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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want to upgrade the cable on a compatible Audio-Technica Live Sound in-ear monitor and feed it from a balanced output, choose Audio Technica HDC314A/1.2; if you need an actual pair of full-size open-back headphones for mixing, gaming or long listening sessions, choose HIFIXAUDIO Kiwi Ears Altruva.
These two products show up in the same search results, but they are not competitors. One is a detachable cable. The other is a pair of over-ear headphones. The only honest way to compare them is to be clear about that up front, then help you figure out which job you're actually shopping for.
• Audio Technica HDC314A/1.2 — biggest strength: a purpose-built balanced replacement cable with a 4.4 mm L-shaped gold-plated plug, A2DC connectors and a high-purity 6N-OFC + OFC conductor recipe tuned for specific ATH-LS in-ear models.
• Audio Technica HDC314A/1.2 — biggest trade-off: it is a cable only. It makes no sound on its own, and it only fits ATH-LS50iS, LS70iS, LS200iS, LS300iS and LS400iS.
• HIFIXAUDIO Kiwi Ears Altruva — biggest strength: a complete over-ear headphone with a 50 mm dynamic driver, open-back airflow for a wide soundstage, and both 3.5 mm and 6.35 mm jack support.
• HIFIXAUDIO Kiwi Ears Altruva — biggest trade-off: it's open-back, so it leaks sound outward and lets room noise in. It is a wired-only home/studio tool, not a commute companion, and its passive noise cancellation is minimal by design.
• Who each pick is for: the Audio-Technica cable is for an existing LS-series IEM owner with a balanced source. The Kiwi Ears Altruva is for someone who needs headphones to plug in and listen to right now.
Think of the HDC314A/1.2 as a system upgrade rather than a purchase in isolation. It's a 1.2 m (about 3.9 ft) straight Y-type detachable cable, built around high-purity copper — 6N-OFC plus OFC — with what Audio-Technica describes as a unique conductor composition for tuning the sound of its own headphones. That's the key detail: this isn't a generic third-party wire. It's designed as a matched part for the ATH-LS family.
The PVC sheath keeps it flexible rather than stiff, and at 2.72 ounces it won't drag on your ears. It's rated for indoor and outdoor use, so a walk or an outdoor session is fine. The "Copper" color is simply the finish of the cable itself.
Buy it if: you own one of the five compatible ATH-LS models, your source has a 4.4 mm balanced output, and you want the detachable cable to be the same part the headphones were voiced around.
Skip it if: you don't own a compatible IEM, or your gear only has a 3.5 mm single-ended jack — the 4.4 mm termination won't physically work there. Also skip it if you were hoping to buy something that plays music. This is a part, not a product you listen to.
HIFIXAUDIO Kiwi Ears Altruva: Who It's For
The Altruva is the opposite kind of purchase: a complete, self-contained listening tool. It's a wired over-ear headphone built around a newly developed 50 mm dynamic driver, with stronger neodymium magnets and a custom composite diaphragm that includes an ultra-pure copper ring. The claimed result is detailed mids and crisp, extended highs — and the frequency range backs the ambition, spanning 20 Hz to 40 kHz. Impedance is 32 ohm and sensitivity is 98 dB, which tells you it's designed to be driven by normal headphone outputs rather than demanding a dedicated amp to get loud.
The design choice that shapes everything is the open-back enclosure. Open-back means natural airflow in and out, which is exactly why the soundstage is described as expansive and concert-like, with depth, width and imaging rather than a tight, in-your-head presentation. Tuning is described as studio-like: fast, powerful bass, a natural balanced midrange, and airy treble. That combination is what makes it a plausible pick for mixing, high-resolution listening and precision gaming.
Build is where it separates from cheap plastic headphones. PVD-coated steel, genuine wood and vegan leather — that's a materials list you don't usually see at the entry level, and the BlackWood finish leans mature rather than gamer-flashy. On connectivity it's flexible: it terminates in both 3.5 mm and 6.35 mm jacks, so it works with a laptop, a phone dongle, or a proper interface and amplifier without an adapter hunt. There's a media control on the cable, and a 1-year warranty.
The real trade-off is physics. Open-back headphones leak sound both ways. Noise control is listed only as passive, so there's no isolation to speak of. In a shared room, on a train, or in an office, everyone hears your mix and you hear them. And it's wired only — no wireless technology at all.
Buy it if: you listen at a desk, you want one headphone for music, mixing and gaming, and you value an open, wide presentation over isolation.
Skip it if: you need to block out noise, you listen in public, or you want to move around untethered.
• Best for replacing a broken or unbalanced IEM cable → Audio Technica HDC314A/1.2.
• Best for a complete headphone you can use out of the box → HIFIXAUDIO Kiwi Ears Altruva.
• Best for a balanced 4.4 mm connection with reduced crosstalk → Audio Technica HDC314A/1.2. The four-pin balanced design is the whole point.
• Best for soundstage and imaging → HIFIXAUDIO Kiwi Ears Altruva. Open-back airflow is what creates that width.
• Best for commuting, flights or shared offices → neither, honestly. The cable isolates nothing because it isn't a headphone, and the Altruva is open-back with only passive noise control.
• Best for plugging into studio gear → HIFIXAUDIO Kiwi Ears Altruva, thanks to the included 6.35 mm jack alongside 3.5 mm.
• Best for fit flexibility → Audio Technica HDC314A/1.2, but only across the five listed ATH-LS models. Outside that list it fits nothing.
• Best for materials and long-session comfort → HIFIXAUDIO Kiwi Ears Altruva, with its steel, wood and vegan leather over-ear construction.
In my opinion, most people searching this comparison should buy the HIFIXAUDIO Kiwi Ears Altruva — but only if they understand it's an open-back, wired, at-home headphone. It's a finished product with a 50 mm driver, a genuinely wide presentation, dual jack compatibility and a premium materials mix. It does something.
The Audio Technica HDC314A/1.2 is the better buy for a much narrower audience: someone who already owns an ATH-LS50iS, LS70iS, LS200iS, LS300iS or LS400iS and has a 4.4 mm balanced output to plug into. In that exact situation, it's the smarter, more targeted upgrade. Outside it, it's the wrong product entirely.
So match the product to the job, not to the search term. If you need headphones, get headphones. If you need a cable, get the cable.
The HIFIXAUDIO Kiwi Ears Altruva, clearly. It's an actual headphone with a 50 mm dynamic driver and an open-back design that helps with imaging and positional cues. The Audio-Technica HDC314A/1.2 is a cable — it can't do anything on its own.
No. It's built specifically for the ATH-LS50iS, LS70iS, LS200iS, LS300iS and LS400iS, using left/right A2DC connectors and a balanced 4.4 mm plug. If your headphones or your source don't match those, it isn't the right part.
Not much. Open-back headphones are designed to let air move, and the Altruva lists only passive noise cancellation. Expect to hear your room, and expect your room to hear your music.
They serve completely different roles, so a straight price comparison isn't meaningful — one is a single replacement cable, the other is a full headphone. Check the current price on Amazon for each and judge them against their own category, not against each other.
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