The KEF Mu7 wi-fi headphones with ANC had been designed by Ross Lovegrove and have a teardrop form. … [+]
It’s taken me some time to get my arms on a pair of KEF Mu7. Somehow, this pair of wi-fi ANC headphones slipped below my evaluate radar however I believed I’d take a look at them, having just lately been greatly surprised by Cambridge Audio’s Melomania P100 headphones I questioned how the Hi-Res Mu7 would evaluate.
KEF is likely one of the oldest and most conventional British speaker manufacturers and hails from a time when the UK led the world in audio know-how. Founded within the county of Kent, England, again in 1961, KEF went on to carve itself an enviable popularity for making wonderful loudspeakers. Now, the model is booming and it has even opened beautiful showroom galleries world wide.
As with different speaker manufacturers, like B+W, KEF entered the headphone house with the launch of the Mu7 a yr or so in the past. These wi-fi Bluetooth headphones are designed by Ross Lovegrove, the designer who has collaborated with KEF on merchandise like Muon floor-standing audio system and KEF’s first wi-fi earbuds, the Mu3.
The Mu7 headphones from KEF have a stupendous and smooth design.
As you’d anticipate from a KEF product, the construct high quality of the Mu7 headphones is exemplary. Lovegrove’s design has earcups with a stunning teardrop form. Generously upholstered earpads are lined with smooth pleather and filled with reminiscence foam. The earcups can rotate by 90 levels to allow them to stow away flat of their zippered exhausting case. The headphone yoke doesn’t fold in on itself, which is not any unhealthy factor for my part and means much less probability of a creaking body.
The consolation stage of the Mu7 is superb. The clamping strain isn’t fairly as mild as Sony’s WH-1000XM5 however they really feel safe when worn. Weighing in at 309g, the Mu7 don’t really feel too heavy, due to a padded headband and adjustable arms that make the match comfortable and safe. The earpads appear to wick away any sweat and the listener’s ears stay cool. Finally, there’s a alternative of Silver Grey or Charcoal Grey colorways.
It’s truthful to say the Mu7 headphones aren’t precisely bristling with options however most issues that you simply want are there. For a begin, the Mu7 are constructed round a Qualcomm chipset that helps SBC, AAC and aptX HD. There’s no assist for Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Sound Platform with the brand new aptX Lossless codec.
The Mu7 fold flat to slot in their exhausting zippered case.
The Mu7 are advantageous for Hi-Res listening on Android and use with iOS due to AAC assist. However, if you’d like Snapdragon Sound assist there are some nice headphones now out there just like the Edifier Stax Spirit S5 and Cambridge Audio’s Melomania P100.
In every earpiece, there are 40mm customized drivers. A built-in battery supplies as much as 40 hours of playtime from a single cost. While that’s not precisely “best in class” it’s a lot ok for a return long-haul flight. The use of Bluetooth 5.1 means you additionally get assist for Multipoint connectivity, enabling two gadgets to be linked on the similar time so you’ll be able to hearken to music from one machine whereas taking telephone calls from, say, your organization smartphone.
Because the Mu7 headphones use Qualcomm know-how, you additionally get cVc noise-canceling mic know-how which suggests quieter and extra intelligible speech when making telephone calls or collaborating in video conferences.
The KEF Mu7 headphones can be found in Silver. Grey or Charcoal Grey colorways.
The microphones constructed into the earcups are additionally used for sampling sound for the Active Noise Canceling capabilities. A press of the ANC button turns the characteristic on and off, with most undesirable sounds being adequately filtered out. The Smart ANC perform adapts to the extent of exterior noise on the fly and it does an incredible job. Is it pretty much as good as Bose or Sony ANC? Well, not fairly however it’s not unhealthy in any respect.
Oddly, there’s no hear-through or transparency mode however that’s not a problem for me as I hardly ever use it, however for somebody who desires to concentrate on their environment when jogging or figuring out, it may very well be a problem. One helpful characteristic I did like is the auto-pause perform if you raise an ear cup. It’s helpful when somebody talks to you; simply raise an ear cup and the music pauses.
