Monster has been releasing different earphone models of the budget category for a while now, most of its products have been successful and we have reviewed many here, today we have yet another one of their Airmars lineup, named the Monster XKT10. It has a cool design with RGB indicators and a metal body with improved internals, this device supposedly offers substantially higher audio quality and battery life than its peers for a slightly higher price.
On paper, the specifications of this device are terrific, it packs a Bluetooth 5.2 chip capable of Bluetooth calling, a 13mm diaphragm for clear sound with ANC technology, and a 300mah battery for long autonomy. It also comes with a gaming mode for reduced latency, does this earphone deliver and how does it compare to other options in the market, that’s what we will find out in this review.
Monster XKT10 Features
- Multifunctional Touch control, Easy to use
- Bluetooth 5.2
- Low-latency Gaming mode
- 300mAh battery, up to 20 hours of battery life
- Active noise cancelation
- Ergonomic & New Design
aliexpress.com
Design And Build Quality
Charging Case
The charging case of the Monster XKT10 is a true standout in terms of design and functionality. Its unique circular shape adds a touch of elegance and sets it apart from conventional charging cases. Resembling a gyroscope, the case features an inner rotating part that securely houses the earphones and the battery beneath them. This innovative design not only provides a visually striking appearance but also ensures convenient storage and protection for your earphones.
Available in two captivating colors, green and blue, the Monster XKT10 charging case allows you to choose a style that suits your taste. The metal body of the case adds a premium feel to the overall construction. While it may contribute to a slightly heavier weight, this is a common characteristic found in high-end earphones with superior build quality.
One of the standout features of the charging case is the presence of two LED bands in the middle. These bands emit mesmerizing RGB colors, creating a visually stunning effect when the case is charging. The USB-C port located at the bottom of the case ensures quick and convenient charging, enabling you to power up your earphones with ease.
With its exceptional design and attention to detail, the Monster XKT10 charging case not only provides a safe and stylish storage solution for your earphones but also adds a touch of visual flair to your overall listening experience.
The Earbuds
The Monster XKT10 earbuds feature an open ear style design that offers a unique and trendy look, available in two cool colors, green and blue, these earbuds allow you to express your style while enjoying your favorite audio content, and the short stem design adds to the overall sleek appearance of the earbuds. The earbuds are primarily made with ABS plastic, which contributes to their lightweight and comfortable nature, the short stem design adds to the overall sleek appearance of the earbuds, the earphones consist of two components stuck together: the inner side, which is black and glossy, comes in direct contact with your ear, while the outer side has a matte finish in either green or blue. This combination of finishes not only enhances the aesthetic appeal but also helps in keeping the earphones looking fresh and minimizes the visibility of scratches.
To remove the earbuds from their case, you will need to turn the inner part 90 degrees and then pull them out. This mechanism ensures a secure fit while providing easy accessibility.
Despite a few considerations regarding size and nozzle edges which have been reported to be sharp, the Monster XKT10 earbuds deliver a comfortable and lightweight wearing experience for most, with a stylish design that is sure to turn heads.
Build Quality
The overall build quality of this device is above average, the combination of metal and ABS plastic makes it very solid and you can feel their good quality craftsmanship, so you know it’s not merely aesthetically pleasing, but also sturdy and durable, which will help prolong its lifespan beyond any of its peers in terms of price.
Waterproof
The Monster XKT10 earphones are equipped with IPX4 waterproof resistance, as claimed by the manufacturer. This rating signifies that the earphones can withstand water splashes from any angle. This feature provides added protection for your device and extends its lifespan. With the waterproof capability, you can confidently use the earphones in various scenarios without worrying about water damage, whether you’re at the gym or caught in light rain.
The waterproof feature enhances the mobility and functionality of the earphones, allowing you to enjoy your music or take calls in more environments. It adds convenience and peace of mind, especially for those who lead an active lifestyle. Now, you can comfortably use the XKT10 earphones during workouts or outdoor activities without the fear of water damage. This is particularly beneficial for a budget-friendly device, as it offers an extra layer of protection without compromising affordability.
