Kiwi Ears Aventus review — Comfort and quality

In today’s market, there are hundreds of options available to equip yourself with a Bluetooth listening device. Do you want an external speaker? Maybe you’re active, and earbuds would be a better option. Perhaps you want something to play while you game, or you want a comfortable set of headphones to block out noise. In the latter case, Kiwi Ears has released the Aventus. Designed with gamers and DJs in mind, this mid-tier device is looking to establish itself as a serious competitor in the space.

The Aventus comes in a nice, well-designed box with a cloth pull tab. Pulling on said tab will draw a cardboard box out of its shell like a drawer. Nestled within said box is a dark gray canvas hard-case proudly displaying the Kiwi Ears logo. Unzipping the case reveals a couple of mesh-lined pockets containing a 3.5mm cable, USB-C charge cable, and a rarely-seen (to my eyes, anyway) 3.5 mm-to-USB-C cable. Nestled above the cables, folded like a newborn child, is the Aventus headset itself. For $90, the headset, case, and accessories feel like a reasonable offering.

The Aventus features a large headband, the vast bulk of which is covered with cushioned vegan leather. On either side, the headband connects to an extender that will allow you approximately an inch of expandability to nail that perfect fit. The earcuffs, which are also covered in thick, comfortable vegan leather, join the extenders with a thick plastic joint that swivels a full 90 degrees for maximum comfort as you go about your business.

The Aventus boasts a wide range of connectivity. With its built-in 5.4 Bluetooth, it makes connecting to your phone or capable device a breeze. The included 3.5mm cable should cover nearly any other device you can imagine. If your audio device only comes with a USB-C port, the aforementioned 3.5 mm-to-USB-C cable will still make connecting the headset a breeze. It’s worth noting that, should you connect to the headset via a 3.5mm cable, the Aventus will just take whatever audio is fed from the other end, and you’ll lose access to the headset’s noise cancellation (more on that momentarily).

The headset itself features fantastic audio quality. This should come as no surprise from a company that built its name with on-stage audio devices. The highs are bright and vibrant, while the bass rounds out the complete package without ever feeling rattly like some cheaper headsets can. The Aventus also features an Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) feature with a handful of options. I took this headset to a dental appointment as a way to both test it out and distract myself. Turning ANC does some sort of wizardry to block out noise around you. From the ambient noise of an air conditioner to the high-pitched whir of a drill, it’s all impressively dulled while your music or podcast remains clear and audible. Flipping modes will put it in a “passive” mode, which actively pipes in the sounds of the outside world so you can hear your music or game without missing what’s going on around you. Turning it off completely will double the time needed before a recharge, but it’s nice to know you can tune out the outside world if you need to. I love the headset’s ANC feature. Then again, I could just be trauma-bonded to it.

The Aventus clocks in with an impressive battery life. With no other features activated, you can get over 80 hours of listening via Bluetooth. If you turn on noise cancelling, you can expect that number to drop to ~40 hours. Being a headset built with gamers and DJs in mind, it probably shouldn’t come as a surprise the unit features RGB lighting you can activate. That lighting can drain the unit even faster. I don’t have many complaints about the Kiwi Ears Aventus. The RGB lighting feels like an undercooked afterthought that might’ve been better off left out. It only has two modes, and they’re both preset color patterns that highlight the Kiwi Ears logo. If I were livestreaming or performing, I might consider turning them on, but in my day-to-day, there’s no reason to put that much extra drain on the battery. The only other concern I may mention is that this headset is a little heavier, so it probably isn’t the best if you’re doing heavy physical activity, but to each their own.

Kiwi Ears Aventus is an excellent headset with great sound, robust battery life, plenty of connectivity options, and handy noise cancellation features. This headset has become my new daily driver, offering everything I need in a comfortable form factor, which is a notable accomplishment for someone who has trouble finding hats that fit his big head properly. This is a little more expensive than a budget-tier product, but what you’re getting for the money is well worth it.