Hed Kandi Pure Kandi Headphone Review

 

The name Hed Kandi has been around since the late 90s and has become synonymous with house and party music.  From its beginnings as a compilation brand, it has grown to become a force to be reckoned with in the music industry, with numerous catalogues sold to date and several events hosted for party lovers all over the world.

With a rich music history and good name recall, it is not surprising that Hed Kandi has ventured into the music accessories business, coming out with products such as headphones, travel speakers and iPhone sleeves.

One of the headphone products sold under the Hed Kandi brand is Pure Kandi, a light foldaway headphone meant for the traveller.  When I got this headphone, I didn’t know what to expect, this being the first Hed Kandi product I have ever used.  I’m a music lover with a wide range of interests so I was excited to try out the Pure Kandi headphone and see what kind of performance it would deliver.

Head Kandi Pure Kandi Specifications

• Driver diameter: 50mm
• Frequency response: 20-20,000Hz
• Impedence: 32 Ohms
• Sensitivity: 103 dB
• Max input power: 100 mW
• Cable length: 1.5m

Design 

The design of PureKandi is something short of perfection.  A lot of thinking obviously went into the design of this product and the appearance of the headphone speaks for itself.

The earcups of Pure Kandi are covered by light metallic material with silver trimmings, giving it a minimalist, premium appeal. The only print you’ll see is the name HedKandi on the earcup which is perfectly sized and blends well with the overall design.  The Hed Kandi brand could be meant for the female demographic but I’d say the black one is perfect for guys.

Being something that’s meant for the travelling type, PureKandi folds in three points, making storage very easy and very manageable.  The earcups fold on the band inwards, which in turn rotates sideways, and the cups themselves can be moved up and down.  If this sounds quite complicated, it’s because it is. If you get to hold one, you’ll know that there are many possible ways to fold this headphone for storage.

The headband is made of slim, ultrathin metal, something that is perfect for those who are conscious of their hair’s appearance.  Unlike wide headbands, the PureKandi won’t mess with your hairdo so you can still listen to your favourite tracks without worrying about how your hair will look after.

If you’re someone who needs to listen to music for most of your waking hours, you’d thank the Pure Kandi for its ultrasoft earpads.  They are so soft your ears won’t feel any stress even after long use.  This means you can concentrate on the music that’s playing instead of adjusting the ear cups.  The earpads are also covered by thin plastic so you can use the headphone in the gym or while jogging.

The headphone’s wires are also something worth praising.  They are not the flat, tangle-free type but they might as well be called as such.  The Pure Kandi doesn’t tangle easily even if it gets mixed up with other stuff.  And what I find really useful and so clever is the inclusion of a coiling part in the wire.  It extends if you want the wire to reach farther and also prevents the plug from being pulled out of your player when you accidentally trip on it.

 

Performance         

I have nothing but praises for Pure Kandi’s design but is it also good when it comes to the thing that matters most?  For the price you’re paying, this headphone delivers really outstanding sound.

I have never owned a headphone before since I always find them bulky so I preferred using earphones.  The PureKandi has changed all that.  It is vey lightweight so I don’t have to worry about the bulk, and when it comes to sound, this headphone is way, way better than earphones, be they in-ear or not. As a headphone, Pure Kandi delivers the best possible listening experience for your type music.  I have been using it for a week now and I was able to play songs from all types of genre.  Pure Kandi simply delivers every time, all the time.

The base on the Pure Kandi is possibly its best element.  It is solid, deep and dynamic, something perfect for your R&B and house music.  The base remains strong and powerful even if you turn up the volume. In fact, it gets better as you increase the volume.  The base is also very good for rock music.  Don’t’ be surprised if you suddenly feel the urge to bang your head to songs from Muse, Metallica or 30 Seconds to Mars. The mids on this headphone are also crisp and clear.

If you want to see how good this headphone is, listen to the song Chelsea Dagger from Fratellis and put your volume at 3/4.  This song has all the elements that can test the headphone: searing vocals, guitar riffs, thumping drum base.

The Pure Kandi headphone is a perfect accessory to my iPhone 4.  It’s sound is a big improvement from that of the iPhone’s stock earphones.  Just try out all presets on your equalizer, if your player has one, and see where the Pure Kandi sounds best.  On the iPhone 4, the best preset for Pure Kandi is “Electronic”.

Note that Pure Kandi is not noise cancelling so you’d still hear sounds around you if you’re listening to something slow or your volume is low.  Once you blast the volume though, it’s suddenly just you and the music.

Verdict

Overall, I almost have nothing negative to say about Pure Kandi. Its simply delivers in terms of design and performance.  And for the price of Php1,990, this headphone is practically a steal.  You can get the Hed Kandi Pure Kandi headphone from these stores.

• Power Mac
• Power Hub
• iStudio
• Astrovision
• Technoholics
• Bratpack
• Mobile 1
• Xsite
• 8 Telecom
• Abenson
• Electroworld
• Digital Hub
• DigitalWalker
• Beyond The Box

 

Rating: 8.5/10