The controls for the Mu7 are all positioned on the right-hand ear cup. There’s an influence swap and a Bluetooth pairing button for getting linked to your smartphone or audio participant. There’s additionally an ANC button for turning the noise canceling on and off, plus a USB-C charging and information port.
Seen from the facet, the KEF Mu7 look stunning and classy.
You can use the USB port for topping up the Mu7’s rechargeable battery in addition to connecting the headphones to a pc by way of a USB information cable so you’ll be able to expertise a Hi-Res wired connection. For legacy connections, there’s a 3.5mm AUX socket which takes a cable that may join the headphones to a hi-fi system or digital audio participant.
Next, we transfer on to the floor of the fitting earcup. There is a scooped floor that’s touch-sensitive and specified by a cruciform form. The touchpad enables you to swipe ahead to the subsequent observe or swipe again to repeat the final observe. You can pause and play the music with a contact and lift or decrease quantity ranges. It works nicely and is likely one of the few contact controls on headphones that I loved utilizing.
One main omission with the Mu7 is the shortage of a smartphone app for customizing issues like EQ and controls. There’s additionally no strategy to replace firmware. It’s an odd omission and a well-designed app can add worth to a pair of wi-fi headphones. I feel KEF has missed a trick right here.
The Mu7 headphones have adaptive ANC for canceling undesirable sounds.
Now we come to an important a part of the evaluate: how do the KEF Mu7 sound? KEF makes some nice audio system and its 60+ years of audio expertise can actually be heard in these headphones. The sound is muscular and well-defined. If these headphones had been human, they might have a six-pack. To audition Mu7, I streamed from TIDAL utilizing aptX HD over Bluetooth.
Rhiannon Giddens is at all times an excellent artist for testing for a pair of headphones. Her clear voice may give any driver a correct exercise. The observe “At The Purchaser’s Option” from Giddens’ Freedom Highway album was a very good place to start out. The Mu7 headphones dealt with the intro kickdrum with real fashion. It’s an thrilling sound though the presentation of the observe total sounded a bit laid again. That’s not essentially a criticism however these usually are not headphones that can slap you across the ears and provide you with a headache, however they’ve sufficient drive and determination to supply a convincing soundstage though not a very extensive one.
There’s loads of bass on supply with the Mu7s however issues by no means get out of hand. Restrained in locations, the sound has loads of ahead definition within the midrange which presents vocals nicely. It’s presumably within the crossover between the bass and decrease mids the place issues can get a bit muddy however it will depend on the supply. If you feed the KEF Mu7 a well-recorded observe and play it on a very good supply, you’ll be rewarded with a advantageous sound. If you’re keen on the signature KEF sound you’ll know what I imply.
The match of the KEF Mu7 is snug however safe due to smooth ear cushions.
Verdict: The marketplace for wi-fi ANC headphones is brutal now. It’s a aggressive house and that’s largely on account of Qualcomm’s very good chipsets and the assistance they provide audio firms when designing headphones and earbuds. As a outcome, there are plenty of headphones on the market at eager costs. KEF has by no means been a discount basement model however it has its loyal followers. If you’re keen on the KEF sound and respect the Ross Lovegrove fashion, you’re going to understand the Mu7. There are just a few oversights corresponding to transparency mode and the absence of an app, however should you can see your well beyond that, then these snug and clean-sounding headphones are nicely value a hear despite the fact that they’re a bit costly.
Pricing & Availability: The KEF Mu7 wi-fi ANC headphones can be found now and value $399.99 / £349 / €399.
Tech Specs:
- Drivers: 40mm.
- Max energy output: 15mW.
- Bluetooth model: 5.1.
- Codecs: SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD
- Bluetooth energy: Class 2.
- Bluetooth vary: 10m.
- Battery: 1,100mAh.
- Battery life: 40 hours (BT + ANC on).
- Fast charging: 15 minutes = 8 hours.
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 199 x 153 x 89mm.
- Weight: 309g.