Overall, the waterproof feature of the Monster XKT10 earphones is a valuable addition that expands the usability and durability of the device. It allows you to enjoy your audio experience in various settings, making it a practical and appealing choice for users seeking a reliable and versatile option.
Touch Controls and Functionality
The Monster XKT10 earphones come equipped with a responsive touch control function, allowing users to effortlessly manage their audio experience. With easy access to music playback, volume adjustment, and call handling directly from the earphones, this feature adds convenience and eliminates the need to reach for your smartphone constantly. Whether you’re at the gym or out for a walk, the touch control functionality provides a seamless and hands-free operation.
The touch control area is located at the bottom of the stem, offering stability and precision during touch interactions. However, personal preferences may vary, and some users may prefer a touch area positioned at the top of the stem for easier access with the index finger. Regardless of the placement, the touch control feature of the Monster XKT10 earphones enhances usability and adds a level of convenience to your daily audio usage.
The controls are as follows:
- Play and pause: double click on either earpiece
- Play the next track: Triple-click on the right earpiece
- Play the previous way: triple click on the left earpiece
- Increase volume: ono tap on the right earpiece
- Decrease volume: one tap on the left earpiece
- Switch between music mode and game mode: press and hold the right earpiece for 3s
- Answer call: double tap on either earpiece
- Reject call: press and hold the either earpiece
Monster XKT10 – Connectivity & Pairing
The Monster XKT10 earphones feature Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity, ensuring a faster, more responsive, and stable connection with any modern Bluetooth-enabled device, with compatibility with most newer operating systems such as Android, windows, and MAC. With support for AAC and SBC audio codecs, you can enjoy high-quality audio while maintaining power efficiency. The connection range of up to 10 meters without obstacles provides freedom of movement and flexibility in your audio experience.
Connection steps:
- Turn on Bluetooth on your device and pull the earphones out of the case
- Find the device on the list of available devices under the name of: Monster Airmars XKT10
- Connect and allow pairing.
Thanks to automatic pairing, this process only needs to be done once. From then on, whenever you take the earphones out of the case and turn on Bluetooth on your device, they will automatically and seamlessly connect, allowing for a hassle-free user experience.
Monster Airmars XKT10 – Audio Quality
The Monster XKT10 earphones offer a clear and immersive audio experience with their 13mm diaphragm and Bluetooth 5.2 technology. The audio quality is characterized by a punchy bass and HIFI-grade sound, delivering a pleasant listening experience. While the volume may not be as loud as some may prefer, it is still perfectly audible.
With support for AAC and SBC audio codecs, the earphones ensure high-quality sound reproduction. However, it’s worth noting that there may be occasional latency issues when watching YouTube videos, which could slightly affect the overall user experience.
The semi-ear design and reduced volume of the XKT10 allow users to remain aware of their surroundings. This is beneficial when needing to stay attentive to external sounds while listening to YouTube videos or participating in conferences. On the other hand, in noisy environments like gyms, the volume may not be sufficient, impacting the enjoyment of the audio. Overall, the audio quality of the Monster XKT10 provides an immersive and pleasant sound experience.
Active Noise cancellation
Even at this low price, Monster managed to fit the Active Noise canceling feature onto the XKT10 which is impressive by itself, furthermore, the implementation is surprisingly good and the feature is quite effective, ANC mode Block external noise using your microphones to detect it and create opposing sound waves so the two cancel out before they reach your eardrum. Tests and customer reviews have shown that the feature does indeed deliver on its promise, you can use ANC mode to block out external noise to some extent and focus more on what you have between hands, this is useful for a lot of day-to-day situations, especially for office workers and students.
Microphone Quality & Bluetooth Calling
The Monster XKT10 earphones are equipped with Bluetooth 5.2 technology, providing a stable and reliable wireless connection, they also feature built-in microphones, one on each earpiece. This allows for convenient Bluetooth calling support, allowing you to make and receive calls directly from your earphones.
