The KEF Mu3 Earphones: Designed With More Than Noise Cancelling In Mind

The new KEF Mu3 Earphones get their looks from designer Ross Lovegrove who has worked for everyone from Apple to Vitra.

Earphones wear like jewelry, don’t they, even more so in the age of Covid and Zoom since ‘phones of all shapes, sizes, colors, and types are making their network debuts on a near daily basis. I, for one, care about how things look so I appreciate the fact that KEF have employed Lovegrove to give the Mu3 eye appeal in addition to ear appeal.

The Mu3 connect to their host via Bluetooth 5.0 and employ active noise cancelling to isolate you and their 8.2mm full-range dynamic drivers from the outside world. The Mu3 offer the SBC and AAC codecs which means iOS device owners get to use AAC’s improved sonics as compared to SBC. Non-Apple users may be wondering — why no aptX?

KEF has also included Ambient Mode, no, its not a filter for Ambient music, which disengages noise cancellation so you can be in touch with your surroundings.

The Highlights

  • Active Noise Cancellation tuned to eliminate external sound while preserving nuance and detail
  • 8.2mm full-range dynamic driver engineered to reveal the smallest details of your favourite music
  • Bluetooth 5.0 for exceptionally stable connections with both iOS and Android devices
  • Ergonomic design for comfort and fit
  • IPX5 splash-proof design for all weather conditions
  • Up to 24-hours use (9 hours at full charge; plus 15 hours with charging case)
  • Fast charging of 5 mins for 1-hour use
  • 4 sets of ultra-soft silicone ear tips for optimal comfort and fit (large, medium, small, short)

Specifications

Model: Mu3
Speaker drivers: 8.2mm
Frequency range: 20-20000Hz
Sensitivity: 104dB/1mW at 1KHz (1KHz 1mW)
Impedance: 16Ω
Max power output: 5mW
Bluetooth:  5.0
Codec: SBC, AAC
Bluetooth Power: ≤13dBm
Bluetooth range: 10m
Bluetooth frequency: 2.402GHz-2.48GHz
Li-ion rechargeable battery: 50mAh (earbud)/ 350mAh (charging case)
Battery play time (earbud): 9 hrs (BT + ANC on)
Battery play time (charging case): 15 hrs
Fast charging for 5 mins: 1 hr battery play time
Dimension (H x W x D): 24.5 x 17.5 x 26.3 mm (earbud) | 33.5 x 62 x 52 mm (charging case)
Weight: 5.8 g (earbud) | 46.8 g (charging case)
Operating temperature: -10°C to 45°C
Power Input: DC 5V 600mA

The KEF Mu3 Earphones are available for $229.99 direct from KEF.