Kygo XENON, Premium Sound and Construction with Noise Cancellation [Review]

We have reviewed some of the Kygo headphones in the past and they have always impressed us. I recommend you see our review of the Kygo E7 / 1000 headphones as an example of the quality that this brand offers. Now they are launching «XENON«, New ones noise canceling headphones that have been approved and developed by DJ Kygo himself. A product for those looking for high-quality sound with active noise cancellation that lives up to the rest.

This time it is a headset with its own carrying case, if you want to know in detail how they perform and if they are worth it, follow our analysis.

DESIGN: Elegant and modern

The first thing that strikes us about the Xenon is their presentation, which already indicates that we are facing a very careful product down to the smallest detail, we find a strong and thick cardboard box with a magnetic side opening, in the style of the Premium Range Smartphone.

When we open the box the first thing we see is a black case where the headphones are folded and protected, where they are fully fitted without any slack, we also have 2 small pocketsOne inside to store the cables and another outside in case we want to store a purse or a small external battery. When we proceed to open this case and touch the headphones, we realize that we are dealing with a high quality product.

Materials and construction

This particular model is that of light gray color, much more attractive than the typical boring blacks we usually see, this color is mixed with the aluminum color of its components which makes us realize at first glance that it is a superior product. Which was not the case with Kygo A11 / 800, that already we analyze here, where the finish and materials were not at the level of its benefits.

To the touch it feels of equal quality, being constructed of a combination of aluminum and plastic. The ear pad and headband they are very pleasant to the touch and they are soft enough to go through long sessions without feeling any discomfort. They can be adjusted for any head size. It has an X on the outside that lights up when we turn them on and gives it a very modern aesthetic.

Emphasize that they feel very solid, both when we handle them, and when we fold them to store them in your carrying case, which is included in the box. This has congratulated me as my experience with other foldable wireless headphones has not been as good as I would like, from creaks to a detachable feeling. These Xenons are definitely the best I've been able to try in this regard. Another curious detail is the location of the typical L and R symbols (left and right) to know the position in which to place the headphones is on the inside of the ear pads, silk-screened in black.

Ports and keypad

It is appreciated that we have USB charging port - CSince it is the current standard, but I did not expect less being a headset of this type, we hope that the rest of the manufacturers take an example. They include a charging cable and a 3.5 mm Jack cable, since we have a socket to connect the headphones by cable. This data is very important since thanks to this, not only We can use them if we run out of battery in a long trip or because of a mistake, if not we also have the possibility of connecting it to any device, no matter how old it is, without the need for bluetooth. Without forgetting that sound purists always prefer a wired connection, no matter how good the current bluetooth 5.0 connection is, it will never be comparable to that of a cable.

In the right ear we have the controls for both volume and pause, a little higher the switch to activate or deactivate noise cancellation (ANC), something that I did not like in this section, is that the volume buttons made of silicone are glued to the pause and have little relief, on occasion I have made the wrong button, although you get used to it. The pulsation is good and has no slack, the noise canceling switch is very solid and well built.

Technical specifications

• Bluetooth : 5.0
• 3.5 Jack mm
• ANC : Yes
• Autonomy : 24h
• Codec : SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX-LL
• driver : 40mm
• Sound pressure : 98 ± 3dB
• Frequency : 20Hz-22KHz
• Impedance : 32? ± 15%
• Autonomy at rest : 200h
• Battery capacity : 250 mAh
• Microphone with voice commands
• Wireless range : 10 meters
• Compatible with iOS and Android 
• Weight : : 250 grams

Configuration and Autonomy

Synchronization and configuration

The synchronization of these headphones is very simple, so much so that you don't need any instruction manual, you just have to hold the middle button (pause) until the led blinks blue, at that moment they are looking for the device to which we want to synchronize. Once this is done, we only have to select the Kygo Xenon in the bluetooth settings menu of that device to which we want to link.

Kygo has a application for a more detailed fit the headphone equalization, but not yet compatible with these Xenons so in my analysis I have not been able to experiment with it. Therefore I have only been able to use the equalization that they bring by default, is well balanced although it accentuates the bass more, than for the treble.

To turn them off we just have to hold the central button for a few seconds until it flashes red, a female voice in English It will indicate that they are correctly turned off. For the ignition the same but with a small blink blue, the same voice will warn us that they are on.

Battery and Autonomy

We have a generous 250mAh battery, said this with my tests performed over 2 weeks, I have been able to verify that the autonomy is practically what the technical specifications of the product mark, this rarely happens but after About 20 hours of playback without active noise cancellation, I still had 18% battery left.

With noise cancellation active low autonomy until 14 or 15 hours of reproduction, my tests have been carried out with a volume between 50% and 70%, the autonomy does not only depend on the volume, but also on the audio source, quality of the sound that we reproduce and the signal. In my case the tests have been carried out with a smartphone and a laptop using Spotify in the highest quality.

We can know at all times what the battery percentage is from the smartphone, in the case of the iPhone we can see it in the same widget where the Apple Watch or AirPods.

Conclusions and user experience

My overall experience with these headphones has been very pleasant, I can say without a doubt that they are the best active noise canceling headphones i have tried. They are comfortable headphones, they do not squeeze or bother wearing, even I have gone out for a run with them and the experience has been very satisfactory.

When it comes to enjoying the sound, I have to indicate that the Xenons are designed primarily for electronic, instrumental or reggaeton music, with quite pronounced bass that will delight for this type of music. Once you activate the noise cancellation, the bass is reduced, better defining audio tracks where the voice is more protagonist.

Note that in addition to listening to music, They are highly recommended for playing video games, watching Netflix or HBO series, watching movies or YouTube videos or making calls. They do not have any delay (section in which some bluetooth headphones suffer). They have fulfilled with outstanding in each one of the sections that I have been able to prove.

Noise cancellation works great both outdoors and indoorsTo activate it you do not need to turn on the headphones, with them off you can activate it and notice how it moves away from all environmental noise. Once active indoors, you'll be isolated enough to so as not to be disturbed by any ambient sounds, for example television on or people talking around you.

Outdoors noise cancellation it will absolve all ambient sound except a few such as: the barking of a dog, the horn of a car or the exhaust of a motorbike at high speed. Something that is appreciated for safety

Price and purchase link

We are facing a € 199 product that for what it offers is not at all crazy, it is for sale on its official website, as in THIS LINK from Amazon.