Kiwi Design K4 Duo VR Audio Head Strap Review

I’ve got no real issue with the audio quality of the Meta Quest 3, but unfortunately, I have a family. So, I often only get to put quality time into my VR gaming while the house is quiet, which means around bedtime, so the volume can’t be too high. Then, in walks the Kiwi Design K4 Duo VR Audio Head Strap, a complete package with headphones and a battery pack.

After fitting the strap to your headset, the whole package feels quite sturdy. The on-ear headphones are on stalks so that they can rotate out of the way, and they can move along them to get a better fit on your ear. The headphone on the right side has a switch on it so that you can turn it off while still using the battery pack, so you don’t have to unplug the head strap to get your normal audio experience.

The head strap itself adjusts with a dial on the back, and the strap across the top prevents it from sliding down during use. With my old headset, I used a head strap which always defaulted to the smallest position and required constant adjustment, so I’m glad that this one stays at the size you have set. The back plate is also cushioned to make it more comfortable.

The sound quality is pretty good — I’ll admit that I’m not the best judge of that since I have tinnitus, so whether it’s better than the Quest 3’s speakers I can’t really say. So, it’s at least as good, with the added bonus that it’s not disturbing the people around you.

The 5,300mAh battery pack keeps your headset charged while you’re wearing it, and will keep it charged while you’re not. If you plug it into the socket to charge, it will continue to supply power to the Quest 3, so that’s an added bonus.

I have had a couple of issues with the K4 Duo, however, one of which is the headphone stalks. When you tilt the head strap up, the stalks only go so far, so the ear pieces will be inside the band, unless you tilt them away from the strap. And if you do that, they wind up getting in the way in other ways.

The other problem is that it can cause you to overheat. The cushion on the top and back of your head, as well as on your ears, will make your head hotter during intensive gaming sessions. Being Batman is all well and good, so long as you have a fan and a water bottle nearby.

Of course, the price might also be an issue, as it’s £139.99 when not on sale. It’s certainly not the cheapest head strap; however, it’s the only one I’ve seen which has audio capabilities. As far as headphones go, you usually get what you pay for.

The Kiwi Design K4 Duo Audio Head Strap is a good bit of kit, which keeps your Quest 3 or Quest 3S charged for a good few hours extra, in my experience. The headphones are good quality and let you keep the noise down, and the head strap is comfortable for extended sessions. It’s a good package, if you can justify the price.