While the earphones offer the convenience of Bluetooth calling, it is worth noting that the call quality may vary depending on the environment. In quiet rooms, the microphones deliver decent audio quality, ensuring clear communication. However, microphone performance may be compromised in noisy environments, resulting in unintelligible communication.
It is advisable to use earphones in quieter settings for optimal call quality. Nevertheless, for everyday calling needs in relatively quiet environments, the built-in microphones on the XKT10 earphones provide a convenient hands-free calling experience.
Low Latency Mode and Gaming
The Monster XKT10 earphones feature a dedicated gaming mode that promises reduced latency for a more immersive gaming experience. Monster claims that this mode can achieve latency as low as 45ms, aiming to minimize the delay between on-screen actions and corresponding audio cues. This low latency mode is particularly appealing to mobile gamers who play popular titles like PUBG Mobile and Call of Duty.
However, it’s important to manage expectations when it comes to the actual latency reduction achieved by the gaming mode. While the mode may help reduce latency, it’s unlikely to reach the advertised 45ms. Achieving such low latency requires advanced hardware and software optimizations that even more expensive options struggle to achieve.
For those seeking a competitive gaming advantage, wired earphones remain the preferred choice due to their consistently low latency. However, if you’re specifically looking for wireless gaming earphones, I recommend exploring options like the Lenovo GM2 Pro, which offers an optimized gaming experience at an affordable price point.
Monster XKT10 Battery Life and Usage
The Monster XKT10 has a 300mAh battery in its charging case, which can be fully charged in approximately 1.5 hours using the included USB-C cable. During charging, the RGB lights on the case will blink until it reaches a full charge. With this capacity, the charging case can recharge the earphones up to 4 times, providing ample power on the go.
The earphones themselves have a battery capacity of 30mAh, which offers approximately 4 hours of uninterrupted music playback. This impressive battery life enhances mobility and ensures that you can enjoy your favorite tunes throughout the day without worrying about running out of charge, plus, the convenience of recharging the earphones using the case further extends their usage time.
Thanks to the power-efficient Bluetooth 5.2 chip, the Monster XKT10 minimizes battery consumption compared to older generations of Bluetooth technology. This efficient connectivity provides a stable connection and helps preserve the battery life of both the earphones and the charging case.
Final Verdict
I find these earphones appealing for a few reasons, first off the Design is very original and unmatched, most manufacturers go for boring designs, but the XKT10 has a distinct personality which is a nice move, but it is not only aesthetics, the metal body is rigid and feels premium. Secondly, it covers most of the needs from good sound quality, stable connectivity, and many other basic features, but also provides an effective ANC mode. Despite the few gaps mentioned above in the review, I still find an attractive option for many and that’s why it has been getting a lot of traction among users.
Monster XKT10 Price And Where To Buy
The Monster XKT10 is Available for purchase on the AliExpress website at a discount, it has gotten many buys, go grab it and don’t miss out on this great deal.
What’s in the Box?
- User Manual
- Charging case
- 2x Monster XKT13 Earphones
- USB Type-C Adapter
Monster XKT10 Specifications
| Specifications | |
| Product Name | Monster Airmars XKT10 |
| Driver Size | 13mm |
| Bluetooth Version | Bluetooth 5.2 |
| Transmission Distance | 8-10m |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz – 20kHz |
| Charging Interface | Type-C |
| Microphone Sensitivity | -42dB ± 3dB |
| Signal-to-Noise Ratio | ≥102dB |
| Distortion | ≤5% |
| Speaker Impedance | 32Ω ± 15% |
| Battery Capacity (Earbuds) | 30mAh |
| Battery Capacity (Case) | 300mAh |
| Playback Time (Single Charge) | 4-5 hours |
| Total Playback Time (with Case) | Up to 20 hours |
| Charging Time | 1.5-2 hours |
| Game Mode | Yes (45ms low latency) |
| Voice Assistant Support | Yes |
| Waterproof | IPX4 |
| Active noise canceling | Yes |
| Compatibility | iOS and Android devices |
