Verdict

The Kygo E7/1000 bring serious Scandinavian chic and an attractive sporty look to your ears, but these wireless earbuds are let down by not so super sound quality.

Pros

• Look great
• Secure and comfortable fit
• Easy to use integrated controls

Cons

• Sound quality is good, but not fantastic
• Charging case is a bit big
• No HearThrough support

The Kygo E7/1000 are true wireless earbuds from the Norwegian DJ and producer’s own line of headphones. This is the first pair to ditch the cables entirely, and are built with fitness fiends in mind.

They offer a waterproof design and onboard controls, so you don’t need to reach for your phone to skip to that track that gets you in the zone.

A price of £149.99 puts the E7/1000 earbuds in the same pricing realm as the Jaybird Vista and Jabra’s Elite Active 65T – its last generation sporty wireless buds.

Related: Best true wireless earbuds

Kygo E7/1000 design – A stylish, minimalist look helps them to stand out

Like other headphones in the Kygo collection, there’s a touch of Scandi to the look of these earbuds. Pick from all-white or black models offering the same stylish, minimalist design with the aim that these buds stand out for the right reasons. And stand out they certainly will: they sit quite prominently inside of the ears, particularly if you opt for the white option.

Each side comes with a collection of soft silicone ear wings to hold them secure in the ear, and both silicone and Comply foam ear tips serve up different sound experiences. There are buttons built into the outside of both buds, for turning the volume up and down, skipping tracks, and answering and rejecting phone calls.

Thankfully, when it’s time to get moving, those multi-function buttons are easy to access. You’re one tap away from adjusting volume, or a single press from picking out a more motivational song.

The only other redeeming feature of the E7/1000 are the small indicator lights, which sit in close proximity to the microphones. Those lights will essentially tell you when the buds are successfully paired to your phone; when they’re in call mode; or, are successfully charging inside of their case.

Speaking of that case, you’re getting what looks like a pill box into which you drop your buds. A charging indicator lets you know how much battery life is remaining. If you were hoping for a trouser pocket-friendly case, then this isn’t it – although it’s fair to say we haven’t seen a charging case that looks anything like this one yet.

Kygo talks up the waterproof rating here, with the earbuds coming with an IPX7 certification. That means they can be submerged into water up to 1m deep. Accidentally drop your E7/1000 in a puddle on a run, and they should survive. Go for a swim with them in your ears, probably not so much. This rating more signifies that they’ll survive sweat and splashes of water.

In terms of comfort and staying put, the E7/1000 certainly do the job. The ear wings sit snug to ensure a sturdy fit, and neither the silicone nor foam tips proved uncomfortable through runs and gym sessions. These earbuds are built for workouts – and based on our experience, they’re up to the task.

Kygo E7/1000 performance – Good, but room for improvement

Beneath that matte exterior are 6mm drivers, with Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity for pairing the E7/1000 with your Android and iPhone. We tried the buds with both, and aside from some issues with a Pixel phone, they played nice with an iPhone and a couple of other Android handsets.

In terms of what you can expect in terms of sound quality, we’d say the E7/1000 are pretty good – but there’s certainly room for improvement. They display decent power and some nice warm bass, but these earbuds aren’t so impressive in the mid-range and treble departments.

They can sound a little muddy, particularly at higher volumes. This is most evident in vocals, where that drop in clarity and detail really makes itself known. There is a Kygo Sound companion smartphone app that offers the ability to select from different sound profiles – but, unfortunately, it isn’t compatible with these buds right now.

Compare the E7/1000 sound to a similarly priced pair of earbuds such as the Jaybird Vistas or Jabra’s sporty buds, then you can definitely expect to get something more balanced and rewarding if you demand seriously good sound quality to match a workout-friendly build.

Active noise cancelling and features such as HearThrough are missing in action here. If you want to drown out some of that ambient noise, then the Comply foam tips do a pretty admirable job, while at the same time giving you the most enjoyable sound quality. However, as we’ve mentioned, it’s by no means exceptional.

Moving from music streaming to making a call, it’s a similar story. There’s the promise of stereo calls – and, if you take a lot of calls then the you’ll be pleased to learn that the E7/1000 handle the task well enough.

Battery life lives up to Kygo’s claim. Fully charged, the E7/1000 will get you through six hours – an hour and a half shorter than Jabra’s Elite Active 75T, but matching the Jaybird Vistas. The charging case provides an additional 18 hours. And if your buds are completely flat, then a couple of hours is all that’s required to get them back to full capacity. Sadly, there’s no fast charging option here.

Should you buy the Kygo E7/1000?

As a pair of sporty wireless earbuds, the Kygo E7/1000 deliver on the design front. They look good, are comfortable to wear and do feel able to survive getting sweaty. Sadly, the’r decent design isn’t matched on audio front.

Looking for a set of earbuds that deliver equally for both and sound and build quality? Consider the Jaybird or Jabra models instead.

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