KEF has been a pioneer in the audio market since its inception in the early 1960s. And with their latest release – the Mu3 Earphones – the brand continues to demonstrate a commitment to producing high-quality signature sounds. They’re the product of an exciting collaboration as KEF’s ethos of music ‘as the artist intended’ is merged with designer Ross Lovegrove’s sleek vision.
Where Aesthetics And Engineering Meet
It’s so important that wearables look the part – particularly those so close to the face. Yet we’ve found that style and substance don’t always come together. Here, emphasis has been equally placed on the two elements. The sculpted buds have a molten metal like contemporary aesthetic, sculpted to the ear for comfort and clean visual lines. But each enclosure contains a powerful 8.2mm full-range dynamic driver, providing well balanced, coherent sound with a rich midrange, beefy bass and crisp upper registers.
Where Aesthetics And Engineering Meet
Living and working in the city, we know only too well how important noise cancellation is in enjoying an immersive listening experience. These Mu3 Earphones feature KEF’s specially tuned Active Noise Cancellation technology, which enables the nuance and subtleties found within the tracks to truly emerge. The result is sound that comes vividly to life. It felt as akin to a private studio experience as it’s possible to achieve at home, work or on the go. This was also really helpful come bedtime, providing a kind of audio cocoon in which to drop off. I also made use of the ambient mode when working (which disengages the noise cancellation feature), so I’d still be tuned into laptop and tablet alerts.
A Seamless Acoustic Experience
Sometimes noise cancellation affects the delivery of detail, but that’s is not the case here. Wearing these, I quite literally didn’t miss a beat. Every note (or word, if using them for podcasts and audiobooks) is as clear as a bell. And with Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity, I was free from annoying wires, yet reassured they’d remain securely in place. The splashproof design too was put to the test and passed with flying colours, when I was unexpectedly caught in a downpour en route home while listening to some of my favourite tracks.
Smart Weighting And A Tailored Fit
Having struggled to find really comfortable earbuds in the past, the tailored fit of the Mu3 is most welcome. Lovegrove’s ergonomic design results in something a little more compact than many competitors, ideal for those who find standard buds uncomfortable. However, the pack came with four different sized ultra-soft silicone ear tips, so there’s a perfect match for everyone. These size options also augmented the noise cancellation technology; because the buds fitted snugly into my ear, they formed a seal further isolating unwanted extraneous noise. A potential worry for me is always the possibility of a bud dropping out, particularly during a run, or during a workout. However, the Mu3s are smartly weighted to balance in each ear, so I never came close to losing them.
Having tried the earbuds on both my Android and Apple devices, I found their performance to be seamless and stable. Pairing them up was easy and lightning-fast, perfect when rushing to the gym. And a quick charge is all that is needed to keep me connected to my music all day long.
KEF MU3 earphones are priced at £199 and can be bought direct at uk.kef.com/products/mu3
