pixel phone, they played nice with an iPhone and a couple of other Android handsets.

In This Article

The clamping force is well measured, so you can be rest assured that they’ll stay put on your head. Nor will they become uncomfortable over prolonged periods of use. Of the current crop of Kygo headphones we’ve reviewed, the Xenon are the best-sounding pair of cans so far. Comparing them to the A11/800, in terms of audio performance alone, the Xenon are the headphones to opt for. As a pair of sporty wireless earbuds, the Kygo E7/1000 deliver on the design front. They look good, are comfortable to wear and do feel able to survive getting sweaty. Sadly, the’r decent design isn’t matched on audio front. In reality, audiophiles will wish they could manipulate the equalizer in a traditional way, but if you don't know much about individual settings, presets could be a simpler solution.

Active noise cancelling and features such as HearThrough are missing in action here. If you want to drown out some of that ambient noise, then the Comply foam tips do a pretty admirable job, while at the same time giving you the most enjoyable sound quality. However, as we’ve mentioned, it’s by no means exceptional. Perhaps it’s a reference to the 1970’s Xenon nightclub in New York, which, according to its Wikipedia entry, was the only nightclub popular enough to compete with the famous Studio 54. It’d make sense, considering Kygo himself is a DJ of some renown. Perhaps your budget won’t let you go for the premium headphones. In which case the Kygo are a decent alternative. You shouldn’t buy the Kygo Xenon if…As mentioned, there's a Kygo Life app that works alongside the Kygo Life A11/800s. It's an immediately stylish-looking app that takes a different route to the equalizer you'll see in most other headphone apps. We'd have liked a less creaky build and slightly improved noise cancellation, but these are all fairly minor issues for the price. Audiophiles may also prefer to have 'true' control over the in-app equalizer settings, but if you're a casual listener, you'll appreciate feeling less like you need to be an expert to tweak how things sound. It's certainly quite entertaining to see what a difference an option makes. Noise cancellation at this price point can be hit and miss, but you’re not short of better-sounding options if you go a bit higher.