The Allegro Pro has won me over on its simplicity, its power in making music sound better than ever before on my Nintendo Switch and phone, and most importantly its price. It’s my go-to DAC that I keep with me whenever I am traveling thanks to its form factor, too!
Throughout my years of visiting gaming and audiophile forums, I’ve noticed that gamers are more flexible with their audio needs. Audiophiles who play video games, however, go above and beyond in maximizing their setup to make the audio experience just as enjoyable as the games they play. When on the go, portable DAC/AMPs come in clutch in making audio sound as it should.
Now what if I told you that there was a DAC/AMP made for your Nintendo Switch and your smartphone? Look no further than the Kiwi Ears Allego Pro, folks.
Kiwi Ears is making waves in the in-ear monitor (IEM) space, while carving out some space in the headphone and earbud market as well. I’ve reviewed and used several of their products over the past few months and have been surprised as to their sound quality in the affordable audio category. They’re punching above their weight class in many respects.
Check out the Kiwi Ears Allego on LINSOUL’s website! (Non-affiliated URL)
The Kiwi Ears Allegro Pro is a portable DAC/AMP that can connect to any USB-C device to improve their audio quality push your favorite IEMs or wired headphones to the limit at the same time. For $59.99, the Allegro Pro are a competitive addition to your audio and gaming setup that will not only play nicely with your existing gear, but will support higher-end IEMs when/if you choose to invest in them down the line. Best of all, it’s entirely wireless and does not need to be charged. All you need to do is plug and go!
The Allegro Pro is lightweight, despite being made of aluminum, featuring a mode-switching button at the bottom of the unit. While it looks like there are buttons on the front plate where a Kiwi Ears logo is prominently displayed, there is only the single button at the bottom of the unit and that’s it. It’s simple to use – just plug it in and enjoy music as it should be heard! It’s small enough to fit in my personal carrying case for my Nintendo Switch or a small pouch in my backpack for traveling. Its portability has won me over in that I can listen to music as it should when I’m on the go without excess cords, needing to keep it charged, or other frustrations that usually come with adding a new unit to my kit.
The Allegro Pro is solidly built and travels well thanks to its size, but I’m concerned about its USB-port’s placement. It needs to be a smidgen higher so that users with phone/device cases can plug it in. My Pixel 9 Pro XL’s case has a raised edge around the entire case, meaning that the Allegro Pro was not able to be plugged in thanks to the additional depth granted by the case. I had no issues with plugging it into my laptop or Nintendo Switch, though!
One of the most prominent features of the Allegro Pro is its compatibility with the Nintendo Switch. I have never felt the need for a DAC/AMP for my Nintendo Switch, but now that I have one…I can’t go back. Audio on my Nintendo Switch naturally sounds fuller and more natural with the Allegro Pro; I was able to appreciate Everhood 2 and Unicorn Overlord’s soundtrack thanks to this little DAC.
The button on the bottom of the Allegro Pro switches between three preset modes (Gaming, Movie, and Music). There’s no way to customize and adjust these modes beyond their current state. Perhaps it was my ears, or possibly the music I was listening to, but I could not tell much of a difference between swapping between the modes. Seeing as the Game Mode (which is signified by the Blue LED next to the button) is supposedly configured for gaming, I opted to use that by default for most of this review. But again – I could hardly tell the difference across the devices I tested the Allegro Pro and the headphones I plugged into my Allegro Pro.
Speaking of headphones, I tested my Allegro Pro with three sets of headphones: My Kiwi Ears Ardor (in Wired Mode), Kiwi Ears Ellipse, and the LINSOUL ZiiGaat x Fresh Reviews Arete IEMs. The Arete IEMs are already fantastic without a DAC, but the Allegro Pro made the highs especially crisp. On my Ardor and Ellipse (both headphones from Kiwi Ears with decent, but not great, bass), the Allegro Pro managed to squeeze out a surprising amount of bass to make the headphones sound a bit more thumpy. Treble was emphasized across the board and bumped the audio to sound fuller with finer details.
From my testing, it sounded like headphones with subpar bass or slightly muddled lows were able to take better advantage of the Allegro Pro than more sensitive IEMs. Then again, sensitive IEMs tend to be more expensive, so I wouldn’t expect someone with a $400 set of IEMs to even consider something like the Allegro Pro.
Would you get a better audio experience with a more-premium DAC? Sure. There’s no doubt that a $200 or more portable DAC would push your current IEMs and audiophile-grade headphones to their limits, but…most folks aren’t willing to start their HiFi audio journeys with an expensive DAC. They shouldn’t, either. If anything, the Allegro Pro is an excellent starting point that gives users a taste of what audio can and should be as they grow and refine their tastes.
Thus, the Allegro Pro is a must-have for gamers on-the-go, especially those who have not yet considered a DAC up to this point. Seeing as IEMs are becoming popular and affordable thanks to companies like Kiwi Ears, having a portable DAC will make your HiFi investments worthwhile.
The Allegro Pro has won me over on its simplicity, its power in making music sound better than ever before on my Nintendo Switch and phone, and most importantly its price. It’s my go-to DAC that I keep with me whenever I am traveling thanks to its form factor, too!
A Kiwi Ears Allego Pro was provided by LINSOUL for the sole purpose of this DigitalChumps review.
