Kygo A9/600

Bluetooth Over-Ear with a youthful, bass-pumping sound

In a nutshell

The Kaygo A9/600 cut a fine figure on the sofa. Since they cannot be folded and come without a rigid case, they are only suitable for transporting to a limited extent. In terms of sound, you will find a more than solid companion, which primarily addresses a young audience looking for a rich sound, assertiveness and pressure.

The A9/600 headphones are Kygo’s flagship product and look great: Soft imitation leather and pleasant padding make the headphones sit suitably heavy and full on your head, all without pressing or feeling uncomfortable – even during long listening sessions.

Matte plastic appliqués on the earcups and a lacquered shell finish round off the look. Operation is via a touch surface on the right ear cup, offering track navigation or volume adjustments. This works intuitively and reliably. Included in the package is a soft transport bag, a cloth-covered jack cable to connect the headphones directly to a mini-jack output and a USB cable to charge the handset. Unfortunately, the A9 headphones don’t allow you to listen to music while they’re charging, because digital noise is permanently present in the right earphone – the USB socket for charging is also located there. They have a slightly impractical battery life that sits somewhere between 15 and 23 hours, but they’re good enough for everyday use.

Sound

The Kygo flagship headphones present themselves as solid all-rounders. The sound is open and the stage is pleasantly wide. The bass is precise, powerful and not overloaded, even though the target is a rather youthful, bass-affiliated audience. The highs are present and the performance feels comfortable with every style of music. Nevertheless, bass-heavy music is the linchpin, like Kendrick Lamar’s “Loyalty”, throughout which the A9/600s impressively show how well they do with bass lines and bass drums. However, jazz, pop and rock also suit them well. The foggy choir synth surfaces in Prefab Sprouts’ “When Love Breaks Down” lie silky smooth, while the round bass foundation gives a clear but unobtrusive structure. In acoustic pieces, the headphones show the necessary touch of closeness and detail.

Practice

Similar to the A6/500, the larger A9/600 also have an app for Android and iOS. The app can be used to play firmware updates on the headphones – for example, to make Bluetooth updates or to adjust the app integration.

In addition, the app offers four equaliser presets, between which you can fade continuously, as well as a switchable bass boost. The adjustments via the mobile app also work when the headphones are connected to other devices – for example, a computer. The EQ presets are not named according to musical genres as is often the case. Instead, city names (which are also explained) are intended to bring certain sound settings closer to you. Ibiza, for example, stands for a dance-oriented sound, while New York offers adjustments for R&B. The EQ is a great help and changes the sound perceptibly. Unfortunately, the presets don’t fit all tracks, which can sometimes sound nasal or dull. The Bass Boost adds a huge scoop to the bottom, but for some music genres, the EQ is more of a gimmick than a useful tool. Usually, the EQs of your desktop or mobile will help you reach the desired result faster and more fittingly.

Calling is not the strength of the A9. Even though the sound in the headphones is very good, those called complained about digital noise during transmission.