KitSound Arcade wired / Bluetooth headphones review

A decent pair of Bluetooth headphones is a must for London commuting. When I’ve attempted the morning scrum with wired cans I enevitably get caught up with someones backpack, rings, etc. Are the Arcade from KitSound decent though?

I know that I, of all people, should never judge a book by its cover but when these arrived at my desk I thought, well they don’t look what I’d call premium.

What was I expecting? You know how much these cost, right?

KitSound Arcade design

Some might say dated, some might even cruelly say plastic-y, but KitSound call it retro.

After using the KitSound Arcade headphones a while, I’d agree more with KitSound. Yes, they do look like something that should be connected to a Matsui or Aiwa tape deck but, having lived through that era, I kinda dig that about them.

Yes, the plastic is shiny but so were the 80s! I loved the Koss Porta Pro headphones that I owned and I think that the Arcade has a similar vibe.

I’ve been sent the blue version. On the bottom of the left ear-piece you’ll find the mini USB charging port. Over on the other side is the control rocker switch and the audio in port should you want to plug the KitSound cans in to your computer or other device that isn’t equipped with Bluetooth – a very neat feature at this price point.

On this side also lives the on/off button which, I found much to a friend’s annoyance (sorry Sameer!) that this will also call the last number dialled if you don’t hold it down long enough with wanting to turn the headset off.

There’s a nice bit of padding under the headband and the earcups fold flat for packing away.

The Arcade headphones have a frequency response of 20Hz – 20kHz and a Bluetooth range of 10m.

Sound is squirted to your ears via their 40mm drivers.

KitSound Arcade use

I paired up the Arcades with my M7 without any issues. The first sound signifies that the headset is on and then, moments later, another beep announces that its paired with your Bluetooth source.

I wasn’t expecting much from the Arcade, especially at this price point, but when David Bowie’s ‘I Took a Trip on a Gemini Spaceship’ started playing it actually stopped me midstep.

Pushing the rocker forwards, selecting the next random track, squirted the chugging intro of ‘Their Law’ by The Prodigy. The bass was good and the mids and highs clearer than I would have ever given the KitSound headphones credit for.

It’s not all rosey mind. I have already mentioned my accidental calling of a friend repeatidly when meaning to power the Arcade down but, as the rocker performs volume as well as forward and reverse duties, you can find yourself track skipping instead of volume changing or vice-versa. Once you have gotten used to this, it becomes less of an issue, but it does cause mild frustration for the first week-or-so of ownership.

Should your battery run flat and you are not able to access a USB powersource then running the headphones via the bundled cable is a sure-fire winner.

That being said though, battery life has been fantastic and clocked in up to 8 hours of playtime between charges.

The headphones seem to be quite solidly built although I have managed to scuff the bottom of one of the blue parts already.

That aside, I do feel that the Arcade will last for quite sometime.

The headband does allow for adjustment but, and this could be just down to my head shape, I still find that the headphones seem to rest on, rather than hold on, to my head and ears. I much prefer the fit of my AKG K830BT cans but then, there’s a heck of a price difference between those and the Arcade.

KitSound Arcade conclusion and price

I have mentioned that the KitSound Arcade bluetooth headphones are keenly priced a few times during this review and they are. Extremely well priced.

£45? Nope. £35? Nah. £25? Surely not?

Well, if you go over to Amazon.co.uk you can grab yourself a set for £20.

That’s right – these Bluetooth headphones are a £20 bargain!

The sound is great. They are rocking the retro looks and, apart from dropping out a couple of times when in places such as Liverpool Street station, have performed amazingly for the price.